The damn form in front of me is too long and my hand is starting to cramp from having to write small enough to fill in the tiny blanks. This is the 20th of some of the same forms that I've been filling out all week, and the sad part is that this is just to apply for the contracting permit for my new building. I tell myself that it will all be worth it once it's over; I'll finally have my brand-new tutoring company to launch.

I can take on more students and hopefully gain the attention of the local hagwons and high-schools as well. I've been working hard all day and as I let out a sigh, I can feel a headache coming on. I start to rub my eyes to ease the little pinpricks of pain I feel, but noise coming into the café interrupts me.

Two tall guys have just walked in and I spare them a glance since they're bringing in a lot of racket for just two people. They sit down next to a silent guy dressed all in black and I shift my attention back to the building permit, not wanting the distraction. I sigh in frustration while translating the Hangul into English and then my answers from English to Hangul in my head, my thoughts only managing to increase the ache in my skull.

I take a sip of my tea, but it's ice cold and I get up to go to the counter for a fresh one. After adding in an unhealthy amount of sugar to the fresh cup, I take a sip and reclaim my seat, feeling infused with life again. I keep seeing JaeHyun's face in my mind as I fill out the document and I tell myself that this form is just one more step closer to him.

I finish the paperwork with a flourish and sigh in relief as I lean back in my chair. Only two weeks left until the building is mine officially and I can start talking with a contractor about making it look like a place of learning instead of the small hospital practice it once was. But tomorrow is Saturday and my day to visit with JaeHyun. I've become so busy lately that I'm scared he'll feel like I'm neglecting him, so I definitely can't miss it. I start thinking about what I'm going to get him as a surprise gift when a shadow forms overhead. One of the tall guys from earlier is standing next to my table, and I crane my neck to look up at him.

"Hello, my name is N. How are you? I'm fine thank you." He says it all in rushed and heavily accented English and it takes me a second to figure out what he meant to say. I look him over, noting his black hair, darker olive complexion and the black bracelets that decorate his wrists. He's a little thin and looks harmless enough, so I roll my eyes a little at his eager smile and decide to play along.

"Anneyonghaesyo. Pangawayo." I give him a small bow of my head in greeting.

He looks surprised that I know even that small amount of Korean and he starts speaking in small sentences, I guess testing to see how much I understand.

"My friend... Over there... He wants to speak to you." He points behind me and I turn around in my seat.

"Your friend?" I say back. I look over at the two guys sitting at the table. One of them has his mouth hanging open comically and the other looks like he wants to commit murder.

"My friend... He shy," he says again in English.

I'm pretty amused now since this isn't the first time this has happened to me in the five years that I've lived in Korea. Coming here as an international college student had been a dream of mine since I'd watched my first Korean drama when I was twelve. My parents had been supportive of my leaving the country, and I had gotten into a pretty good college through an English program. Since living in Korea, there hadn't been a time when I wasn't spoken to like this, whether it was for a friend whose English was non-existent or for a guy who wanted to see what being with a foreigner was like.

While it had been fun the first few times, I wasn't really a fan of being picked up in general. But the guy in front of me looked genuine and I thought that it couldn't hurt since I was done with my work anyways. So, giving a small smile to N, I rose from my seat. His eyes widened once I stood to my full height and I smirked at his expression. He took a step back, said "Whoa" and clutched at his heart. I couldn't stop the laugh that burst out of me, the first one I'd had all day.

No matter what language people spoke, there was always a joker around. I could tell he had been surprised at my height and I couldn't blame him. At 5'7 I was taller than the average men and women I'd seen in Korea, but the guy next to me had me beat with his own 5'11 height, although I wouldn't be surprised if he was wearing heel inserts.

"Gurae, let's go," I told him and we started walking to the table where his friends sat. It was a quick walk but the two guys at the table changed their facial expressions so quickly that I could barely believe them to be the same people. The guy with dark brown hair flashed me a bright smile and stood up to get another chair. The black-haired one's scowl shifted into a pained smile as we reached the table.

"Anneyonghaesyo. Imani Taylor imnida." I gave them both a little bow and sat down in the seat the second guy had brought for me.

"My name is Ken," the second guy said quickly, giving me another smile. It was infectious and I couldn't help the answering smile from forming on my face.

