AN: Sorry I rushed the end 

********

Hurried but steady footsteps answer to the ring of a bell. The swinging of the door allows some of the heated craze to escape from the kitchen and into the dining area of the restaurant. She makes her way past the sizzling pans inside the place burning with the race of time. As she re-enters the dining hall (without a vacant table) she could once again breathe, feeling the air of calm and friendly chatter. She has no time to notice the valediction of the sun, retrieving the blessing of its last rays past the shopfront windows of glass.  The customers are engaged in their conversation; oblivious to the madness and rush to serve them dinner behind the scenes. Placing the dishes down at the indicated table, Yoona races back towards the counter hearing her colleague, Taeyeon call out

“Yoona yah, table 9 bill please”

“neh”

Locating the awaiting customers, she strengthens the smile already on her face and places down the change tray.

“That’s a total of 38000 won thank you very much” she offering another of her signature bright smiles after informing them the price.

The three old ladies nod and reciprocate the smile as Yoona straightens her black waistcoat and apron.  

“Thank you miss”

“Are you helping your father again today?” the lady sitting opposite asks while surveying Yoona who spreads her lips into a wider smile and nods

“neh”

“Here you go hardworking young lady” the lady counting change finally places her amount on the change tray. Yoona bows at a generous angle and maintains her grateful smile on her cheeks (slightly flushed from the workout of rush hour).

“kamsahamnida” but as she turns on her heels, the lady whom had paid the bill calls out to her, stopping Yoona in her tracks

“Here’s a little gift for you,” Yoona at first shakes her head with her usual smile, unable to accept anything. The lady insists nodding her head while giving Yoona a definite smile. She dangles a delicate looking phone accessory as Yoona’s jaw slightly drops, softening into a smile, unable to reject the lady any further. The tiny ornament of beads and a pair of wings beckons her attention as Yoona opens her palm,

“It’s an angel, let it protect you” and as she feels it fall into the core of her hand, she closes her fingers around it securely but gentle.

She bows another three times without prompt and once again

“Kamsahamnida”

Before she tenders the cash, she hangs it upon the crystal tree ornament in front of the cash register.

***

It’s less busy on the weekday a few days after she had accommodated the new member to her father’s restaurant. Nevertheless, most the tables are occupied with customers away in their own discussions springing a subtle comfortable and warm vibe into the air after the sun had officially ended its shift, handing it over to the moon.

Taeyeon finishes scribbling the order into her order pad and tucks her pen behind her ear. Tearing a layer of the carbon copy, she leaves it in the allocative pigeon hole at the counter before striding into the kitchen.

Changmin rolls his eyes, and turns to leave his seat (or more so of the two bickering friends) behind. Kyuhyun and Victoria either ignored or completely did not register the departure of their friend and continue expressing their points of view on whether coke or sprite tastes better. It is a trivial matter, but could always spark such heated argument. Perhaps that’s the way they express their chemistry?

Tapping his feet, a hand in his pocket, the other pressing on the counter to support his stance, Changmin only bothers to glance around for someone to respond to his waiting without moving his head. His eyes rested on the crystal tree ornament residing next to him on the ledge of the counter, a fine piece of work. He sighs heavily, while shifting his gaze to burn the door leading to the kitchen. As if that would summon anyone. He scoffs at himself. But in the middle of his second sigh, it happened.

The twinkle of wind chimes, the opening and closing of a door and she appeared in front of him. A girl in casual attire, who seemed to have, ran behind the counter. She ducked down the ledge of the counter, after scanning the number on the carbon copy of his bill (under the pressure of his fingers) retrieving the corresponding number. Locating it, she finally raised her line of vision. Offering an apologetic smile the magic continued. Their eyes met. Although brief, it was enough for Changmin to shift slightly from his usually controlled and trained mind.

“Sorry” she bows. Thoughts seeping through began rediscovering this feeling. There was something that he couldn’t touch upon. It wasn’t the way her eyes briefly glinted under the light, nor the way the weird feeling in his chest shuddered his calm self, neither was it the way her presence had seemed to relieve his tensed impatient nerve cells.

Yoona’s attention was fixing the situation up as soon as possible. Sliding cross to the cash register, hidden behind an ornament of crystal, she stops before continuing to total his bill. Changmin had submerged himself within his contemplating self ‘stop it Shim Changmin’ he hisses. He missed the moment Yoona reached into her pocket and detached the phone accessory from her phone.

The movement of fingers across the keypad of the cash register with the beeping of the register and her voice penetrates his thoughts, removing him out of his reverie.

