"Uhm..."

His head immediately shot up, to my surprise. I thought he was sleeping on the settee, but apparently, he was as alert as...uhm, alarm system.

"I'm sorry I'm late." I checked at my wristwatch I haven't been making to good use that much, as pointed out indirectly by Ahjumma who's probably deep asleep by now. "But...at least the Sun hasn't risen yet, right? It's...just... almost four."

"You're really here. It's...unbelievable."

"Well, I promised you, didn't I?" My voice nearly shook at the mention of promise, what a disdainful ahjumma I am.

"Did you meet Cherryish?"

I shook my head and gave an apologetic smile. I really should've come back earlier.

"I...might need your help. About Cherryish."

He had a brief puzzled look that was shortly replaced with his usual calming smile as he nodded.

"Please tell Cherryish not to cancel the contract with Over the Moon Productions. What's the problem anyway that caused Cherryish to want to cancel it?"

"Well, I think...I'm not sure if I can say anything...it's a matter of breach of contract, on Over the Moon's side. The CEO changed the script without notice after signing the agreement."

"Oh...? What did...Mr. Eric do?"

"Eric? ...ah, right, Mister Moon...he added a final scene of Cherryish, taking off mask and throwing it away under bright lighting before curtain falls."

"Mask?"

"You'll understand when you find out more on your own."

"Can't I just find out more from you?"

He shook his head. "Sorry...it's just that...I don't know how to tell you. The medias would give clearer information you need."

Is Cherryish really that unattainable that even the person dealing with his or her problem couldn't describe about Cherryish and instead ask me to find out from medias- the most untrustable source of information? He must really be having such a hard time.

"No, no. I should be the one to apologize. For disturbing in the middle of the night, Mister...what's your name? How should I call you?"

"There's nothing to be sorry about. And...uhh, you can just...call me...Hey! Yes." He laughed at his own suggestion that made my mouth hung open. Who in the world would want to be called Hey! instead of their own name? Oh right, there's somebody else who wouldn't find it strange.

"You're just like that..." I mumbled inwardly, not realizing the words were already spilling out of my mouth.

"Like who? Did you meet anyone, just now?"

"Huh...? Oh...nobody." I knew I should've just told him the truth instead of lying. But somehow, I couldn't bring myself to bring up that kid. I didn't know why. I know lying or concealing truth never lead to anywhere good. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth. It didn't feel right even though it was the right thing.

What happened to me? I'm just messed up.

"I suppose...it'd be too late for dinner now? Unless you're hungry and don't mind to wait for me to cook anything in the kitchen."

"What?! No...no...I mean...I'm not...hungry...and...I...need to go back now. Probably...to start working on my resignation letter since I failed to find Cherryish ssi on time and persuade him or her....is it him or her, by the way? Can you at least tell me, that? Before I lose my job?" I tried my best to sound like I didn't care about it.

"I...I really can't. But if you want to look through the internet now, you can use the computer here, upstairs."

"I...it's okay I guess."

"Jiwoo ssi, don't worry. You don't have to do your resignation letter. Everything will be alright. You've worked hard to fulfill your responsibilities. You don't deserve to lose your job now."

I was stunned silence and felt a lump suddenly exist in the middle of my throat out of nowhere and it just grew bigger and bigger when he mentioned my name. How did he know?

"Remember I found your identification card and sent it to your house this morning, or if we should call it yesterday?" He smiled sheepishly. Aish, how come he's reading my mind too? Is everyone mindreaders here or am I that transparent? I thought I had practiced self control enough. Lately...I had been so out of it. Idiot Hong Jiwoo. Just because suddenly there are some guys treating like you're not camouflaged against the wall, or avoiding you like they usually do, doesn't mean you have to reverse back to your twenty something weak gullible idiot self.

"Ah...yes, thank you again." I bowed, awkwardly, unsure if I should suggest another date and time for a thank you dinner or lunch or anything. Because what if he'd think I wanted to hit on him. I would never do that. Even if I do, it would only put me in a more embarrassing spot if he wasn't serious about it. So, why take the risk I couldn't afford, when my life had been just fine...yeah.

"Though it's not fair, that you know my name and where I live, and here I am, knowing nothing of you, not even your name." That, simply slipped off my mouth, but I didn't regret it, it was the truth. It was starting to get disturbing when some strangers know me more than I'm allowed to know them.

