A/N: Yeah OK sad scenes are the worst.

Remember: English, Mandarin, Thai, Korean

"My parents were killed in a car crash."

Kyungsoo drops the spoon into the soup.

"Three days ago. It was instantaneous, they say. The funeral was yesterday, but I only found out today."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be," you tell him, abruptly fierce. "I hate that. Why should you be sorry about something you didn’t do?"

Silent, D.O. fishes out the spoon and wipes it off, regretting his earlier irritation with you. He hands it to you and pushes the soup towards you. "Drink."

Obediently, you start to drink the soup.

After finishing half the bowl of soup, you rest for a moment.

"Sing for me," he says suddenly, finally deciding to act on his curiosity. Maybe it'll distract you, anyhow.

You squint your eyes at him. "Did you knock your head or something when I wasn't watching? I can't and don't sing." You perk up slightly. "Though, as I recall, you suggested that I could learn how. Does that mean you'll teach me?"

Kyungsoo winces. Curse his impulsive suggestion.

"I heard you sing, earlier."

"Not possible," you deny.

"During Sukira. When Lay was performing that Chinese song."

You look at him questioningly. "What Chinese song?"

"Don't you remember?"

"Not really. I just kind of remember getting introduced to Ryeowook-ssi."

"It was called The Moment, by a Taiwanese singer. Yan something-or-another."

"Oh, right. One of the only singers I listen to. I think I fell asleep somewhere in the middle, though. I swapped spots with Lay, right?"

"Yes, well, you sleep-talked. Or sleep-sang, in this case," he informs you.

"I don't sleep-talk unless I'm stressed… Never mind. I still can't sing. How could you hear me across the room, anyway?"

"You were singing into the mic-"

"Oh, ," you swear fervently. He's appalled at your language, but keeps going.

"-but I averted the crisis. The fans think they heard wrongly. Let's just hope they don't uncover the fact that you're actually a girl. Though with the way you swear, you might be mistaken for a guy."

"…Did you just make a joke?" you gasp. "Kyungsoo-ssi-"

He flinches.

"… Oppa?"

He flinches again.

"What am I supposed to call you if you jump every time you hear me?" you ask exasperatedly.

"Just call me oppa," he allows.

"Araso…yo, oppa," you smile.

"And just give up on the formalities. It makes me more uncomfortable since you sound so awkward," he grumbles unwillingly.

"Araso, oppa!" you grin widely. "Gomawo for tonight, you really helped me a lot. I owe you."

Somehow, Kyungsoo can't give up hearing you sing. "Pay it back by singing for me."

You frown at him. "Oppa, I can't sing."

"Just try," he insists. "The Moment, or some other song."

Instead of arguing (he really won't give up T_T), you think for a while and then start to sing, staring self-consciously at the table.

When you begin, Kyungsoo stills. His jaw drops slightly and his eyes fix on your face as you sing, oblivious to his regard.

比寂寞更寂寞 by Arron Yan

Loved for three years, I still didn’t change
I still can believe the same set of lies
Your explanations emit deviousness

Nothing matters
At least I can enjoy your expression of feeling guilty
It comforts me a bit

How can one be lonelier than loneliness
Your eyes have no life, but you still say you love me
One kiss makes me surrender
I feign happiness and fall down again

Obviously one can be lonelier than loneliness
I know your excuses better than anyone else
But still make the same beautiful mistake
I continue to love you and fall lonelier than loneliness

After our fight, I try to fall asleep
I don’t want this story to change
I can hold my breath, but can’t hold the tears

I continue in circles
Don’t want to discover my hot chest and the burning tears
Waiting to tear me apart

What love can be lonelier than loneliness
I play along with your acting, when will the curtains close?
Do you want to escape, too?
Forcing you to love me will only make me lonelier than loneliness

Although the song is a love song, its premise of being lonelier than lonely rings true with your own situation right now, so true that you can't stop the tears leaking from your closed eyes as you finish the song.

Damnit. I was trying to distract her, not bring her back to the topic.

Kyungsoo snaps his jaw shut and fidgets, not knowing what to do. "Jin Ae…"

You wipe the tears from your face.

"Jagi?" he calls questionably.

You feel as if you've relieved some of your burden through the song, and when you look up, it's with brighter eyes than before. However, though you're already used to being called Jagi, somehow it feels a bit different now.

"Gomawo. That was beautiful," he says sincerely. "Although I didn't really understand, I can tell it's a sorrowful song. Thank you."

You smile faintly.

"Your voice is really stable, clear, and soulful. Some people would kill for that voice, without any kind of training."

"Gomawo, oppa."

"Do you have perfect pitch?" he asks curiously.

"I think so."

He exhales, a thousand thoughts running through his head. "Lucky. Drink your soup."

