Youngbae grinned as he ducked his head slightly and entered the van, sliding the door behind him.  "Head to YG please," he instructed the driver, buckling in.  He was feeling oddly light hearted for the first time in several weeks.  Neh, he was feeling pretty good about himself right about now.  He turned to Amina, his smile slowly fading away when he saw the look on her face.

She had taken her sunshades off and even in the dimly lit van, he could tell that she was furious at him.  Her eyes shot fire and the color on her cheeks was high.

"Mwuh?" he asked innocently, swallowing hard.

"T-tell me I'm hearing things," Amina's voice shook with emotion.  "You did not just tell that person that I'm your girlfriend!"

Youngbae looked away, cringing slightly at her reprimand. Why did she have to sound so appalled? "What if I did?" He said defiantly, his eyebrows rising above his sunglasses.

She gave him a look of disbelief. "D-do you realize what you've done?  What if someone recognizes me and puts two-and-two together?  I can't believe you just did that!" 

He pressed his lips firmly together and crossed his arms over his chest. He could feel himself becoming more and more closed up the longer he listened to her talk.  He tried to block out the rest of her tirade.

Amina's lips trembled as she continued. "My parents... David's parents... what if they found out?  H-how can you be so careless?"

She stared at his profile, recognizing the stubborn set of his chin.  He wasn't going to even explain himself.  She shook her head at him as angry tears started to roll down her cheeks.  She wiped them away and stared outside the passenger window. 

God, why did he have to do that? she thought to herself. Not only was it about to mess up her life, but did he also have to be so reckless with his own?  Did he not even realize the death sentence he just put on himself?  Once word spread... She sniffed back more tears and took in a shaky breath. 

Youngbae glanced over at Amina, hearing her soft cries.  He fisted his hands to keep from reaching out to her. 

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride back to YG headquarters.

Once the driver pulled to a stop inside the parking garage, Youngbae opened the van door and hopped out, heading straight towards the front lobby doors.  Amina looked at Youngbae's retreating back, his purposeful strides eating up the pavement.  The driver came around towards the open sliding door, his hand waiting to assist her out.

"Can you drive me home?" Amina quietly asked, her eyes still watery.

The man swallowed hard and looked scared for a moment.  He hoped she wouldn't cry any further.  He already endured her quiet sobs all the way back and felt awkward even speaking to her.  The driver glanced towards the building and inwardly sighed in relief when he found Youngbae walking back towards them.  He bowed and apologetically replied, "I'm sorry mam... I don't think he'll let me."

Amina looked past the driver and noticed Youngbae heading back, a pair of keys rolling inside the palm of his hand.  He reached the van door.  "Get out," Youngbae demanded, his head jerking slightly at her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

The van driver bowed to Youngbae and left the two alone.  He counted his lucky stars as he walked away.  There was nothing worse to him than dealing with a woman's tears.

"You can't sit there all day," retorted Youngbae. 

She didn't move.

"Aish!" Youngbae exclaimed.  "Do I have to come in there and drag you out?"  He placed a foot inside the van and stopped the moment she left the seat, brushing past him on her way out.  He slammed the van door closed and turned around, watching her walk out of the parking garage.  He walked after her and pulled on her arm to stop.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going home," she said miserably, looking up into his face.

"You want to cause a scene?" He threatened her, knowing her weakness.  "People inside the building are looking at you right now, not to mention the fans that are camped across the street.  You think they won't follow you home?"  He watched her eyes, seeing the worry there, and knew he had won.

Amina glanced behind her.  Sure enough, there were a couple of heads poking behind cars.  Some were waving madly at them while others were chanting his name.  She quickly turned around, a look of frustration on her face.  He had started walking without her.  Amina followed him to his car which was parked deeper inside the garage.

She climbed into the black Mercedes, suddenly thankful that the windows were tinted dark. Hopefully no one could see them easily.  But as a precaution, she pulled out her sunshades and slipped them on for good measure as he started up the car.

Youngbae adjusted the seatbelt over his body, pulling his phone out of his pocket and setting it inside the middle console.  He glanced over at Amina, watching her put her belt on.  He stared at her for several seconds and waited until she looked at him. 

"Are you going to be mad at me the entire afternoon?"

Amina tossed him sour look and gazed out at the passenger window.

Youngbae let out an exasperated sigh and pulled his car in reverse.  He accelerated forward and stopped at the entrance that led out to the main road.  He turned in his seat and, again, waited for her to look his way.

