Needless to say, we are a little late to game night. Who knew that my younger, innocent boyfriend could be such a minx? Turns out that when he asked to kiss me, he intended on stealing more than just one. Although we are both a bit awkwardly hesitant at first and inexperienced, the fact that we are now officially official and exclusive seems to have bolstered his confidence. “Soo…” I whisper against his lips, pushing him away. “You need to let me get ready to go to game night or your friends will make you break up with me!”

He nuzzles his nose against mine and promises, “I wouldn’t even if they tried.” The response makes me flush pink and a giggle escapes me.

“I’m serious! I already let you win the last 4 times I told you to stop,” I complain, but smile nevertheless. In all honesty, I really don’t care that much about making it to game night, but I don’t want to be that couple that spends all of their time alone together instead of socializing with friends. “If you don’t let me go right now, I rescind my offer to take you out later,” I threaten him.

“You wouldn’t!” he fake-gasps. “And here I was thinking you were going to court me properly.” He still makes no efforts to remove his body weight from on top of me.

I can’t help but to scoff, “Oh, that’s rich. The man who has been holding me hostage with his lips and lack of self-control for the past 20 minutes wants to make accusations about improper courting!”

A glint flashes across his eyes and I don’t like it one bit. Little by little he starts lowering his face towards mine again, as he challenges me, “I have a lack of self-control, huh? Let’s see which one of us really lacks self-control here.” He pauses and hovers just a millimeter away from me, eyes boring into mine.

I can see what game he is playing, but there is no way in hell I am going to let him win. “You’re not going to fool me,” I tell him, my lips lightly moving against his, but not caving to fully close the gap between us. “I could stay here all day.”

“Well, I’m not going to let you beat me at my own game,” he replies back. “And besides, if you could stay here all day, then I have ultimately won, don’t you think? No game night, just you and me right here. If you care that much about seeing my friends, you are really better off just swallowing your pride and kissing me.”

“I will do no such thing,” I deny him. “If nothing else, it is you who will be losing your friends, not me.” Suddenly, I feel a couple vibrations against my leg courtesy of Kyungsoo’s phone. “That’s probably one of your friends wondering where you are.”

“Let them wonder,” he dismisses the thought, eyes still searching mine. “Are you really going to keep laying here?”

Shrugging, I respond, “It’s quite comfortable and the view isn’t bad.” My boyfriend chuckles lowly and smiles.

“Don’t say things like that, you’re making me blush,” he whispers. “How is it that you never fail to make me feel things that I’ve never felt before?”

His question brings a broad smile to my face, and I can feel my eyes disappearing into crescents. “My mommy always said that I was special,” I tell him.

“Very, very, special, indeed,” he agrees, giving in and pecking me once before removing himself from the couch. “Go change your clothes quickly, babe, we’re going to be late!” I make sure to land an annoyed smack on his as I pass by.

When we finally emerge at the top of the stairs in the VIP lounge at Haven, all of the other boys are present, in deep focus on whatever game is scheduled for the day. We very nearly missed the entire thing, and clearly the boys were not bothered enough to wait for us

“Well, well, well,” Baekhyun whistles, looking up when I trip on the top step. “Look at what we have here!”

Kyungsoo, who is tightly grasping my hand, moves to stand in front of me, blocking me from the others’ view. “Hey guys,” he greets them.

Chanyeol cranes his neck trying to get a glimpse of me, asking “Why are you hiding Riyoung noo—" before Kyungsoo cuts him off.

“Not a word of crap to my girlfriend or you’re going to have to answer to me!” he threatens. He seems like a little cub trying to roar like a lion. It’s sweet, really, that he is trying to protect me, but these are his friends. Isn’t he going a little overboard? I bury my face into his shoulder blades, embarrassed.

“Kyungsoo, be nice to your friends, they mean no harm,” I mumble into his back. A gentle tug on his hand relaxes him, and he allows me to come out of hiding. “Hey, everyone, sorry we’re late,” I apologize sheepishly, “I took a bit longer to get ready than I planned to.” It’s a bit of a lie…it only took me about 5 minutes to hop in the shower for a quick rinse off and wash my face before we set off, but I wasn’t about to tell them what really delayed our arrival.

