Nam Ji-hyun pushed her hair out of her face.

 

“AISH!” she growled. She threw a glare at the man and woman who had just run into her, knocking her to the ground. 

 

“Omo!” the woman stopped and turned to help. However, her partner urged her to keep going.

 

“YA!” Ji-hyun shouted. She was angry but not angry enough to at least return the woman’s bag which had fallen next to her. “Ya! Your bag!”

 

Ji-hyun picked herself up and ran after the pair. She caught up to them at the intersection where they were forced by all the traffic to wait.

 

“Ya! Your bag,” she used it to hit the man, whom she had decided was at fault. He turned around, his eyes wild and panicked. Ji-hyun stopped breathing.

 

“Oppa?” 

 

“Who are you? Do you know me?” he asked. 

 

“Orabeoni?! Where have you been?” 

 

“Do you know her?” he asked the woman next to him.

 

“Won Jin-ah-sshi?” Ji-hyun didn’t feel things could get any weirder right now. 

 

“Who are you?” the woman asked.

 

“Nam Ji-hyun… Chang-wook Oppa…”

 

“I’m really sorry but I don’t know who you are. My name is Ma Dong-chan and her name is Go Mi-ran.”

 

“Seriously? Is this part of the variety show?”

 

“You know about that?” he asked.

 

“I was just going to the studio for filming. I knew it was going to be a spoof but this is weird. Where are the cameras?”

 

“I think she is crazier then we are,” the woman calling herself Go Mi-ran said.

 

By then the light had turned green for the pedestrians. “Ma Dong-chan” and “Go Mi-ran” started to run across the intersection. Nam Ji-hyun followed. She was not amused by this. It wasn’t funny and when she caught up with Chang-wook oppa she was going to pull his ear so hard that it was going to come off. As she ran, she called Chi-gu hoping to tell him how angry she was at this prank. Only the call didn’t go through. None of her calls went through. Ji-hyun started to panic. Maybe she had hit her head too hard and was unconscious and imagining things. Or had something happened and she was… in Oppa's drama. She stopped. Her heart began pounding. What if she was in the drama. No. That was too weird. Things like that only happened in dramas. 

 

“Excuse me?” she asked an ahjussi who was reading the newspaper. “Umm… do you know who I am?”

 

“Agassi… no. I do not.”

 

“Look closely… you haven’t seen my face before?”

 

“No. Do all you kids think you’re famous or something? What is this country coming to?”

 

Ji-hyun tried to convince herself that it was ok. A lot of people didn’t recognise her and until that point, she had been really happy about that. By now she had lost sight of Chang-wook… or “Ma Dong-chan”… 

 

“No. Go to the studio. I am sure this is just a big prank. I am going to… Oooooooooooo he is making me angry.” She turned around and headed into the TvN building. She had agreed to do this show because So-min had recommended her. It was going to spoof various dramas and the celebrities had to improvise the scenes. It sounded like fun and they only needed one weekend for filming. She walked into the lobby muttering to herself and still holding “Go Mi-ran”’s bag. 

 

“Um. I’m here for my pass. I’ve got filming.”

 

“Name?”

 

“Nam Ji-hyun.”

 

“Sorry, you aren’t on the list.”

 

“What?”

 

“You aren’t on the list.”

 

“Can I see?”

 

“No.”

 

“Please?”

 

“No.”

 

“Um… my handphone isn’t working. Could you let me call up? Jung So-min-sshi is expecting me.”

“Who?”

 

Ji-hyun stopped. The receptionist didn’t know Jung So-min?

 

“Have you ever heard of Ji Chang-wook? Lee Min-ho? Park Min-Young?” Ji-hyun started rattling off as many names of celebrities, athletes, politicians, anyone she could think of but the man kept shaking his head and asking her if she was crazy. 

 

“Ji-hyun! Nam Ji-hyun!” She turned and finally saw a familiar face.

 

“Kim Soo-hyun!”

 

“Are you here for the filming of What is My Line[literal title]?”

 

“Yes, but they don’t seem to know who I am. Here, ask the receptionist if he knows you.”

 

The receptionist looked annoyed now. He started telling them that if they didn’t leave he would need to call security. Kim Soo-hyun took her by the arm and drew her to the side. He asked her to tell him everything that had happened since things had started feeling weird. She told him about being knocked over and then chasing Chang-wook oppa and Jin-ah-sshi. Finally she revealed that she thought it was a prank or that she had knocked her head and was unconscious. 

