The month went fast for Seul Mi. She loved her job. It was harder and more work than when she worked at her fathers’ company. At lunchtime Hyun Joong made a habit of coming and offering to take her for lunch. She would always try to decline but Min Young would always take up the offer and they would end up going to an expensive restaurant. And after the end of the day he would give her a lift home with her riding his bike. It was the only way he gets to hold her but sadly he doesn’t get a kiss anymore.

But on one Friday over lunch Min Young brought up the conversation of what they were doing on the weekend. She wanted Hyun Joong to invite her out. Seul Mi said she was doing nothing. So Min Young suggested they go skating.

“I don’t think I’ll be joining you two,” Seul Mi said first to decline.

But Seul Mi found herself sitting at the caféwith Min Young in front of her on Saturday morning. She wore denim jeans with flowery embroideries at one leg only and black tube top. She had boots on under her jeans. She had her hair down with a blue hat on slightly bent on her head. “So you’re telling me you can’t skate after you mentioned we all go skating?” Seul Mi frowned.

“I’m so sorry! I was in a love-struck trance!”

Seul Mi bit into her donut angrily. “So what will you be doing?”

“Watching?” Min Young smiled innocently.

“Or you could tell Hyun Joong to teach you,” Seul Mi pointed out.

Min Young’s eyes widened. “No way! I don’t want to make a fool out of myself!”

“Fine,” Seul Mi sighed. She thought if she should take up that excuse. But she didn’t want to hurt Min Young who really liked him.

“Let’s talk about the upcoming Company Party,” Min Young quickly changed the subject. She leaned on the table with interest in her eyes. “Do you think he’ll ask me out?”

Seul Mi hesitated. “Maybe.”  

“Please, help me,” Min Young all of a sudden pleaded. “He mostly talks to you. Bring up the subject or something.”

“I don’t know.”

“Please.” This time Min Young pouted and batted her eyes.

Seul Mi burst into giggles. “Okay,” she held her hand up, “just don’t use that face!”

“What face?”

Both Seul Mi and Min Young jumped at the voice. They looked up at Hyun Joong and next to him stood Min Ho.

“Nothing,” Seul Mi said. She looked at her watch then back to him. “You’re ten minutes late.”

“Sorry, my fault,” Min Ho cut in. “I was taking my time.”

“Hello, Min Ho,” Seul Mi said. She patted the empty chair next to her for him to take a seat. She wanted Hyun Joong to sit next to Min Young. But Hyun Joong took the seat next to her before Min Ho could make a move who ended up sitting next to Min Young, not that he minded.

Seul Mi stared at Hyun Joong questioningly. He just raised his eyebrow daring her to protest. She looked away in case she kissed him there and then.

“Are you eating that?” Hyun Joong asked her. She didn’t have time to answer as he scooped her donut and shoved it in his mouth. Seul Mi gaped at him. “Sorry, I was hungry,” he explained.

“Why don’t you order something?” Min Young said quickly when Seul Mi made a move to stand up. She was half up her chair and had to sit back down.

“Sure, why don’t you fill that stomach of yours?” Seul Mi snickered under her breath.

“Are you mad at me because I had your donut?” he pouted.

She glared at him.

“So can you skate?” Min Ho asked Min Young.

“No,” she said.

Hyun Joong frowned. “Didn’t you suggest skating?” he scratched his head thinking back.

“Don’t worry that pretty head of yours.” Seul Mi patted his head. “She did suggest it but she didn’t think you’ll agree.”

“Oh,” Hyun Joong said. “Well then you could learn.”

“No, no,” Min Young quickly rushed. “I’ll just watch.”

“But you won’t be having any fun!” Min Ho exclaimed.

“I don’t mind,” Min Young shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ll keep you company,” Min Ho offered.

“That’s okay,” Min Young tried to decline but Min Ho wasn’t having any of it. “You can company me then.”

“So… it’s only me and you then,” Hyun Joong sighed. His eyes were twinkling at Seul Mi making her turn crimson red. After meeting Hyun Joong she had been blushing most of the time.

“Yeah,” Seul Mi breathed out. She didn’t talk after that. Min Young was doing most the talking with Hyun Joong and Min Ho until they finished eating and headed for the ice rink.

“Can’t you skate?” Hyun Joong asked more dared in his voice than concern.

“It’s been a while, but I think I’ll be good enough.” Min Young as she said was watching. She was engaged on a conversation on the phone. Seul Mi looked at the rink. The last time she was on the skates was when she was a teenager. It was one thing good she did with her father; they went skating on a frozen pond. She remembered the day like it was yesterday. The laugher of herself and her father echoed in her head.

There weren’t many people around. “You sure you’re up to it?” Hyun Joong’s voice penetrated her memories.

