“And so there must be in life something like a catastrophic turning point, when the world as we know ceases to exist. A moment that transform us into a different person from one heartbeat to the next.” 
― Jan-Philipp Sendker, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

Winter

“Then should I go with the white dress?” Charlotte asked biting her lower lip and staring at the pile of clothes she had over her bed.

Lucy searched for a spot where she could sit on but decided to sit on the floor instead admiring Charlotte who was wearing a beautiful red dress.

“Is this too much?” she asked looking at Mia the only one who could give her advices about dating. Alex and Lucy were awful at it.

“Well…” Mia rummaged through the clothes on the bed. “What kind of date is it?”

Charlotte didn’t know how to answer because she wasn’t sure it was a date. Onew simply asked her to go have dinner with him, that didn’t mean he was romantically interested in her.

“I don’t know…”

“Take this!” Lucy said grabbing a pair of jeans “Nothing goes wrong in wearing casual…”

“…And maybe this!” Alex said grabbing a beautiful teal blouse.

Mia approved nodding her head and Lucy ate another cookie giving the pair of jeans to Charlotte.

“Don’t I look too normal?”

“If you wear the red dress you have right now, he will think you are desperate.” Mia remarked “If you wear the white one you will look too innocent and it’s too short too…”

“Ok!” Charlotte grabbed the jeans and the blouse and sighed.

That was probably the safest choice for someone who didn’t even know if she was going on a date.

Charlotte waited for Onew outside the apartment building where she lived with the other girls. She didn’t have to wait for longer because he arrived only five minutes later.

The first thing she noticed was how he was wearing normal clothes, simple black jeans pants and a blue sweater. He apologized for being late saying that he had to leave little Eun Sun with a friend for a few hours.

“You do look great!” he said watching her appreciatively before leaving the parking lot.

Charlotte thanked him and realized how nervous she was. It was so silly but she was worried about what to say or about her clothes.

“So…” she tried to think about a subject to talk about but he interrupted her.

“I barely slept last night. I was reading class assignments; some of them are terrible…”

That was the cue Charlotte needed and started talking about work, about the plans for that week, about what they still had to do for the school festival…

When she talked about work she would get excited and never stop. Being a teacher was always her dream ever since she was a little girl so she didn’t even realize that she was the only one speaking for a while.

“I’m sorry!” He said after a while interrupting her. “Can we not talk about work please?”

He looked at her briefly making her blush. Charlotte was ruining that date…or thing.

“Of course!” she nodded nervous and silence filled the car.

That’s when she realized that she didn’t ask him where they were going to have dinner.

Now she couldn’t anymore because he moved his hand to the radio touching the buttons.

She watched it and how his fingers were long and beautiful, his nails perfectly cut.

The sound of a piano playing filled the car and Charlotte smiled. “Oh I love it…”

“Really?” he asked smiling cutely and making her heart skip a beat “Once in a while it feels great to listen to this kind of music. It makes me relax.”

Charlotte nodded her head until she realized what he meant. He used to listen to that type of music when he wanted to relax so maybe he was nervous like her. Was that his way to tell her that she wasn’t the only one having a nervous breakdown?!

“My friend plays the piano perfectly.” Onew added “Actually he lives on your apartment building.”

“Really?” Charlotte couldn’t remember ever hearing someone play the piano while she was home but that doesn’t mean anything since she was always busy at work.

“Yes. He is the one who played this for me.”

“Wow!”

“Sadly he doesn’t do much besides playing the piano. He is having a hard time with money…well…its complicated.”

“Hum…that’s sad!” She said noticing how they were entering the parking lot of a restaurant. “What is his name?”

“Now she decided that she wants to change her bedroom decoration.” Onew announced cleaning his mouth with the white napkin.

Charlotte tried to focus on her food and avoid staring at his lips.

She was having fun. The restaurant had a family environment and several families with kids were eating there. No wonder it was Eun Sun favorite restaurant as she learned on the past hour. Onew couldn’t stop talking about his daughter and the work subject was definitely avoided.

Charlotte didn’t mind talking about Eun Sun and kids in general. Watching Onew eat and speak with a soft smile on his lips was wonderful and she felt as if he was giving her something precious he never gave to anyone before; he was letting her enter his and Eun Sun world.

