Love at First Sight

Part 2 - Feeling Un-easy

Five months later...

"Why can't I forget her?" Donghyuk muttered, still fixated on the unfinished music sheets in front of him. His work had been overdue for nearly a month, but his mind was elsewhere.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Bobby glanced over, noticing Donghyuk hadn't moved since he'd arrived at the studio an hour ago.

"Nothing, just... thinking about her," Donghyuk replied, his voice laced with a hint of weariness.

"Her? You mean the woman you mentioned before?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, her." Donghyuk stood up, making his way toward Bobby to review the music arrangement. But then, his eyes caught a glimpse of Bobby's phone screen, where Jessica's face was displayed.

"What the... Why do you have her picture?" Donghyuk quickly snatched Bobby's phone, staring at the screen as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Who? Her?" Bobby looked amused, holding back a smirk as he tried to retrieve his phone.

"Jess?" Bobby casually said her name, and Donghyuk's stomach twisted with a sudden wave of jealousy.

"Jess? How are you saying her name so casually? You actually know her?"

"Donghyuk, everyone knows her! She's pretty well-known in the fashion world. She keeps popping up on my Instagram, so I figured, why not follow?" Bobby shrugged, not realizing his words were stinging.

Donghyuk clenched his jaw. How had he been obsessing over her all this time, and she was right there—visible to everyone but him?

"Donghyuk-ah, you need to get out of this cave you call a studio," Bobby said, half-joking. "Focus on your music, sure, but stay connected to the world. Staying in touch with trends could give you some inspiration rather than burn you out like this."

Bobby's words stung because they were true. Donghyuk realized he'd isolated himself for nearly half a year, thinking it would help him concentrate. In reality, it had drained him, and he'd lost sight of everything outside these four walls. He hadn't even tried searching for her, convinced that keeping her as a memory would be enough.

Donghyuk took out his phone, opened his social media for the first time in months, and searched her name. There she was. A mix of awe and regret washed over him as he scrolled through her profile. It was her—the woman he'd met by the Han River.

I should have followed my gut and looked her up sooner, he thought. At first, he'd visited the river every week, hoping to see her again, but eventually, he'd stopped. He wasn't sure what drew him to her, especially when he'd met other women, beautiful and talented ones at that. But she was different. She stayed in his mind. Without hesitation, he hit the follow button, hoping she'd notice.

"This just got interesting," he mumbled, leaving Bobby in the studio, too deep in his thoughts to answer Bobby's many questions. Today, for the first time in months, he felt a spark of renewed energy.

Jessica

"Jess? Are you in here?" Jennifer's voice came from the doorway, her gentle knock barely waking me. I stirred, noticing a bouquet of flowers resting on my desk.

"Hey, sorry to wake you," Jennifer apologized softly as she set the flowers down.

"No, no, it's fine. I needed to get up anyway." I stretched, my gaze lingering on the bouquet—a mix of sunflowers and lilies. An envelope poked out from the stems. Curiously, I pulled it out and read the short note inside.

Hi, Jess,
It's been a long time...
Nice to know you're back in Korea for good.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
— DK

"Eonni, why do you look like that?" Jennifer asked, reading my puzzled expression. Before I could respond, she snatched the note from my hand, gasping.

"Oh my god! Is it really from DK? Is this real?" Her excitement was bubbling over, while I stood there, still confused. DK? I couldn't recall anyone I knew with those initials.

"DK? I don't really know anyone by that name."

"Unbelievable!" Jennifer shrieked, sprinting out of my room like a whirlwind. A moment later, she returned, phone in hand, practically thrusting it into my face.

"Here, look—this is him. The DK!" She pointed at his profile with a triumphant grin. Now I remembered. I had met him briefly—Donghyuk, right? How could I forget? That day by the Han River was... memorable. But I thought his name was Donghyuk, not DK.

"I can't believe you didn't recognize him! He's so well-known, and he just sent you this huge bouquet with such a sweet message! Spill everything, Jess—since when have you two been close?" Jennifer's questions felt overwhelming in the quiet morning.

"Jennifer, it's way too early for this," I muttered, moving to the kitchen to make some coffee. But she followed, her curiosity unrelenting.

"Please, Jess! I'm dying to know!"

"Honestly, maybe it's someone else with the initials DK," I said, trying to brush it off, though part of me was curious too.

"No, no, eonni, it's definitely him! That's his signature! I'm 100% sure!" She bounced around, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Fine, if you like the flowers so much, they're yours." But before I'd even finished the sentence, she dashed back to my room to collect them, her happiness infectious. Just as she disappeared, Mom walked in, her face full of questions.

"She's just... regressing to her inner child," I said, giving my mom a good morning kiss.

"Mom, I'm heading out for a walk," I said, slipping into my room to change into my jogging clothes. The weather was too beautiful to pass up, and the Han River was calling.

To be continued...