It all started when Hyukjae asked his “bestest friend in the world”--excluding Donghae and Xiah Junsu, of course--to have lunch with him at a recently opened café in Apgujeong.

“In public?” she asked over the phone.

Hyukjae rifled through an assortment of outfits in his closet absentmindedly. “Yeah, why not?”

“You idiot, we’ll get noticed! If you haven’t noticed, you’re Super Junior’s Eunhyuk--”

“Super Junior’s Hot Dancing Machine Eunhyuk,” Hyukjae corrected stubbornly.

“And I’m from SNSD,” she went on, ignoring him. “As a person who is careful--”

Hyukjae snorted.

“Hey! As a person who is careful and worried about the image of her group and of her company, I’ll have to decline.”

“But come on, we haven’t hung out in forever!”

“I last saw you two weeks ago,” Hyoyeon scoffed, “And we video-chatted last night!”

“Hyo, video-chatting isn’t hanging out.” Hyukjae pouted.

“Well, just bring some strawberries and come over to the dorm--wait, scratch that, I’ll go to your dorm. I forgot that you were banned from here.” Hyoyeon took a moment to laugh.

“I still don’t know what I even did wrong, okay?” Hyukjae pouted yet again, emphasizing his masculinity. “All I did was pick the lock and sneak into your room at night.”

“You just spoke that sentence and you don’t know what you did wrong?”

“Well, that’s why we’re going to eat lunch now.”

“Lunch at five in the morning?”

“Why not?”

“Hyukjae, just call it breakfast.” Hyoyeon seemed to sigh at his unintelligent ways.

“Well, fine, if you wanna ruin the fun.”

“You’re crazy though. It’s too early!”

“No one will be there!” Hyukjae reasoned. “Plus, since we’re idols, we can get perks and ask the café owners to let us in even though they don’t open yet.”

“You’d abuse your idol status like that?”

“Yes.”

“...I’ll meet you there in a few.”

“I knew my charm was irresistible.”

“Yeah, yeah, just make sure you wear a hoodie.”

“Okay, should I wear the blue and white one, or the multicolored rainbow one or--”

“I’ll just bring you one!” Hyoyeon huffed loudly.

“Thanks, best friend!”

“You’re not welcome.”

“That was a joke, right?”

Click.

Hyukjae gazed at his phone; a gummy grin began forming on his face.

-----

“There you are!” Hyoyeon cried-whispered, seeing Hyukjae creep his way to the door of the café. “What the heck are you doing?”

“Sneaking!” Hyukjae answered.

“Oh.”

He frowned and caught where she was staring--at him, in a white tank top that showed off his muscular arms. He then changed the frown to a smirk. “Where are you looking, Hyoyeon?”

“Huh?” Hyoyeon blinked rapidly. “I was spacing out; I wasn’t even staring at you.”

Hyukjae rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

“Oh, get over yourself and put this on.” she threw a red sweatshirt at him.

Hyukjae pulled it over his head, mussing his blonde hair slightly. He straightened it out and grinned. “Hyoyeon, this has your name on the back.”

“There’s tons of people named Hyoyeon!” she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. “I already talked to the people in the café.”

“And just a while ago, you were telling me not to abuse my idol status.” Hyukjae snickered.

“Shut up,” she whined, sounding cute.

“Stop your aegyo!”

“I don’t have aegyo.”

“I beg to differ!” Hyukjae gaped.

“Just sit down and order some food.” Hyoyeon pushed him into an empty seat and sat down across from him.

“So assertive,” Hyukjae clicked his tongue at Hyoyeon as a waiter approached them.

Half an hour later, they were finishing up their brunch--after a five minute argument about whether they were eating breakfast or lunch--that consisted of a mixture of American breakfast foods and Korean breakfast foods. Hyukjae was sipping his strawberry smoothie with delight when he was suddenly startled by something that sounded like an African savannah stampede.

“It’s customers!” Hyoyeon squeaked, throwing her hood up.

“Oh yeah, I forgot that they said they open very early for breakfast.” Hyukjae chuckled awkwardly.

“You idiot!” Hyoyeon repeatedly smacked his arm with immense force.

“Here’s your bill,” the waiter returned, placing a slip of paper on the table.

He then hurried off to attend to the mass of people.

“Okay, pay.” Hyoyeon demanded, still trying to hide.

“Huh?” Hyukjae looked bewildered. “I don’t have any money.”

Hyoyeon’s eyes widened. “What? Neither do I!”

Hyukjae moaned. “I thought you were gonna pay.”

“You invited me, so I thought you would pay!”

“Is there a problem here?” the same waiter came back, frowning deeply.

Hyukjae acted fast and leapt out of his seat, kneeling down in front of Hyoyeon.

