I smiled at the person next to me to which I was holding onto his hand.

 

He looked down at me with a smile as well and pecked my cheeks.

 

I blushed at the small gesture.

 

It has been a year now and today was our first anniversary together.

 

A week or so ago, he had asked his manager for a day off and he had been granted that wish only a day before.

 

Now, as we walked slowly around Seoul, we weren’t talking but enjoying our time together.

 

The silence between us was not awkward like most couples but it was comfortable.

 

It was peaceful.

 

I knew, that as we said nothing to each other for the past hour or so we had been together, that we were both thinking about our past.

 

How we met, how we got together.

 

And I couldn’t help but think to myself, what I did in my past lives to deserve such a boyfriend?

 

I didn’t know his thoughts, but I could guess that he was also thinking the same thing or possibly thinking the same thing.

 

As his grip around my hand tightened, I suddenly felt right at home.

 

Seoulwas never my home to begin with.

 

But now, I knew, that it was going to become my future home.

 

 

 

 

As he and I walked down the streets of Seoul, the past seemed the flash by my eyes as the car zoomed by us one by one and I smiled to myself.

 

“What are you thinking about?”

 

He said to me softly and I looked up at him with a twinkle in my chocolate eyes.

 

“Our past.”

 

***

 

As I stood under the shelter of the closed coffee shop, I peered at the sky above me.

 

The sky was a dark grey and the clouds were low.

 

I sighed and wrapped my hands around my unprotected arms.

 

The weather forecast had said that it was going to be a bright and sunny day.

 

“I’m never believing the weather forecast again…” I muttered to myself and I shivered.

 

Suddenly, I heard a slash of water to my left and I turned around to where the sound was coming from.

 

There were 5 boys running towards me, each with a coat over their heads, covering them.

 

“Pali pali dongsaeng!” The one at the front shouted.

 

“Arraso arraso hyung!” Another shouted back.

 

As they ran past, I vaguely remember hearing their voices somewhere, but my mind was numb and blank from the heavy rain and the coldness that surrounded me.

 

When the last person ran past, a longer coat over his head compare to the other 4, he stopped a few metre’s away from me.

 

He was so tall with such long and thin legs.

 

I wasn’t envious but it’s hard for any guy my age [or around my age] to have such perfect legs…unless idols counted.

 

I wanted him suddenly turn around and run towards me.

 

The second he reached me, the sky darkened even more.

 

The boy took off his coat and wrapped it around me.

 

I narrowed by eyes by his gesture seeing as I didn’t know him but just before he left, he flashed me a smile that I was absolutely positive I had seen somewhere before.

 

I just couldn’t remember where.

 

Before I even got the chance to say a quick “Thank You” he had disappeared behind the thick veil of rain.

 

I stared at where he disappeared, my hands clutching the side of his long coat.

 

“Kamsahamnida…”

 

***

 

The next few says was busy for me because it was time for the mid-terms.

 

I was only in Korea for about 10 months for an exchange program and I had already been here for 5 months.

 

The coat the boy had lent me hung in my small closet in my dorm that I shared with another girl that was out most of the time with her own friends.

 

I had searched for any sign of ownership on the coat but the only thing I got out of it was, C.M.H.

 

I was never good at name guessing.

 

For a week or two, I left it there, it getting forgotten and collecting dust.

 

When the mid-terms had finished, I got back to my dorm with a large smile on my face.

 

When I entered my dorm, my mobile rang.

 

I picked it up.

 

“Yeoseyo?” I said to it at the same time, taking a magazine from my desk drawer, dropping it onto my pillow and began to flip through it.

 

“Hey! Did you hear the news about Minho?”

 

I said up bolt right.

 

“No…what happened to him Mini?”

 

“Go on allkpop. It’s the biggest news so far. You can’t miss it.” My best friend from Australia said to me instead of answering my questions.

 

I rushed of my bed and scrambled onto my chair.

 

Hurriedly, I lifted my Mac Book Air lid and waited for it to boot.

 

“What happened to him Mini? Did something happen like during Dream Team? Remember?”

 

I still remembered the consequence of Minho in Dream Team, 2010.

 

He wasn’t able to make the perfect comeback with his fellow members on their urban electronic song, Lucifer.

 

I felt really down during that time because I couldn’t see his flaming charisma on stage.

