YOSEOB’S POV

Gikwang actually believed me when I told him my parents were coming home early and I had decided to go and meet them. I felt bad for lying to my dear hyung, but this was something I really had to do. I was lurking outside Taeyeon’s house. It was only 07.15 in the morning but I was up and awake. Today I was Detective Yoseob and I was going to follow Taeyeon for the day. I glanced at her gate.

“Ah, chincha.” I took off my hat, part of my detective disguise, and ruffled my blonde hair. “Is this really okay?” I doubted my own intentions. “Isn’t she coming soon?” The gate leading to Taeyeon’s apartment opened and Taeyeon stepped out on the street. Wae!? Just when I had taken this itchy hat off. In panic I fumbled to get the hat back on and hide my indiscrete choice of hair colour. I didn’t have to panic though, Taeyeon didn’t notice at all that someone (ME!:D) was watching her. She was in a hurry and I had to trotto keep up with her. How could such a small person take such big steps? She never stops fascinating me… after all these three days we had known each other… I started to get a hang of this. I ducked behind trash cans and made myself as thin as possible behind lamp posts while all the time keeping an eye (more like two eyes, I would have used three if I had that many…) on Taeyeon. I really enjoyed pretending to be Detective Yoseob, even though I wouldn’t have had to make myself so much trouble. Taeyeon didn’t turn around a single time. I couldn’t see her face, since I was behind her… but I could imagine the focused expression on her face. So cute! I had to pinch my own cheeks just to release my need to pinch hers. An old man walking in the opposite direction gave me a weird look. I waved at him and smiled. Was it just me or was he speeding up his tempo? He didn’t even wave back at me. People are so strange. I looked ahead of me again. I blinked twice.

“Eodilo…?” I ran a few steps forward and looked around. “Ah, chincha!?” I took my stupid hat off and angrily twisted it in my hands. I put it in my mouth and chewed on it. Typical! I stomped my foot and pouted. I lost her! I turned around and walked back along the street. I put my hands in my pockets and puffed my cheeks before blowing the air out. I guess I had to do it again tomorrow.

I swear my ears turned pointy for a second. I heard her, I could hear Taeyeon’s beautiful voice! I looked in the direction of the wonderful sound and found myself staring at a half-finished building. Do I have to say that I felt very confused? In the corner of my eye I spotted a familiar hairstyle and I immediately turned my gaze to it. I did it just in time to see Taeyeon smile at a construction worker and disappear into a barrack. I was standing with my mouth wide open, my chin all the way down on the pavement. I stood there long enough to see Taeyeon come back out again with a yellow safety helmet on her head. This was her first shift of the day… she didn’t go to school.

I sat in the middle of the pavement for the entire morning. I watched as the men left their chores for lunch. Now is my chance to talk to her. But I never saw her eat with the others. Maybe she went to eat somewhere else. I pouted and decided to go and get myself some ice cream while waiting for her to end her shift.

TAEYEON’S POV

I put my hand to my stomach as it grumbled loudly. I glanced at the time. I hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon and I wasn’t likely to eat until I got home this evening. I hadn’t brought any lunch, since we didn’t have anything at home, and I didn’t have money to pay for it. It was only half an hour until I was ending my shift and I was going to meet Yoseob. The hunger gave room for butterflies to revolt in my stomach. Maybe he was eating some ice cream I could steal I giggles to myself and continued my work.

“Bye, Jungyung.” I waved at him while hurrying away. I smiled. I had finally made a friend at work, and he wasn’t even that much older than me. I felt a bit exposed to work with all these men. I knew some of them gave me creepy looks when they thought I didn’t notice, but I tried my best to ignore it. At least this guy seemed decent. I hurried towards the big square and searched for Yoseob’s blonde head among the many visitors at the plaza. I spotted him sitting by a fountain playing with the water. I smiled and walked up to him.

“Yoseobie,” I said in a sing-song voice. He turned to look at me. He looked me straight in the eyes for a few seconds before lighting up in a smile.

“Taeyeon-ah. How was work”? I startled at his words.

“How did you know?”

