Sooyun is eating in silence as another makeup artist, Eun, sits in front of her.  She smiles a soft smile as she looks up.  “How are you this morning?” she asks.

            “Fine.” nods Sooyun.

            Some of the glitter from f(x)’s makeup flew into her sensitive eyes after she quickly helped Eun out with EXO’s makeup retouching.  Her eyes had started to tear up because of the irritation and she bumped into Tao and EXO M’s manager.  The younger guy flashed an unreadable look and the manager just stared at her.  Then, other staff members saw her wiping away the tears.  Now, there was a rumor circulating that she was crying because of Lu Han’s resemblance to Shin.  It was a misunderstanding.

            Well, she would if she was given this job years ago.  She no longer cries easily for him anymore.  She still loves him and certain things or actions will remind her of him, making her eyes tear up, but she doesn’t cry.  4 years has passed by.

            “How about you?” asks Sooyun.

            Eun smiles.  “I’m just glad that the after party is going to be later.” she admits.  “If it was last night, I would’ve died.”  Sooyun nods, as Eun starts to eat her breakfast. 

            The both of them become quiet as she feels someone walk past their table.  The person quickly takes a seat with the group off to the side of the dining room.  There were many of them, but they were unusually quiet.  Sooyun glances at them, catching the eyes of Chen and Lu Han.  The younger guy quickly averted his eyes, pretending not to be staring at her.  Meanwhile the other one holds his gaze.  She looks into his huge, bright, warm eyes feeling absolutely nothing for him.  He is not Shin and will never be.  They are two different people.  A waiter walks up to the table and hands Lu Han the breakfast menu, making him tear his eyes away from hers.

            She looks away, uninterested.  Even if she tries to tell the truth, no one would believe her.  They just want to believe what they want to.  She continues to eat her pork bun when someone texted her.  She glances down at her phone.  It is Jae.  He and Hana have been vacationing in Shanghai for the last few days.  She wants to see them before they leave, knowing well that she won’t be going back to Korea. 

            SM had placed her as EXO M’s makeup artist last minute since their makeup artist had left on maternity leave with a request from her husband.  But, she decided to quit in the end.  And since Hyoyeon was already done with her promotions, SM quickly placed her as their new staff member.

Jae: Hey, I’m here.  Hana is waiting for us in the taxi.

            Before Sooyun could reply, she saw him at the entrance of the restaurant.  She quickly bids Eun goodbye and stood up, grabbing her bag in the process.  “Jae!” she calls out, with a smile.

            He turns looks up with a huge smile.  “You sure look tired.” he laughs, as she approaches him.  He quickly pats her head, like a big brother.  “How was the concert?”

            “What do you think?” she asks.

            Jae smiles as he pats her shoulder and they walk away like siblings.  If she ever had a big brother, she would want him to be like Jae.  He’s patient, kind, and always understanding. 

            “You should be sleeping, not hanging out with us.” says Jae, as they walk out the hotel.    There were many fangirls sitting around, waiting for their bands to come out and tour Shanghai.  Although many staff members find those fangirls crazy, obsessive, and touchy, Sooyun knows that they just really love their idols.  It’s exciting when someone you care so much is in front of you.  Of course you’ll scream and latch on, knowing that your interaction with them will only become a mere memory once they leave your life the instant they entered it.

            Lu Han’s head nods and he quickly sits up straight again, startled.  He turns to the person at his side and she is motionless.  She doesn’t even bother to make eye contact with him as EXO M made their way through the fangirl-filled airport.

            So, she was the new makeup artist that the company have given us…, thought Lu Han.  I can’t believe she’s going to live with us.

            EXO M’s manager had requested to move out of their dorms to his own apartment down the hall.  He said that he didn’t want to promote “bad” habits and be a “bad” role model since he is dating and looking for the one.  The group was fine with it because they know that he deserves to date and live his real life outside of the group.  Thus, there is an extra room – the master bedroom.  Kris was supposed to move into it but the company intervened, saying that the new makeup artist will just live with them while they promote in China. 

