I lose my grip for a second taken aback by her sudden cry, but nod and laugh it off. I look at the road ahead and without looking back say.

"I can't help it, you just too distracting to me"

"Another pickup line?"

"No, its the truth. But if you want to hear another pickup line, I have plenty."

The atmosphere in the car, seems to have turned from a spring drama into a romance comedy. We chat about the day. She says she had fun and thanks me for inviting Chae-hyun. I tell her how having chae-hyun there was more to my benefit since she served as repellent from unwanted attention.

As we are nearing the house. I finally bring up the topic, I have been avoiding all week.

"Irene, I called you yesterday but the number didn't work. What's up with that?"

Irene embarra.s.singly blushes, but as if trying to be oblivious try's to play it off.

"Really? Maybe you entered it wrong"

"XX x.x.x x.x.xX"

"Huh?"

"That's the number you gave me, I memorized it. xx x.x.xx x.x.xx. Is it wrong?"

"Uh yeah"

Just as I'm about to press on and really grill her we arrive at her house.

Chae-hyun as if an alarm went off, wakes up. She then hops out of the car and proceeds to head inside with tell big panda plus.h.i.+e I bought her today. She is clearly excited. And is probably going to tell her parents about how much fun it was.

Irene seems to idle for a bit before telling me to hand over my phone. She types in her real number this time and the then hands it back.

"Thanks for today, we had a great time"

She gets ready to leave but I stop her.

"Joo-hyunssi , you can't just leave. You gave me a fake number after we agreed a price of $10 000, since you didn't deliver it on time. You owe me interest"

She looks at my teasing expression as if to say that she expected such a response from me.

"What do you want?"

I lean forward , I edge closer and closer. Her eyelashes tremble and she closes her eyes in antic.i.p.ation for whats about to happen. Our lips draw closer to each other. I can feel her hot breath on my skin. Its clearly discernible from the afternoon air. I grab her closer and feel her soft velvet like skin in my hands. Time seems to slow down. I gather my courage one last time and take the plunge.

....................................................

*Smooch*

....................................................

I release her from my grasp and stand straight, looking at her fl.u.s.tered expression

"That's it?"

She says as she is holding her cheek. To all the people expecting something else. You clearly overestimated my capabilities.

I only gave her a peck on the cheek, you perverts.

With a cheeky expression (pun intended) I look down a her cherry tomato complexion and tease her

"What? Don't tell me you were expecting more?"

She shakes her head fiercely and hits me as hard as she can. Still holding her tightly. I lean forward.

"Joo-hyunssi, let's date"

She doesn't seem ready, I'm rus.h.i.+ng it a bit. But I don't know when another opportunity like this will come again.

She lifts her head and asks

"So ....do you .....like me?"

"Yes"

She takes a moment and tries to compose herself

"I'm not sure if that's the truth yet, so what does that make us?"

There's a korean expression that describes this type of relations.h.i.+p. Before like there is certainty and doubt, once doubt is removed all you are left with is like. Its called a "some". Not yet dating but still interested. So for purposes of this novel and you dear readers I say,

"Well then , that just means we are in a pre- relations.h.i.+p"