Reunions

It is Yong Hwa's birthday today, the 22nd of June. And I just saw hilarious pictures of Hong Ki on Twitter. Then Shin Hye just playfully made a jab at Yong Hwa on a recent video interview, hinting that she's been missing her beloved Shin Woo. And well, there's the Japan ANJELL FM this week...so it's ANJELL week right now, eh? I miss them a lot. And oh, give some love to Seo Hyun, will you? :)

Reunions

"Is he even coming?" Shin Hye asks impatiently to a yawning Hong Ki who is slouching beside her on the table, bobbing his familiar blond hair with the music blaring from his headphones.

"Bo?" Hong Ki asks back, putting down his headphones to catch what she is saying.

"Pabo-ya! First time we're meeting in months and you can't even give your full attention to me!" She pouts, swatting his arm playfully.

"Ahrasso, ahrasso! I'm putting it down now. I'm just listening to a Japanese song I have to sing in the album," he smiles shyly, a little chastised. "Japanese makes my nose bleed every thirty seconds!"

Shin Hye laughs despite her impatience. Hearing Hong Ki cracking up jokes after their friendship suffered a long hiatus is making her giddy tonight. How she has missed this dorky, adorable guy! She can forgive his little insensitivities anytime. Now, if only Bolmae-Jung is already here, her happiness will be complete.

"Yong Hwa. Are you sure he is coming?" she asks again. She and Hong Ki have been waiting at the small cafe for half an hour now and Yong Hwa is supposed to join them for a surprise birthday party he didn't know about. She glances nervously at the buffet table laden with food and drinks, afraid that her little preparation would all be spoiled because Hong Ki messed up with his task to get busy idol boy Yong Hwa to meet with him for a few drinks. Supposedly.

"He is! I'm sure of that. He gave me his word. I've checked with his manager-hyung. His schedule has been cleared for tonight. I have checked with Jong Hyun too and he said they don't have any gigs scheduled for tonight either. So he has to be here, not anywhere else."

Shin Hye eyes Hong Ki skeptically. "What did you tell him exactly, blondie?"

"I said Sukkie-hyung and I are treating him for a round of drinks for his birthday! That's what we planned, right?"

"Did you specifically tell him the place, the time and that Sukkie-oppa won't accept no for an answer?" she grills him a little more.

"De!" Hong Ki says, fishing for his phone in his pockets. "I told him he's not gonna see the sun rise on the 22nd if he ditches us for anything else!"

She laughs at him. "Ya! That's morbid, Hong Ki-yah. It's his birthday, be nice to him!"She admonishes.

Hong Ki's eyes turn to slits as he pauses from dialing on his phone. "Times like this, I really can feel where your loyalty lies, Shin Hye-ssi. And it's not with Sukkie-hyung, that I am sure of."

She jabs him with chopsticks. "Oh don't start again, please. Coz I know where your loyalty lies, too," she banters back.

"My loyalty lies with you, of course!" he snaps back with a poker face. "Among the three of you, it's only natural that I will side with you, no questions asked. You're the girl, after all."

Shin Hye smiles at him warmly. "Aww...since when did you learn how to sidle up to girls so smoothly like this?"

He smirks. "Yong Hwa! That guy is a smooth criminal, I tell you. His weapon is his sweet words. He's got a bagful of them!"

She giggles in acknowledgment. "Yeah, yeah. I know what you mean. I always knew that guy has some pretty deadly charms buried down somewhere in those timid looks."

"Which reminds me to dial his number now," he says, dialing up. "I've got a feeling that country bumpkin got  lost on his way here."

Shin Hye shakes her head in amusement.

"Ya! Where are you now? Are you lost?" Hong Ki asks as he connects with Yong Hwa on the phone. "Bo? Still in a cab?...What's taking you so long?...Sinchia?! You’re not pulling my leg, are you, dummy? I knew it! Aigoo…You sneaky punk...Get your shameless butt here before I walk out on you…Pali, Pali! Yeah, the cafe near the mall. You can't miss it…We've been here before, pabo-ya!...Yes, five minutes. I'm giving you five and I'm out of here. Hyung is already pissed!" Hong Ki threatens then hangs up, laughing.

