I was in the middle of watching Yubin unnie on tv when my phone rang, it was Jinwoon.

“Nuna, any plans for tomorrow?”

“I have university gig with the girls tomorrow. I’ll be free by 11pm, what’s up?”

“I’m gonna set you up with someone”

“WHAT?! Wait, wait, WHAT?!”

Jinwoon chuckled “I promised, right?!”

“Yes, if we won triple crown, which we didn’t!” I was still trying to put some sense inside his head.

“Look, I just wanted to help. Beside this guy likes you, he thinks that you’re a genius, a Korean Bjork”, Jinwoon sounded serious now

“Okay, I’ll go. But if I don’t like it, I can always walk out right”

“It’s all up to you, nuna”

Then Jinwoon told me his plan, where I’ll be meeting this guy and stuffs. After that, we hung up and I just forgot about tomorrow’s date like the usual.

***

Jinwoon showed up at S University, just before we got call up to the stage, and suddenly my stomach hurt. Hell, I totally forgot about the date!

“Jinwoon oppaaaaa” Sunmi ran to him to gave the loudest high five ever

Jinwoon waved his hand in agony “God, Sunmi! It stingsssss”

“What are you doing here?! Are you gonna steal my Hyerim from me???” shouted Sunmi, she was too energetic that night. Must be because of the ginseng soup we had earlier

“I’m gonna steal Hyerim’s candle for sure” Jinwoon glared to the maknae, but Hyerim didn’t notice. “Actually, I’m gonna kidnap Yeeun somewhere”

“You can have her whatever you want” said Sunmi

“YAAH!” I grabbed Sunmi to my embrace and messed with her hair

“You’re going to take Yeeun out on a date, aren’t you?” Yubin unnie came to Jinwoon with her sly smile

“Definitely!” Jinwoon flashed his playful smile

“Whoaaa late night date! Be careful, or you’re gonna get caught by Dispatch” said Hyerim

“Well, if a celebrity couple is gonna get caught, I’m definitely not a part of it” said Jinwoon.

Aha! He’s another celebrity. A clue from Jinwoon.

“Another celebrity, huh?” I shot Jinwoon right to the core, he didn't look please

“Hmmm, you’ll see”

“I bet it’s one of the 2PM boys” said Sunmi laughing

“Or Changmin oppa” Yubin added

“Kim Soo Hyun-ssi looks good with you” Hyerim, out of the box as usual, but always the sweetest

“You girls are underestimating me. Just wait and see. But Kim Soo Hyun sounds like a good idea. I’ll contact him if this one doesn’t work well”

“Or you can contact him for me” Hyerim giggled

“YAH YOU! Really….”

Then there was a cue for us to got up to the stage.

“Okay, see you after this” I said, patted on Jinwoon’s shoulder

“Good luck! Good luck to you too girls!” Jinwoon patted our shoulders as we walked to the stage

***

“Ready?” Jinwoon parked in front of a fancy traditional sushi restaurant

“He’s already inside?”

“He’s on the way”

“Should I be the one who’s late”

“Look, you have more advantages if you arrive earlier. You can fix your hair, make up & clothes right before he comes”

“You’re right. Now, you’re gonna wait for me or what?”

“Definitely not. I’m just dropping you here, and wait in your apartment”

“Whaaat?”

“He’s gonna send you home. I’ll wait at your place because I want to hear the whole story with the girls”

“Nice Jung Jinwoon, nice. You’re really one of us right now”

“I am solely Wonder Girls’ property right now” Jinwoon put his hands on his chest dramatically

“Don’t be like that, you need to meet girls too, you know”

Jinwoon just smiled, “you need it more than me”

I hugged him. The feeling is never changed. He was always like my long lost brother. Even my closest friends always think that there is something between us, but it was never like that.

“Go get him, Park Yeeun”

I let go my embrace and gave him 2 thumbs up “hwaiting”

“Hwaiting nuna!”

I saw Jinwoon’s car drove away from the parking lot, and entered the restaurant

“Ms. Park Yeeun, I recognized you immediately. Let me take you to your seat”. The manager walked me to an exotic secluded room in the restaurant.

After taking my orders, the manager left. I checked my makeup, my hair, my shirt and my teeth. It was all fine, “now where is this guy?”

