A/N: And at long last, chapter 2 is out! WOW, that took a long time! I apologize for the very, very long wait. I don't have the time to write freely anymore, so I can't guarantee another chapter for a while. I'm actually on a hiatus until December, at least. So until December, I won't be updating regularly, but thank you for sticking with me and waiting patiently! You all deserve rewards!

I won't be able to get to responding to reviews this time, but the next chapter I will for sure! But I do want to say thanks for reading and I enjoyed reading your reviews! This will definitely be a continuing story, just as all my other stories will be!

I also realize that this chapter isn't worth the wait, so I'm sorry for that too. Also, another apology for my writing being SUPER rusty! It might seem / feel a little off, but I did try my very best to make it seem natural! Overall, thank you!

Jan Di was sitting on the couch with the palms of her hands rubbing against her knees, nervously, almost. Her nervousness wasn't due to her feeling uncomfortable around Ji Hoo—that would never be the case—but rather because, for some strange reason, Jan Di always had this fluttering in her chest. It wasn't something that could be helped, but that didn't bother her at all. It just happened all the time when she was in his presence; it didn't matter where or when. It got to the point where she couldn't remember what it felt like without the fluttering. She lost track of the days when this particular feeling had occurred in her chest. Before she could think further on the matter of how she was feeling, she heard footsteps heading in her direction. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as Ji Hoo approached her on the couch, setting down a tray of drinks and then seating himself beside her.

"Hot chocolate for you," he spoke, lifting one of the cups and setting it in front of her. "And one for me." With a smile, he lifted his cup up to his lips and took a small sip before setting it down quickly afterwards. After swallowing the liquid, he turned his head to her with a tiny grin. "I don't recommend drinking it right away.. It's very, very hot. You'll burn your tongue if you do.."

"Is that what happened to you?" teased Jan Di with a small, humored grin of her own.

"I had my own assumptions, but I decided to test it myself so that you wouldn't have to." He leaned back against the cushioning, resting his elbow on the arm of his couch. His eyes were now locked onto Jan Di, clearly watching her every movement as if he were observing her. Jan Di quickly avoided eye contact by shifting her gaze away, feeling as if she were melting under his gaze. Her shyness began to act up again, in front of him this time.

All because of that feeling.

It happened whenever they were together, though Jan Di had become an expert at hiding it from him. At the moment, however, not so much.

She reached for her mug and took it into the both of her hands. Fingers tapped against the smooth surface of the mug in a rhythmic beat. It helped distract her from her thoughts for a few seconds, but it didn't seem to work in distracting Ji Hoo.

"Jan Di," he suddenly said in the silence.

He noticed.. The tapping on her mug increased considerably; more than likely making it more obvious. "Yes?" she murmured in response, glancing over at him barely.

"It seems like every time we're together, you're very nervous. Why is that?" he questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly. "We've been together for close to a year.. Is it something about me that makes you uncomfortable?" A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke up again. "Is it these living arrangements? You shouldn't feel forced to stay here if that's not what you want.."

That's where her gaze darted towards him. She knew she was making it so very obvious that she was nervous, but to lead him into a misunderstanding such as her being uncomfortable? Jan Di didn't want to give such an implication; especially one that was untrue.

"That's not it!" she objected immediately, though afterwards, she ended up regretted sounding so enthusiastic. The last thing Jan Di wanted was to become the clingy girlfriend that would eventually trouble her boyfriend, so in an attempt to prevent that from ever happening, she told herself to remain calm and composed—like Ji Hoo. Setting her gaze on Ji Hoo once again, she noticed how his lips curved back into a smile. One she knew very, very well.

"Then what is it? Don't tell me that the prideful Geum Jan Di still gets shy around me, despite our living together." She could practically hear it in his tone of voice; how he just knew exactly how she felt. Nothing was more embarrassing than that! Ji Hoo continued on, "I think it's cute how you're still this way, Jan Di. All this time, and I never realized it. I guess I learn something new every time I'm with you."

