When you parted ways that night, Taekwoon asked you shyly if you could meet him tomorrow after lunch at the coffee shop. You gladly accepted his invitation and saw a smile creep into his face in response. He then kissed you goodnight and watched you climb the stairs to your room.

 

That night and as you lay in your bed, your whole being was tingling. You hugged your pillow and stared at the ceiling, taking in a deep breath. You had the biggest grin on your face. You could almost remember his scent, his soft voice, and the warmth of lips on yours. The memory of the kiss shivered through you and the tenderness of it beat within your heart. You tightened your hold around your pillow and closed your eyes. His image greeted you as soon as you did and you fell asleep while thinking of nothing but him.

 

The following day, you left work an hour early so you can go home and change before meeting Taekwoon. You picked up one of your favorite outfits for the date, put it on and left the house after telling Nana you were going out to meet some friends. She was delighted to see you go back to your normal life after what happened, and she was happy that you found yourself some friends to hang out with after work. 

 

You wanted to tell her about your new relationship, you wanted to tell her that Taekwoon is the new friend, but you were scared. You knew she loved you, and she loved him too but you doubted that she'd be pleased about the two of you being together. You got in the car and asked the driver to drop you in front of the coffee shop with the intention of telling her about him, just not now.

 

The coffee shop was slowly turning to be your place. It had been the only place where you'd seen him outside the house. You felt that it was more comfortable for him to meet you at a place that had nothing to do with your family, a place where he was no longer a servant.

 

You found Taekwoon behind the counter, brewing coffee and humming the song playing on the radio. The place was relatively empty, except for a college student in one of the corners and a couple in the other. You walked up to the counter quietly, wanting to surprise him.

- Can I have one hot chocolate with marshmallows on top, please?

He put the mug in his hands down and wiped his hands on the kitchen towel before turning around and saying:

- Yes ma'am, one second.

He then lifted up his eyes to look at you.

- You're here!

He sounded very excited. You giggled and pushed a lock of hair behind your ear as you said:

- Yes. I'm here.

He smiled at you and then looked at the clock on the wall before saying:

- My shift will be over in 15 minutes. Can you wait until my co-worker is here?

You nodded.

- Sure. I'll sit there until you finish.

You said as you pointed at one of the empty tables. He picked up a paper cup and said:

- Let me make you something to drink then. How about a latte?

You nodded and thought for a couple of seconds before asking:

- Can I watch you make it? I mean... if that's okay with you.

His eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly as he said:

- Of course. Anything for you.

He let you behind the counter and you stood next to him, watching closely as he made a shot of espresso, steamed a frothy pitcher of milk, and poured the two into a cup, with a dollop of foam on the top.

- Can't you draw something on the top? Like this.

You asked as you moved your hands across the cup, drawing an imaginative flower, the way you watched baristas produce artistic works on their coffee. He giggled as he said:

- I'm not that good.

He held the cup for you and you clasped your fingers around it.

- I can live with that.

He looked behind you and waved his hand at his co-worker as he said:

- He's here! I'm finally free to go.

You laughed as you saw a guy walk in your direction. Taekwoon introduced you to each other.

- This is Namjoon, my co-worker and my friend. This is... my girlfriend.

You smiled as you looked at Taekwoon whose cheeks had turned a light shade of pink when he said my girlfriend. You thought it was cute. It was the first time he called you that and it sounded nice in his soft voice.

- She's very pretty!

Namjoon said, catching you off guard, and you tried to hide the blush creeping into your cheeks as you hid behind Taekwoon.

- And she's mine.

Taekwoon said as he pushed Namjoon away playfully and took you toward an empty table before asking Namjoon to make him a latte.

- Why should I?

- Because it's your shift.

Taekwoon said teasingly and Namjoon stuck his tongue out at him before saying:

- Wait till I get a girlfriend.

