Chapter Text
Still wearing her pyjamas, Kwon Joo sat on the edge of her bed. She stared at the white wall in front of her. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Should she accept Derek's request?
Kwon Joo took out the clothes from the box next to her, holding it by the shoulders. A long sleeve midi dress with a very pale pastel green colour. Kwon Joo instantly fell in love when she saw the colour, but honestly, she didn't like dresses.
She forced herself to her feet, holding the dress in front of her body. While observing herself in the full-body mirror in front of the bathroom, Kwon Joo sighed. This dress is beautiful, but…
Throwing the dress on the bed, Kwon Joo plopped down on the sofa. It felt like she was going on a date with Derek. Actually, she could have worn the clothes she bought herself, but because she kept reminded by Derek’s hopeful tone yesterday, she felt compelled to wear the dress he gave her.
In the end, Kwon Joo decided to wear the dress. She made sure her hair didn't get caught in the back zipper of the dress again before pulling it up. She looked at herself in the mirror.
The neckline of the dress was v neck without buttons, the cut was a little low, down to below her neck and upper chest, but comfortable. She had absolutely no problem with the neckline until her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror down to her waist.
The tie on the waist was simple, like a belt from the same fabric as the dress, white coloured with small green leaves patterns through the length of the belt. It was so beautiful.
Even though knowing that she has a skinny body, Kwon Joo had never seen herself as this thin. The dress’s waist is elastic on the back, so it formed a perfect silhouette of her waist and upper hips, and because of it, she looked way thinner.
Kwon Joo got reminded of various kinds of food her team members bought her. She was always in the call centre and forgot to eat, and when anyone brought her something to eat, she usually ate some at night and put the rest in the fridge. Maybe she needed to increase her nutritional intake after this. Or maybe added with vitamins? It seemed like a good idea.
The fabric of the dress under the tie waist was high-low skirts type, the hem was just a little bit higher in the front than in the back. Kwon Joo just realized that the fabric of her dress was light and soft after she put it on. She spins around to left and right, watching the hem of her dress flared elegantly.
She didn't know if the dress was supposed to be ankle-length or not, but what she did know was that the front hem of the dress was about 10 cm below her knees. She wouldn’t look weird, would she?
Kwon Joo took out a pair of white mules from her suitcase. She had been thinking of going to the beach, so she had prepared the mules for the day. Since the dress Derek gave her was a very pale pastel green that's almost white, Kwon Joo smiled because she brought matching mules.
She put on her tawny fall coat, then put on her backpack. Luckily, her backpack was also white. Kwon Joo smiled looking at herself in the mirror. She always loved neutral colours; white, black, brown. And now Derek gave her a new colour to love: pastel green.
Her cell phone vibrated in her coat pocket as she put on her mules in front of the mirror. Without looking at her phone, Kwon Joo immediately deduced that it was Derek who sent her the message, informing her that he was waiting in the lobby.
Looked like Kwon Joo's deduction was correct because Derek was already sitting on the lobby's sofa, reading a newspaper. He wore a plain pine green t-shirt, white-coloured board shorts, and a pair of black slip-on water shoes. And most importantly, apart from his clothes, he looked very handsome.
Kwon Joo had just stepped out of the elevator and was walking toward Derek when the man quickly folded his newspaper and stood up to greet her. The man smiled widely, looking at Kwon Joo from top to down with sparkling eyes.
“You are very beautiful,” Derek complimented her without thinking, tossing the newspaper on the table beside the sofa without even looking away from her.
“Because you were the one who chose this dress?”
Derek shook his head quickly. “No. No. The dress is beautiful if you’re the one wearing it. So, you’re the source of its beauty.”
Kwon Joo shook her head. "I didn't know you could talk like this. When you were in Vimo Island, you always keep everything to yourself."
"If I said I changed because of you, would you believe it?"
"No."
Derek shrugged. "Okay then. Let's go."
-----
Santa Monica beach stretched wide and connected to Venice beach. The sky was blue with no clouds, the sun was shining brightly, and the sand felt warm. Derek planned to go for a walk on the beach because he thought Kwon Joo wouldn’t like the crowds at Santa Monica Pier.
There was an amusement park at the Santa Monica Pier named Pacific Park, with a ferris wheel, roller coaster, bumper car, and several other arcade games. It was clearly a gathering place for many people, children and adults, and Derek didn't want to take Kwon Joo to such a crowded place.
He thought Kwon Joo would prefer quietness, listen to the sounds of nature instead of listening to people talk, take a walk on the beach and play with water, and enjoy the atmosphere without hearing annoying noises.
Derek parked the car and they both got off. He took Kwon Joo to walk along the pedestrian route, occasionally avoiding cyclists or kids running around with giant donut air tubes.