“Excuse me sir,” she waits, until he responds, blinking a few times before tilting his head to the side as if asking why am I feeling like this?

“that’s a total of …” he opens his wallet pulling out a note. Whilst she tenders the cash, it catches his eye, as the tracks of his vision deviated to the crystal tree. Then, there it was, the ornament dangling delicately from a branch. It beckons for his gaze.

This time, it seemed that he had surprised her

“You believe in guardian angels?” she looks up curiously, with a touch of gentle questioning. His figure tall, lean but softly built, sort of towered over her, but nevertheless she is not intimidated, maybe it was how his eyes, although deep, seemed comfortable to her. She placed his change gently on a change tray.

“neh, it brings me good luck and protects me” wading in friendly and sincere conversation. It was something he didn’t normally do.

“You don’t think it’s just you being superstitious?” he pulls the note free of the remaining coins on the change tray, while placing a few more onto it.

“Well, if you believe in something, you should believe in it truly and not that it is just a matter of the supernatural” she reasons. Changmin nods seemingly acceptingly. But is actually a gesture of approval I know what you mean exactly. And for a moment he is lost in those eyes.

And for a moment, Yoona thought she saw the cool expression on the guy’s face soften. But their first encounter seemed to end too soon than they had wanted (somewhere deep inside).

“Yoona yah, you’re back” a happy voice seems to sigh in relief “can you please refill water for table 2?”

“neh” Yoona replies immediately fastening her hair with a hair tie. Both parties previously engaged in conversation were too distracted to notice Taeyeon scans Changmin assessingly in a less than friendly laser beam. ‘Must tell Yoona to be careful of guys’ she mentally noted before continuing on.

“Nice meeting you” very…the corners of his lips curved upwards oh no you didn’t.

“Nice meeting you too, thank you” she bows, already ready to speed to her assigned task as Changmin turns around. She takes two steps before pausing and looking back at his leaving figure. Unable to figure out the weird sensation tingling in her chest and the flipping in her stomach, she (attempts to) shrug it off.

He repeats the action of rolling his eyes at his friends still in the middle of their discussion while holding the door open for them. The wind chimes sound less magical this time. He takes the chance to glance at the girl now bowing at the customers at a table after placing down the water jug. He catches her taking a glance at the door, (or was it her that caught him staring back at her) she momentarily shyly pulls her gaze away before reacting with a thankful

“kamsahamnida” at the leaving customers. Changmin nods politely before closing the door behind him.

“that’s nice of you mate, never imagined this day would come.” Kyuhyun folds his arms across his chest, finally removing himself out of his debate (temporarily) after stepping out of the restaurant.

“Kyu, sometimes I wonder how much better my world would be if you were mute” and he swings his arm over the shoulder of his best friend, mirroring his action. Still not pleased that her point had not been made, Victoria runs around the two so she was walking backwards in front of Kyuhyun  

“I told you, Coke has caffeine!” Victoria stresses the ‘caffeine’ part, stamping her foot as Kyuhyun retrieves his arm from Changmin’s shoulder.

***

Yoona creases her eyebrows and bites her bottom lip, not knowing how to find the right words. She has done it countless times but for some reason… it’s just him. Taeyeon unnie had noted to her that he’s been here every second day since their first encounter. Yoona unnoticeably clenches her hand at her heart at her unnie’s words. It can’t be. Knowing that he usually pays in cash, it is the first time this policy has come across as a difficult situation to deal with. Well it isn’t that hard. Is it?

“I’m sorry sir, due to recent increase in charges by the banks, credit card transactions would incur a 2% surcharge.” she dictates

“You sound like a computer” Changmin muses in a polite way as he eyes the sheet stuck on the counter top – a script of what she has just said read. Yoona manages a weak smile, shrugging while tilting her head to the side hiding her flush.

“Well…” but he is interrupted by that same friend from the very first night. Yoona holds her laughter back through a lopsided smile watching the usually ‘cool’ and ‘calm’ customer wince slightly and scowl at his friend (Kyuhyun was it? That’s what she thought he called him) who slung his arm hospitably around his friends shoulder.

“What’s up?!” registering Yoona who is (still) trying to refrain a giggle from escaping her lips, he grins and raises his hand to wave hello

“HI”

“What’s wrong Kyu?” Changmin tries his best to hide the irritance of the disturbed moment. So I was right Yoona smiles in her thoughts

“Since you were taking so long, wanted to check if you were okay? Guess not if you’re finally falling in love” Kyuhyun turns his playful cheeky grin to Yoona and scans her up and down “With a pretty cute girl too” Kyuhyun shoots a wink at Yoona. Her previous urge to giggle has completely fled and is replaced a ridiculous urge to run and hide in a corner so they don’t watch her cheeks continue to redden. She looks away, busying her eyes underneath the counter as if there was a place to duck under there.

