─── january 14, 2018
⤷ in which hyerin and
namjoon go on their
first date....

notes before we start:
nothing much besides the fact that
this chapter came out much longer than
expected??? so just a heads up on that
lmao but pls read the notes at the end
of the chapter as well :) hope you all enjoy!!

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    HYERIN SITS IN THE middle of her bedroom floor on her knees, several outfits laid out in front of her on her carpet. She taps her index finger on her chin as she assesses all 4 outfits she had chosen.

All 4 varied from a mix of chic and sporty, as that was her style usually consisted of. But it was currently the middle of winter there in Seoul, so, really, it didn't matter what she chose, she was going to have to cover up with a big puff jacket either way.

Her phone pinged from her bed where it was charging, and she immediately jumped up to look at it. She clumsily landed on her bed, reaching for her it and clicking on the screen to look at the notification.

Her shoulders dropped in slight disappointment as she saw that the text was from her mother, asking her if she had been resting well lately. Hyerin sends out a quick reply and throws her phone back on her bed before going back to the issue at hand: her outfit.

She was going on her first date with Namjoon and she had to make sure that her outfit made a good impression as this would be the first time he'd see her in her own choice of clothing after being dressed by her stylists.

Though she knew that she was overthinking her decision, this was the first time she would be seeing him since their confession from the day they had finished their last show as the hosts for Music Bank. And after they had exchanged contact information, it was non-stop texting almost every day despite their perspective busy schedules.

They had kept texting after their last show, texting for a couple of days before Namjoon has asked her out on said date she was getting ready for.

Hyerin had been in the middle of a shoot that day, getting her makeup done when she had received that text from him. It had taken everything in her power to stay still and keep a neutral facial expression while her makeup stylist was dabbing lipstick on her lips.

She hadn't told anyone, though, as Haru was still on her about rumors and dating scandals now more than ever since fans had begun shipping her and Namjoon because of their interactions through out the Music Bank shows. But it was just the normal, slightly concerning, shipping fans did whenever they saw any slight interaction between two idols: immediately going on social media to post about them and make up theories that would send the media and others on a spiral.

At the same time she knew that Haru's words were true, and as infatuated as she was becoming with Namjoon, she would still be taking her precautions because neither Hyerin nor Namjoon's group would risk letting their careers take a fall after working so hard to get to where they were.

Both of them were taking their precautions, actually.

Besides the fact that they would be arriving to their date location separately as to not risk anything, Namjoon had picked out a pretty secluded spot not too far from the city, more so on the outskirts of town as he had found the spot during one of his many late night bike rides (a hobby of his that Hyerin was instantly charmed by). It was a pretty basic first date, but Hyerin was content with anything that had still taken some effort to be planned despite the said precautions they were taking.

Her train of thought was interrupted as she heard another buzz come from her phone, to which she quickly got up to look at again, this time her face lighting up as it was a text from Namjoon.

Hey! I'm on way to the spot a bit earlier to get things set up for us but I've sent you the location! Be careful on your way over and dress warm :) I'll see you soon!

Hyerin smiled down at her phone excitedly, a rush of warmth blooming onto her cheeks as she types out a reply.

I'm about to head out as well!! See you soon xx

She slaps herself mentally for the vague response in reply to his own message but reminded herself that this was still the first date.

Hyerin stands up from her bed, randomly grabbing an outfit from the 4 choices she had and quickly changing into it. Her makeup and hair was already done, so she shuffled on her long black coat and walked to the entrance of her apartment were all her shoes were at, slipping a pair on and grabbing her house and car keys.

She slips on her mask before exiting out of her apartment, locking the door before surely making her way out of the living complex with her head down the entire way. It was already 10 at night, so thankfully there was practically no one as she walked through the hallways all the way out to the building's garage.

As she walked to her car, her eyes scanned the site to check for anybody lingering as subtly as she could, trying not to raise suspicion for herself in case there was. In her opinion, she was disguised as well and she mostly never stayed at her own apartment, always staying over at the provided dorm at the company when staying late because of work, so there was really no possible way that she could think of for the paparazzi to know where she lived.

At least, that's what she hoped for. (dispatch could be very surprising).

