CHAPTER FOUR

There was only half an hour to go before the plane would land at Incheon airport.  Siwon knew that he had to tell Sara the truth about him now, but he was worried that it would ruin what he had achieved so far. They had become friends while flying over half the world. He didn’t want anything to change, but it was inevitable that she would find out who he is, since his fans were probably waiting at the gates to welcome him back home.

He looked over at her. She was touching up on her makeup. “Gosh, my eyes look so puffy”, she mumbled, while app lying mascara.

“No they don’t, you look perfect”, he assured her.

She smiled at him, and he smiled back. She put down her cosmetics and turned to face him.

“So, am I ever going to see you again Siwon-shi”? she asked in a serious tone.

“Ofcourse you will! We’re friends now, aren’t we? And why are you speaking so formally? What happened to ‘Siwon Oppa’?” he blurted out in a rush.

She laughed at that. “Are we really friends? Im so relieved, I thought this was a one-sided relationship”. They both giggled at that.

Siwon was glad that there was no awkwardness between them. He really liked Sara, but right now, he was happy to be her friend.

“Im glad I met you Siwon Oppa” . Sara meant it from the bottom of her heart. Siwon could feel the sincerity in her voice. It made him choke up. He had to tell her now, otherwise, it would be too late, and everything would be ruined.

“Im glad that I met you too Sara”, he said in a soft voice. He looked down at his hands for a moment. He didn’t know where to begin. How does a person explain that they belong to one of the most famous boybands in South Korea? How was he going to make her think of him simply as the person she met half a day ago?

Sara noticed that he looked uneasy. She looked at him in concern. “Is there anything wrong Siwon-ah?” she asked.

“Siwon-ah”, he repeated her words in his mind. It made him smile. It gave him the courage to tell her what he couldn’t. He turned to face her, and said: “Sara, I have something to tell you”, he began.

“Ok…”, she replied cautiously.

“Let me ask you a question,” he said. “What do you think I do for a living?”

“Well, you’re really good looking, so my first guess would be that you’re a model” she said.

Siwon smiled in embarrassment. “Thanks for the compliment Sara, and you’re right, I am something of a model, but that isn’t my only job”, he replied.

Sara waited for him to continue. She could tell that this meant a lot to him for some reason, she just hoped that it wasn’t something too drastic. “Still, whatever it is, my feelings towards him won’t change. How can I call myself his friend otherwise?” she thought to herself.

“Do you remember those songs that I made you listen to?” he asked.

“Ofcourse! I really liked them, I’m going to find out more about those bands. Hearing their voices made me want to know them better.” Sara replied enthusiastically. “Why”?

“Well”, he began, “What if I told you that you’ve already met a member of one of those bands”? Siwon looked at Sara’s face earnestly.

“I have? You don’t mean…” Sara looked into Siwon’s eyes and then gasped as she realized what he meant. “No Way! You mean you’re a singer too? You were in one of those songs?” Sara asked with excitement in her voice.

“I was in most of them, to tell you the truth”, Siwon said while running a hand through his hair. He was abit embarrassed, but he was relieved with the way that she was taking this.

“So…you’re famous then.” Sara concluded.

“Abit”, Siwon hurriedly added. “I wanted you to know this, because, even though I know that I said I’m your Oppa now, I won’t always be able to be there for you, because of my job. Also, If you need to see me, It might be somewhat difficult if we are seen together. I hope you understand, it’s just that I have to keep this image that I’ve built over the years. I don’t like it, but it keeps everyone happy. Still, I want to be there for you. I know it’s your first time in Korea, and I want you to have a good time. Maybe when Im free, I can show you around”.

Siwon said all this with a sinking heart. He knew that he wasn’t offering her much, but he hoped that she would understand.

“I hope this doesn’t change the way that you see me” Siwon said. Sara didn’t say anything , so he looked away dejectedly.

Sara was still trying to get her head around this, but when he looked away, she snapped out of her thoughts and grabbed his shoulder. “How can this change anything? We’re friends now, aren’t we? And I would love for you to show me around. It doesn’t matter when. Even if it’s on the last day before I leave, I will look forward to it. Thank you for telling me Siwon,  I’m really grateful for your honesty. You didn’t make any false promises. Even if we never meet again, I will remember you well.” Sara tried to reassure him with her words.

Siwon was touched by her words. He didn’t know what to say, so he just hugged her. “You’re some girl, you know that” he mumbled into her hair. “Yeah, I know”, she giggled.

“Let’s exchange email addresses then”, Siwon said after he recovered from the heartfelt moment. “You don’t have a number here yet, so this will be the easiest way to contact you. Make sure that you check your mail often!”

“I promise”, Sara said. I’ll let you know where I’m staying as soon as I find out. Someone is going to pick me up at the airport, so I’m not sure of the address just yet,” she said.

Siwon held Sara’s hand as the plane landed, even though she said that she was fine. “It’s just to give you strength”, he said. “I won’t be able to see you after this, because the airport will be busy, and we are going our separate ways, so just let me hold your hand. That way, I won’t miss you as much” he said while smiling at her.

Sara would be lying if she said that she didn’t have butterflies fluttering around in her stomach at that moment. But she didn’t know whether it was because of the plane descending, or whether it was Siwon’s hand which was resting so comfortably in her own. She had never had a guy friend before, well, except for her cousin Shahid back home. But this was different. She couldn’t believe that she had made friends with someone like Siwon so quickly, and she was already so fond of him.

“Sara. Promise me that you will take care of yourself, and don’t bump into any strange guys”, Siwon said with a smile.

Sara giggled and smiled back. “I’ll try my best Oppa, but these things can happen, look at how I met you”, she replied jokingly.

“Are you saying that I’m strange?” he asked in mock anger.

“Well, You’re definitely not ordinary. A model, singer, and actor, whom I just coincidentally sat next to in a plane, and who is now my Oppa. How is that not strange”? she asked.

“Well, when you put it that way…lets just call it fate”, he said soflty.

“Fate it is then”, she replied.  

They went their separate ways after hugging in the plane for what seemed an eternity. Sara had to hold back her tears. She knew what she was headed for. A month alone, a new job, a new home. She had been prepared for it all, but after she had met Siwon, she felt the need for some extra support.

“Contact me as soon as you get to your apartment ok? And let me know your phone number as soon as its set up”. Siwon was worried about her, but there was nothing he could do. He had to leave with his manager and staff members.

He took one last look at her before leaving, determined to remember her face. With his life being the way it is, there was a possibility that he might never see her again. “No, I will see her. People like her are special. I have to believe that I’ll see her again.” And with this conviction in mind, Siwon was able to leave with a smiling face, even though his heart was aching.

Sara watched him go. She stood in the same spot for a few minutes, but quickly came to her senses. This was not the time to be sad. This was just the beginning. “Sara Bloom, adventure awaits. Now get over yourself and get moving!” She squared her shoulders, lifted her head, and began walking, one step at a time, towards her new life.