Insoo’s POV,

“It’s a boy…”

What-

“A boy?!” I couldn’t help but ask shocked. I’d be lying if I said, thinking about how Dayun has a male friend that might be close to her to go to parks together didn’t make me feel jealous.

“You have a friend that is a male? Whyy?!” I couldn’t hide the upset and disappointed tone in my voice. Even though that question of mine sounded absurd, I didn’t care, for I, just didn’t like the idea of her hanging out with some other dude.

“What why?” She asked me like I was sh*t-talking as she should, but soon ignored me and said, “Well, not now though. I had a friend about 15 years ago.”

“Ahh… 15 years ago… I see.” I gotta say that sentence of hers made me so relieved for some reason.

But then it hit me…

Wait-

15 years ago?

Then, it must be-

“Yes, but I don’t even remember his name now . I used to just call him ‘Oppa’ back then. He was a good friend of mine… A very good one actually. He was the son of my father’s employee.”

Yes…

It is me.

She was talking about me! I beamed at that thought.

I felt shamelessly honoured after pathetically getting jealous at myself.

“You know, we often used to eat these ice creams together like we did now. We’d even sneak out at night for these.” She laughed reminiscing our shared memory. The memories I cherish, they were important to her too…

I was quickly taken back to those days. Even though, they meant a lot to me, some of the memories had slowly started to fade slightly. It was 15 years and I was very young, above all. But seeing her again, definitely made me remember a lot of them.

…

Everything was calm but suddenly out of nowhere,

Wind started to blow hard and temperature dropped quickly. Indicating that it could rain anytime soon.

Taking Iseul, Dayun and Insoo started walking fast to find shelter. And while walking, Dayun managed to find Iseul’s little sweater as she quickly covered her with it worried that she’d become sick.

…

But when she did that, surprisingly, she felt something around her shoulders too. Curious, she turned around, only to meet Insoo’s eyes who covered her with the jacket he was wearing.

Then, looking at her, he softly said,

“It’s too cold. Your dress is light. You would catch a cold.”,

Unknowingly, reiterating the same phrase she had told him all those years ago during their first meeting. She couldn’t help but stop for a moment at his act, his eyes fascinating her like they always do.

…

Why?

She couldn't help but ask him inside her head.

…

Why are you doing this to me?

It’s already hard enough for me to not develop any hopelessly stupid feelings for you. Why you gotta make it even harder by doing these things?

Look, I’m afraid. I really am.

If you continue to act this way, I’m deeply afraid, I might actually, accidently fall for you.………………… Moon Insoo…

What am going to do then?

~

~

Finally,

They managed to find shelter under the premises of a food court where multiple others had taken shelter too. And after not more than a moment, huge droplets of rain started to fall from the skies that let out loud thunder noises.

“Man, that was close!” Insoo exclaimed while Dayun slowly nodded at that.

While waiting for the rain to stop, they had a surprise waiting for them there.

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“Aunty?.................... Momma! Look, it’s Aunt Jae-mi!............. Aunty!” Iseul waved at Jae-mi with excitement as she spotted her among the crowd.

And Insoo was surprised to spot someone too. “Choi Chul-ho?” He let out, followed by a “What is he doing here?”

Both Chul-ho and Jae-mi’s eyes grew wide in surprise, Chul-ho’s eyes were the widest having seen Dayun along with him. “I should ask you that. WHAT are you doing here? WITH HER?” He asked him shocked making the ‘Oh-My-God’ face and started to feel betrayed as he continued, “You are disloyal! It was because of my pick-up lines, wasn’t it?! Even the flowers trick was mine. I knew it! You denied your feelings then, but now you-………. And you didn’t even tell me!........ Now, now… Tell me. When did you guys started dati-” After struggling by using hand gestures for a long time, Insoo decided to just shut his mouth with his hands as he whisper-yelled, “Stop your bullshit, Please!”

Dayun looked at them bewildered when Insoo quickly spoke, “Don’t mind him. He usually talks nonsense. Ha ha.” still holding his mouth and letting out an awkward laugh.

Thankfully, Dayun’s focus was on someone else at the moment and that someone was – Jae-mi.

Who too smiled awkwardly, motioning her hands to say a ‘Hi’.

…

After the rain stopped, all of them started to move towards the parking area but Dayun quickly pulled Jae-mi to the side. “Last week, you were mad at me for not telling you. But now-” And before she could complete her sentence, Jae-mi interrupted her, “Wait- I know what you are thinking. But! But… I- actually coincidentally met him in the set today.”

