He blinked his eyes. Once. Twice. Doing all sorts of things to make sure none of this was a dream. 

Siwon remained frozen at his spot and realised only after a solid minute that she bowed to him. He returned the gesture stiffly and cleared his throat.

“Tiffany-sshi? So you’re the mystery girl, huh?” Siwon spoke, trying his best to calm the nerves that threatened to overtake him. 

“And you’re the oh-so handsome friend of Donghae-oppa that Sica won’t shut up about?” She laughed and Siwon practically melted then and there. Her smile was so, so much better when it was up close. And as cheesy as it sounds, she literally looked like an angel. Did he forget to mention that she was stunning even in minimal makeup?

He pulled her seat back and helped her before taking the empty spot beside her. 

"I mean, when she was saying it I doubted her but after finding out it was you, she really wasn't lying." She smiled again, and Siwon absentmindedly smiled back.

He knew that Tiffany was just naturally kind and outgoing, but has anyone told her just how flirty she sounded sometimes?

"Ah no, no. I can actually say Donghae was the one who couldn't shut up. You won’t believe the amount of times he pulled out a list from his pocket to tell me all about you."

The man in question put down the menu he was holding. "Yah, you two lovebirds, I know you're both enjoying whatever you got going on but we're in a restaurant and I'm hungry." 

With that single statement, the two turned cherry red. Tiffany's cheeks were dusted with rose whilst Siwon's ears looked like they were about to explode. He reminded himself to kill Donghae twice that day. God– he felt like dying.

They both picked up the menu and glossed over the selection of Mediterranean food that the restaurant offered. Siwon had his eyes on the bouillabaisse and bruschetta but he was amazed when Tiffany blurted out three different main meals. Didn’t she already have an appetiser? 

Though it was mostly healthy salads and light meals, she also ordered some losh kebab which Jessica agreed upon. Siwon and Donghae looked at each other, in utter disbelief how the two petite girls could request so much.

“One salata, one tabouli, and an omelette too. Those come with pita and hummus, right?” Jessica was talking to the waiter, who jotted down the extensive list of meals. She then whispered to the attendant. “Oh, and your finest bottle of red wine and whiskey. Thank you.” She smiled and the man left the table, leaving the four people alone on the table.

“So, oppa, what made you agree to the date?” Tiffany spoke. He tried his best to meet her eyes out of etiquette but his entire body malfunctioned at the mere thought of looking into her eyes.

“That man over there wasn’t letting it go. At one point he practically went to his knees to convince me.” He smiled and she giggled. Donghae, on the other hand, shook his head at the blatant lies Siwon was saying. That was awfully quick to brush him under the rug. He sighed. Anything to get a girl.

“Look at you, if it wasn’t for me, you would probably be stuck in another studio shooting god-knows-what again.” Donghae quipped. “Let’s just say I have my own charms, ain’t that right?” He threw a cocky smirk towards Jessica and the latter slapped him dead on his stomach. 

“Yah, that hurt!”

She gave him an icy stare. “Well deserved.”

Siwon and Tiffany laughed at the two’s antics and the rest of the afternoon was spent catching up on one another. The boys would ask the girls how their schedules had been working up, and they listened to all the different rants and complaints that the two women hid from the public. There was no denying between the four of them that the idol lifestyle was hard, especially when they belonged to two of the biggest groups in the industry. 

“How ‘bout you, Tiffany-sshi? Did you know it was me beforehand?” He asked.

“No, someone here was more than adamant to keep the details to herself.” Tiffany shot a sinister glare to the woman who did the same, even matching the intensity. American women. “Isn’t that right, Sica?”

“It really was just a matter of keeping myself sane. I just know you won’t be able to shut yourself up if you found out it was Siwon-oppa.” Siwon’s ears perked at the implication of Jessica’s words. His mind raced then and there, wondering what ‘not being able to shut yourself up if you found out it was Siwon-oppa’ meant. Tiffany, oblivious to his busy thoughts, only scrunched her nose in annoyance. 

“What even led the two of you into planning a double date?” She asked the couple. 

“Sica was just interested in the concept and since we haven’t tried it before, we decided to do it.” Donghae replied.

“Oppa, why are you so quiet?” Noticing how Siwon was only listening to their conversation with a finger under his nose, Tiffany ushered him to speak. “I can’t be the only one trying to prod on these two.”

He smirked. “I just don’t see Donghae as being interesting.” 

“Yah! We’ve been together for more than a decade!” 

“Which is why I can assure you, it’s true.” Siwon quipped while the two ladies laughed. Donghae shook his head in disbelief. 

“To prove you wrong, how ‘bout we play a game?” He suggested.

“So suddenly?” Siwon spoke.

“I think it would be a great way to let us know each other more, don’t you think?” Donghae replied.

“I think it’s a great idea.” Tiffany suddenly mentioned, which caused Donghae and Jessica’s eyes to briefly meet. Both of their lips curled slightly upwards.

“I think so too. What game should we play?” Jessica added. 

“How about we start simple? Truth or dare.” Donghae offered with wiggling eyebrows. When he saw most of them nod their head, he quickly started laying out the rules. “You can only pick truth for three consecutive times, then you’d be forced to do a dare. Fail to answer, you’d drink once. Fail to do a dare and you drink twice. Good?” All of the players agreed, and then the game started.

“I’ll go first. Sica, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“What were your first three impressions of me when we first met?”

The blonde rolled her eyes at the cheesy question. “Short, annoying, but unexpectedly cute.” 

