"I know there's something you want to say so just come out and say it" she said standing up and looking down at him. "Even though you're a man, I'll have you know that I'm older than you".
She was standing tall trying to show her dominance.
"When you get like this I remember why I left the house" he mumbled.
"I know why I left too" Mi-na said with a sigh.
"You are starting to act like her" Sung-min said looking at her.
Her eyes went wide and then went back to normal. He was right.
"I'm sorry" she whispered as she sat down and hugged him.
"Me too" he whispered back.
"Let's not be sad today! You're going on a date today and Stephanie spent all her time yesterday trying on cute clothes just for you" she said with a smirk.
"Don't talk like that. Hearing you talk like that is really freaky" he said pushing her away.
"I have pictures, do you want to see?" she asked with a devious glint in her eye waving her phone in Sung-min's face.
"No" he replied pushing her away.
"I have a feeling Stephanie would be up by now planning on what she would wear, how she would style her hair and what make up she would use all in pleasing you". Sung-min sighed tiredly.
Stephanie turned on her side with a yawn. She looked at the time on her phone and it was just a few minutes after eight. She decided to close her eyes for a few minutes.
When she opened it again it was ten on the dot. She rolled out of bed slowly and sat on the cold floor stretching like a cat and yawning. It wasn't a good idea because her lower half was bare. She stood up and went to the bathroom carrying her phone.
She looked at her messages and just like she thought her friends had sent her hundreds of messages.
'I have a real date today' she typed as she sat on the toilet.
Not less than ten seconds there was a group video call and she clicked accept.
"Who do you have a date with?" Temi asked as soon as it connected.
"Sung-min, who else?" Stephanie asked.
"Why did you close the laptop?" Precious asked.
"I had somewhere to go yesterday so I had to end our chat" Stephanie replied standing up and flushing the toilet.
"Is Sung-min the older one?" Eunice asked.
"Yes" Stephanie replied.
"The other one is cuter, why aren't you going out with him?" Utibe asked.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to get into an argument over who was more handsome, but in her opinion Sung-min was sexy as....
"Why are you smiling?" Temi asked.
"I wasn't" she denied walking around. "His sister took me out yesterday and got me a lot of clothes"
"And how is that our concern?" Utibe asked.
"You're going to help me get ready for my first date" she replied simply.
"Why do you need our help for that?" Eunice asked.
"Because you guys have experience" she replied simply.
"The time is already 10:18 a.m. and I'm sure he's going to be here by noon, so we need to get started". She propped her phone up on the mirror and got her toothbrush.
"Where you're going plays a big role in what you're going to wear" Temi said.
"I don't know where we're going, but he told me it's his favorite place" Stephanie said with her mouth full of toothpaste.
"I suggest wearing a gown for a first date. You've gots to look cute on the first date. Show off those thighs" Precious said.
"A gown is nice, but not a long gown" Temi said.
"I'm not stupid" Stephanie deadpanned to which Temi stuck her tongue out.
"You should dress nice, but not like you're going for an interview or something like that" Eunice said.
"Thank all of you" she said as she was done brushing her mouth.
She threw off her nightgown and stepped into the shower.
"Warn somebody next time!" Utibe screamed as she covered her eyes.
"It's not like you haven't seen everything" Stephanie murmured.
"I have better things to do than to watch you shower" Precious said and she left the chat.
"I'll call when you're done" Temi said leaving the call.
"Me too" Eunice said.
"Me three" Utibe said and she was out.
Stephanie laughed and looked at the soap that was already in the bathroom for the first time ever since she lodged.
She opened the little bottle and took a whiff of the nice scenting soap. 'I like this, maybe he'll like this too' she thought with a smile and poured the soap on her sponge. She was going to pay attention to every little detail.
Today was making it the sixth day and she didn't feel bad she was still in Seoul. She's sure that everyone back at home would understand.
She got out of the shower and took her time to style her hair. She would let it down for him today. She applied lotion and wore her underwear. Even though he wasn't going to see it, it still gave her confidence a boost. She got out her tights that would give her butt a little lift and put everything in place.
Then she put on silver stud earrings and now it was time for the hard part. She started the video call with her laptop. As the four faces appeared on the screen, she got the bags and dumped them on the bed.
"That woman must love you to have bought you all those clothes" Precious said placing her glasses back on her face.
"Isn't it a bit too much?" Temi asked. "Return some".
"I couldn't because I fell asleep and she insisted. Besides she's a fashion designer I'm sure she has a lot of money" Stephanie said with a smile.
"Did you check the label?" Utibe asked.
"How will I know how expensive it is, when every price I've seen so far has three zeros?" Stephanie asked.
"I called you to help me anyway, not to preach, so can we begin?" she asked picking up the first gown.
Jin-soo sighed just looking at his phone, until he heard a bang and light footsteps coming to his room.
"Oppa!" A young girl yelled as she entered the room.
She looked around the age of twelve and her long black hair in wavy tresses. She looked at her brother with her small eyes and her heart shaped lips in a pout.
"You are still looking at that girl, aren't you?" she asked with a knowing smile.
"I just can't get her out of my head" he replied.
"Have you tried contacting her? Just lying in bed and looking at her picture isn't going to help you" she said sitting down and resting on his back.
"I don't want to appear as clingy or very eager" he replied into his pillow.
"You said she enjoyed the date to the amusement park, right?" she asked glancing at the photo.
Her older brother nods.
"Then just take her on all those amazing dates that you've taken your previous girlfriends".
"You're right!" he said jumping off the bed. "I told her I would take her ice-skating".
"What would you do without me?" the little girl asked with a smug smile.
