“Suzy have you brought your wallet yet? How about your coat? Don’t forget to bring your bag!”

Suzy huffed on her bangs. She was no longer an elementary student, why does he have to make such a fuss about merely going out? But she did have to admit; she felt a tinge of excitement brewing inside her. It was the first time she was going so far away without Myungsoo by her side. It wasn’t that she didn’t like going with him, rather, she viewed it as an opportunity. Suzy have never been able to go anywhere alone, independently. This was like a new experience to her, like when a child gets their first toy car. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she felt more than thrilled.

“Myungsoo, I’m fine, really. Stop treating me like I’m still a child, I’m already 19!” she says, exasperated. Myungsoo merely chuckled, and ruffled her hair. “Okay, okay, I won’t bother you again.” He gives her a pinch on the cheek. “Don’t forget to call me when you get your phone back.” She regains her posture and gives Myungsoo a salute.

“Yes sir!”

“Shin! Give me back my headphone!” Takuya shouts, irritated.

“No! Not until you promise to do it!” he responds.

Takuya massaged his temples.

Having a juvenile friend was really a burden.

“Shin, you know that it’s breaking the rules,” he replies, trying to hold in his anger. “Then do the attendance for me!” Shin pouts to him. He then approaches Takuya. “Please, Takuya? Please? This will be the last time I’ll ever be absent.” He clasps his hands together. “Please? I promise I’ll treat you to dinner next week!” Shin gave him his pleading eyes. With a dejected sigh, Takuya finally agreed to his friend's plead. “Fine. But only this once okay?” His face turns radiant, and he gave Takuya his goofy smile. “Thank you! I owe you one!” Shin waves goodbye to the younger one, and runs out of the campus grounds.

Takuya shakes his hand, seeing is friend’s retreating figure.

“Just what are you up to, Shin?”

“We’ve arrived, agasshi – I mean Suzy,” Woohyun announces. Suzy woke up from her sleep, and slowly adjusted her eyes to her new surroundings. “O-okay,” she stretched her hands out. Woohyun quickly gets out of the car, and opens the door for Suzy. “Thank you for the ride,” she doesn’t forget to say. He bows to her, and drives the car away. “Well, I’m back here again.” She inhales. A waft of nostalgia passes through her, just like when she visited this restaurant a few days ago. It left a tingling feeling inside her, and it doesn’t necessarily felt bad – it felt just like visiting an old friend after the longest time.

She misses it.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the restaurant.

Shin runs out of breath. He panted as he finally halted to a stop. Relying on his legs for support, he started taking deep breaths. He started to ponder on his thoughts. Why was he running anyway? It wasn’t like he was the one trying to obtain the phone. Maybe it was because through meeting “Prince Myungsoo”, he could finally take a grasp on just who this Bae Suzy is. Maybe that was what makes him so eager to meet this stranger - to know further about the mysterious girl he makes his heart beat faster every time he laid his eyes on her. Renewed with a determined spirit, he stood up straight, and glanced at the wristwatch strapped on his left hand.

“I’m right on time.”

“Welcome!”

Suzy bowed back to the waitress who greeted her, and she took her place near the window. She glanced outside. Suzy knew she was excited, but in some reasons she could not decipher. She knew she was more than elated when Myungsoo gave her permission to go alone, and that feeling of independence gave her a thrill, but she felt there was something else behind the excitement growing inside her. Perhaps it was the stranger that she was going to meet after this – the feeling of curiosity ignited a spark of wonder and exhilaration inside her heart. Sometimes it could be a bad thing, but it could also mean a good thing. Somehow, today Suzy felt she was leaning on the latter – feeling a good vibe from all this. Closing her eyes, she felt the sun’s heat radiating in her face through the window. It was a nice feeling, she felt warm.

But somehow, her heart didn’t felt as warm.

Her ears then perked up hearing the familiar chime of the restaurant door.

Shin finally came in after a good call with Takuya - and what is meant by good is a good scold by Takuya. He still felt his ears ringing from all the screaming Takuya did over the phone line. Takuya was such an obedient student, that he felt so guilty as quoted, “his heart nearly dropped out of his chest when he did the attendance for him.” Not wanting to put more fuel to Takuya’s fire, Shin had to go through a good 2 minutes of screaming before he finally hung up. “I hope this is worth it,” he mumbled to himself. Bowing to the waitress, he turned his head to the left. There he saw the back of a woman – and it somehow felt familiar. She was wearing a long brown coat that, he predicted, draped all the way above her kneecap. Her hair was long and glowing to a light shade of brown underneath the sunlight. But almost the whole female population of Korea has that hair color – what makes her so familiar? She then turned her head back, and their eyes met. 

Hearing the chime of the restaurant, Suzy did not immediately turned her head to the main entrance. The restaurant was empty today, so the stranger should probably know he was supposed to meet her. A thought then popped up in her head. Myungsoo had not informed the stranger that she was taking his place. Suzy heaved a sigh before turning her head around.

Pit-a-pat

That’s how their hearts beat. But somehow seeing each other’s gazes – it skipped a beat.

“Myungsoo, how are you? I haven’t seen you for so long!” a woman approached him, and gave him a hug. “I’m alright, don’t worry.” He hugged her back. “I missed you.” Myungsoo’s eyes softened, as his hug around her tightened. “I missed you too.” The woman let go of the hug, and faced him. “Then why aren’t you coming home?” she asked, looking pitiful. Myungsoo looked down to the floor. He could not meet his gaze with hers. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. She sighed, before pulling him into another hug, and patting his back in a soothing manner.

“Whatever it is, can’t you just come home for a day? Please. I’ve missed you so much.”

Myungsoo felt his heart tremble, before he shook his head.

“I can’t. You know very well I can’t.”

The woman's eyes started to glisten, and Myungsoo couldn’t take it. Without thinking twice, he finally blurted out, “What about staying in my house for tonight? It’s already getting late.”

She turned her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes filled with so much emotion. The woman then nodded.

“Okay.”

***

Thank you for the lovely comments <3