Will you be my Valentine?

“Good morning Jiyong-ssi,” she smiled cheerfully at her crush.

“G-g-good m-moring D-dara-ssi,” he stuttered before darting past her to his desk.

Slowly the smile on her face faded into a pout, aish, dummy Dara, she pouted more, he ran away again. Maybe he really does hate me…She thought as she walked towards her desk.

“Darong!!” a voice called from behind.

“Ah, CL-roo!” Dara greeted her friend. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Chaerin smiled, “what’s with the pout?”

“Ah,” She shyly turned away, “Nothing…”

“Come on Dara…wait…don’t tell me…is this about…” she leaned forward and whispered into Dara’s ear, “Is this about Jiyong?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dara blushed.

“Oh please,” Chaerin rolled her eyes, “Every morning I come to work only see that you with a pout on your face. Now spill.”

“It’s nothing…but I think he hates me,” she pouted.

“I seriously don’t see what you see in that guy,” Chaerin rolled her eyes. “He’s just a skinny shrimp.”

“He is not!” Dara glared at her friend. “Just because he’s not super buff and tall doesn’t mean he’s a skinny shrimp. He’s…he’s…perfect,” she said as she felt her cheeks heat up.

“Perfect? Are you okay?” she teased as she felt Dara’s forehead.

“What are you talking about? Of course I’m fine!” she pouted as she settled down in her desk chair. “And Jiyong-ssi is perfect. He’s nice, sweet, and is an absolutely loving father,” she said dreamily, “I’m jealous of his wife.”

“Wife?” Chaerin looked at her questioningly, “What wife?”

“He has a beautiful daughter, so he must have a beautiful wife right?” Dara asked. His wife is so lucky to have a man like him.

“He doesn’t have a wife,” Chaerin replied.

“He…he doesn’t?” she stared at her friend in disbelief.

“Nope,” she replied, “Anyways, I better head to my desk.”

“Okay, I’ll see you at lunch?”

“Yup,” Chaerin replied as she left Dara’s desk.

He doesn’t have a wife…? She thought as a small smile crept onto her face. He doesn’t have a wife!

Tomorrow…tomorrow I’ll definitely ask her out, Jiyong reasoned to himself as he was leaving the office.

*beep beep*

[From: Seungri]

[Sent 6:10 pm]

Hyung, I know you chickened out in asking her out today.

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:11pm]

Ya! How do you know that??

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:11pm]

Chaerin told me she thinks you hate her.

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:12pm]

SHE THINKS WHAT??? How could I possibly hate her???

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:15pm]

How could I possibly know that hyung? Come on, just man up and talk to her. Ask her out.

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:16pm]

I will…tomorrow…

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:20pm]

Uh huh, that’s what you’ve been saying for the past two weeks hyung!

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:22pm]

I know…

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:25pm]

Tomorrow, promise me that you will ask her out tomorrow.

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:30pm]

I just don’t know what to do…

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:38pm]

Oh my god hyung, you sound like a nervous middle school student asking his crush out.

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:42pm]

I haven’t asked a girl out in years!

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:45pm]

Not my fault. You want some advice?

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:49pm]

Sure, why not.

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:54pm]

Ask Hayi for help.

[To: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:55pm]

You want me to ask my daughter for help? Ask her for help to ask Dara out?

[From: Seungri]

[Sent: 6:56pm]

Hayi is already turning 8 years old this year. She can see things from a pure and simple perspective. She can help you think of something that isn’t overthought, but meaningful. Something that I know Dara noona will love.

“Appa!” Hayi pouted, “Why aren’t you eating appa?”

“Sorry, something is on appa’s mind, what were you saying?” Jiyong smiled.

“Hanbin oppa wanted to come over tomorrow, can he?” Hayi asked.

“Sure, what are you two going to do?”

“We’re going to watch a move and eat chocolates,” she grinned.

“Cho-chocolate?” he asked as his spoon fell onto his plate, “What chocolates?”

“Oppa said that some girls are going to give him chocolate tomorrow and he needed help eating them,” she stated as she scooped some rice into .

“Ah…I thought you were giving chocolate to Hanbin,” Jiyong quietly said.

