+ seven

Spending her time alone in her apartment, watching the SM Town dorm building for Byun Baekhyun wasn't the ideal way that Narda Gutierrez Lozano thought her life would be going at that point. She had pictured herself by this time being friends with the kpop idol--at least. It had worked that way when she did that kind of thing back home. 

Each time her favorite football team visited her city, it had certainly worked out that way when she and her brother Aldaír would go on extreme missions to get autographs. Their sister Bianey was never interested in that kind of thing. She hated sports and was only interested in anything that had to do with fashion. But her brother understood her, and her father even encouraged his daughter whenever she wanted to go get autographs from her favorite players. Her mother was against it, but her father always said there was nothing wrong with it. 

Now she was in Korea doing it all on her own, and every single one of her plans had backfired.

She sighed from her bedroom window and pushed herself off her computer chair. It was only the first day that Nari was gone and Narda felt the apartment was a lonely place. There was no sound of the tv in the living room playing Nari's favorite dramas, or the intermixed voices of Nari and the young man who visited her every afternoon without faltering.

It was still early, she realized as she hit the home button on her cellphone to check the time, and she felt her stomach rumble with a desire for food. She then decided she would take the train to the nearest shopping center, which Nari had written up directions to and were posted on the fridge. She had made up her mind to pick up something to eat and then return to the apartment to watch for Baekhyun and beg him to forgive her for the lies she told in her desperate attempt to get his attention.

Narda headed out of the apartment with her keys, cellphone, and wallet, grabbing a coat to wear in the brisk winter weather to keep warm. 

-

She stepped onto the train after buying her ticket and watched every stop carefully. She was thankful that she had Nari's instructions and that the signs were written out in English as well. Narda finally got off a few stops later and climbed the stairs up to ground level, since the train was underground. From across the street where the stairs to the station were, she could see the bright neon lights of the mall. 

The name was written out in Korean characters, but underneath she could see in smaller letters, the English translation. Six Malls Over Korea.

She took a deep breath and crossed the street, a bit nervous to be going out somewhere so public by herself. She didn't speak an ounce of Korean and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to communicate with anyone. She only knew maybe two--or three--words, one of them being eomma because the kids from the primary were at the age where they were prone to accidentally call their teacher mom.

Narda entered through the first set of glass doors she saw and she was grateful that she stumbled directly into a vast food court. There were all kinds of Korean food restaurants for her to pick from, but they also had the typical American fast food places like McDonalds, and Burger King. A gasp left her lips when--hidden near the end of the food court--was a tiny taco stand called Vatos Urban Tacos. Without thinking it twice, she ran towards it, weaving through the people in the food court just to get to it.

There was no line at the counter given that the mall was clearing out for the afternoon, and she walked right up, excitement in her dark brown eyes. She was even more delighted when the young man at the register looked latino, in his mid twenties, and she was sure she'd be able to communicate with her. Clearly guessing that she wasn't Korean, he asked her in Spanish, "Are you Mexican?"

Narda quickly nodded her head. "Yes."

The man seemed surprised, just as surprised as she looked seeing him there. "What are you doing so far from home?" He asked her another question.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I could ask the same thing. But I'm here for a teaching job." rubbing her hands together and licking her lips hungrily as she looked at the menu in front of her, she added, "You don't know how glad this made me. I haven't had mexican food in a whole month. I'm a deprived Mexican girl."

He chuckled at her words. "What can I get for you then?"

"I'll have eight carne asada tacos." She said, catching the man by surprise. Narda then quickly explained. "Some for today, and some for tomorrow. And can I get your hottest salsa on the side?"

The man nodded and took down her order.

Narda paid for her food and sat at one of the nearby tables while she waited. 

-

She had been sitting there for a few minutes when something caught her attention. It was a store, just a short ways out of the food court. At the storefront were several cardboard cutouts of popular kpop idols--one of them being Byun Baekhyun.

Narda picked up her food when her number was called and walked off after thanking the man behind the register. Then she set off to get a better look of the cutout. Standing in front of it, she noticed that it was life size, remembering that the real Baekhyun was also around half a foot taller than her. 

The twenty year old took a side glance, then to the other side to make sure there was no one watching her. Inside the store were customers, but it was nearly empty since it was the last run of the night. When she was sure the coast was clear, she got her cellphone out and removed her thick winter coat before posing next to the cutout. She snapped a quick photograph of herself with it and immediately posted it onto her instagram account.

♥ 35 likes

gutilozz: posing with the boo lol #suchacringe #luhancasuallyphotobombing

comments

dancebiadance: ew tf nar? ur such a fkn cringe! >.< #secondhandembarrassment

gutilozz: @dancebiadance shut up bee, i have to make my own fun bc alone in foreign country.

exoriana: ur sis is right. cring. ew. ;D

gutilozz: @exoriana *cringe. besides...you of all ppl shouldn't talk! remember u stole that miguel layun cutout from the super market one time. lol 

exoriana: who cares! it was a beer advert. no one pays attention to them.

exoriana: he's still in my room in all his mexican nt glory...

gutilozz: @exoriana smh dude

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As she was preparing to leave with her belongings, strongly considering grabbing the cutout and running for her life, she saw a small advert near the EXO cutouts. Tomorrow at 5pm only! She read from the part that was in English. There will be an EXO trivia contest in the food court with prizes and fun. Don't miss it! 

