Serendipity

Chapter 2

I must have fallen asleep without realizing it, waking up to the sunlight streaming through the uncovered window. Although I feel exhausted from a fitful night, I still get up and go through my morning routine so I can avoid Leeza coming back and starting everything again.

By mid-afternoon, my sightseeing has reached its max capacity, and I end up back at the same place on the beach. Only this time I'm irritated to see "my spot" filled with a group of people. In fact, there's so many more people here today, and I'm frustrated I won't get the peace and quiet I was hoping for. If I'm honest with myself, it's what I desperately need.

I turn around and walk back into the city with the intention of finding a different place, perhaps a coffee shop or hole-in-the-wall restaurant tucked out of the way, some place to spend a quiet afternoon. But I'm distracted when my phone starts ringing from inside my bag. Digging it out, I'm confused when I see a number I don't recognize.

"Hello?" I cautiously answer.

"Hello, NaeYeong."

My heart skips a beat as something sounds vaguely familiar about the voice.

"Who may I ask is calling?" I say hesitantly, hope coloring my voice as the question comes out breathlessly.

"I think you know who it is," the playful response comes. I wait a moment before whispering my response.

"I thought you were a dream last night..."

"I thought the same of you."

"Truly?"

"Yes," there's a pause and I hear a bit of background noise coming through. "I was thinking, well wondering...hoping? Would you like to go for a meal with me tonight?" he finishes in a rush.

"Excuse me?" I squeak out with surprise.

"Ahh, dinner? Food?" he says hesitantly. I can hear more noise start, music blasting with lots of talking coming closer to him, then 'Jimin-ah' being yelled.

"Dinner?" I say, a dumbfounded look on my face.

"Yes, dinner," he says again as 'Jimin-ah' is yelled closer.

"Yes!" I exclaim. I take in a deep breath, breathing slowly out before saying in a calmer voice, "Yes, I would love to."

"Good! I'll call you later when I'm done with practice."

"Okay. Let me know the details when you know them," and I blush at his chuckle, knowing he can hear the underlying excitement in my voice no matter how calm I think I'm being when I respond.

"I will. Bye."

I'm still standing there with the phone to my ear minutes after he's hung up. What the hell is going on with my life???

Slowly I drop my phone in my bag, feeling in a fog. Suddenly it's as if that fog lifts, and I look at my watch, realizing it's already late afternoon. It's a hard decision on getting a late lunch or waiting until we go for dinner later, especially since I don't know what time it'll actually be. My stomach rumbling at that moment makes the decision instead so I find some street food near our hotel, getting enough to tide me over.

When I arrive at the empty room, I feel a small sense of relief and I send a small thank you to who was looking out for me with that one. I'm still not in the mood to deal with Leeza and I wonder if I ever will be. I'm seeing a side of her that I've never seen before. Or maybe it's one I overlooked because I didn't want to see it.

Once I've filled my belly enough to think, I take a bath trying to relax. What does one wear to a dinner like this? I mean, I don't even know where we're going. As I'm contemplating these questions, my mind wanders back to the previous night for the ten millionth time, to how his fingers felt in my hair, his lips on mine...and my body starts reacting instinctually again. At least I can do something about it myself. Well, this time...perhaps next time he...