The day of our submission of the thesis arrived. No worries though, since we managed to finish it in due time. Our tutoring sessions throughout the weeks leading up to the final day of submission went on smoothly and without any kind of major obstacles in the way. Hyomin wrote her paper, I checked it, and it was a great improvement from all her past works. Her explanations on the topic at hand were much clearer and concrete; her writing was more polished. I was confident that Mr Kim would pass her this time. Even a grade ‘C’ would suffice, as long as it wasn’t a fail. I wanted to see the joy in her face once she gets her paper back; filled with ticks instead of crosses.

 

Ever since the day she revealed to me that she was a model, Hyomin’s demeanour changed. She was much more open and outgoing. Well, only with me. Or I guess she was gradually opening up to me. I noticed her touches way more often than the spoken words. They felt nice. And I’m starting to think that we’ve gotten closer.

 

When school finally ended, we both gave each other a high-five as we left the lecture room with gleeful steps.

 

“Well, aren’t you one happy ball of joy right now huh?” I grinned at the brunette practically skipping her way through the hallways without a care in the world. Turning her head in my direction, she curved her lips into a wide smile, her eyes too gleaming with pride as she looked at me.

 

“I’ve never been so ecstatic over handing up schoolwork before. And it’s all thanks to you!”

 

Before I knew it, I was engulfed by a pair of arms and my body crushed into something soft and warm. I guess being short had its benefits. Not wanting to draw so much attention onto us by hugging in the middle of the hallways, I reluctantly pushed Hyomin away. But not without noticing the pout of disappointment the moment we pulled away. Damn it, woman. Stop trying to steal away my title as the Master of Aegyo. As we left the building and made our way through the campus’s courtyard, realisation struck me as I suddenly remembered something important.

 

“Hyomin, remember our plans about hanging out after we finished up with the thesis?”

 

The woman next to me stopped in her tracks. “Of course I remember. I was waiting for you to say it all this while.” She said with a knowing smile.

 

“Could’ve given me a hint. You know how absent-minded I can be.” I scratched my head sheepishly. “If you’re free for the day, we can go now if you want to.”

 

“I don’t have anything planned today. I’d love to.” She then took a few steps ahead of me. “Just let me get my camera back at home and we’re all set.”

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

After making a short stop at Hyomin’s apartment to retrieve her precious DSLR camera, we set off on our little adventure just wandering around Seoul. Going to the shopping districts first would be what most girls our age would think of, but both of us decided on going to the highest point of the city as our main destination: Namsan Tower. After taking a ride on the subway, we finally reached Namsan Park which was the base of the majestic tower before our eyes.

 

“It’s been a while since I last came here,” I said as we climbed up the stairs leading to the tower. “Nothing changed a bit.”

 

“Me too. Last time I came here was with my family but that was when I was still a kid.” Hyomin adjusted the settings of her camera and started snapping pictures of our surroundings. She then turned towards my direction. “Say cheese!”

 

Before I could even react, the sound of the shutter was heard. She already pressed the button. “Hey, I wasn’t even ready!”

 

She just let out a sweet giggle at my complaint. “Unexpected shots are always the best at capturing one’s astonishment.” She then showed the preview of the picture to me.

 

I looked like a deer in headlights.

 

“So unglamorous,” she shamelessly teased.

 

“Yeah, and that’s a good reason to delete it,” I reached out to get my hands on the camera but my photographer friend dodged out of the way. “Get back here!”

 

“Nope, this is part of my precious memories so I can’t just let you go and delete it,” she said and stuck out her tongue at me.

 

“Why you little...!”

 

“You’re the one that’s little.”

 

Trying to grab her was like chasing after a mischievous fox. And with our difference in heights, it just proved to be much more difficult. After much failed attempts at snatching away the camera to delete the embarrassing picture from the face of the earth, I realised that it was a battle I was never going to win.

 

“Alright,” I panted heavily, “keep the damn picture. Just don’t go using it as blackmail.”

 

“This isn’t even good enough as blackmail material.”