N gave a push to the last guy sitting at the table and the guy glared back at him so fiercely that I had to wonder if they were really friends. Despite the death stare, N nudged him again. He finally spoke but in such a quiet voice that I didn't hear him.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you," I said in perfect Hangul. "Could you say it again?"

All three guys looked up in shock but I was still staring at the quiet one, giving him my full attention. For some reason, he intrigued me and I was curious about him.

"My name is Jung TaekWoon," he said in the prettiest voice I had ever heard come out of a man's mouth. The smile slipped off my face and in its place my face heated in embarrassment. Please don't let this be the one who was too shy, I said in my head, already sensing trouble. He looked up at me, his eyes little half-moons that were squinting closed even more as I looked at him.

My heart was beating fast and I could barely keep it together to smile at him. This was so not good. I gave him another little bow and he inclined his head back at me.

"Then, your Korean is really good, right?" N said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, I've lived in Korea for five years now, so I'm ok." I said looking at N, glad for the distraction from TaekWoon.

"So, what do you do in Korea? Are you a teacher?" Ken asked.

"Sort of," I said while feeling his eyes on me. "I run a tutoring company here and we serve individuals who want to improve their English, as well as students who can use it as a study school."

"Ah, then could I get a free lesson? My English sucks," Ken said with a laugh.

I smiled back at him but he suddenly flinches and the smile disappears from his face an instant later. I wondered what was wrong with him as he looked at Mr. Dark and Scary, but he didn't say a word.

"That would be great," I told them. "We're always accepting new students. But um... N told me one of you wanted to speak with me."

I looked hopefully at Ken, thinking that it would be easy to let him down nicely. He was sweet and looked like fun, but he wasn't my type.

"It was me," that quiet voice said again. My heart kick started as I turned my head slowly to him, but I saw that his head was down. He looked uncomfortable and awkward sitting there and I immediately felt bad. He must really be very shy and I knew that it would be unfair if I didn't give him at chance at least. My JaeHyun didn't like to talk to strangers either, so I sat back to listen.

There was a long pause and N poked him again, prompting him to speak.

"If you have time... Could we go somewhere tomorrow?" He was still talking quietly, but I was starting to think he always spoke that way.

My face fell at his words, hoping he wouldn't take what I had to say next the wrong way.

"I have to see someone tomorrow," I told him gently. His lips parted in a silent "oh" and I felt horrible. Against my better judgement, I asked if we could meet on Sunday instead.

He looked up at that, looked at N who nodded and then finally nodded at me.

I smiled at little at him and the heated look he gave me in return sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to rethink my words but they were all already getting up and it was too late to take them back.

"Here's his number," N said handing me a piece of paper. "Call him when you're ready and he'll pick you up. It was nice meeting you."

TaekWoon was still standing next to me and I took a minute to look at him while his friends walked away. He was taller than the other two, capping out at a 6'2 in his flat black Vans. His body was lean and looked well defined in the tight black long sleeve shirt and black jeans he wore. He was pale in the extreme, the only color in his face coming from his rosebud colored mouth and black hair. His eyes were a deep brown that mimicked my own, but they were so penetrating; it was like he was trying to speak to me with them.

His friends had left him behind, but he was still looking down at me which such intensity that I was finding it hard to breathe. I smiled at him weakly, hoping to get him to stop staring, but he continued for a few seconds longer. Finally, I scrunched up my nose at him, irritated that he hadn't left yet. Like a light being turned on, his mouth curved upwards on the sides in what could be called a smirk but which I knew had to be an elusive smile. And it worked wonders for him; a face that was awesome in a scowl was simply gorgeous when he smiled. And since that smile was directed at me, my heart seemed to stop and I didn't think I was breathing anymore.

He finally walked away after one last look and as I watched him stroll out the door, I released a pent-up breath. Oh my God, I was in such deep shit. There was no way I could resist whatever charm he had that was pulling me to him. I looked at the note N had given me and wondered if I should even put it in my phone. This wasn't going to be just one of my casual dates that I had with guys whenever I got too bored of my own company.

And the way TaekWoon had looked at me... I knew this wouldn't turn out well. I didn't have time for whatever this was, and I knew it was only going to add to my list of problems. But I thought of that smile again and had to stop myself from melting. I took my phone from out of my pocket and silently typed in the number. Afterwards I turned off the phone and rested my head against the table, and thought about what I had just done.