Min and Kikwang were sitting along the riverbank behind a drugstore beside the mall. They were thrown out of the mall’s market for misdemeanor and breaking the cart’s handle. The freezer didn’t break – Min wondered why she thought it would.

 

“I’m sorry…” Min said to Kikwang who was trying to put a cotton ball on her broken lower lip. Kikwang looked at her and smiled. He took another cotton ball and put alcohol on it.

 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, I had fun.” He lied coolly as he actually got more scared than fun out of the whole stunt they did. “Show me your palm.” He commanded Min.

 

Min showed him her palm that had bleeding scratches and tiny open wounds on it. Though it wasn’t much, Kikwang wanted to tend on it. “This may sting a little.” He dabbed the alcohol-infused cotton ball on Min’s bruise carefully. Min felt stings run through her from the bruise but didn’t flinch as she was feeling so guilty for everything that had happened. Kikwang put betadine on another cotton ball and put it on Min’s wound before applying a gauze and tape on it. “Maybe you need to get stitches for your lips, Minyoung,” said Kikwang with evident concern. Min shook her head and said that the bruise isn’t big enough to need stitches.

 

Min studied how Kikwang tended to her and decided she would do it to Kikwang as well for atonement. “Thank you.” Min said as she took a cotton ball and repeated Kikwang’s actions on his bruises that were found on his hand and chin.

 

Kikwang felt calm as Min was tending to him. She was dabbing alcohol on the bruises on his hand very carefully; it made the sting feel less, Kikwang thought. He watched her put gauze on it better than he did for her.

 

As she was tending on the wound on his chin, Kikwang saw how Min was tending him seriously.

 

She looks so beautiful…

 

“You smell like summer,” Kikwang uttered.

 

Min stopped putting gauze on his wounds and smelled herself. “… I smell like dried sweat????”

 

“No!” Kikwang laughed. “It’s like… The smell of swimming pool.”

 

Min blinked several times, imagining how a pool smells like. “…I smell like Chlorine????”

 

Kikwang laughed loudly. “No! Minyoung, you don’t smell like dried sweat nor Chlorine. In fact, you don’t even smell bad!”

 

“Then what do you mean??” asked a confuse Min.

 

“Hmmmm… When you go to the beach during a summer afternoon, and just stay there for a while… You won’t smell the ‘sun’ or ‘Chlorine’… Instead, you will smell something really good. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s a good smell.” He mused and smiled at Min.

 

Min’s forehead was creased and her head was filled with questions as to what Kikwang meant. She breathed in and nodded. “Thanks…” I guess…

 

Kikwang smiled back and Min finished covering his wound. “Let’s go eat; Still my treat!”

 

Kikwang took Min to a store by the river claiming they had the best food in Korea next to his mum’s cooking. When they went inside, they were greeted warmly by the owner and his helpers.

 

“Lee Kikwang! It’s nice to see you here again! But what happened to your face?” greeted the owner who was behind the counter. “Oh, I see you finally brought your girl here, eh?”

 

Kikwang laughed and Min felt embarrassed but bowed to the owner. “Aish~ It’s not what you think, hyung!” he said as he scratched his head and lead Min to the corner table. Min sat on the chair facing the corner and Kikwang sat across her joyfully.

 

The owner came to their table and eyed Min and Kikwang while another served them ddokbokki, grilled meat, cabbage leaves, green chili pepper, and a bowl of ketchup. “Why do you two have bruises? Did you two fight?”

 

“Ah, no, hyung. Hehe…” said Kikwang as he was looking at the dishes served to them. “I see you still remember what I always eat, hyung!”

 

“Who can forget the weirdest person here? Hahaha! I’ll go fix your special drink so you two have a lot of fun here, okay?” Kikwang nodded and the owner patted him in the back before going back to his work.

 

Min snickered and Kikwang looked at him. “Weirdest person, hahaha!”

 

Kikwang felt embarrassed but laughed along with Min, “Yah~ It’s not weird! I’m sure you’ll like it.” Min took the alcohol from her bag and cleaned her hands with it, carefully avoiding the gauze on her hand, and gave it to Kikwang. Kikwang did the same and gave the bottle back to Min. Just then, a helper came with a pitcher and two glasses. Kikwang said thanks while Min bowed to acknowledge his hardwork.

 

“Red tea?” asked Min referring to the red liquid inside the pitcher.

 

“Nope, that’s tomato, carrot, and banana juice!” said Kikwang who was taking a lunch box from his bag. “My mum’s kimchi! I’m sure you’ll love it!”