Amina realized they weren't moving and panicked.  She could clearly see the fans across the street and she, for sure, knew they could see her in return.  She glanced over at Youngbae and saw him grin and wave at some of them.

"Yah! Why aren't we going?" she cried. 

He looked at her, a ghost of a smile still on his face.  She felt her heart stop.

"Wae?  Does it bother you?"

"Neh," she nodded.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked her quietly.

"Neh!"

He grinned at her.  "Maybe we should sit here for awhile then.  Until you're not mad anymore."

Amina felt like she was hyperventilating.  He was driving her insane!  "Bae..." she implored.

He bit back his smile and grabbed her left hand, entwining her fingers inside his own. He flipped the turn signal on and eased onto the main road.

Amina stared at his profile while he drove.  His lips were still curved in a slight smile, his posture more relaxed than she had ever seen before.  He looked so happy sitting there holding her hand that she couldn't bear to tug away.  She felt herself becoming less tense and suddenly remembered why she had fallen for this man.  No matter how stressful the moment was, he always seemed to find some way to lighten the mood of those around him.  She relaxed her hand inside his grip and indulged in the moment with him.

The heat emanating from his palm warmed her entire body.  She glanced at the dashboard for a second before she felt him lift her hand towards his mouth, his lips grazing her knuckles softly.  "Mianhae..."

Her lips parted slightly as the warmth of his breath caressed her hand. She felt the walls around her heart crumble with that small gesture, his apology erasing all the anger she felt moments ago.  It was crazy this effect he had on her. 

She squeezed his hand quietly in return, accepting his apology, before looking back at the main road.  They drove for several minutes in silence.

"Where are we going?" Amina asked, not recognizing the street they were on. 

Youngbae took a right turn and started to speed up a ramp that led to the major highway.  He was busy negotiating traffic that she didn't press for answers.  After he found their flow, Youngbae looked over at her and quirked his eyebrow arrogantly.  "You said you needed kimchi right?"

Amina stared blankly at him, her thoughts of kimchi long forgotten.

"Well that's where we're going.  To get you some kimchi." 

She looked at the road signs and could tell that they were heading west... more west than she had ever traveled before.  "It's okay... I don't need it anymore," she said.  "Just take me home."

"Ani... that's why we went to the store for.  If it wasn't for me, you'd probably have your kimchi by now, right?" he said sarcastically, knowing full well that she avoided conversation with him by picking such a busy store.

Amina knew that was far from the truth but she still nodded her head hesitantly.

He pursed his lips.  "I thought so... So now, I owe you kimchi."

Amina bit her lip to stop herself from confessing.  She glanced at the passing signs as they drove further and further away from Seoul.  He was driving in the fast lane and it didn't appear he was going to exit off anytime soon.  "So we're going to get kimchi... all the way out here?"

"Neh."

"Must be some good kimchi..." she murmured.

"The best." He smiled secretly to himself.

His phone started vibrating.  Youngbae glanced down at the caller id, noticing Jiyong's information.  He ignored it, tightening his fingers around hers, and waited for the call to go to his voicemail.

A few seconds later, his phone started buzzing again.  Once more, he let the call go to voicemail.

Amina glanced at Youngbae.

Shortly after, the phone rang again.  Youngbae loosened his grip on her hand and grabbed the phone, powering it off with a touch.  He tossed the phone back down in the middle console.

"It could be important," Amina quietly chided.

He glanced in her direction and then back at the road.  "I'll deal with it later."

Amina raised an eyebrow at him and turned in her seat.  She heard her own phone go off and reached down into her bag to grab it.

"Yoboseyo?"

She gave him a bewildered look.  "Neh... We're fine.  We're... going to get some kimchi," she said lamely.

"His phone?  Oh... I think it ran out of battery. Uh huh..." Amina pressed her lips together and looked over at Youngbae while she continued listening to the call.  "Neh. I'll let him know.  Annyeong unnie."

She pulled off her sunglasses and tossed it with her phone back into her bag.  Amina sat back and watched the road. The sun had already fallen beyond the horizon and the heavy clouds above threatened to unleash snow flurries any moment now.  Amina hoped they reached their destination soon so they could get back in time before the storm started.

He let out a disgruntled noise beside her.

Amina glanced over, his slight pout catching her attention.  She smiled inside, immediately knowing the cause of his irritation.

