“Ae… Ae! Yah! Jung Aekyung!” Hoya shouted as he grabbed Aekyung’s hand and spun her around. Aekyung responded with a glare and shrugged his hand. She took in a deep breath and rubbed the side of her arm awkwardly. *Well, at least he caught up with me.*

“I’m.. I’m going to a café near my house. You can follow if you want.” Aekyung muttered and turned towards the direction of her house. Hoya looked at his car and sighed. *Why is she acting so weird today? I guess I’ll come back for my precious car later.*

“Wait for me, Ae!” Hoya hollered and ran up to walk beside her. The silence was deafening and Aekyung didn’t bother to start a conversation with Hoya, considering she was still slightly angry with Hoya being so oblivious. “So… What’s up?” Hoya started. *Since when did it become so awkward with Ae?*

6)     He stands a little too close.

“The sky.” Aekyung replied sarcastically and placed her hands into her pockets. Hoya rolled his eyes. *Is she having that time of the month? She was still happy this morning!* Her eyes shifted to the distance between the both of them. Hoya was standing an arm’s length away, as if she was going to eat him up. He kicked a pebble on the ground, absorbed in his own thoughts.

*Wow, he’s standing really close to me huh?* She rubbed her temples and shook her head. *There’s still four more on the list. I can do this.* The café soon came into sight as Aekyung skipped into the shop happily. Compared to her simple outfit the previous time, she was much more dressed up today. “Hey pretty lady! You’re here again!” The guy over the counter exclaimed and he beamed at her. Aekyung brightened up immediately.

“Hey!” Aekyung gave a subtle nod to acknowledge him. Hoya looked at them and he nudged her.

“I’ll go find a seat. I don’t feel like eating anything.” He smiled and went over to the seat near the window, where Aekyung had sat at previously.

7)     Acts annoyed or jealous when you talk to other guys.

“So, the same as before? Mocha frappe and strawberry cheesecake?” The guy tilted his head cutely and asked. She nodded, surprised that he still remembered her order. “And because you’re really pretty, it’s on the house!” He winked at Aekyung and her cheeks turned pink.

“T-Thank you….”

“Just call me Sam. And I accept your thank you. Maybe we can meet up and talk some time Pretty Lady.” He appeared a few years younger than Aekyung and she minded the fact that he was flirting with her, as honoured as she was. She nodded politely and went to retrieve her food.

“Thanks for the treat, Sam!” Aekyung grinned at him and headed over to Hoya’s table. He was playing a game on his phone and apparently, he didn’t seem to mind that someone cute was flirting with her. *I need to calm down or I’ll be murdering this cheesecake too.* She huffed and took a big bite of the cheesecake.

“Hey, that cheesecake looks good!” Hoya chirped as he placed his phone on the table and grabbed Aekyung’s fork. He cut a small piece with the fork and placed it into his mouth. The cheesecake melted into his mouth immediately. “Wah… This is so good! I should come here often.” He laughed and returned Aekyung the fork. Aekyung was still slightly dazed at Hoya’s actions. *Was that… An indirect kiss?* Her cheeks tinted pink again and she covered her cheeks, so that Hoya wouldn’t notice it.

8)    He’s nervous, awkward or clumsy around you.

*Oh please. I’m the one that’s nervous, clumsy and awkward. How could he just take my fork and eat the cheesecake! Does that indirect kiss thing not get into his empty head?!* Aekyung shrieked mentally and sipped her mocha frappe. Hoya was still cheerful because of the cake and he continued to play his phone.

Aekyung turned and saw Sam looking her way, like how he was supposed to be if he was interested in her. *He’s neither angry nor upset that someone’s flirting with me?! Man… I should give up.* She finished up her cake and grabbed her mocha frappe. She waved to Sam and left the café, not bothering if Hoya is going to catch up with her. *I know I sound really whiny but I can’t help it! I thought we still had a chance..* Aekyung bit her fingernails and frowned.

“Yah, don’t bite your fingernails. It’s unhygienic.” Hoya chided lightly, his hands in his pockets. Aekyung ignored him and continued to bite her fingernails, just to provoke him.

9)     He touches you.

*Please pull my hand away from my face.* Aekyung shut her eyes and pleaded, her teeth biting on her fingernails harsher than before. Hoya placed his hands on his hips and clucked his tongue. “Jung Aekyung. That’s enough.” He said sternly. She halted and ran dry. She knew Hoya was serious whenever he used that tone on her.

“Wh-What? I didn’t do an-anything!” She stuttered, avoiding eye contact with Hoya. He messed up his neat hair and locked his eyes on her backview. Aekyung decided to pick up her pace and walked away from Hoya. She took out her phone. *Last one left.*

10)   He is protective.

*Well, I guess he had always been protective of me. Maybe he’s only doing it because I’m a little sister to him?* She sulked and crossed her arms.

Two boys were walking in the opposite direction when they spotted Aekyung. “Oh… Scar Girl is alone!” A boy guffawed and slapped his friend’s arm, as the two laughed at her. “No one to go out with you? Huh? Poor Scar Girl.* He sneered. Aekyung clenched her fists and looked away. She didn’t want to pick a fight with immature kids.

