The Close Strangers

t h i r t y - e i g h t

Mark decides to accompany Yerim to get a taxi for her father, getting back together to where their friends are after Kim Junmyeon leaves.

But, in the middle of the way, Yerim gets distracted by the squirrels that run around the road they are walking.

She squeals in excitement, letting Mark's hand go approach the squirrels.

"Yerim-ah..." Mark warns her yet he knows he'll get ignored, anyway.

Yerim takes steps the empty bench where a squirrel is staying. She makes sure that she doesn't make a sudden move, so it won't run away.

Mark watches her, seeing how she smiles even brighter when the squirrel doesn't run away.

"Mark, oh my God," She looks at Mark, mouthing without releasing any sound. "Could you please take a picture of me?" She asks which Mark does right away.

This is the only way to make her leave the squirrels alone, so that could go back immediately to their friends.

He puts his phone back into the pocket of his coat, telling Yerim that it's time for them to leave.

"Kim Yerim, I'll count in five... four..."

"Ah, wait a minute!" Yerim whines, still busy taking some pictures of the squirrels, meanwhile, the one — which was staying beside her — has already gone.

Mark sighs, still not planning to get closer and drag her away. "We do have that one in Korea, Yerm. There are even a lot more," He says.

"Still, Mark— this is an England squirrel," She responds without making any effort to break her eyes from the squirrels.

"Yerim-ah, come on," Mark calls her for the third times under a minute.

He's giving up when Yerim suddenly changes her interest into a dove that suddenly perches on the hands of the bench where she is sitting.

He takes her hand, forcing her to get up. "Look, your hands are so cold," Mark says when he feels the coldness of Yerim's hand, "Are you cold?"

Yerim shakes her head, but whine instead because Mark is dragging her away.

"Don't lie," He stops walking as he looks at her.

Mark puts both of Yerim's hands on her pocket before tightening her coat around her body. Then, he puts his hand around her shoulder, pulling her closer as he leads their walk again.

"Mark."

Yerim suddenly stops walking which causes Mark to the same thing spontaneously. He looks down to her in a way to look her in the eyes.

"What's up?" He asks.

"About the unfinished thing... we talked hours ago," She takes a break in between, but Mark waits for her to finish it, "What was that about?"

Mark frowns, "Which one?"

"The one... when you said— ah, I don't know how to say it though," Yerim runs her fingers through her hair.

"What did I say before?" Mark asks because he has no idea what she's talking about.

Yerim sighs, forcing herself to look at him in the eyes.

"About the thought of dating me."

"The tho— oh, that one..." Mark remembers it now. "Wait, were you— don't tell me you've been thinking about it this whole time," He says, causing Yerim to look down because that's exactly what she did.

Mark drops his jaw as he grabs her shoulder, "You did?!"

Yerim whines, "Don't be like that. You make me feel bad."