 

“So you’re really planning on blackmailing me, huh?” I narrowed my eyes at the model. “Speaking of which, I can always grab some of your magazine photo shoots and-“The look on her face turned into pure worry. “H-hey, I’m just joking. I will never do something like that.” I gently reassured her. I guess I should strike off making jokes about blackmail off my list of things that are okay to do with her.

 

“I know you won’t,” she said with a forlorn smile.

 

I kind of felt guilty for making her worried like that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

 

“It’s alright, Soonkyu,” Hyomin’s smile never wavering and then held my hand. “Let’s get going. I wanna take more photos when we get up there.” And thus, she took the lead towards the famous landmark. Her hand in mine felt extra warm and somehow...secure. As if the act of holding hands was her way of saying she was fine and not hurt by my thoughtless words earlier. Still, I felt bad about it. She must be really taking this hidden part-time job thing very seriously.

 

When I first heard of the reason behind all this back at her house a few weeks ago, I sympathised with her. It’s true we all need friends in our life but what was the point of having ‘friends’ that were just there because of your appearances? People who only wanted her for their own selfish desires. Who will she be able to confine to when she needed it the most? I’ve thought about it and...I wanted to be that person whom is able to listen to her problems without any judgement and lend her a shoulder for her to cry on. We’ve only met and talked this year but it felt like we’ve known each other for years.

 

“Hey, look at that.”

 

Hyomin’s voice broke me from my wondering thoughts and I turned my attention to where she was pointing at. The trees and fences which enclosed around the base of the tower were over-clustered with small padlocks of every colour imaginable locked into them. But they all had one thing in common. Every one of those padlocks had heart-shaped notes attached to them which were written with all manners of lovesick messages between two hopeful lovers, declaring their love to each other and that they will last forever. The couple will then hook those notes around the padlock, lock it, and then throw the key away. If that wasn’t the most ridiculous way of saying your love to each other, then I didn’t know what is.

 

“Isn’t that romantic?” my model friend observed the rows of padlocks with a dreamy look in her eyes. Apparently, she did not share the same sentiment as I do.

 

“Yeah, I guess,’ I nonchalantly answered.

 

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it,” she remarked as she released my hand and headed closer to the popular ‘Love Locks’ area.

 

“I just don’t see the whole point of it.” Following her to where she crouched down at one section of the fence, I took a closer look scrutinising at all the varying padlocks while Hyomin positioned her camera and snapped some pictures of them.

 

“Why not? I think it’s a pretty cute thing to do with your significant other.”

 

I held one of the padlocks on the palm of my hand. It was lime green in colour. Turning it around, I silently read the note that was attached to it and grimaced. It was just too cheesy to be read aloud. “Well, what if your significant other isn’t the one who you will be together forever with? What’s the whole point of doing this whole love lock thing when most of the couples that do this haven’t even been together for like 5 or more years?”

 

“Now you’re just generalising all of the couples who came here, Soonkyu.” She stood up and went closer to me. “Who knows? Maybe some of them do last, while others don’t. That’s just life. You’ve gotta take your chances and try all of the opportunities that arrives on your doorstep. These padlocks could be the only hope that these couples are holding on to. To make their relationship last forever. There’s nothing wrong with having a little hope, right?” she tilted her head at me, waiting for a response.

 

I fiddled around with the lock still in my hand, feeling it. Trying to search for the love which was secured tightly in the small metallic object. “I guess you have a point there.” Turning to face Hyomin, my lips curved into a slight smirk. “You’re pretty deep aren’t you?”

 

“I’m just full of surprises,” she shrugged and pursed her lips.

 

“Wonder what else you’re hiding from me. Next thing I know, you’re some secret spy agent trying to save the world from an evil mastermind.” Before I knew it, a playful whack made contact with my shoulder.

 

“You watch too many movies.”

