“No problem.” He catches up with her and begins walking back to the van. As they reach the sidewalk, Soohyun stops, remembering he isn’t alone. “Would you mind waiting here, just a second?”

Marina shakes her head.

“I’ll be right back.” He runs across the street.

Kiseop quickly opens the window. “So, what’d she say?”

“Do you have a date?” Dongho asks, shoving his head between the seat and the side of the vehicle.

“No, I haven’t asked her yet,” Soohyun answers. “She knows who I am, who we are.”

“And your point?” Eli’s voice asks from the back.

“Dating a fan could be problematic.”

“Is she one of the crazy fans?” Kevin asks.

“I don’t think so. I mean, she didn’t freak out when she figured out who I was. She just said good music, good luck, and almost left.”

“Doesn’t seem crazy to me,” AJ says.

“I think she seems dateable,” Hoon adds.

“I’m thinking about it,” Soohyun replies, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Marina’s still there.”

“Nope. Remember the deal,” Dongho reminds him. “Our choice. Just be glad she’s not psycho.”

“Okay, okay,” he relents. “I’ll ask her, but first I gotta ask you guys something. Can we give her a ride? She’s late and her mom’s shop is just a little bit away.”

“Of course!” Kevin answers. “We can squish Kiseop with us in the back seat so she can have the passenger’s seat and you can drive.”

Soohyun looks at the others, all of who are nodding eagerly. Kiseop tosses him the keys and hurriedly crawls into the back seat. “Come on,” Soohyun calls, beckoning Marina over.

“Where’d the other person go and why are you driving a van? Thank you,” she says Soohyun opens the door for her and she slips inside. She looks back as she puts on her seatbelt. “Oh, that’s why. Hi.”

“Hi. So you do speak Korean,” Hoon laughs. “That was lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“He means lucky because otherwise it’d be kind of an awkward car ride with just you, me, Eli, and AJ talking,” Kevin quickly explains.

“Gotcha. Well, it won’t be too much of a car ride anyway. It’s a really short distance, but Soohyun-ssi insisted.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Soohyun smiles as he starts up the van. “Um, Marina, which way to the shop?”

“Go down this street here for another four blocks, take a left, go past two more streets, then a right. You won’t be able to miss the sign. I’ll tell you when we get there though. It’s still very kind of you. I’ll return the favor somehow.”

“The drawing is more than enough.”

“Drawing? What drawing?” AJ asks.

“I’ll show you later,” Soohyun replies.

“So, hyung said you already know us, but we can still introduce ourselves,” Eli offers.

Marina smiles. “If you want, you can. I’m Marina Sacchieri.”

“American?” Kevin guesses.

“Bingo.”

“You speak Korean very well,” Kiseop compliments.

“Thank you, Kiseop-ssi.”

“Did you study it in school or is one of your family Korean?”  

“She’s lived here for twelve years after her father came here for work,” Soohyun answers for her.

“Well, well,” Dongho chuckles. “You two seem to have gotten to know each other well.”

Marina laughs. “Just a few details. We only spoke for a few minutes, although Soohyun-ssi probably spent a good five minutes watching me draw over my shoulder.”

“You noticed? Why didn’t you say anything?” Soohyun asks, glancing at her.

“I don’t mind people admiring my work and if you were some kind of ert, I have pepper spray in my bag if I couldn’t get you to go away.”

“So you’re an artist?” Hoon asks.

“Not really. I just do it on the side. I’m still in university, studying business.”

Dongho looks around the seat “So you’re a little older than me?”

“I guess. How old are you?”

“18.”

“Really? In that case, I’m only older by two years. We can be informal if you’d like though.”

“Don’t encourage him,” AJ groans when Dongho gives her a wide smile in response. “He’s already informal enough.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ll ever get to talk to him again, so I might as well let him relax, right?”

“Marina, is this it?” Soohyun asks. “Did you paint the sign?”

    Everyone looks out at the shop. Hanging above the two flower filled windows is a large sign, proclaiming the shop’s name as The Blossom. Vibrant hibiscuses claim one end of the sign, framing a girl’s delicate, smiling face. Only her profile is shown as she gazes at a beautiful butterfly perched on her fingertip.

“Yes. I didn’t like the original one,” Marina answers. Gathering her things, she opens the door, saying, “Thank you again for the ride. It was nice meeting all of you. Bye.”

“Bye,” they all chorus back.

