It was a warm day in the middle of May.  The park was filled with people, jogging, strolling, or sight-seeing.   Minho lounged on a bench after finishing his morning run.  He took a swig of water from his water bottle and tossed his head back, eyes closed in relaxation. 

Suddenly, he felt another presence.  A shadow fell across his face, and he opened one eye lazily.  A girl stood above him, holding a book in her right hand.  “Can I sit here?” she asked timidly. Minho nodded his head and scooted over a little bit, returning to his earlier position, eyes closed.  There were a couple seconds of silence before she spoke again, “Do you come here often?”

“Why does she talk so much?” he thought bitterly to himself.  He turned to face her and replied, “Yes.  I run here every day.”  She hadn’t even opened her book.  “What is wrong with this girl?” Minho thought dryly.

“Doesn’t that get boring?  Seeing the same stuff every day?” she commented, half to herself.

“No.”

She rubbed the nape of her neck awkwardly and looked off the other way.  “Sorry to bother you,” she muttered, a little embarrassed.   She made sure she wasn’t facing him and opened her book to a bookmarked page. 

Minho felt an uncomfortable pricking in conscience.  He didn’t have to be rude to her.  She was just curious.  He sighed heavily and sat up straighter.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.  I’m just tired from my run,” he told the girl.

Her eyes darted up to his face, a little confused and a little happy.  She had very pretty eyes…They were framed by long, thick lashes, and the brown irises sparkled.  “It’s okay, I don’t mind,” she said with a kind smile.

“What book are you reading?” he inquired, hoping to start a friendly conversation to make up for his earlier coldness.

“The Outsiders,” she replied, tucking a lock of her long, chocolate-colored hair behind her ear, “Have you ever read it?”

He shook his head, although he was really lying.  Of course he’d read that book.  “No, I haven’t.  What’s it about?” he asked.

She turned her body towards him and closed the book again.  “It’s about a gang of boys in a big city.  They’re called ‘Greasers’ because they use a lot of hair grease.  The main character is from the bad side of the city, and they fight with the rich kids, or the ‘Socs’,” she informed him.

The more Minho looked at her, the more he didn’t want to look away.  She was beautiful, in a cute, shy sort of way.  She was thin, and she had pale skin and full pink lips.  She wore little makeup, and her clothes were laidback yet stylish.  “Sounds…riveting,” he said.  When she shot him a look, he added, “Relax.  I’m kidding! It sounds like a good book.  So, your turn.  Do you come here often?”

She shrugged, squinting her eyes in thought.  “Not too often.  At least, not as much as I’d like,” she confessed, “I love being outside.  It’s refreshing; it helps me think better.”  She blushed a little as she realized what she’d just told a complete stranger.

Minho grinned.  “I feel the same way!” he assured her openly.

“Unfortunately, my job keeps me inside a lot.  I can’t get a ride off site for lunch, and when I do get off work, it’s too late to go out alone when you’re a girl,” she continued with a slight frown. 

“I think we can change that,” Minho suggested suddenly.  Her head snapped towards him, doing a double take.  He mentally slapped himself.  Had he really just said that?  “I mean-“ he started.

To his surprise, her face broke into a smile.  “No,” she interrupted, “I would like that.”  She fished around in her purse for a piece of paper and a pen.  She scribbled down a number and handed it to Minho.  “Here’s my number,” she told him, “Maybe you could…call me?  My lunch break’s at noon.”

With that hanging in the air, she stood up and walked away, pausing once to glance over her shoulder at him.  He smiled and tossed her a wink.  Oh, he had every intention of seeing her again.  Suddenly, he remembered.  “What’s your name?” he called after her. 

She simply smirked, twirling a lock of hair, and spun on her heel, walking off into the sunlight.

Minho chuckled to himself and stretched out once again on the bench.  He knew where he would be running tomorrow… He closed his eyes to take a nap, and when sleep came, he dreamed of her.

“You were really rude,” she laughed as he finished the story. 

He feigned offense.  “Hey! At least I made it up to you!” he protested.

She patted his hand.  “Yes you did.  And you went jogging on that same route every day after that! You didn’t put that part in!” she giggled and hit his arm lightly. 

“Hey careful!” he cried, capturing her hand in his free one, “And Minho went jogging past the same bench every day after they met, hoping each time that she would be sitting there, reading her book.  However, he had a head start. He had her phone number,” he finished with a sly wink. 

“Which she was stupid enough to give to a total stranger!” she reflected with a smile.

Minho loved her smile.  He moved the chair closer and leaned in to rest his head in her lap.  “I love you,” he whispered into the blanket. 

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold in the tears as she her boyfriend’s hair.  “I know,” she replied, “And I love you more.” 

Author's Note: Well hello! To clarify, the peach color is a flashback/story, and the black is present day. :) I hope you like it!  Let me know what you think! I love to hear your opinion!