Hyoyeon yelped and choked on her drink, spluttering. “Hyukjae, what are you--”

“Play along,” he mouthed.

The waiter was watching them expectantly, and soon, the attention of the entire café was on them.

“WILL YOU MARRY ME?” Hyukjae asked a little too loudly, producing a ring from his hand.

The café exploded into a mass of chanting. “SAY YES! SAY YES!”

Hyoyeon was flustered beyond belief, but managed to smile. “Yes, I will.”

Hyukjae hastily slipped the ring on to her finger and swept her up into a tight embrace. Everyone clapped and cheered and the waiter was grinning widely, telling them that their meal would be completely free.

Afterwards, they headed to their usual practice room at SM.

“That was so incredibly stupid!” Hyoyeon raged. “What if someone recognized us?”

“All of those people were grandmas and grandpas, Hyo!” Hyukjae shrugged it off casually. “Besides, be excited!”

“About what?”

“We can use this to get free meals everywhere!” Hyukjae grinned idiotically, exposing his gums.

Hyoyeon facepalmed. “Hyukjae, that’s like scamming.”

“Wanna go out to dinner tonight then?”

She slapped him on the shoulder.

-----

The next time Hyukjae invited Hyoyeon to eat out with him was on her birthday. They agreed to meet up at a more secluded establishment this time. When they arrived, it was late, and the café was just about to close up.

Hyukjae sweet-talked the older woman and managed to get him and Hyoyeon in.

“Disgusting,” Hyoyeon remarked, wrinkling her nose.

“I sense jealousy.”

“Your sense is out of whack.”

When they finished eating--and arguing, yet again, about an irrelevant topic--, Hyoyeon poked Hyukjae in the side.

“Did you remember your wallet this time?”

“Uhh...”

“Lee Hyukjae!” Hyoyeon attacked his right arm. “I reminded you to!”

“Well, there’s nothing else to do, but this,” Hyukjae produced a ring from his pocket, smiling mischievously.

“Why do you even carry that with you?” she inquired suspiciously.

“For situations like this,” Hyukjae winked.

“I don’t want to; it’s not right.” Hyoyeon folded her arms resolutely.

“You wanna get thrown in jail with me?” Hyukjae gave her a look.

“...Okay, fine. Do it.”

As the waitress approached them, bill in hand, Hyukjae made sure to make a big scene of getting out of his chair and kneeling before Hyoyeon. He pretended to take the ring out of his pocket. Hyoyeon gasped for effect and the waitress stopped in her tracks.

“I love you. Please marry me.”

“Yes! Yes, I will!”

The waitress was left in tears when the fake to-be-married couple exited the café, covering their mouths to stifle the laughter.

-----

And the vicious cycle continued for a while. Hyoyeon found herself having only the slightest bit of fun scamming people. Well, that was a lie. It was loads of fun for her. It was like pranking and Hyoyeon enjoyed a good prank like anyone else would. The duo put on their fake proposal act every time they went out together. When SMTOWN hit the road--or, air--for New York City, Hyukjae called up Hyoyeon and they found a nice Italian place on their day off before the show.

“I feel bad for ditching the girls,” Hyoyeon puffed her cheeks out, munching on a breadstick.

“I don’t feel bad for ditching Donghae. He wanted to drag me to Toys ‘R’ Us to ride the Ferris Wheel.” Hyukjae chuckled.

“There’s a Ferris Wheel in the actual store?” Hyoyeon gawked.

“Apparently.”

“Wow,” she breathed, sighing dreamily. “I’d love to live here.”

“Wanna move here with me when we stop being famous?”

Hyoyeon rolled her eyes, punching him lightly. “Hilarious.”

Hyukjae was about to say more, when he spotted a man decked in black and white nearing their table. “Oh, here comes the waiter! Scam time!”

Hyoyeon let out a guffaw. “You’re awful.”

“Will you marry me?” Hyukjae pleaded in accented English, already on his knees in an instant.

“We have a proposal here!” the waiter announced, attracting the restaurant’s attention immediately.

“Yes, I will!” Hyoyeon repeated the much-rehearsed line, smiling brightly.

“Kiss her!” one man screeched.

Hyoyeon and Hyukjae were caught off-guard.

“Kiss?” Hyukjae mouthed, confused.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” everyone shouted in unison.

Crippling under the pressure, Hyoyeon initiated the kiss by grabbing the front of Hyukjae’s shirt and pulling him towards her.

The crowd applauded and cheered once more.

-----

“Hey, buddy,” Donghae greeted Hyukjae when he returned to the hotel room at midnight.

Hyukjae’s face was like a mask of emotions as he shuffled past his friend and slumped on to the bed.

