A/N: English, Chinese, Korean

It's been a while, mostly because I couldn't find it in me to write about Kris.

I hope this is ok... I've got a list of things I need to deal with in the story, so tell me if anything seems off.

紀念日 (The Moment) by Arron Yan

"This is all on live stream video, though," Tao points out.

Silence.

"," Kris swears violently. "I forgot!"

Ryeowook pales. He glances at the camera behind you, as if noticing it for the first time. "Oh no! I forgot that there's Bora today…"

The situation is one of the utmost urgency, but you let out a snicker despite yourself. Kris's profanity has brightened your mood just a bit.

"Gwenchana, everyone, I don't think her face has been caught on camera yet," Xiumin says, reading the live texts. "They don't even know she's a girl. Listen- 'Kris oppa! Who is that person?'"

"I guess I'll leave-" you rasp, trying to get out.

"No," Kris decides, much to the surprise of everyone else. He grips your shoulder firmly and pulls you towards him. "Does anyone have a mask?"

Luhan pulls out a familiar slip of material. Kris adjusts it over your face as you roll your eyes half-heartedly in annoyance. "Is this really necessary? I would rather sit outside," you complain half-heartedly.

"Would you really, though? I think I know you better than that." Kris raises his eyebrows at you. "Come here."

I wouldn't, you admit to yourself as he steers you over to his chair. You don't have to look at him to know he's smirking that smirk of his. "Wipe that smug look off your face," you warn.

The tall blonde chuckles. "Sit," he orders, trying to press you down into the only available chair.

"No, like hell I will," you retort, standing fast. "Just imagine what people will say. ', why are you making my Kris oppa stand?' From, every ing EXO fan out there," you remark bitterly.

"You say that like you have experience," Kai observes innocently.

"Jagi… You haven't… They haven't been harassing you, have they?" Baekhyun asks, aghast.

"You need to tell us about it," Suho frowns.

You regret having said anything about it. "Forget it."

"Jewel, if you've been getting messages-" Luhan starts.

"I got a new SIM card. It's fine. Kris, will you just sit down? Look, I'll sit here," you compromise, perching cross-legged on the piano seat behind him. "Just forget I'm in here."

"Why didn't you say anything about the messages?" Kris asks, reluctantly sitting down.

"Mics live in ten," Ryeowook notifies everyone.

"We'll discuss this later," Kris says firmly before slipping on his headset.

"Annyeonghaseyo, listeners! Some of you have been asking who this person is," Ryeowook says cheerfully, tackling the questions straight on.

"This is my friend from Canada, everyone," Kris explains. "He's feeling a little under the weather so I didn't want him to be alone."

You're a bit too far away to read the texts on the screen, coming in nonstop. Curious, you get up, making your hood covers your face and your hair is hidden. "Aw, Kris oppa is so caring!" You read over Kris's shoulder. The next one makes you tap him on the shoulder and point. "Oh? But he looks like a girl?" He's at a loss for one tension-filled moment, until you lift his headphones and whisper in his ear, making him grin.

"My friend would like for me to tell Kim Hyeonmi that he's offended. He thinks he's very manly, thank you very much," Kris relays your message. The room bursts into laughter as the EXO members chortle at the joke.

Kim Hyeonmi, you don't know how right you are, they think as they watch you go back to your seat.

The texts continue to arrive. "Your friend is Korean? How do you know him? When did you meet him?"

***

The next segment passes without much incident. The members talk about the possibility of going back on Immortal Song (what is that, you wonder), Suho and Baekhyun's MC-ing for Inkigayo, and some other shows that just all blur together. It's too much effort for you to care about what they're talking about.

Before long, it's the next commercial break.

"Is she sleeping?" Lay asks as they all get up to stretch.

"Ani," you respond, opening your eyes and sitting up. "Is it the next break?"

"Mm. So tell me about those messages you got," Kris demands as the rest of EXO clusters around. "When did you get them and what did they say?"

"I got them after I texted your stolen phone," you tell him. "And they just said... some stuff. So I got a new SIM card. It's not a big deal." Except that the new SIM card is the reason why my parents- You stop yourself from thinking any further. You don't blame him.

"Are you sure?" Luhan asks, worried.

"I dealt with it, don't worry," you sigh. "Stop fussing, Bambi. I'm going to have to start calling you mom soon." You try to make light of the situation.

These kids… I don't think I've ever seen them like this before, Ryeowook muses. They seem really concerned about Jin Ae… Is she really just a friend?

"Noona, did something happen?" Sehun asks cautiously in the silence, not forgetting the way you looked when you walked in.

You fall silent.

"What did your dean say about the exams?" Xiumin asks, more interested than he would like to be.

Chen notices something and inhales sharply. "What happened to your hands?"

The influx of questions is too much. You lower your head and close your eyes, subduing the tears that try to re-emerge as you remember anew the revelation you experienced earlier. "The exams were fine. I passed them," you answer, voice muffled. You avoid the second question.

Kris, knowing why your avoiding their gazes, sits next to you on the piano bench and pulls you into a hug, much to the befuddlement of the rest of the members. "Hey, Jewel, it's ok."

One of them experiences a mildly irritated feeling as he watches.

"Is she… crying?" Chanyeol voices out.

"SHhh," several of the others shush him. Suho shakes his head. So tactless. He flaps his hands at the group. Disperse. On second thought, he stops them. Better shield them from the camera.

