“So, where are we going?”

Sehun was once again standing in front of my apartment’s door, with a helmet in his hands and waiting for me to wear mine. I had finally followed MinSeo’s advice and chosen somewhere I wanted to go in Seoul I hadn’t been to before and that I would’ve liked to be taken to, but still was unsure of my decision. From what I had talked with my friend and investigated on my own, those Exo guys caused such commotion everywhere they went, because they were usually recognized and afterwards followed around. Probably, the best option would have been somewhere very private, like the restaurant he took me to, but I did not have knowledge of such a place. The most private place that was among my reach was my own apartment, but I would avoid him coming in for as long as I could.

“I have never been to the Coex Aquarium. So I wanted us to go there. If you’re okay with it”

“I thought you were scared of deep water…” And so, the mocking started again.

“I am, but it’s not like I’m going to be diving into the tanks, you know.” I gave him a side eye. “I was wondering if it is okay, for you to be out in public and all that.”

“Do you think I am uncomfortable being out in public?” he said in an amused tone.

“I don’t, but you said the other day you liked that restaurant because it is very private. I’m just kind of worried about what could happen if you’re recognized.”

“Oh, so you don’t want our dated spoiled.’ He laughed when I gave him an annoyed look. "I don’t really mind being recognized out in the street, most of the people who do are very kind and only want a picture or a quick chat and they don’t really get too intrusive.”

When we arrived to the aquarium it seemed to me I had been worrying over nothing, as the majority of people waiting at the queue were families with little kids and tourists. Either way, when Sehun got off the motorbike and put our helmets away, he took a black cap and a pair of glasses out of the bag he was carrying and put them on.

“Just in case,” he shrugged it off when I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

After we went through the queue and as promised, I paid for our tickets, we came into the aquarium and felt like a child again, so I knew that I had made the right choice, at least for me. Right when I got myself a map and was able to locate everything within the aquarium, I excitedly grabbed Sehun by the hand and pulled him to get us to the tunnels that crossed the sharks tank.

“I would have guessed you’re more of a dolphin kind of girl,” Sehun commented, rubbing his wrist in the spot I had been holding onto.

“Dolphins are cute, but sharks are terrifying,” I responded, with a huge grin. “The couple of times my dad got to take me to an aquarium; we would always enjoy the sharks the most. Once we saw a very big one eat a smaller guy that was just calmly swimming around the tank. It was awful!”

“That sounds a bit macabre. So you think they’re scary but you like them at the same time?”

“They’re so scary. And to me, every sea creature is at least a bit scary, but I can’t just help liking them.” I shrugged. “My father really loved animals and sea creatures; he would tell me lots of stuff about them. Most of the times I didn’t understand, because I was very young, but that’s where the interest comes from, I guess.”

“Were you very little when he passed away?” he asked quietly.

“Eight. A car crash.”

“That must have been very hard for you.”

“It was, but it was worse for my mother. She suddenly found herself alone and with a kid to take care of, without the person who had been her main support for many years. I guess I was the lucky one in that situation, because I was not really conscious of what was happening and got to remember all the good moments but none of the pain,” I said, staring at the biggest shark in the tank, which swam in circles above our heads, completely uninterested in the smaller fish nearby that would have been very easy preys had it not been overfed. “But it’s okay now. It was a long time ago.”

Sehun wrapped one of his arms around my shoulders and pressed himself against me, trying to comfort me.

“So what about the little fish at the beach? Are you scared of those too?” he asked, trying to change topics.

“I’m actually scared of anything in the water that is longer than a regular-sized pen.” He laughed at my exaggeration. “No, really. The bigger it is, the more likely I am to freak out. And it doesn’t even have to be a living creature or to be inside the water. You know in the Sing for You music video, when you are in space and suddenly a huge blue whale appears out of nowhere? You sure do. I have never finished watching that video because I clicked exit the moment I saw that.” This time, he was really laughing out loud. His eyes got all squinty every time he laughed.

“That’s one of the few songs I actually sing in… We quite enjoyed filming that video, it was so different to all the previous ones.”

“I honestly wasn’t understanding the concept behind it, but you all look so good in black and white.”

“I don’t think anybody but the director understood the concept in that video,” he smiled. “I sure did not. But it looks cool and different. And you know, the whale was not a real one.”

“It does not matter! It was there, it was so big and you were so small, it made me anxioux.”

“It’s nice to have you worry for my wellbeing and security when facing such a dangerous animal: the inexistent whale,” he joked. “So I guess you don’t want to even come near the section where the whales and orcas and all of that are, do you?” he said, taking a look down at the map.

