“Umma!!! Look I received a scholarship for a one year school cruise” Minseol showed proudly to her mother, who in returned barely turned away from the newspaper that she holding. But she didn’t mind, it meant a one year with her boyfriend, Donghyun. She knew because he was bragging about it the previous day in the small coffee shop where they were taking a break. It had taken him a while to realize his feelings however, but it didn’t matter because he was her’s now. She looked at the additional information about the cruise:

       

   Congratulations, Minseol

                        We have recognized you for your academic achievements and proudly present a one year school cruise to you. This is an educational experience limited to few and we have selected you for this. This program is paid by some of the biggest donors of Korea and so this is entirely free of any cost to you. However, all school courses will take place on the ship. Dorming and food expenses are entirely covered as well. All additional items will be on your own expense.

                        Please bring all personal items that you may need during the trip. You will have pack toiletries if necessary, along with any clothes.  Please limit your luggage to 2 suitcases max.  The tickets are on the bottom of this page. Please bring this on the day of arrival at the bus stop in ****** park and show it to reported advisor.

                        In addition, please sit in the seats written on the ticket, no swaps and switches will be tolerated. This is to guarantee that students will act responsibly and return to their proper seating and helps us to make sure everyone is present.

                                     -From the Department of Korean Education and welfare (idk if this is real of not :P)-

 

 

My eyes quickly darted to the bottom of the page and sure enough there were a ticket stuck to the end of it, threatening to fall. On one end of the stub, written in a neatly typed font read: Aisle 1, Seat: 22.  Damn, Donghyun is in Seat 34, at least ill still see him. You were pretty bummed at first when u found out that he was to be away for a whole year. Truthfully, you were scared that something might happen between us. But it seems that I worried for nothing.

 

You looked at the ticket again and saw that the departure date was near about a week from now. You got up from the floor, where you unconsciously sat on when reading the letter. With a grunt and the help of a few muscles, you got up and walked over to a desk and started to make a list of stuff that you had to bring. After brainstorming for 30 minutes and double checking the list to make sure you didn’t leave anything out, you put your pen down and looked at the clock hanging on the wall above the television.

 

It was a little past noon, you scanned the room, and found your mom asleep on the couch with the newspaper resting on her stomach. Rising and falling slowly, in sync with her steady breathing.  Taking another glance around your house, you realized you weren’t going to miss this house. It was cold and hollow, not providing the proper warmth that a normal house should.

 

Your house was pretty big, a two story building with a front and back yard. The backyard was a large and bright place: a perfect place to have a picnic. With a fountain, a small playground from when you were younger with a completer swing set and everything, ok maybe the house wasn’t a house. It was more like a mansion but that word had always sounded foreign to you and strange to you and so you stuck to calling it a house. Next to it was a small dome-like structure made of entirely white marble that gleamed in the sun: it was blinding.

 

The living room of the house was pretty big as well, decorated with all name brand furniture and decorated to suit the taste of her father, which in this case was simple yet elegant. With yellow- gold colored wallpaper adorned with small speck of blue made the house feel endless like the never ending sky. In the center lay a large black marble stair case which lead to the second floor which held all the rooms.

 

Finally the front yard had a small fountain with a happy family on the top with water flowing around them, and then gently spilling over the gentle slopes which lead to a bigger ceramic, circular layer in the shape of one of those bowls for crème brulees. How misleading, your father had married a new women not even a month after your mom had died. You hated her but for your dad; you faced her and called her your mom. But obviously she didn’t think the same about you since she had her own daughter to look after.

 

Your father had actually started to favor his new step daughter, Haemi. Ignoring you and letting do whatever you liked. Handing you cash every now and then even though you didn’t need it. You knew he did it to hide the fact that he likes Haemi more, to hide the fact that he forgot about you at times. But it was fine because with the credit card he had also given you, you usually stayed out late with your friends and had fun without him.

 

You looked out the window; it was gray with the clouds hanging low. You got up from your desk to go to the kitchen to get some food.

