The next day began the same way, with feeding and watering the animals, and then going in for breakfast, but instead of going to clean the animals pens after I had finished washing the dishes, the ahjumma asked me to go into town with her to buy ingredients at the market for supper. 

"We're going into town?" I asked, a bit surprised. I thought the point of this trip was that I'd stay in the countryside?

"Nae, the town of Mokpo. It's on the coast. You'll see the ocean!" was how she responded. 

Mokpo? Why did that sound familiar? 

"Okay, ahjumma, I'm coming. Just a second, let me go get dressed in nicer clothes."

I didn't bring that many decent clothes, so my best outfit was a t-shirt from my school's performance of The Pajama Game and a pair of jeans with holes in the knees. It'll have to do. I mean, I was just going to a market to buy vegetables. It's not like I was walking down the runway at a fashion show. Not to mention that I was miles away from Seoul, so no one would know who I was but the ahjumma. No worries.

We actually didn't see the ocean on our way into the town. I was a bit disappointed. I hadn't seen the ocean since I'd gone to California. And I was curious to see if it really looked the same from everywhere in the world. Looks like I'd have to find out some other day. 

You could smell it in the air, though. Even in the marketplace, where the scents of hundreds of different kinds of spices, meat, fruit and vegetables all mixed and swirled, you could smell the faint salty tang of the ocean. 

I was afraid that the moist air might damage the cameras, but my crew didn't seem to be bothered. Actually, they looked as blank and expressionless as usual. Even when people gave us weird looks for having the cameras. Even when kids started making faces at us, to see if they could get on T.V. Although less of that happened than I expected. Most of the people didn't even care. If people were walking around with big professional videocameras in my hometown, everyone would want to know what was going on. The ahjumma called Mokpo a "town", but i was pretty sure that it was about the same size as most of Wisconsin's cities.

The marketplace was more organic than the one in Seoul, too. The fish really were caught fresh, some of them still flopping in the buckets. Ahjumma taught me the proper ways to choose fish, and which vegetables you should serve with what fish. She showed me the way to determine the quality of a watermelon, or the best kind of lettuce. I really was learning.

Then, out of nowhere, she saw someone she knew. 

"Ya! Ok Su-ri!" The woman turned toward us, and Ahjumma told me to continue buying all of the things on our list and come find her; she'd be at the car. Then she disappeared with her friend, leaving me to buy ten kinds of vegetables. 

I continued walking around, followed by the camera. I was being as polite as I could, and haggled prices as much as possible, especially considering that Ahjumma had trusted me with her money. Carrots, pears... ooh, that one's no good. Sometimes, just because, I'd pick up a vegetable and ask my camera crew if they knew how to tell if it was good or not. Unsurprisingly, they were no help whatsoever. 

I put tomatoes in the bag, then counted out the money to pay the vendor. Ten thousand Won, twenty thousand Won...

"Minsung?!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. It was just me, my robotic camera crew and Ahjumma here that would know who I was, how was there a male voice calling my name?!

I saw someone walk up to me, a taller guy (well, taller than me) in sunglasses and a fishing hat. Who the heck?

"Minsung, what are you doing here?" As he got closer, I could tell who he was. But why-?

"Donghae-sunbae? What are you-" I cut myself off, realizing the answer to my question before I'd even asked it. "Oh, right. This is your hometown." I blushed. Well, so much for no one knowing me in Mokpo. 

"Ssssshhhhh, don't say my name, you'll make people look. I'm in disguise, can't you tell?"

"Yes, it's a wonderful disguise. As soon as you came within ten feet, I could totally tell who you were." 

He shrugged. "It's been fine so far. So long as I don't act weird, no one even knows." 

"If you say so. So if I can't say your name, what am I supposed to call you?"

He thought about it. "Oppa?"

 "Umm, well, I don't know if I..." Honestly, that name made me sound too personal with him. 

"Can I just call you Fishy?" I blurted out, regretting it instantly. That sounded even more personal than "oppa"! Then again, almost all of the ELF called him fishy. So I said as much.

"If you were to ever go and watch the videos about SuJu on Youtube, you'd notice that just about everyone calls you that."

"Yeah, I know. Sure, call me Fishy." He smiled at me, and I melted. 

"Yeah, um, uh, so, uh, How'd you find me? I mean, of all the places in Mokpo,  we happen to run into each other? It seems too weird, doesn't it?"

He picked up an apple and looked behind me. "Not really. I saw the cameras and had to go make sure they weren't looking for me, and I found you. Surprise!"

Suddenly I remembered the presence of the cameras. My camera crew was so quiet, it wasn't too hard to do.

"Oh no! They're filming us! Fishy, you're on camera!"

He just shrugged. "They're not live. And why would I care if they get me on camera? I'm on a day's vacation for SM. It'll make your T.V. show more interesting."

Suddenly he put the apple down and grabbed my hand. "Come on, I have something to show you!"

