“Oppa” GaEul heard herself uttered. She could feel a gradual temperature rise around her cheeks and her heart was beating so loud that she could barely bother about the supposedly loud sound of the ocean waves hitting against the rocky bay. She bit her lower lip, her eyes caught the amused smile beamed by the man standing before her, the man that she once could only dream about meeting

Exactly ten minutes and four seconds ago, the affluent young man had asked her for a walk along the beach and she remembered agreeing without any terms and conditions. The walk was joined with a set of conversations which involved the cliché "are you hungry?" and "aren't you cold" questions but had quickly progressed into a deeper, more meaningful conversation as he started asking questions regarding them, and the state that they were in.

"Chu Ga Eul." The man called.

"Ne, sunbae" she who was on her most alert state responded.

"I think l like you" the man said. "I'm starting to really, really like you" he then continued, shifting his body to face the sea, his eyes staring at something nonexistent at a distance.

"YiJeong sunbae" once again, she felt herself being submerged into an ocean of dream. From the moment she met So Yi Jeong, the nation's beloved potter at the porridge shop for the first time, she felt nothing else but the feeling of walking around in never-never land. He was the kind of dreamboat which GaEul won't even dare to imagine herself being on board but fate was being extremely kind for bestowing the Prince Charming upon her and though it was still hard to believe, she had always been very much grateful for his existence alone in her life.

But the road to keep the Prince Charming by her side was never an easy one. He was one difficult tree to climb on, with too many thorns and barrier set to prevent her from coming close. And now, hearing him uttering the words of confession, she couldn't stop herself from smiling wide, expressing the happiness she felt within.

Finally

"It took you long to admit it" GaEul's silent smile turned into a chuckle, which drove YiJeong extra anxious.

"Things have turned out this way, you have to take responsibility" he said evasively while eyeing her from the corner of his eyes, his face slowly turned scarlet from bashfulness.

"Responsibilities?” GaEul's giggly mode halted at his words.

"You stole my heart, you one crafty criminal. Don't you dare to even think that you could get away with it" Feeling a massive burden lifted from his heart, he slowly felt lighthearted, and finally he was able to utter the womanizer scented speech he was very fluent at again.

"Sunbae. That was one really cheesy line" GaEul resumed her chuckle while her heart was fluttering crazily at the same time. The man she had been waiting for a long span of time finally confessed his feeling towards her, the same man whom used to hide his real emotions under a mask of pretence had now started to submit himself to her.

"Cheesy? That was one of my best line. Even Bae Suzy fell for it" YiJeong purposely uttered in order to arouse some sort of uneasiness from the lady.

"Bae Suzy? Sunbae. You dated Suzy?" GaEul's eyes widen at his sudden statement.

"For a while. But then she had too many stalkers it irked me" he elaborated the particular subject with a sole intention of seeing some sort of enviousness in her eyes.

"You actually dated THE national fairy? Wasn't she supposed to be single all these while?" Contrasting with the expected reaction, GaEul's widened eyes beamed with curiosity. "How was she in person? I've always wanted to see her" she started her queries galore.

"Chu Ga Eul" Is she a fool or she was just too good at hiding her emotion, which he highly doubted because the Chu Ga Eul that he knew was easier to read than a book and by the look of it, she doesn't look jealous or anything related to that state at all.

"She was perfect, if it wasn't because of her no dating contract, we might last" Upset with his girlfriend's reply, he blurted out unnecessary statement and whipped his body to the opposing direction to create a distance between them.

He had successfully turned his body and was ready to extend his first step when a virile force slapped his forehead, causing his body to jerk backward before he fell into a state of petrification. It took YiJeong few seconds before he realized that he was hit by a volleyball which had accidentally flew its way out of the supposed court area.

The next moment he knew, after an ensuing yell of his name by GaEul, he found himself crouching, holding his forehead in absolute pain. He could barely hear GaEul's voice who was currently worrying about his current pathetic condition.

