Jiyoon was looking up at the upper bookshelf with her head tilted aside, scanning the books’ titles one by one. She was at the library again, returning the books she had finished reading and getting some new ones which she hadn’t find yet. Her gaze then moved to the lower shelf since she got none from the upper rows.

No books had caught her interest so far. She had no idea how long she had been staying there, pacing back and forth along the narrow alley. Sometimes she had to move aside when she was squatting down to look for the books in the lowest shelf, blocking people’s way in the narrow gap between the shelves. Nobody had cursed her since she was spry enough to move when she noticed somebody’s coming closer.

She was then back on standing again, scanning the titles at the other section. Her brain worked slower as it’s drained out. Her gaze was pinned on a particular book which simple title couldn’t even be absorbed by her tired brain.

She knew she wasn’t alone in the alley. Her senses told that there’s a person standing a few steps away from her, but she didn’t give a damn about it since the person wasn’t about to walk past her.

The person, who she just realized that it’s a guy, cleared his throat. Her perplexed mind automatically ordered her to step aside and said sorry like she had been doing when people couldn’t walk through the alley because of her blocking their way. “Sorry,” she said without bothering herself to take a look at the person. She pushed herself closer against the bookshelf, making some space behind her. The focused gaze of her still didn’t want to move from the row of the books, but she could feel that the guy walked closer to her.

“Ya, what are you sorry at?” a familiar voice spoke beside her. She turned and found Changjo standing healthily, grinning.

She gasped as she covered , preventing herself to squeal from the surprising appearance of him there. He looked completely healthy. Way too different from his state back then when she left him at the hotel just a few hours before. “Ya! Why are you here?!” she questioned in a whisper.

Changjo was chuckling as low as he could. He took a step closer to her whose eyes still widened in surprise. His hands moved to remove hers from covering . Smiling slyly, he leaned in until their foreheads met. “I miss you already,” he whispered.

Jiyoon missed the moment he slowly lifted her chin up, causing their lips to brush against each other. All she knew was only that her lips were already locked by his in a warm, sweet, and tender first kiss of them. The warmth of him she’d been waiting for, somehow.

It took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t her dream anymore. It wasn’t one of those nightmare she had. Neither that it’s another dream she’s having. Not wanting to be a hypocrite, she wrapped him around his neck, pulling him closer as she kissed him back. She knew she loved him. It’s just about time.

It’s her first time to see him blushed when they pulled themselves away. His sly smile before had turned into a shy one. She couldn’t help to smile as well to see the different side of him.

“I’m sorry I made you worried in the past days. I promise I won’t do it again.” He vowed as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “You miss me, don’t you? How did it feel like without me?” he chuckled, keeping his voice low.

Jiyoon caressed his face, admiring his real self she’s seeing. “Empty,” she shortly answered. “How did you know that I’m here?”

“I just followed my instinct. You know, we have that kind of telepathy.” She rolled her eyes at his stupid answer. “Ya, come on. You don’t need books anymore.” He grabbed her hand and intertwined her fingers with his. “You have me.” He teasingly winked.

Jiyoon was agape by what just she saw. “Holy , Changjo! You can wink?! I thought something got into your eyes,” she mocked.

Changjo rolled his eyes. “What do you think I am, huh? I’m not that bad!”

She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re the best.”

“Where are we going now?” asked him, glancing around as they stepped out of the library. “Let’s have a date today.”

Jiyoon snorted. “A date? I think we already have it everyday,” she laughed. “Uh, by the way, are you sure you’re healthy enough? If you collapsed by any chance, I wouldn’t be able to give you a piggyback nor just even to drag you.”

“Ya! You’re too much! That wasn’t my first time of getting drunk!” he argued. Then, his sly smile was back on his face again. “When I’m with you, I’m all healthy. Don’t worry, dear.”

******

“I’m gonna reveal the truth now,” Changjo said as they sat on the bench at the park, with their drinks in their hands.

“What truth?” Jiyoon muttered, sipping her ice chocolate.