"What would I really do without you Ji-hee" he said carrying her and twirling her to which she couldn't stop giggling.
"Now go away, I need to get dressed for my date" he said dropping her at the door.
"Oppa is so mean" she grumbled as she walked away banging the door to show she was angry.
"Stephanie just you wait, I'm coming" he said into the mirror.
He walked to his closet and looked through his clothes. 'What would make her desire me?'
'No! He yelled in his head. I have to remember that Stephanie isn't like the rest. She won't just fall for my looks and my charms and I'm sure I'd get hit again if I kissed her and telling her I love her shouldn't be involved in any way'.
"I need advice" he murmured. "How do I win a foreigners heart? I don't even know where she comes from!" he whined.
'No worries all that will be revealed tonight' a voice told him as he got dressed and headed out to plan the perfect date.
Stephanie would he his girl by the end of the night. Those were the thoughts running through his head.
As he ran out, his little sister ran by the door shaking her head. "He didn't go all out for the previous girls. Whoever this girl is she better be worth it" she murmured as she closed the door.
An advanced woman walked into the leaving room. "Where did your brother go this time?"
"Out to prove his love, again" she added in a little voice.
After trying up to six different clothes, plus shoes and to see if it went with the jacket, Stephanie was ready to break.
Anything she tried on wasn't good enough.
"Too girly" Utibe would say.
"Too serious" Temi would say.
"Too formal Stephanie. It's a date" Precious would advise like a mother.
"Nah" Eunice said to every dress.
Stephanie took off her clothes and lay on the couch. "I'm not sure I'm really feeling the date anymore".
"You haven't even tried most of the clothes" Utibe pointed out.
"You should get dressed before your date arrives" Precious advised.
"It's only a few minutes after twelve. It can wait I'm not so sure he'll arrive that early" she said with a smile hoping that they would let her rest.
"You will never change" Temi stated. "Stop being lazy and actually put on some clothes and go out for your date".
"Isn't this your first date?" Eunice asked.
"Yes, so?" Stephanie asked.
"She means put in an effort! This isn't university boys, it's a guy who is going to be honest and not lie because he wants something".
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Fine" she groaned.
She picked up a red jumpsuit twirling the hanger. "I'm wearing this and I'm not going to change to anything else".
Stephanie walked into her room and wore the red jumpsuit. She tied the belt in a bow at her front. She put on black flats and looked at her reflection. It looked okay and when she turned around she didn't look flat and that made her smile. 'Would Sung-min actually drool?' she asked herself.
She walked back to the living room and the four faces hummed in approval.
Stephanie had a huge grin and did a complete twirl. "How do I look?" she asked with a wink.
"Nice" they all replied.
"Now how do I keep a date interesting?" Stephanie asked sitting down slowly and crossing her legs.
"Just act normal" Utibe said.
Stephanie nods vigorously.
"By normal she doesn't mean talk about anime and videogames" Precious said. "He's a romantic interest and not a pal" she said making air quotes.
Sung-min sighed as he got out of his car. Sure he has seen Stephanie and taken her out, but now he's more nervous than the first time he took her to replace her screen guard.
He walked towards the elevator slowly. He was the one that asked her out and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she had a good time. Her room was on the thirteenth floor.
He took a deep breath as he knocked on her door. He looked at his feet like they were the most interesting thing in the world. 'Why am I so nervous? He thought with a groan. 'I have experience so why am I getting so flustered all of a sudden.
Stephanie opened the door and smiled at him. "I was expecting you to come by now". She stepped out closing her door.
"You look great" she said softly.
Sung-min snapped out of it quickly. 'I forgot to compliment her' he groaned internally.
"As do you" he said with a smile.
"Thank you. So you said you're taking me to one of your favorite places? Where is that?" she asked curiously.
"It's a surprise" he said softly.
"Oh! Okay, so lead the way" she said and it was cute. She looked so cute. He was tempted to pinch her cheeks which he knew was soft, but he was sure that she would get angry.
The two of them stepped into the elevator.
'No matter what I'm going to make sure the conversation never goes dry' she thought with so much determination.
"So how did it go with my sister yesterday?" Sung-min asked dreading the answer.
"It was nice" Stephanie said with a smile. "Your sister can actually be a fun person and I liked her friends, but there was that lady that didn't like me" Stephanie said with a shrug.
"Who were the friends?" Sung-min asked as they stepped out.
"Geo Seo-hyeon and Park Jea-eun" Stephanie replied. "I hope I got that right because Korean names are hard to pronounce".
Stephanie was so preoccupied in what she was saying, she didn't see that Sung-min had an angry look on his face.
"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked stopping to rub his arm.
"Yeah I just wasn't expecting Mi-na to go that far" he said seriously and he wasn't smiling.
Stephanie was shocked. She had never seen him angry. He was still handsome, but at the same time so different. He looked so mad that it pained her. She had to salvage her date and at the same time save Mi-na from her brother's anger.
"It wasn't bad Sung-min. I enjoyed myself I'm just sure the woman was having a bad day so...." Stephanie said but couldn't find the right words to complete the sentence.
He wasn't still smiling.
"Can we just forget about Mi-na for now and go on our date" Stephanie said all chirpy.
Sung-min smiled and opened the door for her. "Thank you".
He got into his side and he put the car in motion.
"So, where are we going?" Stephanie tried again.
He laughed. "Nice try, but I already told you that it's a surprise".
"What about if I keep guessing, and then you tell me if I'm right or not?" she bargained leaning closer with a huge smile on her face.
"No" he replied trying to concentrate on driving.
She sighed and rest her back tiredly. "Fine I'll shut up, but this surprise better be worth it" she said defeated.
