Chapter 2 - I walked toward him slowly and cautiously . I felt a sudden need to assure him that everything would he okay. " are you okay?" I whispered as soon as he was within earshot . He glanced up frantically looking shocked and just gave me a blank expression. "are you okay ? Gwenchana?" I tried again. One of the rare time I bothered to ask a dongsaeng. He tilted his head and gave me a puzzled expression . Seriously, what was the matter with this guy? Didn't he understand Korean ? Then it dawned on me.

Hankyung didn't understand Korean. No matter how hard I tried, he just could not get the hang of what I was saying or trying to say. I finally got exasperated and changed target, walking back to Leeteuk, who could at least speak a language i could understand. *Finally, grateful for the other members*

However, when I glanced back, hankyung still looked lost in his own little world, and now he was really starting to look seriously worried about something. Th frantic expression got to me. When we boarded the black van, ready to head back to our dorm for the first time together, I purposely chose a seat next to him. I surprised even myself at doing that, but soon shrugged it off. Hankyung peered at me curiously when I tried my best to give him a warm and , I hoped welcome smile. * I, Kim Hee Chul, hardly does this.This guy damn well better be grateful. * In a quick sweep of his arm, he pulled out earpieces and his handphone and offered a earpiece to me. I was surprised yet touched by his gesture and readily accepted. I expected the songs to be Korean and possibly Hip hop, but it turned out to be a slow Chinese song. I closed my eyes and listened carefully, wondering all the time whether this song held any special importance in his heart...

*Hankyung's POV*

This guy is treating me well. After all i had heard about him, the rumours floating around about how rough and violent he was, I guess he had a soft side to him too. Problem was, I didn't know his name. I carefully and slowly asked him timidly in my terrible Korean :" Excuse me, may I know your name?" I guess i didn't speak in honorifics because he gave me a small frown. I gulped but his expression cleared away really soon and he gave me a small smile. "Heechul. I'm guessing I'm older than you so address me properly. Respect is very important here in Korea." I hardly understood what he was saying but I grasped the concept of it. I lowered my head in embarrassment but he then shook my arm in concern, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. *This must be what sunbaes always say to hoobaes in Korea* Well, we don't do that in China, but I guess Korean tradition is to be respectful to your seniors. I glanced around at the other members in the car. They all seemed to be preoccupied with their own stuff and none of them were talking to each other. *Are they naturally awkward or is it just that they are not familar with each other yet?*

We alighted from the van at the bank of a river. All I understood from the manager's lengthy speech was that we were going to split into a few teams to live in different dorms and he was going to be doing the assignment. The guy named Heechul immediately said something loudly and pointed to me and Kibum. *Are they not respectful to the manager then?* Leeteuk and the manager looked at him in surprise but the manager nodded in consent.

"Hankyung. You will be rooming with Heechul and Kibum." The manager said in a no nonsense tone. Well, not that I was complaining anyway, I loved this arrangement, the idea of rooming with Heechul and the cute young guy from America was cool. At least I wasn't the only one who didn't know the other members prior to this. Heechul caught my eye at that moment and gave me a smirk and a wink. *This Heechul is so unpredictable*

I threw my things down on the dorm floor and proceeded to the kitchen. *What, nothing?* I was starving after a whole day's work and there was nothing in this darn refrigerator? At that moment, I missed the smell and taste of my mother's dumplings and all her cooking. The reality of being in a foreign country hit me hard. I was alone in this country, everyone who loved me was in China, there was nobody to hep me here. After all, I didn't even know the language!  Thinking of this, I uncounsciously looked at the floor as my eyes began to swim with tears.