 

Once we’re finished making our rounds around the base, we then took the elevator up to the highest accessible point of the tower. As usual, there were quite a number of people up on the deck, local and foreign, even on a weekday wanting to do some sightseeing. The city landscape of Seoul was still as mesmerising as ever. The late afternoon sun shined brightly, making the view much more pleasurable to look at. Hyomin was like a fish out of water as she started clicking her way at her camera and adjusting the zoom on the lens to get the perfect shot. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought she was some crazed paparazzi snapping pictures at an imaginary celebrity.

 

“Easy on the photos, Hyomin,” I chuckled at her antics as I leaned on the handrails next to her. “What if your battery or memory runs out?”

 

“Don’t worry; I have another fully-charged one in my bag. And once I’ve taken enough, I’ll just scan through and trash out all the ones that aren’t nice enough.”

 

I watched her being in her element. She sure looked much happier now than how she was before. It made me feel warm inside observing her like this.

 

A number of photos taken later, she abruptly stopped; standing still as if a great idea just struck her. The photographer turned her head towards me, her eyes gleaming with certainty. I tilted my head at her in return. “Yes?”

 

“I was just wondering...” Hyomin fiddled the camera in her hands. “Do you want to take a selca together?”

 

This girl can be way too adorable sometimes.

 

“Of course. You think I will reject your request?”

 

Well that certainly brightened up her mood. With a confident stride, she went over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders while the other hand positioned the camera in front of us. Returning the half-hug with my hand around her waist, we stood closely to each other, getting ready to pose for the photo.

 

“You ready?” Hyomin asked, our cheeks barely touching with this close proximity we’re in.

 

I nodded, and on the count of three, Hyomin snapped a picture of us. Looking at the preview, it turned out pretty cutely; Hyomin smiling gleefully as she hugged me tightly while I did a peace sign and winked at the camera, the beautiful scenery of the city in the background added a nice touch.

 

“I’ll be keeping this in my precious memories,” my model friend looked at it appreciatively.

 

“Don’t forget to send me that, alright?”

 

“I will.”

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

We had an early dinner at a nearby restaurant which served the best kimchi stew and spicy rice cakes in town. The homey eatery had a moderate amount of patrons in it as it still wasn’t the dinner rush yet. After ordering our food, we patiently waited at a booth further in the back, casually chatting about the day’s event earlier. Once our dinner finally arrived, we dug into it, starving. We ate in relative silence mostly, with tads of random chit-chat here and there to fill in the void. Halfway through the meal, Hyomin’s phone rang. She flinched slightly at the sound and had a frustrated expression worn on her face. Placing her chopsticks down, she took out the phone from her bag and answered it.

 

I watched her converse with the person on the other end of the line.

 

“Hello? Yes, it’s me...Uh-huh...Tonight?” Her eyes then glanced up at me. Apprehensive. “Nobody else is available? Alright...I’ll be there.” She ended the call and heaved a heavy sigh.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“My manager called me. He said one of my colleagues isn’t around for a shoot later because she has the flu. It’s pretty important and the photographer desperately needs a replacement model. Normally, I would take these kinds of unexpected jobs but...”

 

“It’s okay.” I smiled reassuringly. “Your job is more important now. I mean, we already took a lot of pictures earlier and hanging out with you was fun. We can always plan another one next time.”

 

“...Alright then.” Grabbing her chopsticks, Hyomin went back to her food although a bit more de-energised after the phone call.

 

“Hey, don’t look so down. I had fun. Really.”

 

“Me too. I just wanted it to last the whole day.”

 

I leaned back on my seat, trying to think up of something to cheer her up. An idea sprang up in my mind. “Can I follow you to your photo shoot later?”

 

She immediately sat up straight, hovering her noodles in mid-air. “You want to?”

 

“If I’m allowed to be there, then yes, I want to go to your workplace.”

 

“But...You’ll just watch me pose for the camera. Isn’t that gonna be boring for you?”

 

“Nope, I don’t think it will be boring. Besides, I think I’ll enjoy watching you wear nice clothes and posing for the camera.” I said nonchalantly.

 

A slight blush appeared on her face after I said that. “Now you’re just flattering me, Soonkyu. I’m starting to think that you really enjoyed watching me at the beach the other time.”