"It's not like that either," she mumbled again. For a moment, Jan Di pursed her lips together, the mug of hot chocolate resting calmly in her hands now. Her fingers that once tapped restlessly against the surface of the mug now fell utterly silent, just as Jan Di herself had. "It's more like.." Jan Di exhaled silently as she glanced over at her hot chocolate, now staring into the dark liquid as if she were mesmerized by it. Except, she wasn't; she just didn't want to see Ji Hoo's reaction to the next few, embarrassing words she was about to speak. "I'm not sure why I get this way around you.. So uneasy.. Or is it uneasy..? Maybe I'm just shy after all.. But I would've thought that I would have grown accustomed to living with you."

I thought my heart would have grown accustomed to being with you.

"It's hard to explain," Jan Di concluded. Still, even after avoiding eye contact for so long, Jan Di kept her eyes locked onto the hot chocolate rather than Ji Hoo himself. He was such a tease and he took every opportunity available to be one. Surely this was one of a kind chance to be the biggest tease. But as she sat in silence, there was not a single sound from Ji Hoo. He was just as silent as she, surprisingly. Waiting for the moment he was going to acknowledge what she said felt dreadful, like it would be forever until she finally got a response.

"I don't think it's about living with me. And I don't think you can grow 'accustomed' to.. this." Ji Hoo finally stated.

"Eh?" Jan Di turned her attention to Ji Hoo at long last. "What do you mean..?"

"I mean exactly what I say: you can't grow accustomed to love, at least to me it's that way." He took another sip of his hot chocolate before setting it down once again. "With love, it's something new every day, don't you think? How can you grow accustomed to your feelings, that change all the time?"

Jan Di was about to object that she wasn't talking about love specifically, but Ji Hoo beat her to it.

"You didn't say love, I know," he said with a tiny smile. "I think I know you better than you know yourself, though. I feel the same, somewhat." At that confession, he turned his head and cleared his throat loudly. "Excuse me for a moment, I need to...get something."

Jan Di was dumbfounded for a moment, staring at Ji Hoo like an idiot. His words were startling. The fact that he felt the same as her came off as a surprise, considering he was normally so calm and unfazed by his feelings...or so it seemed. He never seemed the type to be nervous to Jan Di or so that could tell. Well, on the other hand, Ji Hoo was naturally an observer; he was always able to read Jan Di like a book. However, in that aspect, Jan Di was the complete opposite at times.

As Ji Hoo began to get up from his spot on the couch, ready to leave, Jan Di spoke up finally. "You.. What.." Get it together, Jan Di! Form proper sentences! Jan Di knew she wasn't smart, but this was just ridiculous! "Um.. What are you going to get?"

"Something." His response was brief and simple.

Suddenly, Jan Di's suspicions began to rise. "Something? Well, what is it? Relationships don't have secrets...you know."

Ji Hoo turned his head to glance over at her. "Using my words against me?"

It was true. Two months ago, Ji Hoo had told her that relationships didn't have secrets. That they didn't need secrets and instead, they should be open with everything.

"Maybe. So...what is it? What is this something?" she pressed curiously, grinning a bit. "Or maybe you're not going to get anything? You just don't want me to ask you any questions about what you said, right?"

"I wouldn't play this game if I were you," responded Ji Hoo, returning the grin. "I'm a more advanced player. You should know that by now." Once Jan Di looked a bit hesitant, Ji Hoo winked playfully at her. "But as matter of fact, Jan Di, I do have something to get. It's very precious to me, so I don't want to forget it. Don't worry, I won't be gone for long." With that, Ji Hoo left the room.

Jan Di wanted to object, but remained completely silent as he left. She was very curious about what he went to get—if it was anything at all. She doubted he actually went to get anything; it seemed to be the perfect excuse to just leave. Puffing out her cheeks, staring curiously at her cup of hot chocolate. Ji Hoo could have left to excuse himself from any embarrassment, but it could also be very well true that he did leave to get something.