"Trust me, it will be" he smiled and Stephanie smiled back at him.
Her eyes diverted to his lips. 'Is this a nice time to kiss? I researched that most don't display affection in public, but Mi-na said I shouldn't believe everything I see online'.
"So confusing" she murmured.
She rest her back on her seat looking at all the shops and people she passed by.
After what felt like hours or very long minutes, he finally stopped the car which she was grateful for. She took off her seatbelt and got out to stretch her legs.
She stretched as Sung-min stood by her side. "This surprise better be worth my legs aching" she teased locking their arms together. "Where to now?" she asked as she walked with him.
"You'll see" he said still looking ahead.
"You sure can keep a secret" she whispered.
"And you can really can't be quiet and let things happen" he said with a sigh.
Stephanie gave him a side eye glance. "You mean I'm pestering you?"
"No" he replied.
"It sounds like that's what you're implying" Stephanie already had her lips in a thin line.
They were still walking and she didn't notice the big scenery change that was happening. It went from busy to free. From more people to less people and from a lot of cars to no cars at all. It was all trees and cyclists and benches.
"Are you listening to a word I'm saying?" Stephanie asked letting go of his arm.
"Sung-min just smiled and Stephanie rolled her eyes.
"When did it get colorful?" Stephanie asked looking around.
She looked to Sung-min and she smiled showing all her teeth too.
"Is this it?" she asked holding his arm again.
"Yes. Do you like it?" he asked hopefully.
"I love it" and she hugged him.
He smiled smugly and she removed her face from his neck.
"What's the name of this place?"
"Yangjae Citizens Forest" he replied continuing their walk.
"It's so beautiful and I feel like I'm in a drama series" she said dreamily.
Sung-min just chuckled.
"The park is an ideal place for getting to know each other" she said softly.
He led her to a nearby bench and she sat close to him and held his hand and played with his fingers. They weren't all those big meaty fingers. They were bigger than hers obviously, but he had long and slender fingers and his nails were neat. She wanted to kiss them, but that would look weird.
"So when were you born?" she began.
"I was born September 21st 1995" he replied.
"My birthday is May 19th 1997".
"I know you're a designer and you work with Mi-na, but what do you do during your free time?"
"Well I love photography and I also love to surf. Sometimes I cook" he replied with a shrug. "But all that can't take my love for designing" he said with a faraway look in his eyes.
Stephanie smiled. "I love men that can cook" she replied pulling on each of his fingers slowly. "I grew up with my brother cooking for me most of the time".
"I don't fancy going out a lot. I'm an introvert and everything that happens to me is indoors, I know it's kind of boring" she said covering her face with a hand.
"It's not" Sung-min assured her. "I don't find it boring and I'm sure writers like their peace and quiet".
Stephanie smiled and rest her head on his shoulder. "Okay so I like writing and if I'm not writing I'm making up stories that I'll write later or read stories".
"You must have done so well in literature and other subjects in school" he said impressed.
"Yeah, but I wasn't a bookworm" she said with a smile.
"If I'm not doing that, I'm chatting with friends or looking for what to buy online. But I still love to cook and singing, but I'm not that good".
"But I'm sure you'll sing for me" he said all smug.
"No" she replied patting his cheek.
"What are your likes and dislikes?" she asked still playing with his fingers.
"I have a lot of likes and dislikes. I like surfing, photography, cooking, designing, and family and Stephanie".
Stephanie could actually feel her head and her heart swell.
"What about your dislikes?" she asked.
"Dirt, clingy people, proud people and lies".
Stephanie felt her heart drop and her throat go dry instantly that she had to swallow saliva so she wouldn't cough.
She pushed all negative thoughts aside. This date was going to be a success no matter what.
"What about you?"
"I like tall handsome and sexy men, ice cream, chocolate, reading, cooking and I like to get to know new people, as long as it's through the phone" she added for safe measure.
"Dislikes?"
"I don't like talkative people, overachievers, perfectionists and dictators" she said still thinking.
"I feel like you've met a lot of people with those qualities" he said with a quirked brow.
"Yes" she replied.
"Favorite place?" she asked.
"Japan, even though I've not been there" she said slightly embarrassed.
"You want to go there?" he inquired.
"Yes after Korea I would like to go there" she smiled.
"You?" she asked now moving her hands to his arm.
"I think Italy" he replied with a shrug.
"Yeah there's a lot of fashion there, I think" she whispered.
"If you had a choice, would you like to stay in Korea?' he asked and his arm was already over her shoulder.
"And if you had a choice and I couldn't stay, would you leave with me?" she whispered.
The two of them just kept staring at each other.
"I wish I brought my camera to capture this moment because it's very beautiful" he whispered.
Stephanie felt all weird. She didn't know how she felt, but she felt all warm in her stomach. It was like a fluttering feeling and she too wanted to capture the moment.
"Don't start taking pictures without my consent. I'm not photogenic" she said burying her face in his neck. He smelt nice.
"Are you sure? He asked. The picture on your WhatsApp looks breathtaking and your pictures when you're unaware is even better" he said and why was he all moving all of a sudden.
She sat up and the flash of his phone camera stunned her for a while. "I said not to" she said blinking quickly to correct her vision.
"If you want to take a picture tell me first" she said folding her arms and trying to look serious.
She got out her phone from her an inner pocket in her jacket and rest on him. "Smile" she said and took a picture.
She sent it to him and posted it on her status.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"Yeah, but can we stay a little bit longer?" she begged. "I don't have parks I can go to back home, so can we just enjoy this a little bit more?" she asked hopefully.
"Can I say no?" he asked her.
"No" she replied and hugged him.
"Okay let's take a stroll" he said pulling her up as if she didn't weigh anything.
