Two hours earlier…

            Jihyun got out of the car and followed Donghae down to the other end of the parking lot.  “So, why is it we’ve followed them to Boa’s apartment?”

            “I need to disconnect his car battery,” he explained.

            “What?” she asked, laughing at his odd answer.

            “Where do I begin?” he wondered.  “For years and years now, my best friend in the whole world, Hyukjae, has been madly in love with Boa.  Now, even with feelings as strong as his, he’s just too shy to ever ask her out.  She even talked him into dancing with her during her last song and they were obviously both really into each other—she was practically throwing herself at him—and he still couldn’t work up the nerve,” he explained, stopping at Hyukjae’s car and shuffling through his key ring until he found the right key, holding it up to her.  “Best friend privilege: I get to borrow the car whenever I want but I think he’s called me up five times in the last six months because he’s locked his keys in the car.  I’d prefer not to have it at all.”

            Donghae unlocked the car and popped the hood and began to disconnect Hyukjae’s car battery.  It only took a moment and then he closed it and they began to walk back to his car.

            “Anyway, where was I?  Oh, yeah.  His shyness!  So, poor Boa finally called me up and begged me to help her find a way to get her and Hyukie together and I promised to help but I had to make it look like I wasn’t trying to set them up together or Hyuk would just clam up about the whole thing, so I made up this story about getting you to agree to go on a date with me if it was a double date with your friend, because you felt too nervous to be alone with me and I played the whole best friend card and guilted him into it.  You see, I told him that I didn’t have any clue who the other girl was, just that she was someone older than you that you claimed to look up to.  So, he was hesitant, because he’s really terrible at meeting new people and because he already has feelings for Boa.  But, of course, once he saw it was her, he was very excited.  So, I talked him into driving her home so I could be alone with you and here we are, making my best bud’s car completely undrivable so he can’t escape this time.”

            Donghae opened the door for her to get in his car and she smiled at the trick he was playing on his friend and stood there without climbing in.  “But that doesn’t explain one thing.”

            “What’s that?” he asked, watching her intently.

            “Why did you ask me to come?”

            “It isn’t obvious?” he asked.

            She shook her head.

            “Because I really like you and I wanted to go out with you.”

            Jihyun felt her legs grow weak.  She’d known Donghae for years and each day he seemed to grow more attractive to her but she never thought that he had any interest in her.  “Donghae oppa…”

            Donghae gently grasped her arms and pulled her into his chest and tilted her chin up to look at him.  “Your friends thought you were too young for me to date when we first met, so I waited, but I can’t wait anymore.  I want you to be mine.”

            Jihyun nodded, too overwhelmed to say anything more, and Donghae kissed her without any further hesitation.