***

By the time you finish the second bowl of soup D.O. orders, you've regained some color and can walk by yourself. You insist on paying for the food, and while at the counter, have a revelation. You won't be receiving any more allowance from Mom and Dad, or school tuition. Their money is now your money, unless you have some obscure relative you don't know about. And to get that money, you need to be present at the reading of the will– Oh, goddamnit. You resolve to finally face the emails piling up in your inbox tonight, and put the whole mess out of your mind for the time being.

"Gomawo again, oppa," you thank Kyungsoo as the two of you leave the restaurant. There's nobody around. "Have a safe flight tomorrow morning. What time are you leaving?"

"6 am."

Your eyes widen as you check your phone. It's already 1:30 am. "Oppa!" You flag down a cab and push him in. "Mian for taking up your time, now go prepare for your trip and sleep! Oh geez, manager oppa is going to be so pissed."

He almost smiles at your haste. Impulsively, he blurts out a suggestion before the cab drives off.  "You can drop by to see us at around 5:45, right before we leave."

Surprised by his offer, you smile at him sweetly and wave. "Araso. Annyeong~"

He can't stop himself from smiling back and lifting a hand. "Annyeong."

***

Sitting in the taxi on the way back to SNU, you finally check your texts. You have about, let's see, a gazillion from Kris, another gazillion from Wiwat, and only about a thousand from Peniel, Sehun, and the other EXO members. You roll your eyes. Great.

From: Wiwi

Are you okay? Is Kris taking care of you? If you don't reply this time I'm going to go beat them up!

To: Wiwi

As if you know where their dorm is. I'm fine. I was just a bit out of sorts for a while. Don't worry. I'll drop by sometime this week. Muah~

From: The Kid

Noona, oediya? Gwenchana?

To: The Kid

I'm fine, Sehunnie :) Tell your hyung-deul I'm fine, too. Soo oppa took good care of me. I'm coming by tomorrow morning to see you guys off.

Oh, and tell Kris I'm not replying to his texts because he sent too many.

From: The Kid

Araso, noona. Get back safe.

From: 巨人Kevin Wu (吳亦凡)

What do you mean I sent too many? I was beyond worried T_T

To: 巨人Kevin Wu (吳亦凡)

I mean you sent too many :P Don't kill oppa, he took good care of me. You kill him, I kill you :* I'm really okay. See you in a few hours!

From: Penny Shin

Okay. You haven't replied in way too long... I'm 200% sure that you're really messed up right now. I hope those guys are taking care of you.

As perceptive as ever. How do you still know me so well?

To: Penny Shin

It's a little scary how you knew that, but yeah, Soo oppa helped me out. I never want to go through that horror again.

Much to your bemusement, he replies immediately.

From: Penny Shin

That's cause I'm your other half~ We still on for tomorrow? Or see how you feel when you get up.

To: Penny Shin

Aie! Go sleep, you crazy fool. Yeah, we're still on...

You hesitate before typing the next bit.

...Don't really think being alone will do me much good.

From: Penny Shin

Alright. I'm glad you've changed :)

Yeah, sleep– I wish. We're actually on our way back to the dorm from a schedule.

The guys say hi. Sungjae's still going on about you. Satisfy his curiosity tomorrow, hey? The kid is going to drive us insane at this rate.

By the way, I'm surprised SNU students haven't swarmed you yet.

As you receive this last text, the cab pulls up to the entrance to the campus.

To: Penny Shin

Knock on wood. I just got back to campus. I don't know why they haven't, either. Hopefully the whole thing dies down in a few days. It'll complicate things if my identity leaks out.

Knowing Peniel, he's probably thinking hard about what you mean by "things" and will threaten you with bodily harm if you don't tell him tomorrow. Oh well. You lock your phone decisively.

You skirt around someone asleep on the ground by the dorm. He appears a little too well-dressed to be homeless, though.

Making your way quietly into the building, you hear two familiar and unwelcome voices.

"Chaeyoung unnie, you're so smart! I can't believe you thought of that."

Giggles come from the room that houses the two girls from the café. The es. You force yourself to walk calmly and noiselessly to your room.

 "I know, right? Keeping our silence about Jin Ae being the Mona Lisa, in return for meeting GOT7 and 2PM? Honestly, telling the press wouldn't do us any good– good thing JYP didn't think of that. I just wish I had some way to get back at her."

"Right. But unnie, what did she do?"

"… She's just a . Anyway, it doesn't matter. I can think of something. I'll make friends with 2PM oppa-deul and show them who she really is."

You nearly burst out laughing. Having heard enough, you open and close the door to the building, as if you've just entered, and walk normally down the hallway.

The door to their room opens. You look up. "Oh, anneiyeong," you greet Jieun cheerfully.

"A-annyeong, Jin Ae," she stutters and bows uncomfortably.

"Oh, is she finally back? I wonder which clubs she hit up this time," a sneering voice says from inside.

Pretending not understand, you bow before entering your own room. "Challcha~"