“This was the best idea ever!” Pandora shouted to Lila as she jumped to the music. The bass from the stage vibrated throughout their bodies. The dark, humid basement was jam packed. Sweaty bodies bouncing back and forth, attempting to follow the rhythm of beat. The occasional swerving of colored lights in the room enabled Pandora to see her sweaty best friend across from her. Their hands clutched together as they raised it up.

“Everybody put your mothering hands up!” The guy hollered. “Now jump! Jump! Jump!”

The crowd went wild as they followed instructions.

Lila’s small frame wrapped around her best friend. “And I had to beg you to come to Hongdae this weekend!” she screamed in her ear.

Pandora rolled her eyes, but all she could do was grin. She really hadn’t wanted to come down. Besides, it was too much of a hassle to come down to Seoul, especially where she was. But after the random phone called she got from a dude she thought was her friend. She really needed a couple drinks and a way to blow off annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah….” She muttered in reluctance. Lila did end up finding the best night options.

Now more than a couple drinks, and music seeping through her bones, Pandora knew, this was about to be one of the better nights she’d had in a while. As she tried to turn she felt hands wrap around her waist and a warm body press against her. She immediately moved to the side as she yanked the hands off.

Glaring Pandora whirled around to find the culprit. Her eyes fuming as he grinned up at her.

“Dance…me, dance with you.” He slurred as he tried to grab her again.

“I said I’m not interested!” Pandora said slapping his hand away. His slanted eyes grew smaller as his grin grew bigger. His pale white face flushed as he advanced towards here.

“America…dance y…Beyonce.” He said swinging his hips.

Pandora twisted her face in disgust. You would think she’ll get used to it by now.

“Beat it .” Lila said firmly as she stepped in between them. The guy looked down at the same female that had inturrpted them 30 mintues ago also. He was about to open his mouth when Lila opened hers first, spewing off a load of Korean that Pandora could not even grasp. She managed to catch the word crazy and American and dead. Her eyes wide as she stared at her Lila’s little body moving side to side. Her hands in the guys face. Her attitude on lock. The guy stepped back with his hands up as he muttered crazy foreigner in Korean and disappeared in the crowd.

Lila swung her long brown hair back and turned to grin at Pandora. “See told you, I got you.” She said shrugging.

“I don’t even know what you said to him, but damn!” Pandora laughed as she recounted his reaction. They laughed as they turned their attention back to the stage, the crowd going wild as the mic was handed to Jay Park.

Grinning, Pandora bit down on her bottom lip as she took in his appearance. His simple black baggy jeans and black tee. But it was his tattoo down his arm that did it for her. Who cares that he was so short. He could get it anytime. Chuckling to herself, she put her hands to and yelled along with the rest of the crowd.

2 hours later

“Khalua milk!” Pandora yelled to the bartender over the music. She gripped the counter, pretty sure, she shouldn’t be drinking anymore by now.

The beefy looking man nodded in acknowledgement as he turned around and relayed the message to his friend behind him. To her right Pandora could feel the eyes of the two guys next to her. So she turned her body to her left, two Korean girls giggling ridiculously as they asked for 4 shots. She met the eyes of one of the girls. The girls eyes got big as she poked her friend and whispered foreigner in Korean.

Her friend looked up and grinned. “Ahhh so pretty.” She said loudly in Korean.

She gave them her biggest smile before turning around and handing her card over to pay for the drink. Bringing the straw to her lips, Pandora walked away from the bar in slight confusion. Did Lila say she was going to meet her at the bar or try to find her in the spot they were before.

Holding her drink dearly, she attempted to weave through the sweaty bodies. Not bothering to say excuse me, because it’s an unspoken rule that you never say excuse me in Korea. At least that’s what she’d witnessed in the last 6 months she’d been here.

She gasped as a couple drunk dudes bumped into her roughly without looking back.

“Little ers.” She muttered as her precious drink splattered on her hand. She shook the liquid off as she scooted closer to the wall. The crowd was scarce in this area and there was more breathing room. Sipping her drink she reached into her shorts to pull out her phone. The bright screen put some clarity in the area that was otherwise illuminated by the single lighting over by the bathroom. Which of course was further down the room.

