You’d think I’d have a hard time finding a job….nope. Weeks after my blow out with SM’s visual director, I landed a job at YG, despite the fact that I got fired from one of the three biggest music entertainment companies. I started right away working as the hair and makeup artist for BigBang. I was actually able to show them my work. The bold colors, the crazy wigs, the eccentric haircuts all lined up with the cleanest and classiest men’s cuts ever seen. Again it took forever for these jitters to go away. This was Big mother ing Bang. G-Dragon is my role model and I just couldn’t fathom the fact that I’d be working alongside him. I smiled about this to and from work. I never smiled this much at SM. I did so much more than just hair and makeup as well. I sat in on studio time some days, watched dance practices, had lunch with other staff members and some of the idols even. The only people I had lunch with at SM were Lay and Suho. Sometimes Kai when he felt up to it. Other times, most of the times, I ate alone. I opened the door to my apartment to find the lights dimmed and a movie playing on the screen of the TV. Yoko and Nikala were both on the couch, sweats and blankets, eating junk food mindlessly.

“What’s this?” I asked walking over to look at the screen.

“Insidious 2. It just started.” Nikala said with a mouth full of popcorn.

“Make some room. I’ll go change.” I chuckled. I usually hated scary movies but the Insidious series was an exception. As long as I didn’t have to watch it alone, I didn’t mind. I changed into my grey sweats and burgundy hoodie and put my fuzzy socks on after taking all my makeup off. Then I scuttled to the couch and sat between the two. I dipped into the bag on the floor to find some Mike n Ikes and a bottle of Root Beer.

“Didn’t know when you’d be back but we got you a ton of those.” Yoko said eating a popcorn, chocolate covered peanut combo.

“I love you guys.” I whispered with a smile getting comfortable.

It had been thirty minutes into the movie and I completely forgot about the multiple jump scares and the tension build-ups. I always happened to watch it after not seeing it for a long time too. It was the scene where the mother met the ghost woman. There was silence and she suddenly yelled from the blue, “DON’T YOU DARE!!!” and knocked her out. The scene went black and the girls and I all bore the same expression. A cross between a sort of what the face and the I almost my pants face. Suddenly, the doorbell rang causing the three of us to jump almost out of the chair. We all stared at the door and I suddenly tapped Yoko on the shoulder.

“You answer it.” I whispered.

“ no…….” Yoko whispered. “What if it’s a serial killer? No one rings our bell this late at night. We barely know anybody but each other….”

“Dammit you’re right….” I whined. We leaned further from the door until Nikala decided to stand.

“ing …..” she chuckled turning on the lights. She stalked over towards the door and looked in the peep hole. “Holy !” she whisper-squealed.

“What?!” Yoko exclaimed.

“Mother ing………. Mother in Kai is outside of our apartment right now!” she squealed. My head picked up at the sound of his name and my eyes widened.

“Kai?” I asked. Nikala tried to keep calm as she opened the door. His tall figure stood in the doorway, clad in a forest green hoodie and black joggers. He bowed with a nervous smile.

“Annyeonghaseyo. Sorry for disturbing you at this time of night but I was wondering if Allysha lived here?” he asked.

“She uh…..yeah. She does…” Nikala stuttered.

“Is she home by any chance?” he asked perking up a bit.

“Uh yeah….Eonnie……” she said looking at me. I pushed the covers off and treaded carefully to the door, trying not to slip on the hardwood floor. I adjusted my sweater and traded places with Nikala.

“Kai…..” I began. Before I could finish, he threw his arms around my neck and pulled me into a close hug.

“I missed you……friend.” He said into my shoulder. I let one hand rest on his back and patted it.

“How did you know where I lived?” I asked dumbfounded as he pulled away.

“I asked Taemin to charm the pants off the secretary. She gave him your file and he gave me your address.” He said simply. I forced a laugh.

“How nice of him….. How did you even get here? Don’t you live all the way across town?”

“I took the bus!” he smiled. “Then I walked….”

“ALONE?!” I exclaimed.

“Do you see anyone else here with me?” he chuckled.

“Kai, somebody could have followed you!” I said looking down the hallway and suddenly pulling him inside.

“But they didn’t!” he chuckled carelessly. I crossed my arms and huffed. “Let’s take a walk.”