“Set? What set?”

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you I was doing make-up as part-time? I was working at this shooting set in the evening when I met him and he immediately recognised him from MoonTalks. And he was the who wanted to accompany me when I told him, I was going to buy some make-up products for shooting, in the fair. Apparently, he was coming here too.” She let out everything in one breath and looked at Dayun squinting her eyes when, “Momma…” Iseul called her to leave.

“C’mon, let’s go…” Insoo called her too taking his car out.

“Yeah… C’mon, let’s go!” Chul-ho imitated him, getting inside the passenger’s seat.

But Insoo stopped him mid-way as he asked “Wait… Now, where are you going, Mr.Choi?” raising an eyebrow.

“Where am I going?.......” Chul-ho let out a scoff as he continued, “Obviously, to your house. It’s been a long time since I saw your house.”

“Wha- What?”

“What? Aren’t you going home after dropping her?” Chul-ho asked and before Insoo could answer, “Uhm- Actually, I’m staying with him for the time being.”

And that sentence gave Chul-ho his surprise for the day. “WHAT?!......... Really?!......... Man, you’re a Chad! I feel so proud. But it really hurts me to know that you didn’t tell me. I’d have actually felt happy to know that you've already managed to get her to-”

*Car horn noises

“Everybody get inside fast. It seems like it’s going to rain again.” Insoo spoke interrupting Chul-ho and quickly pulled him inside, covering his mouth as Dayun and Iseul got on the back seat.

Before Insoo started to drive, “Ms. Jung do you need a ride too?” He remembered to ask and Chul-ho followed him by asking the same.

“Oh, no sir. No. Thank you. I- I still have work.” She immediately refused and bowed out of respect.

With that they took off.

~

~

“Oh, that’s why you’re staying with him..? I see…” Chul-ho said while taking two bottles of Soju from Insoo’s in-house bar like he owned the place after listening to Dayun’s moving-in story.

“Hey, Iseul’s here. Why would you drink?” Insoo asked grabbing the bottle from him.

“Ah… It’s fine, Iseul has slept.” Dayun said making Chul-ho grab his bottle back from Insoo, sticking his tongue out at him.

“Do you wanna drink with me, Mysterious past?” Chul-ho asked Dayun and before she could answer “No, it’s fine. I-” he held her hand and led her to the hall, making her sit opposite to him, placing the bottles on the table between them.

“Please accompany me. Let’s get to know about each other. Something in you tells me it’d be amazing to get to know you! Let me try to be your friend. I’d be a great friend!” Chul-ho said excited.

“Uhm- Well… If you insist so much, then, I could have a drink or two, I guess.” Dayun said making Chul-ho scream in joy while Insoo rolled his eyes at them earning Chul-ho’s attention as he asked, “What? You said you’ve got presentation or whatever to complete. Why don’t you go and do that? You see, my new friend here would accompany me. So, feel free to leave and work all you want.” He said making Insoo grit his teeth at that.

“Yeah… I was about to do just that………” Insoo said and one could easily detect clear annoyance in his voice as he turned his feet to leave.

“You don’t have such works or do you, Dayun?” Chul-ho asked her to confirm. “Not much. Tomorrow’s Saturday, I could finish it then.” She replied.

“Ah… You’re cool. Everybody should be like you. Look at him, boringly workaholic. You know what, you should’ve stayed with me…………... It'd be more fun with me than with him and just for your information, I can help you fight off those thugs too, I’m stronger than Insoo.” Chul-ho claimed flexing his muscles and Dayun couldn’t help but laugh hard at his funny expressions which made Insoo stop mid-way only to give Chul-ho a deadly glare. However, he left to take his laptop without saying anything.

“Oh please. Insoo is just a little too worried about the company sometimes. But he's the CEO, after all, you can't blame him. Plus, I’m a pretty decent fighter on my own. But it’s just, they can’t find me here.” Dayun told Chul-ho.

Chul-ho was very surprised at the fact that she could fight, “YOU FIGHT?!” He asked thrilled.

“Unfortunately. Had to take Mafian defence lessons secretly.” Dayun stated, smiling awkwardly.

“OH MY- Even Insoo said something about that but I didn’t believe him. You looked too sweet and innocent to fight. But damn- Guess you’re a complete package! I’m highly impressed. You’d make an amazing role if you did action movie. I’d be your fanboy!”

Chul-ho spoke excited right when Insoo came back with his laptop to sit a few metres away from them in his workspace.

