That night Hyun Joong and So Min went on their first date as a couple. They drove around Seoul and had their first dinner together from a McDonald’s drive-through. They ate inside his brand- new white Ferrari. They spent hours talking and getting to know each other. At first, So Min was very shy and did not know how to act before Hyun Joong but he disarmed her with his uncanny wit and humor. Soon enough she was laughing heartily at his antics and whacking him mindlessly whenever he teases her. From afar they look more like friends hanging out and having a good time rather than a romantic couple, except that Hyun Joong would steal longing glances, kisses and affectionate hugs every chance he could get. 

From that first date they knew that theirs is going to be one happy coupling filled with laughter and sweet moments. Before they parted that night So Min mustered the courage to request Hyun Joong to keep their budding relationship a secret between the two of them. “My parents will be shocked if they find out that we’re dating, my Dad and I are not on good terms right now and he might just decide to pull me out of this project if he finds out about us. I don’t want that to happen, I don’t want them to break us apart, plus I really want to work on this project. Just give me time, we’ll have to tell them eventually, anyway,” So Min said.

“Okay, but you’ll have to promise me that we’ll tell them eventually. I don’t want them to think that we’re keeping this a secret because I can’t stand up for you,” Hyun Joong said as he drew So Min’s head to his chest. “I’m sincere in making this relationship work, Honey,” he assured her once again.

During the filming, Hyun Joong and So Min acted like there was nothing going on between them. Hyun Joong hated the fact that So Min seemed to be having an easier time pretending they’re not together, while he has been caught several times looking at her and acting like an overprotective boyfriend.

“Why are you acting like her boyfriend? You’re too much Hyun Joong-ah, the girl might be intimidated and offended, she might even think you’re leading her on, you should be more careful,” his Coordi Noona said. He could only sigh in reply since So Min still doesn’t want their relationship to be out in the open, a fact that was starting to make him feel somewhat insecure. But he likes her so much he has no choice but to agree to her request.

But it was becoming harder every day. They have an almost round-the-clock shooting schedule, which gives them hardly any private time to spend  together. This frustrated Hyun Joong and So Min knew this. Secretly, she worked on giving him a surprise on their next free day.    

‘What are you planning to do tomorrow?’Hyun Joong asked So Min through text. They were seated right across from each other while waiting for their turn to shoot their scene. ‘I want to go to the beach and relax, want to join me? Let’s go to Busan! :)’ So Min replied, also through text.

‘But that’s too far, we only have a day off :(‘

‘It’s okay, we can take our plane.’

‘You have a plane? Cool!’

‘My Grandma, she likes you, we can tell my Dad we’re taking the plane so you can surprise her.’

‘Count me in. :)’

The following day Hyun Joong and So Min met at the VIP gate of the airport to board So Min’s family plane that would take them to Busan. Hyun Joong was amazed  at the luxurious interiors of the plane, the number of bodyguards that accompanied them and how everyone was treating So Min. He thought that he is already living a fairy tale life being a huge Hallyu Star and all that but his lifestyle is nothing compared to the lifestyle of So Min’s family. She is Goo Jun Pyo in the flesh, he thought, smiling to himself, she just happens to be a girl and a very pretty one at that.

“Can you get me a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a few slices of slightly toasted bread with strawberry jam and butter?” So Min asked the flight attendant.  Hyun Joong  was silently observing So Min as she interacted with the people around them.  She is nice and it is obvious that everyone loves her. But he noticed that there’s also a certain air about her that speaks of her privileged stature in life.  This girl might be nice, sweet and gentle but she also has that unmistakable domineering and impatient attitude that can come to the surface when provoked.  ‘Aigoo, my girlfriend is a brat,’ Hyun Joong said to himself as he continued to observe So Min. It was not an issue with him, in fact he found it to be quite endearing. After meeting countless girls who would do anything and everything for him at the hint of a smile, he found So Min to be a breath of fresh air. 

But it is So Min’s elegance that floors Hyun Joong every single time. He hasn’t met anyone like her before. He’s used to women who would genuflect at his presence. Bu So Min is different. He knows he can’t rely on his good looks, charm and popularity to catch her attention. Even now that she is his girlfriend there’s still a certain nonchalance about her that gives him a warning that one wrong move on his part and he could lose her forever.