Mi-Cha Pak grabbed the keys to her hotel room and locked the door behind her before going to meet her coworker downstairs in the main lobby. It was about an hour shy of it being dawn but her schedule had such crazy hours, Mi-Cha had become accustomed to not getting much sleep. Such was the sacrifice of being a hairstylist/makeup artist for the famous KPop idol group, U-Kiss. At 28 years of age (Korean age), she truly enjoyed her career. Although it was very demanding on her body with the chaotic schedule, the boys of U-Kiss were true gentlemen. She felt like she had taken on a motherly role to all of them. Some days the poor boys would be half asleep as she applied makeup and styled their hair. Other times they would be so excited about a concert performance or tv show appearance that their excitement rubbed off on her and she would be just as giddy as them. Mi-Cha had developed a very close bond with all of the members as she had been working with them for the past three years. Although she was the youngest out of the other hairdressers/makeup artists, she didn’t have any romantic feelings towards any of them. It was strictly platonic. The elevator dinged as it reached the main lobby and Mi-Cha met up with another female. While they were waiting for the company van from U-Kiss to arrive and pick them up, Mi-Cha walked over to the hotel’s area that would be providing a complimentary breakfast. Since it was too early for the breakfast bar to be open, she found the coffee and started making a cup to go. It was perfect timing on her part because as soon as she turned around Mi-Cha noticed the van pulling up into the drop-off area. Quickly she took a sip of the freshly-hot coffee and made her way over to the revolving door that would lead outside. The guys were in Singapore to promote their 3^rd album release, Collage. Their tour was officially kicking off and this was their first concert towards it. Although Mi-Cha was drinking coffee to wake her up, once she got situated in her seat in the van, she decided on closing her eyes to take a quick power nap for the time it would take from the hotel to the area where she would be meeting up with the guys of U-Kiss to get them ready for their hectic schedule for the day. Depending on how many promotions with radio shows, TV performances, and the concert, Mi-Cha never knew what to expect as their schedule could change in a heartbeat. Her job didn’t stop as soon as the boys emerged out in front of the cameras. Instead, she and her coworkers would be waiting in the background in case any touch-ups were needed. Although the job was quite demanding, she felt so much pride watching everything unfold in front of her eyes. Mi-Cha didn’t realize how deep of a sleep she was in until she felt someone nudging her shoulder gently to let her know they had arrived. Stretching, she rubbed her eyes and made her way out of the van observing the gentle breeze. Making her way inside the building where the boys would be momentarily, Mi-Cha started to gather her supplies that she would need. After everything was set out and ready to be used, she decided to take a sip of her now lukewarm coffee. Mi-Cha sighed, realizing that she should have drank her beverage while it was still fresh.

                “Annyeong haseyo, noona. Why the frown?” Kevin pouted as he gave her a back hug. Mi-Cha was off in her own dream world and feeling arms wrapping around her 5’4” frame caused her to jump a bit.

                “Kevin, goodness…you trying to give your noona a heart attack? Aigoo. Well, I won’t need to worry about finishing my coffee…I’m wide awake now.” Mi-Cha laughed as she turned around and gave Kevin a hug back.

                “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was that quiet. Did you sleep well?” Kevin asked as the other guys started to file in behind him.

                “Psh. I don’t even know what qualifies as sleep anymore. I’m sure I’ll sleep like a baby tonight. So, since you’re standing here at this very moment, do you want to go first?” Mi-Cha asked as Kevin shrugged and sat down in the salon-style chair. Draping the cape around his body and securing it in the back, she came around the front of his body and reached for the spray bottle. The two of them made small talk while she was styling his hair. Next was makeup and once she was done applying everything, Kevin slowly opened his eyes and grinned.

                “Kamsamnida, noona. You always do such a terrific job.” Kevin got up from his chair and gently gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Mi-Cha smiled and patted his back as she shooed him off to work on the next boy from U-Kiss.

