Soojung has always been the corking one through the past two years when it comes to English debate. Her pronunciation, her flawless grammar, her attitude, her assertiveness, her intellect, all had made her the first on many competitions in various levels until she’s chosen as one of the three delegates that would represent South Korea in an international English debate competition held in London.

She had arrived along with her partners two days before the competition. She didn’t have much time to wander around the city but to practice and flesh out the whole preparation for the upcoming competition. It’s a serious opportunity for her and she really needs to nail this one along with her team. They’re going to debate against Hongkong’s representative to moot about ways to resolve culture crisis in most Asia countries.

After almost six hours practicing downstairs in the ballroom, she trudged back to her room wearily. Not that she skipped her consecutive meals, the five-star hotel of course provided delicious yet nutritious food to the special guests, it’s just she took everything earnestly that she ended up giving herself no space to rest. Now that she already had a minor headache, she realized that she needed to rest no matter what or else she would pass out on d-day.

She checked her phone that she had left turned off all day long in her room only to found abundant messages and calls from Jongdo, her brother, and her mother. She patiently replied to it one by one to let them know that she’s okay; it’s just she didn’t have time to deal with her phone. She wanted to call them at first but she thought it would be a waste of time. It would take her long to talk with them and it would make her lose her precious sleeping time.

Finishing shower and night routines in thirty minutes, she headed straight to her bed and only left the night lamp on to make the room dim. She hates sleeping with lights on but she hates pitch black either so the night lamp is always the savior of her fear and hatred.

As she closed her eyes, her mind began to wonder about how would the competition turn out. She really wanted to win this one to prove that South Korea is not a country that lacks in English, she also wanted to score an international wide achievement for the brilliance of her future. She wasn’t born from a family who owns a worldwide company and would always make their sons and daughters heir of the uncountable properties. She watched how her mother had to struggle from the bottom to support her son and daughter as a single parent and now that she’s reaching the top of her career, she would barely be home and be with her children. She might be a grown-up and so does her brother, but all children need a mother’s presence no matter what. Therefore, she promised herself to do well in college and she would become successful faster than her mother so that she could stay at home often with her family later.

The long thinking ended when she thought about one name: Kim Jongin. It’s been almost a month since she last visited EXO’s dorm. She was too occupied with all the hectic preparations that she couldn’t find a chance to know about Jongin. Not that she would call him first, he didn’t attempt to call her either, but something about him budged her mind without her knowing.

The hug. She remembered going back home with a sheepish smile, refusing to took off her cardigan and wore it to sleep because his typical scent was tacked, and woke up disappointed when she found no call or message coming from him. She couldn’t directly point out what she’s feeling, but she was somehow grateful that the thoughts of him slightly disappeared from focusing too much on the competition.

And after a long thought, she’s finally able to send herself to sleep.

-----

Soojung finished putting light makeup on her and had already worn the attire for the day. White long shirt, a black short pencil skirt that stopped right above her knee, black blazer, and high heels–she depicted the portrait of clever career woman perfectly.

The Claridge's hotel ballroom was packed with people coming from various countries. Some of the delegates’ family comes to support their loved ones and there was also placeman from particular countries. Soojung originally got two invitations addressed to her family but neither her family nor friends could make it, so she ended up ditching it and let the seats under her name remained empty.

Soojung waited for her turn along with her partner in one team inside the waiting room. She kept on holding her paper and tried to remind every point written in there. She was nervous and wrought-up; afraid she would forget everything up there. Therefore she decided to soothe herself first instead of memorizing the words.

Her partners’ family started to arrive one by one, giving mental supports and encouraging words to the three of them before they start the battle. Soojung felt thankful for their presence since all she needed now is warm support coming from close persons. But the more she stayed there, the more she felt like crying for her loved ones’ absence on the important day. She really needed to at least call them to relieve her stress.

“Mom,” she called out for her once her mother picked up the phone.

“I swear I was just going to call you sweetheart. How’s everything there?” it was obvious that she really felt bad for not making it there. “I’m really sorry for not being there with you.”

“It’s okay. Everything’s just fine, but I’m so nervous. I’m afraid I would forget everything once I get onto the stage,” she blurted out–head ducking down as she tried to hold back her tears.

“Jung Soojung. You have done so much competition, going through the same emotions, but you ended up winning it all. It took a lot of effort to be in your shoes. You’re not being given to chance to witness how great you are up there, but your brother and I had witnessed it with our own eyes and we agreed that you’re really gifted. You’re beyond great. They don’t make you the team’s leader for nothing. Don’t underestimate your abilities and go up there proudly, okay?”

Soojung smiled–it was the encouraging words she needed to calm herself down. “Thank you, Mom.”

“I should be the one who thank you for making me proud. Now go up there and call me later to tell me that you win the competition.”

“I will! Love you.”

“Love you too baby.”

The debate was going tense in the middle. Both representatives had an unbeatable quality and their interruptions were of the same strength. Soojung swore as the team’s leader, her head almost blew up from trying to find ways to go against their rival. As she let her member talked, she found her eyes glancing to the crowd where people furrowed their eyebrows from watching the serious debate in front. She’s sure that if she were one of the crowds, she would also do the same by twitching her eyebrows from the complicated topic spoken in front.

She was paying attention to the crowds until her eyes spotted one empty seat in the middle. It should be her family sitting there, she thought. But… there should be two empty seats, right?

“Ms. Jung, what do you think of restricting the market admittance to press the percentage of usage for import goods?”

