He hummed, "Could we meet up at the mall near your place first?" he asked, "I want to walk around and look at the stores."

I smiled, already looking forward to seeing him, "Of course, I'll just get ready and meet you there in an hour."

"Thanks, see you there (Y/N)," he said, and I knew he had a wide smile on his face.

I decided to wear something casual but nice enough to go to the mall, if I wore something too flashy, Jongdae may get recognized and that may cause disturbance to the people around, or worse, rumors.

I sighed, double checking everything was in order before heading out, taking my car to park, successfully finding a space close to the main entrance yet close to the exit- perfect for the 'just in case' scenario of having to avoid paparazzi and misdirecting them.

I waited at the entrance for a while, mindlessly scrolling through my phone, looking up when I heard someone approach me, and it turned out to be a certain masked man who wanted to see me.

"Why hello there, and what might your name be today?" I asked, earning me an eye roll and an eye smile.

"It's Sungjin, nice to meet you," he said, and even through his mask, I knew he was smiling.

"Sungjin, what a common name," I said, earning me a playful smack, "I'm (Y/N), it would be a pleasure if you walked with me around this mall we were both conveniently at."

"I guess we should do that," he said letting out an almost childish giggle, "C'mon (Y/N), let's go inside."

He took my wrist, leading me inside, not letting go until we had passed a few stores, until one had caught his interest.

"Look," he said, pointing at some suits through the display glass, "I bet you'd look really good in that... why won't you wear a suit more often?"

"It'd be a bit strange if I wore a suit everywhere," I said, making him nod, "I'll wear one the next time you invite me to go to those events of yours."

He nodded, eye smile showing up once more, "I look forward to it."

We walked around some more, buying a few things that we thought were nice, "We should head to the cafe before it closes," I said, telling Jongdae as he approached me after buying something.

He hummed, and we started heading out of the mall, and I led him to the parking lot, where my car was at.

The cafe was right in front of the apartments where I lived, so I parked the car where it corresponded, walking with Jongdae to the cafe.

We ordered rather quickly, it was an inconspicuous cafe so not many people knew about it, which is why we loved it so much.

Once we ordered, I sneakily paid for the both of us, causing Jongdae to frustratedly walk back to my apartment.

"Jongdae, are you upset," I teased, making him whine, taking off his mask as soon as we were in the building.

"You always do that, it's not like I can't pay for us," he whined, pouting.

I ruffled up his hair, "Okay Jongdae, next time, you'll pay," I said, entering the empty elevator.

"Promise?" he asked, following me, holding up his pinky finger.

My heart couldn't help but pick up its pace, yet I complied, connecting his pinky with mine, "I promise," I said, touching our thumbs together, squeezing his cheek with my other hand, unable to stand his cute smile.

"Ow," he said, rubbing his cheek, "Why'd you do that?"

"You were smiling," I said, hoping that the hotness I felt on my face wasn't visible, looking instead at the numbers on the elevator change as we got closer to my floor.

We stayed quiet for the rest of the time we were in the elevator, drinking our drinks.

The elevator soon got to my floor, and so we headed to my apartment. When we went inside, we instantly went to go sit on the couch, "You just want to watch a movie?"

He hummed, and we scrolled through the channels until we finally agreed on a movie.

Since you two were tired from walking all day, and it was already late, it didn't take long for Jongdae to pass out. I yawned, looking over to see how he was holding up, only to find him lying in an uncomfortable position.

I turned off the television, putting the remote on the counter before moving Jongdae to lay on my chest, in between my legs, which was hopefully a comfortable enough position.

I was on the verge of falling asleep when I felt some movement, probably meaning that Jongdae was just getting comfortable, so I ignored it, keeping my eyes closed.

"(Y/N)... I love you..."

I was so close to opening my eyes, but when I felt something against my lips, something soft, quivering, I decided the best thing to do was to kiss back.

Moving my hand so it was on the back of his neck, I pulled him towards me, kissing him back, making sure it would be memorable.

Eventually, I let him pull away, taking in his embarrassed expression that he tried his hardest to cover with his hands, "I love you too Jongdae," I said, lifting my hand to hold his cheek, which he eventually leaned into.

"I'm so glad," he said, almost crying.

"I am too, I love you," I said again, releasing what'd been on my chest for so long, pulling him back so he'd be on my chest, "Stay like this, I want to hold you."

