You turn back to the food in front of you, wondering whether you should eat it because that stranger, Yongguk, had paid for your meal. It would be a waste if you returned it, but you also don't want to try something so daring. The chef stares at you, and you look up at him guiltily.

"I'm sorry, I don't think ... I can eat this," you say as politely as you can. You glance at the money Yongguk had left behind and stand up. "I'll be right back," you assure the chef, and with that you grab half of the amount of money on the table and run out of the restaurant.

It's reckless, your action. Chasing after a boy you don't even know, who makes you feel like even a stranger could be interested in you and your monotonous life. But you don't want this to be the last time you'll see him. You want to take the chance.

After stumbling out of the restaurant, you spin around, trying to catch a familiar face in the crowd. You had only been inside for a few minutes, but there are more people in the city square now, which makes it harder for you to search for two guys in the middle of this predictable chaos. You tighten your grip on the money and look left, right, behind you, in front of you, turning and turning and turning, trying to catch a glimpse. You deflate, realizing that you've missed them, realizing you'll never get the chance to see them again, when something prods you to look up.

There, a few feet away, is Yongguk. You rush forward before they can move too far away from you, pushing through the crowd in part desperation. The crowd is less congested here, and you can see that Yongguk and Himchan are close, close enough for you to yell, "Excuse me ... uh ... Yongguk!"

He stops in his tracks, looking behind him to see the person who has called out his name. You jog up to him and pause, panting lightly as you wave the money in his face. "Thank you," you gasp, trying to catch a breath, "but I don't ... need this."

"That's for the food," Yongguk says, staring at you.

"I know, but ... I can't eat it," you confess, laughing, hoping maybe he'll understand and accept his refund. "I'll get something else, but I don't want to take your money. I don't want you to waste your money on something I won't even eat."

"It's not wasting," Yongguk replies. There's something in the way he says it - so easily, so bluntly - that makes you stop getting flustered. He reaches out, and for a moment you think he's going to take the money, but instead he wraps a hand around your fist and slowly pushes it away from him. "Don't make me want to regret what I did."

You blink, having been caught off guard. Himchan jabs Yongguk in the side, obviously trying to tell him that they should go, but Yongguk just shakes his head and meets your eyes evenly. 

It takes a while for you to respond. You're too engrossed in Yongguk's features, in the adorable curve of his cheeks, in the way he smiles, in the way his eyes brighten when he does it, in the way his dark brown hair flutters in the breeze. There's something about him that just seems so fragile, so temporarily beautiful. And even when he smiles kindly at you, showing respectful cordiality, it's unmistakable that there's a touch of sadness, a