Fall For Me Again

I Gave You All My Love

"Damn it. Why is it so hot?"

Jiwoo fanned herself with one hand as she followed close behind a grumbling Tae-hyung. They were walking under the hot sun after visiting the home of one of the authors assigned to their department.

"If she misses the deadline again, I'll burn her contract to ashes," Tae-hyung continued to grumble. He had already removed his tie and rolled his sleeves up above his elbows. "Then I'll feed it to Woo-jin for giving us such troublesome author."

Jiwoo bit her lip to stop the smile threatening out of her lips. An irritated Tae-hyung was sort of a funny sight to see.

He suddenly stopped walking and whirled around to look at her. Instantly, she snapped her gaze away from him and pursed her lips.

"Wait here, Jiwoo," he told her after a minute's silence. "I'll be back."

She glanced at him and saw that he had entered a convenience store. She frowned. Why was he dilly-dallying? Weren't they in a hurry so they could return to the company where there were air-conditioning and cool drinks?

Letting out a long sigh, she continued to fan herself as she waited underneath the roof of the store for him to come out.

Something cold brushed against her cheek and she yelped in surprise. Tae-hyung was grinning at her playfully as he held a can of cola up.

"Here," he said, lifting her hand and setting the can in her palm. "Drink this."

"Thank you," she murmured gratefully as she lifted the cold drink to her lips.

"Say, do you want to have dinner with me tonight?"

The sudden question made her choke on her drink.

***************

"It hurts," Jiwoo mumbled, sucking at her thumb where the page sliced it in a vicious paper cut. "Stupid book."

"Are you alright?" the librarian asked her.

"I'm fine," she told her with a tiny smile. "I just got a paper cut."

"I have a band aid," the librarian told her. "Wait here. I'll be back."

Jiwoo sighed heavily through her nose as she sucked on her thumb again. Her eyes went to Tae-hyung's usual spot in the library and to her horror, water blurred in her eyes. Tae-hyung hadn't come to the library for over a month again and she was missing him terribly.

She blamed herself.

She could have befriended him.

She could have asked him out for coffee or dinner.

She could have asked his number or social media accounts. She actually tried looking him up but she was horrible at technology and didn't even know how to properly use Google.

Now, she was filled with regret and wished she could turn back time. If she could, she'd be a little braver and try to confess.

What if he wasn't going to return?

That would even more horrible and she didn't know what to do, except of actually going to his school and waiting for him to come out like a creepy stalker, well, a creepier stalker.

Jiwoo looked out the window and at the pavement outside.

"I miss you Tae-hyung," she softly said."I miss you so much."

***************

Tae-hyung's eyes twinkled with laughter as he patted Jiwoo's back. When she finally stopped choking, she stepped away from him.

Face flushed, she blurted out, "A-aren't romantic relationships banned in our company?"

He cocked his head and grinned. "Ah, so is that why you won't fall in love with me?" he asked.

Dang it. He had a way of turning her words around on her.

"No!" she denied profusely.

"As long as it doesn't interfere with work, anything is possible in our company," he said with a wink. "Before he became the chairman, Mr. Han was in a relationship with his subordinate who he eventually married, you know."

Well, she didn't know that.

"So, dinner?"

She looked away. "I... um... I don't think—"

"It's settled then," he declared. "I have a meeting later so wait for me at your desk."

Without waiting for her to reply, Tae-hyung turned and began walking to the direction of the company, whistling. He always seemed to like having the last word, Jiwoo distractedly noted.

Frozen and feeling troubled, Jiwoo stared after him.

She couldn't have dinner with him.

She couldn't!