“I was going to do it in black and white for a retro feel but then...” Jimin trails off, examining her friend beside her who’s smiling like a fool. Clearing , she continues, “Little gremlins stole every single one of my brushes and used them to create a catapult so they could bombard the city with giant marshmallows.”

“Sounds nice,” Marina says absently, still giggling at her phone

“Yah! Have you been paying attention to a single word I’ve said?”

She jumps, looking at Jimin guiltily.  “Um...you were talking about the exhibition you went to for class?”

“That was like ten minutes ago, Marina. I think someone’s got stung by the love bug,” Jimin smirks. “And after only one date too.”

Marina gives her an embarrassed smile and leans into her. “I think so too, but this is driving me crazy!”

“What? Wae? You look pretty happy to me.”

“I am. It’s only been one date and a week since that date, but I get butterflies every time I hear his voice or he texts me. Am I supposed to be this happy? And what if we keep going on dates and he wants to be boyfriend girlfriend? I don’t know the first thing about dating. What if something goes wrong or he ends up being too busy or the press finds out or he decides I’m not-”

Jimin shuts Marina up by stuffing a large piece of her chocolate muffin in . When Marina glares accusingly at her, she just raises an eyebrow. “Don’t give me that look. If I didn’t stop you now, you’d be rambling on and worrying till next year. Don’t worry your pretty little head about that stuff until and or if it happens.”

Marina swallows a bit. “But-”

“No ‘buts,’” she sighs, ruffling Marina’s hair. “Dating’s not a science; it’s a part of life. There’re no rules or formulas to follow and yeah, sometimes things don’t work out, but like I said, that’s just life.”

Marina stays still, contemplating her friend’s words. “I guess it’s a good thing I wasn’t good at science then, huh?”

“I guess so,” Jimin snorts. “You’ll be fine, Marina. Soohyun seems like a great guy from what you’ve told me, although I still reserve the best friend right of meeting him in person to judge and of course he’d be crazy not to be crazy about such a sweetheart as you.”

“Jimin-ah.”

“What? Just telling it how it is.”

Marina opens in retort but is instantly sidetracked when her phone beeps again, making her snatch it up with eager hands.

Once she opens the text, Jimin swipes the phone and runs away with it.

“Yah!” Marina scrambles up to chase her around the bench. “Give it back!”

“Smiley faces and hearts? And you’re both using them?” Jimin cackles, looking through some of the previous messages. “Cute!”

“Jimin-ah! Come on, I’ve got to go pick up Rose. I need it back!”

“But it’s fun torturing you,” she pouts, stopping just long enough for Marina to grab her phone.

Sticking out her tongue, she replies, “So sad to deprive of your entertainment.”

“Sure you are,” Jimin laughs. “You’ll be in the shop later, right?”

“Shop or studio, depending on how busy it is.”

“All right. I might come by later to see you.”

Marina rolls her eyes as she scoops up her bag. “Like I don’t know you’re really coming so Mom invites you to dinner. You should know by now you always are. You are basically family.”

“Then I’ll see you for dinner,” Jimin laughs, waving as Marina walks away.

“Unnie, when is Soohyun oppa coming over again?” Rose asks as she and Marina walk home.

“I’m not sure, Rosie. Oppa’s really busy,” Marina explains, carefully looking both ways before they cross the street.

“I know. I saw oppa on T.V yesterday. He sings really pretty.”

“Yes,” Marina smiles. “Yes, he does.”

“The others that were with him sing really pretty too.”

“They are,” she laughs.

“They’re oppa’s friends, right? Will they be your friends too?”

“I certainly hope so.” B1A4’s ‘Beautiful Target’ sounds, making Marina stop to dig her phone out. “Hang on one-second, Rosie. Yubseyo.”

“Hi, Marina.”

Soohyun’s rich voice brings an instant smile to her face. “Hi.”

“What’re you doing?”

“Just going to the shop with Rosie. She was just asking about you. She misses you,” Marina replies, glancing down at her sister. Shyly, she adds, “And I miss you too.”

