Halloween came slowly, but had finally arrived. Luhan’s text that said he’d be by my apartment building’s gates by 6 o’clock confirmed that it was indeed the end of October—and yes, we were actually going on a date.

Luhan’s ankle improved significantly within a little over a week as he told me that he was used to those kinds of accidents anyway because his body had probably developed a cycle that made him heal even faster. We wouldn’t have to be stuck in his apartment for the night.

“I have no clothes,” I said to myself, standing in front of my closet dejectedly despite all the hangers that were crammed in. Slapping my forehead, I thought I’d be more ecstatic about managing to snag a date with Luhan instead of fretting over what to wear.

Because it wasn’t too cold out, I was content with just a lace trimmed top and fitted jeans. Yanking a brush through my hair and settling with soft curls, I was at the gates by 6:00 and found Luhan already there. He was leaning against the gates and stood straighter as I approached. Because Luhan’s fringe had been slicked up with hair-gel, I was grazed with the opportunity to fond over his forehead.

“Hey!” he beamed at me. “I hope you don’t mind walking.” Luhan looked at me apologetically, though honestly I was more concerned over his ankle.

“If that’s fine with you, I don’t mind.” I was playing with the hem of my sleeve and unsure of exactly what to do, because—wow—when was the last time I was on a date?

Luhan motioned for us to leave with a nod towards the outside of the gates with a smile pulled over his face that I thought he had on since we approached each other. I fell into step beside him after shutting the gates beside us.

“Jinah?”

I glanced up. “Hmm?”

“You look really nice, by the way.” The gaze that he didn’t tear from mine made me think that if I decided to respond without breathing first, I’d be a blubbering idiot.

“Are you saying I don’t look nice during other days?”

Luhan laughed, elbowing me. “I knew you were going to say that.”

“Where are we going anyway?”

“You’ll see.”

Hopping off the bus, we were in another part of the city that I didn’t recognize again. With the bus wheezing behind us before it departed, we were dropped off in front of a shop named Fantasy Café. The sign was pink and decorated with little hearts and crowns. Luhan stepped forward first after gesturing me with him.  

Through the glass door, I saw the little pastel pink tables and matching chairs. Little girls in full costumes of princesses and pop idols were seated with some parents snapping photos. Everyone was in costume, I noticed—including the workers who wore aprons over their wedding dresses and shiny space suits. Even the parents.

I latched onto Luhan’s arm before he pushed the door open. “We don’t have costumes though.”

“I know. That’s why we’re here.” There must have been uncertainty on my expression because he smiled assumingly and pulled me inside. “C’mon, I’ll just show you.”

Luhan approached the front desk first while I lingered behind him. I glanced around and distracted myself from hearing the desk-lady explain packages and deals with Luhan. I watched a toddler in a cowboy costume sit in the little play area with her sister playing dollhouse. There was a couple that looked close to my age by the corner with mochas in their hands. The girl was dressed up while her boyfriend took photos of the different poses she could manage with a ball gown.

“Come this way.” There was a scratch of a chair against the floor as the woman behind the desk stood to lead us into a different hallway.

We were escorted in a room full of cabinets and trunks. Full-length mirrors were stationed at every wall of the room. I gawked at the sight and Luhan took my silence as a good response.

“You said you’ve never dressed up for Halloween, right?”

“Right.” I examined the table of accessories that went from corsages to spiked collars. I was surprised he even remembered something like that. It was a little fact about me that I mentioned once and months ago when we were still acquaintances.   

“Well now you can.” Luhan wandered to open one of the trunks. A feather boa was the first thing I noticed.

“Wow, this is...” Inside one of the cabinets were dresses of different eras. “Amazing.”

He played with a Loki helmet in his hands. “Good, because I’d be caught dead if one of the guys see me here.”

“Wow, thank you.” Already, I was digging through all the things. “But let me help you find a proper head accessory.”

“I don’t think I can count on you about head accessories...”

“Ta-da!” I held up a bedazzled princess crown and fitted it on his head without disturbing his hairstyle before he could complain.

“Jinah!” he whined, frowning and adding more of the spoiled-brat image to his look.

“What? You look like a queen.”

“No, no, no.” Luhan shook his head, getting the crown off his head like it was poisoned. “I’m manly, see?” Picking out a black mask from the table, he tied it over his eyes.

I broke into laughter. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Zorro, I think?”

