Though everyone loved Min Joohyun because of her bright and cheerful personality, she wasn’t perfect. Joohyun was also ambitious and sometimes aggressive. That’s not to say in the least that being ambitious and aggressive is bad, but it is, however, not always a good thing. Having ambitions and aggressively trying to achieve them could be a bad thing for others who have the same qualities. For Joohyun, that was her downfall.

            All of Min Joohyun’s life, she has never strayed from water. From when she could start walking, she began swimming, and it has stayed a passion of hers. Joohyun went to college just to study and major in athletic training so she would still be able to stay close to water. She dreamed of one day having her own swim team, whom she could coach. Joohyun was almost there – making it to be a coach – but she was gone before her dream could be realized.

            Joohyun started out as a lifeguard – they all do. She started as a lifeguard the same day as Jang Ahmi, the only girl who couldn’t stand the sight, or thought of Min Joohyun. She couldn’t stand that Joohyun wanted the same things she did, and she couldn’t stand that she always felt like Joohyun belittled her, or underestimated her abilities. It was a fact that Joohyun was always a little better than her every time they were given a task. Since the day they started working together, Jang Ahmi had already begun to hate Min Joohyun with an unreasonably large passion.

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            Every morning, Min Joohyun woke up at 5:30 AM – just a littler earlier than Chanyeol, so she could make him breakfast. Chanyeol would then wake up at 6 o’clock, eat breakfast, then leave the house by 7 o’clock. After he left, she would immediately begin making his lunch for him, so she could bring it to him at his café, which was only a couple blocks down the road. When she finished making Chanyeol’s lunch, she either sat around and read a book, surfed the net, or whatever to pass the time. Though she was alone – and she knew she was alone – she always had this feeling like she was being watched, but she never thought much about it because that’s just how she normally was – paranoid.

            After Joohyun brought Chanyeol his lunch, which she either sat through and ate with him, or she just dropped his lunch off, and went straight to work at the community pool. Joohyun was a lifeguard for the first six months that she worked at the pool, and was eventually promoted to being one of the swim instructors. The competition to becoming a coach was tough, and everyone knew that. Joohyun knew that she had to better herself if she really wanted it, and she did. Every day after her shift ended, she would practice on her own; exercising, swimming, and improving her swimming techniques, even when everyone else left, she would stay after and lock up by herself. Though she stayed after, she would always make sure to be home by 7 o’clock so she could get dinner ready for her and Chanyeol. That was her routine every weekday. Her weekends were not at all similar because she never had work on Saturdays and Sundays, but they didn’t differ all that much, except the fact that she could go in and swim on her own because the pool wasn’t open on the weekends.

            Joohyun followed that routine every day, and she never got tired. She loved Chanyeol with every bit of her because he was perfect the way he was. The way he supported her no matter what she wanted to do. The way he woke up in the morning to the sound of her voice. The way they spoke to each other before they went to bed, talking about their day, and their hopes and dreams. She could have done it for the rest of her life. The only question she was wondering was: when was he going to ask her to marry him?

            At work, Joohyun was doing completely fine. She did all her work correctly and even above ordinary, while others watched her in awe. Joohyun was oblivious to those who only watched her because she was so focused on herself and improving herself because she knew what she wanted. What she didn’t know was how much hate she was getting from a fellow coworker who came to despise her from the get-go.

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            “No, I hate it! I’m serious!” Soeun laughed as Chanyeol walked her back home after their fourth date. “I can’t take the mess. Every time something spills, I clean it up right away. Every time I use a dish or utensil, even if it’s just one, I wash it right away.”

            “I can take the mess. If something spills, I’ll clean it up, but if I use just one dish or one utensil, I’d probably just leave it in the sink until it fills up.” Chanyeol explained humorously. There was something about Soeun that he couldn’t just leave alone. She was everything that Joohyun wasn’t, and that was probably why he was attracted to her, but he couldn’t figure out why he felt such a close connection to someone who was so different from someone who seemed so perfect to him.

            It was hard to admit, but to Chanyeol, Soeun also seemed so perfect in her own way. She was nothing like Joohyun, and Chanyeol was probably scared of that. He was scared that if Soeun was like Joohyun, he would be constantly comparing them, but even now, when he saw how different they were, he was still comparing them. It was in a good way though, right?