"What? Huh?" I didn't have time to react before he was pulling me through the streets at a run. I had to wonder how he managed to keep that hat on, but it was extremely hard to keep up with him. Right about then I was wishing I had kept up with Cross Country in high school.

He really knew the streets, though.  I had no idea where I was going, but he didn't even hesitate, just went around corners, down streets, through back alleys, and deep into the city. Town. Whatever.

Finally he slowed down. We were at the city limits. The town had faded away to small houses and wet greenery. I still wasn't sure what he was trying to show me.

"Okay, Queen ELF, close your eyes." I did as I was told, my heart pounding madly. And not from the run.

With my eyes closed, I could feel him gently tug my hand to lead me further down the streets. I wanted to peek so badly. Especially when I felt the concrete turn to grass. 

"You can open them now."

I did, one at a time, taking in the view little by little. 

What struck me first was the sea. It was darker than the one I had seen in California, and seemed so much more still. Tranquil, almost. And we were alone. The bustle of the market was far away, and it looked like almost no one ever came here. It was really a pity. Because it was beautiful.

"I guess we lost my camera crew." I joked, but with tears in my eyes. I thought I was going to have a heart-meltdown.

He chuckled a little, looking down at his feet. "Yeah, I did that on purpose, kind of. I didn't want the whole world to come here. It would ruin it."

I looked out across the water. I could see the white shapes of the fishing boats, and in the distance, I could see the South Korean flag waving. "It's wonderful." I really meant it. "But why did you bring me here?"

He sat down on the ground. "This was where I always used to come with my Dad. We'd go fishing down here. It was the last part of the coastline that the city's expansion didn't industrialize. It was... always my favorite place."

I sat down next to him, thinking about the magnitude of that statement. From what I understood, Donghae's father had been a father to all of the Super Junior members, until he died right around their "Sorry Sorry" days. And he'd been in the hospital before that. 

"I guess I wanted the ELF to see this. A lot of people don't really understand it, but when you're an artist, the fans are really precious to you. You owe them everything. If it weren't for the fans that always love you no matter what, you wouldn't be where you are. I just feel like I always have to do my best to make them happy. And since this is always where I feel happy..."

"You want us to see it, so we can feel the same way that you do?" I guessed.

He nodded, and we stared out across the water in silence for a time. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence- I could hear the waves beating against the ridge just a few feet from us, and the birds chirping in the trees, and I felt like there were a thousand things being said without either of us saying a word. I really was the Queen of the ELF. I had been gifted with everything an ELF secretly craved. And I still couldn't quite understand what wonderful thing I had done to have heaven place me right here next to Lee Donghae. He was ten years older than me. He wasn't my bias. But he was precious all the same. Silly, naive, precious Fishy. 

"Do the ELF really pair us together?" He suddenly asked.

I almost burst out laughing. I thought that was an obvious question. "Yes. All the time. Of course, each ELF has their own favorite pairs. But some are stronger than others. I don't really ship the members that much myself, I just think it's slightly entertaining. Really I just think that the people they 'ship' together are just close friends, close enough that you'll do some things together that might be deemed a bit... personal."

"So... you don't think that Eunhyuk and I are... like that?" It seemed like an honest question, but this conversation was making me uncomfortable. I mean, normally I'm totally fine with it, but this was Fishy and Hyukkie we were talking about. Telling them anything was hard for me.

"No, not really. But like I said before, even if you were, it wouldn't bother me a bit."

"I didn't understand it the first time, either. What do you mean, it wouldn't bother you?"

"I mean... I'm just not a judgmental person, okay? Most of your true ELF aren't. We're open-minded, and try to understand things, even if they're strange. Not to mention that we'd trust you and love you whatever you do and wherever you go. Personally, people with non-straight ualities haven't bothered me for a while. After all, I used to be the vice-president of our local GSA!"

"GSA?"

"Gay-Straight Alliance. It's a club, of sorts, where people of different ualities can interact with each other and feel safe for once. I'm straight as a board, but I was the vice-president."

He didn't say anything, and I wondered why I was telling him this. I'm pretty sure that he didn't really need to know that the ELF were advocates for free choice of uality. It was a touchy subject. But then again, I guess, he did ask. 

"What are the other ones? I mean, EunHae is one; we like to play with it. But what are the other ones?"

I knew they liked to play up the EunHae pairing. It was what they had called out to the crowd for their performances of "Oppa Oppa" during SS4. "I say Donghae, you say Oppa! I say Eunhyuk, you say Oppa! I say EUNHAE you say Oppa!" I confess that I screamed the loudest at the last one, despite that I was watching it on Youtube, and not at the actual concert. Mostly because that was the first idol pairing I had heard actually say themselves.

"KyuMin, YeWook, HanChul and Kangteuk," I listed off, "Or at least, those are the most popular ones. Every ELF has her preference." Getting really awkward, awkward, awkward... "Why do you ask me this, anyway?"

