Be Still My Beating Heart

"So-Mi ssi," a surprised voice called out.

"Detective Lee, anyeong."

She turned at the voice and bowed in greeting.

She too was surprised to see him there.

Lee Min Sung looked around the dilapidated part of town.

"What are you doing here? In this part of the neighbourhood?" he asked worriedly.

"Umm, college research," So-Mi answered quickly.

"Not taking pictures again, are you?" he smiled knowingly.

Sigh... how can a law enforcer be so pretty, So-Mi thought.

"Ani," she smiled. "Just visiting an area that was described in one of my case books."

It's true, isn’t it? This neighbourhood is stated in one of the books. I'm not telling a lie, right? She thought.

"Oh, ok. But you really shouldn’t have come alone. Can I send you home?" he offered.

“Uh, I’ve got my scooter around the corner.”

“I’ll walk you there, then.”

"Oh, ok, thanks."
 

(flashback)

She ran as fast as she could from the scene, until she hit a solid wall - of a chest.

"Oopphh..."

"Ya, ahjumma, kwenchana?"

"Ahjumma?" She replied with an indignant voice.

"Pretty Miss, then?" the wall said peering at her, trying to find her eyes under her lowered cap. "Are you ok?"

Oh, it's an angel, she remembered thinking, as she looked up towards a beautiful face of a man.

"Your lenses' cover," he picked up the circular black disc from the ground and handed it to her.

She was still clutching her prized DSLR, one that she worked nightly at the convenience store for.

"Komawo. I'm fine. Just late for an appointment."

But she knew he did not buy her excuse, judging from his smile, and the way he looked at the dark alley behind her.

But he did not prod further.

"Be careful, then. The next person you bump into may not think that you are cute and is willing to let you go. Or the person could start lecturing you on the hazards of running about in a lonely alley way."

In a roundabout way, the wall was trying to tell her that it was not safe for a girl to be alone in that sleazy part of town.

"Neh, thank you."

And she scurried away as fast as she could.
 

(end of flashback)

 

-----

(flashback)

"One pack of Double A Batteries, please."

"Neh," she replied and turned to reach towards the shelves behind her for the requested item.

"Ahjumma, we meet again."

Oh, the wall.

"Eh?"

"Anyeong."

"Anyeong."

They were at the convenience store around the block from Sungkyunkwan.

"You stay around here?" he smiled in question."Ani."

She grew up being wary of strangers. Especially good looking ones.

Hence, her one-liner answers.

"You're a student here, neh?"

"Neh. You too?"

"No," he laughed, slashing a long dimple on his right cheek. "Detective Lee Min Sung, at your service."

 

(end of Flashback)
 

-----
 

(flashback)

"We seriously have got to stop meeting this way."

She bumped into him again.

So-Mi pulled hoodie back onto her head and looked up at Lee's smiling face.

A few stubborn strays managed to escape and frame her pretty face.

She's beautiful, he thought.

"Mianhe."

"In a hurry again? Did you just came out of the station."

They were in front of the Jongno Police Station.

And she had just finished dropping off her package there again.

"Ani. Just passing by."

And the mysterious pretty girl ran away from him again.
 

(end of flashback)