"No Matter how much suffering you went through, you never wanted to let go of those memories."
— Haruki Murakami

As she waited for the train to arrive, Su Min felt her phone vibrate inside her coat. She dug in her pocket and took the device out, expecting to see Chanyeol's name written on the screen, but instead, she found this:

Kai: So…how should we do this?

Confused, she glanced toward the heavily disguised idol standing some twenty feet to her left.

Kai met her eyes for a brief second and flashed a hidden smile behind his facemask—a smile that would have been undeniably mesmerizing for any other woman.

Su Min raised an eyebrow. She looked back down on her phone and replied to his message.

Su Min-ah: What do you mean?

Once again, she shifted her attention to Kai, who cautiously waited a few seconds before responding back.

Kai: Should I board the train first and find our seats, or should you?

Kai: You know, just in case someone is watching.

Upon seeing the text, all expressions left her face. Is he really asking me this? She thought.

Su Min let out a sigh and looked up from the screen momentarily, calming her mind before sending her answer.  

Su Min-ah: Why are you making it sound like we're sneaking around?

Her impulsive reply was rather harsh, but she quickly realized his reasoning behind it. Still in Seoul, there was bound to be a fan or two within their vicinity, ready to capture, and most likely share a photo that could be misinterpreted by many.

Despite EXO's Kai dressed in full disguise, a true fan could easily identify their bias under all the layers of clothes and accessories. And if, for say, someone happened to take a picture…then it was a no brainer that the new year would begin with a wave of gossip.

Su Min could see it now—those headlines that she would be responsible for cleaning up: "Kai of EXO and Mysterious Girl, Dating?" or "A Romantic Christmas Getaway for EXO's Kai and XX?"

So before he could reply with a witty comeback, Su Min sent him another message.

Su Min-ah: Never mind. I'll go in first. Just wait a few minutes after I board.

Within seconds of sending the text, she received an answer.