I walked out, luckily with still my wallet and keys on me, my phone was probably still in my car.

It was then I realized I don’t know any cafes around here, making it a great time to introduce myself to my neighbor.

I knocked at their door, wondering who would be there, only to be greeted with a pale looking man with distinct features that almost made him look like a foreigner, “Hello new neighbor, I moved in just last night and I wanted to drop by and say hello before I went out to eat some breakfast.”

He smiled, his eyes squinting through his disheveled hair, “Oh, nice to meet you, count on me for whatever you need, I’m right next door.”

His smile was comparable to the fountain of youth, I felt refreshed despite not being a morning person, “Thank you, I was actually wondering if you know any good cafe’s? Since I have lived here for a day I don’t know it around here very well.”

“There’s this one cafe on the corner of this block, I forgot what it’s called but it’s really quiet and nice in there- it looks rustic, almost industrial, you can’t miss it,” he said, making me look forward to eating there, “I’d go with you but I have to get ready for work.”

I nodded, “It’s all good, I’ll let you go so you can continue,” I said, waving.

Walking down the stairs, I looked around, making sure there weren’t too many people with cameras, which there were, but they didn’t seem too interested in whatever I was doing, thankfully- I stick out like a sore thumb, these miracles are hard to come by.

I immediately found the cafe my neighbor was talking about, enjoying the vista so much I regretted not bringing along my sketchbook, not like I’m never coming back here though- I can just eat in peace for now.

I ordered a simple cup of coffee and some good looking pastry from the menu, and to my surprise, the customer service was great- I didn’t even have to get up to get my order.

I heard a jingle as I looked up from eating my food, looking at some teenage girls squeal, “Oh my god I can’t believe we saw Ken!”

The other girl nodded, “You took pictures right?”

“Of course, he looks much more handsome in real life- and did you see his smile- oh my god.”

I really don’t like noise. These girls’ chatter is giving me a headache and it’s too damn early for that.

Luckily those girls left soon enough, only waiting for their drinks before leaving, and it seemed like everyone sighed at the same time, relieved they’d left.

Who's that Ken guy anyway, sounds like he belongs in a dream house- maybe he’s a model so he chose that as a stage name.

I shrugged off the thoughts, knowing I would have to return later.

My priorities had been set straight- I had a bed to sleep on, an easel to paint on, and clothes to put on- which left me random stuff left to unpack like a random Xiumin life-sized poster something my coworker gave to me as a gag gift for my birthday. I still hand it up, don’t want to let the present and his cuteness go to waste.

I put away my dishes and the such, reorganizing the furniture before putting up the rest of the few decorations I had. It wasn’t too long after that I was finally able to finish, and despite the temptation to collapse on the couch and binge watch some random show, I grabbed some towels and went to go take a shower.

As soon as I got out, I heard a knock on the door, most likely my new neighbor, so I only bothered to wrap my towel around my waist to go answer the door quickly.

I opened the door, and it was my neighbor, but he was with someone else this time, who seemed the embarrassed by seeing me half naked.

“Hey, we wanted to stop by and greet you, we just got home,” the guy with light brown hair said, my neighbor whom I’ already spoken to, “We can come back later if we are intruding.”

I shook my head, “I just finished organizing my stuff, just let me get changed and I’ll see if I can make you two something to eat,” I said, opening the door to them, better to be friendly to the person living next to you, “make yourself at home.”

I went to my room to get changed, drying my hair, choosing something simple so that I wouldn’t keep them waiting for long.

“I’m back,” I said, watching them turn their heads, sitting at the kitchen island, “Is there anything you two want to eat,” I said, opening the fridge, only to discover that I still hadn’t gone out for groceries, “Nevermind, I don’t have anything in here.”

“We can order takeout or pizza, is there anything you two would prefer?” I asked, making them think.

“If we order pizza we can order drinks along with it too,” the guy with the dark brown hair said, and the other guy agreed.

“Pizza it is then,” I said, pulling out my phone, giving them it so they could dial the number, “Please.”

The guy with the light brown hair took the phone, standing up and ordering the pizza.

“So,” I said, making the dark brown haired man turn towards me, “Do you live with him?”

He nodded, “We both wanted to live elsewhere so we came to live here not too long ago.”

