Chapter 14: Embankment

They were walking beside the embankment now. The Seine lapping softly whilst the light reflected off the water. Naeun tugged on Myungsoo's arm and they stopped walking.

Hoya and Eunji turned back to them.

“You guys coming?”

“You guys walk ahead. We'll catch up.” Naeun shooed them away.

“Don't do anything fun without us.” Eunji laughed; a bright bubbly sound. They walked on ahead without a care in the world.

Eunji turned back to peek at Myungsoo and Naeun.

“You think they like each other?” She asked eagerly.

“I think we should stop meddling and just let them figure it out.” Hoya said whilst pulling Eunji forward.

Eunji pouted. “You're no fun.”

“I just think they should grow naturally. There's obviously… attraction.”

“Since when were you the love expert?”

“Don't you know Eunji? I'm the resident Cassanova.” He straightened his tie and grinned.

Eunji snorted the most unladylike manner. “The only girl that has ever stuck with you is me.”

“And I'm have always been thankful for that Mademoiselle Jung.” He kissed her hand which was intertwined in his.

“Puh-lease Lee Howon, you didn't even notice me until I turned 16.” She fondly remembered the time they had met once at a brand launching party back in Korea.

“You stuck to your mother all the time. How was I suppose to bask in your glorious presence?”

“Haha” Eunji laughed monotonously.

“I still remember that awkward girl wearing a pink plaid dress, stumbling in her beginner heels. Your hair was shorter then, and you didn't interact with any of the guests.”

“You remember it so clearly. Did you perhaps… have a crush on me back then?” She .

“Don't be ridiculous… your s weren't even developed then.”

“Yah, you wanna die?!” Eunji shrieked at him before punching his shoulder hard.

“Why are you so strong for a girl!” Hoya groaned.

“Why are you such a wimp for a guy!” Eunji retorted back before stomping further ahead of him.

“Eunji, you're really a handful you know?” He huffed.

“You're hardly the most charming man Lee Howon.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“But you love me anyway!” Hoya stuck his tongue out, Eunji merely rolled her eyes.

“How did we even end up with each other?” Eunji muttered and Hoya felt a tingly feeling at the edge of his fingertips when she said “we”.

His phone interrupted his beautiful moment and he momentarily cursed whoever was responsible, before checking his phone. It was a message from his younger brother about their mother's birthday tomorrow. In which his dongsaeng had predicted that Hoya would forget anyway and the cheeky bastard had the guts to end the message with a “good luck” and a smiley emoticon.

“Damn you Lee Sungjong.” Howon ran his fingers through his hair frustrated, messing his hair up.

“What's wrong?” She asked him after patiently waiting.

“Shoot. I forgot my mother's birthday.”

“Ah, don't worry about it. I sent her a bouquet in advance in your name.” She assured him whilst patting his back.

“Jung Eunji I could kiss you right now!” Hoya beamed.

She turned to Hoya and said with all seriousness :

“Then why don't you?”

“Eunji.” He choked her name, the rest of his words ended up getting stuck in his throat. A few tense moments pass with them looking at each other in silence.

“Forget it.” Eunji was embarrassed by what she had so boldly said and quickly fled from him.

But he caught up to her and grabbed her wrist turning her around to face him. She was stiff as marble, caught in his arms. Her hands rested erroneously on his chest.

He saw her clearly flustered and blushing from the sudden contact and it hit him that he had never seen her like this.

So chagrined.

“Do you know what a kiss means in France?” He asked her whilst pulling her close until their noses touched and their breaths collided into mist.

Eunji gulped, her eyes looking down towards his lips.

A kiss meant that they would be official.

That they would be together seriously.

“A kiss means… be mine.” She answered him, so low-pitched that only his ears could have possibly heard it.

“I thought you'd never ask.” Hoya grinned before his hand softly crept up and cupped left cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut and she felt her breath growing shallower.

But she didn't need to breath at all.
Because when his lips fell gently on hers in a warm kiss, all she needed was him.

All she would ever need was Lee Howon.

“Eunji.” Her name tumbled out of his mouth after they parted, sending thrills down her spine.

“Eunji I love you.” His words escaped him clumsily, but Eunji didn't mind.

She was in love with a bumbling fool.
Eunji chuckled.

“Je te aime aussi, babo.”

I love you too, idiot.

Everything seemed to fade into irrelevancy when she pulled him closer and tiptoed to kiss him again.

They were already too drunk in love, Hoya had his hands around her waist and Eunji's fingers flitted up to wrap themselves around his neck.

But they both had a tight grip, on each other's hearts.

Naeun sighed when they were at least 6 metres away from Eunji and Hoya.

“Wait a moment.” Naeun said before unlacing out of her heels and pulling out a pair of flats from her bag. She stepped out of the heels and quickly stepped into the more comfier shoes before sighing.

“I swear my feet have blisters now. Don't tell Eunji okay?”

“Eunji sure loves playing dress up with you.” Myungsoo noted.

“No kidding, I'm her personal Barbie doll.” She clucked and hooked the shoes her fingers, carrying them as they walk.

“Look at that. That was fast.” Naeun gasped as she saw her friends finally give in to passion.

They were now kissing under the stars in Paris.

Even the thought made her envious.

Myungsoo chuckled and they leaned against the stone of the embankment. Their eyes still watching the sweet already-there couple.

“I want that.” Naeun said in jealousy her eyes casting a jaundice look at the two.

“Don't we all?” Myungsoo laughed, a smile painting his lips as he shook his head.

“But instead, you just have me.” Naeun rolled her eyes and she slumped against the cold stone.

She shivered as a summer breeze blew past and he noticed the goose bumps on her arms. Myungsoo took off his suit jacket and casually draped it over the girl like a gentleman would've.

Naeun turned to gaze at him but he was staring off into space, his dimples visible from her angle.

He smiled as he turned to her with the most adoring black orbs that glinted in the brilliance of golden street lamps.

“I don't mind. You're my muse after all.”

“Love is the extremely difficult realisation that something other than oneself is real.”
― Iris Murdoch

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A/n:

I actually did this for my parents...lol... i deliberately walked like 5 metres away by the riverside coz i felt like a ...

I hope you guys dont mind a bit of the Busan couple... theyre fun to write abt

oh and enjoy some french jazz music! suits the atmosphere right?

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