So EXO stands in a silent wall between the camera and you as you almost cry for the umpteenth time today. You don't, of course, for fear of being caught on video, but you realize that isn't a possibility as you pull away from Kris and look up.

"Oh, guys… Gomawo, but I'm fine," you smile weakly at the eleven boys towering over you (and the older one who has come over to peek, curious). "Are you still on commercial break?"

They nod. "Two minutes," Ryeowook informs everyone.

You know that they all want to know what's going on, and that nobody wants to be the first to ask.

"She'll tell you when she's ready," Kris says firmly before you can say anything.

Nods of worried acceptance all around.

"Back to your seats, everyone." Ryeowook claps his hands.

You return to your previous position, head bowed and legs crossed on the piano seat.

"I heard that Lay has prepared a song to perform for us today," Ryeowook starts off.

"Oh, yes, I did," Lay answers, dimpling. You stifle a coo (your fragile mental state has you doing weird things). "A Chinese song called 紀念日 by Arron Yan."

Great taste, you think. Arron Yan. He's one of the few singers you actually listen to.

"Piano." D.O. points in your direction.

"Jew-" Eyes widen. "-lian," Kris improvises hastily, heart thumping from the close call. "Lay needs to use the piano," he finishes nonchalantly. You nod and slide off the seat, wobbling slightly as you experience a head rush. The consequences of not eating the entire day are starting to hit you. Seeing their concerned frowns, you crinkle your eyes over the mask and wave it away. "Stood up too fast," you say quietly. They don't look convinced.

"Just sit here," Lay gets up, gesturing at his now vacant seat as you loiter as mannishly as you can by the piano.

"'Is your friend a dancer, Kris oppa?' Choi Jinhee," Kai reads, grinning. Most certainly not, he thinks, exchanging looks with Lay. He shakes his head as his counterpart beams.

Lay's eyes light up as he's reminded of all that potential you have. Even this animated, his face only appears to be one of mild pleasure. But before you can laugh- "But really, if you just make it your own-" he says in a rush, inadvertently reverting to his mother tongue in his excitement. He claps a hand over his mouth as Kris and Luhan whip around to stare at him.

"哥(Ge)！" Tao lets out a sharp cry.

Oops. Lay's eyes widen and dart over to the computer as the rest of them freeze, not knowing how to react.

You think they're all being paranoid. It's not strange for people to know more than two languages. Besides, you're the first to realize, Lay is standing too far from the mic for. Tao, on the other hand…

"Guys, calm down, Lay's nowhere near the mic," you point out, careful not to react as if Lay spoke to you. "Tao, you better make something up."

"Mian," Chen lays a hand on Tao's arm, smiling ruefully. "Stepped on you by accident."

"'Chencing machine, are you dancing under the table? Kekekeke~'  Lee Jimin," Sehun giggles. Relieved laughter fills the room.

Crisis averted, several minds think as Lay seats himself at the piano. You maneuver around Kai and Sehun to perch on the vacated seat.

"Lay's cover of Ji Nian Ri by Arron Yan!" Ryeowook announces.

Somewhere in the middle of the song, you find it terribly hard to stay conscious. As you doze off to the song you've fallen asleep countless times to, you inadvertently begin hum, then sing along.

The others don't realize until Kyungsoo happens to glance at the computer. 'Lay oppa's live is like a studio version, it's like I can hear a female harmony!' Instantly, as if a switch is flicked, he can hear it too. His eyes widen in that characteristic shocked look of his as he whips his head around to look at you. . No way. It's barely audible, but there's no doubt that the voice in his headphones is yours.

Attuned to Kyungsoo's movements, Baekhyun, Chen, and Chanyeol look as well. "What's up, Do Dyo?" Baek teases out of mic-shot.

"Listen," D.O. breathes almost silently, not taking his eyes off you.

Then they hear it as well. Fascinated and horrified at the same time, the members of the beagle line stare at you, straining their ears but wishing you would stop.

"Compose yourselves!" Suho hisses quietly. Your voice is quiet enough to ignore, for now, but not if the others make it so obvious that you're the one singing.

Kyungsoo makes eye contact with Kai and stares intensely, trying to communicate an order. His eyes pass between Kai and you several times before he succeeds, Kai furrowing his brow as he suddenly notices your singing as well. But before he can wake you up, Sehun stops him with a hand on his wrist. Carefully, the maknae scoots the mic out of range. Leaning around you, the maknae whispers, "I want to listen."

Kai nods. He does too, actually. She can copy dances, but can she copy songs?

The two of them lean in imperceptibly, the only ones able to hear as the song comes to an end. Frustrated but relieved, the beagle line sits back.

She sounds so different when she sings, Kai muses. Her voice is beautiful.

Noona, you must be tired, right? You would normally never let down your guard like this, Sehun thinks worriedly.

The sudden applause as Lay plays the last chord has you bolting upright. Your hood almost slides off before Sehun and Kai reach for it at the same time, heads still near yours.

"Gomapta, guys." You crinkle your eyes sheepishly.

They exchange glances, but neither of them mention your singing. 

After some small talk about how Lay is so much more confident this time than he was when he performed Afraid, you and Lay get up to switch seats again. Or, Lay gets up and you try to, because suddenly the floor isn't there anymore and nor is anything else.