I sighed and followed him, because he was going to pull me with him anyway, and I'd rather not be dragged along on the ground.

Once we were outside, I pulled on his hand as hard as I could, trying to make him stop. It worked, and he turned to face me.

"What?"

"What?!" I said, a little loudly. "Are you fucking kidding me right now, Jung Hoseok? What?! Who even are you? This is a completely different person than the man that I met yesterday. Hell, you are a completely different person than you were THIS MORNING."

He dropped my hand and turned away, walking a few steps, then turning back towards me, then pacing back the other way again. He ran his fingers through his white-blonde hair and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before facing me again.

"I'm sorry, Ellie" he said, his voice soft, and without the edge that he had been using.

"What part, exactly, are you apologizing for?" I asked him.

"For being so rough with you back there," he said. "It was a bit overboard, and I'm sorry."

"That's not even the part that I'm upset about, Hoseok," I told him. "It was kinda hot. But..."

"But what?" he asked me.

"But I don't know which personality is you," I told him. "The guy from yesterday? Or the complete opposite of him, that I met a few minutes ago."

"I wish that I could tell you," he said, looking down at his feet. " But I honestly don't know."

"I...." I started, then swallowed and looked down at my feet. "I don't know what to do with this information." I looked up into his eyes. "I mean, what am I supposed to do with it, Hoseok?"

He shook his head and sat down on a bench surrounding a group of trees and flowers. "I don't know, Eloise" he said. "I don't even know what to do with it myself. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Remember I was telling you about my group of friends and how close we are?" He asked me, and I nodded. "They're like my brothers. And they want to meet you."

"What?" I asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Because they want to tell you every lame thing that I have ever done, just to embarrass me?" he suggested. "Or because we made this ridiculous pact, eight years ago, that we have to approve of anyone that one of us wants to marry? Or maybe they're just trying to be pains in my ass. I don't know, Princess. But they want to meet you. That's part of what has been occupying my mind all day."

"You have to think that hard before introducing me to your friends?" I asked. My voice was unintentionally quiet. "Are..." I bit my lip for a moment, trying not to cry as my mind ran rampant. This was all stuff that I was used to. It's how you got to 32 without being married. But....I truly thought that he was different. What. An. Idiot. "Are you ashamed of me, Hoseok? I know that I'm not the skinniest or the prettiest girl in the world, but I didn't think that I was that bad." I turned away from where he was sitting, and walked away a little ways, so that he wouldn't see how much his words had affected me. I kinda felt like my heart was breaking. I don't know why they called it 'heartbreak' when it was more like a hollow pit in the bottom of your stomach. It was an absolutely terrible feeling.

"WHAT?!" He almost yelled at me.

I shrank back from him a bit, even though I wasn't even facing him. I just wasn't prepared for the loud tone that he used.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then moved around in front of me and looked at me, speaking in a much softer voice. "What on earth are you talking about, Princess?" He reached out and pulled me into his arms, wrapping them tightly around me and holding me close. "Sweetheart, I'm not ashamed of you. I'm ashamed of them."

I was stiff in his arms, not hugging him back. I felt so confused. As if he could sense my trepidation, he tightened his arms around me and turned his head to kiss my temple.

"Princess, I promise you, I am not ashamed of you," he said with his lips still against my skin. "I've only known you for a day, but you're already one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Please don't think that I am anything less than proud and thankful that you're mine."

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his back, and I could feel his body relax a little when I did. I wasn't 100% sure that I believed him, but I'd try and figure that out later. For now, I would just try to enjoy him while it lasted.

"So," I started, pulling back to look at him. "Your friends. Do I have to go to South Korea to meet them?"

"No, actually," he said. He leaned in to kiss me softly. "They want to come here. They're just waiting for an okay from us, to do so."

I stared at his face for a minute. Or maybe it was two minutes. I wasn't really sure. I didn't know if I believed everything that he had said. Nothing in my life had led me to a place where I could easily trust people. Not my mom, not my dad, not my past relationships, not even my friendships. And, if I was being honest with myself, I didn't even realize all of this until just now.

But...

What other choice did I have? I could either let his friends come and hope for some sort of clarification into his true character, or I could end this now.

There was really only one choice, though. Even though it had only been a day, I didn't want to lose him over the possibility of....well...nothing. So I said the only thing I could in this situation.

"Okay, Hoseok. Tell them to come." 

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A/N: The reformatting is done! (At least on what is posted so far. I'm still going through what I have written and not posted, yet.) And here is a new chapter! 

Also, as I always love to share, here is some sunshine to brighten your day. Stay safe and healthy friends.  -----------Kat