First of all, this story starts off unexpectedly and that’s ok. Life isn’t always what we
plan, but it can be amazing anyway! If you have never had to hide your private life from
others for your own safety, then perhaps this story won’t affect you as much. I was living
the good life, no drama, no security issues, nothing major happening to me until one
afternoon when I drove to the airport to drop off my mum for her flight. I parked the car,
hopped out to get her suitcase from the trunk, gave her a quick hug, then got back into
the driver’s seat. In the two minutes that took me, someone unknown had jumped into
my front passenger’s seat, hunched over, and was hiding, which I noticed immediately
upon re-entering the car. “I will pay you $1,000 if you drive me away from this airport
right now,” he said desperately. I looked at him, then asked if he was hiding for his
safety, he said yes. I asked if he was in trouble with the law, he said no. I asked if he
was ok with dogs and kids, he said yes, and I drove away, pretending I was alone in the
front, with my son and little doggie in the backseat.

When we had left the departures area, he sat up and began removing layers of clothing,
which alarmed me, but I was driving, so I had to ignore it at first. His hat, mask,
sunglasses, long trench coat, and hoodie all came off as fast as possible, leaving just
cargo pants and a t-shirt. He finally turned to me and explained, “I am sorry for sneaking
into your car suddenly, but I needed to escape some crazy people who were chasing
me and there was no where else to go.” I squinted my eyes suspiciously at him, but
since my son was in the back seat I replied, “It’s ok, I am happy to help, but I don’t need
any money from you. Helping you escape is the right thing to do and I am glad it worked
out ok. Where should I take you?” He stared at me for a second, frowned, then
answered, “Actually, I have no where to go because I left suddenly and didn’t check with
anyone on my team about travel details.” I sighed, then told him he could come home
with us, to make sure he was safe and hidden for a while.

He smiled, then thanked me for my kindness and said his name was Joon. I told him my
name, then my son’s name, and our doggie’s name. I asked him to save the reason for
his escape for just me later- I didn’t want my son overhearing anything, which Joon
immediately understood and agreed to do. We drove home quickly, him chatting away
while I attempted to answer and also focus on the road. When we got home, I
welcomed him into our apartment, then showed him to my son’s room, where Joon
could stay as long as he needed to. I also showed him the bathroom in the hallway, so
he could be comfortable while here. I asked if he needed any laundry washed, which he
was embarrassed about, but said yes, so I told him if he gave me the items, I could
wash them while he showered, since he mentioned he had been on several long flights
and wanted to get clean before eating or sleeping.

He made a pile outside of the bathroom door for me, so I added his clothes to the
laundry I was already washing, and they were already in the dryer by the time he got out
of the bathroom, so he was pleasantly surprised. He ate some dinner with us, then
mentioned how tired he was, and I told him to go to sleep in the bottom bunk- I would
bring his clean clothes in later for him. I figured time zones had messed up his sleep, so
after my son, little doggie and I were all ready for bed, I quietly snuck into Joon’s room
and put his clean clothes next to his backpack on the floor, with a welcome note
explaining things he might need in the middle of the night, if he woke up before we did
the next morning. Things like water in the fridge, food, ice cubes, etc.

When my son and I woke up the next morning, Joon was still sleeping, so we quietly
took our doggie outside, then I was cooking breakfast when Joon wandered out,
confused about what was happening and looking rather handsome with his wild hair and
mis-matched pjs, but of course I could not react, since we had just met and we
obviously weren’t alone. He smiled at me, so I explained we were having breakfast, and
he should join us, which he happily did, then he went to dress for the day in his room.
He came out a little while later, holding the note I had written, and asked what it was for-
I blushed, but turned my face to hide it as I explained that I had just wanted him to be
comfortable if he had woken up in the middle of the night without me to ask for help. He
took a step closer, then thanked me for thinking of him and told me it was the kindest
thing anyone had ever done for him without even knowing who he was. I continued to
blush, so I tried focusing on the dishes I was washing, but he must have sensed my
mood because he offered to wash the dishes, which caught me by surprise and I lifted
my head up to accidentally look right into his kind eyes, which was a mistake because
he saw my burning cheeks, then smiled right at me. I quickly exited the kitchen to
escape, which made him laugh, so I retreated down the hallway for a few minutes to
cool my face down.

When he was done, he asked if there was anything else he could help with, so my son
decides to tell him that we need to take our doggie on a walk around the complex
because she loves fresh air. Joon looks at me, trying to hide my face in my hands this
time, then agrees with my son, so we all get shoes on and our little doggie’s leash, then
begin walking over to the mailboxes. My son rushes ahead while I stay behind with our
little doggie and Joon, who asks if he can tell me why he needed my help yesterday. I
immediately agree- thankful for the change in focus and distraction.