“Why would I do that?” she tilted her head, “Chocolates are given to the person you like on Valentine’s Day.”

“You don’t like Hanbin?”

She scrunched her face, “Hanbin oppa is my brother, why would I give chocolates to my brother?” she asked innocently.

“Ah…” he chuckled, “that’s a good point,” At least I don’t have to worry about her and boys for a long time. “Is there anyone you want to make chocolates for?”

“Dara unnie!” She exclaimed.

“HUH??” Jiyong stared at his daughter in disbelief. “Why Dara?”

“Because I want to thank Dara unnie for playing with me and buying me a snack when I came to your work. She’s so nice and pretty,” Hayi replied happily.

“Hmmm,” all of a sudden an idea popped into his head, “Hayi do you want to make chocolates tonight? I can give them to your Dara unnie tomorrow.”

“Really??” She asked excitedly as she got up from her seat and started jumping up and down.

“We can go to the store to buy everything after dinner and make them later. You can even give some to Hanbin-ah,” Jiyong said.

“But why?” she pouted.

“To thank him for walking you to school every day. It can just be friendship chocolate,” he reasoned as he playfully pinched her nose.

“Arasso,” she agreed as she finished up her food. “Let’s go now appa!” She said as she hurried to wash her dishes.

“Aigoo, what am I going to do with you?” he chuckled as he quickly finished his food and washed his dishes.

Where is he? Dara pouted as she waited in front of the elevator. This is when he always shows up, she nervously thought as she fiddled with the tiny box in her hands. Aish, she looked at it, what if he doesn’t even like chocolate? What if he doesn’t accept them? I guess…I guess I can give it to him later, she pouted as she walked over to her desk.

“What…what is this??” she jumped back in surprise.

“Ah….good morning Dara-ssi…?” Kwon Jiyong greeted her from her chair at her desk.

“G-good morning J-jiyong-ssi,” she blushed, “What are you doing here?”

“Ah…um,” he stood up from her chair with one hand behind his back and using the other to awkwardly rub the back of his neck, “You…um no that’s not it…uh…Hayi…uh…here!” he quickly took the box that was sitting on her desk and handed it to her.

“What?” she looked down in confusion and surprise. Omo…is he…is he giving me chocolate? The thought made her heart race.

“This is from Hayi,” he quickly said, “She wanted to thank you for playing with her and buying her snacks.”

Oh…it’s from Hayi, she thought sadly, at least it’s a step in the right direction, she smiled at him, “Thank you. Tell Hayi I said thank you,” she said as she set down her bag only to find him still awkwardly standing there, “Is there something else I can help you with Jiyong-ssi?”

“Ummm…Hayi would really like to see you again,” he bit his lip out of nervousness, “I don’t know what you did, but that girl is really attached to you,” he chuckled, come on man, it’s now or never, he thought as he took a deep breath, “So I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner some time? Or we can go out to have dinner? Um....or maybe we should go get dinner, just the two of us first, so we won’t be so awkward….um what I mean to say is,” he nervously looked up at her. “I was wondering if you’re free…to have dinner…with me…tonight?” he smiled. Now or never, he thought as he brought his hand from behind his back, “Those chocolates are a thank you from Hayi…but these are from me,” he quietly said as he presented her a small bouquet of roses and heart shaped box.

“I….I” tears started to fall from her eyes.

“Dara-ssi are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he panicked as he quickly set the flowers and chocolate on her desk, “I’m so sorry,” he apologized as he wiped away some of her tears.

She shook her head, “I’m…I’m…yes, yes,” she smiled, “Yes, I would love to have dinner with you tonight.”

Relief flooded through him, she said yes! SHE SAID YES! “I’ll pick you up at 7 then…ummm oh here’s my number,” he quickly wrote his number on a piece of paper before handing it to her, “text me your address and I’ll come pick you up…umm…I’ll see you later then….” He quickly said before running off to his desk in pure happiness. She said yes! It really worked. He smiled in disbelief.

Dara slowly picked up the box he gave her, it’s real…it not just a figment of my imagination…he…he asked me out on a date!!! OMO! I NEED TO TELL CHAERIN!! She thought giddily. Huh? What’s that? She wondered as she picked up the post it note that was stuck onto the box.