After the aegyo battle, Changhyun changed places with Minsoo. He sat beside the maknae couple and started chatting with Min Neul, who had since moved back onto Jonghyun’s lap. Min Neul threw her head back and laughed at everything Changhyun said. Jonghyun obviously took note of this, because he wrapped his arms tightly around Min Neul’s waist and quietly watched the two converse from over her shoulder.

                Daniel, Minsoo, and Hyerin were chatting about something funny that had occurred during Teen Top’s last photo shoot. I couldn’t make out exactly what they were talking about, but I knew Daniel was telling the story. I heard Byunghun’s name somewhere. Whatever it was, it must have been pretty funny because Hyerin was clutching her stomach as she shook with laughter. Minsoo was even gasping for air.

                As expected, Chanhee and Byunghun were talking quietly with each other. Though Byunghun’s head was turned to face his best friend, he kept his warm hand resting on top of my knee. It was a sweet gesture; Byunghun wasn’t afraid of showing his affection for me when he was around the other boys.

                Suddenly, a shadow was visible through the flap that served as the tent door. I watched the silhouette crouch down; it was probably my father coming to check on us. I crawled forward until I could reach the zipper. I pulled it along the tracks until the flap dropped, and the black silhouette became my father.

                “Good evening, campers,” he said, offering a little wave.

                “Hi Dad,” I answered with a smile.

                “How are the great outdoors?” he chuckled.

                “Great,” Minsoo answered.

                “Outdoors,” Changhyun chirped.

                Dad let out a laugh. “Glad to see you’re enjoying yourselves.” He slowly looked around inside the tent. Min Neul was still on Jonghyun’s lap. Byunghun’s hand was on my knee. Hyerin was clutching onto Minsoo’s muscular bicep. I smiled nervously.

                “We all really appreciate you letting us camp outside, Mr. Lee,” Byunghun said kindly.

                “Oh, you’re all welcome,” Dad said. “Never thought the day would come when Kirin would be asking to camp outside,” he chuckled.

                “Funny, Dad,” I said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, but there was a smile on my face. My family had tried camping once, only to find that I completely detested it. There’s no running water. There are no mattresses. There isn’t a microwave. There isn’t shower. There are bugs, however. Plenty of bugs. I am not an outdoors kind of girl. I prefer being indoors with air conditioning, hot water, and a roof sturdier than a piece of cardboard.

                Dad laughed and slowly shook his head. “You know, it’s getting pretty late.”

                This was true. The sun had gone down and the stars had come out. We had all four of the cheap lanterns we bought and placed them in the center of the tent, casting a warm glow on all nine faces.

                “What time is it?” I asked.

                “Almost midnight,” Dad answered. He let out a brief yawn. “I’m thinking that it’s time for the girls to head into their own tent now.”

                Hyerin and Min Neul’s faces fell. Min Neul placed a hand over Jonghyun’s hands, which were clasped in her lap. Hyerin gazed at Minsoo out of the corner of her eye. Chanhee bit his lip, and Changhyun stuck out his bottom lip. No one wanted to leave; we were all having so much fun together.

                “Alright, Dad,” I said finally. I nodded to Min Neul and Hyerin, and the three of us reluctantly picked ourselves up. Byunghun’s hand fell limply from my knee to the ground.

               Dad nodded approvingly as he stepping out of the way, letting us exit the green tent. “Thank you, girls,” he said.

                “You’re welcome, Dad,” I said sweetly. I turned around and looked into the green tent. “Good night, guys!” I chirped.

                “Good night,” they all said in reply, trying to mask their disappointment—Byunghun especially.

                “Good night,” Hyerin and Min Neul said after I did. Hyerin waved.

                “Good night,” they answered. Minsoo waved back.

                “Good night, girls,” Dad said next. He kissed the top of my head before I climbed into the yellow tent, and I smiled.

                “Are you going to bed now, Dad?” I asked casually.

                “I think so,” he replied with a nod. “Your mother already went to bed.”

                I liked what I was hearing. “Okay. Good night, Daddy!” I called after him as he his heels to leave. I zipped up the flap to the yellow tent almost all the way closed—I kept it open a crack.

