Huffing and puffing, I struggled up towards the door to my room. I think I lost at least two pounds because I felt much lighter, whether it was actually myself or my luggage. I rastled around for my student card, and then swiped it, opening the door.

The room was a single, with a personal bathroom. I was not one you wanted to share a bathroom with, since I don't like a dirt and shiver at the thought of flooded counters and jungles of electrical chords. The room itself was minimalisitc - desk, bed, and closet- but I always believed that less is more. I ran my fingers over the desk, breathing deeply, thinking of how this was my opportunity to make myself a reputation finally.

I unpacked my things, which ended up taking over double the time I had suspected. All my supplies for designing, drawing, and painting were set out: all five boxes I had sent overseas to the university for pick-up. I felt that I had done enough grunt work for the day, and decided to talk a walk around the campus to get a feel for where I'd be studying and living for a whole year. I stepped out of the room, and noticed I had recieved a message hours ago. It was a text from a local number. I had already sorted out overseas issues with my phone company, so I don't know who would be sending me messages. I read the message aloud to myself,

"hello, my name is khun- i helped you with youre luggage eariier. i noticed a sketchbook on the ground as i was leaving, and it had the name wen, and this number in it. is there a time i can return it to you?"

Aish. No wonder I felt less weight on the way to my room. My sketchbook contained not just paper media, but photographs, fabric swatches, and other paraphernalia tucked between the pages. That book documented my life in art, and I couldn't lose it. Pressing the screen with uneccessary pressure I sent back,

"and this is makes my millionth and third thank you. I am beyond grateful, i didnt even notice it . could you meet me at my room, 263A? i'll be just putting odds and ends away the whole day, so just drop by when you can. "

Immediately, I got a reply

"i'll be there in an hour  (: "

I slid down the wall in the hallway, wiping the sweat that had formed on my face during my panic attack. I guess I wouldn't be going for a leasurely walk. I should take a shower anyways, since the last time I did was in the States.

Stepping into the shower, I the steam into my lungs as if it was my first breath since birth. It felt so refreshing, clearing my mind of worry. The water was hot, boiling almost, but that was how I preferred it. I stared at the scar on my chest, remembering the scene in high-definition.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Just take the blade and make a cut. it's not like you haven't done it before" I instructed myself. It was true, but this would be the last time.

I sat in the middle of my living room, clutching the knife ready to end all.

"I love you Bae, and If you love me, you'll let me go" I cried out in sorrow, tears washing down my face. I had on no make-up, or clothing really; just undergarments and an over-sized men's white dress shirt.

I raised my arm and stabbed myself, to stop the constant beating that had forced me to accompany my life's song.

I didn't feel the lack of breath from piercing one of the hearts ventricles, but just the lightheaded-ness from blood loss.

I saw Bae. I saw the knife in the other side of my chest. The wrong side of my chest. The right side.

I pulled it out shakily with a ear splitting painful scream, but dropped it as my eyes closed and my mind shut down.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"AI YA. " I exclaimed, scrunching my eyes shut trying to block out the shampoos sting. I had been too absent minded to wash it out. Rinsing off, I got out of the shower and dried off. I'd been in the shower for thirty minutes? Really?

*Dok, Dok, Dok,* "Wen, its me, Khun. I have your book"

He was early, way too early.

"Give me a moment, or ten moments" I hollored back, hopping into some pants. It was a bother when someone came so early, for anything, like when someone holds open a door and you're still twenty paces away. You don't want to be rude, so you rush not to waste their act of kindness. All my shirts were tucked away somewhere that I couldn't remember, so I grabbed a grey crop top off the foot of my bed, and added it to my ensemble, which really was just high waisted red jeans. Finally I yanked the shirt over my head, and swung open the door.

"Well, annyeonghaseyo Khun" I breathed out, still feeling in a whirlwind.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to catch you so unexpectedly" said Khun, eyeing my sloppily dressed figure, complete with anime hair thanks to it still being damp.

"Don't fret over it. It just matters you made it here at all. If I had lost my sketchbook, I would've lost my mind!" I replied, waving towards the book tucked beneath Khun's arm.

"Ah yes, this is yours"  Khun recalled, handing over my sketchbook, "It must weigh as much as a brick that thing".

"Well it sure does pack a story or two" I mused, smiling with just my mouth while smoothing down a corner.  "I dont want to be keeping you, since you seem to be prepared for an occasion" , pointing out how well dressed he was, with a tie, blazer, and glossy shoes.

"I had a photoshoot today. I don't usually dress like this" Khun added non-chalantly.

"Oh. A Photoshoot.." I said, trailing off. Was everyone in Korea a celebrity? Than again, I'd met a whopping two people. I quickly changed the topic, wanting to just relax the rest of the night, so I asked

"Khun...Is that short for something? It's a different name"

"Nichkhun. Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul to be exact. I'm part Thai "

"You speak the language ?" I asked in Thai. Bae's mother is Thai. Very Thai.

Seeming impressed, Khun answered,

"Well, yes I do."

We continued to small talk in and out of Thai, but I eventually ran out of things to say, considering I was not very fluent, or had anything outstanding to say in English. Half an hour since Khun showed up, I noticed how dark it was becoming. I felt bad for wasting his time, so I felt I should cut this little pow-wow short

"I should be heading to bed, seeing as I have jet-lag, and you probably have somewhere to be, which isn't at a university with a dorky arts girl. Sorry if I wasted your time" I apologized, inching back into my room nervously.

"No, no, it wasn't a waste. You gained your sketchbook, and I got a nice conversation. You are right though, I should be heading out." accepted Khun, "Goodnight Wen, it was nice to meeting you", smiling at me with a wave of his fingers.

