Adina rolled out of bed with a groan as her alarm went off. She regretted not arriving in Seoul earlier in the month to allow her more time to get used to the insane time change. She looked around her small one-room apartment that was still not fully unpacked. 

"Second day of school. I can do this. Friday is only three days away." She slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Her eyes squinted in the bright light of the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror she messed with her long dark brown hair trying to figure out what to do with it for the day. Adina began work on getting herself ready for another day of teaching. After rummaging through a box of clothes she finally settled on a tan sweater and black skirt. It had started snowing the night before in the city but not enough to cancel school for the day. 

About an inch of snow covered the ground of her apartment complex. Adina took joy in the sound of the crunch of the snow beneath her feet as she walked towards the bus stop. Nothing special happened on her way to the school. It was a normal bus ride and a normal walk to the school. 

Shaking off the snow as she headed inside she saw her teaching partner Emily carrying a cup of coffee back towards. 

"Morning Emily!" Adina called. Emily turned and smiled! 

"What me to make a new pot of coffee?" Emily asked. 

"No no! I'll be fine." Adina headed for the classroom. Her students would arrive soon and she wanted to have the classroom in order for the day's lesson. Adine was more than excited when she had been excepted into the program to teach abroad. It had been her dream to come to South Korea to teach, and if she was being honest, to possibly stay. While she knew she would begin to miss her family back in North Carolina, the test would be if she missed them enough to go back. 

Her students began to file in as the late bell was soon to ring. "Good morning Ms. Miller!" One of the little boys exclaimed as he passed by her desk. She giggled as she greeted him. Once the late bell had rung and everyone was settled, she stood and began class. She may have been exhausted from not being able to sleep up the night before, but she felt energized when teaching the kids. 

The day went by smoothly other than a boy bullying a little girl in class for having pigtails. Adina and Emily cleaned up their classrooms and headed out. 

"What are you up to tonight Adina?" Emily asked. Emily had been in Seoul for four years now and was in the process of gaining her dual citizenship. Like Adina, Emily had pale skin in dark brown hair. Emily had come from Alabama but had first taught abroad in England before landing in Seoul. 

"Try to get my sleep schedule straight." 

"Yeah, it's gonna take another week for it to fully kick in. So, good luck with it," She chuckled. 

"Welp, see you tomorrow then!" The two said their goodbyes as they parted ways. Adina sat at the bus stop wondering what she could have for dinner. Her thoughts went to the noodle shop just down the street from her apartment building. 'Mmmm warm noodles,' she thought to herself. The bus ride was normal and nothing special except for her excitement of obtaining ramen. 

When she got to the shop it was quiet and had only a few people in it. Adina paid for her food and went to sit down at one of the empty tables. She blocked out the world with her headphones while she ate. She wasn't sure how long it was that the guy was standing there in front of her but it surely startled her when she saw his hand wave in front of her face. 

"I am so sorry to disturb you," the man said in Korean. Adina took a good look at the guy as she took her headphones off. He was wearing a black face mask but she could still see his kind looking eyes and blond hair sticking out from under his ball cap. She felt like she had seen him before but the mask made it hard to figure out. 

“No, it's fine. Is there something I can help you with?” She asked tilting her head. 

“Oh hey! You're Korean is pretty good!” His England speaking voice set off alarms in her head. “Do you mind if I join you?” 

“Ye... Yeah sure!” Adina put her headset back into her bag as the man sat down. She watched as he removed his mask confirming her suspicion. “I thought I recognized you.” 

“Oh was I too obvious?” He chuckled. 

“Well, at first it was the eyes and hair but, when you spoke in English I kinda knew it was you BangChan.” 

“You can call me Christopher... Or Chris, ” he chuckled, “What should I call you?” He leaned on the table with a half-smirk on his face. 

“Adina but a bunch of friends call me DeeDee.” 

“Adina,” he mused, “That’s such a pretty name.” 

Adiba tried to keep herself from blushing at his compliment. “So, why do you honor me with your presence?” 

“Just figured a beautiful woman, such as yourself, maybe would like some company?” 

“I’ll take the compliment but comment on how cheesy that was.” Adina chuckled as she watched him laugh and bite his bottom lip. She looked down to hide her blush. He would kill her with that lip bite on every Vlive she watched and seeing it happen in real life because made it really hard for her to not blush.

“Yeah, that was pretty cheesy. Do you live in this neighborhood?” 

"I live just down the street. Your dorm close?” Adina had completely forgotten about the ramen on the table. 

“Yeah, it is! Just got done working out.” 

“And you were on your way home when you saw me?” She eyed him with a smirk. 

“Actually no,” he chuckled, “I come in here often to grab food. I just happened to notice you were sitting alone once I was in here.” 

She giggled and looked out the window for a moment. “And here I thought today was going to be normal.”  

“Extraordinary  things happen to extraordinary people?”

”You think too highly of me.” Adina played with the broth that was left in her bowl with her chopsticks.  

“Nah. Anyone who moves from their home country to another is extraordinary.”  He smiled as he settled more into his seat. The two got to talking about how difficult it is coming to a new country and adjusting along with him telling her all of the best spots to eat in the neighborhood. They had been engrossed with talking to each other Adina didn’t realize how dark it had gotten since he had sat down.

“I didn’t realize how late it had gotten... I better get home.” 

Christopher watched with wide eyes as she got up and cleaned up her area. “I can walk you home if you’d like.” 

Adina tried not to look like a deer in headlights at his offer. ‘What could it hurt?’ She thought. 

“Sure. That would be nice.” She smiled. 

“Great! I promise I won’t stalk you later,” he jested. Adina giggled as she fell into step next to him as they walked out the door.

"Heh, you wouldn't be the first," she mumbled.