The thirteen of you pile out onto the empty street, chattering loudly.

"I want to go eat ddeokbokki!" Tao announces.

"I want bossam!" Chen throws out his own opinion.

"No, let's have Chinese food!" Suho argues. "Chinatown!"

You don't recall ever being with friends like this, in such a loud and rambunctious situation. For as long as you can remember, you've been spending your life in the coffee shop, or in the gym, practicing Muay Thai, or sitting the occasional exam. It's a new feeling, and though ostensibly you look for peace and quiet, this isn't all that bad. Even though you have to take two steps for every one Kris takes.

He walks beside you, merely enjoying the feeling of being in the same place as you after a long time apart. You look up and to the side, meeting his eyes through his sunglasses. He can guess at how you're feeling. Smiling slightly, he nudges you. "A little different from the coffee shop, yeah?"

You nod, crinkling your eyes in a smile. "It's nice. But are they always this loud?" The others are still bickering.

"Not after practice. We don't have it today since us EXO-M members just got back, but we'll have it tomorrow. You'll get your chance to rest," he reassures you, then looks unsure. He's assumed that you'll be visiting them again. "That is, if you're not too busy?"

"Busy?" You snort. "Kris, I swear whoever created the courses I'm taking in Seoul University had short-term memory. We literally learn the same thing over and over again."

"I see that even across the ocean, you can't escape your boredom," he laughs. "Will you be spending your time in the coffee shop then?"

"In Jihye's? Hm, it depends on you, really. Now that we're actually in the same country, we can meet up whenever you're free. Other than that, yeah, I think I'll spend most of my time in there."

Kris grins. "I still find it a little hard to believe that you're really here."

The two of you chat for a while before lapsing into a comfortable silence, just observing the noisiness of the rest of the group.

Looking around, you meet Luhan's eyes. He's walking next to Xiumin, but the elder is busy trying to decide the group's destination for food. The deer is wearing the koala hat again, but unlike the others', his eyes are not covered by shades. Grinning, you take his sunglasses out and slip them onto his face. "Don't want a repeat of this morning's incident," you joke, handing him his mask. You pretend not to notice when he tries to make you wear it instead. Sighing, he gives up.

Kris shudders at this reminder. If fans see us and this makes the news, manager hyung is going to murder me.

***

The eleven who haven't eaten yet finally decide to go to Chinatown, as per Suho's wishes. "Is it like the New York Chinatown?" You wonder aloud.

"It's much less crowded, I think," Kris says. "We often go there for hotpot. It's one of the places where fans don't really find us."

"Oh, good." You think for a moment. "Hey, Luhan, since we've eaten already, instead of waiting at the restaurant for them, do you want to take me around Chinatown?"

"Sure!" He agrees brightly. "I'll show you all my favorite places."

***

After the others sit down at a table in one of the restaurant's rooms, you and Luhan take off to see the sights, saying that you'll be back in an hour.

"Look at these," Luhan beckons, gesturing at a row of furry shoes on a table. "When we came here during EXO Showtime, we almost decided to buy these to wear at the airport, but didn't."

"EXO Showtime?"

"Oh, a reality show about our lives," he explains.

"A reality show about your lives? Sounds invasive," you note. And slightly conceited.

"It was kind of fun, actually. They gave us questions from the fans to answer," he says with a sweet smile. "Don't watch it though; I embarrass myself so many times."

"Then I have to watch it," you wink. "It's better than rereading textbooks, after all."

"Actually, I think duizhang embarrasses himself the most," he recalls.

"Even more incentive to watch it," you grin.

Before long, it's time for you to rejoin the rest of the group.

"Was it good?" Luhan asks them as you meet outside of the restaurant.

"Delicious," Xiumin pronounces.

"Hen hao chi (very delicious)!" Chen says, beaming.

"Guys, I have to go buy a new phone," Kris says. "Anyone coming? Or do you all just want to go back to the dorm?"

"I'll come," you say. "We need to catch up."

"Me!" Tao comes forward. "I saw this shirt in a store-"

"Tao, no. I just bought you those shoes!" Kris complains.

