“Of course, of course, it was so nice seeing you. It’s been a long time since I have been able to get down here because I am a teacher now and no one told me that would be so much work. However, there is a concert across the street in a few hours, so I thought I would come by,” Alex chuckled with the store owner, always a favorite face when she visited K-town. It was true she had much of her time eaten away with her new career. It was true that there would be a concert in a few hours. However, it was also true that this was no ordinary trip to K-town. She had a nagging feeling that someone was watching her, that the boys would not heed her advice. She could have sworn she had seen one or two of them lingering around the entrance to the Korean market downstairs when she, Fay, and Talia had visited to use the restroom before shopping around in the welcoming outdoor plaza. Fay looked as if she had noticed a few of them inside the bingsoo store. Maybe, she was being paranoid. It was true that Y had promised the safety and security of all the members. Certainly, they wouldn’t be this careless, this hopeless.

            “Do you think that’s them?” Donghyun asked, tipping down his sunglasses to stare up to the second level where Alex, Fay, and Talia were still chatting and browsing.

            “I can’t tell if you’re rooting for us or can’t wait to admit that we were wrong for coming here,” Seungmin sighed, though he did not take his eyes off of the store, off of the three girls.

            “So, you admit you were wrong for pulling this kind of stunt?” Donghyun implied.

            “Give him a break, Donghyun. So far, no one has noticed that we’re even here. No harm done,’ Y countered, also seemingly overly invested in the scenes unfolding upstairs. “If things get iffy,” he warned, with a slight glance to Seungmin and Joochan who need not see his piercing eyes, “we’ll just leave. They did promise to see us at the show anyway,” he reminded them.

            “Well, what if it’s not them? We can’t just go up to them and expose ourselves,” Donghyun sighed. “It doesn’t seem like they would be that special in a place like this. This place is a lot more… diverse than anywhere back home other than maybe Itaewon and even that’s a stretch. We can’t be sure that it’s them.”

            “No, it’s them!” Seungmin snapped almost instinctively, wanting it to be true more than anything. “Can’t you tell? Alex took a picture with you, too!”

            “That doesn’t prove too much,” Donghyun pointed out, though he was also somewhat moved when he thought about the kind, calm interaction he had had. At first, Alex had scared him with her bubbly personality and bold approach, but the anxiety quickly faded as she softened at his words and tried her best to make him comfortable.

            “Yeah, and that’s definitely Fay,” Joochan confirmed. “The way they cling together is reminiscent of the concert. Besides the snapshot sessions, the three were inseparable.”  “Wait a minute…” he trailed off, his eyes glued to the scene above.

            “And have you listened to Dreamcatcher’s new song? It’s amazing, right?” Fay squealed, as she leaned over the counter to talk to the other clerk working at the store. She had met him on several an occasion, only recently discovering his favorite groups, one of which they had in common. She would never admit that she also had the slightest crush on him and would find every opportunity to talk with him, even if it was old news like the comeback she had mentioned to spark the conversation. “I haven’t had much time to be into comebacks or anything, but now that I did, I can’t stop listening to it. I’ve had it on repeat for the last few days,” she added.

            “It is! I was so excited to hear that they announced a tour. Sure, it’s small, but it’s something and it’s going to be at the Wiltern across the street. What more could I ask for?” he chuckled, much to Fay’s delight and the watching Joochan’s dismay. “Are you going? I could see you there,” he asked, looking up from organizing the signed albums in the display beneath the counter. Fay froze, cheeks starting to burn though for what, she knew not. She had been to plenty a concert with friends, even making some along the way for concerts she initially attended alone. Yet, she had never attended a concert with a boy. The words of one of her patients about having a boyfriend by the end of the year rang in her head, drowning out any coherent thought for a response. She simply nodded, trying her best not to be awkward, though this it was undoubtedly part of her endearing charm. “Do you have the lightstick? I could probably give you part of my employee discount if you don’t,” he offered in a whisper, his face a mere few inches away from hers.

            “Th-thank you, but I already have it. I bought it on a day you weren’t here, I suppose,” she declined respectfully. “Plus, I wouldn’t want you getting in trouble. I like seeing you here. You’re my favorite person,” she admitted timidly, much to his hidden pleasure.

            “Look, I can’t tell what they’re saying, but I don’t like the way they’re talking. It’s a bit too close, isn’t it?” Joochan huffed, turning his attention away from the scene. Donghyun and Y stifled their laughter.

            “Well, it looks like they come here quite often, then. They could live here,” Seungmin pointed out, though he, too realized the implications of the statement as soon as he said it.

            “Which would mean, in your case, Joochan, that this guy likely gets weekly or even daily access to her. I’m not at all surprised they’re this close,” Donghyun chuckled, losing the battle against the humor that was watching what little was exposed of Joochan’s face slowly turn pink at this slight inconvenience.