“I followed you this morning,” he said with a shrug. Say what? “I’ve been waiting for you. Do you want some ice cream?” He smiled at me. I sighed.

“I would love to,” I said and followed him to buy ice cream.

“Are things really so bad that you have to work instead of going to school?” Yoseob asked me while thoughtfully picking his flavour.

“It is. I don’t want my sister to work herself to death for the sake of our family. I’m just doing what is best.”

“Orange? No…” he mumbled. “What about your future? And I’m guessing your sister doesn’t know about this job either?”

“It’ll work out… it’s only my first day, I don’t think she has figured it out, yet…”

“Water melon, please.” He turned to me with a small smile. “I guess this will be our second little secret. Which flavour do you want?”

“Peach,” I said with a small smile before turning serious. “This will probably be the biggest secret ever between the two of us,” I said in a calm tone even though I was panicking on the inside. He couldn’t let her know. Yoseob handed me my ice cream, I didn’t even notice he paid for it, and gladly started his own. I glanced at him and couldn’t keep myself from smiling. I was glad he wasn’t making this such a big deal, I got the feeling he understood me in some way. We walked back to the fountain where I had found him and sat down on the edge to eat our ice creams.

“Your secret is safe with me,” he said with a smile. “Even though I think you should tell her.”

“She would kill me,” I said. Think about that before you go and tell on me.” Yoseob’s face turned into a sad grimace.

“Taeyeon-ah, I don’t want you to die,” he whined.

“So don’t tell,” I said in a joking tone but put on a pleading face. He suddenly grabbed my hand.

“I promise! I’ll take your secret with me to the grave,” he said. He let go of me and threw up his hands. “Don’t die!” he shouted and people started to turn around and look at us. I blushed and tried to hide my face behind my hair.

“Yoseob, sit back down again.” He did as I told him and sat beside me.

“Ah! My ice cream!” I looked at Yoseob and saw him look down on the ground with teary eyes. I looked at his empty cone and held in a laugh. “What a waste…” His lower lip shivered. I stopped my silent laughing and looked worriedly at him.

“Yoseob… it’s okay,” I said hesitating and nudged his arm. He turned to look at me with shining puppy eyes. He was so cute. “You can have mine if you want.”

“Chincha!?” His mood made a sudden turn and he smiled brightly at me. He was worse than I was during my period… “We can share it,” he said happily. I smiled and reached him my ice cream and he took a big bite and chewed it happily. Suddenly he made a tormented face and clasped his hand over his mouth while groaning loudly.

“What is it?” I asked worriedly.

“So cold, my teeth… ah, it hurts,” Yoseob said from behind his hand. I giggled at him as he removed his hand and tried to get his teeth warm by rubbing them with his tongue. He smiled. “Now… I guess I chewed to fast.”

“Or maybe you eat too much ice cream,” I said.

“You can never have too much of this cold gold. Listen, I’m even riming, that’s how amazing it” Yoseob said and took another bite of the ice cream.

“Yah, leave some for me,” I said and laughed. I the ice cream from the other side and looked at him. He had ice cream all over his face. I giggled and told him he had some on his face.

“Chincha? Where?” He leaned forward.

“Right there,” I said and pointed out the dirty area, which was most of his face.

“Aigoo… I should’ve learned by now,” he said and took his napkin and wiped his face. “I’m an experienced ice cream eater you see. Is it gone now?”

“No, you just smudged it all over your face,” I said.

“Chincha?” He pouted. “Napkins never work.” He glanced to the side and smiled mischievously. What was he thinking? Before I had a chance to ask him he had put his head in the fountain and shook his head underneath the surface. He put down a hand and rubbed his face. Yoseob came back out of the water and shook the water out of his hair like a dog. I shielded myself with my arms before glancing at him. He smiled widely at me with water dripping from his hair and face.

“Are you crazy?” I glanced at the water before looking back at him. “Do you have any idea how much bacteria that water contains?” He gladly shook his head.

“Anni. No idea. Am I clean?” He smiled. I just stared at him for a while before returning the smile. What was wrong with this guy?

YOSEOB’S POV

 I kept smiling at Taeyeon while the water dripped off of me. She slowly returned my smile.