"Where is he? Is he coming?" Shin Hye asks curiously.

"That punk!" Hong Ki is beyond himself, smirking like crazy, shaking his head in disbelief. "I knew he would do this. I just knew he would. Hee Chul hyung and I were just discussing the possibility last time. But I was skeptic at first...but that little devil...aisssh! What a sleazy punk!" He blabbers incoherently almost to himself.

"Hong Ki! Stop the gibberish! Is Yong Hwa coming or not?!" Shin Hye asks in exasperation. "Sukkie-oppa is arriving any minute with the cake. I don't want to waste his efforts in buying that cake for someone who's not coming!"

"Who's not coming?!" A familiar voice booms from the doorway as Shin Hye turns to it with a ready smile. Keun Suk comes in balancing a large box on his hands. "If Yong Hwa is not coming, I swear I'm going to bad mouth him to all the idols I know starting tonight!" He threatens, putting down the box on the table.

"Aniya. He is on his way here, hyung. I just talked to him," Hong Ki informs his hyung. "But I have to warn you both. He's bringing with him a little surprise."

"Bo?" Keun Suk and Shin Hye ask in unison.

Hong Ki gives them a toothy smile, eyebrows dancing excitedly.

~0o0~

Hong Ki, sitting opposite Yong Hwa and beside his Keun Suk-hyung, stares at Yong Hwa with a malicious smirk on his face. Keun Suk shakes his head slowly, suppressing a knowing smile. Undaunted, Yong Hwa meets their stares squarely, trying to be smug and shy at the same time which Shin Hye finds endearing. She throws Sukkie and Hong Ki a warning stare, chiding them with her eyes, then shifts her focus on the lovely face that is smiling timidly at her across the table, beside Yong Hwa.

"If I had known I would meet you today, SeoHyun-sshi, I should have brought with me my SNSD CDs and ask you to sign them," Shin Hye says with a smile, her eyes dancing. Ah, so this is the surprise Yong Hwa brought with him. Well, I am surprised, indeed! "I am a big fan."

"Kamsahamnida, Park Shin Hye-ssi," Seo Hyun bows shyly. “It’s my pleasure to finally meet ANJELL. I’m a fan, too,” she says which draws laughter from everyone.

Hong Ki nearly chokes on his chapchae when he hears this.

She looks so innocent, Shin Hye notes.  And witty.

"Call me Unnie, please," Shin Hye encourages her. Seo Hun bows again, grateful for the warm welcome.

"I am sorry for coming here uninvited, Shin Hye-unnie. Yong Hwa-oppa said he was meeting Keun Suk-oppa and Hong Ki-sshi for a drink. I didn't know it was a party for him," she explains, her words full of honorifics. She gives Yong Hwa an accusing stare which makes Shin Hye suppress a smile.

"Aniyo. This is for Yong Hwa as much as a small reunion dinner for all of us. The only reason we didn't invite you for this is because we weren't aware you are with him...for real," Shin Hye winks at Bolmae-Jung who beams proudly at her. The smug little rascal, she smirks.

“I thought you were just busy with work, Bolmae-Jung. It never crossed my mind that you would be busy…with someone,” she teases further, eager to make Yong Hwa squirm a little on his seat.

“Aigoo,” Seo Hyun sighs. “You really do call him Bolmae-Jung,” she exclaims.

“Now, she’s really a fan of the drama if she even knows our pet names!” Keun Seuk exclaims.

“Oh, I do,” Seo Hyun confirms. “Avant Hye,” she says, motioning to Shin Hye.

“Hong Star,” she points at Hong Ki. “Renai-jang,” she refers to Keun Suk.

