Alex was home. Well kinda.

She was back in Paris after moving to Seoul to work as a journalist for a magazine.

She always liked Asian culture and one of her dreams was to go live in Japan. Yet she got a job in South Korea and didn’t hesitate, moving there instead.

Now the magazine to whom she was working for, offered her the chance to cover the fashion week in  Paris and interview some of the Korean Idols that were present at it and Alex couldn’t say no.

She always liked fashion and she was a very active SHINee fan, so the opportunity to meet and talk with Key, one of SHINee members, was something that she fantasized for a long time.

So when she saw the tall, elegant idol, wearing a white high tailored shirt over red pants, walking on her direction to be interviewed, Alex almost fainted of enthusiasm.

He sat on the comfortable chair that was previously prepared for him and Alex nervously grabbed the small sheet of paper that she folded with the questions she would ask to him.

She only had ten minutes to make questions and she was so nervous that her hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

He clearly noticed it, his eyes on the piece of paper she tried hard to read.

“Is everything ok?” He asked in English, perfect English.

“No. Everything is fine! Perfect!” She answered back in Korean.

“Oh you know Korean!”

Of course he thought she didn’t since she was a foreigner.

“I am french but I live in Korea for a while now. “

“If you want we can do the interview in English. It’s ok with me.”

She clearly felt more confident speaking English and he seemed to notice it.

“Thank you. So…first question. What is fashion to you?”

He smiled, used to answer that question over and over again and she grabbed the recorder on her hand listening to him quickly explain how fashion was always something that interested him, something that was important to who he was, that it was more than a hobby but an affirmation of who he was.

She made two more questions about SHINee, and Key creativity that he used to modify his clothes and then she asked him about how he felt, often traveling around the world due to his professional life.

“I like it. We get to meet our fans all around the world, try new food and meet new people and cultures. Also for someone like me interested in fashion, it’s good to be influenced in different ways, by different cultures. Also I’m very interested in languages.”

“You speak English and Japanese really well!” Alex said excited forgetting her piece of paper and letting her shawol side take the best of her.

Kibum chuckled clearly seeing through Alex “You know a lot about me.”

“W-Well….” Alex blushed deeply hiding her face behind the paper with the questions and Kibum waited so he could watch her carefully once she took the paper away.

She was beautiful, with brown hair, glasses covering her big eyes and beautiful red lips. She was trying really hard to act confident, and she knew how to dress but Kibum could see that she was extremely nervous and too self-conscious.

“You are a shawol.”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t ask. I know!”

His confidence and the way he smirked completely took Alex breath away.

She only stared at the paper on her hand forgetting completely how to read.

“There is one question left right?” he asked gently as if he was sorry for making her too enamored with him.

“Yes ah…A message for your fans.”

Kibum hummed thinking for a while and then in perfect English locked his eyes with hers.

“I’m happy I got to meet some of my French fans and I hope I have more opportunities to meet all of you. To get to know you.”

Alex stared at him with open wondering if he was talking about shawols in general or her, saying he wanted to meet them better.

Apparently it was about shawols since Kibum stood up bowed to her and bid his goodbyes.

“Thank you so much!” Alex said quickly bowing to him too.

“Maybe we will get to see each other someday back in Seoul….in an event. It was a pleasure.”

Kim Kibum walked away and Alex stood there, frozen, assimilating his words.

 

 

Alex loved to travel and she visited several countries already in her short life and yet traveling had a bad side. She couldn’t be around Mushroom, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She fell in love with it once she saw him inside the pet shop, still a puppy with white chest and black fur, brown eyebrows over his eyes, just like Roo, Kim Jonghyun’s dog.

She had to adopt him. Since he was so small she end up calling him Mushroom.

Mushroom end up being her best friend and the company she needed in Korea. However every time Alex had to travel she needed to find a place where Mushroom could stay. She heard of a pet school and hotel, the same one Key had his puppies and Alex did what she could to place Mushroom there.

That’s why that afternoon, after arriving from Paris, she went to the pet school to pick up Mushroom.

Mushroom was a docile dog most of the time and yet sometimes he would get in trouble with other dogs around the neighborhood. Alex couldn’t understand why but Mushroom was very picky when it came to make friends.

Apparently in pet school he had the same problem. Alex learned that afternoon that there was a dog that Mushroom couldn’t befriend.

She was told to wait while one of the pet school employees was speaking to her because the owner of the other dog with whom Mushroom was always picking up a fight had just arrived.