 

“That was because of my friend who dragged me out there. I totally didn’t stalk you or- Yah! Stop laughing!” I blurted out when I realised that I was just being teased on.

 

“Sorry,” she apologised in between her giggles, “you’re just so fun to tease.”

 

I pouted and poked my inner cheek with my tongue. This girl...

 

“That’s cute.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“That.” She pointed at my face. Apparently, my tongue-in-cheek habit was cute to her.

 

“This? Sorry to say, but I only do this when I’m pissed.”

 

That remark got her into full-blown panic mode.

 

“Oh no, did I say something wrong? I’m so sorry!”

 

I couldn’t help but to be amused at her worrying over me being mad at her. “Chill out, Hyomin. I’m not THAT angry. I’m just trying to ruffle your feathers.”

 

“Don’t do that! Or else I won’t know if you’re really angry at me if I did something wrong,” she imitated my pout.

 

“Alright, alright,” I dismissed the topic. ” So, shall we finish up our meal and then head off to where you’re supposed to go?”

 

Hyomin relaxed at the mention of me following to her workplace and gave a sweet smile at me.

 

I’ll never get tired of seeing that.

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

The studio was bustling with camera crew, make-up artists, and other staff preparing for the shoot. Left and right, people were busy doing all sorts of tasks ranging from setting up the stage where Hyomin would model to testing the lightings around it. Entering the humongous warehouse studio was easier than I thought it would be. As an outsider, I thought that I wasn’t even allowed to set foot into the shoot. But thanks to Hyomin’s lenient manager, he managed to give an extra ‘Guest’ pass for me, on the condition that I was not allowed to record or take any photos of the shoot itself. Fair rules. Hyomin was delighted and dragged me by the hand into the place once I’ve put on the pass.

 

We stopped near where the front of the stage was set.  “Is it alright if you wait for me here? I’ll get this over with quickly.”

 

“Don’t rush. I’m fine waiting for you. Just do your thing and pretend I’m not here.”

 

“That’s going to be hard.”

 

I raised my brows, puzzled. “Why?”

 

“I’ve never actually let anyone I know outside from work see me model before.” She rubbed her thumbs along the base of my hands.

 

“So, you’re embarrassed?”

 

“No, just...nervous.”

 

“You’ve done this before for the past several months. What’s holding you back now?”

 

Before Hyomin could even utter a response, one of her personal make-up artists called for her from the entrance of the make-up room. “I’ve gotta go.” Releasing her grip on my hands, she gave me a weak smile before jogging over into the room by the sidelines. Was she worried that I might break her focus or something? I hope not. I didn’t want to bother her while she’s working. I thought of leaving the studio but that would be terribly rude and it might hurt Hyomin’s feelings if I suddenly disappeared without a trace.

 

Guess I just had to stick around for now.

 

For about half an hour, I wondered around the wide open studio, taking in the sights and politely smiling at the crew if they happened to lock eyes with mine. I waited by the set for a while until I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I was greeted by the sight of a familiar blonde woman who looked similar to my friend. Jessica Jung. Although now sporting a casual attire of a plain white collared shirt tucked into her slim-cut jeans and a pair of matching flats to complete her outfit. She still looked as breath-taking as how she was when I saw her at the beach. If Tiffany were in my shoes, I bet she would have a heart attack.

 

“Hi, I’ve never seen you before around here.” Glancing at the pass hung around my neck, she then added, “Are you observing the photo-shoot later?”

 

“Actually, I’m here for my friend, Hyomin.” I sheepishly scratched my head. “You’re Jessica Jung right?”

 

“Yes, I am. Hmm, first time I hear of Hyomin inviting someone over to a shoot before. She’s always been a shy one. But she’s a great girl.” Jessica warmly smiled. “What’s your name?”

 

“Lee Soonkyu. And yeah, she’s really quiet but once you get to know her, she’s like the quirkiest model I’ve ever met.”

 

“I should really see this quirky side of her one of these days,” the blonde let out a slight chuckle.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here? I thought this was only Hyomin’s shoot?”

