It was after she got home when everything sunk into her.

I'm going out with Kim tomorrow, ALONE.

Pie gritted her teeth. Having the idea of them being alone again makes her shiver. She's not sure why she's feeling that way. They went for a trip in Pattaya for two days and two nights but she never felt that conscious.

Pie brought a hand to her chest while staring endlessly at her room ceiling.

Sigh. I think I'm going crazy. We're just going out, c'mon, it's not like a romantic date, right? I'm just going out with a female friend, no need for formality or whatsoever. Right... right...

She stood up from the bed and walked towards her closet. It was after few minutes of rummaging when the idea finally hit her.

Wait, did I just plan on preparing what to wear for tomorrow? What the hell is happening to me? I don't do stuff like this before date, and hell, we're not even going out on a date for goodness sake! Uuuuuughhhh...

Pie ruffled her hair in frustration and sat back on her bed.

Okay, just stay cool, Pie. You're just going out with a friend like you're just going out with Jane for lunch. No need to be anxious about it. It's just Kim, okay?

She put her fingernail between her teeth when she realized something.

But hell, it's Kim we're talking about here. The Kim that the girls in the office are swooning over. It’s the same Kim that made Nam overly jealous of me; and I'm going out with her tomorrow! Waaaaaaaaaa!!!

Pie plopped herself down on the bed. Somewhere in her musing, she had fallen asleep.

---

Beep...

Pie's eyes flew open at the sound of her incoming message alert. That's when she realized that she fell asleep in an uncomfortable position, still wearing her clothes from yesterday.

What time is it?

She quickly sat up straight on the bed. She fished for her phone under the pillows and was relieved to see that it's only past seven in the morning. She opened text message and smiled.

From: Kim
Message: Good morning! What time would the princess be ready for her service? :)

Pie giggled after reading it. She typed in her reply quickly.

To: Kim
Message: Morning :) Just pick me up around 11. Mom's gonna be out for the day so I still need to do some chores.

She just keeps on rereading the short conversation until the new message came in.

From: Kim
Message: Aight! I'll see you later ;)

She quickly jumped out of bed and headed downstairs.

We're going out, we're going out!

---

9:57 am

Pie glanced over at the wall clock while drying her hair with a towel. Another towel is wrapped around her body. She rummaged through her clothes again just like last night. This isn't the first time she's going out with a friend but this is the first time that she can't really decide on what to wear.

Aish. Why do I feel like this is more of a date and just a casual friendly hangout?

Pie isn't a neophyte in the dating game. In fact, she had already gone out with several suitors — some men which she found annoying, turning them down in the end. She doesn't know if the problem is on her part or the boys' but she easily gets turned off once she felt that a certain guy is befriending her with the sole intention of courting her.

But it's different with Kim. Kim could be sweet to her at some point but never made her feel that she was hitting on her romantically. After learning how Kim's charm had shaken majority of the female population in the office, Pie secretly wished that her charms would work on Kim too, not because she likes her but because she wonders who could capture Kim's attention.

After an hour of checking her reflection seven times and changing her outfit every turn, Pie finally settled with a simple white blouse and a blue plaid skirt that's just a few inches above her knees.

Next problem: hair.

Put it in a bun or let it down?

Pie was looking at the mirror holding her hair up with a hand, shifting angles to see which hairstyle would fit her attire. Then she heard her phone beep. Her eyes widened after reading the message:

From: Kim
Message: Your service has arrived, your highness. I'll just be here anytime you're ready.

What! She's here!

Pie strode across the room to her window and saw the red Suzuki Swift waiting for her.

"Oh my gosh!"

That's when she started to panic. There's no turning back now. Kim is already there. They are really going out for real this time; no plays, no acting, just going out to have fun.

Do I look okay now? Will she like what I wear? Ugh! Why am I so nervous?

Pie was walking back and forth her room, fanning herself with a hand, not sure on what to do anymore.

She decided to let her hair down. She quickly picked up her shoulder bag on the bed and ran down, not wanting Kim to wait longer.

---

Pie opened the passenger's seat door just to be greeted by Kim, "Hey..."

"Hey yourself..." Pie responded while adjusting herself in.

