After all the drama the whole day, you realized you hadn't actually eaten anything. A loud grumbling of your stomach confirmed that. Dragging your feet to the fridge and opening it you saw, as bad luck called, there was nothing worth eating. Except one or two expired porridge packs here and there, it was basically empty. Dying starving was the last thing you wanted today, but you also didn't want to go down with a diarrhea from eating expired products. Thus, as fate had it, you had to go out. And that was when it hit you, after today's incident, there was no way you could show your face to everyone. It would take at least a day, for the rumors to die down. A pair of glasses and a scarf would be enough for a disguise, you thought. Inspecting yourself in the mirror, you were pretty sure nobody would recognize you looking like a geek in a pair of wide framed spectacles and a red floral printed scarf wrapped around your head.

              Debating whether to go to the nearby convenience store or the ddeokbokki stall, you finally got into the street. Seoul's nightlife was as vibrant as ever, the winter air fresh and crisp on your face. It was good to be out in the streets, the world felt so much bigger than you thought. Everyone was busy with their own lives, the group of highschoolers talking about their upcoming test, the poor beggar at the side of the road thinking how he was going to survive in this freezing weather, the old mother buying clothes for her son who lived abroad—everyone had their reasons. They were far too busy to think why a famous idol would date a foreigner fan; it was like a speck of dust in their minds. Maybe you were the only one thinking it was such a big deal, after all. Sighing, you decided to go to the ddeokbokki stall. You were craving it for a while now anyways. It was not too far from your apartment, it would take only 10 minutes to go by walking. As you strolled by the sidewalk, you remembered you had to talk to Chen. Calling him in public would be asking for trouble, so you typed in a text.

"Oppa, is everything alright over there? I'm sorry to bother you but please reply when you can. I'm worried..."

There. Now all that was left to do was waiting for his reply. Putting your hands in your pocket, you breathed in. The air smelled of winter—snow and cookies. Your classes were starting from the coming Monday, and you felt a knot in your stomach. So many questions were waiting to be answered. Shrugging off the thoughts, you almost ran as the stall came to sight, famished and exhausted.

                 An old lady ran this small booth but despite its size, it was quite famous around the neighborhood. You still remembered clearly the first day you tasted her extraordinary ddeokbokki. Since you were new to the neighborhood and the country, Yeonji wanted you to taste the old lady's rice cakes as an introduction to their culture. You thought it was weird, but when you took that first bite, somehow it reminded you of home, even though you had never tasted it before. Maybe it was the love and passion with which she cooked, but whatever it was, it was perfect. After that, you came to this shop countless times, be it alone or with someone.

"Annyeonghaseyo, halmeoni~" you bowed and greeted the busy little lady, trying your best to hide your accent.

The old lady eyed you as she stirred the pots and bowed her head slightly, a smile on her wrinkled face. Looked like she didn't recognize you, because if she did, you were sure she would have replied back with her usual loud 'hello' and laugh until someone stopped her. She always did this, ever since the first day. Placing your order, you waited for your food and looked around in the meanwhile. And just then, your phone buzzed. Your heart twisted, it was a text from Chen.

"Everything is fine here, waegookin J But I'm afraid we can't talk or see each other for a while. All my activities are to be monitored so... L Mianhaeyo. Until I text you back, please don't reply back. I'm really really sorry about this but I promise I'll call you back as soon as the time is right. I hope you understand? I love you, I really do!"

Your eyes stung as you read. Even though you trusted him and you understood why he said that, you still felt sad. Your heart hurt no matter how much you told yourself it was alright. You loved him so much. You just had to be patient, and wait for him. Suddenly, the air felt too cold now, and you just wanted to curl in the corner of your room and wait.

