"Something's different about you," Hanna sat next to Amina in the dressing room and looked at her inquisitively. She tapped her chin.  "I just can't put my finger on it."

Amina kept a straight face and tried to play it off. "I don't know what you mean." She toyed with the buttons on her blouse as the hair dresser fixed her hair.

Pursing her lips, Hanna narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms and legs. "You look... happy."

Try as she might, Amina couldn't contain the euphoria flowing inside her. She looked up and grinned.  "Is that a bad thing?"

"I knew it!" Hanna exclaimed, her eyes widening in delight. "Give me details!"

A few stylists turned their way. Amina laughed, embarrassed at all the attention her cousin was drawing to them. The hair dresser discreetly finished spraying the finishing touches and bowed. "Kamsahamnida," Amina bowed slightly from her chair. Double checking the pins in her hair, she glanced over at Hanna and replied, "It's nothing... there's really nothing much to talk about."

"Uh huh," said Hanna, unbelievingly. "I've seen that look before.  It's the same look you had when you were seven.  The time when you knew you were going to Disney World and didn't tell me you were bringing me along. It's that same secretive, happy, look."

"Whaaat?" Amina smiled sideways at Hanna.  "You're crazy! There's no 'secretive' happy look."

"Well, it wouldn't be so secretive if you just told me," Hanna pouted impishly.  "Tell me!"

Biting back her grin, Amina relented.  "Okay, if you must know...." She watched in amused fascination as Hanna scooted her chair closer to hers and rested her chin on her fist. Hanna wiggled her eyebrows at her, which made Amina smile wider. She took a deep breath and quietly blurted, "I have a date."

"Jinjja?!"

"Neh."

"With who?"

The shy smile on Amina's face slowly disappeared as she contemplated what to say.

"No, wait... lemme guess.  Is it that guy you met at work last week?"

How convenient that she would remember now. "N-neh..."

Hanna squealed and dramatically clasped her hands together, over her heart. "Finally, my Mimi has a first date!"

"Must you make it sound like that? It's not like the first date I've ever been on!" Amina embarrassingly replied.

"I know... but it's the first one since you've been a 'woman'. The ones in high school don't count." Hanna angled her head to the side. "God, how long ago was that..." She started counting with her fingers.

"Stop!" Amina playfully swiped at Hanna's hands.  "You make it sound like it's been ages.  It hasn't been that... long." Amina's confidence wavered slightly as she mentally counted back the years. Her last "date", if you could call it that, was when she went to the Ball.  Wow, it really had been over six years.

"Mmm.. well, it's been longer than it should have been," replied Hanna. "So, where are you guys going? You know, the first date sets the tone for the entire relationship."

Amina quirked an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"Well that... and the first kiss."

Amina smiled slightly before she remembered where she was at. Hanna didn't miss a beat.

"Omo! Omo! Omo!... Don't tell me you already kissed!"

"Shh! Shh!" Amina looked around, her face turning red, as she tried to cover Hanna's mouth with her hand.  "Do you have to talk so loud?"

She brushed Amina's hand away from her face. In a loud whisper, Hanna continued. "Mimi! I don't believe you... Kiss before a first date? Don't tell me you slept with him already too!"

Amina turned bright red. "A-Ani..." She knew she was stretching the truth.

Hanna playfully chided, a haughty look on her face, "Amina-shi... where is the cousin I used to know? The prim and proper Mimi wouldn't dare do such a thing."

Amina looked back at the mirror and moaned quietly. "I know... " She shook her head slightly at herself. "It just happened."

Hanna stood up from her chair and went to stand behind Amina, her hands lightly touching her cousin's shoulders.  She stared at Amina's reflection for a moment before replying. "Well, whoever he is... he's doing good things to you.  I've never seen your face glow so much."

"Neh?" Amina looked back and glanced at Hanna.

"Neh... you look good," Hanna replied and smiled.  "I'm happy for you."

Amina smiled. "Gomawo..." She shrugged her left shoulder shyly. "I feel happy."

"You have my approval." Hanna flippantly added, "But if he serves you ramyeon on the first date... " She shook her head and index finger dramatically, "Uh, uh! It's a no go!"

