Saturday morning arrived bright and early. Both girls were dead to the world when Stephanie’s phone went off, blasting Block B’s “Very Good” for its ringtone. Stephanie’s right eye sleepily cracked open as her right hand went to grab the phone to silence the chorus it kept singing.

“Hello?” Stephanie mumbled into the speaker as she scrambled to stay under the covers.

“Well good morning, sunshine.” A chipper voice exclaimed on the other end.

“Seriously, Xander...how can you be so awake at this ungodly hour?” Stephanie whined as a yawn escaped her lips.

“It’s 10:30AM…” Xander replied leaving an awkward silence between them.

“You’re kidding...already? I had no clue I slept in that late. So, what are you up to?” Stephanie blinked and let her eyes adjust to the surroundings in her dorm as she forced herself to wake up.

“Yo, Steph...SHIKKURO!!!” Nami hurled a pillow across the room and it landed right on top of her face. Hearing a muffled scream, Nami’s mouth formed a Cheshire Cat grin as she  turned her body to face the wall.

“What was that?” Xander inquired after hearing the commotion.

“Oh, nothing...Nami just being her annoying lil’ self. So, what’s up? You have a purpose for calling?” Stephanie teased.

“Well, I didn’t know what your schedule was going to be like today, but I thought I’d let you know that me and the guys are planning on going to the mall and we’d love to have you and Nami accompany us.” Xander explained as he combed his fingers thru his hair and glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

“I’ll ask Nami, but I actually have a day off today. Who would’ve imagined!” Stephanie said in shock.

“You have a day off on the weekend? That is odd. What did you do to deserve such an honor?”

“Har har har. Maybe if you’re nice to me when we meet up, I might feel inclined to let you in on a little secret.” Stephanie kicked off the covers and stretched as a tiny yawn escaped her lips.

“Aaawww...I have to be nice to you? That’s not fair...where’s the fun in that?”

“What is this... ‘everyone beat up on Steph’ day? Nice to know I have such a loving bunch of friends who care about me..” Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Newho...which mall are you going to and what time?”

“Well, i was figuring we could meet for lunch. We’re going to Arundel Mills. That way, we can go to Dave and Busters to grab a bite to eat and play some games and bowling. Depending on our schedules, maybe we can all catch a movie while we’re there.” Xander suggested.

“That sounds exciting. I’ll start getting ready and once I can wake the zombie and have her answer me in coherent sentences, I’ll text you to let you know what time we can meet you there.” Stephanie spoke a bit louder to try and get Nami’s attention.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be waiting for your text. Don’t take too long now...I’d like to see you guys before the Apocalypse.” Xander burst out into giggles.

“YAH! I’m not high-maintenance...aish!” Stephanie huffed before hanging up on him. Standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, she saw the perfect opportunity to get back at Nami. Taking the pillow that was thrown at her, she silently hoisted it up in the air and whacked Nami’s head hard.

“OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! What was that for?!?!?!?!?” Nami yelped as she glared daggers at Stephanie.

“Payback for earlier. Muhahahaha. We need to get up and get ready to meet Xander and the guys at the mall.” Stephanie said calmly to not have Nami jump out of her bed and pounce her.

“Give me one good reason why I should get up.” Nami groaned as she sighed in exasperation.

“Maybe I have some juicy tidbits I can feed you about what happened at work last night that I forgot to elaborate on…” Stephanie saw Nami’s face perk up and saw that she had reeled her in with the bait. “Well, if you need me, I’m going to take a shower.”

“I’m awake! I’m awake!” Nami sprung to her feet and raced in front of Stephanie’s path, preventing her from moving any further. “You have my undivided attention…”

***

“The girls planning on coming?” Woo Sunghyun asked as he glanced up from a game he was playing on his iPhone.

“Sounds very promising. Why, excited to see a certain someone?” Xander smirked as he relaxed on his couch.

“Oh please, someone’s calling the kettle black.” Sunghyun raised his eyebrow at Xander’s remark.

“Well, at least I’m actually making my intentions known. I may not come right out and say it, but I’m affectionate with her. She doesn’t mind in the least.” Xander jabbed back.

“If you don’t let your feelings for her be known, you’ll be forever ‘friend-zoned.’ You know this, right?” Sunghyun took a sip of the bottled water in front of him.

