She smiled as she hit the ‘Enter’ key.  ‘I hope my abstract will be accepted for the conference.  Fingers cross…eh, what time is it now?’ 

Han Yoon Jae glanced at her wristwatch.  ‘3 more hours to go before I finally managed to see him.  Hyun Joong…my Hyun Joong…’ she gleefully expressed in her head.  It has been a week since she last met him. 

Right after his last paper, they went out to celebrate both for the end of his exam and the good review she received for her first Master’s progress presentation at an amusement park, Lotte World at Songpa-gu, about 40 minutes ride from Seodaemun-gu where their university are situated.  They played in the pool, ride all the rides available from the smooth tram rides to the thrilling roller coasters where they actually ride twice as the both of them really enjoyed the exhilaration, even tried for the first time and probably the last time, bungee jump, spending about 6-7 hours doing that alone before going ice-skating at the department store.  They went inside the park at 10 am and got out at 7 in the evening feeling happy and tired at the same time. 

She remembered how he wanted her to meet his parents as they are so near to his parent’s house but she wasn’t ready to do so and after dinner, they departed as he would be staying over, visiting his parents for a week and she would go back to her apartment.   Even though he was not very keen to the idea of her driving alone at night back to Seodaemun-gu but seeing her persistent, arguing about how she had to finish writing her abstract paper for the conference at Japan, he let her go heavy heartedly. 

That night’s event played themselves in her head.

“Are you sure you can’t stay over and go back tomorrow morning?” he asked her, leaning on the car beside her, holding on to her hand.

“You just want me to meet them, right?  I’m not ready, Hyun Joong ah.  We have just been going out for 4 months.  Later, okay?” she gave her answer, looking up to the sky, trying to avoid his hopeful eyes.

She then felt him moved and a hand touched her chin, lowering her face to meet his.  “Then, I’ll see you next week?” he asked, looking straight into her eyes.

She smiled and gave a little nod, “I’ll wait.”

He leaned forward, closing the gap between the both of them, his hand still on her chin, pulling her face closer to his.  Her heart beat faster, her stomach tighten as she knew what was about to happen next.  Closing her eyes, anticipating the kiss, she tilted her head to the left as she felt the soft, warm lips of his on hers.  The touch of his lips made her legs turned jelly as they always did when they kiss.  She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck for support and deepening their kiss, parting her lips, making a small opening for his tongue to explore and she did the same to his.

They broke their kiss for air; their foreheads touched together, eyes looking at one another and smile on their lips while inhaling the night’s fresh air.  “I’m going to miss you,” she said softly.  His smile grew wider and he slowly came closer to gave her another lip service before parting away from her.  He placed both of his hand on her face and kissed her forehead.  Letting her go, she heard him said, “Take care of yourself and drive carefully.  I’ll call you every night, like I usually do.”

She nodded.  He opened the driver’s door and waited for her to get in before closing the door.  She wound down the window and looked at him, “Bye.”  He nodded and waved at her.  Driving back home was lonely as she saw his figure getting smaller and smaller and gone through the rearview mirror.

Please don’t’ say “You are lazy”
datte honto ha crazy
hakuchou tachi ha sou
mienai toko de BATAashi surundesu
honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi
zento youyoudashi…

The ringtone of her phone, the ending theme song of her current favourite anime, K-ON, snapped her back to the current time and place.  She picked up her mobile phone and answered it.

“Yeobeseyo…”

“De, Prof. Lee.  Tonight?  I...well, I have a date.”

“Excuse me?  You want me to attend the final year party on your behalf?  But…bwoh?  Bring my date along?”

“De, Prof. Lee…I’ll go.”

She ended the call and placed her head on the table.  ‘Ah…Hyun Joong ah…I’m so sorry…’

Looking at her phone, she pressed number 2 and the dial symbol.  Putting the phone on her ear, she waited for the person on the other side to pick up.

“Yeobeseyo…Noona…I’m still…playing…soccer…huhuh…2 more hour?” she heard on the speaker as the receiver speak between breathing, obviously trying to catch his breath.

“Hyun Joong ah, we have to postpone tonight.  I have to attend my supervisor’s advisees final year party on his behalf.”

“Bwoh?  Noona…fuh…with who?”

“Alone…Reina has gone back to her hometown this morning.”

“Where would the party be?  Noona, hold on…”

She heard him silently told his friend that he’s out of the game for a while.

“Noona?  Still there?”

“De, Hyun Joong ah…I am so sorry to cancel our date tonight,” she said while typing the word ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I miss you’ repeatedly on her computer with one finger lazily.