Amina laughed.

It was a rare occasion that all Big Bang members were having dinner at their sunbaenim's apartment.  It was the last time they would all be together for awhile. Seunghyun was scheduled to partake a role in an upcoming historical movie next week, while the rest of the guys had solo albums and various promotional events around the globe to attend before they spent time with their families for the holidays.   

Yang Hyun Suk was seated at the head and the rest of the members sat around the table quietly eating their meal.  The only sounds came from another room in the apartment, where his wife Lee Eun-ju and their two babies played. A housekeeper/nanny randomly went around and filled their drinks with water. Although it was a polite dinner, the atmosphere was thick.  It felt like the boys were in trouble when they were not.  No one dared to say a word.

"Seunghyun," addressed YG, in his nasally pitched voice.  "When do you start filming?"

"Oh," Seunghyun replied, his eyes down-cast. "Next Monday."

"You will do well," said YG.

Seunghyun nodded. "Yeh."

"And how are your promotions going?" He looked pointedly at Jiyong.

"Good," Jiyong replied, more at ease than the rest of the band mates.  "I'll be heading to Bali for a couple of days and returning.  We have a couple of CFs lined up that might conflict with everyone's schedules that we're working out, but so far so good."

YG nodded.  "Seungri... I noticed you started a Twitter account recently."

Youngbae and Jiyong looked at each other knowingly.  They knew what was coming up next.

The unassuming Seungri nodded. "Yeh... I opened an account so I could work on my English."

"I find it funny," interjected YG, "that when Jiyong and Youngbae started Twitter everyone validated their accounts for them.  But when you opened an account, you tweeted everyone to validate you."

The boys shared secret smiles as they watched Seungri struggle to answer.  "Well, hyung, there's so many fake Seungri accounts on Twitter.  I had to make sure everyone knew it was the real me."

"And so you tweeted everyone you knew, including your fan base to validate you?" YG's eyebrows shot up.  "You know, you could have just contacted our marketing group and they could have made it official."

Seungri wavered, his face innocent.  "But... where would be the fun in that?"

"Aish..." Seunghyun scoffed, glancing sideways at Seungri.

"I expect you to follow the same media rules set forth for the rest of my employees," YG's authoritative voice boomed.  He turned to face Jiyong and Youngbae.  "And I expect you two to tell me if he says anything out of line."

"Yeh," Jiyong and Youngbae both nodded.  They both cast irritated looks towards the innocent maknae.  Seungri continued eating his meal in happy silence.

"Anything else I should know about?" YG asked.

A moment of silence passed.  Seungri piped up, "It's my birthday this Saturday! I was just going to keep it small this year.  You know, invite only close people..."

YG raised his eyebrows. "You're planning your own birthday?" He sighed heavily.  "Alright, alright.  Just keep it simple, please. And don't let it get out of hand."  He looked at the rest of the guys at the table.  "Well, I'm glad there's nothing else I need to worry about." He slowly tossed his napkin on the table.

"Hyung..." Seungri whispered to Youngbae, who was busy eating. 

YG noticed the maknae trying to get his elder's attention. "Is there anything else?" he asked pointedly at Seungri.

"Uh... well," Seungri floundered once he realized his faux pas.  He should have waited until after the boss left.  "I... I was wondering if hyung mentioned the date he has scheduled tomorrow."

Youngbae looked up from his bowl of rice and stared daggers at Seungri. 

"You have a date?" asked YG.

He really didn't want to discuss his private life in front of everyone, but he had little choice.  Youngbae hesitantly looked at his sunbaenim and replied, "It's not a date, but rather a meal I plan on having with a friend tomorrow evening."

YG looked back at Seungri.  "And why is this a concern of yours?"

Seungri paused before responding.  "Well, there may be a chance that people might catch them together, and since she's someone not associated with YG, their meeting tomorrow may raise suspicions. I think someone else should go with them." Although he didn't say it out loud, everyone knew he was volunteering.

"It's a female friend?" YG asked, surprised at what he was hearing.

"Yeh," Youngbae bit out.

"Is it someone I met before? Who is she?"

"Aniyo..." came the quiet reply.

