The next nine days went by surprisingly fast since I kept myself busy with learning as much Korean as possible and making sure I had everything packed along with school. Uncle Kim had me come to his house again last Saturday to help me with my pronunciation while we ate some more Korean dishes he made for me. He figured it would be best since he didn't want a restaurant to be a distraction. Taehyung didn't join us for that session since he had his own exams to study for this time, but he did call me right before to wish me luck and remind me to not stress myself out about trying to be fluent so soon.

His own English seems to be improving as well with talking to me and taking a course for it. Every time we talk, I hear his accent become less and less obvious. Even though the noticeable change is making him happy, I kind of miss his mispronunciations and the cute way he would say certain things. By the time he graduates, he probably won't even sound like the Taehyung I first met at the party who clearly had a thick accent just by introducing himself.

"Do you have everything? Your passport, identification, all of your clothes and shoes, personal items, presents...and of course my surprises?" Taehyung asks during our video chat the night before my flight.

"I do. Will I be meeting your family right away or a few days later?" I stand back and try to decide what to pull out to wear on the flight and for when I land.

"No, you'll meet them Christmas Day when we go over to their house and then on the 31st, we'll fly out to London." He explains as he smiles at me trying to choose an outfit.

Emma is already gone for the holidays along with Madison and Megan. Most of the dorm is actually pretty quiet with classes being done for the winter break. I'm really glad Taehyung is taking a break from studying to talk to me because it's super lonely and kind of creepy around here. Like I'm walking around some old abandoned and haunted university. Especially with that one flickering light in the elevator no one has fixed yet.

I hold up a pair of his favorite skinny jeans on me and a lightweight burgundy sweater to go underneath my camel colored pea coat, "Would this be okay?"

"Yeah jagi, that'll be perfect. I see you chose my favorite jeans on you." He smirks noticing my little effort to impress him.

I bashfully nod and set the outfit across Emma's perfectly made bed to avoid any wrinkles.

"I fly out at two in the morning, my time, right?" I grab my plane ticket to verify the information.

My eyes skim over the section that notes I'd be flying first class. While I told Taehyung it wasn't necessary, I'm ultimately thankful since it will be the longest flight I've ever been on.

"Yeah and you're supposed to be here at five in the evening the next day. God, I can't wait! I don't know what I'm going to do with myself." He offers me a wide, excited boxy smile that makes my heart flutter.

"I know!" I squeal with my own enthusiasm. "I should probably go ahead and get something for dinner and get to sleep since I have to be up so early."

He nods while sucks in his lips to form a straight line, trying to hold back his smile, "Text me before you board. Saranghae, gongju."

"Saranghae...oppa." I tease him after learning the new term on Saturday during my lesson.

"Ugh, I hate that Uncle Kim taught you that one." He laughs.

"I know you do." I giggle. "See you soon!"

"See you soon beautiful." He kisses his ring and holds it up to the camera and I do the same before ending the video chat.

My stomach growls so loud that it's almost embarrassing. I hadn't eaten once today and my body feels like there's a big gaping hole in it. I finish looking over my belongings to make sure I'm not forgetting to pack anything before leaving to go to a new sports restaurant I had been wanting to try anyway. I might as well treat myself since I'll be eating alone anyway.

The restaurant had more people than I expected, but still not too busy to get a booth right away. I sit down and start looking over my choices of sauces for the buffalo wings I had been craving. I choose the mild buffalo sauce to avoid any stomach pain throughout the night and a side of seasoned potato wedges when the waitress comes to take my order.

I look around, feeling kind of out of place all by myself. There's a group of guys drinking at one table, a few different couples and a lot of families.

"I should have gotten this to go." I sigh out and place my chin in the palm of my hand while I stare at my strawberry lemonade and stir it with a straw.

I hear a laugh I recognize and I perk up at the sound, "Kinsley?"

She turns to face me, a bright smile spreading across her golden complexion, "Ava! Hey girl! What are you doing here. Are you alone?"

"Yeah, I'm flying to Korea tomorrow so I just came to get some food." I explain as she sits down in front of me.

"Well, you shouldn't eat alone. Mind if I call my friends over?" She asks before I give her the okay to wave them in our direction.