            “While this seems like a problem for Joochan, at least you don’t have to worry about it, Seungmin. She doesn’t seem at all interested,” Y inferred. Seungmin nodded, finally taking his eyes off of the scene, comforted slightly by Y’s prediction, though the thought still lingered in his mind.

            “They’re leaving!” Donghyun stated, almost forgetting that he also had a responsibility to act stealthily, becoming increasingly involved in a drama he was adamantly against less than 24 hours before.

            “Well, where are they going?” Joochan asked excitedly, straightening his posture before immediately remembering that he had a role to play.

            “Doesn’t matter. Just keep your head down. You’re going to blow this for the both of us if you don’t keep it together,” Seungmin grumbled, his tone mildly out of character though the other three knew that he had a point. Joochan and Seungmin hoped that, as the girls strutted past the sushi and bingsoo shops, they would not recognize Jibeom and Tag or Jaehyun, Jangjun, and Bomin respectively. They held their breath, feeling an anxiety more nerve-wracking than performing on any stage as the girls giggled on the escalators down to the main floor of the courtyard. They tipped their hats and continued to have a casual conversation with Y, stumbling over their words as the girls slightly rounded the corner to the coffee shop at the opposite end of the plaza.

            “Well, it looks like it’s time for coffee, fellows. My treat, this time,” Y chuckled mischievously, relishing in the much-needed sigh of relief once Seungmin and Joochan realized they were no longer in danger.

            “Are you trying to get us caught? What happened to protecting all members’ safety and privacy, hyung?” Donghyun whined, though he knew that this was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a treat on Y’s behalf. He was the leader after all and it was about time he treated the other members.

            “Look, we’ve been here all this time and not one person has noticed us—or come up to us at least. It seems like most of our fans are already across the street lining up, so Alex and Fay weren’t wrong about that. That’s actually great for us. We get to be normal people, enjoying some iced Americanos before going to work, simple. If we don’t cause a scene, I don’t think they will either,” he explained, his charm much too alluring to deny and his faith in the three girls more than evident. “It’s a win-win. You get a coffee and Seungmin and Joochan get a tad closer to the ones who got us into this mess,” he jested, glancing at Seungmin and Joochan. “It’s a leader’s obligation to make sure all of s are happy, after all,” he quickly added to soften the quip.

            “I guess he’s right. If we stay here long enough without buying anything, I think that might bring more attention to us than we want,” Seungmin concurred.

            “That being said, we can’t just barge in there. No hat or mask is going to completely get these girls to forget what we look like. We can’t sit too close, but these two probably want to be as close as they can get,” Y began.

            “Wait, check the chat. I think we just got a text,” Seungmin interrupted.

            “I didn’t,” Joochan pouted, all too hopeful. Donghyun shook his head as well.

            “Well, this girl is bolder than we thought. Looks like she might beat you at your own game, but that’s not what you were going for, huh?” Y taunted Seungmin halfheartedy. “You want a challenge, don’t you?”

             You know, you guys are all pretty terrible at hiding. I hope the bingsoo, sushi, and fresh air of LA smog was to your liking. We’re now chilling at the ICoffeeBar if you’d like to come by for a drink. Our treat. Don’t worry, we won’t make a scene if you don’t. Seungmin, wordlessly, shoved his phone in Y’s face before passing it around once he had read it, unsure of how to respond, unsure of why his heart was beating out of his chest so violently, unsure of what game they were playing and what game he was obviously losing.

            “She’s a sweet girl, but that’s not fair! Hyung already promised us drinks on him!” Donghyun pouted.

            “This is true. Besides, I understand, Seungmin, but if we actually joined them, things could get a little awkward,” Joochan pointed out though he wanted nothing more than to enjoy a relaxing coffee date, watching her face light up with every sip of a sinfully sweet latte.

            “Well, we’re still going one way or another. They’re clearly waiting for us there, but we have to go along with what Y was saying. They already know we’re here, so at least we don’t have to act like we’re not. We just can’t be seen with them,” Donghyun asserted, purely motivated by his love for coffee and admiration for Y’s organized chaos.

            “It’s settled then, let’s go. It would be rude to keep ladies waiting,” Y affirmed. With unsteady legs, Seungmin and Joochan walked towards their fate, trying to still their quaking hearts, much to Donghyun and Y’s not so subtle amusement. Once there, Seungmin froze at the entrance, eyes set on Talia and Alex who were chatting with the tall blond barista at the bar. Y and Donghyun dragged him inside, dragged him past Talia and Alex as he tried to listen to their conversation amongst the café music and the buzz of the patrons. He envied how he made them smile, envied his height, envied his chill demeanor. He didn’t even listen as Y ordered for him, his eyes set on anything and everything but the menu or the cashier as he continued to try to decipher their conversation. He heard bits and piece