“Let us all congratulate EXO for their triple win this week!” the emcee announced.

Then the crowd went wild as each member said their thanks to their fans and loved ones.

 

            I turned off the T.V after the show ended and I was feeling happy and proud for the group EXO. I smiled when I remembered the overjoyed face of a member with multi-colored hair that looked like a paddle pop ice cream. He has grown so much but still acted like a kid. I still had that smile plastered on my face even going to sleep.

 

            I am a junior intern at a big interior design company and I still can’t believe it that I was able to enter this place. It was just last year that I graduated from the university and was able to pass the board examination. I never felt so blessed and happy and I just can’t get over it. But my worst enemy at this stage of my life is homesickness. I have to leave my family behind and live alone at this city. My “moment” was interrupted when a bunch of my co-interns entered the elevator. And I can’t help but smile after getting a glimpse of what they’re so excited about.

 

            “OMG! EXO is so awesome even though they are just new!” exclaimed the female intern in front of me.

            “I know right! I instantly became a fan after they debuted!” replied the other. And their discussion went on and on. We got out the same floor so I was able to “eavesdrop” more on how the group’s awesomeness changed their lives.

            I reached my cubicle and was not surprised that my good friend Shane was there already.

            “Good morning Keyci!” she greeted me enthusiastically as usual.

            “Good morning to you too, Shane!” I replied back with an almost the same enthusiasm. “I don’t know how you can be that sunny all the time especially that we are packed with lots of work.” I continued while fixing my table.

            “Well you know…I don’t know actually. Maybe it’s just my personality.” She answered coolly.

            “Good for you.” I laughed.

            “So, I watched MCountdown last night…” she paused and I knew she was waiting for my reaction.

            “Huh. I didn’t know you’re into that kind of stuff”, I replied without glancing at her and kept on fixing the pile of folders on the table.

            “Aww come on girl! Don’t act like you don’t give a crap on what I’m talking about! Keep on acting like that then I’m gonna think that you have a thing on that tall, good-looking, paddle pop haired kid!” she said while nudging me.

            I stopped on what I was doing and looked at her with an annoyed expression. “Fine! I watched EXO’s performance last night and also the last weeks and months after their debut! Happy now?”

            She gave me that victorious look and a double thumbs up. “I knew it. I got an idea that you are a fangirl after asking me to research about the group EXO which is like all the time!” 

            I continued with the folder fixing then looked at her again. “ Sehun. Oh Sehun.”

            She gave me that who-look.

            I sighed. “That tall, good-looking, paddle pop haired kid’s name is Oh Sehun. And I don’t have a ‘thing’ for him. He is after all my younger brother.”

            Her eyes grew wide like saucers. “He’s your what?! How come I never knew about that?! What else are you keeping from me, your best friend in the whole world! And how are you brother and sister when you’re Filipina and he’s Korean?!” She kept on throwing me questions nonstop.

            “Oh, geez” I mumbled to myself and shook my head. “I knew this was going to happen”.

            She kept on bugging me to explain everything to her ‘til lunch break. I knew she was never gonna stop bugging and my patience is ticking off I have to tell her the truth.

 

            “Okay, okay! I’m going to tell you everything so stop it already!” Then she shut up immediately and looked at me. I waited until we were alone in the office and took a deep breath. Oh man, this is going to be looong.

 

            “Remember when we were in our 2^nd year college?” I asked her and she nodded. “ When I was accepted as an exchange interior design student at Seoul University for 6 months, I have to live at a foster’s family’s home. I was grateful that I was accepted by the Oh family. My guardian told my family about the foster family and they seemed pretty normal. My first meeting with them was at the Incheon Airport. They were all there and welcomed me very warmly. Their youngest son, Sehun rushed to me and gave me a bear hug. He was about 15 years old back then but he’s already tall. He already called me ‘noona’ (older sister) at our first meeting. I was very happy and touched with their warm welcome. I knew that I was in the hands of really good people.

            Three months after I started living with them, I felt that I am a part of their family. They treated me like their own daughter and I was never left out. There was no problem with our communication since both umma and appa are fluent in English. Sehun was a little problem for me though, he can understand English but he has trouble expressing what he wants to say in English. Another problem is that is his lisp. At first I tried to correct it by letting him repeat words with the letter ‘s’ properly but in the end I gave up. I realized that it was a part of his adorable charm.

            I learned about their family a lot. That they are an average middle class Korean family. Sehun told me about his dreams. Yes, we are that close. It’s as if he’s my real brother. *I smiled really wide at that thought*. He told me he wanted to be a popular singer known in Korea and around the world. He was so enthusiastic while telling me his dreams. I pinched his cheeks and told him that he should follow his heart and pursue his dreams. I even told him that he would not have any troubles getting in since he’s gifted with talent (singing and dancing) and really good-looking. I remember him blushing furiously after telling him that.

            Six months went by really fast and it was time for me to go home. The whole family came with me to the airport to see me off. Of course, there were a lot of drama moments. Sehun was the last to hug me and say goodbye. I hugged him back real tight and whispered to him that he should work hard to reach his dreams. After all the goodbyes and stuff, I went aboard the plane and came home. That was it.” I took a deep breath and looked at her. I almost choked after seeing her. She was crying and her make-up was a mess.

            “Dude, you should fix your make-up before the others come back. They might think that I bullied you”. I laughed.

            She hastily wiped her face with tissue paper which made the mess messier. “OMG. Your story is so touching. Now I understand why you don’t talk about your trip except when it’s about your studies there.” She stood up. “I’ll go to the powder room for a minute to fix myself.”

 

            I sat back on my swivel chair and closed my eyes. It has already been 4 years since my trip. Few months after coming back, I kept in touch with them especially with Sehun. I learned that he was casted through Street Casting System and is now starting with his formal training at the entertainment. I knew that it would be a long and torturous challenge for him so I kept on praying for him. As years passed by, I got really busy with school and him busy with training. Umma and appa would always send me e-mails and letters that would contain news about Sehun and how he was doing. I would also send them replies but became occasional as I was on my last year in college.

            I snapped back to reality when someone called my name. Time for work. I sighed and went to the conference room.