“I should leave now” Hyerin stood up, making the four sitting on either side of her on the sofa, stand too, Taemin beside his mom & Taesun along with his father.

After having lunch, luckily with the entire Lee family today, she was forced to wait for one more hour. 

But two hours went by like water, when everyone started filling her in with Taemin’s information & his childhood & all the parts of his life she was curious about, and he kept getting shy lying down on his mom’s lap. 

Knowing that they wouldn’t leave her first, she decided to offer to leave first, so that Taemin could rest & have some family time by himself.

“Why?” “Stay for some more time” Mrs Lee cooed, making Hyerin appreciate her sweetness.

“Hmm” “It will be nice if you stay for some more time” Mr Lee added with a stern but kind voice, “It’s been long we have the whole family together” “And it was nice to have you with us today”

Hyerin wasn’t sure if she should really interrupt their family time.  

She glanced at Taemin who had a sheepish grin on his lips, and then Taesun, who was just standing on one side nodding silently, agreeing to his parents.

Watching everyone one by one, as all of them were waiting for her answer now, she finally came up with a plan, “Then how about this?” she looked at Taemin giving him a soft smile turning to Mrs Lee again.

“I’ll leave after we have coffee together then” Mrs Lee gave her a satisfactory smile, “But-” Hyerin added immediately without taking further comments, “I’ll make the coffee” she raised her eye watching all the four of them as they responded with confused nods except Taemin who had a knowing smile to himself.

------------------

“Wow” “This coffee has a unique taste” “What did you do?” Taesun added, amazed, glancing between Taemin & Hyerin simultaneously, as Taemin had this proud smile on his lips, hearing the compliments for Hyerin. 

“Hmm” “It’s not even that bitter & it has a definite aroma & taste” Mr Lee added while taking another sip.

“It's her special coffee” “Right?” Mrs Lee eyed Hyerin with a smirk as Hyerin nodded back smiling, satisfied by all the comments.

“So it’s a secret recipe” Taemin whispered to his dad as his dad responded, mouthing an exaggerated ’Oh!’ making Hyerin chuckle on it.

“I really had a great time with you all today” Hyerin said standing up trying to wrap up, “Thank you for inviting me, Mrs Lee” she looked at Taemin’s mom giving her a warm smile as Mrs Lee got up to turn to her, “Eomma!” 

“Huh?” 

“Ryujin calls me that” “You can call me that too” Mrs Lee clarified, widening the smile, “And we’re friends now” “Right?”

“Right!” Hyerin looked at Taemin standing behind his mom, with a warmness filling her heart, as he was peacefully smiling at them, “Sure” Hyerin nodded, biting on her lip awkwardly.

“Eomma!” she glanced up to Mrs Lee, who was smiling proudly at her.

“That’s my girl!” Mrs Lee patted Hyerin’s shoulder as Hyerin looked down, shy but contended.

“By the way” Mrs Lee continued to speak turning back to Taemin behind her, “I don’t think he has taken you on a proper date yet” she raised an eye at Taemin as he blinked his eyes filled with question marks.

“You hardly even visited her with your promotions going on this month?” she narrowed her eyes at Taemin, “Am I wrong?” He got the clue his mom wanted him to get, as his lips parted into a soft smile.

He looked at Hyerin looking between him & his mom, confused, “Well” “then”

“I have time today” he said, watching her as she tilted her head in confusion observing him, “Huh?”

He walked to her, taking her hand in his. 

Hyerin was taken aback by this sudden skinship in front of his parents, trying to move away from him as he held her hand tight, making her give him a sharp glare.

“Not me” he blinked, acting innocent, “Eomma wants us to go on date” 

“Right, Eomma?” he looked at his mom pouting to answer for him, when the three of his family started laughing together, knowing his mischievous side.

“Hmm” Mrs Lee said, giving Hyerin a nod before joining her son, “Let’s say it’s my wish”

He was enjoying teasing Hyerin as he was not alone in the game today.

“But-” 

Hyerin was interrupted by Taemin as he dragged her to the door, 

“Eomma, I’ll be back home soon” he announced putting on his shoes and then sat down, getting Hyerin’s heels, to put it under her feet, looking up at her.

