STREET LOVE? PFFT.

You can’t just find love on the street.

That’s impossible, and if anything, that’s stupid. That only happens in some cliché love story written by some hopeless romantic girl in thick glasses because she’s never had a boyfriend in her 20 years of existence. That’s her dream fairy tale, her dream love story, but no—that’s just some wishful thinking.

When you come across someone on the street and you saw her—and yeah, she’s probably beautiful—but how can you love someone that instantly?

Love at first sight? I, Onew, never believed in that utter nonsense. Ever.

It would be ideal to get to know someone for a long time and let the feelings develop by itself. From strangers to acquaintances to friends to best friends and then lovers. At least, you get to understand her characteristics, her attitudes, her flaws—everything about her. You get to see if the two of you match or not.

Everything about love happens gradually. It’s nothing like instant ramen. It has to be cooked slowly like the fermentation of kimchi. So, in the end, you get a combination as perfect as a well-mixed bibimbap.

Rather than calling it love at first sight, I’d rather say it’s crush at first sight. That’s more like it. That concept, I can accept. Because when you develop a crush on someone, you can safely say that it’s only because she is pretty or she is smart or she is funny or she has good fashion sense—all those that are temporary—because a crush is only temporary. Crush looks at those characteristics that are on the surface. Love is found at the deeper level.

But while I’m musing about all this concept on this peaceful China Town here in Incheon, this particular girl carrying her red DSLR had probably passed this place for the seventh time, scratching at her head and taking off her sunglasses every now and then to frown at her map. Then she walked off again.

For the eighth time, she stopped in front of me and let out a frustrated sigh. She looked around and spotted me as I sipped on my iced coffee.

“Excuse me?” she said, looking so troubled. “How do I get to this souvenir shop?”

She towered over me as I was sitting down but even so, it was obvious that she is not that tall. Her short curtain of black hair swung forward and she tucked the left side behind her ear. I blinked at her before I noticed that she was ing her map on my empty hand. I shook my head as if to clear it and focused on the map instead.

“You turn right at this corner—“

“—But I already did and I keep coming back to this place!” she pouted—cutely.

“Well, maybe you turned at the small alley beside the coffee shop? It wasn’t shown here at this map because it’s a really narrow alley,” I explained. “To get to the souvenir shop, you must turn at the corner next to the florist. That’s a wider alley. And then you see this sign pointing to the souvenir shop you’re looking for.”

She bumped a fist on her forehead. “Ah, yes!”

How adorable.

“Uh—would you like me to accompany you?” I don’t know what made me say it.

“Are you sure?”

“Y-yeah. I’m just sitting here, you see. I’ve got nothing to do, really.”

So I accompanied her to the souvenir shop. Surprisingly, she bought me Chinese coins as a thank you.

“I’m Luna, by the way. I came from Yeosu so I’m really not familiar with this place. I only came here for work,” she said. “Thank you again.”

“It’s nothing and, uh, I’m Onew.”

We shook hands and even though the contact lasted only for around five seconds, the feeling lingered . . . maybe longer than it should be.

Three weeks later, we met again at the subway. She said she got lost again. A month after that, at the parking lot of Lotte World, then at the grocery, and at the public library. She is all over the place because she is always lost.

But I like running into her wherever and helping her. I could be her walking map. And maybe, I do like her too.

So, I guess you should just scratch the first line? Because I actually found love on the street.

Author's Note:

Just another concept playing in my head while walking along a long stretch of street in the capital.

I hope you read Get lost! first? Because even though this is called a prequel, that part of the story is the main story and that contains the ending too. This is just like the flashback or something to that effect because this only gives the background of the time when Lunew met.

But as always, thank you for reading this story and I will be really grateful if you subscribe and leave me comments! Read my other Lunew story, On the line, yes? :D

TheDarkLordInHiding now signing off! ^^