"It's his nurse" blurted Seungri. He glanced around the table and noticed exasperated faces from his hyungs.  Even Daesung, who was usually neutral, gave him a disapproving look.  "Mwuh?"

"Eun Amina?" YG asked.  They all turned to face their sunbaenim, a surprised look in their eyes. 

"Have you met her, hyung?" asked Jiyong.

"Ah... ani," he replied. "But I know of her."

Youngbae creased his eyebrows in confusion.

"No chaperone will be necessary," stated YG matter-of-factly. He started to get out of his chair.

"Wait, hyung," replied Seungri.  "You really trust her to keep their meeting discreet?  You don't want to meet her first?" It was unusual for their sunbaenim to ask so few questions about someone outside their circle.

Yang Hyun Suk looked at the curious gazes from around the table and laughed inside.  "You guys don't know?" he teasingly baited them.  "Ani.." he spoke to himself before addressing them.  "You will find out on your own. Excuse me, while I check on my children."

The boys continued to stare at one another long after their sunbaenim left.  "What did he mean by that cryptic remark?" asked Daesung.

"I don't know," replied Jiyong.  "It's as if, he expected us to know who she is."  He glanced over at Youngbae.  "Bro... is there something we should know about?"

Youngbae shrugged his shoulders.  He felt ill at ease, like maybe he had missed something along the way.  He shrugged it off and told himself to contemplate it later.  "Not that I know of."

"Well, if she turns out to be some secret superhero or something, you have to tell us," Seunghyun jokingly remarked.  The others laughed, easing the tension from the recent conversation.

"So hyung..." asked Seungri.  "Where are you taking her?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well you know," Seunghyun interjected, "first date sets the tone for everything.  Well, that and you know..." He wiggled both of his eyebrows up and down.

Youngbae looked at him confusion, one of his own eyebrows quirked questioningly.

"You know..." Seunghyun repeated, his eyebrows still dancing. He gave Youngbae a wicked smirk.

"Don't listen to him," Jiyong replied. "He hasn't been on a real first date in a long time." He bit his lips and began, "Just do you. She seems like a down to earth chick and you're pretty laid back.  Just go somewhere where you guys can relax and be yourself."

"You guys could go somewhere loud and noisy, so it wouldn't be so awkward," suggested Daesung.

"Like a noodle house?" asked Youngbae, uncertain.

"No, no, no" they groaned and scoffed.  They couldn't believe Youngbae even suggested that.  "No, a noodle house is definitely not first date material," replied Daesung. "Maybe, like the fifth date, but not the first."

"What about Namsan Tower?" interrupted Seungri.

"Ani!" Jiyong criticized.  "Too cliché.  Boys over Flowers, hello?"

They continued to offer him different ideas and suggestions, their list of places to see and things to do, growing in leaps and bounds.  Unexpectedly, Youngbae felt nervous... and the date hadn't even started!  He only knew that he wanted to spend more time with her, to hold her... and to make her smile.  Eventually he drowned out their chaotic suggestions and began to form an idea of his own. It wasn't fancy, but hopefully it was something she would enjoy.  He hoped.

The following night...

It was near the end of her work shift.  Amina had just received a text message from Youngbae a few minutes ago indicating that he was in the parking lot waiting for her. "Finishing up. Be right out."  She texted back. Amina felt her heart beat faster and tried to calm her nerves by concentrating on the report she was working on for Dr. Park.  She put the last finishing touches and hit 'Save' before shutting down her computer for the night.

Amina quickly grabbed her gym bag and ran into the bathroom to change out of her professional attire.  She didn't know where they were going tonight, but she doubted she'd need her slacks and office pumps for the evening.  She switched out her button down work shirt for a creamy white, open neck sweater and dark skinny jean leggings.  Amina slipped on a pair of black mid-heel booties and grabbed her black wool cape before dropping her gym bag back off at her desk. She double-checked her make-up with her compact and headed towards the elevator, her wristlet in tow.

Once she stepped out of the hospital, she scanned the parking lot and looked for Youngbae's car. She spotted him, near the back of the lot, parked under the lights.  He was leaning against the passenger door, all decked out in his signature black attire, from his baseball cap down to his boots.  Amina started walking towards him, her heart pounding a little faster as she came closer. She came to a complete stop, mere inches from where he rested in his lounged position, his eyes unreadable behind his sunglasses. He continued to stare at her, not saying a word.

