My steps become slower as I walk through an unfamiliar part of Seoul. Joshua's jacket is folded over my arm, and I hold onto it tightly, finding some strange comfort in doing so.

It had been a few days since I last saw Joshua, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I was clearly infatuated. I was surprising myself - I'd been so focused on my potential career ahead of me, so focused on practice and training, that I hadn't had time to think about relationships.

Also, Joshua's about to debut - he's not going to have any time for a slaving trainee like yourself, either.

Eun Seo had given me directions to where Joshua's dorm was. I was surprised at the simplicity of the area, and of the Pledis company. I'd seen photos of the Pledis practice building, and compared to SM, the feel and atmosphere was completely different. SM was very showy and glamorous. Pledis had a more humble feel to it, yet still owned a level of class and pride. Over the last few days, I'd been wondering where I might be now if I'd joined Pledis...

I shake my head and continue down the pavement. I wasn't liking this infatuated feeling. I barely know Joshua. I know nothing of his personality - I've only seen his face and heard his voice. Even so... his eyes were something else.

I hiss at myself. Snap out of it, Amy Cho. When you deliver this jacket, you are going to be polite, you are not going to flirt, and you are going to spend the rest of the afternoon dancing 'til you drop in the practice room.

My heartbeat grows shaky as I check the map on my phone. Looks like I'm here. The small building was very plain-looking and subtle, and I wonder if Eun Seo gave me the right address.

Only one way to find out.

One foot after the other. I push the door handle, and go inside. I go through the hallway and up the stairs, where I find myself standing outside the door Eun Seo had mentioned.

I shakily raise my hand to the door. I can hear voices from inside. There goes the little hope that no one would be in.

It suddenly occurred to me that now I would have to part with the jacket. My cheeks flush as I recall bringing the jacket home a few days ago. I cringe as I remember staring at the jacket, before slowly pulling the sleeves over my arms. I stood there for a few minutes, enjoying the moment, before realizing what I was doing, and suddenly having the overwhelming feeling that I was a little too close to Joshua right then. I hurriedly pulled the sleeves off, and quickly put the jacket on the back of the door. One of my fellow trainee roommates looked at me oddly, before rolling her eyes and walking past.

I shake my head to clear the thought, and firmly knock on the door before I can stop myself. My heart hammers inside my chest as the voices inside fall silent, then I hear the sound of someone getting up and coming to the door.

A short guy, about my height - maybe a little taller - opens the door. He had a kind of confused look on his face. The corners of his eyes tilted upwards, like his eyes were always smiling, and his hair stuck out in numerous directions.

"Oh, hi," I put on a brave face. "My name's Amy Cho. Is Jisoo there?"

"Ah, hi," the boy smiles, and glances around furtively. "I'm Lee Chan. Um, sure, I'll go find him."

He disappears around the door, and I hear him scuffling about inside. "Ah, hyung?" I hear muffled voices, and a poorly attempted whisper. "There's a girl outside. She wants to see you. I think she might be a fan."

Jisoo whispered something back in a panicked voice, before slowly coming to the door and peering his head around the side.

"Ah, h-hi," I stutter.

"Oh, hi Amy," Joshua says, quietly. He looked surprised and confused that I was here, and even a little nervous. He slowly opens the door.

Everything I'd been planning on saying suddenly left my head. How many times had I played this moment out in my imagination, how many scenarios? They were all gone now.

"Um, you forgot your jacket at the ramen place..." I tentatively hold his jacket out towards him. "So I just stopped by to..."

"Oh, thank you!" His face lights up, and he slowly takes the jacket from my hands. I feel slightly hesitant to give it back - there's nothing left connecting me to him, now.

There's an awkward few seconds of silence, before we both speak at once.

"Oh, do you want to come inside-"

"Well, I should probably head back to practice-"

"Oh, okay-"

"Ah, I'd love to-"

We both laugh, awkwardly. My hands won't stop fidgeting together.

At that point, a loud shout echoed from inside. "Hey, guys, there's a girl at the door-"

"Oh..." Joshua winced, smiling shyly and apologetically. A few seconds later, Vernon comes to the door.

"Oh, hi Amy," he says, in English.

"Hi Vernon," I take a small step back. I didn't mean to draw so much attention to myself. "I was just dropping off Joshua's jacket that he forgot the other night."