"Oh...," she quipped, her eyebrows rising haughtily.  "Did you want to know now or do you want to just deal with it later?" She smiled impishly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Youngbae looked over at her, finding his lips curving along with her smile.  He glanced in the rear view mirror and signaled his car to the right.  He pulled over to the side of the road and slowed to a stop, flashing on his emergency lights.  Amina watched in confusion as Youngbae unlatched his seatbelt.  He pulled off his sunshades and tossed them down, then shifted his body towards hers.

The weight of his hungry gaze immobilized her.  He reached out to cup the side of her face and leaned over swiftly, capturing her lips in a hot open kiss. 

Amina gasped as the heat of his seeking mouth ignited flames inside her.  His tongue rubbed intimately against hers as he angled his head from side to side, feeding from her lips. 

She closed her eyes and kissed him back, her tongue wrapping around his.  Amina slid her hands up his chest, feeling his erratic heart beat beneath her palms.  Her hands fisted his shirt when she felt him gently on her tongue.  Youngbae broke off their sweet kiss and moved from her lips to the side of her lower jaw, nudging her cheek with his nose. 

Amina felt out of breath as he made his way towards the sensitive place beneath her ear.  She felt his open mouth on the sweet spot and parted her lips in pleasure as he gently.

His fingers lightly ruffled the strands of hair at her nape.  The combination of the massage and tender kisses overwhelmed her senses.  She sighed into his ear in pleasure. 

Youngbae pulled back with a knowing smile on his face.  It took her a few seconds before she opened her eyes.

"What was the message?" he asked, his breath blowing lightly over her open lips.

"Mwuh?" she asked drowsily.  She couldn't remember what the question was.

He chuckled, his white teeth flashing in the growing darkness.  He gave her a loving look and then sat back on his side, pulling the seat belt on.

The sound of him revving the engine and merging back on the highway penetrated Amina's senses.  She straightened in her seat and gently the excess of his wet kiss from her lips.  She could feel how swollen her lips were, the tenderness a subtle reminder of his heated caresses.  She concentrated on breathing normal.

They drove for several miles in silence before she spoke, her emotions no longer raging like moments before.  "That was unnie.  She says Jiyong's been getting calls left and right.  He wants you to call him back."

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel but didn't say anything.

She noticed.  "Maybe telling the world that I'm your girlfriend wasn't a good idea," she quietly said.

The statement hung in the air as they sat in silence.  It was another thirty minutes before Youngbae exited into a rural area. 

After several turns, Youngbae drove into a quiet neighborhood and finally pulled into a driveway of a slightly up-scale home.  It wasn't overly luxurious by any means, but Amina could tell the home was well-kept and loved.  She glanced over at Youngbae as he cut the engine and unbuckled his seat belt.  He grabbed his phone and started to get out of the car when Amina called him back.

"Mwuh?" he asked, leaning back inside the car.

"W-what are we doing here?" Amina stammered, feeling out of place.

"We're here to get your kimchi." He slammed the car door shut and walked away without her.  She watched as he didn't wait to be greeted.  Instead, Youngbae inserted a key and walked inside the home, leaving the door slightly ajar for her.

A feeling of uneasiness swept over her.  Left with little choice, Amina slowly grabbed her bag and opened the car door.  She walked gingerly along the cobblestone path, checking for signs... anything that would offer her a hint as to whose home it was.  She was almost to the open door when she laid eyes on a familiar Boston terrier heading her way.  She felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.

Amina felt frozen to the spot as she stared Boss down, his bottom twitching in delight upon spotting her presence.  He barked twice at her, shaking her out of her daze.  Youngbae appeared and opened the door wider, ushering her in with a wave of his hands. "Come in."

"Ani," she shook her head vehemently.

He stepped back outside, his hand grabbing hers. "Don't be rude."

"Rude?" Amina balked.  "You're the one that didn't tell me you were taking us to your parents' house."

"You look fine," he grinned down into her face, pretending to misunderstand.

She released his grip on her hand and smacked him on the arm.  She narrowed her eyes at him.  "You know that's not what I mean..."

"Stop... my umma will think you abuse me."

"Aigoo..." Amina wailed. 

He chuckled, pulling her into his embrace. 

"Ani!" She jumped back nervously, glancing at the closed shuttered windows.  She hoped no one saw the familiarity with which Youngbae handled her.

He shook his head in amusement and crossed his arms over his chest.  "It's alright... my mom is more modern than you give her credit for.  But then again..." He looked down thoughtfully.  "She did only raise boys, so that might be the reason."  He smiled as he tried to grab for her hand once more but she snatched it away, cupping it tightly against her chest.

"Alright," he sighed.  He waved his towards the door, beckoning her forward. 