                “Well, this ,” Min Neul scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. She sat cross-legged on top of her pillow, a sour expression on her face.

                “Tell me about it,” Hyerin agreed, hugging her pillow close to her body. “We were having so much fun with the boys.”

                “Kirin, what are you looking at?” Min Neul asked suddenly.

                She never got an answer. I had my eyes fixed on my parent’s bedroom window. After a few more minutes, the light coming from it went out. Just like that, the house was entirely dark.

                I abruptly turned around to face them. There was a smirk on my face. “Did you two really think we’d be leaving the boys so soon?”

                In the dim light, I watched Min Neul crack a smile. “I knew it!” she squealed.

                “We’re going back in the boys’ tent?” Hyerin asked excitedly.

                “Well, we have two options. Either we obey my parent’s wishes and stay in this tent just the three of us while six good looking boys sit in another tent less than one meter away from us, or we disobey my parent’s wishes and go sneak back into the tent with six good looking boys in it.” I shrugged. “Your choice.”

                “We’re going back in there,” Hyerin declared.

                “Wait a minute!” Min Neul cried. “How long are we staying in the boys’ tent?”

                I shrugged. “A few more hours?”

                “All night?” Min Neul suggested, raising an eyebrow.

                “All night?” Hyerin repeated skeptically.

                Min Neul reached behind her and grabbed her pillow. “You mean to tell me that we’re all alone in the backyard, your smoking hot boyfriend is less than a meter away, and you plan on spending the night apart from him?”

                Hyerin hesitated to answer. “Do you how much trouble we could get in if the adults find out we’re all sleeping in the same tent? They said they wanted a boys’ tent and a girls’ tent, remember?”

                “Just because I know the rules doesn’t mean I follow them,” her younger sister answered defiantly.

                “Min Neul!” Hyerin hissed, her hands on her hips.

                Min Neul was unaffected by her older sister’s strictness. “You know Minsoo is dying for you to come back to him.”

                “Maybe,” Hyerin answered weakly.

                Min Neul shook her head. “No, you know that’s true. And you know that you’re dying to crawl right back in that tent and cuddle up next to him all night.”

                “Maybe,” Hyerin answered meekly.

                Again, Min Neul shook her head. “No, you know that’s true too. Now what are we waiting for?” She threw my pillow in my direction and threw Hyerin’s in her’s. “Let’s go pay those boys another visit.” She threw a nod in my direction, signaling for me to the tent.

                I nodded back to her. I gripped the zipper and quietly ped it. Min Neul giggled as she slipped out of the tent behind me. Hyerin lagged behind.

                It was pretty dark outside, but we managed to find the front of the boys’ tent easily. They were less than a meter away from us, after all. Through the fabric walls of the tent, I could see the silhouette of the six boys still sitting exactly where they were before we had left them. I was about to the flap so we could sneak back into the tent, but I abruptly stopped. Voices were coming from inside the tent.

                “I’m surprised the girls left when they were told to,” I heard Minsoo say.

                “Me too,” Jonghyun chuckled. “Especially Min Neul. I’m surprised she hasn’t snuck back in here yet.”

                Min Neul heard this; she put her hands on her hips and smiled broadly. “He knows me too well,” she whispered proudly.

                Byunghun laughed. “I wish they didn’t have to leave so soon.”

                I saw the shadow of Minsoo punch Byunghun in the arm. “Missing Kirin already?”

                I heard Byunghun’s dorky chuckle from inside the tent. “Maybe.”

                “Nah, it’s cool,” Minsoo replied, folding his arms across his muscular chest. “I wish Hyerin hadn’t left either, you know.”

                Min Neul and I glanced at Hyerin. She bent her head down, her cheeks turning pink. She tried to hide her smile, but her attempt was useless.

                The silhouette of Jonghyun’s head nodded vigorously. “I wish Min Neul was still here, too.”

                “Think we could get them to sneak back in here?” Byunghun asked, most likely with a smirk on his face.

                “I know Min Neul would,” Jonghyun answered quickly, a hint of excitement in his voice.

               I watched Daniel’s head turn to Chanhee. “That’s it; we’ve got to find ourselves girlfriends.”