Hyerin unlocks her car as soon as reaches the driver's side, sliding into the seat and immediately closing the door behind her. Shoving the keys into the ignition, the engine roars to life as she sets her hands on the wheel.

She lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, leaning back in her seat and taking another deep breath before making her way out of the building.

One thing that Hyerin was sure of was her infatuation with Namjoon. Her interest had been piqued since the first time they had sat down to go over their scripts for Music Bank, and even more so when they had exchanged numbers and began talking about other things besides their temporary jobs as music show hosts.

She also found him very attractive, of course.

Everything about his was attractive; from his physical appearance, the way he carried himself and his group despite their hardships, his intelligence, his musical abilities, his rapping—everything.

But she still found herself nervous for her date with him.

Obviously, she had already dated two people while already working in the industry, but both of those relationships hadn't necessarily ended well.

With Mark, not enough effort had been made on his end to see one another or even keep the relationship aflame, despite the both of them having debuted that same year they began dating. Their schedules were busy, yes, but Mark's effort was nothing compared to the effort Hyerin had made even throughout those schedules.

As for Inyeop, he had also fallen out of interest when schedules got too busy. Even though they had only dated for 5 months, they were still able to see each other a bit more and shared many intimate moments that had made the heartbreak of their relationship ending hurt a whole lot more. Inyeop had been Hyerin's first time, so his words had no meaning when he told her that he didn't want to hurt her by continuing with their relationship despite losing feelings.

So, really, she wasn't nervous about sneaking out, or the non-stop fondness and attraction she felt towards Namjoon, or even about the possibility of getting into a relationship with him.

She was more so worried about him falling out of interest with her.

Despite the many rules she was currently breaking right now, Hyerin knew that there was a limit to her stubbornness or to the said rule-breaking. She wouldn't risk all the hard work she had put into her career going to waste, and she knew that Namjoon probably felt or thought the same way.

At what seemed to be the start of the peak of their career, she knew that the both of them would continue to work even harder and would be undeniably busy. She kept on assuring herself that that was probably a mutual feeling or even a silent understanding, but she couldn't help but feel the fear of him sitting her down to end things because his feelings—his interest and attraction for her—had dried out.

Hyerin tried her best to shake off those thoughts, knowing that it was just the aftermath of those two past relationships talking. Instead she focused on simply having a good time tonight, no matter what the outcome would be.

Arriving at the location Namjoon had sent her and parking her car, she noticed that it was practically just an open space of land with some small hills, looking out into a beautiful of the city as the spot had just been on the outskirts of it.

The area was well lit by both the post lamps and the city lights, but she could she couldn't find any sign of Namjoon or even his bike that she was sure he rode here. She was about to pull out her phone to call him when she noticed him pulling up in said bike a couple of parking spots away from her.

He was carrying a bag of what she assumed could be food in one hand, while he steadied his bike with the other. Dressed warmly, his big black coat practically engulfed him with half of his face covered up by both his scarf and the black mask he was wearing.

Hyerin smiles fondly at the sight of him, shuffling out of her car.

At the sound of the car door shutting behind her, Namjoon whips his head up, eyes wide until they land on her and they immediately turn into the shape of crescent moons, his eyes practically disappearing because of the smile hidden behind his mask.

Hyerin looked around before making her way over to him, hands in her coat's pockets as she tried her best to look as nonchalant as possible, though she was freaking out inside the more steps she took towards him.

She smiles bashfully up at him after reaching him, "Hi," She said.

Namjoon smiles again, "Hey," He steps forward, pulling her in for an unexpected hug that Hyerin expected to be more awkward, but she almost melts into the small embrace as his hand rests on her back. Only one of his hands is holding her as the other one is still holding the bag of food, but Hyerin leans well into his chest, catching a whiff of his cologne as her own hand comes up to his back.

She frowns internally whenever he steps back, but keeps her composure as he nods his head to the side, "Ready to go?" He asks.

Hyerin furrows her brows, "Where are we going? Isn't this the spot you had mentioned?"

"No, it is," Namjoon reassures, "But there's a bench over that hill where we can sit and catch a good view," He throws a wink at her, motioning for her to follow him as he slowly begins walking towards the hill he had pointed at.

