"Gamsaeyo! Thank you, come again!" The smoothie shop was a buzz with activity that afternoon. All sorts of people were coming in to buy fruit drinks or tiny cakes: business people, bike riders, surfers, and once, a kpop singer came by. Perhaps it had been a good idea to move closer to the beach.

"Joy! We have one order for the kiwi-mango-cinnamon blend!"

"Coming right up!" A redhead rushed to the blender and began hurriedly chopping up bits of mango. She mixed the ingredients with excitement; this soothie had been her own recipe, and although it wasn't officially on the menu yet, she was glad to have a chance to make it. Not many people appreciated the spicy mixture of fruit and cinnamon mixed together, only one  person ever asked for it. It was him. He ordered it everyday.

"Here you go, sir!" Joy declared, bashfully handing the cup to the man. She couldn't even look him in the eye. He was so tall, dashing, with his expertly groomed black hair and dark sensitive eyes. Park Eun Sung. That was his name, she knew from reading his name tag each time he came by.. Park Eun Sung :Regional Manager and District Advisor of Better Foods Inc. Sigh. It just sounded so.....official. 

"How much do I owe you?"

"No please, it's on the house. A hard-working person such as yourself deserves to get something free every once in awhile." 

The man smiled, bowing a little in gratitude. He started to turn around, but hesistated. "Your name is Soo Young, right?"

The shy server only nodded.

"Well, I know it's a little short notice, but how would you like to come to a taste testing event my company is having tomorrow night? Here's a ticket," Eun Sung pulled a silver slip of paper out of the pocket of his suit, "You've been so kind to me, and I know it's not much, but I would really like to hear your opinion on some of our newest products.Would you mind coming as my guest?"

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The woman was at a complete lost for words. Did this gorgeous, accomplished, prince of a man just ask her out on a date?? Was she dreaming? Was the room spinning?? The stranger was looking intently, waiting for her respond, but the poor barista was too deep in shock to answer.

"She'll be there." Her friend, Jang Ah, stepped in. She couldn't bear to watch the scene anymore.

"Great! The time and location is on the ticket. I'll see you there, Soo Young!"

The young redhead hardly even spoke for the rest of the day. The next hours at work seemed to go by in a daze. She barely remembered her ride home on the bus, the same scene played in her head over and over again. It was until she was actually at home that Joy released that squeal she had been holding onto all day.

It happened! It really happened! A cool collected businessman asked ME out on a date! A fancy attire place too. The 21 year old girl suddenly jolted into an upright position. A company taste testing event? What does one wear to that? Moments later, she heard the door handle click and footsteps in the outer hallway. It was Joy's roommate and friend who also worked at the smoothie shop, Jang Ah. She was a carrying a bag of groceries.

"Oh good you're home," she said, "now we can discuss what you're going to wear for tomorrow night."

"I know. How about this?" Joy pulled out a gray sweater and a brown skirt out of her closet. Jang Ah cringed. When it came to style, Joy's was a little more, subtle, than most people. She was secretly very shy. The only reason her hair was as bright as it was was because Jang Ah had dared her to dye it to a soft auburn color; the rinse didn't come out quite right, Joy had grown to like it anyway.

"Maybe we should try something a little....different. We'll have to go shopping first thing in the morning, and get you a spa treatment too."

"Spa treatment?" Joy frowned. Great, let's spend more money. Never mind a new apartment.

Her brown hair friend nodded, pulling out bunches of celery and lettuce. "You have some fuzz on your chin. And your eyebrows could do with a wax." That couldn't be true, she had done her own waxing about, 2 months ago. Facial hair couldn't grow that fast, could it? The tall girl flew to the bathroom mirror. She let out a little gasp. There was stubble of little black hair on her chin. How long had that been there? Did Eun Sung see it?? 

"Jang Ah, you're right. A full spa treatment it is."

