The walk with Hyunjin through the city was punctuated with awkward silences between our occasional attempts at small talk, but those attempts usually were in vain and left both of us nodding and making that face when you make eye contact with someone in the bathroom and just kind of smile and nod with your lips pressed together. 

During a record breaking silence that rivaled all the former ones in both length and awkwardness, Hyunjin, attempting to distract us and find something for us to do, raised a hand to point at a cafe nestled between the other buildings in front of the sidewalk. "Should we go there?"

I looked up at the building, and the warm palette of browns and tans that reminded me of coffee seemed cozy, the inside brightly lit and lined with greenery. I smiled at Hyunjin, who had turned his head mid-point to search my eyes for approval. "Sure."

Excitedly taking my hand and leading me inside, Hyunjin chose a table near the window for us and pulled out my chair before sitting down opposite me. 

I noted the choice in furnishings and the architecture in the small area, swirling carvings in the wooden baseboards and matching carpentry in the corners of the walls. "I like the decor," I stated, tenting my hands under my chin as I glanced around. 

Hyunjin nodded without looking up, and I assumed that he had already observed our surroundings as he picked up the menu. "Me too, its very Victorian Era in its design style."

"You appreciate Victorian Era architecture?" I questioned, although I already knew the answer. Hyunjin's interests were usually obvious from his awe-inspiring knowledge of his crafts. 

"Mmm, and the art, its very intriguing."

I nodded and glanced over the menu on the table in front of me, deciding to change the subject. "What are you getting?"

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes at the menu, looking at each page more thoroughly. "I don't know yet, what about you?"

"I don't know yet either."

"Hmm... I might get the ttekbokki¹ with hotteok² and dalgona coffee³."

"I think I'll get the gilgeori⁴ and kimbap⁵ with kimchi⁶, then, they look pretty good and I'm really hungry. "

Hyunjin approved with a lighthearted laugh and a nod, closed his menu and called over the waitress, giving her our orders. "I'm hungry too, I hope it doesn't take long."

While we waited, our small talk became less awkward as we talked about the Victorian Era, famous artists and their works and styles. I tried to keep up with my limited knowledge about what Hyunjin was saying, telling me of Jan Van Eyck's revolutionary art style and Berlingheiro's many distinct works.

His extended knowledge about art in general was impressive, and I smiled as his passion for dance and music showed through our conversation. It was adorable the way his eyes lit up when he told me about wanting to produce his own songs someday, and his aspirations of maybe owning a dance studio or becoming a choreographer in the future.

I found myself smiling as I listened, his voice filled with excitement and hope, and love. I was so happy to hear that in his voice, and to see him genuinely content after what had happened with his parents. I was glad that he was back to his passionate, cheerful Hyunjin self, his smile lighting up the atmosphere, his excitement contagious.

Watching his expressions as he explained a Van Gough study he was working on with his latest project, I promised myself that I would do whatever it took to distract Hyunjin from any sadness that came to him in life, because the bright, passionate person in front of me deserved as much happiness as he gave those around him. 

When the waitress finally brought our food (Hyunjin had whined that he was so hungry, it felt like forever), I was jolted from the trance I was falling into while watching him and was suddenly self-aware of the way I was just sitting in front of him, grinning like an idiot. I quickly wiped the dumb smile off my face as Hyunjin chimed a "Thank you for the food!" and dug in.

I seperated my chopsticks and was about to bring a cut of kimbap to my mouth when I noticed the face Hyunjin was making. His brows furrowed and his nose scrunched as he chewed, his shook his head before contradicting it by nodding and jabbing his chopsticks toward his food. "This is good," he mumbled to himself before going in for another bite.

I tried to hold in a laugh, and Hyunjin looked up at me. "What? It's good," he stated again, and I dropped my eyes and pressed my lips together to stop smiling. 

"Nothing," I said, picking up the abandoned cut of kimbap that I had left while watching Hyunjin. Looking up as I brought the kimbap to my mouth once again, I saw Hyunjin, still chewing his own food, looking at my plate.

"Hey," I waved my chopsticks at him and scolded him with full cheeks. "Keep your eyes on your own food. This is mine."

"But yours looks good, too," Hyunjin whined, staring at my food with longing. Finally tearing his eyes away, he raised them to meet mine and blinked at me. "Can I have some?" He pouted.

