Outside:

"Mino-ssi? What's wrong? Why are you hiding your face?", Irene starts to question the man. Indeed, pabo Mino is putting his big hands in front of his little eyes like a prude shy boy. And the pictures collection is only at the next corner of the exhibition room, two meters further. The pure and white Irene, as she is depicted in Mino's head, does not have see the object of fear for now, and the man of the job needs to act fast if he does not want her to believe he is a ert who lead her to an obscene exhibition. Actually, the pictures were not ographic like those his hyungs and friends watch on their computers, it is polished backgrounds with suggestive posing and hidden symbols, it can be called art by the look of it. But Mino panicked and Irene soon notices the sulfurous shots, blinks her eyes to check what she sees is true, looks back at the frozen man, and then rolls her eyes. Is he five or what? she thought.

"Mino-ssi?...", she tries to wake him up from his trance. "I saw it already", she sighs.

Mino is ashamed to face her, what did he listens to Taehyun? This is a huge mistake to bring her here. He has now sweaty palms and his brain is about to explode, what to do? What to do?!

“Don't tell me this is your first time seeing women?”, Irene jokingly says to relax him but it does not exactly work as his cheeks redden a bit. Seeing he is not answering, Irene becomes to feel uncomfortable, and she has to think of a way to change the topic of this conversation because her cheeks are in the same state now. Both are not particularly at ease with those pictures and the kind of discussion it brings. They are not ascetically receptive like Taehyun. Before letting more ideas emerge from their head, they need to end this breathtaking exhibition.

Keeping their head low to avoid eye contact, they direct themselves towards the exit, Mino watching anyone who would push Irene in the crowd of visitors. Irene understood what he was doing and was pleased by his kind gesture. They finally made it outside, the bright and warm sun welcoming them in this summer afternoon. Not really knowing where to go, the path they take lead them to sit on a wooden bench in the museum's garden at the back of the building.

The rays of sunshine softly caressing their timid faces, they dare to look at each other at last. It is Mino who takes the first step, angry at himself to have put them in such an embarrassing situation, the man was hurt in his pride.

“I hope you don't think I'm a ert.” He wanted to hide his stupid head in his hands once more.

“Of course not!”, Irene reassures him with a small smile. But indeed she is not that happy of this said first date, can't you call it. With this they sigh heavily again embarrassed and confused about what will happen next.

“Irene?”, he suddenly calls her.

“Y-yes?” she is taken aback by him speaking informally.

“I'm really sorry, next time I promise I will not follow those bad plans. Next time… if there is one, I'll make it up to you.” he genuinely says.

“Don't worry, I'm not mad at you or something. It wasn't that bad, I'm sure this is a memory we'll keep to laugh later.” She does not want him to feel down, after all he did not know what the exhibition was about. “And you know, we still have time left to make it up today.” She speaks smartly, a part of her wishing to extend their time together.

“Are you sure? It is almost 6 p.m.” He would not believe she wanted to stay with him more.

“Oh, maybe you have something to do...”, she feels like he is ready to go soon, she knows he works a lot in the studio.

“No!”, he exclaims, “I mean no. I can be with you... No, I mean I can stay with you.”he succeeds to answer with difficulty, his sentences appearing ambiguous. The excitement rising at this unexpected offer made him loose his cool. He has not plan anything to do next and his belly feels empty so he innocently says: “Do you wanna eat?” If the man continues like this she will think that he is really a stomach on legs. Well, he is. Irene can only escape a little laugh at his attitude.

*

They went to a traditional barbecue restaurant as those that exist by hundreds in Seoul streets, the atmosphere was warm and joyful, the metallic sound of spoons and chopsticks, drinks that chink together and chatter and laughter of the customers can be heard. Indeed this was a hot day, but the heat was decreasing as the evening was coming closer, and at this period cafes and restaurants had set tables outside. It is at one of them that Mino and Irene sat down. They were wearing caps and large sunglasses to be incognito, they took them off to read the set menu enjoying this moment of free time in their idols lives.