The two took a walk still talking and walking past other couples. She ignored the way her phone kept vibrating. She was sure it was because of her status and she didn't care. The only thing that mattered to her now was Sung-min.
His voice was nice and deep and he didn't make gestures when he spoke. 'I could listen to that voice all day and not get tired' she thought. 'He could even lull me to sleep'.
"Why are you smiling?" he asked.
"I'm smiling because of you" she replied and he looked away. She was shocked when his ears went red.
Stephanie tried taking calming breaths. 'He could be really cute when he wanted to be' she thought.
"So are you ready to go?" He asked.
"Yeah" she replied holding his arm and he led her back to the car.
"Next time, we should come for a picnic" Stephanie suggested.
"I'll take you to a better park" he said and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She smiled and turned and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.
He opened her door for her this time and she was grateful.
"Are we going somewhere?" Stephanie asked with her cheeks close to her eyes.
"You look like a rabbit" he said with a smile.
Stephanie's cheeks dropped. She quirked her brow and she gave him a pointed look.
'She's not amused' he thought.
"I'm not amused" she said.
"Yeah it's written all over your face" he said with a nervous face.
"You don't like pet names?" he asked.
"Yes, and especially if one starts comparing me to an animal" she said with her lips in a thin line. "How would you like it if I called you a dog?" she asked.
"Yeah you make a good point" he said pursing his lips.
"So what restaurant are we going to?" she asked.
"How did you know?" Sung-min asked.
"I didn't" she replied simply. "I kind of guessed when you asked me if I'm hungry. It was either a restaurant or you were going to take me to your house. Well since this is a date, I can't see you taking me to your house for lunch just yet".
The car came to a stop.
"Oh! This is the same restaurant Mi-na brought me to" she said with a smile. "You two must have the same tastes, I love it" she said dreamily and opened the door. Sung-min had to keep up with her.
He presented his voucher to the receptionist and when he was done, he turned to Stephanie who was at a far corner on her phone.
He approached her and he heard her say "I love you".
She smiled at him. He held her hand and led her inside to a table of two. He pulled out her chair and she sat down. Her smile didn't leave her face the whole time even when he sat in front of her.
"I can't wait to try all those foods I always see on the food network" she said picking up her menu.
"No" He said taking her menu. "You are going to try Korean food because you are in Korea".
"Very funny Sung-min, but I would like to leave this beautiful restaurant without puking" she said taking the menu back.
"Okay, let's make a deal" he said with a mischievous smile.
"What type of deal?" she asked not comfortable with his smile.
"I'll order lunch, while you order desert" he suggested.
"No" Stephanie replied quickly.
"It'll be nice I promise and besides, do you want to give up on all the tasty pastries?" he asked drumming his fingers on the table and looking to the side and her eyes followed.
The cakes were mouthwatering and her favorite was there.
"Chocolate, isn't it? That's what you like, right?" he smirked.
"Sung-min if you......" he cut her off immediately.
"You can forget about me getting chocolate or anything related to it for desert" he said with a pout.
"Would you like to order?" A Waiter asked.
"I don't know" he replied. "You can ask the beautiful lady if she's ready to order" he said with a coy smile.
"Would you like to order?" The friendly waiter asked with a smile.
She looked to Sung-min. 'He has to be joking' she thought.
"Don't keep him waiting Stephanie" he said shaking his head.
"I think we'll need more time" she whispered behind her menu.
"What was that?" he asked with his hand on his ear. "I don't think he heard you" he teased.
"We need more time" she said through grit teeth.
"Take your time" the man said and he left.
Stephanie rolled her eyes and looked at Sung-min acting like he didn't do anything.
"Next time I'm going to choose where we eat" she said dropping her menu.
"Do you know your way around Seoul?" he asked adjusting his glasses.
"I have a map" she replied waving her phone.
Sung-min let her be and looked through his menu and he already decided what he wanted and he looked back to Stephanie who was glaring at her menu.
'Like that's going to help' he thought.
"Do you need help?" he asked reaching forward and his fingertips grazed her knuckles which made her jump.
"I don't need your help" Stephanie denied. "I'm sure you would just suggest what you like so I'm sure I can order something I like".
"Waiter" Sung-min called.
"Are you ready now?" he asked.
"The lady will like to order first" he said making a gesture towards Stephanie.
"Thank you Sung-min" she replied and she faced the Waiter. "I would like the Kimchi fried rice" she said handing her menu over.
"The same please" he said handing the menu over. "And a bottle of red wine" he added.
"It's a good choice" he smiled which didn't make her smile like she always did.
"Are you angry?" he asked placing his hand on hers.
"Why would you think that?" she asked with a very fake smile.
"You'll love it trust me". This statement made his date scoff. "You know you have to try new things and you don't want to eat Korean food when you're in Korea. What will happen to you when you go to Japan?"
"I'll adapt" she replied.
"Okay enough about food" he said caressing her knuckles. "Who were you talking to when we arrived?"
Stephanie smiled a little. "It was my Da.... Father" she corrected quickly hoping he wouldn't dwell on it.
"You spoke so freely with him I thought it was your boyfriend" he said relieved.
Stephanie chuckled and interlocked their fingers. "I'm single" she whispered.
"You keep in touch with your parents all the time?" he asked interested and a bit surprised.
"I've always been my father's girl and girls have been known to be closer to their father's. I've always been scared of my mother and I just got close recently" she said with a smile and he say there trying to process it.
"What about your siblings?" he asked letting go of her hand so he could rest his back.
