Oh my gosh. Who is that? Everybody jumped up and didn’t know what to do because they were walking in all directions.

            “Okay uh, uh, hide!” Onew looked at me and Key.

            “Where will she hide? It’s a hotel room!” Jonghyun said panicking.

            “Calm down!” Minho said frantically. Taemin suddenly came towards me and dragged Kibum too. He pushed us both into the bathroom.

            “Pretend you’re taking a shower, go go!”

            “Waaaay to go Taemin-goon, i’ve taught you well,” Kibum praised him. I couldn’t speak, I didn’t know if I was that nervous or what. I knew not to make any noise because even the slightest suspicion could get them in trouble. Kibum the shower to make it seem like he was showering. I stood with my back against the bathroom door and he leaned against the shower door.

            “Oh wait! My backpack and shoes are on the floor!” I whispered in panic. Key’s eyes widened then relaxed.

            “Those guys will figure something out,” he said calmly.

            “I don’t want you guys to get into trouble...” I said quietly. He gestured for me to walk towards him and he pinched my cheeks.

            “It’s okay, smile,” he said and smiled with his dimples exposed. How could I not smile at the sight of him smiling like that. He patted my head to relax me.

            “Yah, Key! We’re gonna leave earlier than we’re supposed to, hurry up and get out of there!” I’m guessing that was their manager hyung. I looked at Kibum and we had the same look on our faces.

            “Okay! I’ll meet you guys downstairs! I’m coming out, i’m !” He yelled back. I hit him and chuckled lightly.

            “What? If I don’t say that, they won’t leave,” he said in a ‘duh’ kind of way.

            “Ohh…” Was all I could say.

            “Okay, we’re leaving Key! All of us!” Onew yelled back to us.

            “Bye! It was nice meeting you,” Taemin tapped on the bathroom door and whispered.

            “Me too! Hope to see you someday again,” Jonghyun whispered into the door too.

            “See you someday,” Minho said too. And with that, we heard the hotel door slam shut. Kibum walked out first to make sure and I turned off the shower. When he said, it was ‘all clear’, I walked out and we stayed silent.

            “Kibum-ah, I wa-” I started but he stopped me with a hug and I didn’t do anything. I didn’t hit him, I didn’t stop him, but I put my hands around him and sighed. I felt him inhale the top of my head.

            “No, wait I didn’t wash my hair today!” But it was too late. He bursted out laughing and patted my head.

            “Aigoo, i’m gonna miss you so much,” he said while swinging me around as he was hugging me.

            “Omo, I could just jump up and down ‘cause Kim Kibum said he’s gonna miss me,” I said with a fake girly voice. He chuckled.

            “Aigoo..” Was all he could say and he sniffled. “Oh right!” He said and let go of the hug. I watched him rush to his bag and pull out a polaroid camera. “Let’s take two pictures, one for me and one for you,” he said. When he said this, their song ‘One For Me’ popped into my head and I started singing the chorus quietly while he was putting film in the polaroid. I think he heard me and turned around with eyes that melted my heart. He put his hands over his chest and smiled, but he looked like he was going to cry.

            “I’m so touched…” He whispered and walked towards me. I just looked into his eyes as he walked and at this moment, tears started to fall down my face.

            “Aish, what are these..” I looked down and wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater. He grabbed both sides of my shoulders and just looked at me.

            “Thank you for looking out for me in the time we’ve known each other. Thank you for asking questions about my life and who I am instead of bombarding me with questions about being an idol and being famous. Thank you for making me feel comfortable. Thank you for so much, you have no idea how grateful I am..” His eyes welled up with tears and his voice became raspier than normal. I just nodded because if I spoke, I would’ve cried my eyes out. I felt like there was about to be a part of me missing, but at the same time I was so happy to have experienced something so unbelievable.

            “I..mm, I can’t say goodbye, it’s too difficult,” I said with my voice breaking. He pulled me towards him and hugged me again, he patted my head and started singing ‘Can’t Leave’, one of my favourite songs of theirs. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-lHvqXpXag ) This made my cry even more. I laughed at myself lightly.

            “I don’t know why i’m being such a crybaby, I shouldn’t be crying so much, we’ve only known each other 2 days,” I said above my heaving. He continued to sing to calm me down and by the time he finished singing the whole song, I’ve stained my sweater and his clothes with my tears. “Oh no, look what I did,” I said and broke free from his hold.

            “It’s okay..” He smiled at me. “At least I have your snot to remember you by,” he said to lighten up the mood. I hit him in embarrassment.

            “Let’s take the picture,” I said hurriedly.

            “Oh right, here,” he said and positioned the camera to face us downwards.

            “Wait, lemme move back a little more,” I said and took three giant steps back.

            “What? Why?” He said, offended.

            “No haha, ‘cause I don’t want my face to look big next to your tiny face,” I explained.

            “Hahahaha! Don’t worry so much, aigooo come here,” he gestured for me to stand behind him. “This picture’s for you to keep okay?” He said before counting down. Okay, since it’s mine, I don’t have to try to look good.

            “1...2..3” flash.

            I felt something touch my cheek as I smiled without showing my teeth.

            “Yah! Did you k-” I reacted.

            “I didn’t do anythiiiiiing,” he said in English. Did he really just kiss my cheek?! Kim Kibum...kissed my cheek…..

