“I don’t like that Seven.” Jiyong grunted.

“Why?” Sandara prompts as she skips alongside him, their hands still entangled with each other. They were walking along the sidewalk, but because Jiyong is clearly unidentified, people were walking with a five meter distance from them. Even his fangirls seem to control their urges to hug him.

“I think he likes you.” He admitted, squeezing her hand.

Sandara laughs, blushing and said, “Why would you be jealous? He’s my friend, and you’re the one I’m dating.”

Jiyong looked at her, hastily, his eyes wide in bewilderment. He was gaping at her as Sandara bites her lower lip, and his mind somehow can’t process words.

“Sandara-“

“Hey, look!” Sandara cut him off, pointing somewhere far away and she turned to him, her bright smile etched on her face. “That’s YGE’s building!”

She turned back again at the building, which is a little too far to be seen fully, but you can still make up the company’s logo at the top. “It’s so small from afar, but up close, it’s like gargantuan.” Sandara gushed, amazed.

“It must feel lonely to be on top of that tower alone.” She wondered. Jiyong looked at her, frowning and out of curiosity, he asked, “Why do you keep labeling things as lonely? The president has a wife, so he’s not typically lonely all the time and his assistant sometimes talks to him.”

“I know what is to be like lonely.” Sandara whispered, but still audible enough for him to hear. “To be out of reach, to be out of place and to be away. But I had to endure any urges to go out, because I love my stepmother very much.”

Jiyong squeezed her hand, started to walk with her and said, “It’s okay now. You can now live normally. You won’t think about your stepmother getting mad, or the security going crazy when you step out. It’s just you, and me and the world.”

They walked farther in the district, the cluster of people still walking with a five meter distance from them and when Jiyong saw the shop where they’re headed at, he doubled his pace; Sandara tried to keep up with his long-legged stride.

He let her go inside the shop first, his hand not breaking contact with hers before he followed. The staff greeted them with a nice and heartwarming, “Good morning.”

Jiyong led her to one of the glass displays, and they both stare at the numerous phone units displayed in front of them. He wiggled his lips, and when he found the exact phone unit as his, he cried, “Ah!”

“White of this.” Jiyong said, pointing down at the unit. “And couple trinkets.”

The staff bowed at him, respectfully and went away to fetch out what he ordered. Sandara tugged his arm with the hand holding hers, and asked, “What are we doing here?”

“Buying you a phone.” He replied.

She looked up at him. “Why would you buy me a phone?”

Jiyong shrugged, and replied, “Because it’s easier to contact you with this.”

“You’re going to insist on this?” She asked again, and she knows the discussion is over when he nodded.

The staff returned shortly after, holding two boxes in his hands. “Here you go, sir.” He said, placing the box on the glass counter and opened it for Jiyong. Then, he inserts the device’s battery to its slot and turned it on. Jiyong releases Sandara’s hand momentarily to check on the device, checking if there were flaws in the program. When he was finished, he typed in his number, put it on the first speed dial and told the staff, “I’m taking this.”

Jiyong reached for his wallet from his pocket, pulled out his credit card and handed it over to the staff, which the latter gratefully accepted and went away. Then, Jiyong placed the device on the glass counter, opened the box where the couple trinkets is placed, and put it on the phone. He chose the pink one for Sandara, the one with the letters L and O with hearts floating around it.

“What are you doing?” Sandara asked, but he didn’t answer her as he goes on with his job. Jiyong reached for his phone in his pocket, and put the other half of the trinket to it, the one with the letters V and E in blue with hearts floating around it.

“Let’s have a picture for wallpaper to your phone.” He said, placing his phone back to his pocket and grabbed the phone he bought for Sandara. He beckoned one staff with his head, and automatically, he walked towards him hurriedly. Jiyong gave him the phone. “Please take a picture of us.” He requests, and pulls Sandara close to him.

“Smile.” Jiyong orders to Sandara, and when the camera clicked with its corresponding sound, they both smile just in time. The staff gave the phone back to Jiyong, and he made the picture Sandara’s wallpaper.

“Don’t add any other numbers without my permission.” He says, and hands the phone to Sandara. She accepted it with both hands, and murmured, “Thanks.”

She thought that it’ll be a great justice to do what Jiyong said about her not storing any other numbers besides his, because he bought the phone for her anyway. So, without a word, Sandara nodded and slipped the phone into her loaned bag from Han Byul.

When the staff returned and handed Jiyong back his credit card, he grabbed the phone’s box and led Sandara outside. He handed her over the box, and said, “The instructions, charger and earphones are inside.”

Sandara grabbed the box from him, and slid it inside her bag. It was heavy, a little, and she felt the pull of the gravity to the bag through her shoulders. The box and the phone must’ve weighed a kilogram.

“Let’s add some original songs to your phone.” Jiyong said, getting her attention away from her heavy bag and held her hand again. Sandara likes it when he does that, because his hand comforts her. It was soft, like it was made from cotton and even though he’s male, his hands are very white like he takes care of it how a female would do. She was again, lost in admiration and only when Jiyong started to walk that she was back again to home Earth, because he dragged her along the way. Sandara focused and kept up with his long-legged stride.

Shortly after, they arrived in front of YGE’s building again. Sandara bore her eyes at the LED television at the reception desk, which is clearly seen through the glass walls. The television shows different music videos of the artists. She was star strucked, even today. The expensive clothes, designs and shoes, the dancers who danced almost perfectly and the well-blended head-to-toe style of the artists. It was an awesome sight to see.

Jiyong tugged her hand, gesturing her that they should enter both. Stubbornly, Sandara dug her heel on the ground and said, “You go alone. I’ll just be at the deli across the building.”

“You’re hungry?” Jiyong asked, one eyebrow raised and his body has now turned towards her. He still held her hand, which is cold to touch. Is she nervous? He thought.

“I wanted to check on something and have some tea.” Sandara admitted. “Seven told me to check if the cream cheese that Han Byul likes is still available.”

“Then I’ll come with you.” Jiyong said, and was about to drag her to the deli when Sandara quickly stopped him. He looked at her, bemused and his eyebrows automatically raised.

“We’ll go to the mall right? If we both go to the deli and then to your studio, that would take up too much time.” She said.

“Fine.” Jiyong pouted. “Give me your phone. But you take my phone so that I can contact you.”

Sandara agreed, nodding and quickly gave him her phone. Jiyong accepted it with his other hand, the one that wasn’t holding her hand and said, “Don’t turn off my phone, or I’ll call the police and request for a blotter.”

She could only nod, and Jiyong handed her his phone, his face showing that’s he’s had second thoughts. Sandara slid it inside her bag, and was about to turn towards the direction of the deli when Jiyong pulled her through their tangled hands. She fell to his chest. He smelled like men’s body wash, lemon, lavender and some expensive perfume. But then, the combination was great, and he smells good. Sandara unconsciously inhaled his scent.

“I’ll miss you.” He whispers, and kisses her hair. Then, he broke the hug and kissed her cheek.  Sandara looked at him, dumbfounded but he just returned her look with a big grin. She watched as he walked away from her, going inside the building and greeting the staff as he pass by and she was amazed how the staff smile at him, commenting how lively he was.

Unconsciously, she smiled.