“You get the pun?” Kyuhyun continues. Changmin’s expression is unreadable- nobody realised the way he momentarily widened his eyes. “she is pretty too!”

Yoona is helpless under the scrutiny of this evil customer. Part of her wanted to imagine that what he was saying is true. She is unable to fan her cheeks.

“Hey she seems like your ideal type, considering to marry her?” Will he ever shut up? Changmin internally glares.

Changmin finally lifts his arm, previously folded on the counter, and shifts his position, looking directly to Yoona

“um OK” Kyuhyun almost chokes

“Neh?!” Yoona fails miserably to hide her startled tone. Kyuhyun is gaping, arms almost reaching mid air as he lifts them but is stopped by his best friend’s clarification

“for the 2%” he says in his usually calm tone and he blinks looking at the frozen girl in front of him.

“Oh right…of course” smiling, she has thawed

“Hey are you ignoring me?” Kyuhyun waves his hands in front of Changmin’s face. But Yoona is too immersed in her reverie, Kyuhyun’s words are drowned out as a result.  Her cheeks are now burning with embarrassment Silly Yoona! How could you?!  She scolds herself before flusteredly but masterfully handles the eftpos machine.

“Thank you very much”

As she passes the pen for him to sign, their hands accidentally brush against each other. Yoona’s hand retreats almost too quickly after a jumpy feeling occurred in her chest.

But just as he is about to hand the merchant copy back to her, his other companion comes to join him

“Hyung” Kyuhyun and Changmin echo

“Changmin, what’s wrong?”

“just some banking charges”

“How much?” the older one turns, directing the question at Yoona, who is taken aback but replies professionally nevertheless.

“2%” she holds to fingers up and smiles apologetically. The man’s frown seems to be more at Changmin, and as Yoona predicts, it was. Although it wasn’t at her, instead of relief, the guilt builds up a little more and she just cannot identify why.

“I really don’t get you Changmin” he frowns and sighs, shaking his head in more confusion than disapproval.

“don’t sweat it Yunho Hyung, I said it’s my shout” as they turn away heading for the exit. Changmin turns and waves to Yoona, bows a little

“Thank you”

“Bye lover girl” Yoona’s mouth is left hanging. And unexpectedly, Changmin turns his head around once more catching her attention and he mouths

“and sorry”  Yoona smiles her first sincere smile in a while (or it felt like it) shaking her head

“it’s nothing” Changmin turns back towards the exit, just in time before his smile creeps up on his face.

After he is completely out of sight, Yoona takes out the signed copy of the receipt,

“Shim Changmin” a soft smile flits across her face.

***

He has a minute to spare before his train is due. With his blazer/coat hanging on his arm, holding documents that his colleague had just handed him, his other hand occupied by his briefcase as he grabs the top paper of the stack. Making his way to the fridge, stepping past a few customers lined up, in this cramped Storyway store he hastily grabs a bottle of chilled water before reaching the checkout. While nodding to the amount he is to pay, he reaches inside his pocket, and pays while trying to shove the documents inside his briefcase. But as a usual consequence of rushing, one of the pages float to the ground. He clicks his briefcase closed, grabbing the water and paper before stepping out (and over the paper) the Storyway branch just as the train arrives at the platform.

Fishing out the correct amount of money from her wallet, Yoona notices that the man in front had misplaced a page from his documents. Before she can tell him, he has already strode outside the store with his overly long legs.

Changmin feels a discrete but gentle double tap on his shoulder. He frowns, and stops opening the cap of his bottled water. But as soon as he turns around and registers the familiar doe eyes the previous annoyance vanishes.

As he turns around, she gasps whether of surprise and or relief he is unsure. He hopes it is the latter. It’s him! He also at a lost for words, it’s her! He secures the cap on his bottle before reciprocating the smile she now showed him. It was an epiphany of gladness, relief and friendliness.

“Annyeonghaseyo” they both bow in complete synchronisation. And after adjusting their stances, giving each other puzzled, disbelieving and can-you-explain-this-either?- looks, they both giggle looking past each other.

“Changmin” he readjusts his grip on his briefcase and grips everything else in one arm as he offers her his hand. She giggles a little more, before taking it.

“Yoona” it’s not the warmth she was expecting

“it’s cold” she smiles. Changmin grins sheepishly and shrugs holding up his bottle of water previously gripped in his other arm.