Yong Hwa claps his hand proudly. “Way to go, Hyun,” he smiles, giving her a pat on the back.

“Yong-oppa told me about it,” Seo Hyun sheepishly confesses. “I really feel sorry to be an intruder tonight. I know you haven’t seen each other for a long time. I really didn’t know about this.”

“Kenchana,” the three of them assure her. “We love having you here. This is a wonderful surprise,” Shin Hye gives her a smile.

"I didn't know it, too. I swear," Yong Hwa reassures Seo Hun softly which earns him a loud snort from Hong Ki. "Shin Hye-yah, komawoyo for this. I didn't even know that you remember my birthday. But here you are, planning a party for me. Ah, I am so happy my heart is bursting right now."

Hong Ki and Sukkie both let out a loud yelp, springing out from their seats. They exchange high-fives, laughing hysterically at their friend. "Yaaaahhh!"

"My heart is bursting right now," Hong Ki imitates him, clutching his heart with his face turned  forlornly at Sukkie. They cringe at the same time. "How mushy can you get, you rotten punk!" Hong Ki exclaims.

Yong Hwa throws a fish fry at Hong Ki who deftly catches it with his hand before popping it in his mouth. "You're just jealous, bastard," he quips.

"Does sajangnim know about this?" Hong Ki asks with an evil glint in his eye, referring to FnC's (CN Blue and FT Island's company) president. "Sajangnim, yoboseyo? De, this is your favorite talent calling. I have to report a crime," he playfully calls on his phone.

Shin Hye sees how Seo Hyun's eyes grew big and how anxiety momentarily clouds her clear eyes. "Ya, stop it, Hong Ki. You're scaring Seo Hyun."

Four pairs of eyes shift on Seo Hyun and she blushes. "Aniyo," she laughs nervously."Lee SooMan sajangnim doesn't know this, too. So we're even," she quips matter-of-factly which makes everyone laugh.

Sukkie shakes his head, chuckling. He gives Yong Hwa a loud high five. "I have to give it to you, buddy. Your courage among idols is very, very commendable. It is legendary."

"You're bringing idol dating to a higher level, my friend," Hong Ki concedes. "Why didn't they consider me for WGM, darn it!"

"Because you're still young and immature. You can't handle a marriage yet," Yong Hwa rubs it in.

"And you do?!" Hong Ki snaps back at him. "Seo Hyun-sshi, I'm sorry but you made a terrible mistake. He's a faker, this one. He may appear to be shy and timid but he is really not. He talks like-"

"He talks like an ahjumma? Yes, I notice that, too. He loves telling stories so much that sometimes he reminds me of my omma with his nonstop talking," Seo Hyun volunteers innocently.

Shin Hye lets out a little scream. "Omo! You notice that, too? And you are not yet running away?" she asks teasingly.

"Run SeoHyun run!" Hong Ki chants, dodging another fish fry from Yong Hwa.

"He is funny and he makes me laugh," Seo Hyun points out, as if to explain why she is staying put. Yong Hwa looks at her wistfully, a little smile on his lips and a lot of appreciation reflecting in his eyes.

Shin Hye catches the tenderness of the gaze Yong Hwa is giving Seo Hyun and she sighs. It was such a private moment that she felt like an intruder gawking at them. She instinctively let her eyes roam towards the person beside her and catches Sukkie's eyes looking back at her. They exchange knowing glances.

Sukkie reaches out to hold her hand under the table, squeezing it tightly. Her heart lurches unexpectedly. Ah, there, she has her own piece of heaven, too, see?

Hong Ki lets out a gagging sound, breaking the spell in the room. "Where is Hee Chul hyung when I need him?! Get me out of this hell, please!" He begs as he dials a number on his phone.

"He's on air right now, I think," Sukkie informs him. "And stop whining, you brat. Go get a girl for yourself. But grow up first, will you?"

