The day was bright and wispy white clouds were floating serenely across the cerulean sky. The streets were bustling with the weekend traffic of couples, children, and groups of friends. Some were simply grabbing a bite to eat and others were in the midst of a romantic date. As others went about their business around her, she held up her worn, well-used camera and snapped a picture. And another. And another. She was a writer, and it was routine for her to take pictures of daily life for inspiration. Her last article had been focused on the traditional cuisine she had eaten at a small restaurant in the suburbs of Seoul. The one before that revolved around the winding hiking trails scattered across the expansive and rolling green mountains of the countryside. 

She sighed. For how much longer would she write about such average topics? She wanted to experience something different. Something that would sweep her off her feet and take her life by storm. She wanted to experience love and write about passion and uncontrollable emotions. But Cupid had yet to visit her. When would she meet a guy? Be friends with him and move on to romance? It was simply too time-consuming. Love took too much effort. She was better off without it. 

Soon, it was early afternoon. After taking a few pictures for her next article draft, she began the long walk back to her apartment. After all, it was a beautiful day. She simply didn't want to go home without enjoying nature's little gift first. Along her walk, she discovered that she'd been oblivious to much of her surroundings. There were small vintage stores to her left and quaint cafes to her right. And all around her was the air of spring romances. Shaking her head, she decided to take a side path to avoid running into any more couples. 

It was a small alley. The walls were close to each other and she could make out faint paint slashed across them from age old graffiti. The sunlight streamed into the narrow path, creating a small space of quiet and beauty. Reaching the end of the short alleyway, she noticed that it led straight to a park. She quickly took out her camera as she looked around, eager to capture the surreal scene that surrounded her. The city life article could wait for another day. Her next article would be based on nature. 

As she made her way deeper into the heart of the park, she spotted a large tree. The sun was beginning to get stronger so she opted to take a short break in the shade. Leaning against the wide trunk, she casually flipped through the many shots of lush greenery she had taken. She was extremely pleased with her work and unknowingly let out a giggle of satisfaction 

"What's so funny?"

Startled, she scrambled to her feet, clutching her camera to her chest. She looked around her but saw no one. Walking around the tree, she found a man who appeared to be her age sitting against the trunk. He looked up into her eyes with a small smile. 

"Don't be so alarmed, I'm not going to steal your camera or anything."

She analyzed him warily and took a cautious step back from the stranger. He had large, innocent eyes and he was holding a notebook in one hand. A pencil was stuck behind his ear and his smile grew bigger. 

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

As she turned to walk away, he swiftly stood up and grabbed her arm. "Wait! I still want to know what you were giggling about."

She gave him a look of disbelief, but she couldn't ignore the fluttering in her stomach. Is this what they meant by love at first sight? 

"If you must know, I was laughing because I was happy."

Turning her back to him once more, she hoped that he would stop her again. He did. 

"...happy about what?"

This time, she looked back at him with a smile. "Happy about the pictures I took today."

He cocked his head with curiosity and let out a small laugh. "Well, if I asked you if you would like a cup of coffee with me, would you tell me a little more about the pictures?"

Normally she would have rejected the offer. She didn't know how to interact with others. She was awkward and socially inept. But his eyes seemed so earnest and kind. 

"I suppose I could tell you a bit more. But today's such a hot day, I'll go if you make it an iced coffee?" 

She laughed softly and he joined in. "Let's go then. I know an amazing cafe hidden somewhere in these Seoul streets. I'm Baekhyun, by the way. And you are...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The iced coffee was delicious. It was rich with flavour and creamy, but the cold drink did nothing to calm her butterflies. Baekyun was intelligent and kind. It turned out that he was a writer as well. He called the tree in the park his muse. After discussing their respective careers over many drinks, he offered to walk her back to her apartment. Their conversation never ended on the walk, and he constantly amused her with his random quips and corny jokes. Before saying goodbye, they exchanged numbers. It had been a perfect day. 

She stepped into the elevator of her apartment building, mulling over the events of the day. As she opened the door of her apartment, she recieved a text. It was Baekhyun. Smiling, she opened it, expecting yet another silly comment, only to be surprised.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

It was an unexpected question, but she somehow knew that her answer was yes. Reading the question over and over, she realized that her day had changed her beliefs. Love wasn't something to be calculated and planned. Love didn't have requirements and boundaries and rules. It was spontaneous. 

Now she was sure of what she would write about. Before she began to type on her laptop, she answered Baekhyun's text. 

Yes.