Looking at the vast expanse of sand, Kwon Joo took off her mules, sinking her feet into the sand. With a wide smile, she chose to walk on the sand rather than on the asphalt. The warm and soft sand tickled her feet, as she stepped closer to the sea, she almost lost her balance without realizing it.
Walking next to Kwon Joo, Derek was holding a large picnic basket made of rattan with a lid, he kept her from falling. Actually, he was just standing next to her at the perfect timing and Kwon Joo was holding his shoulder to maintain her balance.
Walking while enjoying the sand and sunshine, Derek kept stealing glances at Kwon Joo. The girl’s expression was so relaxed that he unconsciously never stopped smiling. Until Kwon Joo turned to him, looking at him raising one eyebrow, Derek finally stopped smiling.
The beach was currently almost empty. Maybe because they arrived at an unusual time. It was almost lunchtime. Derek took out a gingham from his basket, spread it out on the sand, and let Kwon Joo sit down first.
The sound of the waves crashing and the seagulls made Kwon Joo close her eyes while sitting down. The sun was shining brightly above their heads, but she didn't feel hot at all. She listened to her surroundings with a smile, feeling a pleasant atmosphere. Until she felt something above her head, then a clicking sound was heard.
Taking a deep breath, Kwon Joo opened her eyes, squinting at Derek. The man again pointed the phone’s camera at her, smiling widely without feeling guilty. Shaking her head, Kwon Joo realized that now there’s a sun hat on her head. She watched Derek who was looking at his phone screen.
Derek's expression looked very happy, and Kwon Joo just realized that Derek could pull that expression. While working together in Korea, Kwon Joo never really saw Derek smile. Maybe only once or twice, when their case with Dong Bang Min was over.
Besides, Derek always had furrowed brows, a cold expression, and outbursts of anger. His emotions were often out of control, even towards Kwon Joo. Maybe it was because at the time they just learned to work together, so it was natural for problems to arise.
“Centerjang?”
Kwon Joo blinked in surprise, just realized that she had been daydreaming. She sat hugging her knees, turning to Derek with a questioning look.
"You've been quiet for a while. Oh, the hat fits you so well."
Kwon Joo touched the hem of her hat, taking it off to see its shape. The hat reminded her of tiramisu cake, pale brown with a white satin ribbon around it. Kwon Joo nodded her head at Derek, thanking him, then put her hat back on.
“Here, I made a sandwich.” Derek took out a lunchbox from his basket, opened the lid of the box, then handed one to Kwon Joo. "I hope it doesn't taste bad."
"You cook?" Kwon Joo's brows furrowed suspiciously, but she still took the sandwich and ate it. She tasted fried eggs, bacon, lettuce, mayonnaise, and a few other ingredients. She widened her eyes slightly. "You really made it yourself?"
Derek nodded excitedly. "It’s okay?"
“It’s good,” Kwon Joo answered with a smile, enjoying a sandwich while gazing at the sea. For the next few minutes, they just sat quietly enjoying their sandwiches and the sea.
After they finished their food, Derek helped Kwon Joo take off her coat. He put the neatly folded coat on top of the basket, then they walked out into the sea not far from where they were sitting.
Kwon Joo walked on the wet sand, watching the sand beneath her feet being swept away by the waves. Several times the waves came, and now her feet had sunk in the sand. Derek stood next to Kwon Joo, softly unbuttoning her cufflinks, rolling them up to her elbows. "So they won’t get wet."
“Thank you,” Kwon Joo smiled sweetly at Derek, making the man look at her with sparkling eyes. She was still smiling when she added. "Thanks for the sandwich too."
"It's an honour for me to make a sandwich for you," Derek replied, smiling widely.
They stared at each other for a few moments. The sunlight, the sound of the waves crashing, the seawater that came and went wetting their feet, made both Kwon Joo and Derek not wanting to move or say anything. They were just enjoying the atmosphere and each other's presence. And for now, it’s enough.
Derek noticed Kwon Joo's hair was slightly tangled near her ear. He reached out, looking at Kwon Joo for permission. Kwon Joo smiled and Derek took it as a sign that he could do what he wanted to do.
So he gently tucked Kwon Joo's hair behind her ear. He realized that Kwon Joo's white ears were very beautiful and adorable. Kwon Joo didn’t even wear any earring or piercing, but Derek still thought that she’s beautiful and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. So he went back to look at her eyes.
Seconds passed. They just stared at each other, smiled, and it was as if their world had stopped. Kwon Joo didn't even hear any sound other than Derek's heartbeat and the waves crashing. The two voices were like music to her ears, making her feel so happy. She wanted this music to last for a long time.
But there was a yelling heard from afar.
“Hey, Kang Center!”
The two of them immediately turned to the voice.