First day back to busy college routine after holiday. Kyuwon feels extreme excitement all over her body, she’ll have more reason to runaway from grandpa. She wake up earlier than usual and cook a full set of grandpa’s favorite dish. She even clean the house until the hidden part earnestly.

“It’s good to let her meet Kiyong. Look at her. So diligent, so detailed. She even humming and giggling.” Harabeoji was proud of her. He misunderstood the sudden perseverance morning happened because she fell in love, and she wants to meet Kiyong soon at campus.

"Harabeoji, I’m going early to campus. We have to gather at the club to arrange some stuffs.” Kyuwon tells him when she serve the breakfast. “And...”

Harabeoji slurp the soup with eyes closed. Enjoying the warm sensation on his throat.

“... is it okay if I come home late?”

Harabeoji raise his eyebrows, eyes still closed. “Where will you go?”

“No where.” She answer as fast as she could. “So the university will have a festival shortly. Other departments start prepared since holiday. We don’t want to left behind so, I guess, we need to practice hard starting to day.”

Harabeoji put down the spoon and look at his granddaughter. “That’s such a good determination, young lady. But why didn’t you kids started on holiday? What were you doing?”

I’m babysitting you, harabeoji. She show her sweetest smile to grandpa. Be as calm as possible. “There is this friend who got a surgery and have to rest during holidays, and other friend busy helping wedding of her sister, so we thought it won’t do good if we practice without the whole member. That’s what happened, harabeoji. I hope you understand.” Huh? Why did I said ‘I hope you understand’? That’s sounds irrelevant. What will he says? What will he says?

“Go ahead.”

“Eh?”

Grandpa pick up his chopstick and sorting out the peper paste from kimchi. He doesn’t really likes spicy food. “Don’t forget to eat and drink mineral water a lot.”

Kyuwon ashtonished by harabeoji’s unusual kindness. He doesn’t suspicious about her reasons like usual. And to make it event amazing, grandpa doesn’t lecture her at all! A morning without grandpa mighty speech is like a morning at the temple. Peaceful and relaxing. She always know harabeoji have this kind of sweet side. He just not really vocal in showing it.

“Thank you, harabeoji. I’ll go home as fast I could.” She smile gratefully.

Harabeoji nod. “Keep practice hard. Don’t be lazy. Practice until your fingers break and nose bleeding. Don’t embarass our traditional art.”

Kyuwon’s eyes stop blinking. unable to close. She sighing. “Ne.” She swallow hardly. “Ne, harabeoji. I’m going now.” She get up after bow her head.

“I’ll come by if I have time.”

Her movement stop in the middle, her legs loose strenght because of shocked, she fall back to the floor. “You don’t have to, harabeoji. We will trying hard. We’ll practice hard to the bitter end. You don’t have to bother coming. The traffic not good near the univeristy. Don’t worry. We’ll be okay by ourself. Really. Seriously. I promise.”

“It’s not a bother at all. I don’t mind to come.”

I’m the one who mind. It’ll be awkward for my friends. Kyuwon smile hopelessly. “Ne. If you said so.”

“Where will you have lunch?” He suddenly ask.

“I’m not sure yet. Why do you ask?” She started feeling uneasy.

“Kiyong doesn’t likes western food.”

Kyuwon staring at her grandpa confusely. “Harabeoji, I’m lost. Why do you suddenly talk about Kiyong-sshi?” I didn’t even interested. Why did he told me? Does he think I’m fall for him after he bought me a clothes and walked me home? She do a monologue again on her brain.

Grandpa glare at her. “Aren’t you going to have a lunch with him?”

Kyuwon reluctantly shook her head.

Grandpa put down his spoon again. “Why? Did you reject him?”

“No, no. I didn’t.” Feeling shocked, she answer hastyly. “We didn’t have appointment, harabeoji. And I don’t know his number too.” And why should I have a lunch with him?