"Well, if you already know so much about me, you'll stop thinking about me. At least...now I have your curiosity."

My mouth gaped open, mentally. This time I managed to keep hidden the horrified reaction to myself. Since there were so many surprising things happening lately, it seemed my self-control had worsened. I had practiced to perfect it for more than a decade. I couldn't go back to the past me now. But why would somebody say something like that to me? Why would anyone need me to think of them? Am I even that relevant? This ahjumma? Is his eyes that screwed? Or have I accidentally eaten some youth potion or something that made me appear prettier? No, no...it couldn't be.

"I'll send you home, so you can take some time to rest, and I'll pick you up to work around...twenty past eight. Would that be okay?"

"What? No...I...I drive here, that's fine. And I'm probably going straight to work since we're facing issues, and there would be lots of thing to be done over there even in early morning."

"You can't go back to work with same clothes you wore yesterday though. People will think badly of you."

Why would he be concerned of such a thing? Is he some kind of angel?

"Ah, no, don't worry. They won't notice anything." I tried laughing it off, awkwardly. My closet is filled with mounts of black, white, gray, brown and beige shirts, pants and skirts, anyway. Too dull to have anyone's attention. Well, in the first place, why would I need any attention if I already know it's all going to be negative attention anyway? Wear something different and they'll start gossipping and making up stories to make fun of me. I've seen it happen to someone else who wasn't even as old as myself.

He excused himself randomly and asked me to wait, so I did. But maybe I shouldn't have. He came back with something in his hand that made me uneasy for no reason.

"Here, wear this. It's better to not take risk. You know how office ladies with nothing better to do like to gossip, right?" He smiled and pushed to my hands, the dress. A short sleeved collared cream coloured dress with pink floral prints that probably would go below my knees considering my not so model-like height, which I should be grateful for now. It was pretty, but definitely would be disastrous if worn by someone like me. Inappropriate, because the dress oozes so much youthfulness. Where did he even get this dress from? It looked and smelt so fresh and brand new that it couldn't belong to someone else, could it? In fact, what made him think I'd fit in the dress to randomly shoved it to me?

"I can't wear this." They would definitely noticed, and make fun of me, for not acting to my age. No. No way I'd wear it. I'd seen Eunhee wearing something like this, but she's fresh and young, just finished her intership at our company some months ago and continued working under contract base now. Young and fresh. Probably has a date appointments everyday after work, so of course she'd need to dress to work prettily. 

No, I would not wear it.

But in the end, there I was, fidgeting at the front passenger seat inside his car, regretting and cursing at myself for being so easily persuaded by his 'please' with that added aegyo. Ugh. Hopefully by tying my hair up, they wouldn't think I was trying to look young. I should've just drove on my own. Even though I bought that car from my sister before she went to France or...wherever she went to, I could imagine her wrath if something happened to her precious car that didn't look that precious to be honest. But he said he would send it safe and sound to my house. And that he couldn't let me drive because I looked so tired. And when I tried to insist that I'm not, there's that aegyo again. Aah, what is this? I'm going crazy. What's with all these strange people I met? Maybe it's better when nobody noticed or cared to bother about me. At least everything was stable in my life, and everyday was the same. No uncertainty to worry about. No exhilaration of the unexpected.

"Try get some sleep first. The car is shaking from your nervousness. And besides, it's going to take quite awhile to reach your workplace." He let out a titter. I turned to lean towards the side window and pouted to myself. I'd have glared or scolded him for making such a joke when he was the cause of this. But I just couldn't get mad at him, he's just too cute for anyone to get mad at him. And unlike a certain someone, I could clearly see he meant no harm. Even if I knew nothing about him too, he made me feel that I wasn't as worthless as I thought. But maybe, that's just because he's too kind. But is he this kind to everyone he meet? 

Ahh, I don't know. If this turned out to be a mistake, then it only meant I'd have to pull myself again from the remainder of naivety and stupidity.