Seul Mi looked over. “No problem. Look, here comes Min Ho with my skates.”

Min Ho had joined them as Hyun Joong thought it was a great idea. She nodded over her left. He wasn’t skating though. She took a seat at the bench and quickly laced up. Her feet felt uncomfortable as she wiggled her ankles.

Seul Mi’s first steps on the ice were tentative. Then she relaxed her knees and quickly built up a rhythm of pushing and gliding, an easy rocking from one skate to the other. She circled in a wide arc near the entrance to the rink, picked up speed and skated back to the centre of the ice rink where Hyun Joong stood in the face-off circle.

Hyun Joong watched as she approached. “Not bad.”           

“I’m no Sonja Henje, let alone Wayne Gretzky but it’ll do.”

After half an hour of gliding and chasing they stopped at the centre. “I’m so hot!” he said.

He did look hot. And not in the hot as in hot. “Ditch the jersey then,” she said nonchalantly.

Hyun Joong held the uniform top by the V-neck. “This?”

“That’s right.” Seul Mi made a throwing motion with her hand.

“You’re the boss.” Hyun Joong slipped it over his head, leaving only the tight black T- shirt - and very little else - to the imagination.

An “ohmygod!” was audible from where Min Young was standing by the boards. Then a clump. Seul Mi looked over and saw her bending to retrieve her cell phone.

“Just think what could happen if I went further?” Hyun Joong dipped a hand under the bottom edge of his T-shirt and started to lift.

Seul Mi caught a glimpsed of his granite-smooth stomach muscles. She swallowed with difficulty. “No, I think you’ve gone far enough. I wouldn’t want Min Young to end up face forward.”

“I’m fully qualified at CPR. Min Young would be in good hands.”

And she was sure that Min Young would be only too willing to take a dive to test his claim. Which, come to think of it, was just what she had in mind originally. So why did she find herself wanting to see Hyun Joong practice his life-resuscitating skills on her, instead of her best friend?

Down, girl, down, she admonished,

“Hold that thought. You can play doctor later when I’m not around.”

Another half an hour went by. This time they were showing off some of their moves they learned to do. They took turns to glide around while the other one watches. Min Ho and Min Young were the judges, shouting out numbers randomly. But after a while the two were engrossed in a conversation not bothering at the other two. Seul Mi didn’t mind. She didn’t want them to see, especially Min Young that Hyun Joong was flirting openly with her.

She loved the flirting because she found herself flirting back unconsciously. She glided around him in circles as it was her turn to show off. She blew kisses at him as she leaped at the air and twirled and landing gently like a feather. He smiled at her, amused. Seul Mi smiled back at him. She was gliding back now. She felt something when she found Hyun Joong set off on her tail his eyes not leaving hers.

“I have to tell you something.”

“Tell me what?” Her back bumped into the crossbar of the net with a jolt.

“I tried to tell you.” Hyun Joong put his hand on her back and massaged the point where she had banged into the bar.

Seul Mi tried not to think about the further pain he was causing.

“I’m beginning to think you need me more that you realize.” He slowly rubbed her shoulder blades.

Seul Mi’s head shot up. “Just because I banged into the net doesn’t mean I need you.” She wished that were true. She was feeling that she needed him. “And you can stop rubbing now. I didn’t do that much damage,” she added.

“Ah, you don’t know how much damage you’ve already done. In any case, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Something else?” She felt a strange let down when Hyun Joong removed his hand.

“Yes, not only do you ride a motorcycle, you also skate backwards. As it turns out, these are two of my requirements for a wife. And I must say, you pass with flying colours.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Hyun Joong grinned over his shoulder and started to glide away only to stop and return in a long slow arc.

“Yes?” She scowled as he slid in close. Again, too close.

He lifted one hand.

She watched his hand come close to her face. Then closer. “You want to tell me what’s going on here?”

With a gentle swipe of his index finger, Hyun Joong brushed the corner of . She flinched. Felt her lips tingle and her tongue turn dry. Gulping was impossible. Inhaling only slightly more doable. He had to know how awkward she was feeling.

Hyun Joong smiled broadly. He knew. “Powdered sugar.”

Seul Mi’s eyes widened. “Powdered sugar?”

Hyun Joong brought his index finger to his mouth and slowly tasted it. “Yup, definitely powdered sugar. Must have been that donut you were eating when I first rolled up.” He looked down one eyebrow slightly cocked.

She wanted to say that he ate the other half. But the woman in her was paralyzed.

“And by the way, Han Seul Mi,” Hyun Joong said lazily over his shoulder as he skated off for a second time. “That was no joke.”

Seul Mi slowly brought her hands to her face and touched the corner of her open mouth. Her skin was hot, incredibly hot. She couldn’t possibly be blushing for that reason? But then she’d never been touched by a demon on skates, either.