“Why?” she asked placing her hands on the napkin on her lap and watching him with calm and yet interested attention.

He loved that. That’s why he liked to be around her, the way she was lovely and had so much patience when listening to kids or everyone. It was as if in that moment when you are speaking to her there is no one else in the world; there are no second intentions…

To someone as Onew, so used to be alone, only sharing his life with a little girl, having a grown up, a beautiful woman give him all that attention was priceless.

“She decided she wants her room to be blue now. She always liked yellow and made me buy everything in that color and now…” he raised his hand in the air in I-don’t-know expression and Charlotte giggled.

“She truly loves you!”

He looked at her speechless his eyes admiring her features, her beautiful dark wild hair falling perfectly around her face.

“She knows blue is your favorite color.” Charlotte added placing her elbows on the table. “She wants to feel closer to the person she admires the most in this world….which is you!”

Onew closed his mouth and stared at his empty plate. He wasn’t sure he deserved all that love, not after the fact that he couldn’t save her mother. Their family and everything fell apart because he was too weak.

His lost expression wasn’t missed by Charlotte who instinctively moved her hand on the table closer to his.

“I’ll buy her anything she wants.”  Onew said suddenly looking up at her again, his sad expression changing to the controlled one he had all the time, the faint smile returning to his lips. “If she wants blue I’ll give it to her.”

“You know that she needs to deal with deception too? Maybe you can try to explain to her that yellow makes her room look…happier.”

Onew bit his lip thinking about Charlotte words. She was right “Maybe we can make the room blue and yellow.”

Charlotte chuckled “We can paint the walls blue…light blue would be perfect.”

“Will you help?” he asked suddenly and she stopped laughing. Was he really asking her to enter his house and help him renovate his daughter’s bedroom?! That was a clear invitation inside his life, his family…

Did she really want to enter the life of that man who was hiding his past from her, which had a heart filled with scars?!

“Absolutely!”

On the ride back home, with the sound of piano playing in the background, Charlotte measured her feelings watching from the corner of her eyes Onew driving silently.

Soft rain was falling and the window was filled with little drops of water.

That was the perfect way to portrait what she was feeling at the moment.

Every little drop was one reaction, one word or one smile from Onew that got stuck on her heart and she couldn’t clean away. Soon all those little drops would form a ocean and she couldn’t even be worried with it because while she was by his side she felt strangely comfortable.

She wondered if that was destiny, as if somehow his horrible past and her life path made them met and now every little broken piece would fall into their place.

Yes, she was that hopeless romantic.

She couldn’t stop smiling remembering the way he spoke with her during the whole dinner. He was gentle, nice, funny and he made her feel special.

She wondered if he would try to kiss her when they reached her home. Did she want that?

Charlotte peeked at him and her eyes fall into his plump lips. Yes…she truly wanted it.

He stop in front of her building and she slowly released her seatbelt giving him time to make a decision if he was thinking about kissing her.

Like a gentleman he opened the door for her and helped her outside his black car.

“Thank you” Onew said softly staring into her eyes and she felt that he was staring into her soul instead. “I had a lot of fun. It’s wonderful to talk with you.”  Her heart skipped a beat and she noticed how his eyes moved slightly down to her lips.

He was going to kiss her definitely or at least was thinking about it.

“You should go up; its cold and you are wearing very thin clothing.” He said instead making her realize that he wasn’t staring at her lips, he was probably thinking about her wellbeing.

“Ah…yes.”

“See you tomorrow!” he added returning to the driver’s seat and she walked slowly back to the door of her building.

Her hand moved to her chest and she could swear her heart was beating wildly.

Is that what it means to fall in love like in romantic movies?!

Charlotte wasn’t sure she could wait until tomorrow to see him again…

Charlotte entered the school like a storm, quick and with an objective. No it wasn’t to destroy anything, but to see the man she was falling in love with.

She wondered what he would say to her, would he ask her if she slept well, would he smile at her like he did the previous day, maybe they would laugh about something Eun Sun did. He probably already told her about the yellow and blue bedroom she will have.