-----

Soojung cried in tears the moment she went down the stage. Rather than feeling disappointed, she felt relieved as she hugged all the members and compliment their effort because they successfully their opponent in the last seconds. Inside the waiting room, the family members had waited to congratulate each of them. She might know them this morning, but the way they embraced Soojung for being keen and sharp as the team leader up there was truly sincere, it felt as if she was hugging her loved ones already.

Soojung couldn’t stop herself from crying. She was really touched that the biggest burden of her days was finally over and they nailed it. The audience’s standing applause when South Korea’s name was announced couldn’t withstand all the mixed feelings. Now she had something to boast about to her mother and brother the moment she goes back, and also her closest one after her family, Kim Jongdo.

“I'm so proud of you."

Soojung stopped breathing the moment she heard the voice. After longing for someone close’s presence, she finally could hear the familiar voice through her ears. “Jongdo!!!”

He smiled sheepishly to her as his eyes stared deeply into her eyes with tenderness and care. He looked proud and at the same time feeling pleased for seeing her in front of him. “Jongdo? Are you sure?”

The dark brown hair that fell to his ears, a warm smile that shaped more like a smirk in a glance… “Jongin?”

“Congratulations, Soojung,” he said as he took out the flower bucket he hid behind his body. “I’m so sorry for being late. I swear I'm really sorry."

“No. Thank you for coming, Jongin,” and she found her self circling her arms around his abdominal before she pushed herself close to his chest, cried in his embrace, and letting her mixed emotions resolved by his hug and soft caress on her hair. He is here.

"I really am lonely here," she sniffled.

"I don't come all the way here only to see you, Soojung. I'm here to be with you, okay? It's alright. You have me now. Don't be afraid."

"I won't."

-----

Two cups of hot chocolate that turned out to be both favorite drinks accompanied their first encounter in London. Sitting at the hotel’s coffee shop, Soojung and Jongin faced each other while enjoying their beverage of the evening. Soojung would once blink her eyes, not believing the person in front of her was actually there. He was out of her reach for nearly a month–he could be considered a person she barely knows–but he came all the way to London only to be with her because he knew she was alone in the foreign city.

“Tell me again, why are you here all of sudden?” Soojung couldn’t withstand seeking the truth and asked him when she finished gulping down the hot chocolate.

Jongin chuckled. “You make it sounds like you don’t like my presence here.”

Soojung rolled her eyes but also couldn’t retreat from smiling sheepishly. This conversation is cute and she couldn't deny it. “Okay then. I'm changing the question, Mr. Sensitive. How did you get here? How could you know about my whereabouts?”

“You really want me to spill out everything? Okay then,” he paused before he raised his hand up to call the waiter. "Excuse me!"

“You haven’t finished even half of your chocolate. What are you ordering?” Soojung questioned, dumbfounded.

“I’m ordering you another drink because it will take a long time to explain,” he blurted out and ended up making Soojung chuckled from his innocence.

“May I help you, Sir?” the waiter came to their desk with her hand neatly placed on her stomach.

“He just wants napkins. Sorry,” Soojung immediately answered before Jongin opened his mouth to reply with his broken English. The waiter excused herself to get some napkins before she went back and placed the napkins on their table, before leaving the two alone on the corner of the place.

“I was going to order you a drink!” he pouted, sulking because she refused his kind offer.

Soojung couldn’t stand the cuteness in every little of his acts and laughed. The more she stays with him, the more she realizes he’s actually different from Jongdo despite their identical physical. Their eyes might look the same, but Jongin is a lot warmer than Jongdo because Jongdo has frigid eyes although his heart is actually kind. Their lips curved just the same, but Jongin speaks more childishly while Jongdo held so much boldness within his words. Their ears look the same, but Jongin cares more about people’s thoughts and Jongdo is more like ignoring in regard to his rigid attitude. They are the same but they are different. “Go on. Tell me how did you get here.”

“I’ve just got back from Japan yesterday. I stayed there for two weeks for our concert tour. We went from town to town without break and when I went home, I asked Jongdo to meet the moment I landed and told him to bring you along,” he paused.

“But he said you’re here in London. I told him I really wanted to meet you but I guess I should wait because you might be busy and he started telling me things about your competition. He told me there’s no one to accompany you because none of them could make it there. I asked my manager if it’s possible for me to go here and they said no. They refused at first because my departure would be caught by the fans and it was dangerous, but I swear I don’t care.”

“And you don’t care because…?”

“Because I want to be here for you when no one else not.”

Soojung almost choked on her own drink, not believing what she heard but when she stared into his warm and tender eyes, she knew he wasn’t joking. Jongin chuckled as he nibbled the tip of his mug and stole a shy glance at her. Seeing how her cheeks turned red was delightful, but praising himself for being honest was the first thing. He stayed silent and waited until she responded to his words, but seemed like she didn’t have anything to say so he just proceeded.

“O–“

 “T-thank you,” she surprisingly cut off his words and made a cute stutter in the beginning. “I mean, uh…” she fiddled her fingers nervously and began to chew her lower lip. “I never thought you would be here, you know?”

“I never thought too,” he said. “but I just did.”

Soojung found strange warmth flowing over her nerves when she heard his words. It sounds so true, genuine, and heartwarming to her ears. “That’s why I thanked you.”

“So… Should we carry on?” Jongin asked.

With two nods, Soojung wrapped her fingers on the warm mug and she’s all-ears already. Jongin chuckled