Chapter 7

This isn't a dream, is it? Maybe, this is a hidden camera event?

Kikwang looked underneath the bench and at the sides of the seat and felt around for a hidden microphone or mini-camera. Min started giving him strange looks especially when Kikwang started poking and squeezing her arm.

“ Hmm, definitely not a dream,” He said as he let go of her arm. Min asked him if he was crazy and if he wanted to die as she took her arm back. Kikwang apologized and they went back to sitting awkwardly across from each other. They both glanced at the gap of space that was between them on the bench. Kikwang wondered if he should move closer but before he can do anything, Min edged herself nearer to him until the gap disappeared. Without turning her head to face him, she put her right hand on top of Kikwang's left hand. Kikwang stared at her small hand and was about to put it inside his hand when he felt this fear rising in him and let go immediately. Min looked a little hurt by this and started frowning.

Kikwang felt ashamed by his actions which he did not know how to explain. But Min just overlooked it and asked Kikwang if he had any more schedules to attend to that night. Kikwang shook his head. He thought about his previous plans to go out with Eunji or Bomi but he realized he cannot call them now that he will be dating Min exclusively for a while.

“ Great, we can have our first date here. The observatory is having a free pass day today I heard ,” Min said to him and rose from the bench. She told Kikwang to walk her over to the observatory building. And so, they walked side by side to the area referred to as the 63 Building. The sky was already dark and the lights by the bridge and river could be seen. Kikwang could hear Min whisper the word "beautiful" as she looked upon the scenery. He looked at her eyes which seemed to reveal an innocent sense of awe and he could not help but find it sweet. Min seemed to notice his stare as she turned her attention away from the river and lights.

“What?,” She asked.

“Huh? Oh, nothing,” Kikwang turned his stare towards his feet instead and walked with his head down until they reached the entrance. He opened the door for Min as she went inside and he followed after her. He asked Min what she wanted to do first and she said she wanted to take the elevator to the top floor.

The elevator was unexpectedly empty when it opened. Kikwang and Min stepped inside it and looked out at the open view as they ascended to each floor. Min could see the whole Han River shimmering in the dark. It seemed really romantic to her and she wondered why Kikwang was there by the river all by himself today. She thought maybe that he was suppose to meet another girl but ended up with Min instead.

“ Kikwang, why were you in the Han River park by yourself?...Unless, you were planning to meet someone? ”

“ I like going to the Han River by myself sometimes. It's calming,” Kikwang smiled and continued, “ I promised to take someone to the river before... this girl I knew from Naju before I debuted.”

“A girl you dated?,” Min asked and Kikwang nodded. He did not know why he was revealing this information to Min. He only talks about the particular girl he dated from Naju with Dong Woon. It is sometimes painful to even think about it for Kikwang and how the girl hurt him. However, he was telling Min about her without hesitating. Min asked Kikwang then about what happened with the girl and Kikwang wondered if he should tell her that the girlfriend cheated on him.

“ We stopped contact with each other for personal reasons before I had the chance to fulfill the promise.”

Min did not ask anymore about the girl and turned her attention to the view outside the clear window from the elevator. Kikwang unwrapped his scarf to fix the top of his tracksuit jacket. He had the jacket zipped all the way up to his neck. Min watched as he wrapped the scarf around again.

“Are you covering hickeys underneath that zipped up jacket and scarf of yours?,” Min boldly asked. Kikwang almost choked as he started coughing at her question. She is certainly gutsy to ask that.

Kikwang replied, “ No, I'm not. This is my celebrity disguise and it also protects me from the cold. And no need to wear so much to cover neck marks when there's makeup that does the job easily, right?”

Min nodded and the doors opened suddenly. They walked out onto the observation deck and looked out at the view of tiny Seoul beneath them. Min was silent as she peered at the sight.

“ Min, I was really surprised you asked to date me. I don't exactly have the best dating reputation. Aren't you scared of me hurting you? , ” Kikwang finally said.

“I was surprised by it too. Maybe, I fell for your charm like all the others girls you go out with? I do think about the possibility of getting hurt by being with you. But right now, I just want to see how things go this month.”

Kikwang decided to accept Min's answer and thought that Min had a really brave character. He thought with her that he should act courageously as well. He took out his right hand and grasped Min's left hand with it. Min was taken aback by the act and her face turned red.

“ Come on, let's look around.” Kikwang said and he led Min in a circle as they looked through telescopes and admired the 360 view of Seoul from all different parts of the observation deck. Min tried to make out the Han River from the top of the building. She saw some parts of the body of water and the lights around it. She tried to see the bridge by the park as well.

“ Have you ever swam in the Han River?,” Min asked Kikwang and he shook his head. Kikwang told her that maybe one summer, he will. The weather was too cold now to go swimming.

