In the taxi, she takes a deep breath. Her eyes are burning. She wants to sleep.
Who knew that she wouldn't even get five minutes of rest at the hotel? Minami Sei and Nishimura Soichiro stayed back at the train station to ask questions.
She should have taken a nap instead of staring at the guy beside her.
Wakana purses her lips and peeks at Choi Min Ho who is leaning back on his seat with closed eyes. She exhales and inhales. That person is him. Then, why is he helping her? She scrutinizes him with her gaze.
Is he secretly in love with her or something? Is that why he's always saving her? But why is he pretending to not know her? Can't he speak to her? She's sure that he's that ghost.
"Nakashima Wakana." He smiles at her lightly. His eyes are still closed. "Is there something on my face"
"N-N-No." Wakana stutters. She looks away. Looking at anywhere is better than looking at him. Wasn't he asleep? How did he find out that she's staring at him?
"Then, why are you staring at me?" Choi Min Ho glances at her. Even her ears are red. He wonders what she's thinking about. He will take only a small peek. "I noticed that you have been staring at me since we met. Miss Nakashima, have you fallen for me at first sight?"
"Of course, not." Wakana turns her head to look at him. Her heart skips a beat when she finds him watching her with his aquamarine eyes. Damn! Why is her heart acting weird now? She has a boyfriend. "It's not like that."
He raises his brow. The corner of his lips tilts up. She is acting in a strange way. It's rather difficult… not to tease her a little. "Then, what is it like? Do you find me handsome then?"
Yes, she finds him handsome. But she can't say that. "Mr Choi, you are misunderstanding me."
"What I am misunderstanding here, Miss Nakashima?" He cocks his head. His eyes fill with a beguiling smile. "You are saying that I am not handsome?"
Wakana shakes her head furiously. "That's not what I meant."
"Then, what do you mean? Am I handsome or not?" He asks with a serious tone.
How did it turn out like this? Wakana's head is hurting. Her only crime was that she stared at him a little. Now, she is being interrogated as if she's a criminal.
"Hmm?" He leans a little closer. He shouldn't be doing this, but the blush on her face is getting deeper. Her thoughts about him are rather interesting. He wants to occupy her mind with thoughts about him alone… even if it's only for this taxi trip. "You haven't answered me, Miss Nakashima."
So close. Wakana blinks her eyes. She fists her hand and places it over her erratic heart. If she keeps looking into his aquamarine eyes, she might evaporate into nothing. This is an emergency. Her brain is about to explode. "I forgot the question."
She's cute when she's nervous. He chuckles and asks, "Do you find my appearance appealing, Miss Nakashima?"
His low chuckle annoys her a little. The man is teasing her. He's a professional flirt. How can she accept this? She's a full-grown woman. She cannot let a flirt have his way. "Mr Choi, have you never seen your reflection?"
"I am looking at my reflection right now," He tells her while gazing into her dark eyes, forgetting about his constraints for a moment. "I think I am quite handsome in your eyes."
He's so close. Wakana widens her eyes, unable to retort back. She freezes in her seat. Her mind turns blank. Min Ho's gaze becomes softer. Her thoughts are quiet now. If he leans closer and takes those lips...
"I mean, my reflection is quite handsome." Choi Min Ho pulls back and lets out an easy laugh. Is he an idiot? That was dangerous. He almost kissed her. "Miss Nakashima, I apologize. I was punishing you a little for making me nervous for hours."
"Punishment…?" Wakana stares at him. He was so close. He nearly killed her. Wait for a second! What is she doing? She has a boyfriend. It hasn't been 24 hours since she and Sei started their new relationship. She babbles in one breath, "Mr Choi, I am sorry for making you feel that way. I didn't fall in love with you at first sight. Actually, I already have a boyfriend. I thought that I saw you somewhere before. That's why I was staring at you."
She's feeling guilty. It's not her fault. Choi Min Ho resists the urge to pat her head. So close and yet, so far away. It's better like this. "I am sorry for misunderstanding you, but we have never met before. I saw you for the first time at the train station."
"Oh." Wakana doesn't believe him at all. She crosses her arms and looks out of the window. The sky is getting dark. "You look a lot like a ghost who saved my life many times, but that ghost never reveals himself to me. I understand that he must have a good reason for not showing himself to me. If he shows himself to me once, I want to thank him for being my angel. If he reveals himself to me once, I won't ask him why he is always hiding away from me. I want to meet him and thank him properly."
She already thinks that the ghost is him. Choi Min Ho sighs. But he doesn't deserve to hear her gratitude. "Just because he saved your life a few times, it doesn't mean that he's a good ghost. He is probably paying back a debt. After all, ghosts stay back in the mortal world because of unfulfilled wishes. That ghost must have saved you because he is a selfish bastard that --"
"Stop." Wakana frowns at him. Why is he talking about himself in such a way? "Don't call him that. He's my saviour. You don't get to decide whether he's selfish or not. Also, I don't think that he's a selfish bastard. If it's a debt, I am interested to know what that debt is. If he can't find the courage to tell me, I will not force him. I want him to know that I would always wait for him."
She will continue to wait until he admits it.
The taxi stops in front of the Okuyama Mansion. Choi Min Ho watches her open the door of the car and steps out. He inhales sharply. How long can he pretend?
Being like this is okay. Receiving the gratitude that he doesn't deserve is better than facing the hate that he deserves from her. He will pretend as long as he can.