Alex scolded Mushroom that was beside her, already wearing his leash and when she raised her eyes she saw Kim Kibum, also known as Key looking back at her, the same recognition on his eyes.

He remembered her.

No wonder! She just interviewed him two days ago.

“You?” He asked raising his finger to her.

“You know each other?” The pet school worker asked.

“Well...”

“We work together.” Kibum interrupted Alex making her blink her eyes.

In a way it was true. They did work in the entertainment world. He was a singer and she was the person who wrote about singers.

“That is good. You can talk and maybe find a way together to make both dogs become friendly. Mushroom simply doesn’t seem to like Garçon.”

Alex and Kibum left the pet school together and she was embarrassed wondering what she could say to him.

She immediately bowed to him, holding Mushroom in her arms, that was already growling at Garçon and ignoring Comme Des that were on their leashes on the ground beside Kibum.

“I’m terribly sorry. I don’t know what is wrong with Mushroom.”

“It’s ok. Garçon is a bit feisty too. Maybe he did something to him that he didn’t like.”

“Well Mushroom is a she actualy.”

“Really?” Kibum rubbed his head and laughed softly “Then maybe they like each other. They say hate is the closest to love.”

Alex smiled with that funny conclusion.

“We should make them meet more often. In a good environment with us close by. I’m sure they will become friends.”

The suggestion made Alex heart beat faster. Kibum really wanted to meet with her outside of work?!

“Give me your number. I can call you and we can meet to walk them together.”

Alex stared at Kibum, suddenly all numbers disappearing inside her mind. That only made him smile like a cat.

“Alex?”

He remembered her name even though she probably couldn’t remember it anymore and she quickly said her number.

He memorized it on his phone and bid her farewell, petting Mushroom’s head before going.

Alex watched him walk away with Mushroom in her lap.

Did she really give her phone number to Kim Kibum?! Did he just say that he would invite her on a date?! Was that even a date?!

Walking dogs together could be seen as a date?!

 

 

Kibum called Alex a week later when she already gave up on receiving a call from him.

They settled to meet for a cup of coffee near the Han River so they could walk their dogs there. The weirdest thing was that Mushroom and Garçon didn’t seem to be enemies anymore, at least not outside of school.

They were playing while their owners sat drinking coffee and talking. And even Comme Des seemed to be surprised with the proximity between the old enemies.

Alex was having a good time. At first she was nervous about that whole idea. She was afraid Mushroom would attack Garçon, she was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to act normal in front of Key, she was afraid to be a fangirl and make a complete fool of herself.

But she didn’t and she was able to relax and have a normal conversation with him. They talked about work, about their dogs and even about Seoul and the differences it had from Paris.

The best of that all was that Key also seemed to be having a good time, talking with her as if there was a chance to be friends.

They didn’t even need to take care of their dogs since they all seemed to be good friends now.

“It’s weird. They were the worst enemies last week.” Kibum remarked playing with the empty cup of his coffee.

“Could it be that they are upset because they are away from us in school and then get grumpy?” Alex suggested, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“Might be. They do like to stay there though. “ Kibum sighed “They will have to stay there for a long time now.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to Japan again. We will have a comeback soon.”

Alex nodded, knowing pretty well SHINee schedule and Kibum smiled like a fox knowing what she was thinking.

“I’m going to Japan too.” She said “I’m going to work there for a few weeks. I’m so nervous because my Japanese is awful.”

“Really?”

“Not everyone can be good at languages like you.”

She laughed softly, feeling her cheeks get hot because she couldn’t praise him without her fangirl self coming out.

“I can help you.” That made Alex stare at him “I mean with the Japanese.”

“How?”

“We can meet while we are there and I can help you practice.”

“Oh no...” She raised her hands shaking them. The last thing she wanted was to be a nuisance to her idol.

“No. I insist. It’s no problem at all for me. I can practice too.”

Alex didn’t say anything and instead accepted his phone number since he told her to save it on her cellphone.

However she couldn’t ignore the fact that he had the other members, the staff and even friends in Japan with whom he could practice the language.

The fact he wanted to do it with her probably had a greater meaning and Alex was scared to think about it and fall into delusion.

 

 

Alex was in Japan for more than one week now. She already covered a fashion show and after she had a musical festival.

She always liked Japan and was having a good time exploring Tokyo, trying out the food and shopping.

