Suzy sighed as she looked around the large room of the section she was in for cram school. She was hungry but she did not know where to eat and moreover, she did not want to eat alone. She suddenly remembered Woohyun and how he wished that her cousin was there to save her from the uneasiness. She then glanced at the male beside her who was cautiously fixing his things.

Mustering the most polite and sweet smile that she could give, Suzy said, “Hey. Jongin-ssi.”

“Drop the formalities. I bet we’re of the same age, Suzy,” Jongin replied without looking at her.

“Okay,” Suzy nodded. She coughed a little before proceeding, “Do you want to eat lunch with me?”

She paused before adding, “I mean as a way of showing my gratitude for helping me during the enrollment, I’d treat you for lunch.”

The male then finally turned to her and as he squinted, Suzy suddenly became conscious of herself. She felt like she was under scrutiny but then, a charming beam graced Jongin’s lips as he asked back, “You just do not want to eat alone so you’re asking me out, right?”

Suzy opened to protest but her reply came late, “No.”

“Uh-oh!” Jongin pointed at her. “Hesitation to hide the truth.”

Suzy then lazily stared at the male and commented “Are you always this bold around strangers? You act like we’ve known each other for months.”

Jongin then teasingly intensified his gaze on her as he asked back, “If I say that I’m only this when I’m with you, what would you do?”

Suzy held her gaze on him as she answered, “Well, I’d be honored and thankful for making me special but I definitely want to avoid playboys as much as I could.”

“You’re good at comebacks, Miss Bae,” Jongin chuckled.

“And you do have a lot of punchlines in store, Mr. Kim,” Suzy mimicked his voice. The two smiled at each other before Suzy admitted, “Fine. It is true that I don’t want to eat alone but I was not lying when I said that I want to thank you for helping me. So… please eat with me?”

“As long as you promise that you’d be as truthful as you could starting from now,” Jongin answered. “Bae Suzy, I must tell you that I am often surrounded by people who wear masks and I would appreciate it if you would not be one of them.”

“You are making it sound like your life is from a Korean drama,” Suzy replied. She knew that Jongin was about to retort with ‘what if’ but she cut off the male by saying, “And if it is, then it would be my honor to share a lunch scene with the main character of the story. Let’s get going before the director becomes angrier.”

Suzy then stood up and gestured for him to come. As they walk out of the room, the male asked, “But who exactly is the director you have in mind right now?”

She grinned as she replied, “My stomach.”

The two then laughed once more and Suzy found it odd how she was comfortable around the male even if it was their first meeting. However, she dismissed it and said nothing, convincing herself that it was because of Jongin’s evidently outgoing personality and bold attitude.

They were at a café, with Suzy asking Jongin questions she couldn’t understand from their discussion. The male was a great help for her and probably as great as the confidence he had in himself. As he finished solving a Math problem for Suzy, he blurted out, “I’m smart, aren’t I?”

“Airhead,” Suzy mumbled as she teasingly glared at Jongin before proceeding on solving the question by herself once more, checking where she got the process wrong. However, she was distracted by the male’s gaze that never wavered from her. She glanced at him and saw that he was still smiling at her. She then sighed before telling him, “Don’t you get tired of smiling Mr. Kim?”

“Why? Are you bothered?” Jongin shot back.

“If you smile too much, it would make me wonder if all of them are genuine,” Suzy mindlessly mumbled. With her eyes not on the male, she failed to notice how the male’s gaze softened upon hearing her words.

Dismissing her assumption, Jongin redirected the conversation by replying, “If you’re scared of falling for my charms, just say so.”

The girl then faced him with an unamused expression on her face. She scowled at him, “Excuse me, Mr. Kim. I have a boyfriend and just so you know, he’s cooler than you. In fact, he doesn’t even need to go to cram school because he’s too smart. So if you’re trying to hit on me too, you better stop it. It won’t work. My boyfriend’s definitely better than you.”

“Excuse me, Miss Bae,” Jongin mimicked her reaction. “I’m not hitting on you. I have a girlfriend. In fact, she’s a model so she’s more beautiful…and definitely slimmer than you.”

“Ah!” Jongin gasped as Suzy kicked his foot under the table because of his comment regarding her weight. Then he added, “She’s less violent too.”

“Tss,” Suzy hissed. Mockingly, she said, “Your parents must like her so much then.”

Jongin flashed a different smile as he replied, “They like her for me more than you could ever imagine.”

Suzy tried to digest his words but then the male fired her a question that sent her to a different trance, “So how about you? Do your parents approve your boyfriend too?”

Instead of answering, Suzy was engulfed into silence as it occurred to her how Myungsoo had never met her parents yet.

“Are you okay?” Suzy asked the old man who she had found struggling as he walked.

The old man said nothing but Suzy proceeded on taking him onto the nearby bench and sat him down on it. He was grasping the bench’s armrest as he breathed slowly. Looking up, Suzy blamed the scorching heat of the sun for making the elderly dizzy. Quickly, she took out the pink umbrella from her bag, opened it and shaded the old man from the harmful rays. He finally spared a glance at her and he could only watch as Suzy rummaged through her bag before bringing out a bottle of water and a fan. She let him drink her water as she fanned the old man for comfort.

“Do you feel better now?” she politely asked. When the man did and said nothing but stare at her, Suzy added, “My boyfriend is on his way here. I could tell him to buy medicines for you. But are you with anyone, Mister?”

Instead of answering, the old man let silence occupy time before he confessed, “I’m too old. I spent my whole life securing my children’s future, never expecting that one of them would die before me. At first, it was a man that separated me and my daughter and I thought that the pain was already unbearable but not until it was Death that took her away.”

“I’m sorry,” Suzy apologized genuinely.

“Where shall I seek forgiveness now?” the old man whispered. “Where would I pour my love for her?”

Silence lingered between the two but Suzy then courageously told him, “If you could provide sanctuary for the things that she wanted to treasure, then perhaps, your love for her could preserve the traces she had left in this world.”

Suzy smiled thoughtfully at him and the wrinkles that adorned the old man’s face almost made the smile that graced his lips unnoticeable; Suzy, however, was able to get a glimpse of it. Then, he whispered, “You grew well.”

But even before Suzy could thank the old man or ask what he meant, her phone had started ringing, flashing Myungsoo’s caller ID in the screen. She looked at the older male who urged her with a small nod to take the call. When the call had ended, she informed him, “My boyfriend’s already around but he sort of got lost. Could you wait for me here?”

“Go on. I’m better now,” the old man assured her.

“Then at least have this until