Orientation isn't anything special, they just and in the money for their lodging while Meili so given the responsibility of maintaining the food coupons for each day a MD making sure they get to the others when needed. Then there's a lot of picture taking and some more staring at Jinghua's strange dress, while they learn that one of the Qingdao people, Biyu is almost an expert at the selca business. Meili wonders if she's going to be Tao's soulmate. 

By three everyone is dressed in traditional clothes for the opening ceremony. Meili runs around in her red Quipao eager to hit the washroom to apply her makeup, almost running into the people outside her door. For a quick heartbeat she wonders if it's Jongin. 

"Sorry!" She says and then looks up immediately realizing it isn't. It's just Oh Sehun. "Good afternoon." She smiles at him nonetheless. He smiles back and she excuses herself for a minute, rushing off to finish her makeup. When she's back the other Korean girls are gushing and praising the traditional attire, while Chinese girls are so what shyly standing around. Jinghua is no where to be seen. 

"It's a nice dress," Sehun says when he spots her standing around. She grins at him in thanks. 

"Where's everyone else?" She asks cautiously. 

"Well Amber, Sunyoung and Jongin will be waiting at the opening ceremony venue." 

"Oh, I see, so where are we going?" She asks, maintaining her smile.

Sehun checks the schedule. "We have a bit of free time so perhaps a mall before we reach there?" Meili can't help returning the smile.

"Sehun-ssi apparently worked at the Sangam Stadium," Luhan says, his voice mingling with awe and jealousy as he walks up to Meili once they're nearing their destination. Meili almost falls off the pavement. 

"Say what?!" 

"Yep. And he won't accept it's a big deal!" Meili gasps loudly causing a few passerbys to give her a cold stare. She catches up to Sehun quickly, coming to a slow halt next to him and springing "have you worked in the Sangam Stadium?!" upon him like an interrogation attack. He stares at her with a blank face for a while, unable to comprehend the sparkling eyes and the excitement. 

"Y-yes….?" He manages with a frown. Meili's grin turns wider. 

"Seriously?! That is so, SO cool!!" Sehun breaks into an embarrassed smile, hand automatically reaching the back of his neck.

"Not really…" 

"Are you kidding me?! Yes! It's the coolest ever!" Sehun laughs as Meili continues to look at him with sparking eyes. 

"If you say so, thanks. But it wasn't anything great. I just helped out in the benches during the matches..." 

"He also played sometimes!" Luhan chimes in from behind. Meili draws in another surprised gasp as Luhan pushes her out of the way of oncoming pedestrian traffic.

"You played?!" Sehun offers a tiny awkward nod in way of confirmation. It takes Meili all her willpower not to squeal like a piglet in the middle of the streets, resorting to biting her lips into suppression. "How is that not cool?! That's the closest!!" 

Sehun offers another sheepish smile and shakes his head convincing Meili that he's just trying to play it cool now.

The very same building that they're going to have the Opening Ceremony, Sunyoung meets them to look at a flower arrangement exhibition. She's rather quiet, and Meili can't really figure out if it's her nature or her Seoul University attitude. She does seem polite enough to engage people in conversation. Meili wanders off from a discussion of clothes to take pictures of the various arrangements. One particular flower catches the attention of Jiayi and Meili. There is a large pink bloom with green leaves enveloping it almost, and outside the vase, neatly placed on the table is a pink heeled shoe exactly the same color as the flower— it's purpose mystifying everyone.

"Why is there a shoe?" Jiayi bends over it closely to inspect it. Yixing and Yifan carefully study it. 

"Maybe it's meant to show the futility of modern life," says Yixing taking a sniff at the flower and scrunching his nose at the smell.

"Or the degeneration of the modern society and the removal from nature?" 

"How is a shoe any of that," scoffs Tao and Yixing and Yifan exchange a look which really spells his doom. 

"Okay so look at it this way," begins Yixing  and Meili doesn't wait to hear any more. 

She wanders around the gallery, occasionally pausing to admire the spreads and take pictures. She takes a wide shot of the front of the room, lowering the camera to catch Sehun's eyes and offers him a small smile. Before she makes it over to talk to him, Jinghua plants herself beside the tall boy and engages him in conversation. Meili curiously tilts her head wondering why she hasn't seen the other girl, now in a green traditional dress, until just then, only to realize that the other had been behind them, tailing Tao as he had tried to stick to Yifan and avoid her. 

"She's after him now?" Yixing grins beside her. 

"What do you mean," asks Meili with a grin, focused on trying to achieve an artsy out of focus shot with a beautiful floral bloom. Yixing lets her finish before he continues. 

"Did you not see her trying to get onto Tao?" Meili controls the laughter threatening to burst through. 

"Onto?!!?" 

"It was almost like that. So now it's Sehun-ssi. Fascinating." 

Meili forgets to respond, clicking some more artsy shots of flowers because why not, feeling immensely proud of her abilities, which were highly questionable and eventually getting bored of the whole affair. 

"So did you guys figure out the shoe?" 

"Shoe?" The voice doesn't belong to Yixing. Meili lowers the camera and spins around to find Sehun looking at her with piqued interest. She sighs a little internally. If only it had been Jongin… 

"That one over there," she points. "Do you know what it's about?" Sehun stares for a moment and then shrugs. 

"Haven't got the foggiest idea." 

At last she sees him. 

Kim Jongin.  

Dressed in a white shirt and jeans, leaning against the door to the venue. Quick heartbeats and heated collars greet Meili along with his sight and she struggles to make herself as invisible as possible. Would he notice the hair? What would he say? Meili takes a deep breath.

"Jongin-ssi!" It comes out a tad more excited than intended and Meili mentally faceplams. "G-good evening." Jongin beams down at her. 

"Good evening," he respond. "It's been ages." She waits a little longer. "Did you…" Meili bites her lip in anticipation. "Did you get the stuff?" Meili blinks and realizes that the question is addressed over the top of her head to Sehun who hands Jongin a large white packet. 

"Do you need any help?" She asks, feeling jilted and silly. Sehun shakes his head. 

"I think we're okay for now." She nods and walks back to the the other Korean students who have drawn up chairs for themselves. Liyin raises an eyebrow at the blank look on her face. 

"He didn't notice the hair…" she mutters, slowly sinking into the chair and glancing over at Jongin once more. He still doesn't. 

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A/N: thank you to anyone who has subscribed and commented. You make my day. Seriously! Even my silent readers, thank you for reading and hopefully liking :D 

Xiexie 

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