That night she went out for a couple of drinks with some of the staff she got to meet during the fashion show.

Alex was a little tipsy so she decided to walk back home and get some fresh air. She was almost reaching the small apartment where she was staying when she noticed the big poster announcing SHINee’s next performance at a kpop festival in Japan.

She stopped, eyes fixed on the image of SHINee, particularly on Key.

He didn’t call her anymore, or even sent her a message after the solo one he sent her on the day he arrived to Japan. It was something innocent asking her if she was in Japan already. Alex answered him and after that she didn’t get any other news from him. Well besides the official ones she could see on twitter.

Maybe she should be the one giving the first step. She wasn’t a little girl anymore and he was after all a modern man. He was probably used to women who were more determined, capable of going after what they wanted and not stay put waiting.

Alex took off her phone from inside her jacket’s pocket and searched for his number that she saved religiously.

She hesitated wondering if she should call him or not. Alex end up deciding in not calling him, at least not that night. It was late already and she barely knew him. Besides he was her idol after all.

She was going to put her phone away when it vibrated, the soft melody of Im with you, coming from it.

It was him.

It was Kim Kibum. Key.

Alex stared at the id of the caller without knowing what to do. She needed to answer it, of course she needed to, but she was having a fangirl attack at the moment and she was sure that if she answered the phone like that she would say something ridiculous.

Alex took a deep breath, counted to five quickly and then accepted the call.

“Yes?”

“Alex?”

It was him and he sounded so good on the phone.

“It’s me!”

“Hi! It’s Kibum! I’m sorry I didn’t call you yet. I’m so busy right now!”

She stepped back, her body hitting the wall of the building behind her.

“It’s ok. I am busy too.”  She did have a lot of work that week.

“Do you want to meet for dinner tomorrow?”

Alex lost her capability to talk and she stuttered a yes.

She had a “date” with her idol.

 

 

That wasn’t a date. It was only a normal dinner between friends….wait they weren’t friends either….coworkers….were they coworkers?!

“Alex!” Kibum’s voice interrupted her line of thoughts. “Can you stop daydreaming and listen to me?”

His smirk made Alex blush deeply. He had that expression that made her knees go weak, as if he could read her completely, as if she couldn’t hide anything from him. As if he was a fox after a little bunny…no wait she couldn’t be a bunny… she was more like a koala, an animal that lived far away from a fox, holding on to the chair under her scared to say something stupid to him.

“What are you thinking about?” Kibum asked rising an eyebrow amused.

“I was just thinking about…the food. The food here is great.”

Kibum chuckled since it was a simple small ramen restaurant. Not even that special.

“Oishi!”

“Excuse me?”

“Delicious! I said I would help you with your Japanese. I’m actually helping you with the Korean too since we spent the whole night speaking in my language so now we should learn some Japanese vocabulary. The best way to learn Japanese is to use it.”

“Ok so Oishi“ Alex repeated, her eyes on the man in front of her.

Kibum raised his glass with water “Mizu”.

“Glass?” He shook his head “Water!”

Kibum smiled and then drank it before shacking his glass and pointing at it “Koppu”.

They spent the rest of the dinner with Kibum teaching her new words and making her repeat them, correcting her pronunciation.

They were so focused on it that they barely noticed that it was time for the restaurant to close.

They stepped outside, after Kibum paid, and Alex turned around, brushing her hair away from her face to clearly see him.

“Thank you for tonight. I had a good time and learned a lot.”

“I have a book I can lend to you with more vocabulary. We can practice it together later.”

Alex nodded and Kibum stepped back hesitantly as if he wanted to say something else but didn’t know if he should.

“We can meet so I can give you the book. “He added “Maybe tomorrow. I have a free day tomorrow. We could go somewhere. Shopping for example. You can learn a lot of new words at a market. That way we can use other kind of words.”

“Sure. I would love that! We can text each other tomorrow to settle it. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!”

She turned around waving at Kibum but he didn’t move which made her hesitate.

Was he going to kiss her?! Was it a date after all?!

“I also had a good time.” He said “I’m also looking forward for tomorrow.”

With that he was the first one to leave in the direction of the parking lot ignoring the mess he did on Alex’s heart with his words.

 

 

They didn’t only meet at the market, they met at a coffee shop, then at a small art gallery, then at another restaurant not to mention the hours they spent talking with each other on the phone.

Two weeks of meeting to practice their Japanese passed and this time Alex decided to cook at home and invite Kibum so she could thank him properly for his help.