“I believe you dropped this” she hands him the abandoned document.  Changmin stares at the paper with a lost expression for two seconds.

“Oh, right! Thank you! If I lost this, my trip back here to meet up with my colleague would have been useless. I had to cancel the lunch with the client and postpone it to meet him up in his office because my secretary mixed the documents up?” Changmin intently explains to a Yoona who is wideeyed and intently listening and nodding, shaking her head abruptly after realising that he had made that a question.

“Thanks anyway” he smiles sincerely, one that almost reaches his eyes.

“No problem” Yoona reciprocates the gesture

Realising that the carriage is emptied out at the next stop, Changmin asks politely

“Would you like to sit?” Yoona tilts her head and nods trying to pry her gaze away from those eyes, which smile. As she sits, the plastic bag she is holding brushes against her leg making a rustle.

“Oh, that’s right, if you don’t mind, you can try this,” she reaches into the bag and pulls out a slice of baguette, offering it to Changmin who accepts it gratefully, with his bag in his lap, he takes a generous bite into it.

“You look hungry”

“Yeah, save me from hunger, thank you”

“Would you like some more?” she pulls more out anyway.

“it tastes nice, what is it?”

“Well, my dad wanted me to take some of the baguettes he made this morning to my auntie’s house, since she requested them for a picnic” Changmin immediately halts from taking another bite.

“Don’t ‘worry, he made extra” she smiles her doe eyed smile and takes one out, placing the bag in her lap and using two hands to hold the slice- she nibbles it. Changmin feels his lips automatically quirk up. Feeling something awkward, she glances sideways and catches Changmin staring at her and at that instant she feels that leap in her chest as if she had jumped one too many steps on a staircase.

“do I have crumbs all over my mouth?’ she frowns questioningly

“Don’t worry,” he laughs and shakes his head while covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Yoona nudges him with her elbow. As the laughter fades,

“So why are you so busy?”

“I work as a marketing manager for an insurance company, and the company are trying to release a new promotion campaign for the festive season.”

“I could hang my angel in the Christmas tree after we set it up then…” she thinks aloud.

“Do you believe in guardian angels?” she suddenly asks remembering her previously equivealent level of curiosity to his question

“I thought nobody else would” he gives a shy smile. Yoona feels a wicked gleam flicker across her face

“So that’s why you see such importance in this?” I miss this feeling of playful teasing she internally sighs and holds up her phone, her little angel dangling from it.

“sorry?” Changmin’s eyes search to the left as if looking for an answer there

Yoona continues her explanation

“well it sounds very apt, since you work at an insurance company.”

“there’s a story behind it…why I believe in it, why I didn’t think anyone else would” he says almost in a distant whisper. Yoona notices his sudden change in tone would you tell it to me one day?but as she thinks about it further, her heart sinks ‘this is a one time thing Yoona, get your head around it!” she scolds herself. “As if he would be close enough to tell you!” she mentally flinches. And to brighten up the mood, and pull herself away from this harsh reverie. As she begins her speech, Changmin continues to stare at her.

“Well at least if I didn’t know any better, your company would be the guardian angel” his mouth is hanging open, he is frozen, immobile, statuesque. Yoona is astounded, and can’t help but giggle at the view. As Yoona begins to count, reaching ten, (if there was a ping sound it would seem he was a microwave meal), he is once again back with her

“that’s it” his widened eyes and excited tone, Yoona recoils a little at his sudden movement, she is lost for words, her eyes land on his hands now clutching his briefcase inhis lap. But taking another peek into his eyes, she almost swears to have caught a gleam of youth and joy in those dark mysterious pupils.

“What’s it?” but they are disrupted by the opening doors of the subway once more and Changmin  realises that it is his stop. The composed self Yoona had acquainted with whne she first tapped him on the shoulder had left probably a stop ago. He clambers up, and bows hastily in front of Yoona

“Thank you Yoona ssi, I’ll explain to you next time, Thanks for everything” he backs out of the train bumping into a high school kid and bowing slightly to him as well.

A giggle almost escapes Yoona’s lips but it doesn’t because she is left gaping, at the now closing doors, where he was a moment ago, where her heart had seemed to have departed as well.

***

“Bruschetta?” Taeyeon repeats and transforms his order into a question. She looks at him quizzically clearly remembering the way he declined her suggestion to their selection of bread dishes “I don’t particularly like bread”. But it wasn’t only her…

“Seriously Chamgmin ah? You hate bread” his cheeky devil looking friend returns from the restroom. Kyuhyun watches his friend shrug nonchalantly.