            Everything Chanyeol saw in Joohyun couldn’t be seen in Soeun, and he was okay with that. He was more than okay with that, seeing as how he liked both of them in their own way. He loved Joohyun, and he liked Soeun – that, he figured out. He also realized on his own that he liked her for her, and not because she was like a backbone to him. Yes, it was true that she was the one who did indeed help him get back up on his two feet, but he liked her because of that, not because she was the one who did. Chanyeol could now tell the difference between needing someone and wanting someone. In this case, he wanted her.

            “Thanks for walking me home, Chanyeol.” Soeun smiled as she looked up at him.

            “No problem – actually… I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but do you want to maybe…come up to my apartment? For some tea?” Chanyeol proposed.

            “Hm… It depends what kind of tea.” Soeun teased as she pretended to think.

            “I don’t mean to brag, but I do have a variety of teas.” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow.

            “Well, I don’t know.” Soeun joked.

            “I can walk you back to your apartment. I just don’t want to end the night like this.”

            “How do you want to end it then?” Soeun asked, suddenly a bit more curious.

            “By spending more time with you.” He said straightforwardly, which made Soeun want to go over all the more. She had been dreaming of this day since the first time she decided that she wanted him for herself.

            “Okay.” Soeun smiled.

            “Okay?” Chanyeol grinned and slid his hand down her arm and held her hand, while pulling her toward his building.

            The layout of the Chanyeol’s apartment building was exactly the same as Soeun’s – she could have guessed that. They were right across from each other, after all. There was nothing different. Everything was exactly the same – as it should have been. It felt weird to Soeun that though she was in a different building, she was going the same direction she would as if she was going to her own apartment.

            “Here we are.”  Chanyeol said as he punched in a series of numbers and the sound of the door unlocking clicked open.

            Instead of walking in first, Chanyeol held the door open as he watched Soeun awkwardly and cutely walk inside. Soeun had no idea what she was doing when she went inside. She didn’t know what to think or how to feel, now that she finally made it across the way into the apartment she had been looking into for the past couple years.

            “Wow.” Was all Soeun could say because all her emotions were overwhelming her.

            “What, my place?” Chanyeol scoffed. “It’s not that fancy.”

            “It’s nice. It feels like home.” Soeun said as she looked around into the hallways that she knew too well because the apartment was in the exact same layout as hers.

            “Does it?” Chanyeol asked as he walked over to the kitchen and gestured for Soeun to take a seat on one of the stools at his kitchen island. “Come sit over here.”

            “Well – my place is right there.” As Soeun pointed out the window and looked across the way to her place, it felt even weirder. It felt so odd to be the one looking across the way to her own apartment. It now felt like she wasn’t the odd one out. It now felt like she wasn’t the storyteller, but one of the characters. She was in the movie, rather than narrating it. “My place is exactly the same as yours. The same hallway,” Soeun pointed down the one hallway, “Same bathroom,” She pointed to the bathroom, “And same living and kitchen space.”

            “Oh, right! That’s right! I guess it would make sense that our apartments are the same.” Chanyeol laughed as he pulled out all the teas he had.

            “That’s a lot of tea.” Soeun laughed. Chanyeol wasn’t joking when he said he had a variety of tea that she could choose from.

            “Which one would you like?” Chanyeol presented them to her.

            “I’ll have the…pomegranate!” Soeun pointed once she saw the pomegranate-flavored tea.

            “Coming right up!” He turned around and grabbed the box and began brewing the tea. Instead of brewing a different tea for himself, he brewed enough for him and Soeun because he also favored the pomegranate tea

            As Soeun waited for Chanyeol to finish, she observed the apartment. It was surreal to be in there because she had only ever observed from afar. Soeun already made it this far already – how much farther would she – could she go? She was able to befriend him in an absurdly short amount of time, though that was probably because he was vulnerable, and she knew that.

            “Here you go!” Chanyeol excitedly slid a warm mug to Soeun from across the island.

            “Thank you.” Soeun smiled.

            “You’re welcome. Seriously – any time.” Chanyeol insisted.

            They both drank their tea and talked about what they did most of the time – everything. The “everything” that they talked about today consisted of their apartment complexes, work, life, and most importantly, how they felt.

            “Soeun…” Chanyeol called out before taking a sip of his tea.

            “Yeah?” She looked up at him curiously.

            “Even though it hasn’t been that long since I lost somebody extremely close to me – a month and a half, to be precise – I want to say this now, because I don’t want to regret anything anymore. Last time I waited to say something, I never got the chance. So…”

            “What is it? You’re making me anxious.” Soeun chuckled nervously.

