"We've been considering the remodeling of this part of the mall," an executive gestured towards a part of the huge department store.

      "For what purpose? The space is big enough and customers seems to like the unique architecture of this section," Yonghwa argued, "I feel its best to keep it the way it is." 

      "I understand," the executive bowed down his head.

      Once the tour was over, Yonghwa stepped into the men's restroom with casual clothes to change into. He entered a stall and heard the footsteps of more men coming in.

      "I don't get it," said one voice, "He's in high school. I'm talking about high school, and he's able to judge whether the prepositions we make are good or bad. I feel that this system is unfair!"

      "His father is the main boss," a second voice interjected, "And also, the kid is a genius. You can't say he got the position he has only because of connections. The boy is capable."

      "Still," the first man snorted, "He should learn some manners; he can't just shoot down things he doesn't take a liking too. I for one, think that weird architecture is disgusting."

      "Come on, man," the second man laughed, "Let's get out of here."

      Once the two executives had left, Yonghwa exited the stall wearing a sweatshirt and basketball shorts. He walked over to the sink and let the water run.

      He was used to it. Trash talk? It was nothing. Being in the company he was in, being the son of his father, it was inevitable in receiving some backlash. Yonghwa ran his hands over his face with water and heaved a deep sigh.

      His phone suddenly rang, and Yonghwa picked up.

      "Yes, this is Jung Yonghwa. Who's speaking?"

      "Son! It's your mother! I just wanted to tell you that your father wants you to come home now. There's a big thing going on right now and we need all of the household to be present!" Yonghwa's mother spoke urgently, "I mean it!" 

      And without another word, she hung up.

      Yonghwa threw his head back with his hands in the pockets of his suit.

      "Why?" he groaned to himself. 

      He walked out of the bathroom and saw that the executives had been waiting for him. With a wave of his head, their duties were dismissed. As he turned around to walk out of the mall, he could hear two familiar voices.

      "Wait, he was in the bathroom the whole time?" 

      "Crap! He heard us then!"

      "Us? You mean me!"

      Yonghwa couldn't help but smile. 

      As he exited the mall, his chaffeur was waiting outside, holding the limousine door open.

      "I'm alright," Yonghwa declined, "Please, go on home without me. I'll be taking the public bus."

      "Sir, your mother---"

      Yonghwa cut the driver off.

      "I'm going to go home, but just a different way," he insisted.

      The chaffeur gave in and drove the limo off.

      Yonghwa checked the maps on his phone. It was a 10 minute walk to the closest bus stop. 

      During his little journey, Yonghwa ran through his day.

      He had woken up, ate breakfast, left the house without a word, carried about the company tasks, went on the daily tour, and...that girl. Choi Seohyun. She seemed funny. Yonghwa could tell she was a bit weird and awkward around other people. Why of all people was she friends with Jessica? Jessica was the polar opposite of her.

      "Interesting," Yonghwa murmured to himself and found that he had reached the bus stop. He sauntered over the bus bench, but he realized he was not alone. 

      Life was ironic. Choi Seohyun was waiting there too. 

      She had a shopping bag next to her and was checking her SNS. As Yonghwa walked over, she looked up. 

      "Oh!" she was surprised, "Jung Yong---"

      "Hi," Yonghwa said curtly.

      "Hi..." Seohyun greeted shyly.

      Nobody spoke for about fifteen minutes. The awkward silence was too much for Seohyun to bear.

      "So, what school do you attend?" she suddenly asked.

      Yonghwa was taken aback that Seohyun was trying to make conversation.

      "What...school do you go to?" she repeated.

      But before he could reply, the bus arrived with a loud screech of the brakes.

      Still, he opened his mouth to answer, but Seohyun got a hold of her bags and walked into the bus.

      Yonghwa gave up and followed her inside.

      The bus was crowded and Seohyun had taken the last seat. Yonghwa searched for a strap to hang onto, when the bus driver yelled,.

      "Young man! I've got a schedule to follow! Hurry up!" 

      Embarrassed, but not showing it with his stern expression, Yonghwa quickly grabbed the first strap he set sight on, without realizing it was right in front of Seohyun. He looked down and saw that Seohyun was putting in her ear phones to listen to music. She hadn't even noticed him.

      Yonghwa watched in slight interest as Seohyun tried to keep her eyes open on the bus. Whenever there was a bump in the road, her eyes got big. Yonghwa found this amusing. Eventually, Seohyun fell asleep, ceasing his entertainment, and a good ten minutes passed just like that.

      "Don't worry," the grandmother next to Seohyun whispered to him, "She's fine! You don't have to watch your lover so seriously like that!"    

      Yonghwa lifted his eyebrows and pointed to himself.

