Jane Jang(장재인), SUHO(수호) _ Do you have a moment(실례해도 될까요)

Yes, he was indeed correct. That fool had no bullet in his gun. The burglar groaned in pain holding his hands over his groin.

He staggered back in relief, knowing that he was alive. He looked at her donning the same relief as his. He quickly jumped over to the bench and pulled her with him.

They ran as fast as their legs could carry them toward thr entrance gate. They still ran further until they were back among people and safety.

They stopped to catch their breath, she leaning against the glass windows of a pub and him balancing his haunched back with a hand on the glass, rested very close to her face. It looked like the cliché guy traps girl on the wall scenario, only  that both of them had just run for their life, having escaped death.

'God!' He exclaimed gulping in a huge breath and stood straighter, closer to her. 'Never ever.' She shook her head looking up at the sky. A few moments passed by for both of them to return back to normal, when both of them realized how close and in an uncompromisable position they were.

Both refused to point it out, reasoning they just faced a life or death moment.

She felt his breath on her nose and caught a whiff of coke. She shut her eyes and then opened it to find his staring right at hers. This close she finally realized his eyes were a warm chocolate brown that bordered with freshly brewed coffee. His pupils dilated and she couldn't say the reason. Her eyes trailed down to a high nose and probably the softest, whitest skin she had laid eyes on.

She found herself admiring how painted his jawline looked and his sneaky stubbles.

She trailed down to his lips and quickly looked up to his eyes not even registering their colour. He had an expression of tease and amusement. He smiled and leaned closer that only if she moved an inch further their noses would collide.

His smile grew into a grin and she found herself smiling subtly.

'You know, I never caught your name?' He said.

'What?'

'Your name.'

He saw her look confused as if she had forgotten her own name. She sighed and pushed him away by placing a palm on his chest.

With a proper distance between, he found himself able to breathe again.

'I never caught yours either'. She smugly retorted.

He chuckled scratching his nose bridge.

He inhaled and made his back straighter. His face morphed into a pleasant smile and he extended his hand, 'Parker'.

She seemed satisfied with the name for she nodded with approval and returned the handshake, 'Suzy'.

Suzy. He kept toiling around the name. Suzy.

The pub light from the window accentuated her features. Suzy. Her brunette tresses were spread from the run giving her a halo around and the flushed face with the now natural pink lips looked angelic. Suzy. But her silver irises told a different story. Laced with thin eyelashes and a smooth eyebrow they screamed of an enigmatic seduction.

Suzy.

'Earth to Parker.' She sang song.

And his name in her timid rabbit voice now louder and stronger, made a somersault in his stomach.

'Hey.'

Her eyes narrowed at him, 'Don't think that I forgot your name calling and the loss of my wallet and phone.'

Parker gulped.

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'Seriously? This is your idea of apologizing?' Suzy laughed long forgotten was her anger and resentment.

Who could blame her, seeing his childlike excitement, she believed that being angry at this boy was very impossible. Parker had found the city carnival open even at midnight and decided that dragging her into the less crowded land of rides and shops would be the best idea to pacify her.

With her hand still caught in between his crooked elbow, she looked around in amazement. The carnival. It was a place she had gone. But in the daylight, with bodyguards and plastic friends. She was always busy trying to fit in with the posh group who accepted her only because she was one of the heirs of Girmen Enterprises , that she never enjoyed any rid or the games.

But now was different. It was night. Sure, most of the rides were now closed but that didn't stop the game stalls to be kept open. She realized only couples and some groups of friends hanging out at this time. But mostly couples. She bit her cheeks realizing how she and Parker must be looking right now.

He hoped, no prayed that this would make her happier. This would make Suzy happier. Very much aware of her hands tucked between his, he realized he like calling her, Suzy. Replacing she with Suzy. He liked the name so much.

He shook his head with a silent laughter. Who was he kidding, he didn't like the name so much. He liked the name belonging to her.

He ignored her rhetorical question and roamed here and there. He was disappointed that there were no rides except for the lame train around the Carnival grounds.

She patted his arm hugging him from the side since her hand was caught anyway. 'It's okay Parker. We can ride the train though.'

