Sasaeng || 백현

+ twenty three

+ twenty three

With the new school year coming up, Narda had informed her employers at SM Entertainment that she would no longer be able to travel with the group and work as their house keeper. Her last concert traveling with them was the same one that had been Yena's last--the concert in Guangzhou where Yixing had made his announcement about his relationship with Park Mae of Baby Lips. 

From there, they would be moving onto Indonesia, while Narda would catch a plane back to Korea to continue with her work as a primary school teacher. The boys of EXO almost felt as though everyone was slowly leaving them. First it had been Tao, who had suffered and injury but had been secretly replaced by Yena, then it was Yifan, one of their leaders in the group, next was Yena whose job in EXO had been done, Sarang had been visiting Junmyeon and had to return to her group, now Narda was leaving them despite their whining and complaints to keep her by their side.

"I can personally call your school." Chanyeol offered with a pout. "I'll tell them that we need you more. They'll understand."

Narda smiled and reached out to cup his cheek in her hand, her thumb stroking his face softly. "Channie, I can't. I made a commitment to them and as much as I want to stay with you boys, I have to go back." Narda cooked for them, cleaned for them, kept the house well kept, and was normally the person they went to when they wanted to settle arguments because they thought her as the only neutral side in the dorms. She was like a sister to many of the boys--except Baekhyun and Chanyeol who had other feelings for her. As she thought about the time that would pass before she could see them again, she said to him, "It will only be a month, and then you guys are returning to Korea. I'll be waiting to see my friends again. Chingu-yah." She grinned, now pinching his cheek. She had called him the Korean word for friend, that most of the other boys used for her. They either called her friend or sister.

She left shortly after Yena got on her flight back to her hometown in China, and the group was there to see her off as well. Chanyeol at one point hugged her for so long that she almost missed her flight. Baekhyun only watched from a few feet off, standing behind the other boys. All he did was to offer her an swkward wave goodbye to which Narda responded with a sad smile.

The month in Korea went by quicker than she would have thought. The first days of school were the busiest, since there were introductions to be made and the first lessons normally kept her busy with the children who were starting to learn the language.

Without Nari or EXO, she found herself spending most of her time alone. At times she'd look out at the dorm building, hoping for them to come back. At other times she'd talk to her family, or take the train out to the mall where she, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun had pizza a while back. Everything felt so unreal to her. Moving to Korea and almost immediately being able to meet her idols. She almost expected to wake up one day, in her bed at home and realizing it had all been a wonderful dream.

Towards the end of the month in which they were away, she made one friend in her group of co-workers. She had met him at the teacher's lounge one day, when she smelled the familiar scent of tacos coming from the room. She had quickly entered to find another of the foreign language teachers, who happened to be from Guadalajara in Mexico. His name was Daniel Villalpando and he was the only one in that school who had been hired to teach Spanish.

They had gotten along instantly because he was someone who reminded her of home. Like her, he also felt lonely being in a foreign country to far from home, on his own. 

On the day that they returned, Narda and Daniel had gone to the kimbap restaurant down the street. By then, she was a regular because she went so often with Nari and the boys. Hana, the girl at the register already knew her well and always greeted her with a friendly smile. Though she was a bit curious to see the foreign girl now accompanied by someone new.