satisfied with his answer, lili only beams in response. maybe she should call it luck that the cameras were rolling — getting an complimentary answer from minkyu as so has never been easier.
“alright, alright, picasso. i can’t wait to see what you come up with.” she teases, eyes shining bright as she looks from the set of colors she had already swiped to her side to him.
every now and then, her eyes briefly glance his way — a mirror of the image she was trying to transfer to the kite itself. unfortunately, lili was no artist — not in this way at least — but she makes the most of her materials and does her best to her strengths.
in the end, her kite looks more reminiscent of those old school shoujo mangas she and taeha used to pour over back in high school in between competitions; how she had remembered such a small detail is beyond her — but here it is, drawn in it’s full length: accented with big yellow stars and overly-drawn pink and blue flowers to surround the image of minkyu in the style of a shoujo protagonist from the 90’s.
her ears perking when she hears his completion and she immediately snaps up the kite before his eyes could take in what she had made — smile already just that bit triumphant and overall pleased with what she had come up with.
“okay — i’m ready.” she takes a breath before initiating the countdown —
“one …. two …. three!”
once sung, she spins her kite in time with his only to feel her lips crinkle in amusement; laughter already on the cusp of her tongue as she tries to choke out a — “is that supposed to be keroppi?? or is it kermit?”
Off-camera, if this were truly Lili and Minkyu in their natural states, her comment about Hollywood actresses would be met with a snarky reply;
Minkyu would likely respond with something along the lines of how she’s pretty cute, but there’s no way she could compare to someone like Anne Hathaway.
This, of course, would all be in playful jest, never serious, always lighthearted. But the cameras are rolling, and while Minkyu always strives to present his most genuine self to the viewers and fans ( slash girlfriends ), he knows this moment calls for sweetness;
it's a moment meant to quicken Lili's heartbeat and those of the audience.
So he gives her a sweet smile, one that seems reserved solely for her, and gently lifts his free hand to fix a stray lock of her bangs. "You should already know you're much cuter than any Hollywood actress." he says, his voice soft and sincere.
Even as they sit down, his perpetual half-smile remains, his eyes scanning the array of tools before quickly picking up the right markers and pens to decorate the kite.
"You'll be surprised. I'm the modern Picasso!" he declares with a playful brow wiggle in her direction, almost charming, before his focus returns to the kite.
He's chosen the same colors as her favorite plushie, even attempting to draw a chibi version of it. Though it hasn’t turned out perfectly, it's recognizable enough.
After a few minutes, he looks back up, a grin on his lips as he hides the result of his craft with his arms. "Okay, let's show what we've created on the count of three!"
lili is no big enigma. she is no puzzle waiting to be solved. yet, if you knew her enough — spent a speck of time with her — her tells are all yours to read. the smallest lift of the right side of her grin, the most subtle twitch of her eyes wishing to crinkle — it’s like she’d say: the little things are what mattered most.
even when her personality was as big as the eiffel tower — at least to those who knew her and her own version of crassness. however, she seals such honestly and vulnerability for off cameras. masquerading as a bubblegum girl, covered in glitter and sparkles was hard work but for lili, she’d rather the world think of her as such than demean her for being too honest, too open as they often did to girls who stepped out of line.
it’s unfortunate — if not a bit embarrassing — that this is who minkyu sees in comparison to her usual bickery self.
( in another world, maybe the audience would find such a version of lili as comical and funny — but no, in lili’s perfect world she was pristine and smiley — not jaded and bitchy )
“do i?” the compliment is like sweet cherry kisses on the tongue, and lili relishes in it — smiling even wider at his words than she knows she should; biting the inside of her cheek to rein it in, if she could. “cuter than those hollywood actors you wished you were on a date with?”
a part of her is glad — that it’s minkyu she’s sharing such a personal part of her with. thankful — was probably the best word to describe such a feeling — at least he knew her, could connect the dots of a story lili usually left untold.
she hums in thought, hands swaying between them, before she stops right at the table where their blank kites awaited them.
