The nightly world seemed to quake as his eyes trembled. He couldn’t help blushing madly, because some girl was standing in front of him. And she was so pretty.

“W…wh…wha…what…what?!” he stammered like an idiot.

Her eyes were alit like the stars were alive there. They were big, round, shiny.

The entire galaxy swam in them.

It was engulfing.

She was the complete opposite of him. Curious, cool, collected.

Holding a finger up, “You look familiar.”

“Actually, I…”

“Oh!” she cut him off.

Took your order before…

“Your resume!” Her head slightly cocked.

Blanking Sehun blinked taken aback. Suddenly, what was going on?

The girl’s eyes seemed to trace a circle as she sought her memory for some unseen detail. Sehun waited in the quiet like some .

“That’s right! I saw your resume on my dad’s desk. Mmmm….” She appeared to be probing a needle into her brain. Looking straight at him, “Mr. Oh!”

Stunted, Sehun nearly choked on his breath.

That made him sound so old.

He nearly stuttered, but flatly corrected, “Oh Sehun.”

“Is that so?” Why did she sound so nonchalant? It kind of hurt.

“Then, you are…” Need he finish?

Holding up her palm she chirpily introduced herself, “I’m Namjoo.”

Daughter of TL Logistics. Sehun knew. Kim Hui, CEO, stood at the top of the pyramid. The company was one of the leaders of technology in the country. They did everything from research and development producing the latest smartphones, tablets, computer, cameras, air conditioning, washing machines, refrigerators; they dominated everything. Literally ran the whole of South Korea.

Her father was a big shot. He landed on magazines, appeared in the news, even the South Korea Times reported about him. They’d published a portrait of his family once to celebrate his 50^th birthday. Sehun had seen it.

He was constantly up to date with society’s news, trends, rumors, and games, whatever. He did not own the latest model of smartphone, but was diligently saving for it. Sehun was interested in technology. Had planned to get his degree in computer engineering. Develop software in the future for big guns.

Once upon a time, he had had dreams. Like a normal college student walking toward big dreams. But sometimes, reality had other plans.

Awed Sehun realized this was not a normal picture. Him with a hi-so girl and her glamorous suitcase standing on the side of the road. He peered over her shoulder expecting some kind of flashy Lexus to be coming for her, headlights shining like diamonds on under an evening sky.

Nothing.

Counting with her fingers, she started with, “So, you closed up shop, you’re walking home late at night, you’re by yourself, you’re not on the phone. You’re single?”

His cheeks reddened.

“Then,” she stretched out her arm offering a hand, “let’s be friends.”

His eyes dove down.

Was it this easy?

Namjoo wriggled her fingers. was running faster than his mind could think. He hesitated as he lifted his hand up. Then finally, gripped her hand.

“So, where do you live?” Namjoo dropped the bomb.

Yanking his hand away Sehun’s eyes widened. “Wh…what?”

“Let me stay with you. Don’t worry, I have money. I’ll pay for boarding,” She grinned as if he’d given word. “But in turn, help me with something else.”

Help me with something else…

Sehun couldn’t find an opening to inject his thought.

She was already rambling on, “Teach me to be normal.”

“Huh?”

♥♥♥♥♥

The grin stretched across her face. She could judge right away this guy she would be able to get by with this guy. Something about him.

Didn’t matter. She didn’t have to stay long. She had money. She just needed somewhere to sleep tonight, because it would not be on the street or somewhere strange. Even though she was a hopeless runaway she still had standards.

“You live this way?” Namjoo pointed straight down the road. Would make sense. Guy had been strolling right on by. Without waiting she rolled her suitcase down the street.

She was enjoying this. The soft, chill breeze of a humid spring. The openness under the starry nighttime. The buildings alive and bursting with colorful rays of lights around her. There was noise down this section, chortling around the corner, even someone was standing hidden under a hanging roof smoking.