Hyerin begins walking alongside him nonetheless, slowly trudging her way up the hill, "So, do you come to this spot often?" She asks.

"Sometimes," Namjoon replies, "When I need a breath of fresh air or I wanna escape from schedules," He pauses, "Or even from the rest of the boys and my leadership duties."

Hyerin laughs, but as she does so, a cold gust of air blows through the wind, making her shiver.

Namjoon notices, stopping in his tracks in the middle of the hill to remove his scarf from around his neck.

Hyerin's eyes widen as she realizes what he's doing, "Oh, you don't have to that, I don't want you to freeze either—"

"It's okay," He reassures her once again, "I'm more warm-blooded anyway," He sets the scarf over her head, wrapping it around so that it sat comfortably around her neck.

Her face flushes with warmth and she immediately hides her face into the warm, soft fabric that smelled just like the cologne she got a whiff of earlier, "I dressed warmly, I swear I did, but I get cold easily, so, thank you."

He smiles at her, and though it's hidden behind her mask, her face gets hotter—if possible.

Hyerin moves to turn back around and continue walking, but she freezes in her tracks at the view in front of her.

Hiding behind the hill was a large body of water—a lake, which reflected the lights of the city and buildings as beautifully as a lake could. It was also illuminated by a couple of post lamps, so it was well lit with an even amount of darkness that could shield them away from anybody that would pass by. A couple of benches sat near the lake, so their seats would also be well lit from all the lighting.

"Do you like it?" Namjoon asks, his eyes cast on her as she took in the scenery, "I was afraid it would be too boring for a first date but I know we can't really be seen in public so—"

"No, I love it," Hyerin cuts him off, pulling down her mask so that he could see her wide smile, "The view is insanely pretty and it looks so peaceful, I get why you would come here for an escape."

He chuckles, his eyes never leaving her face until he remembers about the food in his hand, "Let's eat, yeah? I know I told you not to eat anything heavy beforehand, so I'm guessing you might be hungry,"

Hyerin nods, eyes still fixated on the view as they walk down the rest of the hill up until they reach one of the benches parked right in front of the center of the lake and skyline.

Namjoon's eyes don't leave her until he comes around the bench, taking in how her face was slightly, yet somehow prominently lit by all the lights around them. The wind flowed lightly through her hair, pushing it back from her face the slightest bit.

She always looked pretty, Namjoon knew that for sure, but right now he was unable to take his eyes off her despite the grumbling going on in his stomach. It was only when she walked around around the bench that he was able to rip his gaze off of her.

Oblivious to his staring, Hyerin sat down next to the box of food Namjoon had placed in between them, "So, what did you bring?"

He blinked, finally remembering about the box of food that he hoped wouldn't be cold by now.

Hyerin gasps after Namjoon opens the top lid, revealing an assorted mix of Korean style corn dogs. She looks up at him with her mouth agape, "These are my favorite!" She exclaims.

The boy's eyes widen, "Really?"

"Yes!" Hyerin laughs, picking one up and raising it to her mouth. She takes a bite out of one with two different types of drizzle all over the top, letting out a blissful sigh at the taste as she chews through her bite, "They're literally my guilty pleasure and I've been craving them for the longest time, but my manager won't let me get any because of the diet I'm on."

Namjoon frowns at that, knowing how strict diets can be (and how he should actually be on one himself) but thinking that she shouldn't even need one. Maybe it's because of how intense her choreographies could be or because of said diet she says she's on, but she already looked to be in great shape and as skinny as she could possibly be.

He shakes the thoughts away, instead focusing on his grumbling stomach as he reaches for his own piece of food and taking a bite out of it.

They sit like that for a few minutes, eating in surprisingly comfortable silence as they both look out onto the skyline.

Hyerin sets down the now empty stick on the side of the box, bringing her legs up to her chest as she turns to look at Namjoon, "How did you find this spot again?"

The black-haired boy swallows his bite, setting his food down and resting his hands on his lap. He's silent for a moment too long that makes Hyerin question if she should have asked that.

