12/9/15-Top of Sakura Building (Sehun’s sketchpad)

          It was not easy finding this place. Sehun had given me directions but thanks to my limited Japanese I almost couldn’t find it. I climbed up all 6 floors of this low cost flat building to get to the top, and I could see was just heavy mist dangling down, clothes on a line and other similarly shaped buildings.

          “Only you would choose to get up here at 6 in the morning.” I muttered, pulling my arms close to my body.

          “I have to work early before the sun comes up, or people would start coming up to do their laundry and disrupting my work.”

          “You’re going to go to your salesman job after this.”

          “Yeah, once I clean the paint off my pants.”

          “Awww Sehun! That was your best dress pants!”

          “No sweat, it’s just pants.” He laughed. “I could always get a new one.”

          “But I bought you those pants.”

          “And I love it.” He pulled me close and kissed me gingerly. I sniffed loudly to make sure snot doesn’t fall down my nose and make me look like some 3 year old.

          “Can I do anything to help?”

          “It’s alright. You can just sit down and relax. You’re looking at the Tokyo skyline baby! Well whatever you can see through the mist at least.”

          “What are you painting anyways?”

          “You’ll know when you see it.” He winked and I figured all artists must say the same thing. You’ll know when you see it. What is it with them and all their mystery surrounding their work?

          Sehun was never really direct with his words of his art for that matter. He was an abstract graffiti artist, and right now his work on a Japanese low cost flat is just Phase 1 of a much larger plan: to paint in every single country on Earth. That’s right. All 196 of them.

          His sleeves were rolled up, and his blonde hair was pushed back. He had the spray paint can in his hand, making huge waves on the mouldy wall. He had made a faint outline in pen, and was now filling it with colour. He was probably working on this for the past two hours, but Sehun was a perfectionist. There was no way he would let go if it until it was perfect.

          When I met Sehun back in 2012, it was at Xiumin’s birthday party. Xiumin was known for throwing wild parties of odd themes, so he held it at Club A (that’s its real name, seriously) and the theme was steampunk. Now who the in Korea has ever heard of steampunk? I had to order my costume set online because none of the stores here carry anything that resembles steampunk.

          I wore a dark navy suit with a high hat custom made from leather that was sewn intricately to look like metal strips and it had a pair of goggles in front. I wasn’t really sure how authentic it would look but I figured that if I toned down my appearance I could get by without attracting too much attention, which is weird because I usually want to be the centre of attention. Like when I walk into the room, all eyes are on me and BAM BAM BAM HERE COMES THE STAAAAAAAAAAAR. Cue dramatic music from the background and make way for the king.

          It’s Xiumin’s birthday anyways. I shouldn’t be getting all the attention. That would be rude.

          Xiumin and I had roughly the same circle of friends: models, business people, celebrities and athletes. The girls looked amazing that night, and some of them were really creative with their costumes. I was chatting up a girl named Lim when someone bumped into me from the back.

          “Woah there!” I gasped at the metal pricking my back and winced.

          “Sorry!” I turned and it was some random dude I had never seen before, but he had a bionic arm. Not 21^st century bionic, but more like 19^th century. The pieces were rough cut metal and pipes were connected everywhere. It was pretty damn awesome and I was like: that is steampunk.

          “It’s okay. Cool arm dude.”

          “Thanks.” He nodded and walked away. I went back to my conversation with Lim and I saw nothing of the Bionic Arm Dude after that.

          Another highlight to Xiumin’s party is the Chug Challenge, which is basically a drinking contest to see who could drink the most, walk in a straight line, dunk a basketball and kiss a girl without puking/falling/fainting/throwing up first. And I am proud to say that I have always been a frontrunner.

          “Alright guys! It’s time for the Chug Challenge!!” Xiumin called as the waiters bought out barrels of beer from the stock room. “Our defending champion Luhan is still playing for his 5^th title as the Chug Champion! Does anyone have the audacity, the mental strength, and most importantly liquor hold, to challenge him?”

          “I!” a voice called from the crowd and I smiled. It’s Yoongi the underground rapper. No problem, I’ve seen him hold his liquor. He’s not that good.

          “Alright gentlemen! We have Min Yoongi, the underground rapper and Luhan our defending champion! Are you ready to CHUUUUUUUUUUUUG?!?!??!?!”

          “YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!”

          I was so ready for this. I had the beer mug in my hand and I was ready to go. I looked at Xiumin and smiled. This was going to be a cinch.

          “GO!!!”

          At the sound of the start, I opened the beer tab to maximum and down one glass. The rule was to down 15, so I literally held my breath and just drank it like water. The crowd was cheering as loudly as possible, one half calling my name, the other calling Yoongi’s.

          “LUHAN LUHAN LUHAN LUHAN!!”

          “YOONGI YOONGI YOONGI YOONGI!!”

          I finished all 15 and to be honest my head was spinning a little, but previous experience has taught me to extend my arms and walk forward as fast as possible. I could see the ball a few feet away from me, and I staggered to reach for it. Yoongi was only a few steps behind so I had to make the shot.

