“Hey, I’m getting ready for work, I’ll call you later,” Jung Mirae said into the phone she was holding between her cheek and shoulder. She heard a goodbye from the other line, and placed the phone on her vanity. She walked towards her bathroom, closing the door behind her the slightest bit. She tied her hair back, placing a baby pink towel on the side of the sink. She poured a little face wash into her hand, rubbing it around a little bit before lathering it to her face. She rubbed her face for a good 3 minutes before turning the faucet on to wipe the soap away. She quickly grabbed the towel, bringing it closer to her face and patted her face dry. She walked back into her bedroom towards her closet door before opening it. The weather wasn’t was as cold today, so Mirae pulled out a thin white sweater and a pair of maroon colored pants. She quickly changed into those clothes and sat down at her vanity. She first reached for a small container that held her contacts and put them on. Next, she grabbed the comb, brushing her straight black hair. She then poured a little moisturizer onto her hand, rubbing it onto her face and added a little BB cream as well. She grabbed her eyeliner, drawing a thin yet noticeable line on each of her eyes before finishing off with mascara and a lipstick. She placed her phone in the back pocket of her pants and exited her bedroom, closing the door behind her before walking down the stairs to the apartment’s kitchen. She placed two pieces of bread to toast as she cracked an egg onto the frying pan. As her egg was sizzling, she opened the cabinet and pulled out a bag of cat food, scooping some of it out into a cat bowl.

 

“Momo!” Mirae called softly, waiting for the Persian cat to pop out of her hiding spot. She felt the cat rub herself against her legs, and Mirae smiled softly. “Come on, girlie. Time to eat breakfast because I gotta go to work soon,” she said. She rubbed Momo’s fur softly before going back to flip her egg. She placed the two pieces of toast on a plate along with the egg and a glass of orange juice on her small kitchen table. She turned her mini T.V. on to hear the news as she quietly ate her food.

 

20 minutes passed and Mirae was done eating. She quickly washed her plate and glass, placing them on the rack to air dry while she was gone. She walked towards the window, opening it just a crack so her cat wouldn’t feel suffocated indoors for the next several hours. She placed her phone and wallet in her phone, slipped into a black coat and black boots and bid goodbye to Momo before closing and locking the door behind her. She then walked the two staircases down rather than taking the elevator and smiled brightly at the doorman and walked into the parking lot, pressing the button to unlock her Hyundai. She sat in the driver seat, starting the car and turning the heat up as she connected her phone to the music system. She went through her playlist before deciding on The Wonder Girls’s Be My Baby, singing along with a bright smile on her face.

She pulled out of the parking lot and onto the local streets to make her way to the small shop she worked at in town. The ride was short, only 15 minutes long, and she parked in her usual spot next to her coworker. She took a quick glimpse at the shop across the street from hers and frowned a little bit when she didn’t see the young man that ran the shop, but quickly cheered up at the thought of having an excuse to go talk to him later in the day. Mirae exited her car, locking it and placed her keys on her bag before entering the shop she worked at.

 

“Good morning, Hyorin Unnie!”

 

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“Yah, Kim Yugyeom!” the young male felt someone kick his body moments before his body fell on the hardwood floors, causing him to instantly to open his eyes.

 

“Huh?” he said in a confused state before he looked at the time on his phone. “AH, I’M LATE! HYUNG, WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP EARLIER?!” he shouted as he ran into the bathroom. He exited the bathroom 15 minutes later, his hair wet and a little shaving cream still on his face. He grabbed the first towel he saw, wiping his face and grabbed a black and gray striped sweater to wear with a pair of black skinny jeans. He shoved his phone and wallet in the inner pocket of his leather jacket that was hanging on the back of his door and into the kitchen of his shared apartment. “Hyung, I gotta go or else I’ll be late again!” he called to him roommate before lacing up his black combat boots and grabbing his motorcycle helmet, rushing to the parking lot.

 

“This boy,” his roommate, Park Jinyoung, shook his head while chuckling the slightest bit. “He owns his own shop yet he can’t wake up on time or clean his room,” he sighed, sipping his cup of coffee as he looked out the window to see Yugyeom drive away on his motorcycle. “I guess I’m spending another day off to clean the apartment again,” Jinyoung said, turning away from the window.