She's about to open her mouth to tell him that it's okay if he doesn't want to answer it when he finally replies, "I came out here one night when I was feeling really stressed and overwhelmed with—just everything," He fiddles with his fingers, looking down at his lap with what seemed to be a shameful expression, "I think it was around early last year? I was doubting my abilities as a leader and having a hard time finding the inspiration for songs for our album," Hyerin nods as he talks, listening attentively, "The other boys kept trying to tell me to not overthink it or work too hard, and that I was a good leader, but I just didn't want to let them down or disappoint them."

Namjoon lets out a sigh, looking out into the skyline, "One night I had enough of spending all my time in the studio and decided to get a change of pace so that I wouldn't end up overworking myself or accidentally snap at the boys, so I got on my bike and just rode and rode until I ended up here. Now I just come here when I need a break from things or need to get inspiration," He motions to the spot with one hand, "But I thought it would be a great spot for our date, too," He winks at her, making her laugh.

Hyerin smiles warmly at him, but she can tell that those times for him were hard, and that it probably took a lot of courage for him to come out here when he only wanted to prove himself to his members. She clears her throat before saying, "I know the boys must mean the world to you, as both your group members and family. I've seen you guys' interactions during award shows when you win an award and are doing a group hug, so it's nice to see how close you two are." She chuckles, "I don't really have that many friends, so sometimes I wonder how it would have been like to debut with a group and have members I could talk to about anything and everything with, but I know it must be a lot to just want to be enough as the leader for a group, let alone as a regular person, too."

Hyerin finally looks up to meet Namjoon's eyes as her gaze had been casted everywhere else besides him throughout her rant, and she immediately realizes how much she exposed about herself already. She lets out an embarrassed chuckle, covering her face with her hands, "Sorry, that was—" She laughs, "That was a lot,"

Namjoon laughs as well, "No, it's okay!" He reaches forward, gently removing her hands away from her face, "Everything you said was true and it's nice to have someone who understands that," He nods, licking his lips as he processes her words over and over in his head.

Hyerin looks down at her hands in his hold, but makes no move to pull them away or make him release them. Instead, she continues to sit there, conversation continuing to flow throughout the rest of the night in between the midst of laughter.

Around 11pm is when they make their way back to where Hyerin had parked, masks back up all the way on their faces as they say goodbye.

"I had a lot of fun today," Hyerin admits, looking up at Namjoon with pure happiness in her eyes.

"So did I," He replies, smiling that smile that makes his eyes crinkle like crescent moons again, making her heart do a flip, "Like I said, I was scared it would be too boring or basic, so I'm really glad to hear that."

Hyerin shakes her head, "Not even close to boring or basic." She reassured, "It was perfect. Really,"

His smile gets wider and she looks up into his eyes for a moment, contemplating her next decision before thinking:

Fuck it.

Hyerin goes on her tippy toes, resting her hand flat on his chest and reaching up to place a kiss on the part of his cheek that his mask didn't cover.

Namjoon's eyes widen the slightest bit, heart fluttering at the action as she goes back to standing on the heels of her feet.

"I'll text you later?" She asks, removing the hand that was resting in his chest.

He nods almost eagerly, "Text me when you get home," He says breathily.

Hyerin laughs, slowly walking backwards, "You too."

Namjoon doesn't leave his spot until he sees her get in her car safely and gives him one last wave before heading off.

And a few minutes after that, too.

It's only after Hyerin gets back home to her apartment safely and sends that 'I'm home' text to Namjoon is when she realizes that she was still wearing his scarf.

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notes
liked mentioned in the beginning, this chapter came out a lot longer than expected but one of my main goals is to really portray and write hyejoon's relationship as well as i've visioned it to be so these type of lengthy chapters will probably be expected when it comes to this pair :')

and honestly they might take some time as this one did take a lot of scrapping and thinking etc etc but i'm overall really proud of how it came out and i hope you all will enjoy these happy chapters/moments from the beginning of their relationship bc i've got so much pain planned for future chapters HHAHA LIKE PLS BE PREPARED

but ANYWAYS pls let me know your thoughts and what you all think bc i value all the feedback and sweet comments everyone leaves <333 i hope you all enjoyed !