“Do you like it?” Junsu asked with a bright smile on his lips.

Ven slowly breathe in and tried to compose herself before nodding. “It’s… it’s really beautiful,” she replied with a timid smile.

The place where Junsu brought her was truly one of a kind. It was a restaurant in the middle of a very beautiful garden with a pond where she could see swans swimming happily. “Eh? Are those swans? Wow…. I’ve never seen a real swan before… Come on, let’s take a closer look,” she exclaimed and unexpectedly she took Junsu’s hand as if to lead him to the place where the swans were. But as soon as she touched his hand, she quickly realized what she had done and immediately backed away as if in shock.

“Hey, don’t tell me you’re feeling shy with me all of a sudden,” Junsu said with a laugh. “Don’t think of this as a date, but more of a get-to-know each other party,” he again said cheerfully. He somehow wanted to help Ven by changing the strange atmosphere between them.

“Get-to-know each other party?” Ven couldn’t help but ask.

Junsu nodded. “Truthfully I really want to get to know you… much, much better than before. I know that it may sound very awkward but… can you give me a chance to show you who I really am? I want you to get to know the real me. I know I’m a bit too playful and you might not trust me that much but I want you to believe in me. I want to show you that I can be serious too, if I need to.”

Ven couldn’t help but stare deep into Junsu’s eyes. She could easily tell that he was telling the truth. And somehow this was making her heart beat so fast that it was making her a bit scared. She suddenly turned away and tried to look at something else. “This restaurant is really nice, Junsu. I’m sure they also have delicious foods as well. How about we eat? I’m starving,” she tried to change the conversation.

Junsu quickly noticed what Ven was trying to do so he just smiled and allowed her to do what she wanted. “Yes, this place is really quite rare plus the person who owns this place is also a very good cook,” he answered.

“I never imagined that there is a place like this here,” Ven added after taking a look around the place. She was so pre-occupied with looking at her surrounding that she didn’t notice Junsu was standing so close to her. It was already too late… when she finally made a turn to the left, she immediately bumped into Junsu. Instantly she lost her balance and was about to fall backwards, good thing that he was able to grab her and pull her straight into his arms.

At that exact moment, everything stopped for both Ven and Junsu. Somehow Ven felt like running away and hiding far, far away. She couldn’t explain her feelings. She was feeling nervoux, scared and embarrassed… and there is that one unknown feeling that she couldn’t really understand. “Could it be?.... Could I be falling for him?” she started to ask herself silently.

Junsu just smiled and continued to hold on to Ven. “Can I hold you forever?” he suddenly asked with a very hypnotizing smile on his lips.

Ven’s heart started to beat wildly. “Ahh… I… I… “ somehow she was lost for words. Slowly she could feel that her face was burning.

Junsu lightly laughed. “You know, you’re more beautiful when you’re blushing,” he then commented.

Ven felt like she was shaking so she immediately straightened herself and moved away from Junsu’s embrace. “Ahhh thanks for your help. It would have been totally embarrassing if I fell right?” she then asked with a light laugh. She was somehow trying to change the flow of their conversation.

Junsu nodded. “Can I ask you a favor?” he suddenly asked.

Ven looked at Junsu with a confused look on her face. “Eh? What kind of favor?” she asked curiously.

“Can we go back to how we treated each other before this date thing started? Because honestly I can sense that you’re starting to feel awkward whenever I’m around. And how can we know each other much better if you’re avoiding me?” Junsu said with a serious look on his face.

Ven quickly lowered her head and with a low voice said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I’m avoiding you or something. It’s just that, I kinda feel weird. I hope you’re not offended or anything. I, I really don’t know how to handle things like these. I… I’m really sorry.”

Junsu sighed and then just smiled. “Okay this is getting too serious. I’m sorry too if I’m making you feel uncomfortable in any way. Let’s pretend okay? We’re friends and we’re here to have fun… is that okay with you?”

Ven nodded. She tried to clear her mind and straighten her emotions before she finally spoke. “Well… what are we waiting for? I’m starving,” she said with a smile.

“Good, I’m starving too… So how about we order everything on the menu? I want to try everything? Are you game?” Junsu asked cheerfully.

“Eh? Everything?” Ven then laughed and nodded again. “I really didn’t have any appetite since yesterday since I was so nervous. So be prepared… I’m going to eat a lot today,” she said jokingly.

Junsu laughed out loud. “We’re the same. I also couldn’t eat properly since yesterday and today… So let’s make up on our diet okay? Let’s taste everything on the menu,” he said with grin.

***************************

At that exact time…. At Eve and Yunho’s home….