 

“No…it’s not that server but…it’ still bad seeing as they have such a busy schedule now that their popularity is gaining.”

 

My laptop had booted up now.

 

I opened up Safari while saying to Mini.

 

“Chat later. On allkpop.”

 

“Kay. Talk later than.”

 

“Ciao.” I hung up and clicked onto my favourites and when I found allkpop I clicked on it.

 

I saw the large link on the top of allkpop and clicked on it.

 

I began to read.

 

“SHINee Minho had a flu (fever and cold)!

 

Yesterday, Minho, the tallest member of SHINee, supposed to make an appearance on Star Golden Bell, an idol variety show, with the leader of his group, Onew.

 

He was replaced by their maknae Taemin.

 

Onew stated when asked why Taemin took over Minho’s place. “Minho has caught the flu from a week or two ago and he will be having some trouble showing up to many variety shows in his getting well period.”

 

Taemin elaborated. “Minho hyung had been feeling unwell for the past few days bit it was only this morning did we realize that he had caught the flu which brought on a high temperature fever. He should be attended to now.”

 

Let’s all wish Minho-ssi of SHINee, a quick recovery! Minho fighting! SHINee FIGHTING!”

 

I stared at the screen.

 

Suddenly, I rushed to my closet and banged open the doors.

 

I took out the coat and stared at the initials sewed inside of it.

 

“C.M.H…Choi Min Ho…?”

 

I whispered to myself.

 

“No way…”

 

Suddenly, I remembered his smile.

 

“It is him…” I said to myself, surprised and happy at the same time.

 

I clutched onto the coat for a minute before I left my dorm, the coat in my arms.

 

***

 

I stood in front of the building, hesitant of whether or not I should go to see SHINee and ask them to help me to give the coat the Minho.

 

I sighed and turned around.

 

Suddenly, a voice called out.

 

“You’re the girl that Minho lent his coat to huh?”

 

I froze.

 

It was Key.

 

I turned around slowly and saw the three members, Taemin, Key and Jonghyun standing there, watching her.

 

I nodded and clutched onto the coat tighter.

 

“Is there something you would like?” Taemin said to me with a bright smile.

 

Despite the situation, I had to smile.

 

I picked up my courage and spoke.

 

“I would like to ask if you could return this to Minho-ssi for me? Because I didn’t know whose it was until today so I couldn’t return it before.”

 

I held out the coat and saw the three members of SHINee eye it.

 

Jonghyun walked towards me and when he was a few step away he said,

 

“Why don’t you give it to him?”

 

***

 

So, that is how I ended up standing at the front door of SHINee’s private dorm where no one had ever been to before.

 

“You coming in?” Key said to me, holding the door for me.

 

I stared for a second and then nodded.

 

I took a step in, took off my shoes and felt out of place.

 

“He’s sleeping I think. He’s in that room.”

 

Taemin pointed out to me from the kitchen and I nodded with a smile.

 

I walked towards the door that Taemin had pointed to and opened the door a crack.

 

I saw the back of Minho’s head and smiled, despite myself.

 

I walked in gently and closed the door behind me quietly.

 

I tip toed towards Minho’s bed and laid the coat down by his feet as gently as possible.

 

As I was laying the coat there, he suddenly turned around with his eyes wide, staring straight at me.

 

I froze, an awkward smile on my face.

 

He began to get up and I began to back away.

 

“Wait.” He said to me as I was about to open the door and leave.

 

His voice was heavy with not enough rest and I could see his body aching all over.

 

I sighed.

 

I felt so guilty.

 

I walked towards him and gently guided him back onto his bed and made sure that he laid down.

 

“You need some rest.”

 

He looked at me.

 

“But I want to talk to you.”

 

I smiled.

 

“Then talk while you’re resting. You’re already suffering from a cold because of that night, I don’t want you to suffer even more for me.”

 

He smiled as I said that I smiled back at him.

 

“Sit down.” He said to me.

 

It wasn’t a command.

 

It wasn’t a statement.

 

It was more like a favour.

 

He just said it like a command.

 

I sat down.

 

He began to talk.

 

***

 

I woke up.

 

I didn’t know where I was.

 

I had blankets covering me and my head was on a pillow but I didn’t recognized where my surroundings was.