                 Biting your lips, you put the phone back in your pocket and rubbed your eyes. I have turned into such a crybaby, haven't I? If Chen was an ordinary boyfriend, would he have been by your side now, sharing ddeokbokkis in this cold freezing dusk, laughing and sharing all he did the whole day? Somehow, you yearned for that feeling. You wouldn't even have known him if he was not who he was, the main vocalist of EXO. Maybe your life would have turned out different if you didn't listen to Growl that day, maybe you wouldn't even have listened to kpop if not for that day. In a parallel universe somewhere, you wished to meet Chen again, but not as a kpop idol, but just an ordinary boy next door. Your brain in a fuzz, you went to receive your food as your turn came. That was when your eyes spotted someone familiar, a very tall guy with an extremely familiar face. Right! It was Yeonji's brother. What was his name again? Hanseul, right? It seemed like he was alone. You wondered if you should call out to hjm when you realized you were under disguise. You took the hot, fragrant food and stood in a corner. Digging in with your chopsticks, you quickly chomped it down. Delicious, as always.

"Hey, (y/n)-sshi!" Hanseul waved as he approached you, flashing a dazzling smile.

Frozen in place, you wondered how he saw through your cover-up. Stiffly, you waved back.

"Annyeong," you replied back awkwardly.

As he stood before you, he inspected you with his eyes for a moment and gave out a confused laugh, "I almost didn't recognize you with the glasses and all haha..." You aren't supposed to, idiot.

You shrugged, "I just...thought I'd change my style today."

An awkward silence followed immediately after that. He was exuding this aura of handsomeness and it was certainly attracting attention, as you noticed the eyes of the nearby highschool girls glued on him. He was an ulzzang, Jinsoo had said. As you were about to ask him about it, your phone rang at the worst timing, as always. Your mind froze as you saw the name in the screen. 'Neighbor Oppa' it displayed. Weren't you supposed to not talk?

"I've to take this call, sorry," you apologized to the awkwardly, confused man in front of you and hurried away before he could even reply.

"Hello?" you whispered.

The virtuous charming voice whispered back, "Listen, I've found a chance to meet you. I know it's sudden and risky, but don't worry, it will be fine." He talked too quickly for you to follow, but you got the gist of it.

You didn't know how to react. One moment he says to not talk, the next moment he has arranged for a meeting.

"O-okay...so?"

"Well, the meeting place is a bit... umm... well, can you come to Daehangno? I'll pick you up from there."

You nodded, "Okay, I'm coming."

"Arasso, I'll be waiting for you."

You checked the time. It was about 6.50 pm. Meeting him right now, after all that happened today, would it be okay? You walked back to Hanseul. You felt guilty that you always had to leave this guy to meet Chen. And you realized you never had a proper conversation with him.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. It's an emergency..."

"It's okay," he shrugged and gave a melancholy smile. The disappointment was evident on his face no matter how much he tried to hide it, "I hope we will have a proper conversation someday?"

You gave him a smile and hurried to your destination, Daehangno.

                 By the time you reached, Daehangno, the clock had already ticked past seven. Running all the way was a bad idea, as now you were fully bathed in sweat, gaping like a fish out of water. As you panted for breathe, you noticed a shady looking man waving at you. He had a mask on his face, a hat on his head and was wearing a cozy coat. You approached him with a pounding heart. Could it be Chen? Or a random kidnapper? You recalled the incident back then in the convenience store. So embarrassing. Seeing you approach, he took out his phone and typed. Almost immediately, your phone buzzed.

"Follow me. And don't worry, it's me. Don't run off now xD"

It was him! You showed him a thumbs-up and followed him as he walked into a dark alley. Even though you were a bit scared, and even though it was foolish, you decided to trust him. No words were exchanged as you passed through the alley into an open space until you reached an empty, half-constructed building. You went behind him as he climbed up the building into its second floor. The second floor was half- built; half of the level had no roof. Thankfully, a few lights were working so it was not fully dark. That is why Chen was hesitating about the meeting place, you guessed. Just as you climbed up the stair and stepped in, poof, you were in his arms. They were strong and warm around your body, your face in his well-built chest. His heart was thumping fast, rhythmically, just like yours. His smell, the warmth of his body, you missed it so much. Your face was a red, hot mess but who cared anyway, as long as he was here.