“What? What are you talking about?” Grandpa’s hands are on his waist. Kyuwon can sense that it’s time for the morning speech. “The last time we met, didn’t you exchange number?”

“We-we didn’t.” Kyuwon says almost wishper.

“Why you didn’t gave him your number?”

“He didn’t even ask me.” She’s grunting.

The oldman hit the desk and point at her with chopstick. “How dare you talking back to elder?”

Kyuwon bow her head. “Jweisonghamnida.”

Grandpa snorted. He turn around to get his phone from the table behind him. “Here.” He give it to Kyuwon. “Write his number. Call him for lunch.”

Kyuwon make a ‘why should I do that?’ face as she take the phone unwillingly.

“It’s not the time to be shy.” He always make a wrong assumption.

I’m not shy! Is it that hard to differentiate between shy and uninterested face?

But she do it at last. She doesn’t want to argue anymore. She only have to save the number fast so she can flee out the house sooner.

“I will call him.” She told grandpa. “See you later, harabeoji.”

"Oh, fighting.” He grinned happyly. “She must be happy get Kiyong’s number. Should’ve not too shy to ask. Hm?” A sudden thought comes to his mind. “But why didn’t Kiyong ask first?” A brief silent filled the room. He snickered as he pick up the chopstick. “He was shy too. Aigo. Those kids.” He staring at the door as if watching her granddaughter who already ran off the crime scene. “Look at her. She can’t wait any longer to go to campus. Youth days is really wonderful, isn’t it?”

**

Kyuwon plays with her phone as she walks in the campus yard to her department building. She was reading the conversation from her department group chat that she missed because of the bus was crammed full. She can’t hold her phone between the standing passengers who mostly male office worker with height and weight are bigger than her. It jostled yet no grip left for her.

Giggling and rambling to her phone along the road, she doesn’t care at all when people passed by staring oddly at her.

“Ya! Agasshi.”

Smile remained on her lips as she look up to see whose the owner of that voice. “Lee Shin?”

His cold eyes scanned her from head to toe without getting off his bike. “Why aren’t you wearing Hanbok?”

“Do you think I wear Hanbok all the time?” She ask in disbelief.

Shin nod innocently.

Kyuwon dumbfounded.

"You looks better in Hanbok.” He said and left just like that.

Kyuwon sighs. “I don’t know what to say about him.”

**

"Lee Shin.” Wonbin welcome him with an embrace on his shoulder. “How far is your progress now?”

Shin glance at him. “What progress?”

Wonbin elbow him. “I saw you talked with Lee Kyuwon. You stopped over just to talk to her. A Lee Shin who doesn’t interested in his surrounding, stop his bike and initiate to greet a girl he just knew, that is such a rare phenomenon, my friend.”

“I witnessed it too.” Sehyun who standing by the window said. “We watched you speed your bike as you catch her sight in front of you.”

Shin sit in his chair and pick up his guitar.

“What was that?” Wonbin daringly stand in front of Shin even though he’s already on position to plays guitar. It’s a public knowledge that no one allowed to stand in front of Lee Shin and interupt his date with his guitar.

Couldn’t get Shin’s attention, Wonbin squat down leisurely. “Ya. Tell me. Are you ‘playing’ or ‘falling’?”

Sehyun laughing out loud. All this time, the answer always been ‘playing’ for Shin. ‘Playing’ as in playing around just to kill the time. And ‘falling’ as in have an opposite attraction that could make Shin have a hard time by denying. He always thought liking a girl is bothersome. Too many things he have to take care of. And more over, he don’t want to have someone nag at him because he spend most of the time play music. Until now, there wasn’t any girl who kindly support him to be productive with his band.

“How far do you fall for Lee Kyuwon?” Wonbin ask.

Shin kick Wonbin nonchalantly. He smirk as the friend fall backward defenselessly. “Stop being nosy. I don’t have any plan for her.”

Wonbin huddle up on the floor, he sneer