Chapter 1
Jae-seong stood in the first-class check-in line at John F. Kennedy Airport he felt eyes on him. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence, given that he was the leader of Korea’s most popular pop musical group, but it happened less when he was in the United States. He debated with himself for a minute or so about whether to ignore the stare or turn around. Deciding that with an InFINITY comeback on the horizon he would soon be forced again to engage, he turned and found a pair of gray eyes staring back at him. They belonged to a petite woman with black, wavy hair.
He expected her to look away, as one does when one is caught staring at a stranger. But instead her gaze held his and he was mesmerized by it. He felt something flutter in his stomach. It seemed as if she could see into his soul—as if all of his fears and insecurities were laid bare for her to examine. He felt known; not as a celebrity being recognized—although he was sure she did—but as a man being fully accepted.
That’s ridiculous, Jae-seong thought. She is a stranger, probably a fan. Of course, she thinks she knows me, but it is that carefully crafted InFINITY persona that she is familiar with, not the real me.
Still, he couldn’t look away. He waited for her reaction. Finally, she gave him a little smile and a slight bow, then she turned her attention back to the line ahead of her.
Jae-seong watched, expecting her to turn back toward him with a bigger smile, but instead her focus remained on her documents and the line. She moved to the counter then continued on without a glance back in his direction.
Now Jae-seong was perplexed. He was sure that the woman had recognized him, but she made no move to approach him. After checking his bag, he met up with his best friend, bodyguard, and traveling companion, Kim Kwang-min.
“Up ahead I’m pretty sure we’ll find a fan waiting for me,” he said. “I saw her in line and know she recognized me, but I think she was waiting until we were past the line to make contact.”
“Okay. What does she look like?” Kwang-min asked.
“Petite; black, wavy hair; gray eyes,” Jae-seong replied, trying to sound matter-of-fact but his voice had a somewhat dreamy quality to it.
“So, you’re wanting her to make contact?” Kwang-min teased.
“Of course not,” Jae-seong said sharply. “You know how annoying it is when fans approach me when I’m not working.”
“Mm-hmm,” Kwang-min said softly.
They turned the corner and Jae-seong put on his “happy to see you” face only to find no one waiting. He looked ahead, but didn’t see her anywhere.
Kwang-min smiled. “Maybe she didn’t recognize you, and was just being friendly.”
“No,” Jae-seong insisted, “I’m sure she recognized me.”
As they made their way to the VIP lounge and later the gate, Jae-seong continued to look around for the woman and Kwang-min continued to be amused. When it was time for Jae-seong to board with the rest of the first-class passengers, there had still been no sign of the woman, and Jae-seong started to think he’d imagined the whole thing. He boarded, leaving Kwang-min behind at the gate since his friend refused to fly first class, but was still thinking about the ticket-line exchange as he settled into his seat.
Amy G. Park 