“Of course I want to! It’d be stupid to miss that,” I said rolling my eyes at the obviousness.

“You make no sense at all, do you know that?” I just smiled with pride as a response.

We spent the whole morning visiting just half of the park and around lunch time, we sat at a table in the one restaurant that was inside the aquarium to eat the ridiculously overpriced hotdogs they usually sell at this kind of place. He took his sunglasses off and I was blabbering about the weird fishing techniques they use to capture octopus in some parts of the world when we noticed a little girl sitting at the table beside ours who was staring at Sehun’s face. We both stopped talking and looked at the little girl, who as soon as she realized we had seen her, hid her face away under her mother’s arm, who was chewing onto some fries. We smiled at each other and pretended nothing had happened until the little girl got her face out of the hiding spot and started looking at Sehun again. In that moment, he pulled a funny face at the girl, who giggled and hid once again. Then, her mother realized what was going on.

“I’m very sorry,” she apologized picking her kid up in her arms. “She sometimes stares at people and does not seem to grow out of the habit. It’s not nice to bother people you don’t know!” she scolded her.

“That’s okay, she wasn’t bothering us at all,” Sehun interceded.

The little girl, who was clearly not paying attention to her mother, leaned over to her ear and started whispering. The mother listener and furrowed her eyebrows.

“We’re not going to ask this young man for a picture!” she yelled, a bit annoyed. “I’m sorry; she thinks you’re one of the members of that Exo band. She loves watching them, I was hoping she wouldn’t start getting into that stuff until she was at least in her teens!”

Sehun and I looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

“I actually am a member of that band.” The mother looked quite surprised. “And I would love to take a picture with such a young fan, if you don’t mind.”

The little girl then slipped of her mother’s arms and approached Sehun, who picked her up and sat her at his lap, and started chatting with her. The girl was beaming as she answered his questions about school and her friends and her favourite toys; meanwhile, the mother took her phone out and snapped a few pictures.

“Now, you remember to be good,” Sehun said to the little girl as he put her back to the floor. “Do your homework and pay attention to what mom says to you, okay?”

She nodded.

“Thank you, Sehun-oppa,” and she waved at us as her mom took her away.

 

“That was probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” I said smiling, as he turned back to face me again.

“I like kids and happen to be good with them,” he said simply.

“Do you have any younger siblings?”

“I don’t, but I have an older brother who I had a very close relationship with,” he answered. “But you know, if I ever have to take care of kids, I’d rather them to be my own,”

“You’re still very young to be talking about having kids, don’t you think?”

“Of course, I’m only 22. And considering how my life is right now, I don’t think I’ll be able to plan such a thing any time soon. But it’s okay to daydream.”

“Do you daydream about having a family?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “It’s what I miss the most when I’m working.”

After we finished eating we were able to make time to see the rest of the aquarium before the closing time, even the huge section of the whales and dolphins. At the shop, I fell in love with an again ridiculously prized stuffed animal in the shape of a very cute seal, which I named Larry and carried around as we were looking at the stuff on the shelves. When we were about to go out of the park, Sehun suddenly asked for a toilet break and disappeared for a while as I made time taking a look at the ads printed on the back of the map. When he came back, he had his jacket, cap and glasses on, and smiled at me as he took my hand and lead me out of the aquarium.

“I’ve had a really good time today,” I told him, as he put my helmet away in the bike’s booth.

“So have I,” he said while still fidgeting around in the booth before turning around. “And look who seems to have had a good time as well.”

“Larry!” I yelled as I picked the stuffed animal he was holding out for me. “When did you…? Oh, the toilet break,’‘I realized.

"No way. He’s just been hopping behind us all the way back to your home,” he assured.

“Of course he has…” I looked down at it smiling. “That has been very sweet of you.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

The sun was setting and as per usual, the solitary street my apartment was located in was completely empty. We were standing close next to his bike as he held his own helmet in one of his and I hugged Larry between my arms. I looked up to his eyes and decided to give it a go. I tiptoed and leaned in. I only noticed the alarm in his eyes when it was already too late for me to stop, but it wasn’t for him. With the hand he had free, he held my arm so that I wouldn’t lose my balance. The, he just came closer to me and kissed me on the cheek.

“I can’t,” he said. “You are an amazing girl, but I can’t,”

He stepped back and quickly put on his helmet.

“I’m very sorry, Grace,” he apologized as he climbed onto his bike, ignoring the embarrassed look on my face and my rosy cheeks. “I will talk to you again soon, okay?”
And he left.