“You know Eun…”

On a most normal occasion over coffee and tea, Kim Junsu a world famous hallyu star who had been staring at his long-time friend who shared the same birthday as himself finally gave in and leaned so close to her that their faces were just inches away. He conveniently ignored the fact that his action piqued interest.

She blinked back her surprise and tried her best not to dart away. It was the first time she’d seen his face this up close, and secretly she had too wondered, what it would be like with him so close to her.

Though that was a fantasy from years ago, her heart still skipped a beat.

“What?” She asked carefully so her word didn’t splatter his face with saliva or reek of bad breath. At that moment she realized a slight excitable commotion building up, “KJS, you’re causing a scene.”

“I know,” being strangely cocky didn’t happen often then he said something that made her pull back with a slight grimace on her face, “Eun, what says you that if we aren’t married by the time we are thirty-five, you and I get together and settle down.”

“Yah…” She wasn’t exactly accustomed to the very blatant way he was acting.

He chuckled before returning to his seat and crossed his legs, “are you afraid of me?”

She admitted, “not in general but that was scary.”

“It wasn’t and I meant it,” he said almost too casually.

“Kim JunSu,” she said in the most threatening voice she could muster, “I’ll tell on you to your mother.”

“Go ahead,” he shrugged again, “I’m sure she would agree.”

She groaned, “stop it, it’s not funny.”

“What? But,” he protested while sitting up a little straighter, “give me reason why—“

She cut him off and put up a couple of fingers and counting the reasons off, “first—you will be happily married before you turn 35 of age, second—you can get any woman you would like and finally—“she paused for dramatic effect-- reached over to straighten his shirt then stopped at his eyes, “a man like you will never settle for a plain Jane like me.”

Junsu blinked as she retracted back into her seat, took a sip of her coffee and then acted like nothing had just happened.

He wondered how she could act so nonchalant about his words then he remembered that this woman wasn’t any run-of-the-mill woman; they practically grew up together and she has seen him cry more times than his own father had.

He couldn’t deny he felt a little disturbed as he exhaled deeply, “plain Jane? Woman, you have no idea how pretty you are…”

She gave him a look as if to ask, ‘me, pretty?’

“Just… think about it.”

“I won’t—” and she shook her in his opinion again, pretty little head, “Kim Junsu, you deserve a woman who’s perfect; beautiful, feminine, tall and adores you. I’m none of that.”

“You don’t adore me?” He asked simply.

“I do,” she smiled comfortingly, “but in my own simple way, not the way that you would want a woman to love you.”

He knew that much was true. She was the most exciting and yet violent woman he knew for the fact that she hid nothing from him. She would sometimes call him just to ask if he’s eaten or if he wanted to meet for a drink and it was strange for every single time she called, he would always have something to tell her.

“You can’t know that.”

“Oh yea?”

“Eo,” a little firmer now, “we haven’t tried it.”

“Why? Because we don’t have the time?” She asked somewhat sarcastically.

He sighed and realized that her eyes were fixated upon his. Their eyes met and she smirked, “how’s YeJin?” referring to a girl that he was currently seeing.

“Good…” he muttered, “very good,” then in an after pause, he made another attempt “but you know there won’t be anyone like you no matter how many girls I date.”

“Glib tongue,” she replied, “you know that doesn’t work on me.”

“I do,” he nodded in affirmation, “that’s what makes you so different.”

“What? My full-scaled cynicism?”

“No, you being your-not-likely to succumb to half the nonsense I say lovely lady,” he grinned and winked at her. She was non-stop sarcastic that day and he rode along for after all, it wasn’t difficult to get to her. She would normally be tongue-tied if he persisted.

“Idiot,” she rolled her eyes.

“Not just any idiot, I’m your idiot.”

“Wait a minute,” she protested, “I’ve no hold over you, I want no claim.”

“Whoa, abandoning all claim over my soul huh?” he replied sarcastically, “Can you please remind yourself next time you call and I tell you that I’m in a date and you yell at me to drop dead?”

She glared at him, “it’s your fault really, you date too much.”

“And you,” he cleared his throat, “date far too little.”

“How is not being a flirt bad?” she challenged.

“I’m saying that you don’t give men out there enough chances to see how truly wonderful you are,” he found himself explaining a little more than he cared to reveal.

Eun bit her lip, “…whatever.”

“Fine, give me that sort of answer; I’m talking to the wall anyways.” One exchange of eye contact and they both knew that they have had this conversation far too many times without any possible solution so best to leave it unspoken.

He’s / She’s so stubborn, they both thought.

So she didn’t speak and he didn’t speak and complete silence enveloped them. The atmosphere only broke when his phone rang.

“Eo? Umma…” that got her attention, especially when he eyed her knowingly, “she’s with me… Oh? Araseo… I’ll let her know then… bye.” He hung up the call, “my mum asks you to come over for dinner.”

“Won’t you rather bring your date?” she retorted cynically.

It was a plain typical Jang JaeEun retort but it crossed his line.

“Yah! You know that I don’t bring dates home because they are never serious enough to meet the parents,” Junsu stated clearly, “I only bring you home for dinner. You know that and yet you always mock me,” as he continued a little angrily, “then fine, don’t come over, I owe you no favours,” his chest puffed and he folded his arms angrily.

She admitted that it was her fault. He spoke nothing but truth, “I’m sorry.”

“Do you even mean it?” he insisted glaring at her, still obviously pissed. She took a deep breath and counted to ten so she stayed sane instead of irrational.

