We held hands; or rather I held Rae Ah’s hands in my pocket as we walked down the street to the grocer. Another mental note to thank my mother for giving me this heat packs; they surely came in handy tonight.

We went into the grocer as I took a basket from the side.

“What are you getting?” Rae Ah said as she looked down the aisle of the dairy products.

“I was getting some ingredients because I wanted to invite you over for dinner one of these days.” I said as I dragged Rae Ah towards the fruits section.

She turned around, “You’re inviting me over for dinner?!”

I nodded my head as I took a box of grapes and placed them into the basket before heading over to another section of the grocer.

“You don’t have to feel the need to invite me for dinner just because I invited you over for dinner, you know?” Rae Ah said as she squeezed my hand in the jacket pocket.

I looked up at her, “But I want to.” I said before pulling her to the noodle section.

“Can you even cook?”

“Choi Rae Ah! You did not just say that!” I said, alarmed by her question. Was she underestimating me?

Rae Ah laughed when she saw my reaction, it was of utmost joy that her lips curled upwards and brought such light to her face.

“I shall ask you again. Can you cook?” She was clearly teasing me.

“I make a very mean plate of pasta, mind you.” I said, elbowing her sides which caused her to burst into another fit of giggles.

“Oh? Then I must really try it then! Hopefully, I don’t get food poisoning!” Rae Ah teasingly showed me her tongue before letting go of my hand and skipping to the bread section.

I shook my head as I laughed along to her behavior while looking around the store.

It was already late in the night, and the grocer didn’t have a lot of customers; there was another couple in the store with their child, some other young teenager dressed like a hippie and a man clad in black from head to toe.

I glanced over to the tall man clad in black; his eyes were glued onto a target. I followed his watchful stare and saw a smiling Rae Ah at the bread section.

I felt uneasy immediately as I quickly called her back to my side. “Rae Ah!” The man turned to look at me as I looked back at him with a small smile. Rae Ah was next to me suddenly, holding onto a packet of whole-meal bread as I turned to face her.

“Yes, Kyuhyun?” She asked.

I looked back up to the man but he was gone. My eyes searched the entire store; he disappeared.

I took Rae Ah’s hand back into mine, “How can you let go of my hand just like that? That’s rude.” I said.

“Since when were you so cheesy?!” Rae Ah shook her head.

“Since now.” I replied her back before taking the packet of bread and placing it in the basket.

We went round the grocer picking up a few other stuff I needed for my dinner with Rae Ah before going to the checkout counter. I held her hand in mine throughout the entire time, not wanting to let go. I felt unsafe if I did. There was a strange man who was staring at Rae Ah and now he disappeared, I couldn’t let anything happen to her.

After paying for everything, including Rae Ah’s item since I’m such a gentleman, we left the grocer hand in hand, since we’re back to the outside temperature, I placed our hands back into my jacket pocket only to see Rae Ah blushed. Her cheeks were crimson red, the reddest I have ever seen. To me, it looked like she had put on make-up; it was adorable watching her cheek flushed.

To avoid my gaze, Rae Ah quickly looked to the sky which caused her to stop walking abruptly.

I was pulled back, since our hands were together as I turned to see what she was doing and followed her gaze to the sky.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She said, as I gazed at the stars that were shining brightly.

“Mhmm.” I agreed.

“Have you ever just sat down and stare at the sky? A billion souls walk under it every single day but not everyone bothers to look up and wonder what’s out there. There’s so much we still haven’t learned. So much that the scientists won’t even figure out in our lifetime.” Rae Ah breathed.

I looked back down to Rae Ah as I watched her close her eyes and took a deep breath. That image of her was flawless.

“I can’t say that the sky is beautiful.” I said.

Rae Ah opened her eyes and stared at me, puzzled with whatever I said.

“I can’t say that with you here as a comparison.” I continued my compliment.

Rae Ah blushed even more as I felt her hand squeezed mine slightly so I squeezed her hand back.

“I really like you, you know.” I said, staring into her eyes, before placing my lips on her forehead, kissing it gently.

Rae Ah froze for a moment before trying to pull her hand out of my pocket.

“What are you doing? I won’t let you go, Rae Ah!” I said, a bit upset that she wanted to pull away.

Rae Ah stopped struggling as she tilted her face upwards to look at me.

“Mr Cho Kyuhyun, if I don’t let go of your hand, how do you expect me to hug you?” She confessed before breaking into a smile.

I blinked. What did Rae Ah just say? “Mr Cho Kyuhyun, if I don’t let go of your hand, how do you expect me to hug you?”

She wants to hug me? Before I could think further, a pair of small arms wrapped across my waist as they slithered to my back. Rae Ah’s lean frame pressed against my body as she rested her chin on my shoulder.

It was my turn to freeze. I stood there, frozen to the ground in that moment of happiness. I couldn’t be happier with whatever that was going on. Rae Ah finally overcame the barrier that she had with me.

I stood there in her arms when she suddenly spoke out. “Aren’t you going to hug me as well?” She said as she looked up to me.

That’s when I was jolted back to reality. My hands dropped whatever plastic bag I was carrying as my arms flew up to Rae Ah’s waist straightaway as I hugged her closer to me, tightly in the embrace.

“Thank you, thank you, and thank you.” I whispered in her ears.

We stayed in that cozy embrace for a while before Rae Ah started to pull away.

“Why are you always pulling away first?” I questioned her as I pulled her back to me, hugging her as humanly close as possible.

She started to pull away again so I let her do so. Rae Ah pulled away from the hug but placed her hands in mine.

“Something happened to me in the past and I stopped believing in love. I’m not even sure if it actually exists. I used to believe that even if it does exist for some people, it won’t exist for me. You, Kyuhyun, changed my concept of it. I should be thanking you instead.” Rae Ah said softly.

Feeling bold, Rae Ah placed her hand on my cheek and caressed it. I closed my eyes and leaned into her warm palm, feeling the warmth in it.

Under the streetlamp, with the cool night breeze blowing against us, I felt a need to sing something. So I sang.

If we just try to believe that we can overcome whatever’s in our way

Let’s not lose faith by telling ourselves it just won’t work

Let’s not give up so easily and just say good-bye

The love that binds us two is stronger than you think

No matter what struggles we’d face

I just want you to know that my heart is true

Whenever things get tough and it seems it’s just too hard to bear

You can count on me to restore your faith within.

(Super Junior ~ Let’s Not.)

“The song from the promotional event….” Rae Ah said as she heard me.

“You remembered?” I said as I opened my eyes.

“Of course, the tune was lovely.” Rae Ah said.

I smirked.

“Kyuhyun?”

“Yeah?”

“I like you too.” Rae Ah said.

I couldn’t stop grinning from the grocer all the way back home.

Choi Rae Ah’s POV

I smiled to myself as I closed my front door. Kyuhyun just gave me a goodnight kiss by kissing my cheek before watching me slipped into my apartment clumsily. After the death of Marcus, I think this is the first time, I truly felt so happy. My heart kept on beating so fast.

Out of nowhere, I started humming to the tune of the song that Kyuhyun sang for me just now.

The way he sang with his eyes closed and the way his-….

Wait a minute.

I stopped whatever I was doing. I closed my eyes and thought of the way Kyuhyun sang to me just now; with his eyes closed. I recognized that expression.

In my head, I tried to cover his mouth and his nose, leaving just the pair of eyes for me to form an image.

It was so similar.

But they were two different people.

H-Hyun and Kyuhyun.

This can’t be true.