Turns out, he is famous in his country and apparently (somehow) the photographers
had followed him to Portland and tried getting his travel details, but he managed to hide
by pretending to go on another flight, which allowed him to run down a different hallway
and that’s how he ended up outside where cars drop off/ pick up passengers, which is
when he saw my white car and made a quick decision to jump in and hide. I was
walking while listening and getting rather concerned for his safety by the time he ended
his story, so I asked if he felt safe, like they had not followed him here, which he
definitely agreed they did not, so I sighed with relief. I told him he could stay as long as

he needed to, but of course we would respect his privacy if he couldn’t share every
detail about his plans because he was having such a hard time at the moment. He
shared that being famous is challenging because fans and photographers think his life
should always be available to them, all the time, even the most boring details, which he
finds very stressful and feels pressured to do certain things, act certain ways, say
certain things.

I touched his arm and told him I could imagine how difficult that way of life is, so I would
not say anything to anyone about him visiting us, which he appreciated and stopped
suddenly, faced me, then said, “I have no idea why, but I feel very strongly that I can
trust you and that means so much to me. Please allow me to help in any way I can, to
earn your trust and friendship.” I smiled, then replied, “Joon, of course you can trust me,
and I absolutely do want to earn your respect and friendship as well, but don’t worry
about feeling obligated to help- I would rather you have a chance to relax and just be a
normal guy for once in your life.” He smiled right back and nodded, agreeing for the
moment.

We continued walking, then a little bunny hopped right across the path in front of me,
startling me so badly I jumped and grabbed his hand in desperation. He laughed so
hard he had trouble breathing, which my son also found hilarious, while my heart was
racing and I was trying to catch my breath again. He finally calmed down enough to
notice I was holding his hand, which caused him to look at me, I saw my hand in his still,
I blushed and yanked my hand away, then bit my bottom lip as he continued to look at
me.

He did not even hesitate and reached right back out for my hand, smiling and saying, “If
there are any more bunnies, I will protect you with my bravery!” My son thought this was
absolutely hilarious and was running around teasing me about killer bunnies, while Joon
gently guided me along the path, occasionally rubbing my hand with his fingers to
reassure me. I was super confused because even though we had just met the night
before he somehow knew when I needed reassurance and exactly how to do it
effectively as well, which surprised me. We kept walking, all the while Joon kept asking
me questions about our life, giving little details about his in between, so by the time we
arrived back at our place half an hour later, I was completely calm and used to his touch
so much that my cheeks were no longer on fire, which I was thankful for.

My son decided it was time to draw, so we got the art supplies out- turns out Joon is not
as amazing at art as he is at being famous, so we had some really good laughs and if I
wouldn’t have been distracted by my son, I would have seen the glances Joon was
giving me, or the way he quickly looked away when I made eye contact with him and
smiled. After about an hour and a half, it was time for us to go pick up Kyle’s best friend
for their playdate, so we all got into the car and went to pick him up, then headed to the

park for some playtime. Joon helped me watch the two boys run around the playground,
while also making sure he was near me at the same time, which I also failed to notice
because I was focused on keeping the two boys safe.

For lunch, they wanted their favorite food, so we scheduled a pick up order and headed
over to get it- Joon had never had Chipotle before, so he chose random items he
thought would taste good and I told him that if he hated it, he could have my tacos
instead, which he appreciated, but assured me would not be necessary. I had no idea,
but the fact that I offered to give him my lunch if he was unhappy without needing any
prompting really made him like me more because it had never happened before. Joon
stayed in the car with the boys and the doggie while I ran inside to get the food, then we
drove home and ate.

Joon ended up liking his bowl a lot, but I could tell he wanted to try one of my tacos, so I
gave him one and he was so happy he made little chomping noises, which the boys
found hilarious and once Joon was laughing at them, laughing at him, I was also
laughing, while secretly realizing how amazing Joon really was. Too bad he was just
visiting, lived a million miles away, and was famous, so completely out of my league,
even for a crush. The boys wanted to play video games, so I brought out two camping
chairs and Joon sat with me outside while our little doggie sunbathed.

He never grew tired of asking questions about my life, but I was getting tired of talking
about myself when he had barely shared anything about himself, so I got a little spicy
and stood up, facing him, then exclaimed, “Joon! It’s not fair that you get to learn all
about my life from start to finish when I only get teeny tiny random details about your
life!” I pouted and put my hands on my hips, which wasn’t the best idea perhaps
because he immediately stood up right in front of me and whispered, “I want to know all
about you because I want to make sure I can trust you when I do share the big details
about my life. I know it’s frustrating, but I had to be careful just in case you tricked me. I
am sorry for being so nosy. Can you please give me a chance to make you happy
now?” He took my hands off my hips, held them in his, and looked me right in the eyes
as he spoke, which alarmed me, but also made me bite my bottom lip because I was
worried about him thinking I could ever betray his trust.