"I have two brothers and a sister who I'm willing to do anything for" she replied resting her back. "I love my older brother because it's always been us, my sister and I didn't have that perfect relationship. Sometimes I think she doesn't care, but she's proven me wrong a lot of times and still doing it".
"My younger brother I can always count on him because I know he's got my back" Stephanie smiled with so much love in her eyes. "I miss them" she whispered.
She looked to Sung-min who was lost in thought and biting his lips unconsciously.
"Enough about me, tell me about you" she said leaning forward.
"Your family sounds nice" he said with a small smile.
"They are and you'll love to meet them" Stephanie's smile dropped. 'What in the world did I just say?' she screamed in her thoughts.
"Really?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.
"I mean that you'll love them if you ever met them, it's not like I want you to meet them or anything" she added quickly. 'Why am I panicking?'
He laughed with his shoulders shaking and his glasses sliding down his nose.
"Am I that funny?" she asked.
"Yes" he said when he finally calmed down.
"Glad to see you laughing, even though you're laughing at me" she said under her breath.
"Don't be like that" he said pinching her cheeks.
"Like what?" she asked. "I feel so embarrassed now" she said burying her face in her palms.
Sung-min had to hold down his laughter. 'She can be very comical when she wants to' he thought with a smile.
"My parents are event planners and they are the typical traditional South Korean Parents" he said with no emotion that Stephanie had talking about hers.
"Mi-na and I don't have a relationship with our parents. It's not like we severed the bond ourselves, but my father said if we're leaving, we shouldn't come back".
"Can a father really do that?" she asked with disbelief.
"I don't know, but my father sure can" he replied.
The waiter walked up to their table and served their food and dropped the bottle of wine.
"Thank you" they both said.
Stephanie was confused on what to do. She had never eaten in a classy restaurant like this. She didn't even use the right cutlery to eat in restaurants. She used her spoon for rice and soups and her fork for spaghetti.
She watched as he picked up his knife and fork and cleaned it with a napkin. She tried recalling what she learned in boarding school. 'Knife in the right hand and fork in the left hand'.
She cleaned her cutlery and her glass because her throat had gone dry.
'Did Koreans talk when they were at the table?' she thought. It was a bad habit normally, but Koreans had a lot of questionable customs, but so did everyone.
"Jalmeokgesseumnida" she said unsure.
"You're very good in Korean" he commented.
"Really? It took a long time before I learnt that" she said with a smile.
"Why didn't you say that?" she asked. He replied with a shrug.
The bottle was already open and he poured into both glasses.
"Why haven't you touched your food?" she asked.
"I've not touched it because I want to see your expression when you taste good food" he explained.
"What makes you think Korean food is so good?" she challenged him.
"Can the Google map direct you to Google so you can ask?" he asked with a smug smile,
Stephanie smiled her lips tight. 'What the hell' she thought.
She cut a small piece of the egg and pushed a little bit of rice with the egg onto her fork and she put it in her mouth chewing silently.
Sung-min looked at her for a few seconds and then he focused on his meal.
Stephanie's tongue was exploding with flavor. Flavors that she couldn't define danced on her tongue. She hadn't tasted anything like this before and she decided to get out more. She would have told Sung-min that it tasted good, but after hat snarky comment, she wasn't going to say anything.
"So what happened that caused you and Mi-na to leave?" Stephanie asked with her head still on her plate.
"I'm not sure we should talk about that. It might ruin our date" he said licking his lips. A nervous habit which Stephanie had just noticed.
"Nothing will ruin our date, trust me" she assured.
"Well, Mi-na was the oldest and she was expected to be like a proper woman. Docile, submissive and a caretaker". "She is going to be married out so what is the point" my father would say.
"Lucky for her she finished school, but her love for fashion caused her to go against my parents. When they couldn't control her, they turned to me". "I remember how my mother would tell me I can see my sister rebelling and I'm not doing anything to stop her".
"My father also expected me to take after him in his business of event planning, but I fell in love with designing and that was when my father had enough".
"I remember coming back from school one day and I saw my parents talking to Mi-na about how she was a bad influence and she would be getting married".
"My father turned to me and said that I have been influenced by my sister and her free spirit and that I was going to take over the family business".
"Mi-na said that she wasn't going to get married and that I could do what I want, but my father got angry and said some words".
Sung-min stopped to take a sip of wine.
Stephanie looked down. The story was making her sad and if she was sad, how would he be feeling? This was a story for another day and it was time to divert and she was good at diversions.
"You were right Sung-min" Stephanie said sitting up.
"I told you, didn't I?" he asked with his shoulders slumped.
"Yes you did, and I'm happy to say that the food is delicious" she said with a smile.
Sung-min smiled with relief. "Told you that you would love it".
"Yes, but its only because I'm familiar with fried rice, so don't get your hopes up" she said.
The date went on with Stephanie avoiding family and Sung-min was thankful for that.
When they were done, Stephanie raised her hand high signaling the Waiter.
"I would like a chocolate cake for desert" she said with an excited smile.
"And what would you care for Sir?" he asked.
"Just give me a fruit salad" he said which caused Stephanie to raise her brow.
"You don't want cake or even ice cream?" she asked a little bit sad.
"I don't care for sweets" he replied with a smile.
'Thank you for making me feel so stupid' she thought. 'Of course adults don't like sweets. How could I be so stupid?' she slapped herself mentally.
When it arrived, Stephanie grabbed a fork and she didn't even care if it was the right one or not. She cut a piece and she put it in front of his face.
"Stephanie what are you doing?" he asked adjusting his glasses.
"I'm sharing my cake with you" she replied.
He looked round before asking, "Can you stop?"
"No" she replied. "And I'm ready to do this all day" she said with a smile and the fork was pressed against his lips.
