Today, we decided to take a break from travelling. The past two weeks had consisted of running from one attraction to another, thousands of selcas and copious amounts of varying foods. As memorable and enjoying as it was, running to and fro within Korea had drained everyone’s energy to pure exhaustion.

 

I was collapsed in front of the dorm’s TV, drawing in my notebook. Korean dramas littered every channel that I had switched to, so I gave up and let one play out as I sketched. Briefly glancing up, I read the drama’s name: Secret Garden.

 

“Yo,” Kris greeted me as he ambled in. I grinned, kicking my legs off of the couch I lay on. He plopped down with a sigh. “You watching this?” Kris motioned to the TV.

 

“Nah, just doodling,” I replied, focusing on the boy I had outlined. Carefully, I pencilled in his eyebrows.

 

“Oh,” Kris said, eyeing my art. “You draw?”

 

“Sort of.”

 

“I’m sure you’ve heard of my talents, yes? I’m an artist,” he boasted proudly. “I draw wherever I go.”

 

It only took one look at his expression for me to burst out laughing. “Right,” I choked out, once I was able to stifle my giggles. “Vincent Van Kris.” I knew that Kris was a terrible artist. He was simply in denial of his ineptitude.

 

“Hey, don’t laugh,” Kris said defiantly. Without warning, he grabbed my notebook and cleanly ripped out a sheet of paper. “Pass me a pencil.”

 

While Kris furiously scribbled on his canvas, I strained my neck, trying to see into my bedroom. Sure enough, Natasha was still in bed. She hadn’t stopped napping ever since we had returned from Namsan Tower.

 

I turned back to my drawing in time to hear a faint yet familiar ringtone emitting from the couch we sat on. “Oh,” Kris exclaimed, pulling out my iPod. “This was right beside me. It’s yours, right?”

 

I nodded, peering at my iPod’s screen. It wasn’t often that I received calls on my iPod. Who could be FaceTiming me at this time?

 

ADITYAA SHARMA

 

I gasped. Answering the call, I held my iPod at arm’s length. “Adityaa!” I squealed. A grainy picture of her smile faded into view. “You actually called! What time is it over there?”

 

“8:00am. I finally caught you,” she replied with a huge grin.

 

Forgetting about his drawing, Kris shoved his face into my field of view. “Who’s this?” He asked, inquisitively squinting at the screen.

 

I saw Adityaa’s eyes widen in shock. “A fan of yours,” I said, giving her a knowing look. “You wanted to meet him, right?” I passed the iPod to Kris.

 

Adityaa stayed frozen on the screen, hands over . “Oh my god,” she finally said. “Hi?” I read the astonishment plain and clear on her face.

 

“Uh...hi,” Kris replied, somewhat stiffly. I shot him a grin, encouraging him to loosen up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he continued formally.

 

“Ask him some questions!” I called out.

 

I clapped Kris’s back as I left the couch, leaving him with Adityaa as I strolled into the kitchen. I scanned the dorm as I walked, looking for a certain someone.

 

Instead, I found someone else. He hunched over a cake, meticulously lacing it with icing. An apron was draped over his shoulders, with a chef’s toque topping his head. “Wow, that cake looks elegant,” I commented as I joined him.

 

D.O. glanced up, gifting me with a modest smile. “I thought to prepare it for you and your friend...even though I’m somewhat inexperienced,” he admitted. “You said something about liking butter cake, didn’t you?”

 

It took a second for his words to sink in. I couldn’t believe it. He remembered?

 

“I did!” I beamed at him. “I’d never thought that you would remember.”

 

Over the past week of trips and tours, D.O. had begun to noticeably relax around me. However, his quiet demeanor hadn’t changed. As the days passed, I had begun to feel discouraged. Frustrated, even.

 

“Ah, well, you interest me,” he replied, eyeing me briefly before turning back to the cake.

 

I was completely caught off guard.

 

“I interest you? You seemed pretty unresponsive when we talked,” The words rushed out of my mouth before I could stop them.

 

I gasped. I hadn’t meant to speak my thoughts out loud.

 

D.O.’s hand slipped, hitting the cake. He turned to look at me, and I saw a pang of pain in his eyes. I wasn’t sure whether to acknowledge the ruined cake or let myself drown in his stare, so I dropped my eyes to my feet.

 

An awkward moment of silence ensued.

 

Suddenly, Natasha rushed into the kitchen. She jolted, surprised to find me with D.O. “I, uh…” she trailed off, sensing the atmosphere.

 

“Oh, you woke up? That was pretty fast,” I interrupted.

 

“Kai invited me to check out EXO’s dance studio. Chanyeol, Sehun and Baekhyun are tagging along. You want to join us? Or…” she faltered again, looking over my shoulder. “We can freestyle or something,” she added, shifting her eyes back to me.

 

I was about to reply when I heard laughter from the living room. Adityaa and Kris must have gotten along well. “How about I find you guys in an hour or so?” I said. “Maybe I’ll drag someone with me.”

 

“Sounds good,” she replied. Grabbing a snack, she ran out, leaving me alone with D.O.

 

Before I could apologize, he had already turned back to the cake.

 

I bit my lip as I slipped out of the kitchen. Returning to the living room, I saw Kris lying sprawled on the couch. My iPod was still in his hands, and I plucked it away from him. Adityaa’s face was radiant when I saw her. “So, I heard Kris laughing while I was away. That’s pretty rare, too, seeing that he’s such a quiet guy--”

 

“Oh my god. He’s so cute!” Adityaa interrupted, gushing. “He looked so intimidating at first, but he’s the sweetest. He keeps telling me he misses home, though. I feel so bad.” She looked at her lap, downcast. “You know how I’m studying a course right now, right? If I wasn’t so busy...I wish I could meet him in person.”

 

I cracked a grin. “Don’t worry, the members take really good care of him here. How about I get him to send you a gift? Something you can brag about 20 years later.” Adityaa laughed, flipping her long hair over her shoulders as she flashed me a smile in return. “I’ll meet up with you when I come back to Canada, okay?” I hugged my iPod. “I’ll tell Natasha you called.”

 

“Miss you!” She called out, and I bid her goodbye before ending the call.  

 

I prepared to leave for the dance studio, jumping into the shower before throwing on black tights with a navy blue boatneck. Slipping on my favorite uggs, I hopped down the hall. Suddenly, I noticed Xiumin alongside D.O. in the kitchen. He was preparing some of his famous coffee.

 

Xiumin. I finally found the person whom I had been searching for.

 

Why not invite him to join me?

 

“Hey Xiumin, come with me to the dance studio,” I called out.

 

Xiumin looked up, his eyes sparkling. “Really? Sure,” he chirped. “Now that you’re here, I’ll make two lattes for the both of us.” As he turned around, D.O. shot a disgruntled look at his back.

 

I studied Xiumin as he prepared his coffee. His hands moved fluently, precisely and neatly stirring in cream and sugar. His passion for coffee was evident.

 

I couldn’t tear my eyes off of him.

 

10 minutes later, Xiumin joined me while wearing a trenchcoat, two coffees in hand. “I’ll drive, obviously,” he said, handing me my drink.

 

I sipped it, pausing to savor the taste. “Wow, Luhan was right to compliment your coffee,” I sighed. I was impressed.

 

“Why thank you,” replied Xiumin with a slight bow. “I’m still learning,” he added humbly.

 

I smiled as I swallowed another sip. “I’d love to learn from you.”

 

Xiumin glanced down, bashful. “Shall we?” He turned and unlocked the door.

 

Together, we left the dorm.