                “Why?” Chanhee asked.

                “Because all they ever talk about are their girlfriends!” Daniel explained.

                I watched Chanhee shrug. “I think it’s better to not have a girlfriend.”

                Minsoo and Jonghyun exchanged glances. “Uh, no it’s not,” Jonghyun muttered.

                “Yes, it is,” Chanhee insisted. He stretched his legs out and sat up straighter. “Ever since you three got girlfriends, we never do anything just the six of us anymore.”

                “We live together,” Byunghun replied. “We’re together all the time.”

                “Yeah, while Jonghyun and Min Neul are using webcams and Minsoo’s texting Hyerin and you’re on the phone with Kirin.”

                I bit my lip upon hearing Chanhee’s words. I imagined Byunghun’s dark eyes narrowing, Minsoo’s eyebrows raising and Jonghyun’s gaze dropping. Hyerin gasped quietly behind me

                “What are you trying to say, Chanhee?” Minsoo asked after a moment of tense silence.

                “Can we hang out together, just the six of us, for once?” Chanhee asked, a slight whine to his voice. “No talking about girlfriends. No texting girlfriends. Just the six of us, like it used to be.”

                “Kirin’s always been with me,” Byunghun defended.

                “Yeah, but I could tolerate you talking about your girlfriend,” Chanhee explained. “Not Minsoo-hyung and Jonghyun too.”

                “Are you saying we’re not allowed to talk about our girlfriends?” Minsoo asked.

                “Aren’t we friends with the girls?” Changhyun asked innocently.

                “Yes,” Chanhee shrugged. “But all I’m saying is that I’d really appreciate it if the six of us could hang out together—just the six of us.”

                It was silent both inside and outside the tent. Hyerin, Min Neul and I glanced at each other, silently wondering if we should rejoin the boys or head back to our tent, abandoning our idea.

                Min Neul in her bottom lip. “Does this mean we should go back to our tent?” She hadn’t whispered that. She said it in her normal tone of voice. Which, considering we were outside in the dead of night, was pretty loud.

                “Min Neul!” Hyerin hissed, causing her sister to clamp her hand over .

                Instantly, the six boys inside the tent stiffened up, especially Chanhee. I froze as I watched Jonghyun and Minsoo whip their heads around to face the tent flap.

                 “I think the girls are outside,” Changhyun whispered.

                “Nice going, Chanhee,” Minsoo muttered.

                “I didn’t know they were outside!” Chanhee hissed. “What are they doing? Spying on us?”

                “Yah, shut up.” That, surprisingly, came from Byunghun.

                Minsoo gripped the tent zipper and pulled it down. The flap fell, and the black silhouettes filled with color. The boys were situated exactly as they had been before; the only difference was that they had all changed into their pajamas and sat on top of sleeping bags and blankets. Changhyun’s blue blanket was still wrapped around his body. Chanhee was clutching a fluffy pink pillow. Minsoo had taken off his baseball cap and Jonghyun had a royal blue sweatshirt draped loosely over his shoulders.

                “Uh, hi,” I said weakly.

                “Hi,” Byunghun replied, forcing a smile.

                “Uh, we were just passing by,” Min Neul stammered.

                A smirk formed on Jonghyun’s lips. “Oh really? Where were you heading to?”

                “Um…” Min Neul trailed off, nervously glancing at Hyerin.

                Her older sister shook her head and let out a sharp sigh. “We were going to see if you boys still wanted to hang out,” she confessed, her eyes darting between Minsoo and Chanhee. “But it’s not a big deal if you don’t want to, it’s really late and you’re probably tired—”

                “No,” Minsoo cut her off, shaking his head. “It’s fine.” He motioned for us to come in the tent. “It’s fine,” he said rather loudly, glancing sideways at Chanhee. Chanhee blushed, glanced downward.

                “Are you sure?” I asked, trying not to look at Chanhee.

                “You’re welcome to come in,” Byunghun insisted, patting the space beside him.

                I hesitated to take a step into the tent. Jonghyun and Minsoo parted to make a path inside the tent. Slowly, I ducked inside. Min Neul followed, then Hyerin. I resumed the position to the right of Byunghun. Hyerin resumed her spot beside Minsoo, and Min Neul sat back on Jonghyun’s lap.

