The streaming sunlight from the balcony door burned a path along the small bedroom floor and across the back of its occupant. But it was the incessant buzzing sound against the nightstand that roused Amina from her deep sleep. Unable to ignore the nagging sound any longer, Amina opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't.  She felt like she was amongst the clouds, the sun was so bright.  She closed her eyes and reached out like a blind man towards the source of the vibration. Clasping her purse, Amina pulled it open and grabbed her phone, quickly glancing at the caller id.  It was Hanna.

"Yoboseyo?" Amina groggily answered the phone.

"Yah! Are you okay? You sound like you smoked a few packs today!" Hanna's vibrant voice rang loud and clear from the other side.  It was almost too much for Amina to handle.  No one should be this chirpy in the morning - at least, not on this particular morning.  Amina turned the volume down slightly.

"Ah..." came the gritty reply.  Amina cleared her dry throat and reached for the water bottle next to her purse.  She took a quick swig before noticing a bottle of pain reliever directly behind it.  Uncapping the medicine bottle, she continued, "What's going on?"  She sat up and took out two Advil pills for her impending headache.

"I need your help.  What do you have planned for today?"

Amina looked around the room. The balcony door was closed, her dress and shoes were still scattered on the floor.  Except for the extra rumpled bed sheets, the tell-tale signs of their passionate make-out session from last night were nowhere to be seen.  I must have been really knocked out if he left without me knowing Amina thought to herself.  She suddenly missed not being able to kiss him good-bye.

"Amina!"

"Ah?" Amina replied.  She blinked a couple of times to clear the foggy haze.  Trying to remember the question, Amina replied, "I don't have anything planned for today.  It's Sunday."

"Yes, I know it's Sunday, but some of us still have to work," came Hanna's smart reply. "Look, I'm in deep .  The model that was supposed to be here for my photo shoot bailed out on us.  I don't have time to find a replacement.  I need you to cover."

"Wae? What about the other back-up models? Sophie or Su-Bin?"

"They're all at the hair collection show.  I can't get them to squeeze me in and I only have this crew for today.  Please?"

Amina shoved hair out of her face and sighed.  "You know how I feel about this.  I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea." And by anyone, they both knew she was referring to her parents.

"I know... but," Hanna stalled.  "Whether you like it or not, you're already a spokesperson for the business.  I just need to borrow your face again... just one more time."

"Well, since you said it like that..." Amina sarcastically replied.

"Please, please, please?!" Hanna begged.  "I promise to never ask you again!"

Amina hedged. She wasn't in the mood to play dress up today. But she knew Hanna would never call her to step in if it wasn't an emergency.  "Okay," she replied and smiled slightly when she heard Hanna's relieved whoop on the other end of the line.  "Where am I supposed to go?"

"One o'clock at the Mapo Art Center. You know the place?"

Of course Amina knew the place.  She had been traveling on that side of town for the past week.  "Neh, I know the place."

"Good.  I'll see you later then.  Annyeong!" With a click, Hanna hung up.

Amina stared at the phone for a second before she noticed her message indicator light was blinking.  An unread message?  It came from an unrecognized number.

6:47am  Forgot your wrap in maknae's car. 

Maknae? The message could only come from one person that she knew of.  She scrolled her messages to see if there were more, but there were none. That's it? Amina pursed her lips and felt a momentary sinking feeling of disappointment.  She absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, vaguely noticing the faint red markings between the valley of her s. She paused, confused. Carefully, she got out of bed. Trying not to make any sudden movements that would worsen her hangover condition, Amina stepped up to the full length mirror located behind the bedroom door. Stretching her neck a little, Amina noticed similar markings running alongside her collarbone and a few darker scratches on the side of her neck underneath her ear. Her hair stood in disarray and her eye make-up from last night was smeared. Hot mess indeed.

She glanced back at the bed and memories of the last few hours came flooding back. Mortified, Amina felt her entire body blush. Although Amina consumed more shots than she had in her entire life, she wasn't that far intoxicated that she could easily dismiss her actions.  Amina bit her lip and silently chided herself. What did she expect? Romantic words of parting? Poetry? Of course not. Why would he? She was a fool if she expected terms of endearment after last night.