“Who says she has no one to go out with? Can’t you see I’m here? And how dare you call her Scar Girl?!” A voice growled from behind of her and Aekyung tensed up. It was one of those times that Hoya would stand up for her and try to protect her even though she would probably be fine by herself. Her cheeks were flushed but it was not because of Hoya, it was because she was embarrassed. *Why must they insult me in front of Howon?!*

“He… Wait… That dude is the heir of Lee Resorts!” His friend elbowed the guy and he his lips nervously. He had heard of how deadly he could be if he was provoked.

“I was just horsing around… Nothing much. I’ll just run along right now.” The guy bowed profusely along with his friend. Before they could run off, Hoya stepped forward and held the guy’s shirt tightly, pulling him towards his face. Aekyung gasped and went forward to stop Hoya before he could do anything lethal.

“Before you go, apologise to her.” Hoya seethed. As angry as he was, he had to let the two boys go since they were only in middle school. Plus, Aekyung was standing up for them. He couldn’t beat them up in front of her. The guy trembled in fear and apologized to Aekyung. Hoya let go of his collar and fixed his polo shirt. “Don’t let me see you again! And make sure you’ll stop insulting her. Understand? Am I clear enough?!” He barked.

“Y-yes, Sir. I’ll make a move first.” The guy squeaked and ran off with his friend. Hoya closed his eyes to calm down and opened it again to see Aekyung looking at him with fear and admiration in her eyes. He chuckled at how innocent she looked when she had to tilt her head up to look at him. His eyes caught a checklist on her phone screen and he snatched it away. Aekyung cursed loudly and tried to get it back but Hoya’s reflexes were too quick.

“What is this?” Hoya asked as he stretched out his arm high up so that Aekyung won’t be able to reach it.

“Give it back!” Aekyung tried to jump so that she could get her phone back but she was too short compared to Hoya. She buried her face in her hands and wailed. *I’m screwed. My love life is over. I’m so dead.* Hoya squinted his eyes under the bright sunlight and a hearty laughter escaped his lips. Aekyung continued to bury her face in her hands in shame.

“So, you’ve been testing me on this the entire day?” Hoya teased. She rolled her eyes at him and stomped away. Now that Hoya knew why Aekyung was being so grumpy the entire day, the weight on his shoulders was lifted. *This just makes it so much easier to confess to her.* He smirked and dashed to Aekyung, engulfing her in a back hug. His smile had never left his face as he relished in the times when they would cuddle, hug and kiss all day long, like they could never get tired of each other.

Aekyung was oblivious to her surroundings and she could only hear her heartbeat escalate from small pulses to loud thunderous claps. The warmth that is spreading through her body made her feel comfortable and in peace. She had missed his touch so much and now that he had taken the initiative, she felt uneasy. *Was he only doing this because he pitied me?*

“Ae… Why did you test me using this checklist?” Hoya’s voice was husky and his breath was hot and warm against her neck. Aekyung didn’t respond. She couldn’t. It was like a lump was stuck in , forbidding her to ruin this moment. “First, the reason why I didn’t laugh at your joke is because I thought that I had to be honest with you. I didn’t want to lie to you at all, even if it means making you upset. Second, I look at you whenever I say something. I steal glances at you and would look away before you could look at me. Even if I didn’t, my ears would pick up for any soft giggles or words you said. Third, the reason why I didn’t look at you when I was with Subin noona, was because I admit I missed her a lot. But I wasn’t flirting with her. She’s my cousin, Ae.” Aekyung felt like someone had just slapped her on the cheek. How could she be that dumb?

“And of course, four, I would treat you differently. Because you are different from other girls, Ae. That’s why you caught my eye in the first place. Five, I stood far away from you because I didn’t want you to be angry at me for being clingy. I was so curious why you seemed a little not yourself today and I didn’t want to invade your personal space until you are ready to tell me a problem or anything that was on your mind. Six, I was jealous. I was so jealous when that Sam called you ‘Pretty Lady’. That’s why I said I was going to look for a seat first. I didn’t want to sound so possessive in front of you in case you get angry. I was respecting your choice of friends, Ae. Seven, I’ll never be nervous, awkward or clumsy around you. Why? Because I am confident of myself and also, you make me feel comfortable and at ease. So why would I be nervous, awkward or clumsy? Lastly, I think I earned that point for being protective like just now, huh?” A sniffle could be heard and Hoya’s smile faltered. He pulled away and stood in front of Aekyung, wiping the tear away with his thumb. “Are you that touched by me?” He joked.

Aekyung’s lips quivered and she nodded truthfully. “How can you always know the right words to say?! You made me so worried…”

He softened and her red hair. Hoya braced himself for what he was going to say next. “I only say the right words for the right one. So listen carefully for what I’m about to say next. I’ve never stopped loving you, Jung Aekyung. Would you… Be my girlfriend? Again?”

Sorry for the slightly long chapter :')