“Where is the party?  Maybe we can go together.”

“Juliana.  We can’t…this is your senior’s party.  They would know about us if we go together.”

“But, the semester has ended…”

“Wait until you have your results, okay Hyun Joong?”

The other side went silent.  She understood how he felt but until the result was made official, she didn’t want anyone to say that she influenced the result he gets.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow?”  She finally heard he said.  His tone was heavy.

“Umm…well, I guess so.  Hyun Joong ah, bogo shipoyo…”

“Me too.  Noona... I have to go now.  The boys are calling…See you tomorrow, bye.”

And before she could response to the call, the other side has hung up.  She sighed.  Lifting her head and her of the chair lazily and slowly, she shut off her computer and walked out of the room.  She had to get ready for the party and she hoped she didn’t have to be there long.

An hour later she made her way inside Juliana, the popular techno club in the area wearing a seaweed green stylish elastic waist sleeveless jumpsuit.  She greeted some of the students that she had tutored and headed straight to one of the small tables by the side of the dance floor.

“Han Yoon Jae-sshi?” 

She heard her name being called out from her right.  Turning to the direction, she saw a boy sitting at a chair on the other table.  She didn’t recognize who he was, but being polite; she smiled and nodded her head.  The person took his drink and walked over to hers, sitting at the chair next to her.

“Han Yoon Jae-sshi, you are one of the tutors, right?” he said after sipping his drink aloud, trying to be audible from the music that had started to play.

She looked at him questioningly.  She was sure she didn’t have him in any of his class, so she was curious how he knew her name.

“De…who are you?  I don’t think you are in any of my tutorial class,” she asked.

“Oh, I’m not.  But my friend did and he told me who you are when I went to see him one day, after your tutorial ended.  It’s a pity I didn’t have the chance to be tutored by you.”

She looked away to the dance floor, feeling a bit uncomfortable by his presence.

“So, do you want to dance?” he asked.

“Sorry, I don’t want to especially with someone I don’t know.  Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies,” she said, excusing herself from him.

She went to the ladies and washed her hands.  Looking at the mirror, she sighed.  ‘What am I doing here?  I should be out there, seeing my boyfriend than lingering around here alone.  Maybe I should stay for another 15 minutes before going out of here.  I could give Hyun Joong a call, to see whether he would see me later.’ 

Wiping her hands with the tissue and threw it into the dustbin, she made her way back at her table.  She was glad when she noticed no one was there.  She sat there, watching the students enjoying themselves when a girl came to her side.  Remembering her face as one of her students, she gave out a smile.

“Han Yoon Jae-sshi, come, let’s dance together.  Don’t just sit here alone.  Come on…” she dragged her to the dance floor and slowly Yoon Jae followed the rhythm and the beat with her body.  After dancing to 2 songs, she excused herself and went back to her table.  The girl followed her and sat next to her.

“So, SeoHyun-sshi…what is your plan after graduation?” she asked her.

“I don’t know.  Probably going on a tour around Europe…I’m not sure yet but one thing is certain, I don’t want to work just yet.  Yoon Jae-sshi…I want to order something to drink, you want any?”

“Sure, get me a Mush Melon.  I’m driving, so I don’t want anything with alcohol.”

A few seconds later, she came back with 2 glasses of drinks.  Yoon Jae thanked her and took a few gulps from her glass, feeling thirsty from the dance before.  Still looking at the dance floor, she noticed how the lights are getting brighter and blurry.  The music became louder and tempting.  Making her to sway her body to the tempo and the upbeat.  She stood up; wanting to dance at the sensual music but her legs can’t seem to stand still or is it the floor that tilted a bit.  Blinking her eyes, she turned to her right when she heard people talking with her name in between the conversation.  Squinting her eyes a little, she tried to focus to the three people, a girl and if she wasn’t mistaken, 2 boys.  But the music was too enticing for her to keep her focus on them.  Holding on to the table, she slowly made her move back to the dance floor with her body busily moving to the beat.  She was about to let go of the table when someone wrapped a hand around her, preventing her from falling and turned her away from the dance floor towards the exit.

“Wait…. I … want… to dance…so fun… lovely…” she slurred, trying to protest to the person beside her for taking her away from the beautiful sound.  She wanted to say more but the person beside her cut her off, “Don’t worry.  I’ll take you to a better place with more enticing music that you could dance to.  Just follow me.”

Hearing that, she smiled and followed happily to the man beside her.  ‘Dance to music…good…’