“The movie was so funny, right Oppa?~”

Responding with a mocking smile, Kyungsoo puts his hands inside his pockets before glancing at her, “Not even close.” He answers earning a pout from the lady. “Eyy~ it was funny. I saw you laugh at one scene.” Ahreum teases while elbowing him. Kyungsoo just flicks his tongue while trying to move away. “Anyway. . .” Ahreum then grins meaningfully again before clutching on his arm. “Silly.” Kyungsoo looks away while having a smug smile. “I’m hungry now.  I want to eat a lot today because I haven’t been eating right. Mentors are just too much.” She muffles sadly making Kyungsoo turn with a sympathetic smile.

“Do you want to eat pizza.” He asks and Ahreum’s eyes lit up immediately. “Ne!~” She answers enthusiastically while nodding like a child. So the new couple went to the pizza restaurant they found while walking and Ahreum excitedly claps her hands as they arrive at their chosen table. The couple simply ordered a combo meal so it’ll be less complicated to choose. “I really miss pizza, omo~” She murmurs, her eyes were glittering with joy and Kyungsoo could see it.

He felt sorry for her.

She hasn’t told him much about her training but he knows it must be difficult.

“I will be scolded by mentors if I gain weight but anyway~ I’m on a date so I don’t care. For Oppa, I’m always pretty anyway, ne?” She chants and with that, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but to smile already. He looks away while rubbing the tip of his nose. Ahreum felt her heart throbbing when she saw that simple smile from him. “Aigoo, now you’re getting shy.” She teases that’s why Kyungsoo turned back to her immediately. “Who’s shy.” He grunts while arching a brow. “Eyy~ you’re shy. Aigoo, Oppa.” Ahreum did a side look while winking.

But to her surprise, Kyungsoo suddenly moved across the table making their faces in a very close gap. She stiffened and her eyes bulged out. A little more move and their lips would touch. “Who’s shy.” He asks again and Ahreum could only gulp while shaking her head, completely dumbfounded. “Babo.” Kyungsoo hushes before suddenly bumping their foreheads together. Once he did so, he moved back comfortably to his chair and folded his arms.

Ahreum blinks rapidly while pursing her lips tightly together. One hand immediately reached up to her throbbing chest. “I thought you want to be comfy. What’s with the face.” Kyungsoo asks coldly again while tilting his head to the side. “I know. . . I just. . .” Ahreum looks down while pouting. “I just. . . really like you. I f-felt shy when you moved close.” She murmurs while fiddling with her fingers. Kyungsoo bites on his bottom lip as his hand reaches up to rub the back of his neck. He immediately felt that fluttering sensation in his system when she said that. He watches her again and patiently waited until she could look up again.

Once their eyes met, Ahreum’s lips slowly curve up into a grin again and Kyungsoo could only respond with a self-satisfied sneer. “Anyway. . . if you don’t mind, I know you have told me that both of your parents aren’t here anymore, but maybe you could share what happened so I would know? I mean, I’m your boyfriend now so I’d like to know.” He calmly says while clasping his hands together on the edge of the table. Ahreum smiles in response before simply looking down to her hands while fiddling with her fingers.

“My mom, I never saw her. She was sick when she had me. She died when I was only a baby. My dad took care of me alone. He was like my best friend too and he would always accompany me to auditions. He always supported my dream to become an actress and we both never gave up.” She giggles while nodding. Kyungsoo nods along signaling her to go on. “When I reached seventeen, finally the day we’ve been waiting for came. I was accepted in one audition. We were so happy when the agency called us for the contract signing. So we drove there. . . got into an accident. I was hurt a little and uh. . . he was dead on arrival at the hospital.” She finishes her story still maintaining her sweet smile.

But Kyungsoo could see the sadness in her eyes as she sais each word.