 

 

 

 

 

You spent half an hour chatting about your lives after you left. You told him about living abroad with your father, your studies, and your friends. He told you about his life at the house, how all the maids looked after him when his mother passed away, how he had to pause his studies when his father passed away and how Nana urged him to go to college and funded his studies. 

You felt sorry for him, even though he didn't complain about any of it. You felt sorry because he was forced to live a life he never wanted to live. You knew Nana cared for him, but you hated the way the rest of the family treated him and the other servants. You kept your feelings to yourself, not wanting to remind him of it while he seemed to enjoy himself with you.

 

When he was done talking, and there was nothing left for you to say, he asked:

- But... is it okay if I ask you something?

You put your cup down and nodded.

- Um... you said you haven't you been in a relationship before, May I ask why?

You looked at him for a couple of seconds as you wondered why he only managed to catch this detail and ask about it. You took a deep breath and then said:

- Well, I wasn't interested in anybody, and I think nobody was interested in me.

You said and giggled. His expressions remained the same. He waited a couple of seconds and then asked:

- What about... Seokjin?

- Seokjin? What about him?

He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before saying:

- Never mind.

Is he jealous? You thought to yourself before looking at him and stating:

- Seokjin is just a friend. And he's already engaged. I don't hit on engaged men.

Your words were meant to assure him. He smiled and let his fingers draw circles around his cup before noting:

- I... I just saw the way you looked at him when he was sitting next to you and... and I wished you'd look at me like that.

 

You were astonished that he noticed how you were looking at Seokjin and still remembers it. You weren't aware that you were glancing at him as he sat next to you on the dining table. You couldn't deny that you used to have a crush on him but that's not why you were looking at him. You wrapped your hands around your paper cup and looked at the faint cloud of steam coming out of it as you said:

- He reminds me of a place I considered home for a long time. I had a hard time when I first got home. I couldn't remember anybody and I had to rebuild my memories with my family all over again. It warmed my heart to see a familiar face when I barely knew anybody.

- So, you don't like him?

He asked and you squealed internally. It amazed you how he continued asking, not being satisfied with your vague answers and wanting a very clear "I don't like Seokjin" answer.

- No I don't like him... because I like someone else.

He looked at you and a subtle color rushed to his cheeks and you wondered if they ever had a different color. Your phone started ringing and you looked at Taekwoon nervously when you saw Hakyeon's name on your screen. Taekwoon placed his index on his lips as he motioned you to answer. You picked up wondering why Hakyeon would call you.

- Hi!

- Where are you?

He immediately asked. You swallowed hard before asking:

- Why?

- Nothing. I just got home and didn't find you.

You almost let a sigh in relief before answering:

- Ah! I'm at the coffee shop. I'm heading home now.

You looked at Taekwoon apologetically and he gave you a tiny nod and a smile.

- Do you need me to send a driver?

- A driver?

You looked at Taekwoon again. He pointed at himself so you said:

- No. I ran into Taekwoon just now so I'll ask him to take me home.

- Taekwoon? Why is he there?

- I don't know. Do you want me to ask him?

Taekwoon giggled silently and you smiled.

- No no. Just come home.

- Okay. I'm on my way.

You hung up and looked at Taekwoon.

- What does he want?

You placed your phone on the table as you said:

- Nothing. He said he went home and couldn't find me.

You paused for a second and then said:

- Can you take me home?

- Of course. But can we stay a little bit longer?

You sighed.

- I really want to... but... he sounded very impatient, especially after I told him I met you. He told me about what happened but I promised I won't tell anyone and pretend that I don't know anything about you. I don't want him to suspect anything and I don't want to cause him trouble.

He gave you another nod and then said:

- Can... Can I at least have your number? I mean... I can always call your room but... You're not always there and... It’s okay if you don't want to. I just...

He paused when he saw you reaching for his phone on the table.

- May I?

He nodded. You saved your number on his phone and then called yours. His number appeared on your screen so you handed him his phone back and then saved his number on yours.

