“So did he call yet?” Hyejin asked you the next day as you two walked home from work. You both worked the morning shift on Fridays, getting off at two in the afternoon. It was one of your favorite shifts. Friday mornings were quiet and you could get a lot done before the hustle and bustle of the weekend. You had finished setting up the holiday books display today and were excited for it to be showcased throughout the month.

“You do realize it has barely been twenty-four hours since he came into the library, right?” You sat down on the bench at the bus stop, Hyejin taking a seat next to you. She was wearing a dress and tights. You didn’t understand how she could stand to be sitting on the cold metal bench.

Hyejin waved her hand at you, “Did he call yet?” She was persistent. You had to give her that much. Hyejin couldn’t be distracted when it came to romance. If nothing was going on in either of your romantic lives, you could count on her to be obsessed with a new drama and bring it up in conversation.

You blushed slightly before speaking. “He called at lunch,” you mumbled. Hyejin squealed, her feet bouncing on the cement.

“I told you he would call! What did he say? What did you say? What did you talk about?” She asked as the bus pulled up. You climbed in, swiped your bus pass, and found seats next to each other.

“Well, first he apologized for his friend’s behavior. Then he asked me out for a date tonight.” You shifted your eyes to look at Hyejin’s face. She was grinning from ear to ear and looked ready to explode with happiness. “We’re going to dinner,” you added when she stayed quiet.

She began throwing her fists in the air, attracting the attention of the other passengers nearby. You quickly grabbed her arms to hold them down. “I knew it! I knew he would call! I told you, didn’t I? He was so interested. And you thought he wouldn’t call!”

You smiled to yourself. He was interested, wasn’t he? You remembered the smile on his face the previous day. His plump lips spread into a gorgeous smile, his brown eyes lighting up. You had finally admitted to yourself that he was incredibly good looking and you were still a little shocked that a guy like that would be interested in you. Sure, you had dated good looking guys before, but never anyone like this guy. He could be a k-pop idol he was so handsome.

“Yeah, you were right Hyejin-ah,” you smiled and shook your head to clear away the thoughts. You looked off into the distance. “There’s just one problem: what do I wear?” You said dramatically. You knew what she would say after this and could’ve skipped the question to just ask her to come over. It was more fun to be theatric though.

“You know I’ve got you covered,” she said while waving a hand at you. “I already texted Woobin to say I’ll be home late because I’m helping you get ready for a date.” You beamed at her. Some people called her shallow, but you knew Hyejin was one of the best friends a girl could ask for.

The bus pulled into your stop, both of you climbed out, and made your way down the side walk. You blew into your hands a little to warm them up before rubbing them together. Walking up the steps to your building, you pulled the door open, holding it for Hyejin. “Age before beauty,” you gesture for her to go in before you and smiled.

“Hey! I’m only four months older than you!” She pouted, then flipped her hair. “And I’m gorgeous so,” she then proceeded to stick her tongue out at you. You both broke into laughter, hurrying into the complex and up the stairs.

You unlocked the door, kicking your shoes off as you entered. “Want some hot chocolate?” you called over your shoulder. Hyejin nodded happily, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up. You moved into the kitchen, pulling milk out of the fridge and two mugs out of the cupboard. The hot chocolate mix was already on the counter. You quickly poured the milk into the two mugs and popped them into the microwave for a couple minutes.

“I don’t drink milk,” Hyejin pouted.

“It’s almond milk, goof. I know you don’t like dairy.”

She smiled at you. “Let’s go start picking out an outfit while it warms up. Did he say what kind of restaurant you’re going to?” You followed her into your bedroom and to your closet. She pushed aside the curtain you had hanging in front of the entrance and began shuffling clothes around.

“No, but I want to look nice,” you looked around your closet. Could you really put together a decent outfit from these things? You wanted to take Seungho’s breath away. “But I still want to be warm. No freezing to death.” Again, Hyejin waved a hand at you.

After several minutes in your closet, Hyejin pulled out a burgundy skater skirt, a gray cable knit sweater, a black pea coat, black tights, and a pair of black heeled booties. How she managed to pull together cute outfits like this you would never know, but you were ready to worship her as a fashion goddess. She even helped with your hair and make-up while you two sipped on the hot chocolate.