She stopped at the entrance of the teacher room touching her chest on the place her heart was and tried to breathe in and out slowly. Why was she so nervous to see him?!

She pushed the door and walked inside the slightly noisy room. For teachers used to ask their students to keep quiet they were awfully noisy.

Her eyes searched the tables and she saw him. He wasn’t alone and like always a group of female teachers was around him. He was speaking with one of them and laughing about something she said.

She waited not sure for what until he saw her.

She was certain now that she waited for that moment that his eyes would notice her presence.

Charlotte smiled hesitantly waiting for his reaction and he nodded his head before turning to the other teacher talking with him.

He ignored her.

She stupidly stayed a few more seconds until she realized how silly she was.

What they did last night wasn’t a date and now she knew exactly what it was. It was a counseling session. She was his ing psychiatrist or something and he only used her because he felt as if she was a good listener, because that was what she always was her whole life, a shoulder to cry on, a good friend…

She felt stupid! How silly she must have looked into his eyes. She only hoped that he didn’t notice her feeling s for him.

She felt so humiliated now that she couldn’t look at him, her eyes moving quickly to the door of the teacher room from where she left outside before she cried in front of all of them.

Onew noticed how she left the room, his eyes wandering to her retreating back while he pretend to listen to what his sunbae was saying.

No one noticed how his fake smile disappeared for a while when the door closed after Charlotte.

Spring

Jinki the light and Alex jumped on the spot she was, her eyes blinking because of the sudden light, her arms in front of her. “PLEASE DON’T KILL ME” she cried hoping that he was merciful.

Jinki jumped on his place too “WHO ARE YOU?” He screamed with the knife in his hand.

“I-I’m…” He didn’t seem dangerous now that she could see him clearly, actually he was absolutely handsome, with light brown hair neatly cut, generous lips and a perfect nose.

She could see in his eyes that he was also scared and somehow she felt that he wasn’t dangerous at all.

“What are you doing here?” He asked again, stepping back a little.

“I know you killed that person!” Alex said feeling braver. For a killer he seemed too gentle. “It’s ok. I won’t tell anyone if you let me go.”

“I killed? What?” he seemed confused now.

“I saw you carrying the bag with blood to the trash bin….”

“Ohhh!” He pouted cutely and she almost could see that his brain was working.

Jinki chuckled “That was a mannequin with blood.”

Alex tilted her head. Now it was time to be confused.

Jinki lowered the knife.” I’m not going to kill you. I was only analyzing blood patterns….” He paused “Just look around you.”

Alex did what he said and for the first time she noticed the room she was in.

It was like a laboratory, a science room, filled with weird books and things she only saw on lab class back on high school.

“Are you a crazy scientist then?”

“No.” he touched his glasses “I’m a hired scientist!” he made a small pause waiting for recognition but nothing came. She didn’t know what that was at all so he had to explain. “I do small investigations for companies that hire me. I do them here because….because I don’t like to leave my house.”

“Oh.” It was her time to pout her lips “Why?”

“Why are you here? How did you come in?”

“I’m sorry. I was trying to find proof of your crimes.” She felt stupid now.

Her eyes moved to the knife that he still had in his hand.

“I’m sorry!” he hid the knife behind his back “I didn’t want to scare you….I’m…not good with this.”

Wait, she entered his apartment as a stalker and he is the one who apologize to her?!

“With what?”

“People! I don’t know what to do in this kind of situation.”

Alex would probably call the police but she didn’t voice out her thoughts.

“Tea!” he said suddenly raising the knife again and making her back away scared. He put the knife away quickly. “My mom always gave tea to her guests.” He continued with a gentle voice “Want some tea?”

“I guess.”

“Good! Follow me!”

She walked after him her eyes straying to his that was now covered with his cute pajamas and she wondered what she was still doing there. The guy seemed nuts. Tea? She would have called the police and put him on jail for life.

They passed by the book and she stole a peak at it. It was a trivial book about plants and he did a silly dance because of that?!

He noticed her expression and stopped immediately. “You saw me…?”

She swallowed feeling her cheeks get hot.

“Oh no!” She didn’t even need to say anything because he could figure it out alone.