“What are you doing right now?” Yunho asked while staring at the sky. “If I could only show you how much you mean to me…I would gladly trade everything I have now just to have you by my side. But then….” Slowly he sighed and just lowered his head in defeat. He couldn’t accept the fact that Ven was with another man. While she was having fun, he was sitting alone and trying to erase the pain he was feeling.

“Brother? What’s wrong?” Eve asked with concern. She has never seen her brother so down.

Yunho tried to put on a fake smile. “Nothing. I guess I’m just feeling a bit dramatic all of a sudden,” he tried to joke around.

Eve stared closely at her brother. “You do know that I can tell when something’s wrong. You’re like an open book when you have a problem. So tell me…. what’s wrong? I’m your sister, so you can surely tell me,” she said with concern.

Yunho chuckled. “My little sister is on a lecture mode again,” he tried to laugh.

“Even if you laugh a thousand times, it won’t fool me. What’s bothering you?” Eve replied seriously.

Yunho looked away and tried to think of something to say to make his sister leave him alone. “I really don’t have anything going on Eve… I just need some time alone. You know it’s a man thing. Just like when you girls have your girl thing every month,” he tried to make a joke again.

Eve shook her head in disapproval. “You do know that you when it comes to making jokes, especially when you’re depressed. I’m just concerned about you brother. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing… really,” Yunho tried to assure his sister. “I just remembered something…”

“What?” Eve asked curiously.

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a date with Ven?” Yunho asked with a serious expression on his face.

“Eh? Oh…. Well Erin and I already finished our shopping so I just decided to go home. As for Ven, well… she’s still on a date with Junsu,” Eve answered with a wide grin on her face.

“WHAT? You mean you left Ven with that guy? How could you be so careless? Where did they go? Do you know? I’m going to pick her up,” Yunho asked angrily.

Eve looked at her brother’s reaction. Somehow she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Hey, hold on… It’s just a date. And besides it’s Junsu, for Christ’s sake. He wouldn’t even hurt a fly. So basically he’s harmless,” she commented.

“No man is harmless, remember that,” Yunho remarked sarcastically.

“Eh? Wait a minute, I smell something fishy. Don’t tell me you’re affected? Are you by any chance…. Jealous? Don’t tell me you like Ven? Are you serious?” Eve continuously bombarded her brother with questions.

Panic quickly registered on Yunho’s face. “Me? Jealous? Hell, no! I’m just concerned. She’s like a little sister to me, just like the way you are to me,” he lied.

Eve sighed and somehow relaxed. “Oh, I see. And I actually thought you had a crush on Ven. Well, she’s safe so don’t worry about it. I believe she’s having a great time right now.”

Yunho’s face became tensed. “Great time? Really? I just hope he knows how to behave properly or else I’ll be rearranging his face.”

Eve stared at her brother again. She was somehow analyzing his reaction. She knew that something wasn’t right. But she just stayed silent and decided to pretend that she wasn’t noticing his brother’s strange reaction.

“Look, if something’s wrong, then Ven should have called me up right now. So don’t worry, she’s okay. I know Junsu is a perfect gentleman,” she again reassured her brother, who just kept silent.

“Something’s not right. I think I need to be more attentive starting today,” Eve thought silently.

******************

The next day……

“How was it? How’s your date? You came home quite late last night,” Erin asked her brother excitedly.

“It was heavenly,” Junsu replied with a very bright smile on his lips.

“Eh, heavenly? Hmmmm that kinda sounds suspicious. By any chance, you didn’t do anything funny right?,” she asked with a light laugh

Junsu looked at his sister. “Me? Do something funny? I’m not bad …. yet…” he then laughed. Then his expression changed. “Erin, is it okay if I become serious with Ven?” he asked.

Erin grinned. “Yes, of course. As long as you’re happy, I will surely support you 100% percent. Besides I think Ven is a very nice girl. So go… court her. Just make sure you don’t make her cry okay? I know you’re a bit playful and a total playboy sometimes so if you’re planning to be serious with her. Make sure to tidy up all your loose ends first. I don’t want to hear that you’re still seeing those other girls that you used to go out with after you’ve started courting Ven. Do you understand?” she said with a serious tone.

Junsu nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”

********

School time….

Ven and Eve were busy chatting with each other when they suddenly noticed that almost all the girls that they pass by were also busy looking at them. Somehow this made them so uncomfortable and curious.

“What do you think happened? Why are they looking at us?” Ven asked her friend.

Eve just shrugged and laughed. “Don’t know and I really don’t care. Maybe they are jealous of our beauties,” she answered jokingly.

Ven just shook her head and smiled. But somehow she could sense that something was terribly wrong and this made her very scared.