"So Junho, when are you really going back to Seoul, huh?" 

"Mianhe, Khun. But I still have a few.... matters I have to attend to." 

"Like?"

"I'll tell you guys when I get back to Seoul."

"Which is...?" 

"Tomorrow." he chuckled. "You chose the right time to call!"

A few minutes later, Junho hung up. He really needed to figure out ways to spend time with her these last few days in Busan.. after he gets back from Seoul, of course. Junho slumped his head on his table. He's been with tons of girls  before, all who asked him out. But this one.. Junho himself was confused. Should I ask her out, or should I not?

-------

Soeun searched for any signs of blue umbrella on the red and white umbrella-spotted Haeundae. Soeun panted, still looking. This Junho really is a royal pain! How in the world do I find a blue umbrella in the middle of this.. as if someone read her mind, a cold drink with a mini blue umbrella suddenly appeared before her eyes. 

"So you came! I thought you never would!" Junho stuck his tongue. Soeun stamped in rage. "Aish! I really thought.. blue umbrella... argh just forget about it!" Junho handed her the drink.

"Here. You must be thirsty." without saying a word, Soeun drank it in gulps. "Thank you. Much better!" Soeun fanned her face. "Do you know how hot it was?! I searched everywhere for that.. that stupid.." she took the wet umbrella from the bottom of the glass and threw it on the sand. She gave Junho a sharp look. "Why are we here today?" 

"Out to play." he said casually. 

"In the heat?!" 

"Yah don't worry. I have sunblock. Do you want me to rub it on for you?" he asked mischievously, holding out a tube in his hand.

"무슨... aish! No thanks! Um.." Soeun brought out her iPhone. "Since it's a waste of time just conversing emptily, let's take photos?" she suggested shyly.

"Seriously?" Junho asked, his eyes narrowing. 

"Sure! Why not... since you're the one who said we were going out to play.." Soeun blushed. "We've gotten closer now anyways.. right?" 

Junho couldn't believe what he just heard. "Yeah." he said, maintaining his cool. "So we did. So?" 

"If you don't want to then it's fine!" Soeun rolled her eyes. 

"No, no no no! I do want to!" Junho blurted out. He took out his iPhone.

"Let's use the sand and waves as a background!" Soeun exclaimed happily. She picked up a stick from the ground. 

"What's that for?" Junho asked. 

"Um... I wanted to draw.." she traced out a huge sandy heart. "This!" 

"Eyy... who's heart is that for? Me?" Junho winked. Soeun was too busy with the heart to hear. "Are you ready yet..." he whined after Soeun kept on erasing it with her foot and re-tracing it again.

"Aaaaa done! Perfect!" Soeun applauded herself. Junho outsretched his arm and wrapped it around Soeun. "Let's use mine first," he said, applying the settings on his iPhone. Soeun stood frozen, but still smiled. She leaned closer to him, putting on her best pose.

"1.. 2...3.. Done!"  Soeun bent over to look. "That was quick. Wow! But it came out great?!" she squealed, satisfied. "My turn!" Soeun passed her phone to him. Junho's expression, however, wasn't. "Why did I came out weird?!"

"What weird.. you actually look cute! See? Aigoo... our cute Junho." she giggled. "Your eyes look bigger!" 

"Are you serious or just being sarcastic, eh? Enjoying this too much, aren'tcha?" 

"I'm really jealous of your eyesmiles.. how do you do that??" Soeun tried squinting her eyes, making Junho laugh. 

"Eyesmiles are born, not made." he joked. Even if she didn't notice, but Soeun had natural eyesmiles, along with cute dimples. Junho poked her cheeks. 

"You're really cute when you laugh," he said. Before Soeun could say anything, he swept her of her feet. "You're so cute I want to throw you in the seaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" he yelled. Soeun screamed, burying her face in his chest. 

"Lee Junho!!!  You are SO dead! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed again, piercing Junho's ears. Junho was already halfway at the sea. He laughed. 

"Hold on tighter!" 

"Shireoooooooo!" 

"If not, your clothes will get wet!" Soeun held on tighter. She was really very light, and Junho liked how her arms clung on his neck, her face on his chest. He walked back towards the beach, slowly putting Soeun on the ground. Laughing, Soeun fixed strands of flyaway hair. 

