CH 19: October 15, 2013

“I swear to all that is holy, Sixiao, if I get out this car and my clothes are wrinkled, I'll slit your throat.” 

She begrudgingly got out of my lap at my threat, a pout on her lips as she moved to the backseat. “I just wanted to spend time with you,” she mumbled. 

“Miss me with that bull-” I refrained from cursing as Ahra glared at me. “-smack. We live together, in the same damn room. I spend too much time with you.” Hyerin laughed in the back, next to the newly turned 17 year old. 

“She's right,” Hyerin chortled, “we're all sick of you.”

“Aish, don't listen to them,” Eomma-Emika stated definitively. “We all love you.” Emika hand reached behind her seat to gently Jia’s hair.  

“Speak for yourself,” Hyerin and I said simultaneously. We both laughed as we finished our chorus, making Ahra turn up the radio to drown out our banter. 

I smoothed out my clothes, picking off imaginary pieces of lint from my jacket. For the first time, Nyx would be embarking on a vital mission, commonly dubbed as ‘airport fashion’. We had spent nearly all of last night perfecting the outfits. 

We were also going abroad together for the first time, to Sixiao and my mother’s birth-city of Beijing. Our first SMTown concert would serve as our first formal concert as well. Of course, we had performed at universities, festivals, all that jazz, but this was to be the first show with more than 200 attendees.

 Needless to say, we were all nervous. Therefore we channeled all that nervous energy into something we were apparently renowned for by the k-fan community: style. 

***

“Do you have everything? Passport? Boarding ticket? Handcarry? Ba-”

“Yes, Jaesung oppa, we've got it. You've only checked, like, 32 times,” I groaned. 

“Don't talk back,” the manager commented, not sharply. “This is your first time going overseas, I have to make sure.” I rolled my eyes. 

He conducted last minute checks in just in front of the boarding ramp. Exasperation was radiating off the airline’s hostess at Jaesung’s worries. 

“All set,” he said finally. “Let's go.”

“Oh, thank god,” I muttered, finally nearing the ramp. Even cool-tempered Emika said a small ‘finally’ as we began to walk through. 

The smiling steward and stewardess greeted us, directing us to our seats. 

All of them were in the B section of the plane, while I was in C. I was only two rows behind them, so Jaesung wasn't worried. 

“Jagiya,” Hyerin cried dramatically, “don't leave me.”

“I have to,” I breathed, putting my hand to my head and playing along. “After all you've done to me, I can't stay with you anymore.” I ran down the two rows as if I was in a drama, the back of my hand touching my forehead. The girls in front of me burst into giggles as I plopped down and laughed with them.

“Aigoo, these kids…” Jaesung muttered as he sat down. “Stupid…”

“But you love us!” He scowled at me as I yelled back to them. 

The few people seated around us shushed me and I giggled slightly. “Sorry,” I whispered ingenuinely. 

I took off my jacket and wrapped the airline-given blanket around myself. I picked my phone out of my jacket, and unwrapped the headphones from around the rectangle. I settled on Bruno Mars as I scrolled through my mile long playlist. I let my volume raise to the loudest it could go before I leaned back into the seat. 

I was singing along to Bruno’s “Natalie” as someone tapped my shoulder. My heart jumped in my chest as the unprecedented nudge woke me from my self-induced trance. 

I snapped my head towards the direction of the hand, discovering a grinning Chanyeol. “Jesus, Chanyeol,” I gasped. 

I yanked my headphones from my ears, letting out shaky laughter as I leaned my head against the seat in front of me.  

“Sorry,” he offered, not sounding at all apologetic as he burst into laugh at the sight of my scowl. 

“That was funny,” another familiar voice laughed. Jongdae settled into a seat a row behind me, Minseok and Kris next to him. They all laughed as the direction of my scowl faced them. 

“No, it wasn't,” I pouted. “You guys are on this plane?”

“No,” Kris said sarcastically. “We're just here to say hi to you, we have to leave and go to our own plane.” I frowned at him. 

“Alright, ,” I muttered, turning back around. 

“No, no, turn