“I miss you too,” Soohyun says softly. “And Rose, of course.”

“Can I talk to oppa?” Rose asks, tugging on Marina’s hand.

“Rose would like to speak to you, is that all right?” Marina asks.

Soohyun laughs. “That’s fine.”

“Hi, Soohyun oppa,” Rose chirps when Marina hands her the phone.

“Hi, Rose,” he says. “How’re you?”

“I’m good. I got to play outside today and our teacher let us have a snack too. Are you going to come see unnie soon?”

“I really wish I could, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to.”

“Why doesn’t she come see you then?” Rose suggests.

Soohyun pauses. “She could do that. Would you mind asking her for me?”

“Sure.” She turns to look up at Marina. “Soohyun oppa wants to know if you want to go see him.”

Marina giggles. “Tell him I’d love to. Can you ask him when and where please?”

Rose relays the message.

“Is your unnie free tomorrow evening?” Soohyun asks after thinking it over.

“Yes. She only works in the morning,” she answers for Marina.

“Good. Could please you give the phone back to her so I can tell her how to get here? It was good talking to you, Rose.”

“But you’ll come see me soon too, right?” Rose persists.

He laughs. “I’ll try. I promise.”

“Okay. Bye, Soohyun oppa.” She hands back the phone. “Your turn, unnie.”

“Thanks, Rosie,” Marina laughs. Bringing the phone back to her ear, she says, “Using my little sister to get to me, huh? Pretty sneaky.”

Soohyun laughs too. “She’s the one who suggested it. I had nothing to do with it, though I was trying to figure out how to see you soon. We’ve been really busy.”

“I know. I’ve been watching your performances.”

“What’d you think?”


“Amazing as always,” she smiles. “Aren’t you tired?”

“We’re use to it by now...I feel bad asking you to come see me-”

“But I want to.” Marina bites her lip. “I just don’t want to be in the way.”

“You wouldn’t be,” Soohyun rushes to assure her. “You’d never be. The guys wouldn’t mind. I’d make sure they’d be on their best behavior.”

“I’m sure they’re not that bad,” she giggles.

“If they know you’re coming, think a bunch of high schoolers on Red Bull, especially since Eli actually inhales the stuff. They’ve kept dropping hints they want to meet you again.”

“All the more reason to come by. You’re really sure it’d be okay?”

“Of course. We have a small break between recordings towards the end of the day tomorrow and I can wait for you in the lobby of the NH building. It isn’t hard to find.”

“Especially if you give me directions,” Marina teases.

“That might help,” Soohyun chuckles. “Should I text them to you?”


“That’ll be fine.” She pauses as she hears some muffled noise in the background.

“Okay, I’ll do that as soon as I can,” he says. “We’re getting ready to go on, but I’ll talk to you soon and give you the directions.”

“Arasso. Hwaiting!”

“Thanks, Marina. Bye.”

“Bye.”

“So you’re going to see oppa tomorrow?” Rose asks with a smile.

“Yes, and his friends,” Marina answers, imagining what it would be like.

“Are you going to bring him a present too?”

“A present?” she repeats.

“Yeah. Like Soohyun oppa brought you,” Rose reminds her. “I think he’d like that since he really liked the picture I drew him.”

“He did like it,” Marina says thoughtfully, an idea slowly forming in her mind. “Rosie, I think that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

Rose giggles when Marina leans down to kiss her cheek. “Can I help?”


“Of course you can.”

“Then let’s go!”

Marina laughs and quickens her pace as Rose pulls on her hand, hurrying home.

+++++++++++++++++

“What is it?” Hoon asks, lifting the device the host had just handed him closer to his face  to examine it.

“Not this again,” Dongho whimpers, pouting and hiding behind Kevin. “They hurt!”

“Come on, Dongho-ah,” Soohyun laughs, nudging him. “We’ve done this a hundred times before.”
“Still hurts,” Dongho retorts.

“I’ll do it first then, you baby,” Eli teases, confidently slipping his hand under the strap.

