_ dedication | part three

 

Beep, beep.

 

From: Baozi

I can't wait to see you. -^^- I feel like I've been waiting forever.

 

You smiled down at the screen of your phone before typing up a quick response.

 

To: Baozi

A few hours~ \(^o^)/ & it has been forever, actually. I feel like I know so much about you, and I've only seen you once.

 

You hit send with one hand, dragging your suitcase along with the other as you shuffled in the line along with the other passengers.

 

Beep, beep.

 

From: Baozi

Too long~! TT_TT We've seen each other! On camera...

 

You rolled your eyes even though he couldn't see anything. When the line crawled to another brief stop, you typed your reply.

 

To: Baozi

It doesn't count if I don't get to touch you. :P

 

Beep, beep.

 

From: Baozi

It counts for me! I get to see your pretty face, and you get to see mine~ Don't worry though, I'll get to hug you soon enough~ ^3^

 

You were sure your grin was looking pretty creepy as you stared down at your phone in the middle of the line.

 

To: Baozi

I can't wait~ -^^- I'm boarding now. I'll text you when I land~!

 

Beep, beep.

 

His reply was almost instant, it was a little scary.

 

From: Baozi

Have a safe flight, sweetheart!

 

You tucked your phone away in your sweater pocket, still smiling warmly. It was a little strange to think about, actually. All of it felt so surreal. A little over a month ago, you were sitting in your apartment with your roommate and best friend, Jihae. Your life was good, but it was nothing to write books about. Then all of a sudden, it was like you got injected with some luck virus. Before you knew it, you were booking a flight to Hong Kong to do research with a professor, like you'd always wanted. Then you were meeting an idol – whom you had no idea was an idol at the time, even though his fame spanned several continents – and getting his number. And now... well, you were going back home to Korea to meet him again. Technically, it would only be your second time meeting him in person. First, if you really considered the circumstances of your other meeting.

 

Still, in the span of a few weeks, you found that Kim Minseok was extremely easy to warm up to. The two of you communicated often after that first phone call. At first, it was messages just wishing you a good day, asking how you were and if you'd eaten yet. Then they progressed to messages asking how your day went, how your research was going. There were also those heartwarming little good morning and good night messages that you ended up staring at for hours, just to consider the madness of it all. Eventually, you two started talking on the phone – sometimes to the point where you would roll out of bed after only an hour's sleep. With his schedule, you were sure he was doing the same thing pretty frequently. At some point, someone suggested webcam, and you were actually able to see his face again – even though it was only through the screen.

 

No matter how much you wanted to, you were usually too busy to travel to the events they were attending, but you made sure to wish him luck. A few times, you were even able to catch the program online and talk to him about it. To his brothers too, which were you were able to meet briefly while you spoke to Minseok on webcam. They were extremely friendly, and if they were anything like how they were on interviews and programs that you managed to see, you were quite excited to meet them in person. Needless to say, you became a pretty dedicated EXO fan quickly.

 

“Miss, did you need anything else?” The flight attendant smiled brightly as she handed you the glass of juice.

 

“Oh, no. I'm fine now, thank you.”

 

“Right. We'll be landing soon, miss. Let me know if you need anything else before then.” You acknowledged her small bow with a nod and a smile, glancing out the window that you sat beside.

 

Just a few hours, and you would see home again. And Minseok. Your heart fluttered at the thought. God, I hope this goes well...

 

---

 

“___~!” The shriek of your name echoed off the tiles and glass windows of the airport.

 

With a sigh, you turned towards the voice, only managing to spot the dark hair before you were swept up in a bone-crushing embrace. “Oh, good Lord-! H-hi, Jihae!” You released your suitcase and wrapped your arms around your best friend, smiling into her shoulder. “I've missed you, too.”

 

She leaned back and stared at your face with a raised eyebrow, a simper curving her lips. “I've missed you a lot, ___. But I'll bet my entire next paycheck I know someone who's missed you even more.”

 

Rolling your eyes, you smacked her arm before taking your suitcase and rolling it towards the main double doors. “Oh, shut up.”

 

She scoffed. “You better not be thinking you'll get away from an explanation here, ___. I deserve every detail after you've so cruelly decided to leave me out your whole trip.”

 

“Well, you're in luck then, Jihae, because I find myself with a sudden pressing need for a tutor.”

 

“A tutor?”

 

“Yep.” You adjusted the straps of your purse with a grin. “An EXO tutor.”

 

---

 

“Wait!” You snatched Jihae's arm with a frown, blinking owlishly up at her. “Can't you come with me? I don't know if I can do this by myself!”

 

She gave you a deadpan stare, her lips pressed together. “Listen to yourself! You just came home from a trip to Hong Kong, doing research all by yourself, and you're afraid of meeting a guy?”

 

“That's different! I know what I'm doing with that!”

 

“___...” She set her hands on your shoulders, shaking gently. “You know what you're doing here, too. This is Kim Minseok, the man you've been talking to for several weeks now. The man you've been getting to know. The man you've come to really, really like.” She smiled. “You've got this.”

 

Eyebrows drawn, you groaned miserably. “Just because I like him doesn't mean it'll go well.”

 

Eyes rolling, Jihae hit the button to unlock your door. “If you're suggesting that he doesn't like you back, then you better turn in your key to the apartment right now. I do not want to be living with a mental person.” She made a shooing gesture with one hand. “Now, run along, okay? Trust me, there is nothing I would like to do more than take up your offer to meet the pile of gorgeousness that is EXO, but I have to go to work.” Her sigh was so heartfelt, you actually felt guilty. “I'll settle for meeting them all when I'm the maid of honor at your lovely wedding in the foreseeable future.”