“What do you want to order?” Changmin asks buying himself time to scan around the restaurant to locate her. He freezes as she enters through the swinging doors of the kitchen. She stops dead in her tracks finding him looking back at her.

“Changmin?”

How long they stared, nobody knew, unaffected by the passing of time.

“Yah Changmin”

It was only them, yes them.

“YAH SHIM CHANGMIN” the whole restaurant freezes for a split second as Changmin gulps. She tucks her hair behind her ear, manages a shy wave with a shy smile and a shy bow. He mirrors her actions – almost tucking his hair. The blow of the menu on his head successfully brings his soul back to his table.

Changmin scowls at his friend now smirking at him from behind the menu.

***

Reluctantly removing his hands from their warm haven, he rubbed his stinging eyes. He really wanted to blame it on something whether it was the unending exploitations at work or the hostile pierces of the breeze but he was not bothered with it anymore. The day had just passed in his office and meeting room with hours of briefing, brainstorming and whatever had happened in that inferno of a place had evaporated with a rather effective auditory stimuli. It was just one word. But he didn’t believe in magic. Guardian angels do not count because the only ones he believed that existed was when one person watches over another.

 “neh Yoona, it’s me Taeyeon” the voice of the petite girl hugged in a black coat floated past him as she headed his way. Fortunately, his instincts kicked in before he could completely slow down stopped in his track at the magic word. He continued listening while following wherever his feet (or rather mind) had intended to take him in the first place.

 “Just be careful and make sure you call me when you reach home. It’s dangerous for a girl to be out alone this late at night. Did Ahjusshi say what time he’d be returning from the hospital?” Boy did the girl speak fast, she didn’t even leave a break for the other to reply. But for once, he didn’t mind the lack of diction in a phone conversation, this way he could deduce the situation which she was in. The girl was out of earshot a few more long strides later.

With whirring thoughts, he e more corner to find the lights in the diner still dancing alive. Somehow, when he really tried to think about, this was the place he was heading all along. Crossing the road after checking both directions, it was all passive actions requiring no thoughts.

As his hand closed around the door handle, he checked the clear view inside, and like always at a moment like this, an inevitable smile shifts into his expression. He just can’t help it.

***

Rush hour was slowly wading to an end when Yoona answered to a call from the carer of her great aunt on her father’s side asking for his attendance to the hospital. And without avail, her father had promised to make it as soon as he could. It wasn’t her first time doing this, but somehow the whirring of the refrigerator and the occasional hiccups their hot water dispenser made from inside the kitchen had unsettled her. She shivers with the caress of some cool air from the airconditioning – something she had been doing for the past ten minutes. It takes a glance at the empty spot on the crystal tree in front of her to disconcert herself even more.  She frowns brushing any potential scary thoughts away hoping the numbers she was recording would automatically focus like how a camera normally would. With a few more ticks on the clock, she made her way to close the kitchen door and placed the air conditioning unit into it’s daily slumber.

Sitting down, just as she wrote down the total to the day’s sales, she felt the gush of wind and the tinkle of bells. And she jumped, a gasp escaping before she could gulp it back. She initiates an automated response

“Sorry, we’re already…” and she froze mid sentence as the familiar face emerged into the flood of light. Maybe she didn’t feel it, maybe she did- just how easily her lips had eased up into a grin but she was too dumbstruck to register her own actions. 

“Well surely, I should be the one who’s sorry” his gentle voice somehow gave a soothing effect which he adds a playful smirk to. She is too off balance to notice the way his lips twitched as he hid a chuckle.

“hi… Changmin ssi… I didn’t expect…” she lifts her hands to emphasise her point ion but brings them down again.

“Am I unwelcome then?” He points back over his shoulder with his thumb and tilts his head – troll mode activated. She watched his lips quirk up cheekily once again and stifles a giggle by pretending to clear .

“…no, no,” she widens her eyes feigning innocence “I could lock you in our stock freezer” and grins evilly while making her way towards him.

He turns immediately on the spot and reaches for the door handle. Yoona hand wraps around his arm effectively stopping his action.

“Hey” he looks down at her ‘are-you-serious’ look and it takes two seconds for both to start chuckling. She quirks her head to one side once she recovers. He nods.  And he is guided to his usual seat.  

“You seem jumpy” noticing the way she almost froze at the tinkles of bells.  He secretly likes the way she stares down as if searching for an answer from the floor. She shuts her eyes momentarily as if to buffer some pain.

“Maybe” she shrugs while making way back to the counter and points at the strangely unoccupied area on the crystal tree. “I forgot it at home” he nodded in recognition. “ahhh, I see” he grinned more teasing than sympathetic.

