“Wow, how’d you find this place?” I asked him as soon as we arrived in his simple rest house outside the city.

“It just happened,” he replied and seats on the sofa. “What should we do?” he asked me.

“What’s that I’m hearing?” I suddenly asked because I can hear something like a flow of water nearby.

“Oh, it must be the stream in in there. Let’s go there, the water must at this point is really cold,” he answered and dragged me out of the house.

“Oh!” I reacted as I saw the running water between big stones. “Hey, careful. Hold my hand,” I told him as we walk down that slippery stones.

“Hyung! It’s really cold!” he exclaimed and I saw him smiles.

“Can you call me that more often?” I asked him out of a sudden.

“Why? Does it flutter you?”

“Kinda.”

“Then I won’t call you that,” he refuses and squats to touch the cold water he said.

“Why?”

“If it flutters you then it means you like me already,” he paused and looked back at me. “I don’t want you to like me yet. I can’t end things with you yet, Choi,” he continued.

But I already like you tho? What should I do with these feelings, Taehyun? I actually don’t want to tell you about it either because I don’t want to stop seeing you yet.

“Okay, I’m fine with anything,” I just replied and went beside him.

“Come here, let’s put our feet in the water. It’s not that cold,” he said.

“I’m really curious but I don’t think we should try it,” I reasoned.

“Aye! Come here! Sit beside me,” he insisted and lends his hand to me.

I just shook my head and held his hand then sit beside him. We both removed our shoes and then put our foot in the water. He pressed my leg and our foot is playing at each other but something isn’t right.

“Argh! It’s too cold!” I screamed and raised my foot still holding his hand.

“HAHAHAH! Put it again! Faster!” he laughs like a kid, enjoying what we are doing.

And I seeing him enjoying this child play just make me happy as well.

We both scream in pain as we started feeling the numbness and burn of our feet. “Hey! Hey! Take it out! Take it out now! It fucking hurts! Argh!” I yelled and we both pulled up our foot.

“HAHAH! It was so funny! We’re like idiots in here, let’s head back inside,” he invited. “Argh, my foot does hurt HAHAHA!” he laughs.

“Stay still, I’ll carry you,” I stated and stood up.

I carried him inside the house and put him in the sofa. “Let’s make dinner already,” I said and went to the open kitchen just right next to the living room.

“Let’s make chicken soup!”

“Okay then, Kang. Anything you want,” I chuckles.

We started cooking together and found each other teasing inside the kitchen. Then spilt seconds we’re going to bicker and then get back to cooking like a married couple.

“Choi, taste it,” he said while I’m washing my hand.

“Let me,” I replied and I saw him sipping the soup from the ladle. “Where?”

“Here,” he said and kissed me. “How was that?”

I chuckles and get the ladle from him. “Stop it now,” I replied and taste some. “It’s good,” I commented.

“How about my lips then?”

“It’s delicious, okay? Prepare the table, we’re going to eat,” I ordered to him.

“Yes!”

He’s surprisingly enthusiastic today. You know? He’s usually cold and flirt but right now he’s like a kid enjoying every little things. I love seeing this side of him. This Kang Taehyun that only few knows.

We sat across each other and I open the lid of the pot. “Whoa! We made this so this is really delicious, right?” he started.

“Of course, it’s because I’m a good cook,” I brag and he just hissed. “Eat a lot, Taehyun,” I added, smiling.

“Yes Choi! You too!”

We’re both eating quietly when my phone starts vibrating. I look at the screen and it’s Aera’s caller ID. I end the call right away and turn my phone off.

I didn’t hear anything from Taehyun when sometimes he usually comments if I’m doing it. I just don’t want to think of her for the meantime. I just don’t want to and I don’t even know why.

“Choi, why do you think people cheat?”

I paused for a minute and put down my utensils and look at him. “I don’t know,” I replied at him because I don’t really know what I should answer.

“You still don’t know the reason why you are doing this?” he asked again.

I nod, “I just find it oddly, fine?”

“As long as people can benefit from a certain situation, they don’t really mind it at all. Students cheating in exams thinks about the punishment first but still continued cheating because they can get a high score through that. Isn’t that idiocity?”

“What do you want to point out, Kang?”

“Cheating is a stupidly choice but people stay to do it without conviction at all because they still think they can get away with it.”

“Aren’t you a cheater too?” I asked him, doesn’t mind if it may sting it or not. I just want to know.

He smiled. “I never was one, Choi. I’m just a victim of love.”

Yes, I’m a cheater but it also means he is, right?

After we ate, we head inside the bedroom. We’re both looking at the glassdoor where we can see the mountains from outside and the dark sky with its stars.

We’re leaning against the headboard, under the blanket and his head is resting on my shoulder. “Choi, do you play guitar?” he asked me.

“Yeah, why? Do you want me to play for you?” I asked.

“Can you? There’s one here that I kept,” he replied and get up then open a cabinet. “Here.”

I received it and tune it. I started plucking the strings and he just listens as I start singing. I saw him closes his eyes while his finger is silently tapping the blanket above his thighs.

I don’t know why I’m singing this right now but this is the first song went inside my head as soon as I held the guitar and looked at him. He looks so calm, fragile, and doesn’t scream danger at all.

“Taehyun,” I called him and he gently opens his eyes. “Can you tell me something?” I asked.

“About what?”

“About you, I want to know more about you. I’m interested to knowing you more,” I elaborate.

“I’m nothing but a mess.”

“No, you’re a masterpiece.”

He chuckles. “Stop saying cringe lines. What do you want to know about me?” he asks.

“About your past lover? May I?” I asked.

“Lover,” he mentioned. “I only had one.”

“What happened to both of you?”

I saw him smile a little and looked outside. “Right, what really happened to both of us?” he asks to himself. “I don’t know? Just found myself letting him go after being a total stupid in front of him,” he let out a chuckle.

“Was he the jerk?”

“Jerk? He’s more than that, Choi.”

“C-can you tell me about him? About you two?”

I want to know if he’s the reason why Taehyun’s being like this. If this more than a jerk is a total asshole and if what he did to Taehyun and why he’s acting like this.

“Sure, it’s not like I still love him anymore.”