Time after Time

Her mother doesn’t ask her about school or her studies, and Ha Kyung has learned to bear it. But when she asks her if she’s ready for the college exams, obviously expecting results that would have her daughter studying at Seoul University, panic grips Ha Kyung along with a large dose of Claustrophobia and she needs escape.

Her first idea is calling Kang Joo and going for hotdogs while she tries to forget the pressure she feels for a few hours, but Kang Joo is out of town for the weekend and her panic heightens.

She needs out and dials the number without much thought. It’s only when she hears the ring-back that she wonders what excuse she'll use when he answers. It automatically comes to her when he picks up; she needs a shuttle and she's not in the mood to wait long so he should hurry.

She hears a disbelieving chuckle before she hangs up; not wanting to hear whatever was at the end of that chuckle.

Only a small part of her thinks he'll show.

Fifteen minutes or so later he's pulling up beside her, and she tries to ignore the overwhelming relief that fills her at his arrival.

“Well get on princess,” he teases handing her a helmet, which bothers her. The teasing was common place; the contemplative look is what she doesn’t like. It implies he knows her well enough to know something is wrong. He further confirms it when he asks, “Are you okay?” as she settles behind him.

It makes her stall for a moment before she regains her sense, “Just go.” The haughty dismissal rings false even to her ears, but he's smart enough not to question it.

“Hold on,” he instructs and she follows without question, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting against his back.

She pretends she hasn’t missed it at all.
 

She doesn’t give him any directions and he doesn’t ask. Instead she relaxes in the moment and lets the hum of the scooter and the warmth of his back lulls her into a light dose. She hears him ask where she want to go at a red light, but she feigns sleep–she has nowhere to go and home is where she has just escaped.

She's still asleep when he finally pulls to a halt and shuts the engine.

“Yah Song Ha Kyung, get up.”

She probably should but she adamantly continues to 'sleep' even when he tries to rouse her with a light shake. Eventually he gives up and pulls her off the bike and carries her off somewhere. She should be worried that a boy is carrying her off somewhere in the middle of the night, because despite herself she trusts him, and instead finds herself cozying up to his warmth.

“Yah bastard just where did you go earlier?” It’s Heung Soo and it’s enough to make her stiffen and almost gives her away, but she manages to relax herself almost immediately. She trusts him. It’s stupid and risky being with two boys, yet she foolishly trusts him enough to know he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. “Wait, is that Song? Have you lost your mind punk?”

“She fell asleep was I suppose to leave her in the street?” Nam Soon argues.

“And how were you with Song? Weren’t you doing a delivery?” the suspicion in his voice is clear, and he proves to not be as stupid as his grades suggest. “It was her, wasn’t it?” Heung Soo exasperates she can almost picture his annoyance. “You know your fool, right?”

“Just shut up or you’ll wake her?”

“Now I have to worry about waking the princess up? Aish this punk,” his voice trails off, and she figures Nam Soon has left him in another part of the house.

He’s gentle when he lays her down on the sleeping mat and careful in removing her shoes and jacket in an effort not to stir her.

He even goes as far as tucking her in, and it’s embarrassing how much she fights to keep from sighing. She expects him to leave without a word but he's still there and she wonders if she's been caught and mentally arms herself with a cutting remark should he question or mock her. But after a bated breath the only thing she can do is force her eyes to remain shut as she feels the gentle caress of his roughened knuckles caress the side of her face.

Her heart is racing and she fights a shiver, along with that overwhelming urge to open her eyes. How is he looking at her as he touches her so gently? Is it with the soft eyes she stupidly hopes he sees her through? She's curious and it’s driving her crazy not to know because she's meant to be fast asleep. In a moment of insanity, she resolves to drop the act and pretend to wake and catch him, but in that same moment he stops with a sigh and leaves. His footfalls are quiet like a thief's in the night trying hard not to wake her. 

She holds still and now screws her eyes tightly shut, because if they open she knows it will be to tears falling. It’s foolish enough that she feels such loss without him near, but a silly tear escapes her shut eyes.

Why can’t the stupid fool be bolder when she can see than in the night where she can’t? Aish, she was going crazy.