Addicted to you | Lee Know

3

I stepped into the cafe, selecting an empty table and settling in to wait for Minho's arrival. Fifteen minutes passed, though I reasoned that I had arrived early, so technically he was only five minutes late. I had already placed an order, but as another twenty minutes slipped by, I grew increasingly restless. Was he stuck in traffic? Pulling out my phone, I composed a message.

Nuri
Hey. Are you coming? I have to return to work soon.

The message delivered, but he didn't read it. Nice. I felt a pang of disappointment. Hadn't he seemed interested? My phone buzzed, and I quickly checked the message.

Minho
Sorry. Can't make it. Got stuck at work

I pressed my lips together. While it was a plausible explanation, couldn't he have messaged me sooner? I paid for my coffee and left, typing a quick reply as I did so:

Nuri
Oh, okay. Dinner at my place tonight?

I hoped he would at least agree to that.

Minho
Can't, sorry

He replied shortly after. Furrowing my brows, I wondered if he was trying to brush me off.

***

Entering my workplace again, I was met by my coworker, Areum, who inquired, "And? How was your date?" I told her about how I was cat-sitting for him. "He didn't come. Said he was stuck at work," I muttered, feeling a twinge of disappointment. He still hadn't revealed what he did for work, though it must have been important if he had been sent to Japan for two weeks. "Well, these things happen," Areum reassured me. "Maybe you can reschedule." "Yeah, maybe," I mumbled, returning to my desk and attempting to focus on my work. Or perhaps he had realized I wasn't that interesting and that looking after his cats was all I was good for.

***

The following day, a Saturday, afforded me the luxury of sleeping in. Yet, my plans were thwarted by Elli, who demanded breakfast at the ungodly hour of 7 a.m., promptly waking me by lying on my face. Grumbling, I prepared her food and returned to bed, feeling rather despondent after yesterday's disappointment.

I lay there, unmoving, the entire day, until hunger finally drove me from my bed. Opening the fridge, I sighed in dismay at its emptiness. Reluctantly, I changed from PJs into sweats and ventured out to the store, hoping to avoid encountering anyone I knew. My luck held until I returned home, only to find Minho arriving simultaneously, flashing me a smile. Just my luck. Of course, I had to run into him again when I looked like Adam Sandler.

"Hey," he greeted me as I unlocked the front door. I merely glanced at him and stepped inside, pressing the button for the elevator. "Okay, I guess not 'hey'," he muttered, following me into the building. "Had a rough day?" he asked, his curiosity evident. "No," I replied curtly, feeling his gaze upon me but refusing to meet it. "Wait, are you upset about something?" he inquired, bewildered. "No," I repeated, though my mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.

"It's just... I don't understand you. You show up out of the blue, asking me to look after your cats. Then you text me every day, asking me out on a date, and then you can't even bother to let me know you can't make it until I ask you if you're still coming," I explained, feeling a prickling behind my eyes. Why did I want to cry? It was absurd! I barely knew him. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I genuinely can't figure you out. Are you flirting with me or is this just your usual behaviour? Because at first, I thought you were, and then you stood me up and stopped texting altogether," I continued, unable to stop the words from spilling out. "I'm sorry," he repeated. The elevator finally arrived, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for my floor. "I really was stuck at work, and I lost track of time, which is why I didn't text sooner," he explained. "And what about dinner?" I muttered. "I was at work late. We had dinner there. We're working on something important right now," he replied.

"So, you really were at work?" I asked, my embarrassment mounting. "Yeah, why would I lie to you?" he replied, confusion evident in his tone. "I don't know," I mumbled, mortified. "Listen, why don't you come over now? Bring Elli. We'll watch a movie, and I'll make you some food. Because what you bought there is not acceptable," he suggested, gesturing to the bag in my hand, which contained nothing more than a pizza that required warming in the oven.

I still stared at him, taken aback by his directness. Did he seem a little guilty, too? "Okay. Just let me put this in the fridge, grab Elli, and change into something more... presentable," I replied as I exited the elevator. He followed suit, intending to climb another flight of stairs. "We'll be lounging on the couch all evening. Stay just as you are," he called after me. "I look like a mess," I protested, unlocking my apartment door. He continued ascending the stairs. "You look pretty. Come on, hurry now," he urged, disappearing from view. My heart started beating faster at his words. I indeed hurried after that.