Jae browsed through the internet with full concentration.

101 Relationship Tips Straight From Dating Experts.

Hmm, looks interesting, thought Jae. They would know a lot about dating. She read through the article curiously.

We've got 101 relationship tips you can start implementing right now, the article said.

Yes, I'm interested, Jae nodded thoughtfully.

1. Listen – really allow yourself to listen.

I can do that, Jae agreed.

2. Take a Few Days Apart –Missing each other is a great way to reconnect.

No problem there either. They don't get to see each other daily and she misses him like crazy when they were apart for a long time.

3. Find a Support Team – Have a handful of great friends or family members you can call so your significant other doesn't have to hear every small grievance going on your life.

Jae pondered. She's not much of a complainer so there's no trouble there either.

4. Put Away Your Phones – give your undivided attention when your partner is speaking.

Jae agreed wholeheartedly with that. She saw some of the customers who came to the restaurant. They came as a couple but spent all the time there looking at their phone screen. Jae even wondered, were they texting each other when they were using the phones then?

Jae scrolled through down to tips number 101 and smiled satisfyingly. She bookmarked the page for future reference and went browsing again. Most tips and advice were nearly similar. There was one on avoiding conflicts. Jae thought again. It would be best if she didn't say anything about Chin-Hwa oppa when Yoongi is around, decided Jae resolutely. It's not that Yoongi went berserk or anything but she didn't want to make it unpleasant for him.

"What are you reading?" Jae yelped in surprise as her phone fell to the floor. It was near to quitting time and the staff was cleaning up the restaurant. Chan-Ri saw that Jae was engrossed, looking at her phone after her job was done.

"Eonnie!" Jae protested as Chan-Ri picked up Jae's phone.

"Relationship for Dummies?" asked Chan-Ri, raising her left brow as she looked at what was on the screen. "You are not seriously getting relationship tips from the internet, right?"

Jae snatched her phone back and kept it in her pocket. "I'm just browsing. Nothing serious," she went wiping the table that she already wiped before, being embarrassed at being caught red handed by Chan-Ri.

"Hold it," commanded Chan-Ri. "Sit," Chan-Ri put Jae to a chair nearby and took another one for herself. "I know you won't ask for any help, but now I'm asking you, do you need any? In anything? Especially on relationship? I know your guy is not an average Joe and I'm not a love guru either but I'm here if you need any help regarding that."

"I'm fine," defended Jae.

"When was the last time you dated anyone?" asked Chan-Ri, point blank. She knew Jae barely had enough time for herself when she worked around the clock. The question was replied with silence. That was answer enough.

"High school?" probed Chan-Ri.

Silence.

"I'm not even going to ask you about middle school. Is this your first relationship?" inquired Chan-Ri. Jae nodded slowly. Growing up, she didn't have a lot of friends. Most of her time was spent on piano practice since she was 3 after her dad saw her playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano by ear. She couldn't relate much to kids her age and was always left out when there was a play date. She couldn't understand how a person, the same age as hers, didn't know anything about the wonderful song by Mozart or commented that the brilliant piece by Stravinsky as boring.

When she lived in the US, it didn't change that much either. Her heavily accented English was made fun of most of the time, so she only talked when it was necessary. She's a music whiz but it took years for her to get her New Yorker accent. Her only friends were her foster siblings and by the time she entered Juilliard, she was still the odd one out. She was still a minor when the rest of her course mates have already reached legal age. It was the curse of being a prodigy. She was too young to hang out at a bar and it is not advisable for anyone of them to date an underage person.

By the time she reached that age, she found out she could get drunk with a can of beer and could be knocked out by anything stronger than that. She was glad that she found that out at her foster family's house. God knows what would become of her if that happened elsewhere.

She was definitely not that party friendly either when she brought her own beverage. Unless a person handed her an unopened can of soda, she wouldn't drink it. She did not bond that well with other people because of that. Academic wise, they respected her and included her in school projects. On personal level, they gave her a wide berth.

Yoongi was a breath of fresh air when she went home for summer holiday and her aberrant behavior was a mystery even for her. He was a budding musician and he was really polite. He was never mean towards Jae despite all the stunts she pulled. Granted, he didn't say much and his smile knocked her off her feet but she just felt that strong emotion of wanting his attention and being with him. That was the cause of her ceaseless pursuit. Then, Yoongi went to Big Hit and Jae stopped writing as he rose to stardom.