                “Well come on now, I haven’t got all day you know.” Mi-Cha teased as Hoon slowly inched forward. She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the chair, moving his body back until his legs touched the chair. Hoon took a seat and Mi-Cha eyed him over. “Um…you look like you could use this more than me.” She teased as she held up her cup of coffee. “I’d let you have some, but it’s so cold by now it’s pointless to drink it. Oh..I know…have you had breakfast, yet?” Hoon shook his head causing Mi-Cha to reach into her purse and extract two mandarin oranges. “Eat these. It will give you a temporary boost until you’re able to get something else in your stomach.” Hoon just stared at the oranges not knowing if he should partake of them. “Aigoo…am I going to have to peel them for you as well?” Mi-Cha said as she put her hand on her hip. Hoon grinned and started to peel the skin away. “Yeah, I can tell you didn’t get much sleep last night. The bags under your eyes are quite prevalent. You are lucky I know how to hide them with makeup.” Mi-Cha winked as Hoon looked down, embarrassed. “So, why no sleep? I know the flight here probably had something to do with it.” Mi-Cha grabbed a comb and started going to work on Hoon’s hair.

                “Um…yeah, that was part of it. I had a lot on my mind as well.” Hoon mumbled as he sighed and closed his eyes.

                “You wanna talk about it?” Mi-Cha asked, looking up from what she was doing and staring at his reflection in the mirror ahead.

                “Well…it’s about this girl…” Hoon was trying his best to keep quiet so no one nearby could hear. He checked the mirror to see if anyone was paying attention around him. Mi-Cha caught on and asked one of her coworkers standing nearby to locate an item used for styling the guys’ hair.

                “I just bought you about ten minutes of time. Say it now or forever hold it in.” Mi-Cha said as she leaned forward next to his ear. Hoon got chills and had to catch his breath before he spoke.

                “I really like this girl. I guess because of the relationship you and I have, I feel comfortable telling you. I need a woman’s perspective. How should I go about telling this girl how I like her?” Hoon spoke out as Mi-Cha came around to the front of his body to work on his hair. Although Mi-Cha was listening, she had to make it look like she was doing her job as well.

                “Well, do you want it to be more than just a friendship? Do you want to ask her to be your girlfriend?” Mi-Cha asked in all sincerity.

                “It would be nice. It’s so hard with our schedules to have relationships, though. I wouldn’t want to put that stress on her. Maybe make my feelings known and see where it goes from there?” Hoon replied as he looked up to her face for her reaction.

                “Yeah, I understand. I guess that’s one of the downsides to having this fame. Whoever the lucky girl is, she better treat you right. I don’t think I could stand the thought of seeing you heart-broken.” Mi-Cha frowned.

                “We’re truly blessed to have you work with us, Mi-Cha. I’m glad you’re in our lives.” Hoon gently reached out and held her hand. Mi-Cha looked down at their hands and slowly let her gaze travel back up to his chocolate eyes. Hoon cleared his throat and released the grasp. An awkward silence came over them as Hoon slid his hand behind the cape that was covering him.

                “I’m sorry, Mi-Cha, I couldn’t find it.” Her coworker said, snapping Mi-Cha out of her stupor.

                “Couldn’t find what?” Mi-Cha asked confused, forgetting her little distraction she had created for Hoon to start talking to her.

                “The gel you needed to style their hair.”

                “Oh…really? I must have left it back in the hotel room. I’ll make do with what I have. Thanks.” Mi-Cha said as she turned her back and continued to work on finishing Hoon’s hair and makeup. Nothing more was said between the two. When she had completed her work, Hoon bowed slightly and was off on his way to converse with the other members. Taking care of the other members, an hour had passed and soon U-Kiss was on their way to a press conference at a local radio station. Lunch time had passed and it was well into the late afternoon as the members were getting ready for a concert later on that evening.

                “Noona? C-can we talk for a minute?” Hoon said gently as he tapped Mi-Cha on her back. She turned around and nodded as she motioned for the two of them to sit on the couch inches away.

                “What’s going on?” Mi-Cha sat on the couch and turned to face Hoon.

                “I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.” Hoon looked down at his hands quickly feeling a blush creep up in his cheeks.

                “Oh, it’s okay. Is that your big concern? It was nothing. Arraso?” Mi-Cha stuck her tongue out at him making Hoon laugh.

                “Are you busy at the moment?” Hoon asked as Mi-Cha shook her head. “Do you mind helping me with my script for my musical? My first performance will be in a few days and I just want to make sure I have everything down pat.” Hoon scooted closer and opened up the thick script to the line he had for his character. Twenty minutes passed and Hoon was told he needed to go into the next room to change into his outfit before coming back to get his hair and makeup done for the concert. “I’ll be back shortly.” Hoon flashed Mi-Cha a smile that could melt any girl’s heart. Ten minutes later the guys came back into the room upon changing. Mi-Cha worked on Soohyun and Dongho before she worked on Hoon.

