⚠️ Trigger warnings:

Fluff

Slow Romance

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Hoseok's POV

"Yeoboseyo?"

I could hear the smile in my girlfriend's voice when she answered my call.

"Is my girlfriend ready for our first date?"

"Yesssss!" She exclaimed.

"Arrasso. I'm waiting outside your flat, Minali."

I laugh at her reaction to the video call. Minali answered the call, but blocked the camera with her thumb so I don't see what she's wearing just yet.

Hmmm... Smart woman!

"Ya! You're early! I'm just finishing up." She complains cutely. I can hear her hurrdily putting her cosmetics away as she tries to clear up before she leaves her flat.

"I'm excited too okay. I couldn't stay at home any longer!" I say to her. "It's alright baby, you take your time. I'll wait." I say as I opened my car door to step outside.

"Ommo, give me five minutes and I'll be downstairs." I laugh as she reacts again, trying to shift thumbs blocking the camera so her surprise wasn't ruined. I feel myself blushing at how amazing she is.

While I waited for my new girlfriend, I listen to some music, selecting a play list with songs from our school days.

I didn't have to wait too long for Minali. She'd been true to her word.

When she emerged from her flat, I felt my heart beat stop.

She looks so amazing in those jeans and that colourful cotton shirt! Breathtakingly beautiful.

The moment finally arrived. She was standing infront of me as I stood opposite the front door to her building, leaning against my car, patiently.

"Hello beautiful." I say to her flirtily, kissing her hand. (Though I really just want to kiss her strawberry red lips... but it's a little too early in the date for this...)

"Hi oppa." She blushes in response, noticing that I'm staring at her.

Waisting no time at all, I pull her close to me for a hug and kiss her cheek instead.

"You smell so good." I tell her as I burry my nose in the nook of her neck.

"Oppa..." She giggles, clearly she's ticklish there. I store this information away for future reference.

Realising we're delaying, I open the car door for her to take a seat and walk around the vehicle to get into the driver's seat.

Once we're both buckled in, I start the engine up and we're on our way to our first official date!

Honestly, it is very difficult to concentrate on driving while she's sitting next to me.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Fifteen minutes later...

"Oppa, where are we going?" She asks curiously, bouncing in her seat excitedly after asking me for the third time and distracting me once again with her beauty.

"Well... I thought that since it's a first date, we should do something more cosy - just you and I, which was why I asked you to dress casual, in jeans."

"Arrasso. I actually appreciate that. Formal wear is so uncomfortable and the shoes are too pinchy." She scrunched her nose up a little.

I chuckled at how cute she was behaving. It was so different from the professional side of Minali, which, I will be honest, is both sexy and drives me mad... but I think this cute, sweet side is much more charming.

Just like old times, when we'd go out for fun, tagging along with Yoongi hyung and Hiseu.

As we draw closer to our destination, I turn to face her, admiring her sense of fashion and the fact that she had dressed up to see me.

"Do you remember how we used to tag along on Hiseu hyung-su's and Yoongi hyung's dates?" I grin at her, remembering the old days, when we'd sit together and I'd wonder why I'd have these sudden urges to put an arm around her shoulders or why I'd dream about her.

"Ne! Ommo! I almost forgot all about that!" She giggled. "I remember I used to tease Hiseu a lot about Yoongi. He used to play the guitar for her and write her these really soppy romantic songs!"

I glance at her as we stop at a traffic light. She really is enjoying reminiscing the past. I guess she really has missed me.

"I'm sorry we lost contact all these years, Mina."

She glanced up at me at the sound of my nickname for her.

In school, I'd never call her Minali. I used to annoy her about things to get her to notice me and always called her Mina.

It just sounded right.

"I like it when you call me Mina..." She says to me, then reaches forward to kiss my cheek adorably. "And it doesn't make any difference us dwelling on the past. What's important is that we are together now and what we make of our time together."

I don't often cry, but I actually teared a little at this. I blinked rapidly a few times just so she doesn't notice.

"Hobi-yah...?"

"Mina?" I answered her the way we used to.

"I've seen you cry before. Remember? You don't have to act around me." And she kisses my cheek again.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Minali's POV

Oppa surprised me with his choice of a first date.

That we were having a picnic of sorts was clear, but I had no idea the man could be this romantic.

I guess being away from him for about ten years really made a difference. He's romantic, he sings and even openly displays his affection for me...

'Hmmm... Oh well! I guess he needed time to mature.'

Hoseok booked a cosy spot for us at a restaurant on the beach!

"D'you like it Jagiya?" He asks me, snaking an arm around my waist, while carrying a picnic basket in his right hand.

I had to do a double take.

"Where did that come from?" I asked incredulously. I didn't see him take it out the car.

"Huh? Oh, I uh... I had this in the boot. I took it out as you were admiring the view, babe."

'I felt my insides melt at his use of that word.'

'Ahhhhhhh!' I screamed excitedly inside. 'I can't believe this is really happening!'

Since he'd already had an arm wrapped around me, I squeezed him closer and expressed my excitement and happiness.

"Sir, ma'am, your table awaits." Came the owner's voice from behind us. The owner was a middle-aged man who ran the beachfront restaurant with his wife.