Perfect, I get to do my job. It was actually almost the first time he had actually been able to fulfil his role. He couldn’t recall any other time prior to this encounter. And he now dismissed the previous anger at the petite girl for leaving her alone, replacing it with gratitude.

“How come…” his eyebrows furrow a little and he leaves a hole in his mouth at what she did next.

 “I’m alone? Because dad needs to take care of an aunt who was admitted to the hospital this evening, and Taeyeon unnie needs to rush home to check on her sick little sister.” Her smile seemed tired. He watches as her eyebrows almost knit together, “How come…”

“I was working overtime, and decided to take a walk home for the fresh air… then ended here, possibly hoping that you haven’t closed yet so I could grab a glass of wine” his seriousness at the last part summoned a puzzled look to Yoona’s face. “Don’t worry, I was only joking about the wine…. But do you have anything to drink?” Another giggle erupts but he is too occupied to notice how settled she is than when he first came in. Also he had to give himself an award for lying. He clearly knew the reason why he was sitting here after a few days of endless work. To see her smile, to hear her laugh and to in a way watch over her.  All the fatigue had seemed to have been neglected as he stepped through the threshold.

“Wine is bad for you” she shakes her head, while packing away whatever she was previously occupied with “Seriously” and another giggle meets his ears. How I would do anything to hear that sound. Changmin folds his arms in front of him on the table. “but I can assist with your desperate need of a beverage” he stares back at her twinkling eyes.

“that would be greatly appreciated” his usual smirk appears. Somehow it’s more comfortable now. She realises what had gone through her head once her gaze landed on him again and she doesn’t need to search for an answer as to why her cheeks suddenly warmed. She busies herself behind the drinks bar.

“And what beverage are you offering tonight miss?”

“Poison” and he pretended to get out of the seat and head for the door.

“Hey!” she changes her voice imitating a wicked witch “where do you think you’re going?” she warned dangerously. Just before he reached the door, he made an abrupt turn and routed back to the drinks bar.

As she reaches for the pitcher of milk, frothing it. He leans casually on the counter and doesn’t even pretend not to be staring at her.

“Should I call the ambulance now?” he takes out his phone. She turns back to him

“no I think I’ll call the police first” and she pours the hot liquid into two mugs. A sweet aroma of chocolate wafts towards him. And he closes his eyes to enjoy the feeling.

She crouches down suddenly for the cupboard under the bar. And he leans further over the counter

“Hey if you want to play hide and seek, I suggest playing somewhere with more places to hide” as Yoona reappears again, she rolls her eyes

“HA  HA  HA” and a moment later she announces the completion of their delicacy.

As they sit down, he admires the hot chocolate she had gone through the trouble to make. He pokes the floating marshmallow disturbing it from its peaceful luxurious spa. She giggles

“what are you doing?” he makes a lopsided smile and takes one last whiff before taking the first sip.

“It’s nice” just as nice as being around you. She shyly picks a spot on the tablecloth and stares at it while shaking her head.

When she looks up, she almost slaps her hand to to cover her laugh. She points at the new feature to Changmin’s face

“HAHAHA you want to be Santa Claus?” he knocks his mug against hers to stop her from laughing. She immediately leans down and sips some more out of it to prevent it from spilling. When she sits straight again

“HAHAHA you want to be a Mrs Claus with a beard?”

“what is that?” she can’t stop giggling and he is not in any better state. The next thing they know, they both grab a serviette from the dispenser. Reaching out with their right arms outstretched across the table to fix each other up. The giggling subsides. And she focuses on the froth on his top lip, while he wipes away the products of her cute clumsiness. They both look up and their eyes meet. Yoona moves the tissue up cover his nose before she face palms him backwards.

“Hey!” he pinches her on the cheek with his still outstreched hand.

…

He waits patiently watching her (like a security some may say) as she finishes locking up the front door. She turns to him and smiles, one that is relieved and thankful to him. Confirming that she is beside him, they begin walking.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“yes of you” she jokes making him chuckle for the nth time in the hour.

“no like…”

“no, actually to be honest, usually I wouldn’t be but for some reason, tonight was different.” the words pour out of her without much thought. It was easy to talk to him straight from her heart “until….” She realises the osmotic process of her emotions. She peeks up at him to see if he realised she realised she was saying something she hadn’t meant to  at least not in front of him. Catching him looking at her expectantly for her to continue, she bites her lip and clenches her fist. Oops he is listening. “I realised guardian angel was missing” she breathes a sigh of relief it was until you came… She glances up at him who was processing her words.

