(Listen to Love Should Go On by SHINee : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1xX1G6b9Ws)

Woohyun started waiting outside classes for me, dropping me home and making sure I was locked in safe. Two days after a break-in in our neighbourhood, I was bobbing my head to the rhythmic sounds of drilling machines as my boyfriend worked on installing a hi-tech security system. He had to face the wrath of it though when on the following Sunday, he barged into my living room and saw Akane and me with face-masks on.

“I just got alerted,” he panted, cocking his head at Akane who stared at him in awe.

“Veeeryy coool,” she sang.

I slowly walked towards him and whispered, “She came over to surprise me. Care to join a stereotypical pedicure session?” Finally, two months after numerous such false alarms, Woohyun deactivated the stupid machine and replaced it with something better – him.

“Are you sure about this? Don’t you want to sit down, discuss?” I was wary about his domestic life changing because of my loss of sixth sense.

“No.” He heaved the suitcase out of his Prius truck that I oh-so-much loved and kissed my forehead. “Rule number 6—You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to—”

“Disagree, I know.” I rolled my eyes.

“You don’t seem so upbeat about me moving in,” he said and gave me ‘the Woohyun’. In layman terms it was called ‘narrowing of the eyes’ but Woohyun was just so good at it, I accidentally used the phrase during a class, sending my students into a tizzy.

“Sit here,” he said, patting the space at the back of his truck. I sighed and crossed my legs.

“I don’t mind you shifting in,” I started. “I love it, I really do. But I’m scared that we’re going to start expecting too much out of each other. Instead of having small avoidable quarrels about getting late for a concert or a date, we’ll start blowing off the roof about why you came late for dinner or why I didn’t call you when class got over. You know how spontaneous my students are and you would soon get jealous and start getting sensitive about the smallest of things. I would too. I love you too much and if us moving in together means going through all that, then I would rather we don’t do this.”

It was only after a momentous pause of ten seconds did I realize why Woohyun was smiling like an idiot. I had said I love you for the first time.

“Urgh,” I hung my head. Raising my eyes to look at him, I folded my arms and shrugged, “What? Could you stop staring at me? Ok fine, I said IT! Big deal! I love you! There! Now laugh!”

Woohyun entwined his fingers together as if in prayer and placed them in front of his lips. “Thank you God,” he murmured, “For teaching dear Saya to speak her mind in front of me. Amen.”

“Okay, that’s it. Out.” I tried pulling his suitcase but failed. Woohyun wound his arms around my waist and chuckled, “I love you too. Now cut the act and give me a smile.”

I faked a big grin and skipped up the staircases, whistling Oh Susanna.

“We still didn’t finish our discussion,” I reminded him. I turned around to face him when suddenly, he closed the door and placed his lips on mine. We stayed like that for what seemed like too short a time to me. Finally, when Woohyun pulled away,  he smiled and kissed my cheek. “Discussion over.”

It was only when I saw Woohyun fast asleep on the mattress that night, while I lay down on my bed, did it strike me. Saya, you just had your first kiss. I ducked my face underneath the covers and mutely squealed in happiness.