"Pull out a seat, sit, relax and stare at me all you want. I won't mind."

He stopped cutting vegetables and looked at my direction straight into my eyes and... I was caught staring, red-handed.

"Wha- What? Nooo... I- I'm not staring." I struggled hard to not lose my cover but I was too bad at it.

"Chill......... I don't complain, though. I know, it must be hard to not give me attention." He told me as he went back to what he was doing.

"Don't be like that. I was just looking at what you were cooking. I want to help you."

...

Remember that saying that goes, "If lie must be told for a good cause, one is obliged to perform that." (Try reading it in Master Oogway's voice) It is now. It is now, they're talking about.

...

"Hmm... Is that so?" He asked calmly with a sly smirk playing on his face still focusing on his job, knowing exactly what he's doing and clearly enjoying it.

I went near him ignoring that question of his in an attempt to help him. What I said wasn't completely a lie, I want to at least cook. I cannot make him do everything for me. He has already done enough for me.

I mean, who makes their boss work like this?

But... He wasn't allowing me to. He told me I shouldn't strain my legs by standing. And that the doctor agreed to discharge me only if someone ensured that.

I still insisted on cooking, but...

"Look, I love eating my food too much to let someone ruin it for me. You know what people say? They say, I'd have become the most famous chef of Korea if I hadn't started MoonTalks." He jokingly bragged his cooking skills which I don't doubt considering the amazing smell of his half-cooked food.

"But I feel bad about making my boss work." I told him my honest thoughts.

"Hmm... Then, I'd allow you to not treat me like your boss at home?" He suggested.

I paused a few moments at that.

"But, you're tired I-"

"Aishh... You were stabbed yesterday. Act like an injured person and go take rest, will you? My parents taught me better than to make an injured girl work." He said and decided to continue whatever he was doing, before pointing to the kitchen slab saying, "............ Oor... You can sit over there and watch me cook like you were doing before."

...

...

With that he made me shut my mouth for a second time, as I quickly made my way out of the kitchen, not wanting to feel more embarrassed. And I didn't have to stay there to know that he was laughing hard.

~

~

Insoo's POV,

After cooking, I, Iseul and Dayun sat together to eat the Japchae I made.

It has been a long time since I had guests to eat with. I mostly eat alone. Or Chul-ho would visit to have a drink after he came back from the States.

I couldn't help but get a little anxious when Dayun took her first bite. Even though I'm confident with my cooking skills, a part me, for some odd reason, was worried about her not liking my food.

But when she tasted it, I could see a tiny spark in her eyes as she softly smiled which was a clear indication that she did in fact like my food. Without my knowledge, a small smile crept onto my face too. She likes my food.

She's not disappointed. She really likes my food!

And I have no idea why that is making me more happy than I should be.

...

This atmosphere is really different.

This is completely different from how I used to eat in utter silence.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Because Iseul wouldn't stop talking and ask innocent questions which I like answering. I'm amazed at how her young brain thinks of so many questions in short period of time. Even though they're childish questions like, 'Why don't the stars fall down?' or 'Why don't you or momma grow taller like me?' they're something I can't resist but admire.

And Iseul making a yucky face whenever Dayun makes her eat vegetables is a hilarious scene to witness. Well... Can't blame her. I too didn't like vegetables when I was a kid.

It has been a while since I had enjoyed my dinner. I couldn't stop but secretly enjoy this moment. Never knew laughter could do wonders to a dining table.

They're making me suddenly remember the times I ate with my grandparents back in my hometown. My father was a good man but he wasn't much of a talker, so, it was during my stay at my grandparents' that I enjoyed a lot. This moment gives off the same pleasant vibe.

...

After a warm dinner, it was Iseul's bed time. But she wouldn't sleep until I played a game with her.

Dayun was quick to interrupt saying that she shouldn't disturb me but I sent her off.

I don't mind playing with Iseul at all. If anything, her childish laughter would only warm my heart. Playing with kids is never a tiring job for me.

I and Iseul played something that we decided to call 'Catch the rabbit' game since today. It would be the only game I won't mind losing.

But Iseul was quick to grow tired. After a few minutes of playing, she fell asleep. So, I put her to bed, and came out of her room when I saw Dayun watching something on the TV.

Well... We had to leave her out of our game because she didn't understand the rules Iseul told her.

Not wanting to disturb her, I went straight to my room.

As soon as I entered my room, I removed my shirt to change into my night dress and that's when I noticed a photo fall off from my shirt pocket.

It was a photo that I found when I was packing Dayun's stuff from her apartment.

...

Looking at the girl in the photo, I got flashes of the rainy day when I met her for the first time........... The day my mother died.

She was the only one who was by my side that day and she'd have no idea but her presence was the only thing that made that day bearable for me.

Looking at the photo, I could clearly see the similarities between her and Iseul. Connecting all the dots, I could only come to one conclusion.

"So... Ro Dayun is Lee Ah-reum, huh?"

I couldn't help but say those words out loud to confirm they were true.

The girl who I've searched for a long time turns out to be none other than Dayun. She has been right beside me but did I realize.

'You'd catch cold...'

'Ah-reum. Lee Ah-reum.'