He turned around quickly disappearing inside the kitchen.

She wondered if he went to pick up her tea or get a bigger knife to kill her.

Alex stayed on his living room feeling awkward and he showed up on the door.

“Sit please!”

She sat immediately as if he gave her an order and stayed there quietly waiting for him.

So that was her killer, a silly weird man, who was hot. She still could remember his body.

He came out from the kitchen on the moment her mind was elsewhere and she watched him while he placed the teapot and two mugs in front of her in a small table.

“I’m Jinki, I forgot to introduce myself.”

He was so polite that Alex felt bad from invading his house. Where was the mean man she saw the other day?

“I’m Alex.”

“Alex. Oh I like that name. There are so many famous people on history called Alexander. It’s a Greek name…”

He kept going, talking about a couple of famous Alexanders while he poured water on her mug.

“You read history books?” Alex interrupted him.

“Ah yes. “he fixed his glasses “I study a lot of things.” He placed the teapot on the table and gesture for her to follow him.

They entered the dark room again and he took her to the corner of the room where there were two big bookcases filled with books from the floor to the ceiling.

“WOW!” It was like heaven on earth for her.

Alex touched the books reading some of the titles. “You have so many…”

“Yes.” He watched her curious. Her eyes were shining so much that it clearly showed how much she loved books just like him.

“What are you reading now?”

“Oh. I can show you.”

The tea was completely forgotten.

Lucy almost tackled Alex down when she opened the door of the apartment for her to enter.

“Where were you? We were dead worried!”

Alex pushed Lucy away gently “I’m ok.”

Mia watched Alex from behind her glasses. “Are you?”

She seemed different somehow.

“I just had a magical experience.”

Lucy moved her hand in front of Alex eyes and watched her while she moved to her room as if nothing happened.

“What’s wrong with her?” Lucy asked just when Alex closed the door of her room.

She let herself fall into her bed and stared into nothing.

What was wrong with her?

She couldn’t answer that question because she didn’t know herself.

Her hand moved to her chest and she could feel her heartbeat.

The man next door was really a killer, a different kind of killer. She could feel her heart beating crazily every time she thought about him. Somehow he was making her sick, he was going to kill her if her heart kept going like that.

Alex was attracted to him and for the first time in her life she found a man with whom she wanted to be around.

She covered her eyes wondering if it was possibly to fall in love in a heartbeat, in a few hours…

Every time she closed her eyes she could see him, the way he danced when he got his book, how he smiled with his crooked teeth telling her the web store from where he ordered his books.

Even if she opened and closed her eyes again she could see him again, his perfect , his collection of books…

Alex wondered if she would go away if she fell asleep, however sleep didn’t seem to come, so she stayed in the dark remembering Jinki smile over and over again.

Summer

Mia finished classes and stayed beyond on the library. The offer from Ondrew to take her home was haunting her and she was avoiding him.

She was being a coward because she knew she wouldn’t be able to decline his offer but at the same time she didn’t want to go either.

She was afraid. Afraid not of him but herself and her weak heart and body. She couldn’t possible fall for someone like him. No never!

So Mia waited for the sun to set, evening came and then the night fall on the city. She collected her things and walked outside. He would never be at college at that time; Ondrew probably went home on his expensive car with a driver.

She searched for her bus card inside her bag when she noticed the wall she was painting with Ondrew. They still had a lot of work to do and that meant staying by his side a few more hours.

Only that thought made her heart beat faster, how could she share a ride with him?!

Mia touched her chest wondering if she really fell for a man out of her league.

“Finally!” Ondrew came out from the shadows and Mia almost jumped on her spot. A big black car, the same from the other days was a few steps behind him.

“What are you still doing here?” She asked.

“Waiting for you! I told you I would take you home.”  He stretched his hand for her to grab and she ignored his action walking past the car.

“HEY!” he screamed going after her.

“Thanks for the offer but I never said I wanted it.”

“You nodded and I insist!” he said urgently, too urgently crossing the street after her.

“I changed my mind then, no thank you!” Mia could be stubborn. She only needed to avoid his handsome face and his beautiful dark eyes and she would be safe.

