Hyerin was supposed to move out of the room after doing a farewell bow to Taemin who was still smiling at her softly & Eui soo-nim, who got busy on his phone again after bowing back to her. But when she took a second glance at Taemin before turning her back to him, he was standing there with his ‘6v6’ smile not fading at all in those few mins of Hyerin’s distraction, as their eyes met when his eyes were already watching her.

She noticed him, letting out a soft chuckle, smiling cheekily, surprising Hyerin by his blushed cheeks on the top of his strange responses till now.

“Oh?” she heard him, startling her, as he was already walking to her till she could think more.

As he walked to her with the gray turtle-neck T-shirt under the light-brown fur jacket on the dark-blue jeans below, he did look very handsome to believe he was a real person to exist on earth.

No wonder girls are crazy for him. Her eyes were observing him, as he walked closer.

As he got nearer, like a movie, the time had turned to go slower, as she watched the handsome hunk walk forward to stand before her with his unusual, but attractive walking style that she had seen just on the screen till now, with her brother cheering his name in her ears most of those times, sitting beside her in their couch.

He was not just handsome, maybe a bit more cute too. Is it possible to have both things in one person? she casually wondered for a second, admiring his visual on a closer look now. 

Those beaming eyes were looking into her eyes again, as he gave her an eye-smile, followed by a quick shy blink, making her heart flutter too shortly for her to control that effect.

Hyerin didn’t even realize that she was unconsciously staring at this person with good looks and fame-driven aura too intently, till she came to her senses again, when her eyes blinked instinctively after focusing for a while, getting a stifling smile from Taemin as he had noticed it immediately, with his keen eyes on her from a long time now.

Maybe because he was an idol, it was quite obvious that his charms were not ordinary, but the way he was smiling at her made her feel special for the short while of that moment even when she was not sure what that actually meant.

While Taemin was very glad to see her this close, but he had walked to her for different reason, to ask if she needed to be dropped somewhere on the way.

He was trying to find ways now so that he could talk to her, “Should we dro-?” and before he could complete his sentence, he was interrupted by a male voice who showed up peeking from the door behind Hyerin, making her turn back to look at him, hearing her name.

“Oppa!” Hyerin exclaimed as she caught the glance of the man, who entered the room now, standing behind Hyerin, which was showing that he was 2-3 inches taller than her, almost similar to Minho’s height to be specific, as Taemin watched him in amaze & confusion.

“Should we leave?” Goon Ho was focused on Hyerin as she looked up at his face, “Yes!” she answered, before looking at Taemin who was watching both of them, as Goon Ho followed her gaze to him.

“Hello!” “This is Han Goon Ho” Goon Ho extended his hand to Taemin, “You look more handsome in person” he exclaimed, smiling at Taemin warmly.

“Ah!” Taemin took the hand with a plastered smile on his face in response, when he was anxious right now by this male figure who had interrupted his plans with the person he wanted to know.

“Taemin-ah!” “We should leave now” Euisoo-nim called out Taemin who was busy faking his smile at the moment hiding his discomfort, “Hmm” he replied back his eyes still on the couple watching them seriously before turning to leave.

Hyerin bowed again to bid him farewell but Taemin left the place with a straight face.

The idol is one of a kind, she thought, watching him walk out of the room, surprised by his multiple weird responses to her today since she met him.

“We should leave too” Goon Ho commanded, spreading his arms around her shoulder to both of them out of the place too.

 ---------------

Taemin & Euisoo-nim walked to the car parked near the station.

“Was that person her boyfriend?” Taemin asked his manager who knew all the details about Hyerin as they did a background check on her after the call.

“Taemin-ah” “What’s going on?” Euisoo-nim was dying to know why the shy Taemin was being so unusual & reckless suddenly.

“Nothing” Taemin’s wandering eyes were giving out everything. Definitely ‘nothing’ was not the word for the kind of face he had now.

“You’re acting weird” Eui soo-nim knew Taemin really well, being shinee’s manager for a long while, and Taemin’s for the longest time, Euisoo-nim knew Taemin’s mood changes too well, even when he tried hiding them often.

“Anyway” “I’m not that curious” Taemin had a aggravated tone, looking away from Euisoo-nim reaching his hand on the car door, as Euisoo-ssi walked to the other side of the car observing Taemin’s obvious face of concerned about something.

Who was this girl? Does he know her? Taemin would never cross line with a stranger. And asking out for a meal? That was really unusual of him? Euisoo-nim thoughts were also focused on Hyerin because of Taemin's reaction inside.

Everything he did inside was making him more curious about the girl.

“Ohh!” “Right!” Taemin's eyes were back on his manager across from him near the driver seat, “Can you give me her card she handed you?” His eyes turned gleamy again as he jumped inside the car turning on his seat, as manager-nim was stuck observing him while taking the driver’s seat.

