Slit like eyes were fixed at 10:10 that thorned the whole shikdang (restaurant) in shredded pieces, his inflated nostrils snorting every single poignant memory that emerged from the amount of alcohol consumed by Kwon Soonyoung. It has been a long time since the man had heard from her, not mentioning that Soonyoung was not even aware about the person in interest's current whereabouts. 

Murmering a familiar melody that his friends had been forced to listen to for a couple of years now, the curly haired man slammed his shot glass filled with soju (Korean alcoholic beverage) on the table to get the drunken one's attention. 'Yah, yah, yah! Keumanhe (Stop it)! How is it possible that you are still stuck up on that little crush you had on Do, Do, Do...'

Soonyoung brightened up, the twinkle is his boba pearl orbs shined as soon as he heard the particular syllable from Jidae. Thinking about her eased his mind, yet the man's mood sunk down to the deepest parts of the ocean while he gritted the name through his teeth. 'Do Hana.'

The other friend named Jongho who exclaimed in fast acknowledgement clapped his hands together, producing a loud beat as if he got the spotlight of that night. 'Ah yes, Do Hana. Wow, this takes me back on a memory lane down to when we were all together in high school. Remember when you learned to play the piano only for her, practicing where every do was on the piano just to impress that girl? Never thought that the instrument would be your career of choice Hoshi.'

Everyone called him by that self-proclaimed nickname back in the days, but only Hana could bring out the sweetness when she pronounced it of her lips. Soonyoung was actually a musical talent with the ability to become a popstar in no time as his choreographer friends had mentioned repeatedly. 

The question was rather about the crucial decision that led his life further on. "Hoshi" had given up his dreams as he did not want to spill a single chance to meet Do Hana again.

Speaking of the girl, running is the only thing that Hana has been doing after high school, yet she always felt that her skills were not good enough. Seeing her fellow comrades going much ahead made her feel jealousy, envy and discouragement but that did not stop the grownup woman in becoming one of the most promising police officers on the squad. 

She was a detective with guts that one had never seen before. 

The only downside that people witnessed was the introverted part of her vivacious personality, reclusive particles made places for themselves while hiding her previous past completely away. Communication was the most difficult obstacle during cases, but most men on the force found it also highly attractive as well. 

Excluding her junior colleague who always bothered Hana during her marathon in the early mornings. 

Jaehyun set his hands on the sides of his waist while clearing his throat, basically telling his senior to lecture him. 'The people at the station told me to undertake everything I can. And if that is being said, I can do anything if you are by my side. Please Sunbae (Senior), teach me about your secrets because I am dying to know how you get the locations of those criminals so fast!'

Hana had honestly enough of her assigned team's ways of dealing with investigations. They are slow-witted, their insufficient work system is not something that functioned within Do Hana's perimeter. She could not stand those dimwits that lazily slung around, eating out their boogers while waiting for the patrol to catch a glimpse of a fugitive. 

Instead, Hana would go outside herself while dragging Myung Jaehyun that would nowadays just follow along like an obedient labradoodle. The junior was sometimes a bit too full of himself so without even giving a heads up, Hana sprinted farther to continue her routine running spree after she rolled her eyeballs around from one last time. 

The streets of Jungjin were moderately vacant in the early morning air, despite the ongoing elections and season of rarely sell-offed fruits. 

Panting at what he had conducted in two decades, Jaehyun yelled after his team leader while slowing down his pace. 'Hana Sunbae (Senior)! Wait up, I need to tell you something. Or rather elaborate it to your knowledge.'

Hana did however not copy and comply to Jaehyun's actions, jaunting further ahead while she could not hear him clearly anymore. 'Mwo (What)?'

They both reached a couple of stairs, the junior foreseeing his future right in front of his squinted eyes as he complained his mind thoroughly. 'We have been running for the past hour and seventeen minutes.'

Her training shoes already reached the frightening flights, not feeling the slightest bad for the one who voluntarily came along as she began scaling them with her feet. 'So?'

As Hana did not bother to give any longer answers, Jaehyun collapsed right in front of the beginning of his openly avowed hell. '

She eventually turned around as she heard the emphatic sound, seeing her junior whining earnestly. 'Sunbae (Senior), I could die at any moment so let me ask you for one tiny little favor. Can I have a nice, cold ice cream bar? I am begging you!'