Once they are served and that Mino store enough food in his body, they started to talk about their daily tiring schedule, their upcoming projects and what innovations they want to try, what skills they would like to show to their fans. Then Mino makes fun of Irene because of her TV clips where she is ironing clothes, she retorts that it is useful knowledge.

“You think I'll be an idol all my life?” she counterattacks, but actually it is a difficult question. Some idols have short careers, others last long, some change to be actors or entertainers, others to flee the medias ans live a peaceful family life, there are many destinies.

“What will you do? You'll be an actress like in your web-drama?”, he suggests.

“It's too soon to tell, I prefer to concentrate on the present.”, she explains, of course she thought about her future, her life after her idol life, but she does not want to predict anything.

“As for me, I will pursue music my entire life I think.” Mino is already writing his lyrics and helping his mates composing songs, he is also learning from hyungs at the studio. But anything does not come without work and he is training his rap skills everyday to improve as a rapper. Irene can see his passion for hip-hop, this is a side of him that intimidates her even now she is getting to know him.

“I know you will, I'll continue to listen to you.”, she cheers on him.

“Thank you Irene” he smiles foolishly, he likes that she believes in his music as a colleague.

“Where did the Irene-ssi go?” she chuckles teasing him.

“Ah that… Sorry, I thought that maybe we're close enough to drop formalities...”, he scratch his neck nervously, it is a special thing for him to call by her name, it means they are close friends now, it means possibilities to get nearer.

“Joking, you can call me by my name.” The fact he calls her like this seems to mean they can be more comfortable and honest with each other and share their concerns and worries as good friends.

“Noona?” he teases this time.

“Don't call me that, I'm not old!” she exclaims wrinkling her nose. It is weird to her he calls her that, she thinks it is because she does not want to be an older sister to him but something else.

When Mino is watching her being cute as she is hating the honorific, he cannot help wanting to hug her right there. But he really can't. This feeling in his heart is bothering him gradually, growing more with each new encounter with her. It becomes difficult to hide it.

In the meantime, she is here in front of him, with her angelic face, her rosy painted lips and her shiny eyes he loves. Yes, he loves her eyes. To him people's eyes are fascinating, every individual have his own eyes. Eyes are mysterious, they seem to tell stories based on people's feelings which pass with the speed of human ups and downs. Feelings are hard to understand.

He feels the urge to approach her at the view of her beauty, a fragile and sweet woman too beautiful for this world. In his dreams, she is floating instead of walking, sometimes he finds her unreal, as if he is blinded by her. She obviously has flaws as a human being but every part of her body altogether seem perfect in his eyes. He wants to take a step further towards her but ends up restraining himself afraid he would scare her. At times he thinks of initiating skin-ship he is sure he would make a fool of himself. He looks like a coward but now they agreed to try to make their relationship evolve to something more, a pressure he had not before started to grow inside him. The rapper is not super comfortable with girls, his friends are essentially males, he knows he will not avoid mistakes, but everybody is the same: we learn all our life. He just need to relax and go with the flow.

Her questioning eyes bring him out of his daydream and he could only smiles at her. Irene tilts her head cutely which melts his heart, she has that surprised look like a lost animal. Then, seeing he shift back his attention, she gives him her small smile and he follows the lifting movement made by the corners of . Really he needs to stop staring at her.

“I think it's time to go, you know I cannot stay late outside too long.” As the leader Irene has to show the example, the dorm has a curfew that every member respect. The sentence delivered breaks Mino's train of thoughts. The date is already over, a few hours only to see one another. Even though a possible next meeting is comforting them like a quiet promise as they say: “See you next time.”

“See you next time.”, his voice lowers realizing she is leaving as she waves her hand at him.

He fixes her figure until it fades in the falling night, she evaporates in the warm breeze. A man would normally take a woman home careful about her well-beeing, but as idols they cannot do that, he must not let paparazzi know that Winner's Mino walks Red Velvet's Irene to her dorm, that is unbelievable. Yet, he wish someday they could do it, walking together on the streets freely. And maybe he would hold her hand then.

A/N: The story takes place this summer so the recent YG events are later. I think I'll write a blog soon on my thoughts about it.

Thank you for reading & cheer up baby!

-wanderingmood

Published and Updated on Dec 1, 2016