You are more than my friend:

Summer holidays are gifting everyone a moment or another, even for only several days. Fortunately idols can have some too, otherwise it would be modern slavery and it does exist – it is still an exhausting job. On her holidays, Irene had plan to see Mino a last time before Red Velvet's upcoming comeback in September, and most of all before her journey with SM Town. Like this, the two had set a date matching their free time to meet at a park in the surroundings of Seoul. For the first time, no accidental meeting, no deals from their friends, it is just the two of them away from their busy environment.

Irene has decided to wear casual clothes and only puts BB cream since the weather is hot and the park owns hills that can almost be for hiking. She thinks people are the more beautiful when they just enhance their natural features. Another thing is Irene loves casual clothes, she is not too much into fashion and she admits stylists dress her better than herself, it makes her feel more at ease and free of her movements.

Excitement mixed with anxiety coming, she sighs heavily. Their last meeting he has seem kinder with her, watching her all the time that she began to to hide the embarrassed part of her, they became more comfortable with each other and she even made him laugh a bit. She noticed he smiled at her the second he saw her and it comforts her, it means he considers her as someone close now.

On his side, Mino is jamming to some hip-hop songs playing in his earphone on his way to the station at this early hour of the day, the day of their date. They agreed to take the train together early enough wearing masks to avoid the crowd as much as possible. The place they are heading to is a peaceful one, not very visited, and it is holidays. The summer sun is already rising even if it is 5 a.m. promising warm rays for the day, Mino is not lost nor dizzy to wake up this early because he is used to work until late at night on music.

After his walk enjoying Seoul empty streets, he meets Irene at the station who he almost fail to notice because of the ordinary way she dressed. Once they find the right train, they sat together side by side and she takes off her mask a minute to greet him. Even with bare face she still looks like an unreal beauty to him. Mino restrains himself to say she is the most beautiful girl he ever seen as it would be silly and instead compliments her good looks in casual clothes. “Man, those skinny jeans on her! I can't look, she'll believe I'm a ert again!”, he gulps at his thoughts and slaps himself back into reality. Irene is watching him acting strange – he really slapped himself, not hard though- not understanding the effects her charms made on the boy. She simply let escape her little laugh at Mino trying to fix his behavior with a few “sorry”.

The rest of the ride was filled with silences and cheering to one another recent activities even if they were not much, first steps were a bit shy. They eventually find a topic of discussion: this mutual event in China back in May between Red Velvet and Winner. Last time they met they did not talk about it and that is for a reason: they did not look at each other even once that time afraid to be exposed, more exactly for their feelings to show. They did greet officially in backstage but that was it. Mino regrets it a bit but for the sake of both groups it was better. Irene was focusing on her leader role but inside she was irritated and sadden by the situation. This is how that one day despite being reunited they did not dare take a step towards one another, for the sake of their respective agencies to not create any scandal. A dating scandal is what they fear the most, their secret meetings being discovered, even their agencies do not know they see each other during their free time. As for them, it is one of the few private activities that are left in their idol life.

In the gardens, surrounded by green grass and bushy bushes, majestic dense trees and smaller various ones, the fresh air greets them. Have risen above Seoul, they inhale deeply this purer breeze. It is a bucolic sight, soothed by the sun displaying his warm light. The landscape stretched before their eyes, they stay still to contemplate, trying to memorize some of its distant details. Mino turns his head to peek at the lady who is accompanying him in this peaceful and wonderful place, it feels almost like paradise for the young man. Irene and him standing side by side on their date in natural park. Because it is such a perfect moment to show her how much she means to him, Mino takes Irene's hand in his. It is cute how his hand is two times bigger than hers. She turns her gaze on him at his touch and Mino's heart skips a beat. Irene admits to herself she feels at ease with him now, this affectionate gesture made some effect, maybe she likes him more than before now. Calm, they are both immersed in this moment of happiness they are sharing.

Determined to roam around all the park, they find themselves walking together, aiming nowhere in particular, just wandering freely enjoying birds singing and the breeze. Silence between them is comfortable this time, the sound of their own breathing cadences their pace. Strangely the nature pacifies them as an enveloping spell, healing all their previous misunderstandings. Sometimes words are not needed to spend quality time.

“It has been long time since I felt this good”, confesses Irene out of the blue. “Since I debut it seems there is some burden weighting upon my body and I learn to live with it. But for the first time it lightens, maybe it's because I never felt this free since then.” It is also the first time she opens to someone besides her mother. As the leader she has to keep her worries to herself to not affect the other members, she has to be the fragile pillar of her group and it is tiring. Moreover, with her quiet and introvert personality she does not talk a lot about herself, but with Mino in this place, something sparks in her. And after the words escaped , she feels even proud of speaking about her sincere thoughts out loud, she does feel much better now.

