Honestly, is that a huge bump in my curtains?

    As I move closer, the bulky fold moves along. It seems to move and squish itself further back the more I approach it.

    Definitely a living thing, I conclude as I almost erupt into groans. Great. A human. Probably a robber, even. Such luck. But wait, does a robber even do that? Oh great, it's not a robber, it's a .

    My face turns white as I stand there in the middle of the room. None of us try to speak. Not like there's any reason why we should, anyway.

    “Y-you might want to step out from the curtains,” I cough as I awkwardly settle myself onto my bed, squashing my used bathrobe as I don't bother to place it somewhere else. “It must've been… stuffy in there.”

    “Y-you sure?”

    I almost jumped when I hear a voice. I stare at the lump as I start to sweat. Oh my god, a stranger in my room! What if my things are missing-

    “And I didn't steal anything!” The stranger hiding behind my curtains suddenly blurt out. “I swear!”

    “I-I believe you,” I stutter. What else can I say? “Just, come out.”

    “O-okay,” the stranger croaks. I can't really tell if the voice belongs to a male or a female, probably because the stranger must've spoken into the fabric so the voice turns out muffled.

    I stand up from my bed and unconsciously take a step back as the figure starts to unravel itself from the mass of dusty, tangled curtains. First I see locks of brown hair, followed by a long and lean leg clothed in tight, black jeans. It's a guy, I think. This means trouble. There is no reason why a guy would enter my room unless-

    “A-ah!”

    A sudden yell pulls me away from my thoughts, and the sight that greets me is a male who is probably around my age sprawled unceremoniously on the ground. I start to laugh as I momentarily forget my worries, even stepping forward to offer a hand. The stranger looks up at me hesitantly, before accepting my hand by wrapping his around mine.

    “I apologise,” he speaks with his head down, not daring to look me in the eyes.

    “No problem,” I smile as I walk towards the door, preparing to see him out. “Although this certainly surprised me when I returned-”

    Suddenly, I stop.

    There is something striking about him, and I can't seem to put my finger on it until I glance at his hair.

    Soft, light, brown curls.

    Large, auburn eyes that seems so inviting that one can get lost in them.

    Small but thick lips with a tinge of light pink that seems to pout whenever he exhales and is embarrassed.

    I cross my legs on my seat as I count the bills, trying to embrace yet another normal day with no unexpected happenings. I sighed as I counted the number of notes that were lying in a messy pile right in front of me, cringing at the thought of rearranging the stack of bills at the end of the day.

    The loud ringing of the bell that was hung near the door made me look up to find myself staring at a slightly taller male around my age scanning all four corners of the shop with furious eyes, as if taking in the people that were present. He stopped to look at a young lady who was sitting with another male who was wearing a long, black trench coat.

    I saw something, something that flitted across the man's face before it vanished as fast as it had came.

    Disappointment.

    As he stormed over towards their table, I see a look of recognition from the girl before she turns to look at her partner.

    “Who the hell are you?” The furious male glared at the lady's partner who was sitting at her opposite. His face was contorted into one of horror, fear, and anger.

    He's afraid, I realise. He's afraid of what's about to come next.

    “Kai. Jongin, please-” the girl stood up and made a weak attempt to explain as she placed her hands over his.

    So his name is Kai. Jongin, probably.

    He swatted her hands away and moved to grab the girl's partner by the collar.

    “Answer me! Who are you to touch my girlfriend like that?” He roared and I gasped, thinking if I should intervene before things get out of hand.

    Chanyeol seemed to have heard the commotion while he was in the kitchen for he walked out and stood beside me to take a look.

    “Love triangle,” he laughed softly and turned to look at me. “It's obvious, really.”

    I nodded and replied, “I've never seen this sort of commotion or argument in our store before. Should we do something?”

    Before I could step forward, a hand shot out to stop me.

    “Let them solve it themselves. It's bad enough that everyone's looking at the three of them now.” With that, Chanyeol made his way back to the kitchen.

    When I looked up again, I saw the girl leading the now disappointed Jongin out of the door, her fingers wrapped around his wrist. Her partner stood on the same spot all this while, seemingly dumbfounded. The girl had a downcast expression and without a word, pushed open the door to the pastry shop. I snapped out of my daze and figured I should at least mutter a ‘Thank you for visiting and do return soon!’, but the only words that I managed to say were, “H-have a nice day, and thank you!”

