Chaerin’s head is pounding when she wakes up the next day, and she doesn’t remember how she got into her bed or when.  Rolling over she spots the aspirin and water on her bedside table and stares at it confused for a moment before she pulls the covers over her head with a groan. It takes another 10 minutes before she emerges again and s around for her phone.  Unlocking it she quickly texts Bom. “What happened last night? Did you bring me home?”  She sends, honestly confused because typically if Bom brings her home, Bom spends the night.  When Bom responds Chaerin silently curses her friends inability to put everything into one text as her tone goes off four times before she can silence it. “No”, “You were with Jiyong when I left”, “Y?”, “Smthng happen?”  With a whimper Chaerin sits up and responds. “No...” She sends before thinking a minute. “I don’t know, I don’t remember much from last night.” She quickly adds, a sudden panic taking over her. What if something did happen, what if she just couldn’t remember?  It takes a moment before she realizes that she’s still in her clothes from the night before, and though they’re twisted from sleep they’re not disheveled.  But that only eases the panic a little.

Her heart jumps when her phone starts ringing and she quickly answers it. “Hello?” Her voice is raspy and it surprises Jiyong on the other end of the line who wasn’t expecting her to pick up.

“Hey, did I wake you?” His tone is soft and concerned, speaking only loud enough to be heard and not agitate what he assumes is a killer hangover.  It makes Chaerin smile for a moment before she clears and attempts to speak again in a normal register.

“No, I was awake.” She doesn’t realize that she’s whispering until she closes her eyes and forces herself to ask the question that’s been on her mind since she woke up. “What happened last night, we didn’t…”

Jiyong cuts her off before she can even fully ask. “No, no, nothing happened, I just drove you home and helped you to your room. Did you find the aspirin that I left for you? I thought it might help.”  Chaerin breathes a sigh of relief  and mentally curses herself. 

“I did, yeah I haven’t taken it yet. Listen, I…” Chaerin trails off and lays back down on her bed, phone resting between the pillow and her ear as she tries to piece together what her mind is actually telling her.

“Hey, so I assume you have a hangover right?” Jiyong starts after a moment of silence.  He’s trying his best to give the girl on the other end of the line her space, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to see her. “Do you maybe want to go get some breakfast? I know a really awesome place that specializes in curing hangovers, and basically everyone there has one so no one is going to care about how you look or anything like that.” He laughs a little and Chaerin can hear the hopeful nerves in his voice.

“If I can get out of the house without being caught having a hangover then yes, breakfast would probably be a good idea.” Chaerin shifts slightly, forgetting the phone on her pillow for a moment as she takes her shirt off from the night before and tosses it in the hamper. Squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing her forehead with the free hand she picks up the phone again and groans softly. “Okay, I need a shower.” She pouts and Jiyong nods on the other end of the line as if she could see him. “Are you picking me up or am I meeting you somewhere?”

“I can swing by and get you, It’ll take me a bit, I only had the car for the night, I can see if I can weasel it again…”

“Just start walking Jiyong.” Chaerin cuts him off, and her voice surprisingly airy and light and it hits Jiyong’s ears like angels singing. “It’ll give me time to take a shower and get ready, the walk might do me good too.”

“Okay.” Jiyong agrees, “I’ll see you in a bit.” He adds before he hangs up and starts rummaging through his clothes in an attempt to find something clean and decent to wear.  

Chaerin is already sitting outside when Jiyong walks up. Heavy sunglasses shielding her eyes from the sun and it makes Jiyong chuckle as he finishes the last few steps toward her. “That better not be about me.” Chaerin whines as she stands. “It’s too bright and my head is pounding.”

“No no, it’s cute.” Jiyong reassures her and for a moment is caught off guard when the girl slips her hand into his as they start walking. “Do they suspect anything?”  He asks as they walk on, squeezing her hand just slightly, though he’s not sure if it’s to reassure her, or him.

“Suspect anything?” Chaerin asks, her mind is still a little foggy before she remembers trying to hide her hangover from her parents. “Oh! No, probably not? My sister does, but who cares about that.” She shrugs with a small laugh and looks down, blond locks falling in front of her face and it causes Jiyong to stare for a moment with a stupid grin.  After a few steps Chaerin adjusts her sunglasses with her free hand and starts looking forward again. “If you keep staring at me you’re going to trip.” She teases and knocks her shoulder against Jiyong’s.

Jiyong snorts and knocks her back, “You caught me.” He relents and leads her off toward a small little restaurant that Chaerin had never noticed before. “Even been here?” He asks and holds the door open under a sign that says “Wake n’ Bacon”.

“I’ve never even heard of this place.” Chaerin admits before walking in and looking at her surroundings through the dark shade of her glasses. “It looks….” She trails off as Jiyong starts pulling her through the crowd to a back booth and sits down. “It looks like… I’m not sure I want to eat here.”  Chaerin pouts and leans forward so that her back doesn’t touch the sticky vinyl of the booth.

“Just give it a chance Chae.” Jiyong pouts and puts his elbows on the table. “Stop being so fancy and stuck up and just trust me okay?”

Chaerin scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “I am not stuck up.”

“But you are fancy.” Jiyong raises his eyebrows at her and smiles as sweetly as he can muster. “And this place is not meant to be fancy, it’s meant to cure your hangover, and if it doesn’t do that then you drank way too much.” He teases and watches as Chaerin finally allows her shoulders to relax ever so slightly.

“Fine.” Chaerin says and grabs for a  menu looking it over.  When the waitress comes Jiyong orders coffee for both of them as well as two hangover specials and the waitress leaves before Chaerin can protest that the special is twelve dollars a plate.

“Trust me, it’s worth it.” Jiyong smiles and leans back, resting his hands behind his head and looking at Chaerin across from him. “So do you have a date for prom yet?” He tries to stop a chuckle as he watches Chaerin fumble with her silverware.

“What? Uh… no, no not yet.” She shakes her head and looks up at Jiyong, only slightly annoyed by his playful smile that she is met with. “Why? Don’t you?” Her stomach is in knots as the question tumbles from her lips.

“Well see, I was kind of wondering…” Jiyong starts and leans forward, stare intense and set on Chaerin, “If maybe you’ve come around enough to go with me?”

“Come around enough?” Chaerin tilts her head to the side and sighs. “Is this why you ordered me the most expensive thing on the menu? So that I’d say yes to prom with you?” She’s teasing, and a part of her hopes that Jiyong can tell, though his pout is convincing her otherwise.

“No, I mean, if it helps sure.” Jiyong continued to pout and watch the blonde on the other side of the booth. “That’s honestly because I know you wouldn’t pick anything that would actually help your condition.”

“Whatever the reason…” Chaerin started with a sigh before running her fingers through her hair. “Okay maybe it’s the hangover talking, or maybe that it’s that I’ve suddenly realized that I like the way it feels when you hold my hand and rub your thumb over my knuckles, and that I was thinking about that all morning.”

“Or maybe that you kissed me in your bathroom like a week ago…” Jiyong interjects.

“Don’t.” Chaerin stops him with her hand in the air. “Anyway, I guess, what I’m saying is yes, I will go to prom with you.” She manages to blurt out just in time for Jiyong to fall back against the tacky vinyl of the booth with the arrival of their food.  The waitress offers her congratulations as she sets the plates down, and Chaerin is suddenly not sure if her stomach can handle her decision, or the food placed in front of her.