Lessons From Romance

That Man

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"Do you know what Namjoo's been up to lately?" Chae Yoon questioned after Ki Chan sat down with his cup of coffee in café they'd met up at.

There was a heavy scent of fresh coffee coming from the back of the vintage café decorated with greenery and wild flowers. The low quiet talk going on around them circulated back and forth behind her.

Ki Chan, she thought, looked slightly like an actor. Why Namjoo didn't like him, she couldn't understand. It was obvious that he was crushing on her and looking at how blunt Namjoo was toward him made Chae Yoon frustrated.

"She's busy with work," Ki Chan answered, focused on his coffee before taking a sip of the hot liquid.

"Do you really think so?" Chae Yoon prodded him on.

Ki Chan raised his eyes up to glance at her before smiling freely, "Why? What's the matter? Are you jealous you haven't spent as much time with her?"

"Come on, Ki Chan," Chae Yoon whined a little annoyed. "I just saw her a few days ago. Did you know there was a man at her house?"

She watched the smile free fall off his face expectantly and seeing it made her feel victorious. Finally she'd grabbed his damned attention.

"What?" He sounded shocked. "A man? Who?"

"That's why you should start worrying," Chae Yoon pressed on. "If you don't grab her now you're going to lose her to someone else. I'm not just saying this either, but Namjoo's a pretty woman. Not just that, but she's outgoing, she's kind, she's generous, she has a good job, and she has money. What kind of guy doesn't like that?"

"I asked who he is," Ki Chan deepened his voice for her attention. "He could just be a neighbor, some friend, or maybe a relative. Why jump so far to conclusions? Besides, Namjoo isn't interested in seeing anyone right now."

"No," Chae Yoon argued. "Things change, things always change. They could be friends now, but a split second later they could start going out."

Ki Chan merely just stared at her.

"Namjoo's already right in front of your eyes, why are you still hesitating?"

"I'm waiting till she's ready. I'm not going to force Namjoo into a relationship if she doesn't want one," Ki Chan said.

Chae Yoon opened her mouth to try again, but Ki Chan's phone beeped cutting her off.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket he grabbed his coffee and stood, "A message came through. I have to go. Lets talk next time."

Without waiting for her farewell he raced out the door leaving her to sigh helpless.

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After the next two and a half hours in the ER Ki Chan finally found himself free of emergencies. Upon spotting Namjoo drinking a cup of water in the hallway he thought about what Chae Yoon had told him earlier that afternoon. He couldn't help, but be curious about who Namjoo had been with.

Ki Chan was a person who didn't like being possessive obsessive, but he didn't like losing either.

"What's up?" He asked stopping beside her.

Namjoo glanced at him through the corner of her eye, set the cup down from her mouth, swallowed, and smiled. She was pretty, he thought, and had gotten even prettier ever since she started her job. Every time he saw her it felt like there was some kind of light glowing around her.

He really liked it when she was happy.

"I saw you earlier in the ER," Namjoo told. "Good job."

His heart felt so much lighter at the small comment and he beamed with a tranquil happiness that she'd noticed him.