WELCOME

[Lijiang Kwan]

The sweet smell of pancake batter filled Lijiang's nostrils as he made his way through the busy street. Thin spirals of steam trailed in to the cold air from the paper bag he clutched in his hands. He had stopped at a street vendor, initially attracted by the appetising scent that lingered in the street, to buy some bungeoppangs. Really though, he had bought them more for their warmth than their taste. He picked one out, enjoying the heat of the fish-shaped pancake as he held it in his mouth, while the bag's temperature radiated outwards in to his hands. Aware of how strange he must look carrying his food in his mouth, especially against his smart attire, and noting the similarity of his behaviour to that of a stray cat, he grinned to himself before raising his hand to and then biting the treat that rested between his teeth.

Earlier in the day he had set out with a few friends to browse through the many stores and stalls of the high street but they had soon dispersed, each heading off to pursue their own interests. Not that he really minded. Of course he would have preferred some company but if it meant he was free to peruse the places of his own choosing, well... he could deal with it. He had been through numerous clothing stores with the girls he had been with, which of course he had enjoyed, and even purchased in, but the final trawl before splitting was maybe a little less to his taste. Truth be told, he did have a passing interest in the 'cute' novelty toys the girls had dragged him to look at but it wasn't something he was too sure he should admit to.

Presently, however, as he weaved his way through the ever growing mass of people, he was heading to the Chinese street a short distance away. What for, he couldn't say exactly. Probably, and most likely, just for the sake of some old familiarity. Whatever the reason, he continued on, gripping the warm paper over the handles of his clothing filled bags as the street lights began to flicker on in the settling dusk.

[Nayeon Chae]

You normally wouldn't expect for an idol to have a boring life, but right now that's what Nayeon was experiencing. A completely boring life with no excitement. Walking around Myeongdong, she was checking out the various shops browsing through the latest "it" items. She wasn't a fan of shopping alone but it totally beat staying in the dorm alone. Normally, she didn't have as much free time as she did now as she was always busy with work, be it preparing for a performance or practicing for a variety show. With her hectic schedule there was hardly anytime to breath. For the time being though, the other members of POProcks were all busy doing individual activities but Nayeon had nothing. No performances, no shows, no appearances. Nothing.

Walking along the streets, the various smells of food from the street vendors invited her to taste them. The most inviting though was the smell of bungeoppang, a favorite of hers on a cold day such as today. She quickly made her way over to the street vendor and bought one to satisfy her growing urge.

Oh. He looks familiar. Nayeon caught eye of a guy walking away from the vendor who looked like someone she'd seen a lot around Epika. Since they weren't in the same department she wasn't completely sure who he was but she didn't care. She loved making new friends. Grabbing the bag with the bungeoppang, she paid the ahjumma and quickly followed after the guy. Debating whether or not to introduce herself to him, she decided to take the chance.


She ran behind the guy and gently tapped him on his shoulders."Want to go shopping together? I'm Nayeon by the way."

[Lijiang Kwan]

Turning quickly at the feel of soft hands at his shoulder, Lijiang looked the girl in front of him up and down, briefly confused. He felt he knew her, though for a moment he couldn't quite place from where. Not a model. Nayeon... where have I heard that...? Epika... With a sudden sharp realisation he smiled, speaking out loud "POProcks...!" Of course that was where he knew her from, that girl band that was known for its flashy bright colours. He had heard a couple of their songs and, although not his all-time-favourite artists, he had been pleasantly surprised by them.

Initially, he ignored the question she had presented him with. Instead, he concerned himself with manoeuvring his bags to his left hand before extending his right towards her. He had never been very good at remembering how greetings were properly done in Korea. He knew that one person bowed and then... He really couldn't remember. And so in its place went with a handshake and a mumbled "Mannasuh pangopsumnida", nodding his head with a furrowed brow as he concentrated hard on placing the syllables. Then following with "My name's Lijiang" and adding "We're both Epika, right?" More to make sure that she knew he was a part of the company, guessing that she must have partly recognised him from the hallways, than to affirm her position there.

For a few seconds he observed Nayeon with mild curiosity. Even if she had recognised him a little, running up to someone in the street and asking to hang out with them without really knowing who they were seemed a little strange. At any rate, he admired how outgoing she was (whether or not she was usually so bold, he didn't know). Still, he couldn't deny that the streets were far more enjoyable when with someone else, figuring that she was probably thinking the same as he couldn't see any friends surrounding her. And besides, despite having spent a lot of time trawling the stores earlier, there were many Lijiang still hadn't visited, he had no real plans, and he didn't mind postponing his visit to the Chinese street til a little later. "Sure" At last he answered her question "Do you have anywhere in mind? Where would you like to go?"

[Nayeon Chae]

A small smile crept across her face as he recognized her from POProcks. Honestly, it's something that she should be used to by now but she just couldn't help it. There was always butterflies in her stomach when someone recognized her or called out her name. Being an idol isn't something that she fully grasped yet. "Yeah, I'm from POProcks." Gently shaking his hand as he extended it towards her, she was confused as to why he offered a handshake instead of a bow. She ignored It nonetheless. "Ne. Nado mannaseo bangapsumnida." Lijiang. Lijiang. She knew she heard that name before. "Yeah I'm from Epika. You're in the modeling department right?"

It was then Nayeon started questioning her presence. Should she really have introduced herself like that? What if he was enjoying his time alone. Nayeon had always been kind of careless with things in life. She never worried about the consequences that could follow from her actions, but she always lived in the moment. She considered apologizing intruding on the guy and leaving but when he agreed to go shopping with her, all those thoughts left her head.

Her usually peppy self was back and she was excited for the day ahead. "I honestly don't really have anywhere in mind. Where were you headed? I would like to tag along." She shot him an innocent glance in hopes that it would lighten the atmosphere around them. "Let's have fun today."

[Lijiang Kwan]

Even if he had changed his mind over whether he was interested in company, he probably wouldn’t have said a word. That is, unless an acceptable excuse were available. Saving face, his own or someone else’s, was almost always far more important. To Lijiang, there was no need in causing upset or embarrassment when it could be avoided, especially if a favour or something similar would be needed at some time in the future. He had learned this fairly early in his life, finding that most often, grinning and bearing an unliked situation could generally be turned to a personal advantage later down the line, even if just where couldn’t yet be seen. For now though, he was content enough and had no willingness to slip away.

“Yes, that’s right” he, in turn, was pleased that she had some idea of his work, just as he was sure she was pleased to have been recognised. Really, he was a little jealous of idols, their status and fans, but he wasn’t going to admit that any time soon. At any rate, he had enough to occupy him as a model.

For a moment, he considered whether he should come up with a different destination to the one he was contemplating, maybe one that she’d fine more interesting. Then, catching the look she was beaming in his direction, decided to include her in his plans although he was still open to a change of plans if it turned out that Nayeon would prefer looking through clothing or some other store. “Maybe the Chinese street” he answered. “It’s been a while since I’ve taken a look. Do you know it?” Saying this, he turned back to the direction of the street as if motioning its vague whereabouts before placing the bagged bungeoppang back in to his mouth.