 

Yugyeom was surprised that he was not pulled over by the cops because he was pretty sure he went over the speed limit getting to work on time today. He parked his motorcycle, taking the helmet off and shaked his head a little to give his hair some air. As he was kicking the stand down for his motorcycle, he looked across the street to see a particular girl through the window. He smiled to himself, his cheeks turning a little pink at the thought of the girl coming in later on as she usually did during her lunch break. Once his motorcycle was secure, he walked towards his shop to see that it was already unlocked.

 

“Hyung, I’m in the back!” he heard a faint male voice call from the staff room. Yugyeom walked the back and peeked in the room to see Yoon Sanha, the young 16 year old boy who worked part time, standing in a white with a paint splatter print sweater and jeans paired with a pair of converse. “I knew you were gonna be late again so I decided to come early and open shop for you,” the boy smiled, flashing his braces at the elder boy. “Also,” his voice dropped to a whisper, “I saw Noona this morning,” he had a knowing smile as he said those words.

 

“Yah,” Yugyeom made a face, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “Get back to work,” he muttered, entering his small office.

 

“Mirae isn’t going to come for several more hours,” he pouted, putting his head down on his desk.

 

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“Mirae!” the young girl turned around when she heard the voice of her boss.

 

“Yes, Yongguk Oppa?” she said, looking at him with eager eyes.

 

“You take care of these two customers with Yoongi and then you can go on your lunch break afterwards. I have some clients coming in for consultations and Hyorin, Jongdae, and Yubin are with other customers, while Hwasa is at the front desk if anymore people come in, okay?” he said as he walking towards his office, a cup of coffee in his hand. The girl nodded and went to the front of the shop where she found her other coworker, Yoongi, and the two clients they were to work with.

 

“Right this way,” she smiled at the two girls and Yoongi followed them from behind.

 

“I’m sorry,” the taller of the two girls asked, “but would it be possible if one of the other two men that work here be the ones that do our work?” she asked very bluntly. The shorter girl hit her arm slightly, but the taller didn’t look at her.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi spoke up, “but he’s busy. Is there a problem with my female coworker here?” he asked with a slight bitter tone.

 

“Aniyo, it’s fine,” she faked smiled before sitting down on the armchair. Her friend sat next to her as Yoongi and the slightly shocked Mirae put their aprons and gloves on before preparing the the needles and ink they would need. Yoongi grabbed the templates that were made for this appointment and they walked towards the girls. Mirae was done prepping their skin and she sat next to the shorter girl, leaving Yoongi with the taller girl.

 

“Before we start, I would like to ask you two if you are sure about this. You may still back out and only be charged the cost of creating the template. Once you have this tattoo, there are no refunds and you cannot sue as if anything does happen to you as you have signed the papers prior to this appointment,” Mirae asked the two girls. They once again confirmed their decisions and the two tattoo artists began to ink the girls up.

 

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“Thank you and come again soon!” Yugyeom said to the customer that just left the shop. They were in the middle of rush hour, in the midst of wrapping a bouquet of flowers to taking orders for an event in the upcoming months. Finally, it seemed as if it was calm and the two boys sat side by side at the cash register.

 

“You know Hyung, when I first saw, I couldn’t believe that this flower shop belongs to you,” Sanha spoke up.

 

“What do you mean?” Yugyeom asked, looking at the young boy as he was counting the money.

 

“You look like a gangster. You always wear black and you ride your motorcycle here everyday. You look so scary but you’re like a giant baby, you own this shop but you almost never show up on time,” he paused in his words. “It’s the same like Noona. She’s kind of quiet and laid back and yet, she has such a cool job! She works as a tattoo artist! If someone placed you two side by side, they would think that you work in the tattoo shop and Noona owns this flower shop!” he exclaimed.

 

“You shouldn’t judge based on how a person looks on the outside,” Yugyeom scolded him slightly, but he knew the younger boy wasn’t wrong. In fact, when he first met the young boy, he went up to Mirae, who was looking at flower, asking her for a job instead of Yugyeom.

 

“I know but I’m just saying. It would be hilarious if you and Noona did start going out! You two would be like complete opposites!” Sanha mentioned, a huge smile on his lips, his eyes brightly looking at the older man.

 

“Get back to work. I don’t pay you to say nonsense things,” Yugyeom frowned. He sat down on the chair again and checked the clock on the wall. “Actually, you can clock out early today. Rush hour is over and not many customers will be coming in. Don’t worry, I won’t take money out of your check,” he said to the younger boy.