She looked at him & then his parents in shock, “Oppa!” “Put them down!” she whispered, embarrassed by his sudden overwhelming gesture.

“I’ll wear them” she ensured as he got up to see her put her feet into them immediately, when the three in the house were enjoying their cuteness from aside, seeing both of them leaving after a minute or two.

------------------

“So?” “Where should we go first?” Taemin asked, looking at Hyerin, swinging their hands together.

“Is there a list to choose from?” she chuckled watching their hands, as she looked up, raising her eyes at him.

“Of course” he was confident & genuine about it, as Hyerin blinked her eyes, amazed by him having an actual plan that quickly.

“You were not expecting a date from me?” he asked surprised & a bit disappointed as they walked to his car.

“No!” she exclaimed in surprise too, “I mean-” “Yes”  she was flustered by her own realization, 

“It’s not like we had to go on an official date & I understand how we cannot have outdoor dates” “So…” 

Taemin pulled the car door for her, letting her in, as he ran to the other side, 

“You are underestimating me” he complained as he got inside the car, “I can’t let this happen” 

Hyerin started laughing at his complaining tone, turning to watch him speak more, as he narrowed his eyes on her, “I need to show you then, what I’ve prepared” he said, determined & proud of his plan.

“You’ve prepared?” she asked, confused.

“Hmm” he nodded, turning to pull his seat-belt as she turned back to do the same, now curious about where he was going to take her.

After a while, they were out of the city as she saw him driving across the highway out of the city, “Are we going far?” 

“Yeah” “It’s-” 

“I think we’ll be there in 10 mins” he said looking at the GPS in front of him, “But I promise you’ll like it” his smile was telling how excited he was to go there with her.

She got her endorphin rising, as her excitement took her mind too now, watching the glint in Taemin’s eyes. 

She looked for the time on her phone as she got the feeling after seeing the surroundings. 

Ah! It’s time for sunset. 

She could see the road leading to the suburbs with hills around now, as he took a turn to drive up to one of the not-so-high mountain..

Hyerin opened the window on her side, but the wind was chilly & dry.

“Isn’t it cold out?” Taemin looked at her side, watching her feel the wind with closed eyes for a second. 

Sunlight was falling on her face, as she glowed in the stream of light coming in. 

“It is!” her voice low & hoarse, as it got dry in seconds & her cheeks were freezed to turn pale & feel numb.

 She closed the window immediately, rubbing her hands together, placing it on her cheeks to warm them again.

“Why is it so cold outside?” she said, her voice wavering with the shivers in her body.

Taemin couldn’t stop laughing seeing her immediate transformed reaction, as his hands reached his hair with habit flipping them back, his sleek bangs falling back again on his forehead, making him blink with moon-curved eyes, as he was still laughing.

“You should wear my coat in the back” “You’ll get warm quicker” he suggested, still snickering as she darted at him with a cute pout, turning to the backseat to find his jacket on the seat.

She was wearing a peach full-sleeved, high-collared-sweater, considering the winter-cold, over a pair of light-blue straight-jeans to look casual as well as elegant, as she had initially got out of house to meet Mrs Lee today, bothered to set her impression this time.

She wasn’t so considerate of her fashion otherwise but this was kind of a special occasion for her, though she wasn’t aware she was considering it as one, consciously.

Putting on the furry white coat of his, she was actually feeling warmer, but then she could also smell his scent from it, giving her the butterfly effect again, she had felt back in Jeju-do that night. 

Her mind was taking in the bliss of that warm scent in peace, this time, too, rather more shamelessly than before.

And before she could come out of that bliss, she saw Taemin’s open palm in front of her, as she looked up to meet his eyes in surprise, “Give me your hand” he said.

She rested her hand in his palm, as he held it to interlock their fingers, keeping the other hand on the wheels.

Both of them looked at each other from their interlocked hands, to look away with pressed lips as their lips were deliberately curving into a smile, as much as they wanted to hide it.

His hand was warm & fingers as small as hers, as she tightened her grip with those on his hand.

She was tapping her thumb in a specific but still indefinite rhythm on his thumb in happiness, which she didn’t realize in the spur of the moment, lost in that music of her own moment of joy, but Taemin could just feel the rhythm there now on his skin turning into some unknown but beautiful music for himself, he could not hear, but just feel it right away.

