6 vi.

vi. – The songs continued to play while they were eating.

Irene realized that Theodore already had chosen the set of songs earlier while she was still ordering their food. Surprisingly, he chose both his favourite songs and hers. He would constantly hum the lyrics and she would constantly feed him as he started getting playful all over again.

They finished quite earlier than expected and they still have ample time left before heading back to Seoul. Setting their used utensils and the rest of their meal aside, Irene took another look at the songbook again and immediately found a song she knew Theodore might be familiar of.

"You wouldn't mind if you would sing one of your songs for me?" she politely asked.

He immediately found himself scratching the back of his head, "Ah, I kind of find it embarrassing to do so."

"But I just sang to you a while ago though," she pouted as she continued to glance over the songs.

Sighing in defeat, he clasped his hands together, "How about an English song then?"

"Any song in mind?" She was already flipping from one page to another.

"I only know a couple of songs. How about the one I sang for my birthday years ago?" he explained shyly. Irene found this cute side of him very endearing. She couldn't find herself saying 'no' to this man in front of her.

She gleamed at him, "I'd love to hear it."

Once they found the song, they entered the corresponding digits and the song started playing. "Someone like you," Theodore read the title before he started singing.

And there he was, singing to her with his lovely and soothing voice. It was as if she was attending a mini-private concert but it was him and her. And she realized, he was just singing for her at that very moment. She scooted over behind him, as she closed her eyes, dozing off with her thoughts, her arms loosely wrapped around his waist.

She was slowly brought back to her senses when she felt his other hand around her arm, as he took her hand into his own. The song was coming close to an end.

She wouldn't want the day to end either.

Glancing at his face from over his shoulder, she was studying his face a little bit more than usual.

"You're humming that song again," he told her.

"Hmm?"

He carefully placed the mic on the table and placed his hand on her face, his body gently turning towards her. "That song. You've been humming that same song since we were at the convenience store earlier, while we were also taking our orders and while we cleaned up a bit."

"Ahh, it's a new song actually. I kept hearing it on the radio lately. So that's probably why I've been humming to it lately," she explained softly.

He pouted, "That's quite a bummer. I really wanted to hear you sing it on the karaoke ever since we arrived here."

He took his hand from her face and slowly reached for the songbook across the table. "My position in the group is a rapper, though," she glanced from his face to his hand.

"You were singing the entire song earlier. They probably need to change that major detail about you soon," he chuckled softly.

His open palm looked so inviting that she tore away from her embrace and took his hand into hers. "I can't even remember the entire lyrics yet, which was why I was humming the song."

"Can you sing a little for then?" his eyes stared right into hers.

Indeed, how could Irene ever say no to this man right here?

"I recall late November, holding my breath, slowly I said, 'you don't need to save me, but would you runaway with me?'"

Normally, whenever she would feel this vulnerable, she would blush or hid away her feelings. But being vulnerable around Theodore no longer felt scary anymore. He's the home she doesn't have anywhere else, nothing she could ever compare to even if they were both back in Seoul or in the middle of Daegu. And when he saw her like this, he understood. And he never laughed, or made fun of her or took her for granted.

He understood too, and he stayed.

"I'll always be with you no matter what," Theodore smiled, sincere and genuine and reaching all the way to the corner of his eyes as he held her hand tight around his.

He waited for her response as she smiled back at him, leaning her forehead towards his. "I'm home."