I shook my head, taking a bite of my gilgeori. The cheesy goodness melted in my mouth as Hyunjin studied my facial expressions with jealousy. His brows furrowed in indignation when he couldn't take my grunts of satisfaction and eager bites anymore. 

"H-Hey, I let you borrow my car! You still owe me favors from that," pointing an accusing finger at me from across the table, Hyunjin attempted to snatch a cut of kimbap, but I shielded my food with my chopsticks.

"That's different," I said, narrowing my eyes at him and scooting my plate closer to me to defend what was mine. "I don't share food."

Hyunjin stuck out his lower lip, giving me puppy dog eyes. When that didn't work and I ignored him, he started doing aegyo⁷. I looked up from my plate to find him winking with half hearts by his puffed cheeks, and I rolled my eyes but smiled. 

Slightly embarrassed, I scanned the restaurant to make sure no one was looking in our direction. "Okay, okay, just stop and take it. Here," I presented a cut of kimbap to him, and he leaned across the table, shutting his eyes tight and opening his mouth to bite it from my chopsticks.

Watching me with suspicion, he asked again, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're just so cute." It slipped out before I realized what I was saying, and I immediately blushed, the smile falling right off my face and my eyes widening. 

Hyunjin smirked, reveling in the moment as I quieted, mortified by what I just said. Resting his arms on the table, he leaned forward.

"You think I'm cute?" He teased, scanning my face and swallowing the last of the stolen kimbap. 

"I said absolutely nothing of the sort." I resorted to my best poker face and finished off the last of my food, keeping my eyes lowered to my plate. 

Hyunjin gasped dramatically. "Was it because of the aegyo?" he suggested, pouting his full lips again and putting up a peace sign by his cheek.

"No, stop!" I laughed, holding out my hand in an act of defense and turning my face away. I was surprised when he reached out and interlaced his fingers with my outstretched hand, and I felt his warm palm pressed to mine as he gently swayed our hands together. 

Another smirk twisted his lips as he watched me closely, his deep walnut eyes catching a ray of morning sun through the window and glowing caramel. "You think I'm cute regardless, then?"

I bit my lip, somehow gathering the courage to turn my head back and meet his soft gaze instead of watching him in my peripheral vision with my face turned away. "N-No, I—"

"Then would you rather me be something else?" He glanced up at the ceiling and tapped his free hand on his chin, pretending to think. 

I cocked my head and looked at him in question. A mischievous smile spread across his lips as if he had me right where he wanted me, and his silky voice dropped to a low, playful whisper. Narrowing his eyes, he swung my hand cutely, but his behavior did not at all match his next implication. 

"Would you rather me be sexy?"

━━━━━━━━━━ •

1 Ttekbokki/ Spicy rice cakes: 

The "cakes" in this dish are chewy, almost pasta-like rolls of (rice?) dough covered in sweet and spicy sauce. While this delicious entree can be eaten for breakfast, it is also welcomed to accompany any meal of the day. 

2 Hotteok:

 Often compared to an American pancake with filling, this Korean breakfast food is a flattened portion of bread with sweet filling, usually containing cinnamon and nuts. 

3 Dalgona Coffee: 

This whipped beverage, made of instant coffee, milk, sugar and hot water is a popular beverage and, although it's a little sweet for a normal morning coffee, it's enjoyed like a sweet Starbucks Frappuccino would be. 

4 Geolgori:

A Korean sandwich with toasted, buttered bread and a fluffy egg-and-veggie scramble, sometimes to which meat such as ham and cheese are added as extra fillings. 

5 Kimbap:

Usually compared to Sushi, the only thing these two dishes have in common are the rice filling and seaweed wrap. Unlike Sushi, Kimbap doesn't have raw seafood, but instead is filled with eggs, meat and veggies. This makes for a perfect breakfast or anytime meal, along with a classic side of kimchi. 

6 Kimchi:

A fermented cabbage side dish with a spicy and tangy marinade. This must-have side dish (or "banchan" in Korean) goes with any meal, and can have different notes of flavor based on the marinade ingredients. 

7 Aegyo:

The Korean word for acting cute, mainly done with an abundance of winks, puffed cheeks, finger hearts, peace signs, cat ears, etc. Usually despised by idols because they have to claw to hold on to whatever shreds of dignity they have left after acting like a five year old child in front of thousands of people, in which most cases, completely goes against their mature or naturally sensual personality.