He already laughed before he even started talking. “Everything happened. Everything you don’t know.”

She frowned, signaling him to explain it right away. “I didn’t befriend Hiroshi that easy,” told him. She gave him an I-knew-it look as she rolled her eyes. “That night when I saved you and we argued, I went back to the drunkards to whack them again, but I was too focus on beating one of them that I didn’t realize one of them was coming from behind my back, attacking me. Yeah, in the end my condition wasn’t any better than them.” She gasped a bit at the story he told. “The bruises you saw later were nothing. Those were worse before.”

“I forced myself to walk. I didn’t want to come back to the hostel and meet you black and blue. I treated myself with some meds, which I had bought before, after finally deciding to stay at the hotel for that day. Hiroshi was the bellboy who handled me that time. He looked worried as hell,” he laughed. “He was the one delivering my breakfast that morning. Then I asked him to buy me some clean clothes and extra meds. We became closer after since.”

“Why did you go to the drunkards again?” asked her.

Changjo snorted. “I was mad at my own self for wrongly expressing my care towards you. I let my anger out on them, but I ended up beaten as well. It’s embarrassing. I’m a failed hero,” he chuckled.

“And lately I was mad because you didn’t wake me up and went out with Hiroshi the culprit instead. It reminded me of those times when you went out with Chunji almost every time,” he said.

Jiyoon choked on her drink, laughing. “There’s actually something you don’t know about that night.”

“What? Hiroshi confessed to you?” he mindlessly guessed.

“Ya!” she smacked his biceps. “That night, when I told you I had a nightmare, I actually had a dream about you,” she shyly confessed.

His face turned brighter at her last words. “Woah, me?” he couldn’t hide his happiness. “Wait. You said it’s a nightmare. So, I was a nightmare to you, eh?” he sulked.

“Ya! I haven’t even told you anything about it!” she smacked him again before she realized the words she just said might lead her to a humiliating moment. He raised his eyebrow, anticipating for her explanation. “Uh… Should I really tell you about this?” she hesitantly asked him instead.

He shot a death glare at her, forcing her to do it no matter what. “Okay. It’s you confessing to me and we kind of… made out.” She bit her lip as she anxiously waited for his response.

He laughed so hard that it annoyed her. “Now I know the reason why you cried in my hug that night. You’re upset because it’s just a dream, weren’t you?” he . “Don’t worry, Jiyoon-ah. We can have it anytime you want from now on,” he was still laughing.

“I’ve expected this humiliating moment to come. That’s why I was hesitating to tell you about this! I should’ve just insisted not to tell you! Damn it, Changjo! Since when you turned all flirty like this!” she nagged with a reddened face.

He hadn’t recovered from the laughter yet. “You just haven’t known this side of me, dear. You’ll get to know the real me soon,” he told. Jiyoon pouted as the guy was trying to make up with her. The blushing face of her then darkened in a sudden. “Ya, what’s wrong?” questioned him.

She stayed still for a moment, finding the right words. “What would we do when Chanhee found out about us?” she carefully asked.

Changjo coolly shrugged. “Nothing.”

“How could you?” she was taken aback by his unhelpful answer. “He would be mad at us.” She trailed off as she imagined the scene of them encountering Chunji in the future.

“Ya! It’s your own fault for having such an idea to trick him!” he nagged. “I’m not going to do anything though. I’m getting my own revenge on your PDAs back then.” He let out his devilish laugh.

Jiyoon sighed, acknowledging the rightness in his words. “Well, back then I didn’t expect myself to end up with you now, stupid.”

Changjo left a peck on her lips. “Don’t worry too much about it. Just let it flow. He will understand,” he said. “By the way, do you wanna go for a movie today?”

“Call.” She agreed right away. “What kind of movie?”

He meaningfully smirked. “Horror.”

Jiyoon rolled her eyes at him. “Horror, really? Gosh, Changjo. Haven’t you ever been in a relationship before?” she hissed, mocking his poor choice. “Like anybody ever asks to watch horror on their first date!”