                “Are you excited about the concert tonight?” Mi-Cha beamed, catching the excited vibe from the guys.

                “I am so pumped! This is our first concert for our tour. I hope our KissMes will enjoy it.” Hoon said a bit nervously.

                “Um…why wouldn’t they? I think they would have to be dead not to enjoy it. Besides, in the event that no one would, which we all know would never happen; I would hope all of you know that I’m your biggest #1 fan.” Mi-Cha giggled.

                “Yes, we do know that. We’re very thankful for your support.” Hoon replied as Mi-Cha put the final touches of makeup on his face. Hoon stood up and checked his reflection in the mirror. He turned around and gave her a thumbs up.

                “Now go out there and have fun! HWAITING!” Mi-Cha cheered.

***

                It was 10:30pm that night. Mi-Cha had taken a refreshing shower and was laying on her hotel bed watching TV when she heard a knock at her door.

                “Who in the world is visiting me at this hour?” Mi-Cha spoke quietly to herself as she muted the TV and got up to look thru the peephole. “Hoon…what are you doing here? Is everything alright? How did you know where to find me?” Mi-Cha asked in confusion.

                “Is it okay if I come in?” Hoon said as he dug his hands into his pants pockets.

                “Huh? Oh…y-yeah, sure. Come on in.” Mi-Cha opened the door wider and let Hoon in. He slipped his shoes off as Mi-Cha closed the door behind her. Hoon made his way over to her bed and sat down on the corner facing her.

                “Mi-Cha…it’s you…” Hoon looked her straight in the eye.

                “What are you talking about?” Mi-Cha asked as Hoon patted the spot on the bed next to him, inviting her to sit down.

                “Our conversation from early this morning. Mi-Cha, you’re the woman I like.” Hoon explained as his heart thumped erratically in his chest. Mi-Cha stood frozen, processing the words that just came out of Hoon’s mouth.

                “M-me? Why me? I’m nothing special, Hoon. I’m short, I haven’t had surgery, I…” Mi-Cha wasn’t able to finish her sentence because Hoon had gotten up and closed the distance between them. He leaned down and captured her lips, catching her completely off guard. Her eyes were wide open the whole time.

                “Is this some sort of Kdrama? Or was my kiss that bad?” Hoon whispered as Mi-Cha raised her eyebrow.

                “How could your kiss be that…” Mi-Cha started to reply, but Hoon kissed her again. This time, Mi-Cha closed her eyes and took part in the kiss. “Gosh his lips are so soft…he’s so good at this.” Mi-Cha thought to herself. Hoon’s arms wrapped around her body and he deepened the kiss. Her hands rested on his upper chest causing Hoon to moan softly. He picked her body up bridal style and opened his eyes to walk them back to her bed. Gently he placed her body on the bed and crawled up next to her. Hoon lay on his side and her black, shoulder-length hair.

                “Mi-Cha, I would hope you would know I don’t look just at outward appearances. You mean the world to me. We don’t have to move fast. It would make me so happy if you were my girlfriend, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide." Hoon’s hand was now caressing her cheek ever so slowly.

                “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, Hoon. I do. I just…” Mi-Cha sighed and looked away.

                “What? What’s the matter?” Hoon pried, encouraging Mi-Cha to continue.

                “I’m not supposed to be in a romantic relationship with any of you. It’s part of my contract. I could get fired if word gets out.” Mi-Cha hung her head as Hoon bit his lip.

                “What if no one found out…” Hoon replied, grasping for straws.

                “What do you mean?” Mi-Cha looked up, searching his expression.

                “We don’t have to announce it to anyone. I won’t even tell the guys. We carry on like we normally do. Except we’ll find ways to see each other in between.” Hoon said, trying to pump himself up with the words he was speaking.

                “Won’t others start to catch on to us?” Mi-Cha asked timidly. Hoon shrugged.

                “Eventually. I guess we’ll worry about it when we get to that road. Again, I’m not trying to rush you into anything. I just had to tell you how I feel, Mi-Cha. I want to be the man that makes you happy. I want to be the one who gets to kiss your lips and make others envious of us.” Hoon reached over and planted a butterfly kiss on her lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him in closer.

                “You know…what we’re about to do…if we do decide to take this relationship to the next step…this is forbidden love.” Mi-Cha replied against his lips.