"Sunbae. Are you okay?" Her voice came almost inaudible due to the shock and potent pain that was swirling in his head. He then could feel a soft touch on his hand that was practically covering his assaulted forehead, the feathery touch that belongs to GaEul.

"Dude, are you okay?" An unfamiliar voice suddenly interrupted the moment. YiJeong released his face from his own hand and stared up to see a white man with an unkept beard towering in front of him.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry about the ball" his voice sounded calm despite being in such situation.

"Urgh. I'm fine. It's okay" he lied, still covering his forehead with his hand.

"Are you sure dude?"

"Yeah. I'm fine"

"Alright then. Again, I'm really sorry" he said for the last time before fleeing towards his group of friends with the ominous volleyball on his hand.

"Sunbae. Let me take a look" GaEul once again held his hand that was covering his forehead to check for any possible injury.

"It's okay." He tried to decline but as if she didn’t hear anything, she insisted on getting his hand out of her sight so that she could get a better look at the attacked region. And while she was busy worrying about his precious forehead, his eyes caught a glance at her face that caused the pain he was suffering to disappear right away, like magic. Instead, the pain flew down to his heart, which suddenly felt like it was summersaulting in a very speedy pace.

His eyes never left her eyes for the next few moments, until when her eyes that was reflecting anxiousness turned crescent shaped, a beautiful shape of the new moon. It was mesmerizing, their faces were bounded only by thin air, and all he could feel was the existence of him and her, surrounded by hypnotizing swirly dimension, and he was going to let himself being swallowed by his imagination when he realized that she was laughing.

Huh?

"Sunbae. Your forehead." She giggled as if she just heard a freaking joke of the year.

"Why?" YiJeong asked, confused.

"Nothing" she bit her lower lip to prevent the laugh from escaping but failed miserably as it came out louder than ever.

"Why?" YiJeong stood up, running his fingers on his forehead while wondering if it was dented, judging from how painful the ball strike was.

"It's painted red" she answered with difficulties as she couldn’t really control her chuckle. His forehead was really red due to the great force exerted by the ball not long ago. Seeing YiJeong whose face was always nothing but perfectly handsome, the new colour addition to his face reminded her of the typical scene from an anime and she couldn't stop herself from laughing at the funny thought.

 And at the other side, as expected, hearing her explanation caused YiJeong to frown again. "Is this something to be laughed at?” he narrowed his eyes and said with an obvious sulky tone. He was still irked at her for her indifferent behavior nowadays and the sight of her laughing her world off at his painful situation annoyed him more. She was becoming more and more like JanDi and he doesn't like the idea even a tiny bit.

He kept his discontented stare at her and watched as her chuckle slowly calmed down and settled as a bright smile on her face.

"I'm sorry" she said cheerily before she landed an unexpected peck on his forehead. "I didn't mean to laugh." She kissed his forehead again, this time her lips anchored for a longer period, which involuntarily turned YiJeong's whole face scarlet.

"What was that for? “ YiJeong stood up immediately, trying to hide the fact that his face felt unbelievably warm and his heart was thudding powerfully against his ribcage.

Damn. What is this person doing to me?

He silently cursed. How could a mere forehead kiss almost set him on fire? He had done a lot of things with uncountable women but none of them had this kind of effect on him, an effect so severe that he thought he was having a heart attack.

“To lessen the pain?” she squeaked. She too, was noticeably blushing as she couldn’t really accustom herself to what she had just said and did. It was about time for her to be familiar with him, to feel comfortable around him, but it was inconceivable that she still had the butterflies swarming in her stomach, causing her unfathomable feeling of painful euphoria every time the suave man named So Yi Jeong lingered near her. And it was this kind of time where the butterflies started to get wild, when he stepped closer, his eyes fixed on hers, lips barely an inch away.

"And you said my line was cheesy" he uttered in a whisper which immediately sent GaEul a strong breeze of goose bumps. "That wasn't enough to compensate my injury, Chu Ga Eul" he titled his head slightly while his stare was getting more intense.

"Sunbae" she pulled her head farther to prevent her blatant heartbeat from being heard.