 

“But then I won’t get to see Noona,” Sanha pouted at the older boy, but nevertheless took off this apron. “Tell her I said hello, and ask her out today, Hyung!” the young boy smiled at Yugyeom as he walked into the staff room to get his belongings and to exit from the back door. Yugyeom shook his head at the younger boy’s words, but smiled to himself. Sanha was a very optimistic and loud boy, but he was only a teenager and Yugyeom saw him as a younger brother.

 

Yugyeom was finally alone in his little shop. He looked at the glass window into the tattoo shop across the street but he couldn’t see Mirae. He frowned slightly, but let it pass. She was going to come in today so he didn’t mind. He stood up to water the plants and flowers as he was enjoying the music that was playing. Sanha usually turned the radio on, saying that the flowers and plants loved listening to it, but today Yugyeom was playing his CD of favorite songs. Currently, G-Dragon’s That XX was playing, and he couldn’t help but hum and dance along to the music; other than the flower shop, dancing had been his childhood hobby. “They say love is blind, oh baby you so blind, 제발 헤어지기를 바랄게” the young male sang along as hit feet smoothly moved against the floor along to the lyrics and the rhythm.

 

“Yugyeom?”

 

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“You can make your final payment at the reception desk in the front. Since this is your first time getting a tattoo, the girl at the front desk, Hwasa, will also give you two informational packets on how to take care of the tattoos as they heal. You may also, of course, call us with any additional questions you may have,” Mirae explained to the two girls that were finally inked up by Yoongi and herself. “Thank you, and please do come again!” she called as Yoongi lead them out the room. Once they were gone, she let out a sigh and started quickly cleaning up so she could go on her lunch break. She disposed the needles that were used in the special container and disinfected the area. Any extra ink that was left, Mirae kept away and when everything seemed clean to her, she took off her apron and threw out her gloves and mask she had on. She untied her hair from the bun it was in and walked to the front waiting area. There she saw her other coworkers, Hyorin, Hwasa, Jongdae, and Yoongi sitting on the couches. Their boss, Yongguk, was probably in his office but there were no customers.

 

“Going on your lunch break now to see your Prince Charming?” Hwasa teased the younger girl.

 

“No,” Mirae blushed. “Just going to admire the owner of the shop with the excuse of lunch,” she said under her breath. She put on her coat and looked into the mirror as she reapplied her lipstick.

 

“Yah yah, are you two going to making out that you have to be reapplying your lipstick?” Jongdae questioned the girl.

 

“Don’t be jealous just because you haven’t been on a date in over a year,” Hyorin snapped back as she was scrolling through something on her phone. Jongdae made a face at the girl, but didn’t say anything.

 

“Have fun with your future husband!” Yoongi called as she walked out of the shop, but that didn’t stop her from turning around to flip him off as she sweetly smiled at her coworkers. She made sure she had her wallet and phone in her pocket. She first walked to the deli next door and bought two coffee and two sandwiches. Since she had extra time, she decided she would eat with Yugyeom. Once she paid for the food, she made her way to the crosswalk, quickly crossing the street and walked towards the flower shop. She opened the door and heard music playing. She recognized the song as That XX by G-Dragon from BIGBANG and softly smiled, knowing that Yugyeom enjoyed his music. She looked around in the front but didn’t see the owner. She placed the food and drinks on the front counter and walked towards the back where she could faintly see the male figure dancing along to the music.

 

“Yugyeom?”

 

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Yugyeom turned around instantly, fixing his posture so he was standing straight. His face turned bright pink when he saw Mirae standing in front of him, hiding her smile at the sight of him dancing.

 

“You know, I could’ve easily robbed you and you wouldn’t have noticed, Gyeomie,” she said as he walked towards her.

 

“Yah but you wouldn’t. I’m just a poor 24 year old trying to sell pretty flowers to everyone and spread world peace,” he rebutted back, smiling slightly. They walked to the front of the shop and sat side by side af Mirae took the food out. “You didn’t have to get lunch,”

 

“I know,” she started, “but I have an extra lunch break so I decided why not spend time with a good friend,” she said, avoiding his face in hopes he wouldn’t notice her blushing cheeks. Yugyeom smiled brightly at her words, loving the fact that she wanted to spend her extra time with him.

 

“I feel touched, thank you,” he said with a genuine smile. The two ate their food in silence as they enjoyed the music playing. Yugyeom threw out the wrappers of the sandwich and they enjoyed the hot coffee before it could go cold. “Ah, hot coffee tastes so good today. But it’s going to get warmer soon,” the young man thought out loud.

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll buy us ice cream instead of this hot coffee then,” Mirae joked, and Yugyeom chuckled. Mirae’s phone started ringing moments later and she cleared before picking up. “Hello?” she spoke.

