"Oh? And how is that?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"My Seri wouldn't have stopped chasing me until she got a kiss," Jeong Hyeok replied, copying her stance.
Seri drew in a surprised breath. "Your Seri?"
Jeong Hyeok blushed but did not take it back, choosing to change the topic instead. "Different person."
"Yes. I'm different," Seri replied. "Older, braver and wiser. I'm letting you go now, Mister, but remember that we're going to be together for an ENTIRE WEEK. You will never be able to resist my charms."
Jeong Hyeok groaned. "Hey, no fair. You promised we'd take it slow."
"No, I said, I'd meet you halfway," Seri reminded him. "Like I said, we wasted ten years apart already."
Cupping his face, she kissed his nose and whispered, "Not one more minute resisting this love of mine." Gazing into his eyes, she continued, "I won't pressure you and will continue to wait but... I'm going to be right beside you this whole time."
"What did I do to deserve you?" Jeong Hyeok sighed, appreciating this wonderful woman who made him feel loved. She was beautiful and could have any man she wanted, yet here she was declaring her love for him and willing to wait when he finally gets over his issues.
Seri giggled. "You're lucky I need your help with changing my business strategies to make it more resilient in a volatile economy."
"That sounds like a thesis statement," Jeong Hyeok teased.
"Maybe I should tell Jisoo to use that for their final essay," Seri joined in. "Now, go. Wash up. I'll see you in a bit."
After his light dinner, Jeong Hyeok started nodding off, exhausted from the last minute arrangements he had to do before taking off for Jeju, the travel and the excitement / anxiety that this trip brought him.
Seri told him to go to the room and sleep and within minutes, he was in deep slumber. Crossing her legs, she sat on the floor and stared at his facial features. Kissing his nose, she whispered, "I'm glad you're here. I still love you so much, Hyeoky. Please know that I'm holding on tight this time. I won't let you go again."
*
The following morning, Seri found Jeong Hyeok tinkering with the piano by the window.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Leaning on the threshold, Seri thought back to other mornings in the past when she woke up to such sight.
Discovering the Jeong Hyeok played the piano was a pleasant and very much welcome surprise. They had been intimate for a while already but sleepovers weren't that common because Jeong Hyeok didn't want to impose on Seri, who had her own place while he lived with others in a dormitory.
However, in one of their rare spats, Seri blurted out that she felt horrible when Jeong Hyeok left her after having sex. "I know you love me but it makes me feel cheap," she admitted.