"Hi Ava, this is Terri." Kinsley introduces me to her short, but very pretty friend. "And this is, Corey." A tall man with extremely smooth caramel skin walks up and shakes my hand before sitting next to Terri and putting his arm around her.

"It's nice to meet you guys." I smile and they return the polite gesture.

"Oh and you already know Antonio and Ethan, right?" She questions.

Great! It's been almost two weeks since I last saw Ethan. His confession being the last thing we spoke about.

No, this won't be awkward at all.

Antonio leans over and gives me a hug, his obvious use of women's perfume making me smile as he compliments me on how pretty I look and asks me where I got my purse from.

Ethan reaches out and shakes my hand, offering me a soft smile that I politely return back to him. He sits down in between Kinsley and Terri while Antonio scoots in next to me.

"So Kinsley," I begin to get my mind off of the awkwardness, "how are things with you and Lucas?"

"So far they're really good. I'm going to a Christmas party at his parent's house on the 24th." She smiles and bites her lip.

"That's really great, Kins." I smile fondly at her as the waitress brings their drinks to our table instead.

She sets down two beers that Ethan and Corey grab and three frozen Margaritas that Kinsley, Terri and Antonio quickly snatch up.

"Oh." Kinsley looks at my drink and back at hers. "You're not over twenty one yet." She smiles apologetically.

I chuckle, "No, it's okay. I'm not a big drinker anyway and plus I'm driving."

"Your car got fixed?" Ethan pipes up, making me turn to look at him since the first time he sat down.

I nod once and look back down to my drink as I grab it to take a sip. Now, I'm wishing this was alcohol.

He sighs and takes a large gulp out of his glass. I look at Antonio sitting next to me and he gives me a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. I don't know what all that is about, but I'm too excited about leaving in less than twelve hours to really care. If anything, I'll deal with it later when the time comes.

"Can I talk to you real quick?" Antonio whispers and nods for me to scoot out.

Well, I guess I'm dealing with this now.

I scoot out and step aside as I wait for Antonio to stand up, too. His slick black hair shines in the overhead light as he adjusts his silk shirt before standing up with me. I catch Ethan giving him wide eyes as if he's telling him to not do something, but Antonio clearly isn't paying him any attention. He grabs my hand and gently pulls me over to a round corner table for two.

"Ethan told me what he said to you." He begins and I just simply nod. "I told him not to. That it wasn't going to change anything. Your man is so damn fine honey and you looked so happy with him at the art show. I love my best friend with my entire soul, but I'm not even about to try to persuade you to pick him over that fine piece of ass."

He chuckles and I smile widely back at him, "I'm not mad at Ethan or anything. I can't fault him for getting a crush, but I just don't want him getting a false sense of hope."

He nods and grabs both of my hands, "I get it and I appreciate you for being considerate to my best friend, but just don't feel awkward around him. I know him better than anyone else and I know he'd never be disrespectful. He's a good guy, but he does like you. A lot! More than I've seen him like anyone else. He knows there's no chance, but if things between you two are awkward now, it'll just twist the knife. If you know what I'm saying."

I glance back over to the table and see Ethan looking over at us while taking another gulp from his beer mug.

"Okay. I'll try to brush it off and act like nothing was said." I wink and he grips my hands tighter before letting them go.

He stands up and offers me his arm to walk with him back to the booth where everyone was. Ethan watches me and sinks down in his seat as if he's shying away. To me, it's pretty comical. He's at least six foot tall and has an athletic muscular frame, but he's shying away as if I'm some kind of bully coming over ready to steal his lunch money.

Antonio scoots in the booth first and happily claps when he's back in front of his frozen margarita. The girls giggle at his reaction and continue talking amongst one another.

"Did Mr. Bradford ever tell you where he hung that huge ass painting?" I ask Ethan as I bite down in a potato wedge.

He smiles and shimmies to sit back up straight, "Yeah, he hung it in his garage."

I damn near choke on my food and look over at him shocked, "His garage? He hung a fifteen hundred dollar painting in his garage?" My voice getting higher as I continue to ask.

He chuckles at my reaction and shakes his head, "It's his garage but more like his man cave."