                “Are you sure it’s okay if we’re here?” I whispered in a low voice in Byunghun’s ear.

                “It’s fine,” he whispered back. I loved feeling his warm breath on my neck. He slipped his fingers between mine. “I was actually hoping you’d come back.”

                The atmosphere inside the tent was slightly awkward. Chanhee remained silent. I wasn’t sure if his silence was due to his guilt and remorse for saying the things he had said, or if it was because he hadn’t gotten his way, and the girls were back. Changhyun, however, could always be relied on to lift the mood. The talking proceeded after he initiated it. Everything was right back to the way it was before; it was like we had never left. Daniel began loudly telling another funny story; Minsoo was looking rather embarrassed, Hyerin was looking rather intrigued. Changhyun was asking Min Neul something that had to do with aegyo. She was giggling again, and Jonghyun slipped his arms around her waist again, watching Changhyun.

                After what I assumed was an hour of laughing, chatting, and teasing, everyone began winding down. Changhyun and Daniel had wiggled into their sleeping bags. Chanhee had wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. Min Neul held Jonghyun’s iPod in her small hands, scanning through his extensive list of songs as he whispered something into her ear. Whatever he was saying was making her smile. She selected a song, and they began listening to it together. Hyerin clutched Minsoo’s muscular arm as they chatted quietly to each other. I still held Byunghun’s warm hand in mine.

                “I’m tired,” announced Chanhee with a yawn.

                “Me too,” Changhyun agreed. “It’s tiring acting cute all the time.”

                Daniel giggled. “Maybe we it’s time, to go to sleep.”

                “Already?” Min Neul asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

                “We probably have a lot to do tomorrow,” Hyerin said with a nod.

                “Probably,” Minsoo agreed, nodding as well. He reached behind him and fluffed his pillow.

                “How are all nine of us going to fit in this tent?” I asked with a giggle.

                “We only need room for eight,” Min Neul said, a glimmer in her eyes. Jonghyun smiled widely, impressed with his girlfriend’s audacity.

                “Very funny,” the older Park sister remarked.

                Byunghun laughed. “Oh, we’ll all fit.” He squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry.”

                Everyone began wiggling into their sleeping bags and under their blankets. Though the lanterns were lit, they casted weak light over the nine bodies shuffling to get comfortable.

                “OW!  Thanks hyung!” Changhyun cried.

                “Sorry, I thought that was my pillow,” Daniel giggled.

                “Who’s foot is this?” Chanhee asked the darkness. 

                “Mine!” Byunghun cried, kicking the darkness.

                “Hey! Stop kicking me!” Hyerin exclaimed.

                “Whoever’s kicking my girlfriend better apologize!” Minsoo boomed.

                “Sorry, sorry,” Byunghun grunted. He reached behind his orange head and pulled his pillow closer. He let out a sigh as he settled into place underneath a blue fleece blanket.

                We were lying side by side. His pillow was touching mine. His shoulders were almost touching mine. The last time we had been together at night was back in February. I had fallen asleep almost immediately after we had turned the lights off and Byunghun wrapped his arms around me and hugged me to his bare chest. My mind wandered to that night, and I almost didn’t even hear Chanhee wish everyone good night.

                “Good night,” Chanhee said from the other side of Byunghun, turning off the lantern in his corner.

                “Good night!” Changhyun cried from the other side of the tent.

                “Night everyone,” Minsoo muttered as he pulled his pillow over his head.

                “Sweet dreams,” Hyerin said sweetly from his side, shutting off the lantern closest to her.

                “Good night,” Min Neul giggled from beside Hyerin. The iPod screen lit up, but she concealed it quickly.

                “How do you say ‘good night’ in English?” Daniel asked.

                “Good night,” Byunghun answered in perfect English.

                “Good night!” Jonghyun repeated enthusiastically.

                “Good night everyone,” I said finally.

                In the dim light, I could just make out Byunghun’s face as he turned to face at me. “Good night,” he said sweetly in a low voice so only I could hear him.

