You stared at him in shock for a moment, then you seized him by the shoulders and shot questions at him faster than gunfire, "What? How? What is his name? How old is he? What does he major in? What kind of underwear does he wear?"

            Kibum snorted in the background but you ignored him. "Wookie!" you implored. "Answer me!"
            Ryeowook grinned slightly, clearly as amused as Kibum was. "_____!" he replied, also grabbing you by the shoulders. "Let me process your questions for a second!" He mocked the urgency in your tone and you stuck your tongue out at him.
            You took a deep breath, and plopped onto the edge of Wookie's bed next to Kibum. Waiting patiently, not moving a muscle, you stared at Ryeowook expectantly. Also completely immobile, he stared back for a very long time—rather, it felt like a very long time to you. Kibum lay on the bed the entire time, still looking amused by what was going on around him. You tried not to fidget, but you were more impatient than a five-year-old awaiting dessert. Purposefully oblivious to your twitching, Ryeowook continued to stare at you blankly.
            "Kim Ryeowook!" you finally exploded. "I'm begging you: details!"
            Kibum commented, "You got obsessed with this poor boy awfully fast, _____."
            "I forgot what it felt like to be interested in someone," you admitted. "I feel like I'm in middle school again, with my first love."
            "Oh, so cute!" Ryeowook cooed, patting your head. You grabbed his hand and pulled him down so that you were face-to-face. 
            "You will spill everything you know," you said, threateningly, narrowing your eyes. He almost gulped. 
            "Okay," he surrendered, giving up teasing you. "It was fun while it lasted. His name is…"
            You nodded, "Is?"
            Ryeowook inhaled deeply before saying, "Henry." 
            "Henry," you said, trying it out like his name were a new food to be tasted. "That's a cute name. It's English?"
            He nodded. "He's from Canada. They recruited him because of violin skills. You already saw—he’s amazing. I don't know much about him, but he's in a lot of my classes, even though he's so young. Can you imagine? A freshman, already on the level of a junior."
            You absorbed the information quickly, delighted to learn more about the boy. Kibum commented on the side again, "A freshman? _____, looks like you're the noona. You're getting old, aren't you?"
            You turned around slowly to face him, locking him down with your steeliest, coldest glare. "What did you say, Kim Kibum?"
            He smiled at you innocently, repeating the words with even more emphasis. "You're getting old, _____!"
            "That's it!" you shouted. "You're dead!"
            You tackled him, pinning him down on the bed. "We're the same age, you jerk! Don't call me old! I'm only twenty-one!" And then you began to torture him in the worst way possible: tickling. Sitting on his stomach, you tickled his armpits and his sides. He was laughing so hard he was almost in tears.
            "_____," he tasked. "Please..."
            "No! You're mean and you keep annoying me about Henry and you deserve a punishment!" You ripped off his socks and began to torture his feet. "Wookie, help me!" 
            "Clearly, you've never lived with him. His feet are disgusting. I'm not touching that!" he replied, repulsed.
            You grabbed him and pulled him on top Kibum, commanding, "Then you get his sides." You continued to torture poor Kibum, who was crying and gasping for air by now. "Kim Kibum, who's the prettiest girl you know?"
            "You," he wheezed, his eyes streaming.
            "Who's the freshest?"

            "You!"
            "The most attractive?"
            "You!"
            "And who will Henry-ssi want to date, no matter what our ages are?"
            "You! _____, please!" he begged, barely able to get the words out past his laughter, which, by now, didn't even sound like laughter because of how hoarse his throat had become. 
            "Fine," you humphed, climbing off of him. "But stop being a jerk! I thought you wanted this!"
            Kibum sat up, panting heavily. He heaved, "I'm sorry. I thought I did want this. But it's nice that you like this boy; I'm just not used to it."
            He paused and looked away. "And, I think I'm jealous."
            "Bummie!" you cooed, the sudden turnaround from your previous anger unnerving Ryeowook. "You're so cute! Don't be jealous, Bum-ah. No matter whom I meet, you will always be my closest friend, and my favorite. You should know by now, you're more than a brother to me!"
            Kibum put an arm around you and squeezed you gently. You smiled at him, always happy whenever he showed affection.
            "Enough about Kibum!" Ryeowook exclaimed. "He’s not as interesting as Henry! Don't you want to figure out this Henry situation, and just how you’re going to meet him?"
            "Right!" you agreed emphatically. "But…what do we do?"
            Kibum muttered under his breath, "And you were making fun of me for how I bring flowers to girls." 
            "We have to plan something super special," Ryeowook insisted. "But what?"
            "Maybe she should sing for him," Kibum suggested. 
            "I said something special, not something painful," Ryeowook retorted. 
            "True," Kibum nodded.
            "How about we have her strip for him?" Wookie suggest with a grin.
            "No, I don't think that will work, because he's just a freshman."
            "Then maybe she can dance?"
            "And get laughed at?"
            You, who had just been listening the entire time, grumbled, "I hate you both."
            "Okay, seriously though," Ryeowook sobered up after a quick laugh. "What if we just got him to come somewhere, and you introduce yourself, just like the good ole days, before handphones and me2day were introduced?"
            "But where?" you asked, with a frown.
            "How about you go to his practice room again?" Kibum said, shrugging.
            Ryeowook shook his head. "You have no idea how annoying it is to be interrupted in the middle of a practice. I think we should take the whole thing out of school."
            "Well, there is this one coffeeshop I really like. I just found it a couple of weeks ago, but Kibum and I have been there a million times," you said hesitantly.           
            "Coffeeshop sounds good," Wookie encouraged. "What's it called?"
            "Kona Beans."
            "You're kidding me!" Wookie shouted. 
            "What?" Kibum asked, puzzled.
            "My friends' parents own that shop," he explained. "And those particular friends also happen to know Henry."
            "Perfect," you confirmed with a grin, your eyes lighting up.

