Corina changed as quickly as she could into a black starched skirt that hugged her nicely, a white shirt with ruffles trailing beside the buttons, and a black blazer. She slipped her feet into a pair of black suede Louboutin heels. She’d twisted her long hair into a bun and hurried out the door towards the elevator, which Min Young held open. He was only half awake, and his glasses were askew on his nose.

As she cleared the threshold, she fixed his glasses, and he leaned against the elevator wall as she adjusted his tie and straightened his jacket, like she did every morning before they left for work. “Are you nervous?” He asked, reaching and tucking her hair behind her ears and then reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bobby pin for each side. It was a morning ritual, and Min Young had learned quickly to carry bobby pins in his pockets for her.

Corina shrugged. “I have to face it one way or another.” She answered, brushing the lint from his jacket front and then toying with his bangs. “Besides, if I lose this job, I can just take up the offer at the travel agency.”

Min Young laughed at this. “Of course. You know, you could always go home.” To this, he received a glare. “Come on Rina, your family cannot be that bad.” He said, rolling his eyes.

Corina didn’t answer him. She had no desire to talk about the family that had disowned her. It was too much for her. The elevator doors opened, and Min Young handed Corina her purse, which he’d been carrying along side his, and her, briefcase. She thanked him and started out of the elevator before him.

“Have a wonderful day!” The building’s manager offered, smiling brightly at Corina. Min Young had stopped to check the mail, which was stored just to the side of the elevator in thin mail slots. The manager noted him and then offered “Your husband has seemed so tired lately.”

Corina bit the inside of her lip and nodded. For whatever reason, the building believed that Corina and Min Young were married. She could understand why, as the two were always fixing each other, carrying each other’s belongings, and the such. There were times where they matched, but not in the obvious couple way. It was more appropriate, however, that the building believed they were married, and not just roommates.

Min Young’s arm wrapped around Corina’s waist as he continued towards the door, staring down at the mail in his other hand. “Come along dear, we’re going to be late.”

“Have a nice day.” Corina offered the manager, who beamed at the two as they walked through the glass doors of the building. “I hate when they call you my husband.” She said, rolling her eyes. “I’m too young and beautiful for you.”

Min Young scoffed. “Honey, you’re a little too everything for me.” He said, picking through the mail and separating it by name. “These are yours,” He said, handing her a small stack.

Corina took them and slid them into her briefcase, and then the two threw out their hands to hail a cab. It took a few waves, but one finally pulled up, and Corina loaded herself in. “I will call you the moment the meeting lets out, okay?” She shouted after Min Young, who was already starting towards the subway entrance.

Min Young held up a thumb, and Corina gave the directions to the board of education to the driver, closing the door and holding her breath. She’d checked her bank account that morning, and she’d enough money for a years worth of rent, as well as side activities, so she figured she had time to get back on her feet if she was fired that afternoon. When she was fired that afternoon.

It took absolutely no time for Corina to get to the board of education, and she couldn’t feel anything as she paid the driver, got out of the car, and inched up the steps towards the building. She pushed open the doors and walked inside, stepping straight towards the front desk. The woman behind it smiled up at her, and she smiled. “Hello, my name is Corina Sokolov. I’m here for-”  

“The fight hearing.” The woman said, nodding her head. “Of course. Please, sit while I call you an .” Corina’s eyes widened, but she nodded her head and turned, walking to one of the seats in the waiting area.

Fight? The hearing was over a fight? “Ms. Sokolov?” A voice asked, and Corina looked up to see a short brunnette man, who looked well into his forties. He smiled. “Please follow me.”

Corina nodded and followed the man down the hall. “Uhm, pardon me if I’m being rude but… what’s going on? What is this hearing about?”

The man looked at her over his shoulder, and then sighed. “I’m not supposed to tell you,” He said, and Corina’s shoulders slumped. “But it sounds like you really have no idea.” He turned towards her. “Apparently, some KPOP idol was on the street the other day, while a few classes were out for a field trip, and it sent the girls into a frenzy. One of the girls threw another down in an attempt to get closer to the boy, and the girl who was thrown down cracked her skull on a bike rack.” Corina’s eyes widened. “I guess you were near the scene.”

Corina nodded. “I was.” She said lightly, and the man turned his back to her once more, leading her down the hall, and opening the door to a conference room.

Nari had been called early the following morning of the fire by the fire marshall. He told her that her apartment wasn’t hit too hard, but the damage was enough for the apartment to be uninhabitable by law. He asked that she retrieve her important belongings and find a new apartment, as it was in her best benefit.

So there she was, in her half burnt apartment, digging through ash and char to find things she could salvage. The second floor of the studio like apartment was untouched, luckily, so most of her clothing was safe, as was photo albums of her family, which were the only things she cared about.

The guitar that Chanyeol had bought her for her birthday was fixable. The finish had melted and bubbled under the heat of the fire, but she knew any skilled luthier could fix it for her. It wasn’t too bad.

Her phone buzzed. She slid it out of her pocket, and her mood instantly changed when she noted that it was Corina. “How’d the hearing go?” She asked immediately, tucking family albums under her arm.

“Apparently, the hearing was over a girl being thrown down because of Kai’s presence. One of the other teacher’s students threw her friend to the ground, and the friend was knocked unconscious and cracked her skull.”

Nari gasped. “Oh my god! That’s terrible.” Corina hummed. “But I’m glad you’re not in trouble.”

“Yeah. Anyways, everything okay on your end?”

“Yep.” Nari answered, sighing. “Just picking through the burnt remains of my apartment.”