"You're unbelievable" he said and he opened his mouth for the cake and Stephanie pushed the cake in.
He made a move for his bowl of fruit, but Stephanie pushed it away and another piece was in front of his eyes.
He sighed, but he still went ahead with it.
Stephanie smiled. He could have grabbed the fork and told her to stop, but he didn't. The date went well if you asked her.
The two of them had stupid smiles as they took turns on feeding each other, bowl of fruit completely forgotten.
The lunch went well and so did desert and the drive back to her hotel was so satisfying.
"You really know how to plan a date" she said. "I enjoyed myself, thank you for that" she said with a sincere smile.
"So we can do this again?" he asked with a wide grin.
"Yes" she replied.
He smiled back at her and she wanted to hug him, but she couldn't risk getting into an accident.
The car pulled up in front of her hotel.
"We part here unfortunately" she said with a pout. She hugged him groaning into his chest.
She looked up at him and he caressed her lips with his thumb. She smiled and closed her eyes as their lips met and it still tasted of chocolate cake and red wine.
She gasped when his hand touched her sensitive nape and his tongue was in her mouth. She wasn't used to this and she didn't know what to do. He tilted her head up to deepen the kiss.
She would have really loved to continue the kiss, but her neck and upper back was hurting her and she put her hands on his shoulders and he stopped kissing her.
She licked her lips to get back a little moisture.
"I'm sorry" he said completely embarrassed.
"No worries, but I really need to go now" she said with a small smile. "We can continue on our next date" and she gave him a kiss on his cheek.
She opened her door and watched as he drove away.
She was tired and as she turned she was sure she heard her name.
"Stephanie!" a male voice yelled.
She turned around and a guy ran up to her. It wasn't just any guy, it was Jin-soo with a different hairstyle.
'He really looks good, but I liked the other hair better' she thought.
"Are you ready for the best date of your life?" he asked.
Stephanie felt her brain shut down. Talking to him sometimes did that to her.
"What are you talking about?" Stephanie asked exasperated.
"What we talked about last time through messages" he said. "I told you I'd take you ice-skating" he tried to jog her memory.
"I never said I'd go with you" she said scratching her head.
"You still didn't decline" he said with a smile.
"I'm too tired to deal with you and I'm going to bed" she said turning her back on him.
"But it's still too early to go to bed" he whined. "Just get changed and I'm sure I can beat every guy that has ever taken you out on a date".
Stephanie felt her whole body go hot and now she was really interested in going out to prove him wrong even though he didn't know Sung-min.
She grabbed him by his arm and led him to the elevator to her room. When they got there, she pushed him onto the couch and walked to her room shutting the door loudly.
'What just happened?' he thought confused.
She took off her jacket and her jumpsuit, her shoes, tights and cleaned her makeup off. She opened her closet and took out black jeans, a black and white long-sleeved shirt and black boots. She put her hair in a ponytail. She cleaned her lipstick off and applied lip-gloss.
She opened her door and she looked at him and he was making weird faces on his phone.
"Are you ready?" she asked closing her door.
"That was fast" he said standing up. "But it's totally worth it because you look beautiful".
"Thanks" she said. She looked from his head to his feet. "Why did you change your hair?" she asked as they stepped into the elevator.
"So you liked my hair before?" he asked leaning closer and he wrapped his arm round her shoulder. "I knew you were checking me out" he said with a wink.
'When did he get so close?' she asked herself and that was when the door opened revealing a family looking at them.
The man's expression was unreadable and so was his children. 'So awkward' she thought. The woman grinned at her.
"Sorry" she whispered and she pulled him out of the elevator and the hotel.
"Where are we going?" she asked as they stood outside.
"Ice-skating" he told her. "Has anyone taken you there before?" he asked.
"There isn't an ice rink in Nigeria" she deadpanned.
"Oh!" he exclaimed rubbing the back of his head. "Then this is going to be spectacular" he said determined as a taxi stopped for them.
Stephanie was very excited. An ice-skating rink. When was she ever going to experience this ever? But Jin-soo was a being so full of himself and she was a good actor.
Though Sung-min took her to a restaurant and a park, it was romantic. Teenagers didn't know how to be romantic, that's why it was meant for the adults.
Sung-min just made her day and the kiss that ended everything. She wished she could just turn back time.
"You're smiling" he stated.
"No I'm not" she denied looking away.
"I know I'm irresistible" he said wriggling his brows.
"No, you're just full of yourself" she said wriggling her brows.
The car came to a sudden halt which had Stephanie jerking forward, but Jin-soo held her saving her from hitting her head against the back of the driver's seat.
"We're here" he said.
She heard him say something to the driver in Korean and he said something back. It could have been an argument, but it could have been a normal conversation.
He opened the door pulling her out. She shivered and put her hand in her pockets. It was colder than other nights and she wished she had more layers.
"Here" Jin-soo said handing her a pair of purple gloves.
She smiled as she took it. "It's my favorite color". "How did you know?"
"I just took a lucky guess" he replied. "I would like to know more about you".
'That isn't asking' she thought. 'Best to humor him'.
"Sure ok" she replied.
She looked at the Plaza and it looked nice and cold. But she was excited that she was going to be skating in a few minutes.
She followed Jin-soo like a lost and confused puppy because she didn't know where she was going and also confused about how things worked.
She stood aside as Jin-soo took care of what he was doing and she was making a video. Something she felt free doing instead of just taking a picture sent back home. She couldn't do that when she was with Sung-min because she was trying to keep up an adult appearance.
He turned to her and led her inside and they got their skates. Jin-soo stood up.
"Are you ready?!" he yelled.
Stephanie looked up at him. "There's a problem" she whispered.
