I leaned my hand against the wall as I crossed out another day on my calendar. Nearly two months to the day since I’d arrived in New York, and already so much had changed… it felt a little more like home; I had friends, I was steadily adapting to the fast pace that a city as big as New York was eternally locked in. My classes were less overwhelming and more, challenging. But another important date, and the one that I had my eyes locked onto, was 2 days from now.

October 15th. Donghae’s birthday. Yet still I hadn’t figured out what present to get him, even though it would already be impossible to send anything to Korea in time. It was a little bit pathetic that I was letting myself become so worked up about it, but I somehow felt it needed to be something special this time. Snow globes and discount designer clothes wouldn’t be enough to make up for my absence on the day he turned 19.

I was fully dressed and busy making pancakes by the time Kyuhyun finally came out of his room, but that was nothing new. In fact, I would be surprised to see him before noon if he hadn’t promised me the night before he’d be up early to help me find Donghae a present.

"You call this early?"

"You don't?" Kyuhyun rubbed the sleep from his eyes before raising an eyebrow at the food I was putting on plates, "Jesus, ever since you arrived I feel like I'm staying in a 5 star hotel."

Ignoring him, I put the plate in front of where he'd sat down and turned around to put a copious amount of syrup on my own pancakes. Kyuhyun must have taken a bite because I heard a low moan, and I glanced behind me to see his eyes almost crossed in pleasure as he chewed.

"Seriously, if you're..." He paused to swallow, sighing lightly, "If you're trying to make friends with me using food, it's working very well."

I only snorted. That wasn't exactly my intention, I was just craving pancakes and decided to make him some too...but if he was offering friendship, I would take it. I needed all the familiarity I could get here; but thinking about it, that was probably why the University put us together in the first place. We could speak Korean to each other, a welcome break when all day you've been struggling to translate the fast and slurred dialect of New York.

I discovered just how hard it was to understand the people living in New York as soon as Kyuhyun showed me the first place of apparent importance the morning after I arrived; the café at the end of the road. When he ordered a double espresso and a cream cheese bagel I had to bite my tongue to keep from remarking that we’d eaten donuts about 10 minutes before while he insisted they were the best things New York had to offer. But however enthusiastic he'd been about them, they seemed to pale in significance compared to his excitement when he picked up that bagel. I had discovered that food was one of the few things that didn’t irritate Kyuhyun, outside that and his games, he became quickly bored of things and wasn't afraid to say so. 

While some of his various quirks – such as his strangely sadistic humour and a tendency to use strategic game terms in everyday conversations – made him difficult to live with at times, his blunt honesty was what I needed today. If what I chose for Donghae was a bad idea, he wouldn't hesitate to let me know.

"You ready to go?" I asked him, slipping on a coat against the early autumn chill that had recently begun to creep through New York. Kyuhyun nodded, not bothering to change out of the tracksuit bottoms he'd slept in as he slipped into battered trainers and followed me out of the door. There were a lot of shops to choose from in a major city like this, but we were always thinking about saving money and the 20 minute walk to the nearest mall seemed worth the $5 each that we saved.

"So this Donghae guy is the reason I'm being dragged out when the sun is still in the sky?" Kyuhyun chuckled as he took one hand out of his pocket to scratch his head. "He better be worth it. I've heard you laughing with him way past midnight sometimes. What is he, a best friend?"

"Yeah, we've been friends since we were kids." I smiled at the memory of our phone calls. We never talked about anything important or interesting, and sometimes we hardly talked at all, but it was the highlight of my day. To hear the tantalising sound of home giggling in my ear over a cartoon while I read a book made those early morning hours precious in a way I couldn't quite explain. 

"Sometimes it sounds like you're more than friends. I mean, you're acting like a hormonal teenage girl getting me to help you choose a present."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I pushed his arm, astonished that he would suggest something like that. Sure, we were close, but we were more like brothers than anything. "And hey, you're the one who offered to help me."

"Yeah, when you wouldn't stop whining like a little about it."