            “I’ve come to my own realization that I like you.” Chanyeol stated. When he looked at Soeun who stayed silent, he continued. “I don’t simply like you because you were the only one there when I was down, but because you were there – you’re here – now that I’m up. You’re the one who helped me up, actually. I don’t know if you know that or not, but that’s how I feel.” He gulped.

            “Park Chanyeol…” Soeun looked at Chanyeol with pure sincerity and gratitude.

            “I know, right? It seems kind of fast, right? Did I go too fast? Did I fall to fast? I don’t know anymore. All I know is that you are nothing like how I thought you would be. Every time I assume something about you, you turn right around and surprise me – pleasantly surprise me, of course. I find all these things about you so interesting and I just wonder how you seem to be so…ideal when I thought that I had already found an ideal person.” Chanyeol gulped again. Tears brimmed Soeun’s eyes as she watched Chanyeol explain his feelings in a fluster.

            “I like you, too.” The words left Soeun’s lips as soft as a whisper, but as loud as thunder.

            “You…do?” Chanyeol looked up at Soeun again.

            “Yes, you idiot! Why do you think I asked you out on a date in the first place?” A tear rolled down Soeun’s left cheek.

            “Well you never actually said it. But you’re right.” Chanyeol chuckled to himself as he wiped away Soeun’s tear. “Why’re you crying?”

            “I never thought – in a million years – that you would say it.” Soeun confessed.

            “I like you, Cha Soeun.” Chanyeol said even softer this time as he moved his face closer to hers from across the island.

            “I like you more, Park Chanyeol.” Soeun whispered. She could feel her heartbeat suddenly begin to race as Chanyeol quickly pressed his lips against hers. The sensation of her one true love kissing her made her dizzy. The fire in her heart was ablaze and her blood boiled so hot, she felt as if she’d melt right then and there.

            Though it was bold of Chanyeol to do this, he couldn’t help it. He had to tell her before it was too late – he at least wanted the chance to tell her. It was obvious that he didn’t love her – yet. They had only known each other for a little over two months now, and though he still liked Soeun, he still wasn’t healed of Joohyun yet. It was probably safe to say that even though Joohyun was gone, she would always be a part of Chanyeol – and that, he couldn’t change. He would always love her, but right now, the one in front of him was Cha Soeun, the one who was making his heart beat so fast for.

            When they broke apart, they were both silent and breathless. How could someone possibly make Cha Soeun feel that way? How could anyone possibly make Cha Soeun feel so crazy? How could anyone make her feel like she did now? No one person had ever made her go out of her way to speak to them, to make someone look at her, to make someone feel for her what she felt for them. When Soeun looked up at Chanyeol, she began to tear up again. That was the exact way that she wanted Chanyeol to look at her for the longest time. That was the way she had yearned for someone as perfect as Chanyeol to notice and accept.

            Chanyeol broke the silence first nervously chuckling, and again, wiping away Soeun’s tears.

            “Why’re you crying now?” He asked.

            “I never thought you’d do that.”

            “Do what?”

            “Look at me that way.”

            “What way?” Chanyeol asked, confused.

            “I don’t know how to explain it, but – I think I should go home now. I am in a mess of emotions, and –“ Soeun began to change the subject when she realized that she may have just said a bit too much.

            “I’ll walk you home.” Chanyeol insisted before she could finish.

            “Okay.”

            Chanyeol walked Soeun home in silence. The silence wasn’t awkward, though. Rather, it was peaceful. Soeun felt secure for the first time in a long time, and Chanyeol felt reassured and complete. He had finally taken the chance when he had one, and knew that he wouldn’t have the chance to regret anything. It felt fulfilling to be able to take a chance.

            “Thanks. Here’s fine.” Soeun said as they reached the automatic glass doors.

            “I’ll see you tomorrow?” Chanyeol asked, raising both eyebrows in hope.

            “Of course.” Soeun grinned.

            “Okay.” Chanyeol pecked Soeun’s lips before quickly turning around. “Bye!” He shouted back as he ran away. Soeun stood there for another minute, trying to comprehend what just happened, before finally turning around and going back to her apartment.

            When she got into her apartment, she the lights, and went directly to the living room window where Chanyeol waited for her with a grin. When he waved to her, she waved back, and before long, they both closed the blinds and went to sleep with a lighter heart than yesterday.