Shin Hye parked somewhere near the small park and looked around. She tried to recall the address Min Ho gave her and wondered if she was in the right place. It was quite a long drive to the area, it would be awful if it turns out she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. The streets were unfamiliar, even the feel of the place was different. She has never been in that part of the city before.

She lowered the rear view mirror to look at herself. The scarf she was already wearing covered her lower face. She grabbed her cap from the passenger seat and put it on. Is this too much? I look like I’m really in disguise. She sighed as she wondered if meeting in a public place was such a good idea. With rumors going around, she certainly didn’t think it was very wise. It was nothing but a friendly meet up, but if they were seen together, it could get ugly.

She got out of her car and walked to the direction of the park. It looked like a private neighborhood with very little commercial shops. There also weren’t a lot of people around. As a matter of fact, she noticed that the place was eerily quiet. Apart from two elderly women walking towards a building, and a man who was raking snow on a narrow street, no one else was in sight. She glanced at her watch. It was still 6 P.M. This is strange. She spotted the empty playground and checked Min Ho’s message again.

 ‘When you’re at the playground, you’ll see a noticeable blue building across it. There’s a narrow street to its left. Follow that street and turn right at the first crossing. After a few steps, you’ll find a pair of glass windows with several potted flowers lining the windowsill. You won’t miss it, for sure. There’s a door beside those windows, just go inside.’

She looked around and spotted the building right away. ‘Oh. There it is,’ she approached the street beside the blue structure. ‘Wow, it really is narrow,’ she mumbled to herself, spreading her arms. Even small cars can’t fit through here. Following Min Ho’s directions, she turned right at the first intersection. True enough, she saw two dainty windows lined with plants. She peered inside and saw several tables and chairs. ‘Wow, is this a café?’ She looked above for a sign or a name, and found nothing.

When she went through the door, it was warm and a sweet smell wafted through the room – like a mixture of red bean porridge and coffee. It was a very small place, but the walls were lined with old photos and memorabilia. There were about four tables, while to her left, there were two booths. The place was quaint and lovely. She smiled. For a moment, she forgot why she was there. Aside from an ahjumma at the cashier’s station, the only people there were an elderly couple.

She approached the booth at the corner where she knew he'd be. He was sitting with both his elbows on the table, his chin resting on his clasped hands. He must not have noticed she arrived because he was looking down at his drink, as if deep in thought. She thought he looked very different from what she was used to seeing. He was dressed down in just a hoodie and a winter jacket. Without his entourage and fans surrounding his every direction, he looked like an ordinary guy. Very handsome, but ordinary.

She didn’t realize she hasn’t moved from that spot. Min Ho looked up and she was a tad startled when their eyes met. He sat up straight and smiled. She was used to his warm smiles during filming but seeing him in that setting, his smile was even more disarming. It seemed even more pleasant and genuine than usual, if that were possible. Shin Hye walked to the booth. His smile hasn’t disappeared.

‘You’re here,’ he said.

‘Am I late? It wasn’t easy to find this place,’ she replied as she took a seat across him.

Min Ho scratched his head apologetically, ‘sorry about that. I hope you didn’t have problems getting here.’

‘Anya, you gave good directions,’ she smiled. ‘So, what’s good here?’

As soon as she asked the question, Min Ho excitedly talked about the menu and all his favorites from that place. As she listened to him debate with himself as to which hot drink he liked better, Shin Hye grinned. It was like she was seeing a whole new side to him. She always saw him as Lee Min Ho the star, but tonight, he looked like a childhood friend she grew up with. After much self-deliberation, Min Ho ordered for the two of them.

‘It’s lovely here, oppa,' she gushed. 'So is this like your secret place?’

Min Ho smiled. ‘Yeah. I actually stumbled upon this area because of my grandmother’s sister. She used to live in one of the buildings here. One time, when I visited her with my parents – and that was after Boys Over Flowers – nobody recognized me. Since most of this community’s residents are retired elderly people, no one really comes here. It was a breath of fresh air. Since then, I knew that this would be my escape,’ he affectionately recounted.

‘Wow. I’ve always wanted an escape,’ Shin Hye sighed. ‘I never found one that absolutely had no one know about. Of course, I never thought to go to a community such as this. Wait... even your manager doesn’t know?’

He nodded mischievously. Shin Hye laughed.

They were silent for a bit, as Min Ho took a sip of his drink. Shin Hye took this opportunity to scan the room once more. She bit her lip tentatively.

‘Keunde oppa… uh, why did you ask me to come here?’ She asked him carefully.

Shin Hye knew that it was a loaded question. But s