I still remember the very first conversation I had with Dayun like it happened yesterday. Or....... She was called Ah-reum back then.

Lee Ah-reum would be in all sweetest memories of my childhood. She was my sole comfort back then.

...

It was back when my father was still working at Lee industries. Her father's company. At that time, Lee Byul-hee, the owner and CEO of Lee industries, Dayun's father, was the most successful and rich businessman. Their company was also linked to communication, producing mobile phones among other things just like MoonTalks.

My father's job there wasn't something fancy. He was just a cook there. And after my mother died, my father moved to Mr. Lee's house as an in-house cook, a butler and took me along with him. Calling it a house would be an understatement. Because it was a mansion with over 30 butlers.

It was during my stay there that I met her. I was 9 then. She'd have been 8. She was some 10 months younger than me.

Even though, I was just a kid back then, I still remember the memories with her as clear as a crystal. That's how much those memories meant to me.

She won't talk much and initially I mistook her silence for indifference of the rich. But later on, I came to understand that she just wasn't used to talking with people.

Apparently, her mother ran away leaving her alone with her father who never cared about her. She has been alone all her life. Only one that I met, who was even lonelier than me.

After a year I had to move to the city to live with my grandparents as my father couldn't raise me alone. It was there that I completed my studies. I only came here again for my higher studies.

Since I was good at studies, I got a chance to pursue Mechanical and Communications at SNU. And the rest is history where I started MoonTalks. My prior exposure to Mobile companies helped me a lot. A lot of my father's friends who were related to this field helped me too.

When I came here, I wanted to meet her again but she wasn't here. All I heard was that she had moved to London for studies. And I really believed that.

But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that she'd turn out to be none other than Dayun.

Guess life is player...

...

After thinking about this unexpected reveal for sometime, I kept the photo safely between the pages of a book when suddenly... I heard a noise.

A noise... of someone doing the dishes.

...

Ahh... This girl. She never listens to me. Is it that hard to take rest?

I marched straight to the kitchen.

When I went there, just as I expected, I saw her... doing the dishes. It frustrates me. What part of 'You shouldn't stand much' did she not understand?

"What are you doing?!" I asked her as I walked near her.

Her surprised expression showed me that she had expected me to have fallen asleep.

I went close to her, trying to grab the plate from her hands, and her first instinct was to move her hand holding the plate far from my reach as if it was some precious thing of hers that I had come to steal. I tried to reach the plate again but she moved her hand further away.

...

So...

It's a match now.

I gave my all to take the plate from her but she kept on moving her hand. Did she forget that I hate losing?

The act of me trying to snatch it away from her continued for some time. And at some point, I managed to have her against the wall with both of my hands fixed on either side of her, preventing her from escaping.

Now, she only had one choice... That is to stretch her hand upwards and keep the plate above her head, which was exactly what she did.

Ah... So, this must have been the trick she would have used to prevent Iseul from getting stuffs.

But Dayunie dear...

I'm at least a solid 6 inches taller than you. It's not going to work on me.

Jumping at the perfect opportunity, I grabbed the plate from her hand and I couldn't help but have a little victory scream.

Silly, isn't? But what shall I do, I really like winning.

After celebrating my victory, I moved my gaze to look at Dayun to scream 'Gotcha' at her face.

But...

When I turned down to look at her...................... The smile on my face instantly vanished.

It was quickly replaced by a rather serious expression as the realisation on how close I've moved to her sunk in. I've got carried away with our little fight that I didn't realise moving this close to her.

Our faces were so close that even moving close to the size of a rice grain would make our nose tips brush.

If I was in my normal state, I'd have moved away quickly.

But now, I wasn't normal at all! I felt like I was high on some strong drugs that made my brain forget to do it's job of giving commands.

At that moment, seeing her so close made my mind and body go non-functional.

It felt like my heart didn't beat either. All of my senses went off as I was driven as breathless as a man in his coffin.

Everything my body was capable of doing at that moment was... To look at the beautiful woman that was just in front of me and stare into her deep eyes that were ever-inviting.

Her eyes... They seemed very deep and made me feel like they wanted me to dive into them.

But... No matter how deep I went in, they kept on getting deeper, if that even made sense. Because right now nothing made sense except the fact that I was paralyzed...

Paralyzed by her.

She too... Didn't move an inch. Neither did her eyes move. They were busy making my attempt to look away pointless as they were as bewitching as one's eyes could be.

Nobody would know how long we stood like that, when suddenly... I saw her eyes move.

Her eyes slowly started to trace down and immediately her cheeks grew beautifully pink as she quickly turned her face to the side.

Why would she suddenly turn her head?

I was vexed at her little act as I wanted to see her face and her enchanting eyes more.

Not being able to think anything except wanting to see her face, I too moved my face to her side, tracing the direction she was looking at, hoping to get to see her face again.

I would've held her chin to make her look at me if she hadn't turned her head herself to face me again.

Her face was more red now. As red as a ripe tomato. Which further hypnotised me.

I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside me.

What are you even doing to me woman?

Why the hell am I drunk when I didn't even take a sip?

That's when,

"Put on a... shirt", she said looking nowhere but my eyes.

To be continued...