He was late. He was thirteen minutes and forty seconds late to be exact. You tried not to cry. You didn’t even know the guy enough but he had somehow seduced you with his smile and his rap. It didn’t help that your friend had encouraged you, thrilled that you could, in her words, “bag such a hottie.”

            Two nights ago, after the rap battle was over, Yongguk had sat with you, waiting with you while your friend went and danced. He was polite, ordering you soda, not wanting to assume you drank. He was funny, talking to you and asking you where you learned how to rap. You also learned more about him. You knew that he had a speech impediment, not speaking until he was five. You knew that he often trained with his twin brother, the two of them encouraging one another in their music. He was currently part of an underground band which released albums every few months, filled with rap and heavy bass beats.

            He was polite and surprisingly, only one year older than you. His manners were impeccable and he didn’t try to act possessive when other guys approached you, asking you to dance. You were too absorbed by Yongguk, and so rejected all of them.

            “Whoa, are you usually this harsh or is it just my charms?” he had joked, thinking that you were the type of girl who normally didn’t like dancing.

            You winked at him, more than happy to play along. “Your charms have blinded me to all others,” you said, which was actually the truth as well. He had shyly asked you out, taking off his glasses and wiping them with his sleeve so he wouldn’t have to look at you in case you rejected him.

            You fell for him completely when you saw that underneath his hoodie was a Tigger necklace. You didn’t point it out but you noticed it when he was rubbing the lens and without regret, you agreed. The two of you set the time and the date, which was two days from then.

            You glanced at your watch, unsure if you should go upstairs and change back into your pajamas. He was now seventeen minutes and eleven seconds late. You picked yourself off your porch and was about to go in when his car pulled up and you saw him rush out.

            “I’m so sorry,” he was already apologizing the moment he set foot on your pathway. “To make a long story short, I was being a knight in shining armor.” He looked so endearing, pushing his glasses up and trying to keep his hat from falling off.

            “Knight in shining armor?” You mused. “You’re wearing all black, silly.”

            He blushed. “Basically,” he said in his deliciously deep voice, “someone at the club had made a snide remark about you and I thought it was my business to set him straight. Needless to say, he didn’t take my scolding lightly and we got into a little, uh, tussle.”

            You looked shocked. “No, Yongguk! You did not get into a fight for me.”

            He wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you into his warmth. “No, I just challenged him to a rap battle. It’s how we settle things at the club. His lack of skill made it difficult for me to even take him seriously. But there’s no need to worry. He won’t bother you again. Or rather, he won’t let me hear him trash talk you again.”

            All your annoyance at his tardiness vanished and you looked up at him. “Thank you, that was really kind of you.”

            He brought a hand to the back of his neck and chuckled shyly. “Er, it’s not much. I honestly don’t like it when people diss people I care about.”

            You grinned at the ground, trying to not let him see. “Where are we going?”

            He looked away, unsure how to tell you. “I made a reservation at a restaurant but I think we’re a bit too late. I’m sorry.”

            You breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, because I wanted to show you a place.” You took his hand and led him down the block. “We don’t need to drive. It’s right here.” You lived in a suburban area and walked until the two of you reached a small valley. It overlooked a small lake and the sky was reflected in the dark waters.

            “I guess this is just someplace I always kept as a little secret. I go here sometimes when I’m not feeling great. I mean, I didn’t mean it that way today. I just wanted to show you a little secret of mine.” You decided to shut your mouth before your rambling got worse.

            Yongguk smiled. “Do you see that other side? The other part of the valley? I stay there sometimes, looking across the lake and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to find anyone who appreciated this beauty as much as I do.”

            Your mouth dropped. “Really?”

            He held your hand. “Yes, really. And I’m glad the person I found is as beautiful as you are.” He took off his sweater and placed it on the ground, letting you sit on it. When you shivered, he took off his second layer and wrapped it around your shoulder.

            You looked at his necklace. “Can I ask about that?” You pointed at the Tigger dangling on the silver chain.

            He blushed. “Well, this is basically a childhood thing. I couldn’t speak for the longest time. I didn’t actually start until I was five to be honest. And I’ve always had a best friend, my Tigger doll. When I first spoke, my mom gave this to me. I rarely take it off but this inspired me to rap because I had a dream that it came alive, and uh, started rapping.” Yongguk covered his face. “Ugh, that sounded so lame.”

            You leaned into him, giggling. “No, that was cute.” He gave you an incredulous look and you winked at him. “Honestly. I never thought the necklace would have such a touching story behind it. Sing for me?” You asked randomly.

            He held your hand to his chest and started to sing Secret Love. You joined in, and slowly, your heads leaned in together until the words were cut off when his lips met yours. His warm hands held you closer to him and you shivered despite yourself.

            When you broke apart, he smiled. “That will forever be our song. If it weren’t for your skills there, I would never have fallen for you.”

A sequel was requested and I did it in between AP Bio.

May or may not post the Zelo... depends on how much I can get done on the Himchan