She groaned out loud. She didn't even know where they stood in their relationship - if a relationship is what you could call it. A few stolen kisses here and there were not enough to establish anything. How many other girls have thrown themselves at him, similar to what she did last night? She cringed. Maybe it was better that he left while she was asleep.

Disgusted with herself, Amina grabbed the nearest clean towel and stalked off to the bathroom, turning the showerhead on full blast. The hot streaming current eased some of the aches she was feeling inside. Wrestling with her emotions, she grew tired and knew it was time to accept the truth.  The alcohol, if anything, enabled her to let her guard down and reveal her true feelings.  Last night, she was being honest with herself.  Last night, she was being honest with him. Eventually, the embarrassment and shame subsided. Try as she might, she couldn't deny the feelings she was starting to have for Youngbae. The tenderness and gentle caresses he showered upon her last night were real, if not only in her mind. She only wished she knew for certain how he felt about her.

She let out a heavy sigh and finished showering.  One thing was certain - she had to see him again one more time. Wrapping her hair up in a towel to dry, she grabbed her phone and quickly glanced at the time.  It was half past eight in the morning.  She doubted he'd reply, be she texted anyway.

I'll be in the area around noon. I'll come by to grab it.  Is that okay?

She waited a heartbeat before her phone vibrated.

Yes.

So he was awake. Did the man ever sleep? Amina silently wondered. She resisted the urge to text him back. Instead, she concentrated on getting dressed and finding herself a quick cure for her hangover.  If she was going to see her cousin later today, Amina needed to be on her guard.  The last thing she needed from Hanna right now was an inquisition.  Because she knew that if Hanna asked, Amina wouldn't be able to hide behind her lies anymore.

It was a quarter before noon. Amina hugged her oversized Marc Jacobs tote close to her body as she waited for someone to answer the door. She was dressed simply this afternoon, in a white long sleeve top with striped Christina flats and Guess coated jeans.  She topped the outfit off with a Zara peplum coat and oversized sunshades. The hot shower and Mary did amazing things to release the tension from her body. Her breath was fresh and minty, no longer reeking of alcohol.  She felt more like herself again.

"Amina..." Daesung smiled. He was wearing an apron.  "Come in! Come in!  I was just making us some sushi."

"Sushi?" Amina repeated, as she walked into the foyer and closed the door behind her. The animated sounds of shooting guns and bombs could be heard from within.

"Neh.  Have you had lunch?"

"Aniyo," Amina replied.  The thought of food right now was far from her mind. She tried to quell the flutters in her stomach.

"Good! I have plenty to go around..." Daesung's voice trailed off as he made his way back towards the kitchen area.  Amina passed Jiyong and Youngbae playing video games in the living room, but bowed to them briefly before she continued walking by. She took off her shades and examined the various dishes and plates set out on the counter top. An array of food was spread out here and there.  Some were filled with crab meat, tobiko, cooked eel; others had raw salmon and tuna.  A bowl of sushi rice sat next to some rice vinegar and nori. Daesung stood behind a bamboo mat, lightly pressing on a roll he just made.

Amina cleared delicately. "Daesungie... how many people are you planning on feeding?" She noticed her wrap folded on the dining table.  She placed it inside her tote and then laid her bag on a chair, next to her removed coat.  Walking past him, she went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands.

"Oh," he replied, flustered.  "Um.. this is just for us.  Although, it might just be Jiyong hyung and Top hyung."

Turning off the faucet and drying her hands, Amina asked, "Why's that?"

"Well, Seungri is still knocked out from last night.  And Taeyang hyung already had his meal earlier this morning." He placed the finished roll on a cutting board and began sectioning off the roll with a small pairing knife.

Amina stood next to him and whispered, "Earlier this morning? Umm... but isn't it noon now?"

Sensing he was revealing too much, Daesung replied, "Neh, but... he has a special diet he's on."