Yong Hwa lets out a guffaw. "Hong Ki-yah, mianhe," he says with a smile, belying the sarcasm in his voice."I didn't mean to bring Seo Hyun along to spite you. Believe me," he promises with a smirk. "It's just that we were really planning to go out tonight to celebrate our birthdays together. Her birthday is on the 28th," he informs his friends.

"Sinchia?" Shin Hye asks Seo Hyun who nods at her in return.

"So I brought her with me tonight. This is the only free time we got before I fly to Japan later this week for our shows. I didn't know you guys planned this for me."

"You have to thank Shin Hye for this," Sukkie says. "She says we ought to throw you a party to make up for not being there with you when you were hospitalized. I hope you understand, I am always overseas and Shin Hye is filming a movie now.And you gotta admit, your schedule is really a killer. It is so hard to book an appointment to see you."

“And you never ever call,” Shin Hye can’t resist to chime in.

“Mianhe, Shin Hye-ya. I…you know, the life of an idol,” he looks at Hong Ki for some help. Hong Ki gives him a sad face then burst out laughing. Yong Hwa kicks him on his shin.

“Hey, I know, you’re busy. I’m just joking,” she gives Seo Hyun a smile. “I’m sorry you have to put up with this. We just haven’t seen this guy for…what, 6 months?”

“We were just worried when we heard the news that you were sick and we can’t make a visit,” Keun Suk says. “I mean, wow, you’re starting early with the faint spells, huh? Just debuted and you’re driving yourselves crazy already.”

"Kenchana, hyung. It's okay, we are all busy. And I was not allowed to have visitors anyway. Even Hyun was not allowed to get near me," he explains.

"But you are fine now, right? Your voice sounds normal to me. Can you idols please stop fainting one after the other? You are giving me the creeps," Shin Hye asks, a little concerned.

"My singing voice is still a little strained. The doctors said I ought not to sing for a while. But how could I not sing?! It's like telling me not to breathe."

"But you can let Jong Hyun sing the vocals for now and just concentrate on the guitar for a while," Seo Hyun interjects, speaking her mind. "He's so stubborn. He feels he needs to do everything," she tells his friends.

"But I am the leader, Hyun," Yong Hwa calmly answers her, his eyes begging to be understood. "I need to be responsible for them. I need to show them that I will not abandon them no matter what."

"Even at the expense of your own health?" Shin Hye reacts for Seo Hyun, seeing how the latter's face is now clouded with worry. "Come on, Yong Hwa. Your voice is your passport to success. Without it, you will not have everything -- your members, your band, your dreams. So take care of it. Make it your priority."

Hong Ki nods in agreement. "She's right, you fool. Take it from me. Don't sacrifice yourself too much. Take care of yourself. In this industry, you're the only who can do that for you. Everyone else thinks you are a machine."

"Step on the brakes, sometimes. Learn how to say no and mean it," Sukkie adds.

Yong Hwa looks at his friends' faces and smile gratefully, then he takes a jab at them. "Ya, look who's talking now? You are all my sunbaes and you all have fainted at one point in your career, right? I want to experience that, too!" he jokes, earning him a quick swat at the head from Sukkie.

"Well, not me. I haven't fainted due to exhaustion or fatigue even once," Seo Hyun muses out loud. "And that's because I am stubborn when it comes to my health. You, oppa, have to be stubborn for the right reasons. Not the wrong ones," she wags a finger at him.

Sukkie chuckles out loud, amused by their exchange. "Seo Hyun-sshi, you vaguely remind me of someone I know," he throws Shin Hye a meaningful look. "Someone who loves to order me around and someone who I just cannot win over no matter how I try."

"De?" the ever innocent Seo Hyun asks, her eyes curiously eyeing Yong Hwa to help her figure out what Sukkie is saying. Yong Hwa playfully averts his gaze from her, refusing to indulge her curiosity.

Shin Hye blushes at Sukkie's words.