Finally he straightened and pushed off the car, standing toe-to-toe with her.  The extra heel of her boots brought them closer in height, their mouth directly across from each other.  "You look beautiful tonight," he murmured.

A tingling feeling started spreading throughout her body, warming her on this cold winter night.  Trying to shake off her nerves, she playfully replied, "You can tell with those dark sunshades on?"

He his lips and slowly smiled. Gently he wrapped his left arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him.  Amina felt his hard warm chest through his hoodie, the fabric creating little barrier between them. With his right hand, he slowly brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers.  "Even if I were blind, you would still be beautiful to me."

Amina's lips parted invitingly, her brown eyes softening towards him.  Her heart swelled overwhelmingly with emotions.  She felt herself fall deeper in that moment. 

"C'mon," he said, breaking the spell.  He opened the passenger door and stepped aside.

Amina didn't know how he could go from one moment to the next with such ease.  She was still wonderstruck by the words he just uttered to her. Trying to shake it off, she nodded slightly before slipping into the passenger seat. By the time he got in and started the car, she felt more in control of her emotions.

She glanced at him as he took off his sunglasses and rested them on the center console. "So... where are we going?"

Youngbae looked at her uncertainly, a shy smile on his face.  "Well, I was thinking... we would do a little shopping tonight."

"Shopping?" Amina quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Neh." Youngbae hesitated slightly before continuing.  "You mentioned that you've been wanting to buy something for your apartment.  So I thought we could go shop around."

Amina gave him a quizzical look and didn't reply right away.  She didn't know what to say about his plans for the evening. It touched her heart to know that he remembered her rambles from the other night.  A slight smile formed on her lips.

Losing confidence in his idea, Youngbae backtracked.  "If you want to, that is... if you don't, we can always do something else." He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly.

Amina smiled at him openly.  "Neh... I'd love to go shopping."

He saw the excitement light her eyes.  Feeling relieved, Youngbae replied, "Okay."  He put the car into gear and set off towards Dongdaemun.  The market area was less than twenty minutes away from the hospital and was also known for being Korea's largest wholesale and retail shopping district. The market was open until 5am and sold all types of goods, ranging from silks and fabrics to clothes and shoes.

Even though it was a late Monday night, when many businesses and shops were closed, the traffic became dense once they neared the market district.  Amina suddenly worried about the crush of people they would run into and wished she hadn't been so agreeable for his sake. 

"Any particular place we should go first?" asked Youngbae.

She looked at the first building looming ahead of them, Doosan Tower.  "Umm... Doota will work," replied Amina. Doota was the fashion mall attached to Doosan Tower.  It had over 540 stores throughout the 8-story building, including designer shops, restaurants and cafes.  It was also the most visited tourist shopping attraction in Seoul. She looked over at him worriedly as he pulled into the parking garage and grabbed their parking meter ticket.  Youngbae found a secluded parking spot, the furthest from the mall door entrance. He shut off the engine and glanced over at her and saw concern in her eyes.

"Did you want to shop somewhere else?" he asked, confused.

"Aniyo... I.. um," Amina hesitated and fiddled with her edges of her sweater.  "It's just that," she looked back up at him, "I don't think this was such a good idea.  There are too many people."

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" he asked jokingly.

She half-smiled at his attempt to lighten up her mood.  "Never. You know that's not what I mean."

"It'll be fine," he said.  Amina watched as she opened the middle console between them and pulled off his rings, one by one. He took off the chains around his wrists and laid them inside.  Next, he turned his cap front-facing and tucked the ends of his braids underneath.  The cap helped conceal the majority his face from passersby.  For additional measure, he untucked the hood attached to his sweater and pulled it over his cap, further shielding his profile. Lastly, he grabbed his sunshades and adjusted them to fit snuggly underneath the cap.

Amina looked at him skeptically. "Is that it?  That's your disguise?"

"Wae? Were you expecting a mask?" He grinned at her.

