Jinyoung drove around looking for a place to park.  After waiting and frustration, he pulled into a parking space. “We’re a couple of blocks away from my office building, but this is about as close as we'll get. It's about a twenty minute walk. I usually don't drive to school though.”

Jaebum grabbed his camera and they started their journey. Jinyoung walked behind Jaebum as he knew the other’s tendency to get caught up photographing, and walking in front of him would just get him lost. Even though Jaebum looked like a child in a candy store, Jinyoung couldn’t help but be fond of him. So often, the small things made Jinyoung’s heart beat.

“Jinyoung!” Jaebum was motioning towards his boyfriend. Said boyfriend looked up. “Come over here. I need to take your picture.”

“Why should I?”

“Come stand right here.” Jaebum aggressively  and over excitedly pointed at a spot in front a pretty building.

“I don’t even take classes here,” Jinyoung grumbled as he walked in front of the building. “Is this okay?”

“Scoot back like half a meter. Two steps to the right. Lift your hands up above your head.” Jaebum kneeled on one knee.

“This is so embarrassing.” Jinyoung said as he listened to the photographer.

“Smile. Say kimchi.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. This was beyond childish, but he couldn’t help but give in. “Kimchiiiiiii.”

“Wondersful. Pose some more.”

Jinyoung did as he was told and posed as much and wildly as his personality allowed. Once Jaebum was satisfied with photos in front of this particular building, he coerced Jinyoung to take photos in front of whatever buildings he liked a lot. Coincidentally, he had never been in any of those buildings except the library. Although Jinyoung didn’t exactly look photo ready, the genuine excitement and concentration on Jaebum’s face made him want to appease him.

“Are you satisfied? We’ve taken pictures in front of like twelve buildings, and we’ve walked in the opposite direction we were supposed.”

“First it was only eleven. Second, I just wanted to see the campus considering we probably won’t have time. I’m finished now.” Jaebum said with a pout.

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and took his boyfriend’s hand as he lead them to the correct building.

“This campus is so big. How did you navigate it?”

“The special training I went to a month before classes forced me to learn the campus. They had us do scavenger hunts which are supposed to force bonding and geographical skills, and I’m proud to say I was awesome at it.”

“You never told me about all of  that.”

“I was so exhausted whenever we talked I could barely stay awake. I think I told my parents and though. I and the people I was with had us go all over the city basically. We were also in a bunch of different seminars. It was madness. Plus we met our advisors who showed us the lay of the land. It was just a really exhausting couple of weeks.”

Jaebum digested the information. He had assumed that Jinyoung had been familiarized somehow. No matter how independent he knew his boyfriend to be, he could not help but to worry. They were still figuring it out it seemed. He was still conflicted and dealing with the separation was still difficult. After a couple minutes of walking,  “Do you like it here?”

“Do you mean the school or Toronto?

“Toronto.” Jaebum already knew he loved the school.

“I love it. I think I made the right choice. I mean winter was kind of brutal because some people went home for the winter break, but I couldn’t. Christmas is a big deal here so like everything shuts down and everyone is with their families. My advisor let me stay at her house for a couple of days which was really nice. I probably would have been really lonely if she hadn’t offered.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were lonely?” Why did it seem that every time he asked this type of question that he found out something he’d wished he known earlier.

“I didn’t want you to worry. Once those days passed, I was fine. My advisor has three kids who kept me entertained while I was there. They taught me a lot of English slang. Plus, when New Year’s Eve came around, I hung out with friends and I was fine. I enjoyed myself too. I did some winter sports and everything.”

“Oh is that what you meant you meant by a short trip?”

“Yeah.” Jinyoung could see the conflicted emotions in Jaebum’s face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He wasn’t, but out in the open, right before he met Jinyoung’s colleagues, was not the time to have the particular discussion he wanted to have. Whenever they got to Jinyoung’s apartment later, he’d bring it up, the fact that Jaebum was being left out.

“Warning there might be more than just my primary advisor, my secondary advisor will probably also be there. “

“Secondary advisor?”

“Since when?”

