Chapter 4

We decided to try to find our way out of the maze while we got to know each other. I was suddenly nervous for the first time in my life. I’d grown up under the eye of everyone, at least in Korea, and it’s been worse since I “came out” in America.

“What made you choose to do this?” I asked in Chinese. I figured it would have been more comfortable for him to speak Chinese. I’ve been learning several languages since I was younger. It always came in use.

“My members convinced me to. I wasn’t going to but Manager said that it would be good for Exo.” He was speaking in a hushed, nervous voice. The formality remained. “What about you?”

“My dad. He came to America to convince me. My brother disapproves of all of this.” I sighed slightly then looked up at him with a smile. “Now I think it will be okay. Are your members here?”

His face brightened when I asked about the rest of Exo. “Yes! They are inside. Besides Kris Ge-Ge. He said he was busy.” His face dropped.

I was going to ask to be introduced to them but I decided against it. I barely knew Tao and I wasn’t ready to be introduced to them. I wasn’t even sure if this was even going to work. I wanted it to but who knew what would happen.

I’d like Tao for a while. I’d told my father once that if I could choose anyone, I would choose Tao. He was sweet and innocent. He seemed like the type that would make it worthwhile.

“Are you alright?” I turned and looked up at him. I hadn’t realized my expression had dropped. I quickly shook my head.

“How do we get out of here?” I looked around, changing the subject. This wasn’t a good choice of scenery. It’d been too long since I’d been in this maze. Way too long.

After a few minutes we stopped walking and looked around. I wrapped my arms around myself. It was getting later and colder. I turned around and started to walk again. After a second I heard Tao’s footsteps behind me. The cameramen following.

Tao’s footsteps sounded rushed. I believed it was just so he could catch up with me but when I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder, I realized that’s not why. I looked at him and realized he wasn’t wearing his jacket. Instead it was covering my bare shoulders. A red tint covering Tao’s cheeks.

“You looked cold.” He said, looking away nervously.

I smiled and put my hand on his arm. “Thank you.” He looked over at me and I could feel the cameramen’s eyes on us.

Suddenly one whispered in Chinese. Good. They planned ahead. “This is going to be good.” I looked over at him as I saw Tao look away. He was so shy and it was adorable. I would have to agree with this cameraman. This was definitely going to be interesting.

“Do any of you know how to get out of here?” I asked, speaking Korean once again. A young woman raised her hand. I smiled at her and gestured for her to lead the way. Good thing. We could’ve been in here for hours. “Thank you.”

It was a short time before we were back inside the warm house, Tao’s jacket remaining on my shoulders.

“Can I get you a drink?” He asked, running his hand through his beautiful hair. I smiled and nodded. Watching him walk away felt homely, like he was going off to work and I would see him later on in the day with dinner on the table. I felt comfortable with him. I gripped on to the jacket slightly.

It was warm. Not just because it was colder out, either. It was a different kind of warmth. One I hadn’t experienced before. I enjoyed it.

“Grace, there you are.” I turned around to Dad walking up to me. “Come on. It’s time to meet Zelo.”

I was about to protest but Dad already had my hand in his and was pulling me through the crowd. I turned and saw Tao staring at me, two drinks in his hands. I looked at him with apologetic eyes and mouthed “I’m sorry.” My heels were clicking loudly as I was pulled along.

Suddenly Dad stopped and I turned around quickly. Of course, I had perfect timing. I came into direct contact with another body, my head hitting his chest. I covered my forehead with my hand and looked up at who I just ran into.

He was frozen. Almost literally. His blonde hair hung loosely but also looked perfectly styled. He had on a completely black suit with a white tie. It was none other than Choi Junhong, or as most people know him, Zelo. All of a sudden, he took a step back and bowed to almost a perfect 90 degree angle! He started apologizing multiple times and very quickly.

I smiled and placed my other hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine. Thank you.” I waited for him to straighten back out again before I introduced myself for the millionth time tonight. It went exactly the same as the others up until when he went to shake my hand.

Our hands were about to touch when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw it was Tao. I shot him a quick smile and shook Junhong’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Junhong.”

“Please, call me Zelo, Unni” He smiled a shy smile and scratched the back of his head nervously. I looked over at Tao who Zelo seemed to not have noticed. Suddenly he shot his hand out in front of him and looked Zelo dead in the eye.

“I’m Huang Zitao and from today on, Grace’s husband.” Even I noticed the emphasis on ‘husband.’ Zelo shook his hand and introduced himself, completely emotionlessly, before looking back at me and covering his face in a goofy smile.

“I need to leave but we should have coffee tomorrow and go over the script.” I heard Tao’s breathing stop.

“Sure. What time?” A loud sigh came out of Tao. When I looked over at him, he turned away and started walking for the door. Before he turned, I noticed the look on his face. He looked hurt. Or angry. Or both. Before he reached the door, he stopped and pulled out his phone and put it to his ear, not facing me. His free hand went up to his face then returned to his side.

“I have schedule until 3. How about 4?” I heard Zelo’s voice and I just nodded.

“I’ll see you then.” I looked back at him, smiled then bowed slightly. Then I turned and ran for where Tao was still standing. I pushed my way through the crowd that seemed to be purposefully getting in my way.

I didn’t know why I was running to him. I didn’t understand why my brain was telling my throbbing feet to do so. Yes, he was my fake husband but that was it. I had just met him.

“Tao!” When I reached him, I reached for his arm but he pulled it away and walked out the door, leaving it open. I followed.

“Tao, wait.” I didn’t realize that I started using English. “What’s wrong?”

“Hey, Tao!” I heard a new voice call out to the man I was chasing. I looked up and saw a handful of guys walking toward the house. The three of them all looked familiar. Of course they did, they were members of Exo. It was Kris, Minseok, and Joonmyeon. Kris’s eyes were locked on me. The other two froze when they noticed me.

“Who are you?” Minseok asked. Kris walked past Tao and right up to me. Tao turned around and I got a good look at the hurt in his eyes. It may have been dark outside but the light from the house lit up his eyes like a pair of stars in the sky.

“I’m the wife. I need to talk to Tao. Alone.” I looked at Kris with pleading eyes. He nodded and turned to the other two.  

“Come on.” Kris said, leading the other two men away from us. I looked back at Tao and his eyes dropped.

“What was that? Why did you just run off?”

“Because you’re my wife.” I knew that there was more to it than that.

“No. That’s the only reason and we both know it.”

Tao remained silent for a minute then grabbed my hand and walked me over to a bench outside the house. “Do you know how you ended up being chosen as my wife?”

I shook my head and he looked down at his hands.

“Well, I… I requested it.” He took a deep breath and I waited for him to elaborate. “We’ve met before. When we were children. You and your father came to Qingdao for a summer. We met then. Every time you ran away, you came to the park near my house.”

He stopped talking again. I remembered that time. We were both kids. He was my first crush.

“I fell in love with you then.”