I held in my breath, then finally released it after sixty seconds.

“If this doesn’t work, then I’m going to Hell,” I muttered to myself, right before I raised my curled fingers and knock on the door, very lightly, as if I was afraid that some monster might open the door—

 “Can I help you?”

—or just some guy with jet black hair, glistening olive skin and is apparently not wearing a shirt.

 I restrained myself from gawking, but the pink tints on my cheeks were too obvious.

“I-I-I—” I bit my tongue to stop myself from stammering. “I’m sorry! W-Wrong door!”

I was about to turn around, when I heard someone shout, “Yah, who’s at the door?” When I looked inside the place, I saw a familiar face coming over.

“So I didn’t get the wrong door after all,” I mumbled as soon as I saw Luhan.

“This…is a surprise,” he said when he noticed my presence. He cocked a brow at the previous guy from before and waved him away. “Go put a shirt on, Jongin.” And then he turned to me. “Uh, come inside,” he said, and somehow I thought I heard him add, “if you dare.”

Once I entered I practically froze on the spot. The living room (or at least I think it’s a living room) was a complete mess, with shirts lying about the floor, and to my huge embarrassment there was probably a couple of brief boxers, too. Some of them had a Hello Kitty on them. I flushed deep red, and when I lifted my gaze I caught multiple eyes staring back at me. I was looking straight at a bunch of guys (or boys, assuming that most could past as my little brother.)

I noticed Luhan motioning something to them, as if to say, “Clean yourselves up A.S.A.P.”

“Um, I— S-Sorry to be of a bother,” I stuttered out, trying to look elsewhere.

One of them whispered, “Dude, the heck did the girl come from!” and the other hissed, “There’s a girl in our dorm. Oh gosh. There’s a GIRL.”

Yep. I’ve never felt so welcomed in my entire life.

I heaved in a sigh and went straight to the point. “Where’s Kris?”

They blinked.

“Who?” asked one with round, chubby cheeks, very much like Henry’s. He looked the youngest of them all.

“Kris?”

“She means Yifan, Minseok,” said Luhan.

I shook my head. “No, I mean Kris. Kris? Kevin?”

The others blinked again.

I slumped my shoulders. “Oh, would someone just tell me where that freakin’ Canadian is!”

“Yifan hyung’s not here,” said the one on the far right, wearing a navy blue T-shirt with a cartoon on it. He was almost as tall as Kris, or maybe even taller, if that was even possible.

“But I am,” said the other, and his slight flirty gesture earned him a hit on the stomach.

“Shut up, Baekhyun.”

“The heck, Yeol!”

I slapped my head. Kris wasn’t there. Just great. And the bunch of boys in front of me weren’t much of help, either. Thanks a lot for the idea, Heechul. Going to their dorm was such a fantastic idea.

“Noona?”

The voice made my spirits rise, and I looked up to see Sehun coming from down the hallway.

“Sehun.” I beamed.

One of them nudged Sehun, asking, “Is that…your sister?”

“W-What’re you doing here?” Sehun’s eyes were as wide as saucers, staring at me from top to bottom as if he still couldn’t believe that I was actually in the room.

“Long story,” I said. “But do any of you know where Kris is?”

Sehun’s eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. “You’re looking for Kris?”

“Yifan hyung?” said a guy with dark hair that matched his dark panda eyes. Something in his accent made it difficult for me to understand, but his Korean pronunciation was better than Kris’. He looked my way. “Last I saw him he was going out to shoot some hoops. Oddly, he didn’t invite me along like he always do.”

The thought occurred to me. “Basketball.” The light bulb in my head flared. “He’s at the park!”

All the guys stared as I sprinted like a maniac.

“I— Gotta go!” I said as I staggered on my feet, almost tripping on one of the shirt rugs. I turned back around, throwing a quick “Thank you!” and fled out the door before Sehun could utter a word.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As I was making my way down the street my heart was beating up to a rate that I couldn’t distinguish anymore. When I find Kris I was either going to slap him, kick him, or punch him. He deserved it for snapping at me the way he did. And I wasn’t going to forgive him. Well, not until he forgives me.

And there he was. Just as I had predicted.

Just down the road, on the far corner, was the greens of the public park, and Kris was exactly where he was supposed to be, in the middle of the mini basketball court. It was hardly even a court. Just a tiny area with a high basketball hoop.

But he wasn’t even playing. He was just standing there, staring at the orange ball in his hands.

I marched over there, but with the quietness of a cat. He hardly even knew I was there until I sounded.

“Stupid,” I spat, and he jerked and spun around, eyes wide. I snarled. “Dense. Idiot.”

At first I thought those curses were for