My heart sank. I temporarily forgot that I was a problem. For a second, I was just fooling around with my friends and… not friends and…more than friends…but no.

“You’ve all more or less met Ellie,” Seungkwan and Hoshi made eye contact and giggled. Mingyu slapped them.

“We're just a couple of weeks away from our comeback. As long as we sneak her out of here, without anyone actually noticing, this cover story just gave us hype. So people don't forget about us in the meantime. Nothing more.”

Jeonghan stepped forward. “And how do you propose we sneak out…that” he said pointing to me. Joshua elbowed him.

“There’s still people outside with cameras. They know we are all here. She’s wearing Jeonghan’s pajamas. We’ll just pretend she’s you,” Seungcheol answered.

Silence.

“That’s ridiculous,” he said folding his arms.

“No—it could work.” Vernon stood up. “I’ll give her a mask and a beanie and I’ll rush her to the subway.”
“No you should stay here,” Seungcheol said. If the plan fails and they figure out it’s you and her, then we’re in deep trouble."

“I’ll take her,” Sam volunteered. Seungcheol considered.  “Sorry white kid you’re gonna have to stay here till night fall. Then you can sneak out on your own.”

“I’ll take her,” Joshua calmly rose his hand. 

Oh my god. Yes. Please do. 

“I usually walk by Jeonghan anyway.”

Silence.

“I like it,” Seungcheol nodded.

“But what about her shoes?”
“Jeonghan in heels isn’t that wei—“ Jeonghan elbowed Hoshi in the stomach. 

Vernon appeared with a pair of red converse.

“She can just wear my shoes.”

They continued to discuss the details.

He knelt down with the shoes.

“Converse,” he said looking up at me, “meet Converse.”

He waited for the laugh.

“You’re so dumb.”

“You thought it was funny. Don’t lie.” He started untying the laces.

“I think dumb things are funny. So…you’re right.”

—“wait so I’m taking her to her apartment? In Jeonghan’s pajamas?” Joshua asked softly.

“No, just the subway station. She’ll change into her dress and wear it home.” Seungcheol answered. 

“But then where will I go? I can’t just walk around Seoul wearing penguin pajamas and carrying another pair of penguin pajamas”

“I mean… you can” one of them muttered in accented Korean. The timing was perfect, and everyone burst out laughing. 

Hoshi stepped forward, “just put Jeonghan’s pair on, then slide yours over,” he motioned taking pants on and off. They all doubled over like it was the funniest thing anyone has ever said.

“You’ll think we are hilarious then,” Vernon said taking my foot. He slid it into the open red Converse like f- Cinderella.

“You’re…a women’s size 8…?”

He blushed. “Shut up.”

“Wait, won’t everyone follow him to the subway?” Jeonghan interrupted Hoshi’s miming.

“If they think it’s you they won’t. They’re waiting for a girl in a little black dress.”

“Wait, how am I going to get the dress to the subway station?” Joshua asked.

Hoshi stepped in the center of the kitchen again and mimed taking two pairs of pajama pants off and wiggling into a tight dress.

Seokmin? I think? Pushed Hoshi over and he fell to the other side of the circle laughing.

“Perfect match,” Vernon stood up, back to the circle as Hoshi was shoved around.

“Except yours are actually Converse…mine are from Walmart…” I said tapping them together.

“Do yours get you places?”

“I mean…yeah.”

“Then there’s no difference.” He smiled. “These red ones are a fan gift. All my other colors are off brand.”

“So…I’m wearing your fan gifts now?” 

“No…I’m…”

“Oh my gosh I’m kidding. Calm down.”

He took off his beanie, smoothed his hair, and put it back on in one fluid motion.

“Alright we should just get this over with. She wants to go home and shower I’m sure,” Seungcheol said loudly.

Oh god. Don’t remind me. “Vernon grab her dress will you,” Seungcheol asked him.

“Um…”

“I’ll get it,” I jumped up before any of them could stop me.

One new message, from just sav.

Sav: Hey Ellie—when are you coming home? LA misses you. Your mom misses you. Kai misses you. I miss you.

“This still doesn’t make any sense. Why would I walk Jeonghan to the subway and then walk back?” a voice from the kitchen.

“Whoever is out there won’t realize it’s weird until you come back alone. And by then it will be too late.”

"But what if they follow us to the subway?"

"They won't."

I shoved the phone in my pocket.

“Hopefully.”

I walked out and Sam handed me his murse.

“Oh perfect excellent thinking…”

“Sam.”

“Sam! Yes nice to meet you I’m Seungcheol,” he bowed.

“Sure you gonna be ok?” Sam whispered turning to me.
“Of course I’m going to be ok…it’s 7am.”

“I’ll come check on you tonight.”

“No, please don’t—“

“Let me rephrase. I’ll drop off some peach tea at your place tonight.”

He can be so funny sometimes.

“I guess that’s fine.”

Vernon walked to the door and took a large face mask out of his pocket. “Um…” he stuttered, reaching down and wrapping the strings around my ears. Tingles. “And here’s my favorite beanie,” he said pulling a gray knit out of his back pocket. “Don’t lose it.”

