January 2016

 

I stepped out of the shower and dried off. We had all had a long day of practice and by the end we all had felt like our limbs would fall off. 

Though now, after a refreshing shower, I felt ready to go back out and practice some more. Weird how a shower could relax you that much.

I stepped out into the hall and walked to the room I shared with Bobby.

The room was empty. Bobby must be out in the kitchen getting something to eat. I quickly found some warm clothes to put on. 

After combing my hair a little, I sat on the end of my bed and my thoughts went again to what where they had constantly went for the past seven days - Shelby Park.

Several times my hands had itched to send her a text but then I would get cold feet and not message her after all.

I shook my head. I was a man. I needed to step up and do something if I really wanted to see her again.

I took a deep breath and picked up my phone. 

Hello, this is Kim Hanbin. We met at the coffee shop last week. I was wondering if you would like to meet for coffee or dinner sometime?

I looked the message over before hitting send. 

Well, I couldn't back out now. The message was gone into cyber space never to return again. I laughed a bit as my thoughts made me smile. The smile disappeared however, when I heard a soft ding.

I quickly opened my phone and clicked on the text. 

Hi!! I would love to do either! Both sound nice :)

Yes! A huge smile crossed my face again. 

Are you free tonight?

Please, please, please be free, I chanted in my mind.

Yes.

My breath stopped in shock and happiness. I suddenly felt lightheaded.

Okay. Does 8:00 sound good to you?

Sounds good.

Cool. Would you like to go to the pasta place near the coffee shop?

Oh, yes please!!! I miss the spaghetti and other pastas I used to eat back home so much!! It sounds great :) 

I will meet you there at 8:00 then.

Okay!! See you! 

I fell backwards into my bed and for a few minutes just lied there, trying to get myself to believe that the last few minutes had really happened. 

I could hardly believe it. She had said yes!!

I sat up abruptly. What time was it? 6:58. Ahhh!!!! I had to get ready!!

I tore my side of the closet apart looking for something I deemed acceptable enough for this....date? Was this really a date? Or just two acquaintances meeting for dinner?

I wasn't sure. What I was sure of however, was that I really liked this girl. She just seemed so real and down to earth. 

She also doesn't know who you are. The sudden thought made me stop in my tracks. Would she treat me different if she knew I was a famous rapper and part of iKON?

I didn't know. I decided to just put it to the back of my mind and just enjoy myself. I was going to have dinner with a pretty girl. Why should I go all wallflower and depress myself with negative thoughts like that?

I finally found a suitable outfit and changed again. By this time it was 7:30 and I knew I needed to leave soon if I was going to make it the restaurant by 8:00.

I grabbed my thick coat and a hat and walked towards the door. 

"Yo, Hanbin! Where are you going?" 

I stopped at the doorway to the living room. Bobby and Jinhwan were lounging on one of the couches watching TV and eating fried chicken.

They must've ordered the chicken and had it delivered. It didn't look like anything that Bobby could make himself.

"I'm going out to eat, Hyung." I decided to keep my response simple. Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Alone?"

Apparently my response was too simple. Bobby looked interested.

"No, I'm going to meet a friend."

This time even Jinhwan turned around. "Anyone we know?"

I sighed internally and gritted my teeth.

"No, Hyung. It's a new friend." I inched my self towards the door again, in hopes that I could escape with no more questions.

"Ooh! Is it a girl?" Bobby asked in a flirty voice.

I quickly trotted to the door and practically ran out.

Why did they have to be in the living room just when I was leaving? I sighed again and rolled my eyes. Now, that I hadn't answered Bobby's question of whether my friend was a girl, he would assume, and rightly so, that it was indeed a girl. I would never live this down. Bobby would torment me from now till next Christmas.

I groaned and lightly hit myself on the head. I should've answered his question and tried to tone it down so he would lose interest. Instead, I had done the exact opposite.

I forced the thought of Bobby away and tried to think of meeting Shelby instead.