“I know, Kevin...I know. Aigoo...it’s just...I’m so scared of getting rejected.” Xander sighed in defeat.

“So, now you know how I feel. Welcome to the club!”

“Why do girls have to be so complicated???” Xander pouted as he buried his face in his hands.

“I guess that’s a mystery we will never be able to solve…” Kevin agreed. “How many of us are going to be at the mall?” Kevin inquired, but before Xander could answer, his phone chirped letting him know of an incoming text message.

“Kevin, just now got your message about this afternoon. Are you guys still planning on meeting?”

“Who’s that from?” Xander asked, peeking out from behind his hands.

“Soohyun. He was asking if we were still going to hang out. Did you hear anything back from Kibum?” Kevin asked as he was rapidly typing a response.

“Not yet. I’ll give him another hour to reply. Any word on the maknae tagging along?”

“Guess we’ll find out in a minute. So,...in the event that the girls do come along, what all do we have planned? Will there be any alone time with the girls?” Kevin asked hopefully.

“Seriously, Kev? Why don’t you just set up a date with her if that’s what you’re wanting?” Xander rolled his eyes.

“Well...these things take time, Xander. You should know...you’re the expert...how many years have you been pining for Stephanie?” Kevin asked in all seriousness.

“Since middle school, okay? You happy! Point out my flaws to take the attention off yours. Aish! We’re going to Arundel Mills. Might go and grab some lunch and if time allows, go see a movie. Maybe when the lights go out, you can act like a high-school kid on a first date.” Xander huffed.

“Just forget it...forget I even mentioned anything.” Kevin said uncomfortably as his cheeks started to flush a crimson red.

“Done.” Xander slouched further into the couch as he let his phone screen distract him from looking at Kevin.

***

“...So run that by me again...I could have sworn you said you’re not going to be working anymore at Sakura’s because Mr. Kim asked you to be his son’s tutor.” Nami’s head spun as she tried to comprehend what she had just heard. To steady her balance, she gingerly sat down on the bed and sat her back straight up against the wall.

“I did. Weren’t you listening?” Stephanie said as she was taking a towel and drying her damp strawberry-blonde locks.

“B-but...who am I going to work with and crack jokes with to help my shift fly by in a few mere hours?” Nami stuttered as she looked like a puppy who was given no food.

“You make it sound as if I chose to do this…” Stephanie pleaded.

“You pretty much did...why did you have to turn in his stupid money clip? I would have kept it for myself...only because of the type of person he is.” Nami added as a side-note.

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Stephanie folded her arms across her chest.

“Oh please...it’s what everyone talks about. Kyoungjae is a troublemaker, plain and simple! For his dad to be begging you to be his tutor should tell you something! He’s a rebel. He has no respect for authority, he is lazy, flashy with the money he has, just...eeeewwww. Don’t get me started!” Nami said in disgust.

“Um...I’m sorry...how old are you? Is this Kyoungjae’s long, lost grandmother who just appeared??? I mean, yeah, it sounds like he’s got issues...but do you personally know him? I don’t want to sound like the bad person here, but I believe that everyone deserves a chance. I give everyone the benefit to prove themselves...but if they cross that line...ooooohhhhh boy, you don’t want to know what’s on the other side!” Stephanie whistled at the last thing she said for emphasis.

“I guess...just be careful, Steph! Kyoungjae is known for being a smooth-talker! I’m sure he’ll try to pull the wool over your eyes! Just keep your guard up. No one messes with my best friend!” Nami got herself into a boxing stance to prove her point.

“Easy there, munchkin. I can take care of myself. I appreciate your concerns, tho! Mr. Kim seems like a well-respected man. I’m sure everything will turn out fine. Once his mid-terms are complete, I’m sure I’ll be back on the schedule again in no time. So, don’t fret and let me handle my own business.” Stephanie winked and gently patted Nami’s head.

“Fine...fine. If he dare messes with you, he’s in for a -whooping! I may be pint-sized, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be a menace!” Nami gave an evil laugh at her statement.

“I assume no responsibility for any bodily harm that may come his way as a result of any poor judgements!” Stephanie raised both hands up as if to say she pleaded the 5th.

“Works for me! So, how much longer do we have to get ready before we meet up with the guys?” Nami looked down at her threads from the night before that she fell asleep in.