“okay! i like that idea — surprise me with your artistic talent.” she laughs, letting her fingers drift from his so she could take her seat opposite of him; fingers already picking up the paintbrush left beside the kites.
He notices it instantly, without needing words or any verbal confirmation: he’s known Lili long enough to recognize that genuine, adorable sparkle in her eyes and the way her cheeks lift higher than usual when she smiles;
It might only be a fleeting glimpse behind the public facade ( which he doesn’t judge or mind, understanding the necessity of separating private and business life given how scrutinizing and judgmental netizens can be ). So Minkyu treasures this moment to himself, basking in her warmth and enthusiasm as she shares a fragment of her childhood with him.
"You look incredibly cute when you smile like that," he comments. Their fingers naturally intertwine once their hands are linked as he follows close behind her, voice joined by a light-hearted laugh, his brows raised in playful delight.
This moment is everything he’s dreamed of: his very own romance-themed anime episode, with himself as the main character and her as the perfect co-star. “Though, I feel honored to be the one you chose to share this with.” he adds, his tone shifting to something more genuine as he gives her smaller hand a gentle squeeze.
But true to his nature, his playful attitude returns a moment later. “How about we make the kites for each other? I’ll make yours, you’ll make mine. Then we’ll let them fly together.”
His steps slow as they reach their destination, an expectant grin spreading across his face. The idea of crafting something special for each other adds a layer of intimacy to this date ( and he's absolutely sure the viewers will love it as well ). "What do you say?"
in a perfect world, it would have just been lili and minkyu. just them, no need for lili to act up for anyone, let alone minkyu.
but this wasn’t a perfect world — as reality so helpfully liked to remind lili — and instead of it being just lili and minkyu. it was just lili and minkyu and a handful of cameras that were panning in on their every move and recording their every word. the things she would rather do — the things she would rather say are swept under her tongue and instead replaced with an appropriate, friendly smile rather than the snarky and amused — chagrin, almost — smirk.
a face the public could grow to like — a face she knows like the back of her hand.
“i suppose you’ve got one thing going for you: good taste.” she laughs, eyes twinkling at the compliment thrown her way. despite of herself, lili knew she couldn’t deny herself the flattery.
( it was one of her weaknesses, ugh — remind her to lock it up later )
she takes his arm for hers to hold, squeezing his arm, gently, as she smiles at him. “ah, you caught me.” she laughs, lightly. “honestly, it was one of my favorite things to do when i lived in beijing. it’s like a whole event — you’d see huge, huge kites flying all around. it’s also about around this time when it’s held and i just wanted to share it with a special someone — thankfully, it’s you.”
“oh, and we won’t just be flying them,” she’s steering him down the path towards the little workshop she had spent the past week researching. her steps growing hurried as they grow closer that the hand at his arm snakes down to grab his hand instead so they could rush forward.
and once they do, in a plethora of sparkling hand gestures and a smile practically spilling of sunshine and warmth — god, was it aching her cheeks — “we’re also going to be making the kites!”
In Lili's company, there's an immediate sense of comfort that envelops him. Perhaps it's the deep bond of their friendship or the effortless harmony they share, but filming this reality show suddenly feels far more exhilarating than he had ever imagined.
With her, he doesn't feel the need to conform to any particular persona or mannerisms; he can simply revel in being his authentic self, secure in the knowledge that their natural dynamic will resonate with viewers.
"Who did I expect?" he ponders aloud, pretending to mull it over for a moment, mock-serious, "Some Hollywood celebrity, of course," before breaking into a grin. "Honestly, all I hoped for was someone with a pretty smile and a contagious laugh, and you fit the bill perfectly. I couldn't ask for more." His words aren't just for show or because he knows female viewers will be swooning in this moment; he genuinely means them.
Offering his arm for her to hold on to as they begin to walk, his glance casts up at the sky dotted with kites. "I'm sure flying kites will be a blast, although I've never tried it before," he confesses with somewhat of a sheepish smile. "I can't help but wonder how you came up with such a unique date idea, though. Is there a specific meaning to your choice?" His focus is solely on Lili, every ounce of attention on no one but her suddenly. "It's definitely one-of-a-kind."