 

“I finished up my job earlier and happened to be nearby. Heard she was working here so I decided to drop by and see how she’s doing.”

 

“I see,” I nodded my head, the conversation starting to turn a tad awkward. I rattled my brain to keep the conversation going though. “How long have you two been working together?”

 

“Technically, we don’t work together but sometimes there will be a shoot where we have to model with each other. I’ve known her a couple of months after her debut.”

 

“Is she good?”

 

“She has great potential. Just need a little more confidence, that’s all,” Jessica honestly said. Her eyes then darted towards the set behind me.”That girl can really make me a little jealous sometimes. I mean, look at that.”

 

Heeding her words, I turned back around and saw what has got to be an angel before my very eyes. She was wearing a white strapless dress, which fit her figure nicely yet not too tight until it was constrictive. Her hair was done perfectly, its long caramel locks cascading gently down her back. Light make-up was added to her complexion, bringing her beauty to shine completely. Those hazel orbs of hers locked with mine as she stood quite rigidly on the set, her hands clasped behind her back. She looked oddly demure and somewhat bashful like that.  She then darted her eyes away from mine, trying to focus on the photographer’s instructions.

 

“Strange. She’s not in her element today,” Jessica commented from behind me.

 

“What do you mean?” I asked, not taking my eyes off of her just yet.

 

“She seems a bit nervous, don’t you think?”

 

Observing Hyomin more carefully, she did seem a tad off-kilter as she listened to the man in front of her.  "Why would she be nervous? It's not like it's her first time doing this."

 

"Hmm...It might be something else that's causing her nervousness. Or someone." Jessica added.

 

"Someone? Me?" I whipped my head back towards her, furrowing my brows slightly.

 

"Why else would she be so jumpy? I've worked with her and I know she was only like this when she first started out modelling. You must have quite an effect on her." She curved her lips into a teasing smirk.

 

Her remark was flattering but I didn’t let it get to my head too much. Why would Hyomin be nervous because of me? I was just there to observe her doing her job, and she was perfectly fine about that decision. I returned my vision back to the set and saw that my model friend was about to start doing the photo-shoot. The head photographer ordered the crew to do a final check on all the equipments. Once that was done, he asked Hyomin to take position and started the process. Jessica and I both watched intently as the photographer busily snapped pictures of Hyomin in various poses. The nervousness which was evident before the shoot did not affect her in any way as she professionally did her job perfectly without any complaints. What the photographer wants, Hyomin would do. And she was good at it.

 

I exchanged comments with Jessica regarding the shoot before us like a pair of judges who happened to be at a fashion show.

 

“That’s a good pose from her.” I said.

 

“I’ve seen her done better.” Jessica remarked.

 

“What’s better?”

 

“Like that. That’s a better angle.” She pointed out.

 

“You’re right. It does look better.”

 

“You should see at her finest.”

 

“This isn’t her best?”

 

“Not by a mile. She’s still clearly holding herself back. She really must be nervous about you being here.”

 

“Then I guess I shall take my leave.” I turned away and took a step in the opposite direction.

 

“You get back here,” Jessica held my shoulder with a hand, not taking her eyes off the set. “Now look what you’ve done. You just made her falter a bit.”

 

I turned back around and didn’t notice anything strange. “What are you talking about? She’s doing fine.”

 

“I have a good eye when it comes to these things, Soonkyu. Even though she doesn’t look like it, she’s actually watching you in between her shots.”

 

Hearing that, it seemed kind of ridiculous. “No offence, but I find that hard to believe. She might have been looking at you all this time.”

 

The blonde chuckled at my statement, making me pout a bit. “See for yourself. Examine her closely. Look at her eyes after she’s done with a shot.”

 

I sighed and followed along with her advice. As I observed her more attentively, I did saw the spilt second in which she took a glance at our direction. Her eyes then met mine. And she broke the gaze before I could even realise that she stared at me.

 

Busted.

 

“Told you,” Jessica smirked.

