"So, have you decided what you're going to do with Jongin, Yue?" Anna asked casually, while trying to get across the fact that she is also serious. Yue glanced at her best friend over the edge of the book she was reading, "Why are you asking me this?" Anna shrugged like she's uninterested, "You know, just... wondering." 

Yue smiled. Her best friend is always like this, acting uninterested even though the question is killing her inside, slowly. "I'm not too sure... I mean, he's a nice guy but don't you think it's too fast?" 

"But he's serious about you!" Anne protested, "Can't you see?!" 

"Well," Yue sighed, "everyone is serious at the start of the relationship, Anna. You know that a bit too well." Anna went quiet. She, as Yue's bestfriend, knew how Yue's previous relationship fell apart. She was also the one who consoled the frail girl who refused to eat or even get out of the house, with the stress of the trauma and collapse of self-confidence crippling her. It took Yue two weeks to get back up on her feet, at the expense of a dramatic 7kg weightloss, surprising everyone who met her afterwards, for she was stick-thin. 

"I don't know, Anna. I will see." Yue replied as she flipped over the page of the book she was reading.

~~~

[Boss] Miss Wang. Are you free this weekend? 

[Kim Jongin] Yue, would you be free enough this weekend? 

The two messages landed into her mobile at the same time, confusing her in the process with the same content that both messages hold. She was surprised at the message and replied with a ambiguous message, asking them about what is the motive behind the message.

[Boss] We have to go and meet a partner who flew into Shanghai yesterday, for an informal meeting on Sunday. As usual, I need you. 

[Kim Jongin] I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me on Saturday. 

Yue smiled and agreed to both of the messages. After she clicked 'send' on her mobile, she huffed out 'This weekend is going to be hectic.' 

~~~

"Yue!" Jongin's face lit up as he saw her approaching him, "you look very pretty today!" Yue smiled and thanked him. "Shall we get going?" he gestured and reached for her arm to link with his. She looked at him with a surprised face for his bold looks, which Jongin responded her with a cheeky grin, showing his boyish youthful charm along with the grin. 

It was apparent that Jongin planned carefully for the date. He decided that they go for a date on a riverbank, where they spent the whole day walking along the riverbank, eating tidbits they see at random stall on the riverbank, talk about random trivial things while they look at passerby who were at the river bank for a jog. It was a lovely day well spent.  

"Yue," he faced her as the day drew to a close, "would you be upset if I ask you to have dinner with me at a not so fancy restaurant?" Yue looked at him with wide eyes, "No, of course not," she frantically waved her hand, "What do you think I am? A princess?" Jongin laughed at her question and he nodded. She hit his shoulder playfully as he nodded at the word 'princess'. "I am not a princess, Jongin" He chucked, "well, don't try to distort a person's own belief," causing both of them to laugh away happily. Both of them kept walking until they came to a stop in front of a little chicken BBQ restaurant on a roadside. 

She giggled, "this is what you mean by not so fancy restaurant?" He smiled sheepishly, "Yes." 

"I love it! I love roadside dining!" she replied excitedly as she glanced into the bustling store. He held her hands and tugged her into the restaurant, "This is my favourite restaurant!" he explained, "If you must know, I really love chicken," he talked about himself so factually. She crinkled her nose, "Right. Chicken it is!" 

Yue has always loved roadside dining. To her, best tastes of a city lie, not in the top Michelin-starred restaurants in high-rise building but at the streetfood stalls. The food from expensive restaurants taste spectacular but it does not represent the taste that the general public enjoy, but much rather the top 5% of the city's population. Even though some of the road-side stores are hygienically challenged, but those which are not offer a wonderful authentic taste she enjoys, especially family-run stalls. Throughout her highschool and university, she had spent days going to one street stall after another, trying one food the next, hopping from a savoury snack store to a sweet ice lollipop stall. The choices are limitless and the fun, endless, as can can happily chat away with friends, without an ounce of pretention. 

Both Yue and Jongin enjoyed a dinner on the roadside store; consisting of BBQ chicken skewers, grilled vegetables, and soft drinks. She suggested Jongin chould drink if he'd like, but he declined insisting that he doesn't want to be rude when he is only dining with a girl. They both walked home before they parted for the night. 

"We're here," Yue announced as they both arrived in front of her apartment block, "Thank you for sending me off, Jongin." She turned to leave for the entrance when Jongin gently tug her hand. "Yue," he called out, "I..." 

She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips, wondering what Jongin would say next. He smiled gently, "I really hope you would go out with me seriously in the future. I sincerely do," he hugged her all of a sudden, leaving her unprepared and surprised while being hugged stiffly and awkwardly. She patted his back, "I will. Jongin. I will. Just give me a bit of time." 

~~~