I nodded, “So are you two…” I began, not wanting to say anything just in case I was wrong.

He turned red, “N-no, it’s not like that,” he said, “We are good friends and co-workers, nothing more.”

I smiled at his reaction, “Nothing wrong with it, but where do you two work?”

“We are part of an idol group called VIXX, I’m Hongbin and he’s known as Ken, but his real name is Jaehwan.”

I nodded, “I heard some girls screaming about how they thought this Ken guy was handsome, it turns out it was my own neighbor,” I said chuckling, “My name is (Y/N), I am a freelance artist for the most part, but I recently became a professor at the University across the street.”

His eyes widened, “Wow, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said, smiling.

“They said they’ll be here in 20 or so minutes,” the guy named Jaehwan said, giving me back my phone, “Did I miss anything?”

“Just self-introductions,” I said, interrupted by Hongbin.

“He’s an artist, and a professor at the University across the street,” he exclaimed, making me feel a bit better about myself by the way he said it.

“Wow,” Jaehwan said, “Well, I think he already introduced me, I’m Jaehwan, what’s your name?”

“(Y/N),” I said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you both, and thank you for helping me out in the morning.”

He nodded, while Hongbin looked confused, “He asked for directions to a good cafe while you were taking a shower.”

We continued talking for a while, about our careers and fanbases, admiring both respectively.

“It’s getting pretty late, we are gonna get going because we have to wake up early tomorrow,” Hongbin said, and Ken nodded.

“Sounds good, thanks for coming to visit,” I said giving them each my business card, “This is just my personal info.”

“Thanks,” they said in unison.

It took me an hour to get to my hotel.

Before I would explode out of frustration, I did my best to calm myself down, going back on the highway to get home.

Then I remembered, my car had been parked in front of my new apartment.

I sighed, doing my best, once again, to keep calm.

What a horrible day at work- so bad I completely forgot what I was doing and just went off routine.

I drove for another hour, eventually reaching my new home.

Luckily I had hired movers to do most of the dirty work, leaving me to just unpack the boxes and make the bed.

But, since the couch looked so comfortable, and some singing I could hear in the distance was so calming, I couldn’t help but knock out.

When I came home today, my bags were already packed, and another man was already in what was once my shared bed.

His new ‘sugar daddy’ had paid me for all of the rent I had already paid, showing no resentment for throwing me onto the streets.

“Excuse me, sir?”

I opened the eyes I forgot were closed, meeting wide and curious dark brown ones, “I just came home from work, are you okay hyung”, he asked, suddenly calling me older brother.

Looking at him for a while, I decided he wasn’t suspicious enough to worry about him, “Just call me (Y/N)”, I sighed, awkwardly continuing to look at him.

“Why are you sitting on the side of the street, hyung”, he said, making me give him a look that just screamed ‘really’, “I mean (Y/N).”

“I was thrown out of my apartment by my... boyfriend”, I said, inspecting him before saying the last part warily, doesn’t seem like he’d be homophobic.

He looked at me innocently, slightly raising his eyebrows, “Oh, you can stay with me and my friends, we won’t mind, another person isn’t that much of difference”, he offered, skipping the boyfriend part, as if it was normal- which it is, just not as accepted as I’d like it to be.

“Shouldn’t you ask your friends first”, I asked, a bit wary of the offer.

“They wouldn’t mind, they’re good people”, he said, sounding kind, yet I couldn’t believe such a person could exist.

“I’m not a sex worker, just so you know”, I said, lifting myself up, grabbing ahold of my suitcase.

Flustered, it took him a while before he started walking, leading the way to what I assumed was his shared apartment.

“Hyung”, he said suddenly, making me look over at him, “Can I ask you a question?”

He stared at the ground, making me worry that he really thought I was a sex worker, “Go for it.”

He sighed, looking up, “What is it like- having a boyfriend?” he asked, making me suddenly pay more attention to him, he didn’t seem like he was gay upon glance, but that just goes to say that you can’t tell if someone is gay upon appearance.

He was almost in a daze, just looking ahead, yet he looked like he was paying a lot of attention, “How about you tell me your name before I give you some life advice.”

He stopped, flustered, “Oh I am so sorry, I was just trying to help and I forgot to tell you- my name is Jackson.”

