A Sound from the Moon

Seventeen

Wendy came back from buying some tools to fix the bathroom sink and she seemed confused of Dan's words, too. But she was quick to shrug it off and say that first dates are always skeptical for everyone. Especially for big sisters like them.

I let my heart let go of its annoyance towards their sudden doubts about Dan. It's true. They've become my family. My big sisters. They only want to see me okay.

So I give them each a kiss on the check when Dan texts me that he's outside. Wendy looks up from looking at a magazine and says, "Wait. He's outside?"

I nod and she immediately runs to the window to look for him. Seulgi also joins her as they peek through the blinds.

"He has a nice car," Seulgi quietly says.

Wendy nods and points at something outside. "He's waiting inside the car."

Joy scoffs without looking up from her phone. I ignore her attitude that keeps making my blood boil and give my last kiss to Irene. Irene looks up from her book and smiles at me. But firmness comes back to her expression as she stops me and gently says, "Be safe, okay? Don't hesitate to call if there's an emergency."

I nod; pushing away nerves from those words aside. I don't think Dan would do anything to hurt me, would he?

I quickly start to walk out with butterflies nervously flying around in my stomach. I hear Seulgi excitedly say, "Bye, pretty lady! Tell me all about it afterwards!"

"If you're even awake," Irene teasingly says.

In the end, I will always walk out with a smile with just the sound of their voices and laughter. There's nothing to worry about as long as they're in my corner.

Dan has parked by a corner of the sidewalk. He stays inside even when he sees me. He unlocks the car and I get in with a smile.

"Hey," he says. "You look good."

"Thank you. Is it pretty enough?" I playfully say.

He ignores my question as he looks up an address. Then he finally sees me and says, "It's enough."

These words make my heart jump with excitement. He keeps his side smile on as we drive to our destination. Seulgi was right. He takes me to a fancy restaurant. So fancy. I've never been near any restaurant of this sort. But he puts a hand on the small of my back making shivers run around my body. They leave when he asks for our reservation and we're led to our table.

I look around in awe. Even if it is a small space, it's modern look combines with the circular lights gleaming with gold. People are dressed up even if it is to simply drink wine. My stomach comes to life at a plate by our table and I excitedly look inside the menu. Out of instinct, I look at the prices first and I nearly faint. The last time I went on a date, I had to pay for my plate. I hope it's not the same case or else I'm going to be staying late cleaning up the dishes.

"What do you think?" Dan says with a smirk. "Nice isn't it?"

"Very nice," I say. "Thank you for bringing me here."

He does a proud smile as he gestures around. "This is my uncle's place. He's the owner."

"Really?"

"Yes. So I know what's good here. May I suggest?"

"Sure."

I watch him point at different options on the menu and I mentally look for the cheapest. He seems to read my thoughts halfway through and says, "Don't worry about paying either. It's on me."

I give him a smile that makes my cheeks red. He smiles with that flirty shine as he gives me a wink. Soon, a waitress approaches our table and he keeps his flirty smile on as he gives our orders. My heart grows uneasy when his eyes shine at the waitress the way they would with me. But I push this boiling feeling aside when he turns back to me with a warm look.