Page 37 of GR8VITY

Yeon sets the bag on the desk in front of him, and he immediately starts taking the things out sniffing them like he's starving. "You sure do know how to bribe an old man."

She laughs. "Omma always said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"She wasn't wrong," he chuckles. Reaching down he fiddles with something on the monitors before they call cut to static. He slides a key across the desk to her. "For extra security. I might be an old man, but your friend's faces are all over the city. This way you know there won't be any way for me to turn the cameras back on.”

"You are the best," she tells him, slipping the key into her small purse that's slung across her chest.

"Remember that when you bring my omma sweets," he teases, already digging into his food.

We leave him to it as we follow her down a long empty hallway. They wait until we've stepped into an elevator and moving up before Dav En and In Se finally crack.

"Where are we?"

"What are we doing?"

She spins around to face us in the small amount of space with all of us crowded into the tiny elevator. "It's a surprise. You're about to see."

A wide grin takes over my face at how excited she is, plus I happened to see a brochure on the desk downstairs. I wouldn't dare take away her surprise by telling the rest of them.

"I want you to have the full experience, so we've got to start at the top," she explains.

When the doors ding open, she steps out and we follow along like ducklings. Leading us over to a big photo backdrop she says, "Welcome to the aquarium."

"Hey," In Se says, "I've been here before, but not in a long time. Never came in through the back door either."

She laughs. "You've never seen it like this, though. Trust me. First things first, I need to get your picture. Masks off."

Holding out a hand to Dav En, he hands over his phone as we all get in place in front of the scene. She takes two quick shots and gets ready to hand his phone back when Seong beats me to telling her to get in a picture. The edges of my lips pull up for reasons I shouldn't be happy about. She flips the camera around and puts her back to us throwing up a V and capturing all nine of us in one.

Giving his phone back, we walk over to the podium next to the escalators. She reaches into it and pulls out green paper bracelets, proceeding to put one on all of our wrists, not leaving herself out this time.

She takes money out of her purse and drops it into the donation box as she explains, "For the bracelets. Okay, who's ready?"

In Se does a little clap and Dav En raises his voice but drops it when we all shush him. Then we go single file down the escalator. The further down we go, the darker the walls get until we're at the bottom and it seriously appears like we're at the bottom of the ocean. It all adds into the illusion as we step into a dome-type room surrounded on all sides by water and deep-sea creatures.

The only lights in the room come from the tanks, making it look like we're underwater. Several of my members ohh and ahh over the sharks and fish as they move toward the glass. I hang back toward the door with Liz, wrapping my arms around her middle from the back.

I nuzzle my face into the side of her head. "We've never come here before."

"Nope," she replies quietly, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "I was saving it for a special occasion."

"What's the special occasion tonight?" I ask curiously.

"You're all together and not working. The one thing all of you said you wish you had more time for," she states quietly, having absolutely no idea the thoughtful gift she's given us. Not only do we get time with her in one of her favorite places and share this moment with her, but we're working so much lately that we don't spend as much time as we used to. We needed this.

I kiss the side of her head and then her cheek before moving to whisper in her ear, "You're the best, my Lizzy. Thank you."

Her face turns, and I get just enough time to see the smile on her face before she presses her lips to mine. I was raised pretty contemporary, hardly ever seeing my parents show affection toward each other, especially out in public. For the longest time, until I met Liz, as a matter of fact, I could've never fathomed showing any kind of public affection. Maybe there's just something that changes inside of someone when they find their person. That's the only explanation I have for feeling no kind of shame or wanting to hide, knowing that there are seven other people in this room that could turn around at any moment and spot us kissing.

Sliding my hand down her jawline, I let my thumb linger as it drags slower before I lock my fingers around the back of her neck. She turns so that our chests touch, lifting her chin so that I've got an even better angle to devour her mouth.

It takes a minute and all the willpower I can muster before I can pull myself away from her. Taking one last taste of her on my lips, I kiss her on the forehead and let her go. Her face is flushed, and pride blooms in my chest knowing I put that blush there.

As she goes to turn back to the room, I wrap my arms around her middle again from behind and walk with her.

Several of the others like Seong and Minsul are studying the aquatic life a little too hard for it to be real interest. In Se and Jae-un are whispering, each flicking their gaze our way a few times. Yoon Ji openly stares, doing that slight head tilt of his. Dav En, probably so used to being around us or possibly fully invested in the turtle that he's watching, doesn't pay us any mind at all.

Walking us over to Yoon Ji where he's still standing with his back to the fish, she asks, "Didn't see anything worth looking at in this room?"