“You’re clean,” she said. “Here.” She reached me the napkin she had gotten with her ice cream. I didn’t take it.

“I don’t have a mirror,” I said. She raised an eyebrow.

“You’re wet all over your face, you don’t need a mirror,” she stated. I still refused to accept the napkin.

“Help me,” I said and leaned my face closer to her. She blushed but started to dry my face with the small piece of tissue. I enjoyed every second of her touch, I never wanted it to end. Suddenly she grabbed my face with one hand and turned it from side to side. She nodded approvingly. I pulled away surprised.

“Yah, what are you doing? You’re making my cheeks look chubby,” I whined with a pout and massaged my cheeks. She beamed at me.

“I just made sure you look okay. You’re clean now.” She glanced at my head. “I don’t know what to do about your hair though. Your clothes will get wet. What if you get sick?” How cute. She was worrying about me. I squealed on the inside.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get sick, I never do.” I smiled. “When do you need to get to work?”

“Soon,” she said and showed a sad face. I didn’t like that. Of course she was still pretty, as usual, but I want her to be happy. I put my index fingers in the corners of and pulled them upwards.

“I don’t want to see my Taeyeon-ah sad. Smile for me.” She pushed my hands away and blushed. I had time to see her smile before looking down. Success! “Now finish that ice cream so we can go, or I’ll happily do it for you.”

I bounced up from the fountain and reached my hand out to help Taeyeon up. Not that she wouldn’t be able to stand up by herself, I just wanted an excuse to hold her hand. Taeyeon smiled and didn’t look directly at me when accepting my hand. I laughed a crazy evil laugh on the inside. Now you can never escape! In reality I just smiled sweetly at Taeyeon and helped her up.

“Can’t let you be late for work now can we?” I said and kept her hand in a secure grip. We walked quiet hand in hand, until she opened and asked me the most beautiful question.

“Will we see each other tomorrow as well?” she asked without looking at me. Wohoo! I’m not the stalker, she wants to see me! I almost lost control for a second, when I suddenly remembered.

“I can’t.” I wanted to shoot myself. Blow my brains out and paint a wall with the mess. She was asking me to see her and I had to decline!? I felt like crying.

“Oh… why not?” Did I just imagine the disappointment in her voice? No, definitely not.

“I have to go to the hospital and…” I abruptly interrupted myself in the middle of the sentence, and Taeyeon snapped her head to look at me.

“The hospital? What for?” Her voice had a sudden hard tone. I forced a smile.

“No biggie, jus a short visit.” I emphasized the word ‘visit’. She mumbled something inaudible under her breath but let the subject go. I tried to lighten the mood again. “Do you have a night off anytime soon, Taeyeon-ah?” I asked in a smooth voice. She didn’t look up.

“The day after tomorrow. The offices won’t be used that day because of some conference so I don’t have to go there…” I started skipping again. I felt that the time was right and that fate was on my side.

“Then, would you like to go on a date with me?” I asked casually but with my heart beating like a drum. Don’t say no, don’t say no, please don’t say no.

“Yes.”

“Chincha!?” I gaped at her. She really wanted to? She smiled at me and I laughed out loud in happiness. “I’m so happy!” I took her other hand as well and started dancing with her on the street. I twirled her around, spun her under my arm and cheered happily. She laughed her lovely laugh. I tried to calm down. She didn’t agree to marry you, Yoseob… yet. I smiled at the thought of Taeyeon in a wedding dress. Pink. She would look like a pretty little ice cream.

“Let’s meet at the square at… six?” Taeyeon asked. I nodded eagerly.

“Perfect.” We stopped outside her next job. “Bye Taeyeon-ah.” I hugged her close. “I can’t wait for our date,” I whispered before running off.

As I walked up to my house I started to regret asking Taeyeon out. I really wanted to be with her, spend time with her, make her smile and laugh, take care of her, make her happy. The list of things I wanted with her could go on forever. But I felt guilty. I wasn’t fair to her. I could never give her any of that. I couldn’t give her what she needed. I couldn’t give her what I wanted.