Jongdae makes a big show out of looking at his watch and comments, “Dang, I didn’t peg you as a super high-maintenance-takes-two-hours-to-get-ready-for-game-night kind of girl, noona.”

Kyungsoo looks like he wants to say something sassy back to Jongdae, but I give his hand a squeeze before shrugging, “It takes work to look this fabulous.” Baekhyun and Chanyeol scoot closer to each other on the 3-seater couch to make room for Kyungsoo and myself, and we squeeze in as best as we can.

“Sorry the fit is a little tight,” he apologizes quietly into my ear.

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind,” I assure him, unable to resist the urge to leave a brief peck on his cheek. The effect is instantaneous: his eyes widen and his cheeks flush that beautiful pink color when he realizes that his entire friend group is smirking at him with knowing looks in their eyes. I should probably be a little embarrassed that we were caught in our own little world, but today I can’t really bring myself to be bothered. Everything about today has been so perfect so far.

While my boyfriend is still caught in a daze, apparently Jongin snaps a photo of us and sends it to their group chat, making everyone’s phones ding in unison. The noise makes Kyungsoo snap out of his trance and he fishes in his pocket to pull out his device. Curiously, I lean over his shoulder and coo at the photo, “Awwwww we’re so cute!” A round of snickering arises around the table and Kyungsoo tucks his chin, turning an even brighter shade of red.

“Aw come on, Kyungie! Like I told you earlier on the phone, we give you a lot of crap, but we really are happy for you. Riyoung noona seems to make you the happiest we’ve ever seen you—you should definitely keep her.” To cap off the compliment, Baekhyun make eye contact with me and sends an exaggerated wink.

This does not sit well with Kyungsoo. “Don’t wink at her, she’s taken,” he warns lowly, and Baekhyun puts his hands up, surrendering.

“I’m not after your girl, boss, you don’t have to worry,” he says, and I have to bite my tongue to hold back the chuckle that is threatening to bubble to the surface. I make a mental note that I really do need to talk to my boyfriend about not falling for his friends’ teasing.

Not much later, Minseok’s voice comes over the PA system to let us know the next group has arrived so we need to leave. The friends are not ready to go their separate ways, though, so we quickly agree on a nearby ddalkgalbi restaurant and squish us all around the small circular table. It’s a bit cozy, but it’s nice to be able see the friends all together again in a comfortable environment.

Throughout the lunch, Kyungsoo keeps one hand intertwined with mine on my lap and occupies the other with making sure I have enough chicken on my rice bowl. “That’s enough for now, thank you,” I stop him before he tries to pile on any more. “You should get some for yourself, too.” I want to give him another kiss on the cheek, but I restrain myself, lest it instigate another round of teasing. I’m right handed, so I slip my hand out of Kyungsoo’s to pick up my chopsticks. The loss of contact has him turning his head towards me in concern.

“Relax, babe, I just need my hand to eat,” I quietly assure him that I’m not going anywhere. He nods in understanding and leaves his hand on my knee instead. Nobody says anything, so perhaps they just didn’t notice. The meal passes enjoyably, although too quickly, and soon the friends are each going their separate ways.

“Do you mind if I steal your roommate for the day, Jongin?” I ask him before he heads off.

With a laugh, Jongin conditionally agrees, “Only if you are going to take him on a real date to the outside world. Y’all are just too precious to stay cooped up in an apartment all day.” Kyungsoo looks ready to scold his friend for his cheekiness, but I beat him to the punch and quickly agree to the terms.

“Alright, I’ll allow it,” Jongin replies. “Hyung, it’s fine if you stay out all night, but just text me to let me know if you aren’t coming home, ok?” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively and Kyungsoo looks like he really might die.

“Yeah, whatever,” Kyungsoo grumbles. We all wave our goodbyes and finally, my boyfriend and I are alone together. Immediately, I give him the kiss on the cheek that I have been wanting to give him since the middle of lunch.

The action flusters him, and he asks, “What was that for?”

I give him a shrug and tell him with a smile, “Eh, I just felt like it.” He grins back at me, and because he is clearly shier than I am about PDA, he just grabs for my hand and pulls me down the street. “Where are we going?” I ask him.