- Here.

- How did you save it?

- Find out for yourself.

You said teasingly as he flipped through his contacts looking for your number. He found it saved under your name. He looked up at you and said:

- You wrote your name?

You laughed and then said:

- It's the only thing I could think of.

- I thought you saved it like Taekwoon's girl or something.

You giggled as you tried to his the blush on your cheeks.

- You're my girl right?

- I guess so.

You almost whispered and he smiled lovingly at you before saying:

- Shall we go home now?

You nodded. Grabbing your purse, you stood up and he stood up following you.

- Wait here, I'll go get my car.

- Let's walk together.

- Okay.

 

 

You walked toward his car together, your hands brushing but not touching, and the mere feeling of his hand next to yours was making you blush. You didn't know he was dying to touch your hand and intertwine your fingers together. He didn't know if you wanted to be seen holding hands with your servant. He's been touching you for the past week without you complaining about it or expressing your dislike, but it was all inside the house where no one could see you.

- I want to sit next to you.

You said when he opened the backseat's door for you. He looked concerned as he asked:

- What if they see us?

- I'll tell them I asked you to let me sit here since you're not my driver.

- Whatever you want.

He opened the passenger seat's door for you and you got in. He got into the driver's seat and drove you home. He was silent for a couple of seconds before saying:

- You haven't managed to remember anything, right?

You looked at him, feeling a bit guilty that you couldn't.

- No. I'm sorry.

- Don't say sorry. I was just curious.

- If I ever remember anything, I'll let you know.

He smiled without looking at you, and silence prevailed again. You thought for a couple of seconds and then asked:

- What was my mother like?

He glanced at you quickly before saying:

- What do you mean?

- I... I can't remember much about her. Nana told me a couple of things but I wanted to know if you remembered anything special.

He was silent for a couple of seconds, memories of your mother and his childhood floating around in his head. Happy times, he thought to himself before saying:

- She was the sweetest. She was very kind and humble, beautiful and caring. I think I lived the best moments in my life learning from her, watching her smile brightly at us and make us cookies whenever we asked her to. It was a tragedy when she got killed in that accident. I felt like I've lost my own mother. She never made me feel any different from you and Hakyeon, always treating us equally. It was after her death that I realized I wasn't in any way equal. We were different.

He glanced at you and noticed the tears flowing down your cheek. He patted your shoulder quickly before holding the steering wheel as he said:

- Please don't cry.

You wiped your tears with the back of your hands. You couldn't understand how you never managed to remember anything about her. It was as if she was never there. Your father and Nana told you a lot about her, but you could never feel like you knew her. When he noticed you looking dazed, he said:

- You take a lot after her. I don't think you take after your father at all. Your eyes, your smile. You look like a younger copy of her, just as beautiful and as kind.

- Thank you.

You whispered and drew a faint smile on your lips. He pulled over in front of the house a few seconds later. He got off the car and held the door open for you. You thanked him and then saw Hakyeon running in your direction. Your eyes were still watery and your nose was slightly red. He stood in front of you, glancing at you and Taekwoon before asking:

- What happened? Why are you crying?

- I am not crying.

You said as you rubbed your eyes and wiped your tears away. He looked at you suspiciously before turning to look at Taekwoon. His tone became harsh when he asked:

- What did you do to her? Are you trying to lure her into liking you again? You're so pathetic.

- Hakyeon, stop.

You addressed him but he didn't look at you as he said:

- I won't stop until he answers me.

- He doesn't have to!

You almost yelled. He grabbed Taekwoon by the shirt collar and you yelled at him again. Taekwoon pushed him away as he said:

- I didn't do anything.

You jumped in between them as you addressed Hakyeon:

- Just leave him alone! I asked him about my mother and he talked to me about her. He didn't do anything wrong!

