Chapter 2: Date

How about going out for a date?

That one-liner had her heart pounding, her voice trembling. Her face was beet red, too, and she hoped he didn't notice while she cracked an awkward smile. Aelita didn't know how else she could phrase it. And his expression was cold and hostile from the start—how could he be interested in her at all?

Maybe he thought she was pulling a prank on him, and he wasn't amused. Aelita was about to give up, but then the corner of the boy's lips started moving upwards. He was… smiling? And just that was enough to brighten his entire face.

"Let's go," he said. His voice wasn't low and gruff at all like a man's. It was comforting and more airy, like it came from a light and happy heart. Before Aelita knew it, his hand was wrapped around her wrist as he gently dragged her off along with him.

Her face turned even redder as she tried to move away. After all, she's never been held by a guy before. "W-wait!" she stammered. "Y-you'd just agree to me like that? I-I'm a complete stranger! What if I'm a bad person?"

The boy immediately turned around to face her. He had light brown eyes and a tiny face with kitten-like features. Absolutely striking. And his hair was a gorgeous shade of blonde, neatly slicked up to a point. Aelita never seen anything like it, but everything strangely worked for him.

"Well, are you?" Without giving a warning, he leaned in close towards her face, and his breath tickled her nose while he spoke. This boy…really is something. First he looked all cold, and now he was all smiles and his face was this close. His beautiful face… wait, what did he ask again?

The boy chuckled and waved a hand in front of Aelita. Her deep green eyes, which were the size of saucers now, followed it blankly. "N-no!" she managed to stammer out. "I'm not a bad person! I've never been called to the principal's office or anything!" She certainly didn't want him to think wrongly of her.

"Thought so." He looked up towards the sky, and then around him. "So? Date, right? What do you want to do?" He smiled widely at her again, and that was when Aelita realized she hadn't had anything planned.

After all, she never expected for someone to agree to her this quickly and enthusiastically. "Where to go..?" she repeated in a daze. This boy was nearly holding her hand. And, oh, how warm it felt around her wrist!

"You didn't have anything planned, did you?"

"How about going to the library?" she asked him. Her face lit up with a new idea. "It looks fun there!"

Surprised by the suggestion, his mouth was slightly agape while his eyebrow twitched. "Th-the library?" he repeated, his voice suddenly very high-pitched. "That's no fun. I'm a very loud person, so the lady will probably keep telling us to be quiet and all."

He was pouting, and Aelita watched him silently. This boy was cute. He was also different, charismatic yet childish at the same time, with the ability to make decisions as fast as lightning. "Let's just go eat somewhere," he finally suggested. Once again, he took hold of Aelita's wrist. "I'll treat you!"

.

"I'll have three plates of the spicy rice cakes and two of the soft tofu stew," he said, scanning his eyes down the menu. "Then two of the banana milks!" The waitress moved frantically to scribble down all his requests.

Licking his lips in anticipation, he then turned to look at Aelita. "What about for you?" he asked happily, handing the laminated menu to her. The restaurant was small and comfy, serving dishes a mother would normally make for her child.

Aelita gazed at him in a stupor. "Those are all for you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yep!" He bobbed his head joyfully.

What a big appetite, she thought as she quietly began looking through the menu herself. He was still so thin. And what could she eat? After ordering, she continued watching him quietly, tapping her chopsticks against the brim of her bowl. She wanted to ask him one thing.

"Was there anything you wanted to say?" he asked her, looking deep into her eyes.

Is he a psychic, or what? "How did you know what I was thinking?" she responded. "Can you read minds, or something?" After all this, she honestly wouldn't be surprised.

"I could just tell by your face," he told her, taking a bite out of one of the rice cakes. It was chewy and made a lot of noise inside his mouth. A little bit of the spicy sauce dripped from the corner of his lips, too. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

Aelita subconsciously touched her face as he continued his meal. The boy was suddenly laughing at her. What the heck? "N-nothing," she stuttered shyly. "I was just wondering why you would agree to me so easily."

"Would you like it if I didn't?" He shot her a blank look.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I asked you out?" she shot back, suddenly getting frustrated.

"Would you tell me if I asked?" His tone was challenging. Aelita didn't know what to say after that—she was only surprised and frustrated by how well he was dodging all of her questions. Could he be playing with her? Before she could lash out, he cut her off.

"It's okay, I didn't even ask," he ended with another one of his reassuring smiles.

.

They found themselves on the streets of Myeong-dong after their meal. "Where are you from? You don't seem to be familiar with this place," Aelita said as she watched him scan around the area. It didn't look like he knew the place very well.

"Just…somewhere," he replied with a smirk. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "So where do you want to go now, Aelita-ya?" He easily took a few steps ahead of her, pushing the conversation to a different direction.

Aelita blinked. "H-how… how do you know my name?" She didn't remember telling him what it was.

He leaned into her, pointing to the name tag that was pinned to her formal blazer. "Seu-Ton-Su E-Lee-Ta," he sounded out the characters, beaming another smile her way. Stones Aelita. She had completely forgotten that she was still wearing her school uniform.

She found herself eyeing him again. His voice echoed so much within her ears, that she almost couldn't hear anything else. And lot of people have said her name. It's just.. this boy managed to make it sound so special. Was it his voice, or just who he was as a person?

"You stare a lot," he commented, genuinely amused by her. "Am I too handsome?"

Aelita's cheeks flushed scarlet. "NO!" she quickly denied.

He frowned. "So I'm ugly?" In just seconds, his tone of voice managed to go from happy to disappointed.

Aelita shook her head quickly. "N-no! I didn't mean it like that! It's just-"

"So I really am handsome?" He didn't even wait for her to finish. His face had brightened up instantly.

So Aelita bit her lip, burying her chin into her scarf. "Yes," she sighed calmly, conceding to him. Well, it was a fact. There was no point in denying the truth.

"Hah. I knew it." He pumped-fisted the air in victory. Aelita was about to berate him for being outright conceited, but that was when Twice's "Cheer Up" started playing. Her cellphone was ringing, and the caller ID told Aelita that it was her best friend, Yumi, calling.

"Yumi-ssi."

"Aelita-ya, where are you?"

"Myeong-dong."

"Do you realize what time it is? Manager Kim is going to get angry when he realizes that you're late!"

Aelita gasped, cupping her mouth with her hand in shock. Oh, no! How could she forget about her part-time job?! She quickly glanced at the boy, then back. "I'll be there soon!" she squealed into the receiver.

"You better!" Yumi was bellowing.

Click. "I'm sorry, I have to go now. I forgot I had to do something." Aelita bowed to her date politely several times, because she felt terrible. "I had fun today, thank you!" Then she ran off, not giving him the time to speak or reply.

He shook his head, chuckling again. "Aelita-ya, you're going to regret not asking for my name," he said, watching her figure grow smaller in the distance.