Yes!  Dejavu!

His heart was dancing to the rhythm of Hyerin’s heart, getting the feeling of a dejavu now, till he remembered his encounter with Hyerin in Paris again. 

He took a glance at her to find her watching the road with a silent, soft smile, he got his eyes back on the road, trying to not distract himself, but ended up taking a second glance, laughing inside at his uncontrolled heart now, which came out as a soft chuckle.

“Aren’t you going to ask me questions like-”

“what do I like about you?” he asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the road this time, “Since when I started liking you?” 

He could feel her eyes on him, as he saw her from the corner of his eyes, turning to him, “You know that kind of questions” 

“Aren’t you curious about it?” 

Not expecting a totally random question from him, but quite intrigued by it too at the same time like always, Hyerin ended up observing his face for a while, when she saw him his lip before his lips, went up to form a smirk.

She bit her lips before speaking, “Hmm?” she hummed, keeping her smile low, “So, what do you like about me, taemin oppa?” her voice changed into a cute one as she saw his lips parting to break into a wider smile, as she continued, “When did you start liking me?” 

He bit on his lower lip, trying to control his racing heart, reacting strongly to her aegyo voice sounding cute like a tiny-baby, as he avoided looking at her.

She saw his cheeks going up to a tinge of pink now, as she managed to suppress her laughter, waiting for his reaction.

They were already at the spot, where Taemin pulled the car onto a plain, in the middle of the mountain, putting off the engine finally..

She kept watching him with patience as he turned to her after preparing himself, to maintain a poker face, looking into her eyes as she looked into his, waiting patiently, with cuteness overflowing from her eyes at the moment, 

“I’m never answering this now” he shaked his head in denial, looking in the front again with a pout, suppressing his smile till the end, knowing she was watching him.

As their hands were still comfortably interlocked, she got her free hand on the long sleeves of his black & white striped, high neck, t-shirt, pulling them, trying to take his attention, “Why?” “I really want to know” she cooed, adding more efforts this time, making his heart melt down like butter.

 Stop being so dangerously adorable at one single time. 

He could feel his cheeks warming up as the blood rushed up to them in the instant.

He was scared to look at her face now, when he was feeling this way just by hearing her voice. 

Keeping his eyes in front for a while, he remembered about the sunset, so he took out his phone to check, “There’s still 15 mins for the sunset,” he said watching his phone screen. 

“Good” “We can talk then” she announced desperately, making him chuckle, sensing the impatience in her voice.

“Weren’t you teasing me a while ago?” The timing was just right for him to take his revenge now.

“I was just trying to be cute” she said in a low voice, pulling out her lip in a pout, as his jaw dropped to leave out a chuckle, “Where were you hiding this ‘Hyerin’ inside you?” he gaped at her in awe.

“Am I adding to the things you like about me?” she was back to her aegyo voice, surprising him to the par now, as he could see her pouting & blinking cutely at him, except for her voice, unlike a while ago.

He nodded, “Yes, you are” his eye-corners creased as his cheeks went all up when he smiled upto his eyes, “totally” he was loving it.

He reached to pull her cheeks, “I doubt the list is gonna get longer with time” 

“What about when?” she said, getting excited again, watching him, as his eyes went wide in confusion for a while, 

“When did you start liking me?” she wasn’t looking away holding his eyes into hers, as his expressions softened slowly, after getting sense of her question.

All he could remember was Hyerin standing in the bakery, wearing an apron, when those hair were shorter and her smile too, when those lips of her were stained with the chocolate she was making, and her small ears were covered by her headphone to display only the star earring, she had in his last shot of hers.

“Right when I saw you for the first time” the words came out, as he got back to the present.

The moment Hyerin could remember, was from the police station & she was full of mixed feelings, looking like a mess and being one back then, she couldn’t believe how it was possible to like that part of her, “Strange!” “The way we met was so absurd” 

She was right.

He found himself smiling as he realized what she was talking about

It was strange & absurd, how they met & met again, when he was going to bury it as a beautiful memory from the past.

“Hmm” 

“But it was special for me” 

“in every way”

 It was! He had found her at the very unexpected place & moment…again…when he did not even expect to see h