I couldn't breathe normally. I had a knot in my stomach. My throat was dry. I had never been so uneasy in the past. I knew how it felt to be jealous but this feeling wasn't jealousy. It was different. I was scared. Why ? I wasn't able to explain. My feelings towards Tae Woon were nothing beyong friendship. I liked him, but as a good buddy, a brother. Yet I feared that his ex might take him away. I remembered when he first, and last, told me about her. He was crying. On the spur of the moment I had thought that I was the reason why he was so touched however when we started talking about this girl, I realised it was his memory which made him sad. If he was still sensitive over something that happened with her, it seemed foolish to think her return wouldn't change anything. I snapped out of my concern when someone touched my shoulder. I looked up at Tae Woon who was giggling.

Tae Woon : my meeting is cancelled. Wanna go out ?

You : don't you have things to do ?

Tae Woon : I'll take care of this someday

You : then.. why not

Tae Woon : are you worried about something ?

You : a-ani

Tae Woon : you sound troubled

You : do I ?

Tae Woon : why are you sad ?

You : I'm not

Tae Woon : let's go out. It'll change your mind

We went out, holding hands like kids. He took me to a mall which was nearby. As soon as I got inside, I noticed a good-looking seller. He was wearing an uniform which suited him well. I dragged Tae Woon to the tea shop where he was working only to see the guy. He greeted us with a bow along with a smile that could melt anyone's heart. I was so focused on him that I didn't realize Tae Woon went to the other corner of the shop. I was looking across the mugs when one caught my attention. It had a beautiful cheery blossoms pattern. The blossoms were light pink. I literally fell in love with this mug. Moreover, it was handmade. I loved handmade things, it was beautiful and I knew how hard people had to work to get something like this. Even though it was a one-of-a-kind piece, it was quite cheap. I searched for Tae Woon because I didn't have any money with me. I stepped towards the shelf where he was standing only to notice the girl from earlier by his side. She was leaning against the shelf and stared deeply at my husband. I hurriedly walked to his side and took his hand. Tae Woon looked startled but a smile crept on his face. He turned to the girl, holding my hand tighter, before introducing me as his wife. The girl, whom I had trouble to keep proud in front of, feigned a smile.

Bo Yeong : so it's true... you're trapped in a marriage. My mother told me you had an arranged wedding. I thought she was joking but.. seems like it's real

Tae Woon : I'm not trapped in anything Bo Yeong-ah. It's a pleasure to be married

Bo Yeong : to someone you barely know ?

Tae Woon : I know ~~~~ very well

Bo Yeong : are you really happy with a girl like her ?

You : I don't think Oppa could find someone better than me

Bo Yeong : ah geurae ?

Tae Woon : ~~~~ we should go now

You : nae ? kaja~

This time, I intertwined our fingers. He smiled at me while walking away. After a while, he broke the silence.

Tae Woon : I didn't know you were the boastful kind

You : that's how you should be with boastful people

Tae Woon : your way of thinking isn't bad

You : it's her, right ?

Tae Woon : nugu ?

You : your ex

Tae Woon : ah.. yeah

You : do you still have feelings for her ?

It was difficult to ask this crucial question. I feared his answer. What would happen if they were both still in love ? At a time, I wanted to leave him for Zico but since the younger went abroad, I learned how to live with his brother. I was happy by Tae Woon's side. I didn't want this to end. He was hesitant which caused my angst to increase.

You : feel free with your friend Oppa~

Tae Woon : molla ~~~~...

You : it's normal if your feelings are back when you see her

Tae Woon : I'm not sure it ever faded away

You : oh..

My eyes got teary. I started walking faster, ahead, so he couldn't see my face. Tae Woon grabbed my arm to turn me around. He lifted my chin up. Feeling a single tear soaking my cheek, I tried to get away of his embrace. Unfortunately, he put his free hand on my back to bring us closer. I was locked in his hug. He wiped my tear with his thumb. My heart was pounding.

Tae Woon : what's wrong with you ~~~~ ? I knew something wasn't right since this morning

You : nothing Tae Woon-ssi.. let me go

Tae Woon : erh why are you so cold ?

You : let go please

Tae Woon : ~~~~, I did something wrong, right ? What is it ?

You : nothing.. for-

I was cut off when this girl entered my vision. Indeed, we were out of the shop, not of the mall. She was watching us from afar. With a grin, she came closer to us. I wiped both my cheeks to erase any evidence of my sadness. She mustn't know how I felt. If she discovered that I was stressed by our encounter, she would surely guess how Tae Woon felt about her. I was sure that this girl was clever. Tae Woon's mouth was open as he was speaking when I pulled his face to mine, crashing our lips together. I could feel he was shocked because he didn't move. From the corner of my eye, I watched the girl's reaction. She had stopped in her tracks and now had hatred in her gaze. I closed my eyes to fully concentrate on the kiss. I wanted to share a passionate one because she had a great view of us. Unexpectedly,  he responded my kiss and wrapped his arms around my waist. He hugged me tighter that I almost couldn't breathe. I let go of his lips because I was gasping for air. He rested his forehead against mine. Out of the blue, he pecked my lips, several times. I couldn't help but fully enjoy the moment. His lips made me forget about the reason why I started this. I kissed him one last time then just stood there, facing him. He had the widest smile I've ever seen on him. He cupped my face and we shared a long eye-contact.

Tae Woon : now I know ~~~~... She doesn't mean anything anymore