One night passed...

Dara let out a tiring sigh as she took off her shoes and put them in the shoe rack just next to their door. She just came home from work. She opened the door and went inside the house while busily putting the keys back in her bag. She closed the door and walked a few steps but immediately stopped when she noticed someone was blocking her way. She looked up.

“Jiyong?” she asked in bewilderment as she stares at the person in front of her. Jiyong was standing sideways. He gave her an awkward smile. Dara looked at him from head to toe. He was wearing formal and fashionable khaki slacks, light blue long sleeves and dark blue striped necktie. Her eyes stopped at the pink roses bouquet that he’s holding.

Her eyes widened. “Is that for me?!” she thought. Her heart started to beat fast.

Jiyong slowly faced her. His facial expression is a mixture of reluctance and fear. He gripped the pink roses bouquet tightly. He gulped while meeting her stare.

“Dara! you’re just in time. You arrived almost the same time as Jiyong” her mom said as she walks towards them. It was her dad who opened the door for Jiyong and he called his wife to welcome him.

Jiyong immediately turned around and handed the flowers to Dara’s mom “Aunty this is for you” he said. Dara looked dejected. Her lips formed a thin straight line.

“Oh wow! really? for me? Thank you Jiyong” Her mom looked surprised but smiled widely. “Come in! Come in!” she continued as she guides him inside the house. Jiyong took the paper bag that he put down on the floor and walked.

“Oh, Dara dear. I need you to buy some ingredients for me. Can the two of you follow me in the kitchen?” she said as she glanced at Dara. She then walked ahead of them to the kitchen.

Dara and Jiyong looked at each other.

“Neh, Omma” Dara replied.

Both of them walked behind Dara’s mom and went inside the kitchen. Dara put down her bag on one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

She silently glanced at Jiyong “why is he here?”

 “I need you to go to the international supermarket down the street to get me this ingredients. We will prepare some western food today for Jiyong” he mom handed her the list.

“I invited Jiyong for dinner. I figured he must be missing eating western food so I decided that will be eating roasted mexican chicken and avocado salad for our dinner meal tonight”. she smiled sweetly.

Jiyong gave a short laugh and smiled. “Very sweet of you to think about me Aunty”.

He faced Dara and handed him the paperbag. Dara looked at him questioningly.

“They found your bag. The one you lost at the amusement park. I went to get it yesterday”. He said. It was actually his men who got it and delivered it to Jiyong. They said it was the ‘mummy’ who took her bag and have thrown it away in one of the bushes around the park. They traced where the ‘mummy’ is and made him find it for them.

Dara’s eyes glistened as she took the bag from Jiyong.

“Wow!... I actually didn’t hope that the bag will still be returned to me… Thank you Jiyong” she smiled sweetly at him, feeling really thankful that he made the effort to get her bag. She checked what’s inside. Everything is still there.

“You’re welcome” he smiled back.

“Omma here’s your old phone” Dara gave back the phone she’s temporarily using to her mother.

“Thank God, your things are still all there!” Dara’s mom exclaimed as she receives her old phone.

“You better get going so I can start cooking. Jiyong, can you accompany Dara?” her mom asked. she turned her back to them and started to rummage into the pots and pans.

Dara and Jiyong looked at each other again. Dara is speechless.

“Sure… I’ll go with her” Jiyong replied while not breaking eye contact with her.

Dara and Jiyong walked out of the kitchen and passed through the living room. Dara’s dad was sitting on the sofa watching soccer game in the tv. Jiyong bowed to her dad. He silently waited for them until they got out of the house and then walked in the kitchen to talk to Dara’s mom.

“Jagiya, what are you planning to do?” Dara’s dad asked suspiciously.

“huh? ...what are you talking about?... I’m not doing anything” Dara’s mom replied as she busily transfers the pink roses into the vase at the center of the kitchen table. She smiled mischievously.

“Omma… “

“...I’m just happy that Dara is finally having a male companion” she gave a long sigh and continued arranging the flowers

“Dara’s turning 27 and I am getting really worried that she might end up an old maid! I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl! She’s very beautiful, a lot of men shows interest in her, but they’re all too scared to court her because she’s too oblivious! She doesn’t even dress up! She’s always wearing baggy clothes!” she exasperatedly looked at her husband.

“She’s always hanging out with Bom, I’m starting to believe she might be a lesbian!” She stomped her foot.

“...But right after she took that cruise and met Jiyong, my baby girl has changed. She started wearing foundation and lipstick!” Dara’s mom enthusiastically clasped her hands and looked up the ceiling with glistening eyes.

“So I am gonna try my best to bring them closer to each other! And don’t you dare stop me!” She took a piece of pink rose and used it to point at her husband.

Dara’s dad shook his head. He knows his wife. Once she sets her mind into it, there’s nothing he can do to stop it.

“Well, at least they’ll be meeting each other in the house... I can study the character of this Jiyong” he reasoned out to himself. He felt a tinge of pain thinking about letting his daughter go and date. He shook his head and went back to the living room.