I nodded, patting his back, letting him continue to walk, he was a good kid, “Okay Jackson,” I said, letting him walk ahead at me, “Having a boyfriend is almost always great at first, but then love fades, and you drift off.”

I continued walking, sighing from time to time, “In some cases, they replace you- they tell you how good you are at sex while they sleep with another guy as well- and then it becomes hard to trust someone, ruining your next relationship before you even start it,” I said, letting out my bitterness onto him.

We continued walking in silence for a while, yet I didn’t notice he had slowed down to walk beside me until he grabbed my hand, holding it with his, making me look up at him, “I’m sorry,” he said softly, a sad expression on his face.

It looks like I scared him, I shouldn’t ruin his experience just because mine was shitty.

I smiled, removing my hand from his to pat his head, feeling even more endearment towards him as he squinted his eyes cutely as he did so.

Finding his cuteness unfair, I pulled him aside, away from public view, and took off his hat, ruffling his hair, making him have an even cuter reaction than before, “Listen Jackson”, I began, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I have a tendency of falling for the wrong person, so do me a favor and choose the people who you love wisely, you seem like the type of person anyone could love and want to keep unconditionally, so choose someone who you can do the same for,” I said, putting his hat back on him.

Unlike before, his bangs peeked under his hat, giving his doe eyes an eve more innocent look, “Would you like to be my boyfriend?”

I was shocked, almost frozen, and if I let myself be lured by his cuteness, I may have accepted, “That’s kind of you Jackson, but I just broke up with my boyfriend today, I’m not really ready to commit to another relationship,” I said, making him realize what he said, flustered, making me smile, “Before you ask someone out, you should trust them, you just met me Jackson, you can’t trust me.”

He nodded, looking down due to his embarrassment, “Alright, I’ll listen”, he mumbled, taking my wrist this time, pulling me out of the shadows, almost making me leave my suitcase, “We’re really close by, so lets hurry.”

I’ve stayed with the guys for a few weeks, and I’ll admit, it is weird that a boy group would let me stay with them, but I guess it is how it is.

Throughout my stay, I have gone to work as I regularly do, but whenever I can, I look up possible places to work that are nearby my workplace, yet lately I have been adding the requirement of been close to the dorm.

Of course this requirement didn’t come about naturally, it was Yugyeom and BamBam who recommended this, and since I have been feeling closer to the guys, I decided to accepted the suggestion.

I have actually found quite a few places that I am interested in, but it seems that they don’t fit any more than one of the two requirements, so my search continues.

“Hyung…”

Looking up from my laptop, I saw Jackson, standing in front of me with his pajamas on and a towel over his head, “What is it Jackson?”

He licked his lips, biting them briefly, “Hyung, I really don’t want you to leave,” he said, never losing his signature cuteness.

I nodded, smiling sadly, patting the space on the couch beside me, ruffling his hair once he did, “I know Jackson, but this place is too small for all of us”, I said, caressing his cheek slightly before I realized what I was doing, returning my focus to my search.

“But hyung-”, he began, placing his head on my shoulder, “Jaebum hyung offered you up his room so that you wouldn’t sleep on the couch, I also invited you to sleep with me, this place is good enough for all of us.”

I forced a smile, “Jackson,” I said, looking over at him, making him slightly flinch, “I won’t go far, besides, I don’t want it to seem like I am hitting on any of you guys, it’s best for me to live alone, then I won’t flirt with you and make you uncomfortable.”

He frowned, “Can I stay with you?”

Jackson was always aware that I could never say no to him, so I just nodded, watching as he took the blanket I slept with and wrapped it around himself, then trying to make it reach to me.

Trying not to be drawn in my his cute failed attempts, I continued my search. After about another half an hour of searching and Jackson cuddling, I found a place that met both requirements and was at a reasonable price range, so I made an appointment to go look at the house, which was luckily going to be tomorrow.

Setting my laptop aside, I accidentally woke up Jackson, “Sorry Jackson, I can carry you to your room if you want?”

He groaned, latching onto me tightly, “Let me stay with you please.”

I sighed, “Okay then, move over so that we fit.”

Complying, he scooted towards the back of the couch, leaving me enough room to lay on my side.

We were face to face, allowing me to make out the features on his face, from his thick eyelashes to his slight stubble, “Jackson.”

He hummed.