There is the catch, Hana's cold personality contradicted the care she gave to her fellow teammates. Sighing at the beggar, she shooed the junior away with one hand. 'Fine. Go and eat!'

Jaehyun's eyes showed an enormous amount of glee, squealing his excitement while he strode backwards. 'Jinjja (really)?! Others may not know it, but I most certainly do. Sunbae (Senior), you are an angel deep down. Take my confession right here!'

His arms formed a huge heart above his head, beaming his idiotic smile while Hana threw multiple daggers in his direction. 'Yah, I changed my mind! And where are you even going?'

The junior turned his body around as he ran with his all might, not wanting his favorite colleague at the police station to wait a minute longer than necessary. 'I saw a convenience store over there!'

Upper frustration came out of her mouth, screaming that a supermarket was right next to her but that was not an obligation anymore as Jaehyun had already vanished from the scene. Hana thought to herself, is it that she just did not like him or was it his actions that blinded her from his profound talent? 

The girl had seen him take down many criminals with fighting skills that were still not within her reach. Shrugging her gloomy thoughts of her shoulders, Hana used the given time to stretch her sore body to the maximum. The blazing sun came shining its rays, heating her face up as she enjoyed the momentum for one breathing. 

A familiar melody was heard in the alleyway, breaking her resting period while she shifted her body around by the alluring piano music. Walking the stairs down, she looked straight into the window of the turned-out music academy, Hana's brown eyes viewed a black-haired man behind the instrument. 

The pianist played the intimate sound on the keys that were in front of him and without her grasp, the two young girls next to him noticed Hana's presence almost directly as one of them called out. 'Saem (Teacher), someone is here. She must be your girlfriend and I admit that she is really pretty. Good job!'

Hana felt instantly offended by the teenager's innocent remark, but that compliment got topped by the other youngster who refuted her friend's claim. 'Yah, how could you pair this ajumma (old lady) in an ugly tracksuit with Saem (Teacher)?'

The plausible sentence made the girl set foot inside the piano academy, opposing the way she was called in as Hana revealed herself to the man who had shifted around. 'Yah, I am not old. Who are you to...'

As her words faded in the filtered air, the one's slitted eyes grew larger in size as the man stood up from his seat. Hana's brown eyes mirrored the same action in a hast while he mumbled the obvious. 'Do Hana...'

Various scenarios and outcomes were flowing in her muddled mind, yet Hana decided to dodge them all at once, awkwardly grabbing the chance to get herself out of the place. 

Rapid footsteps sounded from behind her back, as the one the girl in a tracksuit wanted to avoid stopped her tracks by his voice. 'You are Hana, right?'

The girl who was indeed the Hana he was referring to did not turn her frame around, displaying the back of her head as she sputtered her refusal. 'No, I am not.'

He was completely sure where he was getting himself into, or at least acting like he did by letting Hana know something she had already noticed. 'It is me, Hoshi. Kwon Soonyoung.'

All the little fragments of her past glitched in front of her brown eyes as the girl denied the truthful claim. 'I do not know who Do Hana is, so I request you to not bother me.'

A mundane young guy's voice intruded their conversation before Soonyoung could even say something, betraying her rebuttal at once. 'Hana Sunbae (Senior), look what I got you. A Melona bar, your favorite popsicle!'

Hana was plotting Jaehyun's unavoidable murder in her brains, not having paid the attention that she had turned sideways. The man met her brown eyes when she glanced, taking his look not off her for even a second. 'Your taste buds have not changed at all. So, it is you. I missed you so much, Do Hana.'

Jaehyun witnessed everything while licking the leaking ice cream in his left hand, frowning upon hearing someone calling his senior ever so informal. 'What? What is with this strange vibe? Come here for a second, you punk.'

Before the junior could do something that would ruin his dignity for infinity, Hana had dragged him away by the right ear while Jaehyun howled for mercy. They left a flabbergasted Soonyoung alone, dazed and over the moon that he believed that the universe had plated him the pure random chance.

Soonyoung perceived as if he was getting indulged in reminiscence, playing every do on the piano while muttering her name contagiously. Time was passing by each note, his beloved students coming in the music academy with much hubbub that sounded like they were discussing something considerably serious. 