 

Min laughed at how exotic and unusual Kikwang’s taste was and how childish he acted.

 

He’s so adorable…

 

“Here, I’ll teach you how to eat properly…” said Kikwang, earning a raise of eyebrows and laugh from Min. He took the green chili and dumped half to the bowl of ketchup. He stirred the contents until all the green chili were covered in red. Min watched him with curiosity.

 

He took some slices of chili and laid it on a cabbage leaf. He then took a ddokbokki and placed it on top of the chili. He wrapped the chili and ddokbokki with the leaf and held it up to Min. “AAAAAH~”, said Kikwang to Min.

 

“I can feed myself, Kikwang.” Min said with an awkward laugh.

 

“Just try this once, pleeeeeeeeaaaaaasssseeeeeeee~~~~”, Kikwang pleaded with an aegyo.

 

“Aigoo…” said Min as she fanned herself with her hand.  Kikwang held the food closer to Min’s mouth forcing Min to finally give in. “Ah.” She said as she opened . Kikwang smiled,  happy with his victory, and fed Min.

 

Min chewed the food in amazed with the wave of various tastes in . The chili gave the food sass while the dokbokki gave it sweetness. As for the ketchup, Min thought it was for 'class'.

 

“This tastes really good!” said Min after she swallowed her food. Kikwang smiled and fed himself, too. Min copied Kikwang’s wrap and fed herself gleefully.

 

“Minyoung, have you given up on being an idol?” asked Kikwang while serving Min a drink.

 

Min swallowed her food forcefully while thinking of an answer. “I don’t know… I never really thought of becoming one since I came back here...”

 

Kikwang nodded as he dipped a green chili on ketchup.  “Then do you plan on going to university?”

 

“Uhhh… I haven’t really thought about that, too…” she replied and then drank some juice.

 

“Then what are your plans now?”

 

“Hmmmm… I want to become a good mother.”

 

“Wow~” Kikwang exclaimed. “Can you cook?”

 

“Of course, I can! You should try some of my kimchi! But my knowledge about Korean cooking isn’t that good… So I guess I’ll study about that.”

 

“Ooohhh… I can be your food tester!”

 

“Suuure! I need someone who wants to try anything anyway!” said Min referring to Kikwang’s exotic taste. She laughed and he felt deeply embarrassed. He cleared his throat a couple of times to help mask his shy laughter.

 

“How old is your daughter by the way? Judging by the milk you had the first time I met you, she’s still an infant!” asked Kikwang jokingly.

 

Min felt a pang in her chest, but she hid it by laughing. “Aigoo~ I wish Eunbin was my daughter! She is soooo cute and squishyyy~~~!!!” she exclaimed while clenching both her fists tightly in front of her. “I think I want to hug her forever!” she ended with a giggle. Kikwang laughed at her expression.

 

“Eunbin is… Just three months old!” Min smiled proudly. Kikwang’s eyes widened as he smiled.

 

“Waaaa~  I want to see her! I like babies!” Kikwang proclaimed. Min smiled weakly, not knowing If she should promise Kikwang he would see Eunbin since she isn’t really okay with the idea of letting another man, besides Chansung, get close to her family.

 

Kikwang saw Min’s face turned serious in a split second. He wondered how she was able to change expressions so fast. “Yah, Minyoung~” Kikwang said and Min looked up at him wondering. “You should smile more! If you want to be a great mother, you should smile often so Eunbin will smile often, too! Happy mothers raise happy children!”

 

“What?? I am always smiling! Why do you think I got these big cheeks? It’s all because I always smile… My cheek muscles never rest from the work out that is smiling!”

 

“What?” Kikwang asked trying to stop himself from laughing. “That is the weirdest thing I’ve heard! Your cheeks are that big because you don’t exercise it! You need to smile more so the fat in there melts!”

 

Min snickered in disbelief. “They aren’t that big!” She proceeded while pinching her own cheeks. Kikwang was staring at her while laughing out loud. Min pouted and wondered if she really doesn’t smile that often.

 

“Yah~ Yah~ I just said you need to smile often, yet you’re here putting a serious face again!” Kikwang scolded. “Smile! Don’t take everything too seriously! Or do you want me to draw a smile on your face like the Joker?? “

 

Min laughed and Kikwang did as well. “If you draw a smile on my face, then I will draw eyes on yours!” She said.

 

“Huh?? Why would you do that??” asked Kikwang.

 

“Because you don’t have any when you smile!”

 

“What? Of course, I do! How else would I be able to see if I don’t have any??”

