"The dating rumors from China are spreading into the news sites in other countries now."  Min Ho's manager was telling him the latest updates from the agency.  
 
"What?"  Min Ho was only half listening.  He was looking at his phone, waiting for Shin Hye's text.  She should have arrived in Thailand  by now.  Why hasn't she text him?
 
"Rumors of you and Park Shin Hye dating, it's hitting most of the major news sites in the other countries now.  Once it hits Korea, we'll have to issue a statement." Manager Han repeated.
 
Min Ho wrinkled his brows at the news.  How can it be possible? They've only gotten back together two weeks ago.  They spent a total of 3 days together. No way.  It's frustrating how one baseless article could cause an avalanche.  Isn't there such a thing as journalistic integrity anymore?
 
"Are you sure?" He asked curiously. Maybe there was more to come, they were just withholding details, feeding it one by one to generate traffic to their news site.  He hated the fact that Shin Hye's vacation with her family was going to be interrupted by this stupid incident.
 
"It's baseless. They don't even have proof. No pictures.  It's ridiculous.  You haven't even been in contact with each other since the end of the year. No way you have been dating for two months."  Manager Han was trying to allay his fears.  Min Ho watched him pace nervously back and forth.  Maybe it wasn't Min Ho's fears he's trying to allay, it was his own.
 
"Don't worry about it.  We'll take care of it."  He added. "The statement has already been written.  Do you want to read it first?"
 
He remembered during the drama filming, Min Ho was obsessive about protecting Park Shin Hye.   He knew that they were having a flirtation.  They might have even gone beyond that. But he didn't want to know the details.  It was a relief to him that after the filming, they didn't stay in contact, just meeting at the interview for the DVD and the SBS awards show.  Min Ho's schedule was brutal, he didn't need the distraction of a girlfriend.
 
"We're issuing a statement now?"  They didn't play around.
 
"The agency did ask and I told them, you and Park Shin Hye haven't been in contact since the awards show." He looked at Min Ho waiting for him to verify or deny.  Min Ho didn't respond.  He was frowning, a worried look on his face.
 
"Are you dating Park Shin Hye?  Tell me you're not.  That's just asking for trouble."  Manager Han looked at him nervously.  Not again, he thought.  He didn't need this now.  The last scandal gained him negative publicity.  They had to work hard to regain the public's faith.  A scandal with Shin Hye would be even worse.  She was an innocent, very much adored by the public.  If something bad happened, they both would have a hard time recovering.
 
"What if I told you that Shin Hye and I are dating?  What would you do?"  Min Ho asked him out of curiosity.  It was a good time as any to find out where his manager stood.
 
"I would advise you to not do it.  It'll be a hassle.  And whatever you do, don't go public.  Just date in private."  Manager Han replied.  He was getting agitated.  The agency is not going to like this. "Remember last time?"
 
Min Ho was irritated that everyone always brought up what happened 3 years ago.  It was in the past and he learned from it.  Why can't they see that?
 
"Let's call Shin Hye and sees what she says."  Min Ho dialled her number.  He just received her text that she had arrived at her destination.  He gave his manager a smirky smile.
 
"Ya.  Shin Hye.  Have you heard the news that we've been dating for two months?"  Min Ho greeted Shin Hye.
 
"Oppa, what's this about?"  Shin Hye was puzzled.  That was not Min Ho's typical greeting.  He was up to something.
 
"Han hyung is here.  Have you heard the news?"  He gave her a heads up on who was with him so that she was prepared.
 
"Oh.  Jun Oppa just text me." Shin Hye answered carefully.  He was definitely up to something if he was calling her with his manager present.
 
"I'm putting you on speaker."  He  pressed the speaker button on his phone so that his manager could hear.
 
"Shin Hye tell Han hyung how long we've been dating."  Min Ho cued her.
 
"Oppa stop torturing your manager."  Shin Hye admonished playfully getting into the spirit.  Ah.  So he wanted to pull a prank on his manager.  Poor Manager Han, what did he do now?  Min Ho must be annoyed with him about something.
 
"Manager Han, the news articles are all rubbish.  It's completely wrong.  We haven't been dating for two months..."  Shin Hye paused for effect.
 
"It's at least four, right?"  Min Ho picked up where she left off.
"Four months?"  Manager Han squeaked.  Why hadn't he noticed this?  The agency was going to have his head for not being on top of the situation.  Maybe those articles aren't baseless after all.
 
"Oppa, you shouldn't lie to your manager.  It's not nice."  Shin Hye told Min Ho.  "It's not four months. Have you forgotten already?"
 
"Sorry.  You're right.  I shouldn't lie."  Min Ho looked apologetic. "Don't have a , hyung."
 
Min Ho had been observing his manager during the whole conversation.  His expression was getting redder and redder.  His eyes were bugging.  Min Ho was amused at his reaction.
"Yes, we're sorry for lying to you."  Shin Hye apologized to Manager Han too.
 
"It's years. Four years, since Etude." Min Ho announced dramatically.
 
Manager Han's jaw dropped.
 
Min Ho couldn't help it.  He started laughing.  Shin Hye joined in the laughter on the phone.  He smiled at his phone.  She had picked up on his prank right away. They were, as always, on the same wavelength.  Even when they were on the set, she picked up on his mood righ away. He loved her quick humor.
 
"You punk." His manager sputtered.  "You two just pranked me?"
 
"Hyung, you should have seen the look on your face."  Min Ho said through his laughter. "Your eyes.  I thought they were going to pop right out."
 
"I'm leaving.  You punk.  You too Shin Hye."  He left in a huff.
 
  Min Ho's laughter followed him out the door.
 
