A K-pop Idol 71.1 (Patreon)

After leaving the taxi, Alex had to cross five blocks before reaching his destination. This hadn't been a mistake, though – It was a sunny and pleasant spring afternoon, and he thought it was just perfect for a good walk.

Along the way, he realized with surprise that, although he had been living in Seoul for more than a year, this was the first time he was walking by himself in that city. For this reason, he thought it was striking how at ease he felt there, as if he belonged to that place. It was as if Korea really was his homeland.

However, since Alex – or better, Kim Hana – was a famous person, he had chosen a discreet outfit hoping he could go undetected by the people. He was wearing a cute blue sweater with some pink bows, high-waisted skinny jeans, pink sneakers, and a simple white purse. His hair was tied in a high bun, with a few loose strands on the sides of his face. He wasn't wearing any jewelry, and very little makeup – just a bit of foundation, mascara, blush and lip gloss, because without it, as he now knew very well, he felt as if he were naked. Finally, a large pair of sunglasses was covering his eyes. 

So far Alex’s plan had worked very well. He had managed to cross all those busy blocks without arousing any unwanted attention. Only two or three guys had looked at him more sharply, but Kim Hana had a feeling that this was because they thought that she was an attractive woman, even dressed so casually. 

Then, a little ahead, he was stopped by a young woman, and he thought that his disguise had been discovered. However, she just wanted to know where he had bought that precious sweater, as she referred to it. "Also" she continued, “I have to say that your look is amazing! Oh girl, you really know how to put together a simple but super girly outfit. I envy you!" 

Alex just smiled a thank you and walked away. He couldn't help but he felt proud. After all, he had put together that outfit completely by himself. How much of a man is left on me? He wondered. Even unintentionally, he continued to dress in a more feminine way than most of the other women. This just seemed normal to him now…

That Thursday afternoon was a rare occasion, since that was the first Sweet Dolls' afternoon off in a long time. The girls (except Park Hara, who said she had other plans) agreed to spend some time relaxing in a resort, and then they could have a nice dinner in the early evening. Alex had promised to go with them, but the day before he said he couldn't go because he had remembered that he had an appointment with Dr. Wong, his psychologist, and he couldn't cancel it. 

Choi Hyun then said she would go with him, as she always did, but Alex insisted that this wasn't necessary, and that his unnie really deserved a little rest. That was difficult, but he finally managed to convince her that he would be okay. In truth, the feminized man didn't have an appointment, and he felt bad for lying to his friends. However, he needed to do something else – and he needed to do it by himself.

The address to where he was going was in a quiet, leafy alley, full of old houses with traditional Korean architecture – the Hanok Homes. The place was very lovely, and it was amazing to think that he was still in a big metropolis. He almost felt that he had been teleported to a small town in the countryside. 

Alex then reached his destination. He knocked on the door and waited. Shortly after, he heard footsteps inside and a male voice said: “Coming!” When the man opened the door, he apparently didn't recognize Alex. "Hmm... Can I help you, Miss?" he asked. 

Kim Hana took off her sunglasses, and slowly the guy in front of her realized who that girl was. "No!" He exclaimed with wide eyes. "Y-you... You actually came!" 

"Yes, here I am. Now the question is: are you going to invite me in or not?" Alex said, while Lee Si-won, the rude sergeant he had met at the military base, was still looking at him dumbfounded…