When Marina closes the door and heads towards the shop door with one last wave and smile, Kiseop pokes Soohyun, hissing, “You still haven’t asked her yet.”

“Oh, right.” Soohyun fumbles with his seatbelt before shoving open the door. “Marina-ssi, wait.”

“That’s the second time you’ve told me that in the short time we’ve known each other,” she teases, turning around to wait for him. “Is going to turn into a habit?”

“No. It’s just that I have something to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“Will you go on a date with me?” he blurts out.

She looks at him, eyes slightly widening. “Did...did I hear you right? Did you just ask me on a...a date? Why? We just met.”

“Please say yes. I made this agreement with the guys to go on a date with a girl they chose since we just got our dating ban lifted. It doesn’t have to be a serious thing, just one date. If nothing else, we can just go as friends. I would actually like to be friends with you since you seem really nice and funny,” Soohyun says all in a rush.

He shifts his feet nervously when Marina doesn’t answer right away, looking just over her shoulder. When he hears her giggle, he looks at her face.

She’s covering with one hand. “ Would they make you do this all over again?” she giggles.

“Yeah,” Soohyun chuckles, relieved she didn’t just walk away.

“So that’s why you sat beside me, huh?”

He nods.

Marina thinks it over for a few more minutes before she shyly says, “All right.”

“Really?”

“Why not?” Marina shrugs, still biting her lip. “I haven’t been on a date in forever, boyfriend or friend. I think I’d like us to be friends too.”

She pulls a scrap of paper from her pocket, takes the pencil from behind her ear and scribbles something down. Stepping closer to him to hand over the paper, she says, “I know you’re probably always busy, so just call or text me when you’re free. I'm pretty fexible so we can work around your schedule...I don't think they'll let you forget anyway.”

Soohyun glances behind him to where Marina’s subtly pointing. He can’t help chuckling when he sees everyone’s faces pressed against the van’s windows. When they notice him looking, they instantly look anywhere but at the two outside. “Probably not,” he agrees.

“If you lose it, you know where to find me.” She gestures to the shop behind her. “I’m here a lot. Just ask whoever’s at the counter if it’s not me.”

“All right. I’ll try to figure something out soon,” he promises.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you around, okay?” Waving, Marina walks into the shop, her departure accompanied by the tinkling of the bells on the door.

Soohyun smiles and waves.

“Yah, hyung.”

    He turns around. Kiseop’s back in the driver’s seat, but Hoon’s claimed the passenger seat. Soohyun jogs back to the van, opens the door, and jumps in to take Hoon’s former seat.

“So, what’d she say?” Eli asks.

Soohyun lifts up the paper as his answer. Clapping and cheering erupts in the van, causing Soohyun’s smile to widen.

“So, when’s it happening?” Kevin asks as they start heading back.

“Not sure yet. She told me whenever I’m not busy.”

Dongho shakes his head. “Great. That’s like, never.”

“Not true. I’ll be able to find sometime.”

“Put her number in your phone now so you don’t lose it,” Kiseop advises.

“Awesome. Our plan was a success,” Hoon laughs.

“Can I be next?” Eli asks.

“Let’s see how this goes first, then we’ll see,” Soohyun says, smiling to himself. Even as they drive away, Soohyun keeps seeing that dirt streaked face, perfect in its imperfection.

===================

Annyeong lovelies! Wohoo! I can't tell you all (all 8 of you ^^) how great it feels to finally be getting this story out. It's seriously been just sitting on my laptop for months. Anyway, thanks for supporting me this early on and I hope life's treating you all well. Saranghae!

Moony_Kat: I think he is around girls at least, but I'm kinda going on how he acted on his date in UKiss Vampire where he was a little awkward at first, but easily slid into being friendly after they started talking. Oh yeah, being half Italian, I know all about that Italian spirit. ;) We're a feisty, loud, crazy, loving bunch.

MewNikkiChan: Ke ke, I can't help it! Tis what I do! Soohyun's definitely a babe, body and voice. Kevin's such a cutie pie with occasional bursts of y. I see him more as friend material than boyfriend, but that's cause I'm biased too.^^ Hope your exams are going well. MewNikkiChan hwaiting! ^^

yellow14: Aw, thanks!

SuperSHINeeB2STJr: ke ke, thank you! Honey, a little bit of good luck never hurt anyone, so it's appreciated. I hope you keep loving it just as much as it goes on.