The 'restaurant' was mainly a beautifully treated, oakwood structure, which housed the kitchen, restrooms and main dining area. But the real charm was the outdoor dining area, where the entire deck opened out to the beach itself.

You had the option to dine under a delicate wooden framed structure with beautiful flowing white or orange curtains, the table and seats were suspended just above the waves, so that only your feet would touch the water, usually during a high tide.

It was, truly, beautiful.

Fortunately, my Hoseok-ah remembered that I didn't like to get wet in the waves. We'd been to the beach a few times together when we'd go out with our friends, back in university.

"Baby, I remembered you didn't like being touched by the water all that much, so I got us a table here in the sand, were we can sit in the cool shade instead."

"Awwwww oppa! You're just adorable! Gomawoyo! I love this, it's beautiful and beyond anything I'd ever imagined." I kiss his cheek again and he turns a shade of pink.

The picnic spot had a broad wooden table, comfortable wooden chairs, two deck chairs to kick back and relax on, a blanket to relax on the sand and a beautiful mangrove which provided enough shade and privacy.

Hobi set the basket down on the blanket after asking me where I'd like to sit for the first half of our date.

"Is this why you asked me if I owned any flip flops?" I ask grinning at him as I knocked off my sneakers and socks to join him on the blanket.

"Aha. I wanted to carry some for you if you didn't have a pair. Then I remembered you don't like the water much."

"It's cold. And wet." I shivered dramatically.

"I'll keep you warm." He says flirtily and wraps an arm around me again. "배고프세요? (Baegopeysaeyo?/Are you hungry?)" He asks me, offering me a bowl of raspberries.

"Ommo! I love these! Thank you." I take one and pop it into my mouth, then feed him a few. "They're so sweet. Just like you."

"I thought of you when I picked them." He said shyly.

We spent about an hour talking about our businesses and how things have been since we started making turnover. I was the guilty party that started this conversation... but in all honesty, I just wanted to see his sexy, professional businessman side again.

For our first date, I'd say it wasn't the most romantic of conversations. But hey... The man sure was attractive when he passionately spoke about his aspirations and goals for his business.

But, the fact remained, I am still his new client and he needs to make sure that my new range of Rooibos products are a success. I wanted to see his sexy side - it's my way of flirting with him. I think us working together from now on would be a lot of fun at his office.

There was a lot I could do to bug him, since I noticed just how much the tiny things I do can affect him. I missed getting under his skin - irritating him. Bugging him about silly, random things.

I missed him.

I love him.

We spoke a little about the things we'd like to do together on future dates.

Just then, the owner shows up with menus for us to order more drinks and our first course.

It was then that I realised I'd had about two glasses of water and a virgin mojito already.

"I'll just be back... going to check my make up." I say coyly.

"I miss you already." He whines like a puppy.

He was so dramatic sometimes.

"Order something delicious for me then." I tease him as I walk along to the ladies'.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Five minutes later...

"Jagiya, I ordered you some spicy prawns and rice and a glass of red wine." He says to me innocently.

"Ya! You're just trying to seduce me!" I say.

He laughs and says:

"Well I'm seducing myself as well, since I ordered the same for me!"

...

The prawns arrived, looking and smelling delicious.

The owners served this on a beautify platter which we shared from, eating at the adorable wooden table under the trees.

Hosoek poured us a glass of wine each and readied a bottle of iced water for himself to have after this serving of wine.

"You can have more wine if you like Mina."

"Aniyo. One glass is enough for me oppa."

After the prawns, we had a simple chicken roast with mashed potatoes and cold, flavoured water. There was a small basket of croutons and rolls too, which neither of us touched, still a little full from the prawns and rice.

For dessert, we had blueberry ice-cream with waffle-wafers and a shared milkshake.

"It's tradition for new couples to have this at our restaurant. It is said that the couples who select this dessert are destined to be together." The owner's wife says mysteriously.

"That's beautiful." We both respond to her in unison.

She smiles at us kindly and goes back to her business in the main building.

We spent another half an hour sitting on the blanket in the sand, watching the sun set together and taking selcas to capture some special moments from our first date.

It was here that we shared our first proper kiss.

"This sunset is so perfect... it's beautiful." I say.

"Not as beautiful as you, ne sarang." He says romantically, his attractive eyes dilated as he watched me.

I turned to face him properly. "What did you just say?" I asked him, stunned by his confession.

"Not as beautiful as you, ne sarang. Saranghae Mina."

"Nado..." I replied and before I knew it, I felt his lips lock mine.

I think for a girl who hasn't really kissed anyone in her life before, I did pretty okay.

I mean I didn't freeze up. And I certainly didn't pout.

His arms encircled my body, one protectively wrapped around my waist, while the fingers of his other hand snaked its way into my now opened hair, at the nape of my neck.

He smelled like spices, with a hint of an oriental fragrance.

As Hoseok kissed me, I felt all my worries leave me. Each wall I had build around my heart slowly became undone as the person I have waited for broke through each barrier to claim my heart.

It felt like we were there for hours. Kissing on the beachfront...

"I love you Minali." He whispered in my ear.

❤꧁ღ⊱♥♡♥⊱ღ꧂❤

A/n: Thank you everyone who's reading this story!