Yuna bade everyone farewell as she set off for home that night. They had wanted her to join for dinner as a reunion for Jun Hee, but she would have felt awkward being with them so she had rejected them. She yawned as she walked off along the dim lit streets, so tired from the whole night. She was even busier than her first day, but she had loved it.

“Seo Yuna, keep yourself busy like this so that you can forget about your problems. You’re tired of running, you’re tired of hiding. So for now, while you’re here, let’s just enjoy life a bit and keep being busy,” she muttered to herself.

“Do you always talk to yourself?” a voice from behind scared her.

Yuna shrieked and nearly stumbled on her steps, but a hand grabbed hold of her firmly before she could fall. She realized it was Jonghyun, and got even more shocked.

“Jonghyun-ssi! What are you doing here?” she asked.

“You’re a girl, it’s late at night. I can’t let you walk home alone,” he simply shrugged and walked on.

She cocked her eyebrows at him, unsure where this nice guy attitude was coming from. He stopped and turned to face her.

“What are you doing standing there? Palli!”

Yuna ran up to him obediently and they walked together side by side. It was a weird feeling to have someone other than her dad walking beside her. She had rarely got the chance to interact with anyone else.

“Are you walking me home just because you don’t want to spend time with Jun Hee?” she asked directly.

He let out a laugh, and instead of answering, he asked her, “So what’s your story?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you move up here? This place is so dead. People usually move out of here, not move in,” he said.

Yuna kept her hands in her pocket, afraid that it might tremble again.

“There’s no story,” she lied. “I just wanted somewhere quiet.”

“How old are you?”

“22.”

“Oh so we’re of the same age then. See, I told you I’m not an Ahjussi.”

“Are we still talking about that again?” she rolled her eyes.

“Of course!” he pouted. “I’m a man! To be called an Ahjussi, that just means I look old and rusty. Unwanted and ugly. Yah, if you can call me Ahjussi, then I can call you Ahjumma!”

“Wah, jinjja~” she sighed out loud. “Yah, if you want to whine to me about being an ahjussi, I’d suggest you run back to your friends for that dinner.”

“Andwae,” he quickly protested.

She eyed him suspiciously. There must be an ulterior motive behind walking her home. They weren’t really on good terms with each other, and just the day before he was making a fuss about having to walk home with her. She knew it had something to do with Jun Hee, but she still wasn’t sure about them. Without fear, she decided to try asking him again.

“Tell me,” she started. “You like Jun Hee, right?”

Jonghyun at once turned his head abruptly. She had obviously assumed right.

“Why do you think that?” he asked, trying to be cool with it.

“I caught you didn’t I?” she teased, suddenly cheerful that she had found out a secret of his. “I saw the tension between the three of you just now. Yonghwa-ssi seemed to have the same dark expression when he heard Jun Hee-ssi went to your place.”

“Aniyo, there’s no tension. Yonghwa hyung is my best friend and I’ve known him for 10 years. He understands that Jun Hee and I are just close friends,” he explained.

“Chongmal?” she wondered out loud, now having her doubts again. “How did you all meet anyways? All of you seemed like good friends.”

“We are. I met Yonghwa hyung 10 years ago, then Minhyuk and Jungshin to form the band, and we moved up here three years ago. Jungshin’s parents owned that clubhouse. They’re pretty rich by the way. Jun Hee was then the tenant in the space you’re living in right now till she got recruited by her agency,” Jonghyun explained in detail.

“Ah, so that’s how you fell for her? Do you two play music together in the corridor or something like that?” she again.

“Stop it, will you? There’s nothing between me and her,” he insisted.

“Araso, araso,” Yuna gave in. “So why are you here then?”

“Geunyang,” he stated. “Do you always intrude into people’s lives like this?”

“What do you mean? No, I don’t.”

“First you stopped me from practising in my own house. Then you accused me of liking my friend. Now you keep pressing on why I’m walking you home,” he listed the facts.

Yuna let the information sink and made an ‘O’ expression on her face. “I didn’t realize that I was intruding. Mian.”

“Wah, do you have split personality? You seemed so outspoken, but at times you’re so shy and polite. Plus, you talk to yourself too. Are you crazy?”

Yuna glared at him, insulted by his comment.

“But,” he continued without paying much attention to her glare. “It’s interesting. You’re interesting, Seo Yuna-ssi.”

Reaching the doorsteps of their houses, he turned and smiled genuinely to her. Immediately she was enchanted once again. His eyes shone in another way when he smiled, and the dimples were once again visible. She had seen him smile twice that day, but this one felt different to her. Because this time, he was smiling at her.