Other than the fact that Sooyoung likes to doodle hearts all over the margins of her notes, I learned nothing particularly remarkable at school that day. I headed on out of the entrance of my school, planning to take the subway home. Seoul has an actually good public transportation system, something I had been unused to in the Canadian suburbs. It was a new experience, to say the least. 

"Hey, you're new, right?" I heard a deep voice say behind me. I turned around in response, finding myself face to face with a chest. I backed up slightly so I could make out a face, but all I saw were round eyes and dimples. 

"That's me," I responded, shading my eyes so I could see better. "How did you know?"

The boy laughed, ruffling a hand through his auburn hair. "Your tie is done incorrectly." 

I looked down and cursed. "I Googled it and everything!" 

The boy chucked once more. "It's alright, it takes awhile to get the hang of. Let me help." He reached out and started to undo my tie in the middle of the sidewalk, then did it up once more for me, the correct way. "So, let me guess, a foreigner?"

"Did the tie give it away again?" I asked, suddenly self conscious. 

"No, of course not," the boy took off walking again, but fortunately it was in the same direction I was going, so I could just follow along. "It was the fact that the swear you just used is completely antiquated. Not cool slang. Plus, what kind of local student can't tie a tie?"

I knew that would give me away. Damn ties. "I'm Hannah," I responded, hoping we could get over the fact that the Korean I spoke with my parents probably was no longer hip. It wasn't as though I was keeping up with the Korean youth in Canada. I was too busy trying to keep up with the Canadian youth. I still wasn't sure what the point of all those Harlem Shake videos was after all these years. 

"Park Chanyeol," the boy replied. "Are you a third year?"

"Yeah," I remarked. That was code for high school senior in Korea. The grades worked differently here. In fact, almost everything worked differently here. It would definitely take some getting used to, but I wasn't worried. Like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon, I would adjust as quickly and as soundly to change.

Or I would live out this year helpless and return to Canada for college. You never do quite know how things will turn out. 

"Me too!" Chanyeol smiled. "We have so much in common already. Are you taking the subway home?" 

I nodded. He inquired about which route I was taking and we found that we lived near the same stop. "We can be subway buddies!" he said enthusiastically, slinging his arm around me. "And you can help me with my English homework."

"You're already using me for my language skills?" I joked, sliding out from underneath his arm. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that level of physical contact. No matter how heart-fluttering it was when it occured. "I don't know if you're the type of guy I want to be friends with. I'm not okay with being used."

Chanyeol flashed me a toothy, toothy grin. "I can help you with your tie every morning. It'll be symbiotic."

I rolled my eyes, but secretly I was relieved. I really need tie help. It was making me stand out like a sore thumb, and that was the last thing I wanted. My chances of peeing myself publically in front of my whole class would go down significantly. "Yeah, yeah, that sounds alright," I said, pretending like it wasn't the best thing I'd heard all day. 

"Maybe you can even come to my house one day and meet my pet ferret," Chanyeol replied.

This made me stop in my tracks. "...a pet ferret?" 

"Yeah, it's pretty hip hop," Chanyeol kept talking, as if that wasn't remotely weird or gross or whatever word one uses to describe ferrets. "I love my pet ferret. He's the love of my life."

Why were the two people I had met today SO easy to judge? I was genuinely struggling to be a polite, gentle hearted woman. And that's really the vibe I wanted to give off, at least for the first week. Scratch that, maybe the first couple of days. Or just day. I was really trying here, though. 

"Uh huh," I said, nonplussed. "Well, I don't think I'm gonna be down for that, at least for now. My mom is expecting me home after school." My mom wasn't going to be home until late tonight, but immediately wandering into a stranger's house didn't sound like the best decision I could make at my first day of school.

"Of course, of course," Chanyeol grinned once more. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Hannah. I'll meet you at the stop tomorrow, so I can do your tie." He winked, and something inside me melted a little. I hated the way he made me feel. Like I was eating jelly beans nonstop. Like his perfect teeth were going to give me cavities. 

"Yeah," I said softly, not really paying attention to anything as he walked away from me. Oh god, I can't have a crush on a boy who has a pet ferret. That's just weird.

But hey, new country, new me, right? Maybe I could try anything once.