This guy was hot! And as a bonus, he was funny, smart and had excellent conversation skills. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite exhibit mine because I was so tongue-tied.

Another year went by and I got a call from kikwang dad, inviting me to spend the weekend at their place. And kikwang was even more good-looking than I remembered. Must have been the air in seoul. (Did I mention that he’d gone to study his masters there?) We went out with some friends of his, had a few laughs and a few drinks.

On the way home, we just generally talked. He, about how he wanted to go and work in some big corporation I can’t pronounce right, and I, about how I didn’t know what I wanted to do. It was easy. I didn’t really have to think much about what I had to say next. I could even rib him a bit and he didn’t mind as long as he could rib me back.

As I got out of the car, he asked me for my number. “I’ll call you”, he said. But I knew better than to expect that he actually would.

He did call.

But then I was confused. He asked me out to dinner, but was it a date? Or did he feel guilt pangs over saying he’d call me even though he didn’t intend to? And then the inevitable question. Was it a pity date?

The day came. He even showed up early! As he opened the door, he asked me, “I hope you weren’t expecting flowers or anything.”

“Flowers? Oh no! Anything living that’s entrusted to my care dies.” It’s true. The several potted plants in my balcony devoid of plants are testament to this.

“Good,” he said as we got into the car, “Look in the back.”

I looked and thought, “Yikes!” Because sitting in the back seat was a bouquet of yellow flowers. “Hmmm… maybe this is a date after all,” I thought. And I was roused from this happy thought by kikwang saying, “You’re sitting on something!” And there I was, sitting on five CDs that he had written for me. Things were indeed looking very date-like.

We were on the road and he asked if I would mind going to one of the swimming pool in the city. By then I was in demure-girl mode and responded appropriately, “Oh, I’m fine with anything.”

“And you don’t mind if someone else comes along? My friend’s sitting at home and has nothing to do tonight.”

“Oh sure,” I said, all the while thinking, “Flowers: check; gift: check; alone time: … Oh well, two out of three isn’t bad.” so  i spend the day with him at the pool