"What?" he asked leaning closer.
"I can't skate" she said pushing him away that he almost fell.
"That's not a problem" he said pulling her up and she hugged him immediately.
"If I fall and break all my teeth, then what?" she asked hugging him tighter as she was led onto the ice.
"You'd still be beautiful" he said.
"You flirting isn't helping anything!" she yelled.
"Ok we can just talk. It always helps me when I'm nervous".
Stephanie wrapped an arm round his waist and took a deep breath. "Ok".
"My name is Stephanie, I'm 19 and I came to Korea for medical purposes". "Unfortunately I met a suicidal idiot who is trying to kill me".
"Harsh!" he whined.
"Well I'm Lee Jin-soo, 19 and I'm a Korean who met a foreigner and I'm having fun showing her a good time" he said with a smile.
"I like cooking, ice cream, chocolate, videogames, anime and junk food" she said calming down a little.
"I love Dancing, karaoke, videogames and junk food, but not too much" he said.
"Why did you change your previous hairstyle?" Stephanie asked.
"I also love my hair and like to go to the salon to change it" he replied.
"What's this style called?" she asked looking at his hair. She didn't notice Jin-soo remove her arm from his waist and hold her hand interlocking her fingers.
"The previous hair was called Messy Volumed Bangs, but this one is called parted wavy" he replied.
"The other one fits you better" she said finally standing up straight.
"I have a YouTube page and I have to change my hair every time I want to upload a video" he said wriggling his fingers. Stephanie still didn't take note.
"What do you do on his page?" she asked with a smile.
"I told you I like to dance. I make dance videos" he reminded her.
"So I'm talking to a celebrity?" she asked with a huge grin.
"Not yet, I need to get my degree" he replied.
"All by yourself?" she asked.
"Me and a couple of friends" he said with a shrug. "Why are you asking? You want to come and watch me dance?" he asked nudging her shoulder.
"I'm not sure your friends would be happy you brought a stranger to watch them dance" she said with a pout.
"Don't worry about it" he assured her. "They bring girls all the time so it won't be a problem".
Jin-soo moved a little. "It's not that bad is it?" he asked.
"Nope, it's kind of fun actually" she replied with a smile.
Her eyes were forward the whole time so she wouldn't accidently hit someone. Jin-soo let go of her hand slowly.
"Stephanie" he called.
Said girl turned to him. "What is it......" she trailed of and just stood there.
"Just calm down Stephanie" he soothed.
"I'm going to fall" she said scared.
"You aren't going to fall" he assured her.
He could see was scared and people skating pass her just made it scarier.
"Stephanie" he called. "Just calm down and just skate towards me" he said with his arms wide.
"Are you sure you aren't going to move?" she asked cautious.
"I promise" he said crossing his heart.
She took a cautious step just like the way she was doing before.
"Yeah, just continue like that" he said softly.
His words were comforting and it relaxed her, and soon she was in his safe arms and her face was in his neck.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" he asked wrapping his arms round her waist.
"Never let go of me like that again" she whispered.
"I won't" he whispered back.
The two of them continued skating and this time there wasn't any space between them. Stephanie was actually enjoying herself, but it still hadn't beat Sung-min's.
They had to stop because her thighs began to hurt and also her ankles. Before they got off the rink, and Jin-soo pulled her close for a selfie that she wasn't ready for. She just had her eyes wide until he removed her hand from her neck.
"Now we're done here, I have another place to take you".
"We aren't done?" Stephanie asked as she sat down on a bench stretching her legs. Jin-soo admired what he was seeing.
"I told you this is going to be the best date of your life" he said with his chest out in pride.
"You just said you can beat every other guy that has taken me out on a date" she said with a smirk.
"Same thing" he said lacing his sneakers.
She zipped her boots up. "Where to?" she asked.
"One of my favorite joints" he relied.
"Just one thing" he said seriously. "Do you like meat?" he asked looking into her eyes.
"You don't need to ask me twice" she replied with a grin.
Stephanie let Jin-soo lead her to a food truck. This was the first time she was seeing one and it wasn't in a movie.
"How is the date going so far?" he asked.
"It's going well, but you can't beat a date I've had" she teased.
"Please tell me what you did on this date?" he asked.
"He picked me up and took me to restaurant and he opened my eyes to new tastes and he got me chocolate cake" she said dreamily.
"And what else?" he asked with a quirked brow.
"He gave me a mind-blowing kiss and he dropped me off" she ended with a smile.
"That sounds boring" he deadpanned.
"It was romantic" she said annoyed. "You know there's a difference between having a fun date and a romantic date".
"What are you saying?" he asked like a kicked puppy.
"So far, this date lacks any romance" she said making air quotes.
Jin-soo stood there frozen.
"I think it's your turn" she said pushing him towards the window.
"Jin-soo" an advanced woman said from the window.
"Halmeoni" Jin-soo greeted.
The woman looked at Stephanie and back at the boy. "A foreigner?"
He turned to Stephanie and she waved.
"Your tastes sure have broadened" she said with a smile.
Stephanie rolled her eyes.
"What would you like?" she asked.
"My date here is a meat lover and I want her to try your very special Dakkochi".
"Okay, coming up" she said going back inside.
"You must be friends with the woman inside, right?" she asked folding her arms.
"Yes. I always come here because her food is the best" he said.
"What did she mean by your tastes have broadened?" she asked with a smile.
Jin-soo chuckled. "There's no need to worry about that" he said turning back to face the truck and the woman's head popped out with something wrapped in tin foil.
"Thank you" Stephanie said taking it from the woman.
"Are you his current girlfriend?" the woman asked.