"Tss". Hearing her utterance, his face frowned right away. "I've been wanting to say this since forever"

"Hm?"

"I don't really like that honorific you are using"

"Eh?"

"Chu Ga Eul. We didn't even went to the same school"

"So?" Her eyebrow raised, her lips pouted in inquisitiveness.

Tell me why I fell for this empty brain again.

"I mean stop calling me sunbae. I wasn't even your senior to begin with"

"Eh? Then how. . ."

"Oppa. Oppa sounds nice"

***

"Chu Ga Eul" YiJeong found himself to enjoy calling his girlfriend by her full name,

"Hm?"

"Eat more. That amount on your plate looks too pretentious" he said with a serious vibe plastered on his face. Looking at GaEul's plate that was barely occupied with literally a pinch of rice and some wilted vegetables incited the dietician within him and without waiting for her approval, he started to pile barbequed meat onto her plate.

"Sunbae. Stop" her eyes widened at the mound of meat that was getting higher on the ceramic plate. It was a prominent fact that her love for meat was undeniable, but with that amount she was quite sure that her stomach will burst.

"Sunbae? Couldn't hear you" he replied nonchalantly while nearly spilling the plate with mushroom gravy.

"OPPA!” she yelped with pure intention of trying to make him stop, but instead she had successfully made the whole dining room to pause in response. Realizing her own destructive conduct, she lightly slapped for letting out the ominous word before she shot a stabbing glare at her boyfriend who was grinning his way towards their table, where sat the stunned F3 and the wide eyed JanDi. JanDi was of course, the one most affected by GaEul's absurd utterance. Astonished by their speedy relationship bloom, the corner of her eyes followed both of them as if GaEul would die if she didn't keep her eyes glued on them.

"Oppa? That was fast" WooBin fleetingly whispered into YiJeong's ear when he was taking his seat which earned him a satisfied smirk from the other man. YiJeong mentally noted to thank WooBin later for his best friend was the one who had forced him to take an evening stroll with GaEul and not to mention numerous other contributions he had committed in making his once ambiguous relationship into a clearer one.

All of them barely had any conversation on the table, one of it due to the supreme level of deliciousness of their dinner and GaEul should take the rest of the responsibilities because she was the one who had revealed her intimate addressing towards her boyfriend which apparently had brought JunPyo to a rigorous level of sulkiness; and it could obviously be seen by the extraordinary long face he was exhibiting even until everyone finished their meal. Everyone knew that JunPyo had tried almost everything to tame his eccentric fiancé but failed miserably at each and every try, thus GaEul understood his morose expression and she somehow felt sorry for him for not being able to do anything about it.

"Ahh . . . I'm really full." GaEul whined as she was walking besides JanDi towards their room.

"Where did you go this evening?” JanDi blurted out a sudden question.

"Hm? I went out for a walk by the beach."

"With YiJeong sunbae?" JanDi raised her left eyebrow.

"Yup." She answered simply, her finger interweaving with her strands of hair while her smile broadened without herself realizing.

"Geum Jan Di" JunPyo suddenly loomed beside his fiancé.

"WHAT????” she snapped, her voice filled with annoyance.

"Come with me. We are going to the aquarium"

"What?”

"Just follow me." As usual, he pulled her wrist to drag her to his desired place but she pulled her hand, breaking the physical bound

"Are you crazy? Aquarium? At this time of the day? Did you lost your brain somewhere? Again?” she questioned, trying to knock some sense into the slow witted lad.

"Aishhh this woman. Can’t you just follow me quietly for once?“ he rolled his eyes before he pulled his fiancé as if he was pulling a giant rag doll, totally ignoring her vehement protest while she was wriggling as though she was trying to escape from a ferocious kidnapper.

"GaEul"

YiJeong's voice drew GaEul's attention. She who was grinning at her best friend's conduct shifted her concern towards her boyfriend but immediately shrieked when she saw the thing that was coiling his neck.

"Oh SUNBAE! !  ! ! !“ she yelled. Her eyes widened at the long, green plush toy that was wrapping YiJeong's neck like a scarf, more like strangling him than warming him. "What is that?" She asked when she clearly knew in a screechy voice.