 

Min shrugged and said, “Maybe you have special powers or something!” Kikwang laughed but Min continued speaking, “Look! When you smile, you look like this!” Min leaned in and squinted her eyes as she smiled widely. “Wow, I can barely even see you! How do you do it??”

 

Kikwang laughed and leaned in closer to Min. He smiled until his eyes formed slanted lines on his face and whispered, “I don’t know about super powers but… I can smell your mouth from here.”

 

Min leaned back to her chair and covered , her face deepening in a shade of red. Kikwang laughed louder when he saw this. “Yah~ I smell like summer!” Min argued.

 

It was then when Kikwang felt embarrassed. They both laughed and continued eating when Min remembered something. “Oh! I almost forgot… What time is it?”

 

Kikwang looked at his phone and saw that it was already 9:35pm. He also told Min that the she should be going home now. Min agreed and said that she’s also worried her grandmother might already be mad. Kikwang then paid for the food they ate while Min waited for him outside.

 

“Thank you so much for today, Kikwang.” Min said as she bowed to him when he got outside.

 

“It’s nothing. I had a lot of fun anyway.” He said with a smile. “I’ll take you home. It’s too late for a girl to be travelling alone.”

 

“Uhh~ No, it’s okay! I can take care of myself! And you need to get home, too. Let’s not worry your precious mother.” She ended with a giggle.

 

“While my mother is indeed precious, I’m still a guy and you’re still a girl. Gentlemen don’t send out ladies alone in the dark!” he proclaimed.

 

Min laughed and thanked him again. They went to the bus stop while talking about Kikwang’s audition. While they were sitting at the back of the bus, Min snapped, “Omo! We forgot to buy you clothes!”

 

Kikwang gave her a surprised look. “We bought clothes earlier, Minyoung. Have you forgotten?” he snickered.

 

“What?? Those shirts?? Are you serious?”

 

Kikwang replied with a smug nod.

 

You might be good-looking, but you need more than just those simple shirts to make a statement.

 

“Tsh… You creatures from Mars are so complicated!” Min replied. “You want to impress but you don’t want to make an effort to do so?” she added as she shook her head.

 

Kikwang laughed lightly and replied, “You say that as if you females aren’t! I would even dare say females are more complicated than men!” Min was about to say something when Kikwang raised his finger, signaling her that he wasn’t done yet.  “For example, there’s a couple. The girl would ask the guy if she should cut her hair short. The guy would say ‘You can do anything you want’ but the girl would say, ‘But I wanna know what you think!’ so the guy would tell her ‘You should cut it short’ but the girl would retort that she likes her hair better when it’s long!!” Kikwang raised his hands and threw Min a questioning look. “What is up with that??”

 

Min laughed at Kikwang’s example and way of speaking. “Those girls just want attention! They just want to feel loved!”

 

“But don’t we all?” argued Kikwang.

 

“True,” agreed Min. “But not everyone gets to be loved.” She added lowly as Kikwang looked at her. “Some only exist and never live…”

 

“Aigoo~ You sound so pessimistic, Lee Minyoung! Love takes time. People just need to be patient.”

“I am just stating a fact, Lee Kikwang.” She said with a snicker. “And time? Yes, I agree. Love takes time. A lot of time! A lifetime sometimes isn’t even enough for someone to experience true love. They wait for their time to feel alive… But does it ever come? Will it ever come? And next thing you know, you’re six feet under.” Min laughed bitterly.

 

Kikwang was shocked by Min’s satirical statement. “Why so serious??” he said, imitating Joker causing Min to laugh out loud.

 

This feels nice…

 

They talked more about the subject of love but never touching about their personal lives until it was time for them to get down. They walked side by side, dreading their parting.

 

Why does a day have to be so short?

 

“Hey, Minyoung…”

 

Okay, maybe more than nice…

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Is it okay if we go out to buy clothes again?”

 

“Sure! And you better choose the right clothes this time around!”

 

Kikwang snickered and scratched his head awkwardly.

 

I might need a bigger closet…

 

Min stopped in front of their lobby and faced Kikwang. She smiled and said, “Thank you for today.  Have a safe trip home, Kikwang!”

 

Kikwang smiled back. “See you again tomorrow.”

 

They waved their goodbyes and Kikwang set off for the bus stop. Min watched him as he walked slowly towards his destination.

 

She smiled to herself and thought about the day. She turned around and widened her eyes with what she saw.

 

Chansung was standing inside the lobby, looking at her with a displeased expression.