You pushed him inside the house as you looked at Taekwoon apologetically before following Hakyeon. As soon as you were inside the house, you pushed him lightly as you asked:

- What did you do that for?

- Why is he driving you home? Where have you been?

- I told you I was at the coffee shop and I ran into him.

- Why was he there?

- He can be anywhere he wants to be. That's none of our business.

- But you ran into him previously, didn't you?

You let out a sigh.

- Yes. So?

- He might be stalking you.

You snorted.

- I'm at home in front of him all day long, why would he stalk me when he can find me in my room?

This is just silly, you thought to yourself as you sat down on the sofa. He sat down next to you and looked around him before saying:

- I don't want you near him at all. If Nana suspects anything, he's done.

- She won't suspect anything because nothing is happening.

- Are you sure?

He asked as he studied your face.

- Yes.

You were growing impatient. What he did to Taekwoon bothered you, a lot, but you couldn't say anything afraid you'd get caught. You'd hate to get Taekwoon in trouble, again.

- So, why did you call me?

- I just wanted to hang out with you. I feel like I haven't seen you in a while.

You rolled your eyes at him when he suddenly turned into his old self again, regardless of what he had just done. It was upsetting to see two childhood friends turn their backs to each other because of who their families are.

- I have something I want to talk to you about, do you have time?

He said, interrupting your thoughts.

- Sure.

You paused for a second:

- Let me just check my email and then I'll listen to everything you want to say.

You took your phone out of your purse and typed a text message before sending it to Taekwoon:

'I'm so sorry. I'll never let him do that to you again.'

 

You put your phone away as Hakyeon started telling you about a girl he was starting to like. His problem was that he was unable to approach the girl and tell her how he feels about her. You listened carefully since you knew he wanted to ask you for advice. Your phone vibrated and you excused yourself to check it and he nodded. You smiled as you read the message Taekwoon sent you.

'It's not your fault. He's always been like this when it's about you. He's just jealous you like me more. Don't you?'

Hakyeon glanced at your phone when he saw the grin on your face. You locked your screen and hid your phone in your purse before turning to look at him.

- Sorry. I had to read this. Go on.

He raised an eyebrow at you before continuing his story. When he was done, you asked him what he needed your help with. He said he needed someone to talk to and assured you that he'll figure out a way to talk to the girl himself. You sighed in relief since you could barely focus on half of what he said. Your mind was busy thinking about Taekwoon's text message the whole time. You were dying to answer but you were afraid Hakyeon would snatch the phone out of your hand. You had to wait until he left the living room to text Taekwoon back: 'I do.'

 

 

You woke up in the morning to your phone ringing on your night stand. You reached for it and picked up with your eyes still closed.

- Hello?

- Did I wake you up?

You opened your eyes and looked at the name on your screen. You smiled as you placed your phone back on your ear. Getting to hear Taekwoon's voice first thing in the morning was a blessing.

- No no. I have to go to work anyway.

- I... I just wanted to say good morning.

You blushed and you were glad he couldn't see you. You held your pillow against your chest as you smiled:

- Good morning.

- Did you sleep well?

- I think so. What about you?

- I think I did too.

He paused for a second and then said:

- I made you something to eat. Come down when you're ready.

- You did?

- Yes. I have to go to college now, see you later.

 

You hung up and let out a squeal as you hid your face under your pillow. Your heart was beating fast. Love feels so good. You got off bed and ran into the shower. You took a quick shower, dried your hair quickly and changed before running downstairs to the kitchen. Even though he said he's going to college, you were hoping to find him waiting for you. As soon as you entered the kitchen you looked around but he wasn't there.

- Where is Taekwoon?

You asked one of the maids and she told you that he left a few minutes ago. You let out a disappointed sigh. She then placed a plate in front of you and said:

- He asked me to give you this. Would you like tea or coffee?

You looked at the two sandwiches he made for you before leaving. A smile found its way to your lips as you said:

- Coffee please.

