Author's Note: Aww, I didn't expect to get a lot of positive comments. I am genuinely thankful. <3 And yes, Namjoon is indeed Rap Monster. Hee. And since Jinwoo is said to be compatible with Minzy on one of the episodes of Winner TV, I decided to include him in this ic, but in the form of a six-year old kid. :P Can you imagine how adorable a six-year old Jinwoo is? Haha. Anyways, here's chaper five for everyone. I hope you'll like it! :)

Chapter 5 - The Date

“Who are you and what’s your relationship with Minji noona?”

The atmosphere has been awkwardly intense ever since Minzy and Jinwoo joined Yongguk at the table. The two boys are continuously exchanging deadly glares as if they were in some kind of a battle. Minzy, however, finds everything rather amusing that she cannot hide the goofy grin on her face.

It is normal for her to see this side of Jinwoo – overprotective and possessive. Who can blame him, that boy has the biggest crush on her. Yongguk though, he’s a whole different story. She has briefly met him a couple of times but Minzy would have never thought that the man in front of her has a rather childish side to him. It’s kind of cute, actually.

“How many times should I tell you to make you understand huh, little boy? I’m Bang Yongguk and I’m her date!”

Yongguk’s heart skips a beat when the sentence slipped out of his mouth. He did not plan to but he sounded really proud when he said that. Strange. It irks him beyond belief as well that he is suddenly acting the same level as Jinwoo. He is usually not one to be that immature, especially with kids. Unless when they are playing together, of course. But this, fighting over a girl with a six-year old? Yeah, so not Yongguk. He does not even know Minzy that well and yet, here he is, trying to prove that she is somewhat his with all his might. Or his date of the night, to say the least.

“Jinwoo is not a little boy and you are not noona’s date because Jinwoo is!”

The little boy looks really adorable; crossing his arms over his chest with a frown and a pout on his face that Minzy just wants to squish his cheeks. Yongguk even chuckles a little seeing Jinwoo like that but his silly pride gets the best of him, as he responds to the kid with a similar gesture, “Not a little boy, huh? Yeah sure, says someone who refers to himself using a third person pronoun.”

“Noona! Please tell this ugly ahjussi who has a weird hairstyle that he is not your date but I am!”

“No! You tell him that I am your real date!”

That’s it. The scene before her eyes is too damn hilarious, she cannot hold it in anymore. Suddenly, Minzy starts to burst into laughter, attracting other people’s attention. Some are staring at her blankly, probably thinking she is a madwoman or something. Some, on the other hand, are shooting daggers at her with their eyes out of irritation. That doesn’t stop Minzy though, as she continues to laugh a while longer, with one hand covering and the other clutching her stomach, until tears start to roll down her face.

Both Yongguk and Jinwoo become silent, looking at each other in confusion before fixing their eyes on Minzy, who seems to be lost in her own world. What’s so funny that she laughs her heart out, they are not so sure themselves.

“Oh dear god, you two are too cute, I just can’t,” she stifles a laugh as she wipes the tears away, “Come on boys, the food is not getting any warmer. Eat up!”

And just like a dog listening to its owner, the two instantly pick up their forks and knives, and start digging in their food. Truthfully, they are still confused with Minzy’s sudden outburst but they decided that it is best if they just remained quiet and concentrate on their food for now. Both boys somewhat expected her to be angry but here she is, trying her best to hold back her laughter.

The dinner goes by rather smoothly, much to Minzy’s surprise. The two boys remain calm in their seats, no quarrelling over silly things whatsoever. Although, they do glare at one another every once in a while, especially when either one of them tries to get Minzy’s attention. Sometimes, Yongguk cannot help but think that Jinwoo is too smart and mature for his age. Surprisingly though, the boy kind of reminds him of himself when he was little, it’s scary.

Yongguk has an older sister and even though there is a huge between them, they are very close with one another. They were pretty much inseparable when they were kids. Yongguk would always tag along his sister wherever she went. He even cried when she had to leave him every morning to go to school. He insisted on going with her, which he didn’t get to and boy, did he throw a tantrum after that.