He began to walk down the desolate hall way, but stepped back and added
"If you haven't been told already, you're one hell of an artist, not to mention a person".
With that Khun returned to his previous pace, leaving the building.

"Nice meeting you too Khun" I stated to myself, forcing the acceptance of the fact that I needed to start letting people into my life.

I shut the door and went to put my sketchbook away, but not before tangling my feet in the towel I had discarded on the floor earlier. My sketchbook threw up its contents as I lay sprawled face down on the ground. Maybe I should take up being a stunt double, considering I seem to rebound well from repeatedly falling. I collected what had fallen out and stretched my back out as I stood up, hearing a few distinct snaps and cracks of my joints.
"I am way too tired to even focus on walking" I yawned out to myself, placing all my sketchbook extras on the desk.

I turned to crawl into bed, but did a double take at the drawing on the top, realizing the paper was not mine, along with the penmanship. The paper was pristine, no creases or wrinkles from relentless erasing. It was a type of stationary, with the three letters 'JYP' in the top left hand corner. It also had a watermark of seven men, but just the silhouettes.
On the paper was a message written in slanted printing, with a little doodle of a waving girl, which resembled me once I looked at it more closely; big glasses, assymetrical short hair, and my signature leather bag slung on my shoulder.
All that was written though was 'if we ever meet again..' , with an address and a date. I flipped it over to find a signature from Nichkhun Horvejkul, the guy I had met earlier that evening.
The date written was tomorrow, which brought up a whole new dilemma to argue over with myself.

For all I know, he could be trying to abduct me. That got over ruled since he left his name, and address, and I did have his number.

I may as well start my 'stop-being-anti-social' resolution, Khun seemed like a good guy anyways, from what little I had percieved about him.

Tomorrow at 9 PM could be the start of my first solid friendship in Korea.

The Following Evening

After a long first day back to the grind stone in classes, a clothing crisis was number one on my list of least-wanteds.

"Why am I struggling so much to get dressed, I live and breathe art all day and night! For the love of god!"

I was absolutely livid with myself for no real reason, going through the motion of picking up then promptly throwing articles of clothing everywhere.

I wasn't going out for a date, job interview, or to dance; so why was I so nervous and paranoid? Khun had already seen me in clothing that gave off the 'homeless slob' look anyways. It was already 8 o'clock, so I had to get a move on if I wanted to be relatively punctual. I ended up in the last outfit I had thrown on; a red blazer over a white shirt that said 'CONSPIRACY' in a classic typewriter font, and some netted floral tights under shredded jeans. I shlumped out in my Dr. Seuss converse to the bus stop that would drive me the closest to the address. I hopped on the bus and began to wonder what exactly would be waiting for me, but the window distracted me with the reflection of my lopsided pony tail. Due to the hair's length being short, it looked exactly like a flame of a candle growing out of my head. Fingers crossed Khun and I would be meeting somewhere with minimal windows, so people wouldn't gawk more than usual.

Unfortuantely, I had to walk about ten minutes after getting off of the bus. Thoughts of being kidnapped and mugged crossed my mind numerous times, but I remembered my physical outbursts if you even tried to take away a cupcake from me, so those worries were extinguished. I caught sight of the building which the address belonged to, and just let out a little yelp.

No -it wasn't a seedy place like a prison or a strip club - but the complete opposite.

The windows were all illumnated, making the letters 'JYP' on the front stand out even more with the light relfecting off of them. The sheer size made me step back to fit it all into my vision. The scene was picture perfect, captured and framed with my thick bookworm glasses. I approached the glass doors and again gasped, letting out a little whistle from being simply overwhelmed. Beside the doors in the entrance, was an enormous portrait of seven men like the watermark on the note. This was definitely the right place, but what was it exactly? I stepped into the building's ultra chic lobby and sat down, hoping this wasn't a cruel joke.

" 'If we ever meet again'...Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul" I quoted. "Here goes nothing" .

- - - - - - - - - - -

Nichkhun's Perspective

"I'll be going out tonight, so I may not see you until morning. Later. " , rushing past Junsu and Wooyoung. I didn't want Wen to be mistaken for a psycho fan, and thrown out. Well, hypothetically if she even showed up.

"Is it with a a girl? A cute girl? With a friend or two?" teased Taec, but still actually hoping for the opportunity to meet a girl tonight.

"Why actually, you're right Taec. And I don't want to keep her waiting, so... Bye." I replied, opening the door to leave for the lobby.

"If this girl is good enough for the Prince of Thailand, i think the leadja should confirms it. I'm coming with you Khun" declared Jay, stepping out of the dorm and closing the door behind us. Before the door was shut completely, I heard Junho begin to lament about how Jay and I always get the women.

Jay looked at me, implying with a wink and nudge with his elbow that I was going to sneak out with this girl to sleep together.

"I don't see her like that Jay. I just met her yesterday, and she seemed like she needed a friend since she just moved to Korea. She actually remminds me of myself when I first came here as a trainee. So don't scare her off by seducing her with your abs; save it for Jessica" I joked, punching him in the arm.

"Fine, I'll be on my best behaviour - but if she is a fan and tries to take a sample of my hair or something, I'm out." Jay replied, jerking a 'thumbs up' over his shoulder.

"Trust me hyung, she is different. A good kind of different" I promised, entering the final hallway before the lobby.

I saw a figure meandering in the waiting area, and immediately recognized it to be Wen. Her quirkiness could be seen a mile away, especially tonight with what she was wearing, but hey; it's what I liked about her. I waved towards her and she began to return it, but suddenly stopped waving and just stood there, with a face as if I had pulled out a gun. What was wrong? I turned to Jay but he had the same expression as Wen. Did they somehow miracuously know eachother? Was she secretly a stalker of his? How about Jay's long lost sister? I had no clue, so I just looked between the two, wondering what story I was missing out on.