It had been almost an entire day before I heard from HongJoong. I knew it had been a long flight back to Korea for him and the rest of the group, so I lit up excitedly when his face flashed across my screen that he was calling. Harper was down for a nap so I was excited to talk to him. We agreed to begin dating the night before he left, and after only 24 hours I felt like I was in some kind of fan fiction.
I answered the call, and HongJoong's smiling face filled my screen.
"Hey, Jennifer!" he greeted me brightly, looking tired but genuinely happy to see me.
"Hey! How was the flight back?" I asked, trying to suppress my excitement at talking to him again.
"It was long, but not too bad. The rest of the guys are resting in their rooms right now, but I wanted to call you as soon as I had the chance," he replied. His honesty made me feel special and appreciated, something I didn't think a celebrity could make me feel.
We chatted about our days apart – he told me about his experiences on the plane and the food they were served, while I shared with him how it felt waking up knowing we were now a couple. Our conversation flowed easily, and it seemed like no time at all had passed before we had been talking for an hour.
"I better let you go get some rest," I said reluctantly, not wanting our conversation to end. "I'm sure you're exhausted from traveling."
"Yeah, I probably should," HongJoong agreed with a yawn, rubbing his eyes.
"But let's talk again soon? Maybe tomorrow?"
"Definitely!" I agreed enthusiastically. As we said our goodbyes and hung up, I reflected on our relationship so far. It still felt surreal - me dating an idol! But HongJoong was so down-to-earth and genuine that it felt as natural as ever. With every conversation we had together, it only confirmed that we made the right decision in taking this step forward in our relationship.
Later that evening, after Harper had been put to bed and the house was quiet, my phone alerted me of a new message.
Opening it up, I saw that HongJoong had sent me a selfie from his bedroom along with a text that read: "So sleepy...but thinking of you! Goodnight, Jennifer!"
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I smiled at the pictures and sent him a quick selfie of my own before typing out a sweet goodnight message.
"Goodnight, HongJoong! Sweet dreams and rest well!" The next day, Harper and I went about our usual daily routine. All the while, I eagerly waited to hear from him.
Throughout the day, I couldn't help but check my phone frequently for any messages or calls from HongJoong. Between taking care of Harper and tending to chores around the house, my thoughts kept drifting back to our conversation last night and my heart fluttered with anticipation. It was only a little after lunchtime when my phone finally rang – the name "HongJoong" lit up on the screen. I excitedly answered the call and was greeted by his beaming smile.
"Hi, Jennifer!" he said, sounding much more refreshed and energetic than before.
"Hey! You look like you got some good sleep," I told him, noting the brightness in his eyes.
"I did! I woke up feeling completely recharged. How's your day been so far?" HongJoong asked me genuinely.
"Oh, you know, the usual – taking care of Harper and doing some housework," I replied, trying to play it off casually even though I had spent most of the day waiting for his call.
"That's great! I've had some free time today, so I wanted to chat with you again," he said sincerely, making me feel blessed to be able to share even these little moments with him despite our vastly different lifestyles. As we continued our conversation, we found ourselves discussing our hopes and dreams for the future. It turned out that we both shared a love of traveling and a strong desire to explore new places together.
Our virtual date soon transformed into us talking about all the destinations we would visit if the distance was not an issue – from famous world landmarks to lesser-known hidden gems.
"One place I've always wanted to go is Venice," I told him dreamily.
"Can you imagine us walking hand in hand alongside the canals with beautiful Italian music playing in the background?" HongJoong's eyes lit up at the prospect.
"That sounds incredibly romantic. Let's make sure that happens someday, alright?" he said, making my heart skip a beat. I nodded eagerly, the thought of adventuring around the world with HongJoong sending butterflies fluttering in my stomach. We exchanged even more travel ideas throughout our conversation, each one deepening our connection. Before long, I noticed that the sun was setting outside. I took my phone outside with me and smiled.
"Enjoy the sunset with me?" I smiled my coffee in hand as Harper was drawing at the picnic table on our back porch.
HongJoong gladly obliged, his own surroundings fading away as he became captivated by the beautiful hues of oranges and purples that filled the sky.
"Wow, that's absolutely breathtaking," he remarked, clearly enjoying the experience even through the small screen of his phone.
"It is," I agreed, unable to tear my gaze away from the spectacular display Mother Nature was putting on. We shared a few moments of content silence, just taking in the beauty of our world together despite the miles that separated us. As the last remnants of light disappeared from the horizon, I reluctantly turned back towards the house.
"I should probably get going – I need to cook dinner and make sure Harper finishes her drawing before bedtime."
"Of course," HongJoong replied, a soft smile gracing his lips.
"Just know that I wish I were there with you right now – helping out with dinner, playing with Harper, watching sunsets together. But since I can't be there physically, remember that you still have all my love and support from afar."
"I know," I responded, feeling touched by his sentiments.
"And we'll both be there for you too in any way we can." With that promise, we exchanged heartfelt goodbyes and ended our call once more. As I re-entered my home and began to prepare dinner, I found myself filled with newfound energy and happiness at simply knowing how truly lucky I was to have someone like HongJoong in my life. By the time Harper had finished her drawing and presented it to me – a colorful depiction of a garden surrounded by butterflies – dinner was ready.
We sat down at the table and enjoyed a simple but delicious meal together as she excitedly told me about her day at preschool.
As she chattered away animatedly, I couldn't help but feel a warmth in my chest at the thought of one day having HongJoong here with us at this very table. The thought of our little family, enjoying moments like these together, brought an unexpected tear to my eye. That night, after Harper was tucked into bed and fast asleep, I decided to do some research on the different countries and attractions HongJoong and I had discussed earlier.
As I browsed through pages of information on all our favorite spots I got a genius idea. I work from home, harper is in preschool, so we could easily go visit Hongjoong in Korea. for the next hour I began making plans to go surprised him the following week.