                I smiled shyly. “Good night, Byunghun,” I practically whispered. The moment after the words escaped my lips, Byunghun leaned towards me and kissed me lightly good night. It was a simple gesture, but unbearably sweet. When our lips parted, he bit his lip. His eyes were the shape of rainbows. He stretched his arm out and turned off the last lantern, immersing the tent in darkness.

                I lay on my back, staring upward at the black nothingness that was the tent ceiling. Thought the bottom of the tent was padded, I could still feel the unforgiving lumpiness of the ground beneath me. I wondered how I was ever going to fall asleep; I wasn’t even remotely comfortable. I was pressed against the wall of the tent on one side, and Byunghun was on the other. I wanted so badly to cuddle up right next to him, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I could barely move. I couldn’t even tell if he was facing towards me or away from me.

               What felt like an hour passed, and eventually the shuffling of blankets and pillows ceased. The glow of the iPod Min Neul and Jonghyun were listening to had faded, indicating they had most likely fallen asleep. I lay still, listening to the calmness around me, wishing the calmness would come over me eventually. Still, no matter how hard I shut my eyes and slowed my breath, I stayed awake. I envied everyone around me; they were all still, breathing steadily and slowly.

                Byunghun was so close to me I could hear him breathing. I wish I could have seen him sleeping peacefully beside me. I slowed my breathing to match his, just as I had the last time we spent the night together. Perhaps that would help me fall asleep easier. Perhaps remembering that night and how comfortable I had been with Byunghun beside me would help me fall asleep easier, too.

                Still, my imagination could only do so much. This wasn’t my queen bed with the purple comforter back in Seoul, this was the inside of a cramped tent in Los Angeles, California. I wanted so badly to readjust my pillow. I wanted to flip it to the cold side and lie on right side instead of on my back. I wanted to face Byunghun. I didn’t want to wake him, though. He wasn’t touching me, but we were close enough that if I started moving, I’d wake him up for sure.

                After much internal debating, I sat up slowly. Very, very slowly. I slid my hands under my pillow and flipped it quietly. Laying my head back down, I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. I let a few seconds pass before I squirmed onto my left side. I buried my face in my pillow and clamped my eyes shut, trying to pretend I was tired.

                I heard Byunghun stir beside me.

                I froze.

                “Hey,” he said so softly I could barely hear. “You awake?”

                I bit my lip. “Byunghun?”

                The angel beside me smiled. “Hey there, beautiful,” he whispered.

               It was my turn to smile. I sat up slowly and looked down at him. In the darkness, I could see Byunghun was lying on his back, his hands behind his head.

                “Hey,” I said softly. I suddenly felt the urge to lean down and kiss him. My compelling desire was too strong to fight, because I found myself leaning down slowly. It was a miracle our lips met in the darkness. Mid-kiss, I felt Byunghun wrap his arms around me, pulling me closer. I put my hands on his chest as we kissed some more. His body beneath me was warm.

                “I wish we were alone,” I found myself whispering

                “Me too,” Byunghun whispered. “But this is all we’ve got.”

                “Right,” I sighed quietly, running my fingers along the collar of Byunghun’s t-shirt.

                A smile spread across his lips. “Wanna go for a walk?” he asked.

                I scrunched my eyebrows together. “A walk? Byunghun, it’s the middle of the night!”

                Byunghun shrugged. “So?”

                “So it’s not safe to take a walk in the middle of the night,” I whispered matter-of-factly.

                Byunghun rubbed my arm. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

                I cracked a smile. One of the things I loved about Byunghun was how safe and protected he made me feel. “I know.”

                “Then what are we waiting for?” He kicked the blanket off his legs.

                “Byunghun,” I hissed, sitting up.

                He brought a finger to his lips and quietly shushed me. “We wouldn’t want to wake anyone else, now would we?”

                “No,” I whispered so quietly it was barely audible.

                Byunghun smiled. He held out his hand for me to grab. Slowly, I pushed my blanket my legs and took his hand, which was as warm and inviting as always. Once we were both standing, he leaned close to me and whispered, “Now just follow me. Try to be as quiet as possible. Alright?”