 

“What about you?”

 

“Similar. I slipped on something and when I woke up IU and Yeo Jin-goo asked me if I was ok. I greeted her and she gave me a weird look and told me that it wasn’t her name, who did I think I was. They got into a car and drove away. I thought it was strange but decided to come here anyway.”

 

“Soo-hyun-sshi… have you tried calling anyone?”

 

“Yes but no one is picking up.”

 

“Excuse me? Excuse me? Are you the two who were bothering the receptionist?” a policeman asked. 

 

“What? No. We were just…” Nam Ji-hyun began.

 

“He says that he doesn’t know who we are…”

 

“Should he?” the policeman asked.

 

“This man is the most attractive, sought after, and desired man in Asia!” Ji-hyun practically shouted. “How can you not recognise him? Do you not have eyes?”

 

“I have perfectly good eyes. But I’m afraid you will need to come with me…”

 

“Are you arresting me?” she asked.

 

“If you come of your own free will…” 

 

Kim Soo-hyun grabbed Ji-hyun’s hand and sprinted for the door. But all of the doors were locked and they couldn’t escape. That is when something caught her eye. Peaking from behind a bush was a very familiar face wearing frameless glasses. 

 

“I think this is a prank.”

 

“I’m sorry but the police are not a prank. Do you know how expensive this prank would be? How much coordination?”

 

“HEY!!! I think Soo-hyun Oppa is the most beautiful man in the world. I am so glad that I am in a world where no one knows him and we can have a happy life together and get married and have babies. Oppa. I love you!”

 

Soo-hyun looked terrified at what she had said. He looked even more terrified when she reached up and grabbed his face and pulled him in for a big kiss. 

 

The entire atrium was silent.

 

“CUT!” someone shouted. 

 

“OMO. What are we going to do? Can we air that?” another person asked.

 

“See,” Ji-hyun whispered to Soo-hyun. “It was a prank. Hidden cameras.”

 

“No kidding!” He responded wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I was in on it. But why did you have to kiss me?”

 

Ji-hyun was stunned. He was in on it? It meant that everyone but her…

 

“Anyway, how did you figure it out?” Soo-hyun asked.

 

Ji-hyun flung out her arm pointing to the man currently marching across the marble floor. 

 

“That man’s glasses!” she declared.

 

“Jiji… really? What? Did you have to kiss him? Did you mean it? Do you think he is the most beautiful man in the world?”

 

Ji-hyun raised an eyebrow and smirked.

 

“Of course. Anyone in their right mind knows that Soo-hyun Oppa is the most beautiful person in the universe.”

 

“Jiji!”

 

“Aish. She is just trying to rile you up,” Won Jin-ah complained. She was removing an earpiece through which the PDs had been giving the actors instructions. “Honestly you were pretty quick.”

 

Jung So-min came forward with a big smile on her face. She wiped tears from her eyes and when she got to Ji-hyun gave her a big hug.

 

“Hyunnie! You were so funny! Omo! I don’t know if we can use much of the footage at the end though. Would you mind reshooting it? Seriously, how did you know?”

 

“Orabeoni. I saw him behind the potted plant.”

 

“Ah! Chang-wook-sshi you spoiled everything!”

 

The heartthrob pouted. He was still annoyed that Ji-hyun had shouted out twice that Kim Soo-hyun was the most beautiful person in the universe.

 

After a brief discussion, they decided to reshoot the ending. This time when Ji-hyun and Soo-hyun tried to escape they made their way into the stairwell and up to the roof. Where they found So-min waiting with the rest of the production team and a big celebration. Afterwards, the production team and actors went for a meal and So-min explained how it she was going to be their one-off for this kind of show.

 

“We can’t do it again after that amazing job you did!” She laughed.

 

Ji-hyun moved around the table so that she could sit next to Chang-wook. 

 

“Oppa.”

 

He ignored her.

 

“Orabeoni!”

 

He aggressively shoved meat into his mouth. Ji-hyun pursed her lips together. She leant in and whispered in his ear.

 

“Chang-i,” her little pet name for him. “Chang-i-ah… saranghae.”