"Oh." Amina nodded, although she still didn't understand why sushi was off his diet. Just then, the front door opened and Seunghyun walked in.  He walked past them all without greeting and opened the fridge for some white grape juice. He took a long gulp and recapped the bottle before turning around. 

He looked surprised to see her there. His deep, low voice slowly drawled out, "Annyeong...?"

Amused, Amina replied, "Annyeong."

"You're alive."

"Barely."

They traded secret smiles. Amina grabbed the tray of finished sushi rolls and waved them under Seunghyun's nose.  "Sushi?"

Seunghyun backed away, offended by the offering.  "Ani!  Ani!" He held his hands up in surrender and sat down at the dining table instead. "My dinner and I just revisited each other a few minutes ago." He held his head in his hands.  "I don't think I want to see him again."

"Hyung..." Daesung complained, completely grossed out.

"Mianhae," came the deep reply. "I'm sure it's good.  I just can't eat right now." He crossed his legs and leaned back, his neck resting on the frame of the chair.

Daesung sighed.  "Well, I guess it's just Jiyong hyung and me."

"And me," Amina said encouragingly.  "I'll take some with me when I leave."

Daesung nodded and smiled slightly. "Okay." He grabbed a sealable container for her and set it on the counter.

Amina picked up a seaweed wrap and copied Daesung's movements.  "Are you guys off today?"

"Aniyo.  We actually have another promotional venue to go to here in a couple of hours."

"Neh, maknae better wake up soon." Seunghyun reprimanded, his eyes closed.  He muttered, "I can't believe I woke up before he did..."

Amina grabbed some sushi rice and gently began to lay it down in sections across the nori.  Daesung was already on his third roll.  "Wow, Daesung... you're really fast."

"Neh, I can make this in my sleep."

"You must cook a lot huh?"

"Sometimes.  It's usually Seungri and I that cook around here.  We had some extra time this morning, so I thought 'Why not?'" He expertly handled the rolls and placed some in the container for her.

Amina smiled.  "Well... with cooking skills like that this, I'm sure you'll make a really good husband one day."

Daesung blushed a deep red.  He lowered his head and smiled.  "Is that what girls like nowadays? A guy that can cook?"

Amina glanced at Daesung and could see Youngbae from the corner of her eye.  His eyes were faced forward but he remained motionless, as if waiting for her to reply.  She chose her words carefully.  "Um... not necessarily. I think, personally," she rolled her sushi into a tight roll, careful not to squish the rice.  "For me, I don't care if the guy can cook.  As long as he eats whatever I cook."

"Are you a good cook?"

With a deadpan voice she replied, "Aniyo."

They laughed quietly amongst themselves. 

Amina finished her roll and examined it.  Her skill level was obviously lacking against Daesung's sushi rolls. 

"It's okay," Daesung said. "It's the taste that counts."

Amina bit down her lip from smiling.  "Neh... please tell that to everyone you feed this to," she requested, handing off her sushi to Daesung for him to cut.

They finished making a few more rolls, the piles of sushi growing in bounds.  Amina asked, "Do you want me to fix a plate for them?" She looked pointedly to the pair in the living area.

"Ah... sure," Daesung replied, pre-occupied.  "Just Jiyong hyung though." He motioned with his hand to indicate where the plates were.  Amina followed his silent instructions and grabbed a large plate. She returned and looked at all the food Daesung was making.

"But there's so much food..." Amina whispered quietly.  "Are you sure Youngbae won't eat?"

Daesung shrugged his shoulders.  "I don't know.  You could ask him again, but he told me no."

Amina worried her bottom lip lightly before she began piling the sushi onto the plate, filling it enough for more than two people.  Daesung raised an eyebrow at her.  She wiggled both her eyebrows and gave him a mischievous look before tip-toeing off towards the living room with the plate in hand.

The boys were sitting on a large ottoman, directly behind a glass coffee table.  They were playing Call of Duty, both of them concentrating on the game so hard that Amina knew if a storm passed by they'd be oblivious.  She quietly went behind them and sat discreetly next to Youngbae, who sat farthest away from everyone's view, his seat closest to the windows that faced the Han River.  Amina gingerly sat the plate of sushi in front of them and watched silently as they continued playing.