She worried her bottom lip.  There was no mistaking who he was.  His infamous facial features were too hard to miss. 

"It'll be fine," he assured her.

Amina continued to study his face.  In a serious tone, she advised, "Okay, but... to be safe, I don't think you should smile or talk."

Youngbae chuckled. "Or breathe too?" 

Amina laughed at herself, embarrassed by what she just said.  "Mianhae.  I didn't mean it like that." She looked at him apologetically.  "It's just that..." She paused, remembering his words from earlier. "If I were blind, I would recognize you from anywhere." Amina blushed as her words sank in.

His smiled slowed, the concern she felt for him touching his heart.  "Most people will be polite and keep their distance.  But if we have a few curious ones, we'll just leave." He said it so matter-of-factly, so used to this lifestyle. 

"Alright," Amina replied, still unconvinced.  

They both exited the car and made their way towards the double door entrance, the sound of their boots clicking loudly against the parking garage pavement.  A blast of warm air enveloped them as they stepped inside and walked up to the nearest mall directory.  While Youngbae scanned the index of stores listed, Amina couldn’t help herself from peering into the corridors nearby or looking behind them for fans and hidden paparazzi.  Youngbae glanced over and noticed her preoccupation.

“Did you forget something in the car?” he asked.

“Aniyo,” she replied, embarrassed at being caught.  She turned her attention back to the directory.

They headed towards the fifth floor where all the housing goods and miscellaneous accessories were designated.  Allowing him to take the lead, Amina purposely slowed her pace half a step here and there, widening the meters of space between them.  They turned the corner and passed by a cool looking shop selling watches.  Youngbae glanced casually behind him and began to ask if she wanted to check it out, but came to a complete stop when he realized Amina wasn’t there.

Puzzled, he walked towards the direction where he came from, turning the corner and nearly bumping into her. “Oh…” he replied.  He didn’t know what sidetracked her. “Was there something else you wanted to see?”

“A-ani…” Amina stuttered, hurriedly creating space between them. She continued walking a few paces ahead, gaining ground. He half-jogged silently up to her and broke into her space, quickly studying her nervous face.  Amina noticed his piercing eyes on her and glanced hastily away. Seeing as how she couldn’t walk ahead or behind him, she side-stepped gradually instead.  Four or five people walked in-between them before Youngbae noticed what she was trying to do.

He came to a complete stop as she continued walking idly along.  “Yah!” he yelled out, causing people around them to stop.  Amina immediately turned around, her eyes widening, her feet glued to her spot.  She didn’t know what he was doing, but she wished he would stop.  People were staring!

Youngbae walked up to her and clucked his tongue.  He grinned slightly and spoke quietly in a low voice. “I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn’t realize I would be on this date by myself.”

“Mianhae…” Amina apologized.  She glanced anxiously around before returning to face him.  She bit her bottom lip and whispered, “I… I think we should just keep our space in public.  You know… just in case.” She knew she sounded lame, but she was too worried. Every time a person passed by, she felt her body tense up, afraid they would recognize him.

Youngbae saw the concern in her eyes. It didn’t look like she was enjoying this outing at all.  Trying to ease her anxiety, he replied understandingly, “Okay… we’ll just do one store and then leave.” He took off without a second glance, heading towards Mirae.

For a second, Amina thought he was being rude until she realized he actually was listening to her.  Silly girl! she silently chided to herself.  You can’t have it both ways! She followed him quietly behind until they reached the home décor store.

The bright lit space showcased all sorts of household goods – ranging from paintings to clocks, vases to pillow cushions.  It was an interior decorator’s paradise.  Luckily for them, the place seemed empty. An old man in his late seventies approached them from behind the counter.  His once full head of hair was now thin, his scalp reflecting light here and there in between his peppered hair. His walk was stiff and his gait was slow.  He greeted his new visitors and they returned the gesture.

“Is there anything I can help you find tonight?” asked the old man politely.

“Um…” Amina replied, looking wildly around the store.  She started to feel a little overwhelmed with so many items on display.  Just as she was about to use the generic “just browsing” reply, Youngbae intervened.

“Yeh.  We are shopping for a painting.”

