Love Off Screen |KIM TAEHYUNG

Alone with You

You and Tae have pulled up to a restaurant..Only there's a crowd of paparazzi outside, waiting for you!  Tae takes off his jacket and gives it to you. 

Tae:-"Use this to cover yourself until we get inside. Is that okay?"   Y/n:-"What about you?"  Tae:-"Let them snap a few photos. I do look pretty good tonight."  You're too nervous to muster up a sense of humor.   Y/n:-"What'll happen when we get inside?"   Tae:-"You don't have to worry about anyone inside seeing you. I rented out the place for just the two of us."   Y/n:-"You what?!"    Tae:-"I told you I pulled out all the stops."   You quickly grab Tae's face and kiss him.  Y/n:-"Let's do this."

Tae steps out of the limo first. Immediately, the paparazzi swarm around him and begin to snap photos. Tae opens the door to the limo for you.  Tae:-"Just ignore them. They can't see you."

You step out of the limo and feel Tae's hand on your back, guiding you through the crowd.  

Paparazzi:-"Tae, who's the mystery woman?"   You and Tae ignore the questions until you're safely inside the restaurant.

Y/n:-"I can't believe you have to go through that every day!"   Tae:-"Let's not the paparazzi ruin our night, Y/n."    The hostess arrives and escorts you to your table.

If having the entire restaurant to yourself wasn't romantic enough, the candlelit table has a beautiful view that overlooks the vibrant city. Tae tucks you into your seat, then sits opposite you.

Tae:-"I hope you're hungry, Y/n. I had a special, off-menu meal prepared for us."

Y/n:-"You managed to plan all of this in one day?"     Tae:-"It's amazing what a little celebrity status can pull of."   A waitress appears with a bottle of wine. She pours two glasses.

You sip the wine slowly, your mind still stuck on the paparazzi ambush.  Tae:-"Y/n?"   Y/n:-"Huh?"  Tae:-"I asked if you like the wine.. is everything okay?"   Y/n:-"Honestly, it's the paparazzi."

The unsettling feeling grows inside you. You decide to confide in Tae. Tae reaches across the table for your hand.    Tae:-"Look..Every relationship I've ever been in has been public, with all our business exposed to the entire world. I hated it. Relationships are hard enough. But with the world watching? That shit is impossible, Y/n." 

Gazing at you in the candlelight, Tae's expression shifts to one of hope.   Tae:-"I want us to be different."   Y/n:-"Different? What do you mean?"   Tae:-"I don't want our relationship to be so public. Mostly, you can keep your identity private. We don't need to go out to flashy events and red carpets every week.."   Y/n:-"Uh, that's why I'm dating you!"   Tae chuckles, charmed by your teasing.   Y/n:-"Honestly, I want to be with you, Tae. That's it. All that other stuff doesn't matter to me."    Tae kisses your hand, unable to stop smiling.   Tae:-"You make me very happy, Y/n"

Feeling yourself blush, you're thankful for the dim lighting.  The waitress appears then with an array of delicious-smelling food. The two of you dig in.

After having a romantic dinner, you arrive back home.  

Tae:-"Tomorrow I have early morning shoot. See you tomorrow?"   Y/n:-"Yes, you should tke rest."  You wave goodbye as Tae walks off.

The next morning, you look around for your best friend but can't seem to find her.  Outside, the backyard is filled with extras and crew members setting up. While searching the crowd for Shree, you spot Ara and Tae's agent, Peter, standing off to the side. Then, you have a scary thought. You walk casually towards the snack table and pretend to be assessing the food. Ara and Tae's agent are standing off to the side. You can almost hear...You continue browsing the food, moving closer to the other end of the table, off to where Ara is standing.

Peter:-"This couldn't have come at a better time."   Ara:-"And we hardly had to meddle much. Those two naturally gravitated towards each other."   Peter:-"I assured Tae that taking this role would be the first step in shedding that awful womanizer image he's taken on.

Peter:-"I did advise him to befriend her. Dating a small-town woman like that was sure to have him taken more seriously in the film industry.Once their relationship goes public, he's sure to land more serious roles. Maybe even a few huge hits!"   Ara:-"Shouldn't be much longer now. Those photos of them last night are.. already out in public.."

At that, you stumble away. Feeling sick to your stomach, you can no longer stand to listen to what they are saying.

Y/n:-"This has all been some career-boosting game to him?!"