The real smile on Soonyoung's lips appeared, facing the youngsters while asking what they were scheming up. 'Hey. What were you guys talking about? Who is right in what context?'

The pearly eyes of the little girl sparked up, eating a mint-chocolate flavored Pocky stick as she asked in inquisitiveness. 'Saem (Teacher), just to be curious. What does your girlfriend do? As is what kind of a job does she have?'

Soonyoung frowned at what the student had questioned, not knowing who or what she was talking about. 'My girlfriend?'

As the other one refuted the allegation that she was indeed not his girlfriend, the snack eating student wondering why the certain girl was always on the run. That is when reality hit him right in the face, raising his eyebrows in surprise while speedily standing up and grabbing his outerwear jacket. 

Almost tumbling as he hit his shin against the drawer, Soonyoung hurriedly put his coat on. 'Where was she running?!'

The autumn leaves had begun to fall, withering greenish and orangish petals suiting the asphalt ground as the pianist had run over to the park where the one he was dying to meet purportedly was. 

Soonyoung jogged like a lunatic for over an hour, sitting on the rounded wooden bench in despair as he could not spot her anywhere. Why did he even consider the possibility that Hana would be here?

'Kwon Soonyoung?'

The man recognized that sweet voice in a split second, glimpsing up while he shrieked as if he had seen a ghost, catching the girl in the same tracksuit that she wore the last time off guard. 'Ah kamjagiya (you scared me)! What a pleasant surprise. Hana, what are you doing here?'

She was clearly astonished to spot him in such a random place, pointing around as there were several people sampling the same. 'Undong (Working out).'

Laughing the appearing awkwardness off, the pianist snapped his fingers as he repeated. 'You come here to work out? I see. Cool.'

After sitting down on the same bench where the pianist had seated himself, Soonyoung asked his curiosity out of the way by speaking first. 'How is that guy doing? He seemed a bit startled.'

Hana gave Jaehyun a cold shoulder, thinking about how much more peculiar the junior could become. 'Right. He is the weird one on the force.'

Raising one eyebrow high at the last word she had spoken, he tilted his head a bit to the left while glancing at Hana. 'The force? As in the police?'

She could not contain herself to bite her lower lip, withholding to answer the question as Hana did not want to acclaim more than needed. 

They sat in soothing silence, Soonyoung breaking the moment for the second time. 'I am glad to see that you are in good health. If I think back, we used to hangout a lot in the music room together.'

Hana let the honest words roll of her mouth, hearing that Soonyoung had poured his heart out to deliver those phrases. 'Looks like you are still playing the piano.'

Soonyoung looked amused again, his boba pearl eyes forming slits as he responded slowly. 'Yes. Well...I may not have become the pianist I wanted to be, but I like playing the instrument, nonetheless. I only started composing after falling for Do Hana. And look where I am...'

The guy got taken aback by his own words, not realizing that Hana had the same exact feeling. Soonyoung started rambling his excuse together, making one witches' soup out of it. 'What I meant was...The solfège notes. Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do. That "do". Those words had a comma in between them.'

Hana could not adjust to the embarrassing situation, but Soonyoung had always acted in this way so there was no unpleasant surprise for her in store. Both could only snicker it off as the man next to the girl smiled in her direction, making eye contact with her. 'I am relieved.'

Hana wondered he suddenly started sighing, instantly getting the confusion out of the way. 'About what?'

Soonyoung leaned a bit closer to her face, startling the girl as Hana froze in that moment. 'Your smile Hana. You have not changed one bit. It is a lovely coincidence that we ran into each other. We really met across the border of fate, didn't we? How about we get coffee...'

The girl interrupted Soonyoung, nibbling the inside of her cheek as she stood back up her feet to spurt away again. 'It was nice seeing you around, Hoshi. I have something to do so I need to leave now.'

And before Hana could even contemplate her plan, Soonyoung grabbed her wrist as he pulled her back to him. 'Wait!'

She bumped onto his broad chest, looking up to see his slitted eyes grow larger in shock. The pianist let her go at instant while slapping his arm instinctively. 'Sorry. What is wrong with my hand? I guess that I have been playing the piano too much. If you are not up for coffee, how about dinner?'

