Note from the author: To save confusion, everything said in ENGLISH will be in BOLD font.

“Man, I’m beat”, you grumble as you close the front door with your shoulders and slowly slide onto the floor, “I don’t know how they do that more than once a week”.

Leaning forward, you attempt to reach your shoes, but the dull ache in your legs makes you stop midway.  Rather than feel the pain again, you bend your knees in turn and bring your feet to your stomach before pulling the trainers off and throwing them towards the shoe rack.

“How can my leg muscles be this tight after all that stretching we did?”, you moan as you slowly push yourself to your feet and head towards the kitchen to make a much needed cup of coffee, “Kai owes me ten breakfast deliveries for this!”

As you wait for the water to boil, you retrieve a mug from the drying rack and tip in some instant coffee before tiredly staring out the kitchen window into the darkening sky outside.  *I wonder what Kris and the others are up to*, you think whilst rubbing your tense shoulders and moving your head slowly from side to side, *I hope they’re all doing okay*.   

After a few minutes the steam rising from the kettle becomes more aggressive, so you turn off the hob and carefully pour boiling water into the mug.  Walking over to the fridge, you go to pull out the milk but change your mind and grab the sugar packet from the shelf instead.  *I think I need as much extra energy as I can get*, you justify to yourself as you plop two teaspoons worth into the mug, *Besides, I probably burnt off enough calories to live on chocolate for a week*.  

Taking a sip of coffee, you survey your room in order to find your cigarettes.  You haven’t had one for over a week, but now feel the cravings begin to return due to your exhausting day.  Once you have successfully located them on the bookshelf, you use your teeth to pull one from its packet and head barefoot outside.

The cool night air wakes you slightly, but it disagrees with your aching muscles, causing a dull pain to creep up your legs again.  *I’ll feel better after a hot shower*, you convince yourself as you place your coffee on the floor and guard the flame of the lighter with your now free hand.  You take a long pull of the cigarette and watch the smoke dance through the night sky before closing your eyes and exhaling slowly.  *I’m so tired*, you groan as you slump onto the floor and retrieve your steaming mug, *I think I’ll be asleep most of tomorrow.  Now I’m really glad the kids are doing a two week project*.  

Shuffling forward, you swing your legs over the edge and slouch onto the railing as the night wind whispers past.  Taking another toke of your cigarette, you close your eyes again and let the sounds of the city fill your head.  In the distance you can hear the hum of cars, chorused with laughter and people enjoying karaoke, a pleasant combination which is soon disrupted by the loud grumble of your stomach.  As you inhale the last of your cigarette, you pat your abdomen lightly in recognition before stubbing out the , grabbing your empty mug and heading back inside.

“What should I have?”, you ask no one as you instinctively head towards the snack cupboard and open the door.  Crouching down, you grab a packet of kimchi ramen and stare at it like you are questioning the existence of humanity.  A couple of seconds later you return the packet and kick the door shut before leaning defeated against the counter with a sigh: “I really can’t be bothered to cook”.

Your stomach growls at you aggressively in disapproval, so you give in and reach for the box of Cheerios on the side.  After pouring a decent amount into a bowl, you head to the fridge to retrieve the milk and grab a spoon from the drawer.  Once your dinner is complete, you make your way to your desk where you plop into the chair and bring your laptop to life. You’ve banned yourself from watching dramas as you know you get too hooked to them, so instead you watch various reality TV programmes.  Holding the spoon in your mouth, you type ‘YouTube’ into Google and search for episode 150 of Running Man.  After you’ve clicked on the the video and made it full screen, you lean back into the chair and retrieve your slightly soggy cereal from the desk.

                                                       *       *       *

“Oh, Iron Ha”, you giggle an hour later as Haha excitedly soars through the air in his Iron Man suit.

Back in England, you and Minhye had tried multiple times to rope enough people together to play the tag game, but you were never able to sync everyones’ schedules.  *It’s such a shame*, you think with a sigh of regret, *I bet it would have been so much fun to play a game on such a massive scale*.  As you continue watching the Running Man team have fun, you make a promise to yourself that one day you will succeed and that your dreams will become a reality.

Shifting in your chair, you press pause and take a subtle sniff of the neck of your t-shirt: “Offt, I really need to shower”.

Picking up your empty cereal bowl, you head towards the kitchen and plonk it in the sink before filling it with lukewarm water.  As you look out the window one more time, you pull your iPod from your pocket and begin scrolling through the artists slowly.  *What do I fancy listening to?*, you question as you fly towards the end of the alphabet before selecting VIXX, *Ah, perfect*.

After plugging your iPod into the portable speakers you keep in the bathroom, you turn on the water and watch as steam slowly fills the room.  “B.O.D.Y.  B-b-b-b-body”, you joyfully sing along whilst throwing your dirty clothes in the laundry basket.  As you step into the shower, the hot water stings your skin, but it’s comforting rather than painful.  Letting the water relax your muscles slowly, you listen to Leo’s beautiful voice in Love Letter echo through the bathroom.  *What I’d give to visit a zoo with him*, you giggle as scenes from VIXX’s Plan V Diary roll through your mind, *Everyone says he’s cold, but I can tell he has a heart of gold*.

