Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

They landed safely around 8 p.m. They are greeted by a huge crowd of fans. Well yes, they are hallyu stars. They even have lots of fans in a country they even barely heard the name of.

They wave their hand, smile widely for their fans to see. They can’t wait for their reaction during their concert later. They’ll stay in Malaysia for 3days. Their visit in Phillipine, Singapore and Indonesia was a huge success. They have fun working and touring.

Their previous visit to Malaysia was a pleasant experience, so they are excited to come here again. Their hospitality is one of the best in the world, plus beautiful beaches, and the citizens are very, very friendly and helpful.

From KLIA they are going to ride a bus, completed with banner; 2PM World Tour was written there. They feel like world stars. They headed to hotel where they will stay along their time in Malaysia.

The journey takes about an hour and half, so most of them take the opportunity to sleep. There’s not much to see on the way to the city though. Khun plugged in his earphones and close his eyes, absorbed into the music. Well, at least he tried hard to.

***

Elyssa just arrives at KLIA from Senai International Airport around 6.45 p.m. She picks her luggage up and walks slowly to the arrival hall. She heard a really loud noise come from outside. So, she decided to take a detour. She hates crowd. Really hates crowd.

Since it is near Maghrib, she went to prayer room. She keep her belonging into one of the locker installed near the musolla and turns to go inside the toilet, also located just beside the musolla.

Unfortunately she bumps into something hard. She thinks in that split second, did she just hit the wall? She didn’t think so since the hallway quite spacious. When she lifts up her head she was shocked. Her heart stops beating for a while.

“Miss, are you okay?”

That guy’s voice shakes her out from her shocked state, and she let out her breath she didn’t even realize she holds just now.

“I am really, truly sorry. I didn’t see you coming. Seriously, I am sorry. Are you okay? I don’t hit you hard am I?”

She asks him back. She knows him, off course she knows him. How can she not? She’ll recognize him even he tries to hide behind those glasses and cap. His elegant aura can’t easily be covered.

“Of course I am, and even you did hit me hard I am not that easy to break miss. I am no sissy.” He replies, a little bit rude.

“Oh, I am sorry if I offended you. I don’t mean it like that. I am sorry again.” She stated.

She takes a peek at her watch, and says.

“If there’s nothing wrong so it’s clear between us right? I need to excuse myself. I have something important to do. Again, I am sorry sir. I really am.”

She rushes to the toilet and finishes her business there.

She enters the musolla and wears her telekung. She performs her jama’ prayer, and recites du’a and two pages of Quran. She waits for a little while, hoping the crowds will be gone by the time she go out.

She takes a deep breath and thinks.

“No wonder there’s a huge and loud crowd out there. They must be here for their world tour. How could I forget? They supposedly to have their concerts tomorrow night. Well, he does look handsome. Even more cuter without those heavy and ridiculous make-up.”

She smiles at her thoughts and shakes her head. After resting for half an hour she stands up. If she stays much longer, it will be hard for her to go to the hotel she needed to go. She joins some others who just arrive a little bit later than her, from the same hospital. Their director insisted for every major department to have a representative right. So here they are, getting ready for tomorrow’s conference.

They ride the ERL heading to KL central. From there, they will go to Hilton Hotel where they supposed to stay in these coming 3 days. The conference will be held in one of the conference hall in the hotel, so it is easier for them to stay at the same hotel.

They take their own time so she just sits at her seat, smiling to herself, still not able to forget their short, weird encounter just now.

***

Flashback:

He is walking alone after he takes a dump just now. Of all days why must he have diarrhea today? It must have been street food he tries in Indonesia before his flight.

He bumps into something while he is in his own world thinking what he can do to lessen the pain in his abdomen.

He stares at her, irritated. How could she seem so mong after hitting someone?

“Wait, she seems shocked. Did she recognize who I am? I will be in mess if she spreads this out. Oh, please. I am in this messy state, in pain. I even tried to cover myself up. Don’t want my fans to see me like this. God, please help me.”

He prays hard for his future. So he decided to be nice to her.

“Miss, are you okay?”

His voice seems to return her into conscious state.

“I am really, truly sorry. I didn’t see you coming. Seriously, I am sorry. Are you okay? I don’t hit you hard am I?”

She asks him back. He’s sure she knows him.

“Of course I am, and even you did hit me hard I am not that easy to break miss. I am no sissy.”

He replies, irritated. Since he is in pain, he is easier to become irritated. Usually he’s not like this.

