“Thought you’d never come,” Jung Yonghwa said, an idiotic grin plastered on his face.

                Kai and I were over half an hour late. I was almost starting to think of bad things when we caught sight of Seohyun and Yonghwa just going back and forth the entrance to Louis Vuitton. In my rush to catch up to them, I took the speed and ended up losing my breath. Kai was able to catch up with me soon. Seohyun was looking for someone else, and I might just know who that is. When she didn’t see anyone other than the two of us, she eyed Kai warily and then averted her gaze to me as if demanding an explanation. However, such kind of talk would need to wait. Right now is business.

                I’m particularly aware that I’m doing the wrong thing. Escaping, and forgetting my duties for a while, I mean. But I couldn’t feel the guilt at the moment. The warm feeling that flows through my veins when I think of my mom is too overwhelming that I couldn’t put any other thoughts in my head. I want to see her sooner. Can’t we just fly over there in this instant? Right now, my emotions are too erratic, I couldn’t even begin to explain it…

                Seohyun went forward and hugged me tight. “I was regretting not talking to you a lot earlier. I thought you couldn’t escape and that’ll be the last of our interaction,” she whispered as she touched my hair gently. My heart melted with her words, and I kinda felt sorrier to her than when I first left. To be honest, when I attended Seijira Academy, I was thinking more of my self. I didn’t actually think that I would hurt other people too. I didn’t think it would affect Seohyun so much.

                “That means a lot to me,” I whispered to her as she started to let go. “And sorry, we’re late. Things just happened and Kai here helped me sort some things out,” I explained as I took a glance at Kai who bowed lightly at Seohyun.

                “I’m sorry I tagged along,” Kai addressed Seohyun and Yonghwa with a kind expression I’m sure he’s trying to put up well. “I hope my presence won’t burden any of you.”

                “What are you saying?” Yonghwa let out a chuckle. “It’s okay bro, and you’re Mi Yeon’s friend so it’s like we’re friends with you too.” Seohyun looked at Yonghwa proudly and nodded at his words. I couldn’t help but think that Yonghwa just said something sensible which I thought he’s incapable of.

                “And you helped Mi Yeon,” Seohyun added. “Thank you.”

                “Aniyo,” Kai waived off.

                “I think we should go now,” I said as soon as their done with their talks. “Kai and I only have about two hours.”

                “Right,” Seohyun said. “Then we’ll take a taxi ride straight to your home. I already texted your mom, Mi Yeon. She’s expecting you.”

                “Ok,” I said, though my heart started hammering at the information.

                We rounded a corner and soon rode a taxi. Kai offered to take the front seat so the three of us could talk more comfortably. I told him it was unnecessary but inside I was grateful. Kai is more thoughtful that I’ve known him. I should give him more credit.

                As soon as we took our seats in the back, Seohyun in the middle, she grasped the chance to talk to me in a lower voice, “Where’s the guy you were talking about? Luhan, is he?”

                “Well, you see…” I said, a tone of guilt evident in my voice at the mention of his name. “I wasn’t really able to tell him…about this arrangement.”

                “Why?” Seohyun questioned right away.

                “I…ugh…” I stuttered, looking for words to conceal the whole situation. “You see…Luhan is…ugh, well, he’s kinda the vice president of the student council.” That part is true, I thought to myself.

                “No way,” Seohyun immediately reacted, eyes wide.

                “What?”

                “How did you get such a guy?” Seohyun said in amazement, like she thinks her bestfriend does not deserve a person of high attainment. I agree with her at that part. “Is he smart too?”

                “He bragged about his grade before…” I said, remembering that particular instant when I felt really gloomy when he said it. The corner of my mouth slightly twitched up. “1.16.”

                Seohyun is smart too. In fact, she’s top of class back in my old school and I think she still is. But I can see she’s still amazed at that fact. It’s written all over her face so I felt like describing Luhan more to her.

                “He’s good-looking too,” I said, remembering the feel of his face on the tips of my fingers. “He has a lot of fan girls, you know.”

                “I bet, he has,” Seohyun smiled at me. “I wish I could see him. You really like him, don’t you?”

                “I do,” I admitted, smiling back like a little girl talking about her new doll to her classmates. Suddenly, I decided to tease Seohyun will a little more information, “There’s this other thing he can do too.”

                “What?” Seohyun asked curiously.

                “You see…Luhan…” I said, then I moved my head closer to her ears. “…can make things move with a snap of his finger. He has telekinetic powers.”

                “You still at joking, Mi Yeon,” Seohyun said, and then flicked my forehead.

                “Right?” I let out a hearty chuckle. Of course, she wouldn’t believe me. I didn’t expect her to. “I’ll let him meet you next time.”

                “Next time,” Seohyun said thoughtfully. I looked at her and realized that both of us don’t know when that’ll be…and if there will even be a next time. Still, she smiled at me gently. That’s how Seohyun is, she makes people around her feel warm, even if there’s hardly anything that goes right.