She nodded and a few minutes later she was placing a cap of coffee in front of you. You ate your breakfast in silence and sipped your coffee when your phone vibrated. You read the message on your screen and smiled intently before picking it up to answer.

‘I love it! You shouldn't have bothered.'

'I am glad you liked it. I have a class now, talk to you later.'

You put your phone away as you felt your heart flutter. It was now a given that anything related to Taekwoon would unleash butterflies in your tummy and make your heart pound in your chest, making you feel like a teenager who is discovering love for the first time.

 

 

The day went very slowly. The laboratory staff welcomed you back and asked you about your sudden disappearance. You had to lie about the reason behind your absence. You didn't want any of them to get involved in what was happening to you. You told them you weren't feeling well and they were kind enough to update you with the results of the research they've been working on. You spent the rest of the day going over the results, and doing your own research and analysis until it was time to go home. You looked at your phone for the 10th time in the last couple of hours to see if Taekwoon had sent you anything. You couldn't hide your disappointment when you found nothing. You knew he was probably studying or attending sessions, but you were still hoping he found sometime to send you anything. After long hours of waiting, you collected your things and called the driver, hoping to at least get to see him at home.

 

 

You were looking out of the window when you heard screeching tires and you felt your body being pushed forward before feeling your head hit the back of the front seat. Everything happened so quickly, you were barely aware of anything when the car stopped. You heard noise outside the car. Resting your back against the backseat and placing your hand on your head to stop the throbbing, you looked out of the window. The driver got out of the car and then opened the door. You looked at him, feeling slightly dazed.

- What happened?

- I'm so sorry ma'am. Please forgive me.

- I'm fine. Did anybody get hurt?

- No ma'am. We didn't crash into anybody.

You let out a moan in pain so he asked:

- Did you get hurt?

- I think I hit my head.

- Let me take you to the hospital.

- No, no. It's not that serious, just take me home.

Your head was still throbbing in pain when you got home. Nana urged you to go to the hospital, but you promised to go only after taking a nap. You were too tired to do anything and you knew it wasn't that serious. After lunch, and while you were heading toward your room, Eunji called your name. She needed to ask you to accompany her to the shopping mall.

- Is it okay if we go later? I don't feel well right now.

- Sure! Nana also said you wanted to go to the hospital so we can go there first and then if everything is fine we'll go shopping.

You nodded.

- How about we leave at 5? Is that okay?

- Yes. Thank you.

You left her and went upstairs to your room. Flopping on your bed, you put your phone on silent and buried your body under the blanket. You closed your eyes and fell asleep shortly after.

 

 

You were running after a young boy. He seemed like he was running aimlessly, but you still followed him. He stopped at what looked like an old tree house. He turned to look at you, inviting you to come up with him, so you did. He sat in one of the corners with a tiny knife, no a cutter. He held it carefully in his hands and then looked at you before engraving your name and his next to each other. Turning to look at you again, he smiled beautifully and then said:

'This way we'll always be friends.'

You let your fingers trail the childish handwriting of your name and Taekwoon's as you whispered:

'Always!'

He then got up and picked up something from the other corner of the tree house before handing it to you. It was a small, pink box.

'What is this?'

'Open it!'

Inside the box, you found a toy necklace and a matching toy ring.

'Thank you! I love it!'

He smiled at you as he said:

'Happy birthday.'

 

 

 

Your dream was interrupted with the continuous vibrations of your phone. You opened your eyes and looked around the room for a second, wondering where you were. You could still remember the dream very vividly. It felt like you were living it and it left you dazed. You sat up in bed as you rubbed your eyes, unable to shake the images off your head. You picked up your phone and looked at the three text messages hoping it was Taekwoon. Only one was his while the rest were from Hakyeon and Eunji. Eunji said if it would be okay for you to go out at 4, so you looked at the time and saw it was around 3:20, so you texted her a 'Yes, I'll get ready and meet you down stairs.' You then checked Hakyeon's message which said 'Where are you?' and having sent it almost an hour ago, he called you a couple of minutes ago when he didn't receive an answer, waking you up. You replied 'in my room...napping... thank you for waking me up!'