“After all that walking, you wanna walk some more?”

“At least I won’t be alone….” He said chewing his lip. I sighed and scratched my face lightly. I went to the wall where our shoes were lined up and slid on my sneakers. I stared at him whilst grabbing my keys as he smirked at me.

“I’ll be back.” I told the girls nonchalantly.

“Enjoy your movies. Goodnight, ladies.” He said flirtatiously as he closed the door behind us and I immediately started walking.

“Grease ball.” I mumbled as he followed. We walked in silence for the longest time. I kicked rocks and picked up beverage cans and put them in recycle bins as we went. Going to Aveda, I kinda became a mega hippie and all about saving the planet. Not that I wasn’t before, but I became more consistent after graduation. We walked mindlessly along the Han River and I stared at my feet the whole time. “So how’s work?” I asked.

“Eh…. It’s not as interesting when you’re not around.” He said looking into the distance.

“How so?”

“There’s no arguments and no silly conversations.” He chuckled.

“No arguments is supposed to be good.” I smiled.

“Yes but…. I just miss you. That’s all. I wish you didn’t have to lose your job.”

“Eh. When I think about it, it was kinda my fault. I let my own personal opinions interfere with my work and it blew up in my face…” I said as we reached a park on a space that over looked the river. I sat on the swings and pushed myself lightly as he leaned on the pole.

“I never got to thank you…for standing up for me all those times….” He said shyly.

“It’s fine….really….. I just hated seeing you take a bunch of bull that didn’t need to be taken.”

“I…..wish that I could be as proud of it as you are….”

“Proud of what?”

“My skin…..”

“You don’t like it?” I asked. He shook his head lightly. “Deal with it. God gave it to you. All those stupid sayings about being poor because you have dark skin is bull. Beyonce is rich as . Dark skin. Kanye unfortunately rich as . Dark skin. And I’m positive they come from wonderful families…..”

“I just don’t think anything of it….. I don’t know about makeup and what not-”

“You know what the color of your skin is though right? When they put your makeup on, you should be able to look in the mirror and still find yourself. Your skin as I’ve said before is beautiful. It adds to your charm. Don’t you know the phrase tall, dark, and handsome?!”

He laughed a bit before walking to the merry go round to take a seat. I smiled and stood up to push him around. He was ashamed of his skin and it was saddening to me.

“Ahhh!!!” Kai yelled as I pushed the merry go round. I pushed more and more until it was spinning quickly.

“You don’t get to come off until you accept yourself!” I yelled jokingly. But I was serious. I wanted him to be comfortable in himself. He could live life easily if he just caters to himself. His true self. I just stared and laughed at his current process of dizziness. Then I timed myself just right to jump on with him. He leaned his head back and laughed at the moon. I sat in front of him, knees to knees and smiled at his genuine happiness. He looked at me and his cheeks flushed a bit. He was quite adorable and playful when he wasn’t on stage being a cocky playboy. A total contrast. That’s when I realized sitting before me wasn’t Kai, but Kim Jongin. There was a strong difference. From now on, I vowed to call them as such. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Jongin-ah…..I need you to realize how beautiful you are….” I said as the merry go round slowed. “You can’t let people change who you are…. I wish you could see how perfect you are…”

“Why do you think so highly of me?” he asked nervously.

“Because it’s true. You are an incredible person. I want you to be comfortable so that even when you meet someone who will love you, their only exception is the fact that you have dark skin. Be proud of you…” I smiled placing a hand on his knee. He got that flustered look on his face again.

“……thank you….” He said with a sincere smiled which I was more than glad to return. He stood up and helped me off the merry go round. With that, we continued walking and talking about nothing. We got some late night ramen, exchanged numbers, and then we went home. Only for me to get in my car and drive him back to his apartment to make sure he got home ok. Then I drove home. The girls had finished all the movies and went to bed. As soon as I stepped foot in the living quarters, I crashed on the couch. I stared out the window and thought about my newfound relationship with Jongin…. Thinking about him gave me the twitters in the tummy and such and I side. This happened every time I got around him. And it all started with instinctual protection. I decided that I would try to continue protecting him even though we were around each other all the time now. With images of him dancing around my brain, I slowly fell into a temporary coma.