“How could she be so casual with a celebrity?” Khun asks himself.

“Oh, I am sorry if I offended you. I don’t mean it like that. I am sorry again.” She stated. Still, with casual attitude and her poker face.

He sees her takes a peek at her watch, and says.

“If there’s nothing wrong so it’s clear between us right? I need to excuse myself. I have something important to do. Again, I am sorry sir. I really am.”

She rushes to the toilet. He just stares at her back, walking in rush. He stands there wonder.

“Wow! This woman really something isn’t she? That woman recognizes him just now. No doubt about it, considering she’s really shocked when she saw his face. But why didn’t she act like other fan girls? Did she’s not a hottest?”

He shrugged his thoughts and walks for three, four steps and stops again.

“There’s no single lady who didn’t fall for his charms, even though she’s not a hottest. So, why this lady is different? What is so important that she ignores an angel standing in front of her eyes? She didn’t even try to get his autograph just now. And what did she address him just now? A “sir”..seriously, sir? Hello, do I look that old?” He thinks to himself.

That were what bothered him so much.

So he decided to take a look. He stands a little far away from where she bumps him. Stays there and wait for her to get out from the bathroom. It didn’t take her long to settle her business and he sees her walking towards a room near the toilet. He follows her carefully don’t want to get caught and he saw her enter the room.

“Prayer Room” was what written beside the door she enters, with a symbol of green dome and a picture of a woman supposedly; wearing hijab, also green in color.

Oh, she is a muslim was what he thought. Yes, she did wear that hijab on her head. Silly him for not noticed that earlier.

He continues to wait for her outside, in the hallway a little bit far from the door. He notices that he shouldn’t be there when some of the lady walks in the same room give him a weird look. So he waited. But the waiting become long so he decided to go back to his crowd, or else he’ll get a nice beating from Minjun hyung.

End of flashback:

“Khun, we’re here. Wake up and move your lazy .”

Taec shakes his shoulder and “wakes-him-up”. Well, how could he wakes up a person who is not sleeping at all? All the way here all Khun does is thinking about that woman, that particular lady. She didn’t seem to fall in beautiful category, but she’s damn attractive. She’s different.

Khun smack Taec’s head and he sees Minjun join the force, slaps Taec’s thick arm.

“Yah, how could you talk to your hyung like that?” Minjun starts to nag.

“He’s not that old compare to me hyung”

Taec answer with a pout on his face.

Well, if he thinks he looks cute like that he is damn wrong. With body like his, he is not entitled to make those cute faces. It just looks so wrong on so many levels.

“Oh yeah? And where will that put me to you Taec?” Minjun asks him.

“Well, hyung you’re almost a year older than me, so it is understandable you are my hyung. But, he is just barely four month older than me. Four effing months.” Taec’s trying his best to reason with Minjun.

And that, earns him another slap on his other arm from Minjun.

“Don’t curse in the presence of maknae. And four months is still a hyung. Byunghee still sees Seungho as a hyung even though they just one month apart. So what is your problem huh? it up okay!”

As usual, Minjun end the argument with solid fact but still with some cursing.

“Hyung, you’re using impolite language.” Wooyoung whispers to him.

“Oh, my bad, I am sorry maknaes.” He apologizes and slaps Taec’s arm again.

“Hyung, what did I do this time?” Taec whines.

“It is your fault that make me curse in front of our innocent maknae.” He simply answers with a silly grin on his face.

“Channie is not so innocent anymore since he reaches 20 years old hyung. You should realize that.” Taec talks back.

“And whose fault is that?” Minjun shoots back.

Taec keeps his silence. It is his fault. Without Jaebummie, he is the one responsible in dragging each and every member of 2PM into a night club. And, Channie is not a special case so he’s also dragged along.

“Hey, enough arguing, let go check in. I am tired and I want to sleep.” Khun said and gets off from the bus.

“Hmm, Hilton Hotel!” he thought to himself, inhaling city air.

***

They arrive at the hotel around 11 p.m., they check in and were given their respective rooms. Elyssa have to share her room with one of her colleague, Natasha. This girl is nice, but sometimes she can be annoying. She’s younger than her by 2years, so she sometimes a bit childish and disrespectful. Otherwise, she’s basically a nice person.

They saw the bus with 2PM world tour banner just now.

“Did you think they’re staying at this very hotel?” Natasha asks her, excitedly.

Well, Natasha also a K-Pop fans. So, she really excited about probability of their encounter if they really stay at the same hotel as those idols.