            Knowing well that most makeup artists are females, the guys questioned their manager if it would be a good idea: EXO M with 6 males living with 1 female.  He said that it should just be the way it is since she is rumored to be a complicated worker, something about how she gets too much of the Hollywood treatment because of her previous clients.  So SM is just going to put her living situation with the guys because she is getting on their nerves.  But, Lu Han didn’t expect it to be her.  Actually, he doesn’t even know what she has been doing all this time.  According to Chen’s “curiosity,” she had worked with many celebrities, all Korean and foreign. 

            “You should just sleep.” said her voice.

            He blinks, surprised.  He doesn’t remember her voice nor does he remember her knowing Mandarin.  “W-What?” he asked.

            She turns slightly to glance at him.  Her face is solemn as she stares into his soul.  “If you’re tired, you should sleep.  Even if it’s for a bit, it’s good to let your body and mind rest.” she says, in perfect Mandarin. 

            Lu Han nods his head, as he takes her advice.  He sneaks a glance at her before he closes his eyes.  She has already return back to the English book she is reading.  He closes his eyes slowly as his mind crawls back to Xiao Xue.  She will be waiting for him at her condo when he gets back to Beijing.

            Lu Han wants to smile as he glances over at Kris.  Manager Hyunkyun is stumbling over his words as he talks to the new makeup artist.  They were in the hallway, curiously glancing at them through the open door.  It is obvious that he is like that because he finds her attractive in some form or way.  Although everything is already as awkward is it already is, their manager has become the comic relief which is good.  He helps relieve the tension that has been building up.  His stuttering and blushing face is making everyone want to smile, except for the makeup artist.  At times, she would smile a small smile from time to time but never a bright, happy smile either.

            She seems like a person that never smiles, thought Lu Han.

            He quickly pulls out his phone.

Xiao Xue: Are you home yet?  Where are you?  Are you coming?

            He isn’t so sure how things were going to go.  He would like to, but it will seem rude if he suddenly leaves when a new house mate had just moved in.  And knowing how she already feels towards him, he didn’t want to leave on her first night with them.  The last thing he would want is for her to cry again.  Even though he didn’t see it the other day, he doesn’t want to see it.  He doesn’t want to be reminded of the old days.

            “Oh, Oppa?” calls out the young woman when Manager Hyunkyun turns around.

            “Y-Yes, Sooyun?” he asks, as he turns to face her.

            For a moment, I forgot that that is her real name…, thought Lu Han.  I keep on thinking that it’s Admin SY instead…

            He turns away from the open door and goes into his room instead.  He quickly lay down, enjoying it.  He enters his passcode into his phone and replies to his girlfriend.

Lu Han: Sorry, Baby.  Maybe next week when I have time.  It’s been a long day and we just met our new makeup artist.

Xiao Xue: Really?  :(  OK.  If let’s meet next Friday.  I have time and I know that you have time too.

Lu Han:  Yeah, sure.

Xiao Xue: Is your new makeup artist nice?

Lu Han: Sure…  She’s nice.  She’s supposed to be some world-renowned makeup artist or something.

Xiao Xue: Really?  Who is she?

            Lu Han hesitates to answer.  As far as he was aware, Xiao Xue was also a Moon Shin fan.  She wasn’t a big fan as she was with him, but she knew enough about him.  In addition, she was well aware of his girlfriend then fiancée, Sung Sooyun, and she knows about Lu Han’s mess with her too.  He’s not sure how she will react if he tells her the truth, but it’s not like he can lie either.

Lu Han: Sung Sooyun.

Xiao Xue: Sung Sooyun…  Moon Shin’s ex-fiancée?

Xiao Xue: You mean, THE SUNG SOOYUN?!  Really?!  I LOVE HER!!!

Lu Han: What do you mean?

Xiao Xue: I love her makeup tutorials!!  It’s all over youku!!!!  She’s AMAZING!

            Lu Han lets out a breath.  Thank God, he thought.  Having her being jealous is unnecessary right now.

            “Good bye, kids.” says his manager, as he walks past the bed room door.

            “You are?” asks Lu Han, as he quickly gets off the bed and heads to the door frame.

            “See you all in 2 days.” he smiles.