'No way.' He shook his head.

'The game stalls then?'

Pulling her hand away from his she stepped back to giving him a daunting smile, 'I bet you can't beat me in them.'

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'Get ready to witness some heaveness.' Parker smirked aiming the rifle at the rows of balloon pinned on the wall.

He heard claps and cheers from the girls surrounding him but only a bored yawn from the girl he wanted to impress.

He brought the rifle closer, his eyes narrowed at the aim and shooted.

He missed it.

The group groaned while Suzy snickered.

'Hey, two more chances left.'

'Alright.' she shrugged.

He missed the second too.

'You can do it.' a random girl cheered him and he caught Suzy eyeing her warily. That sparked confidence in him.

And he aimed. This time there would be no chance of missing and he pulled the trigger.But nothing happened. He realized that the third bullet wasn't lodged.

The crowd groaned and started to walk away.

Glaring at the stall owner, he screamed, 'There is no third bullet man!'

The stall owner just shrugged and pulled the rifle from him getting ready for his next customer. 'Dude!'

Parker refused to turn back to face a smug Suzy with embarrassment flooding him. But to his astonishment, she dragged him by his coat to the next stall.

'I want that Bunny!' She cried with a twinkle in her eyes.

'Huh?' He noticed her pointing to a  Pink bunny stitched with the words, City Carnival and a heart on its chest, seated inside the illuminated glass chamber of  the Claw game.

Parker frowned knowing these games never let you win. Suzy nudged him to give her some coins and he showered all the changes he had.

'They never work you know?', he skeptically said looking at her press the Start button and take hold of the controller.

'Yeah like how you never hit the mark.', she chuckled.

'Hey, I didn't get my fair chance.' He retorted.

The claw grasped the bunny and Suzy shrieked a yes. Slowly she moved it to the drop section only to have it lose its grip and the bunny stayed inside the chamber.

She didn't seem fazed and put in the next coin. With both hands shoved inside the pockets Parker, sighed. He knew he couldn't convince her and settled on cheering her.

'Nope. You cant.'

'Its impossible.'

'Ha! Told ya.'

'Thirty bucks you lose this time too.'

Suzy blew a strand of hair from her face and stood up with hands on her waist.

'PARKER!'

'Sorry. Sorry.' , he raised his hands in surrender but with a sly laugh. 'You know there is a high chance of getting those annoying bracelets lying below your bunny.'

'I.Will.Get.The.Bunny.' Suzy deadpanned.

'Oh lord.' He pouted.

With the last coin in, he couldn't bring himself see his coin vanish away for nothing and excused himself to use the restroom.

But instead, he roamed around staring at the towering carnival lights and flying papers of advertisement and ribbons on the ground. He saw a couple hugging each other while admiring the lights, they then looked at each other with the happiest smile he had seen. His heart sighed and he continued walking kicking a stone on his path.

He started wondering how this night would have turned if his date showed up. He would have been eating a five-course dinner while talking with her with a table in-between. It would have been so boring. For he was a boy who lived in the moment. He loved walking around, feeling the air caress him, loved the smell of the world tease his nostrils and welcomed the array of sounds playing into his ear.

Evn if the date had been a wonderful girl, charming even he wouldn't have liked her.

He realized that even if Suzy had been his date, he wouldn't have liked her in that posh restaurant with the cliché jazz music playing in the background. Because he wouldn't have seen her. He wouldn't have seen her hesitations of breaking rules, he wouldn't have seen her joy from breaking the rules.

He wouldn't have know how much excitement a different setting would bring her. He wouldn't have realized that like him, she too loved people, like him she too loved the noise and business and like him, she felt at home in these unknown places.

He chuckled realizing he surely would not have seen her angry burst out, or the whimpering cries in the park or her determination to win a stupid bunny.

And he wouldn't have realized that he liked all these sides of her. That he liked Suzy.

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When one makes a new discovery, it is said that a light surrounds them and the glow would be very bright. That's what Suzy felt when she saw Parker making his way towards her.

'Hello there Suzy!' He waved.

'Uh-hi.'