“Hang on, but what is it?” Hoon asks again.

“It’s a lie detector,”  AJ explains. “It’ll shock you if you tell a lie.”

“It’s fun,” Kiseop and Kevin say at the same time, making them laugh.

“All right, first question,” the host says, bringing their attention back. “I really like to flirt, yes or no?”

“I don’t flirt a lot on purpose. It just happens,” Eli shrugs. His calm demeanor is broken a few seconds later when he yells and jerks his hand away, much to the amusement of the members.

“Dongho’s turn,” Kiseop shouts, pushing the protesting magnae forward.

Looking like a betrayed puppy, Dongho puts his hand on the machine.

Clearing his throat, the host asks, “I have snuck off somewhere without telling the others, yes or no?”

Dongho hesitates before answering slowly, “Yes.”

    When the lie detector fails to shock him, the others immediately jump in, teasingly hitting him and demanding answers. When they’ve settled down a little, they go through the rest of the members until they get to Soohyun.

“Ask away,” he says, smiling as he rests his hand on the strap.”

“I’m currently in a relationship, yes or no?”

“No. Not unless you count Kiss-Me,” he replies with a wink.

    He waits serenely, completely surprised when a sudden electric pulses through his hand. The others look at him with equal surprise which they instantly cover by laughing and teasing him excitedly all at once.

“Yah! Who is she?” Hoon asks.

“Have you been holding out on us, hyung?” Kevin adds.

AJ pokes his side. “When the heck do you even have time?”

“So Soohyun-ssi is in a relationship?” the host prods.

“Only with Kiss-Me,” Soohyun hurriedly answers, laughing it off and hiding his nervous, trembling hands behind his back.

    Although the host tries to return to the question a few more times during the interview, the other members help Soohyun evade it until the show’s over. After they’ve changed and returned to the relative safety of the van, Soohyun leans back into the seat and closes his eyes. When the van remains quiet, he slowly opens his eyes to see the others looking at him expectantly.

“What?” Soohyun asks, sitting up.

“Anything you want to tell us?” Hoon raises his eyebrows. “Anything at all?”

“Marina,” Eli coughs, making everyone except Soohyun snicker.

“What? We’re not dating, really,” he insists. “I mean, we’re talking to each other, but I haven’t asked her to be my girlfriend. We’ve only had one date. Ask her when she comes tomorrow if you don’t believe me.”


“She’s coming to see us?” Kevin asks, looking excited.

AJ lightly nudges him with his shoulder. “Not us. Hyung.”

“They have been texting every day. Very cute ones too,” Kiseop remarks with a sly grin.

“Y-yah!” Soohyun splutters. “You’ve been reading my texts?”

“Me?” Kiseop asks with innocent eyes. “I might’ve seen one by accident over your shoulder."

“Marina and Soohyun, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Eli starts singing, some of the others quickly joining in.

“Knock it off,” Soohyun laughs, playfully flailing at them. “I promised you’d all behave.”

===================

Annyeong, lovelies! I've realized I've left you and this story alone for too long. I feel bad disappointing you all like this; turns out I don't have this story quite as well thought out as I thought I did. I will work on it though so I hopefully won't be gone as long next time. Anyway, thanks for sticking around and I hope you all have an awesome holiday season. Eat yummy food, have fun with your loved ones, and be safe, arasso? Saranghae.

Moony_Kat: Ke ke, thanks. ^^ Oh yeah. When you put these two sweeties together, you get over the top fluffiness, cuteness, and romance. My specialty! Glad you're really liking both characters. Thanks for all the love, dongsaeng-ah! *hugs back*

turtle_chan: Ke ke, that's what I write best. ^^ The angst is still a bit away. Thanks!

MewNikkiChan: He totally is...*wipes away drool* Saranghae!

dreamwriter_97: Ke ke, I don't know about millions or the good date planing. Truth is, I've never been on a real date date before, so I have no idea if my date ideas would actually be any good. I really want to try some too! From what I've seen, the protectiveness is just a big part of his personality, which I find incredibly attractive. ^^