   
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
 "Oppa, that was not nice. Poor Manager Han." Shin Hye admonished him.
 
"Ha.  You should have seen him.  He was so serious faced."  Min Ho was still laughing. "He needed a good laugh before he had a nervous breakdown."
 
 
 
"I'm sorry that you were disturbed while on vacation with your family."  Min Ho apologized, getting serious.  
 
"Why are you apologizing?  It's not your fault."  Shin Hye told him.  She was sure that Jun Oppa and her agency were already drafting a statement.  She usually didn't issue statements about dating rumors, but in this case, the agency had pressured Jun Oppa.  Dating Lee Min Ho would be a huge scandal since they were such big stars now.  The agency thought it was prudent to nip the rumors in the bud.
 
"I'm apologizing so that so that you can forgive me and we can make up later.  I like making up with you."  He admitted, trying to lighten up the mood.
 
However, he was glad for the  excuse to talk to her.  He felt put out when she had told him that she probably wouldn't contact him while she was away.  She wanted to devote the time to her family and reconnect without any outside distraction. 
 
He admired that about Shin Hye.  She valued her family.  She enjoyed the private time with them.  She knew what made her happy. It reminded him that he hadn't seen his family for awhile.  His schedule was packed and his down time had been devoted to Shin Hye and rekindling their relationship.
 
"Oppa.  How are you?  Did the CF shoot go well?" Shin Hye asked him.  She worried each time he had to go to China.  He was constantly mobbed.  He had no privacy.  He was literally trapped in his hotel room.
 
 He was going to be in China for the New Year without any family, just his entourage.  She wished he had family or good friends with him.  New Years was for family time.
 
"I'm fine.  Don't worry. Yes, the the shoot went well.  It was actually fun this time."  Security had been beefed up, so the crowd was kept back while he filmed. He was still being followed around by a large crowd, but he was getting use to it.  He was also in a better frame of mind this trip since he had Shin Hye back in his life.
 
"Oppa, make sure you take the time to rest and eat well.  Please stay healthy."  She reminded him.
 
"Yes,  chagiya."  He teased.  Shin Hye nagged, but subtlely. She was a natural nurturer, always taking care of others.  That's why everyone loved her.
 
"Smile more. Sleep more. Get some exercise. It'll help relieve the stress." She continued.
 
"Yes,  chagiya."  He was grinning.  She really was sweetest thing alive.  And she was his.  He smiled remembered their last night together.  No stress there.  He was completely relaxed.
 
"I have a better solution to relieve stress."  He told her.  It wasn't a good idea to think about his nights with Shin Hye. His body automatically hardened.  He was going to need a cold shower after this.
 
"Really, what is it?"  Shin Hye asked.
 
"You."  He told her.
 
There was a pause.  Shin Hye's heart flipped, then flopped. "You know just what to say to how to turn a girl's head." 
 
"It's the honest truth."  It was. He felt comfortable and relaxed when she was with him. And he was completely stress free after making love to her.
 
"Oppa, I have to go.  I'll talk to you when you get back.  Please take care of your health.  And don't torture your manager anymore."  She rung off before it got mushy and she would end up missing him more than she already did.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
 
Min Ho still had a silly grin on his face when he walked out of his bedroom into the sitting area of his hotel suite seeking some cold water to relieve the heat generated by talking to Shin Hye.
 
"How was your talk with your girlfriend?"  Manager Han's voice came from behind him..
 
Min Ho looked back at him in surprise.  He thought that Manager Han had left.
 
"How long have you been dating?" Manager Han asked.
 
"How did you guess?" He felt a sense of relief that his manager knew.
 
"You've been way to happy lately.  It should have been a dead giveaway, but I was so busy I didn't take notice until that little prank you pulled."  He replied.
 
"A couple of weeks."  Min Ho admitted to him.
 
"Do you know what you're doing?"  His manager looked worried.
 
Min Ho grinned. "Yeah.  I like Shin Hye a lot."
 
"What do you plan to do?  Go public or date in secret."  Manager Han's mind was already looking at all the possibilities.  The scandal, the fall out. The agency would not be happy.  But it was his life so they will work with him.
 
"In secret." Min Ho replied."Can I count on you, hyung?  I don't want to tell the agency, not yet." 
 
"My main concern is Shin Hye.  I need to protect her."  Min Ho confided in him.
 
Manager Han looked at Min Ho.  He has matured over the last two years.  He wasn't rash and defiant.  He was putting Shin Hye first, wanting to protect her.
 
Manager Han nodded.  He was skeptical about being able to keep it a secret.  Min Ho was like an open book.  But, he liked the kid and he liked Park Shin Hye too.  If Min Ho needed his help, then he would do it.
 
"I hope you know what you're doing."  He crossed his fingers for them.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
"Who were you talking to, dear?"  Shin Hye's Omma asked when she came back inside the rented villa in Phuket where her family was vacationing after she hung up with Min Ho.
 
 
"Lee Min Ho.  He was calling about the dating rumors from the Chinese news.  Checking to make sure I was all right. " It wasn't a lie.  That was part of the conversation.
 
"Oh.  That's so thoughtful of him. "  Her Omma smiled, placing a hand on her heart as if to still it.  "Such a nice, good looking young man.  Really hot!" 
 
"Too bad you two aren't dating.  I wouldn't mind seeing him more often.  And if you got married, think of how beautiful my grandkids would be."  She had a dreamy smile on her face when she said it.
 
"Omma!"  Shin Hye was shocked.  That's  the first time her Omma had made the comment about grandkids.
 
"Omma.  You are too bad.  What will Appa think?"  Shin Hye teased.  Her Omma was a Lee Min Ho fa