When Jae returned to Korea after quitting Juilliard, she was too busy working 3 jobs at a time. Jae was just so glad that she didn't turn out to be a recluse and didn't have an antisocial disorder. If she doesn't have any trouble with Chan-Ri eonnie and Ki-Tae oppa, that just shows that she was just a normal person, right? And then, there's Yoongi. That was definitely a plus and she knows nothing about relationship. She was not going to go back to her crazy fangirl stunt. It was just too mortifying.

That brought her to the search for Relationship 101.

"Okay, come. Let us go through this together and I'll explain more. I just don't trust this relationship stuff from the net. It could be misleading," Chan-Ri took out her phone and browsed for the same page that Jae looked. Jae took out her phone hesitantly. It was really embarrassing to say the least.

"How to find a relationship," murmured Chan-Ri. "Nah, skip that. You're already in a relationship," commented her again. "How to build a relationship... reciprocal, uhuh... if you're a female, let your partner lead? Heh, what is this? Are we living in the Stone Age? You woman, me man, me lead, you follow," mimicked Chan-Ri. "Don't follow that one. A relationship goes both ways. Sometimes, women lead better and sometimes men does too," advised Chan-Ri. Jae nodded silently.

"Thank you so much for saying that," said Ki-Tae as he walked pass them. He landed a kiss on Chan-Ri before going to the door.

She looked at both Chan-Ri and Ki-Tae. They bantered a lot. Sometimes they get into a heated argument about the restaurant but they always settle everything before the day ends. Once in a while Chan-ri or Ki-Tae did leave the shop in anger, but they would be at the restaurant with a good mood the day after.

"Sex," said Chan-Ri as she went to the next point. Jae went fifty shades of red and Chan-Ri could see it clearly. She quoted, "Be cautious about sex early in the relationship. Know what you're risking, and if you choose it, go into it with your eyes open." Chan-Ri nodded. "Yes, I agree wholeheartedly."

"It's not that we have that much time, anyway. He's busy, I'm busy," defended Jae.

Chan-Ri shook her head, "Never underestimate the busy-ness of a man. They could be really creative when they are given a short amount of time, FYI."

"Oh," replied Jae shortly. She didn't know anything else to say.

"Like what the article said, be cautious. Go into it with your eyes open. Don't do what you don't like and if you're uncomfortable, just say it. Understood?" asked Chan-Ri.

"Understood," Jae agreed.

"And don't go on watching porn to learn that either. But if you do, bear in mind, they're all actors and faking it. Exaggeration sells," added Chan-Ri. Jae looked at her shoes and nodded.

"Now next, move gradually in the relationship – I agree. Rushing is never good. And then, avoid fantasizing about a future with someone you barely know, and to help you keep your emotional intimacy, sexual intimacy, and time actually spent in the relationship in sync," quoted Chan-Ri again. "Hmm... I'm 50-50 on that. Kind of like don't put the cart before a horse but it doesn't hurt to dream either. Just don't get too caught up with what you are wishing and hoping for. Each people have different personality and they can't get into the mold that you're wanting them to be in. Compromising and acceptance is important. You might get disappointed if you're hell-bent on having your own version of a fairy-tale ending," advised Chan-Ri.

"Hope you were not that disappointed with me," said Ki-Tae as he kissed Chan-Ri's cheek when he went from the door.

"You're a mix of both," laughed Chan-Ri. "But I'm not having it any other way," she added as Ki-Tae returned to the kitchen.

"I wish I could be as happy as you are with Ki-Tae oppa," said Jae and Chan-Ri's eyes went big by what she heard. "No! Not with Ki-Tae oppa. I mean, I hope to be like you and Ki-Tae oppa. Gahhh, I'm not making any sense," Jae added miserably.

Chan-Ri patted Jae's hand. "I know what you mean, Jae. Don't measure your happiness with other people's joy, it doesn't work that way. What I'm saying is, one day you will be happy. Truly happy with your own version of happily ever after. Some think about a house with picket fences, some just dream of a house with hot food and happy faces. Don't think too much on what ifs and what not. Just give your best and no regrets."

"Girls, sorry to interrupt. Closing time," announced Ki-Tae as the clock neared midnight. "Jae you'd better make a move to the store," reminded him.

"Thanks eonnie for your advice," said Jae, hugging Chan-Ri gratefully. She went to take her things and made her way to her next job. Her feet felt lighter after that talk.

It didn't hurt to look for more relationship tips on the net, thought Jae.

***********************************

Reference:

101 Relationship Tips Straight from Dating Experts - https://stylecaster.com/relationship-tips/

Relationship for Dummies - https://www.dummies.com/relationships/relationships-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/