Through the rest of the carnival trip she couldn't help but sneak glances at him, he seemed content and at the same time bursting with energy.

'You okay bud?' She asked after realizing something was different with him during his washroom break.

'Oh definitely.' He nodded and rolled his lips in to avoid another grin make its way. She nodded unsurely.

'You hungry?' He asked all of a sudden when they stepped out of the carnival grounds having enough of it.

It had been just hours after her Steaky dinner, but the event that happened later sure made her famished.

'Yes, please.' She dramatically begged.

Parker lead on the way to a 24-hour convenience store and they both split there ways in the food aisle.

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'What did you get?' Suzy asked ripping her chips packet open.

Parker looked down at his carry back and mumbled, 'Icecream.'

'Oh.' Somehow she knew that he knew that she wanted that ice cream.

Parker suddenly walked two steps away from her. He was not going to give his ice cream to the girl with the prying eyes.

'Parker?'

'Y-yes.'

'What flavor is it?'

'Choco-'

Suzy lunged at him while he lifted the bag above his head. He realized he had the advantage of height over her. 'Sorry, Suzy.' He laughed.

'But-'

'You should have bought one when you had the chance.'

She still jumped for it but he simply stood on his tippy toes.

She finally gave up and with a final glare, she began walking. Parker didn't like the silent treatment she was giving and thought of an idea.

'Okay how about we play a game and winner gets the ice cream?'

Still, with no reply, he bent down to grin at her face.

'Fine.' she huffed. 'What game?'

'A game where we ask each other questions.'

She stopped to give him an incredulous look.

'The loser is the one who cannot answer the asked question.'

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Suzy was still wary of empty grounds after the Burglar incident but again when did Parker listen to her. So she found sitting on the football ground of some abandoned stadium.

She looked up at the sky dotted with stars and found it mesmerizing. She realized what Parker had meant by the city being beautiful at night. There were the stars of people draped with the city light and noise and here was the silent stars draped with a calm quietness.

Parker settled beside her after placing the prize ice cream cup in the center.

'You go first.' He prompted.

'Um..your favourite colour?'

Parker laughed, 'Suzy you are supposed to ask questions that I won't be able to answer.'

Suzy slapped her forehead.

'Well anyway, it is red. My turn, would you choose to eat poop or drink pee for the rest of your life?'

'Wh-what? Ew!'

'Eyes on the prize tiger. Eyes on the prize.' Parker nodded.

'God! Pee I guess.'

'Gross Suzy!' Parker laughed.

She kicked him in his shin and again that didn't hurt him. He just laid back on the soft grass to gaze at the stars.

A question he won't be able to answer.

'The story about how you lost your virginity, in detail?' She smirked.

He looked at her emotionlessly. Yes, he wouldn't be able to answer this.

He shrugged and replied. 'At a high school party, we were both drunk. We made out and then I dragged her into a closet. She was like are you sure and I was like heck yes and then she bent down-'

'Stop!' She screamed covering her ears.

'I am not done yet. With the details.' He snickered.

'Your turn!' She kicked him again.

'Your deepest secret?'

Parker knew he had won, she wouldn't answer this. Because why would she confess her deepest secret to a stranger whom she met hours ago. But then maybe he had made the situation more serious now. Before he could apologize, she answered him.

'Wanting to run away from home.'

Oh.

She sighed and laid her back on the ground beside him.

'Wanting to be a bad daughter.'

The sky above looked vast, with no boundaries no limits for the thoughts how she wanted to be. She was tired being a puppet held with strings. She hated being forced to watch the puppet show when all she wanted was cut the strings.

'One who doesn't have to go to dates for the sake of her father's company.' She startled fiddling with her thumb, eyes still caught at the depth of the night above.

She could feel his even breathing next to her, 'What's your deepest secret?'

'I want to say shoplifting when I was eleven, but then it will sound lame.'

Suzy laughed silently, the soundless sound drawing Parker near that their heads touched each other.

'Shoplifting then.'

He felt her nod against his head, 'Ask.'

He wanted to lighten the mood, but then he realized he liked this moment, one where she let him know her deepest secret, a moment felt so intimate.

'I like you. Do you like me back?'