This was also a bad idea because he let go of one of my hands and traced my lips with
his, then commented, “I have seen you do this multiple times, but I am unsure what it
means, so I think it’s time you explain please. It is such an adorable habit that I must
know why you continue to do it.” I blinked right back at him, too stunned for words for a
few seconds, then took a deep breath and answered, “When I am nervous, or stressed,
or worried, or anxious, I bite my lip to help myself concentrate and think of possible
outcomes/solutions.” He touched my blushing cheek, then said, “If you continue to do
adorable things in front of me, I will have no choice but to respond in a way that will

show you my true feelings that I cannot put into words currently.” I could only stare up at
his handsome face, which made him smile and wink at me, so I quickly turned the
opposite direction, but caught my sock on something and would have fallen right into
the flowerpots if he had not reached out to catch me. He was laughing as he said, “If
you wanted me to hold you in my arms, all you had to do was ask- there was no need to
be so dramatic and fall!”

I was now extremely irritated with his comment, so I tried shaking him off, but this only
made him laugh harder and tighten his arms around me, until I finally gave up and just
leaned on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he held me tightly. One thing was for
sure, I was much calmer when he was holding me, so I had to admit that part was nice.
He sensed my defiance was over, so he loosened his arms and whispered, “Honestly, it
has been impossible to find any female in the world who will truly treat me the way you
have in the last 24 hours, and I am very grateful for all of your kindness.”

I sighed, then replied, “Joon, I am just doing the right thing, that is all, so don’t make it
seem like this is a big deal. I bet there are tons of girls who would love to have you
hugging them on their patios right now.” He sighed in return and answered, “That is
probably true, but the difference is you have accepted me for who I really am, whereas
everyone else would expect me to act or talk or look like I do when I am doing my job.” I
heard the tone of his voice change, so I tilted my head back to look at him, saw his eyes
change into something close to self-doubt, then told him, “Joon, I don’t care who you
are when you are famous- I only care who you are right now, here, with me, and I hope
that’s enough to gain your trust, so I can be there for you when the pressure gets too
intense and you need a place to escape. I want you to always feel welcome and wanted
here with me.”

I moved his hands from behind my back and held them in mine, looking right into his
eyes, even though he was much taller than I am. I must have said something right
because he smiled and leaned down to touch my forehead to his as he whispered,
“That is why you are so special to me and why I am thankful I chose your car to jump
into.” I blinked and felt my cheeks getting hotter, which made him smile right back at me
and hold my cheeks in his hands as he said, “You have the cutest habit of blushing
whenever I say anything nice about you, but I secretly think it’s adorable, so I hope you
never change.” This did not help me at all, which he knew, so of course I was shocked
when he kissed each of my cheeks and told me, “You are the first girl I have ever been
attracted to after becoming famous because nobody else would take the time to know
the real me and I just have this feeling that we will be amazing if you give me a chance
to be my real self with you.”

I was so shocked I could only stare at him, completely frozen for the moment, which he
saw, and realized that maybe he should have given me some reaction time, but it was

too late now, so he stepped back and let his hands find mine again, then said, “I know
you have been focused on your son and his friend, but I have not been able to focus on
anything except all the amazing qualities you have. You have a natural beauty that
shines through in everything you do. When you washed my clothes and wrote me that
note, I actually could not believe someone so wonderful could even exist. Then when I
saw you this morning, cooking breakfast for me, a stranger, with happiness in your
heart, I felt so drawn to you. When you got scared earlier of the bunny and reached for
my hand, I knew I wanted to be the one who protects you forever. When you offered
your food to me without hesitation, I felt the love you carry for others shining bright.
While we were drawing and laughing, seeing your face being so joyful gave me hope in
my heart. And now, being outside with you, seeing your feisty side, reminds me that you
will keep me on my toes in the years to come. I never thought I could ever find
happiness with anyone, since my life is so public and everything is criticized, yet here I
am, standing in front of you, wishing and hoping you will give me a chance to be your
true love. Is it possible that you might feel the same for me, or at least be willing to let
me prove myself to you?”

I felt a lot of things at once, which he immediately saw in my face, since I cannot hide
my emotions at all and for once, I was thankful for it. I took a deep breath, smiled,
nodded, then frowned, bit my lip, and felt tears form in my eyes as I responded, “Joon,
that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I am so afraid of love and
affection that I worry I won’t be good enough for you, since you clearly have a lot of love
to give. I am terrified of having my heart broken when you decide you no longer care for
me anymore. I worry I won’t be good enough for your image, when the world finds out. I
am scared about how things could even work, since we have so many differences. I am
also very proud of myself for how I treat others, and I know I am capable of great things,
given time and patience to do them.”