"And how are you gong to know when we get there if your eyes are closed?"

Mina shook her head.  "Of all the places you would've taken me to... you take me to a karaoke bar?"

"No, a karaoke bar with delicious American food!"

"It's still a karaoke bar, Jaeseop."

He smiled, pulling into the parking lot of the small, yet entertaining Gecko's Garden.  "It's not that bad, I promise!"  He stopped the car, shutting it off and unlocking the doors.  "We're just here to have fun.  Nothing serious!"

She unbuckled herself, unlatching the door.  "Now, are you sure?  Nothing serious?"

"I promise."  Jaeseop opened his door and scurried out, Mina following.  He ran to the door and swung it open, holding it for Mina.  "After you, Mustard."

"You forgot the Nose part."  As Mina walked into the bar, she noticed something that they never had at Gecko's Garden before:  pink balloons, heart-shaped paper banners, table cloths covered in hearts, cardboard Cupids hanging from the ceiling tiles.  It wasn't 'The Place Where the Gecko Resides' anymore, but rather 'The Place Where the Clearanced Valentine's Day Decorations Reside'.

Mina turned to Jaeseop.  "What is this?!" she whispered through her teeth.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," he said in a serious tone, "Saturday nights are what they call 'Couple's Night'"

COUPLE'S NIGHT?

"And since Valentine's Day recently passed, they just left the decorations up."

COUPLE'S NIGHT?!?!?!  YOU SAID THIS WAS NOTHING SERIOUS!!!

Mina nervously chuckled.  "Oh, couple's night... I guess it'll be fun?"

An older man came over to them, waving his hand to get their attention.  He escorted the two to a table in the middle of the restaurant.  The table they were taken to was covered with a lacy tablecloth, adorned with a vase of white lilies and lily petals around the small vase.  The table was properly set and their drinking glasses filled half-way with ice cold water.  Jaeseop and Mina sat down at the table, taking off their jackets and draping them over their chairs.

"So, do you like it?" he asked, nervously sipping his water.

"Yeah, it's pretty," she replied, grabbing one of the lily petals and rubbing it with her thumb.  She stared at it as she intently rubbed the petal, making sure she didn't make a hole in it.  "But why, of all places, did you bring me to a karaoke bar?  I could be watching U-Kiss right now!"

He scoffed.  "Oh, U-Kiss isn't that important.  Besides, it's all about having fun."  He got up from his seat, quickly walking to the bar and writing something down in a spiral notebook by the register.  As he came back, Mina tilted her head in confusion.  "What were you doing?"

"Oh, you'll see.  Hungry?"  Mina nodded, pointing at the fries on the menu.  "Dinner's on me, okay?"

"You sure?" she asked, pulling her wallet out of her purse "I find that a little-"

"Trust me.  I got it."  He lightly placed his hand on top of Mina's, gently pushing her wallet back into her purse.  Mina could feel her heart pounding against her chest.  She could feel it smashing over and over again, all because of a single touch.  Oh, stop it Choi Mina.  It's just Jaeseop.

The man from earlier walked over and gave a big smile.  "Can I get you guys anything?"  Jaeseop pointed to the plate of fries on the menu and then said, "And can I get some soup, please?  Your special's okay."  The man grinned, and as he walked away, said "You guys are such a cute couple.  How long have you been together?"

Mina's eyes suddenly got big.  She tried saying "No, sir!  We're not dating!  We're just real good friends!", but her embarassment took over.  "Uhh... well, we uhh..."

"Two weeks," Jaeseop piped in, "We've been dating for two weeks."

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!

"Today?"

"Yes, sir."

NO.  NO NO NO NO NO JAESEOP I'M GONNA KILL YOU.  YOU HEAR ME?  YOU MAY BE PRETTY AND PROBABLY THE NICEST GUY I KNOW, BUT I'M NOT AFRAID TO THROW THIS FORK IN YOUR FACE.

The man chuckled.  "Well, I'll bring your food out in just a few minutes, you two lovebirds."

As the man walked away, Mina furrowed her eyebrows at Jaeseop.  "What was that for?!"

"Hey, if we said we came to COUPLE'S NIGHT as a not-couple, I don't think they'd take it too well.  I mean, you're a girl.  I'm a guy.  It's beliveable!"

She loosened her face.  "True, I guess.  But that's the last time you say we're a couple.  Got it?"

"Okay, fine!" he said, holding up his hands defensively, "I won't do it again!"

Mina slid back into her seat, crossing her legs.  A woman stepped up onto the stage on the other side of the restaurant, taking the microphone off it's stand.  "Okay, everyone!  It's karaoke hour!  We have the list of names who signed up and now it's time to pick who goes first!"  The thing that made Gecko's Garden different from other karaoke bars was that it didn't matter if you wrote your name first, last, or on the next page.  In the end, it depended on when the woman in the poodle sweater picked the number you wrote your name next to from the fishbowl.  The woman pulled a small piece of paper and unfolded it, revealing the first karaoke-er.  "Number 8!  Where are you, number 8?"