I.. I want to know what it was..

Jan Di wasn't very good at sneaking around; she was actually pretty bad at it. But she got away with it once, long ago with Ji Hoo. Although, at the time, she ended up confessing to it by mistake. But Jan Di was sure that if she tried once more—without spilling the beans ahead of time—she could get away with it. Determined, Jan Di turned her head back towards the table so she could set down her hot chocolate; however, something else caught her attention. As she shifted her gaze towards the table, her eyes caught a glimpse of something outside the large windows. For a couple, starling seconds, she managed to spot someone watching her.

Dressed in cloth as black as the night, capable of blending in. A hood shadowed their facial features and none of their features were distinguished. However, if Jan Di could recognize anything about this moment, it would be the eerie and unsettling feelings that overcame her. Frozen in sudden fear, Jan Di's fingers around the cup of hot chocolate tightened and she swallowed thickly.

"J-Ji Hoo," she whispered quietly, too low for anyone to hear.

A part of her wanted to go outside and confront them. But as she stared longer at the unmoving figure in the dark, she began to realize that it was their intention to get spotted by her. Why else would they willingly allow themselves to be seen, for longer than necessary?

Is it to scare me? What are your intentions?

Too focused on her own questions and thoughts, Jan Di didn't realize that the figure had moved from their position; leaving her dumbfounded and confused once more. The eerie feeling had never left, but now she felt more terrified than before. She didn't understand why she was so afraid; there was no reason to fear pranksters—or so she hoped. Chilled to the bone, Jan Di shifted slightly on the couch. Suddenly, she felt a hand rest atop her shoulder and the worst came to mind. Immediately, she jumped in her seat; splashing hot chocolate on the assailant while letting out a small yell to alert Ji Hoo.

Except...her 'attacker' was Ji Hoo.

And the hot chocolate spilled all over his expensive clothes… Luckily, the hot chocolate wasn't freshly made and cooled down within the time she had it.

"Jan Di—what…?" Ji Hoo's facial features expressed his current confusion at the moment. He glanced down at his soaked and stained clothes before shifting his gaze back to Jan Di, who appeared just as shocked at the moment. "..What?" he repeated, blinking slowly and raising an eyebrow as if to question her actions.

"J-Ji Hoo, I—I.. I'm so sorry!" Feeling guilty, she wanted to try and help improve the situation. Quickly, she went to set down the now-empty cup with her shaking hand; only to set it on the edge by mistake, allowing it to fall and shatter into dozens and dozens of pieces on the ground. She winced visibly at the sound of broken glass. "I-I.." Beyond embarrassed at this point, she wanted to help somehow, but began drawing blanks; which wasn't good on her part. Without any hope of actually helping, she decided last minute on what to do. She pulled the sleeve of her sweater over her hand and began to wipe frantically at the stains on Ji Hoo's shirt, bowing her head so she could only see what she was doing and not Ji Hoo's face at this moment. "Sorry, sorry.." she began mumbling, still wiping at the stain as if she expected the stains to magically disappear.

Great.. Spill my drink on him, and then break the cup. Brilliant, Jan Di. Just genius! I'm sure he'll love you after this!

Suddenly, Ji Hoo grabbed her wrist and stopped her from 'cleaning' the stain. Slowly and reluctantly, Jan Di lifted her head to meet his gaze, and by his expression, he looked as if he thought she were crazy. Or so it appeared. "What are you doing?" he questioned, tilting his head slightly to the side. "You're acting very odd right now.."

"Y-you just scared me.. And.. I messed up your shirt.." she began, averting her gaze. "I was trying to clean it.."

At her last comment, he just laughed a little and released his grip on her wrist. "You're trying to clean a mess with your sweater.. Isn't that just creating a bigger mess than helping it?"