Once you are out of the shower you tuck your towel under your arms and stand in front of the sink.  Wiping the steam from the mirror, you can’t help but laugh at your panda eyed reflection.  “Urg, so attractive”, you tease yourself as you pull the ‘how many chins can I have’ face, “No wonder Kris doesn’t want to be with me”.  Reaching over to the shelf, you pump a generous amount of cleansing oil onto your palm and work it into your damp skin to remove all traces of make up before rinsing it off.  “Done!”, you affirm as you lightly pat your face dry and apply a thin layer of mist, “Now back to Iron Ha!”

Throwing the damp towel on the bathroom floor, you quickly get changed into black shorts and an oversized Marvel t-shirt before retrieving your laptop and crawling into bed.  Once comfortable, you press play and let the Running Man teams’ excitement fill the room once more as you slowly brush your hair.  Leaning over to replace the brush, you notice that your phone is flashing.

“Hey sky monkey!  I have something SUPER IMPORTANT to talk to you about but I’m running late for work.  Call me when you can!!!” 

“Oh, Minhye”, you giggle with affection, “Only you would call me sky monkey”.  Looking at the time, you see that it’s 11pm which means it’s 3pm in England.  Minhye usually works till early morning on weekends, so it would be easier for her to call you tomorrow.

“Ooo, now I’m curious!  I don’t have any plans tomorrow, so why don’t you call me when you wake up after work?” 

After hitting send, you throw your phone to the foot of the bed gently and settle back into your cosy pillow fort.  Pulling your computer onto your lap, you are about to click play when suddenly your text tone sounds again.

*That was fast*, you think with an eyebrow raised as your crawl towards your phone, *I thought she said she was running late for work…*

As the screen comes to life you see that it is not Minhye who has text you, but instead Kris.  His message is short and to the point as always.

“Free tomorrow?”

In your tired state you are tempted to turn him down, but you know that you have to grab every opportunity to see him.  *Besides, I’ll feel much better after getting some sleep*, you pep talk yourself inwardly with a twinge of doubt, *right?*

“Yup - What you got in mind?”

After hitting send, you sit cross legged on your bed and wait for his reply instead of returning to Iron Ha.  Moments later your phone vibrates in your hand, causing your heart to skip a beat.

“Jjajangmyeon?  Midday?”

You are sure you’ve heard the teachers talking about this at school before, but can’t remember what it is, just that it’s food.  Seeing as you’re not a fussy eater, you easily send your reply.

“Call!”

“Great!  Meet you at our bench”.

                                                       *       *       *                                 

I love you-ou-ou, saranghae, you-ou-ou.  On the days that I see you, although it’s not just us two I try to look good in front of you; I’m like that.

Akdong Musician are your chosen companions the next morning as you get ready for your day out with Kris.

“I love you-ou-ou, saranghae, you-ou-ou.  On the days I can see you, although it’s not just us two my heart races; I’m telling you”, you cheerfully sing along whilst mimicking the simple dance moves as you curl your hair in front of the mirror.

You’ve decided to step your game up, so you’re going all out today.  It took you forever to sort out your perfect outfit last night, but after hosting a fashion show for your mirror, you finally found the one.  The summer weather is slowly becoming scorching hot, so you chose an outfit that would both keep you cool and avoid any awkward sweat marks.

After you’ve finished loosely curling your hair, you head over to your bed to get dressed.  First you pull on a small scale red, cream and black plaid skater skirt, remembering to also wear some black hot pants underneath so you don’t accidentally flash the entire world, before slipping your arms into a statement black crop top.  You had bought this top at the beginning of the summer but it is your first time wearing it, causing a slightly wicked smile to creep across your face.  Whilst the front seems to have proper etiquette with only an inch or so on show of your waist and a high rise neckline that reveals none of your chest, the back is a very different story.  As the fabric moves towards your back it thins to become large straps - the shoulder straps meeting the back straps just under your shoulder blades - which are tied into a bow on top of your bra strap.

Once you have successfully tied the bow, you grin evilly at your reflection in the mirror.  *Kris doesn’t know what’s coming for him*, you giggle as you reach for your gold leaf necklace and attach it around your neck before pushing a couple of midi rings onto your fingers.  Ruffling your hair slightly, you break up the now set curls to make it appear more effortless before checking your makeup in the mirror.  You chose to go for a healthy dewy, feminine look with soft eyebrows, rosy cheeks and subtle brown smokey eyes with some glitter accents.  Looking at the clock you see that it is only eleven, so you calmly apply a layer of red lip tint before pulling on your gold and black low wedges.  Next you make sure you have all your necessities prepared on the bed, - phone, lip tint, purse, iPod, headphones, keys - before rummaging through your closet for a suitable bag.  “Perfect”, you beam as you retrieve a small black satchel with a gold chain strap and begin arranging its contents, “Absolutely perfect!”

After taking one last look at yourself in the mirror, you head outside and merrily walk towards your first pitstop.  Looking in through the decorated coffee shop window you see that there is an unusually small queue for once.  *Today is going to be a good day*, you smile to yourself as you enter the blissfully cool store and join the end of the quickly depleting line.