Meanwhile...

Jiyong silently observed Dara’s back as she walks in front of him going to the bus stop. She haven’t uttered a single word to him ever since they came out of the house. Jiyong let out a long sigh and put his hands in his slacks front pockets.

“Were you mad because I didn’t text you back?”

Dara scowled. She didn’t looked back at Jiyong, she just continued walking “Yes, now that you mentioned it, I am upset about that too! But I am more upset because I thought the flowers are mine!” she screamed in her mind.

“Isn’t it more better that I am here with you instead of just replying to your texts?” Jiyong smirked.

Dara and Jiyong stopped. They’re now inside the bus stop. They sat down on one of the benches and waited for the bus to arrive.

“How come my mom knows your phone number?” Dara glanced at him.

Jiyong smirked “She asked for my number when I ate breakfast at your house. She’s really a sweet lady. It makes me wonder why your character is so different from hers” he teased.

Dara squinted her eyes and gritted her teeth. The bus stopped. Dara immediately went inside without waiting for Jiyong. The ride only took them less than 5 minutes as the international supermarket is just one stop away from Dara’s house. They got out of the bus and went inside the supermarket that’s just next to it.

Dara went to take a single basket but was surprised when Jiyong came back with a grocery shopping cart.

“What are you doing? We’re not gonna buy much. Put that back” she said as Jiyong stood beside her with the cart.

“No” he looked at her.

“I said put that back” she tried to push the grocery cart away.

“NO” He held onto the handle of the grocery cart firmly.

“FINE!” she shouted while she stomped her foot. She slammed the basket back into the basket pile.

“Okay, now hold on to the grocery cart. I’m gonna get in” he said as he pushed the grocery cart near to Dara and tried to climb in.

Dara looked flabbergasted. IS HE FOR REAL??!!

“No!... No! you won’t do that!” Dara pulled him out as he put his right leg inside the cart. Jiyong looked at her questioningly and got his leg out the cart.

“Okay then, I’ll let you ride it first” Jiyong said as he pushed Dara into the cart.

“NO! NO! NO! … KWON JIYONG!” she screamed as she tried to get her upper half body out of the cart. Jiyong is holding her waist, trying to get her fully in. She successfully got out and hit him. He kept on laughing and tried to protect himself by using his arms as shield.

“YOU.. *SLAP!*...STOP … *SLAP!*... THAT!” Dara angrily shouted as she hit Jiyong’s arms.

“hahahaha! okay!... okay!” Jiyong grabbed her hands in order to stop her from hitting him.

“Behave yourself Kwon Jiyong!” she squinted her eyes.

“Alright, I’ll stop” he showed his gummy smile. His eyes showed a glint of playfulness. Dara walked ahead of him.

“But it’s fun though” he retorted as he pushed the cart, following her. He remembered his 13th birthday where his parents closed a whole supermarket so that he and his friends can play inside. It was so fun skateboarding and trying to jump over towers of toilet rolls.

They walked passed the appliances aisle. Jiyong stopped and took an expensive blender and put it inside the cart.

Jiyong saw a microwave and stopped to look at the brand. He his chin and thought “these brands are not that great… tsk... they don’t have sub-zero or La Cornue brands. But I guess it’ll do for now” he started to take the microwave out of the shelf when Dara looked back at him. She gasped and immediately ran to his side.

“What are you doing?!” she pushed back the microwave and then put the blender back in the shelf.

“ I thought it’ll make your mom happier if she has new kitchen appliances” he answered as he continued walking while pushing the trolley and left her behind.

“wha… what?!” she followed behind him, confused. He’s unbelievable!

Jiyong stopped at the rows of refrigerators. He talked to the sales guy beside the black layered steel french doors fridge.

“Do you deliver?” he asked.

“Yes Sir, we do” the salesman answered and slightly bowed.

Jiyong looked down on his pocket and started to take something out when Dara grabbed his hand that was inside his pocket and dragged him away.

“I’m sorry, we’re not gonna buy that” she awkwardly smiled and bowed profusely to the salesman. Jiyong looked at her confusedly but allowed her to drag him away.

“Jiyong! You can’t just do that! Our kitchen appliances are still working fine! we don’t need a new one!” she lectured Jiyong while holding his hand and pushing the cart at the same time.

“....And who do you expect to pay for those things? You?!” she irritatingly glanced at Jiyong.

“Of course!” he nonchalantly answered. He’s still busy looking at some appliances they’re passing by.

Dara stopped and face Jiyong. He stopped as well because she’s holding his hand. He took a handheld vacuum cleaner and put it in the cart. Dara took it out and put it back in the shelf.

She looked at him wide eyed and scoffed. “Are you insulting us? You’re buying us new things because we can’t afford it?!”

“What!.. No!..” Jiyong frowned. He looked at her and saw her face getting red because of anger. He sighed.