Henry can see the travel reporter’s discontent, it’s clear how much he doesn’t want to be there.

“You still haven’t forgiven him,” Henry realizes when Jungmo doesn’t ask for the translator. Jungmo glares.

“After what I went through, of course not. Luckily I’m not Hyesung’s type. Nor is he mine.”

“He’s filthy rich and has a kind heart, I say go for it.” Henry says plainly, earning a death glare to which he’s quite used to. “Hyesung looks like he likes you though, as a friend.” He adds.

“He is a good friend,” Jungmo agrees.

“Then why?”

“Because I don’t want to encourage Donghae to pull more stunts like that.” Jungmo seethes, clearly not over the incident. “Also, the mid-autumn festival, boss said to film that as well. Fortunately there’s such a festival this time of year.”

Jungmo’s cell beep and he reads it. “I’ll be off,” he stands up. “Remember to save our film, don’t know how much we can afford.”

Henry salutes his order, Jungmo casts a glare but Henry doesn’t mean it to be mocking. It’s refreshing to see his temperamental peer have someone to take his mind off this project. And from what he hears of their encounters from Donghae, they mostly just drink and rant about their lives, to the point where they don’t even need the translator there for most of it. Donghae’s clearly taking advantage of that.

Henry is tweaking with his camera when he feels a set of eyes on him, and looks up to see a young man standing against a pillar. He recognizes him as one of the men who keep peeking in during the chef’s scene.

He steps towards him and says a phrase, except it’s so long and jumbled that Henry blinks. He could say he was sorry, he doesn’t understand, but he doubted this man would understand that either.

The young man realizes the predicament and they both remain there, chuckling at the dilemma they were in.

“Xiumin,” he introduces and sits himself beside Henry, neither minding it. Henry introduces himself too and sees the other mouthing the foreign name. Xiumin then pulls out a cellphone and types in those circular words, and it slowly becomes a horribly Japanese phrase.

Clearly, these programs weren’t that reliable, but Henry gets the gist of the question. “I don’t visit the bar often,” he replies back.

Xiumin types in another phrase and Henry looks back at the cell, managing to translate the phrase to: “How long are you going to be here for? There’s only so much you can film.”

Henry types back and hopes it’s understandable. “Until winter it appears, our boss is pretty adamant that we do this right, our visas are prepared for it.”

Xiumin nods appreciatively, and then types in another. “Like it so far?”

Henry tilts his head, biting his lips and immediately thinks of the fun he’s had so far, and nods. Xiumin beams.

They both then turn their attention to a loud scuffle and sees Luna running with her head bobbing across the large hallway in her rice cake outfit. Henry laughs along as the other snickers, both amused. Henry briefly turns his attention to him and contemplates,

“I think we both have something in common, we like to observe.” Henry comments, his Japanese completely derails his new found friend, but Xiumin senses it’s a good thing and grins back.

-

Donghae is alone. Rare as it is, he’s not with Jungmo who’s off with his sudden best friend and drinking their woes away. He’s not with Henry, a decent man, who appeared to have gone to some soccer game for the day.

With nothing on his plate, he’d like nothing more than to speak with Sungmin until the day’s end and even past late hours, but Sungmin’s caught up in some work and he’s left with nothing until the day’s end.

He sighs, thinking over the previous afternoon when he appears in the lounge, and sees Sungmin speaking so happily (or happier) with Yesung and his brother. Seeing him at such ease, it bothers him a bit.

It won’t stop his advances at all, but it’s a little obstacle Donghae sees could be a problem.

“Sungmin,” he says out loud. “So sweet, so cute, so lovable.”

The first time he meets Sungmin, it’s at a conference for various chefs and cooks to demonstrate their best cuisine. Donghae led a Japanese hospitality-focused group through, and stops in front of the booth.

At the time, Sungmin was still not managed by anyone, and working so diligently, he still musters a hopeful look as he serves them his samples. Donghae eats a bite and recalls praising the would-be chef.

It’s probably been that long since Sungmin willingly smiled at him, the thought is a little bitter, but Sungmin’s happy expression he made that day still stayed with him.

“I was wondering where you’ve been,”

Donghae pauses his trip down memory lane and looks back, ever since his advances were made clear, Sungmin’s been more than resistant. Still, at least he doesn’t completely ignore his presence, Donghae takes that thought lightly. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“When has that stopped you before?” Sungmin counters, sighing as he takes a breather in the cooler evening breeze.

Donghae pats the spot by him, “You can rest on me.”

Sungmin arches an eyebrow, and his suspicious glance contrasts against the apparent innocence in Donghae’s eyes. “I can’t be out here long,” he excuses. “Yesung can only handle so many things. Even if the food’s done, I’d rather he wasn’t alone on his brother’s day-off.”

Donghae leered. “Leave it be.”

It? “You mean my best friend?” Donghae deliberately looks away. “You’re aware I have two.”

“Must you three conform to that title?” Donghae mutters bitterly, turning his head in complete defiance. Sungmin stretches his arms, and knows the translator can’t stay mad for long, especially not at him.

And true to his word, he hears Donghae childishly whine.

“Sungmin-ah,” he hums and the other looks back. “I wish you were mine.”

Sungmin stiffens a bit, and manages to make a comeback, “keep wishing then.” He manages to brush off most instances, but there’s other times when he can’t quite recover.

“I will,” Donghae says merrily, and Sungmin pauses before returning to the kitchen.

He claimed it was fate that Sungmin was soon taken by this exact hotel that Donghae frequents, Sungmin claimed it was luck. Donghae likes to think it was a little of both.