And it was just like that, the door opened.

Who is this guy

Who is this guy

Who is this guy

Whoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguywhoisthisguyyy

“Annyeonghaseyo nuna”

It took me a few seconds to recognize him

It’s Zico.

Zico.

Z I C O

Block B’s Zico.

What on earth?

I was too absorbed with the scenery in front of me, I forgot to let him sit. He just smiled with an awkward mannerism “have you eaten, nuna?”

I snapped back to reality, after he asked that question

“ah! sorry, sorry. Please have a seat. Do you want to order? We should call the waiter” I was babbling and sounded bossy at the same time. Ah! typical Park Oppa, I cursed myself.

After all the hassle of ordering food, we sat quietly, facing each other, waiting for our food. My thoughts were jumbled of all these thoughts about him. He’s one of the idol that can maintain his underground cred, which means he’s good. On TV, he has this aura, this swag, but in front of me, he was just another shy dongsaeng. But his smiles weren’t. He seemed shy, but his smiles were sly. He’s a flirt.

He let out a small chuckle and sighed “I cant believe I’m actually seating in front of Hatfelt”

“what, why?” I laughed

“No, it’s just… I adore your works so much. You’re nothing like the others”

“And what the others sound like?”

“You’re honest. Too honest. Not many girls out there can display their boldness and their fragility”

His words were diamond, after all the critics I received last year, somebody finally listen to my album thoroughly

“Thank you”

“And when you worked with Gaeko hyung, I was like YES! Finally, you’re way out of your idol status. Because you know, Gaeko hyung wouldn’t work with just anybody”

“Is that so? You must be understand how hard is it to really work on your art when there is an IDOL label on your forehead”

Zico leaned towards me and whispered “Trust me nuna, I know it too well”. That was when I know, this blind date thing actually wasn’t a bad idea at all.

***

“So?” Hyerim stared at me intensely. Her eyes were getting bigger by the seconds. And I totally forgot that she’s actually Zico’s friend

“Yeah unnie, so?” asked Sunmi with full of popcorn

Jinwoon, Sunmi, Hyerim and Yubin unnie sat in front of me, waiting for every tinnie tiny details from my date with Zico.

When I got home, I found Hyerim on the sofa, reading a novel. Jinwoon in the kitchen, sipping our wine. Yubin unnie practicing her rap & Sunmi playing with her puzzle in their own room. They immediately gathered when I entered the place.

“He’s nice”

And they were all “OOOOOHHHHHHH”

“but, no. I don't think this will work”, such a party pooper I was

Jinwoon glared, Yubin unnie gave a what the f face, Hyerim looked shocked and Sunmi just clapped.

“Yah nuna! Why?! You said he’s nice and all” said Jinwoon. Couldn't blame him, he was the matchmaker

“Zico may look intimidating, but he’s actually nice” Hyerim chirped

“You see, he was nice. But Hyerim always lectured us about the “sparks” we felt when we like someone. I knowww, I need to see someone, but I don't want to rush it, and Zico was nice, but he’s a good dongsaeng. You guys get my drift right?”

Hyerim immediately understood, so did Sunmi. Yubin unnie just shook her head and laughed. While Jinwoon seemed confused “what sparks? You just met for a few hours?”

“You can’t rush things oppa. And Yeeun unnie just doesn't feeling it right now” answered Hyerim. It was cool to see how Nicholas Sparks can educate this young girl to be a true love soldier.

Jinwoon just sighed “And you can’t just immediately said no”

“We’ll be friends, you don’t need to worry. But not in dating-kind of relationship. I am truly sorry Jinwoon, I know you meant well”

Jinwoon took another sip of his wine “It’s okay, I still have 178 other names on my phonebook. I’ll set you another date”

“Cool! Me too, please”

“Hyerim-ah, you won’t get anything for me until you tell me the name of your fragranced candle. Seriously”

Hyerim shook her head

“It can’t be helped then, I’m taking over your room again” Jinwoon jokingly walked to Hyerim’s room, but Hyerim raced him first and light her candle for Jinwoon, “It’s ready, your majesty”

“YAHHH!!!”, Jinwoon’s scream was buried in our hysterical laughter

-**-