            “Lemme see the picture!” I tried to grab it from him hand as it printed, but he raised it up higher to the point where I couldn’t reach it. I stomped my feet like a little kid and crossed my arms.

            “Aigooo, you silly girl, come here, let’s take one for me to keep,” he gestured for me to come closer to him. I came closer and positioned myself. I fixed my hair the best I could and told him to count.

            “Okay..1...2,”

            I leaned towards his cheek and….

            “3!” He smiled with his eyes closed and showed his dimples. I dropped a peck on his cheek like he did to me.

            “Omo-na,” he said quickly and touched his cheek. He then looked at me and I stuck out my tongue at him.

            “Revenge is sweet,” I said and winked at him. He laughed at this, while he was still feeling his cheek.

What in the world happened to my life that it has come to this? Key kissing my cheek and me doing it back to him. Us just laughing together and easily making fun of each other. He used to be someone who I could only see through my laptop and only hear through their albums. But he’s in front of me, calling my name, calling me a friend, hugging me, calming me down while I cry. Soon, he’ll be someone behind the screen again…

            “What are you thinking?” He said as he watched the polaroid pictures fully develop.

            “Nothing...just.. How unbelievable these past two days have been,” I replied and stood beside him to watch the pictures develop.

            “Ah...I know right. You must be in shock, I mean, like, i’m Almighty Key!” he said proudly and with oozing confidence. I fake-cringed at him and laughed.

            “You love yourself too much,” I muttered.

            “You do too, Ms. ‘what-if-they-ask-for-my-autograph’,” he said and mocked me, so I hit his arm.

            “Oh it’s done!” I quickly grabbed the one meant for me, where he kissed my cheek. I admired it for about a minute before I realized he started to pick up his little things around the room, like his charger, his camera, his neck pillow and other things. I put on my shoes and my backpack and put the picture behind my phone, inside the phone case to make sure I wouldn’t lose it.

            “Do you have anything left to say?” he turned to me after putting on his shoes.

            “Mmm, see you next year, maybe? Hopefully? I mean when I go to Seoul, I hope you’d want to see me again, I mean you know, but if you don’t, well tha-”

            “See you next year, my chingu,” he interrupted. I walked past him towards the door so that we could leave, instead of me crying again.

            “Why are you rushing?” He said, still standing where he was.

            “So that we can actually leave,” I said, turning to him. “If we stay here any longer, i’d want to just stay here and not leave,” I explained.

            “Tch, I know i’m pretty great, thanks for telling me,” he said coolly and pulled his two luggages towards the door where I was standing. I scoffed and pretended to gag as I opened the door.

            “Wait, we should probably walk fast to the elevator and pretend we don’t know each other when we get off at the lobby,” I said before exiting the room. He nodded slowly. From the look on his face, he obviously didn’t want to do it but that didn’t matter.

When we got on the elevator, we were lucky to be the only ones in there so we could say our last words. We kept our face forward and kept our distance.

            “Thanks for an unforgettable time,” he said quietly. “I’ll remember it forever,” he added.

            “Yah, stop talking like we won’t see each other again,” I replied.

            “I know...I mean we’ll still talk and see each other when you come to Seoul, i’ll just m-” his words got cut off when the elevator dinged open. We were at the lobby and a huge group of people were crowded together. It was all their staff, I could see the members together and they watched us approach their direction. Key and I walked beside each other, but not too close that it was obvious we came together. I smiled at SHINee as we got closer and made a subtle bow so that nobody else would notice.      

            “Finally you’re here! The bus and the van are outside, we gotta go,” their manager said. We almost reached the point where we had to separate ways, walking out the main doors. SHINee walked in front of us, so that Kibum and I were side by side at the very back of everyone. He and I took one last look at each other and he squeezed my arm then let go. I smiled at him softly, bowed a little, then waved when we parted directions. SHINee looked behind at us and they waved at me before getting in their van. When Key got in front of their van, he stopped and turned back at me.

            “Annyeong my number 1 fan!” he yelled and all the staff looked behind at me. Jesus Christ, what was this man thinking???

I laughed by myself in front of the hotel and waved back, since the damage was already done, it wouldn’t hurt to say something back.

            “Annyeong..Kibum Oppa!” I smiled widely and watched him react to this. He put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. The staff stopped everything they were doing and watched what was happening. Suddenly the van door opened wider and the members probably thought what else could happen because they too, took turns.

            “Bye Ellie-ssi!” Onew yelled and waved.       

            “Nice to meet you!” Taemin appeared behind Onew and waved.

            “See you again!” Jonghyun yelled out, struggling because he was trying to show himself from being in the back of the van.

            “Kibum’s not that great!” Minho yelled out and this made Key hit Minho’s head.

I waved at all of them and I looked at the staff who were all still watching us, with some getting on their bus.

            “Thank you for all your hard work!” I said in Korean and bowed in their direction. I thought of staying down again because it was a habit, but I remembered Key telling me to get up. Thinking about it had me smiling from ear-to-ear. Key just stood there, like he was waiting for something. I gestured for him to get on and go.

            “Let’s go let’s go! We’re gonna be late!” One of the staff members came to their senses and shouted this out. I waved ecstatically and watched them settle in the bus and the van. Key was the last one to move. He waved again and I waved back.

I watched the bus and the van drive away and then it was just me. Left with unforgettable memories.