A Million Miles To Love

Chapter 3

The van wound around different streets in Seoul until we finally came to a stop next to a huge building with large glass windows. Jae-woo exclaimed, "This is it!", and then he put on a black face mask and a black baseball cap and sunglasses while the driver opened up the van door for us.

     Jae-woo handed me a mask. "Please put this on," he said.

     Odd thing to ask me to do just to go inside a building. I thought to myself, while putting the mask on quickly.

      As soon as we stepped out of the van, a burst of flashes started to surround us, and I instantly knew why he wanted me to wear the mask.

     Jae-woo was famous! I didn't know yet why he was famous, but I could tell from all of the paparazzi that he had to be pretty popular.

     I tried my best to shield my eyes from the flashes as the driver grabbed my bags and rushed inside the building. I was getting shoved in all directions by people who were shouting out something in Korean that I couldn't quite understand.

      All of the sudden, I felt an arm link with mine and I was guided through the crowd. It was Jae-woo! He was leading me to safety! He was beginning to seem like some sort of superhero.

     We got to the door of the building, and he waved a badge over a sensor by the door. Two automatic sliding doors quickly opened and we ran inside before the swarm of people tried coming in, just missing us as the doors closed to fast.
 
     Once inside, we caught up with the driver, who was waiting by the elevator. I looked down, and realized Jae-woo still had his arm linked in mine.

     He dropped it when he saw, and slightly bowed his head and said "Sorry. Caught in the moment and didn't notice."

     Even through his mask, I could see his face was turning a bit red. How could this grown man possibly be embarrassed by that? I guess he must not have had too much experience being around many women other than his driver.

     The elevator doors opened, and we all got in. The driver pressed a button for the top floor, and the elevator started to ascend. I know that the top floor is always the Penthouse apartments, so I just looked at Jae-woo dumbfounded.

     He let out a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders, while tilting his head a little to the side. It was adorable, and I felt myself beginning to blush.

     When the elevator doors came open again, we were on the top floor. There was a beautiful large painting hanging on the wall just opposite of the elevator, and it looked like it was an antique. It was a painting of a farmer plowing a field of some sort.

     Jae-woo saw I was intrigued by the painting, and said, "That's my Halabeoji. He was a farmer. This painting is almost all I have left to remember him."

     "I understand the feeling, because I don't have much to remind me of my dad after he passed away," I said, sadly.

     Jae-woo let out a sad sigh and a nod.

     Our discussion was interrupted by the driver, who held her arm out to let me know the direction to go in order to get to the apartment and said, "Ppal-li, ppal-li!"

     I knew that meant we needed to hurry up.

     I turned to follow her when Jae-woo leaned down and whispered, "Sorry for her rudeness. She's not only my manager, but also my sister, and she doesn't like me hanging out in the hallway too long."

     I smiled a bit and nodded, then continued to follow her. If she was in charge of his safety, then there was no way I would want to make her upset. I knew how protective siblings could be, because two of my sisters drove across 3 states to make sure I was safe after I made the bad decision to move in with a now former friend from college and it went badly due to her fiance' and his family.