Chapter 1

It's him.

It really is that man.

After the incident two-years ago, his features are mapped in Jessica's mind. His hair might be a completely different color. The thick-rimmed glasses might successfully hide the freckles on his face. Those eyes, those creepy eyes though, Jessica knows them too well.

Bile rising in as she recalls how close that face was to her face. How he advanced to her on the damned elevator like a lion does its prey. How his hands tried to get a grab of her.

Jessica shivers, mentally shrinking in the waiting chair. She puts on her shades, groping her Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis bag in panic, only to realize that the smartphone she's looking for is on her lap all along.

“Unnie! Where are you?” She's only a few decibels away from screaming at her phone.

“Sica, I'm sorry. I think we're missing the flight.” Her manager answers from the other end.

“What?”

“It's Gunhee.” The manager mentions the name of Jessica's hairstylist. “She's stung by jellyfish. It swells so bad we're on our way to see a doctor.”

“What? Jellyfish? How?”

“This moron got back to the sea while I'm doing last minute packing. I'm sorry. We'll take the next flight available.”

“What? No!” Craning her next, Jessica can see her nightmare standing among the crowd of people. He appears to be in the middle of a conversation with an elderly lady, all smile and polite. Jessica knows better though, that man hides nightmare behind his facade of kindness.

“Your schedule doesn't allow another delay, remember?” Her manager yells over the sound of car engine. Gunhee's cry can be heard in the background too. “The photoshoot with Ceci is in twelve hours, you barely have time.”

“But...”

“I'll assign another team for you at Incheon, okay? Don't worry.”

“Unnie...”

“Gotta go, Sica. See you in a few hours-”

Gunhee's scream ends the phone call abruptly. Sighing, Jessica grips her phone and cranes her neck once again. Her eyes scan the perimeter like a hawk in search of prey while her heart is actually crushed by fear.

God, don't let me be on the same flight with him. She prays in her heart while the last call for her flight is echoing in the terminal.

Jessica never feels so restless in a flight before. Even the comfortable seat of first-class flight can't help her much. Her neck hurts after craning so often to check if the man is actually on the same flight.

Her fear is unreasonable, she knows it. The man is a fan, and many fans lose their ways and turn into some sort of stalker. But she's alone this time. No crew to keep her safe. And the man clearly got some issue when he advanced toward Jessica in an elevator two-years-ago. She doesn't know if she can handle him on her own.

Closing her eyes, Jessica prays for her safety once again.

“Excuse me, is this seat empty?”

The sudden question jolts Jessica up. Sitting up, she blinks and gapes at the man standing by the empty seat next to her.

“Wha.. What?”

“I'm sorry.” A hesitant smile appears. “Didn't mean to disturb your beauty nap but the lady sits next to me snores so loud.” Tall, tanned and good-looking, the man points at the row of seats on the back. “Please let me take this empty seat.”

Jessica scans the man for a moment. Black hoodie, black shirt, and ripped jeans. He can't be much older than her. Definitely not a day over twenty-five. Despite his seemingly scruffy appearance, beard and all, his eyes give off the vibe of kindness.

“May I?” He cups his hands in front of his chest.

“Sure.” Jessica gives up the seat that's supposed to be her manager's, thinking that maybe this man's companion is all that she needs to distract herself.

“Great. I promise I won't bother you for the rest of the flight.”

And he does just that, falling asleep not even exchanges another word with Jessica. So much for a companion.

Jessica sinks in her own restlessness for a few more minutes before deciding that she can't do this for the rest of the flight. That she shouldn't be worried because there's a Boeing full of passengers and crews here. That damned stalker won't have the guts to do harm.

With the newly-found positive thought, Jessica decides that she needs to go to the restroom before doing her favorite relaxation: sleeping.

She did her business, quickly because the thought of the stalker barges into the restroom creeps her up. To get rid of her fear, she washes her hand thinking about another thing. The new companion seated next to her to be exact. She has no idea why but the stranger's face keeps on showing up on the back of her mind. The way he smiles. The way he cups his hand in front of his chest. Before seeing him she had no idea that manly and cute can come in one mix.

“Hi, Sica.”

The greeting comes like thunder the minute Jessica comes out of the restroom. A creepy grin of the man she fears the most gets into her view and Jessica yelps in surprise.

“Hi...” She says after a few seconds of regaining composure.

“You don't remember me?” The man put his hand against the wall, effectively trapping Jessica in the narrow space in front of the restroom.

“I'm sorry.” Staring at one point above the tall man's shoulder, Jessica can only hope for a stewardess or another passenger to come and save her from this situation.

“I'm Robert. Your fan. Your biggest fan. Been there before you even debuted.”

“T... T... Thank you. I really appreciate your support.”

“I sent you letters. I came to every event you attended. We even bumped into each other in an elevator at Lotte once. Robert, remember?”

“Yes. Robert. Thank you.”

The man doesn't move. Behind those thick glasses, his eyes staring at Jessica as if he's trying to see through her soul.

It's creepy.

“Excuse me. I.... I need to get back to my seat”

He still doesn't budge.

“Do you want my autograph?” She makes a peace offering, gulping. The last thing she wants is for the man to make a scene once again. “We can take a selfie too if you want.”

“Autograph?” The man steps closer. “Selfie? That's for a new fan, Sica-ya. I'm your biggest fan. I'm your man. We're fated to be together. Look, so many places in this world but we happen to be on the same flight today. Fate.”

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