It worked and now my heart was beating faster and my hands were shaking.

I neared the restaurant and pulled open the door. Inside, it smelled like I had walked straight into Italy. All the spices blended together into a heavenly scent that made your nose feel like it had died and literally gone to heaven.

I approached the host's stand and requested a table for two. This place could usually seat you with little or no delay so I hadn't bothered making a reservation.

The host grabbed two menus and led the way to the back of the building.

He stopped at a secluded table surrounded by a few small potted trees.

He bowed and walked away.

I sat down and took out my phone, checking to make sure Shelby hadn't sent me a text saying she couldn't make it or something.

No messages. Whew.

It was 7:57. She wasn't late yet. I was just early.

I felt a cold draft and looked up. There she was, standing at the host stand and looking absolutely beautiful.

She had pulled her hat off and I could see how red her cheeks were from the cold outside. She wore a light pink sweater with little hearts all over it and black pants with black boots. Complete with her hot pink hair, she looked somewhat like a chocolate cupcake. She looked beyond beautiful to me.

My heart sped up again and I struggled to take a breath.

The host suddenly started walking towards the table with Shelby following.

I sat up straighter in my seat and then when she was only about ten feet away, I stood up and bowed to her.

"Hello." I tried to smile like I totally hadn't broken out in a cold sweat, and motioned her to be seated on the other side of the table.

"Thank you," she said as she scooted into the booth. Once, she was settled she looked up at me and smiled.

I smiled back as best I could and to think of something to say. Why was my brain freezing up on me now?!

"I was hoping I would hear from you."

Hearing those words, my heart felt like it stopped. The blood rushed to my head and I swallowed hard.

"Really?" My voice sounded rusty, like I hadn't used it in forever.

She nodded, looking a little bashful now.

"It was so nice meeting you. I haven't met many people besides those who I go to school with. It's nice to talk to someone different for a change."

" Wow." I felt honored. She liked talking to me. Me. The non rapper me. I felt so happy suddenly, like I could just float away into the sky.

She laughed and it was so light and tinkly sounding. It made goosebumps appear on my arms.

"Though I am so sorry I had to spill your coffee to meet you." She blushed. "I am so clumsy sometimes." 

I shook my head. " It wasn't your fault. I turned around right in front of you. It really wasn't your fault," I said again.

"I'm glad then." She looked up into my face and smiled again.

I felt my own face turning red and glanced down at the menus and cleared my throat. "Would you like to order?"

"Yes, please." She opened her menu. I followed suit.

After the waiter had come and gotten our orders, we both sipped on our ice water.

"So do you go to school too?"

I shook my head. "I don't have any time to," I said without thinking.

Her brows rose a little. "Why?"

"Uuhh..." I tried to think of something I could tell her but that was still th truth. " I write music."

"Really?" Her brown eyes seemed to shine. "That's awesome."

I shrugged. "It's all right." 

"The only interesting thing I do is take acting lessons. I hope I'm getting better. I really want to act in  dramas or movies later on." She smiled wistfully.

"I'm sure you will," I assured her. 

She laughed again. "I hope so. I want to prove to my parents that it can be a worthwhile job. That I can support myself with it."

We continued to talk even after our meal came and I learned so many more little things about her.

Like that she loved dill pickles and when she was little would actually eat them for breakfast which I found adorable.

And, that she had once had a pet cat named Ginger who slept on her bed every night. Ginger had lived to the ripe old age of 12 and passed away last year from an infection. I could feel her sadness as she explained that she felt like she had lost her best friend when she'd died.

I told her that I had one little sister, whom In was very close to and she smiled cheerily at that, informing me that she had two younger brothers who she missed terribly.

"Jason is 14 and Adam is 11. They're little terrors but lovable terrors."

I laughed for probably the 20th time that evening. Being around her made me feel warm inside and I wanted that feeling to continue. 

Maybe it would?

 

 

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