                Feeling a bit uncomfortable at the turn of the conversation, I decided to steer it back to the original topic, “So I can’t really tell him, because Luhan has a good sense of being right…being his girlfriend won’t stop him from…uhm…telling me off.”

                Seohyun nodded in understanding, “I see.”

                Fortunately, there aren’t much vehicles on the road to cause a traffic jam. In about 25 minutes, we arrived at a very familiar street and got off exactly in front of my house. The lights in our house are all open, the curtains behind one window have been swept to the side. At the sight of a taxi stopping, I saw someone familiar run to the porch. I haven’t even taken much of the surroundings when I saw my mom come out of our front door, stumble a bit and hugged me like there’s no tomorrow, as the sound of the taxi driving away becomes muffled in my ears.

                “Eomma…” I said, my voice cracked unexpectedly and I could feel the tears coming up as the warmth coming from her small frame registered in me. I slowly wrapped my arms around her too. I missed this. I missed this and her so much. “I’m home.”

                My mom was sobbing so hard I had to pat her gently at the back.  We have been separated for a long time but it feels the same to me, everything, her love in particular. She’ll never change, because she’s my mother, and I’m her daughter. Even if we become separated again, once we meet, everything will rush back as natural as it is tonight.

                Slowly, my mom let go but she immediately placed her hands on top of my cheeks to survey my face. I can see that she’s become thinner, and her eyes are really red. Still, her face is as bright as I can remember it. “Uri ttal (my daughter)…you’ve become much prettier…”

                “Mom…” I said once again because I’m at a loss for words.

                Immediately she took my hand and said, “Let’s go inside.” Looking behind me she said, “Seohyun, Yonghwa, too and…” She faltered at the sight of Kai.

                “Kim Jongin, ma’am,” Kai said immediately and politely bowed really low. “Annyeonghaseyo. I’m Mi Yeon’s classmate at Seijira. Please do call me Kai.”

                My mom nodded at him, her eyes more observant at the mention of my school, and smiled, “Kai, then. Nice to meet you. Please do come inside. I’ve prepared some food.”

                Once in, we all settled in the dining table where my mom already laid down the food she ordered. She hurried to the refrigerator and took out a cake. It almost seemed like we’re having a feast. Kai seems a little bit uncomfortable with the treatment but he didn’t say anything and kept close to me. Nothing changed in the arrangement of our furniture. In fact, it almost seemed as if I never left. My mom told me she didn’t do anything with my room and left it as it is, except of course, when she sweeps the floor in there. She didn’t ask me to stay the night, because we both know that that can’t happen and this is in fact, an illegal reunion. I think she’s waiting to have a one-on-one talk with me.

                “How long do we have?” My mom asked as soon as she settled on her own chair.

                I glanced at Kai with a questioning look as he said, “An hour at most.”

                I looked back at my mom and figured out that she heard Kai speak pretty well, seeing how she’s staring down at her food. When she looked up however, she was all smiles and pleasure, as if telling me it’s okay. But I know it pains her as it pains me. Stolen moments are even harder to let go, I realized immediately. Did I really make the right choice?

                “Kai-ssi,” my mom called out.

                “Ne?” Kai responded, surprised at being addressed.

                “I know my daughter is really a pain, so I’m saying sorry on her behalf.”

                “Mom!!!” I reacted as I heard Yonghwa agree to her statement.

                “Not at all, ma’am,” Kai said, but I’ll bet my heart out he’s saying the opposite thing in his head.

                “And your duire?” my mom suddenly asked. Kai is even more surprised to hear this. Of course, everyone knows it was my dad who studied in Seijira, not my mom. For her to know things about our world is practically defying the sacred laws of the duirean. As I learned back in school, it is not a common thing to marry a non-duirean, and if you do, secrets should still be upheld. Why she knows or why my father told her, is another thing that will remain a mystery to me.

                “Air,” Kai automatically said the answer he gives to everyone who’s not familiar. I think he was too surprised to think otherwise.

                “Multiple,” I corrected him. My mom seemed confused, but I didn’t explain.

                “Duire?”  Seohyun asked curiously.

                “Team names,” my mom said immediately. “I heard that they use that term in Seijira when referring to teams in Intramurals. I was merely checking.” I had to hand it to my mom. She’s a good liar.

                “Oh,” Seohyun nodded in comprehension.

                And so we delved in our food for the second time that night. Mom talked to me about her job and the new neighbors, and Seohyun and Yonghwa updated me about the school and all of my old friends. When questions were asked about how things are in Seijira, my mom, steers the conversation back to other things. She was helping me not let anything slip. That’s how cool my mom is. After we let off several minutes talking about our daily lives, mom stood up and told me she wanted to show me something in secret. So, we left the three alone at the table and headed to my room.

                In my room, I can see what my mom is saying. It really didn’t change. All of my posters of idols are still there and my bed is completely made. We both sat at the edge as my mom took again my hand in her palms. I smiled at the action because obviously, my mom really missed me.

                “Your gold bracelet is pretty,” my mom commented.

                I was surveying her face so I didn’t bother to look down. “It’