“I want to show you the place where I work,” he replies. “It’s nearby, and will give us some shelter from the cold until we figure out what we want to do next.” A couple blocks later he badges into front doors of a 34-level skyscraper and leads me to the reception desk.

“Hello,” he greets the receptionist, “I’d like to get a visitor badge for her, I’ll be her .” The receptionist nods in understanding and asks to see both his badge and my drivers license. A few key and clicks later, a badge with my name on it is handed to me on a lanyard.

“Please be sure to stay with your at all times, and please return your badge to me upon your departure,” the receptionist instructs me kindly before opening the gate for me to pass through. Once past the turnstiles, Kyungsoo scans his badge on a panel outside the elevator and selects the 26^th floor.

My eyes go wide with wonder, as I have never been in an elevator that is operated from the outside. “Whoa, fancy!”

Kyungsoo laughs at my reaction and tugs me a bit closer to his side. “Just wait until you see our floor,” he says. He really should have given me more of a warning than that, because as soon as we step out on the 26^th floor, I let out a loud gasp. Everything is floor-to-ceiling glass, 65-inch television monitors, and touchscreens. If I had thought that Haven’s VIP lounge was hi-tech before, it pales in comparison to Kyungsoo’s company office.

“The perks of being a tech company,” Kyungsoo says nonchalantly, but I can feel his pride both in his voice and in the smile on his face. “Welcome to SM Industries!” My eyes dart around, not knowing where to look first. “Go on,” he laughs, letting go of my hand and giving me a gentle push, “Feel free to explore, but maybe don’t touch anything if you don’t know what it’s going to do.” I wander everywhere, making sure not to touch anything, internally geeking out at how futuristic and technologically advanced everything looks. Kyungsoo follows closely behind, pointing out things he thinks I might’ve missed, and explaining all of the different features.

“This place is so cool, I’m so jealous!” I gush in awe.

“You could come work here too, if you wanted to,” he offers.

“Nah,” I reject him, “I’m not really into office romances so…I’d probably have to break up with you if I came to work here. Not going to lie, though, this office space would almost be worth it.”

Kyungsoo clutches his chest, feigning pain. “Ouch. And here I was thinking that there wasn’t a single thing in the world that you would chose over me!” I am about to say another offensive, witty quip, but am interrupted by a newcomer greeting Kyungsoo.

“Oh! Kyungsoo sunbaenim, what brings you to the office on a Saturday?” an airy, female voice asks. I turn around and see a very pretty, statuesque young woman bowing politely in my boyfriend’s direction. She hasn’t done anything sketchy, so I really have no reason to feel so defensive, but I immediately tense up and eye her suspiciously. Kyungsoo, feeling the tension radiating from me, grabs my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. The gesture relaxes me immediately.

“Hello, Joy,” he replies amicably. “My girlfriend and I happened to be in the neighborhood and I wanted to show her around. Joy, this is my girlfriend Riyoung; Riyoung, this is a junior at our company, Joy.”

Joy gives me a warm smile and sticks out her hand for a shake, which I quickly accept, surprised at her friendliness. “It’s nice to meet you, Riyoung unnie! I’m the first coworker of Kyungsoo sunbaenim’s to meet you, right? There have been some rumblings that sunbaenim started seeing someone because he has been in such a good mood recently, but we never really believed that you existed because nobody has ever met you,” she explains. Kyungsoo sputters and is ready to protest, but Joy whispers loudly to me, “We can tell that you make him really happy.”

Any initial apprehension that I had towards Joy dissipates and I let out a loud laugh at my boyfriend’s expense. “Thank you for saying that, Joy, it’s nice to meet you as well. I’ll do my best to keep him happy so he isn’t a grumpy-pants towards the team at work.” Kyungsoo quickly cuts off the conversation, saying goodbye to Joy with the excuse that we have somewhere we need to be.

“I’ll see you next time, unnie!” Joy calls after us. “I’ll tell everyone that you are real, and Kyungsoo sunbaenim managed to catch someone way out of his league!”