This was freedom. Namjoo loved it. Walking without a destination or a schedule. At some point, she would land right where she was meant to be.

No less than a second later Sehun flew past forcing her to a stop. Namjoo discovered too late the neon purple sign right above her head. Motel of Love was flashing on it in seductive deep purple shades. Underneath, an imprint of a red kiss.

Color flashed over Sehun’s panicked face. Namjoo stiffened embarrassed.

Pointing down her right, Sehun anxiously told, “That way.”

“Oh…” she murmured following him. Under her breath, “Of course.”

Dilapidated buildings rose around her. Cars were parked in disarray out front. Old vehicles dating back to the 90’s. Their rusted engines hanging on a last thread that it would make it tomorrow’s trip. Dim lights glowed behind curtains. Somewhere along the way Namjoo heard indie music floating out an open window.

A quarter way past a deep crack in the sidewalk stood a gray structure. A side black metal stairwell led upstairs to a rooftop café. In the dark the vines growing across the building resembled venomous snakes eyeing and hissing at her. Right on the other side Sehun turned toward a dingy blue building. Part of the paint was peeling revealing the white beneath. He didn’t seem bothered.

Motion sensor lights flicked on stinging her senses. When her eyes reopened, she saw a tidy open area containing the living space and the kitchen. The wooden floorboards were the dullest beyond repair she’d laid eyes on. Deep black patterns ran parallel to random white streaks from knows what.

A saggy blue sofa was on the other side of the tiniest television she, too, set eyes on. Namjoo had no idea such small screens still existed in the 21^st century. At least the sofa somehow matched the weird gray-blue walls. Not a remnant of life hung on them to depict that this house belonged to someone. Had she somehow encroached on ancient land?

Shoving the bland humor aside at least his kitchen was kind of cute. An L-shaped white wraparound counter stocked with a coffee machine, dishrack, his rice cooker, a toaster, and even had matching white cupboards and drawers. It was tidy with not a plate misplaced or a cup in the sink.

The machines were wiped clean. No coffee stain marked the counter in deep, dark circular shapes or on the machine, the dishrack consisted of only one plate, a bowl, and utensils in the side cup. No crumbs settled around the toaster and the rice cooker was unplugged to save energy. All but his refrigerator hummed throughout her observation.

“Um…sorry, it’s not much.” Sehun hardly could meet her eyes even as his head slightly nodded her direction. “I can call you a cab…”

“Where do I sleep?” Namjoo piped up.

No point being picky. She’d come here of her own accord.

Normal, right? This was exactly what she had been looking for. Oh Sehun was it. She hadn’t chosen wrong.

Instead, the chosen one stared at her kind of lost. Perhaps having expected her to take his offer, leave. Little did he know what she was after and she was already halfway there. Kind of.

The silence echoed between their stare off, bouncing back and forth, back and forth. Sehun perhaps had many questions for her, but Namjoo was cheery.

“My brother uses an airbed when he sleeps over.” Sehun jut his thumb over his shoulder. Namjoo followed it to a narrow hallway. Two doors on one side. Just one on the other.

She waited for him to lead the way. The air smelled fresh. No musk. No sweat. Surprisingly, she recognized hints of lavender and it came strongly from behind a door left a crack open. Along the walk she tried peeking inside the room, saw the foot of a bed.

Sehun’s voice interrupted, “This is the bathroom.”

He was pointing to the only door on one side of the hall.

“Ok.” She uttered.

This was all new to her, but she was taking it in strides. Excited about this new change of lifestyle. At home all bathrooms were conjoined with bedrooms. His house wasn’t even the size of her entire bedroom flourished with plush furniture, an oval table with four cushioned chairs tucked in, a vanity, a personal desk topped with books and her laptop and miscellaneous items, a drawer, a walk-in closet that held all her clothes, fashion bags, and shoes ranging from heels to simple tennis shoes that could provide the demolition of Sehun’s home.

