~August 5th, 2012~

Hongki and his fellow band members hopped off the van at 10 after their ride to the hotel. He looked up at the luxurious Parisian hotel his company booked them a stay in. It was shiny and chic. After they got their keys, they dropped off their bags in their rooms. Hongki bid his friends goodbye and said he'd see them later. He had to visit Avenue des Champs-Elysees for some serious shopping.

By 3:00pm, Hongki had spent an Eiffel Tower's worth of money and had about 7 bags on his arms. Miraculously, he still was not exhausted, but was tired of shopping. He had definitely gotten his fix for a while. What surprised him the most was that he had not only shopped his way up the whole length of the avenue, but also made it through only knowing a few simple French words.

His eyes twinkled as he ogled at the massive arched structure that towered above the trees. The beautiful Arch de Triumph stared back at him with its intricately carved designs and perfectly proportioned and angelic statues. He dropped his many bags onto the ground to take a quick picture with his phone. He focused the view and therein he saw something that rivaled the beauty of the architectural masterpiece it stood under.

She walked with such a composure that showed off her curves. The thigh length light pink and black day dress and cute black shrug adorned her along with sheer black stockings and black ankle boots. Her hair was beautifully styled, played with a bit by the cool breeze of the afternoon. Her brilliant smile was her most flattering accessory. She led a group of tourists to the side of the structure Hongki was on and put her tour guide flagged arm back at her side. She began to speak in mezzo-forte English, hushing her crowd of excited tourists. From what Hongki could understand, she was explaining the historical significance of the Arch de Triumph. She sounded like a walking textbook but she was much more interesting to listen to. Though, Hongki had to admit, he was less listening to the historical context than her pleasant voice.

Hongki picked up his bags and snuck into the back of the tour group to hear the rest of the woman's lecture. She thanked the group for being with her and hoped they took something away from the tour. She bid them all Adieu and strutted off to who knows where.

Honki stood there watching the tourists disperse. His heart sank just the slightest bit and hung heavy in his chest. Reluctantly telling himself to let it go, he went off in search of an afternoon snack.

Once he found a small cafe and ordered a latte and croissant, Hongki sat at a small table outside the establishment. With his proud purchases by his side and the beautiful Parisian weather and atmosphere, Hongki should be feeling very blithe and blissful. He wondered if it was that tour guide that still had his heart at rock bottom. Once again trying to brush off the feeling, he sipped his latte and stared blankly into the distance. He heard a gentle melody floating in his mind. He couldn't tell if it was real or if his mind was cheering itself up. The voice was familiar. Hongki felt his heart slowly rising to its former state. He even felt a smile pull at the corner of his lips. Hongki looked around just to check if he could find the source of his reawakening and his eyes landed on a beautiful, familiar face.

This time, her eyes were closed and her expression was soft. She sang in English,

"Stop there and let me correct it

I wanna live a life from a new perspective

You come along because I love your face

And I'll admire your expensive taste

And who cares divine intervention

I wanna be praised from a new perspective

But leaving now would be a good idea

So catch me up on getting out of here"

Hongki's eyes never left her face as she sang. He clapped lightly, but loud enough for her to hear. She seemed a bit surprised but smiled and blushed as her glance met his.

"I didn't know I had an audience.", she said.

"Your singing..was good.", Hongki said in his unconfident and accented English. He regretted speaking as she stifled a giggle.

"Where are you from?", she asked.

"S-South Korea."

"Oh, Really?", she replied in flawless Korean. Hongki looked at her, baffled by her many abilities.

"You know Korean? Wow!", he beamed, happily surprised.

"It's my third language, so I'm not too good at it.", she said.

"You're kidding. Your Korean is perfect. So, I'm guessing you speak English and French, too?"

"That I do."

"Wow. I'm not very good at English.."

"You're not that bad. Plus, you have a cute accent."

"Your Korean is accented, too. I like it."

"You flirt like an American.", she said, making the both of them laugh. The whole street and cafe was looking at them speak in a foreign tongue and laugh a bit too loud. They'd never believe they weren't talking rudely about the natives.

They continued like this for two hours until Hongki checked his watch. He stood.

"Oh! I can't believe we've been talking for two hours. I have to go. It was lovely meeting you, uh...", Hongki trailed off, realizing they hadn't shared their names after two hours of talking! The woman stood up and introduced herself.

"Sammy. It has been lovely,..", she said, coming to the same conclusion.

"I'm Hongki. But, I can't just leave you like this. Hold on.", he reached for a napkin and pulled out his signing sharpie. He wrote his name and number and handed the napkin to Sammy with two hands. His head was still slightly bowed when he heard a feminine sigh and a small laugh. He found Sammy smiling at him with her head tilted to the side a bit.

"So traditional. So cute.", she said and leaned toward Hongki. Her lips met his cheek and left a light lipstick mark in their wake. Hongki's blush hid it well.

"Thank you for this afternoon. Don't be offended if I don't call you for three days. It's an American dating thing.", she said with a wink.

"I'll be leaving first, then.", Hongki said awkwardly as he picked up his purchases and headed away from the woman.

"Bye", the woman said as she saw the man walk back down the Avenue.

~10:00 PM~

As Hongki lay in bed that night at the hotel, he felt happy reflecting on his day. He let his memories sweep him away to the cafe when he heard Sammy singing. Her song, a lullaby, lulled him into a peaceful sleep.