“We’re just hanging out.” Ariel replied as she was on the phone with Luke.

“I dunno baby sister. Sounds like a date.” 

“He said it in these exact words, ‘we should go out to dinner tonight.’ Code for lets go grab a bite.”

“You’re so oblivious, its cute. Thats code for, ‘lets go on a date.’” Luke chuckled on the phone.

“Its not a date.” Ariel muttered. 

Knock knock.

“Ariel, are you ready?” 

Ariel stood up from her bed.

“Luke, I’ll call you later. He’s here.” Ariel whispered into the receiver. 

“Haha, okay baby sister. Oh hey, you lef-“

“I’ll call you later bye.” Ariel quickly hung up the phone. 

“I’ll be out in a minute!” Ariel yelled from the inside of the hotel room. 

Ariel stood up from her bed. She quickly rushed over to the bathroom to examine her appearance before going out. Her fingers brushed across her lips as she checked her face for any last minute touchups.

Okay, face looks… decent.

Ariel stepped back to observed her full body outfit. Blue tank top. White bralette. Shorts. 

Ariel hummed quietly, “I look decent.” 

Ariel walked out of the bathroom, ad she grabbed her bag from the nightstand. She opened the door to see Chanyeol who was leaning against his hotel room door, looking down at his phone. 

“I’m ready.” Ariel smiled as she closed the door. 

Chanyeol glanced up from his phone and saw Ariel standing in front of him. 

God she’s pretty.

Speak Korean this time Chanyeol.

The corners of his mouth were rising, “Hey. You look very nice.”

Ariel looked down at her outfit. “Thanks. I try to look decent every now and then without looking like a trash can.” Ariel beamed. 

Ariel and Chanyeol began walking down the hall to get to the elevator.

“So I hear there’s a great Vietnamese restaurant on the boardwalk.” Chanyeol mentioned. 

Ariel peeked a look at Chanyeol, who kept his eyes forward. “Pho on the Boardwalk?

Chanyeol and Ariel arrived in front of the elevator. “Yeah. I heard they have amazing pho.” He pressed the down button. 

“They do. I know the owners. Its so good. Its like a steaming bowl of heaven. I didn’t think it was possible for pho to taste so good! Don’t get me started on their spring rolls. It is seriously the bomb dot com!” Ariel glanced up to the towering Chanyeol, who seemed a little stunned by her sudden rant. 

Ariel began looking down at her sandals, “Sorry, I have this thing about blabbering. Its a habit.” 

The elevator doors opened and the two walked in. Chanyeol reached his arm in front of Ariel’s body to press the main lobby button. The two stood next to each in silence. 

“Don’t worry about the blabbering. Its cute.”

“Ariel!” The owner of Pho on the Boardwalk, Ms. Lee, rushed from behind the counter over to the entrance. “I missed you!” She gave Ariel a tight hug.

Ariel returned the hug and smiled. “Missed you too!”

Ms. Lee pulled away from the hug when she noticed a handsome young man awkwardly standing next to her. “Is this your boyfriend?” 

Chanyeol was completely clueless at the conversation, since they were speaking in English. 

Ariel shook her head, “No Ms. Lee. Too busy for boyfriends, remember?”

Ms. Lee playfully slapped Ariel’s shoulder with the towel that was over her neck. “Darling. You just graduated from high school. You’re beautiful, I think its time for you to start dating.”

Ariel giggled, “I don’t think its time for that yet. I’m embarking on a new adventure.”

Ms. Lee stared at Ariel before giving her a gracious smile. “Alright whatever you say. Go ahead, sit anywhere you want.” Ms. Lee extended her arm out to the seating area before she left to go back to the kitchen. 

Chanyeol and Ariel quickly sat at a table which overlooked the window view of the beach. 

Chanyeol opened the menu and began reading it. He glanced at Ariel who was looking outside the window. 

“I always get pho when I come here.” Ariel giggled. She looked at Chanyeol who quickly returned his attention back to his menu. She leaned against the table surface to get a closer look at Chanyeol, “Whatcha gonna get?”

Chanyeol’s eyes met Ariel’s gaze. His body tensed up a bit when he saw Ariel’s rich brown eyes. 

“Uh… probably the same as you. Pho.” Chanyeol closed the menu and smiled nervously. He felt a million of butterflies flying inside his stomach.

The waitress came to their table and took their orders. She came back to give them to their drink orders. 

Ariel took a sip of her pink lemonade before admiring the sunset on the beach. “Wahhh. Look at that.” 

Chanyeol observed the window to see pink and orange colors scattered across the sky. “Pretty sunset.”

Ariel caught his attention which was out the window. “Ahhh. Yeah, its beautiful. I’m gonna miss it when I leave this place.”

Chanyeol eyes’ drifted from the sunset to her. 

Ariel returned her attention to Chanyeol. They locked eyes with each other. But soon their gaze broke when the waitress came back with their orders.

“2 bowls of Pho for the couple.” The waitress announced, she served the steaming bowls of the noodle soup.

Ariel shook her hands to say ‘no.’ “We’re not a couple.” Ariel explained to the American server.
The server looked at her in a strange way. “You sure sweetie? Well, oops