 

You then checked Taekwoon's message. 'Sorry for taking so long, I had a group presentation to work on. How was your day?' You smiled to yourself and was about to reply when your phone started ringing. Eunji was calling you, having received your message.

- Did I wake you up?

- No no. Are you ready?

- Yes.

- I'll get ready in a minute.

You hung up and got off bed to get ready, forgetting all about Taekwoon's message.

 

 

 

Eunji took you to the hospital even though you told her you were feeling better. After making sure everything was fine, she called Nana to assure her before heading to the shopping mall. After almost 2 hours of non-stop shopping, Eunji decided it was time to go home. You've looked through an endless number of dresses, trying to find a suitable one for the bridesmaids, in vain. While you chose lace, she chose satin, and while you chose light colors, she went for the dark ones. Two hours of shopping went on nothing other than the two of you getting a bit closer to each other. She was a nice girl with a bubbly personality and you felt like if you haven't left home, the two of you would have been best friends.

 

During the drive home, she was talking to her boyfriend, which reminded you of the message you completely forgot to answer. You took your phone out of your purse thinking that Taekwoon might have sent you another message when he didn't receive an answer to the first one. You felt guilty and a bit disappointed when you found nothing. You didn't mean to keep him waiting. You typed a quick reply, apologizing for getting busy and forgetting to reply.

 

When you arrived home, you changed your clothes and then went downstairs to talk to Nana. Knowing how worried she was, you had to prove that you were fine, so you told her about the dress shopping while waiting for dinner to be served. You stole quick glances at your phone and in the direction of the kitchen every couple of minutes, trying to catch a glimpse of Taekwoon to no avail. He was nowhere to be found and hasn't sent you a reply yet. You were starting to feel bad and worried for not receiving a reply, which made you think that this is probably how he must have felt when you didn't send him a reply earlier. You considered sending him another text, apologizing again and urging him to reply. But then you thought it would better to wait until everybody was asleep to call him or meet him in the kitchen.

 

It was around midnight when you could finally go to your room. The whole family were gathering to discuss matters related to Eunji's wedding and Nana asked you to stay and take part in the discussion. They wanted to know if you had friends you'd like to invite to the wedding and if you had any ideas for the reception.

As soon as you entered your room, you closed the door and called Taekwoon almost immediately. A few seconds passed until he picked up.

- Hello.

- Hey.

- Are you okay?

He asked.

- Yes. I... I'm sorry, but Eunji called me and asked me to go out with her and I totally forgot about your message.

- It's okay.

- Aren't you mad at me?

- Why would I be? I was just worried about you.

- Why didn't you reply then?

- I was busy.

- So you're mad?

- I said I'm not.

- Prove it.

- Come downstairs.

You hesitated for a second so he said:

- Or not, if you don't want to.

- I'll be right there.

You hung up before jumping off bed. You paused for a second. Am I being too easy? You thought to yourself before deciding it didn't matter. Why waste time on push and pull when you both liked each other? You thought it was useless to play hard to get when you've already confessed your feelings to him. All you wanted was to spend as much time as you could with each other, considering such moments were very rare. Your heart was beating fast as you took a quick look at yourself in the mirror before fixing your hair quickly and leaving your room.

 

You stood at the door of the kitchen watching him brew coffee silently. You knocked on the door and to your surprise he didn't flinch. Was it because he was expecting me?

- Hi.

He walked up to you and closed the door before taking you in his arms. You relaxed into the warmth of his chest as he rubbed your back gently. He pulled back and looked at you as he whispered:

- I missed you.

- I missed you too.

You whispered back.

- Really?