      "Me?" 

      "Yes, you!" the grandmother chuckled, "Who else? You've been staring at her the whole ride."

      "Her?" Yonghwa tried to correct the grandmother, "She's not my girlfriend."

      "Oh, you don't have to be shy about it," she teased.

      Seohyun slowly opened her eyes and Yonghwa grew nervous. Seohyun looked outside the window and the grandmother was about to comment, when Seohyun asked the bus driver to stop here.

      "Excuse me," Seohyun gently pushed against Yonghwa without realizing it was him.

      She quickly ran off the bus, leaving Yonghwa and the grandmother alone.

      "Oh, I guess I was wrong," the grandmother sounded disappointed.

      Yonghwa looked at the bus window and saw Seohyun walking. Her figure was gradually disappearing as the bus began to make a left turn to go into the main road again. 

      "I was pretty sure..." the grandmother mumbled to herself, making sure to speak loud enough for Yonghwa to hear, "I was pretty sure..."

      Yonghwa didn't know what came over him, but he got the feeling that he was doing something wrong.

      Yonghwa beat his chest with his fist. He felt suffocated.

      "I was pretty sure..." the grandmother eyed Yonghwa, "I was pretty sure..."

      "Okay!" Yonghwa gave in and found himself running over to the bus driver and asking him to stop.

      "Why didn't you get off before?" the driver was clearly annoyed.

      "I don't even know why I'm getting off now," Yonghwa said to himself.

      "What?" the bus driver snapped, but Yonghwa was already outside, sprinting towards where Seohyun had gotten off. 

       He passed through the streets, not even knowing why he was making such an effort to go find her. Finally, he saw that she was walking up the stairs to an apartment complex. 

      "Yah, Choi Seohyun!" he shouted, trying to catch his breath as he fell to his knees.

      Seohyun turned around.

      "Jung...Yonghwa? What are you doing---"

      "Jungsan Highschool," Yonghwa blurted out. 

      "What..."

      "You asked---what highschool I go...to," Yonghwa panted.

      "What highschool---" but Seohyun couldn't finish her sentence. 

      "Can you get me water?" Yonghwa was so out of breath. 

      

      Seohyun helped Yonghwa walk up the stairs to her apartment. This was a bad idea. Her parents, especially her father, were going to freak out.

      "Sorry," Yonghwa apologized, "I run out of breath easily. Not very athletic."

      Seohyun was still in shock. This was a completely different image from the Jung Yonghwa that she had witnessed earlier. She supposed at his or her weakest state, everyone was exposed.

      She slowly brought her finger up to ring the bell, when the door was opened from the other side.

      "Choi Seohyun!" 

      Seohyun and Yonghwa looked up at the same time to the person who had opened the front door. 

      It was father.

      

      The four of them---Seohyun, Yonghwa, and her parents--- were seated at the dining table. 

      "Will you please explain what you are doing with my daughter at this time of the day?" Seohyun's father demanded.

      Seohyun couldn't stand this. She buried her face in her hands out of humiliation. 

      Yonghwa gulped. 

      "We have a mutual friend," Yonghwa started to speak, when Seohyun's mothers scurried over with apple slices on a large platter.

      "Please, help yourself," she grinned as she took a seat next to her grim husband.

      "Dad," Seohyun pleaded, "Can you please stop? This is all a coincidence."

      "You're beginning to stay out later and later, and I see that you've been spending time with these...friends of yours," her father spoke sharply, "And I can't say I approve of your friend here."

      "We were on the same bus, and he asked for water," Seohyun tried to explain.

      "Water?" her father was suspicious, "What kind of pitiful excuse it that? I know boys like you who just want to---"

      "Seohyun, take this young man upstairs," Seohyun's mother interrupted.

      "Upstairs?" her father went beserk, "No way!" 

      Seohyun grabbed Yonghwa's arm as her mother managed her father.

      Once in Seohyun's room, Yonghwa sat comfortably on her bed. He looked around. It was a simple, typical girl's bedroom. 

      "...Sorry," Seohyun said quietly as she organized a few things, "You came at the wrong time."

      "No, I'm the one who didn't know what he was doing," Yonghwa persisted, "I should leave."

      "I'll get you that water first," Seohyun stated.

      "It's fine---" but Seohyun had already left.

      Yonghwa swung his legs gently to and fro, when his foot kicked something. Curious, he bent down to see what was under her bed. He reached his arm under and grabbed a small container. He pulled his hand towards him.

      "What the..." Yonghwa was flabbergasted.

      Yes, just as Seohyun had said, Yonghwa had come at the wrong time, because at that moment, Seohyun's father opened her bedroom door.