But as I decided to stop thinking and just close my eyes to get some sleep as he suggested, the riverside came to my view again. That crazy kid...he wouldn't be angry at me, would he? Why should I care even if he did? I never even made a promise that I would stay with him there, why did I feel as if I broke a promise? He would be fine, even if he woke up to find he's all alone there. He was alone even before I came. And besides, he could call for an impromptu party and everyone would fly there for him in a heartbeat. Wasn't he the one who claimed how everyone wanted to be with him so badly? There's nothing for me to feel bad about. I'm just an old woman who happened to be at the same place, and at the same time as he, twice, two nights in a row. For someone who couldn't even treat me with respect and crosses the lines as he like, it's good enough that I didn't have the heart to leave him until he fell asleep after insisting for me to stay yet didn't spoke a word at all afterwards and simply sitting down watching the river in silence. Everytime I tried to say something, the words just died inside, because under the moonlight, watching him from the sideway when he wasn't saying anything, he's just too beautiful. Almost unreal. Nobody would believe this stunningly arresting creature hugged me. I refuse to believe it either. It had to be a dream, hallucination. It had to be or I'm screwed. 

Maybe I already am. He really need to stop appearing randomly. But I'm just afraid, that now, whenever I go to the river again, there would always be that truth I'd never want to admit, that I'm expecting to see him again, or I'd be greatly disappointed. Even though he's clearly a sick messed up kid I could never understand and always made me uneasy with his random remarks that would come out of left field.

Maybe I should just stop going there for good.

Maybe that's the right thing left to do now to turn everything wrong, back to right.

The car had stopped moving, didn't it?

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was my office building. He was at his seat, doing nothing.

"Why didn't you call me that we're here already?" Even though the journey was quite long, it appeared, I didn't sleep at all in the end.

"I thought it's still early and you could use some rest." He smiled kindly, melting any anger that could possibly be directed at him, though there really wasn't any. 

"I...I have to go in. Thank you for all the help. And sorry for all the trouble." I gave a quick bow to him and opened my door.

"Wait. Here." He handed me a plain coat of the same colour as the background colour of the dress I wore. "You might need this since you look so uncomfortable."

"I'll...return this...whole outfit after washing everything."

"You can return it if you think it's ugly. But if it can make you think of me when you see it, just keep it."

How could I ever think of such a thing as ugly. I could have never worn something like this if it were on my own. Even when I was younger, I never put on something as pretty as this. The dress itself , is pretty, albeit not suitable for my age or normal appearance. But how could he say such a thing? Of course it'd remind me of him, since it belonged to him. But why would he want to be remembered through such a thing? Honestly, he didn't look like he need to be desperate at all. Sure he might not be the standard old badboy type girls swoon over like Eric, or looks and youthfulness that will make you go speechless paired with an even more utrageous personality like that river guy, but anyone who can appreciate good heart would see what a great catch he'd be, together with his calming smiles that make even morning sun filled in cherry pink glow...wait... Could this dress be... Cherryish's?

I got off his car, my thoughts again infiltrated by this mysterious Cherryish, whom I'd definitely find out very soon as soon as I reach my working station and do my research.

"Jiwoo ssi..."

I looked at him from outside the car.

"Don't worry too much. I have a feeling, the show will go on and Cherryish and Mister Moon wouldn't cancel it."

"How would you know?"

"Like I said....I just feel it. Just wait and see. By the way, don't worry about what they will say, too. A dress doesn't make or change a person, you still look pretty no matter what you wear. No need to feel self conscious. I'll see you soon. Go in now, it's a cold morning."

I nodded and took a few steps before stopping to glance back at the already moving car. Did he just...call me...pretty? I struggled to keep in the silly smile that came out of nowhere and turned towards the building.

It was six in the morning, second of June; as I stood in front of my office building in this striking-even-without being-really-striking appearance I'd never have imagined I'd ever be in, not knowing what to expect once I step inside, but somehow I couldn't help but feeling more assured that everything would turn out alright, despite not achieving anything on my trip to find Cherryish.

But somehow, it still made me uneasy. Would good things continue to happen to a person who broke a promise she never made but felt as if she did even without a word?

Please go HERE, read and give me some opinion. Thank you.

on to our fav part...polls!

i also need help with choosing her birth month n i'm going by astrological sign instead...bcuz it seems i'm going to develop her more since this story is from her pov. n yay for a main character name finally revealed. 

ps: btw, was anyone tricked by the title n thought she broke her promise to June guy? xD