September 27: 1:30pm, Incheon International Airport

Hayaley restlessly paces back and forth on the sidewalk until she sees her white Land Rover pulls up. She throws her hard case suitcase in the trunk and climbs into the front passenger seat. She turns to look at Jae Joong, who smiles at her. She slowly exhales.

Hayaley had been worried, wondering if the same awkwardness yesterday was going to prolong. After the short exchange they had on the terrace, Jae Joong had not said another word to her. Not even on the flight home that evening. Granted, it was a late night flight and they had slept all the way. Her only consolation was his hand holding hers during take-off and landing. But he had let go as soon as she had calmed down. Hayaley was slightly hurt by the silent and cold treatment. She wasn’t even sure if he was coming to pick her up this afternoon until she received a text from him about two hours ago, “Leaving for the airport now. See you soon.” She had been elated and texted back a short and sweet, “OK,” not sure what else to say.

“Did you send Shawn and Christian off?” Jae Joong asks.

“Yes.” Hayaley had stayed back at the airport to have breakfast and stayed till her two bandmates boarded their flight. She had texted Jae Joong with her plan and asked if he could pick her up.

“We have to make a stop before we get you home,” he says.

“Okay. Where?”

“The grocery store. To get stuff for dinner.”

“What?” Has he gone mad? We can’t be seen together especially buying groceries together!?!    

Hayaley pushes the grocery cart down the pasta aisle. “Linguine…we don’t need Arborio rice. I have some left at home. You sure you don’t want some fresh linguine? Oh, never mind, this store don’t have any…Okay, next?”

“Seafood…shrimp and scallop.”

“Mmm…love them.” Hayaley hears Jae Joong chuckle in her ears. This was Kim Jae Joong’s idea of grocery shopping together. He dictates his shopping list to Hayaley through her earphones. They figured it was best she did the shopping since he would be recognized and that would risked him being followed to the car.

“Done. Cheese?”

“Mozzarella.”

“Ok, I think we have everything.” She lugs the grocery to the car and tosses them in the backseat.   

Soon they are whizzing towards Cheongpyeong. Jae Joong seems relaxed. Perhaps because he doesn’t have to worry about being tailed by paparazzi or ssaseng fans. Hayaley looks out the window. It’s a gloomy day. She’s trying not to let her mood match the grey outside.

“So did you get some sleep this morning?” she tries to ask cheerily.

Jae Joong shakes his head. “It was 9 when I got home. Tried to workout but got an inspiration for a song…”

“A new song?”

He nods. “I’ll play it to you later.”

Hayaley smiles. “Okay.” Silence again. She turns her head to look outside again.

Hayaley had gone to the spa with June yesterday after their guests left. Her head was a confused mess. She had been upset with Jae Joong concerning the Sky Bar scene but did not really want to bring it up. June had advised her to discuss it with him but that would mean having to bring up all the ugliness of her past relationships to the surface, which she’s not sure if she’s ready. She can’t bring up one and not the other. It will make her sound unreasonable, possessive and perhaps psychotic.

The two hours in the spa had helped clear her mind some. She had decided to let it go, knowing deep down Jae Joong is not a flirt like most celebrities she knows. Besides, does she even have the right to bring it up if she’s not ready to explain the reasons for being upset?

Having made up her mind on that, she now has to tackle the next issue. Jae Joong had seemed bothered when he heard about her concert schedule. She felt bad he had heard about it from Shawn instead of her. She was going to tell him when they got back from Bangkok, not expecting him to meet and spend time with her bandmates. She’ll have to smooth it out. But how?

Hayaley feels Jae Joong’s hand grasp hers. She turns to see him smiling at her as he squeezed her hands. She feels like a huge burden has been lifted, a happy bubbly feeling replacing it. She flashes him a big smile and squeezes his hand in return.

“Tiramisu, huh?” he asks. “You sure you know how to make that?”

“Are you doubting me?”

“Well, it is not an easy dessert to make well.”

“Mr. Kim Jae Joong, you just concentrate on making your arancini and linguine. I am very particular about the quality of my Italian food.”

He laughs heartily. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it’s Michelin quality,” he teases.

This time, she’s the one who laughs merrily. They chat more about the food they are planning to make for dinner, the good Italian restaurants in town and in the cities they have travelled to. Soon, Hayaley is gushing about Italy and Jae Joong lets her reminisce and tell her stories.

September 27: 6:23pm, Hayaley’s Home, Cheongpyeong

Jae Joong gets done cleaning the seafood and turns to stir the risotto. He had done some serious thinking the last two days. He was not proud of the silent treatment