“Okay, Youngji, you guys are just hanging out. Nothing else. I mean, he didn’t say the word ‘date’. So… it’s just a hang out. Stay calm.” Youngji was standing in front of the public bathroom mirror fixing her make-up.

  Her phone suddenly went off, startling her.     im here by the window tables     Youngji rushed to put away her make up bag and washed her hands. She left the restroom and looked around for him.   “Youngji-yah.”   Youngji squinted her eyes when she saw a boy in a pink hat raising his hand.   Mino got up, a crooked smile across his face.   “What are you wearing on your head?” Youngji lightly grabbed the tip of his hat.   Mino took off his hat and looked at it, “What’s wrong?”   “You stick out like a sore thumb.”    “It’s my creativity hat.” he joked.   Once the pink hat was off, Youngji looked down at what he wore. ‘White tee, casual jeans, and some carpenter boots.’ she thought.   “You don’t look bad either.”   Youngji finally snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him. What she didn’t notice was her unconscious slow nodding while scanning him. ‘Did I just obviously check him out?'    Mino chuckled when he saw Youngji turn pink in the cheeks, “I like your purple flannel.” he complimented back, to which Youngji couldn’t even be happy about because she was still regaining her composure.   The two of them sat down at the table.   “The music video came out yesterday.”   Youngji nodded, “Yeah, it turned out well.”   Mino played with his straw, slowly nodding.   “I didn’t come out that much though. All the good dancers were in the front.” Youngji rubbed the nape of her neck.    “What are you talking about? You out shined all the dancers there.” Mino leaned on the table. His eyes showed nothing but sincerity. She’s gotten compliments before, but why did his make her stomach do flips?     “And I’m not saying that because it’s our first date.”     ____     Two weeks had passed since Youngji and Minguk arrived in Seoul. Songyeon finally finished up her errands in New Zealand and came back a week after Youngji and Minguk. Youngji worked at Coffee Terior during the weekdays, which was very convenient because she could watch Minguk at the same time with her parents also on the look out for him. Minguk wasn't a hyper child and most of the time he would be in his own world, playing fireman or playing house with other children that came into the cafe. His grandpa’s gift was his favorite thing to bring around so he could instantly change into a hero, saving Youngji from the coffee pot steam.   Everything was going smoothly until Youngji started noticing her son’s expressions whenever a little boy would come in with his father. Minguk would watch them for a few seconds and then go back to playing around the cafe. It shattered her heart every time Minguk looked at those children with envy. But, what bothered her even more was Minguk didn’t seek any consolation. He would just put on his fireman hat and go on his way.   Youngji decided to bring Minguk to the biggest toy store in Korea. She knew materials couldn’t cure everything, but she hoped it would distract him until she found him a good preschool.      __     “Hurry up, Jihoon.” Mino stood outside his apartment on the phone with his friend. “We’re already late and I have to get him a gift too, y’know.” He finally his friend’s car in the distance and hangs up his phone.   Jihoon pulled up in front of Minho.    “Never carpooling with you again.” Minho got in as Jihoon drove off.   “Just get the old man some expensive perfume or something."   “Let me just get my President, who gave me my start in the industry, some old spice fragrance for his birthday.” Minho said sarcastically.    "Good point. Is Minzy gonna be there?” Jihoon asked.   “I dunno. But, I heard she was dating a Korean American, so you can just forget it."   Jihoon made a face, but a mischievous smile replaced it, “Should I go for Dana-“   “Yah, yah. Just keep driving. I know exactly what to get him."     __     “Minguk-ah. Hold on!” Youngji laughed as Minguk had his hand around his mom’s wrist, pulling her to the toy store’s entrance.   When the two entered Minguk let go of Youngji’s wrist and ran to the nearest toy that caught his attention.   “Guk-ah, you’re going to get lost.” Youngji chased after her excited son and kept an eye on him. The toy store was more crowded than she thought and many children were running around. “Hold my hand, Minguk.” she said a little more stern. The toy store had it’s own floor for children’s clothing and that was the first place she wanted to bring him. Most of his clothes had to be donated as Minguk was growing at a fast pace and they couldn’t bring most of his clothes to Korea.   She finally picked him up and they rode the escalators to the third floor. “I should’ve brought unni along.” she says to herself.   Minguk waited patiently in his mother’s arms as she looked through a rack of clothing.    Youngji struggled with Minguk in one arm and looked through the clothes with her other. Tired she put him down and held his hand. “Let's go get a cart, Minguk-ah.”   Luckily, a cart was abandoned on the floor they were on and Youngji could put Minguk in the cart as he didn’t fit the baby seat anymore.   “Umma, what about Robocar Poli?”