“That moment I didn’t really have anyone. My other relatives, almost all of them are in the States, the other. . . we’re not really on that close terms so yeah. . . the agency where I am training right now brought me up since then. CEO Kim is really nice to me, he’s like my second father so even if it’s hard for me or I’m always not good enough until now, I never give up on training. I want to make the agency proud of me too. They’re like my family. They’re the only one I have.” She adds. Hearing her story, Kyungsoo could feel the sincerity in her which made him like her even more than he already does.

‘She may look and act cutely all the time but she had it tough too,’ Kyungsoo thought. He heaves a sigh and leans on the chair more while staring at her, giving her that calm expression of his. “W-why?” Ahreum asks while smiling shyly. “If that’s the case then. . . what am I doing here.” Kyungsoo asks and Ahreum gulps upon hearing such nonchalant yet blank tone from him. “N-ne?” She asks but she could already feel her cheeks burning.

Kyungsoo casually looks around as if inspecting the whole restaurant while smiling lightly. “Don’t you have me.” He murmurs softly, his eyes now fixated at the paintings around the wall. Deep inside, he was actually feeling wary to look at her while saying that so he keeps his eyes away from her. Ahreum bites on her bottom lip while looking back down to her hands. “Y-yes, and you also. My oppa. . .” She hushes before giggling.

The atmosphere grows silent yet comfortable, the two looking around but to each other and both were supressing their idiotic smiles from coming out. Kyungsoo was the first one to cut the tension when he finally looks down to her again and hesitantly moved his hand across the table and reached for her hand. Ahreum pursed her lips tightly as she watches him casually draw circles on her palm with his index finger for no apparent reason. “What should we do after.” He asks, his eyes were still fixated down to her hands. He didn’t stop playing with her palms as if he’s enjoying it.

“Uhm. . . I want to get something like. . . couple things. L-like ring or bracelet.” Ahreum answers while grinning excitedly. Kyungsoo looks up and their eyes met. Ahreum immediately regretted it and felt shy about what she just said. “I-it’s okay if you don’t want to. . . I know you don’t like corny things.” She took it back and maintained her eyes down the table this time. Kyungsoo just smiled not answering back anymore. It amuses him that even she knows his personality already just like how he knows hers. He could really feel the great connection between them.

 As if on cue, their orders came and the couple finally had their first ever meal together.

_ _ _

“Wah~ I’m so full. Oppa, thank you for the lunch. Next time, I’ll treat you too.”

Ahreum sniggers while clutching on Kyungsoo’s arm as they walk. “For now, it’s okay. I know you don’t work. Your trainee allowance is just enough for you and your needs. Just treat me when you’re already an actress. No paparazzi okay.” Kyungsoo tells as a joke but Ahreum eagerly nods. “Okay oppa. I promise, no paparazzi. Oppa doesn’t like attention.” She answers and for the first time, she heard a hearty chuckle come out from Kyungsoo’s mouth.

Ahreum’s heart flutters as she listens to his laugh. It wasn’t loud nor strong, she barely heard it but the deep and airy sound of it, the way his Adam’s apple move through the laugh was enough to make her go insane for it. “Babo. I was kidding. I doubt if you’ll even have time when that happens.” He then speaks while looking straight ahead. “No no no, Oppa it won’t happen. We will still spend a lot of time when I debut.” Ahreum pouts while shaking his head.

“We can. . . but there’s probablyt a low chance of it. I might not see you often. . . Might as well mark you as mine now.” He said and suddenly grabbed her hand to walk faster. Ahreum’s eyes widen as she picks his pace up. “W-wait, what? Oppa—what mark are you talk—Oppa, wait up you’re too fast. Yah, we can—oh. . .” Ahreum stops from being all frantic when she finally realized where Kyungsoo just dragged her to.

A jewelry store.

A smile slowly forms on her lips as she looks at Kyungsoo who had a blank expression while clearing his throat. “Pick what you want. I’m not really fond of things like this so I don’t know which one to pick.” He spoke with empty but somewhat embarrassed tone as he looks straight ahead to avoid her eyes. “Y-you mean you want a couple acce