“I’m putting this in your performance review, Joy,” Kyungsoo snaps back before pulling me into the elevator.

Once the doors slide shut, I nuzzle my nose against Kyungsoo’s jawline and try to sooth him, “Aw come on, babe, don’t pout. You know Joy and I were just joking around. It’s good that I get along with your coworkers, right?” He grumbles something that I don’t quite catch, but he doesn’t seem placated. “I’m sorry, ok? I won’t tease you for the rest of the day, promise.” To further win his favor, I sneakily give him a brief kiss on the underside of his chin.

“You just promised that you wouldn’t tease!” he huffs but doesn’t pull away. The ding of the elevator reaching the lobby startles me enough to have me jump away, though. After returning my visitor badge and bidding the receptionist goodbye, we decide to walk to a nearby mall to pass the time until dinner.

We go into almost every store, picking out ridiculous outfits for the other to try on, laughing, and taking pictures. As someone who usually likes to shop solo and won't go unless I specifically need something, this shopping experience is quite different from what I am used to. It's full of laughter, fun, and companionship, and I wouldn't mind doing it again.

"You look ridiculous in that getup," I giggle at the oversized, canary-yellow Adidas jacket and feather boa ensemble that my boyfriend is currently sporting. "What kind of place even has feather boas on hand besides a costume shop??"

"Yeah, I know," he complains, "Why do you think I have this frown on my face? I actually put effort into picking something that looks nice on you and you give me this?? You're really going to get it later, mark my words."

I have to admit, the skinny jean and oversized sweater combination that he picked out for me actually suits me quite well, so I feel a little bad that I got him the most ridiculous outfit possible. "Would...it make you feel better if I bought this outfit you picked for me? I really like it; you did good!" He bites his bottom lip to try to hold back his grin, but I can tell that he is proud of himself. "Come on, let's get changed back into our clothes and get out of here. I'm starving," I tell him, and we go back to our separate fitting rooms.

Kyungsoo is already waiting for me when I am done changing, and he holds out his hand for the jeans and sweater that I am carrying. "Do you really want to get these?" he asks. "You don't have to buy them just because I picked them out, you know..."

"Don't flatter yourself," I tease, letting him carry the clothes, "I only buy things if I really like them--this has nothing to do with me not wanting to hurt your feelings." When the salesperson rings up the total, Kyungsoo is quick to whip out his credit card. "Soo, noooooo!" I complain, trying to make a grab for his card. "You don't have to buy it for me, I can do it myself!" Unluckily for me, the salesperson is taller than Kyungsoo, so he easily gets a hold of the card when Kyungsoo holds it high out of my reach. "What a bunch of bullies," I huff, and both males laugh.

"Sorry, Riyoung, maybe I'll buy you some heels later so you can actually--OW!" Kyungsoo does not get to finish his sentence because I smack him on the arm, making a very loud sound.

"Thank you, we'll be going now," I smile sweetly at the salesperson and then drag my boyfriend away.

"That hurt!" He whines, still rubbing the spot where I hit him. "You already kicked me this morning, and now this?! I am starting to see a trend in this relationship..."

"That'll teach you not to be a brat!" I state as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Your insolence will not be tolerated."

Kyungsoo isn't very happy about my answer. "I just want to buy things for my girlfriend, is that not allowed?" he asks.

"I'm older than you and I am perfectly capable of paying for my own clothes," I try to explain my point of view. "You picked them out for me, anyway...isn't that enough?"

He scuffs his shoes against the floor and mumbles what sounds suspiciously like, "But if you can do everything yourself, why do you need me?"

"Do Kyungsoo," I address him, halting him to a stop. "Is that really what you think? That if you don't buy me things then you are worthless to me in this relationship? If that's what you think then you are completely wrong. I need you for all of the things that don't cost money. Like your funny texts when I'm having a rough day at work. Like your nightly phone calls when I'm walking to my car so I don't get kidnapped. Like your generous snuggles when I am the worst date ever and fall asleep during movies. I don't need your money, Kyungsoo...I need your heart, and I need you to need mine."

Based on the statue of a boyfriend that is now frozen in front of me, I must have overwhelmed him by saying too much, feeling too much too soon. "Um, Kyungsoo? Sorry, it all just kinda...slipped out."

