Minji's Voice - Bbangsaz

Chapter 12

Hanni's POV

I worked early on Friday and drove home to get ready for my date with Beomgyu.

I took a long, hot shower and took more time with my hair and makeup, trying to generate some excitement for being a girl who was about to be picked up for a date.

What if he kisses me? Nervous flutters began in my belly. Strangely, once again, Minji came to my mind and so did a vague feeling of guilt.

That was nonsense though: Minji was just my friend. It was confusing and strange, unknown territory. She had a pretty face, from what I could see anyway, but was I attracted to her? I frowned at myself in the mirror, pausing in my application of eyeliner. She definitely had a good body, no scratches, an incredible body, totally drool-worthy, and I admired it constantly, but was I attracted to her? How could you be attracted to someone who was so different from anyone I'd ever been attracted to before? Still, I couldn't deny her charm. When I thought of her, I imagined her shy smile and the way her eyes constantly took in every little thing about me, my belly fluttered. Yes, there was something there...what, I couldn't be completely sure that it was her.

Beomgyu, on the other hand, seemed easy for me to be attracted to him. He had it all: smooth movements and the kind of good looks that any girl in her right mind would find attractive. Apparently, I wasn't exactly in my right mind. But maybe giving myself a little push was a good thing, a necessary thing.

It had been more than six months...

I finished my makeup. I didn't need to complicate this too much.

It was just a date. With a pretty boy, a good boy.

And I didn't need to be so nervous. I wasn't inexperienced, and I wasn't a virgin. I had three semi-serious boyfriends in college and I even thought I might be in love with one of them. It turned out that he had a crush on all the girls in my dorm, or at least a crush that implied on getting into their pants behind my back, and that ended badly. But the point was that I didn't need to be nervous about Beomgyu. This was just a date, and just a first date. And if I didn't want to see him again, I wouldn't do it. Simple.

Beomgyu knocked on my door at seven o'clock, looking handsome in a pair of dress pants and a button-down shirt. I had chosen a black wrap dress that hugged the few curves I had and my silver heels. I had left my hair down and curled it very loose with a curling iron. He looked at me with appreciation and handed me the bouquet of red roses that he had in his hand, already in a glass vase.

"You look beautiful, Hanni."

I held the flowers to my nose, smiling. "Thank you," I said, setting the vase on the table by the door and taking his arm as we walked toward his big dark silver truck.

He helped me in and we talked about how I was adjusting to Pelion on the way to the restaurant.

He took me to a place called Cassell's Grill across the lake that I had already heard was the best restaurant in the area. What I had heard seemed quite likely: it was dim and romantic, with a beautiful view of the coast through the huge surrounding windows.

When we sat at our table and I commented on how beautiful the restaurant was, Beomgyu said, "Pretty soon we won't have to cross the lake to go to places like this. We'll have plenty to choose from in Pelion."

I looked up from my menu. "So you like the proposed changes, I take it?"

He nodded. "I do. Not only will it modernize the city, but it will generate more income for everyone, including my family. I think most people will be happy in the end."