Allegro

The familiar scent of a new semester buzzed lightly in the air at the Korean International School of Seoul, my home for the past few years. Unpacking my bags in my single dorm, I couldn't shake the usual stress from move-in day. My closet was already suffocated with the weight of my wardrobe. No matter how much I stuffed and slammed, the jean drawer decidedly staged a rebellion, springing back open after every attempt. With a frustrated huff, I shoved it one last time, quickly slamming my closet door shut in resignation.

Collapsing onto my bed, my hair fanned out across the comforter as I stared at the ceiling. The temptation of a nap lingered in my mind, but I knew I had to abstain — jet lag from Cinque Terre was not an easy fix. Reluctantly, I reached for my phone for the first time since I arrived. There were dozens of notifications pouring in, the screen lighting up from classmates texting and the typical school emails. My lips quickly tipped into a smile as I scrolled, landing on the one message I was waiting for.

Meet up in our spot?

I hearted it, hopping to my feet and smoothing my hair in the mirror. With one last glance at the chaos in my room, I grabbed my keys and headed out. The walk from East Campus to the center courtyard was long but peaceful, students busily bustling around me. Pausing by an outdoor yogurt stand, I texted back: I’m here.

A light tap on my shoulder made me whirl around, grinning as soon as I saw him. Without hesitation, I threw my arms around Minho, laughing. “Minnie! How was your break?”

Minho rolled his eyes with exaggerated annoyance, a habit of his I had long found endearing. “So-so. You?”

“Oh, I have to tell you all about Italy!” I said, practically vibrating with excitement as I unlocked my phone to scroll through photos.

“Italy?” he deadpanned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, were you in Italy? Wow, that totally slipped past me — probably because of the thousands of photos you spammed us with every bloody hour.

I nudged his arm, grinning. “As if you didn’t love every single one of them. Admit it, you missed me.”

“Missed the silence, maybe.” He smirked, stuffing his hands into his pockets as we started walking. “Anyway, Yuri’s hosting a get-together tonight. Car’ll pick us up in a couple of hours.”

“Who said I’m going?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

“You go wherever I go, little sasaeng,” he shot back with a mischievous grin.

I gasped in mock offense, swatting his arm. “Sasaeng?! I’ll have you know, Moon, you’re the one obsessed with me.”

“Sure, sure,” he laughed, stopping at the yogurt stand. After paying a couple thousand won, he handed me a Lotte jelly. I didn’t hesitate, devouring it in record time. “Slow down, Mishy,” he scoffed. “You really are half-white, Huang.

“And you’re practically whitewashed,” I retorted, poking his arm. “More so than my yai, and she moved to America just for their so-called culture.”

He snorted. “Culture? You mean high fats and Red 40? Pass. I’d rather use CeraVe as a meal replacement.”

I rolled my eyes as we walked back to my dorm, chatting about nothing and everything. When we got inside, Minho flopped onto my bed, linking his hands behind his head like he owned the place.

“Make yourself at home,” I muttered, spinning my desk chair to face him.

“This setup is tragic,” he mused, glancing around. “The only other door is to the bathroom. How barbaric.”

“Right, because your dorm is so luxurious,” I shot back. “Half the time it smells like body odor, Min.”

“Hey!” he protested, sitting up indignantly. “That’s all Q, not me. The worst thing I’ve ever smelled like was vanilla, darling.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so we’re just going to pretend your Axe body spray phase didn’t happen?”

His face paled, and I laughed. “I’d watch my tongue, Huang,” he said darkly. “Need I remind you how you spent an entire semester lurking around the track because of your crush on a literal gay man?”

I threw my hands up in surrender. “In my defense, Q hid his sexuality really well back then.”

“I still blame you,” he quipped, getting up to inspect my kitchen. He opened the fridge and let out a disapproving click of his tongue. “Empty. As always. Tomorrow, we’re going grocery shopping.”