“Do you want to turn around? The others might misunderstand?” I asked, yet it was more for my sake, I didn’t want to fall for such a pure man.

He groaned, “Let them… I’m tired.”

He wrapped an arm around me, making me do the same so that I didn’t feel too uncomfortable, but because of this we were even closer.

I woke up earlier than expected, meaning that the others were still asleep, but more importantly, Jackson was still asleep.

Just looking at him seemed like enough, he truly was amazing… yeah, I already fell for him.

I reluctantly got up, giving Jackson a pillow to hug in my stead, making sure to tuck him before starting to pack up my stuff, even if I was just checking out the place, I knew I was going to get it, so it was better to be ready.

Once I was organized and had everything I needed, I took one last glance at Jackson, which turning into staring at him longingly, then going to his side to pet his head and watch his sleeping face.

“What are you doing?”

I snapped my head towards the voice, making me realize Jinyoung was there, “Oh-”, I said, immediately standing up, “Um, I was just about to go out, I’m going to look at the place I am going to buy”, I said, making him nod.

“Okay, I’ll see you later”, he said, taking out the stuff to make himself some breakfast.

“Jinyoung”, I said, making him look back at me, “Please don’t tell anyone about that.”

He nodded, smiling slightly, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

I managed to fill out the paperwork on the same day, lucking out, and the house was very nice as well.

I was going to be able to move in in about 2 days, but I already had the key so I was all set.

When I got to the dorm, it was relatively late, about the time I found the house, so everyone was most likely asleep.

Entering the key they had given me, I stepped inside, kicking off my shoes, wondering why the lights were still on.

“Hyung…”

I stared at him, he looked awfully sad, making me want to comfort him, but I resisted for the most part, opting to sit close by and let him talk.

“Hyung, why are you coming home so late, I was really worried”, he said, holding onto my hand tightly, “When I woke up you weren’t there- I felt as if you had abandoned me.”

I stroked his hair, making him lean into my hand, causing my heartrate to pick up, along with a feeling of guilt, “Sorry Jackson, I went to go check out the house I am gonna be moving into.”

“What”, he mumbled, sounding hurt, “So Jinyoung wasn’t lying?” he asked, looking extremely sad.

“I’m sorry Jackson, I guess I got so carried away I forgot to tell you”, I said, “I am going to move out in two days.”

He looked at me as if he was about to cry, “Please, don’t leave, I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t”, I said, caressing his cheek, “I am gonna live really close by.”

He sighed, almost relieved, “Hyung I really don’t want you to leave.”

He hugged me, making me feel strange, never having anyone who ever wanted me to stay.

Feeling like I would only make this harder for me, I let go of him, of that feeling, “Don’t worry”, I said, standing up again, “We will still be friends.”

The last line was painful to say the least, but as long as I didn’t look at Jackson I’d be fine, “I don’t want to be friends.”

I turned around as I heard his words, surprised, “I love you hyung, you told me not to fall for anyone unless they are worth it, and you are, so please accept my feelings and love me back”, he said, face down, visibly nervous, “I was trying to hold back until I could tell you, but you are moving out, I don’t want to miss my chance- I don’t want to be your friend.”

Slowly approaching him, I looked at him carefully, “Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“How could I”, he exclaimed, “I love you so much- all I want is to be with you.”

I smiled, somehow managing to think about how cute he was in the midst of it all, “What- why are you smiling- take me seriously!”

I nodded, “I love you too.”

In a second his face went red and his retorts were gone, covering his face with his hand and collapsing onto the couch.

“You know, I’ve always thought this, but you’re really cute”, I said, partly to tease him, partly to confess to him.

It seems like both worked, because he proceeded to cover his face with both of his hands.

“Hyung…”

“Yes”, I said, trying to peek at his face.

“C-can you hug me like yesterday?”

My heart seemed to be beating a million times per minute, but I complied, pulling him more towards my chest so that I could envelope him with my arms and legs, “Grab that blanket too Jackson.”

He complied, turning off the lights then covering the both of us effectively, taking a moment of silence so we could enjoy each other's warmth.

“Hyung?”

“I told you to call me (Y/N).”

“... (Y/N)”

“Yes?”

“Will you invite me over to your house?”

“Of course, it’ll be like your second home.”

He relaxed into my chest, “I won’t leave you, I promise.”