 

“Did you mean it? Really?” He perked up. She smiled at him and took his hands in hers. 

 

“Of course.”

 

“Do you want to go? Skip the next round?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

They slipped out the back and returned to where he had parked his bike.

 

“How did you get here?”

 

“Bus.”

 

He looked horrified. He didn't like her taking the bus because he was convinced it wasn't safe.

 

“Hahaha. No, Manager-nim dropped me off.”

 

“Shall I take you home?”

 

“Baegupa Oppa.”

 

“Hmm… Ok. I’ve a place in mind but keep your eyes closed.”

 

“Aish. You know I hate riding your bike with my eyes closed.”

 

“Fine. Keep them open until I tell you to close them.”

 

She agreed and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her helmeted head on his back and watched as Seoul flashed across her vision. He was always careful when she was with him and so he took smaller roads through Gangnam until they started to head North and out of Seoul.

 

“Hey! Where are we going?” she shouted.

 

“Secret! Don’t worry. Your Eomma knows.”

 

Ji-hyun relaxed. She trusted Oppa but sometimes he was a bit extravagant on their dates. So the deal with her parents was that anything outside of Seoul or at least an hour drive from their apartment had to have an “ok” first.

 

“Are we in Pyeongchang-dong?” she asked when she saw a sign for the Gana Art Center.

 

“Aish. Close your eyes!”

 

Ji-hyun did and patiently waited until the bike came to a stop.  She opened them. They were on a quiet residential street in the exclusive neighbourhood that bordered the Bukhansan National Park.

 

“Oppa… did we run out of gas? Or is there a restaurant nearby?”

 

“Ji-hyun! Really. No. No. Restaurant. Can you stop thinking about food for one minute?”

 

“Oppa. I’m dying of hunger. We skipped the second round but we also missed out on more food.”

 

“Jiji. Wait. Just be patient.” Chang-wook fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He checked something and then went to the gate of one of the villas and keyed in the passcode. “Go on. I just need to put my bike away.”

 

Ji-hyun walked up the narrow steps into a contemporary, zen garden. There were low-level lights that illuminated the path up to an impressive, but not too large, two-storey villa. It was painted white and the large windows glowed invitingly. She turned to look at Chang-wook who was now coming up the steps himself. 

 

“Where are we?”

 

“Come on.”

 

“Oppa!” she laughed but let him drag her around to a small spiral staircase that led to the roof. Once there Ji-hyun was able to look out onto the most beautiful view she had ever seen. To her right was Seoul twinkling and vibrant and to her left was the dark, calm beauty of the park. “It is beautiful! Oh, Oppa. I’m not hungry any more. I love it.”

 

“Do you?”

 

“Of course! Do you know the owner? Are they home? I want to tell them how beautiful… Oh, how did you know about this place?”

 

“Oh… Well I had to look very hard. In fact, I’ve been looking for something like this for over a year now. And I do know the owner. He is a really impressive man.” 

 

Ji-hyun thought that Chang-wook sounded pretty smug.

 

“You own it! You own this place!”

 

“Smart girl.”

 

“When?”

 

“When I had my last break during the army. It needed to be restored but Eomma moved in back in April.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me? We had pizza at your place the other night!”

 

“Oh I still have the apartment for a bit longer. And it is useful to have something in Seoul right now. But I plan on living here full time in the future. Maybe something small in Seoul if I need to work.”

 

“Oppa. I love it. Show me around. Is your Eomma home?”

 

“No. She is with friends in Jeju this weekend.”

 

“Oh no! I wanted to say hi. No wonder I haven’t seen her around.” Ji-hyun smiled at her oppa. All of a sudden their quiet dates at his apartment were starting to make sense. He didn’t want to keep the apartment because it was convenient. He was keeping the apartment so that they could have at-home dates. In the large open plan kitchen and living area, Ji-hyun explored while Chang-wook prepared pasta for them. When she was done she came over and helped him set the table for dinner. 

 

“Chang-i.”

 

“Hmm… what is it Jiji?”

 

“What did you get me for my birthday?”

 

“Jiji! How could you be so shallow? And didn’t I say it was a surprise…”

 

“I know! But it is almost midnight which means that it is almost my birthday!”

 

“Ok… But you will have to see tomorrow. It is too big to carry.”

 

“Does that mean we are staying here tonight?”