“It’s strange….” She starts again

“how before you knew it exists, you think you’d be fine but once you believe in it, it doesn’t feel the same without it” he glances down, silently asking if that was what she wanted to say. Her confused look made something on his insides falter. “it’s kind of like love.”

Yoona steps suddenly come to a halt. “neh?” she breathed in surprise

“one of my professors in uni said something like that for quantum physics. But I correlated it to the guardian angel.”

“oh” tries but doesn’t realise she fails at hiding the disappointment in her tone.

 “I don’t exactly believe in love” and she feels his words seep inside her and a feeling of her heart sinking in quicksand hitches her breath for a few moments.

She continues walking. She runs a few steps to catch up to him where he was waiting for her. Trying desperately to resume normal conversation although she thinks she won’t be able to again… “I was always curious, how come you believe in guardian angels? You’re a guy…”

He chuckled a little at her curious round doe eyes staring up at him

“My grandmother used to tell me stories when I was very little. It’s funny how it works though because, yes I am a guy.” She blinks while listening intently, absorbing the information. “And maybe because of that fact, I think we have a role to fulfil… as someone’s guardian angel, to protect them and watch over them” he smiles into the distance then looks into her eyes. And knows her heart was somewhere deeper after it had sunken but was still there as she feels it melts a little at the sight.

“I recognise the guardian angel you had, an old lady gave it to you didn’t she?”

“How did you kn…”

“My grandmother is the only one I know that makes them. It’s funny, she rarely gives them out, it’s just our family that has it.”

“then…”

“Maybe she finds that you are girl worth protecting, so…”

“You think that your job is to protect me?” something warm starts falling in Yoona’s eyes, liquid, but she knew better what it was. So she swallowed as she found it hard to breathe. “Is that it?” by now they had stopped walking

“neh” he answers quietly, looking down at her with ever so sincere eyes.

“So all that time, the times you came were all just to be a ‘guardian angel’?”

“neh, isn’t it?”

“there’s nothing else to it at all?” she stares at a distant spot unable to bare looking at him directly

“what else is there supposed to be?” he asks confusedly.

“feelings?”

“sorry?”

“lo..” ‘I don’t believe in love’ his words from earlier fleet through her mind

“Yoona ssi, I’m sorry being your guardian angel is what I’m supposed to do, what else is there supposed to be?”

“Nothing” she swallows and closes her eyes as the cold washes over her. She didn’t feel the effect of winter until now tonight.

“Thanks for watching over me Changmin ssi, I’ve reached home”

“Yoona ssi, are you alright? What’s wrong?”

“nothing” she smiles weakly “Nothing at all”

“are you sure?” he watches her nod and turn towards the entrance.

She turns back and walks back up to him saying so quietly,

“love Changmin I’m sorry I took up so much of your time and effort, you don’t need to anymore” she knew she was almost at breaking point.

This time when she turned, he grabbed onto her hand just in time before she could step away. She turned her head slightly back

“good night Changmin” she caught a glimpse of his confused yet apologetic? expression and it felt as if her chest tore open.

And as her silhouette disappeared, his chest somehow felt hollow and heavy but he couldn’t understand why.

[flashback]

“Changmin ah, don’t cry over such trivial matters, you are a boy. Boys shouldn’t cry” the old lady was caressing her grandson’s head as he clung onto her while sitting on her lap.

“Victoria said that guardian angels are for dummies who believe them”

“like you said, well she said, ‘who believe them’ of course it wouldn’t work for them if they don’t believe” she tries to explain

“but but”

“Look Min, if you believe, there’s bound to be some other people or at least someone else who would believe it”

“so I will have a job in being their guardian angel?”

“Yes, one day you might find that one special girl who just happens to believe in them. Then you can give you this one you made and tell them you’d protect her and be her guardian angel. Who knows what the guardian angel itself can do to you too”

“What does that mean granny?”

“Oh you’ll find out son”

“But I don’t like girls”

“Trust me you will then”

“I don’t believe in love”

“Well, if it is the one special girl, you’ll find out if it is her” 

***

Present time [2 months later]

Yoona sighs as she absentmindedly swings the plastic bag she is holding around. The movement of the subway platform did not bother her or at least it didn’t bother her anywhere as much as …. She sighs again as she takes her eyes off of the tracks and eyes the storyway branch behind her. It’s here. Once again ‘unwillingly’ allowing herself to let her mind wander to… him. She knows that it is not the first nor tenth time that she has been doing it for the past two months. And he had gone with her will that it was best not to see each other. Now she was confusing herself whether she was actually satisfied that he did so.