“ What if I threatened to never talk to you again if you didn't swim in the river? Would you swim in the Han River even if it was freezing?,” Min asked hypothetically.

“ You're a cool girl and all, but I don't think I would,” Kikwang responded honestly.

After they finished walking around the observation deck, Min wanted to see the Aquarium so Kikwang took her to one of the lower floors where the building's aquarium was located. There was a tour group in there as well and when they passed by Min and Kikwang, Kikwang started to do a robotic dance which made some of the tourists laugh. Min turned away and smiled to herself as well. After the tourists left to another area, Min and Kikwang went to each tank and made faces at all the tropical fishes. There were even sea rays and manatees in some of the tanks. Min and Kikwang stopped in front of a tank with turtles swimming around each other.

“ Did you know that if children turtles disobey their mother turtles, the mother turtles would eat their children?,” Min asked Kikwang and Kikwang widened his eyes and said he didn't know. He thought it was very sad. Min was only joking but she couldn't believe how gullible Kikwang was. She smiled and agreed that it was tragic.

After they were tired from looking at all the different species that lived in the water or by the water in the Aquarium, they stopped by a cafe on one of the floors to drink some smoothies. As they were about to sit down at a table, a middle-aged white couple approached Kikwang and asked him if he knew where the gift shop was located? They said everything in English and Kikwang tried to decipher what they were asking.

“I think there is a gift shop on the floor below the observation deck. There's also a gift shop on the first floor as well, ” Min told the tourist couple in fluent English and they smiled at Min and thanked her.  As they walked away, Min heard the woman asking the man she assumed was her husband if he thought Min and Kikwang were a couple and how she thought they looked adorable together. Min smiled and blushed again which made Kikwang puzzled but he didn't say anything.

“ So you got to ask me why I wanted to go out with you, but I didn't ask you why you said yes. Why did you say yes? Is it because I told you that I would grant that wish you suggested?, ” Min asked Kikwang. Kikwang told her that he possibly said yes because of the one wish deal. He darted his eyes towards Min's chest and Min crossed her arms in front of her to block his view.

“ Don't try to hide them. In a month, who knows how much of them I'll see,” Kikwang teased. Min looked worried and wondered if it was a good idea to propose the one wish reward. Kikwang saw her expression and told her that he wouldn't force Min to do anything she didn't want to do. He also said he might wish for something else at the end of the month.

Kikwang's phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out to read his text. He started typing away on the screen keyboard. Min told him that he shouldn't be texting girls too much if they were going to date exclusively. Kikwang laughed and told her that he was texting his mom. He says that he makes sure to contact her everyday. He finished sending his text and they drank their smoothies until those were finished too. Kikwang suggested they should start heading back to their homes and offered to bring Min to her grandma's.

The train station was not as crowded as earlier that day but there were still a lot of people. Kikwang pulled his scarf up over his mouth and pulled his hat lower over his eyes. Min pulled on her sweatshirt hood as well. Kikwang laughed and removed his sunglasses and put them over Min's face. They seemed to fit perfectly on her face. He took her hand in his as they raced to enter inside the approaching subway line. The train compartment they entered was filled with tired looking Seoul residents and Kikwang was able to find two empty connecting seats in the corner. They sat down and waited to reach their stop. Min was still exhausted from practicing her dance before in the JYP building . She found her eyes closing involuntarily and her head fell on Kikwang's shoulder. was slightly open and Kikwang hoped that Min wouldn't drool on his shoulder. Nevertheless, her head felt warm resting on him.

It was raining when they stepped outside the train station and Min took out her umbrella to share with Kikwang. Kikwang really hated rainy nights ever since he saw his ex with another guy on a night that was raining hard but with Min, he didn't mind the rain that much. As they were walking, Min stuck her tongue out at Kikwang and ran off ahead of him with the umbrella. She told him to try to catch her and Kikwang walked after her a little perturbed that he was getting drenched. Even though he was wearing a hat, he could feel his hair frizzing underneath.  Min stopped when she saw Kikwang wasn't running after her. Kikwang went up to her and said he didn't want to play.

“Hmm, well, too bad,” Min said and started circling around Kikwang playfully which made him laugh. He finally grabbed her in his arms to make her stop and Min's face was now next to Kikwang's. She put her fingers on his lips and Kikwang took hold of them in his hand. He moved closer to Min and looked as if he was about to press his lips on Min's own lips but kissed the top of her forehead instead. Min was a little confused but smiled at him and placed the umbrella over their heads once more as they continued to walk.

“Come on, my grandmother's house is one more block from here.”          

Author's note:  lol, sappy chapter. enjoy.  And I'm sorry for any inaccuracies about places I've written about. I've never been to Seoul or Korea so I just make up things or I read about the places. I also know about them from shows or dramas I've watched.