Taemin’s instant cheerfulness in his voice now was making Eui soo-nim anxious somehow, “You have a comeback coming next month & then your military enlistment, too” Taemin was listening, fixing his seat-belt.

“That’s why” “I need to meet her before I get busy again” Taemin opened his palm towards his manager watching him with determined eyes.

“How much do you know about her?” Eui soo-nim wanted to try his best to stop Taemin from getting into a big trouble ahead.

“Not much more than a stranger I've met before” “That’s why I’m meeting her” Taemin words were clear & voice firm now.

It was too obvious for manager-nim to know that the boy was far away from convincing otherwise after hearing his determinative words.

“Why are you being so reckless over a girl you don’t even know?” “Do you want to risk your career just to treat her to a meal?" Euisoo-nim was trying his best to do his job as Taemin’s manager.

Taemin let out a chuckle watching his poor manager suffering, “She deserves at least one meal for going through today’s trouble” he blinked innocently at his manager's serious look giving him a convincing smile to calm down.

“You can’t be part of rumors, this is not the right time” Taemin eyes turned serious following his manager's words now, “You know how it is!” Even though Eui soo-nim knew how hurtful these words were to hear than to even say but he wanted to make sure Taemin goes into the military without any trouble.

“There was never and will never be any right time” Taemin was frustrated a little now.

He was more irritated by the thought of not ever meeting Hyerin again because of the rules he has been following for years.

And more than that he was mature enough in this field to handle his life, now that he knew more about media and fans he was confident about causing no chaos by a small dinner.

He knew how important his career was, it had always been his priority, and even now, work was his only priority, even above himself, that’s how he had loved his passion for being a singer & dancer.

All that he wanted this time was to be in the moment for the first time & follow his heart for once & have a casual dinner with a girl he had found interesting and wanted to have a simple talk.

“I’m just having a meal because I’m genuinely sorry to her” Taemin sat back straight looking at the road with a pissed face, “Is it wrong to be even grateful to someone?” “It’s nice of her that she is not suing me back for the false charges we claimed on her” he continued as Eui soo-nim was listening to him carefully, speechless now by his rightful words.

He turned to Taemin to convince him one last time to give up his plan, “But taeminah-?” he was still not sure if Taemin personally meeting her over a meal was appropriate instead of Taemin's clear reasoning.

The manager took a glance at the baby-cheese’s sulking, pissed face & regretted it the very moment by melting for it again.

“Okay” he extended the card to the maknae watching him eye the card for a while with a poker face, “Make sure you choose a proper place” Euisoo-nim warned him for the last time.

“Do I have off-time in my schedule next week?” Taemin's lips were lifted back into a smile immediately, as he took the card from his manager’s hand.

“Maybe you can have this Sunday evening off?” Euisoo-nim answered, igniting the engine of the car, as a deep sigh left his mouth.

Even he was not sure why he was that happy to see this girl again?

Why did he even want to meet her in the first place & get to know her more?

And what was so intriguing about her that was making him reckless in every second since he has seen her again?

Maybe this meal would be the first & last time they would be meeting, but he wanted to take the chance to at least end his curiosity about the way he felt every-time he thought of her with the memories of her in his head.

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

“Why were you calling me yesterday that late at night?” Goon Ho asked startling Hyerin from her thoughts.

“Oppa left the cafe yesterday in anger” “I wanted to talk to you” Hyerin’s voice was soft as she looked straight on the road to avoid eye-contact with him.

“At 3 am?” “And you think, discussing fights when you are drunk is a better idea?” Goon Ho was still pissed with Hyerin, as she was being too stubborn in her opinions since days now.

Goon Ho, who was Hyerin’s first friend after she got back in Korea, has always been an encouraging friend to her for 2 years now.

They met in the baking school 2 years back, where Hyerin worked as a teacher for some months in the beginning after returning & Goon Ho was the marketing agent of that institute. 

After meeting spontaneously at their workplace several times, both of them became friends because of their opposite energies & soon turned into a couple, which has been past 9 months now. 

Hyerin liked how confident & focused Goon Ho was in his life, he had an impressive personality which motivated Hyerin to chase her dreams.

Unlike others in her life since her return in the country, Goon Ho was strong himself & his friendship made Hyerin strong too after being with him for these two years. He kept her going forward by giving her his active energy whenever she felt low & lost on the path. He was also the one who helped Hyerin technically in establishing this café that existed now in real life in the town, which was built from scratch. He was the only one who was there for her, supporting her mentally as well as financially at times.

He was also diligent as a boyfriend who was always ready for the responsibility she wanted him to take, cheering her