"..It's.." Unable to admit she was wrong and he was right, she simply turned her head away. "It's my way of cleaning.. It's called the Geum Jan Di way, if you didn't know it."

"The Jan Di way? I guess.. I do learn more about you all the time, don't I?" he teased. But after a few, brief seconds, concern took over his features. "But really, what's wrong, Jan Di? I don't believe I just scared you.. I'm the only one here. There's no reason to believe that anything frightening could happen.."

That was true. The one place Jan Di felt most comfortable in was Ji Hoo's home. She felt completely safe; there was never a time not to. But she also didn't want to discuss with him about the cloaked figure; she wasn't even certain someone was actually there. For all she knew, she could be imagining things from the past. Plus...she didn't want to worry Ji Hoo over something that may have been just a couple of pranksters. Before he could get more suspicion and question her further, she decided to change the subject.

To something that would more than likely result in Ji Hoo teasing her.

"Well, when you come out of nowhere after going to get 'something,' it's only natural for anyone to get scared! And what did you go get?" Puffing out her cheeks, she folded her arms across her chest. "I feel bad now.. How can I make it up to you?"

"It's not like you spilled a hot drink on me. But thank you for making me realize that I should never offer you a hot drink again. You're a bit of a klutz when it comes to handling dangerous things. But.. if you're talking about making it up to me.." A small smile formed on his lips, and suddenly the two of them were in a position where she was leaning against the arm of the couch, with him hovering over her slightly. "There are a few ways you can pay me back for this nice shirt. I really liked it too."

"You act like it can't be cleaned," objected Jan Di. "I can take it to my parents and get it cleaned, free of charge."

"That's generous of you, Jan Di. But I don't want anything that could be paid with money," he retorted playfully.

"Then what is it you want?" she responded, though she immediately regretted asking. What Ji Hoo wanted was clearly obvious, and he would make it all the more humiliating to hear.

"Do you really have to ask?" With a small grin replacing his smile, he leaned close to her ear, whispering the next few words. "I want you, Geum Jan Di."

Her heart began to beat at those last words. By now, Ji Hoo had pulled away slightly, but now he was much closer to her, with their faces centimeters apart. As he moved a little closer to her, his eyes were locked onto hers as if to question whether or not she was okay with their current closeness. When she didn't indicate otherwise, he smiled softly at her and she her eyelids fluttered close as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips that lasted a few seconds. The kiss… Like always, it was sweet and loving. She didn't expect otherwise from Ji Hoo. But afterwards, nothing else came like she expected. Instead, after the pause, she received a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're silly."

"Huh?" Jan Di blinked her eyes open, staring up at him as he shifted off her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I won't do anything you aren't ready for, Jan Di," he responded with his sweet smile. "Don't worry yourself."

"I'm not worried." If anything, Jan Di was confused as to why he said that. She was perfectly fine with what was happening and didn't give him any sign that she didn't want it. "What gave you that idea..?"

"You closed your eyes." Ji Hoo glanced over at her. "When I kissed you. You didn't seem like you were ready." Jan Di felt a little guilty, only because she didn't want to appear as if she wasn't comfortable with him at this point in their relationship. Ji Hoo probably noticed because he quickly added, "Don't worry, Jan Di. It's okay. I don't think I was ready either. This isn't even a fitting environment."

Still, Jan Di remained quiet. She knew he was only saying those things to make her feel better. If he didn't want it, he wouldn't have bothered bringing it up to begin with. Suddenly, she felt him grasp onto her hand; intertwining their fingers together as if to reassure her further.

"These things happen naturally. There's no need to rush it." Ji Hoo squeezed her hand with the same smile as earlier; a smile that made her feel more relaxed. "We're not even married yet," he teased.

"M-married?" she repeated, feeling her cheeks heat up at the idea. She covered her face with her other hand, clearly blushing from his comments. However, his words helped ease her. Somehow, Ji Hoo always knew what to say.

Thank you, Ji Hoo..