“Oh. I have many, many, paintings for sale,” He spread his arms wide open and indicated a few paintings hanging along a wall.  Returning to his customers, he inquired, “Is there anything in particular that your wife or you are interested in?”

Youngbae turned around and looked at Amina, an amused expression on his face.  With one eyebrow raised, he asked, “Jagiya…“ He drawled it out slowly, caressing the word as it rolled off his tongue.  “Is there a painting that you like?”

The endearment caught Amina off guard.  Her lips parted slightly in surprise and she felt her cheeks warm.  The old man waited patiently while the force of Youngbae’s mischievous grin rocked her.  She felt flustered but hastily replied, “T-the one on the right looks nice.” She lifted her hand in the general vicinity, not paying any attention to where she was pointing.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” replied the old man.  They both turned and watched him approach a medium sized painting, his hunched body blocking the view from their sight.  “This one’s been here for a while but I still love it.”

Amina peered around the old man and blanched.  She could see why the painting had been in the store for awhile.  It was beyond ugly. The painting was of two oddly shaped vases, one tall and skinny and the other short and fat.  The only great thing about the painting was the brown and gold swirls in the background that appeared to hypnotize anyone who viewed it too long. 

Youngbae added solemnly, "Neh, I can see why you love it so much.  We should buy it jagiya."

Was he being serious? Amina looked over at Youngbae, sending him a look of disbelief.  Although she couldn't see his eyes, he looked serious. She replied uncertain, "I don't know... maybe we should shop around some more." 

He bit back a smile.  "C'mon, I think it kind of looks like us, what do you think?"

"Whaat?..." Now she knew he was teasing her.  "You tell me which one I'm supposed to be!" She chastised him, but couldn't keep the grin off her face. "And I better not be the fat and short one!"

He laughed. "Alright, alright..." He begged off. 

They continued to browse the rest of the store.  Eventually Amina found something she did like - a set of black and white small canvas prints depicting city life.  It was modern and urban, yet calming at the same time. Without waiting for her consent, Youngbae took the prints and headed to the register to pay.  She trailed after him, pulling out her credit card when she heard her name called.

"Amina-ah?" A female voice inquired.

Amina turned around and felt the blood drain from her face.  "Annyeonghaseyo ajumoni," she replied, bowing deeply.  

"I thought that might be you," the older woman replied.  Her thick black hair was coiffed in a French twist.  The fur wrap and expensive cut clothes reeked of wealth.  A man in a black tailored suit stood quietly behind her, holding a few shopping bags.

"What are you doing out so late?" Amina inquired politely.

The older woman sighed.  "I couldn't sleep.  I decided a late night shopping trip would do the trick."  She glanced around Amina and noticed Youngbae by the register. "Are you shopping by yourself?"

"Aniyo," replied Amina.  "I'm here with a friend... from work."

At the word 'work', the older woman's mouth turned into a slight frown.  "Oh, that's right.  You work at the hospital, correct?  How is that going?"

"It's going very well," Amina replied.  She fidgeted under the woman's stare.  Although she had known the woman her entire life, Amina still felt uncomfortable around her.  And since she had left her parent's home, Amina could sense the disapproval from the older woman's eyes.

"That's good to hear," the older woman replied.  "Well, David is in town and I'm throwing a little dinner for him Thursday.  You will be there, right?"

"Yeh." Amina agreed with little choice.

"Good. I'll let your mother tell you the details." They both knew there was little chance in that happening.

Amina nodded politely and said her goodbye as the older woman took her leave.

"Who was that?" asked Youngbae, standing behind her.

She turned around and floundered for a moment, deciding on what to say.  "Umm... that was a family friend.  My mother's best friend, to be exact.." She forced a smile out, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Oh," Youngbae replied.  "And the older gentlemen next to her? Her husband?"

"Aniyo..." Amina replied, abashed.  She looked up at him said,  "Umm... he's her butler."

Youngbae raised an eyebrow in question, but didn't say anything more.

"All done?" asked Amina, wanting to change the subject.  She looked down at the bag he was carrying. "You know, I wanted to pay for that."

"It's okay," he replied. "I'll let you pay for dinner." At her shocked expression, he grinned.  "C'mon... let's get something to eat."