“Wohoo! We can date!” Eli shouts, dancing his way down the hall as soon as they’re out of view of the office. Pumping his fist in the air, he sings, “We can date and have cute girlfriends and we can date!”

Soohyun laughs along with the others at Eli’s exuberance. “You act like we’ve just been released from prison with a clean slate after ten years.”

“That’s what it feels like,” Eli laughingly replies. “Who else is excited as I am?”

“I am, but I’m a little worried too,” Kiseop quietly admits.

“Worried? Why?” Hoon asks.

“Because of how we’re so busy we might not have time to date and how we’ll be able to tell if they’re with us because they genuinely like us?” Dongho guesses.

Kiseop nods.

“Don’t worry,” Kevin smiles, throwing an arm around Kiseop’s shoulders. “It’ll happen.”

“Might just take a bit,” AJ says.

“Yah! No being gloomy,” Soohyun commands, coming on Kiseop’s other side and drawing AJ in as well. “This is a good thing and like Kevin said, we’ll find that special someone. We should be happy now.”

“How though?” AJ says. “Like Dongho said, we hardly ever have free time to even talk to girls, much less go on a date with them. Plus, dating another celebrity comes with its own set of problems.”

“Who said we only have to date other idols? There’s plenty of normal girls to choose from.”

“As well as crazy fans and potential scandals,” Dongho adds.

“Aish, you guys are such downers,” Eli sighs, slowing his walk and hanging his head. “You make it sound impossible.”

“Aw, you’ll always have me,” Kevin jokes, hugging him.

Eli laughs and breaks away. “Get off. Just because you look girly doesn’t mean I want to kiss you.”

“Eww, gross.” Kevin sticks up his tongue and scrunches up his face.

The others join in the laughter at the two’s antics, returning the earlier lightheartedness.

“Hey, guys,” Hoon suddenly says, a mischievous sparkle coming into his eyes. “I’ve got an idea.”

“I’m a little scared to ask, but what is it?” Soohyun looks around Kiseop at Hoon.

 “We have a few free hours after practice, right?”

“Yes,” AJ says slowly. “So?”

“Let’s go look for a girlfriend!”

“You expect us to find girlfriends for all of us? In a few hours?” Dongho asks in disbelief.

“Not all of us. Just one person. Okay, maybe not a girlfriend, but at least a date. There’ll be one condition though.”

“And that would be?” Kevin asks curiously.

“The others choose the girl.”

They share wary glances with each other.

“Do we trust each other that much?” AJ finally chuckles. “I guess I’m in.”

“Me too,” Dongho, Eli, and Kevin answer simultaneously.

“What about you two?” Hoon asks, looking to Kiseop and Soohyun.

“So you’re just planning on driving around Seoul and hoping to find someone to go on a date with one of us?” Kiseop asks to clarify.

Hoon shrugs. “Basically.”

Soohyun raises an eyebrow. “And how are we choosing the lucky guy?”

“The usual. Are you in?”

Soohyun looks at the eager expressions on the others’ faces. Unable to disappoint his younger members, he nods his head.

“Awesome!” Dongho laughs. “Come on, Kiseop hyung. Please, it’ll be fun and it’s only one date. It doesn’t even have to be a long one.”

“I’m going to get dragged into this even if I don’t agree, won’t I?” Kiseop sighs.

The others nod in agreement. Kiseop sighs again before laughing and nodding.

“On the count of three then,” Soohyun says with a smile, sticking out his hand.

“Hold on, is it the winner or the loser who gets the date?” AJ asks.

“Loser, I guess,” Hoon replies, looking to Soohyun for confirmation. “Since the others get to choose for him.”

“Sounds all right to me,” Soohyun says.

“That means it’s going to be Kevin for sure then,” Eli groans. “He always loses.”

“Yippee for me,” Kevin giggles.

With a chuckle, Soohyun begins the countdown. “Three, two, one.”

Everyone throws their hands in, quickly looking for the loser. Everyone threw out paper. Everyone, that is, except Soohyun, whose hand is firmly clenched in a rock.

“Holy cow. I actually won,” Kevin says, staring at his hand in wonder.

“This is gonna be fun,” Dongho crows.

Soohyun laughs along with the others, sure that despite their best intentions, they will never follow through with the plan.

++++++++++++++

“How in the world did I let you guys talk me into this?” Soohyun groans from the passenger seat later that afternoon.

“Because it’ll be fun, hyung,” Kiseop laughs. “You were happy enough when you agreed.”

“That’s when I didn’t think you were actually going to do it. She’ll think I’m some sort of ert. How’d you feel if you were a girl and some random guy asked you on date?”

“A little creeped out, but if the guy was handsome and I got a good vibe from him, I’d go,” Eli shrugs.

“Looks aren’t always everything,” Soohyun replies.

“We know that,” Hoon says. “But being pretty won’t hurt her either.”

“We’ll make sure she’s pretty and hope she’s just as nice,” Kevin assures Soohyun, sticking his head in between the two seats.

“Okay, but what happens if she says no?”

“Then it’s your job to persuade her to say yes,” Dongho says. “Part of the deal.”

“Great.” Soohyun shakes his head before resting it against the window. Despite his nervousness, he falls asleep under the influence of the warm sun and the murmuring of the others as they scan the streets for a candidate.