However he stepped in front of her, his arms on her shoulder stopping her in place; but the worst thing was the way he was staring at her. It was if he was pleading her to go with him.

“I DO INSIST!” he said firmly.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not safe for you to go back home alone.” His eyes were sending her a secret message that she wasn’t being able to receive.

“I can take care of me…”

“Please!”

“Why? Why are you so sure that it’s dangerous?”

He bit his lip as if he was caught off guard with her question and she sighed when he answered. “I can’t tell you.”

She grabbed his hands from her shoulder and pushed him away. “Ok then, bye!”

He watched her walk away and she tried her best not to look back.

“YOU WILL REGRET THIS!” he screamed and she waved at him without looking back. “AISH!”

She heard him grown and somehow that made her smile. She was making Ondrew; the richest man on campus groan of frustration, how great is that?!

Mia walked as fast as she could to the bus stop only stopping on the middle of the street to recover her card. “That idiot…” she grunted “…however he looked so precious wanting me to go with him.”

Just then her stomach growled and she halted the search for her card, searching for a piece of chocolate instead. She always carried chocolate wherever she went.

She was so focused in the search that she didn’t notice a man approaching her.

“Hi beautiful!” She raised her head recognizing the voice immediately. “It was the same creepy guy from college.  “This must be destiny no? Meeting again!”

That was definitely not destiny and now all her alarms where ringing on her head.

You will regret it….

Ondrew told her that. He knew about this or at least suspected it.

“You again...”

“Yes me!” The idiot pointed at himself with a gorgeous smile “Waiting for someone else instead?” he tilted his head and she ignored him trying to walk by him but he grabbed her arm.

“We need to talk…Mia!”

“YA!” she tried to release her arm but instead he pulled her closer to him and kissed her lips.

Mia hit his chest with her free hand, with all her might and he moved away just in time to be punched by Ondrew.

“I warned you!” Ondrew said dangerously while the other guy recovered from the hit. “She is mine. “

“Why do you always get to choose them? This is not fair.”

“Hey wait…” Mia tried to step into the conversation; she wasn’t an object to be claimed.

Ondrew pushed her back softly, his eyes telling her to not enter the discussion and she flared.

“Just get lost.” Ondrew said coolly “If you get near her again you will regret it.”

Ondrew grabbed Mia bag from the floor that fell when she hit her attacker and gave it to her.

He pulled her by her arm as gently as he could and guided her with him down the street. She even looked back but the other man didn’t follow them.

“Why didn’t you trust me?!” He mumbled still looking upset and she stared at his face and then at his hand that was red. It must have hurt to punch the other guy and she felt a little bad over it. However it was his decision to help her, no?!

“I…” she was speechless; she didn’t know what to say.

“That bastard!” Ondrew groaned “He kissed you!” he seemed really upset over it “I warned you. He thinks he can have anything in this world just because his parents are rich.”

“Wait a minute!” Mia released herself from his hold. “Aren’t you exactly the same?”

Surprisingly he didn’t seem offended with her observation instead he seemed sad.

“So I am like him?”

“Aren’t you? Don’t you have everything you want because you are rich?”

Ondrew stepped closer to her and Mia had to look slightly up into his eyes.

“I want you…” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear, his hand moving to her curls, his fingers reaching the skin of her neck, his thumb caressing her jaw.

Mia held her breathe, her heart skipping a beat. His presence, his scent was invading her space and she couldn’t run away even though he wasn’t even holding her.

“..Can I have you?” he asked in a heartbeat, his mouth dangerously close to hers, his nose bumping against hers. She blinked her eyes, resisting it, her lips opening up to accept his, but her mind keeping her in place from falling into temptation even though every cell of her body wanted him.

She wants him too. She wants to be his…

“I can kiss you now…claim you as mine.” He searched her eyes waiting for her answer, instead she sighed in desire and longing for him. That was all the answer he needed.

He saw Mia close her eyes, her lips brushing against his briefly and that action was enough to make his heart beat so much that he was afraid she would hear it. What was that?!

Ondrew backed away releasing her and moving away from her intoxicating scent that was making him go insane.

Mia opened her eyes immediately falling off from the spell he made on her and regaining her conscious about who he was and represented.