“I chose horror so that you could cling on me every time the ghosts appear like you used to do back then. Choosing romance would just make you fall for the lead actor,” he scoffed back. “Smart choice, huh?” he smirked.

“Are you saying that I’m choosing romance? I hate romance movies!” she argued.

“Then why are you criticizing my choice?!” he locked her in his arm. “I know you hate romance since you fell asleep on the movie you’re watching with Chunji back then.”

“But you didn’t even ask me to watch romance! That’s quite disappointing somehow. You’re not romantic at all. Boo!” she continued teasing him.

Changjo ruffled his hair in frustration. “Haish! I just can’t understand girls! Just leave me and go for Chunji then!” he sulked. “Are you actually just tricking me now like you tricked him back then?” he asked, irritated.

Jiyoon grinned as she hugged him tight. “I love you, Changjo. I love you for real. I love you.”

“Good to know.” He nodded in satisfaction. Then they were teasing each other again before Changjo realized something weird. “Why are you staying still when actually so far I haven’t said that I love you?” his puzzled look brought Jiyoon laughter. “You don’t give a damn on my love for you, do you?”

“Are you really sure that you haven’t said it even once?” she asked him back, laughing.

His stare at her was clearly thinking, probably recalling any past memories of them. “I don’t remember I’ve said any,” he stated.

“Then you’re mistaken. I’ve heard enough of those words from your own mouth,” she replied between her laugh. “You’ve said it a lot last night that I lost count on it. I heard it with my own ears. I love you, Jiyoon-ah~” she teasingly impersonated him.

Changjo frowned. “Last night?” he tried to remember anything he could. His eyes widened as he finally got what she’s talking about. “Damn it! You said I didn’t talk anything weird!” he reflexively shouted in embarrassment.

Jiyoon laughed even harder than before, pleased by his panic. “That’s not weird to me at all, it’s lovely. You seemed more sincere when you’re drunk,” she giggled.

“So, that explains your change towards me this morning.” He was finally able to recap it all.

She snapped her fingers. “Exactly.” She slung her arm around his neck and kissed him on the lips. “Babo.”

******

They could see Hiroshi, who was leaning on the receptionist counter, giggled at their arrival back from their first official date that day. Changjo’s face turned fierce, glaring at the cheerful boy whom had turned even more cheerful. Walking beside him, Jiyoon couldn’t help to laugh seeing the boys’ expressions.

Hiroshi freely skipped towards them, grinning all along. “Looks like somebody just succeeded his mission today,” he quipped on Changjo.

“Shut up,” Changjo mumbled. Jiyoon was still laughing beside him. She hugged Hiroshi while her other hand was still holding Changjo’s hand.

“See? Your scary boyfriend always uses violence on me!” Hiroshi complained at Jiyoon like a younger brother did to his older sister.

The accused guy’s eyes widened. The younger boy always did well on teasing his anger. “I didn’t even touch you!” he defended.

“Haven’t you heard about verbal violence? That’s so you,” replied Hiroshi. “After all, you really used violence on me earlier today. Should I tell her everything you did to me? Right here? Right now? I’ve been thinking to break my promise about not betraying you though. I might break it here.” He threatened, added by his devilish laugh. Changjo shot him with spluttered of threats and curses back to him.

Jiyoon frowned. “What happened?” she questioned the younger guy.

Hiroshi was about to speak, but Changjo was faster to smother him. He was still cursing at the culprit. “H-help me!” the younger’s voice was buried under Changjo’s palm.

“Just forget it. Ya, stop it you two, enough.” Jiyoon butted into their fight, laughing at their quarrel which was still going. “Ya! Come on!” she pulled Changjo away from Hiroshi. “And you, go back to work, little kid!” she half shouted as Changjo and her were walking towards the elevator, leaving the boy.

Hiroshi slyly smirked at the two whom waving at him. “Have a good night, new couple!”

A/N:

HA! FINALLY! *throw confetti* Come on tell me what should I do next! Comments comments comments!

And I'm telling you, the upcoming update will probably come a bit late. Busier weeks, I'm sorry Dx