Just like Jinwoo, Yongguk had always been protective over his sister and still is. Too protective at times, that he even scared her first boyfriend away. Mind you, he was only eight at that time. So as much as that Jinwoo kid annoys him, he can’t help but see himself in that kid. Unconsciously, a smile appeared on his face as he reminisces the times he spent with his beloved sister.

“Jinwoo, look at what you’ve done,” Minzy’s panicked voice brings him back from his reverie.

Yongguk observes the lady in front of him as she tries to clean the stain on Jinwoo’s shirt. He cannot deny the fact that she does look beautiful right there and then. The way she treats the boy with love and care as if he was her own. The way she smiles or laughs whenever Jinwoo cracks a joke – which he thinks are not funny even for the slightest bit. The way she helps feed him every now and then. Minzy really looks like a loving mother and it makes his heartbeat race a little.

“Yah, Ahjussi! Noona is talking to you!”

A table napkin suddenly lands on Yongguk’s head and covers parts of his face, startling him out of his daze yet again. His eyes widen as his blood boils in irritation and snaps the piece of cloth off of his face. “Oh no, you didn’t! You didn’t just throw a freaking napkin to my face!” he snarls rather fiercely, scaring the kid.

“Y-Yongguk-ssi,” Minzy stammers, quite stunned herself.

Guilt and regret immediately engulf his body as soon as he notices the fear in the little boy’s eyes. Yongguk really did not mean to get all worked up but he isn’t going to give any excuses for his behaviour. It’s pointless, as he knows he is the one at fault. As annoying as Jinwoo is, he is still just a kid after all. It is part of their job to annoy adults every once in a while. The kid means no harm.

“Hey, little man,” Yongguk slowly scoots his seat closer to the boy, “Ahjussi is really sorry, okay? Ahjussi really didn’t mean to yell at you. I am really, truly, deeply sorry.”

Minzy, who is watching everything intently, softens at the sight as she feels her heartbeat slowly increasing. Just like when Yongguk was taking care of the grandmother that they have helped the day before. Just like when she found him crying, coiled up on the ground on that one tragic, cold winter night. As much as Yongguk wants to appear strong and tough in front of people, she can look pass through his façade.

She isn’t blind, no. She may be young but she has gone through things that no one could ever imagine happening to someone as bright and cheerful as her. She has experienced enough to see through all the lies people have created to hide what truly lies beneath because… she is one of them. Yongguk is not an exception, Minzy can clearly see the sadness and pain in his eyes, and it really aches her heart to know that she can only do very little to help ease the pain away. But now that they are somewhat acquainted, she is more than determined to help the guy.

Regaining his composure, Jinwoo turns to the man beside him with a wide, goofy grin, “You are forgiven, ahjussi!”

A smile instantly creeps onto Yongguk’s face, only to be wiped out from his face a mere second later when the little boy continues, “And you just referred to yourself using a third person pronoun! Ahjussi is a little boy just like Jinwoo!”

Hearing that, Minzy bursts into laughter yet one more time. Probably even louder than she did before. Fortunately for her, the customers and staff of the restaurant have somehow become immune to it, or she could’ve been killed by all the glares they are sending her way. By the time she stops laughing, however, Minzy can feel two sets of eyes on her, staring at her weirdly with a complete blank expression on both their faces. Once again, Yongguk and Jinwoo are dumbfounded at her sudden fit of laughter.

“Dessert… anyone?” she giggles sheepishly.

“Yes, yes, yes, please~ Jinwoo wants ice-cream!” Jinwoo replies immediately, clapping his hands in excitement.

“And I know just the place to get ice cream,” Yongguk announces with a big smile on his face before standing up to pay the bill.

The three of them hop into Yongguk’s car and drive out to where the said man claims to be the best ice-cream parlour in town. They reach their destination not more than thirty minutes later and Jinwoo is beyond ecstatic as he jumps up and down, very eager to finally get his ice-cream fix.

 “Ahjussi, let’s go, let’s go!”

“Calm down, little man. The place is not going anywhere,” Yongguk chuckles as he takes the boy’s hand in his and guides him inside.