    I winced as I heard my own voice stuttering. It sounded so weak and stupid; oh the irony, what's the use of me wishing them a good day when all parties were obviously upset? I almost stood up to slap myself when I hear a chuckle so sad, so pathetic, from Jongin that clenched my heart before the door slammed shut.

    “It's you!” I blurt out involuntarily as I spin around to stare at him.

    Jongin must've been confused, for he blinks rapidly before asking warily, “Who's who?”

    Well, I groan as I reach the door. That was a wrong thing to say. I totally ruined my first impression.

    “Do you know me?” Jongin probes when I am at a loss for words. “I'm guessing you saw me from the magazines then.” He sounds a little full of himself and his eyes seem to twinkle.

    What? “Magazines, you say?” I widen my eyes as my mind start to process this bit of information. “You appear in magazines? Wow, are you a model then?”

    Somehow I am thankful for the fact that he assumed I recognised him from the magazines, but the truth is I recognised him from the commotion that happened in Chanyeol's store probably two weeks ago. It isn't nice to blurt that out in front of a male I barely know, though. I certainly do not want him to feel depressed about that incident anyway; that will put both of us in an awkward situation which I've been trying to avoid all this while.

    “Goodbye,” I smile as Jongin starts to stride out of the door. He pauses and turns around to look at me.

    “I'm Kai, by the way,” he flashes me a charming smile and my heart stops beating for a second as I take in his handsome features. “That's my other name. My real name's Jongin. You'll know if you're one of my fans, which I hope you are.”

    He's not a model for nothing, I guess. That posture and attitude screams ‘bad boy!’ in every, single way. That's what girls usually fall for, anyway. It's part of their job, I think to myself. I tell him my name and grins as he says it a few times, familiarising himself with the pronunciation as if my name is the most precious thing he has ever heard. I can tell he has a very large ego, but not too overwhelming that makes one sick to the core or feel uncomfortable when spending time with him.

    “I'm filming a new issue in this hotel right now,” Jongin suddenly says. “You can come visit me and Sehun. And if you're wondering, Sehun is my trustable and reliable partner when it comes to photo shoots where we work together. He does great in individual shots too.”

    “Which part of the hotel?” I question as I give him a warm smile, genuinely interested. What can I say? It isn't everyday when you meet the cover model of a famous magazine despite knowing him or not.

    “It takes place at the beach. We were filming just now-”

    The shrill sound of the ringtone instantly slices the comfortable atmosphere around us into two. I cannot help but feel disappointed just when our conversation was turning a little interesting.

    “Okay, I'm coming,” Jongin huffs into the phone. “Oh shoot, I'm going to take your stuff from my room now.”

    He seems somewhat irritated, so when he hangs up, I give him a concerned look.

    “That was my manager. Let's go to my room and you can follow me down to the filming area,” he throws me a hopeful look as I shrug my shoulders and make an ‘OK’ sign. “My room's on the same floor as yours, that's why when I passed by your room I stopped. Your door was open and I thought someone went in…”

    “But then you went in instead,” I laugh as I think to myself. Why am I so comfortable around him? It took me such a long time to be close friends with Yeol, but I know Jongin for only a few minutes and it seems as if we click! I shake my head in horror as I try to get rid of these thoughts. Stop and think straight. Just, stop. This is not right, especially when he has a girlfriend. Well, unless he'd already broken up with her…

    Seeing that my thoughts are going to go around in circles, I decide to stop letting my mind wander off to something dangerously inappropriate and focus on the present. Jongin has somehow managed to grab my wrist and pull me down the corridor to his room.

    Room 189.

    Jongin turns the door handle and rushes in, leaving me outside at a loss of what to do. He must have sensed me panicking, for he shouts from the inside, “You can come in. I just need to grab something.”

