The Adventures of an English Tourist | EXO

Chapter 5

I'm woken by the sounds of raindrops pattering lightly against the window. I groan and pull myself up, blinking my eyes into focus.

I look around the hotel room. The light of the rising sun weakly illuminates the desk in the corner, the modest TV on top, the chair beside it and the wardrobe standing against the wall.

I reach my hand out next to me and after locating my phone I pick it up and turn it on, squinting against the bright light.

I open the Facebook app and scroll through my news feed. It's filled with pictures uploaded by my school friends of their first month away from basic education. Half of them seem to have already gone to university but others, like me, have taken a year off.

The images should make me nostalgic and homesick but somehow I feel completely neutral. There's no emptiness or longing to return; just nothing. It all feels like a distant memory.

I sigh to myself, feeling a little guilty. Maybe I'll feel differently next week, when I go back.

•••••• 

Instead of the usual hard sounds of shoes walking across concrete pavements the noise's replaced by quiet splashes from the puddles forming on the ground. The falling drops of water obscure the reflections that would otherwise be seen if the clouds weren't so dark.

"Rose?"

"Tom?"

"Has anyone ever told you that your hair's vastly improved when it rains?"

I glare at the twinkle in his eyes and gently shove his shoulder.

"Okay, okay. Please forgive me," he says and raises his hands in surrender.

I smirk at him as he wraps an arm around me.

"Don't worry, I'll protect your hair from the dangers of the earth," he says and pushes me under a shop's awning.

"Thank you so much, I really I appreciate it," I call at his retreating back. He turns around and flashes a mischievous grin.

I run to catch up with him. "Oppa!" I say when I reach him and attempt a crying 'aegyo' face.

"Oh God, no. My eyes, my precious eyes. They'll never heal." He cries and clutches his head in mock pain whilst I just laugh.

I wipe away my tears as he looks at me mournfully. "Maybe I should've saved that until after a few bottles of Soju."

He continues staring at me.

"What? What is it?"

"You're standing in the doorway," he says and then we both start hooting with laughter.

"What is all this noise about?" a voice says from behind me. My face falls and turn around to find Sakura glaring at us. "Loud foreigner," she mutters to herself.

Tom doesn't seem to notice. "Oh, Sakura, you're here!" he says and hugs her.

"Can we go inside now? My hair's a mess."

I look at her sleek, black hair and almost scoff as she looks at my bird's nest and smirks.

She steps into the restaurant with a backwards look at me and leaves Tom and I to follow like lambs.

We're seated at a table at the back and handed menus with leather covers. I scan through all the expensive-looking options and eventually decide to point randomly at the list when the waiter returns.

I glance over at Tom and Sakura cooing over the food and am reminded of an old, married couple. Tom looks up and grins innocently at me. What a cutie, I think to myself.

All of a sudden he raises his hand like a kid in preschool and puffs up his cheeks like he's holding his breath.

"Yes, Thomas?"

"Please may I go the toilet?"

"You may."

"Kamsa~" I smirk as he dashes from the table.

Sakura doesn't seem to notice as she's engrossed in her phone.

I clear my throat and decide to be friendly.

"Konnichiwa," I say and smile.

No response.

"So... Um, how's the modelling career going for you?"

"Good."

"Anything else?" I persist.

She sighs and mutters something in Japanese.

"Good," she says through gritted teeth. "I've started to do some shoots in China. They like me there because I don't make them bow down at my feet like the other foreign models. Or need them to take my under their wing like a baby. I'm sure you can't relate."

I clear my throat awkwardly and shift in my seat.

"Sakura." She looks up from her phone. "Why are you and Tom dating?"

She smiles at me but nothing about it suggests it's friendly.

"Are you jealous?"

"N-"

"Really?" She interrupts. "Because I've seen the way Tom looks at you." She smirks but there's anger in her eyes. "Anyway, Ugly Duckling, you're leaving soon. I can't wait, but until then, stay out of my way." She holds my gaze and fire crackles between us.

"So, did you have a nice chat-" Tom starts as he returns to his seat but stops as he notices the atmosphere. "Is... everything okay?" He asks with trepidation tinting his usually bright tone.

"Just fine," Sakura purs, "I was just telling Rose about my modelling career."

Tom looks at me to check if she's telling the truth. I lift the corners of my lips (to what I hope looks like a smile) and nod.

I see him visibly relax and sit back in his chair as relief washes over me.

I look over at Sakura who's smiling at me like a gleeful puppeteer.

I return my attention to Tom who's resumed his constant flow of idiocy. I laugh at his ridiculous jokes but as I do I notice the envious look in Sakura's eyes whenever he directs his attention to me.