I grinned. “Aww, you gonna cook for me, Minnie?”

His grimace said it all. “Absolutely not. But I’ll at least buy you some shrimp chips.”

“Deal.”

When he wandered over to the closet, I winced internally. He opened it, stared down at the overstuffed drawer, and let out a low laugh. “Packed lightly, I see.”

“This coming from someone who hires movers every semester?”

“Fair.” He shut the closet, heading for the door. “Hot pot in the village tonight. Be ready in an hour.”

“Yeah, yeah. Bye, Moon.” I shoved him out, slamming the door on his smug grin.

. . .

Hot pot wasn’t exactly a black-tie affair, but I still indulged in my full shower-hair-skincare routine. After running jojoba oil through my waves, my hair appeared the slightest bit coily. I did light makeup, deciding against false lashes and opting, instead, for a quick eyelash curl and mascara.

When it came to choosing an outfit, practicality won out. Between a pink tube top with a light blue miniskirt or a green-orange tube top with gray-brown shorts, I decided against the former. Dinner was bound to get messy, and darker colors were more forgiving. To tie it together, I added an orange hibiscus clip, matching shoes, and a few bangles. I pulled my hair into a loose updo just as a knock tapped against my door. His timing could not have been better.

Grabbing my bag, I opened the door to find Minho leaning against the frame in a light gray trench coat and a perfectly fitted black shirt. My heart did an involuntary somersault. He smiled, soft and easy. “Ready to go, Mischa?”

I hummed in response, locking my door as we left. The walk to the car was brisk, the chill of the evening biting at my exposed skin. We slipped into the back of Minho’s company car, and he muttered the destination to the driver. As we picked up speed, the city began to blur in the background.

Minho broke the silence, his tone teasing. “You look ready for a luau, Michelle.”

Feigning shock, I gasped and pinched his coat. “And you? Dressed for a blizzard, apparently.”

“It’s closer to winter than summer,” he said, his tone mockingly condescending.

“Actually, winter’s already passed,” I shot back with a smirk. “So, by definition, it’s closer to summer.”

He rolled his eyes dramatically, opening and closing his hand like a talking puppet. “Whatever you say, Huang. Just don’t tell me there’s a grass skirt hidden in that bag.”

“Oh, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?” I retorted, narrowing my eyes.

He smirked mischievously. “Not me, but I’m sure Q would.”

I choked on air out of surprise and groaned, leaning back against the seat. “Not this again, poopy baby.”

“Oi, don’t even start!” he shot back, lightly slugging my arm.

We burst into laughter, our banter filling the car as it came to a stop outside a bustling alley. Adjusting my skirt to avoid any potential slippage, I stepped out and thanked the driver.

As we entered the market alley, my eyes caught on a familiar feline outside the restaurant. My mood darkened momentarily, but I plastered on a neutral smile and went inside. Minho lingered at the entrance.

Inside, I found our group nestled in the corner by the window. To my surprise, the gathering had expanded — it seemed someone had invited the koreaboo. I waved awkwardly before sliding into the seat next to Dae.

“Hey, Dae-Bae. How was your break?” I asked with a warm smile.

He sighed, not looking up from the table mat. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

Following his gaze, I shifted uncomfortably, joining his silent death glare. Someone called my name, snapping me out of the moment. I looked up to see Yuri smiling at me. “Michelle! Great to see you. Do you think they’ll be joining us soon?” she asked, her head tilting toward the window.

I followed her gaze to see Minho and Kitty outside, locked in some kind of tense exchange. My stomach twisted, but I shook the feeling away. Clearing my throat, I stood. “Excuse me for a second.”

Stepping outside, I found Minho and Kitty mid-spat. Minho’s voice was low, his words impossible to make out, but the way Kitty leaned into his touch made my chest tighten. I cleared my throat awkwardly. Minho glanced at me, blinking as though waking from a daze. He mumbled something to Kitty, then walked over to take my arm. Together, we went back inside.