“You must trust me to tell me this. I'll also tell you something, I'm feeling privileged to be here with you and I can say I'm the happiest man right now.”, Mino says touched by her revelation.

“You're too much”, she jokes to relax the atmosphere, she said what was on her heart but does not want to explain further.

“Hey, I was being honest here!”, he protests but she is already ahead of him. “Wait for me please, you walk fast for a little woman!”, he teases as a revenge.

“I know I'm little and so what?!”, she shouts back and he simply laughs joining her. Despite being a quiet person she has sense of humor and laugh for small things. He likes her little laugh she lets out here and there when he is trying to entertain her.

After walking around for almost an hour, they decide to rest and eat some snacks they bought beforehand under a tree to avoid the sun, Irene cares about her fair skin. She is munching on her favorite honey flavored crackers while Mino is devouring some kimbap, and because it is not enough he starts to eat up the entire bag of sweet potato chips, god the boy is always hungry. Mino being his true self even though he is an idol, despite Winner's classy image the group can be so silly, it makes her realize that it is maybe because he is carefree, making mistakes and acting funny, and gets to know her beyond Irene the idol that she became comfortable around him. But does Irene the person who is an insecure and shy girl wants to reveal herself? With somebody who is acting like him she is already letting her guard down. She knows that Mino is an outgoing person befriending anybody who seems nice, he gives this warm feel she likes about him, you will be at ease with him because he is honest and acts natural. She envies him for being like this, unlike her who is wary of people, and at the same time she is thankful to him. Even if they did not start on the right foot, he tries to see throughout received ideas on her, and thanks to that they can meet like friends now. After all, take life as it comes, you does not know what happen. Today is really a casual and chill day she wants to get the most out of it.

Once he is full, he cannot hold himself from a natural urge after drinking soda and turn around politely to burp as low as possible ashamed. Irene's eyes open wide and then she bursts out laughing, this is the man, it was unexpectedly cute how he tried to hide it. After those thoughts of her she has kind of a proof if we can say, she is sure to laugh every time she is with him now. To make her forget another of his clumsy episode, he offers her a chocopie that she gladly accepts. “It's okay we're humans after all”, she reassures him anyway and they smile awkwardly.

“You seemed very thoughtful...”, he says.

“Um no… It is really a beautiful day indeed.”

“Indeed.” Then he stands up rubbing dust off his pants. “And it's not the end already, so move midget!”

“What did you say? You rude glutton!”, he is provoking her once again.

“Come and get me! Hahaha!”

“At least, I don't have a ridiculous earring!” She points at the safety pin hanging on his earlobe. It is her turn to . “Your fashion is a disaster.”

“It's YG baby!”, he answers mischievously and they laugh.

Exchanging playground jokes as the kids they really are, they continue their walk in a cheerful mood enjoying present time. After much elbowing and clapping at stupid childish jokes as they share the same kindergarten humor such as low poop and fart stories, they eventually calm down with a last story about Mino's uncle accident. Their environment is becoming more interesting as they are looking at the surroundings, they follow the path who is lightly sloping and nature gets wilder. Tired, they sit on a near bench to rest a bit. Suddenly, something catches Mino's eyes. It is a big peach tree. He wonders if the fruits are edible as he wants to pick some. Gazing at Irene who has her eyes closed as she is inhaling the breeze, a smile creeps on the boy's lips as he cannot help to fanboy over her flawless looks. Indeed he is a lucky man to be here with her. The walk is so refreshing that it is giving inspiration for new ideas of lyrics or drawings. It has been a long time since he fooled around in the grass like this, he is a city boy after all.

“Hey, do you want some?”, he asks Irene as he is pointing at the tree.

“I cannot allow myself to be food poisoned.”, she answers him with a serious look.

“Oh come on you coward, I want to taste them!”, he persuades her even if the tree maybe belongs to someone he does not care. It makes him remember when he was stealing some fruits to the old lady at the store while she was talking to a customer when he was a kid.

They walk fastly to the tree excited to succeed their mission. The peach tree is old and does not seem being cut every year, the peaches are a bit high that even Mino with his height cannot reach them. Irene starts to pout she thought this giant was tall enough. But when it is about food Mino is not lazy anymore and can prove others he has brains, ten times more when Irene is watching him.

“I've an idea… Climb up on my shoulders!” Irene looks at him shocked by his statement as he is smiling widely, decided. Now, she starts to be embarrassed, since she is in jeans she can go on his back, but they will be so… close, they never had this much skinship before except holding hands. Without a warning, Mino lifts her and she gasps suddenly being in the air like this.

“Go catch some!”, he yells but in response he feels her tiny fist hits his head.

“Pabo, you scared me!”, she says whereas he is groaning in pain.