 

Despite the tension in your body, you chuckled softly at her. “I think you'll have to meet them before that, Jihae.”

 

She smirked. “Well, then maybe when you get me free VIP passes to their next concert, babe. Now get out before I'm tempted to run into that dorm before you!”

 

You took a deep, shaky breath and reached over to hug her. As soon as you stepped out of the car and closed the door, the dread hit you with the force of a semi-truck. You waved at her through the passenger window, but all she did was wave back with a toothy grin, mouthing a goodbye as she started to drive away. Before she managed to though, you caught the distinct widening of her eyes, the dropping of her jaw, and the frantic way she was gesturing behind you. Turn around!

 

“___...?”

 

Jihae was already driving away. You couldn't even make a quick getaway anymore. Nevermind the fact that your best friend was so willing to leave you with a man who could turn out to be moonlighting as a deranged serial killer. Eyes round and face drawn into one that surely screamed fear, you your heels. There he was, just like you remembered him from the airport. Light brown hair combed down from his usual spiked stage hairstyle, his face free of make-up, his polo shirt and jeans combo still looking like they were straight out of a magazine. He had a look on his face that quite surprisingly mirrored yours – eyes big from what looked like disbelief, mouth hanging open in an awkward half-smiling, half-gaping expression.

 

“M-Minseok...?” It was the only response you could manage, but the relief that leaked onto his features was instant.

 

“___!” He ran up to you, arms outstretched, but then skidded to an abrupt stop just a few feet away. “W-wait, am I...?”

 

With a bright chuckle, you opened your arms. “Where's my hug, Minseok-oppa?”

 

He threw his arms around you with a loud exclamation, picking you up by the waist and spinning around. When he set you down on your feet again, you were both laughing, the nervousness drained away by the warm, familiar greeting. You looked up at him, head tilted, studying his features from up close. A little dazed, you poked his pale cheek. “Wow... You are real.”

 

His smile almost had you fainting. “I was just about to say the same thing about you.”

 

---

 

Beep, beep.

 

From: Baozi

I'm here~!

 

With a start, you scrambled from your uncomfortable position on the hard airport seats, stretching out the stiff muscles of your back. You weren't sure when you'd fallen asleep, but the text message brought you to your feet with dizzying speed. “Jihae, get up, they're here!”

 

She shot up off the chair with a startled noise, trying to focus on you through groggy vision. “Wh-what?”

 

“They're here,” you whispered to her, not wanting to draw attention to yourself by making noise in the quiet waiting room. “Come on.”

 

, she pushed herself up on her feet, the scowl on her face expressing just how you felt. “Why did they have to catch a red-eye back again?” she asked through a yawn.

 

“To avoid the craziness, remember? Do you really wanna be dealing with hysterical EXO fans right now?”

 

“Hey, I am one!” she hissed, sticking her tongue out childishly at you. “Besides dating a member, by default, makes you a rabid EXO fan. We're not allowed to be judgmental anymore.”

 

You ignored her quips, steadying yourself on the railing as you walked towards the arrival gates. They were kind of hard to miss. After all, twelve extremely attractive men walking together in one large group tended to draw attention, regardless of where they walked and what time it was. Smiling, you unrolled the small paper you had in one hand, holding each side open with one hand and waving it happily over your head as they all walked out.

 

One by one, recognition dawned on their faces, and some of the members sped up their pace to meet you. “Hey, I thought we were catching this flight so there wouldn't be wild fangirls here?” Jongdae joked with a grin.

 

“I don't know, Jongdae-yah, I kind of like these ones,” Baekhyun whispered, patting you gently on the back as he took the small paper from your hand. “Look at this, she's even making fansigns now~” He held up the paper to you with a pout. It was shabby, compared to all the elaborate posters and flashing neon signs that other fans had, but it got the point across. The hexagonal EXO symbol was etched on the paper with thick black ink, and a darker outline of a snowflake was drawn carefully around it. “You know, ___, you have to be careful with these things. People might just think you have a bias.”

 

“Oh, please. Like getting up at two A.M. wasn't enough of an indication,” Jihae piped up, tucked under Junmyeon's arm. “I think our biases are pretty well-established.”

 

You were just about to laugh at their banter when you felt yourself practically tackled off your feet. Your grunt of surprise was cut off by a squeal when you were spun around, arms locked around you hips. “Baby~” You had to fight to keep yourself upright as soon as you were set down, your arms locking around squared shoulders for balance. “I've missed you so much~” Warmth that spread all the way down to your toes enveloped you as soon as Minseok's arms wrapped around your form. His face nuzzled your cheek affectionately before he placed a soft kiss there.

 

“I've missed you too, oppa~”

 

“Oh, God, here they go!” someone groaned. “Let's go before I throw up!”

 

You threw a glare over Minseok's shoulder, pinning Chanyeol with it – he who could not hide his guilt, mostly because his voice was pretty distinct but also because his face read like a book. Chanyeol just beamed at you, winking before Minseok tucked his arm around your waist, holding you snugly against his side. “You guys just don't understand, that's all.”

 

“I understand,” Junmyeon held up a hand. “A lot of hard work has to go behind this.”

 

“Tell me about it.” You turned to your boyfriend of a year now, smiling at his profile. Leaning up on tiptoes, you grasped his chin between your fingers, moving his head to plant a firm kiss on his parted lips. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be an EXO fan.”

 

---

 

end note: -dying at the ending- Mehhhh~ Well, that is the end of the unexpected 3-shot for our lovely baozi~ \(^o^)/ I hope you all enjoyed! It took some effort to reign myself in on this one, actually. I was tempted to turn it into a full-fledged story. XD But then I wouldn't know where to take it at this point, so maybe in the future~ Thanks for reading~!