Taeyeon's pov. My alarm went off, and I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and a soft, warm breeze. Rolling onto my side, I willed my eyes open for my fuzzy brain to begin its job. Bright sunlight spilled in through the open glass windows blinding my sight. The curtains hanging in the air rolled playfully in the breeze. I squinted then blinked once and then twice. 'Oh, crap.' Jerking up, I clutched the comforter to my pounding heart. Last night came back to me in a rush, the talk I had with Sooyeon and our date. 'Date?' Yes, I'd asked her out on a date today and I have to get ready. Throwing off the comforter, I made a quick dash to the bathroom, where I brushed my teeth and washed my face. The strong scent of fresh brewed coffee bombarded my senses as I walked down the stairs. The coffee was set to brew right after my alarm went off. I lifted my arms, stretching as I walked into the kitchen, and set out our breakfast that I'd prepare. Today's delicacy would be eggs and bacon. I glanced at the clock as I set our breakfast on plates and prepared Sooyeon's coffee. She liked it with cream and one sugar, something I’d discovered when we moved in together. Going back to my room, I hopped in the shower. And when I was finally ready, I walked down the stairs and peered around the living room as expected, Sooyeon was sitting on one of the couches, legs crossed as she sips on her coffee. She was dressed in a classy and sophisticated white floral short dress that hugged her slender body, her hair was swept up in a neat chignon, accentuating her long graceful neck. Simple and casual but elegant. In other words, she also looked so much ready for our date and was waiting for me. When our eyes met, she gave me a slight smile. "Thanks for breakfast." I flapped my hand in the air, nonchalantly. "It's nothing, I just cooked for my wife. "So, are you ready?" I asked and she nods. We walked out of the house to the white Benz that I had in mind. I opened the door to the passenger seat and she slipped in. I took a closer look at her as she turned to look at me. "You look -" Sooyeon lifted a finger in warning as she glanced at me. "Don't." My eyebrows creased. "Don't what?" "Don't try to charm me." I grinned. "Babe, I never try." "And don't call me babe." She revolted but she was also blushing. Shaking my head I replied. "Fine. I was just going to say - " "Don't pay me a compliment." I chuckled. She sure is on her guard today. Well, this is going to be fun. "Do you always make such ridiculous rules on your first date?" "No," she said. "Just for you." I placed my hand over my chest playfully. "Oh, I'm honored." "And this isn't a first date," she corrected me. "It's going to be our trial date, don't get so attached." "Fine." I nod as I tapped my fingers on the wheel. "But I was just going to say that you and I seem to have the same thing in mind today." She gave me a confused look. "What?" I pointed to her dress and to mine, which were both white, while hers was a dress mine was simply white silk skinny jeans and a white lace top. Slowly, she nods. "Oh." Now she gets it. And the confused look on her face told me she doesn't like it or she's shocked about the fact that we share certain things in common. "You can go back and change if you like," I suggested. She grabbed the car handle and considers it for a moment but only relaxed back on her seat. "No. I'm fine." "Are you sure?" I glanced at the house's door. "Yes." Sooyeon bobs her head. "You said casual so I'm wearing casual. You're wearing white and riding white too. So what? It doesn't make us a real couple or anything." And now she's surely on her guard. So I said nothing because she sounded like she's trying to convince herself more than me. "And it doesn't mean we have anything in common," she adds. "Apart from the fact that we find each other irresistible," I said and winked. "I don't..." I raised my eyebrows and grinned. She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Just drive." "Okay." I shifted the gears. "By the way, where are we going?" she asked curiously. "An amusement park?" I snorted. "No. I'm taking you somewhere more fun. And I mean adult fun." Worry flickered in her brown eyes and it made me laugh out loud. "Not that kind of fun, don't worry." She lets out a breath of relief. "So, are you going to give me any clues?" "Just that I made sure it's the perfect place for our very first trial date." Sooyeon scowled. "Do you know what a clue means?" "Do you know what a surprise means?" I asked her back with a wide grin. "If not, you're about to find out." ~~ The moment I swerved the car onto a private dirt road, Sooyeon sat up. She leaned toward the window with wide eyes, taking in the scenery of the trees and grasslands. After a few minutes of seeing just trees and grasslands, though, her bored expression returned. When we finally reached the old wooden house, she got out of the car still wearing that ridiculous frown on her face. "A farm?" she asked me as she peered around. "Yup," I answered. "I believe that's what you call acres of land where you grow plants." She narrowed her eyes at me. "What?" I asked walking towards her. "You don't think it's a great place for a first date?" Sooyeon shrugged. "I just didn't expect it for any date." "Well, surprises tend to be unexpected." Again she narrowed her gaze at me. And I sighed. "You don't like it?" "Just tell me we're not planting, harvesting or doing any kind of hard work," Sooyeon answers. "Wow." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I never pegged you for a lazy person." "Oh, shut up," she rolled her eyes. "I work hard, more than hard, six days a week. I prefer not to do it on my day off." I patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. This is a date, remember? Not a field trip. We're not doing any work. Unless counts as work. Then I'm up for it." I winked Sooyeon glanced at me and rolled her eyes once again. "So what are we doing?" "What? Do you think farms are only for farming?" She said nothing. I grinned. "You'd be surprised what kinds of things you can do at a farm, especially this farm." I offered her my hand. "Come on. I'll show you." ~~ "Paintball?" Sooyeon stares at the coveralls I've just handed her. "Yeah." I put on mine. "You know, you try to shoot your opponent with balls filled with paint instead of - " "I know what paintball is," she cuts me off. "Good." I shrugged off my white silk jacket. "Then I suggest you put coveralls on unless you want your clothes to be smudged in the paint." "That's the thing," she said. "I don't want a single drop of paint on any part of me." "Then put them on." I gestured to the coveralls, boots, and helmet in her hands, "Oh. And try to dodge." Sooyeon shakes her head. "This is stupid and so childish." "Oh, I'm sorry," I said zipping up my coveralls. "Do people not do stupid and childish things on their first date?" "Yes, but..." "Do you have a rule against playing paintball on a first date?" "I'd like to make one now." "Because?" "Because this is..." She glanced at the coveralls in her hands with lightly veiled disgust. "Messy." "Not if you put them on." "And hard work," she sighed. My eyebrow creased. "What part of this is work?" "Well, it feels like work because it feels like I have to put on scrubs." "But you won't be cutting anyone. You'll just be shooting. With paintballs. There's no risk of harm or death. No consequences when you make mistakes other than getting hit by a ball of paint." "And no point," Sooyeon says. "What's the point of all this?" I smirked. "The point, Mrs. Kim, is for you and me to have fun. That's what normal people do on dates, I believe -do stupid things and have fun. I read that in a book last night." Her eyebrows wrinkled. "I think, Ms. Kim, that you and I have different perceptions of what makes a date." "Oh, don't worry, we can kiss and make out later." She blushed. "I didn't mean..." "Let's just have fun, okay?" I her arm. "It's just a simple, harmless, pointless, fun game, don't forget this is what normal couples would do and we are trying to be normal, remember." Sooyeon sighed. "Unless you want to make it something more," I said and that caught her attention. "What do you mean?" "Let's make it a bit of a challenge," I said. "The winner can get a reward. That way, we can turn this game into a competition, make it exciting, which can be even better than just fun." Her eyes narrowed. "A competition?" I shrugged. "You seem to be craving some pressure." "I..." "And this way, there will be something in it for you, and even for me." She paused. "A reward?" "If I win, you'll have to do something for me." "Which is?" she asked curiously. I know what she's thinking, but I'm pretty sure I can make that happen even if I don't win. "You have to clean my boots. I think I stepped on something on the way here." It's a lie, but Sooyeon doesn't know that so she pouts. "If I lose, I'll do whatever you ask." "Even if it means cutting this date short and going back home?" My eyebrows crinkled. "Wow. Is this date that bad?" She sighed. "I didn't say that." I stepped forward. "Mrs. Kim, did you or did you not agree to go on this date with me?" "I did," Sooyeon answered. "But only because you want to try and be a better person." "Right! So you'll help me as you promised, right? I owe you one and you said you'll do anything I asked for to pay your depths." She shrugged. "Just about. I don't like owing anyone." "Fine," I gave in. "If you win, I'll drive us back home after we have lunch. The food here happens to be great." "Okay." She nods. "If you win," I repeated with a grin putting my helmet on. "Which I'm pretty sure you won't. Not against me." For a moment, Sooyeon just stared at me. Then she fixed her game face on, the best face I've seen on her all day. She also puts on her coveralls. "We'll see about that." She said determinedly. ~~ Sooyeon tried. I got to say she tried, but in the end, I still defeated her, soundly. She whined and sulked at first. Then she realized my shoes were clean and she felt relieved. After a full meal, she cheered up. And now, as we take a walk through the cellar where the barrels and bottles of wine made from the grapes growing above are kept, it seems like she's forgotten about her defeat entirely. "I still can't believe I lost," she murmured suddenly. Okay. I take it back. She hasn't forgotten it yet. "Come on." I stood in front of her. "Do you still wish you had gone home, even though we're here in a wine cellar right now?" "You mean in a stuffy wine cellar?" She fanned herself with her hand. I frowned. "Sorry," she says as she placed her hand down. "I know I've been complaining a lot. You must think I'm such a horrid date." "No." I shook my head. "You're lazy. You don't like getting your hands dirty even though you are going to be a doctor and get your hands in guts almost every day." Sooyeon chuckles. "You're kind of bad at paintball." She opened to protest but I didn't let her. "You hate losing. And you eat a lot, even though I don't know where you stuff it." She glanced at her belly. "But a horrid date?" I shook my head again. "No." Sooyeon pursed her lips to hold back a smile. I scratched my head like I just remembered something. "Wait a second. I take that back. You're a terrible date." Her eyes widened. "What?" "Well, you said I wasn't supposed to pay you compliments and I think I just did. I broke the rules, so I take it back. You can pretend you never heard it." She snorted. "It's fine. You insulted me first, anyway." "Right." I nod. "I did, didn't I?" She nods. "Mm-hmm." "In that case, I should give you a bigger compliment." I looked into her eyes. "You're the best date ever." Sooyeon looked away as her cheeks flushed. "Like I will believe that." "But it's true," I said. "In fact, it's so true I'm prepared to toast to it." I grabbed one of the wine bottles from the nearest table and pour two glasses. I hand her one of them and lifted mine. "To the best date ever." She said nothing as I let my glass touched hers slightly. Then she frowned