A/N: English, Chinese, Thai, Korean

Guuuuuuys- I'm sorry I left you for so long T_T

I've been getting, on average, 3 hours of sleep a night this week... incredibly swamped with work, and our school's yearbook deadline is coming up, and I just alkd;fjwefadf

I'm absolutely devastated to say that I'll probably be too busy to write for the next two weeks as well :( I'll make it up to you all over spring break, I promise!

By the way- I have no idea what's going to happen next. Any guesses?

"Hate to cut off your spiel, Jewel, but why are Kris and Mark facing off like angry rhinos?" Peniel asks. "Actually, just Mark. Kris has his 'what's going on' face on. It looks kind of funny. Mark is pretty short," he snickers. "But really, what's up with them?"

"Uh, no idea?" you try.

"Jewel…" Peniel warns. He sighs. "What did you do this time?"

"Well, I really don't have any idea about the Mark guy."

He just looks at you. You give up.

"I met Kris years ago. He was on his way to Korea. Remember my trip to Canada?"

"Oh, yeah? That's crazy."

"We got to talking on the plane-"

"Yadda yadda. Mind speeding it up?" he flashes a beguiling grin at you.

You cringe, roll your eyes at him and continue. "Yeah? You know what's even crazier? He just happened to walk into Angela's one day when EXO was in NYC for a concert, four years later."

"Ah, I remember that café. Don't tell me you really spent your entire college life in there," he begs.

"Yeah, well, Pen, if you hadn't left I wouldn't have," you say defensively. "Anyway, long story short, we became friends, I 'found out' about EXO, and I caused a bunch of trouble by accidentally being mistaken for a staff member while they were filming Weekly Idol."

Struck by realization, Peniel freaks out. "You're the Mona Lisa that Sungjae's been going on about? I haven't seen the news myself, but-"

"Yeah, I wish it never happened." You twist your fingers together painfully. " went down and I decided to remove myself from the picture."

The long-suffering look on Peniel's face is almost comical. "Don't tell me you decided to martyr yourself again. And don't even try to tell me you're not kicking yourself over that move."

"It was the only way-"

He face palms. "No, it definitely wasn't! Jewel, have I mentioned that you're incredibly dense?" he exclaims. "You always think you have to leave to resolve an argument! You need to go into screenwriting, you're so dramatic… You blow everything out of proportion!"

"I know, but I can't help it! I mess things up for everyone, Pen!" you choke, irrationally close to tears.

"You can't blame yourself for everything, Jewel! Why would something like being mistaken for a staff member be your fault? happens," Pen rants unsympathetically. "You need to let it go and accept that it's not your fault! Not just walk away like the idiot you are, every ing time!"

 "I try! I try to let it go but I can't! I can't, Pen!"

"Don't let it go, then. Talk it out," Peniel suggests blandly. "That would be the normal thing to do." His eyes dart to something behind you, but you don't notice.

"I want to fix it but I don't know how! Do they even want to have anything to do with me?" you burst out, finally saying out loud what you've been thinking for the past week. You stare at your shoes.

"Hey. Of course they do." Arms wrap around you comfortingly from behind.

"Thanks, Pen-" you look up. Peniel is still standing in front of you. You twist your head and glimpse blond hair on someone very tall. "Kris?!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't yell at her," Kris warns Peniel. "Even though she is quite the idiot."

"Sorry." Peniel tactfully retreats to join the rest of the group, which has formed a giant clump at the side of the room, Wiwat included. Snippets of frenzied conversation drift around while Mark leans quietly against the wall, just watching.

"…Mona Lisa…"

"Weekly Idol…"

"…S.M. trainee…"

"…official statement…"

"Can I have your autograph?"

You don't hear any of this. You're too busy trying not to notice how nice it feels to be hugged by Kris again.

"Let me go," you squeak nervously, fidgeting.

"No," Kris refuses cheerfully. He's full of confidence now that he knows that you don't want him to leave.

"Geez, how am I supposed to apologize if I can't even look-"

"I don't need to hear it, Jewel."

***

While the two of you reconcile, the door opens and JYP strides in, followed by an anxious Dohyuk. They beeline towards you, but Tao cuts them off and stares menacingly at JYP, daring him to interrupt. However, he's dragged away and chided by Luhan, who bows several times to JYP in apology before smacking the naughty panda with his shin. ("Ow! What did I do?")

They take another few steps and are stopped by Peniel. "They're having a moment-"

"Yah, Peniel," Hyunsik stops him with a hand on his arm and an are-you-crazy look. "That's JYP sunbaenim."

Peniel watches, frustrated, as they approach you and Kris.

Suddenly, however, Mark steps in front of JYP.

Silent until now, JYP stares at his artist in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, President, but I can't let you talk to Jewel today."

"Mark!" JB tries to tow him away, but Mark stands fast.

"You don't know what Jewel has gone through," he says, still staring JYP down.

