Page 21 of XOXO

They must be pretty famous, if they already have fans following them around. I feel like a bad Korean fornotknowing who they are...

“Wait, I’ve seen your music video!” I say. “In the subway on the way here.”

Youngmin grins. “Maybe you’ll become a fan?”

I wink at him. “Oh, for sure.”

Nathaniel looks at me oddly. “You watched the whole thing?”

I guess it would be strange if I had seen the music video and not recognized them. “No, just the ending.”

“It came out a week ago,” Youngmin explains. “It’s the main track off our first full-length album.”

“Congratulations,” I say and Youngmin beams. “So you filmed the music video in Los Angeles? Did you like the city?”

“I loved it! We had such a great time. Well...” His face falls. “Until the last day. There was an accident...”

“Youngmin! Nathaniel.” The man who was standing outside the door pokes his head into the dressing area. “Oh,” he says, when he catches sight of me. He looks suspicious for a second, like he thinks I might have snuck in here to accost Youngmin and Nathaniel, but then he notices that I’m wearing the uniform for Seoul Arts Academy. He turns back to the boys. “More fans are gathering outside the store. Are you finished?”

“Yeah! This one fits.” Youngmin rushes back into the dressing room. The man, who must be their manager, doesn’t leave, engaging Nathaniel in small talk, probably so that he doesn’t speak to me.

I’m heading back to my dressing room when Youngmin dashes out, dressed head-to-toe in Nike and wearing a hugepuffer jacket that almost hits the floor.

He waves at me and runs off, hooking arms with the manager. Nathaniel is slower to leave, glancing at me. “See you when school starts.”

After they’re gone, I quickly change and pay for my clothing so that I can get back to Mom and Halmeoni. Although the crowd outside the store has dispersed there are more people on the streets. I join the tide heading toward the subway, in a bit of a daze from this afternoon’s events.

I just met two K-pop stars. Celebrities. Students at Seoul Arts Academy. I know a few kids back at school who would kill to be in my position.

Then again, it’s not like I’ll interact with them much. I’m sure they have their own friends, and fans. Though it would have been nice, to walk into school that first day and already have someone I know.

An image of Jaewoo flashes through my mind.

The last text message I sent him is still marked “unread.” I’d checked it this morning, as I have every morning.

Stepping onto the escalator that leads down into the subway, I take out my phone and pull up Jaewoo’s contact. I press the edit button and scroll down. I should delete his number once and for all. Maybe then I’ll stop thinking about him.

A bright light shines up ahead as the escalator approaches the bottom. A massive poster takes up a huge portion of the subway wall, from floor to ceiling.

I stare in shock because it’sthem.XOXO.

There are four of them, just as Youngmin had said. On the far right, I recognize him. He has the same bright hair and smile. The boy on the far left must be the eldest member, the other rapper. Beside him is Nathaniel, looking absurdly sexy as he smolders at the camera. Not my type, but he must drive girls wild. And besidehimis...

No.

No way.

Oh.

My.

God.

With shaking hands, I look down at my phone. I close out the edit screen and scroll up in the messages. To the photo taken in the sticker booth. I stare at the boy beside me in the photo, and then at the poster on the wall, where the main vocalist of XOXO is air-brushed, but just as gorgeous.

They’re the same person.

He’s the same person.

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