Finding the Right Words

Chapter 130- An Open Door

I was happy, seeing both of his parents smile at me, yet keep us on opposite sides of the table while we ate.

"It tastes different today," Mr. Zhou announced. "Somehow sweeter," he described, tasting the soup. 

"Yes... it was Miss Niuwang's idea," Mother answered, looking at me.

"In Wisconsin we cook things in alcohol to give it extra flavor. So I cooked the fish in rice wine with some spices."

"Well, it tastes good, Niuwang. Do you cook often?"

"I live alone, so, pretty often. And I cook for Henry and the rest of the guys pretty often, too. Since Ryeowook's the only one that knows anything, and I feel bad that he works so hard for them all of the time, so I help him."

"Oh, you get along with Henry, too?"

"He's my brother," I said without thinking. "Well... figuratively. He might as well be my brother. I'm friends with his little sister, too."

Zhou Mi smiled at me, and I looked down at my plate, blushing. I wasn't feeling very hungry. Nope. Not at all.

 ~

"How am I supposed to say goodbye this time?" I chuckled, matching Zhou Mi's footsteps. To the taxi that would take me away from his parents' house and back to the airport, where I wouldn't be able to come up with an excuse this time to miss out. "Of course, there are a few ways I can think of, but I don't think it would be appropriate to do that in your hometown with your parents there..."

He looked at me, open-mouthed, and I laughed again. Taxi, only a few feet away, patiently waiting for me. I stretched onto my toes, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm just kidding. Well, I'm not, about it being inappropriate, but I'm kidding about saying goodbye that way." The words were spilling out of my mouth without me thinking about them again. I grabbed his hand, wrapping it in my own, cold ones. "I feel really relieved. And I will definitely come back for a visit. Because your family is amazing, and I'm really glad they decided to see me as a person, and not as an American. I'm not surprised that you're their son."

He laughed. "I hope you don't like my parents more than you like me..."

I did my best to look horrified. "How could you even suggest that?! That's absurd! I only like Henry's parents more than I like him."

He pulled me into an embrace, and I felt happy and warm, breathing out a puff of air that came out of my mouth in a cloud of steam. "I'll see you in Seoul, Mimi. When I come back from the United States. Promise me, promise me... that you'll be there."

"You have nothing to worry about, Niuwang. Now hurry up and go. Make an awesome movie. I want premier tickets."

I laughed, opening the taxi door. "I'll see what I can do. But... the first thing I have to do when I get there is record a song with Nick Jonas..." I shuddered at the sound of the name, trying not to vomit.

He laughed and leaned over the door. "Go, Niuwang." He closed the door behind me, and I made a face at him while the taxi began to drive away.

 ~

"Welcome to SM Beijing," I said to Nick, yawning.

"What does SM mean?" he asked.

"Well, it used to stand for its creator and chairman, Lee Soo Man. But since he stepped down from the chairman position and now Kim Young Min's in charge, they changed it to 'Star Museum'."

"That sounds really stupid."

"Maybe a little," I admitted.

He stopped, looking at me, wide-eyed. "You agreed with me on something!"