Helpless in the face of the younger man's earnestness, JYP throws his hands up. "I can't argue with that, but I can't promise I won't contact her. I'll wait a day, how's that?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Mark nods unwillingly. He can't openly defy his president, and a day should be enough, considering the way you and Kris- He glances at you and immediately turns away. Just because he helped initiate the reconciliation doesn't mean he needs to watch.

JYP observes Mark silently. There's something there, between him and that girl. He shakes his head. He can't afford a scandal while still a rookie. Firming his lips, he makes a mental note. I'll look her up and make a visit tomorrow.

***

The two of you speak, oblivious to the action on the sidelines.

"You're coming back to the dorm with us tonight," Kris says in a tone of finality, spinning you around to face him.

"What? Kris, are you insane?" You step back, away from him. You really want to agree but you really don't. "Do you know how much trouble-"

"I don't care," he interrupts stubbornly.

"I have to get back for curfew-"

"Since when have you cared?"

You pause for a second. That's right, since when have you cared about the rules? Oh, whatever.

"The rest of the members, though-"

"They want you back too."

"Sehun-"

"Noona," Sehun suddenly cuts in, having come from the other side of the room.  He looks uncharacteristically nervous. "Noona, I'm sorry!" he blurts out, twisting his fingers together. "I didn't mean anything I said, I just wanted-"

"Sehun, it's not your fault-" you try to reassure him, aghast at his drastic change in behavior.

"Jewel, just let the kid talk, I bet he's been wanting to apologize the entire week. Plus, it makes me feel better," Kris interjects.

You shut up.

"Noona, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you with what I said, I never really thought you were using us for attention," he says in a rush, avoiding your eyes.

"Sehun-ah," you start, uncertain.

"Will you please come back? I- We missed you." He blushes. He blushes. Sehun, that emotionless maknae, blushes.

Stunned into silence, all you can do is stand and open-close your mouth weakly.

"Yes," Kris answers for you.

"Yes," you echo. "Yes?"

"Yes what?" Baekhyun pops up expectantly behind Sehun.

Your legs fold. Baekhyun's sudden appearance is the final straw on the night's events. Kris catches you and holds you up. "Easy there, Jewel. Baek, don't scare her," he scolds.

"How was the MC-ing, hyung?" Sehun questions awkwardly, avoiding your eyes.

Baekhyun ignores him, nudging Suho as he makes an appearance as well.

"Jagi! Does this mean it's all resolved?" Suho smiles happily. You manage a dazed nod.

"Jie jie is coming back?!" Tao whoops, bouncing over like a sentient, deranged pogo stick, the rest of EXO in tow.

"You mean emerging from her self-imposed exile," Peniel corrects him, grinning. "Glad to see you finally managed to correct one of your mistakes."

"Oh, is that what I did?" you ask, flashing a weak smile.

"Does that mean you won't be coming anymore?" Wiwat speaks up in a small, morose voice, stack of autographs in hand. It's the first time you've heard him speak Korean so haltingly, betraying his foreign origins.

"No, of course I'll come, I don't want to stop training!" you exclaim, shaken. The thought of dropping Muay Thai is abhorrent to you. "I just won't be coming as often."

"That's okay." He smiles, slightly strained. "I'll be going now, then." Without another word, he leaves.

"Jewel, you're so heartless," Peniel winces. "The poor guy…"

"He'll get over it in a few days when I see him again. So melodramatic," you roll your eyes. Wiwat's mopey act has served to snap you back to your senses, Kris is glad to see.

"Mona Lisa, can I have your autograph?" Sungjae pleads, out of the blue.

"What in the world…" you stare at him like he's wearing a banana on his head.

"Humor him?" Minhyuk begs. "He's going to go on about it all night if you don't."

"Oh, please, do it," Pen implores you. "Minhyuk isn't kidding. Sungjae is actually going to drive us insane."

"You make me go insane, you give me so much pain~" Changsub sings.

Everyone looks at him.

"Sorry."

***

"Jin Ae-ah, so what happened out there? Baekhyun and I were going frantic, but we couldn't do anything, it was horrible!" Suho turns to look at you from the front seat. You're riding with K on the way back to the dorm, much to M's dismay. Tao especially is extremely put out. Kris finds it intensely unfair.

"Yeah, Jagi, why did you faint all of a sudden?" Baekhyun asks, worried.

"Your friend Wiwat said you didn't eat lunch," Chanyeol mentions.

"BamBam was translating, huh?" you guess, amused.

"Yeah," he says cheerfully, unabashed.

"You band of eavesdroppers, you," you scold them.

"Sorry, noona," Sehun murmurs shyly beside you. It somehow feels like he's not only apologizing for the eavesdropping. You know he still feels guilty about being the catalyst for your departure.

You smile at him reassuringly. "It's okay, Sehun-ah." You sigh and settle into your seat, resting your head lightly on the maknae's shoulder. "I'm glad to see you all again. I've missed you."

Taken by surprise, none of them find the words to answer. You hear the deep silence of agreement and smile, lips curving slightly as you close your eyes.

We've missed you too.