 

The next few days were hectic, trying to gather all the items you needed for the cruise. Purchasing toothpaste and forgetting the toothbrush, buying the body wash and forgetting the shampoo, you had to run back and forth many times before getting everything that was on your list.

 

Looking at the luggage on the floor that lied at the center of your room, you made sure that you had everything before officially zipping and locking everything away. Slinging your carry-on bag onto your back, you walked out your room and down the stairs to meet your chauffeur, Jun.

 

As the car rolled on the curb on the street you were suppose to meet the guide, you saw Donghyun outside with a few of his friends. You just sighed and wonder how you snatched someone like him, sharp jaw line and cute but tall-ish nose and eyes that curl cutely when he smiles.

 

You immediately got out of the car and ran over to him, but stopped cold when you saw that a girl was also by his side. He caught you staring and shrugs off the girl. He then waved you over, of course you went, and you felt stupid for doubting him.

 

You grinned at him, and scampered over to his side like a lost puppy. Instead of greeting you with a kiss like a normal couple, Donghyun patted your head and asked you to grab him a coffee instead. You quickly agreed and ran to the nearest bakery on the block so you won’t miss the bus.

 

When you returned you found the same girl once again next to Donghyun, you glanced at Donghyun as if to ask him: who is she, and why is clinging to you? He quickly dismissed your looks of confusion, shrugged off the girl again and went over to you. He bent down until his mouth was right next to your ear.

 

“Can I have my coffee now? It’s going to get cold” he murmured into your ear in a deep voice, you blushed a light pink and looked down on the ground and covered half of your face with the scarf you were wearing. You shoved the coffee in his direction, a little too suddenly too because the coffee then spilled on Donghyun.

 

He cursed and stepped back trying to wipe the coffee off. “Stupid girl…can’t do anything right...” you heard him mutter.

 

You grabbed a few tissues from your bag and helped dab off the coffee from his jacket. You kept apologizing afterwards but he didn’t say anything after. Soon it was time to board the bus, “yah” you heard a voice cry out.

 

You turned to see Donghyun speaking to you. “Bring my stuff on the bus too.” You beamed at him and furiously nodded your head, then suddenly stopping when you felt a finger stopping your head from moving. You looked up puzzled. “Your head is going to come off if you keep nodding so much” Donghyun calmly stated.

 

Your hands sprang instantly to your neck “but I like my head on my neck and body” you stupidly said out loud. Donghyun chuckled lightly at your exclamation until he heard you scream. “WHAT?!?!!”

 

“Does this mean you aren’t mad anymore?” you tried to make a pitiful face at him.

 

“If you bring the stuff onto the bus” he quickly responded.

 

“Of course sir” you saluted him before sharply turning around to grab his luggage and yours.

 

After finally hauling all the both your luggage and Donghyun’s onto the bus, you scampered on. You felt someone staring at you and you looked up to catch a certain guy staring. You looked away quickly after you met his eyes, even though he was sitting you can tell he was tall and he wasn’t bad looking. In fact it was the opposite; he was a nice piece of eye candy for the passengers on the bus. With a sharp defined jaw line, a tall nose, perfectly shaped lips and hair that seemed he had just gotten back from a salon after analyzing a little further you realized that it was Kris from Exo-M.

 

What was he doing here? Doesn’t he have his own car or a private jet to take him to place… no why was he even here on a school bus? You finally snapped out of your trance when the tour guide/ advisor told you to take a seat. You bowed your head to avoid any more eye contact with Kris. While walking down the aisle, you snuck peaks at him and the others around him and saw that the rest of the members were on the bus behind him as well.

 

You tried to find your seat as you continued down the aisle (wow this is a long aisle) “15...17…19...20... Ahh here is it 22!” you threw your bag into the small compartment on top of your seat. You were about to take a seat when you looked down to see who you were sitting next to.

 

Next to your seat, sat a tall man with his legs stylishly crossed and light smirk playing on his lips. It was Kris. You took your seat and looked out the window and thought…. *I’M SITTING NEXT TO KRIS OF EXO!*