“I don’t know, but if the bus is here, they’re most probably here right? It just we don’t know they came here just for dinner or they’ll be staying here.” Elyssa answers half heartedly.

Honestly, she didn’t really like it if they are really staying at the same hotel as the idols. It would be messy, loud, and crowd. Three things she hates the most. She would like to avoid those three things if possible.

Thus, she fastens her steps rush to her room. She needs to be inside right now, where she feels like she has her privacy and safe.

Natasha a bit further behind but she didn’t mind. She has her own key anyway, so she decides to look around a little.

Elyssa enters the elevator and push her level’s button, level 15. Elevator’s door almost closed but an arm caught between the door blades and the door reopens. A well built man enters the elevator.

“I’m sorry, didn’t see you coming. That’s why I don’t hold the door for you.” Elyssa speaks in English language since he looks like a foreigner.

He press level 25 button as soon as the elevator door closed. The man just nods his head and smile faintly. There’s triple lines form on each side of his cheeks, close to his eyes; just like cat’s whiskers and his dimples shown, even with his slightest smile.

“It’s okay. Nobody harms in the process, so no biggie.” He said. He has deep, masculine voice.

The silent atmosphere returns. And it is not an awkward one, instead it is comfortable; at least that what Elyssa thinks.

That muscle man just stares ahead so Elyssa takes a chance to look a while longer at the man. His height most probably more than 180cm, since she has to lift her head further to look at his face. He’s wearing black Rayban, casual long sleeved T-shirts; which he rolls a little, up to half his lower arm, blue jeans and brown, leather pair of shoes. She drags her gaze away from that stranger.

“He must been to gym a lot.” She thinks to herself and smile.

“Wait a minute. Why did I have a familiar feeling?” Elyssa keeps thinking.

*Ding*

Elevator bell rings. Elyssa has arrives at her floor. She excuses herself from the stranger and walks out of the elevator. She turns for last time before the door close and at that time that stranger takes off his sunglasses.

And her jaw dropped for the second time today.

“Oh, that was why I think he looks familiar just now”, again, she thinks to herself.

“So they’re staying in 25^th floor,” her monologue continues.

She gets into her room, unpacks her clothes and washes up. She climbs up her bed and read a medical journal, recently published. She needs information for her thesis, so she didn’t have time to waste.

Natasha come in when she’s about to sleep. She just smiles at her and says,

“Any gossip you have, hold it. I need my sleep right now, I am seriously sleepy.” as she sees her excited face.

Natasha just nods her head and unpacks her clothes, washes up and climbs her bed to sleep. She was also very sleepy and tired today. She boards the flight directly from work. She brings her belongings to work this morning, expecting the very similar thing to happen.

They don’t need long time they have drifted into their deep slumber already.

***

They get up early that morning, take their bath and perform Subuh prayer together. Then they get ready for the conference. Elyssa wears baby blue colored Baju Kurung and completed her style with pink shawl; matching to flowers’ color on her cloth. Natasha decides to wear turquoise, long sleeved maxi dress with her silver glitter shawl.

Registration starts at 8 a.m. they want to be early since earlier person can choose the best seat.

They go down around 7.15 a.m. Hotel prepare buffet breakfast for the customer. They have their breakfast, Elyssa choose to eat Nasi Lemak with Chicken rendang, accompanied with black coffee while Natasha eats toasted breads with half cooked egg, boiled sausage, and baked beans; Western style breakfast, also with black coffee.

They sit at a round table near swimming pool. Taking sips of their coffee, eating their meals slowly and have light conversation.

Their conversation slightly disturbed when there’s loud noises coming from pool’s direction.

When they turn their head towards the direction, they can see a man in mid twenties is having problem with his legs while swimming.

“Poor him, he must be having cramps.” Natasha commented on the incident.

“Well, if he patient enough to warms up properly before he dives into that pool, this thing won’t happen don’t you think?” Elyssa state the obvious.

“Hmm, you got a point there but he’s in pain right now. Didn’t you feel pity towards him?” Natasha asks her then.

“Well, the pain is on him so, there’s no use pitying someone who doesn’t pity himself.” She smiles as she said that. She turns to see him again.

Her eyes widen when she saw the guy’s face. 

She then shrugged her thoughts and smiles to herself.

“If we’re done here, let’s go to the conference hall. Or else others will get the best seat.” Elyssa said try to drag them away before Natasha recognizes that “cramp guy”.

Natasha just nods her head and they stands up then, walking towards where they will spend the next three days; conference room at second floor.

***