‘Such a flirt…' Insoo couldn’t help but mutter under his breath and he looked at them bewildered as he started his work like he said.

Dayun laughed out loud at Chul-ho’s statement, while the latter poured the former a glass of Soju.

Their conversation grew longer and longer as both of them started getting tipsy and shared a lot of funny stories, giggling and laughing along the way.

Insoo at a certain point, got very annoyed and decided to just move inside his room to work peacefully, away from them, but came back quickly not wanting to leave Dayun alone with Chul-ho.

“Please. Stop talking. Will ya? I’m working!” He yelled, making his work as an excuse to get them to stop talking.

They both looked at him for a minute like he was ruining the moment, but then moved even closer than before as they started to whisper-talk not wanting to disturb him or anything.

*Whispers*

“Diddya knowww how- how Insoo an’ I- How Insoo and I alllmost burnt down dha kitchhen, granny- granny kitchen…” Chul-ho spoke drunk.

“Buuuurn!” Dayun yelled having heard only the word ‘burn’ from his sentence.

*Whisper-giggles*

Irritated by the back-firing of his plan, Insoo couldn’t resist but crush a poor grape from his mid-night snack bowl as he looked daggers at the drunk duo.

“Dooya smell someththing burnin’?” Chul-ho asked Dayun sniffing around to figure out what’s burning but Dayun was too drunk as she could yet again only scream “Buuuurn!” followed by another set of giggles.

While reaching for another glass, Dayun drunkenly slipped and fell on Chul-ho who on his attempt to help her get up, failed miserably as he just ended up pulling her even closer, leaning on her.

Insoo’s eyes grew the widest at that. Losing all his calm, he marched straight towards them, quickly pulling Chul-ho away from Dayun and dragged him out of the house by grabbing his hair.

“You should go home!” He shouted at him in lower-case.

“Waeeee? I kan sleeeep here… Inchour house.” He snuggled up close to him. “If you don wan me to sleep in yor room, I can- I can sleep with Daaayun. She’s a looot- lot friendlier than you.” He said smiling brightly.

“What? Are you crazy?! No. Freaking. Way.!” He pushed him away hard making him fall flat on the floor. “Just go home… NOW.!........... I’m calling a taxi.” Insoo proceeded to take his phone out.

“Nooo… Tax- Taksiii no. Please. No thakshi.” Chul-ho looked at him with puppy eyes, begging.

“What..?!” He looked at him annoyed with a puzzled look. But thought about it for a while. “Yes. Who knows, he might come back again with excuses. It’s better to get him home myself.”

With that Insoo pulled his friend, literally dumped him inside the back seat of his car and slammed the door shut. Without wasting another moment, he got the keys, turned on the engine and pressed the accelerator hitting the road at high speed.

After throwing his friend on his bed, he quickly made his way back, without looking back.

~

~

The door of his house opened as he hit the digits on his password dial pad as he made his way in.

As soon as he entered his house, his eyes searched for Dayun and not being able to spot her anywhere in the hall, his insides started to get a little anxious.

He slowly opened Iseul’s room to check if Dayun was there but could only see Iseul sleeping there peacefully, without the knowledge of all the chaos that happened outside. Carefully closing Iseul’s door, trying not to wake her up, he then made his way to Dayun’s room.

And there… He found her sleeping on her stomach unconcernedly.

“Look at you, sleeping calmly after ruining my work.” He spoke, his voice filled with annoyance as he thought back to the talks she had with Chul-ho.

“How could- How could you have a fun talk like that when your boss is working hard? Hmm? You know no manners!” He complained to the sleeping woman in front of him as he further added,

“And why would you giggle and laugh like that with him? That too, in front of me? How could you do that……… in front of me?! When I’m your-”

“I’m your-”

…

His sentence stopped in the middle as the feeling of annoyance slowly left him. Gloom filled him instead, as he quietly sat there, beside her.

“Right…” He spoke dejected, “Who even am I to complain? I have no right to complain even if you dated him.” He looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions just like his heart.

“Still…” He began with his tone lowered, while making her sleep properly and carefully tucking her inside the blanket.

“I really don’t like it when I watch you speak and giggle with other men. Not even Chul-ho.” He spoke as he gently moved her hair off her fore-head, taking a moment to admire her face.

After taking a deep sigh, still looking at her, he said something whose meaning he wasn't even sure of.

“Can you just, only look at me and let me look only at you?”

To be continued…