Eventhough Nichkhun needed help, he didn’t sound grateful.

“So... what is it that he needs my help with uncle Taec?”

…

Everyone including Nichkhun went silent all of a sudden. They were obviously looking away and coughing.

“Good luck!” Chansung stood up and patted my shoulder.

What kind of horrible request am I getting myself into!? I started getting nervous when Nichkhun slapped my back really hard.

“Ouch!!!”

“There’s no need to worry about the details. I just need you to accept what I’m gonna ask you.”

“So what is it?”

“Hey isn’t it time?” Junho suddenly shouted and drowned out my voice.

“Hyung turn on the TV!”

“Allright.”

Uncle the TV with the remote. The large screen showed a baseball game.

 

“Oh it started already!”

“It’s Hyun-Soo’s turn at bat, too.”

“We forgot about it because of all the talk about his unnecessary request.” JunK explained to me.

“Is my request unnecessary?” Nichkhun asked the lawyer guy.

“I wonder how far Seoul will go this year.”

We’ll go all the way! We’ll win all!”

“I agree.”

Why are these guys talking about baseball suddenly? Aren’t they forgetting I’m still here?

“How far do you think we’ll go Victoria?” JunK asked me. At least he still notices me.

“For what?” I replied.

“The WBC! Duh!” Nichkhun looks at me like I’m a dumb girl. This guy…. Really.

“World Baseball Classic. It’s the baseball tournament to determine the best team in the world.” Nichkhun explained it to me as he glanced over the TV. “We all get together on the weekend to watch baseball here. If you’re going to be with me, you will be coming here too.”

What does he mean, ‘be with him’?

CRACK!

A brisk clear sound rang out of the TV. Everyone cheered at once.

“Allright! A hit!!”

“Hyun-Soo always comes through when needed.”

“It’s hard to keep a .300 batting average.”

“Um, Nichkhun. What do you mean by ‘be with you’?” I asked.

“Sorry.”

“What?”

“I don’t have time to chat with you right now.”

“What!?”

Nichkhun walked over to the front of the TV. He pushed the others away and stood right in front of the TV.

“Hey what are you doing?” Chansung yelped.

“Shut up and make room for me.”

“Khun hasn’t changed at all. He’s always been bossy since second grade. Always the alpha male.” JunK said shaking his head.

Just tell me what he needs help with!

No one bothered to look at me, all their eyes were glued to the baseball game on the screen.

“Oh they’re changing innings. It’s Jung Soo-Bin’s turn.”

“Jung Soo-bin tends to choke on a big stage.”

“He’s the opposite of me. I shine when everything’s on the line.” Nichkhun said. What a gigantic ego this guy has.

“But he’s been doing pretty good.” Wooyoung spoke this time.

“Cause I gave him a talk. Soo-Bin can do it when he needs to.”

“You’re on a first name basis?” Wooyoung asked Nichkhun.

There’s no need for formalities between Soo-Bin and me!”

These guys are like kids. Everyone sounded like they all had proper jobs. Yet in front of the TV, they were like little boys in adult bodies. It looks like no one will talk to me. I guess I’ll move my bags. I started to move my luggage to the back of the bar. Nichkhun noticed me and briskly walked over.

“Hey, wait.”

“What is it?”

“Those don’t go back there. Over here.”

Nichkhun grabbed my luggage and tried to take it towards his seat.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

“About what?”

“Why are you taking my bags away?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just give them to me.”

“Won’t they get in your way?”

It’s fine. I’m gonna…”

 Nichkhun cut his sentence short. He looked at me as if he had something to confess. I waited for him to speak. We looked at each other in awkward silence. After staring at each other for a while, Nichkhun suddenly blushed. Huh?! Why?

“You know…” he started.

“Yes?” I replied expectantly.

“You know that starting today, you’re…”

Just as Nichkhun started to say something, Uncle Taec shouts out loud.

“Man I’m hungry!”

“Huh?”

“Nichkhun, I’m hungry make me something.”

“Why me?? It’s your bar!”

Nichkhun complained to Uncle, but he looked relieved.

“Why don’t you make something Taec, I’m hungry too.”

“Cuz you’re a better cook than me.”

“I want to eat, too. Something that’ll fill me up.” Chansung joined in.

“It’s a lot of work to cook for everyone here. Want me to help?” JunK asked Nichkhun.

“Nah he can do it himself.” Uncle Taec said smiling.

“Hey don’t decide for me.”

“Allright, it’s decided! You’ll make food for all seven of us.”

“Victoria, come over here. Watch baseball with us.” JunK said to me and pulled out a chair.

“Okay…”

I sat at the table but I kept worrying about Nichkhun who was in the kitchen by himself.

“Geez, those guys.”

Nichkhun mumbled to himself as he loosened his tie. His gesture seemed so y… my heart fluttered. Nichkhun’s hands are nice. I thought it was great when a man could cook. I wondered if Nichkhun could cook?

And what was he trying to tell me earlier?

 

“Here you go!” Nichkhun said as he comes out from the back kitchen.

“Wow it looks delicious!” I hear Chansung spoke.

“See Nichkhun, you’re a great cook.”

“No need for praise guys, I’m not doing anything else now.”

Five minutes later, Nichkhun served shrimp pilaf to everyone. He made all that food in 5 minutes? It must be a frozen entrée you just heat up on a skillet. Frozen pilaf isn’t really cooking.

“Hey, were you admiring my cooking?”

I wasn’t admiring anything. “ This guy is really so full of himself.

“Sure looks good enough to admire. And he’s quick too.” Taec said casually.

“He’s quick with his hands in all sorts of ways.” Wooyoung said playfully.