Amina shifted her bag on her shoulder, gripping the handle with both hands.  She walked passed Youngbae, careful to leave a wide berth of space in between them.  Amina ignored his grin as she continued towards the front door.  Her heart was beating too fast... her palms slightly sweaty. Despite the chaos of their relationship, she didn't want his parents to get the wrong impression about her.

She immediately took off her shoes and took her time straightening them against the wall.  Amina noticed his shoes were tossed carelessly on the floor.  She bent down to pick them up.

"Yah!" Youngbae smacked her hand away, giving her an incredulous look.  He pulled his boots from her hands and set them neatly against hers.  "You're worse than me..." he admonished.  Youngbae shut the front door and walked ahead of her towards the sounds coming from the kitchen.  Boss trotted happily behind him, jumping up slightly for attention. 

"Umma..." she heard him call out. 

Amina glanced around the living room, trying her best to ignore the lecture Youngbae was receiving from his mother.  Apparently Amina wasn't the only one that wasn't expecting him to stop home tonight. 

The furniture was simple and understated.  It had a welcoming feeling that her own home lacked.  She gravitated towards framed family photos that sat on a book shelf nearby.  She jumped slightly when Youngbae called her name.

His face was slightly flushed with embarrassment.  "Come here... I want you to meet my umma."  She walked slowly towards him.  "You can leave your bag and jacket there," he nodded at the sofa.

Amina placed her belongings down and took in a deep breath as she rounded the corner with him.  She smoothed her hair back, tucking an errant strand into her bun.

"Umma..." Youngbae said.  He stepped to the side to allow Amina inside the kitchen.  "This is... " He hesitated and glanced over at Amina.  "My friend, Eun Amina." 

Amina looked up at his hesitation, finding his meaningful gaze on her.  She glanced quickly away and acknowledged the petite woman next to the stove, her peppery flaked hair cut in a fashionable bob.  Amina bowed deeply, clasping her hands in front of her.  "Annyeonghasaeyo." 

Mrs. Dong smiled, her eyes crinkling up slightly.  It reminded Amina so much of Youngbae that she couldn't help but smile back.  "Annyeonghasaeyo... I'm so glad to finally meet you.  I've heard so much about you."

"Y-yeh?"  Amina raised confused eyes towards the both of them.  She felt her world spin briefly.

"Neh," Mrs. Dong replied, her head nodding.  "You took care of Young-ah when he was injured, right?"

Amina swallowed an invisible lump in .  She mistakenly thought his mother knew of her in another manner.  Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. "Yeh," Amina replied politely.  "I helped take care of his wounds after the surgery."

Amina could feel Youngbae's amused gaze on her and felt her ears turn red.  She let out an uncomfortable sigh underneath her breath.

Youngbae took pity on her.  "Actually umma... we don't plan on staying long.  I just brought Amina by for some of your kimchi."

His mother looked at him with an incredulous look on her face.  "Kimchi?  All this way... for kimchi?"

Amina gave Youngbae a look, her eyes turning into amusement as she watched him struggle to answer that one.

"N-neh umma..."  He cleared his throat.  "I was telling Amina-ah that you make the best kimchi... but she didn't believe me."

"Aniyo," Amina shook her head.  "I didn't say..."

Mrs. Dong laughed, cutting her off.  "It's alright... My son likes to tease, but it always comes out in the worst way.... especially around women."  She chastised, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

Youngbae coughed to cover his embarrassment.

"But you can't leave yet.  You must stay for dinner," she insisted, looking at Amina.  "I have to thank you for taking care of Young-ah so well.  Please... I insist."

Amina bowed deeply, finding no choice but to agree.  "Yeh ajumoni... I would love to stay for dinner." She looked over at Youngbae, seeing the pleased expression on his face.

"Good," his mother smiled. "It's just me only tonight anyway and I hate eating alone." She opened the fridge and pulled out more vegetables.

"Where's appa?" Youngbae asked.

"Your father decided to visit the site of Hyeonbae's movie."  She glanced up in surprise as Amina walked over and bowed slightly, taking the produce from her hands to wash in the sink.  "He should be back tomorrow night."  She looked back at her son, her eyebrows raised.  She nodded in approval.

Youngbae grinned.  He looked down at Boss, giving him the attention that his friend has been craving for.  "C'mon Boss-ah."  He grabbed a bag of dog treats from the cupboard and left the kitchen.

"Do you cook often?"