I scoffed at him as we reached the towering walls of Rockerfeller Centre. It was one of many multi-storey malls in the city with countless shops crammed together and fighting for customers, but looking around there was still nothing that caught my eye. First allowing Kyuhyun to drag me to a smoothie bar, I sipped thoughtfully as my eyes flicked between the stores once again. Clothes, Gadgets, Sweets, Souvenirs. It was all here, but none of it felt right. 

Kyuhyun jabbed a skinny elbow into my ribcage, effectively interrupting my train of thought. But it wasn't to make a snide remark or complain about a passer-by who had done something to annoy him. No, instead he looked at me with a strange, unreadable expression, a rare smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"So when is Donghae coming to visit?"

"He's not. He's afraid of flying." As much as I fought to keep the bitter edge from my voice, I must have let some sort of emotion seep in, because Kyuhyun smirked as if he'd found whatever he'd been looking for in my expression.

"You said you both love Bruno Mars right?" Still with that stupid smirk on his face, Kyuhyun pulled out his phone, and began typing at a ridiculously fast speed for a few seconds. His phone vibrated almost instantly, and he looked up, uncharacteristically patting my cheek. "I've got it sorted."

15 October 2014 00:00 AM

Eunhyukkie: LEE DONGHAE!!! Happy Birthday, I'm sad that I don't get to see my best friend turn 19 but I'm here through text and you better send me pictures of the fun you're having. Have a great day, ok? Love you! (I better be the first text, I've been waiting with this typed out for 10 minutes...) 

Haekdonghaek: Hyukkie~~~ you're the first to text! Here I was thinking you'd forgot all about me, seeing as you're a New York superstar now ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I love you too, idiot! The only thing that is you not being here... ... ㅜㅠ

Eunhyukkie: Good! ^^ hey, I don't think doing advanced algebra in tiny cafés counts as a superstar life!! I know, I'm sorry...but uh, I still got you a present...

Haekdonghaek: I remember when you'd do your work in my café and I'd sneak you hot chocolates~~~ miss you. A PRESENT?

Eunhyukkie: Aww I miss your secret hot chocolates...and you, of course ;) yeah um, see, I know how much you like Bruno Mars, and he's doing a massive concert here, so I managed to get us both amazing tickets!!

Haekdonghaek: A concert... as in... New York...? A concert in New York?

Eunhyukkie: Yeah!! I mean I know it's a long way to go but trust me they're brilliant tickets, front row, and...you'll get to see me too? I asked Kyuhyun and you can stay here, so don't worry about that either. What do you think?

Haekdonghaek: You know I hate flying Hyuk. It s me up so bad. I'm having a panic attack at the thought of it.

Eunhyukkie: But you've never even been on a plane...it's not that bad, honestly. Come on Donghae, what are you gonna do, stay in Korea for your whole life?

Haekdonghaek: Why would you prompt me to go on a plane knowing I'm scared of flying..?

Eunhyukkie: Oh, I don't know Donghae, maybe I was just trying to push you out of your little ing bubble that you refuse to leave? I wanted you to see what life is like here, and to be honest I miss you so much it hurts, I wanted to see you and make your present special. Something to remember. But apparently you'll never get over that stupid irrational fear of flying, even for me. Forget it, I'll sell the tickets.

Haekdonghaek: Oh.

15 October 2014 02:49 AM

Haekdonghaek: What date is this concert?

Eunhyukkie: 27th of May...not that it matters to you.

15 October 2014 03:20 AM

Haekdonghaek: Flights booked. See you May 24th. Happy now?

Eunhyukkie: Fine, was that so hard? You're lucky I didn't sell them yet...

Haekdonghaek: Yeah it was hard. Considering I owe Jongwoon rent and I just blew all my cash.

Eunhyukkie: If you're going to make me feel bad I'll pay for the plane tickets as well, I just wanted you here, ok? Anyway, go to sleep, it's late there. And have a good time without me tomorrow. Goodnight

Haekdonghaek: I miss you

Eunhyukkie: I miss you too x