"Ah cool." Vernon gestures behind him. "Hey, do you want to come inside? We're on our free time right now."

"Oh, it's okay, I've got to go practice..." I turn away, but Vernon is insistent.

"Aw, come on, you've got a few spare minutes I'm sure." Vernon goes back inside, leaving me no choice. Joshua looks at him, confused, before following him inside like a puppy.

I step through the door, closing it behind me, noticing a strange hush seems to have descended throughout the dorm. Vernon and Joshua lead me into the living room, where there are old takeout boxes strewn across the floor, along with random piles of laundry. Ah. Typical boys dorm.

"Guys, this is Amy." Vernon gestures to me, and then back at the guys. "Amy, this is the guys. Seventeen."

A huge amount of guys stand frozen around the room, like they'd been caught doing something suspicious. More like they'd never seen a girl before, but...

"Annyeonghaseyo," I bow my head, my cheeks getting brighter.

"A-annyeonghaseyo," they echo back, awkwardly.

Vernon swings his arms out by his side. "Ah..." he suddenly turns to Joshua. "Joshua, why don't you show Amy the music room?"

Joshua looks slightly scared. "Eh? Me?"

"Yeah. You." Vernon slightly pulls on Joshua's elbow, and Joshua shuffles past him.

"Oh. Okay. Amy, do you... want to see...?" He points in the direction of another door.

"Ah... sure." I slowly follow after him as he leads the way through the door on the other side of the living room. As we go, a lot of muffled voices start whispering amongst themselves. All save one.

"Wow, she's the first girl we've ever had in the-" Lee Chan's voice was abruptly cut off by a mass of "shh"s.

~

"Okay. Here it is." Joshua smiles shyly, pushes open a white door, and waits for me to step inside.

"Ah. Thank you." I step past him, and look around the room. The lighting was cozy - not too light, not too dark. There was a desk and computer across from me, surrounded by music-producing equipment. In one corner of the room was a pile of instruments leaning against the wall.

"Do you play anything?" I ask, breaking the silence. My heartbeat was racing again.

"Oh, not very well," he laughs. He slowly walks over to an acoustic guitar lying by the wall. His fingers brush against the fretboard. "What about you?"

"Piano." My fingers won't stop fidgeting together.

"Ah, that's cool. I wish I could play."

"I'm sure you can play guitar quite well." I gesture to the guitar, before my hand falls to my side.

He shakes his head and moves away from the instruments. "No, I really can't," he smiles. "I'm so focused on dancing and singing these days. I haven't had time to practise any instruments."

What I did next, I'm not sure why. My actions kind of took over my thinking process.

With one hand, I pick up the guitar by the fretboard, and hold it out to him. "I'm sure you can. Please play something."

He seemed surprised. For a few seconds, our eyes held contact, before we both looked away, awkwardly. My cheeks burned.

"Ah... I'll try." He laughed softly, before taking the guitar out of my hands. He went over to the office chair in front of the computer and sat down, putting the guitar on his knee.

What happened then changed my life, forever.

~

About ten minutes later, Lee Chan knocked on the door before walking straight in. He froze as soon as he stepped inside.

"... Huh? Amy... are you alright?"

Vernon is one step behind him, and glances between me and Joshua. "Amy? Are you okay?"

Lee Chan turns to Joshua. "Hyung? What happened?"

A look of panic crosses Joshua's face. "I... I didn't do anything..."

I wipe my eyes. "No, I'm sorry. I'm being silly."

"What's wrong?" Vernon asks, worriedly. Joshua looked like he wanted to crawl into a corner and never come out again.

"Nothing's wrong." I frantically rub my eyes. Before I can stop myself, I start laughing.

Vernon and Lee Chan look at each other, completely bewildered. "Hyung, what did you do?" Vernon asked Joshua.

"I, I didn't do anything!" Joshua looked around, panicked. "I was just singing and playing guitar..."

"It was really beautiful." I press my palms against my eyes.

There was an awkward silence. Then, Lee Chan and Vernon turn to each other, and burst out laughing.

"Stop it," I whine, but I laugh alongside them.

Joshua's face was bright red, and he ducked his head, shyly. He was smiling, though. He glanced at me from the side of his eyes, and grinned.

I grin back, and sloppily wipe my hand across my nose.

His voice was beautiful.