Sora found the backstage all right, staff were walking rapidly pass the narrow walkway and she felt like an alien on planet Xenus.

‘Let’s date.’ said Teuk who bolted from nowhere. Then he peered more closely at Sora.

‘Erh, what do you mean?’ stuttered Sora while trying to digest what he just blurted.

‘You know? Like get to know each other more, like our coffee date? Backgrounds are important, you know and I like to know more about you.’ he suggested, looking hard at Sora.

Sora stared at him through her tangled messed-up hair. 'Am I dreaming?' she thought.

‘It’s not like we are going to get married the next day. So, what say you? Let’s date like how we were at McCafe.’ Teuk persisted.

Sora bit her lower lips and whispered, ‘Call.’ In her mind, little sora’s voice cried, ‘are you dumb, one minute ago, you were delaying a handsome dude, next minute you are so interested in getting know more about another guy!’

Sora couldn’t help but chuckled to herself when his face became flushed red and he had the silliest grin on his face. He leaned forward and whispered to her ears, ‘Thank you baby princess.’ Sora’s face became beet-red.

*****

Netizens were quick to realize an unusual event. Soon gossips and scandals broke out of Sora seducing Teuk at Star Queen became rife.  The tango that became THE topic of the day. Sora was reading the snippets on her ipad when the telephone rang.

‘Are you okay? I’m sorry to implicate you. You must be receiving lots of hate messages.’ asked Teuk.

‘No worries, oppa. Honestly, it’s hard but I can do it as long you teach me. But you sure you want to continue to date me? I’m just a nobody who just debut.' Sora paused a moment, then added softly, 'I don’t know why but I trust you.’

‘I don’t believe nonsense out there. So, Rule 1, don’t believe anything in the entertainment news or what I say on shows. Unless I tell you personally offline, nothing is 100% true. Yes, I do want to see you. I only regret that we won’t have much time together.’ Said Teuk.

He knows ‘Freedom’ is a luxury in his celeb life. But it is a fact that he will have the feeling of being always under the microscope, the cloistered life.

When Teuk hung up the line, he muttered to himself, ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry but this is the only way I know how to protect you. Please believe me that I am true. I will not say anything about the rumours and it will die naturally. There will a lot of phoney stories; even I will spout ‘entertaining stories’. But please believe me.’

*****

Early October

It’s 2am, they were driving through the cool night and they stopped by Han River. Sora was silent for a minute or two, staring. Then she dropped Teuk’s hands abruptly, pushing them away from her. ‘You know it is very hard.’ cried Sora. ‘I miss you so much. I’m so frustrated each time I see you on TV yet I can’t talk to you.’

Teuk was sorry. Their relationship was very young, eight months with little time seeing each other. But they could read each other’s mind and always tend to be sync with each other when they do meet.

‘Princess, I know. I’m sorry. I’m 100% serious about us and because so, I need to protect you.’ Said Teuk. ‘I want you to go everywhere, see everything, do everything while I’m away.’

‘Ne, I know why.’ Sora understood perfectly but her inner soul was just screaming, ‘&%$#, hate you yet I love you so much!’

‘I promise I will announce when I am back from army.’ Said Teuk holding her hands. ‘You read my interviews I said I will move out and date. I’m pre-empting fans.’

‘No, don’t promise. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. That’s the reason why you didn’t say anything about us right? You are afraid IF we do not work out, your fans will come after me, right? So let’s not promise anything. When you are out in July 2014, if you still love me, you know where to find me.’ Sora closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks.

‘On that day when I meet you again, 
I won't ever let go of your two hands.’ Teuk said to himself, humming the Lyrics of OnlyU.

Postnote: Double statements, hints, we are all restless but I do thank them for giving us, many teuksora shippers, many lovely memories. I wish them the best during this testing time apart. Their relationship is one marked with separation.