Set Up
PROLOGUE
Jihee

           It was late, the doors of a small, family-owned stew shop were locked and the sign was turned over to show the "Closed" side from the outside. Even thought it was late hours of the night, the streets of Seoul stayed lit and busy. They quieted down some after the sun went down and a little more as the night drew on, but people could still be seen passing outside the glass windows. Small plates clanked as they were set into large bowls along with spoons. Na Jihee sighed, holding a half empty bowl of kimchi stew. She looked up from the bowl and out at the street as laughing college students walked by. The neon lights bouncing off the buildings had never looked more inviting. Jihee looked away to grab more dishes, stacking them and putting them near the sink to be washed. She poured the contents of the bowl out and placed it with the other dirty dishes. Her mother smiled and thanked her as she slipped on yellow rubber gloves.

Jihee left the kitchen again, grabbing a rag and spray to clean the tables. When she looked up, there stood a pouting boy on the other side of the door. His big brown eyes would've truly looked sad if Jihee hadn't known any better.

Playfully rolling her eyes, Jihee set the rag and spray down on an empty table and walked to the front door. With the key from her apron, she unlocked it and let the boy in. She always forgets how much he towers over her until he's there, walking into the store late at night as he always is.

"Why'd you lock me out?" he continued to pout, pulling out a chair and sitting at the nearest table.

"I didn't lock you out, Johnny," she shook her head and picked the spray and rag up once more, "We're closed." Walking over, Jihee sprayed at Johnny's hand that rested on the table top.

He pulled away quickly and shook his hand, a disgusted look appearing on his face as he looked up at Jihee, who was biting back a smile as she wiped the spot where his hand previously was. "What was that for?"

"Oh," she looked up at him with wide eyes, "did I get your hand?" Johnny just stared at her for a moment until she went back to spraying the table, his hand now safely in his lap and newly wiped on Jihee's apron.

"So," he adjusted his brown hair and smiled, "I know someone you might want to, I don't know...date?" Johnny, even though his words were a statement, sounded unsure of himself as if he were asking a question. He expected Jihee to decline the offer, seeing as it was another one of Johnny's friends which would directly link them back to someone she wouldn't want to upset or get involved with any more than she already was.

"Are they friends with Taeyong?" she wondered almost emotionlessly, keeping her eyes on the table as she scrubbed away a speck. Johnny thought it odd for her to even consider one of his offers, let alone be intrigued by one.

"I'm friends with Taeyong," Johnny smiled wide, causing Jihee to move tables. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Jihee's hand stopped scrubbing the opposite table as she looked up at Johnny, questioning, "Why are you always trying to set me up?"

Johnny shrugged. "You're always here, Jihee. You're working a job that you wouldn't want and spending the other half of your time studying for college classes at a table. When do you have time that's actually for you?" His right eyebrow raised and he tilted his head slightly, anticipating Jihee's answer.

She dropped the rag on the table and stood up straight, excusing, "It's a family business, I know my mother wants at least one of her children to work with her. Besides, studying for college will help me get a job, dummy."

"Don't you want to peruse music? I only ever find guys that have the same interests as you so you can find an excuse to practice your skills and be social," Johnny reasoned, his voice and eyes softening as Jihee's fake smile dropped and she was back to finding an excuse. He watched as Jihee, tapping her foot and crossing her arms, sighed.

"I play here sometimes," she mumbled, immediately returning to cleaning the tables in order to avoid Johnny's sympathetic and caring gaze.

"Yeah, when it's it busy. Jihee," Johnny drew out the second syllable of her name for, to said girl, what seemed like forever until she finally decided to interrupt.

"Fine," she suddenly abandoned the cleaning supplies on another table and walked over to Johnny, sitting across from him, "tell me about him, I'll consider. That doesn't mean I'll agree."

Johnny's eyes lit up and he sat straight in his chair, quickly pulling his phone from his pocket and typing in the passcode. "Okay, so-" he turned his phone around to face Jihee. The guy on Johnny's screen was wearing a grey hoodie and a thin, black jacket atop that. He had black hair, dark eyes, small loop earrings, and wore a small smile. To Jihee, the guy was fairly attractive and had nice, clean skin. She nodded, listening to Johnny listing various facts. "-He's super funny and playful-"

"Is he Korean? He doesn't look Korean," Jihee interrupted, looking from the phone to Johnny.

"No," Johnny shook his head, "He's Chinese, but he speaks Korean and English, so there wouldn't be much of a language barrier. He's really nice, my height-" Jihee looked Johnny up and down wearily, "-he's a '99 liner, but-"

"What?" Jihee shook her head and prepared herself to stand again, "So, he's twenty? Sorry, JuhSuh, but I don't want anyone I'm dating to call me noona-" she almost shivered at the thought and had to keep talking as Johnny gave her a 'really' look, "My brother is 19! That's... it's weird, Johnny."

"It's only a two year age gap!" Johnny exclaimed. "That's like saying it's weird if we dated and that would be hypocritical of you because Taeyong is my age and-"

"Oh, my- No! It's weird because he'd be calling me noona," the word rolled of her tongue with disgust. Jihee didn't mind when a young boy or her brother called her noona, that was normal, but for someone she's dating to say it? She felt uncomfortable just thinking about it.

"Come on," Johnny smiled and started to sing Shinee's 'Replay.'

"Dear, lord! Please don't call me noona, Johnny!"

"What?" Johnny stopped and faked a confused face, "I'm just singing."

"Who's calling you noona?" Mrs. Na walked out from the kitchen with a motherly smile, her hands no longer covered in yellow rubber.

"No one!" Jihee stressed, heaving an exhausted sigh and her mother walked further into the dining area.

"Oh, Johnny! It's nice to see you as always," her mother smiled sweetly at Johnny as he replied the same. She turned back to Jihee and questioned, "What about your brother?"

"These are different circumstances, Mo-" A bell sounded as the restaurant doors opened and, as if on que, in walked Na Jaemin with his newly dyed, light auburn hair. Jihee's mother eyed her, which made Jihee mentally face palm. She'd forgotten to lock the door back up after letting Johnny in.

"Momma- Oh! Hi, Johnny!" Jaemin waved, which Jonny returned politely, then he went into the kitchen to talk to Mrs. Na.

Johnny typed on his phone for a moment before turning it back around to reveal the same picture as before, a hopeful smile on his face. "Pleaseeeee-"

"Will you shut up if I ask his name?" Jihee didn't what to admit it, but the Chinese guy Johnny was trying to set her up with did, in fact, catch her eye. In the back of her brain, though, was Taeyong.

"It's Lucas!"