Call Me Noona

Chapter 26 - Hiatus (Yep, this one is mature too)

We were easily spotted in the airport, even with his ball cap and mask, and fans were taking our picture. We were holding hands and Minhyuk just pulled me closer against him, as he waved to them. We weren't hiding anymore, and he was proud to have me by his side.

We approached the airline check-in counter and I was about to find out our destination. I was trying not to bounce in anticipation as I watched the ticket agent's face. He handed her the tickets and turned to watch me as the agent read the ticket. When she said Maui, I almost squealed out loud. I bounced and grabbed Minhyuk's arm, "Maui? Chincha? I have always wanted to go there!" The agent was trying not to laugh as Minhyuk told her it had been a surprise. She leaned to me as she handed him back the tickets and whispered, "enjoy your vacation. Fighting! We are all rooting for you!" I looked at her wide-eyed and smiled back. I thanked her and shot her a finger heart.

I was floating through the airport, or maybe it was the moving sidewalk thing, but it felt like I was floating. I turned to Minhyuk and held his shirt with both hands and he wrapped his arms around me. "You are really good at keeping secrets. I can't believe we are going to Maui!"

"I am glad you are happy. This will be the first of many trips. I want to show you the world, Sunny-ah," he tilted his head so that the bill of his cap rested on my head and we heard squealing nearby. There was a group of girls that had spotted us. They were either filming us or taking our picture, so we just waved to them. Minhyuk shocked everyone when he gave me a toe-curling kiss, leaning me backward like in an old movie. The girls all swooned and kept recording. This was just not something you do in Korea.

"Wow, that was... wow," I said out of breath when I was upright again. He smiled at me and acted innocent. I knew it was for the benefit of the fans, but I was the one really getting the upside of it. "Our vacation isn't exactly going to be private, is it?" I laughed.

"As private as I can make it. Monbebes are everywhere. I am used to it, but I know you aren't yet. Sometimes I want to hide away from them just to have some privacy," he said with a hint of sadness, "but they are the reason we have a career so I am thankful to them every day." His comment melted my heart. This was the reason I had loved being a Monbebe for so many years.

"I just fell a little more in love with you, Lee Minhyuk and I did not think that was possible." He looked at me with a curious expression. "Fans are a direct reflection of a group. You boys are really humble and you adore us Monbebes. We truly feel it through every interaction. The fact that you could easily, and somewhat justifiably, resent your fans but are grateful instead just verified that to me." He smiled and kissed me again. The fans kept their distance, but stayed with us as long as they could. They were not heading to our gate.

It was a 9-hour flight and we were comfortable in our business class seats. I took out my sketch pad and drew him while he rested. He played some games on his phone. We talked. We napped. We watched some episodes of a K-drama together. It was so normal. I was still in shock that this was my life now, that this man was the one in my heart. I did not realize that I was staring at him and when he caught me, he asked what was wrong.

"Nothing is wrong. Absolutely nothing. I was just thinking about how lucky I am and how this is a dream come true." My eyes filled with tears and I smiled up at him. "I love you, MinMin." He nuzzled my lips and stroked my hair.

"I love you too, Jagiya."

Minhyuk had more than a surprise destination up his sleeve... he had rented a private villa on the beach for us. It was incredibly romantic and breathtakingly beautiful. With the 19-hour time difference, we had actually arrived before we left, which was hard to grasp to my tired brain. We freshened up and ordered room service. I texted Nikki and Halmeoni that we had made it to the room safely and then walked out to the beach while Minhyuk talked to the guys for a moment. He joined me and slipped his arms around my waist and looked over my shoulder at the waves. We were standing ankle deep in the water and it was so warm and inviting. I told him I wanted to come out after we ate and got settled in.