Wondering if the female team leader said yes to the old classmate's suggestion? Bitter all-night combats against criminals and mobs made Hana totally forget her "date" with Soonyoung. She only found out about her negligence after the pianist had sent multiple messages as a reminder.

"Hana, do not forget our meetup at 5:00 p.m. today.

It is chilly outside so dress warmly.

I am at the restaurant. Where are you?

Everything is okay, right?"

She was ashamed of herself, grabbing the first taxi she found after ignoring her comrades and leaving them with all the leftover paperwork. Hana arrived at the restaurant in question, impatiently waiting for the people who came out of the eating place. 

Hana's eyes roomed around after she stepped on the doorstep until a familiar voice called out from a distance. 'Hana! Do Hana! Over here.'

And there he was, settled in his white woolen turtleneck, washed-out dark grey jeans and an alabaster white overcoat. Hana ran up to him as he grinned from ear to ear. 'Sorry. Did you wait a long time? I did not see your messages.'

Soonyoung waved his hands in front of her while shaking his head, removing the concern in her brown eyes. 'Aniya (No), it is okay. I am already glad that you are here, but we missed our reservation so we will have to wait in line now.'

Awaiting was something that did not exist in Do Hana's dictionary. Her hands grabbed his left bicep, shifting him away from the queue as she calmed the pianist down. 'Let's go somewhere else, this will not be worth it anyway. I do not think I am that hungry.'

They walked their way next to the city lights of Jungjin, Hana delivered ton of apologies to Soonyoung while they search for another place which was an impossible task at that hour. 

The pianist pouted while he grabbed his hungry tummy as he leaned on her right shoulder. 'What a shame. It was almost our turn to go in.'

She ignored him intentionally, shrugging his arm off as she slumped further in silence. Soonyoung broke the stillness as usual, snickering as the frown appeared on the girl's forehead. 'Why are you laughing?'

Soonyoung pointed at her posture, wavering his right index finger along Hana's appearance. 'You know they say that "Tracksuits are more addictive than drugs." I did not know you would be wearing one today too. Come to think of it, did you always look this good in tracksuits? I do not remember ever seeing you in one before.'

Hana mentally slapped herself, the rush made her also forget to change into her spare clothing as she jogged her way to the police station this morning. 

She was stern, not displaying a single emotion on her face and gave Soonyoung the benefit of the doubt. 'I have always worn them at home back in the days and I had my gym clothes too.'

While the pianist acknowledged her answer, he spotted her white shoelaces that were untied. Soonyoung bended to his knees in front of her, his hands were on the shoes in no time as Hana tried to get him up. 'Yah, ani, hajima (no, do not). I can do it myself Hoshi.'

Hearing his nickname, he glimpsed up to see her brown eyes sparked up by the lights in a close distance. 'I am almost done. Hold on.'

Hana inched back, investigating the place at which they had stopped only to see that they were in front of something called KONGKONG ARCADE. 

Her competitiveness soul dragged her into the sketchy place, Soonyoung following from behind while he spoke in a declaring way. 'I know that you cannot let anyone touch your pride, but I did not know that you were also into games. You must like claw machines. It is no fun to just play though. Let's make a bet while we are at it. Later...'

Her exhilarating spirit just sprung out her bones, beaming like she did not do in ages. 'Oh my god, okay sure let's bet our everything. I am going to beat your ass down Kwon Hoshi!'

The next couple of minutes were joyful, festive and cheery, at least this described the right side of the room. The other half was occupied by the mentally pressured Hana, trying to catch the stuffed toy while swearing under her deep breath. 'Why will you not grab it? You need to grab it with your claws, stupid machine! I am going to whack this glass and...'

Soonyoung just watched on from where he was standing, palming his face while pressing the upcoming laughter back that was caused by the profanity spewing girl. 'All right, then. The score is 17 to nothing.'

The fatally noxious glares at the pianist who showed the seventeen toys he had already won did not faze Soonyoung as she would like him to be. Flinging her ruby varsity jacket on the ground, Hana pushed her black curly hair behind her shoulder to strengthen her focus. 

The girl tried the game again but got the wanted toy barely over the edge, entering bill after bill while emptying Soonyoung's wallet. 'Okay, I am going in for a small one now as the big ones are beyond the walls of possibility. I mean, that worked for you right? From here, it looks like the claws will grab it.'