She watched him confused wondering why he was so quiet watching her, until she saw him smirk.

“Too easy!” he said breaking her heart “I’m disappointed!”

She slapped him. It was an automatically reaction and she didn’t regret it, even though he looked expressionless. He was probably used to be slapped by women.

“!” Mia said pushing him away from her front and walked quickly to the bus station trying to keep her tears inside.

He walked after her and that surprised Mia. Wasn’t he a jerk?!

“Stop being like that and I’ll give you a ride.”

“NO!” Was he stupid? He just offended her, played with her and he still wants to give her a ride.

She peeked at him and saw how he caressed his red cheek on the place she hit him.

“I won’t give up!” he announced.

“Well then you are like the other guy who just forced me to kiss him…”

“No!” he seemed offended “No…I don’t girls.”

Mia stopped immediately and Ondrew almost bumped into her.

“What?”

Ondrew caressed his cheek and let his hand fall down. “He a girl back on high schoo.  I think he has done that more times, actually I’m claiming a lot of girls on campus for me, at least all the ones he seems interested on.”

What did he mean?! That he was saving girls from the other creep seducing them and breaking their hearts?!

“He is dangerous!”

“Are you sure?” Ondrew frowned with her question “I mean, that he that girl?”

“I don’t have proofs if you meant that but I know him and I don’t want to risk it…”

Mia crossed her arms watching him. He is protecting her then, trying to keep her safe in his weird way.

“Come with me.” Ondrew offered again “I won’t touch you and I will take you safely home.”

Mia evaluated his offer, he did seem sincere and she accepted it.

The ride back to her place was quiet, with no words being shared between them, a lot of space on the seat between both as if they were afraid to stay together and not be able to resist the temptation.

She gave her address to his driver and soon they reached the apartment building where she lived.

Mia thanked him for the ride and what he did and quickly opened the door of the car stepping outside.

He nodded in acknowledge holding the door  from inside the car.

“Mia…” her name sounds so beautiful with his gentle yet husky voice. “I’m really not the kind of man you think I am.”

With that he closed the door and the car disappeared down the road.

She touched her chest. She knew he was being sincere again and his words made her weak because she wanted to find out what kind of man he truly was then. 

Fall

Lucy bid goodbye to the dogs from the door and to her new boss and stepped away from the coffee shop. She loved her new job so much that she felt like singing.

Lee is waiting for her outside and that surprised her a little. His brown reddish hair looks as usual but he is wearing something different from his usual track pants, simple blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He looks great and smiles at her.

“I come to collect something from my sister.” He said immediately as if he is trying to justify the fact that he is there. “We can walk back together if you want.”

She tried to remember if she saw him inside the coffee shop but nothing. Maybe she was busy and didn’t even notice.

“Ok. Let’s go together.”

Lee beamed at her and Lucy fixed her hair a little self-conscious now, every time he looks at her.

“Hum…do you have plans for tomorrow?”

Lucy released her hair from the ponytail she had using her hands to comb it making Lee swallow while he watched her.

“Not really. Why?”

“There is a musical tomorrow and I…”

“OH MY GOD!” she screamed stopping in front of him and making all the other pedestrians look at them.  “Don’t tell me! ROCK OF AGES MUSICAL! My favorite idol is on it. O. is in it.”

Lee opened and closed his mouth confused, actually he wasn’t inviting her to that one, he didn’t even have tickets for that one because they were sold out already.

However her eyes were shinning so much and she looked so beautiful that he couldn’t break her heart.

“Yes. That one! I know someone who sells tickets…” Actually it was more than that but she didn’t need to know all his secrets. “Do you w…”

She grabbed his hands even before he invited her “YES! DEFINTELY YES!”

Lee couldn’t breathe; it was as if he was asking her to marry him, well that was what probably seemed like to people walking by them.

“I’ll get the tickets!” he said firmly. He would kill for those tickets, for her…

“You are awesome! I’ve been dying to watch that!” he watched her giggling while she did a little dance around him. She was truly a cat fairy. “I love O so much. He is handsome and so talented and…”

“Is he your boyfriend?” he asked teasing her and she stopped grabbing his arm for support, her fingers touching his muscles. He was manlier than he seemed and she blushed a little releasing him immediately. “No.  My boyfriend works for a big company…and he I nothing like O.”