 

“Is that ok?”

 

Ji-hyun would have been lying to herself if she said that it didn’t make her a little nervous to spend the night alone with him. Every other time she had gone over to his apartment he had given her a sweet goodbye kiss and put her in a taxi home. But now, alone with him in an isolated villa, the idea of having to go home was the last thing she wanted.

 

“Yes. I would like that very much,” she grinned and took a sip of her wine. An alarm went off. BING-BING-BING!

 

“Happy Birthday Jiji, I love you.”

 

“Thank you oppa for the best birthday ever,” she lent across the table and gave him a sweet kiss. When she pulled back their eyes met and they both looked hungry for something more. Chang-wook bit his lip and Ji-hyun put her wine glass down. She scooted out of her chair and ran to the sofa. He followed close behind her and tumbled them on the large cushions. They lay there looking at each other for a minute.

 

“Stay right there,” Chang-wook tried to struggle up to get something. But Ji-hyun pinned him down. She bent over and gave him a slow kiss. Her hair tented around them. They gently explored each other and Ji-hyun decided that if all she did for the rest of her life was kiss Ji Chang-wook, she would have led a good life. 

 

“I want to show you the bedroom!” He murmured.

 

“Oppa!”

 

“No! I mean the view. The view from the bedroom,” he insisted. Still holding her, he sat up demonstrating exactly how easily he could have moved them earlier. “Get your mind out… Ok. Mind out now. Back in later.”

 

Ji-hyun nodded the affirmative and let him lead her to the bedroom which overlooked the park.

 

“I know it isn’t much now. But in the morning! It looks like you are living in the middle of nowhere,” he whispered into her ear as he pointed into the blackness. She smiled. She now knew why he had wanted to show her this view. To anyone else, it might look like nothing but to her it was heaven. A city close by and the magical, healing stillness of nature just outside of her bedroom window… His bedroom window, she corrected herself.

 

“You found heaven,” she whispered.

 

“When I found you, I found heaven.” 

 

“You are so… sappy. Do your teeth rot when you say such sweet things?” she asked.

 

“You are the only sugar…” 

 

But Ji-hyun stopped him with a kiss. They slowly backed into the room and fell onto the large soft bed.

 

When they woke up the next morning it was to bird song and the soft light of morning. They had coffee on the roof terrace and lazily got ready for the day. In the evening they had dinner with her family but, for the rest of the day, they could do whatever they wanted. 

 

“I’m here!!! MAKE YOURSELVES PRESENTABLE!!!” a familiar voice floated through the house.

 

“Eomeonim?” Ji-hyun sat up from where she was lounging on Chang-wook’s chest.

 

“Ji-hyun-ah. Your eomma sent me to make you breakfast. Where are you?”

 

“Aish.” She scrambled up and looked at what she was wearing… all of it belonged to Chang-wook. “What is she going to think?”

 

“Don’t worry. You get dressed. I’ll go and see…”

 

Ji-hyun ran into the bedroom and found her clothes tossed into the oddest places. She even had to use a hanger to grab her top from underneath the bed. When she came down into the kitchen a perfect Korean birthday breakfast was laid out for her. 

 

“Happy Birthday Ji-Hyun-ah. Did you enjoy the view?” Eomeonim’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

 

“Yes. Thank you for the meal. I’ll enjoy it.”

 

“Yes. No rush. We don’t need to be there until 8. I’ll just go and unpack my things. The tangerines in the hall are for your family. Don’t let me forget.”

 

“Yes, Eomeonim.”

 

“Hey, come on. Finish that quickly. I want to give you your present.” Chang-wook said from the seat across from her.

 

Ji-hyun ate her meal at her own pace. But when she finished she rushed to stuff her feet into her shoes. She ran down the stairs after him and out in front of the house was a beautiful pink scooter with a dozen balloons of every colour bobbing in the light breeze. 

 

“Happy Birthday Jiji!” He said. She ran into his arms. The bike, she decided was as good as a couple ring… No, better. Because on the keyring he gave her was a special keyring engraved with these words:

 

Jiji loves Chang-i

and on the other side:

Chang-i loves Jiji

 

“Saranghae,” they said at the exact same time. Ji-hyun decided that even after the prank he pulled yesterday he had more than made up for it last night and this morning. Besides, she liked his ears exactly where they were...