                I nodded quickly. Byunghun turned his back to me, and together we slowly maneuvered around the maze of seven sleeping bodies. It wasn’t easy, and I almost lost my balance twice. In the darkness, I could see Minsoo and Hyerin sleeping close beside each other. I could see Daniel’s head of wavy brown hair sticking out from the top of a sleeping bag. I could see the outline of Min Neul, whose head was resting soundly on Jonghyun’s chest. She held still held the iPod loosely in her grip. In the calm silence, I could hear the faint chords of a sweet love song playing from the earbuds that had fallen from their ears.

                Eventually, Byunghun and I had reached the other side of the tent. Ever so slowly, he ped the flap that served as the front door. He ped it just enough for us to slip through. The air outside was fresher, and a bit cooler than in the tent. After zipping the tent back up, Byunghun and I slipped our feet into our sandals that sat right outside the tent.

                Byunghun paused for a moment to lace his fingers between mine again. I watched him smile, his eyes the shape of rainbows. Even after just waking up, he looked flawless. Even wearing red plaid pajama pants and a loose white t-shirt, he looked flawless. Walking across the lawn and around the side of the house until we reached the road, this moment too was flawless.

                Hand in hand, we walked along the sidewalk. The street was dead calm; the only light came from porch lights on the houses that lined the streets. Byunghun walked on my left side, the side closest to the center of the road. No cars were coming, for the street was entirely silent. He looked down at me and squeezed my hand. It was a sweet gesture; it made me smile.

                “Did I wake you up?” I asked in a low voice.

                Byunghun shook his orange head. “No, I was actually already awake. I wanted to change to a more comfortable position, but I was so close to you that I didn’t want to wake you up.”

                “Funny,” I said faintly, “I didn’t think I was close enough to you.”

                That brought a smile to Byunghun’s face. His lips parted into a sweet smile that practically shone in the darkness. “I didn’t think you’d want to go for a walk in the middle of the night.”

                “Well, it’s not the safest idea ever,” I giggled, stealing a glance over my shoulder.

                Byunghun chuckled. “I’m right here.” He squeezed my hand tightly, protectively. “I told you I won’t let anything happen to you.”

                A warm feeling washed over me like high tide. Byunghun was my shield. He was my protection. I never felt safer than when I was with him. I momentarily stood on my toes and quickly kissed his cheek, an unspoken thank-you present for being so sweet.

                Byunghun giggled. “Did you see Jonghyun and Min Neul? They looked comfortable.”

                I laughed. “If Hyerin sees them, she probably won’t be too happy.”

                “Ah, she’s just looking out for her sister,” Byunghun commented.

                “I know, but you know how Min Neul is,” I giggled. “She’s years older than her age.”

                “Jonghyun too,” Byunghun nodded in agreement. “I think he looks more mature than I do.”

                “Because he’s tall?” I giggled.

                “Well, yes,” Byunghun admitted. “And for a sixteen year old, his body is way better than mine.” He dropped his gaze to the ground.

                I wrapped my arms around his skinny arm, hugging him closely. “You know I think you’re perfect the way you are,” I said sweetly.

                “Yeah, I know you do,” he smiled. “I, however, don’t.”

                I slowed my pace until I stopped. Byunghun was forced to stop too, as I was still holding onto his arm. “Do you hear yourself right now?” I asked him.

                “Yeah,” he shrugged.

                “How can you not think you’re perfect?” I asked, practically bewildered.

                The pretty, orange-haired boy before me shifted his fifty-kilogram weight from one foot to the other. “I’m definitely not perfect.”

                I crossed my arms. “How?”

                “I’m just…I’m just not.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

                I hugged his arm again, my head resting on his shoulder. “You really don’t think so?”

                “Ah,” Byunghun trailed off. He looked around us for a moment. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but I watched his lips part into a small smile. Suddenly he took my hand again and gestured to something behind me. “How about we go over here and chat?”

                I turned around to see what he had gestured to. It was an opening to a neighborhood park. There was a moderately sized open field surrounded by a wooden fence. There was a small pavilion with a few picnic benches underneath it, and four sets of swings. There were lights on all sides of the pavilion, casting a dim but warm light on the picnic benches.