 

“Yah, Mirae,” she heard Yoongi’s voice on the other line. “Something came up with the boss so he’s gonna close early today. Do you want someone to drop your bag off across the street?” he asked.

 

“Aniyo, it’s fine. I’ll come there myself and get it, you guys don’t worry. I’ll be there in a few moments,” she said and hung up. She stood up and turned towards Yugyeom who was looking at her. “My work place is closing early so I need to go now and pick up my bag. I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked with a slight pout.

 

“Why don’t I go get your stuff for you?” Yugyeom asked the girl. “I did have to go pick up some things from the hardware store and it’s next to the tattoo parlor?”

 

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Do you trust me with watching your store?”

 

“There’s no one I would trust more,” he chuckled, ruffling her hair. Mirae’s cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as Yugyeom walked to his office to grab his jacket and wallet. “I’ll be back soon!” he called as he walked out of the store.

 

Mirae sat on the chair that was previously occupied by Yugyeom. “I’m going to ask him out tonight,” she said with a smile on her face.

 

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“Hello?” Yugyeom called as he walked into the tattoo parlor. The lights were still on but he didn’t see anybody inside.

 

“Oh, Prince Charming!” he heard a feminine voice and turned around to see a woman with short, dark blue hair. “Are you here to get Mirae’s bag?” she asked. With a facial expression of confusion, he nodded and the girl disappeared again. She returned moments later with a white purse in her hand. “Here you go, Prince Charming,” she smiled, flashing her teeth. She stared at his face before speaking again. “She’s right. You do look pretty adorable even with your ‘bad boy’ get up,” she chuckled.

 

“Ah,” Yugyeom said, his face instantly blushing the brightest shade of pink. “Thank you, and have a nice day,” he said and practically bolted out of the tattoo parlor. ‘Prince Charming? Why was she calling me that?’ he thought to himself as he walked to the hardware store. Many people gave him strange looks for carrying a woman's purse but he didn’t care as he walked towards the section where they kept nails and hammer. After deciding which one was the best for him, he made his way to the cashier and paid with his credit card and left the store with the bag in his hand. He made his way to back to the flower shop when he saw her through the window. She was smiling brightly at another man in the store who was leaning against the counter with somewhat of a flirtatious smile. Yugyeom frowned, not liking what was happening.

 

‘Tell her I said hello, and ask her out today, Hyung!’ Sanha’s words were playing his head. “I’m going to do exactly that tonight,” he said to himself, a confident smile on his face, as he strode into the flower shop.

 

“Oh really? That’s quite interesting?” the young man laughed as he stared at Mirae, who was wrapping up the bouquet of flowers for him. “Say, are you available - ” he started off.

 

“Babe, I’m back,” Yugyeom called walking towards the counter. He placed her bag on the chair and the plastic bag from the hardware store on the counter before he bent down and kissed Mirae’s cheek, smirking at the man on the other side. “Hope my girlfriend was able to help you through your purchase,” he commented before walking to his office in the back. The customer was taken aback, his eyes widening, but he cleared his throat, adjusting his tie.

 

The man had a slight frown on his face, but said nothing. Mirae’s face was a bright shade of pink as she finished wrapping the flowers.

 

“Thank you and come again,” she said, handing the man the flowers and the receipt. He nodded a thank you and left the shop moments later. Once the man was gone, she turned around to see Yugyeom peeking from his office, a lollipop in his mouth. When he realized that Mirae caught him staring, he went back into his office. She sighed. It was almost 5 anyways, and it wouldn’t hurt Yugyeom if the shop was closed early one day. She flipped the sign on the door so outsiders would read CLOSED and she locked the front door with the keys that Yugyeom had left with her. She counted the money was well to make sure it was properly kept and locked the cash register as well. When she deemed that everything was clean and ready for closing, she walked into Yugyeom’s office. The said young man’s head was leaning back against the chair he was sitting in, his eyes closed, a serene expression on his face. “Yugyeom,” she called out not too loud but he didn’t wake up. She called his name again, but no reaction. She walked towards him and stopped right in front of him. She moved her face inches away from his, waving one hand in front of his face, but  he was still asleep. “Yugyeom!” she exclaimed loudly, shaking his body this time.

 

Yugyeom woke up with a start, thinking the worst at first. He grabbed Mirae’s body and held her arm behind her back. “Who are you?!” he shouted.

 

“Yugyeom, it’s me,” Mirae exclaimed. Yugyeom let go of her arm and turned her body around so he could see her face.