Hong Ki snorts out loud. "Oh, do I really have to put up with you the entire night?! What did I do in my previous life to deserve this?!” He asks to no one in particular as he scoops a plate full of food from the table, retreats in a corner chair at the opposite side of the room and puts on his headphones.

“Hong Ki-yah, saranghae!” Shin Hye calls out to him playfully and he makes a heart gesture with his hands, then throws her a grimace. “Leave me alone with my nosebleeds!” he says with a straight face.

And it is true. The nosebleeds he gets from memorizing Japanese songs have never sounded more appealing.

Ah, but he is with his friends and they are happy. That’s all that matters for now.

Bets

Remember Go Mi Nyu? The innocent novice who chopped her hair off for her twin brother? I love that girl. That's why I have always been on Team Mi Nyu more than on Team Mi Nam. :)

Bets

"No answering personal questions about us...no looking at each other while singing Still,  no hand-holding..." Keun Suk throws her a look, his brow arching up. "No smiling giddily like a crazy fanboy," he chokes on his laugh. "You've got to be kidding me," he hisses to Shin Hye sitting smugly, legs crossed Indian-style, beside him on the floor. It is rehearsal night for their Japan Fan Meet and they have just finished doing their dance routine. Huddled on the floor, they are doing one of the activities they both enjoy and never tire to do -- bickering with one another.

Shin Hye looks at her oppa with a poker face. "You asked for a bet, I'm giving you one, Keun Suk-oppa."

"I asked to do something fun, not the impossible!" He reaches out a hand to wipe the sweat forming on Shin Hye's temples.

"What good is a bet, oppa, if you do things that are easy for you to do?" She argues, keeping her head still to let him finish wiping off her forehead with his towel.

"What is on stake here?"

"If you lose, you will piggy back me everytime we go out for a date, from your place to mine, for maybe a month," Shin Hye's eyes dilate excitedly, giddily savoring her impending victory. She has never disclosed this to Keun Suk but it has always been her secret fantasy to let him carry her on his back the Korean drama style. He never did the favor yet. Or at least, the opportunity never presented a chance for them yet. So maybe now is the perfect chance, she tells herself silently, congratulating herself with the brilliant idea.

"Ya, you're so heavy my back will probably collapse with the first few steps!" He mocks, feigning opposition to the idea.

She pouts."Stop being annoying, oppa. It's only a five-minute walk. Besides I have lost a few pounds these past few weeks, I won't weigh that much."

Keun Suk narrows his gaze at her. "And you talk like you're so sure I will lose the bet for real, huh?"

Shin Hye purses her lips then look at him squarely. "But I am sure, oppa. For real.Judging from your track record in the fan meetings you held so far, my piggy back ride is in the bag."

"And what's that suppose to mean?"

She smiles sweetly at him. "That come fan meeting, you will definitely hold my hand with yours onstage, in front of the fans. And oh, you will not worry at all that it will spark a scandal between us because you will conveniently refer to it as just a fan service to the fans. I'm quite sure that you will ask me to sing a song again with you acapella, and you better not start singing Promise, coz I still can't memorize the lyrics to that song until now. Don't even think about it."

"How about an English song, then?" he interjects and she pokes his ribs a little forcefully.

"You will have a field day making fun of me, I know and the shy girl that I am, I will probably just bow my head in embarrassment to your crazy antics," she continues.

"Aha. So this whole bet on whether I can restrain myself on revealing too much to the fans is really just a ploy to stop me from embarrassing you onstage, am I correct?"

"Of course not!"

He laughs out loud. "Liar! That guilty look on your face is saying it all."

"Are you afraid to lose?"

He shakes his head. "I am scared for your sake, Shin Hye. Ah, I can almost picture your face now and the fans' reactions when I will hold your hand as we sing the duet to Still," he pauses to look at her reaction. Her cheeks colored at the thought. "And I will never let go of that hand until the song ends," he continues, mightily proud of the effect of his words on her.