He put his hand on his forehead, shaking his head, “Listen,” he begins, bringing his head up to look at me again, “I have this friend, he’s never dated anyone either, he’s a workaholic and thinks it isn’t necessary- can you try things out with him? I always though the two of you would get along”, he said, making me look at him incredulously, “Just give it a shot”, he whined, making me give in.

“Okay, but just one question.”

He seemed ecstatic at my agreement, “Of course.”

“He’s clean right?” I asked, half teasing him, half genuinely asking.

“You-” he said, clenching his fist tightly, “Listen. (Y/N).”

He looked at me, almost staring daggers into me, the most serious I’ve ever seen him, “This guy isn’t just any guy, I’ve known him for longer than I’ve known him, he’s like a younger brother”, he said, making me realize that I probably shouldn’t take things too far with this guy, “Please. Take things seriously with him, I can tell that both of you really need someone in your lives you can trust like that.”

I took a deep breath, eventually nodding, “Okay Jinki, I get it”, I said, “I won’t have sex on the first night, I’ll try my best with him.”

Jinki then suddenly turned into all smiles, “Good”, he said innocently, “You’re date is this Sunday, he already said yes.”

I was taken aback, almost frozen, “Wait- you had already planned this?”

“Well, Taemin was very obviously desperate for love, he agreed almost immediately, and I knew you couldn’t turn me down, so I told him the date before you agreed.”

“How did you know I wasn't going to be busy Sunday?”

He looked at me as if I were telling a joke, “You’re never busy.”

I laughed bitterly, well he isn’t wrong.

I arrived at the restaurant Jinki had booked us, an expensive one, meaning he had at least planned this for a month, “Yes, what is your reservation sir”, I man in a suit said.

“It’s under Jinki”, I said, making him nod, beckoning me to follow him.

He took me to a private room, where I saw a guy sitting down, giving himself what seemed like a pep talk of some sort, “Hello”, I said, hearing the door close behind me, and the guy looked up at me.

“O-oh, hello”, he said bowing, and I did as well, sitting in front of him. He had a really pretty face, full lips, and a well sculpted jaw and nose.

“It’s nice to meet you, my name is (Y/N)”, I said, smiling to hopefully make him less tense.

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Taemin”, he said, blinking repeatedly, trying to figure out what to say, “I- um, Jinki told me a lot about you…”

My eyes slightly widened, “Really? What did he tell you”, I asked, as I pieced together why he looked so familiar.

“Oh, well… he told me you also haven’t dated anyone, but your case is a bit… different”, he said, starting to blush, making me think about how unreal this guy was.

“Oh”, I suddenly said, “Taemin- I saw you at Jinki’s birthday party a few months back, wasn’t that you?”

He gulped, looking down, “Um, yeah, sorry about that time, I was a bit… drunk”, he said, completely red faced with embarrassment.

I smiled, “It’s all cool”, I said, patting his shoulder, making him flinch, “No need to worry about me”, I said, starting to take some endearment towards him, continuing to rub his shoulder.

He blinked, casting his gaze at the small table in between us, “I’m sorry that the kiss came before our first date.”

I chuckled, retracting my hand, “No need to worry about that Taemin, at least we are starting to”, I said, genuinely interested in him.

He smiled for the first time, looking at me with a legendary eye smile, leaving me in awe, “I’m really glad, I was interested in you since then.”

I raised a brow, processing what he’d just said, “I-I, I mean-”

I smiled, “It’s okay Taemin, I’m actually really interested in you, why don’t we get to know each other some more.”

He calmed down a bit, smiling weakly at me, “Okay, well, I am part of an idol group called SHINee, and I really love dancing.”

I nodded, “I’ve heard of you guys, I actually really like your music, I’ve heard most of it through your leader, Jinki”, I said, to which he nodded, smiling widely, “I am working as a music producer, so I’ve worked on some of your projects every now and then.

His eyes slightly widened, taking my hands in his, bowing, “I am sorry if I was disrespectful.”

I smiled, “It’s okay”, I said, removing my hands from his, using my hand to lift his head, feeling his smooth skin, “This isn’t a good way to start a date, isn’t it?”

He smiled, almost leaning into my hand before regaining his composure, “I am really serious about my work, but I hope we’ll be able to work things out.”