 

“Oh my - ” his eyes widened at his mistake. “I am so sorry!” he exclaimed, holding her arm and massaging where he had grabbed it before. “I thought you were a burglar, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he apologized to the girl.

 

“It’s fine, seriously,” she reassured him, smiling at him. “After all, you didn’t mean to hurt me,”

 

“There was must be something I can do for you to make it up,” he said. His eyes showed the regret he had for his actions and Mirae realized that this was the best time to get what she wanted.

 

“Well,” she started, “there is one thing,” she said, slightly hesitant.

 

“Yes, anything, just tell me,” he said.

 

“Come over to my apartment tonight for dinner?” Mirae asked, an eager smile on her face.

 

Yugyeom was caught off guard for a moment, but broke into a bright smile. “Sure,” he replied, “it’s a date,”

 

Mirae was smiling at the boy. “I’ll see you at 7:30 then at my apartment. Here’s my address and you already have my number in case you need directions,” she smiled at the taller man, writing her information on a post it before handing it to him. “I’ll see you then,” she chuckled and walked out of her office. She mentally cheered herself on for managing to not faint the entire time as she grabbed her jacket and purse and exited through the back door. She went into her car before letting out of a scream of happiness, ignoring the looks people were giving her outside her car. She started her car, plugging in her phone as she sang along to SNSD’s I Got A Boy, making her way to the grocery store to pick up ingredients to cook tonight’s dinner date.

 

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“Hyung, if you’re in the bathroom, then get out!” Yugyeom shouted the minute he entered his shared apartment. He rushed to take off his shoes, kicking them to the side as he threw his jacket on the couch in the living room and into his bedroom.

 

“What is this boy doing now?” Jinyoung muttered to himself from behind his laptop screen. He was working peacefully, grading some tests that his sixth grade students took when his roommate came home. He heard a lot of noise from Yugyeom’s room and he was getting slightly annoyed so he went to check what he was doing. “Yugyeom, I love you but I’m your roommate, and I need quiet time sometimes. What the hell are you doing, making all these sounds?” he asked, looking at the boy.

 

“Hyung, I can’t find any nice clothes! I have a date tonight and I can’t go looking like trash,” he pouted at his roommate.

 

“Well, if she said yes to a date with you, she clearly wouldn’t care what you wear. She likes you for your personality, not your clothes,” the older man man assured the younger one.

 

“But Hyung!” Yugyeom whined. “I need to look good! Please help me,” he begged.

 

“Fine fine,” Jinyoung agreed. “Go shower, and I’ll leave some clothes out on the bed for you, okay?”

 

“Thank you Hyung, you’re the best!” Yugyeom smiled, hugging the older man quickly before exiting the room.

 

“Why does it feel like he’s less my roommate and more my son?” Jinyoung said to himself, shaking his head before walking towards the closet.

 

Yugyeom returned to his room 30 minutes later. It was 6:30, and he had to leave in the next 30 minutes in order to pick up what he wanted and beat the traffic to get to Mirae’s in time. He changed into the clothes that Jinyoung had left for him; dark denim jeans, a white full sleeve shirt, and a baby pink cardigan to wear on top. He combed his hair and then ruffled it the slightest bit, deciding to leave it styled down as Mirae always saw it styled up. He put his watch on his left arm and looked into the mirror that he looked alright. He sprayed from cologne on before leaving his room, placing his phone and wallet in his jacket pocket.

 

“Hyung, I’m about to leave,” Yugyeom called from the apartment entryway. Instead of his usual leather combat boots, he put on his light colored Timberland boots. “I’ll be home late, so don’t wait up!”

 

“Okay, and have fun!” Jinyoung called from the kitchen where he was working. “May they be happy forever and that he soons moves out of here,” Jinyoung muttered out loud before chuckling to himself.

 

Yugyeom started his motorcycle and placed his helmet on his head and soon drove off onto the highway, a smile on his face as he thought about his destination.

 

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The minute Mirae got him from the grocery store, she started cooking. She didn’t take much time at the grocery store and how had almost two hours to cook and get ready. “Hello there, Momo,” she cooed at her cat, petting the fur. Her cat let out a satisfied mewl before settling on top of the pile of magazines that were on the kitchen counter. Mirae had the radio playing as she cooked, humming along to K.A.R.D’s Oh Nana that was currently playing. She already cut up the meat and placed it in the oven to bake, which would take about 45 minutes. Her vegetable soup was slowly, but surely, cooking on the stove with the gas on low and the pasta was already boiled, and it wouldn’t take her long to mix in with the sauce.