She made chicken curry and one of her fantasies - cook together with Kibum – also become true.

He arrived earlier and ignored the way Alex panicked because the food wasn’t ready. Instead he grabbed an apron, placed it on and helped her, the best he could.

Dinner never tasted so good and they ate well together, talking about everything but not about what made them meet often – their Japanese practicing.

When Alex thought about it, it was funny how they became “friends”. Even Kibum said so.

They met through work, away from Seoul where both lived. They met again through their dogs being enemies. Then they met in Japan to practice the language.

It was a friendship that started in a very peculiar way, crossing several countries.

“I find it already peculiar that we are friends!” Alex said moving her spoon on the ice cream they were eating.

“Nande?”  [Why]

The use of Japanese didn’t surprise Alex since he used to do that a lot, to make her practice.

“Datte….Datte kimi wa aidoru desu.” [Because you are an idol.]

“Idols can’t have friends?” He asked raising his spoon, using Korean again.

“Yes but I am a woman.”

“Idols can’t have women as friends?”

She smiled embarrassed and that made him laugh.

“I’m just a normal guy. I can have friends and go out with me friends and eat ice cream with them if I want. No problem with that!”

“Gomen ne.” [I’m sorry]

Kibum nodded his head and reached for his glass of wine again. They have been drinking a lot and Alex felt her head a little light.

“I really like your company….I mean your friendship.”

He didn’t say anything, drinking his wine, his eyes on her and Alex swallowed with him, her eyes moving to his Adam’s apple and then getting back to his lips after he drank the rest of the wine in his glass. They were red and seemed so very tasty to her.

“You don’t need to be sorry. There is a reason I wanted to meet you. I want to meet you.”

Alex didn’t move an inch watching him, wondering what he meant. “Japanese…”

“No. That wasn’t it. That came as an extra…as an excuse.”

“Eh?”

He seemed a little drunk too and Alex wondered if his words weren’t the result of that.

“Kimi ga suki.” [I love you.]

Alex knew what that meant. She was used to hear it on the dramas she watched on tv. Kibum didn’t need to teach her that.

He probably realized that she knew what he said because Alex’s eyes were wide. Quickly Kibum cleared his throat and grabbed the bottle from over the table so he could fill his glass with wine again.

“I mean Kimi wa Sakai.” He corrected.

“What?”

“You are like a fish….I mean… Swimming and swimming and always inside a small round aquarium. Just there…and then you jump outside it and there is a huge new world to be explored.”

Alex blinked her eyes not understanding what he meant. One time he says he loves her and then starts talking about fish.

“I left home to be an idol and you left your country to work as a reporter. We both left our aquariums.”

 He smiled weakly and Alex tried to hide her disappointment. Did that mean that what he said before was truly a mistake?

Kibum stood up from his chair and Alex did the same, knowing that it was probably time for him to get back to his dorm. It was late and he had things to do the next day.

“It was a lovely dinner.” He said turning around and walking to the door of her small temporary apartment. He stopped at the door though and turned back to her. At first Alex thought he did it so he could put his shoes on looking at her but he didn’t move to grab his shoes that she was sure that were very expensive.

“Is something wrong?”

He shook his head looking at her with a blank expression which made Alex so nervous that she started saying nonsense again. “You know…I’m not a fish. I’m a Koala! I love hugs like Koalas do.”

A soft smile started to grow on Kibum’s face and Alex kept talking like a fool “And youa r ento a fish either…You are a fox…Every shawols knows that!”

Kibum nodded his head slowly and then his gaze fall on the floor before he looked back at her again but this time he wasn’t smiling and Alex didn’t know what to say anymore.

He seemed confused too and placed his hand on the wall beside him as if he was tired. “What is your favorite Japanese word?”

Alex smiled with his question, wondering from where that came from. Kibum was full of surprises.

“Yasashii?!”[gentle] she answered.

However Kibum didn’t seem to even hear her answer, instead he leaned forward and kissed her.

Alex wasn’t sure if that was due to the alcohol or if he was truly attracted to her. However she kissed him back and that made him step back into her apartment, wrapping his arms around her body and push her against the wall.

They kissed for a while and only after he moved back enough so they both could breathe, was when she realized that she just kissed her idol. Panic took care of her then and all blood would left her cheeks if she wasn’t extremely aroused too. Her body was very confused at that moment since she was going under a heavy attack of feels.