“Yes,” she admitted meekly, “sorry.”

He made a face, “Jang JaeEun, you make me so mad sometimes and I don’t like myself when I’m mad.”

“I know,” she stuck her tongue out; “and I shouldn’t because you’re the only one who bears with me.”

“Yet you don’t appreciate it,” that seemed to make him frustrated.

“I do I do!” she protested as he made no gesture to dissipate his anger so she reached over and squeezed his hand softly, “I’m sorry Junsu.”

He still refused to meet her glance and as she held his hand, she was well aware again that passer-bys were by now very very intrigued by the two of them.

“Aww come on babo… I am sorry,” she cajoled with a doe-eyed expression, “you’ve to forgive me,” she hissed a little urgently, “people are looking at us.”

That got his attention, “you meant your apology?”

“Yes, I do, I’m sorry…”

His hand grabbed hers back, “fine then without another word, follow me home and we will have dinner with my family.”

Her brows rose slightly amused, and she hid her smile, “we?”

“Eo,” he nodded firmly, “you and me, and it doesn’t matter what you say, this ‘we’ is carved in stone so,” a little curtly, “live with it.”

She pretended to sigh, “Don’t suppose I have a choice…”

“Eo, you got that right woman,” he replied strongly as their hands parted.

“So ok,” she nodded, “I choose to live with it.”

He gazed at her and comprehended perfectly that she was using a comical light-hearted approach. He wondered how he could never instill in her brain that he was serious.

She watched him think before a serious expression came about his face and he spoke, “woman, you mean more to me than words could ever say, please get that in your brain,” he ended with a mocking sulk.

“Eo… for what it’s worth,” she sighed, “you’re very important to me too.”

“Oh? Good, because that’s the way I like it. I like ‘us’,” he asked fiercely with his own hidden agenda, “do you like ‘us’?”

Eun felt her heart wrench in pain as she camouflaged her sorrow with a well-practiced smile, “eo, I do, I like ‘us’ a lot.”

“So you’ll follow us home then?”

“Without a word,” she smiled.

“Good,” his fierce façade still on, “my mum will be pleased,” he stood up, walked a couple of steps before turning back, “you’re playing chauffeur by the way.”

“Aww come one!” She protested as she followed behind him closely, “that’s ridiculous, you know I can’t operate that damned sports car of yours! It scares me!”

He just shot her a withering glance before stating, “don’t talk like this of my baby, I won’t stand it, not even from you.”

“Gee,” she rolled her eyes, “but I really can’t drive it,” she wailed all the way until the parking lot, and he stopped in front of a normal black car, “wait.”

His eyes narrowed, “you were saying?”

“Erm…” she became embarrassed as he tossed her the keys as he slipped into the front passage seat. He folded his arms and stared into the front.

“Sorry?”

“That’s fine,” he acted a little cocky and when he saw some fans shouting out to him, he unwind the window, “don’t worry, I’m not on a date!”

She didn’t know why he bothered to explain again, after all, everyone already knew that they were really close friends since high school.

“Araseo oppa! We believe you! Hwaiting!!”

As she pulled the car out of the lot and out onto the road, she scowled, “what did you do that for?”

“What do you mean?”

“Explain yourself—you didn’t have to, they knew perfectly about our friendship. Besides, you won’t be caught on a date in daybreak would you?”

“Oh? You mean what we were on, it wasn’t a date?”

Her face flushed furiously, “no, it was just a coffee date between friends and need I remind you again, you have a girlfriend.”

“I know that much, don’t begin again please.”

“Hmpf,” she made a face then it occurred to her, “hey wait, did you do this for me?” she gestured to the car, “it’s your dad’s isn’t it?”

He snorted, “woman, need you ask?” then eyed her, “I’m nicer to you than you think you know?”

She laughed, “Thank you then, that’s really nice of you.”

He seemed in a much better mood as he replied, “you’re welcome,” he started humming to a random song as she drove and in the midst of the drive, he said, “this is great.”

“What is?” she threw him a quick glance before returning back to the road.

“Don’t probe, woman, let me enjoy the moments please,” he shot her an imploring expression.

Their comfortable silence on the road continued as he belted out tunes to the radio making her laugh and though none of it made real sense, it was just lovely. They stepped out after she had parked the vehicle and greeted his parents cordially who had already had lunch and were waiting to use the car.

“All that food left’s for the two of you, your brother’s eaten and gone out,” Mrs Kim stated to the traumatized kids—more so JunSu than Eun at least.

“Umma! I need to lose weight not gain!” he protested weakly.

“Then you can just eat this meal and not eat anything else for the rest of the day.”

JunSu argued back, “but Eun and I made plans for dinner too,” Eun turned to him with a surprised gaze and JunSu had a persistent look in his eyes directed at her.

“Eo… Yes, we’re going out,” she replied lightly to his mum.

The older lady had shrugged casually, “no wastage of food. I spent hours preparing this for the two of you.”

JaeEun watched JunSu fume slight in despair as Mrs Kim smiled prettily and left the place with his dad wishing Eun well and that she should visit more often.

JunSu sighed, “so this is what it would be like if I brought my wife home for dinner in the future.”

“Your wife?” She gave him a quizzical expression as she pressed her hands into her waist commandingly, “yah! Now as your wife, go bring the cutleries and bowls out for lunch then. Hurry, I’m hungry.”

JunSu stared for a minute before he burst out laughing, “eo yeobo.”

She watched him jog into the kitchen and she grinned.

//