Very slowly, Kyungsoo reaches out for my hand, and even though I'm not sure what he is doing, I give it to him easily. He raises it up to his chest and holds it firmly on top of his heart, which is beating rapidly. "You already have it."

"I--You--What?" I stutter. To bystanders, we must look like we are insane, standing in the middle of the pathway in the mall, my hand on his chest.

"My heart," he clarifies, "You already have it. And if I were to be totally honest with myself, you've had it since even before that night we played video games at my apartment."

Although we had "pretty much confessed to each other" that morning long ago, I wasn't prepared to hear the confession that he has liked me all along. "You've--this whole time?"

"At first I didn't know how to label how I was feeling, because I'd never really felt it before, you know?" he explains. "But then week after week, as we spent each Friday night together, I started to realize that I wanted to spend every Friday with you, and all of the other days of the week, too." He chuckles to himself and scratches the nape of his neck with the hand that is not holding mine. "I lost track of what exactly it is that I'm trying to say here, but long story short, you have my heart, Riyoung, and I desperately need and want your heart, too. Very much so." Even though we are in public, in the middle of a crowded shopping mall, I stand on my tiptoes and pull him in for a kiss. It doesn't last long, but I hope that it conveys all of the emotions that I don't trust myself to vocalize. When I pull away, we both have big, goofy smiles on our faces, and hearts in our eyes.

"Come on, boyfriend," I trail my hand down his arm until I'm able to grasp his hand tightly. "Let's go have a real dinner date. I promised Jongin that we would." Once outside the mall, we quickly find an Italian restaurant that seems to be to our liking.

"Table for 2 for Do, please," he tells the hostess, and she leads us to a secluded table near the back.

"Please enjoy your meal, Mr. And Mrs. Do. Your server will be with you shortly," she says, and gives a polite bow before returning to her station. We both start looking at the menu to decide on an appetizer before the waiter shows up to take our drink order.

The two empty glasses on the table are filled with water, and a male voice greets us, "Hello, how are you two doing this evening? My name is Yongguk and I will be taking care of you today. Can I get you started with something to drink besides water?" That name. That voice. It brings back memories that I never wanted to think about ever again, and it makes me freeze up completely.

I vaguely register that Kyungsoo responds back to the waiter and both men are now waiting for my order. The world seems to move around me in a blur, voices muffled, and I can't keep a grasp on anything except the panic rising inside my chest. It's the feeling of a hand on top of mine that wakes me from my daze. My vision focuses back in, and I can see Kyungsoo sitting across from me, eyes laced with concern, and it is his hand that is holding mine. "Riyoung, are you ok? You spaced out for a minute," he asks me.

I try my best to muster a smile and nod, but I should have expected this would not end so easily. "Wow, Jeon Riyoung, what a coincidence it is to run into you here," Yongguk comments sarcastically, a wide smirk on his face. "This must be your current boyfriend! I have to say, you seem like you are really robbing the cradle with this one...but I guess that's probably what you need: someone who is young, naive, and desperate enough to believe your fountain of lies."

My free hand tightly grips my napkin and I can feel my blood starting to boil. "I see you are still only good at running your mouth. If you are smart you will shut it and stop presuming that you know anything about me or my relationship these days," I hiss.

"Tell me, Riyoung, do your parents know about this guy?" Yongguk asks, egging me on. I should know better by now, I really should, but Yongguk was always good at pushing my buttons.

"How dare you bring up something that happened at least 10 years ago and try to make it somehow relevant to my life again? I was young and stupid back then, but at least I was still smart enough to break up with you and move on with my life. You, however, still seem to be living in the past," I spit out, trying my best to keep my voice under control as to not attract the attention of the other patrons.

Across from me, I can see Kyungsoo's eyes darting back and forth between us, a deep crease marring his forehead. "I'm just trying to do a good dead and warn the poor kid about what he is getting himself into," Yongguk shrugs. He then turns his attention fully towards Kyungsoo and points a finger at me.

"Look, kid. Speaking from experience, this one is a snake. And if you care about yourself at all, you should leave her before she leaves you."