We were mixed in with the café area of the shop as soon as we picked our costumes. The small tables and chairs had us practically squatting with our knees to our chins as we looked over their menu. I ended up coming out of the room with rubber gloves someone could wash the dishes with, a blonde wig and a safari vest.

Peeking at him from behind my menu, I asked, “What are we anyway?” Everyone had a certain theme, and Luhan and I were...

He evaluated me quickly. “You’re a blonde housewife who wants to go scavenger hunting with Indiana Jones. How about me?”

I eyed the headband over his head that had alien googly eyes on antennas and the shirt that had the drawing of the body of a cartoon voluptuous girl in a Wonder Woman costume. The girl’s neck lined up with his, making it seem like Luhan was the one wearing the Wonder Woman costume. I took a good ten minutes to laugh at it the first time he put it on. I had to fight him for him to even consider touching it.

“You’re a Wonder Woman version of a hot alien babe.”

He buried his face in his hand with shame. “I didn’t expect to ever dress up like this.”

“Well, look at me!” At my age, I didn’t think I could dress-up for Halloween ever again, unless it was for some frat party. Though this wasn’t how I’d imagine to do it, I couldn’t be more than thankful.

A man with a pen and notepad approached our table. “Are you two ready to order?”

“I’ll take the Dirty Diaper smoothie,” I said, pointing on the name with a finger.

“Okay,” he muttered, jotting it down. “And for you, sir?”

“I was just gonna go with an Iced Americano, but,” Luhan shut his menu, “I’ll take the same thing.”

After finishing our drinks and engaging in a Nerf gun game with a little boy in the fifth grade, we were out and walking aimlessly in the streets costume-free. The wind was thankfully not picking up and the spirit of Halloween was alive in some shops that decorated the exterior of their doors and windows with skulls and pumpkins. I always wondered how that day would have been different from all the other days I’ve been out with Luhan.

What exactly made this a date out of the other times we’ve hung out?

Feeling the back of my hand brush against his, electricity traveled through my nerves. I guessed that’s what was different from the other days—I was hyperaware of everything him and I did. There was this constant need for me to act perfect even though he already knew my silly imperfections. He even styled his hair differently and I hoped that was for me and not because of some last minute hair-gel experiment.  

“Do you want to see the horror movie Jongdae borrowed?” Luhan asked, looking up from a text he’d just received from his phone.

“Are you sure it’s not a trick to watch High School Musical again?”

He chuckled at the memory. “I’m sure.”

I was begging internally that it wasn’t some horror movie like Exorcism or some flick that said based on a true story at the beginning just before demons came out to prey on some random family.

“Jinah, watch out.”

Effectively steering me away from going head-first against a pole, Luhan snagged me out of its way by my arm. I clung onto him, at first thinking that a bike might have passed by us. I stared at the pole with a frown.

“That would have been embarrassing. Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome. I saved a hundred and twenty-two of your Cool Points,” Luhan said matter-of-factly. “But then again you would have gotten plus three hundred Funny Points if you ran into the pole.”

“What are you saying?” I sputtered into laughter. “Are we in a video game?” Looking down at my hand, it was still stuck against Luhan’s arm as if I was scared of running into a pole for the rest of my life. God, I was probably going to regret it but...

Taking a bold step, I let my hand slide down into his. If my face was hot, it was definitely on fire now with my heart skyrocketing to my throat. I waited for him to shake me off, but instead Luhan turned his head to smile. He firmed the grasp of our hands, his touch gentle like I had been predicting.

His grin was cheeky. “Well, this is a date, isn’t it?”

“What’s the movie about?” I asked him after we boarded a bus. From my window seat, I watched the darkness slowly creep faster into the evening.

“You’ll see.” Luhan idly played with my hand on his lap, his thumb running over my knuckles. Our fingers weren’t interlaced—just innocent hand holding, though it was enough for me to feel like I swallowed a log.

I was trying to not pay so much attention to it. “You’ve already seen it?”

“Some of it. He sent me the trailer through my phone last night.” He turned to me with a taunting smile. “Why? Are you scared already?”

“I’m kind of a softie for horror movies,” I admitted. “I couldn’t get through fifteen minutes of Paranormal Activity without telling my friends I had to pee and then I left the theatre completely.”

“You’re unbelievable.” Luhan shook his head to himself. “If you’re scared, just remember that Tao would have burst out crying.”

Strangely, I could imagine that.

The bus halted in front of a stop and Luhan yanked me with him by my hand. “We’re here.”

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