Kris arrived back at his house late in the afternoon after dropping the box off. The heavy box had been so difficult to balance on his motorcycle. It took way longer than he thought it would to go all the way out there. What with driving slow to balance the box, the drive took him about an hour.

What he had done was, the next day, early before school when you were just getting to work, he peered in the glass front of the bank and read the name plaque that was next to the girl’s computer.

Choi Sooyoung.

A lovely name.

He called the hospital and asked if there was anyone currently being treated with the last name Choi. They said there was only one person, and gave him a name. He looked up the name in the phonebook. The address was out in the country.

This address was likely to be wrong, but, hey, if some random person in the hospital who wasn’t related to mystery girl—ahem, Sooyoung—got a nice present of some clean water and a water purifier, that wouldn’t be too bad.

He really hoped it would go to her though.

He packed up the box, tied it to his motorcycle, and rode to her house. When he arrived, he was really pleased. It didn’t look like anyone was home, but on the clothesline next to the house her sleeveless denim shirt and red hair bow were hanging out to dry.

Kris smiled. Now you will have something clean to wash your bow in at home.

Back in the present, Luhan, who was hanging out at Kris’s house after school like he did almost every day, asked Kris where he had been.

“Eh, well, nowhere, really,” Kris began, “There is this girl though...”

“Oh, dude, speaking of girls!” Luhan became suddenly excited. “I’ve been meaning to ask you: are you doing anything this Friday?”

“No, I’m free. What’s up?”

“I asked this really cute girl out for Friday night. I know one of her friends, too, so I asked them, why don’t we all hang out and I’ll bring my guy friend to even things out.”

“Aww, thanks!” Kris teased. “So I am only along because you had an odd number.”

Luhan put his finger to his chin and looked up diagonally as if he were seriously thinking. “Considering there’s a hot chick involved…yeah, pretty much!”

“Whatever you want to tell yourself,” Kris continued to joke. “You know you have been secretly pining to go on a date with me and the girl thing is just a ploy. I bet I’ll get there are you’ll be like, ‘Oh, they didn’t show. Guess it’s just us ohoohohoho.’”

“Yeah, cause I totally sound like that!” Luhan laughed. “I crash at your place all the time. If I had the hots for you wouldn’t I have just jumped you in the shower?”

Kris put on a really y, intimidating face. “Maybe you’re just scared.” They both cracked up laughing. Kris looked too ridiculous. When their laughter subsided Kris said, “So, anyway, where are we going on Friday?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Luhan told him.

“It’s already Wednesday. Let’s get cracking!” Kris feigned concern.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lu waved it off literally. “Let’s figure it out now and I’ll tell her tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you text her tonight? That would give you another chance to talk to her.”

“True, but oddly enough she doesn’t have a cell phone. Or a home phone.”

“That must be hard to get in touch with her. What if she just lied to blow you off?” Kris asked lightheartedly.

“Nah, she’s sincere. I knew her when we were young kids, actually,” Luhan explained. “Our parents worked together.”

“Oh, cool, man,” Kris nodded in approval. “So, what are we thinking? Just bring ‘em back to our place and see where it goes…”

Luhan punched him in the shoulder. “C’mon man! I need serious suggestions. What about just dinner and movie?”

“No way!” Kris slightly shook his head. “That’s so typical, especially with the two of you and two other friends going. You have to do something exciting and different, something that will really wow her and show how fun you are.”

Kris was the ladies’ man between the two of them. Though he wasn’t proud of it, he’d gone through a partying phase not too long back and slept with about nine girls total, depending on what you consider sleeping. None of Kris’s girls had been serious. He’d kind of hoped a couple of them might be, but things just fizzled off.

Luhan, on the other hand, had only been with one girl, a very serious on at that, and man did that spring up some regret in Kris’s mind…

Kris shook it off. Why think about the past? The past was behind both of them. He would just focus on having a chill time this Friday with his best friend.

“That sounds like a great plan, if only I had anything in mind that would wow her.” Both of them thought for a good bit as they ate some random nachos that Luhan had made while Kris was out.

“I know!” Kris announced finally. “Did you hear about the new attraction park that opened not too long ago? They have the world’s largest human maze.”

Luhan nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a pretty chill first date if you ask me.”

Sooyoung checked once more before leaving home on Friday morning that her neighbors were okay with watching Soojun and Hoki all night. She’d asked them a few days ago and they were fine with it, excited actually, but she felt guilty. She’d never been out with friends, not even once, since her father died. Mrs. Jung reassured her that it was healthy for girls her age to go out with friends, no matter what the circumstances, and it would be good for her. “Relaxing for once will make you more patient with Soojun and Hoki,” Mrs. Jung reasoned.

She is right, Sooyoung sighed as she drove to work. She turned the radio up loud and sang along. She just needed to relax.

As she helped customer after customer with their transactions, a new worry plagued her. She had already worn this outfit, maybe multiple times, around Luhan. She only owned about ten nice outfits total, and they weren’t even that nice. She had bought them especially for work.

Come to think of it, she only owned about twenty outfits total.

As if on cue, Jessica came up to the counter and started talking when the bank traffic came to a lull. She was still in her school uniform. “I am so excited about tonight! When do you get off work?”

“4:00,” Sooyoung told her. Normally she would go to the café and back in for a double at 5:00, and that’s when she would work with Jessica, but they both had the fortune of being off tonight.

“I have no idea what I am going to wear,” Jessica complained. “Do you want to come over to my apartment before we meet up with the boys and help me pick something out? Oooh, we can even pick out dresses and accessories that match each other.”

Sooyoung beamed. “I would love that.”

Jessica’s apartment was actually in the very top floor of their building, where the bank was the bottom floor.

This penthouse was more lavish than any home Sooyoung had ever been in.

The girls walked into Jessica’s closet and tried on everything that was casual but not too casual. They ended up going with complementary outfits: Jessica went with a teal, off the shoulder romper, and Sooyoung decided on a sky blue sundress with a crisp neckline and spaghetti straps. They both had wedge heels; Jessica’s had teal ankle straps and Sooyoung’s had big cream-colored bows.

Luhan was smiling from ear to ear when the girls walked in the doors of the amusement park. He looked way more nervous than Sooyoung even though this was the first date she’d ever been on with anyone.

“I’m glad you came. This is my friend Tao,” he gestured to a really edgy looking fellow. Tao pulled his hand out of its pocket to give a quick wave.

“…and this is my friend Kris,” Luhan contined. “We room together at the university.”

“Hi,” Sooyoung said. Kris shook her hand. His grip was really firm. “I’m Sooyoung.” She caught herself staring and looked away before surveying Kris’s face again. Both of these guys look really familiar.

Oh, yeah. They were the boys outside the school a week or so ago when Jessica was complaining about how annoying popular guys were. She could see how Kris would be popular. He was certainly handsome and tall enough.

Kris was making a strange face as he shook Sooyoung’s hand. His palm was sweaty and he didn’t seem to be blinking, taking a breath, or showing any vital signs whatsoever. Sooyoung opened her eyes wide and nodded in quick suggestion, as if saying, “It’s alright; I get it.”

That guy acted kind of weird, she thought as they all made their way to the ticket counter. Maybe he’s not feeling too well, or just had a bad day.

Oh well, hopefully our adventures tonight will make him feel better.