He shrugged. "I just want to figure the ELF out some more."

"We're not that hard to understand. Really, we just want our Oppas to be happy and healthy, and to do what they love. As long as you're happy, we're happy. We want you to perform to the best of your abilities. As long as you get off that stage with the feeling that you gave it your all, you can be absolutely sure that we'll be satisfied."

"Have there ever been times that you were disappointed?"

I knew the answer to that question, but it felt bad to say it to him. "...yeah. Lots of times, actually. But not your live performances. Those are perfect. But we're always disappointed with the music videos. Or at least, most of them."

"What do you mean?"

My fangirl mouth exploded. "Well, it's just that SM always sticks you guys in a box. The videos don't really have a storyline or a real concept, it's just dancing in a weird-looking set with a few close-ups and cool expressions. And don't get me wrong, you all do that fantastically well. But all of the ELF know without a doubt that you're all capable of way more than that. I mean, with a thirteen member group- well, nine, now- there are so many things you could do for a music video! Give it a story! Give it some meaning! Make your videos different from each other! I know you can!

I took a breath, noticing that I'd had one of my raves. He just looked at me for a second.

"You really think so?"

"Absolutely. And almost all of the ELF think the same. Some non-ELF, too. Get SuJu out of the box and onstage, and they're to die for." For a second I'd forgotten that I was talking, in fact, to a Super Junior member, and not another fan. "What I mean is... if you made your videos a bit more like your performances onstage, I think they'd be ten million times better."

"Huh. Yeah, I've heard that, too. But if the fans don't like them, why do they watch them so much?"

I snorted. "Really, Fishy, you haven't figured that out? We'd watch your videos a thousand times, even if they did . The ELF are ridiculously loyal. We have our own compact. An oath, if you would."

I leaned over and scratched it out into the dirt. "I don't know how well you can read this, but..."

"I...prom... fifteen?"

"I promise. The numbers make letters."

"Oooohhh, I see. Then... 'I promise to believe, to love, and to protect.'"

"A prom15e to all fifteen members of the SuJu family, to 13elieve in the main thirteen, wherever they may be, to 10ve the ten that remain, although it's nine, now, since Heechul came back, but Leeteuk and Yesung left. And finally, to prot3ct those that aren't on stage. The idea was that the number didn't usually drop below ten, but it has, since Yesung left..."

"Yesung-oppa, you mean?" 

I shook my head and laughed. "Yeah, Leeteuk-oppa. Sorry, formalities isn't really my strong point, especially when it comes to the members. Not to mention that when I talk to Henry, we never use them in English."

"Why are you always with him, anyway?" It sounded like an accusation. Did I do something wrong?

"I don't know, I guess it's just that he was the first person I really met in Korea. And he spoke English. He made me feel welcome, and he helped me adjust. And he's just so loveable. He's like a big brother, because he's always taking care of me, even if he's a big goofball."

The tension seemed to go out of his shoulders. "Well, that's good then. I'm happy that you're here, Minsung. You're a really honest ELF-dongsaeng, you know that?"

I felt the blood rush to my face. "Oh, um, well, I, uh... thanks." I shuffled my feet, completely at a loss for words. Next to me, I heard him take a breath as if to say something, but suddenly I had an urge to look at my watch.

"Oh my god! Ahjumma must be wondering where I am!" I yelled, surging to my feet, and then instantly regretted it, because I had just cut him off.

He stood up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to kidnap you for so long."

"No, don't be sorry, Henry used to kidnap me all the time! But I- I don't know, I- I'm sorry, this isn't like-" I didn't know what to do. I had to chose between Fishy and what I was there for. I didn't want to leave that spot. I wanted to freeze time and stay looking out over the water forever. I wanted to tell him everything he wanted to know about the ELF. What they thought, how they felt, how the mid-continent American ELF always desperately wanted to have concerts in Chicago... but I was supposed to be helping out a family. I'd feel terrible to just ditch them. They'd be so disappointed in me. And I hated disappointing people more than anything. But what about Fishy?

"Do you remember the way back?" He asked, sighing.

Good feeling gone. I felt like crying. Nope, I was crying. "I'm so thankful, Fishy-oppa. I'm sorry that I couldn't stay longer in your special place, I'm sorry I... I..." I was starting to hate my elementary-level Korean. I couldn't phrase things as perfectly as I could in English, and it was infuriating. 

"Don't worry about it. I have to go soon, too. I can't stay here all day, we have promotions to do tomorrow. See you in Seoul, okay?"

I nodded, wiping my face. 

"Now, turn around and look down that street we came down." I did, so he was talking to me from behind. "Now go down that street until you find the sign that says 'You are here'. You should be able to figure it out from there."

I nodded, then turned around to thank him. 

"Chincha kamsaha..."

He was already gone.