Sorry for the hiatus guys =( I hit a writer's block and I just didn't have the motivation to write! But I'm back, and this time I'll not to be gone for so long! 

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LAUREN:

Today has been a whirlwind of a day. Jinyoung and I are sitting on the subway, and I’m trying hard not to fall asleep. Maybe I’ll just rest my eyes, until we get to our destination. I close my eyes, and my mind replays what has happened in the past couple of hours. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the MC said, “We have arrived in Hongdae.”

After our lunch, we all got into a bus, which drove us to Hongdae, where we were told we are separating to do whatever our partner has planned for us, for the rest of the day.

On the bus ride there, Jinyoung and I talked the whole time. We got to know each other well, and I felt very comfortable talking to him. There were no awkward silences, no misunderstood jokes, and no pretentiousness. It felt like talking to a long-time friend. We waved to the other couples when we all separated for our own activites.

“So,” I said to Jinyoung, when all the couples left. “What do you have planned for today?”

“To be honest…” Jinyoung started “I did have something planned, but I feel like it’s not gonna work out too well.”

“Oh,” I’m not sure what I should say back.

“No, no it’s nothing bad” Jinyoung reassured me, “It’s just that what I planned, I planned for a high schooler, so it’s not very…interesting.”

“Are you saying I’m old?” I exaggerated my actions to make it seem like I was offended.

“Actually, you are.” Jinyoung sarcastically said, and then started laughing.

“Jinyoung-ssi, last I checked you’re older than I am. If I’m old then what does that make you?”

“Oppa?” he suggested.

“Oppa? Maybe I should call you Grandpa” I joked, and Jinyoung chuckled.

“No really though. You’ve been addressing me as Jinyoung-ssi all day, you can just call me oppa. Jinyoung-ssi, sounds…stuffy. I think we’re close enough for you to call me oppa.”

We’re close? I felt my cheeks redden as I processed those words. I mean it’s common for fans to call their favorite idols, oppa, but idols don’t usually get a say in that, they just get called oppa. But in real life, being allowed to call a guy older than you, oppa, shows closeness and the fact that you’re no longer in formal terms.

My mind thought of what to do in this situation without making it super awkward. Without giving it a second thought, I clenched my hands into a fist and put them up next to my cheeks.

“Jinyoung oppa~” I said in my most aegyo-filled voice. Oh god, what did I just do.

I remember seeing Jinyoung being taken off guard, and within the next second he was bent over laughing. Embarrassed, I turned around and started walking away.

“Wait, wait!” Jinyoung shouted, and ran after me when he realized I had walked off. I ignored him and kept walking, trying to shake off the embarrassment. He finally caught up to me, and of all things he could have done, he puts his arm around my shoulder. This time, I’m the one taken off guard, and I look down at my feet, as my face heats up even more. I saw Jinyoung in the corner of my eye, and he was smiling as me. Realization of what he just did came across his face, and he quickly took his arm off me.

“Sorry” embarrassed for what he did.

“It’s okay” I managed, “oppa” I added to ease the tension. He looked at me in surprise, and a goofy smile appeared on his face.

“You see,” he joked, with an expression of contempt “Not so bad right?”

“Yeah, yeah” I waved it off like it was nothing, but inside I still hadn’t recovered what happened.

We walked around the area and went into different shops. At one of the shops, we were looking at phone cases when I pointed out to him.

“Aw, look at that one! It’s cute!” 

“Yeah it is” Jinyoung nodded, as he continued to scan the shelf, and then said “Hey, look it’s actually part of a couple phone case set!” (Note: See the phone cases here, and open it in a new window or tab, so you don't lose your place in the story^^) 

Before I could even say anything, he grabbed the set and headed towards the cashier counter. By the time I got to him, he was already putting the receipt into his wallet.

“Here.” He smiled, handing me the girl phone case. “Don’t say I never bought you anything.”

“Oppa, you didn’t have to!”

“No, I wanted to.” He said, as he continued to give me a reassuring smile.

“Oh…well, thank you.” I said shyly. I went to take the phone case, when Jinyoung pulled it back towards him.

“Give me your phone.” He said.

“Huh? Why?” I pulled out my phone, and gave it to him. He immediately opened the new phone case, and replaced my old one. He handed my phone back to me, and then replaced his current phone case with the new couple phone case.

“See? Now we’re matching!” he beamed with excitement, as he put his phone next to mine, so both phones were matched up. I smiled back at him, and I realized that he just bought a set of couple phone cases, and we’re using them. Does that mean we’re a couple?