 

With one hour left to get ready, she entered the bathroom attached to her bedroom, taking a quick 20 minute shower. Since her apartment wasn’t too hot or too cold, she changed into a black straight dress. It had a white peter pan collar and the dressed reached a little below mid-thigh, but it wasn’t too revealing. Once satisfied with her outfit, she combed her hair. She french braided the front of her hair into a headband, curling the rest of it the slightest bit, then proceeded to apply a little make up. Once she was content with herself, she then slipped back into her white house slippers as they didn’t offset her outfit at all.

 

She then walked back into the kitchen and put an apron on so her clothes wouldn’t get ruined. She soup was done so she poured it into a big serving bowl and on the kitchen table. She checked the meat, which was almost done, and closed the oven door. She then grabbed a mox pot and added some tomato sauce in it, adding the already boiled pasta as well. She stirred it all together and then let it sit so the pasta would heat up as well. It was now 7:15 and Yugyeom could arrive any moment. Mirae quickly cleaned the dirty dishes, and since there were not much, she was done in five minutes. She placed the meat on  a large serving plate and scooped the pasta into a large bowl and placed both dishes on the table. She then picked up Momo from the counter, and placed her on the floor.

 

“Come on, baby. Mommy’s guest is going to be here, and we have to be on our best behavior, okay?” she said, looking into the cat’s eyes. The car purred, rubbing herself against her owner’s legs. Mirae chuckles and let out a yelp when she heard the doorbell ring. “He’s here!”

 

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Yugyeom stood in front of her apartment door, smiling nervously. He was holding a small bouquet of stargazer lillies, waiting for the girl to open the door. It started to rain just as he was parking his motorcycle and had gotten slightly wet so he was trying to shake off the water.

 

Mirae stood in front of the door, making sure there were no wrinkles in her dress and there was no stray hair out of place. She took a deep breath and smiled as she was ready to open the door.

 

“Hey,” Yugyeom smiled huge at sight of the girl. He was taken aback by the girl; he always knew her looks were way above average without an effort, but now, she looked absolutely gorgeous. “You…,” he paused, slightly speechless. “You look gorgeous. I mean, you always look amazing but like wow, you’re beautiful,” he blurted, his face turned red once he registered what he had said to the girl in front of him. ‘You haven’t even been inside her apartment yet, and you already scared the girl. Good job, Yugyeom,’ he mentally thought to himself, regretting speaking so soon.

 

Mirae laughed, her own cheeks turning slightly pink. “Thank you, Yugyeom,” she thanked him. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” she added, taking in the sight of the boy. She did always love the contrast of black against his slightly pale skin and his hair styled up, but seeing him now in something different and his hair down, he just looked so casual and more like home; something comforting that she would look forward to everyday. “Come in!” she opened the door wider to make room for him. He entered, taking off his jacket and shoes. He followed the girl into her medium sized apartment.

 

Mirae lived in a loft. When you entered, there was a small coat and shoe closet. Ten steps further, there was a door that was the guest bathroom. Another ten steps ahead, then you were in the main space. There was a small kitchen on the left with a small table for eating. In front of that was a living room. A black couch was placed against the wall, a glass coffee table in front of it to contrast the walls that were painted a white-grey. A large TV was on the other side, with another door amidst the large windows that lead you to a small balcony. The staircase to the right would lead you upstairs. Once you were upstairs, there was only one door, Mirae’s bedroom, that had a door inside to her connecting bathroom. Next to the room was an empty space where a desk and lamp were set up. The walls in that space were filled with the girls tattoo sketch drafts and other artwork of hers.

 

“It’s not big, but it’s comfy,” Mirae said to Yugyeom.

 

“It’s really nice. Much nicer and bigger than where my roommate and I live,” he chuckled. They were walking towards the kitchen when the Yugyeom spotted the small pet lounging underneath the staircase. “You have a cat?” he asked, walking towards her.

 

“Mhm,” Mirae replied. “Her name is Momo,” she added.

 

“She is adorable,” Yugyeom smiled at the little cat, rubbing her behind her ears. Momo let out a purr, happy at the attention she was receiving from the unknown man.

 

“She likes you,” Mirae chuckled as she placed the flowers in a vase as Yugyeom sat at the table, ready to eat.