-

Changmin is finally finished with his shift. He feels like he’s taken a hundred showers, but the stench is horrific, either that or it’s permanently lodged to his senses.

He deliberated whether to bother buying colognes at the light, when he sees her stepping outside the hotel grounds.

“What are you up to?” He calls out. It’s a mistake on his part, a stranger acting so familiar would shock just about anyone and he regrets his attempt.

Oddly enough, she answers back as if they’ve known each other all along. “Avoiding my brothers.”

Changmin gives an understanding nod, “Annoying?”

“Protective.” Victoria corrects.

Changmin looks down, wondering if he should takes those extra steps and step on hotel soil. He’s still on serviced grounds. Maybe distant conversation was the better option at this point, he knew better than to press his luck, especially when it was made obvious he had none. “Finished working?”

“For now,” Victoria sighs.

Changmin nods again, smiling and proud that he exchanged at least some words with her, and is prepared to cut it short before she could. “Well then-”

“Would you like a drink with me?”

That floored him. “R-really?”

Kyuhyun and Yunho were not going to believe this. Changmin barely could believe it. “Sure, um, now or?”

Victoria starts walking and Changmin crosses the street, “I guess now,” he mumbles.

They’re sitting across from one another at a closed food stand that’s by the hotel lobby, overlooking the now darkening skies, though the land is flat in their view, there’s many temples and lit buildings to admire from the distance.

He sits and leans across the wall of the plastic table, looking up as she appeared after a brief leave, returning with a bottle in her hands.

“Isn’t that a bit expensive?”

“I have friends on the inside,” she smiles, placing the two clinking glasses on the table. “I doubt we’re going to even make a dent on the bottle.” She comments, crossing her legs and pours herself a drink. The alcohol is strong enough that with plenty of ice in both glasses, she just pours enough in his.

“So, what crime have you committed?” Victoria starts, Changmin chokes on his first sip.

He dabs his face and purses his lips, this evening might not be going as he planned, but he was starting to see his expectations go down the drain completely.

He sighed, “If you’re into bad boys, know that... I’m not going to do it for you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” She teases lightly, he forces a smile. If bad boys really were her thing, there was no way he could feign that.

“I’m not as fearsome as I look, I promise.” He offers.

“That’s a first, I never hear a wolf claim he’s a sheep.” She says, taking a second sip. Changmin’s a little in awe of how at ease she can take it and forces himself to take another.

It’s by the sixth sip when she begins to vent. “My brothers, though cute, take a little too much care of me. And they’re younger! I don’t think they realize the age differences there. I should be taking care of them.”

“I don’t think they mean any harm by it.” Changmin rationalizes, feeling the effects with just his third but trudges to finish this glass.

Victoria begins her seventh. Changmin’s not even sure how she can and cringes at the strong taste.

“This place is beautiful,” Changmin compliments. “It must be nice working here. There’s no better place in my opinion,”

“I assume you haven’t traveled often then.” Victoria says.

Changmin shrugs, “I still think this city’s the best.” He tilts his head groggily, trying very hard to remain sitting up. He closes his eyes but smiles, images running across his mind, “If I ever settle down, this place will definitely be it. Don’t you think so?”

Victoria looks up, squinting her eyes as if she could see the hotel through its walls. “I guess it is.” She sounds a little surprised at how honest she sounded.

The thought of the future is a little too pressing to them when sober, but it’s easier to think about when alcohol’s prompting them.

She then laughs, so abruptly it startles Changmin back to his senses. “What’s your name?” Victoria asks, realizing she never asked.

Changmin’s feeling enough of it to laugh with her and accidentally spills his drink on his shirt. Victoria shakes her head and reaches over, pulling the shirt and checks the stain.

“If you wash it tonight, you might be able to salvage this shirt.”

Without a muddled mind, his brain decides it’s a good idea to take off his shirt and give it to her. And for whatever reason, she accepts it. She folds it in her lap, “Now, name.” She orders.

Changmin gives it, and Victoria says it, tilting her head. “Decent name.”

“What’s yours then?” Changmin challenges.

She gives a wider smile, “Victoria.” She introduces.

He shakes his head, “What’s your real name? Not the one you give your tourists to call you by.”

She smirks, holding a glint in her eye as she pours a second into Changmin’s emptied glass.

“So-”

He opens his eyes, regretting it immediately as the sun pours overhead.

Changmin opens his eyes to see himself in the garden’s ditch, buried beneath flowers with Yunho and Kyuhyun looking above him.

“Well, isn’t this a sight?”

“G-guys, I talked to her last night, I actually spoke with her.”

Yunho and Kyuhyun exchanged looks as they pulled him out of there. “Right,” Yunho gives.

“N-no, I’m serious!”

“You’re hungover,” Kyuhyun pats his back. “Too bad the officer won’t let you go with that.”

“How-” Changmin clutches his head from stand upright. Hearing his slurring and incoherent state, he can see why the two don't’ believe him.

“Here,” Kyuhyun throws a cloth across his face. “I was planning on changing into it after work, but you looked like you needed it.”

He looks down and sees the spare shirt in his grasp. It really did happen, though he can’t seem to recall the rest of what happened, and wonders what exactly happened for him to be here and whether she was alright. She wasn’t in the surrounding area, so he assumes she’s good.

And to his greater surprise, she appears upright and fine when she walks with her tour group that afternoon. He begins to doubt that night’s ever happened, when she happens to look his way, and flashes a swift smile.

He’s visibly stunned, and gradually smiles back.

It appears against either’s expectations, they make a larger dent then they planned last night.