-Chapter VIII-

It wasn’t until the started walking up a flight of stairs that Yong Hye realized what was going on.

“Um,” she started, trying to pull out of Taecyeon’s grasp. “I don’t know if—”

“Don’t worry,” Taecyeon reassured, not allowing her hand to leave his grasp. “I know you have Taemin, and I don’t want to mess that up,” he said, pulling her to a stop in front of a door and pulling a key chain out of his pocket. “It’s just,” he continued as he found the right key and unlock the door. “I would take you out, but…” He opened the door. “I don’t exactly…have a whole lot of money to spare.”

If Yong Hye had thought Taecyeon was lying about not having money, her doubts were put to rest when she saw the apartment. Essentially, it was one large room; typical loft style. In one glance, she could see a bed on one side, and a kitchen on the other. Directly across from the entrance was a door that Yong Hye assumed was a bathroom. There was a couch and a table about in the middle of the room, with a TV sitting on a box facing the couch. And one wall, the wall closest to the bed was all windows. Floor to ceiling, and the view, from the sixth floor, was stunning.

“Sorry,” Taecyeon said as he stepped into the apartment, finally releasing Yong Hye’s hand. “I know it’s not anything what you’re used to…”

“It’s brilliant!” Yong Hye breathed, stepping into the apartment herself. Yong Hye had always loved lofts. Her parents didn’t see the point in them, but she loved the openness of it. And the light of the sunset coming through the large windows made the place seem more luxurious. She smiled at Taecyeon, who was watching her with a bemused expression on his face.

“I would have thought you’d…hate it…” Taecyeon said as he shut the door behind her.

Yong Hye turned to smile at Taecyeon. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she said. “This is exactly what I’d want my place to be like.”

“Bare?” Taecyeon chuckled, leading her further into the apartment.

Yong Hye shrugged. “I guess,” she said. “One thing that you need to know about me is that I grew up in a huge home, filled with things that I was constantly told not to touch because I might break them. It was so stuffy for me. So anything as open as this reminds me of…freedom.” She smiled sheepishly at her companion, fully aware that she sounded really weird.

“Ah. I understand,” Taecyeon said, walking into the kitchen. “I sort of had that same feeling when I first found this place. Granted, I was going to have more furniture, but I never got around to it…” He stood, leaning his arms on one of the counters, overlooking his apartment, a small smile playing on his lips.

Shaking himself out of his own thoughts, Taecyeon motioned for Yong Hye, who was still standing in the kitchen’s entrance, to sit on one of the bar stools sitting just outside the kitchen next to the furthest outside counter. Yong Hye realized that there wasn’t a kitchen table or anything, so she had to sit there.

“So,” Taecyeon said loudly, looking at Yong Hye, who was now seated across from him, as he was still standing in the kitchen. “What would you like to eat, miss?”

Yong Hye couldn’t believe she hadn’t figured out that he was going to cook for her. “Oh, that’s really not necessary, Taecyeon,” Yong Hye said, shaking her hand.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Taecyeon said, rolling his eyes playfully. “And call me Taec. Please.”

Yong Hye nodded. “Okay…Taec.”

Taecyeon grinned. “Now, what do you want to eat? Or do you want me to surprise you?”

“Uhm…” Yong Hye sighed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t poison you, and I do in fact know how to work a stove,” Taecyeon said, somehow guessing her thoughts.

“Surprise me, then,” Yong Hye challenged.

“Alright, then!” Taecyeon cried, clapping once, heading to the refridgerator. Yong Hye laughed as she watched him throw ingredients out of the fridge, seemingly random.

“So,” Taecyeon said as he gathered what ingredients he deemed suitable and placing them on the counter in front of Yong Hye. “Tell me about yourself.”

Yong Hye immediately shook her head. “Oh no, I’m not talking about myself. I know nothing about you, but you know a lot about me. Tell me about you.”

Taecyeon stopped working for a minute and thought. “Well, I live alone,” Taecyeon started. “But I don’t spend a lot of time at home. I work a lot, at many different places—”

“Obviously,” Yong Hye interrupted, smirking.

“Hey, I’ve got to make money somehow,” Taecyeon sighed, starting to work with the food again. “I’m also a photographer, which you knew,” he continued. “Beyond that…I’m really not that fascinating. I sleep if I’m not working or eating. Now, your turn. I would like to point out that you know where and how I live, but I don’t about you.”

Yong Hye smiled as the question was her. “I’m in university right now, studying to become a journalist. You know the magazine Truth?” Taecyeon nodded, not looking up from his cooking. “I’d love to work there. My professor has sent some of my work to the editor, and apparently, he might call to ask me to write an article as a sort of test run.” Taecyeon stopped working for a second and looked at Yong Hye. “What?” she asked.

“You just don’t seem like the kind of girl who would want to report on gang activity,” Taecyeon said, turning back to his work. “Doesn’t your family own a chain of retail stores?”

Yong Hye laughed. “Yeah, but I knew from a very young age that that life was not for me.”

“I understand that,” Taecyeon said, his voice nearly a whisper.

They talked for a little while longer, neither really talking about family. It was understood between them that family was an off-limit topic. They talked about food, life, airplanes, anything. Taecyeon ended up making a kind of stew that Yong Hye had never tried before, and, as promised, it was actually really good.

They were still busy talking when Yong Hye’s phone went off, making both of them jump.

“Hello?” she said, not even bothering to check the ID.

“Where are you?” a voice, Taemin’s, asked.

Suddenly, Yong Hye realized just how late it was. The sun had gone down completely, and, though she couldn’t find a clock in the apartment, Yong Hye knew that it must be pretty late or Taemin to call.

“Shoot,” Yong Hye said. “I’m so sorry!” She stood and grabbed her purse, keeping the phone to her ear.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Taemin said, laughing slightly. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Yong Hye continued. “I’m so sorry. I’ll head home now.”

“Well, if you’re doing something important, I don’t want to interrupt.”

Yong Hye looked at Taecyeon, who was sitting next to her, watching her questioningly. “I’m not, I’ll come home now.” Yong Hye stood, followed by Taecyeon. “See you soon.” She hung up. “I’m so sorry,” Yong Hye sighed to Taecyeon as she headed for the door.

“You sure are apologizing unnecessarily a lot today,” Taecyeon said with a smile. “It’s fine. You need to get home.” He opened the door for her and walked her outside and followed her for a little while.

“I’ll be fine getting home alone,” Yong Hye said. “You don’t need to come with me.”

“Are you sure?” Taecyeon asked.

Yong Hye nodded, then a thought occurred to her. “Would you feel better if I called Taemin and kept him on the phone while I walked home?”

Taecyeon nodded. “A little.”

“I will then,” Yong Hye said, pulling out her phone and calling her fiancée. “Thanks for dinner, by the way.”

Taecyeon watched Yong Hye walk away, talking to Taemin, until she turned a corner and he couldn’t see her anymore. He debated for a second, then started walking after Yong Hye. He followed her all the way back to her apartment building, staying far enough away that she didn’t know she was being followed, and making sure she stayed on the phone.

“Well, at least now we’re even,” Taecyeon said, watching her walk into the building she and Taemin lived in. “You know where I live, and I know where you live.”