>N7 Production<

   Ugh. I just hate Min Ah for this. Yura grunted but silently. Ki Bum turned to look at Yura beside her. Her expression was.. disgusted? Yea, yea, she made that face. But Ki Bum smiled. “Mianhe-yo.”

   Erk? Yura looked at Ki Bum. “W-wae-yo?” As much as she hated being alone with him, she still has manners.

   “Your dad asked me to walk you home. He wants you to come home safely.” He said softly while looking at the front.

   Yura’s expression softened a bit. She didn’t know why but she just felt so calm standing near him. It’s like he has the ability to angriness inside anybody and calm them down. But Yura didn’t want to look soft in front of him. She just wanted him to hate her and just leave her alone. “But I’m not a kid! I walked with Min Ah every day and I’m fine and perfect as ever! I could even walk alone!”

   “No you don’t.” He said and he was perfectly calm as ever.

   “What do you mea-” Does that mean.. he knew I had once fainted after pushed down by a snatcher? No, of course not. I didn’t even tell my dad as far as I know, Min Ah is not someone who would tell everyone our secrets, my secrets. So, no. Of course not. Maybe he just meant that a girl like me can’t walk alone. Yes, yes. That must be it.

   “I’m not a person who’ll just went near and be close to somebody I didn’t know about, you know. I’ll get to know that person first.. With or without her knowing it..” He smiled the smile she missed so much yet the one she dreaded she would meet again.

   Yura closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened it, Ki Bum was already quite far ahead. Yura walked slowly, just so not to walk beside him. But he stopped almost at once. Yura looked at him angrily. She was about to open when he put his finger on .

   At the second, Yura’s thoughts flew to something else. He’s ar! And dad was lied by him! I must run! I must scream! I must save myself and get to my dad as soon as possible! And the second Yura was about to start screaming, Ki Bum put his hands down. The urge to scream drowned itself inside Yura.

   “I’m not a bad person.” He told Yura softly. He grabbed her hand slowly and made her walk gently. And they were walking, hand in hand now.

   All of a sudden Yura realized, she wanted this guy to be a bad person. She didn’t know why but she hated him so much she didn’t want to accept the fact he was not a bad person. Her eyes dwelled with tears and the second it flowed out, Ki Bum’s hands reached to wipe it away. And then Yura just can’t stop herself anymore. Her tears flowed relentlessly and all she could see was Ki Bum’s shoulder in front of her. She leant towards him and her crying didn’t stop. Ki Bum put his hands on Yura’s back and patted her. But technically, Ki Bum was hugging her but not really, it was actually Ki Bum’s attempt to hug her. He didn’t want to look like a guy taking advantage so he just patted her back instead of hugging her. Clever? Yes I know I am. Thank you very much.

   It felt like hours. Yura was crying non-stop but she still stop in the end. “Sorry. And thank you.” She said to Ki Bum. She rubbed her own eyes that was still red. Ki Bum pinched her red-slowly-turning-to-pink-again and smiled softly. Yura felt like punching his chest but she laughed instead. And though she wanted to hate herself for that, she just can’t and that just doubled her hateness(?) to.. herself(?)

   On the way left back home, Ki Bum explained everything to Yura. Yura’s father and Ki Bum’s are childhood best friends. They did almost everything together including getting married together. Just a year later when they knew their first offspring’s gender, they decided to get their children married. That way, they will stay connected ‘till the old time.

   Ki Bum’s family moved to the States when he was seven years old and stayed there for quite a time. He just moved here about a month ago and stayed near Yura’s house. Knowing that Yura was her future wife, Ki Bum asked his father to keep this as a secret at first. He wanted to get to know Yura secretly first. Yura’s and Ki Bum’s father agreed and absolutely happy when Ki Bum said he likes Yura.

   Yura went slightly pink when Ki Bum said that. “But my father kept this as a secret from me. Didn’t he worry about me falling in love with another guy and not marrying the one he chose for me?”

   Ki Bum smiled a little. “No. Though he really want you to marry me, he didn’t want to force her daughter to marry someone she didn’t love too. You might not know it, but your father loves you more than he loves himself, you know.”

   “Really? But.. I thought.. my father just care for his restaurant.. I thought-”

   “You, thought.” Ki Bum interrupted and looked straight at Yura. Yura stopped immediately and froze as she made contact with Ki Bum’s eyes. That look. The look that made you feel like he was watching straight to your soul. The so-much-too-much resemblance and Yura just can’t stand it anymore. She screamed. “Aish- michyeo-so, michyeo-so, michyeo-so!” (Crazy, crazy, crazy)

   “Do- gwaenchanna?” (You’re okay)  
   “Fine.” Yura answered almost instantly.

   “No you’re not. You are freaking me out, suddenly screaming, and you said you’re fine. You always had me worrying you, you know.” He said softly then. His eyes did look worry.

   Yura felt the sincere inside his voice and his look. She regretted it then. Maybe telling him could help him to understand her, or maybe helping herself to understand herself. Or to just let everything out. But Yura felt that it was not the perfect time to tell him everything. She still didn’t trust Ki Bum. Well, the fact was actually she didn’t want to trust Ki Bum.

   They walked home in silence then. But Yura stopped dead in front of her house. “But,” she said.

   Ki Bum stopped too. Quite startled but he was starting to get used to Yura’s suddenness so he raised his eyebrow, asking.

   “Aish, if I were to know that I already had a future husband, I won’t have to face this heart-broken stage! I just want to love because I’m afraid nobody would want me, and here I am. With a future husband and also in pain as a result of loving someone,” paused. “Who was not supposed to be loved,” she added slowly.

   Ki Bum stood silent and opened his mouth after a while. “Who hurt you?” He asked. The voice was soft like always but Yura could feel the coldness inside his voice.

   “No one. Aish, na gwenchanna.. I don’t care about it..” Yura said softly, to other person, Ki Bum’s expression was not so hard but to Yura, she felt like she just wanted to wipe away the worry face on Ki Bum’s face. “Ya! You don’t think I am not wanted, don’t you? Don’t underestimate me, I’ll make you fall in love with me in just a few days, got it?” Yura grabbed Ki Bum’s wrist and stood on her toe to kiss Ki Bum’s cheek. And by that, she went straight inside her home, flushing.

   Ki Bum was quite extraordinarily calm to Yura’s suddenness habit, but this time, he just can’t wipe off the smile from his face. 

- to be continued-