“About an hour. Hop to it, woman! We have men waiting on us that will be fawning over our every move.” Stephanie winked as Nami scrunched her face up in disgust.

“Eeeewwwww, I don’t like any of those guys that way!” Nami shook her head emphatically.

“Ugh...not them!!! Guys at the mall. Aish! While you’re in the shower, put some water in your ear to remove the clouds in between the little bit of brain matter you have inside!” Stephanie teased. Nami shooed Stephanie off as she made a beeline for the bathroom door and closed it behind her. After hearing the shower turn on, Stephanie opened up the message app in her phone and typed away.

“Xander - Nami’s getting ready. We should be leaving within the hour. We’ll meet you guys at the mall. See you then ^^” Smiling to herself, Stephanie hit the “send” button and popped her earbuds in as she decided to shuffle the music on her playlist.

***

“Hey guys! Glad you all could make it. The girls should be here in about five to ten minutes. Do you want to go inside and make a group reservation? Maybe check and see how long the wait will be for the lanes at the bowling alley.” Xander greeted Kibum and the Shin brothers.

“Sure, sounds like a plan. You guys coming with me?” Kibum replied. Soohyun and Dongho nodded while Kevin stayed glued to where he was standing.

“You guys go ahead. I’ll wait here with Xander. I’ll be right in.” Kevin said nonchalantly, trying to downplay his need of seeing Nami.

“Seriously, Kevin? I can handle this by myself. Vamos.” Xander’s eyes made it clear that he wanted no company. Kevin complied, but not without a few grumbled words under his breath.

“What a chump!” Dongho chuckled to himself. In his favor, the sunglasses and baseball cap slung low over his forehead kept his inward monologue from being outwardly displayed. “We’ll see who can win over Nami’s heart!” Everyone but Xander made their way inside of the Dave and Buster’s restaurant to wait on a table.

 

“So, think there will be any cute guys at the mall?” Stephanie asked hopefully as she pulled into the mall parking lot.

“Oh puh-lease! Mall-rats are your idea of a quality-made boyfriend? Didn’t you tell me earlier to put water in my ears to remove the clouds in my head? I think those blonde roots are up the air in your head, sweetie.” Nami replied sickenly-sweet.

“YAH! I am highly offended at what you just said. Of course I don’t think mall-rats are boyfriend material. I’m just simply stating that it would be nice if we had a few guys compliment our looks.” Stephanie sulked as she put the car in park and shut off the engine.

“Well,...of course it would be nice. Duh! You think they’d bother?” Nami sighed as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

“I have no clue. That’s why I was asking you.” Stephanie stuck out her tongue as she exited from the car.

“Well, guess we’ll just have to make the guys think that they’re missing out then, huh?” Nami giggled as she swung the shoulder strap of her purse onto her right shoulder. Both girls locked eyes with each other and winked before flipping their hair back and letting the cool breeze take control.

 

Xander was leaning up against a lamppost when he noticed the girls coming toward him. His mouth turned dry and he felt like sawdust had been dumped on his tongue, while his heart was beating like a jackhammer. Clearing his throat, he stood up and tried to play cool, calm, and collected.

“Hey Steph. Hey Nami. Thanks for coming. The others are inside. I hope they’ve gotten a table already. Shall we?” He gestured towards the entrance. The ladies nodded and made their way to the front door. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Xander fell in line right behind Stephanie and reached out for her left hand.

“Goodness, Xander! You almost gave me a heart attack. What was that for?” Stephanie stopped in her tracks and tried to slow her erratic heartbeat.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Xander pouted as he looked down at the pavement.

“Aaaawwww. C’mon, Xander. Don’t give me that face. You know I can’t resist it. C’mere…” Stephanie soothed as she opened her arms. Xander looked up and inched slowly towards her embrace. “Sorry, Xan...I guess I just wasn’t expecting anything like that. Forgive me?”

“Why are you even apologizing? I should be asking that of you!” Xander pulled back just enough so that he could look into her eyes. At this angle, he was mere inches from her lips.

“Truce then? I can deal with that.” Stephanie giggled as she let go and raced for the door. “C’mon slow pokes! It’s too cold to be moseying about in this weather!” Xander had to do a mental double-take to figure out what had just happened. Heaving a sigh, he shooed Nami to the door as all three of them crossed over the threshold.