“Yes!” Lila yelled.

“I lost you.” Pandora whined. She looked around the area. The place where she was barely had anybody as everybody’s attention was focused towards the front center of the room. “I’m like across from the bathroom.” She said as she saw what looked to be a red tape cutting off part of the room.

“Coming!” Lila hollered and then giggled to somebody as she racked off something in Korean before hanging up.

“Oops.” Pandora said softly as she looked around. No wonder this place was practically empty. It looked like it was barred. But nobody had tried to stop her when she got here. She lifted her head to see a guy leaning against the wall. Light slightly baggy jeans, which was rare for a Korean. A dark blue v-neck and a long grey cardigan. His face was firm, his hair parted down the middle, and a pair of black Raybans shielding me from his eyes. She noticed the bottle of Cass bear in his hand and watched as he brought it slowly to his lips as he watched the crowd.

Pandora looked around to see if he was the bouncer. She stretched her neck as she stared at him, racking her brain for what little bit of Korean she knew to ask. The more she thought, the more she came to terms with the fact that she knew words, but close to zero on how to put them together to form a coherent sentence. Oh well she’ll go for the next best thing that always worked for her.

When the guy turned his head in her direction, Pandora smiled and pointed to the floor. His head followed the gesture and then back up. She didn’t have to see his eyes to know that he was confused. She pointed to the floor again and then to herself. “Here.” She said in Korean.

The guy stood up straighter as he turned his body towards her. His head cocked in confusion as he pointed towards her feet.

Pandora nodded rapidly. “Yes.” She said in Korean.

The guy paused. His finger still pointing. He turned it on himself and then pointed toward her feet again.

Pandora’s eyes got bigger in embarrassment as she waved her hands. “No, no.” she said in Korean. did it look like she wanted him to come to her? She pointed to the red tape and then to herself, before finally turning around and pointing to the ground again. “Here.” She said in Korean. “Yes?”

The guy shrugged and brought the beer back to his lips before turning his attention back to the crowd.

“Well fine then.” She muttered annoyed. She checked out his profile. With the shades on, he really did look handsome, but she knew shades could be deceiving. Besides it was practically pitch black in here already, why wear shades. Did he think he was cool or something? She judged him mentally and then blushed as he turned his head to look in her direction. Biting down on her bottom lip she turned around and focused on the crowd, forever thankful for her dark complexion whenever she got embarrassed.

Bringing the drink to her lips and swaying to the music, she noticed two guys dressed in black not too far away from her, looking in her direction. One was slim and rather cute, while the other was more on the heavy set and wore what seemed to be a permanent scowl. Pandora wrinkled her brows in confusion, because it looked like they were talking about her, it was only confirmed when they turned their bodies towards her and started walking.

They yelled a question to her in Korean as they advanced. Having no idea what they were saying she wrought her face in confusion. They heavy guy asked the question again as he pointed to the red tape.

, they’re gonna ask me to move. Pandora thought. She wondered if she could play the foreigner card. She shook her head and brought her hands up in confusion as she shrugged. “What? I don’t understand.”

The two guys looked annoyed as they stopped in front of her. Pandora tried to put on her most innocent face but had a feeling, they weren’t about to buy her .

“Hey.” A voice to her right said smoothly in Korean.

Pandora and the two guys turned around.

The guy with the shades was still casually posted against the wall as he turned his body towards them. She watched as he calmly rattled something off in Korean to the other guys. His voice was smooth and slow but she didn’t catch a single word.

She turned in surprise as the two guys answered Yes in Korean and bowed before turning around and walking away without so much as a backwards glance.

Pandora blinked several times at their departure before turning back to the guy with the dark shades. She bowed to him with a bright smile. “Thank you.” She said in Korean.