A man next to them stood up and ran toward the stage, trying to keep his balance as he made his way up.  He grabbed the microphone, yelling, "I'M LEE CHUNJI AND I'M GONNA ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!!"  He started singing a tune, his words slurring and incoherent.  The woman, trying to save the man from more embarassment, just decided to put a random song on, because he probably didn't even know what he was doing.

Mina hid her face with her hands, chuckling at the sight of the man.  "I hope you don't do anything like that."

"Oh, I got something worse in mind."  He winked, then pointed to the waiter bringing their food.  He set his big platter down, taking off the french fries and Jaeseop's soup: chicken noodle.  Jaeseop stuck his spoon into the soup, stirring it and gathering a few noodles onto his spoon.  He brought it up to his mouth and took a bite, savoring the warm noodles.  "I swear, Gecko's chicken noodle is amazing!  Have you had it before?"

Mina shook her head, munching on a french fry.  Jaeseop then gasped.  "Then you gotta try mine!  Like... now!"

Mina looked around her area and saw the waiter had gotten rid of her utensils.

Stupid waiter.

She raised her hand to call the waiter, but Jaeseop shook his head.  "Just try it off my spoon.  Trust me, I don't have germs."

Mina rolled her eyes and smirked.  Jaeseop gathered a few more noodles onto his spoon and brought it to the middle of the table, cupping his hand below.  She leaned across the table and took the spoon into , tasting the noodles, the broth, and even the small piece of chicken and carrot he managed to fit in.  She nodded, swallowing the soup.  "It is pretty good!"

He chuckled.  "I thought you'd like it!"

They suddenly heard a crash, turning around to see the man (apparently named Lee Chunji) stumble off the stage, yelling as he walked off.  Mina looked at Jaeseop and smiled.  "I don't think he rocked my socks off."

Jaeseop peered under the table, then came back up.  "Nope, mine are still on."

The poodle sweater woman then walked back onto the stage, holding the small fish bowl in her hand.  She spun her hand in the bowl and grabbed the next number.  "Number 24!  24, come on up!"

Jaeseop smiled.  "Well, that's me!"

"Good luck," she replied as she put a few fries into .  She watched as Jaeseop walked up to the stage, shaking the waiter's hand as he went up.  He leaned over and whispered something in the man's ear, then went to the poodle sweater woman and shook her hand.  He said something, yet no one could hear him.  She suddenly saw him vanish into the janitor's closet, not coming out for a few moments.  He then emerged, carrying out a big guitar.  Mina chuckled.  I guess this was supposed to be worse?

Jaeseop set his guitar down and dragged the stool from the corner.  He adjusted the microphone to his sitting height, then sat down and pulled out his guitar.  He strummed it a little, then stopped the strings.  "Hi, everyone.  My name's Kim Jaeseop, and I'll be singing that one song by Howie Day. I don't remember the name of it or much of the lyrics, but I only need a minute."  Mina chuckled, taking another french fry.  "Oh, and I almost forgot," he said, adjusting his position on the stool, "this is for my girlfriend, Mina."

Girlfriend?

GIRLFRIEND??

OKAY, YOU WERE RIGHT.  THIS IS WORSE THAN THE DRUNK GUY.

"Mina, thanks for spending tonight with me.  I hope you enjoy this, because I've been working on this since we met."

I SWEAR TO GOD, I'M GONNA- Wait... what?

She sat entranced, staring at Jaeseop and soaking in every word he was singing.  Though she didn't understand all the English words he was saying, she closed her eyes and listened to him sing.  At that moment, she felt like she and Jaeseop were the only two people in that restaurant.  She felt like he was only singing to her.  It wasn't a silly, fun karaoke performance to her, but a meaningful, thought-out performance just for Mina and Mina only.  Jaeseop would only look at Mina, chuckling at some points where he saw her cheecks getting red or when she'd stuff more food in .  Before they knew it, the last moments of the song came.  And then three words came out of his mouth that made everyone in the restaurant 'aww' and giggle to each other.  Except for Mina, whose eyes got large and her voice silent.

Something she hadn't heard from a man for years.

Three words that were non-existent to her ears since she moved to Seoul.

Three words:  I love you.

The people in the restaurant stood and clapped for Jaeseop as he ran back to their table.  He sat back down and smiled at Mina.  "So, what'd you think?"

She cracked a smile, still shocked.  Mina nodded and took a drink from her water, regaining her ability to speak.  "It was real good.  I liked it a lot."

He smiled, then started to eat his soup again.  He scrunched up his nose when the spoon touched his lips, realizing that it got a little cold, but continued eating.  For the rest of Jaeseop's soup eating, he and Mina were silent, the only sounds coming from Jaeseop slurping his noodles.  Once he was finished, he placed his bowl to the side and grabbed his wallet, pulling out $20.  As he dropped it onto the table, he gave Mina that classic smirk and rested his head on his hand.

"If you want, I wanna show you something before the sun comes up."

"No more surprises, right?" she asked, still shaken up from the possible confession.

He nodded.  "No more surprises."

She sighed, taking one more sip of her water.  "Fine.  But for real.  No more surprises."

Until next time,

Carly