Kim Jong Kook and the American were seated at a private table near the back that was partly closed off from the rest of the restaurant by a folding screen. Because of the screen, the table appeared to be in its own room, with enough space for the two cameramen to stand at either side of the table, filming them. The American placed the flower on the table beside her.

“What do you like to eat?” he asked.

She told him that she wasn’t familiar with Korean food. “I try to eat healthy,” she said.

“Me too!” he said.

“I know. I’ve seen you on Running Man.”

“How do you know Running Man anyway?”

“A friend showed me an episode online that had English subtitles. I had never seen a Korean show before. But it was really funny and I started watching all the episodes after that. From what I can tell, I think we have the same eating habits. But I’ve had a hard time in Korea trying to buy food because I don’t know what anything is. I’ve just been eating fruit, mostly, since I’ve been here. And vegetables.”

Jong Kook placed the order with the server and told the American that he ordered healthy food for them. He was excited to find someone who shared his taste and asked if she also liked working out.

“No,” she said. And for a moment, his heart sank. But then she added, “But I do it anyway to keep in shape.”

He looked at her for a moment, thinking about how she seemed perfect. But she wasn’t Korean. And even though they shared the same eating and exercising habits, maybe they were still too different. After all, she didn’t even speak Korean. How could she meet his friends? His mom? And what would they say about him being with a foreigner? He had never been attracted to white women. He preferred an Asian face. Still, he thought, there was something about her. But then he worried about the cameramen and the scandal that might arise from his meeting with this woman. He decided then that he would try to not show any interest in her and just treat her like a fan.

But then she reached into her backpack on the floor and pulled out a notebook. “It’s so weird that I met you,” she said. “I don’t know many Korean celebrities. Just mostly the Running Man cast from watching the show. But because we are so similar, I looked you up an