Kibum watched her reaction, his thumb caressing her pinkish cheeks, admiring her red lips that he wanted to kiss for a while, and her beautiful eyes that were always so bright.

Alex wasn’t sure what to do next. Should she say anything? Should she kiss him back? Run?

He didn’t seem to have the same worries as she did since he kissed her again, showing her that he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

His lips moved from hers to her ear. “Where is your bedroom?”

Alex panicked for real now. Of course she panicked. Kibum, her crush wanted to know where she slept and that only meant one thing.

He looked at her waiting for the answer, trying to read in her eyes what the answer would be.

“Come.” Alex mumbled grabbing his hand in hers and pulling him to her bedroom.

It was probably only . Attraction!

 But she didn’t mind. She wanted him. She quickly pulled her sweater over her head staying only with her bra and Kibum didn’t hesitate, grabbing her by her back and pulling her to him, his lips crashing against hers again and moving down her neck.

“Kubi.” He whispered against it, naming the parts of the body he was kissing in Japanese.

His lips moved down her collarbones and she grabbed her hair to the side so he could unhook her bra, carefully pulling the straps down her shoulder and arms.

He kissed her shoulder “Kata” and grabbed her by her hand, raising her arm so he could kiss the interior of her arm, his eyes on hers, making Alex weak.

“Ude and…” Kibum smiled taking her hand to his lips and kissing it, drawing a smile from her lips too “Te!”

“Really?” Alex giggled, her smile dying when he kissed her lips again.

“Kuchi….as in mouth…but if you prefer to say lips…” He bit her lower lip, pulling at it softly making Alex close her eyes. She wasn’t even memorizing any of those words. Was she even supposed to? “Kuchibiru..lips.”

She moved her hands on his chest and grabbed his t-shirt, the one he modified and pulled it over his head.

He watched her in such an intense way that Alex could barely look at his eyes. Instead she focused her attention on his chest and touched him.

“How do you say it?” She asked innocently, caressing him.

“Mune.” She barely raised her eyes to his lips, instead moving her finger around his .

She didn’t have to ask because he leaned forward kissing her neck, brushing his tongue on her skin “ is chikubi.”

“It’s a cute name” Alex remarked kissing his and moving her hand down to his stomach. Kibum raised her face by her chin making her look at him. He loved her eyes and the way he could see her feelings in them.

“Hara!” Kibum said almost immediately, naming stomach in Japanese.

He grabbed both her hands on his before she did anymore exploration and pushed her back, her knees hitting the bed.

He kissed her lips again, grabbing her in his arms his mouth finding her s, kissing her s, them and at it gentle.

Alex moaned, caressing the back of his head and when she least expected he pushed her into the bed.

He stepped back, his gaze still on hers and ed his pants. She saw him take them off, standing only in his underwear before her, making Alex swallow nervously. There was no time to panic now. It was happening or that was the most beautiful dream she ever had with her idol. Damn! Whatever it was she was going to savor it.

“Ashi!” He said pointing at his leg and then he moved his hand upwards to the bulge under his underwear and Alex grabbed his hand pulling him to her.

“I’m not sure if I want to learn that word.”

He chuckled kneeling in the middle of her legs, his hands running down her body to her skirt that he pulled down her legs while he kissed her chin and neck.

“Its inkei actually…”

“I said I didn’t want to know…” she covered her face embarrassed and he grabbed her hands, stopping what he was doing and looking at her with a serious expression.

“How do you say ?”

“What?”

“I’m testing you. I taught you before.”

Alex moved her eyes from his face to his hands, around her hips, holding the elastic of her . “I can’t remember…aaah….mune?”

“Wrong. If you don’t get it right I won’t continue. You are not paying attention.”

“WHAT?” Alex was worried now since he seemed very serious. “I can’t remember it.”

Kibum frowned moving his body away from her, and releasing her “I’m going home then.”

That wasn’t a dream. That was a nightmare.

Alex sat on the bed, her bouncing making Kibum his lips, his semi inside his underwear making him uncomfortable.

“Don’t go. I’m sorry I’ll pay attention!” She was beautiful, believing that he would actually be able to stop, as if she wasn’t stunning, in front of his eyes.

“I’m kidding!” He said kneeling back on the bed and kissing her lips and then her s as if he was sorry for that bad joke.

“There is no way I’m leaving you now…not before I have with you.”

She moaned relieved and he cupped her face, pulling her lips to his, to kill that thirst inside him that he never had before.