    I walk in tentatively as I take in his surroundings. It's a slightly larger room than mine, thinking that the company must have attended to their models' every need when in a foreign country. The sheets are white and clean, and every inch of the floor is covered with velvet which is a shade of rich purple. There's a huge built-in TV on the wall opposite the bed, and the balcony is at least two times larger than mine. From where I am standing, I can see the beautiful city lights shining through the plain, thin curtains. The bright, flashing lights of blue and orange stand out against the darkening evening sky; little wisps of grey clouds hang loosely up there, as if they are about to fall any minute now. They float so slowly, so lazily, that I feel like I'm lying on one myself. The buzz of people and cars below me are almost inaudible when the sliding doors leading to the balcony are tightly locked, and I know that the night view is certainly one to remember.

    It is beautiful. Breathtaking. Romantic.

    Suddenly, I feel a presence standing beside me. Calm and composed.

    I turn my head to see Jongin looking out, his eyes dull and lifeless.

    I think about Chanyeol. The record store, the pastry shop, his girlfriend. He has reached his goals, and has someone to love and care about now. Is it time for me to find ‘the One’? Looking at the sky, I realise how much I miss my home. This may sound weird, with me leaving Korea only a day ago, but I want to go back. I want to feel my hands kneading dough, scooping up ice cream, punching the buttons on the cash register.

    I want my hands to be in someone else's.

    I want that someone to hold me dearly in his arms, to cup my face gently and give me a passionate kiss, to let his hand travel down my arms and say “I'm so lucky to have met you” over and over again.

    I realise how lonely I am.

    “We'd better go. I don't want my manager to berate me again,” Jongin speaks hurriedly and ushers me out of his room.

    He seems to feel better for he gives me a small grin before turning around to lock the door to room 189.

    I wonder if he was thinking about the beautiful, petite girl when staring at the sky just now.

    “I'm going to be late,” he laughs it off as we enter the lift.

    The atmosphere in the lift isn't as comfortable as the one when we were at my room just now. Neither of us try to engage the other in a conversation as the lift continues to descend at a slow, excruciating speed.

    “You're a pastry chef, right?”

    I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear his voice.

    “Y-yes,” I stammer. I'm starting to stutter again, I sigh, frustrated.

    “The books in your room were… interesting,” Jongin smiles, before he quickly adds on, “I really didn't mean to look at your stuff, so please don't get the wrong idea!”

    His sudden outburst seem to lessen the tension between us, and we are much more comfortable again, with playful nudging and of course, throwing each other meaningless questions.

    “We're here,” Jongin holds open the lift door for me and I step out, muttering a ‘thanks’. We walk towards the beach, where I see at least a dozen high-tech cameras with lens facing the sea. There are around fifteen crew on standby, apparently tired after a day's work. The sun is setting, and I see Jongin rushing over to a slightly taller and lanky male than him and a short, plump man. I start to follow him, but hesitate when I see the plump man looking (or rather, glaring) at me.

    Jongin walks over and grabs me by the hand, and I gasp when he pulls me towards the two men who are staring at me with wide, curious eyes.

    I gulp.

    “I'll make this quick because I'm late,” Jongin sighs and gives me an apologetic smile. “This is Sehun, my reliable partner I've told you about just now.”

    He points to the tall, lanky male and I smile. Sehun extends an arm towards me and I shake his hand, hearing him mutter, “Dude, she's pretty.”

    I face the other male who seems to be a little annoyed, and Jongin pauses before saying, “That's my manager.”

    No wonder Jongin is irritated during the phone call, I almost snicker as I shake his hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he says, the corners of his lips tugging upwards a little, but he doesn't seem very pleasant. “You're welcome to see the photo shoot, since you've been spending time with Kai for the past fifteen minutes anyway.”

    “Oh no, it's fine. I can leave. I'm sorry if I've imposed-” I manage to conceal my disappointment when Sehun cuts me off, “No! I'm sure everyone won't mind you sitting in. It's not everyday where you get to see a photo shoot live, right?”

    Sehun sends a playful grin to Jongin which I don't understand, and Jongin replies with a glare and a smack on the head, leaving Sehun holding his head and grimacing. Jongin's manager seems to give up, and he leads me to an empty chair near a tall, large camera.

    “Enjoy, and don't destroy the camera,” the manager warns before he walks off towards the director.

    He didn't have to use the word ‘destroy’, I wince as I realise I am not exactly welcomed here. And wow, all the equipment looks like it's from the future!

    Someone hands me a bottle of water and I turn around in surprise to only find Sehun staring down at me. I grab the water and mumble a ‘thanks’. Sehun smiles and pulls a chair over and plops down beside me. He seems curious yet respectful, unlike Jongin's manager who wears such a cold and scary expression.

