Mieun's POV

My shift ends and by the time I left Café de Amor it was already around 1 am.

“Are you sure you don’t want a ride home?” the owner asks as he locks up the café.

I zip up my jacket and check for my house keys, “I’m okay. Thank you for the offer though.”

He shrugs and pats my head, “Get back safely okay?” Taehyun has a worried look though. I’m pretty sure he knows what goes on in my household.

I smile slightly just to relieve his worry, “I will.”

The owner says good bye and I bid him a good night. He’s a really nice guy…besides the fact that he talks a lot…but if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t even be close to earning enough money to move out.

As summer starts to kick in the breeze becomes a little less chilly, but still cold enough to require a jacket.

I stuff my hands into my pocket as I make my way back to the house. It was late but Seoul was still bustling with its city lights and cars. I look up at the huge electronic billboard and was met with a familiar face.

 

Kim Jongdae….

 

So he really is famous...I stand in place, watching the music video. I don’t really get the wolf concept but it was pretty interesting.

 

So this is what teenagers fan girl over.

 

As I watch, the only person who has my attention is him.

I’m pretty sure it’s because I don’t know the other members. The song ends with Jongdae’s high note, which impresses me a bit, and then the screen switches to another station.

Subconsciously I touch the cut on my lip and his face flashes through my mind.

Shaking off the tingling feeling I continue on my way.

 

Not looking forward to what awaits me there.

-----------------

A week passes by and it’s the usual. Wake up, get beaten or yelled at, at least twice a day, work at Café de Amor, and then back to the hell hole.  

However, my usually routine was somewhat altered by a certain person…

I didn’t hear from him the couple days after the first time we met, but I wasn’t expecting anything anyways.

He was busy, and so was I.

 

Two different people.

Living totally different lives.

 

He has fans, friends, people who care and admire him.

I live for nothing besides to escape, but sometimes even that promising side becomes dulled. 

 

 He’s probably forgotten about me.

 

But my conclusion was proven false when I got a second text message a couple days ago.

It wasn’t anything long, just ‘How was your day?’

The messages didn’t stop there though. Every day after that I would get messages asking about my day, or ‘how was work?’ ‘sorry I’ve been busy so I haven’t dropped by.’

My usual replies, ‘It was okay.’ ‘Fine.’ ‘It’s okay.’

At first replying was weird, but then the messages came so often that I found myself checking my phone every hour.

 Today is Saturday, and I gather my stuff from the employee’s locker to leave since I end work early today. I check my phone for the time, 4:05pm, and I notice that I had unread messages.

 

2 Unread Messages

 

I open the first one.

 

Kim Jongdae-

 ㅠㅅㅠ

Luhan hyung keeps trying to peek at my phone!

He hit me because I refused. Oww. Did you finish work?

 

I chuckle, assuming that Luhan was an EXO member and open the second text.

 

Kim Jongdae-

I forgot to ask…did you listen to our album yet?

Oh right, about that. I send him a reply immediately.

 

Lee Mieun-

Just got off. I only listened to the title song? Wolf?

 

Not even a minute after I hit send in came a reply from Jongdae.

 

Kim Jongdae-

Better than nothing!

You should listen to the rest of the songs!

 We have two versions for our album, Kiss and Hug.

Buy Hug~ or both…but listen to Hug first!

 

I tilt my head, wondering the difference, but I don’t ask.

 

Lee Mieun-

Maybe...

 

Kim Jongdae-

Awe, okay! I gotta go  :( text you later.

 

I don’t respond and place the phone back into my small side bag.

 

When did we get close enough to exchange texts?

Maybe I should stop…before I become attached. 

 

On my way down the streets of Yongsan I come across a CD shop. I stare at the shop, not daring to enter.

 

Of course his group’s posters were pasted all over the walls.

 

No way was I going to waste money buying an album I won’t even listen to. Averting my glance I walk away from the store.

.................................

 

After a long period of walking back and forth I somehow end up in the store having no idea why I was there.

Well maybe I do…

I hear a small cough and I turn my head to meet the face of a girl, around 17 years of age, looking down at her name tag I conclude that she worked here.

 

 “Umm, unnie do you need help finding anything?” she sounding a little scared.

 

Must be my face.

Should I ask?

Maybe if I just say no and leave I don’t have to feel so troubled….

Dammit…I give up.

 

She notices my frowning expression and backs off a little.

 

“Yeah…I’m looking for EXO’s new album? XOXO?” I finally gathered my guts to ask.

 

Her face brightens up as if she had just won the lottery.

 

“You’re an EXO fan too?! I’ll show you where it is!” she leads me to a corner of the shop and motions to the albums on the shelf.

 

“Here they are! Which version do you want? Kiss or Hug?” she asks as she holds up 2 notebook-like albums. One with a heart and another with a circle thing that seems to have the word EXO shaping it.

 

I think for a second…he said Hug right?

 

“I’m sorry, I’m new to EXO. What’s the difference from the Kiss and Hug version?” I inquire.

She nods in understanding and explains holding up the heart album, “You see, EXO is actually split into two groups EXO-K and EXO-M. The Kiss version is the Korean version with the vocal focuses on the K-members, Suho, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, D.O. , Kai, and Sehun.”

She switches the albums and now shows me the circle album,“While Hug is the Mandarin-Chinese version that focuses on the M-members, Kris, Lay, Luhan, Xiumin, Tao, and Chen.”

Then it hit me…

The reason why he wanted me to buy the Hug version…

 

“So which version do you want unnie? Or are you getting both?” the girl questions.

 

I don’t know why I’m doing this. I hesitate, am I really going to buy it because he told me to?

The last time I bought something like this for myself was years ago.

The girl waits for my answer. Finally I reply.

 

“Can I have the Hug version please?”

 

I grip the bag in my hands and pull out the album to get a look at it as I walk down Yongsan.

I turn it around and his face stares back at me

 

Kim Jongdae.

 

I barely even know you…

 

…but what have you done to me?