 

“This is amazing, oh man. I don’t remember when was the last time that I ate something so good. I mean, my roommate,  Jinyoung Hyung, I thought he was a great cook, but now that I have tasted your cooking, DAMN,” he complimented the girl, savoring the food that was in front of him. “This makes up for every unhealthy meal I’ve had in my entire life,”

 

“I’m glad that you enjoy the food. I prepared a lot, so help yourself,” she encouraged the boy, scooping some more pasta into his plate. The two mostly ate in silence, talking here and there, but it wasn’t much. After they were done eating, Yugyeom insisted to help her clean up and Mirae reluctantly agreed. She packed some leftovers for Yugyeom to take home for his roommate and they stood side by side as Mirae washed the dishes and Yugyeom dried them and placed them on the rack. After they were done, the two sat side on the couch, side by side. Yugyeom’s arm was on top of the couch, but he was too nervous to place it around her shoulders in case she would be uncomfortable. They were sitting relatively close to each other, their knees touching as Mirae turned the T.V. on as the two agreed to watch The Beauty Inside. They were getting towards the end of the movie and Yugyeom could see the girl trying to hold back her tears.

 

“I don’t mind if you cry,” Yugyeom whispered to Mirae, finally placing his arm around her shoulder to rub her arm and comfort her. She leaned her head towards his chest, letting a few tears escape.

 

“They’re so beautiful. Yisoo accepts Woojin no matter that he may look like and they deserve all the happiness in the world,” she smiled and wiped her tears. Yugyeom’s heart melted at how pure Mirae’s heart was.

 

They sat in silence in the dark in that position for a while, Mirae embraced in Yugyeom’s arms. She almost didn’t want him to leave as she loved the warmth that radiated off him. “What’s upstairs?” she heard Yugyeom ask, looking up where she saw the light of her work space still on.

 

“It’s my work space. Do you want to see?” she asked.

 

“Can I?” he asked, and Mirae nodded. She held his hand, leading him upstairs to where she kept her work. Once he was there, Yugyeom saw one of the most beautiful things ever.

 

“I would always buy flowers from you but because they were fresh, they would eventually begin to die. So once they were about to die, I would pick the petals off and assemble them into a design of some sort and then I would start to draw. I’ve always been scared to get a tattoo so whenever I saw something that I would want as a tattoo, I would draw on these flowers. Then, I would laminate them and hang them up in order to preserve their beauty forever. I call them the Inked Petals Collection,” Mirae explained. Yugyeom looked at each and every inked petal design, trying to commit them to his memory. He saw multiple things; birds flying, a date from September three years ago, a random geometrical design, the words ‘love’, ‘believe’, and ‘life’ in English, a date from March two years ago, and then a date from December last year.

 

“What do the dates represent?” Yugyeom asked, turning to look at the girl.

 

“Huh?” Mirae asked, suddenly flustered. “Just some important things to me,” she said, trying to avoid eye contact with the man in front of her.

 

“Such as?” Yugyeom asked, walking closer towards her.

 

“Just dates…” she said, backing up as Yugyeom got closer to her. But luck was not on her side as Mirae’s back hit the wall slightly and he was right in front of her.

 

“What kind of dates?” Yugyeom asked, whispering as their faces were inches apart.

 

“Important dates…” Mirae whispered, “...with you. The first date is when we first met each other, then the date in March because that’s when I gave you your first tattoo, and then the date in December because…”

 

“Because what?” Yugyeom asked, his heart thumping as he anticipated for her answer.

 

The two stood in silence, looking into each other's eyes. Mirae’s back was against the wall with about a four inch space between her body and Yugyeom’s body. His hands made their way to her arms, holding her smaller hands into his. Mirae’s pinks turned a darker shade of pink.

 

“That’s when I realized that I was in love with you,” she whispered, her grip on his hand getting slightly tighter.

 

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“So,” Hwasa’s voice could be heard from the other line, “how was your date with Prince Charming?” she asked.

 

Mirae was sitting at the vanity, smiling at her reflection, and let out a dreamy sigh.

 

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“That’s when I realized that I was in love with you,” she whispered, her grip on his hand getting slightly tighter.

 

They stood in silence for moments that felt like an eternity. The thumps of their heart could be heard amidst their breathing. Momo’s deep breaths as she slept downstairs, the rain from before was much stronger now from the thunder that could also be heard.

 

“...Love?” Yugyeom spoke up. Mirae felt like she messed up, she should’ve known that her feelings were much stronger than his, she knew that she had scared him off.

 

“I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t of said that,” she said, letting go of his hand, walking away from the wall and Yugyeom.

