l'amore è paziente, l'amore è gentile

"What are you looking at?"

Startled, you turn around to see your roommate Niki looking over your shoulder and at your screen.
You quickly try to hide what you were looking at.

"Nothing" you stammer out.

"Dude relax, you can look at nice restaurants without freaking out. It wasn't like I caught you looking at porn… wait… unless you were looking at places to take someone on a date!? Dude, are you going to ask someone out. Who? Julie? She's cute. Moka? Yunah? Ahyeon?"

Seeing you flinch at the mention of Ahyeon, Niki starts to press you more.

"You should totally ask her out, I mean you've known her longer than anyone else. I know she's rejected all the guys who've asked her out so far; but dude, you got this. Plus, you have the inside track since she's best friends with your sister."

Sighing, since you know it’s been long enough and you should come clean, you start to rub the back of your neck and say "Well, ummm, I'm not really asking her out, well like I am, but also ummmmm we've been dating since September…"

You turn and see Niki staring at you blankly before he finally comes to "What??? Since September and you haven't told anyone!"

"Rita knows"

"How!?"

"Well, she is my sister and Ahyeon's best friend… plus she caught us making out a few times… plus allegedly 'she's known for years that it was bound to happen'. Although I don't believe that part"

"Congrats Man, you bagged yourself a grade A baddie"

Hearing Niki call your Ahyeon a baddie, you glare at him causing him to raise his hands up in surrender.

"Respectfully of course. She is objectively unbelievably beautiful"

Still annoyed that he called your girlfriend a baddie, you turn back around and continue researching restaurants.

"So, how did you start dating?"

"Remember last semester when my parents forced me to watch our dog with Ahyeon, well TLDR she smacked some sense into me and I realized that Ahyeon wasn't just someone who had weaseled her way into every aspect of my life and annoyed me but someone I couldn't live without; and we have been dating since"

"That's awesome man; but why are you looking at restaurants so intensely for your date with Ahyeon? Haven't you been on plenty of dates with her at this point?"

"It's our 6 month anniversary, so I want to pick the perfect place"

"That's amazing man. Do you have a gift too?"

Shyly, you say "yeah… here it is" before taking out two matching ring boxes and putting them on your desk.

"You got her a couple ring? That's super sweet" Niki said while opening up one of the boxes.

"Wait, why isreceipt in this one from 2022?"

"Yeah, during our sophomore year, she dragged me to the mall so she could model for me and of course so I could carry her bags then after clothes shopping, we stopped by a few jewelry stores. At one of them, one of the workers asked us if we wanted our ring sizes measured and Ahyeon said yes so, we got them measured then she started trying on some rings and said she loved that one. So, while she was in the bathroom, I asked the worker to put that one and the matching one aside for me and then I bought them the next day with our Initial's engraved" you said as casually as you could while blushing immensely.

Feeling a hard smack the back of your head, you turned around yelling "What the fuck Niki"

"You're a dumbass Y/N. You were smart enough to buy these couple rings 3 years ago; but you didn't realize your feelings for her"

"I mean I guess I kind of knew I felt something for her; but how was I supposed to know that I liked her. I mean I guess I was always able to spot her in a crowd and my eyes were always drawn to her and I kind of just accepted the fact that I had to walk her home every day and that I had to let her know what I was doing and that she would FaceTime me every night…"

Hearing all of this just exasperated Niki even more.

"… and that my room was pretty much her room. Also, my parents would always yell at me if Ahyeon was ever home alone and her parents gave me a key to their house in like middle school. Plus, I always went on vacation with her family and vice versa. You know what, her parents always called me son in law and mine called Ahyeon their daughter. Wait, and I always felt out of sorts when I didn't know where she was and I got annoyed whenever I saw her talking to another guy… I'm a dumbass"

Sighing, Niki said, "yes yes you are"

Having a moment of realization, you jump out of your seat, "I know what to do!"

"What did you decide on Y/N?" Niki asked

"I'm going to make her homemade pasta. Ahyeon loved when we would make food together when our parents were gone. She always said that’s when she felt the most at home".

"Great idea Y/N, but where are you going to cook it? The dorm kitchen is disgusting and aren't both your parents’ home?"

"That's fine. We'll just have dinner at our apartment." you said matter of factly

"Your apartment?" Niki asked confused

"Yeah, Ahyeon's parents bought an apartment undermine and her name when we graduated high school and got accepted to the same college. It's like a 10 minute walk from here, in the Alberta Building."

"What the hell do you mean they bought you an apartment? And you didn't mention it? And in the Alberta Building? That building has had a waitlist to buy an apartment since it was built and is expensive as hell" Niki exclaimed.

Trying to be casual, you responded "Yeah… Ahyeon's parents are loaded like Fuck you money loaded and I mean how are you supposed to bring up the fact that your girlfriend's parents bought you two an apartment in one of the most exclusive buildings in the city before you two even started to date?"

"I mean I guess so but what the hell dude"

"I know man, it’s crazy"

"If you somehow mess this up with Ahyeon, I am going to smack the shit out of you"

"I know I know. I gotta go, I'll talk to you later. I have to setup for tonight"

"Your anniversary is tonight, and you were just looking at restaurants. I love you man, but you are an idiot"

"Yeah yeah, I'll see you later"

"pffft, whatever. See you dude"

Sprinting to the store to pick up what you need to make homemade pasta, you quickly text Ahyeon to meet you at your shared apartment in 2hrs and to come hungry. Walking into the store like a man on a mission, you quickly grab everything you need according to Gordon Ramsey along with a bottle of wine since it was a celebration.

90 minutes later, you find yourself in the kitchen covered in flour with lumps of what is supposed to be pasta dough. Freaking out since you have no clue how to salvage the mess of what was supposed to be your romantic dinner with Ahyeon, you don't notice the door being opened and your loving girlfriend walk through the door. Walking around the corner into the kitchen, Ahyeon is met with you hunched over the kitchen island staring at your phone while completely coated in flour. Wanting to be a bit sneaky, Ahyeon quietly walks around the island so that as soon as you tear yourself away from your phone, you'll be met by her beautiful face. Sighing, you look up from your phone and are surprised to see Ahyeon staring right at you. Like the man you are, you jump back while emitting a very manly squeak.

“What are you doing here this early Ahyeon? I still have 30 minutes."

Smiling, Ahyeon responds "I had a feeling you might need a little help"