"Aissh! Why don't we just channel Hwang Tae Kyung and Go Mi Nam on that day, oppa? So you can just be prickly and aloof with me and leave me in peace."

"Then you will lose the bet," he warns. "And you will look like the fool to the fans."

She crinkles her nose. "Why so?"

"Because as Go Mi Nam, you will just be caught up in hiccups staring at me all day," he breaks out in a laugh at his own joke.

"Ya, oppa!" She protests. "I will be Go Mi Nyu that day," she says, her gaze looking far ahead. "Go Mi Nam was the foolish girl impersonating as a boy who fell in love with the bad guy, remember? But Go Mi Nyu...Go Mi Nyu was the real girl Tae Kyung fell in love with. His eyes were fooled but not his heart, see? She helped him put things into proper perspective.  She was strong enough to leave him and give their love time and space to grow and for old wounds to mend. She was too confident of their love for each other that she was willing to leave him again to give herself a chance to explore the world around her and be her own person. Knowing fully well that he will be waiting for her to come back."

She shifts her eyes to him, her voice in a soft whisper. "Go Mi Nyu is the girl I want to be for Keun Suk-oppa. Not naive, foolish or immature. Just a little sensible, a little stronger, a little more grown up to keep these feelings real."

Keun Suk shakes his head slowly in disbelief. "I can't really win over you, can I? No matter how foolishly I try."

"Ahrasso, ahrasso. You can have your piggy back ride starting tonight!" he says, his face beaming as he gladly concedes to the girl who wants to be his real Go Mi Nyu.

Shameless Plug

I have started another fan fiction blog (here) to accommodate my growing inclination to write fan fics about South Korean stars/idols that catch my fancy one way or the other. Since this blog is entirely devoted for Sukkie and Shin Hye, I deemed it appropriate to just start another blog for other couples I ship/like, like, uhm, SeoHwa, BiKyo, GYEH, and some others that my friends like (I accommodate requests sometimes, depends on the bribe, haha!).

Yes, sometimes, I really pretend I don't have a life other than being a k-drama addict camping out in front of my laptop with chocolates and a bottle of Coke for company. 

So if I don't update here, maybe I update there. Annyeong!

Wearing My Heart on My Sleeves

Just trying to answer some questions in this shipping heart of mine. Is it just fan service or not? Is JGS for real? Is he really that giddy? Is he seeing somebody? Cause smiles or drawings don't lie. Not even to promote a drama that has finished airing in 2009. And Korean showbiz is not known to market loveteams, right? So... what gives?

 

Wearing My Heart on My Sleeves

Shin Hye is still wary of me, I know and I can’t really blame her for that. If I were her, I would be, too. Especially in the situation we are in. I am with her but the whole world doesn’t know about it. I tell her I like her but I cannot even mention her name publicly without getting death glances from my management team. I know her intimately but I cannot even refer to her informally, always cautious to address her as Park Shin Hye-ssi, like she is just some stranger I met on the job and not the girl who is constantly on my mind every day.

She doesn’t trust me that much yet and I don’t take offense on that, either. She has a trusting heart and I know she trusts me as a person but not as the guy who can potentially break her heart anytime he wants to. You are just flirting with me, aren’t you, oppa? She asked me that the first time I tried to ask her out and I knew then that it would take some effort for me to win her heart. She is a sensible girl, always grounded, always seeing the world with her 20/20 vision and not in rose-colored glasses. And I admire her for that, I really do. She said she learned a lot about guys from her Appa and Oppa. For that reason alone, I have always wanted to treat her dad and older brother out for a round of soju and maybe let them teach me some tricks on how to deal with Shin Hye. But I am still mustering the courage to do that.