                                                                                                                ~*~

            "Stop fidgeting," Kibum hissed, who was by your side in Kona Beans. The two of you were sitting there patiently, waiting for Ryeowook to begin the plan.
            "I can't help it," you whined back, tugging at your sleeves. "I haven't been on a date in two years. Two years, Kibum!" Inside, a part of you was genuinely scared. What would happen if he didn't like you? What would happen if he thought you were gross? What would happen if he turned out like him?
            He grasped you by your shoulders, turning you to face him. "You'll be fine, _____. Just be yourself, and it'll work out."
            You took a deep breath and nodded, steadying yourself. Suddenly, you caught sight of Ryeowook from the corner of your eye, walking closer to your table, laughing and joking and messing around. One of the boys was tall, with somewhat cute acne scars and a devilish smile. The other was, well, he was Henry. You couldn't help stare at him, in complete disbelief that you were finally meeting him.
            "Oh, Kibum-ah!" Ryeowook called casually, as if he hadn't known that he would run into the two of you "And _____!" 
            Kibum got up to clap Ryeowook on the back, and nodded politely at the other two boys. You got up shyly and smiled at them from underneath the hair that was hanging in your face.
            "This is my friend, Cho Kyuhyun," Wookie introduced. "And this is his friend, Henry Lau."
            Kyuhyun smiled at you, looking much more friendly than he had a moment ago with his two friends. "How are you liking the shop?"
            "She loves it," Kibum said for you. You were still too shy to move. He subtly kicked you from behind the table so the others wouldn't see and shot you a pointed look. 
            "Y-yeah," you said a little shakily. "I love spending my extra time here, after class."
            "That's good, because my mom owns this shop!" He chuckled then asked, "Are you in college?"
            "Mhm. I'm in Wookie's graduating class."
            "Noona," Henry said suddenly, those cute dimples appearing. You couldn't help but smile back at him, after seeing how easy-going he was.
            "Oh, Henry," Ryeowook said. "This is my very good friend, _____."
            He offered his hand, like a Westerner. "He already introduced me, but I'm Henry. I lived in Canada as a kid but I came here to study music. And I'm Chinese." He smiled warmly, his hand outreached. You shook it, barely meeting his eyes, but smiled hack just as warmly.
            "_____ and I have been very good friends for three years," Wookie remarked.
            "She's really pretty, right?" Kibum added.
            "And smart!"
            "Cute and energetic."
            "And she almost cooks as well as I do!"
            "She's amazing."
            You were redder than a tomato by now. "You guys!" you yelled, embarrassedly.
            Ryeowook cracked up upon seeing your expression and Kibum pushed your shoulder gently. Only one boy ever showered you like compliments like that, and he hasn't done that in two years.
            "So, you two are dating?" Henry asked abruptly, successfully distracting you for the second time from your thoughts about him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking back on forth on his heels.
            "Me and Ryeowook?!"
            "No, you and Kibum sunbae," he said unashamedly.
            "ME AND KIBUM?!" You almost shot through the roof.
            Ryeowook laughed even harder, while Kyuhyun looked amused. Kibum shook his head and clapped Henry on the back, saying,
            "No, man. This pretty angel is all yours."
            You kicked Kibum's leg then turned to Henry, bowing apology. "I'm sorry they're so straightforward. Please don't take their stupidity as a reflection my own attitude."
            He laughed; the sound was so nice for you to hear. "No problem. So…noona, you're single?"
            You blushed, but this time meeting his eyes with a bright smile. "Yes, Henry-ssi." You turned to the other boys and glared at them. They shuffled off willingly, snickering at your still red face.
            "Then how about a re-do?" He offered his hand again, flashing a set of straight, white teeth.
            "Yes, please!" You took his hand and shook it firmly. "I'm _____. I'm studying Communications here at Seoul National University. I'm in my third year. It's nice to meet you!"
            He didn't let go of your hand at all; instead, he swung your arms back and forth together, his cuteness making you squeal inside. "I'm Henry. This is my first year here, and I'm studying music, with an undecided concentration."
            He paused. "And, _____?"
            "Ne?"
            "I'd really like to take you on a date," he said, squeezing your hand—which he still had not let go—tightly. You looked at the entwined hands swaying between you, and you couldn't help but recall the last time a boy held your hand like this.

            “Your hands are so soft!” you marveled. “Like a girl’s!”

            “Like a girl’s?” he scoffed. “Please. Your hands don’t feel as nice as mine do!”

            You retracted your hand and used it to smack his arm. “Oppa, you’re so mean!”           

            “I’m just teasing, _____,” he said, grabbing your hand and kissing it before letting it fall between you and sway back and forth. “You know, your hand is the only one I’ll ever want to hold.”

            Shaking the thought away, you met Henry's eyes and nodded,
            "I think I'd like that a lot, Henry-ssi."
            Let the tests begin, you thought silently, taking a deep breath to brace yourself, as Henry smiled unknowingly at you.

A/N: Whoa, two weeks was so long! I'm sorry! Don't worry, I'll update sooner this time. My university entrance exams are over (for now!) so I have a bit of time to relax before final exams and write what I want. Thanks for waiting. 

More importantly, HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE I LOVE ITALY TEASERS?!?!?! I'm dying of excitement, seriously. He looks absolutely delicious. I have officially decided that the Kibum in my story looks like that. Of course, that's just how I picture him, but how do you guys picture him? 

But look, you guys, Kyuhyun and Henry made their entrance ^^ And isn't Kibum so cute ticklish? I saw this video of him being tickled once, and I was like omg you're so precious I need to put this in my story. 

Okay that's it! Please comment and subscribe<3 You seriously have no idea how much that means to me ^_^