You looked at yourself in the mirror after changing and couldn’t help but be impressed. “You did an amazing job, Hyejin-ah.” She had managed to have your make-up look natural and your hair looked effortlessly curled. Your clothes were surprisingly warm and you understood how she managed to run around dressed in similar fashion during winter.

She grinned and wished you luck before heading to her own apartment. You waited anxiously, watching tv and sitting on the couch. When seven o’clock rolled around, you heard a knock at the door. You flipped off the television and stood, brushing off your skirt and then opening the door.

Seungho was smiling the second you saw him. He wore dark jeans, a white v neck shirt, a black blazer and a black jacket. Even dressed so simply he caused your breath to hitch. He handed you a bouquet of colorful flowers. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so the shop attendant helped me put together something.” He reached up to put his hand behind his head. “You look beautiful.”

You could feel yourself blushing and smiling like an idiot. “Thank you, Seungho-ssi. You look very nice, as well.” You turned to find a vase for the flowers. You pulled one out from a cupboard under the counter, filled it with water, and gently lowered the flowers into it. “I hope I’m dressed alright. I wasn’t sure what kind of restaurant we’re going to.” You glanced down at yourself, clasping your hands in front of you.

“You’re perfect,” he said softly. “We’re going to one of my favorite places. I hope you’ll like it.” He gestured towards the door. You grabbed your coat, but Seungho quickly snatched it from you, holding it open so you could slip it on. You blushed again, trying to hide your stupid grin, and thanked him. You locked the door as you two exited the apartment. He guided you to his car, holding the door open for you as you climbed inside.

“Such a gentleman,” you accidently said out loud. Seungho laughed and nodded, adding that his mother had trained him well. The drive to the restaurant was short. It wasn’t a large establishment, but the food was delicious. You asked Seungho for a recommendation and it had been incredible. He asked about your family, your friends, your work, even hobbies. You talked animatedly about working at the library, Seungho smiling at you the whole time.

He was rather vague when talking about his own job. He worked in the music industry and said he was currently working with a team to put together an album. “Do you write for idols then?” It didn’t matter to you if he knew k-pop groups, it wasn’t your scene. Sure, you had listened to groups like DBSK when you were younger, but it had been years since you had followed k-pop.

“Something like that,” he replied. He quickly changed topics and you figured that meant he couldn’t talk about his work in detail. It didn’t bother you, but you were a bit curious.

After you both had finished eating, Seungho paid the bill, and led you outside. You looked in the direction of the parking lot, then back to him. He glanced from you to the cark. “Would you like to go somewhere else for a little while? I don’t want to take you home yet.” He mumbled the last sentence and it made you smile. You agreed as the two of you climbed back into the car.

He drove to a large park. Lights had been strung in the trees throughout. With the snow lightly falling, it looked like a winter wonderland. You couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was. Seungho took your hand as the two of you strolled around the park. You stumbled upon a horse-drawn carriage stop. The carriages were in a line, with people slowly climbing into them and heading off into the night.

“Do you want to go on one of those?” Seungho asked, following your gaze to the carriages. You nodded, not passing up the opportunity to feel like you were in a fairytale. Seungho helped you up into a white carriage, then got in himself. There was a stack of blankets inside, which he arranged over the both of you. The driver flicked the reigns and the brown horse began down the path. Once it was moving, you could hear the bells along the sides. You felt as though you were in a cheesy Christmas romance movie and you loved every minute of it.

“Are you cold?” Your attention snapped back to Seungho, snowflakes landed in his hair. He put an arm around you. “Sorry, that was a cheesy line. I wanted an excuse to do this,” he said shyly.

You snuggled closer to him, resting your head against him. “I don’t mind. This is wonderful, Seungho-ssi.” You felt him adjust slightly against you, trying to make sure you were comfortable. Silent minutes slipped by as you both enjoyed the carriage ride, and being together.

As you neared the end of the ride, Seungho called your name softly. You looked up at him just as his hand cupped the side of your face. He leaned down to softly press his lips against yours. The kiss was short, but it was the best first kiss you had ever had. You smiled at each other as you pulled apart, settling back together for the final fleeting moments of this magical feeling.

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A/N: Do you guys like long chapters like this? Chapters 1 and 2 are almost 2k words each. Do you like them long like this or would you prefer them shorter? And yes, each chapter will probably be named after a Christmas song.