            “Or in 8 hours.” teases Lu Han, making Lay and Tao laugh.

            The manager shoots him a dirty look over his shoulder before walking into the kitchen and out the dorm.  After Manager Hyung left, Kris shows the dorm to Sooyun.  There are 4 rooms total (with 2 rooms on each side of the apartment), 2 bathrooms (one in the hallway for the guys and one in the master bed room for her), the washing and drying machine is in a  closet across from the bathroom, the vast living room filled with many fan gifts and the nifty, yet dirty kitchen.

            “Jie jie, I heard you talking to Manager Hyunkyun about going to Haidian?” asks Tao, as he sips his cup of orange juice.  He flashes an innocent smile after his sip.

            “I’m going to the Summer Palace.” replies Sooyun, with a small smile.  “A friend suggested that I go there if I ever get a chance to tour Beijing.  She used to live within that area and said was nice.”

            Lay raises his eyebrows at Lu Han, as he turns to face him.  The older male is just as surprised as he is.  He made the suggestion so long ago that he’s actually surprised that she would still consider it.

            “Oh, so you have a friend living in Beijing?” asks Chen, boldly.

            Lu Han can see Kris flash him a glare for being too forward.

            “W-Well, I guess…” admits Sooyun.

            “What do you mean by you ‘guess’?” questions Lay, automatically, without much thought.  Kris quickly turns to him and sent a death glare, making the younger guy look down at the floor.

            “She’s an old friend that used to travel back and forth between Korea and China because of her job…  I’m not really sure what she has been doing now or if she’s still in Beijing.  I lost contact with her after Shin’s death…” she mumbles.

            Lu Han slowly inches away from the living room, where the group is.  They didn’t seem to notice anything as everyone becomes silent.  Chen, being the savior, asks another question that Lu Han doesn’t register.  He uses the opportunity to escape from them, knowing that things are becoming awkward.  He doesn’t want to deal with the suffocating awkwardness that Sung Sooyun made him feel in that instant.

            He hasn’t been on Weixin for the last 4 years.  Right after Moon Shin’s death, he just completely stopped keeping touch with her.  He hasn’t been on the fan café for that long as well.  Although he did it the worst way possible, he felt like it was necessary.  It was the only way for him to really move on.  He knew that if he continued to keep contact with her, then he would still be stuck at the same place forever.

Sooyun: I’m really sorry that I lied to you.  I hope that you’ll forgive me.

Sooyun:  It’s been a really long time since we last talked…  How have you been?

Sooyun: I’m learning Mandarin now!  ^^  It’s hard, but the writing is easy.

Sooyun: I will be moving to Beijing soon…  I’ll become EXO M’s makeup artist.  I’m really nervous because I’m scared that the fans will find out who I am, that I was Shin’s fiancée.  I don’t want them to send me hate mail again…  I don’t want people to think that I’m with EXO M because I want to be close to Lu Han, just because he looks like Shin. 

            “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” asks Lay, startling Lu Han.

            He quickly looks up and stares at his roommate as he tries to level his heavy breathing from the startle.  When did he got here?, he thought.  “H-Huh?” he stutters.

            “Since you’ve been on Weixin…” replies Lay.  “She seems pretty sad that you didn’t bother keeping contact with her anymore.”

            “I had to, you know that.” defends Lu Han.  “It was the only way for me to forget...  To completely cut all contacts and go cold turkey on her.  Besides, it’s not like I didn’t go to Moon Shin’s funeral.  I was there and you were there!”

            Lay nods his head, sitting on his bed.  “Regardless, I think she misses you.” he comments, as he lie down on the bed.

            Lu Han lies down as well and stares at the ceiling.  He has nothing to say.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

            HI EVERYONE!!

            Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!   ^^  (And, if you can’t tell…  I’m being super lazy…  I think that I’m not going to color the dialogue anymore to indicate whether they are talking in Chinese or Korean.  Give me some feedback if you like this, don’t like it, or don’t care.  I want input!)

            I’ll be going out of town, so I won’t be able to update next week.  :’(  I know, it …  But, at least I was able to update this week!  Yay!

LOVE,

loveFORyunho