The last encounter still digs at her heart whenever it floats by. His beliefs and more importantly, his disbeliefs was what she had learnt about. Well at least you didn’t fall (any) deeper than you already have, yeah. She scolds her sarcastic subconscious.  Two months of wanting to drop it wasn’t enough. There were still seeds of hope scattered in the deepest parts of her mind that there may be a chance that he would think about her once in a while.  But if he had, why did he not come by the restaurant? Taeyeon unnie was always (un)helpfully pointing it out. ‘where’s your charming suitor?’ that’s right Im Yoona, you implied to him to stay away, and as the smart guy he is, of course he got the message.

Her eyes wander once again as she skims through the billboards across the subway wall.  Her swinging arm stops. She freezes as she focuses on the advertisement.

‘Lotte Insurance your guardian angel’ the slogan was all that she had drank in. The photo of the family holding whatever statement didn’t matter, not to her, not this moment. Her vision is guided by a vector to the mini guardian angel accessory at the side. ‘for every member’ it said. Every customer would get one for their new campaign.

“I work as a marketing manager for an insurance company, and the company are trying to release a new promotion campaign for the festive season.”

Then it fit in perfectly in her mind. He does care. He does take note of her words. And he continued to use it. It’s just that…. he

She realises the subway was stopping infront of her. The doors opened, and a familiar tall figure is waiting to step out. ...doesn’t notice.

He widens his eyes taken aback at the girl (who had more than often come across his mind). She was just as surprised, noting the way his eyes widened, then softened. She nods and smiles politely. He does the same back before stepping out. And they brush past each other as if their exchanges a couple of months ago never existed.

***

Yoona reaches out for her change and turns just in time to catch a glimpse of the approaching familiar figure. She hides behind one of the shelves which he passes on the way to the fridge.

She sighs in relief, as she straightens herself while ignoring her malfunctioning heart. Sneaking a glance, she sees the tired and almost depressed man reaching effortlessly for his beverage on the topshelf. Then she decides on something. taking out her pen and a piece of paper, she scribbles down an address. Just as he finishes paying, and heads out, she steps out and taps him on the shoulder.

“Hi, please go here.” She doesn’t let him even let him to reply and dashes off towards the exit after saying “bye”

***

Changmin turns off the ignition and steps out of his car in the carpark. He looks once more at the slip of paper she had told him to attend. Deciding the details matched, he looked at the construction behind the lawn and garden. The massive cross was enough to make his breath pause for more than a moment. He noted the welldressed and happy guests in their dress shirts and dresses heading towards the entrance of the church. He tensed. He followed them inside and sat uncomfortably on the edge of his seat at the back row. He restlessly looked around for her among the guests. It can’t be…

It takes forever for the doors to close and the ceremony to start, and with the bridal march being played, while staying upstanding, his heart leaps as if he missed a step on the stairs. He is too distressed to note who the groom is but his neck almost unhinges when he turns so abruptly at the double door entry when the white dressed figure enters.

He feels as if he was going to stop breathing. It was not until the bride emerges completely into the hall that he sighs in relief. The most relieved in his life maybe. And he is too busy silently celebrating that his assumptions have been incorrect when he is startled when he is joined by a familiar scent brushing psat him and stands at the vacant spot beside him.

“I was thinking that you would be interested in congratulating them, Ahjusshi had been waiting for 23 years.” She begins and looks up to meet his eyes

He momentarily offers an accusatory glare. “you almost had me thinking…”

It was Yoona’s turn to smirk first. “this couple believes in the same thing you and I do” he understood “ajhusshi has been ahjumoni’s guardian angel since the very day they met”

Changmin continued staring at her, then watched the couple meet at the end of the aisle the groom seemed to be the happiest man alive. Changmin believed he was second at this moment. He listened, apologetic for what had happened.

“You know…” she continued

“that you can still be a guardian angel to the person you love, yes I learnt that almost the moment you left, I’m sorry about that” it was Changmin’s turn to look down and meet Yoona’s eyes. She smiled surprised and impressed at the same time.

“I don’t know if they started off like this, but I sure want to end like them like this” and he quirked his head towards the couple saying vows at the front. He took out a delicate figure out of his pocket.

“I made this myself, grandma had told me to give this to the one special girl when I realise I do actually believe in love.” He takes Yoona’s hand and slides the phone accessory on her ring finger, letting it dangle. She observes the object now staring back at her in her palm. She pulls out a similar looking artefact and does the same to him. their eyes meet, they exchange smiles and just at the moment the wedding couple exchange I do’s Changmin leans in and their lips meet.

[End]