His hands resumed the task he was doing before pulling her and skirt down her legs and he pushed her down into the bed with his body, rubbing himself against her.

Alex caressed his and pulled his underwear slightly down, just enough to release his that rubbed against her inner thigh and between her legs where she needed him the most.

They kissed for a while, moving their bodies against each other and until Kibum grabbed his and ed it, rubbing it against her lower body, against her entrance.

“Chitsu is .” He taught her, smiling like a fox, kissing her again ing his hips against her, forcing his entrance inside her.

Alex grasped his shoulder, moving her nails on his back scratching him while he filled her.

She didn’t have in a while and she surely didn’t have with someone she liked as much as him. And only for that that experience was something new, something she wished for a long time. Have with someone she truly liked and maybe even loved.

He was gentle and yet rough. Kissing her and yet not stopping ing into her even if she showed some discomfort at first. It wasn’t as if he didn’t care. He did but he knew she would get used to it eventually that they could be perfect together.  He wasn’t wrong because soon Alex was moving against him.

The Japanese lesson was over now since they barely could speak or think, even breathing was hard. Kibum held her against him and Alex wrapped her legs around his hips, as if the friction of their bodies wasn’t enough.

Soon her hit her making her see white, all the senses of her body focused only on the pleasure, her heart beating fast.

He followed soon after, grunting on her ear, his body relaxing over hers.

She held into him, wrapping her arms around him, joining her legs as if she never wanted to let go of him. Kibum raised his head, tiredly looking at her, admiring the way she was under him with closed eyes, holding on to him as if there was no tomorrow.

It was adorable and she was right. She was a koala! A very cute one.

As if he suddenly realized what happened, Kibum untangled her arms from around him and moved away from her body so he could sat on the bed in front of her.

Alex slowly sat on the bed too, still out of breath and in cloud nine watching him.

Kibum his lip, his gaze not leaving hers and then he closed his eyes and looked away.

Alex wasn’t sure about what to say. Did she do anything wrong?! She brushed her hair away from her face and hugged herself as if she was now too self-conscious of the fact that she was . If that mattered after what they have done.

“I didn’t memorize any of the words you taught me.” She smiled hoping to get a reaction out of Kibum but he only made a sound with his tongue and stood up from the bed.

“I have to go.” He said in a tiny voice grabbing his clothes from the floor as quickly as he could and dressing them up.

Alex wanted to ask what was wrong but instead she moved her legs to the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the floor.

“I understand.”

It wasn’t as if he made her any promise. It was just and they were dunk. Well tipsy.

Kibum pulled his underwear and pants over his body and then grabbed his t-shirt. He hesitated sending her one last look, his eyes seeming sorrowful.

“I’m sorry...”

She nodded her head and he left.

She wasn’t even sure why he was sorry. Sorry because he had with her and only that? Sorry to leave so soon? Sorry to make her fall in love with him?

It didn’t matter anyway. Either way she felt as if something was ripped from her that night and she wasn’t even sure what.

 

 

Kibum never contacted Alex anymore after that and she didn’t even try to contact him either.

It was embarrassing for Alex to meet him now since she wasn’t sure if they were still friends. Eventually she came back to Korea and a week later she saw the pictures of SHINee arriving back to Seoul too.

They were both in the same city and yet she never felt so distant to him.

Time passed and Alex was busy writing a big article about a Kpop festival that barely left her time to eat or sleep. That weekend she left Mushroom at the pet school so she went to pick him up as soon as she was free.

She didn’t even think about meeting Kibum there but that was exactly what happened.

She was outside with Mushroom placing the leash on him when he left the building with Comme des and Garcon. He froze immediately when he saw her and Alex almost let Mushroom’s leash fall to the ground.

“Hi!” He said smiling as if he truly missed her as much as she missed him.

Alex greeted him back  avoiding looking much at him, afraid that he would see in her eyes how much she suffered with his departing that night and he walked away followed by his dogs.

Alex took a deep breath and decided to go after him. She didn’t have anything to lose by saying what was on her mind, what she felt.

“Are you upset with me?” She asked him, making Kibum turn around to face her.

Garçon immediately ran to Mushroom smelling her.

Kibum didn’t answer immediately and Alex did her best to keep facing him without avoiding his gaze.

“Because we kissed and….you know…that night!”

He held her gaze, reading her eyes like he did that night, melting with what he saw in them. “No. Not at all.”