"What was that??!?! You totally surprised me! Try to warn me next time, Junho-ssi!" 

"You're just too cute I just couldn't resist!" a devilish grin appeared on his face. "Stop buttering me up! Meaner!" 

-------

The sunset felt like a dream. Swinging her legs, Soeun let her eyes wander along the faraway horizon lined with faint glows of pink and orange. It shot acrossing the darkening sky, washing over Busan in warmth. It wasn't dark enough for the neon lights to decorate the city yet, but what was left was quickly fading away. Junho hummed to a tune.

"Yup?" 

"Do you.. always play with girls like this?" Soeun asked carefully.

"Wae? Jealous again? Aigoo.." Soeun ignored him. "Junho-ssi..." she mumbled again. "Do you.. like it here? I heard from the staff that you were never like this. In fact, they said you rarely visited.. may I know why?" 

"Why are you so curious?" he reeled. "Do you really want to know? Because.. I have something to tell you." Junho turned Soeun's shoulders to face him. 

Junho looked around, and gently put his hand on Soeun's shoulders. "Let's end this right here." 

"End what..? what do you mean, Junho-ssi?" A moment of silenced crept on for a while. Only the sound of splashing waves were heard. 

"What was it that you wanted to say?" Soeun asked in confusion. 

"Once it's over, it's over. So we' should end here.. and start over." Junho paused. "So, let's end this right here." he repeated. 

"Start what... Junho-ssi?" she didn't know what to think. What? o___o; 

Junho tried to put his words into a sentence. "I'll be nicer to you."

Soeun's mind couldn't seem to digest his words. She felt dizzy. Just a few minutes ago he called her childish for believing in the sunset myth, and now he says he wants to 'start over'... and be nicer to her? Was the sunset's magic really working? Why is it working too fast? Soeun was confused.

"I'll be nice to you from now on. No more.. personal maid. From now on, you'll just be yourself.. A good person to me."

"Why? You must be kidding, Junho-ssi!" Soeun exclaimed. Junho shook his head softly, his eyes only on her. Soeun felt like running away, but she didn't really have any concrete reason to do so, plus it would be embarassing if she misunderstood, she thought. He didn't even say he liked her or anything. 

"What do you think it is?" 

Soeun blinked. 

 The phone is ringing! Pick up! Pick up! Pick up! Pick up! Pick up! If you won't pick up, I wouldn't forgive you! Jjuk jjuk jjuk jjuk! Jjuk jjuk jjuk jjuk! Why aren't you answering?~ 

"Damn, that's so annoying!" Junho complained. "Can't you change that?!" 

Soeun reached to answer. "I can't hear it when I'm outside, unless it's something like this!" 

"Eoh, eonni!" 

Junho's cellphone suddenly vibrated inside his pocket. Eh? What's Taec doing, suddenly calling him? 

"Yo Taec! You chose the wrong timing to call.. what's up?" 

The phone calls distracted the two for a while, loosening the awkward atmosphere. 

"I just wanted to thank you for the roasted squid you sent us." 

"I just wanted to know if you're doing okay there, Soeunnie."

"Don't you worry about it." Junho and Soeun both said at once, glancing at each other. 

"Talk to you later. See you guys soon." 

"Neh, eonni! Miss you too!" 

"So.." Junho said. "I asked you to start over with me, right? That I will be nice to you?" 

Soeun nodded timidly. 

".... That means I'm interested in you." Soeun's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "I've been interested all along. I thought about you a lot after the airport incident when I came back to Seoul, before coming here. Even after I saw you again. And now, I still think of you." 

Soeun kept an expressionless face. "So... why? Why did you.. um, think of me?" 

"I don't know why, either. Geurehsseo.. I want to stay with you until I find out why." 

"What?" 

Junho moved his face closer to Soeun, his expression serious. 

"O.. okay, I... I.." she stuttered, trying to retreat backwards. Junho didn't blink. 

"Uh.. Junho-ssi.. why.. aaaah!"

Soeun almost tripped on a large piece of seashell. Junho grabbed her by the wrist, supporting her back. 

"I will only say this once.. so listen well."

Soeun pricked her ears, eager to know what he was going to say next, even if she couldn't feel her heart beating anymore; it was too fast. 

"I think.. I like you, Kim Soeun."