Narda thought about it. 

"I have the time." She mulled it over, and she walked away with the thought in her mind.

-

The flight from Seoul to Hunan, China, was a relatively short one.

The members of EXO, their managers who had accompanied them, and a small team of stylists had gone from the airport to the hotel in rented vans that were rather spacious to allow them the comfort. 

For their first day abroad, they didn't have a long scheduled plan. It had only consisted of travelling to China, checking into their hotel, and getting plenty of rest for the next day in which their schedules would be rather heavy. But the boys had other plans. All of them wanted to explore the province of Hunan. Lu Han, Tao, and Yixing were the most excited to be there since they had been born and raised in China--especially Yixing, since his hometown of Changsha was in the province of Hunan. For Kris is was a slightly different feeling. He was fond of his country, but he hadn't lived there very long, since he had moved to Canada as a child and had lived there until he joined SM Entertainment and had to move to Korea.

The other boys were eagerly asking the three other boys to show them around, as though the three were natives of Hunan even though they weren't. But they promised they would to their best. 

At the hotel, everyone had to wait in the lobby as the managers checked everyone in. It was still winter time, just past the Christmas season, and there were still twinkling lights everywhere, and even a Christmas tree in the middle of the room with fake presents underneath it. 

The lobby had four individual couched surrounding the tree and another two long couches by the fireplace. Minseok immediately went for the one nearest to the fireplace and instead of sitting on the couch, he sat directly in front of it. Yixing laughed to himself and slipped out of his jacket. "Always on the verge of freezing to death, hyung." He said, placing the thick coat over his hyung's shoulders.

Minseok denied with a shake of his head. "I'm fine here by the fire."

"Use it." Yixing insisted with a smile. "I feel like I'm about to start melting into a puddle in here. Its too warm."

Of the twelve boys, Yixing--whose stage name was Lay--was the one who started sweating the easiest. It was difficult for him to keep a jacket on for too long. He was the opposite of Minseok who was always cold, and got cold very easily, sometimes even in the summer time.

Minseok smiled happily. "Thank you, dongsaeng." And he slid his arms into the warm jacket.

By the Christmas tree sat Yeo Nari, admiring the twinkling lights while most everyone else was by the fire. A few of the other boys were getting coffee and tea from a table with free snacks in the lobby. Her luggage was right beside her. She had been lost in her thoughts for a moment when someone approached her. But it wasn't the person she was expecting it would be.

"Hello, Nari-yah." Baekhyun greeted with a polite smile, taking the seat nearest to her. "Aren't you cold here? Why don't you go sit by the fire with everyone else?"

"Byun oppa." Nari replied with a slight bow of her head to the boy who was just a year older than her. Refusing the suggestion he had made about sitting with everyone else, she shook her head, "Its too crowded over there, and I always liked looking at Christmas lights during the winter season. I think the view is nicer here."

The group's vocalist bit down on his lip for a moment, debating whether he should ask about the girl living in apartment 512. Perhaps Narda had been lying when she said she lived there, but he saw her open the door and go inside so naturally that she had to have been living there. And he had learned--through Kyungsoo--that their hairstylist Yeo Nari had been looking for a flat mate.

"I wanted to ask something about your apartment." He began, and continued when she nodded her head in understanding. "Are you still looking for a flat mate?"

"Jagiya, I got you some tea to help you keep warm." They heard a voice approaching them from nearby and both turned to see Do Kyungsoo walking up to them. He held two cups of warm liquid in his hands, one for himself and one for their hairstylist. The Christmas tree had been blocking his group mate and he spotted him as he got closer. Clearing his throat, he repeated in a more formal tone. "Uhm...I brought tea for you to drink." 

He handed one of the cups to Nari who bowed her head with a smile. "Thank you, oppa."

Baekhyun rolled his eyes at his group mate. He knows that I know the truth, yet he still acts so formal to her in front of people.

Nari turned her attention back to Baekhyun and asked, "What did you want to know about my apartment, Byun oppa?" Now not only her attention was on him, but Kyungsoo's as well. And his stare was like fire.

With a shake of his head, Baekhyun decided to try asking her again later. He would try to get her alone, which would be difficult considering that Kyungsoo and Nari were always together whenever they had free time. He needed to ask about the other girl living in the apartment, and if Nari knew that she was a sasaeng fan. "Nothing." He smiled at her and pushed himself off the couch, excusing himself with a bow, "I'm going to go find Chanyeol. Goodbye."

-

i had so much fun writing today's update guys, because narda is literally the fangirl representation of all the things i would like to do, but the law exists. sigh. and i also have a bit of self control and stuff so i restrain myself from committing cringe acts.

*glorious ig edit courtesy of bandry ryeongnim.* seriously, if it wasn't for her, i would have no nice edits to share with you all.

thank you all loads for reading and voting, guys. it means loads to me.

and have a great week!

-clary xx