Final - March

I had never considered going to college anywhere other than Seoul. When I was writing my personal statement for my applications, the only thing I could think to write about is what I had gone through half a year ago, about how I found out that my dead father wasn’t really dead but rather an secret agent for the South Korean government, about how I’d fallen in love in Jeju, and then lost it all.

“Confidentiality issues; don’t do it,” Kris had advised when I asked him about it. “I don’t think the NIS will like that much.”  Since the Jeju-time, Kris had moved on to bigger and better things. I’d gotten to talk to him once or twice through burner phones, and he’d just told me that he was out of the country for work. 

“It’s not like you need to worry about it anyway,” Minseok had told me. “You have terrific grades and soccer and that semester abroad in Europe to brag about.”

“Yeah, Paris was life changing,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes, but quickly quieted. 

My time away, although not spent in Europe, had been life changing, just in a different way. I still talk to Baekhyun a lot, through video chats, and sometimes check in with Eunjung and the others. I could never really bring myself to ask about Yixing, although they voluntarily tell me about how he was.

Lu Han: He’s entering a dance competition with Jongin this week. They’re partners and I think they’re going to win. The prize is a good bit of money, but some college scouts are going to be there.

Eunjung: He got the flu from Lu Han and they’re both probably homebound for the next two days. I miss my boyfriend. 

Lu Han: Yixing and I are the only ones who couldn’t go on the class fieldtrip because we were sick. I’m so mad right now, Jung.

Baekhyun: He’s...ah...Yixing’s seeing someone new now. It’s not like...serious. I mean...he just...took her on like two dates? But you’re so much prettier and smarter and funnier and…

Sehun: nowhere nearly as awesome as you, noona

Jongin: You should seriously talk to him.

Tao: I miss you (×̯×)"

  
Knowing that Yixing was dating again kind of hurt, even though I guess I had no reason to be upset. It wasn’t as if we were a thing anymore. Sometimes I wondered if we ever were. Zhang Yixing might have loved and cherished Lee Jungah at one point in his life, but Kim Hyojung? Kim Hyojung was nothing to him, and so, Kim Hyojung was too scared to contact him.

Going to college in Seoul meant a lot of familiar faces and familiar places. I was glad to hear that Baekhyun would also be going to school with me in Seoul, attending Yonsei, as well as Jongin, who was majoring in dance at an arts school. I didn’t dare ask about Yixing; what right did I have? Last I heard he was dating Sooyeon, one of the girls who used to sit behind me in Calculus.

The start of the new term also brought changes. Minseok and I were both living on campus since our house was not at a convenient location for public transportation. For the second time in my life, I was away from everything I had grown up with, away from home and away from my mom. Still, I knew that I could handle it because honestly, nothing seemed hard or impossible compared to escaping from arms-smugglers out for blood.  

My roommate is a girl who actually was from Bucheon. She was really nice, and peeked at Minseok with interest when he helped me move in.

“Your brother is kind of cute,” she told me. I chuckled, suddenly reminded of Baekhyun and his undying love for Kris.

I made plans to meet up with Baekhyun again with excitement.

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