Old Mr. Shim looked at Hye Ra, and chuckled quietly. Even though she was trying to play it smart, it wasn’t surely good enough to escape Mr. Shim’s eyes, which had been seeing the little girl glance secretly at his son for more than ten years then.

It was one of the monthly dinners the Shim and Kang family had every month. Every second Sunday of the month, Mr. Shim and Mr. Kang would arrange a grand dinner at their own places and would spend the evening together. However, these gatherings were merely important for Hye Ra and Mr. Shim’s only son, Changmin to maintain regular contact. After all, the both worked under the same company and Hye Ra worked under Changmin’s supervision!

Mr. Shim sat back after having taken a bite of his sushi, and thought of the lovelorn girl who sat opposite to his son. As wise as he was, he could tell for sure that she must have tried a thousand times by then in an hour to have done something to garner his attention. Changmin was eating his dinner without glancing at anyone around him, and he kept on devouring whatever he found in from of him unless it was already preserved for someone else, to which he would inconspicuously pout. And how adorable Hye Ra found that!

Hye Ra sipped on her soup and Changmin looked up at her, which gave her such a fit that the soup rose to her nose and she coughed hysterically. Mrs. Shim who was sitting by her son, asked Sooyeon, Changmin’s younger sister, to get her a glass of water, which by then was empty already.

Changmin swayed the grinded meat from his gum by his tongue whilst saying with concern, “Hye Ra, are you okay?”

She nodded hesitantly as she grabbed the glass with both hands and drank the water quietly, her eyes red and watering.

Changmin noticed her pitiful condition, and took out his handkerchief and held it out to her. She took it with trembling hands and bowed slightly saying, “Kamsahabnida, oppa.”

Too formal, right? And why wouldn’t it be?

Twelve years back from then Mr. Kang had moved in a house opposite to Mr. Shim’s, which led to the discovery of two best friends who had no contact for twenty years then. Mr. Shim was transferred to a different school when he got Mrs. Shim pregnant at 17. And at the age of 37, the both found their own dissolved youth in each other. By then, Changmin was already 20, Changmin’s younger sister 15, and Hye Ra... 10! So, yes the first reason of such a formality was their , which was fairly large for any friendship to evolve simply. The second reason; she worked under him, like DUH! Third reason, the moment Hye Ra saw Changmin she was stunned. He was tall, had rich tan skin, slightly long dyed hair, and a very charming smile. The smile which she saw at times only when he would ease from an irrepressible laughter. And when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she found herself too simple for him, to plain for him, for SHIM CHANGMIN. Fourth reason; he found her once in a bar just she had entered her high school and he dragged her out of the bar by her ear. She was drunk, and at that state she vaguely remembered then saying such things which made him slap her, shake her hard, and tell her to get a grip on herself. The latter day, he came to visit her just after she had had breakfast, and told her that she needs to choose good friends if she wants to have a better future. Again, he was the reason Hye Ra wasn’t punished and forgiven that easily to have gotten breakfast and supplements for hangover. Fifth reason... well let that remain a secret for now. But yes a hint; GUILT.

So yeah, all these reasons kept Hye Ra aloof from Changmin. Also she got shy around him, and still felt awkward when she thought about Changmin’s reaction when he had found out that he was to take in her as an intern under his guidance. Them terrible moments...!

After they had finished their dinne