He nodded but didn’t say anything. She couldn’t look away. He had to be important. Who was he and why couldn’t she remember. She stood there unashamed staring at his face trying to figure out. She racked her brain as she tried to remember the rappers that her friend gave her a rundown on last week. But she couldn’t remember a picture of a guy with such big ears. She chuckled to herself which rewarded her with another glance from him. She looked down quickly and brought her drink up to her lips and sipped eagerly.

“What’s your name?”

Pandora looked up startled. hung open as she stared at him. He’d spoken in perfectly clear English. There was a slight accent but the English was on point. That was a rarity.

“Huh?” Was the only words able to come out .

“What’s. your. Name?” He repeated slowly as though she couldn’t understand English.

Wait a minute! Pandora thought as she realized how absurd the situation looked. She’s the one supposed to talk slow English in this country. “Pandora.” She answered quickly recovering from her shock. She couldn’t help to think he seemed quite amused as the corner of his mouth lifted up into a small smirk. “Pandora.” She repeated, just in case he missed it. She smiled. “And yours? What’s your name?” She asked, just like her students repeated to her in school.

“Found you!” Lila yelled happily as she swung her arms around Pandora’s neck almost causing them to topple over. “Sorry, I know I promised not to leave you alone.” Lila pouted.

“No it’s okay.” Pandora said quickly as she turned her attention back to the wall. The guy gave her a slight head nod and backed off the wall. One hand found it’s way into his pocket as he strutted off into the crowd. His beer lifting to reach his lips.

“You came at the wrong time.” Pandora groaned as she nudged her friend.

Lila looked at her in surprise.  Her small dark eyes examining her friend who hated with a passion to be left alone in any type of gathering. “What?”

“There was this guy.” Pandora started as she motioned over to where he’d been.

Lila’s eyes got big as she laughed. Her Caramel skin sparkling from the sweat of her dancing. “You don’t even like Korean guys!” she exclaimed.

“I never said that!” Pandora retorted. Well she’d never said that in those exact words. “Besides he seemed interesting and he just saved me from a load of embarr----”

She didn’t get to finish as the rowdy crowd started screaming even louder. The lights flashing as everybody seemed to want to rush towards the center of the room. Lila and Pandora inched towards the commotion.

“Aaahhhhh it’s Dok2!!” Lila squealed like a little girl as she pointed to the stage. He had his mic out pointing towards the crowd. “The quiet!” Lila grabbed Pandora’s arm roughly causing her drink to this time actually fall out of her hand as she rushed towards the center.

“My drink!” Pandora yelled, and then stopped. The crowd went absolutely nuts as it hoisted another guy up on the stage. The mic to his mouth, the grey cardigan long discarded, but the black Ray bans still on his face.

“Let me hear you make some noise!” He egged on the crowd.

Which was absolutely unnecessary because she didn’t think it could get any louder than it already was, but boy was she wrong.

“It’s him!” Pandora said a squeal she didn’t recognize in her voice as she grabbed her friend’s hand and held it tightly.

“Beenzino?!” Lila questioned loudly.

Pandora  stared at the stage completely mesmerized as he spewed a couple words in Korean, she couldn’t answer. He walked over to the corner of the stage putting him right in her line of vision.

“Where my ladies at?” He asked loudly.

The crowd screamed and she smiled as she felt her heart race. Though it was completely impossible in the dark room, she could’ve sworn he was looking straight at her. Pandora tried to control her smile but couldn’t help it. Especially when he lifted his glasses and made eye contact. His dark eyes locking with her own. Pandora held her breath, forgetting how to breathe as he winked at her before putting his shades back on. The crowd went absolutely nuts. The girls next to them squealed as they held each other.

“He looked over here! He winked at us! Oh my God he winked at me!” They spouted off in Korean excitedly as they started yelling Beenzino oppa to the stage.

Pandora felt the world go still as she stared up at the stage. He was now on the other side talking to the ladies over there. This isn’t real. This did not just happen. Her heart was pounding too hard for her to focus.

“Do you think he’ll let me take a picture with him for my youtube?” Lila asked excitedly.

“Beenzino.” Pandora whispered softly. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She didn’t have this type of pull to him when they were against the wall earlier. But now, why couldn’t she keep her eyes off him?