"How about we order take out? We've been at this since the afternoon." He asked her as he lifted his head from the file he was currently reading. It was 10 in the evening, he was still at work, working on an empty stomach.

Lazily, she looked up from the contract she was reading and stared at him blankly. "How about not?" she asked him, and went back to her work. It was just the two of them in the office right now, and it wasn't as if she wanted it to be this way. This was business, and the sooner she finished, the sooner she could get away from Jiyong and this awkward predicament.

He sighed. What would it take for her to give him a chance again? He sent her flowers whenever they weren't beside each other. He wrote her letters saying he apologized. He apologized face-to-face as well, when they weren't at work. He tried all the tricks! He already was her official coffee boy. He'd pick up the papers she needed. Heck, he even picked up her brother's laundry for her! So you see, here he was, doing his best but she simply chooses to ignore him.

It's always Dongwoon this and Dongwoon that. Who the hell is Dongwoon anyway? Yeah, he knew who Dongwoon was but why? Why the hell was he clinging on to Summer? She'd never go for a guy like him, she just couldn't. And Jiyong knew that. Was this her way of getting even? It must be, and it's a pretty cruel way of getting back at him. Then again, what he did was cruel too. 

Jiyong was tired. The workload here was a tad bit too much, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. What was too much though was watching some other fit-sleek-prim-and-pressed-up guy in a suit clinging on to his girlfriend's waist. "Ex-girlfriend," she'd say, but he wouldn't listen to her. They weren't over. Nope, nope, nope. Everyone would be gushing over Dongwoon and Summer, but Jiyong would just be on his table scowling at the image before him. Her parents liked Dongwoon, her brother liked Dongwoon, her sister...liked Jiyong more, but Jiyong thought that was because he was the rebel type, and her sister was sort of a rebel, too.

He slouched in his seat thinking that maybe he shoud just give up on her. Then again, he remembered he was here for a reason. He couldn't let her go, and the only time he would was if she told him she didn't love him anymore. Because he was still very much in love with her.

"Suit yourself," he told her nonchalantly before taking out his phone and dialling an all-too-familiar number.

"Thank you for calling Gold Mountain, may I take your order?" the voice on the other end of the line said.

Ah, Gold Mountain, he thought. The food there was delicious, and whenever he and Summer were too lazy to cook, they'd always just order Chinese food and play a movie on DVD. He inwardly smiled at the memory, then replied to the person on the phone.

"Uhm, yeah. Can I get one one Kung Pao Chicken, one Har Gaw, two orders of Xiao Long Bao..." he said, thinking about the things he liked to order from there. He remembered the first time Summer took him to this restaurant. At first he didn't want to try any of the dimsum, but since then, all he's been wanting to eat was dimsum. He wanted to laugh as he thought of the first time she stuffed a siu mai in his mouth.

Hearing him order made her stomach grumble. She bit her lip as she buried herself in more paper work. "No, no, no. Hunger is nothing. Mind over matter, Summer. Mind over matter." she thought to herself.

Gold Mountain was one of her favorite restaurants. Of all the places, why'd he have to order there? She sent a silent prayer up to God, asking for kindness in the hopes that maybe just maybe, he'd place an order for her too.. Would he? He would, right? Though she wouldn't blame him if he didn't. She has been treating him pretty badly recently.

"...one order of Chicken Feet, and Pork Mu Shu." He finally said. He gave the address, asked for how much he needed to pay then put the phone down.

Satisfied, he happily went back to work while she just mentally scolded herself for not taking his offer up on ordering.

Twenty minutes later, the food came. "Hallelujah!" He thought. The smell of Chinese takeout filled the air, and his mouth started to water. She on the other hand, was on the verge of tears. He ordered Mu Shu pork AND Chicken Feet AND Xiao Long Bao! Those were basically God's gifts to man! And she wouldn't have any tonight.

Happily, he finished one more of the files he needed to for work, then he set out the food in front of him.

He started with the Xiao Long Bao, which was naturally a challenge to eat because of the soup you had to slurp out, but nevertheless it was fun. And for his main meal, Kung Pao Chicken.  He began to open the container when he noticed the the girl in front of him was just staring blankly into space, to which he found some amusement to. So she was hungry.