                “Well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. I don’t have a dating ban holding me back anymore. If something would ever happen to your job, I would feel horrible and blame myself. However, you know I would take care of you. If we get caught, maybe we can convince your boss to let this slide. There’s nothing wrong with having feelings for someone. You can’t force someone to stop having feelings for someone else. I won’t let it happen.” Hoon reached out and brushed away her hair from her forehead as his lips pressed up against that skin.

                “You would do that…for me?” Mi-Cha asked in disbelief. Hoon nodded and gently held her hand, bringing it up to the area on his chest over his heart.

                “I would do anything for you, jagi-ya.” Hoon gently covered her hand with his right and felt his heartbeat reaching out for her.

                “Say that again…” Mi-Cha whispered.

                “I would do anything for you, jagi-ya.” Hoon spoke huskily.

                “Yes…” Mi-Cha said as her fingertips caressed his jaw line.

                “Yes, what?” Hoon asked, slightly confused.

                “Yes…I want to be in a relationship with you. But, Hoon…” Mi-Cha started to say before she stopped and connected her gaze with him. She wanted to make sure he was listening to her. “Hoon…we really need to make sure we do this carefully and with discretion. I don’t want to jeopardize my job. Being able to work this close with you is something I treasure. Please…please respect my wish.”

                “I promise. I will do everything in my power to not have that happen. Thank you, Mi-Cha for making me the happiest man in the world.” Hoon grinned before squeezing Mi-Cha into a humungous hug. He wrapped his arms around the back of her body and rolled over onto his back so that her frame lay on top of his. “You truly live up to your name, Mi-Cha. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on: inside and out.” Hoon gently touched the tip of her nose with his index finger.

                “How did I get so lucky?” Mi-Cha said in awe.

                “I’m the one who’s lucky!” Hoon said as he intertwined his hands in hers. Mi-Cha started to blush. They lay on the bed for the next hour, stealing kisses, whispering words of love, caressing each other, and overall enjoying each other’s company. Hoon reached over and looked at the time on his cell phone before sighing.

                “What’s the matter?” Mi-Cha pouted with aeygo that made Hoon groan in response.

                “I need to get back to my hotel room before the guys start to wonder where I am. I’m on such a high right now. The last thing I want to do is mess up before we even get this started.” Hoon got up slowly and stretched as Mi-Cha did the same. Hoon handed Mi-Cha his cell phone and she placed her number in his contacts.

                “You need to be discreet about calling or texting when I’m nearby as well.” Mi-Cha winked at Hoon as she handed the phone back.

                “Good point.” Hoon said as he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. They walked over to the door where he slipped on his shoes. Hoon gave her such a passionate kiss that Mi-Cha had to plant her feet on the ground to prevent herself from falling. His hand slid behind her neck and drew her in closer as his tongue meshed with hers. Mi-Cha’s hands traced over his shirt and she moaned softly at how chiseled his body was. Breaking apart from the kiss, Hoon got a devilish smirk on his face. “Gosh…is it me, or is it hot in here?” He lifted up his t-shirt and fanned off his body, flashing a peek of his 6 pack.

                “Tease! You better get out of here before…before…” Mi-Cha started to stutter as he raised his eyebrow. “Aigoo…just go.” She laughed before smacking his .

                “Goodnight, jagi-ya. Jal ja. Dream of me.” Hoon’s lips pressed up against hers in a romantic goodnight kiss. “I’ll text you when I get back to my room.” Mi-Cha opened the door and Hoon stepped out. He looked around to make sure the coast was clear and neither hearing nor seeing anyone, stole another passionate kiss before he kissed the tip of her nose. Mi-Cha watched his body disappear down the hallway and after a minute, closed the door, leaning her back up against it. She closed her eyes and sighed contently as her brain was starting to process what had just happened. After locking the door with the deadbolt, she went to the bathroom and got ready for bed before sliding under the covers. Her eyes gazed up at the ceiling as her mind started to replay a mini movie. Her phone notified her of a text, bringing her mind back to reality. She opened up the screen and instantly a smile came over her face.

            Jagi-ya,
            You have made me so happy right now. Thank you for always being there for myself and the other members as well. I hope I can be the best boyfriend you ever have. Sweet dreams my love. See you in a few hours. – Hoonie

                Mi-Cha tapped a reply and sent it off. She made sure her alarm was set to wake her up and placed the phone on the nightstand next to the bed. Mi-Cha knew tonight she would finally be able to get a good night’s rest and that waking up tomorrow meant the start of something beautiful and amazing.