I am ready to physically hurt someone right now if they are to rub me the wrong way in the slightest manner.

My first target?

It will be the tall young man standing beside me, talking my ears off with his never-ending questions and observations of the people around us, something that I care little for.

The level of frustration that’s boiling in me has just reached its ultimate peak as I stand, glaring at the slowly moving conveyor belt and the various luggages that are scattered on it – none of which belongs to me. Not to mention, I’m jet-lagged, hungry, and exhausted and desperately in need of a nice, warm shower before I can deal with people without wanting to snap their necks off.

Aunt Naram’s beside me, checking her phone in silence and humming every now and then with her luxury branded luggages lying scattered around her feet. As usual, she pays little attention to the surroundings and the people around her while her head hangs over her precious Blackberry phone and her slender, ring clad fingers taps away on the mini keys like a true professional.

On my other side, stood EXO-M’s youngest member, Tao, who had decided to latch onto my side immediately after landing. He towered over me significantly, despite the fact that I’m considered tall for my gender and had started to throw me questions after questions about my plans now that we’re back in Korea as we headed through customs and towards the baggage claim.

I let out a soft growl and brush a hand through my frazzled curls in irritation.

I hate waiting. I truly did.

But what I abhor more than that is when my things go missing. Because it means that a whole lot of other things will follow soon after as consequences to the cause. In this case, I am required to replace almost every other legal documentation, apart from my passport, and the necessities I carried along with me for this trip.

I swear the higher powers up there are always out to get me. It’s as if I’ve offended them in some way that I am oblivious to. Or they just hated my very existence.

I have an uncanny feeling it’s the latter.

“Jiejie! Are you going to be working with us in the future?” Tao asks.

I shrug in reply, running yet another hand through my hair and eye the dry ends of my curls in distaste. Looks like it’s time for a trim. “I don’t think so. I’m just helping out with Aunt Naram for the summer break.”

Not to mention, she’s paying me and I’m getting an almost free trip around what could be the future country I’ll live in. I muse, grinning when I catch sight of the meaningful gaze the older woman send me.

Tao pouts at my dismissive reply. His lower lips juts out pitifully, dark eyes widening in a pleading gaze. I can almost hear the silent whimper coming from the lost, bambi-like look in his eyes.

“Why? I like you. You’re nicer than most of the other coordi jiejie.” He says and then visibly brightens up. “You should come work for SM!”

I chuckle, a quiet noise that sounds foreign falling from my chapped lips. My annoyance at the gabby boy abates a little at his innocent comment and I allow myself to reach up on my toes and ruffle his dark hair fondly.

“Jiejie!” Tao whines loudly. He brings his hands up and begins to rearrange the carefully styled strands immediately while the pout on his lips grows.

He’s decked out in fashionable tastes like the rest of his band, and accompanied with his trademark expressionless face and the label of being the skilled Wushu maknae of EXO-M, he gave off an aura that prompts others to think twice before crossing him and his path.

But underneath the daunting fierce looks and seemingly intimidating persona, Tao is just a big panda softy who’s always seeking for comfort and approval from his gege and jiejie.

Because of that, somewhere along EXO-M’s promotional activities in China, Tao has managed to snatch a permanent spot and bury himself deep in the dark crevices of my heart. Despite the three years , Tao’s the one I’m closest to in the whole group, besides Luhan, whom I had shared a few conversations with that doesn’t pertain to his clothes, Aunt Naram or their schedules.

To be honest, I thought he was the most annoying boy I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting when I first saw him before our flight to China. I had just gotten myself checked in with the customs along with Aunt Naram, and the first thing I heard when I neared EXO was the loud, whiney voice of Tao complaining to his hyungs about how the flight was way too early and that he had barely gotten any sleep the night before.

First impressions are misleading, and we more often than not judge people blindly without mercy, showcasing yet another ugly trait of human beings.

I merely caught him at a bad moment because the tall, intimidating wushu-practicing idol is nothing more than a big, shy sweetheart. A big, shy sweetheart with a dreadful habit of performing aegyo on anyone in order to get whatever he wants, that is.

Tao’s aegyo is like a weapon and the boy knows it. He sure knows how to use it to his advantage. Forget spears, swords and fists; all he needs is a soft pout, a little puppy-eyes and softly spoken words and he had everyone in the palm of his hands.

For a moment, Tao’s adorableness distracts me from the main cause of my frustration as I gush over his sweet innocence, only to have the boy ask me what my luggage looks like, reminding me about my lost baggage. I scowl, cutting the conveyor belt another dark glare and relate the colour, design and the medium sized Sponge-bob and Patrick Star keychain that I had hanging from my wheeled luggage to him, watching as he nods and look at the belt with scrutinizing eyes.

“You’re coming back to the company with me, right?”

I turn towards Aunt Naram and raise a brow in question. “What?”

She narrows her eyes at me. The blackberry in her hands ‘pinged’ with the incoming of a new message, but she ignores it as she continues fixating me with her glare. “The clothes aren’t going to carry themselves back, you know?”

I roll my eyes at her, at her stupid clothes, her stupid request and at the stupid airport’s lousy service and huff. “I don’t know – maybe I should – ”

The vibration from my phone cut me off as I pull the sleek device from the pocket of my jeans. The iPhone screen lights up with a familiar name accompanied by the picture of a grinning young woman. Taeyoung.

“Hello?”

“Hello? Yehyun-ah?”

I frown at the soft whisper of my name and the uncertainty of her voice. “Um, yes?”

