Nam Ji Hyun had stood surprised at first to be so suddenly pulled into Chang Wook-oppa's arms. She didn't understand what was going on. But the desperate way he held her wiped away all of her earlier hurt. Whatever it was, he needed her.

"I love you too," she whispers reassuringly, "It's going to be ok"
 

She feels him nuzzle closer and she holds him tight trying to will every ounce of comfort she can.

"JiHyun, I'm sorry," he says brokenly.

"It's ok," she reassures him.

"No, I'm sorry....  I wasn't thinking. And now I've dragged you into this."

JiHyun frowns in confusion. She doesn't understand. What is he talking about?

"I wanted you. And now..." he sighs achingly, "...now I can't let you go"

She steps back and looks at him, her eyes searching, "Oppa, I don't understand,"
 

What did he mean let her go? 

He inhales slowly then lets out a weary sigh as he sits down on the bench. JiHyun follows along and reaches out to hold his hands. She feels him squeeze them gently though he still isn't looking at her. For long moments she waits as he silently contemplates something. The tense worry builds as each second ticks by.

"JiHyun," he finally says, "Yesterday, someone took some pictures of us together. At the coffee shop.  You and I know there was nothing that happened there; but the tabloids will sensationalize it. They'll post breaking news about us dating and want to know everything about how we met, who you are and where we go."

"Once the news is out, we'll get followed. These 'news' sites will compete with each other to get the scoop on every little thing we do. Running errands, having meals, going to the grocery store. There will be cameras and people everywhere. Curious fans will find out all the places you go. They might ring your doorbell at all times of the day and night"

"You won't be able to go out without a disguise. You won't be able to do anything or make any mistake without it being noted. You won't even be able to have an off day where you stroll out in sweats and messy hair without people talking about it."
 

"It's not the kind of world I should bring you into," Chang Wook grabs his head in his hands as he berates himself. Why was he such a selfish idiot?!

He thinks back to those days when he had rose to fame and become instantly recognizable. At first it had been thrilling. He thought it was incredible that people knew him, that they knew his work. Getting all that love was heady. But soon enough he discovered there was another darker side. The more the public got of him, the more they wanted. As his fanbase grew their demands grew as well. For all intent and purposes, he had become theirs.  And when the dating news breaks, he knew some of his fans would not take it well. 

He owed his success to his fans so always he worked tireless to repay that debt of adoration. But even so, there were days where all he wanted was to be that kid from Anyang again. And now he worried that JiHyun and her Aunt would be dragged into all this.

----

Nam Ji Hyun sits stunned. Her heart hurts for this man next to her. He hadn't said it, but with every word she could feel he was slowly suffocating. An image comes to her mind of a bird in a gilded cage, pampered and adored but trapped nevertheless. When he had spoken before about his acting, he had sounded so passionate. But the life he lead was apparently a double-edged sword.

He sighs wearily next to her, "I'm so damn sorry. I should have left you alone so you could live in peace."

She looks up at this, her heart slammed with a sudden pain.

"Ji Chang Wook-shi, you look at me," she says fiercely, "Do you think my life was so perfect and beautiful before you came here? I was suffocating too. I was so afraid, and I was so lonely. But you came," her voice breaks with emotion, "you came and you showed me that life can bring wonder and joy despite everything. So don't ever say we should have never met."

She's almost in tears at this point, but she wipes them away impatiently.

"It doesn't make sense to me how your life can be so invaded. I don't understand why people would even care who you date or what you do. It has nothing to do with your acting. And you know what?" She grips his hands tight,  "I'm furious about it. "
 

"But if you're worried about me, don't. What do I care what people say about me? Have they seen us Islanders? We've faced invading hordes, typhoons, and tourists. This land rose from the ashes of a volcano, and by the Gods I will not back down in fear of what people say."

Chang Wook stares at her stunned. His fierce islander was looking at him with a defiant face, looking every inch the vengeful warrior. He imagines it through her practical eyes. Why would anyone care what he wore or how the hell he showered in the morning, or what his ideal type was. What the hell was an Ideal Type anyway? All of a sudden, he feels a twitch near the corner of his lips. He tries to fight it down but the grin comes out anyway and he pulls JiHyun int