“What’s wrong?” Donghae put a hand on the older boy’s shoulder.

He murmured something incomprehensible.

“Did you go scamming again?”

“Yeah,” Hyukjae replied monotonously.

“How was it?”

No response.

“Did you get caught?” Donghae exclaimed, shaking Hyukjae by the shoulders madly.

“No.”

Donghae burst and slapped him on the head. “Then out with it!”

“HYOYEON AND I KISSED, OKAY?”

Donghae’s angry expression softened. “Oh.”

Hyukjae ran a hand through his hair. “Ye--”

The sound of crazed laughter filled the room before Hyukjae could finish. Donghae was lying on the ground, laughing uncontrollably and hysterically, to Hyukjae’s utter confusion.

“Hyuk, you gotta ask her out.” Donghae took a breath and let out a few more chuckles.

“Why don’t you ask Tiffany, Jessica, or Yoona out?” Hyukjae retaliated, annoyed.

Donghae stopped laughing and pouted. “...Low blow, dude.”

“Whatever, I’m going to bed now.”

“No, wait! You have to ask her out! Soon!”

“How can I?” Hyukjae moped miserably. “I don’t even know what to say! She probably doesn’t even like me!”

“She kissed you!”

“Yeah, ‘cause it was part of the act.”

“Was it really?” Donghae gave Hyukjae his all-knowing look.

“Most likely," Hyukjae muttered.

“Well, fine. Not that you care, but I heard Doojoon was planning to ask Hyoyeon out at the end of the year.” Donghae said coolly.

Hyukjae, in reaction, stormed to the bathroom without another word. Kyuhyun popped out from under one of the blankets.

“I thought Doojoon was dating G.NA?”

Donghae smirked. “He is.”

Kyuhyun cackled evilly, revealing his signature smirk. “Genius.”

“Oh my god, Kyuhyun, do you see what you’re doing to me?!” Donghae cried, covering his face with his hands.

“I call it the Kyuhyun Effect.”

Donghae screamed in agony, running away.

-----

It was December 29th, 2011.

Hyukjae had been biding his time well, waiting for this perfect moment. He had it all planned out, minute by minute. He was that determined for Hyoyeon to be his by the end of the night. He managed to escape his group members to seek out his favorite girl backstage.

“Hyo!”

She whirled around, still in her stage costume. “Oh, hey, Hyukjae.”

He swallowed a lump in his throat and pushed the nerves down. “Wanna grab a bite to eat after this?”

“Yeah, sure,” she grinned. “Same thing?”

“Same thing.”

He waited for her after the show to change out of the sparkly gold and black outfit and into a more comfortable one--skinny jeans and a black T-shirt.

“Ready?” she smiled up at him.

Hyukjae took a deep breath and linked arms with her. “Ready.”

They slipped away from their friends and managers, not caring much. All of them were heading to SM for some big party, but Hyoyeon and Hyukjae preferred each other’s company, just the two of them, like peas in a pod.

“This café again?” Hyoyeon tilted her head slightly, uncertain. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Hyukjae responded with as much confidence as he could muster, leading her inside.

He didn’t order much, only his favorite strawberry smoothie. She ordered some coffee, not feeling very hungry at the moment as well.

At that moment, Hyukjae unexpectedly knelt in front of her. Hyoyeon’s eyes flickered to the waiter, who was lazily cleaning up some tables.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her breath hitching in . “He’s not here yet!”

“Something I should’ve done months ago, maybe even years ago,” he gave her his gummiest grin and revealed a ring from his pocket. “Hyoyeon, I think you’re perfect. It’d kill me if you were with anyone who wasn’t me. Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Hyukjae, what happened to asking for my hand in marriage? You should’ve told me if we were changing the act!”

Hyukjae groaned, slapping his forehead. “Hyoyeon, I’m trying to confess for real!”

“Oh. To me?”

“No, to the chair. Yes, you!”

Hyoyeon laughed. “Well, you should’ve known my answer would be yes, anyway. I was kind of waiting for you to ask.”

“You should’ve got on your knees for me, then.” he teased, wrapping an arm around her protectively.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” she punched him.

“I become your boyfriend and I still get abused.”

“Some things will never change.” Hyoyeon sighed, all smiles.

“Can certain things change?” he grinned, leaning forward.

“Here’s the check.” the waiter cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the new couple’s moment.

Hyoyeon raised an eyebrow at Hyukjae. “Did you...?”

“No,” he intertwined his fingers with her and dragged her away. “RUN!”

“HEY! GET BACK HERE!” the old man shook his fist angrily in the air.

They ran out of the café holding hands, like two fools truly in love, never looking back once.