Jayne was making some notations for her lesson plan for the following day when the speaker box in her apartment notified her of someone waiting outside. She got up from the couch and walked over to the buzzer.

                “Hey Jayne, it’s Jenna. I come bearing gifts! I brought over some food for dinner, so let me in.” Jenna giggled over the intercom. Jayne laughed and buzzed her in. A few minutes later, Jenna was greeted by Jayne and the two females went in the apartment.

                “So, what did you bring?” Jayne said as they both walked into the kitchen where Jenna set down the bags on the kitchen counter. “Ooooo, mandu. I’m sure this will taste delicious.” Jayne gathered the ingredients from the bag along with some fresh vegetables to fix with it. She grabbed her wok and poured a bit of oil in it to start preparing their dinner. Half an hour later, both of them were sitting at her dining room table partaking in their meal.

                “This tastes so good. Do you cook a lot for yourself or eat out?” Jenna asked as she took a bite of gunmandu (pan-fried mandu).

                “Depends on my appetite. It’s hard to cook meals for just one person. I don’t mind leftovers, but I don’t want to buy too much and have it go to waste. Ramen is so easy to fix and I mix it up every now and then so it doesn’t become monotonous. But, I do my fair share of cooking. What about you?” Jayne asked as she took a bite of the vegetables.

                “About the same as you. I do like to go out to family-owned restaurants and get a nice home-cooked style meal when I have no energy to cook for myself. Sometimes writing the lesson plans can be tedious. What do you think?” Jenna asked taking a sip of her soda.

                “Oh I have to agree there. You have to have the discipline to write them and always have a back-up lesson plan in case it doesn’t fall through.” Jayne said as Jenna nodded in agreement. They finished up their meals and set their dishes in the sink. After the leftovers were stored in the fridge, they moved over to the couch to let their stomachs digest.

                “So, while we wait for our food to settle, did you want to tell me what’s been on your mind lately?” Jenna asked softly, not wanting to upset Jayne. Jayne shifted uncomfortably on the couch and sighed.

                “Jenna, I know that we haven’t spent too much time outside of work and I apologize for that. I do feel comfortable talking to you, but what I have to explain to you does not leave this apartment, okay?” Jayne said seriously.

                “Of course. I appreciate you entrusting me with what you are about to say.” Jenna said as Jayne started to relax.

                “I’ve met this amazing guy. We’ve known each other for about two months now. The only problem is he’s um…how do I say this…he’s known around Korea.” Jayne said choosing her words carefully.

                “Known around Korea how? Business wise?” Jenna asked confused.

                “Um…you can say that. Yes, his job reaches a very large audience.” Jayne said as she took a sip of her drink and placed it back on the coffee table.

                “Okay. So, he’s popular I take it? What seems to be the problem?” Jenna asked as she sat up against the arm rest of the couch facing Jayne.

                “What would you do if you were with a guy who may have his life exposed to the public? Would that bother you?” Jayne asked.

                “I guess it depends on the level of exposure.” Jenna said honestly.

                “Listen, Jenna, I’m probably running you around in circles so I’ll cut to the chase. The guy I like a lot is in the entertainment industry. That’s all I can say.” Jayne said as she looked down at her lap, afraid to see Jenna’s reaction.

                “Oh! Now I see where you’re going with the exposure thing. Hmmm, I’m sure that can be tough on you and a new experience as well. How have things been so far? You said you’ve been talking to him for two months, so that’s a good sign, right?” Jenna asked as Jayne looked up.

                “Well, I literally found out this past weekend who he really was. See, we literally bumped into each other at a coffee shop. Okay, so I bumped into him. Haha. He opened up to me and things just kind of took off on their own. He is such an amazing man and a true gentleman.” Jayne said as a smile grew on her face from talking about him.

                “Am I missing something here? It sounds like the two of you hit it off pretty well…” Jenna said as she raised her eyebrow.

                “Oh, Jenna…” Jayne said as tears started to form. Jenna saw a box of tissues on the end table next to the couch behind her and handed the box to Jayne. She grabbed a tissue and started to dab it at the corner of her eyes. “Jenna…I found out last night that paparazzi took photos of the two of us from earlier this week. We were…um…kissing.” Jayne said as Jenna’s mouth dropped in shock.

                “Oh my word, Jayne! No wonder you looked so distraught at work today. C’mere.” Jenna said as she drew Jayne in a hug. Jayne started to cry and Jenna patted her back.

                “I really, really, really like him. We met with his manager at a restaurant last night. That’s where I was shown those photos. His manager said that he would make sure they wouldn’t be released to the public, but what if it happens again? I’m just in shock right now. Everything happened so quickly with finding out his true identity this past weekend and then having this happen a few days later…” Jayne said after she sat back up.

                “Gosh, that is a lot to process. I don’t blame you at all for feeling confused. I would, too.” Jenna said as Jayne blew her nose into the tissue.

                “Well, the hardest part was talking to him last night after we came back from the restaurant. I told him I needed time to think about all of this and now I’m wondering if that was the right thing to say.” Jayne said, wrinkling up the tissue in her fist.

                “I think that was a wise decision. You have to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. With everything that was thrown in your direction recently you have to take a step back and assess the situation.” Jenna said as Jayne sighed.

                “But what do I do now? That’s what I’m so confused about. How often do people date celebrities or someone whose personal life is exposed for the whole world to see?” Jayne said as Jenna took a sip of her drink.

                “Well, I’m sure it’s not as uncommon as people make it seem. I guess the real question is how they find the balance of keeping the relationship private from the public eye.” Jenna said as Jayne nodded.

                “That’s a very good point. I wonder how those couples do it.” Jayne said as she took a deep breath, recovering from her crying.

                “I think the most important thing for those relationships to endure is good communication, respect, and lots of patience.” Jenna said.

                “Mmmm…those are very important!” Jayne said. “But, how do I know if I’m the one that he wants to be with?”

                “Are you serious? Jayne, you seem like an awesome woman. Any man would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend. If you guys have been able to keep communication between each other this long, it means that he obviously likes you.” Jenna said.

                “You think so?” Jayne asked.

                “I believe so. You’ve got to realize, Jayne that he’s just like us. The only difference is that more people know about his life. But, you have an advantage compared to those people. You see the personal side of him that no one else gets to see behind closed doors. He must really trust you to share that with you.” Jenna said as Jayne processed those words.

                “Am I being too selfish? Did I overreact to what recently happened?” Jayne asked as she got up and threw away the used tissue.

                “Not really. It’s understandable for you to react the way you did. Just don’t forget to see it from his perspective as well.” Jenna said as Jayne sat back down on the couch.

                “How will I know what to do next?” Jayne asked as she brought her legs up off the floor and sat criss-crossed, facing Jenna.

                “I think it would be best to give yourself at least two to three days of rest from him. See how well you are able to handle no communication. If after those two to three days you can’t go a minute without thinking about him, then it would be safe to say that you still want to pursue a relationship. Your heart will let you know where to go from there.” Jenna said.

                “I’m sure those two to three days will be an emotional rollercoaster for me.” Jayne said with a nervous laugh.

                “Oh, I don’t doubt it. I’ll keep an eye out on you. If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me.” Jenna said as Jayne smiled.

                “Thank you so much, Jenna. I’m so thankful I was able to talk to you about this!” Jayne said as she gave her a friendly hug.

                “My pleasure. I hope you are able to relax now.” Jenna said as Jayne nodded. “So, show me what you have got on your lesson plan for tomorrow.” Jenna said as Jayne grabbed her laptop and notes.