 

"Damn, you have eyes of a hawk," I commented as I nonchalantly blushed after that short staring session before muttering quietly to myself. “I wonder if she saw us at the beach too that day.”

 

Not only did she had the eyesight, Jessica Jung had sharp ears too.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Oh, nothing!”

 

Good thing she wasn’t the persistent type, as she blinked bewilderedly at me and then returned her attention back at the model of the day. Seeing Jessica in the flesh right in front of me, she didn’t seem like the arrogant type judging by how she was interacting with me. Her appearances yelled ‘cold and snooty’ but that was all a lie. I considered telling Tiffany about meeting her model heartthrob. Boy, I was so going to get a hell of a torture if she found out.

 

The photo-shoot went on smoothly throughout the evening. Hyomin changed outfits at a total of three times during the whole shoot. When she went off to return to her normal clothing after a job well done and receiving a number of praises by the head photographer, Jessica and I checked out all of the photos taken on the computer screen nearby. All of them came out wonderfully, but the staff only needed a handful of the best for the publication of the next magazine issue. While the head photographer and his crew scrolled through the gallery to seek out the best photos, I had my own little discussion with Jessica regarding the whole shoot.

 

“So how do you find Hyomin after all that?” The blonde curiously asked.

 

“So far, I think she’s incredible. I mean, I can’t do what she did earlier so I’m pretty impressed.”

 

“You still have yet to see her at her best.”

 

“You’re still saying that?”

 

“Yes. Once you do, you’ll be in awe.”

 

Jessica sounded serious when she said that so matter-of-factly. “You’re very supportive of her. I’ve always thought this industry was very...competitive.”

 

I didn’t have the guts to say anything more. She noticed the implication of what I was trying to say and took a few seconds pause to contemplate before speaking her mind.

 

“I know what you’re getting at, and no, I’m not like those other models,” Jessica looked at me with a soft expression. “I genuinely care about her. She has something that no one else has and everyone who worked with her can sense it. She’s gaining more attention by magazine publishers and professional photographers at a fast rate. There are people keeping their eyes on her and some of them do have a sprouting of envy growing deep inside. The envy could grow into jealousy and I don’t want these kinds of people to meddle with her. As long as I’m around, I can at least safeguard her from them. This industry needs more people as pure as her.”

 

Her reasons struck a chord inside me. Jessica was such a good person and friend to Hyomin. It must have been tough for both of them to get through such a rough job industry. My level of respect for Jessica certainly soared high after she said all that. Hyomin was lucky to have such a caring colleague.

 

“You seem like a good friend to her,” Jessica added on with a sweet smile. “I can tell she’s very fond of you.”

 

“Well, I try.”

 

“Keep on trying and maybe it’ll turn out into something better.”

 

Before I could even attempt to say “What” at her previous statement, she nodded her head at the direction behind me. Our conversation topic had finally finished getting back into her normal clothes and was heading our way.

 

“Sorry, I’m late,” Hyomin sheepishly announced before facing towards the blonde. “Jessica, I thought you had a shoot today?”

 

“Finished early and heard that you’re here so I came to check out. Met your friend Soonkyu here too.”

 

Being between them, and I felt like I’m watching two sisters chatting with each other. They’re not related but they did have some similarities in their appearances at certain angles. After they had their small talk, Hyomin went to check on the photos at the crew’s computer. Jessica took this chance to say this to me.

 

“Take care of her, okay?” She placed a hand on my shoulder. “She’s sweet but she doesn’t seem to assert herself when it comes to being close with people.”

 

I remembered about the whole talk we had back at Hyomin’s house the other day as she said that. I put on the most reassuring smile I had and said, “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it all covered.”

 

“You seem pretty confident,” the blonde model smirked. “Alright then, she’s in safe hands. Guess I can take my leave now.”

 

“Leaving so soon? Why not leave together with us?” I offered.

 

“Got an early start tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep, lest I get those killer eye bags again,” she covered as a yawn came out. Jessica then called out to my model friend. “Hyomin, I’m going off now!”

 

“Eh?” Hyomin turned her head away from the computer screen. “But you just got here...”