“Yah! What do you mean by that last one?!” Donghae complained, not knowing whether he would take her answer as a compliment or an offence. Tiffany laughed and clapped her hands, while Siwon chuckled at Jessica’s blunt answer. 

“Next, Fany-ah, who did you last text?” Tiffany was still in the middle of laughing when Jessica asked her question.

“Yah! You can’t even ask me whether I’d pick the truth or dare?” 

“Okay, hug the person to your right.” She dryly spoke. The atmosphere suddenly became heated, especially to the person who was practically sliding off his seat.

Tiffany, however, remained oblivious to the looks of anticipation and put her ego above all else as she took a stand. She wasn't gonna back down in some silly childish games they wanted to play.

And when she was suddenly burning in competitiveness, Siwon was frozen when he felt her arms wrap around his neck from behind. Her face was so close beside his that her breaths tickled him. He could smell the scent of her hair as it loosely fell onto his chest, and he was praying silently that she couldn’t hear how absurdly fast his heart was beating. Even in the air conditioned room, he started to sweat.

He was still processing everything when she pulled away and gave a smug look to the couple. “There, hope y’all enjoyed that.” 

“Someone looked like he really, really did.” Donghae whispered, staring at Siwon who shot back a sinister glare. If looks could kill…

“Fany, it’s your turn.” 

“Oppa, truth or dare?” She turned to Siwon, who's staring match with Donghae was cut off to smile at her. “Truth.” 

“What’s your ideal type?” Tiffany asked. He blushed fervently, trying to find the proper words to describe without it being so obviously blatant that he was talking about the one who was asking the question in the first place.

“First of all—” 

Maybe it was the universe saving his or God himself giving him a miracle but at the right time, the doors opened signifying that their food had arrived. One by one, the waiters entered the room pushing service trolleys filled with their meals. Soon after, their table was occupied by a massive variety of salads, soups, and roasts which mostly belonged to the two ladies. 

They sent their thanks to the staff then wasted no time tasting out their orders. 

Siwon led a short prayer and took the first bite. His eyes immediately sparkled. “Mhm…This is so good.” 

Judging by the silence alone, the other three also agreed with his statement. They let out their own praises for the cooking, and how it had such a unique taste that was far different from the food they were accustomed to.

All kept busy diving into their meals until Donghae spoke up after taking a spoonful of fagioli. “Don’t think you’re out of the heat, Siwon.” 

He almost choked on his bruschetta. “Ahh you… You’re really something else.”

“What? I’m just making the game fair. Besides, we finally have the drinks! It’s up to you whether you get to take the first shot or not.” Donghae laughed. Siwon looked at them, more importantly, on Tiffany who seemed to be eager on hearing his answer as well.

“Fine.” He drank some wine, then cleared his throat. “My ideal type of woman is someone who’s kind, pure, faithful, can make me laugh, and is tall… Someone who respects my parents and their own. Most importantly, though, they must have pretty eyes. Like, something that would make the world stop.” He finished. Donghae nodded in approval, same as the two girls who listened intently.

“That’s why you don’t have a girlfriend, you’re such a hopeless romantic.” Jessica suddenly cuts through the serious atmosphere, making Donghae and Tiffany erupt in laughter. Siwon was speechless, not knowing whether to be offended or to laugh at the truthfulness.

“How ‘bout you, Tiffany-sshi?” Siwon asked. Donghae was about to intervene, attempting to revert to the game they were originally playing, but the quiet slap Jessica gave him told him to shut up and let whatever was happening continue.

The blonde watched with a small smirk how Siwon nervously asked Tiffany, who was taken aback at her own question being thrown back at her. 

“I said before I had a thing for bad boys which is true but honestly…” She sighed, using her hands to help her express what she was trying to say into words. “Personality and looks are important but I value being responsible over everything else. At the same time, it’s a huge turn off for someone to be so uptight. Does that make sense?” She narrowed her eyes, confused at herself, before laughing it off.

Jessica backed her up, saying her criteria were perfectly clear. “Still, you’re just like him. You two are hopeless romantics.”

They both loudly replied to feign annoyance, but one of them also laughed bitterly to themselves, dwelling on what was just said by the other.

—

 

“So… That was quite an eventful evening, thank you for joining us today, oppa.” Jessica greeted Siwon. After finishing their meals and spending some more time to get the food down, the four finally decided to end the double date there. However, that didn’t mean that each couple wouldn’t be spending more time to themselves.

“I’m taking Sica on a cruise tonight. In the meantime–” Donghae fished out two pieces of paper from his pocket, shoving them into Siwon’s hands making sure that the two ladies were still busy chatting to notice. “Do your thing, loverboy.” Siwon gave a questioning look to Donghae before looking at the items in his hand. He read the text, then bit his lip understanding what the other meant.

“It took me a miracle to book the entire thing. You can pay me later by telling me everything and through cheque. Make sure you don’t blow it.” Donghae patted his back then called Jessica. 

“We’re heading off now, take care, the both of you. And no suspicious stuff, okay? It’s only the first date.” Jessica warned the two, earning a slap from Tiffany and a chuckle from Siwon. “We won’t do anything, promise.” He said.

The couple then left the building and off to the second part of their date, leaving Tiffany and Siwon alone to proceed to their agendas. It was quieter, much more awkward now it was only just the two of them, and Siwon took it upon himself to be the proper gentleman despite physically aching from his heightened heart rate. 

“Let’s go as well?” Siwon asked. 

He died once when Tiffany replied with a beautiful smile. He died twice when she accepted the hand he hesitantly offered to her.

And he died thrice when they walked side by side towards the car, preparing to leave for a late night trip to the Namsan Tower.