Okay well, that makes more sense. I was really starting to question Mr. Bradford on his ability to be a therapist to Ethan all of those years if he's buying at fifteen hundred dollar painting just to put in the same area where his car will be parked.

The rest of the night ends up going by smoothly. Especially with Kinsley being there and even Antonio, who I found out is going back to Puerto Rico for the holidays. It's not so awkward being around Ethan, but I'm not sure how it'd be if it was just he and I.

"You are so pretty." Antonio drunkenly taps my nose as he turns to face me.

"Thank you?" I giggle and look over to Ethan as Antonio lays his head down on my shoulder, "I think three margaritas and two shots are his limit." I whisper shout.

He smiles and nods, "Yeah, I think so too." He motions to have Kinsley scoot out so he can stand up. "Come on Tony, lets get you home."

"I'll go only if Ava goes. I can't leave her alone. Nope." He looks at me with glazed over brown puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

"I'm okay Antonio, Kinsley's here and I'll be going back to the dorm anyway..."

"Pleaaaassseeee." He cuts me off with his begging plea and I realize it's pointless to argue with him right now.

I nod, "Okay, come on you big baby."

"Ah ha! I won!" He exclaims and stumbles into Ethan's waiting arms.

I say my goodbyes to everyone as Kinsley makes me promise to text her when I get to Korea so she knows I made it safely. I follow behind Ethan as he walks Antonio out to his car and gently sets him down in the back seat as I sit down in the passenger seat.

"He doesn't live far away." Ethan says as he sits down and buckles his own seat belt.

Antonio incoherently starts singing the song playing on the radio as we begin to back away, making Ethan and I both laugh at his outlandish behavior.

"I'm sorry." Ethan says as he pulls onto the main road.

"It's okay. You can't help that he drank too much." I giggle when the man in the back seat tries, and fails, to reach the high note to the current Ariana Grande song playing.

"No, not for him. For saying anything. I shouldn't have told you the truth the other day." He runs his fingers through his hair as his eyes stay trained on the road.

"You should always tell the truth. And I asked you. It's not like you just got down on one knee and asked for me to marry you or anything." I scrunch up my nose at the off key singing happening in the background.

He turns into a driveway of what I assume is Antonio's house and he puts the car in park, "I know but now things are awkward between us and that's not what I wanted. Because apparently we keep running into each other and now we have mutual friends."

It's true. It seems like I end up seeing Ethan more and more often and now that Kinsley and I are friends and she's dating Lucas, we're bound to run into each other again at some point.

"Friends?" I hold out my hand to shake his.

"Friends." He smiles and accepts my hand shake.

He gets out and struggles to get Antonio out of the car without hitting his head.

"Wait!" Antonio exclaims, making Ethan stumble at his sudden halt in movement.

He leans down to look back into the car at me, pointing and smiling at me. "You, pretty lady, are a danger to all men's hearts. If I wasn't gay I'd try to snatch you up too." He slurs out as I smile back at him. "If you ever become single though, give my bestie here a chance."

"Good night, Antonio." I croon and wave goodbye.

"Okay, buddy. That's enough." Ethan pulls Antonio away from the door and mouths sorry to me before shutting it.

I sit back and watch them walk up to the front door and disappear inside for a few moments. While waiting, I pull out my phone and go through my checklist of what all I needed to bring, making sure I wasn't forgetting anything.

"I'm so so sorry about him. He's embarrassing when he gets drunk." Ethan says as soon as he sits back down in the car.

"I thought he was hilarious. Although, my ears are grateful for the lack of untalented singing." I joke and he chuckles.

We drive back towards the restaurant as I continue to look over my list, bobbing my head to the beat of the music.

"You fly out tomorrow?" He questions to make conversation.

"At two in the morning actually." I answer monotonously.

He hums and pulls into the parking lot and parks next to my car. "Thanks for coming with me to get him home."

"No problem. I guess I'll be seeing you around." I slightly smile as I open the car door.

"I guess so." He smiles back to me. "Have a safe flight and trip."

"Thank you." I say just before I shut the car door and walk around to get into my own car.

Thankfully it starts up right away and I drive back to the dorms to get a couple of hours of sleep before I have to get up for the most anticipated flight of my life.