 

Suddenly, I remembered.

 

I was at SHINee’s dorm.

 

I looked around me, my head still on the pillow and I realized that I was sleeping on Minho’s bed.

 

I shot up into a sitting position and was holding onto the corner of the blanket, about to flip it off me when the door opened.

 

Minholooked at me and I stared at him.

 

He looked better.

 

“Are you okay now?” I asked him cautiously as he walked towards me.

 

He smiled at me and nodded.

 

He sat down in front of me, saying nothing else.

 

I stared at the floor beneath me and I could feel his gaze look at me, unwavering.

 

I took the blankets off me and stood up.

 

He followed suit.

 

“I should go…”

 

I said quietly and was about to walk away when he said to me,

 

“I took a day off work today.”

 

I turned around to stare at him.

 

I didn’t understand why he was saying that.

 

“Let’s go out.”

 

***

 

I still remember where our first few dates were.

 

First- Amusement park.

 

Second- Beach.

 

Third- Arcade.

 

Fourth- Lazer tag.

 

The first date turned to another one, the next one turned to another one.

 

After that, he just asked me out.

 

It was simple and easy.

 

***

 

I stared at the view in front of me in awe.

 

I couldn’t believe that there was a place like this in Seoul.

 

I turned to Minho with a large smile on my face.

 

“This is beautiful…”

 

He smiled back at me in agreement and we just stood there, side by side, watching the view in front of us.

 

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around me and I could feel my heart stop beating.

 

I was about to speak when Minho beat me to it.

 

“Don’t say anything…”

 

I stopped what ever I was going to say and continued to look at the view in front of me, my heart banging on my chest.

 

Suddenly, he nibbled on my ear and I squirmed.

 

He chuckled into my ear and said softly,

 

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

 

I didn’t say anything for a moment as I tried to register what he had just said to me.

 

I turned around to face him, his arms around my waist.

 

“Are you being serious?” I asked him, scared to look into his eyes.

 

“Yeah.”

 

I lifted my head up to look a him and saw him smile at me and I knew that he was being serious.

 

I didn’t know what to do or what to say.

 

I just knew that my life in Seoul was about to get very interesting.

 

***

 

As I sat by the window of the coffee shop, people walking past me and car rushing in opposite directions, I smiled to myself.

 

Life was simple.

 

Minho put a cup of hot chocolate in front of me and I smiled up at him.

 

Taking the hot chocolate in both hands, I took a small sip.

 

It was hot.

 

I didn’t drink anymore of it but just left it there, in between my hands as I once again, stared out of the window.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Minho asked me a second time during the day.

 

I didn’t answer for a second and then I lifted up the hot chocolate and blew across the surface, trying to cool it down.

 

When I thought that it was fine, I took another sip.

 

It was still hot.

 

I put it back against the table, my hand not leaving the side of the cup.

 

I looked across from the table and at Minho.

 

I smiled at him and said, turning back to the view on the other side of the window,

 

“Our past.”

 

I could see his reflection and he was smiling at me.

 

Our relationship hadn’t been a normal one.

 

We didn’t talk or bond like most couples did because of Minho’s busy schedule daily.

 

All we did, was enjoyed out times together.

 

Neither of us would complain and if we had time, we would ask each other out.

 

It wasn’t a relationship that was falling apart like what most people thought.

 

We just had our own ways of loving each other.

 

As I continued to stare through the window, I said,

 

“Do you think life is mean to us?”

 

I turned back to Minho, expecting him to give me an answer.

 

I always asked questions like this so he should be used to it by now.

 

He took a sip off his coffee and replied,

 

“To many of us, yes.”

 

I smiled.

 

But then he said more.

 

“But for me. No.”

 

I looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

 

“I have everything I need and even though I’ve worked hard for it, I’m happy about the way my life is turning out. I have a good job, good friends and,”

 

He stopped for a second, looked out the window for a second and then back at me.

 

“A good girlfriend.”

 

I smiled.

 

“You’re a great boy friend too.”

 

We smiled at each other and said nothing more.

 

As we stood up to leave, we held our hands together and walked out.

 

As our feet hit the curb again, I knew that I wanted my life this way.

 

Simple.

 

Easy.

 

And most of all, shared memories with my boyfriend, Choi MinHo.