He wanted to smile because she was so clueless thinking that he actually meant that question, however the talk about her boyfriend didn’t make him happy.

They walked back home and Lee had to pretend that he was actually interested on who her boyfriend was, because she described all about their relationship, his personality and how she fell for him, to the point that he felt like he knew that who clearly was breaking her heart.

He entered the dog café and saw Lucy immediately, wearing her cute uniform that was even a little y and he was so thankful to his sister for giving her that to wear.

Lee walked to the middle of the tables and greeted some of the dogs that came on his direction. Lucy took an order from a couple and turned around almost bumping into him.

“Hi!” he said grabbing her waist softly studying her. She blushed a little and he smiled gently. Somehow she was seeing him in a different light lately, he knew that he left her a little nervous now and he liked it.

“Hi!” she said avoiding his eyes and he frowned. Lee took the tickets from his pants pocket and waved them at her. He had to ask his friend for them and it was hard but he managed to get VIP tickets for her, she would be able to be close to O and even see the sweat of his forehead.  “I got them! Its tonight!”

He seemed so excited that Lucy felt bad. “I’m sorry…”

He knew something was wrong.

“I can’t go…” she sadly looked from the tickets to his eyes and he knew how she was truly sorrowful about that.

“Why?”

“Max, my boyfriend called me. He wants to meet tonight. He insisted.”

“But you wanted this so badly.” Lee said bitterly “Can’t you go another day?”

“No. I can’t say no to him” She answered avoiding Lee eyes again and he exhaled exasperated.

Lucy knows that he was disappointed with her and she understands because she was also a little disappointed with her, but this was the first time Max desperately asked her to come to his apartment and she couldn’t lose that opportunity. “I’m sorry. I need to work.”

Lee stared at the tickets on his hand sadly.

Lee sat on his favorite chair on the balcony outside his room watching the sun set.

Right now, in that precise moment Lucy might be with her boyfriend and the thought makes him crazily jealous but what can he do?!Kimchi jumps to his lap and meows calling his attention.

“I know, I know...” he mumbles caressing the fur of the cat “I like her too but she is taken.”

The cat doesn’t seem impressed and jumps from his lap to the floor and walks around the balcony looking up, probably missing the cat fairy as much as he missed her.

“Kimchi…”

Lee jumped on the chair suddenly hearing her voice. She was home?!

“Kimchi are you there?” She is crying and Lee stood up immediately going to the edge of the balcony and peeking up.

Lucy saw him and immediately hid, not quickly enough because he could see her tears.

“Are you ok? What happened?”

She didn’t answer and he frowned. “Pretend I’m kimchi and tell me.”

“I went to see him….” She told him, speaking in a low voice “…however he only wanted me to stay and clean his apartment while he goes out with his friends. He left me there alone…”

“What?’” Lee closed his eyes upset. That Max was an and he hated him deeply. “What did you do?”

“I came back home. I left him a note saying that I wanted to break up with him.” He could hear her sniffling “I feel awful.”

Lee can’t help but smile, yes her heart is broken but she broke up with that idiot, she was free.

“I’m so sorry!” he moved on his spot wondering what to say.

That’s when Kimchi meowed to him from his bedside table. He was over the tickets and that gave Lee an idea.

“I still have the tickets.” He commented out loud.

“To see O.?” she asked with a crying voice.

“Yes. Do you want to go with me? We still have time and I promise that you won’t think about your ex-boyfriend all night.”

Lee leaned on the balcony trying to peek upwards but Lucy took her time to answer.

“I’ll be down in 20 minutes.”

Lee raised his fist on the air in happiness for a few seconds.

“Ok?” Lucy wondered if he heard her.

“Yes!” he answered back trying to hide his happiness.  “Yes of course.”

They come out from the theater with a crying Lucy and a delighted Lee. She watched O all the time and Lee watched her so it was a great night for both.

“He is so cute and his voice is beautiful!” she cried, brushing a tear away with the back of her hand. Lee took the opportunity to clean another one with his thumb, the sweet gesture coming unnoticed by her because she could stop thinking about her idol. “And he knows how to play the piano you know?”