“Since forever. I definitely thought I told you about him. His name is Geoffery Charles. His name sounds really stuck up in English.  He’s not that important or that helpful. He always tells me I could’ve done better on an assignment. When he proofreads my stuff, he’s almost always disappointed. It’s really not the type of support I need.”

“Then don’t worry about him.” He clasped Jinyoung’s hand.

“Also some of friends/colleagues might be there. I don’t know how many though. Probably only a couple. No one really hangs out in the department office.  They’ve been wanting to meet you. They think you’re pretty attractive. Don’t mind it if they flirt with you. They’re joking…” Jinyoung turned a corner to the end of a hallway. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah. It’ll be fine right? They’re all people you mostly get along with so it should be fine right?”

“Right.”

Almost soon as he opened the door, “Jinyoung is that you?! We’ve been waiting for you,” a male voice said from the couch that was in clear view of the door and near a window which was Jinyoung’s napping spot. There was too much foot traffic while reading.

“What do you mean we?” Jinyoung turned the corner and almost the whole department was in the sitting area which was actually a mini library. Jinyoung took a deep breath. “Hi everyone, I thought you guys would be spending your Friday afternoon elsewhere.”

“When we heard you were having a special guest come by, we couldn’t help but make sure we were here.”

Jinyoung pretended to not be annoyed. “Well this is my boyfriend Jaebum. He speaks a little English, but he can understand about fifty to seventy-five percent but keep the words simple. Don’t touch him one because he probably won’t like it and two because he’s mine.” then Jinyoung threw Jaebum to the wolves as he pushed his towards his colleagues.

Jinyoung felt a little bad, but Jaebum’s expression was better than he could have imagined. At least Jabum wouldn’t blame him. He walked to his advisor’s office. “Robin, why is everyone here?”

Robin continued typing at her computer while finishing up an email. Without turning towards Jinyoung. “Stacy may have heard me on the phone with you yesterday and she told the whole department.”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you let me text you.”

“Yeah, I know. Sorry.

“Are you actually sorry?”

“Yeah, this is definitely my fault. In return it’s my treat for some great Canadian food.”

“I told you he likes Korean.”

“I know, but I’m going to pretend like I don’t that.”

“He’s picky and terrible at choosing food.”

“Well you can pick stuff that he’ll like.”

“I find it interesting how nonchalant you are about facilitating my boyfriend’s uncomfortableness.

“I brought the luxury SUV just for you. I’ll make it feel like a car service.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. “You really like showing off.

“I dress to impress.”

“Where’s Geoff?” Jinyoung asked nonchalantly.

“Lunch meeting with Lisa and Brendan. He didn’t seem too interested in meeting your boyfriend.”

Jinyoung just rolled his eyes. There was no point dwelling on the subject. “I’m going to save my boyfriend from the hyenas, and then show him my office.”

“I’ll go get the car so you and Mr. Lim can go to a delicious, Canadian lunch.” Robin guide Jinyoung outs of her office, and left to go get to her car, which was in the faculty parking lot of that particular building.

“As much as I would love to let you guys interrogate him more, I want to show him my office before going to lunch paid for by Robin.” Various sounds of indignation and jealousy came from his colleagues. Jinyoung grabbed Jaebum’s hand and tugged him toward the direction of his office.

Once they got out of ear’s reach, Jinyoung asked “How was it?”

“Okay, some of them speak kind of fast, but they didn’t use too many words I didn’t know. They seem nice though. A lot of them complained their boyfriends weren’t handsome, or their significant other broke up with them when they decided to go to graduate school. They asked what I did and other questions I practiced. They asked how we meet too. It wasn’t too bad.”

“That’s good. I’m proud you handled it so well.”

“Well I’m glad they let me sit and gave me something to drink. I showed them some of the pictures we took today.”

Jinyoung knew he’d be teased whenever he came back. “Well get ready for more of the same when we go to lunch. Robin is basically my mother here so she’ll be asking all the standard things.”

Jaebum nodded as they turned down the hallway and followed Jinyoung’s lead. “So where’s your other advisor?”

