"Have you heard back from your landlord?" Chris asked over the facetime call. 

"No, not yet. They don't check their emails every day." Adina was still in bed since it was six in the morning for her. Chris admired her as she was slowly waking up. Adina was trying to hide the fact she was wearing a revealing pajama top since Chris was in his room and she was sure he wasn't alone. 

"Did you at least get some sleep?" Chris was also laying on his bed with his head propped up on his pillow. His big puppy dog eyes were hoping she would shift and show off more of what she was hiding under the blankets. "Also why are you hiding under the covers? I've seen you without make-up on before."

"I did sleep and I don't exactly want to flash one of the other members." Adina buried her face in her pillow a little more as a blush crept up into her cheeks. 

"No one else is in here babe. Common let me see you," he chuckled. Adina sat up a bit more showing off the lacey tank she had worn to bed. Chris groaned and laughed as he admired her.

"No one better walk in," Adina said with a shy smile. 

"Even if they did I wouldn't let them see you." 

"Is this some sort of for your eyes only?" She asked. Chris nodded enthusiastically making Adina smile at his boyish charm. "God, you're adorable." 

"Um," Chris began, "JYP is putting out a statement tomorrow about not invading our privacy and supporting our relationship. Have you been keeping up with the accounts who sent you death threats?" 

"Yeah? Why?" 

"They can be charged if their accounts can be tracked down." 

"I don't want to do all of that Chris. Most of those accounts are kids who don't know any better." In truth, Adina was more concerned with Preston and catching him in the act of stalking so he could leave her alone. A few delusional fans were the least of her worries now.

"No, I get that just..." He looked down for a moment. She could tell he was worried for her safety especially when she would come back to Korea. "I'm sorry I am putting you through this." 

"Chris..." she breathed. 

"No. I am really sorry you're having to deal with the ty side of the industry." 

"This was not your fault and I fully knew what I was getting myself into." 

"But still..." He looked away in shame. 

"Chris you wanna know what the hardest thing was to do today? Tell my parents you're a famous kpop idol. They legit did not believe me until I showed them the videos of you and the death threats." 

His laugh broke through the phone's speakers like music to her ears making her smile. "For real?" 

"Yeah, my mom was like, 'You're seriously not that lucky.' Then I showed her a few pictures of us then videos from y'all youtube." Adina looked down with a grin as she picked at her fingers. 

"I would say I'm the lucky one." 

"You're doing it again." Adina could feel her cheeks begin to grow warm. 

"Doing what?" 

"Being cheesy." She gave him a side glance when the door to Chris's room opened. 

"Opp! Gotta go, I love you!"

"Love you too." 

Their goodbyes were quick. So quick that neither one realized what was said until after the call ended. Both of them froze when they ended the call. Chris didn't hear Felix when he hopped on the bed and messed with his hair. Chris's mouth was still open when Felix leaned over. "You ok bro?" 

"I told her I loved her," he replied with wide eyes. 

"Yeah..." Felix gave him a puzzled look. 

"It felt so natural..." 

"Well, you do love her right?" Felix was growing more confused by his leader's reaction. 

"I do... and she said she loved me..." 

"I'm not following."

"Felix, we haven't said "I love you," to each other until just now." 

Felix pulled back as he made the "oh" face. "Well, it seemed like you guys had said it to each other before. So, maybe that's a good thing!" 

Chris puffed out his cheeks and ran his hands through his hair. This wasn't how he want to tell her. He had a more romantic date in mind to tell her but after thinking about it that seemed too planned, too staged. This seemed right. "Yeah, it was natural cause I do love her and she loves me." 

Chris just looked at Felix before a smile grew across his face and he began laughing. "Why don't you text her?" Felix suggested.

"And say what?"

"I don't know. 'Sorry I had to cut the call short but I really did mean that I love you?'" 

"What if I just leave it? I mean she didn't pause to think about it... ugh!" Chris pressed his palms into his face as he fell back onto the bed. "We've written so many songs about dating and falling in love..." 

"You thought you would be more prepared for it?" Felix finished Chris' thought. Chris sighed as he looked at his phone and the empty home screen. 

Adina sat up in her bed staring at her phone trying to process the end of that call. "Did we just... holy ..." She stood up and paced around her room repeating the conversation in her head over-analyzing his tone. "It felt natural right?" Her chest felt tight as she continued to process the words they had just exchanged. "He loves me... Holy Chris love me!" The pressure on her chest turned into the flutter wings of butterflies invading her stomach as she heard her phone ding. 

Chris: I love you. Just wanted to tell you again. 

Adina smiled and let out a little squeal as she sat back down on her bed. 

Adina: I love you too. 😘 

Adina took a look in the mirror and smiled content in that whatever the next few weeks bring she'll be ok. She would have to be. As Chris was winding down for the day she was getting up and getting ready for her day. She and her mom were heading to prick up a few last-minute presents for Christmas. Adina got into the shower and got ready with a new sense of confidence and ignored the real possibility of danger of going out into public. "Surely no one will recognize me as his girlfriend here..." 

They in fact did. 

Even though they weren't in Seoul and North Carolina wasn't known as a kpop center she was still recognized by people she went to high school with and any members of her old church that had children on Twitter. After two failed store trips she hid in her mom's car afraid to make an appearance. Even though no one knew who Bang Chan was they knew he was famous for something somewhere and the relentless questions made it hard for them to shop and enjoy time together.

Adina: How expensive do you think plastic surgery is?" 

Ami: Not worth it. You know how the kpop news cycle works. It'll all blow over by the time you get back to Korea. 

Adina: Yeah well it's ruining my time with my mom atm. 

Ami: It would ruin your face. You know, the one Chris likes? 

Adine: Fine fine. 😭 I'll just hide for the time being. 

Ami: Don't be dramatic. Have you heard back about Preston? 

Adina: Not much we can do without proof. Hoping to get that soon. 

Ami: Good. I was about to go find him myself and shank his . 🔪😈

Adina: 😂🤣 

She heard the trunk pop open and got out to help her mom load the car. "I'm starting to think that dating this Chris was a bad idea," her Mom grunted, "I could barely leave the produce section without someone coming up to me and asking where you were and joking about giving them money like we are suddenly rich."

"Sorry, mom." 

"It's not your fault or Chris and I know that everyone in that store meant well in their own weird way." Adina watched as her mom placed the last bag into the trunk, "I just like the quiet life I've lived here, and having a famous daughter puts a kink in that." 

"I wouldn't say it's always been quiet and I wouldn't say I am famous." 

"You're right. Preston made sure three years wasn't quiet at all."  She slammed the trunk shut and headed for her driver's seat. Adina felt guilt build up in her gut as she joined her mom in the car. The feeling that she had ruined her mother's dream of living a quiet life in a small town made her chest ache and burn. Tears began to burn at the corner of her eyes but she fought them back. 

The drive back was quiet. Adina wanted to believe that her mom didn't believe that she ruined her dream but her mother's words were like knives. The urge to go back to Seoul was strong now. At least there she could cry into Chris' shoulder. 

"We are picking up your father tomorrow morning from the airport. You'll need to be ready to leave around eight in the morning." 

Adina almost didn't hear the words through her disassociation. She just nodded and smiled. There had been many times that she felt like a disappointment to her mother but this seemed different. It could possibly be the fact that the kpop world was now watching her every move and digging into her past trying to dig up dirt on top of her mother losing her "quiet life" making her guilt feel that much worse. 

Adina: I know you may not be awake ... but I need you. 

Chris: *Typing*