He asked as he leaned forward. You nodded as your heart pounded in your chest. Everything stilled when his lips landed on yours. He gave you a light peck before looking at you.

- I made you some coffee.

- Don't you have to go to college tomorrow? This will keep you up all night!

- I think I'm immune to it. I sleep like a baby even when I have coffee. But... you have to go to work, right?

- I can skip it if I want to.

He smiled as he said:

- Okay then, let me pour you a cup.

You sat on the kitchen stool next to him, wrapping your hands around your cup of coffee and staring at the steam in silence. He held your chin lightly and you turned your face to look at him with a smile on your face.

- Are you okay?

You nodded and then said:

- I hit my head today, but other than that I'm fine.

His eyes widened in surprise and he was suddenly staring at your forehead. You pointed at a little bump on the left side of your forehead and he immediately placed his hand on it. You let out a short yelp and he pulled his hand away before asking:

- What happened?

- There was an old lady crossing the street and the driver somehow didn't see her until he was a few inches away from her.

- Did she get hurt?

He asked in concern. You shook your head 'no,' so he placed his hand on the bump again before saying:

- Does it hurt? Did you go to the hospital?

- I did. They said it's not serious, so don't worry.

Half an hour later, and after listening to him talk about his group presentation and the weird couple he saw at the coffee shop, you found yourself yawning. He looked at his watch and then said:

- It's almost 2:30...

- I think we should go to bed.

He nodded and then said:

- Let me send you off first.

You stood up and walked toward the door and he walked beside you before stopping and saying:

- Please take a good care of yourself. If you need a better driver, you can always call me.

He ended his sentence with an awkward wink attempt that left you giggling in joy. Why is he so adorable?

- I will. Good night.

- Wait.

He then rubbed his thumb lightly against the tiny bump on your forehead and then leaned forward and printed a light peck on it before saying:

- Good night.

You heart was pounding in your chest as you waved at him and climbed the stairs toward your room. You adored his little gestures of affection. You never thought he'd be this caring. His initial demeanor was completely different and you knew you had a lot to discover about him.

 

 

The next morning, you woke up almost an hour late, missing your alarm. You jumped off bed, called the kitchen to see if the driver was still waiting. When they said he is at home, you asked them to apologize to him and tell him you'll be downstairs in 20 minutes. You washed and changed hurriedly before meeting him downstairs. The maid ran after you, holding a bag with a plastic container in it, saying Taekwoon had asked her to give to you. You took a quick look inside the bag and realized that he prepared your breakfast before going to college. You got into the car and took your phone out of your purse to thank him for the breakfast to find a few missed calls from him and a text messaged that said:

'I'm sorry... It's all my fault.'

You didn't want him to feel guilty about making you drink coffee last night.

'It's not your fault... Thank you for the breakfast!'

 

 

You arrived at the office, apologized to everyone you saw at the laboratory for being late and then proceeded to help them with whatever they were doing. During the break Hakyeon called you and said he was waiting at your father's office so you excused yourself and went to meet him there, not knowing what to expect. He rarely visits the company so he must be here for an urgent matter.

The second you entered the office, you noticed he wasn't alone.

- Hello.

- Hey. Come in.

He then turned to the man sitting next to him as he said:

- This is my best friend and my sister. This is Hongbin, my friend and the son of Mr. Lee, one of the shareholders in dad's company.

Hongbin was a handsome guy; straight nose, dimples adorning his cheeks, and two rows of beautifully white teeth glistening behind his wide smile. He stood up to greet you, extending his hand to shake yours as he said:

- Nice to meet you. Hakyeon told me a lot about you, and your father is one of my parents' old friends. I was looking forward to meeting you.

- Thank you.

You answered before sitting down with them upon Hakyeon's request. They continued their conversation that was mainly about work while occasionally asking you what you thought about certain things in the company. You stayed there for another 10 minutes before excusing yourself and going back to work, wondering why Hakyeon had asked you to sit with them in the first place.