There was an awkward moment of silence after she shut the door close. This is opposite of what Pie had imagined. She can hear Kim tapping fingers on the steering wheel while she was pretending to be busy looking for something inside her bag.

"Umm... you... umm... y-you look great..." Kim remarked.

Pie blushed instantly. Suddenly, the car AC isn't cold enough to cool down her burning face. "T-thank you..." Her eyes moved back to peek on Kim. "You... you look amazing yourself..."

Like what she always experiences, for the nth time in her existence, she was once again dazzled by Kim's unfaltering appeal, gratified by the fact that she's going out with this hottie. The black polo shirt and a gray hoodie Kim's wearing matched perfectly with her somewhat messy hair. It's so simple yet so captivating.

"T-thanks..." said Kim.

Then there was another awkward silence.

As far as Pie is concerned, this is the first time she felt this helpless. She wants to start a conversation but doesn't know how to. She wants to be with Kim and at the same time she wants to run away.

"Ugh..." Kim leaned on the steering wheel, hiding her face in her arms.

That was enough to call Pie from whatever planet her mind is into at the moment. "Something wrong? Are you alright?" she asked.

Kim waved a hand in response, still hiding her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Is your head aching or something?" asked Pie, slightly rubbing Kim's back.

Kim shook her head again, unwilling to show her face yet.

"Are you sure you still want to go out?"

Kim finally turned her head aside to look at Pie. "Of course, I do..."

"Then what's the matter?"

Kim exhaled first before burying her face back in her arms. "It's just that I'm so freaking nervous right now. Ugh!"

With all the strange feelings Pie is having since last night, she never imagined that Kim will be in the same boat with hers.

"Nervous? Why?"

"I don't know. I know I shouldn't be, but I can't help it."

Pie giggled. She ruffled the back of Kim's short hair. "Hey, you wanna know a secret?"

Kim raised her head a bit to peek. "Secret?"

"Mmm-mmm." Pie nodded. "For the record, you're the only person who made me so conscious about how I'd look today."

The tip of Kim's lips curved up into a small smile. "You're kidding me..."

"I'm not."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Kim, yes. Don't you believe me?"

"I'd want to, but it's too good to be true..."

"Hah. You're giving me too much credit," said Pie, shaking her head. "Would you like a proof that you're not dreaming?"

Kim raised her head higher this time, looking curious.

"How about this?" Pie leaned forward to pinch and wiggle Kim's cheeks, tilting her head from one side to another. "Mmmmmm! Who's the cute kid now, huh?" she said in a cute little voice like she's talking to a five-year-old.

Kim chuckled. "I might not be a kid anymore but I won't argue with the cute, hahaha!"

"Conceited brat..." said Pie, slapping Kim gently.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Kim scratched the top of her head. "I was just kidding, okay?"

Seeing the slightly disarrayed hair, Pie's uncontrollable hand moved on its own to rearrange the mess. Kim, although was surprised, stayed still, afraid that any move she'll make would ruin the moment.

"There." Pie reclined on the backrest to admire her art.

"Do I look like someone who's qualified to take you out on a date now?" asked Kim, putting her index and forefinger to her chin.

Pie smirked in response, not because of the joke but because of the word 'date'. "I think so."

Although Pie may not have admitted it to herself last night, she is now convinced that they are going out now on a real date. There's no use lying to herself because what she's feeling now is not what her friends are making her feel when they go out.

"So, where do you want to go?" Kim's hand made its way to the gearshift.

"You haven't planned on what to do yet?" asked Pie.

"I have plans but I just want to make sure I listen to what you have in mind first." Kim picked up something from the dashboard and handed Pie two tickets. "What do you think?"

Pie looked at the tickets closely. "Theme park?"

Kim grimaced slightly, afraid that her date isn't a fan of what she had prepared. "Not your thing?"

"Definitely my thing. You think you can do this with me?" said Pie, smirking.

"Of course, I can. Those are just rides, pfff. I'm more worried about you not enjoying it."

"'Just rides', huh?" Pie raised her hands to make quotation mark gestures with her fingers. "I was raised in a theme park, Kim. You sure you can keep up with me?"

"Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh at the face of danger. HAHAHA!" said Kim, imitating Simba's voice from The Lion King movie.

"We'll see then. Let's go."