“What can I get you?”, a male voice asks moments later.

Glancing up, you lock eyes with an absolutely stunning barista who looks a little bit like Lee Jong Suk.  His messy bed hair, plump lips and perfect tall frame are captivating, yet you somehow manage to form words: “What’s good in this heat?”

“Well, are you after something sweet or something a little more dark and mysterious?”, he purrs flirtatiously, his voice dropping slightly towards the end.

*If Jiyun was here she’d kill me for not taking the bait*, you inwardly chuckle before simply replying, “Hm… Something sweet?”

“Then how about an iced toffee nut latte?”

“Sounds perfect”, you smile before moving along to the cash register to pay.

“That will be ₩4000, please.  By the way, I absolutely love your top!  Where did you get it from?”, a petite, yet apparently very bubbly girl asserts as you dig in your bag for your purse.

“Thanks!”, you happily beam as you hand over the correct change, “I bought it from that little independent store opposite BSX.  They had it in practically every colour!”

“I wish I had the confidence to wear something like that”.

“Ah, I have ulterior motives”, you playfully raise your eyebrows, “But you’d definitely rock this look!”

“You think?”, she asks, a glimmer of hope sweeping across her face.

“Of course!”

“So what’s your motive?”

Her curiosity stuns you slightly, but you can’t help but feel like you’ve been friends with her for ages: “Well… There’s this guy…”

“Let me guess, he’s being ridiculously slow?”

“Like a fossil”, you dramatically sigh.

She raises her arms in disbelieve before rolling her eyes: “Aish! Men!”

“Tell me about it!”

“Well, good luck!”, she smiles as she closes the till and hands you the receipt, “He’s an idiot”.

“Thanks”, you giggle as you make your way towards the pick up point, feeling the impatient glares of the people behind you, “But you really should buy this top!”

“Oh, I will”, she smiles and quickly waves goodbye before serving the next customer.

Whilst shoving the receipt in your purse, a deep voice startles you, causing you to jump slightly.

“One iced toffee nut latte”, he repeats with a chuckle.

Thanks to your new BFF, you’d completely forgotten about the Lee Jong Suk lookalike.  After clipping your bag shut, you look up and retrieve the icy cup from his warm hand.  Feeling a sudden surge of confidence engulf you, you decide to make Jiyun proud and take the bait.

“And what if I had wanted something dark and mysterious?”

Without a word, he twists the cup in your hand to reveal a phone number written on the back: “Then I would have recommended myself”.

You can’t hold back from laughing slightly, *I thought this kind of thing only happens in dramas*.

“What?”, he enquires with a breathtaking grin.

“Oh, nothing”, you smile before taking a sip of your drink, “Delicious!”  

“I’m glad it’s to your tastes”, he winks, “Have a good day”.

“You too…”, you quickly glance down at the cup, “…Si Hyun”.

Making your way back into the scorching heat of June, you sip your iced heaven whilst leisurely sashaying towards the park.  *Today is a good day!*, you beam as you close your eyes and lift your head towards the blissful sun, *Yup, definitely a good day!*

*Or so I thought*, you inwardly cry after turning the first corner.  You have suddenly become aware of the sheer amount of couples enjoying a day out in the sun together.  Everywhere you look there are duos taking pictures with selfie sticks, sharing ice cream that appears to be in some kind of snorkel cone or adorning some kind of couple item.  *I want to be happy for them, I really do*, you justify as you stare at the now half full coffee cup, *But do they have to be some oblivious to us sad losers?*

Quickening your pace unintentionally, you arrive at the designated bench ten minutes early.  Placing your still half full coffee next to you, you quickly retrieve your lip tint from your bag and apply another coat using your phone screen as a makeshift mirror.  You are so deep in thought about how you are the only one waving the ‘singleville’ flag today that you don’t even notice someone sit next to you.

“Just what I needed”, a familiar voice gratefully sighs, making you notice that your coffee has been stolen.

“Hey!”, you protest playfully as you quickly shove your phone and lip tint back in your bag, “That’s mine”.

“And what’s yours is mine”, Kris ily chortles before taking another sip of your coffee.

Today he’s wearing black jeans, classic converse and a plain white low rise t-shirt paired with a faded denim undone shirt.  As usual, Kris is completely flawless with even his accessories matching his outfit perfectly.  Yet something is different about him.

“You’re blonde!”, you gasp as you ruffle his messy hair slightly, “It really suits you”.

“Mhm”, Kris nonchalantly replies, apparently distracted by something, “Who’s Si Hyun?”

*Oh, !*, a sense of panic emerges over you, *How do I explain this?!*.  You had completely forgotten about the phone number written on the side of your cup.  *Play it aloof, Jae*, you warn yourself before suddenly remembering the most important detail in this situation, *Wait!  We’re not together!  I don’t have to justify things like this to him.  I know I want to be with him, but he’s the one who is leaving me hanging!*

Looking up with a mischievous grin on your face, you meet Kris’s eyes: “He’s someone dark and mysterious”.