"Passed by that souvenir shop and this caught my eyes" he signed towards a nearby wooden hut nonchalantly. "Why? Don't you like it? Look at how cute it is" he sincerely asked while patting the plushie's head like it was some kind of adorable Chihuahua.

"I'm not -, not fond of snakes" she faked a smile while her steps were unknowingly made backwards, trying to distant herself from the innocent toy.

"Oh?“ YiJeong realized her fear towards the velvety toy he just bought, and once again, he thought it was cute to the bone. “Hmm, she would love to accompany you tonight, since JanDi won't be back early to sleep next to you" his blank, innocent look turned into a wicked grin right after.

“SUNBAE. Stay where you are" she stammered, her eyes getting wider as YiJeong wended closer towards her with the horrifyingly long snake plushie coiling his neck. She was the kind of person who barely has any vengeance residing in her heart but for the long sliding creature, it was totally a different case. Even the thought of the slithery creature would make her shiver; pictures, plush toys, and rubber snakes are no exception because anything that reminded her to snakes would indignantly terrifies her.

"Sunbae? What?" he leaned his ear towards the plushie's head and nodded a few times before he continued. “My new friend said she doesn't like the sound of your calling, Chu Ga Eul" he grinned at his girlfriend who was flinching heavily.

“Oppa. Ok. I'm sorry, oppa. Just, get that thing away from me" she moved another few steps backward, enticing laughter to YiJeong who was apparently amused by her unnecessary reaction.

"Hmm . . How about. . .  NO?“ he blurted out a booming laugh, a mischievous laugh that doesn't seem to come from the prim and proper heir of WooSung museum; he then chased  GaEul who was turning hysteric with the snake's head on his hand down the lake bridge. “Eonnie, don't run from me.  . . " YiJeong pretended a female voice, as if the lifeless snake was trying to make friend with his girlfriend.

“Eii ! !" GaEul who had ran suprisingly fast shrieked the moment YiJeong caught her waist and shoved the soft snake's head towards her neck. She was half crying and laughing when she felt the toy tickling the flesh under her jaw.

"Eonnie! Let's be friend!" YiJeong who was disclosing his inner child was still engrossed in his teasing. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed this loud but he was sure of one thing; he was enjoying the moment and he didn't want it to end soon.

"Stop it, please, I'm tired" GaEul turned her head to plead while her lower body was still actively running away from YiJeong. She was still laughing from the recent tickling session and was quite proud of herself for managing to escape his firm grip, but she was getting tired from all the running and was intending to surrender herself and make friend with the horrendous snake. Her intention seemed to be granted when her body suddenly collided with an unknown entity, causing her to literally bounce back before hitting the ground.

“Ouch" she heard a short weep before she hit the ground, which helped her to confirm that the thing she had crashed onto just now was a person, and judging from the soft cry of pain, she was quite affirmed that the person was a lady. Panicked, GaEul immediately brought herself up but before she could even lift her head up, she heard YiJeong's voice which had fortunately turned back to his normal husky one.

"EunJae" she heard his voice called before she herself went almost frozen at the sight of an elegant lady standing before her. The lady who was busy rubbing her pain stricken arm was wearing a white oversized shirt with a tight knee length pencil skirt; an odd combination which astonishingly looked good on her while her hair was tied in a high bun which reminded GaEul of her old days, in where she was forcing herself to like pottery.

"EunJae teacher" GaEul uttered, almost stammered. Her sight was adhered to her former pottery 'Guru' who looked equally shocked at their presence as she did, wondering on what reason of the world that the graceful lady could end up standing before her, out of all places in the world, why here?

It was ridiculous how she suddenly felt something terrible gnawing in her gut, but she had tried her best to invite all positive thought from around the globe to fill her mind but the swooning look on YiJeong's face had caused blockage on her mind, turning her mind cloudy.

Chu Ga Eul, don't be silly. It's just EunJae.

GaEul silently thought to calm her sudden wavering heart.