          The basketball one was always the hardest challenge, so it took me a few tries and falls. I made it one second before Yoongi and then I heard Xiumin order “Kiss a girl with red nails!”

          So I had to find a girl with red nails, and in the back of my hazy mind I remembered talking to Lim. She had red nails (or was it pink?) so I called her out. “Lim!!!! Lim!!!”

          I vaguely remembered someone running into my arms and I planted my lips on her immediately, not caring if it was Lim or not. The bell rang and I could feel someone raise my hand.

          “AND STILL UNDEFEATED CHAMPIOOOOOON……..LUHAN!!!!!

          The crowd roared and I raised both hands like a rock star, head shaking about. I was undefeated. Deal with it.

          “Luhan, as a prize, you can choose what you want in this room.”

          “I want…I want…” my mind was hazy, and everyone was swaying, but I could make out Lim’s face throw the blurriness, and the sting of her lips on mine. There was a heat in my groin that was slowly whirring away, so I pointed to her (or in that general direction) and mumbled. “Her. I’m not done with her.”

          “OOOOOOOOO Someone is gonna get laid!” Xiumin hollered as I pulled Lim close and kissed her again. Thanks to the alcohol, we kept faces as we moved from the centre of the club to the back of it. Her back hit the cold walls and her hip knocked against the dumpster. It smelled disgusting back there but we were so wrapped up in each other we didn’t care. I pulled her away from the dumpster and we flopped down on a pile of cardboard, lips still attached.

          There was some shuffling going on behind me but I couldn’t care less. Lim’s skirt was already pulled up until her stomach, bare legs exposed and wrapped around my hip. She started grinding and a low groan was released from my throat. I was about to bring my hand down south when someone tapped my back.

          “Excuse me?”

          “ off.” I grumbled.

          “I know this is a bad time, but I need those cardboards.”

          “What part of off do you not understand?”

          “The part where you need to off my cardboard.” The cardboard was very rudely yanked out from under us and I banged against Lim, our teeth knocking and her head falling against the floor.

          “Well well well, looks like the winner of the Chug Challenge can’t keep it in his pants.” I turned to see Bionic Arm chuckling away as he helped the man who took the cardboards. “He must be a drunk.”

          “What the will you leave us alone?!” Lim yelled, her face flushed as she readjusted her skirt.

          “You really shouldn’t be here Miss-I’m-Still-16-And-Got-In-Thanks-To-My-Brother.”

          “YOU’RE 16!?!?!??!?!!??!” Now it was my turn to yell at her. Lim’s face went from flushed to just fire-truck red as she shrank back from me.

          “I…I…”

          “Don’t look now but I think someone is looking for you.” Bionic Arm looked behind and we heard someone yell “LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!”

          “Gotta go.” She took off like a bolt of lightning, round the corner and down the street. She was barefoot as she grabbed the ends of her skirt and high-tailed it. I couldn’t believe it. I nearly had with a minor. I could have gone to jail!

          “YOU!!” I reached to grab the Bionic Arm Dude, wanting to shake his brains out but my stomach was reeling, and before you knew it, everything was black and I fell to the ground.

          When I woke up, I was still in my costume, without the jacket or the hat at least. I was lying on an old bed with 1980’s grandma sheets, with the sun’s rays shining on my foot. The shock of the hangover hit me like the Titanic hit the iceberg and my head began to hurt. I sat up and raced to the bathroom, feeling like I was going to throw up again.

          “You should take a painkiller.” I heard someone talk as they rubbed my lower back. I nodded and proceeded to empty the rest of my stomach contents.

          “Is this what happens after every Chug Challenge?”

          “Yeah, except I usually don’t throw up twice.” I mumbled, taking the pill from him and downing it straight away. I looked up and realized it was Bionic Arm Dude. He must have taken me in.

          “Then why do you do it?”

          “It’s fun.”

          “Is it fun now then?” he laughed. “I’m Donghae.” Oh yeah that’s right, Donghae the famous choreographer.

          “I’m Luhan. Thank you for taking me in.”

          “Oh I didn’t take you in. This is not my apartment.” I looked around the place and began to see just how shabby it was. Dirty grey walls with very little furniture, a small kitchen and a tiny TV. At least it was clean though.

          “Then where am I?”

          “My friend Sehun took you in. He was the guy who took the cardboards from you.”

          “Oh. Oh god Lim.” I groaned at the memory of the night before.

          “You should thank him. He saved your pretty from being in jail.”

          “Thanking him is the last thing I feel like doing.” I rubbed my temples and felt a strain in my neck.

          “Here he is now. Hey Sehun, your guest is up.”

          “Good.” I heard someone open the front door and he walked in. I lifted my head and a tall, handsome man in a dirty white T-shirt and ripped jeans enter. He was quite possibly the most gorgeous man I have ever met. Angular jawline, dark brown hair and strong eyes. His body was lean with broad shoulders and fit arms.

          God I wanted to throw up again.

          I ran back to the bathroom and hurled one more time.

          Nice way to meet the love of my life.

A/N: There is more to this story of course. Stay tuned to find out more! Hahahaha