Amina looked up from her cutting board, the knife poised carefully over a half chopped bunch of spinach leaves.  She continued cutting.  "I cook when I can. But my skills are fairly limited. I only know what I've been taught growing up."

"Ah," Mrs. Dong replied, as she bustled about. "From your mother?"

"Umm...," Amina cringed slightly, embarrassed.  "From our cook."

"Oh."

"Yeh.  When they were preparing dinner, sometimes they would let me come and watch," Amina shrugged her shoulder slightly.  "I picked up a few dishes here and there."  She laid the chopped vegetable inside a prep bowl.

"Do you cook often?"  Amina asked politely in return.

"I used to... but the boys don't visit too often, so I haven't had to lately."  She wiped her hands on a towel.  "Not that Young-ah is craving any of my particular dishes.  Apparently he's become some sort of food expert lately."

Amina grinned.  "Geuraeyo?"  She knew Youngbae was particular about his food while training, but ever since she's met him... she'd seen him eat everything placed in front of him.

"Neh..." Mrs. Dong insisted.  "He even told someone in an interview that not all of my dishes are tasty."

Amina bit back a smile.  She could tell Youngbae's comment hurt his mama dearly. 

"He's changed."  Mrs. Dong nodded her head wistfully.  "Neh... he's grown up these past few years.  More confident in what he likes.  More opinionated... if he can ever stop over-thinking."  She reached for a few bowls from the cupboard.   "But he still pushes himself too hard.  He and all the other boys do."

Amina nodded in agreement, her eyes downcast.

"I'm glad he has someone like you to watch out for him."

Amina looked up, seeing his mother's smiling face.  Amina shook her head slightly, her eyes apologetic.  She needed to clear up things before his mother got the wrong idea. "Mianhaeyo...  I'm not sure what Youngbae oppa has said, but we're..."

She stopped, unable to find the words.  She didn't even know what to call their relationship. 

"We're... just friends."

"Wae?"

Amina felt taken aback.  It sounded like an accusation.  She looked at Mrs. Dong in confusion, working.  "W-wae?"

"Neh," Mrs. Dong nodded.  "Why are you just friends?  Is there something wrong with my son?"

"Aniyo," Amina shook her head vigorously.  Her cheeks were burning.  "Aniyo... there's nothing wrong with Youngbae-ah.  It's just that," Amina bit her lip in frustration and looked away.  Finding no way to say it in a delicate manner, she opted for the truth.  "I'm..."

"Engaged?"

Amina choked off her response, her eyes going wide in shock.

"Neh, I know about it."  Mrs. Dong waited for Amina to say something.

After several long pauses, Amina collected herself.  "You must think the worst of me," she quietly confessed.  She hung her head in shame, unable to face his mother.

Mrs. Dong came around towards Amina, gently laying a hand on her arm.  "I know that it is an arranged marriage... and that you are going through it for your parents' sake.  I also know that you don't love your fiancé.  At least, not in the manner that a wife should love a husband."  She peered into Amina's eyes. "So no, I do not think the worst of you.  But I have seen and heard of your story many times..."

She shook her head sadly and moved away. 

"My friends have had arranged marriages.  It was hard to accept at first, but eventually they developed a relationship with their spouses.  Some may have even fallen in love... I don't know.  But I don't think any of them were ever in the position that you are in."

Amina looked up confused, waiting for her to continue.

Mrs. Dong looked back at Amina.  "None of my friends had developed a relationship with someone prior to marriage... I only wonder what they would have done had they had a chance at true love."

Amina felt the telling blush on her cheeks but still shook her head marginally in denial. 

"Now I don't know what you two have," Mrs. Dong continued, "But I do know this.  My son calls me often... but he's never spoken to me about any girl in quite such length."  She looked at Amina, kindness in her eyes.  "At first I thought it was just a passing fancy.  But tonight tells me all I need to know."

Amina swallowed hard.  "I take it, he's never brought anyone home before?"

"Ani... never like this.  And never just for some kimchi," Mrs. Dong smiled.  "Why do you think I was so hard on him earlier?  If I had known..."  She started fixing her hair.

Amina smiled in understanding.

"Would you mind preparing the side dishes while I finish this soup?"

Amina nodded and went around the kitchen island to help finish up, the busy work helping her relax.  Eventually she found herself chatting with his mother about various things, from fashion to news to health topics.  Every once in awhile, Mrs. Dong would interject something her son used to do or say, causing Amina to laugh and smile.  The more they talked, the more welcomed Amina felt.  For the first time that night, she was thankful that Youngbae brought her home.