----------------------------------------------------------------------Saturday, Munhwa Cultural Arts Building 5:59pm----------------------------------------------------------------------

The large ballroom was already crowded, even though the event hadn't officially started yet. There was so many elegant people who had come from all over the city. Everyone was looking forward to finding out what Better Foods Inc's new product line would be, but the execs were being hush hush about it. Tonight people would find out their culinary surprise, as well as new added desert that Park Eun Sung had came up with on his own. Well, he did have a little help from a certain cute, red headed smoothie blender.  Kiwi and cinnamon......what an odd combination, he'd never thought to try out spice and fruit together, but turns out the executive panel loved the idea. Eun Sung just had to thank the young woman....Joy, they called her. She was well suited to the nickname. Joy was what he felt each time he saw her there, excitedly tending to the customers.  Her eyes bright, always smiling......the 24 year old man straightened out his tie and suit, his eagerly scanning the crowd. Minutes passed as people from the advertising department came out to congratulate him on hosting his first event, but he only half listened. The glass doors continued to open, allowing more taste testers in. None of them had bright, strawberry-colored hair, except one, but she was culinary school chef from Switzerland. Eun Sung began to become disappointed  What if Soo Young's kindness had only been a part of her personality, not a sign of interest in him? Perhaps she wasn't coming after all.

The dashing man started to turn to head to a booth that was giving out roasted beef skewers, when all of a sudden, his eyes were attracted to a bit of commotion near the entrance.

"Do you have a ticket miss?" asked the ticket taker.

"No, well yes, I do have a ticket," came a gentle reply, "but it's not here with me. I was invited by one of your employees here as a guest."

"I can't let you in without a ticket maam."

"I understand that but if you would just let me find my friend I'm sure he could explain everything-"

The ticket taker was becoming impatient. The woman had been sorting through her sequin bag for nearly 10 minutes, holding up the line. She was quite the sight too, long, unnaturally red hair down her back, a silver long sleeve blouse, and a long flowing sequin black skirt. 

It's got to be here, its just got to! How could I misplace something so important?

"Is there a problem here?"

"No, no sir. There's no problem, I'm just trying to find my--"  Joy stopped mid-sentence, as her eyes met into intelligent familiar eyes.

"Ticket." It's him. It's really him. The man smiled, explaining that she was a guest of his. It felt like a fairytale, the scene in Cinderella where she first meets the prince, and they bow to each other. For a moment, Joy was unaware of all the people around her. It was as if her and Eun Sung were only two people in the room.

"I'm so glad you decided to come! I have a surprise for you, it's something I want you to see first." 

A surprise? For me?  Excitement was bubbling up inside her, as the district advisor led her into the back kitchen. It was rather spacious and no one was there. Joy's eyes fell on a two sets of plates, and there was a slice of pie on each of them, which whipped cream.

"What's all this?" she laughed.

"Its my newest dessert line, inspired by you. I was hoping you would be the first to try it. Can you guess the ingredients?"

The shy barista picked up one of the plates, and dug into the soft pastry with the silver fork. She chewed for a bit, and then her eyes lit up. Eun Sung sighed. She really was pretty when she was happy. No wonder people called her Joy.

"Kiwi, cinnamon, and a bit of mango! A smoothie pie, how did you do it?"

"I had a little help from the partner chefs, I was up all night making it, after I tasted your smoothie, I had an idea for a Better Foods frozen treat collection of smoothie inspired pies. The vice president was wild about the idea."

"I'm so happy for you!" 

Moments passed, and the two just sat there enjoying the pie. Eun Sung broke the spoke first. "Do you know why kiwi is my favorite fruit?" he inquired, holding the small brown fruit up to the light. His guest shook her head. "It's because even though its a little furry and brown on the outside, on the inside, its really soft and sweet, and colorful. There's more to it than meets the eye. It's a lot like people, you don't know how wonderful they are unto you really get to know them." Eun Sung smiled, "It reminds me of you, Joy." He leaned over, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The woman's hand flew to her cheek, that was becoming as red as her hair.

"Well, I'd better be going. They'll want me to make a speech. I hope you'll stay a little longer. I'd like to introduce you to our regional manager."

"I'd love to." The words flew out before she had a chance to catch them.

The corporate man smiled, and lingered a bit more before heading back out into the ballroom, leaving Joy there. Kiwi had been her favorite fruit too. Every since the days when she would spend the summer with her grandparents. Her grandmother would say, kiwis are like people. Fuzzy and a little hard on the outside but, sweet and soft on the inside. Joy smiled. Never had she like the color brown and green so much.