 

“Schedules in the morning. I’ll see you when I see you.” The independent blonde waved goodbye and walked off towards the exit. Just as she took her first step, a sudden thought struck me and my legs had a mind of their own as I went after her.

 

“Jessica, wait!”

 

She stopped in her tracks and faced me again with a bewildered expression. “Something the matter?”

 

“Well uh...This might seem rather random but...could you autograph something for me?” I sheepishly asked out of the blue.

 

“My autograph? I didn’t know you’re a fan of me.”

 

“It’s not for me. It’s for someone else and she’s a really big fan of you.”

 

‘More like a big and creepy stalker fan of you,’ I silently thought to myself.

 

She chuckled slightly at my sudden request. “Alright, I’ll sign for this fan of mine. You got a marker and something to write on?”

 

I didn’t actually have any of those so I went off and asked one of the helpful crew members around. Eventually, we made do with a piece of pink postcard and Jessica was able to get to work.

 

“Who is it for?” Jessica asked as she pulled off the marker’s cap.

 

“A girl named Tiffany.”

 

Nodding her head, she signed the card flawlessly in her sophisticated and feminine handwriting, not forgetting to put a heart and a short, sweet message at the end. Tiffany might end up exploding into a pink puff of smoke filled with unicorns and rainbows when she gets her hands on this. I could almost see the utter bliss on her face as I imagined it. Once it was done, I bid farewell to Jessica and thanked her for the autograph.

 

Now time to get back to Hyomin and call it a day.

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

“You were great earlier.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, and stop being so worried about it. I saw those nervous glances you gave me.”

 

She bashfully giggled beside me. The train was semi-empty so we gratefully seated and relaxed in it as we waited for the train to arrive at our station.

 

“I was trying to be subtle, but I guess it didn’t work.”

 

“What’s there to be nervous about? You were in your element.”

 

Hyomin said nothing. Instead, she scooted nearer and gently placed her head on my shoulder. We shared a comfortable silence on the train. The only sounds being the rumbles of the train moving along the track. It had been a long day. We were both tuckered out and couldn’t wait to finally reach home.

 

“Let’s hang out again next time,” she whispered to me.

 

“Of course,” I agreed and placed my head on hers too.

 

And with that, we drifted off to a short slumber-land without a care in the world.

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

The two gluttons complained about the lack of edible food in the fridge again so back to the convenience store it was. As I entered the store, the hyperactive girl whom I wanted to see was thankfully in and doing her morning shift, bored to the point of oblivion. She brightened up at my arrival and apologised again about the crazy stuff that happened at the beach.

 

“I told you already that I’m okay with it, Tiffany,” I said as I indifferently perused the shelves for any delectable food that can satisfy my roommates’ stomachs. “How many times are you gonna apologise for that?”

 

“Until I’m absolutely sure that I’ve been forgiven by you.”

 

“You have been cleansed of your sins, my dear Tiffany. As long as you don’t drag me to one of your stalker quests again, I’m cool with it.”

 

The cashier girl heaved a sigh of relief. “Okay, deal. I won’t do that again.”

 

“Good, now help me scan all these,” I went up to the counter and placed all the groceries on it.

 

“As usual, your food budget is higher than the normal amount people usually have.”

 

“When you live with two roommates with a black hole for a stomach, this is pretty normal.”

 

Tiffany laughed loudly at my predicament as she scanned all the groceries and then packed them all into several plastic bags. After paying her, there was only one more thing on my to-do list.

 

“By the way Tiffany, this is for you.” I searched my pocket and took out an envelope.

 

“What’s that?” She asked in confusion as I gave it to her.

 

“Open it up and find out for yourself,” I nonchalantly told her. “Well, see you later.”

 

I left the convenience store before she could even have a chance to probe me more about the mysterious envelope. As I took the first few slow steps out from the store, I mentally counted in my head.

 

‘3...2...1...’

 

An utterly loud squeal (or was that a shriek?) of joy could be heard from inside the store.

 

That was time for me to head off towards home.

 

My job here was done.

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~