 

Next thing Mirae knew, he had grabbed her hand again, turning her back towards as he cupped her face with one hand, the other hand holding her hand. Her mind was still processing what he did when he crashed his lips into hers, her eyes widening. Once she was aware of what was happening, her eyes closed, her own arms wrapping around Yugyeom’s neck and brought him closer to herself as she kissed him back.

 

“Those were the best words I have ever heard,” Yugyeom spoke up when they pulled their lips apart. “The best,” he emphasized.

 

“You didn’t say anything so I thought…” Mirae answered, too shy to meet his eyes.

 

“Don’t you know what people think about me? I’m a scary and bitter young man, and you fell in love with me without going on a date with me?” he joked.

 

“People say whatever they wanna say. I got to know who you are, and you are not a scary and bitter person. That’s not the person I fell in love with. I fell in love with a sweet, caring, slightly clumsy person who has a soft spot for his young teenage employee, no matter how much you refuse to admit it. You’re a person who owns his own business and doesn’t need to care what other people think about him. You’re Kim Yugyeom, the person I fell in love with,”

 

Yugyeom’s cheeks were a light shade of pink, squeezing Mirae’s hand as another clap of thunder was heard.

 

“How are you going to get home? It’s raining hard and it’s not safe for you to go on your motorcycle,” Mirae asked, looking out the window then back at Yugyeom.

 

“I’ll ask Jinyoung Hyung if he can come pick me up, I guess, and then I’ll come back tomorrow to get my bike,” Yugyeom said after thinking, taking his phone out to call his roommate.

 

“Do want to stay the night?” Mirae asked. “I mean, you seem the same size of my older brother and his clothes could fit you, and the couch downstairs can open into a bed. It’s getting late and it wouldn’t be safe for your roommate to be driving here either. I mean, only if you feel comfortable of course, I don’t want - ” she rambled off.

 

Yugyeom pecked her lips and chuckled. “Sure,” he replied. Mirae paused, slightly dumbfounded, but then blushed and turned away from the man.

 

“I’ll go get you the clothes, wait here,” she mumbled, going into her room. She returned moments later with a towel and some clothes. “You can use the bathroom downstairs to wash up,” she said, pointing to the said door. He nodded and then walked down the stairs. “I’ll quickly wash up as well,” she added, watching him enter the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Mirae then walked into her own bathroom, washing her face and changing when Hwasa had called her about how her date with Yugyeom went.

 

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“Yah, Mirae, are you listening?”  Hwasa spoke up.

 

“Huh?” Mirae asked, shaking her head. “What’d you say?”

 

“I asked how our date with your Prince Charming went. You saw him earlier in the day, and he is quite attractive - ” Hwasa was talking.

 

“Mirae! I’m done changing!” Yugyeom called from the living room.

 

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes!” Mirae called back.

 

“Why is he changing there?” Hwasa asked. “Yah yah yah, what are you two doing! You’re like 12 years old, are you about to have - ” she started shouting.

 

“Unnie, I’ll you tomorrow, okay? Bye!” she quickly hung up and placed the phone back on the vanity. She then quickly changed into her pyjamas that consisted of black leggings that stopped at her shins and a oversized hoodie that she had “borrowed” from her brother years  ago. She tied her hair into a braid and took her contacts off, placing her black frames on her face. Once she was content with how she looked, she stood up, picking up Momo from her bed and carried her downstairs, placing her on the floor then for the car to wander about.

 

She saw Yugyeom sitting on the couch, smiling at her. She smiled at him, and gestured him to follow her. She walking into the kitchen, taking out a small pot and placing it the gas, turning on the stove. She then poured some milk into the pot and waited for the milk to boil. “On rainy night like this, I love drinking hot chocolate and watching a random drama playing on T.V. Now that you’re here, you can join me,” she explained. She pointed at cabinet where she kept marshmallows for Yugyeom to grab as she poured the hot chocolate mix into the milk and took out two mugs. She then grabbed the whip cream and once the milk was done, poured the beverage into the mugs, placing a few marshmallows in each mug before topping it off with some whip cream. They took their drinks with them to the couch and turned the T.V. on. After deciding to watch a rerun episode of W - Two Worlds and got comfortable, Yugyeom’s right arm around Mirae’s shoulders as she leaned her body towards him.

 

“I think I can get used to this,” Mirae said, looking up at the man.

 

“I think I can, too,” Yugyeom replied, pressing a kiss against the crown of her head before wrapping both of his arms around her.