Friday

JiYong pulled into the drive way of the familiar two-story cottage home. He took a moment to look around before approaching the inviting red painted door. He rang the doorbell and only had to wait a few seconds before the door swung open. Luna smiled brightly at him and stepped back to let him in. JiYong could see the earpiece attached to her ear, along with the tension in her forehead, and knew she was on a work call.

“Yes. I understand that language proficiency isn't a requirement, but that doesn't mean you should ignore the culture of the country that you're in. Expecting people in foreign countries to learn your language, instead of the other way around, is arrogant. I will not tolerate someone on my team behaving in that manner. Am I understood?” Luna rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead. JiYong smiled at the look of obvious frustration on her face and kissed her cheek. Luna winked at him, lifted her hand up to indicate she needed five minutes, then pointed to YoungBae's office. JiYong nodded in understanding and rubbed her shoulder before walking away. “Look, I don't care who your daddy is . . .”

JiYong laughed and knocked lightly once before walking in. He saw YoungBae jump and stuff something behind his back. When the two made eye contact, YoungBae put his hand over his heart and sighed in relief. “Man, I thought you were Lu. Knock a little louder next time.”

“What are you hiding?” JiYong asked as he sat down beside him. YoungBae looked around suspiciously, then got up to close and lock the door.

“No matter what you see, you never saw it, alright?” JiYong waved off his worries and waited impatiently for YoungBae to reveal whatever it was. YoungBae reached under the couch cushion and handed a small, black box to him. JiYong immediately recognized the 'HW' (Harry Winston) logo printed on the outside.

“No way,” he whispered as he opened it. The diamond, solitaire ring inside twinkled at him and made him gasp. “When did you get this?”

“I saw it last August in Japan. I knew she would love it, but fans were around so I couldn't get it right then.”

“August is when you two were found out.”

YoungBae nodded. “I was going to propose a few days after the fan meeting, but then that other thing happened, then she got sent away . . . the timing wasn't right.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” JiYong was a little upset. YoungBae was his best friend and this was a huge life event. JiYong hadn't been consulted. He felt more than a little offended.

“I don't know,” YoungBae said with a deep sigh. “I mean, I'm not planning on asking her just yet. Honestly, I think she'd say 'no' if I asked her right now. She's practical, my Luna. She just got back in the country after three months. My album is being released soon, so I'm going to have to promote that for a while . . .”

“Hmm. Well, if you aren't ready to ask her, and you don't want her to find it, you might want to hide that ring in a better place,” JiYong suggested.

“Actually, I was going to ask DaeSung to hold it. Lu never goes to his house,” he explained.

“Not a bad plan. If you need—” What JiYong was about to say next was cut off by the sound of the doorknob rattling.

“Baby?” Luna called from the other side of the door.

“One second!” YoungBae screamed. Quickly, he snatched the ring box from JiYong's hands and shoved it under the couch cushion again. JiYong ran to the door and unlocked it. He held the door open wide and smiled at her serenely. Too serenely.

“What are you two doing?” Luna asked warily, eyeing the two men.

JiYong looked back at YoungBae and then they both answered, “Nothing.”

“Yeah. Okay,” she said in a voice drenched in skepticism. JiYong sat on the opposite end of the couch from YoungBae and stared intently at the paused TV screen. Luna walked behind the couch and observed their stiff posture. She knew they were up to something, but she wouldn't push it. She knew ways to make YoungBae talk.

Leaning over the back of the couch, she kissed JiYong on one cheek and the other one. “I missed you, baby boy.”

“I missed you, too, baby girl.”

“Hey! Don't kiss him like you kiss me!” YoungBae exclaimed.

While looking at JiYong, Luna rolled her eyes and turned her head in the direction of her boyfriend. She started the kiss off slowly, nipping at his lower lip. After a few seconds, his hands were in her curly hair and one of them moaned softly. JiYong turned away.

Breaking the kiss, Luna one last time on YoungBae's lip and pressed her forehead to his. “JiYong? Do I kiss you like that?”

“No, but I suddenly wish you would.” Luna and YoungBae both reached out and hit him in the arm.

Luna walked around the couch and sat between the two men. YoungBae opened his arms and Luna snuggled into him with her back to his chest. JiYong couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. The two had been through a lot together. If there was a test of love, the two, so far, had passed it with flying colors.

“So, what's your wife like?” Luna asked him. JiYong smiled and his lips.

“Did you see that?” YoungBae asked her.

“Mmmmhmmm,” she hummed.

“See what?” JiYong asked them both.

“You your lips and smiled,” she explained.

“So?”

“Come on. I've known you for over a decade. That, is the face you make when you're thinking about a girl that you like. Or, at least, think is y,” YoungBae answered.

JiYong sputtered. He wanted to argue on principle, but had to admit that they were right. He did like her, and he did think she was y. .

“Tell me about her.” Luna said softly. She looked at him closely, too closely for JiYong's liking. He never did like that she could read him so well. YoungBae reading him was fine, they had know each other a long time, but Luna being able to do it unnerved him.

“She's . . .well, her name is Jodi Oh. She's an American photographer. She came in yesterday and kissed me on the cheek. She just threw the script out the window, which was fine with me because it was stupid anyway. We talked all day and I was never bored. She's funny, she's pretty. She likes cooking, and painting. She has two younger brothers that she takes care of. She told me yesterday that, while she respects fashion as an art form, she refuses to be a slave to it.

“She loves Kung Fu movies and believes that Chinese people can fly, they just don't tell the rest of us. Her favorite piece of music is the 'Hallelujah Chorus' by Handel, but only the version done by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She listens to it in the morning because it gets her going. Her favorite instrument is the cello. She can't play it, but she likes the sound. Says it's not screechy like the violin.

“She has a quirky sense of humor. Jo loves tomatoes, but doesn't like ketchup. Pickles, but not relish. She hates coconut everything. She has the most expressive eyes I have ever seen. She can—why are you looking at me like that?!” JiYong burst out. Luna and YoungBae were looking at him with near identical smirks on their faces.

“Nothing.” YoungBae waved his hand graciously as a sign for him to continue. JiYong crossed his arms in a huff and sat back.

“Don't pout, sweetie. I think it's cute that you have a crush on your wife.” Luna reached over and rubbed the crease between his eyebrows. “It should make the rest of the filming tolerable.”

“Yeah, Jodi and I thought that, too. We've decided to be friends. On screen and off.” JiYong took a moment to think about his wife and wondered what she was doing. Is it okay to call her? Too soon?, he thought. Looking up again, he saw Luna and YoungBae alternating between looking at each other, then at him and holding back their laughter all the while. “To hell with both of you. I'll see you Sunday.”

“Stacy and Maknae should be back in time. Are you going to bring her to the party?” YoungBae asked as he walked him to the front door.

“I hadn't thought about it. And after this visit, I'm nervous to have her meet you guys.”

“You've never hesitated in bringing a girl around us before. I think that's a good sign.”

“Shut up.” JiYong smiled and pushed his friend lightly.

YoungBae laughed as he watched his friend walk down the steps. Going back into his man cave, he saw his lovely girlfriend frantically typing on her phone—no doubt spreading the word of JiYong's obvious infatuation. She turned the phone off and looked in his direction.

“He's done for,” YoungBae declared.

“Mmmmhmmm.”

* * * * *

About the same time JiYong was abandoning his 'frien