"Current?" she asked confused.
"That boy has a reputation" she said with a smile.
"Thank you for the heads up" she said with a smile.
"What are you two whispering about?" Jin-soo asked coming closer.
"Nothing" she replied sweetly. "Can we go and sit down somewhere?"
"Sure" he replied leading her to a bench.
Stephanie removed the tin foil and eyed the red piece of meat suspiciously. "It's not going to burn my tongue off or anything, right?" she asked.
"No it won't" he replied. "It'll make you forget all your worries" he said.
She sniffed it which made him chuckle and she bit it off the stick. Her eyes went wide. "So much flavor!" she exclaimed. "So much goodness!" she moaned with her eyes rolling up to her brain.
"That good?" he asked handing her a tissue.
"Yes, I should have come to Seoul a long time ago" she said.
Jin-soo just laughed. She was being so cute and funny.
"That reminds me, I need to see that selfie you took".
He handed his phone over to her. "I'm a little bit thirsty. Can you help me with water or Coke?" she asked.
"Anything for you" he replied.
When he left she looked at the picture and just as she expected, her eyes were wide like a startled cat. Well her eyes were small, but still.
'Should I look through?' she debated taking another bite of her chicken.
'It's our first date and I don't want to come of like crazy'. She sighed. 'He has me taking this serious'. She took another bite.
'Being a good person is hard' she yelled on the inside. She moved a little on the chair and the phone fell off her laps.
She squealed but it landed on her boots and that had her resting her back on the bench like she just had a little bit of life taken away from her. She picked it up and it changed when it showed Jin-soo and another girl.
Okay now she was curious.
She moved her thumb slowly and it was a different girl. 'So he's a player?' she thought.
She passed a lot of pictures and she never came across the same girl more than two or three times. They were all pretty. Had big round eyes, red small lips and smooth creamy skin and very long hair. She didn't feel like eating anymore.
She turned the phone off and rest her back looking up at the sky. Her eyes were burning.
"Here you go" a white bottle was in front of her face.
She gave him his phone and stood up. "The date was nice and all, but I need to go" she said handing him what he bought for her earlier.
"I still have somewhere to take you" he said with a pout.
"I'm tired" she said looking away.
"Don't be like that. The night is still young" he said trying to touch her shoulder and she slapped his hand away.
"Why don't you just find a random girl and ask her to go with you".
"What are you talking about?" he asked confused.
"Don't act dumb!" she yelled. "Did you just think that I would be all those other girls that you could just use?" she asked. "Just because you can get all those pretty girls to fall for you, you think you could just do it to a foreigner and get the same result".
The tears were falling freely now and Jin-soo panicked and tried cleaning them with his thumbs.
"Did this date mean anything to you or you just thought at me as one of your newest conquest?" she asked holding both his wrists.
"Stephanie I just want to know what you're talking about." He whispered continuing to clean her tears.
"I looked through your phone and I saw all those girls and I feel like I'm just being played with. Now I see what that woman meant when she said you had a reputation and your tastes had broadened" she said already sniffing and trying to clean her nose.
"Yeah I know I have been with a lot of girls, but I promise you it's different" he said with a smile.
"Yes I've already heard the speech that I'm different from other girls" she said.
"Really? From who?" he asked confused.
'Mistake' she thought. "Don't worry about it" she said and he gave her a tissue.
'Why did I get angry anyway?' she asked herself. 'It's his life and she wasn't in his life when he was with all these girls. Why did she care anyway?' 'It's now my brain choses to be rational' she thought with a long sigh.
"I'm sorry I looked through your phone" she apologized all shy all of a sudden.
"It's alright, it just shows that you care about me and are also curious" he explained.
"So no hard feelings?" she asked as he gave her back her snack.
"No, but you have to make it up to me" he said wrapping his arm round her shoulder.
"How?" she asked.
They were already walking. "You are very different from all the girls I've met" he began. "I've always wanted to meet a foreign girl, with brown eyes and natural pouty lips" he whispered hotly into her eyes which made her shiver, but she didn't stop walking.
"You don't wear makeup and when you stood up to me, it made me like you the more" he said with a smile. "I like how tall you are and it's not every day I see a girl blessed with your type of body".
That caused Stephanie to stop walking and she felt so hot all of a sudden and she needed space so she could get cool. That didn't stop him from talking anyway.
"You won't go out of your way to please me and you're cool. You had me at anime and videogames and I love your fashion sense".
"Okay, that's enough" Stephanie said with a frantic wave.
"Why?" he asked.
"Just tell me how I can make it up to you" she whined and before she could blink, he had closed the distance between them. His hands were dangerously low on her waist. Her hands were at her side and she was confused.
"I want a kiss" he breathed hotly on her lips.
Her eyes were wide and it made him laugh. "Are you scared?" he asked amused.
"No" she denied.
"Prove it" he teased flashing her a catlike grin and Stephanie's brain finally registered that Jin-soo was attractive. She had never been one to back down from a challenge anyway.
She pressed her lips against his and he held her tighter and deepened the kiss. There was no space between their bodies and Stephanie wrapped her arms round his neck and let him kiss her. She still had little experience. At least he didn't involve his tongue. She pulled away first and it felt a little ticklish as her lower lip slide between his teeth.
She had no words for how she felt. It was just "Wow!" she exclaimed.
"One of your best kisses right?" he asked.
'Still full of yourself' she thought rolling her eyes.
"So I have one question" he said.
"Which is?" she asked as they started walking.
"The guy that took you to the restaurant and everything, did my date beat his?"
Stephanie looked to him and smiled and she hugged him. Jin-soo had a huge smile on his face and it was even funnier when she whispered "No".
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