"I missed you, my waegookin," he whispered in your ear, his voice muffled by his mask and your hair.

You wished time would stop, wished it never ticked another second. You wanted the world to freeze so that you could just take him away, to wherever you wished to go. You felt his arms tighten around you, pressing you closer to him.

"I-I missed you too..." you mumbled. Your heart was racing, and you felt like doing a reality check. You rubbed your nose against his chest and breathed in his scent, that sweet vanilla fragrance.

After being in his embrace for who knows how long, he gently let you out. He had already taken off his mask and hat, his face looked tired but just as handsome in the dim fluorescent lights. Seeing you staring at him, he broke into giggles.

"Ah, don't I look handsome?" he chuckled as he pinched your cheek, "Someone can't seem to take their eyes off me!"

You smiled in a daze. The pain from him pinching your cheek was more than enough of a reality check.

"Did your fever reduce, by the way?" he put a palm against your forehead. His hands were always warm, no matter how cold the weather was. Were you the only one feeling that way? You looked down, your face burning.

"Looks like it down. Thank God!" He smiled as he patted your head lightly, "Were you afraid today, (y/n)-ah?"

"A lot," you nodded.

"I was too, you know," he shrugged, his eyes lost in the distance sky, "When Director-nim, called for me, I thought I was going for a death sentence really. And I was afraid EXO's image was going to get ruined because of me."

"I was sad when you asked me not to talk to you..." you mumbled to yourself, but loud enough for him to hear it.

His lips formed a frown as he looked down, "You can guess why I called you, right?"

Your heart sank to your stomach. Looking at him, you felt like a lead was stuck in your throat.

"A-are we...breaking up?" The words didn't seem to come out. You gulped and bit your lips, your eyes stinging.

And suddenly, he burst into his ever-so beagle-y laughter. He laughed and laughed and you waited, your heart returning to its usual pace.

"Ahneeyo~ Pabo!" he giggled, "Ah, waeeee!? Why are you so cute, you!?" he pinched your cheeks again, this time a little harder. You winced back and blinked. "I thought we should meet since we have to keep a distance for some time, that's all."

                 The next moment, before you could utter even a single word, his lips were on yours and the world just stopped. You heart galloped so fast, you couldn't breathe. His lips, soft and smooth, were so passionate against yours. You were so lost in him, you didn't realize when your back had touched the wall behind you and whether you were breathing or not. You didn't care about your fears anymore, the uncertainty, the tiredness, everything was gone. His hands were cupping your face, his lips dominant against yours. When his lips left yours at last, time started to flow again. And both your faces were burning red, even Chen's, surprisingly.

"Waegookin-ah," his voice was a little shaky as he leaned on the wall beside you and stared at the sky full of twinkling stars, "I'm sorry... that I'm not your typical boyfriend, that I'm not there beside you when you need me..." His words were melancholy, an obvious guilt coating them.

You looked at the same star-lit sky as him and inhaled, "Being with you here right now, is more than enough for me...so, don't apologize, instead," glancing at him with the corner of your eye, your voice was soft, "Gomabwoyo, for accepting me..."

His hands were strong yet tender as he held yours firmly. As if they spoke 'I will never leave you', you felt a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. Patience was what you had to have and everything would be alright. The stars were shining unbelievably vivid tonight, the wind was incredibly pleasant.

"We are going on a date next time we meet, arasso?" he spoke soothingly as he put the stray hairs springing out from beneath the scarf and tucked them in, "A proper date..." he muttered the last words almost to himself.

A proper date. You heart throbbed in excitement as you looked forward to that day. You wondered how magical it would be to go on a shopping spree with him, or visiting an amusement park would feel like. It would be a fairy tale, then. Both of you stared at the stellar winter sky in silence. You liked this occasional silence between your words. It was not awkward; it was the acceptance of your presence in each other's life. This magical tranquility that you felt stargazing with him was all that mattered. As he wrapped his arms around you, that fragrant scent of vanilla flooded your senses to euphoria.