A home of who tells you what even though whom is never around.

So, here she was.

A door clicked open and Namjoo peeked inside to find a storage area. Nothing inside but the heating-cooling furnace and an assortment of stacked boxes blocking the only window in the room. Before that, the airbed he had mentioned previously.

There was nothing but hints of dirt and dust here that tickled Namjoo’s nose. She let out an uncontrollable sneeze.

“I’ll call you a cab.” Sehun flushed madly. Ashamed, embarrassed, and all of emotions that overrode his humility in that quaint moment.

Rubbing her nose into her sleeve Namjoo shook her head. “No, no. It’s…” Her gaze roved over the wide-ish rectangular space. “I like it.”

More than not, it was a lie. But Namjoo believed she would get used to it, even if it made bugs crawl under her skin.

Sehun questionably observed her. Most likely acknowledging her lie, but even if he doubted it, he couldn’t kick her out. Not at this time of night. He just had to take her word for it. Even if he knew not to.

Complicated things like that stirred up the ice between them.

“Really.” She insisted. “I like it.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Sehun felt so horrible ghouls haunted his dreams the entire night. Despite changing the sheets to the airbed when she went to take her shower, he knew it was not enough. Especially for someone like Kim Namjoo.

To be at a hole of his place! This was such a joke! He wished this was not happening. A girl like that did not deserve to be in the pits like this. She must want to jump out of her skin at the sight of every room, the floors, the walls, everything that belonged to him.

He was not a magnificent or outstanding man, so what the hell was she doing here? God, he should have been more conscious earlier. Paid for a taxi to take her to some five-star hotel, where her kind belonged.

He should have argued, this isn’t right. How could a girl stay with some random guy she just met?

So, Sehun tossed and turned some more throughout the night. The average guy he was woke up with bloodshot eyes. Sneaking in barely four hours of sleep from all the horrid overthinking.

Sitting up he let the blanket fall down to his waist. It was morning now. The sun had risen early. Light streaked into his room from the side window. The curtain left parted throughout the night, because he’d forgotten to shut it. So much had been running through his mind, he’d been mostly in a frustrated daze. Gone to sleep still mind blown.

Disbelief still rang through his ears. Would the girl have left in the middle of the night?

Yes, it would be best if she’d snuck out. Sehun would have no hard feelings. Actually, he’d be glad she was gone. For some like who lived a regular life and spent it doing the same things every day, he was not used to abnormal.

Getting up with a groan first went to wash up. After washing his face, he stepped out of the bathroom. Now it was time for breakfast. He had morning shift this morning. There was enough time to cook something before leaving, but he peered down the corridor. The door to the storage room was still closed.

Meaning?

Guessing it was time to find out whether she’d left or not Sehun grasped the knob. It was cold to the touch.

What if she hadn’t left? The storage room had no heating or cooling system. Had the Miss Kim Namjoo been freezing the entire night? Or had she been cooked alive as he slept?

Worry shuddered through him in dozens. Abruptly twisting the knob, he poked his head inside. The airbed came into view. Caking the door wide for a full-blown view he saw that the bed was still occupied. She thin- blanket was twisted in knots. An arched leg stuck out. Namjoo’s head was crooked beside a bent arm by her ear.

He’d never seen that kind of sleeping position before. Honestly, he was weirded out.

Sehun urgently slid forward when her head threatened to droop off the bed. Falling on all fours he luckily caught her head with his arm. Smacking her lips Namjoo twisted her head rubbing her hairline into his mouth. Sehun sputtered, spitting the strands out.

Glancing down he stared past the hair messily covering her forehead. Wanted to comb them away from her face, but lifting his hand, his only support, off the bed meant falling like a dumbbell over her. Besides, his knees were already aching against the hard floor.

Sehun still took a second to scan her face. Smooth, creamy skin. Did every girl have this kind of skin or did only rich girls who had the money for constant facials? His gaze swept down her cheekbones landing on her parted lips. Not dry, but they appeared soft to the touch and well moisturized.

