Chapter 1:

A Chance Encounter

Incheon International Airport, Seoul:

Sungyeol peered over the crowd as he walked away from the airport terminal (sometimes being tall paid off), trying to spot his manager. The swarming sea of fans was making the mission a bit more complicated. Mr. Song, Sungyeol CO, was supposed to meet him here with guards to keep people away, but for some reason he was nowhere to be seen. And Sungyeol was left to deal with the fans on his own.

As he scanned the faces desperately for a familiar figure, Sungyeol caught sight of a girl sitting at the sushi bar. Their eyes met through an opening in the mass of people, and for a split second Sungyeol’s whole world just faded away around those two dark pearls. The girl smiled at him beautifully, amused for some reason, and tilted her head to one side.

At that moment she looked so much like Sungyeol’s pet cat that he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Sungyeol-oppa, look here” a high-pitched voice jerked Sungyeol’s attention back to his fans. The moment had passed, and even as Sungyeol tried to look back, the crowd had once again hidden the small sushi bar and the kitten-girl with a strangely short haircut.

Soon Sungyeol realised that a simple trip from the terminal to the gates seemed to have turned into an impromptu fansigning event. After pleasing his fans with autographs and pictures for almost ten minutes (which felt more like an hour), Sungyeol excused himself to the restroom. He let out a deep huff of air the moment the door closed behind him, and his posture slumped as the air blew out. He was suddenly very thankful that 99 percent of his fans were females and had no busines in the men’s room.

“Having a hard time?” a voice called, making Sungyeol jump rather comically. He hadn’t realized that he wasn’t alone in the bathroom. When he found the source of the voice he almost jumped again.

Staring back at him, with a look on her face that could have been sympathetic just as well as mocking, was the kitten-girl.

Or was it a girl?

No, looking closely (and taking the context of their meeting into account), Sungyeol was suddenly positive that the person in front of him was in fact a boy, flat chest and all. An extremely cute boy wearing eyeliner and chick clothes, that is. Being an actor Sungyeol was no stranger to cosmetics (his pores were currently being clogged by a layer of foundation), but for an ordinary boy to wear it voluntarily on a week day... Well, that was a bit... gay. Not that the boy looked like an ordinary person. Actually, he seemed to possess more beauty than most of the female population. And that’s what got me confused in the first place, Sungyeol assured himself. He could feel blood rushing to his face even now.

It suddenly occurred to Sungyeol that the boy could easily be a celebrity of some branch. It’s not like he had time to monitor all of the up-and-coming stars.

“You have to help me. My manager has stranded me, my battery just died and I’m supposed to be at this really important press conference in an hour.” Sungyeol blurted out. “Who exactly are you?” Sungjong asked. ‘Oh, even his voice is soft’, Sungyeol noted as he took of his sunglasses to display his face. When the boy didn’t look at all impressed (how could he not?! Sungyeol knew very well that he was good looking), Sungyeol started to speak like one would to someone a bit on the slow side; “Actor Lee Sungyeol, one of South-Korea’s most wanted exports. How can you not know me?”

Sungjong came at once to the conclusion that this man was not only rude but also dangerously conceited.

“I guess I’m not really that into Korean tv.” Sungjong said. The name had rung a bell, but there was no way Sungjong would ever confess that. Sungyeol looked like he had something more to say on the issue, but decided against it. Sungjong chuckled inwardly at the fireworks of emotions flashing openly on the actor’s face. He probably at poker, Sungjong thought. “Can I just make one call with your phone?” Sugyeol asked finally.

“If I lend you my cell, will you leave me alone?” Sungjong asked, making the celebrity look utterly offended. “You know, I could have asked any one, and yet I chose you. You should be feeling honored” he ranted, only half kidding. “Then please do so.” Sungjong said, holding in a smile; this man was really funny. “Huh?” Sungyeol didn’t seem to believe his ears. “You can just find someone else to help you” Sungjong repeated, unmoved. “Ani~” Sungyeol laughed, seeming to remember his situation; “I really am in a pitch. Okay, okay, I promise to leave you in peace if I can just borrow your phone”.

Sungjong decided to stop trying to teach a grown man a lesson in civility, and handed him his pikatchu-covered iPhone instead.

Sungyeol typed his manager’s number, but the call went straight to a voice message. When he checked the time Sungyeol felt like panicking. He had a schedule in an hour; there was no way he’d get there in time with public transportation. The only number he remembered besides his own and his mom’s was manager Song’s, and he wasn’t picking up. And after that incident, there was no way he was taking a taxi unless his life was on the line. And his CO of all people should have remembered that. To hell with him.

A thought occurred to Sungyeol. Why not? The boy didn’t seem like your common posychotic fan. He had even looked genuinely surprised to find out who he was.

“This might sound crazy, but do you have a license?” Sungjong looked perplexed. “What?” he asked. “A driver’s license, do you have it?” Sungyeol persisted. “Well, yeah. I came here to pick up my friends-” “So you have a car here?” Sungyeol’s eyes brightened. “Wait... You can’t mean-” Sungjong started, suspicious. Sungyeol clasped the boy’s hands and gave him a gummy smile that made him look more like a country bumpkin than a celebrity. His eyes were positively sparkling with enthusiasm.

“Would you give me a lift to the press conference?” he asked. Sungjong opened his mouth to refuse point blank, but Sungyeol gave him no chance for that. “I would of course pay you handsomly. And you could even come in, you know, in place of that damned manager of mine, and see big screen stars you would never be able to get close to. I mean, Yoon Eun-Hye noona will be there” Sungjong’s resolution staggered at the mention of his idol. Sungyeol seemed to catch on. “Yeah, and you might even be able to shake hands with her. C’mon, it’s the human thing to do!” he finished. Sungjong huffed; “Why don’t you just take a taxi?” Sungyeol flinched at the mention of the word. “I have my reasons” he merely answered.

Sungjong had already been convinced. “You’ll pay me?” he asked, to which Sungyeol nodded vigorously. “And you’ll get me in the press conference?” Sungjong demanded. Sungyeol in his lip; “Arasso, arasso.”

 * * *

Dongwoo clicked on his cell that had been turned off for the flight from Tokyo to Seoul, and a message icon appeared on the screen immediately. “Who is it?” Hoya asked. “It’s Sungjong” Dongwoo answered and frowned. “Mianhe hyungs, I can’t pick you up after all.  I ran into an idiot and now I can’t seem to shake him off. See you later~, is what it says.”

The two dancers exchanged a meaningful look and, with perfect synchronisation, rolled their eyes.