Hidden by Youngbae's body, Amina leaned back to look at the kitchen area and could see Daesung's questioning eyes.  She turned back to Youngbae, who was still playing away.  Feeling nervous, she quietly asked, "Do you want to try some sushi Daesung and I just made?"

He glanced briefly at her, but went back to his game, shaking his head slightly in refusal.

She looked back at the kitchen and saw Daesung apologetic expression. He shrugged his shoulders.

Amina felt slightly disappointed by Youngbae's minimal response and unwillingness to sample the fare that "they" (ahem, Daesung) worked so hard on the past half hour.  She had to try another tactic. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her body as she picked up a piece of maki.

Holding it slightly in his sight, she quietly asked again.  "Are you sure you don't want to try a bite?  It tastes better than it looks."

Again, he glanced at her briefly and shook his head, moving slightly away from her hand.

Amina stared at his profile for a few seconds, watching him completely ignore her offering.  Sighing loudly, she let her voice travel across the room towards Daesung.  "AHHHH.. Daesungieeee.... I guess this guy won't do!" Amina gasped when she felt the wet warmth of Youngbae's mouth on her fingers. With mouth slightly parted, she watched in fascinated awe as he ate the sushi straight out of her hand.

Jiyong quickly glanced over at the commotion and grinned before returning back to the game.

Amina continued to watch in stunned silence as Youngbae chewed, his eyes still focused on the game. The maki roll wasn't mean to be eaten all at once, the sushi overfilling his mouth. He grimaced as he chewed, the taste of the mayo sauce not to his liking. 

"Did he just eat that?" Seunghyun's voice could be heard in the background.

"Neh," Daesung replied. 

They started chuckling.

A small grin formed on Amina's face as she continued to watch Youngbae eat.  He paused from his game playing and turned to look at her.  Unable to say anything, he narrowed his eyes and gave her his "See what you made me do" look.  He grimaced again as he bit into another portion of the maki. He returned to the game, attempting to swallow what he could so he could chew the rest of the food in his mouth.

Her heart felt like it was soaring; she couldn't stop smiling.  With all the wonder and joy in her eyes, she gently placed an impulsive quiet kiss upon his bulging cheek.  He immediately turned in her direction, a lustful spark igniting his eyes.  The smile on Amina's face quietly died, replaced with awareness of what she just did. Heat crept up her cheeks.  She ducked her head in embarrassment and quickly got up, heading back towards the kitchen.

Luckily for her, Amina's phone rang.  Thank you Hanna! Amina picked up the phone and answered.  "Ah. I'm heading right over.  Annyeong." She clicked off her phone and tucked it into her bag. 

"Do you have to leave?" Daesung asked.

"Neh.  I'm supposed to help my cousin at work today," Amina apologetically replied.  "But I'll take her some of your sushi.  I'm sure she hasn't had anything for lunch either."  They began wrapping the food and securing the lid over the container.

"So Amina..." With a wicked playful look in his eyes, Seunghyun lazily asked, "Are you and Youngbae a couple?"

"Hyung!" Daesung exclaimed.

She looked up from her position behind the kitchen counter.  She could feel everyone's eyes on her, including Jiyong's and Youngbae's from across the room.  She pretended to not hear the question. "Hmm?"

"Last night we partied together, but it was Youngbae that got to take you home.  Does this mean there's no chance for us anymore?"

Jiyong nudged Youngbae, "Hey, your dude just died."

"Oh," Youngbae replied and returned his attention to the game, but his actions remained distracted.

Amina could see the devilish glint in Seunghyun's eyes. Was she that obvious? Touched by what he was trying to do, Amina bit her lip to keep from grinning.  She quickly shoved the food inside her bag and grabbed her coat to put it on. 

Turning to face Seunghyun, with laughter in her eyes, Amina replied with a serious tone in her voice, "I don't know what you mean, Top-shi.  Seeing as how Youngbae and I haven't even been on a date, I don't see how we could even begin to be a couple."  And with that, she bowed to each of them and said her goodbyes before leaving.  She closed the door behind her on the way out.