“Over here!” Soohyun spoke loud enough to get their attention.

“Thanks for saving us seats. We are going to do the Eat, Play, Win combo, right?” Stephanie asked as she glanced over the menu.

“Absolutely. What are you in the mood for?” Kibum asked as the waiter brought a set of drinks to the table that the guys had already ordered.

“Um...ooooo...Philly Cheesesteak, please!” Nami grinned from ear to ear.

“I’ll have the Legendary Goldfingers.” Stephanie ordered as she handed the menu to the waiter.

“Fried Shrimp Platter for me.” Xander said next. The waiter jotted down their drinks as well and went to place their order.

“No offense, Nami...but where does all that food go? It’s like it vanishes into thin air. It’s a mystery.” Kevin joked, referring to the meal she ordered.

“Beats me. As long as it stays that way for a long time, I could care less.” Nami shrugged.

“I second that!” Stephanie nudged Nami. The two females burst into giggles.

       “Well, I think that food will suffice before I pop. How about we do some bowling and see who’s the best?” Stephanie announced as she pushed her chicken finger basket to the side. The others nodded and took the last sips of their sodas before shuffling out of the booth to the bowling alley.

“Alright...teams. Here’s how we’re gonna do it. Myself, Steph, Soo, and Kev. The losing team is Kibum, Dongho, and Nami.” Xander cackled as he laced on his bowling shoes.

“No fair! That’s four against three!” Nami huffed.

“Are you volunteering to sit out?” Xander raised his eyebrow.

“No. B-but...argh...forget it.” Nami crossed her hands over her chest and stormed off to find a bowling ball.

“You ready to kick some , Steph?” Xander beamed as he held out a hand for her, seeing that she was done putting on her bowling shoes.

“Are you kidding? I was born ready!” Steph winked. Before she could pick out a bowling ball, her cell phone rang. The ringtone was not from one of her contacts, so she made it a point to distance herself from the others before answering it. “Hello? Mr. Kim! ...Busy? Not particularly. No no...no trouble at all. Today? Um...sure. What time? I have a GPS in my car. Yes sir. 45 minutes should be fine. If I run into any problems, I’ll call you immediately. Thank you, sir. Goodbye.” Stephanie immediately ran over to her purse and snatched a piece of paper to write Mr. Kim’s house address on.

“Who was that? You seem like you’re in a rush. Everything okay?” Nami asked after she placed her bowling ball in the holding rack for their lane. Stephanie motioned for Nami to sit next to her so the conversation wouldn’t be overheard by the guys.

“That was Mr. Kim who just called. Apparently, he wants me to come over for a tour of his house so that I can be given further instructions with how I will be tutoring Kyoungjae. I have to leave now so that I can get there with time to spare. I’m sorry to bail on you, Nami. It shouldn’t be too long. I’ll sneak a text and let you know what’s going on. I’m sure Xander won’t mind giving you a ride home.” Stephanie spoke just a bit louder than a whisper.

“WHAT!!! You can’t just leave me all by my lonesome! Take me with you!” Nami exclaimed in the same volume.

“You know I would if I could. But, that would just be awkward. You know this is the general manager of the restaurant where we work. I can’t do that! I’m sorry, Nami. I’ll text you as soon as I can. Bye.” Snatching her purse, Stephanie bolted for the counter to return her bowling shoes and quickly slid her feet in her sneakers before sprinting for the exit.

“Wait a minute...where did Steph go?” Xander asked confused as he saw Nami pouting in her seat.

“She had to leave. It’s all her stupid fault!” Nami was about to elaborate and then covered to prevent anything further from slipping out.

“What are you hiding from me? It’s okay...I can keep a secret.” Xander gently urged Nami to spill the beans.

“Fine...but you have to PROMISE that you won’t let this get back to her…” Nami replied hesitantly.

“Of course. You have my word. What’s troubling you?” Xander leaned in so that his ears would be privy to the story Nami had to tell. Immediately his ears perked up as he heard Nami explain every detail she had heard from Steph mere hours before in their dorm room. Xander’s right hand started to form into a fist as he was biting his tongue. The only word he was able to decipher in between the loud thumping in his head was “KYOUNGJAE!”