AJ’s loud voice and the sudden stop of the car wakes him up a little later. “What about her? Over there, in the park, sitting on the bench with the flowers beside her.”

    Blinking sleep from his eyes, Soohyun takes note of which side s are pressed against and looks out in the same direction. It takes him a few seconds to find the girl, or rather young woman in question, sitting in a park across the road. He gives her a quick look over and has to admit that he likes what he sees.

    The afternoon sunshine paints streaks of copper in her long, dark brown hair. Soohyun wonders about the color of her eyes, hidden as they are by her downcast gaze. Full lips, a rosy pink, are pulled back in a gentle smile as she concentrates on the sketchbook on her lap.

Kiseop notices Soohyun’s interest and smiles. “Guys, I think we found our girl.”

The others take a look at their leader and can’t help but agree.

“But...she doesn’t look Korean. What if she doesn’t speak Korean?” Soohyun splutters as AJ reaches around and opens his door for him.

“Should we allow him an interpreter if that’s the case?” Hoon asks, looking at the others. “Kinda of seems like cheating.”

“Nah,” Eli laughs. “He’ll be fine. Go on.”

    With a push from several hands, Soohyun tumbles out of the van onto the sidewalk. The door is quickly shut and locked behind him. When he turns around, the others’ grinning faces greet him. Soohyun sighs and crosses the street. His steps get slower as he gets closer to her. Passing in front of her, he sits on the opposite end of the bench. He slowly inches a little closer until the only thing between them is the basket of flowers, all the while trying to decide how to begin the conversation. Peeking over her shoulder, he finds himself captivated by the drawing blooming across the paper.

    Under the guidance of deft fingers, the pencil perfectly portrays the illumination, the sweet joy of the moment. A young boy beams as he flies through the air on the swing. Behind him, a man watches and waits, arms ready to push the boy even higher or catch him if he falls. His face glows with pride and love. Soohyun glances up in time to see the boy skipping away, hand held tightly by his smiling father.

“Like what you see?”

Soohyun jerks back. Her attention remains on the drawing, adding some shading to the boy’s hair. When she looks up, Soohyun finds himself captured by her eyes. Beautiful chocolate surrounds an inner ring of deep jade green, the whole iris flecked through with gold borrowed from the sun.

“Do you like it?” she repeats. “The drawing?”

“What?” Soohyun blinks, tearing his gaze away to look at her face. He notices a small streak of dirt under her right eye.

“Do you like the drawing?” the girl asks slowly.

“Oh, yes. I do,” he quickly answers, trying to suppress the urge to wipe away the dirt. “Hang on, you’re speaking Korean.”

“I’d certainly hope so. I’ve only lived here for twelve years,” she laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Twelve years? Really?”

“Yes. My dad got transferred over here from the U.S for work when I was eight. It was a little hard learning a language so late, especially since Korean is so different from English, but I adjusted.”

“Well, you speak it very well now. Almost like a native.”

“Thanks. I’m Marina, by the way, Marina Sacchieri.” She extends her hand.

Soohyun smiles, returning the gentle pressure. “Shin Soohyun. Nice to meet you.”

Marina studies his face. “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere. Oh, I know!”

Soohyun’s heart sinks a little, sure she’ll begin treating him completely differently, not as a guy, but strictly as an idol. Even though he’d promised, he knows he won’t be able to go on even a single date with a girl like that. It’d only end badly.

“Yes, I’m from U-Kiss,” he answers.

“Thought so,” Marina smiles. “Really like your music, especially the latest album.”

“Thanks,” Soohyun says cautiously, still waiting for the change.

A low chirp sounds from somewhere in Marina’s lap. Reaching under her sketchbook, she pulls out a phone and flips it open. “Darn it. I’m late!”

Soohyun looks up from his hands. “Late?”

“Yeah.” She gestures to the basket with a sheepish grin. “I was supposed to get these flowers, then go right back to the shop. I guess I got a little distracted.”

“Oh.”

Marina closes the sketchbook, hesitates, then opens it again. Carefully tearing out the drawing, she offers it to Soohyun. “Since you liked it, would you like to have it?”


“I can’t,” Soohyun protests. “It’s yours.”

“So it’s my choice if I want to give it away. Seriously, I have sketchbooks full of this kind of thing at home and I saw how it drew you in. Please, take it.” She smiles and extends it again.

“If you’re sure.” Soohyun gently takes the thin paper, once again studying the scene.

“Well, I’d better get going. It was nice to meet you, Soohyun-ssi. Good luck with everything.” Marina puts the sketchbook in her bag and swings it over one shoulder, hanging the basket in the crook of her arm. With another smile, she gives a small bow, turns, and starts walking away.

“Wait!”

She turns and stops, looking back curiously.

“Can I give you a ride?” Soohyun hears himself saying. Maybe it’s the way her reaction didn’t meet his expectations or the way her eyes still captivated him, but he couldn’t let her walk away.

“It’s all right. The flower shop’s not even ten minutes from here. Thank you for the offer though,” Marina smiles.

“It’s the least I could do after you gave this to me so freely,” he argues. “I’d also feel bad letting a girl walk when I have a perfectly good car and time to spare.”

“Well,...”

“You said you’re late, right? You won’t be as late if I drop you off.”

“All right. I guess accepting a ride is better than my mom getting any more mad at me,” Marina says. “Thank you.”