Jae Hyo frowned as he studied his reflection in the mirror above the sink.  Flicking pieces of hair, adjusting, frowning, thinking, shaking his head, and then starting over again.  Funny how, when we came in here, it was me getting ready for class.  Five minutes and I was done.  A half hour later, I was sitting on the floor behind him waiting for him to finish.  He only had a radio program to do today.  They’d do his make up before they began filming for the radio station’s website, but seriously, the guy was perfect.  I’d known him since we were fourteen years old.  Almost eight years later, he was exactly the same.  Nothing had changed him.  Not fame, not Block b, not being surrounded by idols, not awards, not performances.  Not a single thing.

            I stood up and stretched, catching his eye in the reflection as he tilted his face to the side, one finger on his chin.  I rolled my eyes and came over to him.  Slipping between his body and the sink, I pushed up onto my toes to put myself in his line of vision.  He chuckled.

            “What?” he asked, looking at me and letting his arms drop to sides.

            I smiled.  “You’re so pretty,” I joked.  “Why does it take you so long to get ready?  Especially now.  You’re just driving me to class then going back to the dorm.”  I narrowed my eyes with mock suspicion and hopped up to sit on the sink.  “You got a hot date after you drop me off?”  I lifted my chin and crossed my arms over my chest.

            He gave me a half smirk that still gave me chills, even after so many years as his girlfriend.  Leaning forward, he placed his hands on the edges of the sink.  One on either side of me.  His face was so close to mine, I could feel his cheek ghost past mine.

            “Come on, Amelia, you know you’re the only one I want to make hot,” he nearly growled into my ear.

            Fire coursed through my veins.  My attempt at a laugh came out as a cough, breath mix.  He knew just what to do or say to make my face burn.  He leaned his weight on one hand as the other came to rest on my bare knee just below the end of my skirt.  I tried to laugh again, but I moved the wrong way and fell – first – into the sink.

            With a yelp, I flailed my limbs and he grabbed my arms to help me out.  Laughing, but he still helped me.

            “Jae Hyo,” I whined, my hands on his chest as I turned my head to look at the back of my skirt in the mirror.  “Man, is my skirt all wet now?”

            He couldn’t breathe he was laughing so hard by now.  Standing at a good half a foot taller than me, he leaned over my shoulder and inspected the back of my skirt.  “No, you’re fine.  There’s nothing there.”

            “Jae Hyo!”  I pounded on his chest weakly with each syllable of his name.  But all he could do was inhale deep, trying to catch his breath.  “Stop laughing,” I pouted, looking up at him.  His arms s around my waist as he leaned down to put his forehead on mine.

            “I love you,” he said, his voice still full of laughter.  “So much.”

            I glared at him and pushed at his face with my nose.  “Yeah, you better.”

            “Don’t you love me?” he asked, pushing me back with his own nose.  I could feel my balance shaking, but he had one arm braced on the sink and the other tightened around my waist.  So even though I was leaning far backwards now, he had us both stable. 

            My arms slid up to his neck where my fingers linked together behind his neck.  “Of course I love you,” I assured him.  “You jerk.”

            “How much?” he asked, his voice low.  He was getting that look in his eyes.  That look I couldn’t resist even though it made my cheeks flush blood red.

            “How much of a jerk are you?” I asked, in an attempt to be funny.  When I didn’t know what to say or when he, or anyone actually – it was just usually him, made me nervous, I tried to be funny.  And usually failed.

            He scoffed and nuzzled his face against my neck, curling his arm more around my waist to keep me balanced as more of his weight came forward.  “How much do you love me?” he pressed.

            “More than anyone, Ahn Jae Hyo, you know that,” I replied quietly.  Having had enough, I used his neck to pull myself back up straight.  He hoisted me up back onto the sink so that we would be closer to being eye to eye level.  Making sure I was steady on the edge, his arms stayed around my waist.

            He looked directly into my eyes until I couldn’t handle them anymore and had to look away.  “Let’s get married,” he said after a moment.  Like it was the most natural thing in the world.  Like he’d just said “I’m fine” when I asked how he was.

            I giggled.  “What?”

            “You heard me.”

            “Jae Hyo.”

            “Is there someone else?” he wondered, searching my eyes.  Kyung and Maddie had had a bit of a tiff during our freshman year when she met some smoking hot guy in one of her classes.  Something about her feeling chemistry for him.  He even kissed her.  After some fighting on their part and referreeing on the rest of ours, they worked it out on their own and were still together today like our other friends Ji Ho and Jordan and Beki and Yu Kwon, but ever since that time I think deep down, Jae Hyo has been a little worried something like that might happen with us.  Even three years later. 

            Please, Ahn Jae Hyo was all mine.  What was I, stupid?  Why would I mess with that?  Who could be better for me than him?

            “No, you know there’s no one, but we can’t get married now.  We aren’t ready.  We’re not prepared,” I explained.  “Plus, your fans would hunt me down to maim and torture me.”  The smile on his lips was odd.  “Besides, I want a better proposal than in the bathroom of my college dorm, ok?”  He breathed out a weak laugh.

            “We’ll get married eventually, though, don’t you think?”

            “Yes, of course.  I don’t want to marry anyone but you.  I just want to do it right.  You know?  I want to have a job.  I want you to be established.  I don’t want to dive headfirst into this only to drown right away.”

            He pressed a kiss to my forehead.  “I’d never let you drown.”

            If only his fans knew just how corny he could be.  How sweetly corny he was.

            “You know what I mean.”

            He nodded and straightened, helping me off the sink.  “You’re right.”  He glanced at his wrist watch.  “We should get going.  I don’t want you to be late.”

            I pushed up onto my toes to kiss away any weird thoughts he had still running in his head.

            “Hmm, in the bathroom?  Yeah, I tried to get Yu Kwon to do it in the shower, but he didn’t like the idea.”

            Gasping, I ripped away from Jae Hyo and turned to the voice.  Jae Hyo, as casual as ever, slung an arm around my shoulders and laughed.

            “Beki!  We weren’t…” I began.

            “Not anymore we weren’t,” Jae Hyo snickered.  I elbowed him.

            My roommate laughed heartily.  “I just wanted to tell you, I’m off.  No class this morning, I’m going to hunt down my Yu Kwonnie.  Jordan’s still getting ready.  Maddie had an early class?”

            I nodded.  “Eight o’ clock,” I answered.

            Beki’s nose scrunched.  “Gross.  Ok, see you later then.”

            “Wait, isn’t Yu Kwon at the dorms?” I asked, looking up to Jae Hyo.

            “Yeah, he should be back by now.  He had recording earlier.”

            “Jae Hyo’s going to drive me and Jordan to class.  Come with us, he’ll drive you over to the dorm.  Can’t you?” I wondered.  He shrugged.

            “Sure, no problem.  Stupid for you to take the subway when I’ve got the car.”

            Her face lit up.  “Cool, thanks, man.”

            We scattered.  Beki to find her shoes.  Jae Hyo to wait in the living room and me to go get my stuff and Jordan.

            The conversation with Jae Hyo pushed completely out of my mind.  I knew he wanted to get married, but he understood my reasoning.  He had to see the logic in it.  He knew I would only ever marry him.  No one else.  Just not right this very second.

            I shook the thoughts from my head as I grabbed my bag and Jordan’s arm.

            Class as usual.  As usual for seniors in college.  A usual day.

            Not too many of those left I’d soon learn.