Contrary to popular belief (or my Eels’ beliefs), Jang Keun Suk doesn’t always get the girl in one snap of his finger or one flash of his smile. One concrete proof of that is Shin Hye. I did not get her to agree to date me that easily. No, not even when I have already kissed her a lot of times on-cam my lips practically knew hers already like family. Not when I flirted with her on set every chance I got, not when I repeatedly stole kisses from her, not when I let her boss me around and bicker with me like how I boss and bicker with Hong Ki. She said she thought I was just being friendly with her like I usually do with anyone. Like hell I did! I don’t let just anyone, or any girl, boss me around. I don’t let anyone get the last laugh over my own prank. I don’t waste my precious sleeping hours hanging around with a co-star. I don’t give my designer jacket to any girl just so she can cover her legs with it while sitting on a dusty stage. I don’t give back hugs to just anyone to say I am sorry for accidentally hitting them. I don’t lick cake icing off someone else’s finger everyday. I don’t take selca photos with anyone every time I am asked to.

I don’t normally drive to some girl’s house on winter nights and hang out there like a creepy stalker, waiting for the lights on her room to go off, send a text to say good night and drive off smiling goofily like the idiot I really had become. That is not me on lucid days. But I did that. I did all of those because of her.

Shin Hye said I won her over because of Omma. Omma likes her a lot she practically volunteered to help me woo Shin Hye. She is taming you, Keun Suk. That girl is keeping your feet on the ground and for that reason alone, I love her already, Omma loves to say. But I declined her offer, of course. My ego couldn’t let my mother court a girl for me. Ironically, however, it turned out that I would finally get the girl because of Omma anyway. Shin Hye told me she saw my sincerity through the fact that Omma heard a lot about her from me. You must really like me, oppa, for you to tell good things about me to your omma.

She is still clueless about how I really feel, isn’t she? I always ask myself that whenever I see her get surprised by little things I do for her like insisting to pick her up from her filming locations whenever I am free, deftly avoiding attention by using my friends’ cars and parking discreetly away from prying eyes. She always say that I really don’t need to risk attracting rumor-mongers by dropping her name in interviews or answering too honestly about her and me.

But I need to do that not just because I want her to believe that I am really serious about her, but also because that is what I really want to do. I want to wear my heart on my sleeves when it comes to her. I don’t want to bottle up my feelings any longer. If the world will know, so be it. If my fans will pick up on it and leave me because I am dating a girl for real, then so be it. The fans don’t own me and my feelings. I do. They don’t dicate who I want to like. My heart does. And my management be damned, but I will never let them confine me in a box and tie me up on a string like a puppet. They can package and re-package me for whatever they deemed fit for my career but they can never lay a hand on my private life. That is my non-negotiable.

My Asian Tour is a gift for my fans across Asia but it will also be my gift for you, I told Shin Hye before the tour kicked off to a start last January. I was still trying my best to get her to date me then and she was still trying her best to outwit my efforts. What do you mean, oppa? She was a little perplexed. Watch me, I answered with a mischievous smile.

From Seoul, to Taipei, to Beijing, Singapore and just recently, to Tokyo and Osaka, I did my best to return the love I am getting from my fans back to them. I am blessed to have their support and as an actor, I fully appreciate the love I am receiving from them. But unknown to these wonderful people, there is a special girl whose love I so want to reciprocate, whose heart I want to protect and cherish, whose happiness I want to sustain, and whose name always escapes my lips wherever I go.

In every fan meeting, I always look forward to that one special moment when the gods hear my fervent wish and grant me the chance to say her name in front of my fans. Park Shin Hye-ssi… Shin Hye... I gamely answer every question linking her to me, describing her as generously as I can, hoping my words do justice to the real person I came to love. The fans can dismiss that as just a fan service for the promotion of Minamishineyo which has been marketed to other Asian markets aside from Korea and Japan. And my management is thankful to have that as a smoke screen.

But Shin Hye knows better than that. Her amused, frantic, exasperated, giddy and surprised reactions at the end of every fan meet tell me that she knows the coded message I am trying to relay to the world.

That she is my yojachingu and I am her namjachingu.