Korean

Mandarin

Your POV

I remember when I first met him. It was funny when I look back at it.

I was walking into SM to see my sister for lunch when I ran ran straight into him.

I apologized over and over again not looking up, but when I do, I notice that he looks sad and confused. I take in his black hair and sleep deprived looking face. Most people would take him as scary, but I found him cute right away, no not just cute, but handsome in some way. Sadly, before I could say anything I hear my sister call out my name. I look behind me and before I could say anything, he was already out of sight.

I looked down in my hand to realize that I spilled all my latte over his shirt. I picture hitting myself in the head. I’m such an idiot.

I walked over to my sister who was smiling at me, “Ohh do you have an admirer?”

I shake my head, “No, but sis do you know who that was?”

“Oh I think his name is Tao. He doesn’t know any Korean, poor kid being dragged here for his band and can’t even understand everyone.”

“Ahh that’s why when I apologized to him, he looked confused and sad. Do you know what he speaks?”

“Ummm… I think it’s mandarin…”

“Ahh okay.”

We left the building and I had already made up my mind I’d befriend this Tao and to do that I’ll learn Mandarin.

I spent the next few months everyday when I had open time I would study Mandarin instead of playing video games or watching TV and going to SM visiting my sister everyday hoping to run into the sad looking boy. Yet I never ran into him. I thought it was pointless.

Until not more than 7 hours ago, I was told to run an errand for my older sister who ended up working for Exo in some way… I forgot… he-he…I gladly accepted since I knew that Tao was in EXO since he debuted four months before.

I raced from school to her apartment to pick up a duffle bag of hers and raced to the SM building glad that I’m use to running long distances since I’m in track.

I tossed the bag into the room security had told me my sister was in.

I dropped down on the floor and lay there not caring where I am.

My sister chuckled but still shouted, “Ya, Hyun Ok ever heard of knocking?” she teased me.

“Sis!” I yell from where I lied on the floor.

“Hyun Ok, you should get off the floor. What would you do if someone came in and stepped on you?” I heard the worry that was in her voice.

I pulled myself up and walked over to her, “Sorry unnie. I just wanted to bring you your bag since you sounded frantic.”

She laughed, “I was since I forgot that they had a lunch break about now. So I told them to just get some lunch and bring some back for me.”

When I heard the word lunch, my stomach had growled.

“Which reminds me, Hyun Ok, how did you get out of school?”

“Oh I don’t have more classes today and also I’m a few weeks ahead on my school work.”

“Alright, sis I know you’re smart and everything but don’t you think you’re working yourself to the bone to much lately,” she worriedly asked me.

“It’s alright. I called my work place and asked them if I could work in a few hours and they agreed.”

“I forgot to ask, but where do you work?”

“Oh I’m an assistant at the Taekwondo center down the street.”

“Wow that place is pretty famous. I’m so proud of you,” she hugged me.

I chuckles, “Sis let me go I have to run home and get my duffle bag. I forgot to bring it today since I thought I would be working for the later classes.”

My sister handed me cab fare even though I don’t’ live that far from the SM building since I’m in my own little apartment so I can be close to work and school… Also for my sister.

She laughed at me as I stood up on tired legs.

“Sis use that money for cab fare I don’t want you to be walking as tired as you are home,” my sister had ordered me.

“Of course, unnie.”

I turned to leave only to run into someone’s chest and since I was studying Mandarin for what was almost 24/7 I apologized in it.

When I heard someone chuckle I looked up to see that it was Tao.

“Oh you know Mandarin,” he asked me.

I nodded my head, “Yeah… I’m not very good at it.”

He nodded his head but stopped when Sehun came into the room to see me.

I sighed as I see the emotionless robot.

“Sunbae,” he said as he looked at me.

In sloppy-ish Korean Tao asked, “You know her?”

He nodded his head, “Yea, she graduated not that long ago. She’s a first year university student this year. Sunbae, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see my sister. Also, you realize you don’t really have to call me sunbae anymore. I’m sorry, but I have to run to work.”

Before I could do anything, I somehow tripped and ran into someone with hot coffee.

I pulled myself up as fast as I could and apologized, “I’m so sorry I don’t know what happened.”

I looked up to come face to face with Luhan who I had met once.

“Ahh that freaking hurt,” he said as he opened his eyes to come face to face with me, “Hyuk Ok-ah, I’m sorry.”

I nod my head, pull myself up, and shrug, “It was nothing Luhan-ssi I should have been paying attention. I’m sorry but I’m late for work.”

I don’t think I had ever been so nervous and embarrassed since Tao had seen that.

“Oh sis before I forget to ask what do you want for your late birthday present?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I don’t care.”

“Aish… How about a new sketchpad? New IPod deck? Oh I know how about that dress that you’ve been eying at the mall?”

I whipped my head looking at my sister well a smug look appeared on her face, “Ahh alright I’ll get you that.”

“That’s not much of a present I’ll know what it’ll be,” I mumbled.

“Then I’ll also get you something else for your birthday. Now get to the studio before Mr. Gu chews you out again.”

I chuckled but then I realized, “I can’t go to the studio looking like this. Last time I went there with a ruined shirt I was yelled at. Ugh I don’t think I can get another lecture from him.”

My sister digged into her bag and pulled out a shirt that said EXO on it and tossed it to me, “Put that on and I have to say I’m not angry about your habit of wearing sweatpants everywhere most days.”

I stuck my tongue out at her and looked around the room to find a place where I can easily change without anyone looking. Therefore, I changed shirts and when I was coming back into sight, all of Exo was in the room and I was still pulling my shirt down over my stomach. To make things worse they were all looking my way.

I bowed to them, “Ahh hello I’m Kim Hyun Ok,” I point to my sister, “her sister.”

My phone went off and I see that it’s my friends wanting to go to some party tonight.

“Sis how long will you be working?”

“I think I’m here until 10,” she told me, “Why?”

“Oh my friends are trying to get me to go to some party with them, but I have to study for my test tomorrow.”

“Well whenever you need to you can just study in my area any day. I’ll make sure you get a pass. Just don’t abuse it.”

I nodded my head and bowed to both EXO’s and say in both Chinese and Korean, “It was nice meeting everyone.”

The members that speak Chinese looked surprised.

I realized too I walk over to Tao and say, “I’m sorry about when I ran into a few months ago. I was in a hurry and I wanted to apologize again about spilling my latte on your shirt.”

Exo looks at me as well as Tao who seemed taken back, “Oh that was awhile ago so no need to apologize.”

“I know that, but I felt bad for that since I was only apologizing for running into you not realizing that I had probably stained your shirt with my latte.”

Luhan starts laughing, “You were the one that spilled latte on Tao about 4 months ago.”

I nodded my head, “Yes, now since I apologized and I feel a little bit better I need to run to the studio before Mr. Gu puts me through some kind of lecture and extra training that will be just unneeded and unwelcomed.”