Minzy watches the two walking hand-in-hand and smiles. It took only one thing for the boys to get along and that thing happens to be… Tigger. While most kids in South Korea are crazy for the mischievous blue penguin called Pororo, Jinwoo is obsessed over the larger-than-life, Tigger. The fact that a guy, or should I say a man like Yongguk shares the same obsession as the kid is beyond astonishing. Can he get any cuter than this? Come to think of it, Minzy now knows why the two often use third person pronouns when they talk. Because Tigger talks just like that too.

“Minji-ssi, are you alright?”

She doesn’t even realise that she is spacing out until Yongguk’s worried voice snaps her out of her daze. This has happened not once, but thrice, since the past two hours or so. Unknowingly, the thoughts of Yongguk seem to fill her head more often than not. She cannot help but be curious. Of a lot of things.

How has he been since that winter night? Was the break-up that bad that she could still see the pain lingering in his eyes? He seems like a nice guy but how is he like as a boyfriend? Will he treat her right? Will he stay by her side even through the darkest of the darkest nights? But the most important question is… will she ever get to the chance to feel his love and care? Because like it or not, her heart seems to yearn for just that since the first time they have met.

Minzy blinks a few times as she gets back to reality and reassures the two boys, who are yet again looking at her intently, that she is fine. Soon enough, both Jinwoo and Yongguk show her their excited smiles, and for the nth time that night, her heart is beating rapidly.

“So, what flavour would you like to have, Minji-ssi?” asks Yongguk with a rather shy smile this time.

“Umm, let’s see,” Minzy takes her time to think as she scans through the different varieties of flavour in front of them.

This time, it is Yongguk’s turn to have his heart do flips inside his chest as his eyes take in the adorable girl in front of him. No matter how many times he tells himself not to fall in love ever again and no matter how hard he tries to resist his feelings, his heart seems to do the exact opposite. This unwelcomed feeling both fascinates and irks him. More so when the person who is responsible for it is someone who he has only just met.

He may not call it love just yet, but Minzy does make his heart flutter. The way she looks at him with her sparkling dark-brown orbs. The way she smiles shyly whenever he catches her staring at him. The way her voice rings beautifully in his ears. Everything little thing she does seem to mesmerise him, unconsciously or not. As mentioned before, he has been on countless dates so, why now? Or most importantly, why her?

But before he can delve into his muse any deeper, her voice echoes in his ears like a beautiful melody, “I think I’d like two scoops of very berry strawberry ice-cream on a waffle cone!”

Youngguk straightens up and clears his throat before turning back to the employee behind the counter, “You heard the pretty lady, two scoops of very berry strawberry on a waffle cone.”

“Coming right up, sir. Is there anything else that you want?”

“Hmm,” Yongguk looks at Minji and Jinwoo to make sure if they wanted anything else but they just shake their heads, “Well I guess that’s about it, thank you.”

“Noted! Your orders will be up in a bit, thank you for choosing Baskin-Robbins.”

Jinwoo cannot hide his excitement as he keeps chanting ‘ice-cream, ice-cream, ice-cream’ loudly like there was no tomorrow. Thank god they’re the only ones in the store at the moment so Minzy and Yongguk would not have to worry about the stares and complaints they could have received. They do, however, apologise to the staff but they just laugh it off. It is something they have seen numerous times so it’s basically normal.

Their ice cream is finally served less than a minute later, much to Jinwoo delight. The boy jumps up and down with joy, a little uncontrollable. For a slight second, Yongguk regrets treating the kid to ice cream. If he was this hyper before consuming any sugar, only God knows how much more hyper he could get after eating his ice cream. Not to mention that he ordered a banana split. That’s three freaking scoops of ice cream! And that’s triple the sugar level!

So Jinwoo, Minzy and Yongguk sit together at a table on the second floor, eating their ice cream silently. For some reason, they are all too engrossed on eating to even say anything. Especially, Jinwoo. That kid finishes his banana split in a flash, surprising both adults.

“Jinwoo-ya, are you okay? Aren’t you having a brain freeze or something?” asks Minzy, concerned.

