Skyline Sparks | Seo Changbin

2

I stepped out of the taxi and gazed up at the building in front of me, marveling at its elegance. "It's so beautiful," I whispered.

Changbin joined me, effortlessly taking my suitcase. "Wait until you see the inside," he said with a smile, heading toward the doors.

"I can handle my own suitcase, really," I insisted, trying to grab it back, but he held on tight.

"No, it's fine. Honestly, your suitcase is so heavy I wonder how you manage. Did you bring rocks?" he joked as we made our way to the reception.

I giggled. "No rocks, I promise."

After checking in, we took the elevator together. His room was a few floors above mine, but he still got off on my floor, pulling my suitcase for me.

"You really don't have to do this," I said, feeling a bit uncomfortable that he was going out of his way.

"It's fine, really," he assured me.

I sighed and opened my room, letting him push the suitcase inside. The room was stunning. I could only afford this hotel because I had some miles left from my other travels, and it was definitely worth it. There was a big, fluffy queen-sized bed in the middle, and the rug on the floor looked so soft that it seemed like you could sleep on it.

Changbin stood at the doorway, glancing around. "Thanks again for bringing my stuff here," I said, smiling at him as I walked him to the door.

"No problem, really," he said. He looked at me, now a little nervously. "So, I thought maybe we could eat dinner together tonight? I mean, so you don't have to eat alone."

"What about your friends?" I asked, my heart fluttering at his suggestion. The thought of having dinner with such a handsome and kind guy was thrilling.

"They'll manage without me," he said with a shy smile.

"Well, then let's have dinner together," I replied.

"Great! Let's meet in the lobby at 7 p.m., okay?" he said, looking genuinely happy.

I nodded. "See you then," I smiled and watched him walk back to the elevators. I waved one last time before he disappeared around the corner, then closed my door behind me, grinning like an idiot.

***

I looked into the mirror one last time. I had returned from my sightseeing tour earlier to get ready for my dinner with Changbin. He was so handsome that I wanted to look my best next to him, so it took me forever to get ready. I finally decided on a dark brown dress that fell to my knees, paired with black boots and a black jacket. I quickly grabbed my purse and went to the elevator, heading down to the lobby.

Changbin was already waiting, and I giggled when I saw him. He was wearing a dark brown sweater with black jeans.

"We're matching!" I said as I approached him.

He grinned shyly. "I guess great minds think alike," he joked, burying his hands in his pockets. "Shall we go?"

I nodded and walked out next to him. "I really like this Italian restaurant just down the street. Do you want to go there?" he asked.

I nodded and smiled. "Are you in New York often?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I've been a few times, but I wouldn't call it often."

"What did you do the last time you were here?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing big. My band and I went to the Met Gala—" he started, and I stopped in my tracks.

"The Met Gala? You mean like a watch party, right?" I asked, confused.

"No, we were invited by Tommy Hilfiger," he answered casually.

I stared at him. "I'm googling you later," I said simply and continued walking. Nice. He was apparently not only really handsome but also really famous. What did I get myself into?

"I can just tell you," he laughed.

"I can agree with that as well," I mumbled.

Talking to Changbin was easy, and because of that, I didn't even notice the time flying by. After dinner, which he paid to my surprise, we decided to take a walk through Central Park and eventually ended up on a bench, talking about everything and anything. He was in the middle of telling me a story about how Chris Hemsworth once lifted him up when a yawn escaped my mouth.

"Are you tired?" Changbin asked.

I nodded slightly. He smiled a little before gently pushing my head onto his shoulder. "You can sleep on my shoulder like on the plane," he said.

I laughed quietly but got comfortable, snuggling a little closer to him. "And sit here all night?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"I'll stay awake and protect you," he said.

I giggled. He had made me laugh so much that evening. "We should just go back to the hotel," I said. "Even if I trust you with my protection, you should get some sleep too. You have to work tomorrow."

He sighed after a moment. "Fine, you're right, I guess," he said. I sat up properly again, taking his hand as he stood up. He pulled me to my feet and then let go, putting his hands back in his pockets with a shy expression. It was so adorable. He tried to act tough and cool, but if you spent some time with him, you'd realize he was just cute and shy. It gave me butterflies, but I ignored it. I didn't know him well enough to feel like this, and I probably wouldn't see him again when we were back in Korea. At least, I didn't know why he would want to stay in contact. He had thousands of girls lining up for him, and he was way out of my league.

We slowly walked back to the hotel, and he brought me to my room. "Thanks for today," I said, smiling at him as I stood in my doorway, looking at him.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "It was really nice," he said, smiling.

I smiled back. "See you?" I asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Good night, Asami," he said softly.

"Good night, Changbin," I mumbled.

He smiled and seemed to think for a moment, then he grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before turning around and walking back to the elevator. I watched him go, then closed my door, leaning against it with a smile. I needed to stop feeling like this or I would fall hard.