FOUR

“Seo Joohyun… I want to know you. What makes you laugh. What makes you cry. What makes you angry. What makes you happy. I want to know you. Tell me, Seohyun-ssi, what’s your poison?”

Yonghwa watched her carefully. The way her expression changed especially the colors draining from her cheeks. That was when he knew he just stepped on a landmine and it would probably explode if he pressed on it further. Before she could even open her lips, he opted for a damage control. He laughed stupidly and elbowed her playfully, “I'm kidding, lighten up, tiger.”

She sighed, shaking her head then took a big gulp from her glass. Yonghwa realized that he might be right. She must be different from all those other women who are willing to throw themselves on his feet. She wasn’t playing hard-to-get at all. But this wasn’t really the right time to dig deeper into her since she would surely grow even more distant.

“How about me? Don't you want to look me up?” He managed to say with a flirty wink. For a spit-second, her lips curled into a tiny smile. That was good enough.

“Is that compulsory?”

He laughed again. Flirting with this woman and getting on her good side are proven not an easy feat. No matter how he attempted most of what he learned on the effective ways of getting a girl, she didn’t seem to budge. She laughed softly at most but that just it. Yonghwa couldn’t complain anymore, just seeing the way her eyes danced with glee with his silly attempts was enough for him.

It was also obvious that she was starting to lighten up and even stretching her body towards him when he would tell him stuff about the band or something serious. Yonghwa noticed too that she was more interested in his compositions than his attempt to sound so suave about his achievements.

“I bet you read a lot,” he commented when the waiter brought his second glass of beer. He was already feeling the kick of the alcohol but he knew that he was sober enough to drive back. Thankfully, it was his free day.

“Yeah, travelling and waiting are usually my downfall,” she offered a friendly smile. “I really like that song, ‘Still in Love'? Was it?”

A big grin spread on his lips as he playfully pointed a finger at her, “You listened to us?”

“I’ve heard some of your songs on the radio,” she shrugged then continued, “I even watched a few of your videos.”

“You did?” He was smiling like a fool now— he knew but he didn’t really care.

“Of course! You’re famous. Don’t be too surprised if I did.” Seohyun maintained a straight face but she giggled, “I like that other vocalist. Jonghyun? He has this cool y voice and he's pretty handsome.”

“What?” He grumbled, “Lee Jonghyun? That punk just uses his charms! I still have my vote on that Yonghwa guy? Was it Jung Yonghwa?” He grinned when she laughed out loud shaking her head. Clearing his throat, he asked, “What do you think about that guy, Jung Yonghwa?”

“Hmmm…” she ran a finger around the rim of her half-full glass and dropped her hand on her palm as she watched him playfully, “Not bad… he’s not bad.”

“That’s all? Not bad…” He grumbled almost to himself and he was happy that he did since she giggled again. “Really, tell me what you think of him.”

Seohyun was quiet again and gave him the same old calculating gaze. She smiled and her hand absentmindedly ran on the strands of hair by the side of her face, “Jung Yonghwa.” She started under her breath, “He’s… I don’t know really. He’s kinda hard to read.”

He nodded, “You seemed to love reading people.”

“Not really love but fascinated. I could just stay all day watching someone. The way they move, the changes in their voices when they talk. Their eyes, how they shift into all sorts of emotions depending on the topic. There’s just so much fascination about that. How every action changes by a single moment.”

The twinkle in Seohyun’s eyes was what fascinated him. The more she talks, the more she moves, the words that come out from those luscious lips— they all draw her to him. She is someone truly worth knowing. Surprisingly, he wanted more despite the obvious way she was trying to push him off the cliff.

This girl can never be a plaything—not his or anybody’s.

This realization struck him differently. Yonghwa told himself it was a sign he should start running if all he wanted was to play and have fun. To hitch that wagon on this star that apparently not every bit of other girls he had met. Seohyun won’t surely play with him, she might be elusive and would end up as a fruitless conquest but he wanted to know her some more.

Her poison, he wasn’t kidding when he said that. He wanted to know if her angel could play well with his devil.

“Anyway,” she sighed and abruptly stopped the heavy thoughts grazing in his mind.

Yonghwa watched her open her purse and took out a few bills. Instinctively, his hand fell on hers stopping her from putting money out. The sudden rush of cherry red on her cheeks did not escape his sight. Seohyun looked away and swallowed hard so he pulled his hand back.

“I never let the lady pay,” he managed despite his own discomfort as she gave him an almost shy grin.

“I have to get going,” she said shuffling on her seat as if looking for something—as if she couldn’t look back at him. “I-I have a… another date.”

Yonghwa was surprised of her bluntness that all he could do was to blink twice and feel that drop in his stomach. Was she seriously going on another date after being with him? The shock was still there that he just dumbly watched her fixed her things. Seohyun pushed her chair