“You shouldn’t be eating ice-cream that fast, kiddo. It can be quite dangerous,” Yongguk is equally concerned for the kid.

“I know, I know. I’m so-” Jinwoo burps rather loudly for his size before he continues, “I’m sorry. The ice-cream was too yummy but I promise I will eat more slowly next time.”

Both Minzy and Yongguk chuckle at his adorableness. After having an overpriced steak dish that didn’t even taste so good in his opinion and a banana split, Jinwoo is finally full. He isn’t one to eat much and it usually takes Minzy at least two hours to get him finish his lunch or dinner. Thus, being able to finish all his food is already a miracle, itself.

To both Minzy’s and Yongguk’s surprise, Jinwoo has fallen asleep merely few seconds later, snoring softly in his seat. Poor kid, he must have been really tired. Or probably, just too full. Shaking her head at the sleeping boy, Minzy then fixes him into a more comfortable position before covering him with his coat gently.

“Is he always like this?” Yongguk chuckles softly.

“Always. Jinwoo is like a python. Once he’s full, he’d go straight to hibernation mode.”

“That’s cute. Are you done with your ice cream? We should probably go home, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Oh, you don’t have to. I don’t want to bother you, Yongguk-ssi. We can always just take the bus. Thank you for the offer, though. That’s very gentleman of you.”

Yongguk insists on sending them home but Minzy declines his offer every time. She really is genuinely grateful for his thoughtfulness but having living independently for many years, it has become quite burdensome for her to accept any kind of help from others, including her close friends. Including Eunmi.

“At least let me walk you to the nearest bus stand,” Yongguk sighs, finally giving up.

“That would be nice, thank you.”

Being the gentleman he is, Yongguk volunteers to carry Jinwoo, who is sleeping like a log, all the way to the bus stand. Jinwoo is definitely not a heavy kid, but he isn’t that light either. Seeing Yongguk struggles to hold the kid in his arms every now and then makes Minzy feel rather bad. She wants to take Jinwoo from him so that he could rest but she knows that Yongguk wouldn’t let her, so she just let him be. Fortunately for him, the bus stop isn’t that far away from the ice-cream shop.

Minzy, who is walking beside him the entire time, cannot help but steal glances at him. She scans his side profile, taking a mental photograph of every of his facial feature; his thick eyebrows, his long lashes which flow perfectly over his mysterious dark pearls, his high but not that prominent cheekbones, his chiseled jawline, his rather cute nose and his luscious, kissable lips. The man before her eyes is her definition of handsome. He may not be perfect in others’ eyes, but he is in hers.

Minzy always finds herself smiling widely each time she looks at him but manages to control herself, afraid that she would get caught staring at him. Man, that would be so awkward. “We’re here,” Yongguk suddenly says, startling Minzy, who has been daydreaming about him.

She just nodded, her face blushing, and settles down on one of the benches provided. And once again, being the gentleman he is, Yongguk insists on waiting with them until their bus arrives. There is an awkward silence between them as they sit on the bench. Despite spending several hours together tonight, both are still rather shy with one another. It has only been around three minutes since they arrived at the stand, but it surely does feel like three days. All thanks to the awkward silence. Lucky for them, the bus arrives before things could get even more awkward.

“Have a safe trip home, Minji-ssi,” Yongguk smiles shyly as he hands Jinwoo back to her.

“You too, Yongguk-ssi. Thank you for the dinner and dessert. And thank you for taking care of uri Jinwoo as well.”

“You’re very welcome. Although, I should be the one thanking you and Jinwoo. I had a great time tonight.”

“Me too. See you around, Mr. Responsible,” Minzy gives him the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before getting into the bus and Yongguk cannot help but to smile widely himself.

He wasn’t lying. He really had a great time tonight. Probably the best night he had ever had since the past dreadful six months. For once, he did not think of that painful break-up. For once, he did not think about her. For once, he could smile and laugh again.

“See you around, my superhero,” he mutters softly to himself as he watches the bus drives away and disappears into the distance.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Story by: afagyel | Poster and background by: Tomoe Graphic Shop