“If your small hands can do that, hurry up then, you're heavy!”, he teases.

“I've never say that you have to lift me in the first place!”, she screams her face heating up. Her heart is beating fast. She looks back at the branches towards her head and focus on the peaches ignoring the man bellow her who has his hands on her thighs right now. Do not think about it she tells herself. She manages to catch a few that she put in her shirt used as an improvised basket.

“You can put me down now.”, she tells him.

“You got them? Good! You're a great girl!”, with the additional height of two people there were no reason it does not work and they eat nothing int the end.

“I'm a great girl because I grant your stupid wish, you and your stomach...”, she grumbles while going down.

He does not seem affected as she is, in his head it was just a useful gesture nothing special to feel about it, he would lift anybody on his back, well not an elephant of course. She is still blushing remembering how they were touching. Maybe she overreacted, but it is the first she climbs on a man's shoulders except for her father, so it surprised her.

“So, here is the loot.”, she stretches her t-shirt to reveal the small peaches.

All happy, he tastes one, closes his eyes and smiles. “They're good.” She also takes a bite and indeed they are surprisingly very good for peaches for there in passing. She is proud of herself to have catch them.

They start eating the peaches sitting on the grass, Mino is blabbering about the fruits he prefers and asks questions to Irene about what food she likes. Then, he stops talking too busy eating and watching the view as Irene is doing the same. Once again he takes a look at her beauty, she is wearing her hair in a ponytail but there is little hair escaping at the level of her ears. It is floating in the air with the breeze. The sun is reflecting in her eyes and they are shinier than usual. She is truly breathtaking.

“I've got one: What does a leaf says to the other?”, he breaks the silence.

“Tell me...”, she rolls her eyes, he seems to like that kind of cheesy jokes.

“I'm falling for you.” He said it innocently, it is initially a joke, but the words kept repeating in his head for a few seconds and he grabs the ambiguity of the meaning. Gosh, is he really falling in love with her? The question crosses his mind. On the other hand, Irene is looking at him perplexed doubting if he is joking or not. The atmosphere becomes awkward whereas they were comfortable minutes ago, what a change.

“Ahem… it was a joke, it's…, I...”, he stutters, it is helpless to try to justify himself. It was just a play of words.

“Ok...”, she only answers. Being on his shoulders and those words added, she is not not feeling so well as before now. The more she looks at the situation, the more she realizes how deeper their relationship evolves today: they go on a date in a park, they eat and laugh a lot, he lifts her to catch peaches, and now he is making cheesy jokes. They really look like they are dating like really dating as girlfriend and boyfriend. Looking from outside, they are more than friends.

“Well, maybe we have to go now, it starts being late...”, he says to change of subject.

“Did you really hated me?”, she suddenly asks.

“What?”, he is surprised by her question.

“Did you really hated me back then, when we first met ?”, she repeats. It is a question which has been burning her lips for a long time. When they first met he did not appreciate her at all. She needs to know the person he really is if she is ready to love him truly. If she can trust him.

“Never. I have never hated you.”, he answers with confidence in his voice. “I misjudge you, but I did not hate you because well... how can I hate you? I am incapable of that.” He sighs, he knows he was not clear with her, but he was not with himself either.

“To say the truth, I think I am really falling for you.” Saying this, he takes a step closer and pats her head softly. Both of them have rosy cheeks now. They are expressing these developing feelings out loud for the first time whereas before they would kept them all bottled inside. At his sweet touch, she suddenly does something that he would not have predict, she takes his patting hand in hers and stares at him in the eyes intensely. It does not matter how hot the weather is today, if their palms become sweaty as he adds his other hand, they are now linked holding each other hands.

“I am falling for you too.”

With her last words, he kisses her forehead gently. She shivers when she feels his soft lips touching her forehead skin. Their respective hearts are beating faster than ever. When she meets his eyes, she finds affection, respect and kindness in them as the warm person he is, but there is something different from before, something more and kind of only destined to her… there is love. From now, she knows that this is those eyes that she wishes to drown in the next time they meet.

Tree leafs are quivering with the light breeze, they continue to stare at each other for a long while. As there is nothing more to add to this wonderful day, they decide to end their date here and walk back together hand in hand.

A/N:

Ok it's the end of the month, but still I update once a month now:p well this a long chapter to make up to you guys haha sweet chapter, get ready because the next one it's... storm!... you'll see, for now they're happy!^w^ Hey, did you see the fanvid of zico from back where you can see irene's (blured) face and the rest of rv jamming to okey dokey? in the end when he goes to mino you can she smiled when he played with his mic (ah too much talent), that's nothing much but still for my shipper heart haha8D >,<" Shipping is good when you keep it to yourself and your fellow friends or sites dedicated for it! *tumbs up* *v sign*

Lots of love,

-wanderingmood