Tao pouts. It's amazing to you how such a tall, tired-looking boy can act like such a child. "Fine. I'm not coming then."

"I'll come," Suho volunteers. "I'm running out of vitamins."

"Old man," Sehun teases.

"I want to come but I don't want to tempt fate," Luhan smiles wryly. "It's best if only a few go."

"Go get bubble tea with me instead," Sehun tells him.

"Araso."

"I'll come," Lay speaks up. "I'm need more snacks. Luhan stole all of mine again."

"Me too," Xiumin complains, smacking Luhan lightly. "I'll come along too then."

"Araso, let's go." Kris and you turn to leave, chatting busily.

"What about me?" Kyungsoo wants to know. "I'm not sure I want to stay in the dorm with Yeol, Baek, and Chen. I might go crazy," he whispers, avoiding the eye contact of the chatterboxes.

"Hyung, we can go watch a movie," Kai suggests.

"Ooh! Bring me," Tao waves his hand. "We can go watch Frozen," he says happily. "I wanted to go see it in China but we didn't have time."

"We're set, then?" Suho inquires. "Baek, Yeol, Chen- Good luck." It would be a miracle if the three of them didn't get sick of each other within in an hour.

"Let's go!" Sehun grabs Luhan's hand and drags him away in the opposite direction as the errands group starts walking away.

Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Chen look at each other. Shrugging, they start chattering away. Who says they'll get sick of each other? As if.

***

"Alright, so do you guys want to split up and then gather somewhere after we're done?" Kris asks.

"How about you and, uh, Jagi go to the phone shop, while Lay, Umin hyung and I head to the convenience store?" Suho suggests, tripping slightly over what to call you.

"Sounds good. We'll just meet you in there. We won't take long,"

***

"What do you think about-" Xiumin wrinkles his nose, a little unwilling to join in calling you Jagi. "-Jin Ae?"

"She's daebak," Suho proclaims. "Really daebak. Honestly, I was terrified when she helped me carry the drinks home but she's so laidback and the best thing is that she's so normal."

"I don't know what to think about her," Xiumin furrows his brow.

"Do you remember that time Luhan hyung brought a girl back to the dorm?" Lay suddenly asks, quietly browsing the snack section.

Suho pales. "I remember. She said she was injured so he brought her up while he called a taxi…"

"You don't think she's been acting for the whole time, do you?" Xiumin asks, aghast. "No way… Kris has been in contact with her for over a year!"

"Nope," Lay smiles brightly, dimpling. "I like her. She's cool."

"Yah!" Suho bursts out. "You scared me!"

"Your fault for being easily excitable," the unicorn murmurs, going back to perusing the snacks. "Xiumin-ah, have you tried this before?"

"Mm, but if you get those, you better hide them because Luhan is going to steal them."

While Suho leaves them to find his vitamins, he can't help but feel worried all the same. What if you really are acting?

***

"What phone are you going to get?" You ask Kris. "Android? iPhone?"

"iPhone, I guess."

"So mainstream," you tease. "Get a Nexus or something, be special."

"If I really wanted to be special I'd get one of these," he jokes, pointing at a flip phone. "And you're one to talk. You have an iPhone, too!"

You banter back and forth as he picks out a white 5s and pays. The whole transaction takes about five minutes, and soon you're heading to the convenience store.

"Oh my god," Kris murmurs, ducking his head as he replaces his sunglasses. Please don't look over here, please don't look over here…

You look around. There's a group of girls across the street, talking loudly and excitedly.

"EXO is having a fansign soon, I heard!"

"Did you see Kris' new hairstyle? He's sooooo hot!"

The sound of squeals follow the two of you as you walk quickly but quietly past them. "Don't look back," you warn Kris as he looks about to do so.

Lips tight, he nods. Without incident, the two of you make it to the convenience store. He lets out a breath.

"Guys, are you ready? Let's go," he waves at the others. "Hurry up."

"Araso," Xiumin calls. "Lay, hurry up," he smacks the younger boy. "Stop staring at that and just get it, will you?"

"Omo," you hear a gasp at the door.