When we were out of earshot, I leaned in, keeping my voice quiet. “Lovers’ quarrel?”

“Quite the opposite,” he replied darkly, his jaw tight as he settled into the seat beside me.

“Didn’t look that way,” I muttered, casting a glance toward the hostess who was now addressing the table.

. . .

The evening had finally come to an uneventful close. Aside from the obvious tensions, nothing particularly remarkable had happened. Stella, the girls’ new roommate, had joined us — though her interest in Minho was painfully obvious. I could tell he kept the conversation polite but distant, offering nothing more than short, insincere answers to her many questions.

Now, stuck in Seoul’s infamous nightly traffic, the car ride maintained a very loud silence. My gaze alternated between the city lights outside the window and Minho, who hadn’t uttered a word since we left. The quiet felt suffocating. With a sigh, I cracked my window open.

“What are you doing?” Minho asked, his tone a mix of alarm and annoyance.

“It’s stuffy in here,” I replied, letting the cool, humid air hit my face. “You must be sweating or something. It’s hot.”

“Sweaty? Me?” he scoffed. “Don’t project your issues onto me, Huang.”

I ignored him, leaning slightly out the window to breathe in the crisp air. Winter’s bite still lingered, stinging my nose, but it felt refreshing.

“You’re weird,” he muttered, shaking his head.

Rolling up the window, I turned to him with crossed arms. “Whatever.”

He mirrored my posture, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. “What’s your problem?”

“You haven’t said a word this entire ride,” I shot back. “And, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re going to be stuck here for a while.”

“Well, if someone had dressed lighter, we could’ve just walked back by now,” he drawled.

“I compromise my fashion integrity for no man, Moon,” I quipped.

“You’re awful,” he groaned, slumping in his seat.

I fiddled with my hands in my lap before glancing at him. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Minho tilted his head to face me, his expression troubled. “I thought… Maybe if I got on her nerves, things would go back to normal. Like, it’d bring out something — anything.”

My expression softened. I placed a hand gently on his shoulder. “You can’t force her, Min.” My voice wavered slightly as I added, “Maybe it’s for the best. It might be a sign that she’s not the one for you. There are so many other girls at KISS, in Korea, or anywhere, really.”

He rubbed his temples, shutting his eyes tightly. “But none of them challenge me like her.”

The words hit harder than I wanted to admit, a dull ache settling in my chest. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned back to the window, focusing on the blur of headlights.

Minho’s voice broke the silence. “You know, Kitty once told me about her sister, uh, Larry — or Lara? Apparently, a guy fake-dated her to make his ex jealous.”

I snapped my head toward him, eyes wide. “You’re not seriously considering finding someone to fake-date, are you? That’s… pathetic. Besides, who in their right mind would agree to that?”

He paused for a moment, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. “Well, you’re my best friend, aren’t you?”

I froze, gaping at him. “You can’t be serious.”

“I think I am,” he said, his gaze fixed ahead, his smirk unwavering.

“You know this ruins my game, right?” I deadpanned, crossing my arms tighter.

“Why are you so against helping me, Michelle?”

His pleading eyes caught mine, and my stance wavered. I pursed my lips, conflicted. Part of me resisted on principle, but another part — one I didn’t want to admit — clung to the sliver of hope that this might lead to something more. Then it clicked. Kitty’s sister and her fake boyfriend had started as a ruse, but they’d fallen in love. Maybe… just maybe…

I took a deep breath, breaking the silence. “What will you give me in return?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, really? Um… I don’t know. Whatever you want.”

“Good to know,” I said, smiling faintly to myself. I extended my hand toward him. “We have a deal, Minho.”

He hesitated only briefly before clasping my hand in his, a triumphant smirk on his face.

As soon as the handshake ended, I pulled my hand back and rested it in my lap, staring out the window. My breath came out shaky, and my mind raced. What had I just gotten myself into?