“It’s only been two months and you’re already so awkward with your own sister.” There’s a light chuckle on the other end at my hesitant reply. “Have you landed safely in Korea yet?”

“Yes.” I answer simply.

“You didn’t text me.” Taeyoung returns, an accusing lilt obvious in her soft-spoken words. “You’re supposed to text me the moment you’re back on Korean land.”

I roll my eyes once more and stops abruptly when I catch myself doing it unconsciously. I’ve really got to stop that.

“I’m sorry for being too busy worrying over my lost luggage,” I mutter, pressing my phone to my shoulder as I start to push the sleeves of my sweater up. “What do you want?”

There was a slight beat of hesitation from Taeyoung, and I wonder if my words had been a little too harsh.

“Can we meet? There are some things I need to talk to you about. They’re… pretty urgent.”

I frown and look up at the analog clocks dangling in the middle of the airport. My eyes scan the row of plates underneath the clocks and stop at the one that states ‘Seoul - South Korea (Local Time)’. It’s 2:07pm in the afternoon, plenty of time for me to catch a short nap and get my bearings back before I deal with anything else that requires more than a ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘I don’t know’ reply.

“I was actually hoping to catch some sleep first.” I say, looking away from the clocks when I hear a series of piercing screams and incomprehensible yelling from somewhere beyond the baggage claim. Ah, fangirls. “If this is about my bridesmaid dress, I’ve already told you, no green or purple. Stop trying to convince me otherwise.”

Taeyoung murmurs something I can’t quite catch over the phone even without the overwhelming shrieks of the fangirls, prompting me to let out a loud sound of confusion. Aunt Naram looks up from her phone and shoots me a look that makes me feel stupid at my impetuous yell, along with several other stylists that were on the trip with us.

I flush at the sudden attention and turn to stare down at the rubber scruffs of my worn Converse sneakers.

“Do you think you could meet me first?” Taeyoung asks. “I really need to talk to you.”

My lips purse at the hint of desperation in her voice. She has never asked to see me this urgently before. Usually, she’d give me a call at least two days before if she wanted to ask me out because she said and I quote, ‘I hate impromptu things. I have to be prepared.’

Which is what worried me enough for me to give up my few precious hours of nap and the bowl of kimchi ramen that are currently waiting for me back at my apartment.

“Fine.” I sigh in defeat and plop down onto one of the hard, plastic seats. My tired muscles ache from the stiff contact, causing me to fidget in my seat in order to find a comfortable posture. “Whatever you’re telling me, it better be worth sacrificing my sleep over. And you better be buying me food for this.”

“I’ll see you at our usual restaurant.” She says, ignoring my complaint blatantly. “I’m already here.”

“What?”

“Yeah.” She answers as I let out a huff of annoyance. “So hurry up. Bye.”

I grunted in response and pull the phone from my ear as the screensaver fades back to a picture of the night sky I had taken back in China. It had been a clear, cloudless night, and the dark sky was littered with stars that never looked brighter than they did at that moment.

Aunt Naram takes the seat beside me and crosses her lean legs primly. She smoothes out the creases in her printed frock and turn towards me with a raised brow. “So? Are you coming back to the company with me?”

“I can’t.” I reply, pulling my unruly hair up into a ponytail. “Taeyoung wants to talk to me about something.” I pause. “Urgently.” I add, with clear emphasis on the word.

Knowing Aunt Naram, she’d more than likely guilt me into postponing other matters for her own advantage. “She’s already waiting for me at the restaurant.”

“Wow, that urgent?” She mumbles. “Is everything alright?”

I shrug in response. “I hope so. Who knows, the urgent matter she’s talking about could be trying to convince me to pick something green or purple for my bridesmaid dress. I look absolutely atrocious in those colours.”

“I’m glad you realize that. Those are honestly not your colour.” She affirms bluntly with a curt nod of her head. “Have you seen how pasty and horrible you look in those shades?”

“Shut up.” I roll my eyes once more and nudge Aunt Naram jokingly.

The crowd around us gathers slowly as more of the stylists, managers, personal assistants and members of EXO-M manage to retrieve their luggages without a problem.

“Yehyun Jiejie!” I look up at the call of my name to see Tao moving towards me with a bright grin. “I found your luggage!”

A sigh of immense relief escapes my chapped lips when I catch sight of the familiar navy blue leather case held in his long arms. The trademark soft-toy keychain sways violently with his fast movements as the lanky boy place my luggage by my feet.

“Where did you find it?” I ask, reaching down to make sure it is my own bag.

“Beyond the conveyor belt.” He explains with a proud smile, as though he’s feeling accomplished for helping me retrieve my belongings. “It got pushed to the side and was trapped there because of the other bags.”

“Zitao-ah, you’re the best!”

My compliment is punctuated with another ruffle of his hair, only this time, Tao let out a small giggle instead of complaining about my messing up his style.

Now that I had everything with me, I bid everyone a brief goodbye, giving Luhan and Tao a promise that I’ll see them soon at their unified whines on my premature departure. My stomach grumbles loudly as I make my way out of the terminal that’s swarmed with girls (and a couple of boys) holding flashing, colourful signs and pictures of the band.

I chuckle when I catch sight of a neon a sign that has bold, black letters forming the words ‘Kill me, Kris!’ on it.

Fangirls these days.

Honestly.

Here's another one. Hate the ending. I at ending chapters. They just turn out blah. It's 4:45am right now.
I need sleep hahahahahhahahahahhahaha.

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