    “I've been Jongin's best friend for years now,” Sehun starts the ball rolling and turns to glance at me opening the cap of the bottle. “I'm his partner too, which you already know.”

    I nod and reply, “Nice to meet you, Sehun. I'm a pastry chef and I met Jongin earlier because he somehow made his way into my room.”

    I stifle a laugh when I see Sehun's shocked expression, and soon after that, we start to laugh heartily like there's no tomorrow, with Sehun saying in between giggles (girly giggles, mind you), “I didn't know he was that sort of person. Oh my god, a stalker!”

    He gives me a toothy grin and continues, “Thanks for telling me that.”

    “Why do I feel like I've offered you the wrong information so that you can bribe or blackmail him with that?” I slap my thigh as I bend over to laugh, or cackle, rather.

    Sehun is fun to be with. He makes me feel like an accomplice in crime.

    “Oh yes, why aren't you filming?” I stop laughing to ask.

    “Jongin's doing his individual shots first. You know, as a punishment for being slightly late,” Sehun states with a blank face.

    “I'll apologise to him later.” I hang my head low. “Why do I feel like I caused him to get into trouble?”

    “I told you, it's not your fault. It's that bulldog of a manager. A ferocious one, to be honest,” Sehun crosses his legs and throws his head backwards as he stares at the sky. “By the way, do you like Jongin?”

    “What?” I splutter as I shake my head frantically. “How… why would you ask that? W-we just met. It's literally impossible for one to fall in love when you hardly know the person-”

    “I didn't ask if you love him,” Sehun grins mischievously, as if the fish has caught the bait. “I only asked you if you like him, you know, first impression and that sort of stuff. What were you thinking?”

    I can feel my face heating up from embarrassment. Shoot, if only I had been more composed and not get flustered so easily. I groan as I imagine Sehun making fun of me to Jongin. You never know, the past few minutes of spending time with him gives me the impression that he's playful, a little too playful, even.

    “Anyway,” Sehun clears his throat and resumes to embarrass me. “I don't mind if Jongin accepts you as his new girlfriend, though. I think he really needs one, and you seem to be the perfect one for him. You're everything he wants in an ideal type! Straight black hair, a great fashion sense, large eyes, a perfectly shaped nose, small cherry lips, a thin waist-”

    He stops and I flush. I turn to look at him to see him turning red himself.

    “Oh god, were you seriously analysing me to the point where you can memorise my features?” I start to giggle as Sehun turns as red as a tomato. Scratch that, probably a fully ripe tomato.

    “I did not mean to sound like a stalker!” Sehun shakes his head furiously and puts his hands up beside his head as if he is about to surrender. “Great, I feel so embarrassed right now. It's just that Jongin tells me everything, and I'm trying to look out for him in any way I can.”

    My laughter dies and soon the mood turns solemn.

    “You see,” Sehun entwines his fingers in a praying motion and places his fists under his chin, his eyes staring at the horizon. “He just broke up with Mila-”

    Sehun stops abruptly and mutters a ‘sorry’, looking away as he does so. Mila? I blink as I try to recall. Is that her name?

    “I am not in the position to tell you this,” he smiles a little awkwardly and proceeds to stand. “Maybe Jongin will admit it to you soon enough, when he feels like you're an important person to him.”

    Sehun's solemn expression dissolves into one of a playful grin with the return of his cheery and positive aura, and he skips off after sending a wave in my direction. I smile as I shake my head, thinking of what Sehun had just said. An important person, huh?

    I turn to face the sea just in time to see Jongin taking his last individual shot. The way he stares at the camera makes me shudder. Anticipation and desire surges through me, making me dizzy in the head. I cannot help but form the shape of an 'O' with my mouth.

    Jongin is literally perfect in every girl's eyes.

    The way he stares captivates me. The way he drags his feet along the sea bed and wetting his denim jeans makes me want to hold his hand and step into the sea with him. The way he bites his lower lip makes me want to drag him inappropriately close to me.

    Everything he does makes me dizzier by the second.

    “Enjoying the view?” Sehun calls from afar.

    I groan.

    Oh god, I can never look at him the same way again.