“Business lunch with the PhD candidates. It’s supposed be more informal and less stressful, but I hate the lunches. The food is good but it’s so dependant on the company.”

Jinyoung took his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door which was decorated with different quotes and random drawings and photographs.

“What’s all this on the door?”

“I share this office with one of the candidates, Brendan, and he and I both like poetry so as a bonding activity, we decorated our door. I think he’s the first friend I made here. Hopefully you can meet him while you’re here.” Jinyoung opened the door. “Here’s where half of the magic happens. I store most of books and research materials here.”

It was a well-lit rectangular room with two large desks against opposite walls. The back wall was filled with large windows that displayed the beauty of the campus. There were two large, comfortable chairs  and a coffee table stacked with books and magazines.

“This one on the left is mine.” The desk was a large wooden desk. There was a desktop that was off to the right side. There were a couple of books on the desk but overall it was tidy. Pens and pencils were in separate coffee mugs. There was an overhead portion which housed all the books Jinyoung used. In the dead space between the desk and the mini-bookshelf, hung a cute collection of Jinyoung’s favorite photos. “What do you think?”

“It’s hard to say much beyond that it’s an office and a desk but you’ve definitely personalized it.” Jaebum inspected the pictures more closely. There were two pictures of just them, one of Nora with them, one of just Jinyoung and Nora, one of Jinyoung and his family, one with treasured professors and colleagues from Seoul, and one with his colleagues in Toronto. On the desk was a framed photo of Jinyoung and Jaebum at graduation as well as one of Jinyoung and with their friend. “I like these photos.”

“At first I thought I had too many, but I felt like I needed to see all the people who have supported me on my journey so I put them all up.”

Jaebum nodded. “The seating area is nice.”

“Yeah, I do a lot of reading here. I do most of my research on that long table in the lounge since it has more space. I’ve found a lot of places to get my work done.” Jinyoung chuckled but was suddenly interrupted by a short sequence of vibrations. “Ah, my advisor is waiting for us, let’s go.”

Jinyoung and Jaebum exited the office and closed the door. They said quick goodbyes to Jinoyung’s colleagues and quickly exited the English graduate department. When they exited the building, Robin was right in front waiting in her Porsche Cayenne. She approached them as they walked towards her.

“Hi Jaebum. I’m Robin Merkle, Jinyoung’s primary advisor. He has not told me much about you. I look forward to talking with you.”

“Hello. I will do the best I can.”

Robin smiled. “Alright let’s go.” The couple climbed in the backseat and Robin began driving. “The restaurant is nearby. We’ll be having Canadian food. Is that okay?”

Robin paused as Jinyoung translated. From the look on Jaebum’s face, it seemed like he was annoyed with Jinyoung translating something so simple.

“He said he’s looking forward to it.” Jinyoung saw the look in Robin’s eyes through the mirror and knew she didn’t believe him.

“So Jaebum, you live in Seoul correct?”

“Yes. I live in a small apartment with my cat Nora.”

“Ah, I think I saw a photo of her in Jinyoung’s office.” Robin paused as she thought about how to word the next question. “How long have you and Jinyoung been dating?”

“Two years now,” Jaebum answered.

“Wow. A lot of my former students got married after two years of dating.” Noticing the couple’s respective blushes, Robin changed the subject, “Where do you work?”

“I work at a university in Seoul and as photographer for...” Jaebum paused to tell Jinyoung something in Korean.

“He’s a photographer for a real estate office.”

“Wow you work two jobs?”

“The second job is part-time,” Jaebum clarified.

“Still that must be hard.”

“It’s okay. Jinyoung isn’t there so I have nothing else to do. I have to earn money so I can visit him.”

Robin nodded as she pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Bannock. “Warning, I don’t ever go here, but I know they have some real Canadian food and it’s relatively close to campus and the food makes for a good picture. Bannock is actually a type of flatbread that’s a staple Canadian food.”

They went inside and were seated. They ordered drinks and looked at the menu to decide what to eat.