He smoothed my hair down and placed the beanie on it slowly, making sure the logo matched up in the front. 

Joshua came around and stood next to Vernon. “What about her eyes though?” Praise everything for this mask because my cheeks are undeniably tomato red.

“She could wear sunglasses but I think that’d be…a little too much.”

Seungkwan joined them inspecting the look. “Just walk with your eyes closed,” everyone laughed.

“Just look at the ground and stay close to me,” Joshua said. 

How can a boy look so regal in pajamas. It doesn’t make sense.

“Oh and…um…please don’t need saving again,” Vernon added.

I rolled my eyes, “I’ll try.”

“But if you do,” he snatched my phone and held it high above his head. “I set myself as your first speed dial.”

I smacked his chest. “Give it back.”

“Ow why do you always hit me.”

“Why do you always take my stuff?”

“Your phone jumped into my hand, it’s not my fault.”

Not funny.

He slid it back into my hand. That little spark again.

It’s quiet. I looked around. Am I supposed to say something?

“It was nice to meet everyone!”

The silence broke with nods and messages of agreement.

“Are you ready?”

A hand around my waist.

Oh god I forgot this was happening.

“Aren’t I…supposed to be Jeonghan?”

“Yeah…” he held tighter.

This mask is a gift from heaven above.

Perspective check. I’m here in pink penguin pajama bottoms, a black face mask and gray beanie holding sam’s man purse with my little black dress and heals inside. Prince Charming himself is leading me to the subway, and I'm leaving Sam behind with a Korean boy band who I actually still haven’t googled.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

“See you tonight Elllie,” Sam waved.

Vernon opened the door with an encouraging nod and we emerged into the sunshine like moles from a hole. 

It’s empty. 

Nobody’s here.

We both let out a sigh of relief and Joshua loosened his hold on my waist.

Then I heard it. 

Click.

Click

click click click

.

“Look down and follow me,” he whispered.

We walked quickly but smoothly to the subway entrance.

“Is anyone following us…?”

Silence.

“Joshua is anyone following us?”

“Just walk Elena.”

We quickened our pace and skipped down the stairs. 

Crap.

Ice. Everywhere.

I tripped down two steps and Joshua caught my elbow.

Sam’s murse flew down and girls suddenly appeared chasing after it.

Joshua jumped 5 steps, grabbed it before they could, and I awkwardly jumped past him.

“Run—“ he whispered pulling me along.
We headed towards the men’s bathroom.

Wait.

I skidded in front of the door. I heard steps and screams following us.

“Come on!” he grabbed my arm and pulled me inside.

Oh my god. Urinals.

He slid us into the first stall and locked the door behind us.

Screams from out side. Korean men yelling at girls to stay out.

Is this real life?
I couldn’t help but laugh and he did too.

This is just so…

“You ok?” he asked pulling my beanie up.

“Yeah,” I panted.

“You?”

“Yeah…” he leaned his head back against the silver metal wall, “I’ve never been chased by girls like that before.”

“You and me both.”

He scrunched his eyes. “You’re funny.”

This mask is the best invention since microwave mac n cheese.

“No, your humor standards are just low.”

More screams from outside. Girls yelling excuses about why they needed to get into the men’s bathroom. Men screaming at them to leave.

“It didn’t work,” I sighed.

“Actually it did,” he rested his foot on the cap of the squatty potty. 

Nowhere to sit here.
“They got pictures of two people in pajama pants walking towards the subway. I only counted 4 of them following us.”
“Only four??”

“It could have been worse.”

“Well yes. It could have been raining.”

He smiled and tilted his head inquisitively. He leaned closer, like he's searching for something in my eyes. Trying to figure something out. Like trying to make sense of Guernica or count the number of freckles on someone’s face.

I need a defibrillator.

A loud noise and deep sigh from next door.

Oh my god.

The spell broke and we both laughed and covered our noses as the stench crawled beneath the stall wall.

“What on earth do we do now?” I laughed. This is just so unreal.

“I really have no idea,” he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

My phone buzzed.

Sam: Everything ok?

I showed Joshua. “What should I tell him?”

“Tell him…not to worry about it” he put his head back.

“That’s not going to go well.”

The girls aren’t leaving. 

“How long are they going to wait here?”
“These girls?” he motioned outside, “they’re capable of waiting for hours. And it’s only going to get worse as they message their friends.”

I put my face in my hands. 

The toilet flushed next door.

“Should you text Seungcheol?” I asked

“No—this isn’t a group chat discussion. This is immediate action.”

“Ok…”

“Close your eyes and turn around,” he said.

“What?”

He started pulling off his white t-shirt 

“I said turn around!”
Oh my god.

My heart rate jumped back up.

Shuffling around. ping. Pressure on the back of my legs.

“What is going—“

“DON’T TURN AROUND”

Boxers with little yellow stars.

.

I closed my eyes tighter. This mask is never coming off my cheeks ever.

“Ok—“

“I can look now?”

“Yeah,” he laughed.

And there, in the corner of the bathroom stall, is a man fairy tales are made of, wearing a sparkly tight black dress and gold heels.