“What?”

Nari shifted the books to her other arm. “My apartment building went up in flames last night, but we all made it out alright, and everything important hasn’t burned.”

“What’s your address, I’m coming to help.”

Nari smiled and told her with ease, grateful that someone was worried enough to help her. Chanyeol had already left the dorm when Nari had woken up. He’d left a note on the nightstand stating that he and the rest of the band was going for a short practice, and then a broadcast for their new album, and that he would call her to make sure she was okay. He did call, and she lied and said she was still in the dorm. She didn’t want him to worry more than he had to.

There was a buzz, and Nari rushed to the buzzer, but remembered that it was broken. In place of the buzzer, she called down to the front desk and asked them to open the door for Corina, who would have to walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

But that didn’t seem to bother her, as she appeared in the open door shortly after the buzzer went off, looking professional and put together, but her eyes were wide with fear. “What the hell happened to this building?”

Nari shrugged. “Well,” She started, placing the albums on a chair that was only partially burned and had severe water damage. “I guess some girl left her curling iron on a towel when she went out for the night.” She rolled her eyes. “And now I need a new apartment.”

Corina frowned. “We have a few openings in our building. I can talk to the manager for you, but there might be a waiting list. And it’s an apartment for teachers for the academy.”

Nari shrugged. “It’s okay,” She said smiling. “I have a place for now.”

“Can I help you move your things then?” She asked, and Nari nodded, directing her to grab her guitar and one of the suitcases of clothing. She grabbed the other and all the family albums. “Do you have a car, or are we getting a cab?”

Nari shook her head. “I have a driver for today.” She said, opening the door to the stairs so the two could trek down them. “He’ll take all the bags and stuff. Are you hungry?”

Corina shook her head. “No, I was just leaving from getting food when I called you.”

“Shouldn’t you be in class?”

She shook her head again. “I was excused for the day, and any day that the board need me, because the case is so severe and both girls’ families have filed lawsuits.”

Nari laughed. “All over some silly idol.”

Corina nodded in agreement. “He isn’t even worth it,” She said, rolling her eyes. Nari smirked, knowing this was just a face Corina was putting on, and she help open the door to the lobby from the stairs. “So, where are you staying then?” She asked, hurrying towards the apartment’s trashed doors.

“Not too far from here.” She knew Corina intended on who she was staying with, but the driver raced towards the girls and took the bags quickly, cutting off any questions Corina had. “Here,” Nari said, holding the car door opened for Corina.

Corina slid past her, and Nari followed, the driver closing the door behind her. “This is insane. Why do you have a driver?”

Nari opened to answer, but the driver climbed in. “And where to now?”

“Back to the dorms is fine.”

Corina trailed behind Nari down the short hallway to a door. “And who lives here?” She asked, but she knew Nari wouldn’t answer. Nari shifted everything she was holding so she could put the passcode into the door.

She opened it effortlessly. “Follow me,” She said, leading her through the strategic dorm towards a room. She opened it and Corina took everything in. There were two beds, but Nari set all her belongings down on the first one. “You can sit down, if you’d like.”

Corina’s eyes landed on the men’s hygiene bag sitting on the nightstand, and she turned to Nari. “Who lives here?”

Nari opened to speak, and the door to the dorm opened. “Nariko!” A voice shouted, and Corina watched as Nari stiffened. “Nariko!” The voice called again, and a few quieter voices followed, trying to sooth the first. “Where is she?”

Corina’s eyebrows pulled together. “In here.” Nari answered. Feet pounded across the floor, and the bedroom door opened.

Standing in the threshold was Chanyeol, Nari’s cousin. He looked frantic, his eyes wide and worried, as he shot across the room to envelope her in a hug. “Why did you leave the dorm? Why weren’t you answering your phone? Hello Corina. Was something the matter?” He asked everything is such a quick breath, both girls were thrown.

Nari patted her pockets. “I must have left my phone at the apartment.” She said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Your burnt apartment?” Suho asked, and he smiled as his eyes landed on Corina. “Hello again, Ms. Corina.” He said, starting towards her.

There were more pounding feet as each member of EXO peeked into the room. “Oh thank goodness,” Xiumin started. “We were getting worried.” He said, smiling at Nari.

“Speak for yourself.” Chen said, shaking his head. “I knew she was okay. You’re all too worrisome.” Xiumin rolled his eyes at this, and Chen smirked.

Sehun cleared his throat. “If you, uh, give me the address… I can ride back and find your phone for you.”

“That sounds crazy.” Tao said, shaking his head. “How can you forget your phone?”

“Not everyone is as attached as you.” Kyungsoo answered.

Corina looked to Suho. “Why are there so many of you?” Suho laughed and shrugged his shoulders, clearly as confused as she was on the subject. “You didn’t tell me you were staying with your cousin.” She said, standing.

Nari shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t think you would want to know, since there was a chance of them being here and all.”

Corina nodded, and Nari followed the others out into the living room area of the dorm. “You scared the hell out of me.” Chanyeol muttered, wrapping an arm around his cousin’s shoulders.

“You’re welcome to stay for lunch, Corina.” Suho offered. “Or well, really, for late lunch, early dinner.”

Baekhyun, who had waited back from the group, shook his head. “But we’re leaving, so it would just be you and Nari.”

“That’s fine. I was just helping her bring her things here. I was just on my way out anyways.” She said, smiling.

Another cleared their throat, and Corina really wished she hadn’t called Nari. “I’ll walk you down.” Kai offered, and Corina turned to glare at him.