“Then why are you avoiding me. You are avoiding me aren’t you?”

He exhaled slowly rubbing his ear as if he felt bad about something, as if he was little kid caught misbehaving.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you that night but…” Kibum didn’t finish his sentence because his eyes were on Mushroom and Garçon that were happily sniffing each other in a more than friendly way.

“Oh…”Alex noticed the same.

“So that’s why they were fighting before.” Kibum laughed “Hate is close to love. I guess that also happens with dogs.”

“Kimi ga suki.” Alex said and Kibum raised his eyes to her. Those wore the words he said to her. She remembered.

She wasn’t looking at the dog she was speaking to him. She should have said anata ga suki for it to be correct but the most important was the intention of her words.

That made him widen his eyes and she leaned forward kissing him.

“I’m sorry.” She said after the short kiss where he barely reacted “I know I shouldn’t do it but….It’s true…”

His heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from hers, so big and beautiful.

Alex grabbed Mushroom on her arms making Garcon complain and she run away holding her.

Kibum smiled because Alex embarrassed was the cutest. He grabbed his phone scolding himself for being such a coward and not being totally honest with her, letting things drag for a long time making her uneasy.

He quickly wrote “watashi mo suki.” On his phone and sent it to her.

Kibum waited patiently for Alex’s answer and he walked in the direction from where she run too, spotting her immediately a few meters ahead of him, her eyes on her phone.

“What does that mean?”

She asked back and once again Kibum smiled answering to her question through text.

“You are a koala.”

“What?”

He laughed out loud making Alex notice him.

“I’m kidding! “ He said out loud forgetting his phone “I love you too! That’s what it means. Can you please come back here so I can kiss you?”

Having a serious relationship with a woman scared him. He was too focused on his career at the moment and he hesitated that night trying to see that as a mistake. But it wasn’t a mistake and he couldn’t deny it any longer. Not when she also had feelings for him.

Alex approached him fumbling in her bag and placing her phone inside it. She looked extremely nervous and that made Kibum smile. She was adorable.  He waked towards her, pulling his dogs by the leash and they met halfway.

“This is madness!” Alex said “I mean you are an idol and you are amazing and I would never…”

“Well we are both fishes!” Kibum joked but Alex ignored him.

“No. You are a fox prince and I’m a boring Koala and…”

“Shut up!”

And he kissed her, beginning a new chapter of their story, this time in Seoul.

It was in a way a madness how they met and fell in love. How it all started in Paris, developed in Tokyo and ended in Seoul. How they met because of work but end up getting together because of their dogs and a language they both wanted to learn. It was a bunch of funny coincidence and things in common that made them meet and fall in love.

Maybe they were truly two fishes who jumped from their aquarium into the sea where other fishes were also swimming. Yet they met each other in the middle of that sea, spotting each other despite their differences and finding that what they had in common was much stronger.

Or maybe they were a fox and a koala that lived in different places and even though they were different in almost everything, they were both able to fall in love for each other.

Sometimes the extraordinary, the unthinkable can happen and Kibum and Alex can fall in love with each other.

 

First of all thank you to Alice for the great idea with the dog school ^^ 

I was struggling with this one shot that I started writing like in May...T__T Yeah..I wrote a part of it on my flight back home after Kcon Paris...a part that I end up not using here. Then In August I decided to get truly serious on this and she gave me some ideas and voila....here it is!^^

Today is the day I post this one shot because its a special person's bday. Its Alex, my Alex bday! >//<

As her Mushroom, kyaaaaa... >//< I wrote this oneshot based on a request made by her. 

She is such a marhsmallow of happiness that nothing would actualy be good enough for her...nothing is.

Im so thankfull towards her in so many ways.

We are so different, and I am so annoying and yet after all this time she still talks with me.

She is a special woman, a princess of the past, a owner of an amazing stubbornness, a collector of dreams, an adventurer of modern times that always walks with a spring on her step. 

Is she even real?! Probably not. ehehhe

I called her a Koala in this fic but the only thing she has in common with them is the fact that she gives the most warm special hugs ever. I know. I was blessed with them before. >//<

And I hope that she finds her special fox soon, someone as special as her, as special as Key. 

So they can fight about silly things, learn japanese together, go shopping together,and take long naps in bed together hugging each other like baby koalas! ;)

So that she never feels lonely again!

Happy Birthday!

Today is a special day!

It's your day!

Love you ~