He gulped. Then Namjoo shifted again. This time, onto her side turning her nose into his bicep, her leg kicked out slamming her kneecap right into his thigh. Airily yelping from the sudden sting of pain his legs gave out and he tumbled forward. Namjoo’s head went with a thump onto the hardwood floor, he on top of her.

Sehun scrambled up, their eyes connecting.

Then they both screamed.

♥♥♥♥♥

Sitting on the only stool available on the other side of the L-shaped counter, Namjoo’s laser eyes penetrated Sehun’s back. From the stiff way he moved he could probably feel the fire of her gaze.

He better be nervous! She might be young and come off uncaring, but that did not mean she was open to those other things. Yet.

How could he…come into the room?!

Namjoo crossed her arms tighter around her body.

Something clinked against the counter. He’d just slid a plate of rice and an omelet toward her. Not quite looking at her yet.

Namjoo felt weird about accepting the food, but she was so hungry. It’d taken such a long time for her to give out last night that she hadn’t heard a thing this morning.

Sehun coming into the storage room.

She should have been more cautious!

Namjoo wasn’t a child. She was twenty-one for Lord’s sake and she knew these things between a man and a woman. She was suddenly having second thoughts.

Sehun had seemed so innocent and giving yesterday that she’d decided to take the risk coming to his home. A stranger’s stupid walk into a what-could-be-murder-house, but Namjoo trusted people were kind before they were mean. Especially after recognizing his picture on the resume she’d coincidentally seen sitting on her dad’s reject pile in his office.

That meant Sehun was educated and knowledgeable about consequences. He wouldn’t be impulsive with her. Not especially since his co-worker had seen her, and questions could be raised afterwards.

Namjoo was wondering now, if she’d made the wrong choice after all.

But then…he’d stopped her from going into the motel…

“I said I’m sorry.” Sehun finally met her eyes.

He had. Kind of screamed it when he got off her, but Namjoo had been too shocked to absorb his apology.

Swinging her eyes up she took him in. Seeing him finally in daylight. Morning now she saw the gray-blue walls were somewhat really a too-light blue. The house had two wide dual paned windows behind the tiny 20” monitor.

Oh Sehun had parted deep black hair. His eyes were thoughtful yet held some mysterious gaze. That jawline was also sharp. Like her father he was very tall, towering with wide brimmed shoulders as if he could carry the weight of the whole world on them. Supposing that he worked at the coffeeshop and moved around often he was lean and fit. Slim for a young man.

Others she knew were rather muscular from many gym visits. Bodies filling up their suits. Their hair always done with pomade as they strut around. To show off. To impress. Some of them had girlfriends. A bunch were waiting to fall in love with the right one.

In appearance-wise, Sehun was pretty drag normal. Just some shirt and sweats. Not the usual getup consisting of pants and button-up she saw day to day.

Namjoo almost gave a nod of the head. Then realized she was staring.

Lowering her head, she grabbed her spoon. “Oh…yea…”

There was a moment of silence. Then, “I have to go to work in forty minutes. I can walk you out to your cab when you’re done.”

Raising her head again, she said, “But I’m not leaving yet.”

He blinked just once.

“What?”

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****HAHHAHAHAHA guess what, an update. I was supposed to be out of town but got left behind because I spilled boiling hot water over my foot and guess it's not a first degree burn but a second degree one! I may be going to the urgent care soon, so I shall see you all again next week perhaps

***So, Namjoo's 21 yrs old; young and adventurous, like majority of us all are when we reach that age (esp here in the US bc it's legal drinking age and our time in uni to be free and crazy). Sehun's like 26 more mature and wanting to land a more stable life but he's stuck at the coffeeshop and keeps getting denied jobs he wants, but their journeys have crossed and they're about to learn a thing or two about life

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