Soonyoung's patience erupted like a volcano, setting his victory aside while standing behind her bended frame. 'Hold on Hana. You should...'

His hands were set above her small ones, leading her clumsy movements while Hana had her full focus fixated on the game without even realizing what position she was standing in. 'Should I do it a bit more gently? Normally I would always win, but I guess this is not my day today. We...'

While asking the question she had in mind, the volume in her voice decreased per syllable as she finally felt Soonyoung's presence behind her back. 

He came even closer, bending down to her level as he basically led the machine to his own according. 'Yes, move it a bit more to the right. Okay, you are doing great, Do Hana. A bit more to the back and be gentle.'

Hana stirred her increasing nervousness down her dry throat, squeezing one word out in a whisper. 'Gentle?'

Was he unaware of what the girl felt in that moment? No, Soonyoung did not even care about her jittery reactions anymore as the sparks ignited everywhere. 'Now, press it.'

Hana pressed the red button like Soonyoung said, the claw crane finally picking up the stuffed Loopy toy from behind the glass wall and into the slot. Both cheered as if they won the World Cup or something familiar. 

Sooyoung exclaimed while grabbing her hands as they high fived. 'You did it!'

The detective squealed in happiness, hugging the well-earned toy tightly to her chest. 'This is so cute! Wait, I want to get one more.'

After winning more dolls together, they both took the opportunity to finish their stroll outside. Although their stomachs were grumbling for nourishment, they wholeheartedly forgot about this for a while. Hana glanced at her right side, meeting his smiley face was the detail she wished her life had for so long. 

The girl sighed freely, getting the essential attention while she hugged her favorite win of tonight closer. 'Hoshi, I need to apologize as I may have disappointed you. That day at the park when you asked me about my occupation, it is not like I did not want to tell you. I feel that it is kind of weird to tell someone about the horrid things I have to witness everyday, same with the fact that I put the people around me in serious danger. I certainly do not want to put anyone in that position, so that is why I must limit the connections around me you know?'

Soonyoung slowed down his steps, placing the plastic bag in his right hand while sliding his other one in hers. Hana looked surprised for the umpteenth time that night as he ambled further ahead without looking back. Never did this happen to Hana, the ones that she opened her heart to always left her in the aggravating darkness. 

The pianist had not walked out on her, even after telling the most important thing of them all and she could not express the way she appreciated this gesture. 'Hana, I honestly do not care about that. My life has been so dull without you. Can I be more honest now?'

He turned around, seeing the stunned expression on her face as Soonyoung exhaled while dragging her closer to his frame. 'Yes, the one and only person I have been looking for is you. Like a lie, I knew all of you at first side and that is why I am asking you to not fly away anymore.'

Was this a heartfelt confession, Hana clearly waited for the answer while he whispered closer to her face. 'I want to hug you from head to toe, please do not go away. Because you see, even this moonlight is getting jealous angel. Stay with me, Do Hana.'

The answer was given by the soft lips that were placed on her trembling ones, brushing hers as they were anticipating for this lovely moment. The kiss was responded by Hana who closed her brown eyes shut, making the one who initiated smirk while he caressed her jaw with his left thumb. 

No one was watching, only them were lighting up fireworks as they did not let go for minutes. It was Hana who pulled back, standing perplex as she had her hand placed on the racing heart in front of her. All Soonyoung did was smile, as he finally got his girl right in front of him.

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Okay, slight delay in this one but I delivered right? 

Inspired by "The Uncanny Counter" (Kdrama) and a tribute to my favorite actress Kim Sejeong hihi.

Actually, I had this imagine in my mind ever since Hoshi released Stay (so literally two months ago). I wanted to make a story based on that song but could not figure out how. But then my muse came along (that drama is such an underated one).

I am lately obsessed with BOYNEXTDOOR so Jaehyun-ah, this one is for you haha.

And the lovely choreographers / backup dancers (Jidae and Jongho) of Seventeen (seriously people should appreciate them more <3)

I need to stopfangirling.

Also, I used a lot of my Korean skills in Dasi and wanted to incorporate it in this story :-)

BTW THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE READS AND VOTES!!!!!!

Until next time <3

Love,

dahliainjeolmi01