The apartment became awfully quiet, the only sounds coming from the gaming system and television set.

"Yah!" Seunghyun yelled across the room.  He rocked back on the heels of his chair with an impatient look on his face.  "You just gonna let her leave like..." He cut off as Youngbae jumped over the coffee table and sprinted towards the front door. 

Jiyong put the game controller down, an expression of disbelief on his face.  "What the...?" He stood up and couldn't contain the grin on his face.  He looked over at Seunghyun.

Daesung looked at his hyungs, excitement written over the both of their faces.  "Wha... What happened?" He had just finished cutting up another sushi roll.

"Daesung, I think your Youngbae hyung has finally grown some balls," Seunghyun drawled, standing up.  He looked at Jiyong, a silent communication passing between the two of them.  They quickly ran to the front door, pressing their faces against the peephole for a look.

"Amina!" Youngbae called out, shutting the door behind him.  She was still at the elevator door, putting her phone away in her tote.  He walked towards her and heard a deep thunk behind him, coming from the closed apartment door. Dismissing the sound, he turned back around and faced her. She looked surprised.

His heart was beating fast.  "Umm... " he started.  He shoved one hand in his back pocket, the other hand rubbing the back of his neck.  He looked down, not knowing where to begin.  She looked at him expectantly. He chose his opening line.

"Did you sleep well?"

She blushed, but her eyes never wavered from his.  "Neh..." She her lips.  "Did you sleep well?"

Youngbae looked deep into her eyes and sincerely replied, "Neh.  I had the best sleep of my life."

He watched her lips part in surprise, a whisper of a smile close behind. He couldn't help by smile shyly in return.  He stepped closer to her, almost pressing her up against the wall.  "I was wondering..." he started again. "If you're not busy, that is... do you want to grab something to eat tonight?"

The apartment door opened rudely and Seunghyun popped his head through, gently being shoved back in by Jiyong.  "You can't!" he yelled.  Jiyong laughed. "We have dinner with YG tonight." Seunghyun chuckled loudly before Jiyong shut the door once again.

Embarrassed, Amina and Youngbae broke apart and turned bright red.  They bashfully smiled and eyed the floor, the wall, their shoes... at the lint on their own shirt.  Anywhere, but at each other. Getting his emotions under control, Youngbae cleared his throat and started once more. He came closer to her again, pressing his forearm on the wall above her head and cocooning them from prying eyes.  "Well, I guess tonight is off the list. How about tomorrow night?" He watched her eyes slowly turn to disappointment.

"I get off work late tomorrow... and the day after as well, actually," she regretfully replied.

"Oh," Youngbae replied. "How late?"

"Ten."

Youngbae nodded.

Amina kept her head down, wishing she had a normal 8 to 5 job.

"Well, I guess ten it is then."

Amina raised her eyes to meet his. She looked at him in disbelief.  "You still want to go out tomorrow?"

"If you're still up to it."

She wondered what kind of date he planned on having so late at night. "Did you have a place in mind?"

Youngbae shook his head.  "Ani... I'll pick you up at work." He shrugged a little. "We'll figure something out."

She nodded slightly. "Okay..." Amina replied, unconvinced. "I'll see you tomorrow at ten then." She moved forward a little bit, expecting him to move back and let her through. But he didn't.  She raised her eyes to his in question, her face merely inches from his own.

He eyed and slowly leaned down, his lips descending upon hers.  She began to close her eyes.

Ding.

The sound of someone getting off the elevator broke them apart.  They both straightened quickly and watched a very hung-over Seungri step out into the hallway.  Still in pain, Seungri could only bow slightly, his eyes squinted to protect them from the blazing lights above. "Annyeong..." he said pathetically.

"Seungri... are you okay?" asked Amina. She tried to be polite, but the maknae looked so pitiful.  She looked at Youngbae and grinned against her will.

"Yah!" Youngbae chuckled.  "You look awful.  Let's get you inside." He began to usher Seungri inside the apartment. He looked back at Amina with longing in his eyes.  "Tomorrow."

She nodded in return.  "Annyeong..."