                Smiling, I nodded. Hand in hand, we crossed the lawn to one of the picnic benches. We sat down side-by-side, but it wasn’t long before Byunghun pulled me onto his lap. He kept his hands protectively on my back and I laced my fingers around the back of his neck.

                “I don’t think I’m perfect at all,” he continued.

                “You’re perfect to me,” I said again.

                Byunghun shook his head. “I’m more flawed than you think.”

                I scrunched my eyebrow together. “What do you mean?”

                “There’s just…” he trailed off again. He shook his head of thoughts. “There’s just a lot about me that’s…not perfect.”

                 I tilted my head to the side. “Like what?”

                Byunghun shrugged. “I’m short. I can’t sing well. Sometimes my knees hurt. My family’s…a little messed up. Stuff like that.”

                I touched the ends of his soft orange hair and shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect.”

                “See? I’m certainly not…”
                “You didn’t let me finish,” I insisted. “Nobody’s perfect,” I repeated, touching my forehead against Byunghun’s, “except you.”

                “Flaws included?” Byunghun asked, squinting his eyes.

                “Flaws included,” I answered.

                My words made Byunghun smile. “I love you,” he said, hooking a strand of short hair behind my ear.

                “I love you too,” I responded, admiring the way he looked in the dim light. His hair was slightly messy. He had a spot of acne on his cheek. His eyelids looked heavy with fatigue. Call him flawed all you want, but I thought he looked absolutely flawless.

                “You know, a very special day is coming up soon,” Byunghun said.

                “Hm, let me think.” I tapped my finger against my chin. “Is it…Daniel’s birthday?”

                Byunghun chuckled. “That’s not what I was thinking of. Guess again.”

                I tapped my chin again. “My mom’s high school reunion?” I guessed innocently.

               Byunghun shook his orange head. “Guess again!”

                I made it look like I was thinking really hard. I my chin and pressed my lips together, glancing off in the distance. My expression was making Byunghun giggle. Eventually, I threw my hands up. “I have no idea!” I giggled.

                Byunghun threw his head back and laughed, well aware of the charade I was putting on. “Our one year anniversary is coming up!”

                I playfully smacked my forehead. “How silly of me!” I exclaimed.

                Byunghun’s eyes were the shape of rainbows. “Stop playing around!” he laughed.

                The laughter died down. “You know I didn’t forget,” I said, playing with the tips of his orange hair.

                “I know,” Byunghun giggled. He cleared his throat. “But, can we be serious for a moment?”

                “Of course,” I nodded.

                “Okay,” he began, taking a deep breath. “You know, we have to celebrate somehow.”

                I pressed my lips together. “We could go out somewhere.”

                Byunghun nodded. “Walk around Los Angeles together. Just you and me. We’ll spend the whole day just you and me. We’ll go out for breakfast in the morning. Then we can do some shopping. Then we’ll catch lunch, and maybe go see a movie. Then we can walk around a little, see some sights, and then go out for dinner and some dessert…”

                “And then come back to the house, sit on the couch,” I continued, inching closer to his face, “put the television on, but not watch it…”

                Byunghun giggled. “Actually, I have a plan for what we could do later that night.”

               I tilted my head to the side. “What kind of plan?”

                Byunghun shrugged. “You’ll see. I want it to be a surprise. But I promise, you’re going to love it.”

                I pressed my forehead against Byunghun’s and closed my eyes. “I can’t wait,” I whispered quietly, so nobody in the world but Byunghun could hear me.

                Byunghun closed his eyes as well. “I figured we should do something really romantic for our one-year anniversary. You’re going to love it.”

                “I like the way you think,” I said softly, my eyes still closed.

                “I like you,” Byunghun said in reply. “Scratch that—I love you.”

                Eyes still closed, I pressed my lips against his. He pulled me close to him, hugging me tightly against his body. My tongue found the crack in his lips, and he let me in. We French kissed in the dark.

               It was nearing three o’clock in the morning. We sat on the picnic table bench, the lights dim above us, crickets chirping below us, and nothing in between us. I could practically feel Byunghun’s heart beating through my own chest. If I could feel his, he could certainly feel mine. But regardless of whether he could feel it or not, it beat for him. Only him.