“oh, thank god.” she says under her breath at the sight of minkyu. relief floods her senses while a smile breaks onto her face; if there was ever a time for lili to be thankful — maybe it would be now.
finding out it was minkyu who had been selected as her secret date for the afternoon was a blessing in disguise. lili wouldn’t say she was an introverted personality, however, she is someone who did not take kindly to strangers well. something about her resting bitch face and her overly prickly personality seemed to deter people and lili could never quite understand it.
( couldn’t or wouldn’t — )
she is, nonetheless, at a loss for words as he comes her way. her finger immediately going to the kuromi plushie with a tease on her tongue and a smile already riding her lips — the nerves she had felt just minutes prior already a thing of the past. the cameras a figment of her imagination as she stops in front of minkyu with a laugh. “what — no way, i should have known this was yours! if i knew i would have chosen my melody instead of this.” she takes the snake with a small shake, “did you guess it right, though? tell me, who did you think you were going to meet today? i’m all ears.”
she had chosen the snake to represent her chinese zodiac, other than that she hadn’t really put too much thought into the secret item.
“i’m so glad it’s you, though. i feel like i’ll have a fun time today.” which, honest to god, lili finds herself not lying about — if it had been anyone else, she wonders how much of herself she could show before finding herself retreating into the shell she knew others would gravitate towards. with minkyu, lili knew she didn’t need to try as hard. like she said: blessing in disguise.
"can you guess what we'll be doing today? hm, hm." if it wasn't already obvious with all the kites flying overhead.
Appearing on a dating show should, in theory, leave Minkyu feeling at least a tad jittery, perhaps a touch anxious. Yet, all he exudes is the confidence of a leading character in a romantic anime–it's like a dream come true for him to be at the heart of a romance-themed scenario, his favourite genre, even if the whole affair is staged and far from reality.
Undeterred, he's styled his hair into that signature side part and wears a boyish grin on his lips as he strides towards the designated spot, brightly coloured kites adorning the sky.
"I wonder what the date idea is," he muses aloud, mindful of the ongoing filming–after all, the viewers can't tune into his inner thoughts unless he vocalises them. Running a hand through his carefully styled locks, he scans the area and spots the jellycat snake he's been instructed to seek out, just ahead.
And when his eyes lift to meet the owner's face, his own expression lights up instantly; it's a genuine reaction, devoid of any pretense or scripting, as he hoists the Kuromi plushie and waves at his designated date partner as he approaches her.
"Lilissi!" he calls out, adding the honorific for the sake of public television. "Wow, I can't believe it. You're really my date partner!" His words spill out with genuine excitement, pausing briefly as he stands before her, holding up his item. "I bet you didn't expect me to be yours, huh?"
FLY WITH ME. wanna fly with you in my arms ; hangang citizen’s park, seoul — @lgcminkyu
lili hadn’t thought much about the date lottery when the option had been placed on the table. it had been more or less a throw-away decision, sign her up there, hear about it later — sort of thing.
however, when news came of her actually participating — and worse, having to be the one to plan the whole date — lili had her reservations.
she had never been one to care about such things but what if her date sucked? and what if her date hated what she planned — what if netizens thought it was boring? ugh, this was the type of stress that imprinted permanent wrinkles to the forehead.
said wrinkles are ironed out as she eases herself into a sense of zen ; rolling her mystery date’s hint between her fingertips — an adorable kuromi plushie that makes her wish she had chosen a my melody counterpart rather than the jellycat snake she had been eyeing for ages — as she waits at the corner of the entrance of hangang citizen’s park. all the cherry blossoms had finally departed from their blooms and all was left were their fallen petals, skirting around her heels.
she tries hard to keep her face from falling into a look of anxiousness as she pretends the camera currently zooming into her face from several steps away isn’t there, nor is the producer whispering into his headset isn’t inducing an annoying buzz in her ears. from afar, she can already spy the dozen or so kites taking flight ; vibrant colors painting the afternoon sky in their illustrious rainbow. "i hope they like it," she whispers to herself, taking another breath to calm herself.