“Shut up, none of those are compliments.”

“Bon apetit! Actually we’re already eating.” Chansung already almost finished his plate, I see.

“It’s good.”

“Here’s yours”.

Nichkhun placed a plate in front of me.

“Eat up. Eat ‘em all up.”

“Thank you.”

I took a small bite of the steaming hot rice. The shrimp pilaf was full of flavor and incredibly good.

“It’s delicious.” I said putting a shrimp in my mouth.

“Of course I made it.”

I didn’t know frozen entrees were high-quality these days. I was hungry so I continued to eat it up. And then Nichkhun sat down next to me.

“So what about the game? What inning is it?”

“Top of the seventh. Score is 1-2, Korea is losing. Lee Jong-Wook’s up at bat.” Junho answered him.

“For real? Go get ‘em Jong-Wook! You better cheer for him too!” He said that last sentence to me.

“Um, okay…”

Everyone was engrossed in the game including me. The pitcher swung his arm around for a pitch…

CRACK!

“Whoa! He hit it!” I said in excitement.

Lee Jong-Wook connected right in the sweet spot. It looked like a homerun!

Go! C’mon! Go over!” Nichkhun beside me cheering.

“Please!” I squealed.

Our prayers were answered as the ball flew over the field and went into the right field bleachers.

“It’s gone! Homerun!” Nichkhun is now shouting next to me.

“Alright!!” I happily cheered. I didn’t know anything about baseball but these guys’ enthusiasms are contagious.

Everyone was excited. They started hugging each other and giving high fives.

“Korea’s gonna win! I know it!”

Nichkhun turned around to look at me. On impulse, I high fived Nichkhun.

“Ow!” Yikes, I guess I didn’t know how to do a simple high five.

“I didn’t use that much force. Do over! Put your energy into the high five!” he then said.

“O-okay.”

Our hands made a sharp clap as we high fived. Nichkhun is slender but his hands are big. It’s probably because he’s tall. I thought to myself rather distantly. Nichkhun seemed not to be bothered by it at all.

 

The game continued at the score of 3-to-2. It was the bottom of the ninth inning. Korea just needed to protect this inning and they’ll win. The pitcher was their back-up, Kim Sun-Woo.

“Nichkhun is a lot like Sun-Woo.” JunK then said.

“What do you mean?”  I asked.

“He’s not a type to let the batter hit a pop fly and take an out. He prefers to strike them out.”

“That’s true. He goes straight at them with full force. He plays a type of game where he doesn’t rely on his team.” Uncle Taec said too.

“Are you guys picking a fight with me?”

As we chatted, Korea got two outs. Sun-Woo got two strikes from the batter.

“One more strike! One more strike!” I can hear Wooyoung shouting.

“Go Sun-Woo!”

Everyone swallowed their breath as they watched the screen. A snarling fastball sunk into the catcher’s glove!

“Strike! Korea wins three to two!” The announcer on the TV roared inside the sports bar.

“YES!” Nichkhun celebrated.

Everyone stood up and cheered. Uncle was smiling contently as he yelled out, “Let’s toast to Korea’s victory!”

“Alright! I want a beer!”

“Me too!” Junho chimed in.

“Does everyone want a beer?” Uncle Taec asked.

“I want red wine.” Chansung is in celebrity mood?

“I can’t believe you’d drink anything but beer for a toast.” said Nichkhun.

“You can drink whatever you want. It’s my treat.” Uncle said.

“Then can I get soju with water?” JunK then answered.

“Okay. What do you want Victoria?”

“I’d like soju too.”

“Then 2 soju with water coming up!”

“Oh can I get it on the rocks? I prefer potato soju too.” I said to Uncle Taec.

“What? Are you serious? Potato soju on the rocks for your first drink?” Junho asked me with his eyes getting big.

“You drink like a sailor.” Nichkhun said to me while he folds his hands across his chest.

“You’re quite a drinker huh? You want to go drinking with me one of these days?” Wooyoung said to me, winking. What’s up with this guy?

“I don’t know if I’m a drinker... it’s something my grandfather said. It’s rude to the soju if you dilute it with water.”

“Yeah. That grandpa would say something like that.” Uncle Taec said.

“She’s hardcore.”

“You make me look like a wimp.” Chansung said.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Anyway let’s toast.”

Uncle prepared everyone’s drinks. We all took our glasses.

“Then a toast to Korea’s victory. And to our lovely Victoria who came to Seoul. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

 We all said in unison. Everyone raised their glasses and clinked. We all started to gulp down our drinks.

“Ah this is good, this is good!”

“Excellent.”

“This soju is pretty good. I feel it spreading through my body.” I said while finishing up my drink.

“You sound like an old man.” Nichkhun said mindlessly. Whatever, dude.

“And here are some munchies.” Uncle Taec said putting a bowl of chips on the table.

 

Everyone drank and talked. I waited until things settled down before standing up.

“SO… about my situation…”

“Do you want another soju on the rocks?” Nichkhun interrupted.

“I’ll have some later.”

I looked around at everyone and I rested my eyes on Nichkhun.

“Nichkhun.”

“What is it?”

“What did you need me to help you with?”

“Huh?...”

“Shouldn’t you tell me now? I think I have the right to know.”

The room became quiet. The rest of the guys glanced over at Nichkhun.

“Why don’t you tell her? You’re going to have to tell her eventually.”

“Do you want me to tell her?” JunK asked towards Nichkhun.

“No. I’ll say it.”

Nichkhun cleared his throat. He looked straight at me with intense eyes.

 

“Victoria Song...

          

       I want you to be my wife.”

 

“HUH?”

What did he just say??