" i don't want him to see you "

*

We first met at the movie theater down the street from my workplace.

I came there with my pals from the office that one Saturday in April, just days after my twenty-fourth birthday. It was pouring buckets from the lightning-streaked sky, and we all went in with plans to stuff ourselves with rice snacks and sprite and to laugh our asses off at some new comedy that had caught our eyes. All was well until an officemate of mine caught sight of somebody in the crowd.

"Yo, hyung!!" he called. "Jaehyung-hyung! What're you doing here?!"

My head subconsciously swiveled to look where his eyes were trained in the crowd entering the movie theater, and I sighted a tall figure wading towards us through the stream of people. The approaching stranger's hands rose up in a salute.

My heart shuddered. I looked away.

"Whassuuuuuup, Mark, ma man!!" A molasses-sweet voice drew my head back around in the direction of its owner (whose name had slipped out of my mind as quickly as it had been called out by Mark Tuan a few moments ago). The flash of the newcomer's teeth, revealed in a wide smile as he and Mark did an 'LA-boy handshake,' seared my heart with an unknown wonder. He turned to look at our company and our eyes locked. I couldn't bring myself to look away. "Oh," curiously slipped from between his thick lips. "And who is this?"

I could tell he was interested from the way his brows rose in charming curves above his sparkling eyes and his fingers twitched along the hem of his jacket.

I gained my bearings enough to recall my manners. We bowed to one another in respect.

"Kim Wonpil," I introduced myself in a whisper. His presence seemed to take my voice away.

"Park Jaehyung," he drawled out before a delicate hand extended towards mine. I shook his hand with a small smile and a burning cheek. His lip quirked in a lazy grin.

We were acquainted.