ARA’S POV

     That moment, stand there so close to him and just looking deep into his eyes seemed almost magical. I waiting for him to touch me, but a noise behind me caused my mind to turn away from Junsu. The other member ran up to us, looking a bit frantic.

“Hyung!” Yoochun stepped around me to grab Junsu’s arm. “We have to go, now!”

“Why?” Asked Junsu.

Then Yunho went to his side to take his other arm. “No time! Come On!”

“What’s going on?” Junsu wanted to know, and so did I.

“We’ve been discovered!” Changmin rasped, as though he was hiding and didn’t want anyone to hear him.

And then I knew why. My attention was instantly drawn to the sound many female voices drawing near to us. Uh oh…

“Is it them?”

“I think it is!”

“Oh my gosh!”

“It looks like them!”

“I can’t believe it!”

“They’re actually here!”

“C’mon, let’s go!”

“I want to get their autographs!”

“I’m going to take pictures with them!”

“Quick, before they leave!”

“I just have to touch them!”

“This is amazing!”

“Oh, so gorgeous!”

“Do you think they’ll me their numbers?”

“Oppa, will you marry me?”

I wanted to groan, but all I did was watch, expecting to see a crowd of swooning girls any minute.

“Where are your friends?” Jaejoong asked me.

I just shrugged. “I thought they were with you guys.”

The only person I’d been paying attention to was Junsu. I had no clue where Eun Hye and Kyung-sook were now. But I didn’t have to look far, but the next second, they were rushing towards us from the opposite direction the boys had come from.

“It’s a mob!” Kyung-sook exclaimed, looking scared.

Eun Hye gave her an annoyed looked. “They’re fans.” She corrected. “And I’m afraid our cover has been blown.”

“Oh, what should we do?!” Kyung-sook looked at me first and I shrugged.

“Run?” I suggested.

“That’s pretty much all we can do.” Eun Hye said sensibly.

“And we’d better do it quick.” Yoochun agreed with a single nod.

“Before our escape route is cut off.” Yunho added, leaning to look in the direction of the fangirls’ voices.

“Let’s go!” Changmin skipped ahead of them.

“Wait!” Junsu stopped him, then turned and looked at me.

I knew why. I could read in his expression. Even if we got out without being swarmed by adoring fans, they’d still see me and they’d probably be taking picture of the five famous guys and the three random girls they were with. And they’d have questions… Then we have to explain and making our relationship public wasn’t something I wanted to do and I was sure their manager would agree with me. No one could see us together.

I took a step back. “I can’t go with you guys.”

“What?” Two voices asked at once.

“Why?” Four more asked me.

“We have to make it look like I’m not with you guys. They can’t know I’m Junsu’s girlfriend…”

No one said anything in agreement or protest, so I took Eun Hye and Kyung-sook’s hands and pulled them both to my sides.

“We have to make it look like we’re normal shoppers.” I told them. Then I looked at Junsu. “We have to separate for now. We’ll find each other again. And if we don’t…”

“I’ll call you.” Junsu told me.

I nodded and watched them run off. Before my sight of them was cut off by the bodies of more girl fans than I thought could ever possibly fit through the door, Junsu looked over his shoulder at me and I think I saw regret in his eyes. My heart longed to run with him instead of staying behind. But I knew what was best.

“Come on.” I muttered, turning away and pulling my friends with me.

     Once the fangirls and their voices were out of range and I was sure they were gone, Kyung-sook, Eun Hye, and I walked outside—even though it was still raining. Of course, the five members of DBSK were all out of sight as well. But still, I looked around, hoping to see Junsu coming back for me. I didn’t. I sighed and hung my head. This was not what I had wished for…

“Is this how it’s always going to be?” I thought out loud.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up into Eun Hye’s sympathetic face.

“He’s a celebrity. You have to remember that.”

“I know, but…still.”

“It’s not like he loves you any less.” Kyung-sook encouraged me.

And I knew it was true. No matter what Junsu had to do because he was famous, I knew he truly loved me.