“Actually…” Lee tried to shut her up raising his voice over her  praises to the idol “I play the piano too and I used to sing  too.”

Lucy stopped immediately beholding him. “Really? Were you good?”

He smiled sadly and touched his neck “Some say I was.”

“You need to play and sing for me.” It wasn’t a request. She really wanted to see him play and sing.

“I will. Surely that I will. Any song you want.”

They walked slowly next to each other and she pouted in thought “Any song I want…then… More than words.”

“Ok!” Lucy watched him curiously wondering what he was thinking, small dimples showing up on his face. He actually seemed happy with her choice.

“I mean…” she stuttered nervous and made him look at her. God he is handsome and she wondered why she never noticed that.  Maybe it’s the fact that he wasn’t wearing his normal attire, maybe it’s the black pants and the white sweater, or maybe it’s the stars above them, but something seemed different about him. “I-It makes sense since…the musical....”

“I know. It’s a good choice. It’s a beautiful song and very meaningful.”

“I like it a lot.” She whispered walking by his side and trying to act normal, ignoring that weird pain inside her chest.

“Should we eat something?” she asked suddenly pretending to be hungry when she actually wanted to be closer to him a little longer. He made her feel relaxed, special…

“Ice cream?” he asked cutely making her nod enthusiastically.

“There is a convenience store near here.”

He fastened his pace but she walked slower instead trying to make it last until she saw a playground and pulled him by his arm. “Let’s go there.”

He followed after her and suddenly grabbed her hand pulling her up the stone stairs on the direction of the small playground.

Lucy held her breath staring at his beautiful manly hand on hers, the way he held it firmly making her hear beat faster to the point that she became breathless.

Oblivious to her thoughts he released her and grabbed the swing near them. “Sit here. Ill push you.”

Lucy obeyed him and he gently pushed her making her swing on the air.

That felt  so good that she closed her eyes.

“Let’s make it more special.” He said suddenly starting to sing More than words. It was enough to make Lucy grasp the chains of the old swing. It was ethereal and beautiful, he actually sang wonderfully and she opened her eyes instead watching the stars.

Lucy released one of the chains just when he reached the chorus, his sweet, gentle voice making her feel like she is under a spell. She grasped her chest trying to control her beating heart but she couldn’t.

Why was her heart behaving like that, why did she want so desperately to turn around and she him?

He noticed her uneasiness and stopped pushing her, the swing coming slowly to an halt and she the seat looking at him.

Lee grabbed the chains steading the swing, his hand moving to cover hers, the song ending, his lips stopping moving.

He was so close to her, his face inches from hers.

“He is an idiot for hurting you.” he whispered, his hand touching her cheek. “You are a cat fairy after all and he clearly doesn’t know how precious you are.”

Lucy couldn’t stop looking at him; his voice was capturing her heart.

“I know how precious you are.” he added. His eyes moving down her features and stopping on her lips making her melt under his gaze.

Without realizing, Lucy closed her eyes waiting for him, her lips opening to receive his and it didn’t take longer for Lee to kiss her, the hand on her cheek moving to her neck, carefully pulling her more to him, letting him turn that sweet innocent kiss into a passionate one that made Lucy grasp his arm for support.

Even though he promised that she wouldn’t remember her boyfriend the whole night, even though she watched O that she loved so much sing and act, even though he promised to eat ice cream with her she never forgot Max. However ever since he started singing, her boyfriend existence started to vanish from her mind and now that Lee was kissing her she couldn’t even remember the name of the man who hurt her.

 She couldn’t think about anything else beside the taste of his lips, his soft fingers caressing her nape, his scent leaving her weak and the sound of her heartbeat. 

 Don't worry, baby

(Don't pretend to be strong)

Call me, baby

 I want you to depend on me

Let me be by your side

(Though I'm not that reliable)

Please give me your heart

If it were me, I would protect you

Hello! Yes before askingI know that i talk a lot about hearts beating on this....i did it  because i wanted to...lol..u.u

Im super hungry and sleepy so forgive me for mistakes please...and thats it! 

Hope you liked it!