“Jaebum since I think Jinyoung will cater too much towards your preferences, I’ll just order each of you something Canadian. Jinyoung can order one thing that will suit you. I’ll also order dessert. Is that okay?”

Jinyoung translated. Jaebum kept a very controlled expression. He nodded slightly and smiled at her. It was probably best that he tried Canadian food immediately since they would probably be eating a lot of Korean food during his trip. He looked down at the menu, trying to pick out the words he understood, as Jinyoung and Robin conferred about what they were going to order.

After a while, Jinyoung spoke to Jaebum “I told her to order the ‘Mapo Tofu’ since it’ll probably be the most Korean tasting dish, but she’s ordering the ‘Poutine’, ‘Pork Shoulder Tourtiére, and the ‘Breaded Ontario Pork Chop.’ We’ll split all the dishes, but if there’s something you don’t like, I’ll eat your portion, you can have more of the noodles so you won’t be hungry.”

Jaebum listened and nodded. “Okay.”

Soon they placed their order and the poutine arrived.

“How did you feel when Jinyoung told you he wanted to go to Canada?”

Jaebum stabbed the fries, which were different but good. “I was surprised, scared, and angry.”

“Angry?” Robin asked quizzically.

Jaebum conferred with Jinyoung. “Upset.”

“Ah. That’s understandable”

Jinyoung began translating Jaebum’s words. “He didn’t know I wanted to leave South Korea. We had been dating a year, but we did not talk about the future much. But he could not help but support me since it was my dream.”

“What a good boyfriend you are.” Robin took a bite of food. “When I told my boyfriend of six years I wanted to get my doctorate, he broke up with me. He was already established in his career and felt that he needed someone more career oriented. Fortunately, my husband, William is actually my ex’s coworker, and was very supportive of my education endeavors.”

Jinyoung translated for Jaebum. “Did you meet William because of your ex?”

“No, we met coincidentally at a holiday party. His sister was also in a doctoral program at my school. Back to Jaebum. What do you love about him? I can tell he loves you because your pictures are everywhere. There are more pictures of you two than of his parents.”

Jaebum gave Jinyoung a look which caused Jinyoung to blush. Jaebum indicated that he needed a translation. “He loves my  strength. I’ve gone through difficult situations in the past, and he’s very proud to see how far I’ve come. A lot of the choices I’ve made weren’t easy, but Jaebum thinks I’m an amazing person.”

“What else do you love about him?”

Jinyoung continued to translate. “I like to tease people a lot, including him and our friends, and he thinks it’s cute when I do it to other people. When I do it to him, he thinks I’m trying to embarass him.” Jinyoung gave Jaebum a kiss on the cheek. “He said he can’t really explain why or how much he loves me. He says that I make him feel stronger, smarter, and better than he actually is. He says I’m a companion that’s like a good-looking skeleton. That’s a really strange comparison.”

“Ah young love. I’m glad you’ve found yourself such a great partner in life.”

The other dishes arrived. They divided up the portions onto individual plates. Jaebum took a large helping of noodles.

They continued to talk about their respective lives, the differences between Toronto and Seoul, funny thing Jinyoung had experienced, and about their relationship.

“What do you think of Toronto so far?”

“It’s really nice. I think Jinyoung is where he’s supposed to be.” Jaebum looked right into his boyfriend’s eyes as he said this. “Everyone seems really kind and caring. I think he’s in good hands.”

“I’m glad. I was sweating because I didn’t know if we would get your approval. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for Jinyoung to be so far away from home, so the department and I try our best to make him feel comfortable.”

“Thank you for taking care of him. I’ll be able to tell our parents and friends that he is okay.”

“I’m glad,” Robin said with a warm smile.

They ordered dessert, to-go since they were so full. Surprisingly, Jaebum ate most of the food on his plate. Notably, he ate all the noodles.

They made their way back to campus and parted ways.

Hi, thank you guys for waiting. I'm probably going to change my updating schedule to either Fridays or Saturdays. Please comment. I was so happy when I read them. Also, please subscribe, vote, and continue reading. If you guys have any questions about the story, I'd love to answer them. Until next time.