He set down his bowl of food and got the Mu Shu pork instead.

He opened it's container and set it down before her, a look of shock suddenly found its way on her face.

"It would have been...mean of me if I didn't get you anything." He told her.

"Go ahead, eat. It's pretty obvious you've been starving since 8 in the evening." He told her as he got a piece of Har Gaw.

For some reason, she found his gesture...sweet. And it wasn't just this time, she realized. He's actually been taking care of her ever since he set foot in this building. She looked at him, at the way he was sloppily eating, and told herself not to laugh. This was the Jiyong she knew, the Jiyong she loved. So carefree, so hardworking, and always...hungry.

He noticed her staring at him and stopped. "You're staring at me. Is there something on my face?"

"W-what? Oh, uhm, no. It's just, well, thanks." she told him.

He nodded, seeing that it was hard for her to say those words. And so he smiled. "Any time,"

In between bites, they would talk. It wasn't much, but actually, it was the most decent conversation they've had so far.

They finished work at around 1 AM, which was not the usual time she'd go home.

She sighed as they stepped foot out of the building.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing, I just forgot to bring a car." She said and brought a hand to her head, pushing back her fringe.

"I can, uh, bring you home if you want. It's no problem at all." He told her. She looked up to him and saw that the look i his eyes were almost pleading.

"I wouldn't want to be a hassle, Ji. It's fine. I can take a cab," she told him, urging him to go home himself since it was already late.

"--but it isn't safe," he reasoned out. "Let me take you home," he wanted to say but didn't since they both were interrupted.

"He's right. It isn't safe." a man said. The figure was slowly approaching them. Summer couldn't make out the face but slowly, she saw that it was just Dongwoon.

Dongwoon? What was he doing here? She thought.

"Did you just finish?" He asked her as he came near. He put an arm around her as if showing his claim on her. Jiyong, cool as ever, just looked away.

"Uhm, yeah." She said, shrugging off his arm. It felt weird, acting like a fiance, when just before her was the person she actually still did like.

Jiyong wanted to laugh, but instead he kept it inside. 

"Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I'm here now. You can leave already." Dongwoon, suddenly addressing Jiyong, said.

Jiyong looked at him with indifference.

"Yeah, you should leave, Ji." Summer said, and that was all the difference it made.

He looked at her with a shocked expression. "Are you SURE?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's late and you have to go." She gave him a small smile, and he nodded.

"Thanks for dinner," she told him. To his delight, Dongwoon gave off a look of shock, but then masked it quickly. That was enough to send Jiyong on his merry way.

"No problem," he told her, and turned around to leave.

"Oh, and Ji," she hollered at him while she could before he was completely out of hearing range.

"Yes?" he turned his body half-way just so he could see her, and asked.

"You still owe me dessert," she told him and smiled.

Oh crap! He thought. He forgot to order dessert! "How stupid can I be--" he started scolding himself mentally, but then stopped. He realized she meant she was giving him a chance, or some form of a chance. For the first time in a long time, he felt his heart skip a beat. It was as if he asked her out for the first time again. 

He gave her one of his most charming smiles. "Tomorrow then?" He asked her, he felt so elated, he tried his best not to jump and yell.

"Tomorrow!" She told him and waved goodbye, dragging a scowling Dongwoon behind her.

He stayed in the same spot until he couldn't see her car anymore. And then he started to jump, and scream, and happy dance all he wanted.

"Yesss!!!" he yelled. And once he stopped, he began to walk to his car, but was stopped by a shadow in the dark.

"Seems like you're finally going to get that date you wanted," the shadow said.

"OH MY GOD!" Jiyong, dead in his tracks, said. He didn't know who it was or what it was, but then the shadow laughed and out emerged...

"Shota!! Christ, I wasn't in such a good mood, I'd kill you!" Jiyong told his friend.

Shota laughed. "Oh, but you are." He teased.

Jiyong shook his head and smiled anyway, "Just stop being such a creeper."

The two went out for victory drinks because finally, Jiyong was given the time of day by the girl he truly wanted and all he could think of was 'Thank God for dessert.'

a/n

I've finally updated! \:D/ BUT I am so sorry for the long wait. :'c Enjoy! :)