The plane landed in Seoul at 2:00pm South Korean time. Crystal looked around the gate at the airport, and noticed that there were several men in black suits waiting for them. Mark walked up to her, put an arm around her shoulders, and smiled down at her. She smiled back, and then looked at the entrance to the gate that would lead them through the airport. On the other side of that doorway, there were several hundred girls waiting to catch a glimpse of Got7, and, by association, her. She was starting to get nervous.
"You getting nervous?" Mark asked.
She turned to look at him, and nodded. "I've never had so many eyes on me, as I'm about to have in a few seconds."
"Everything will be ok," he answered, reassuring her greatly.
Somehow, if Mark said it was going to be ok, then it had to be ok, didn't it? How could his eyes betray her; they couldn't. Everything would be ok. She nodded, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The men in suits started ushering them towards the door, and Crystal nervously started to follow.
The flashes of the cameras, and the screaming that found, them instantly overwhelmed her. She plastered a smile on her face, and she nodded and waved when she caught the eye of people. They got to a black nondescript van, and she was ushered in. Got7 got into a different car. Samantha climbed into car with her, and she scooted right up to Crystal.
"Can you believe what just happened?" she asked, giddier than a school girl.
"Oh, I might be sick," Crystal answered, her heart pounding. "I don't think I've ever been photographed as much as I just was."
Samantha turned sympathetic eyes to her. "This is a lot of firsts for you, huh?" Crystal looked at her, and nodded smiling.
The car pulled away from the airport, and started down the street. Crystal looked out the window, taking in everything as they drove down the streets of Seoul. She smiled as she saw the tents that served Soju and street foods, the carts with many different treats, the people milling around. She sighed, and turned to Samantha.
"I really, really do need to remember to thank Brandon."
"Yes," she answered, keeping her eyes plastered to the window. "Otherwise, we would never have been here." She turned to Crystal. "This is going to be a wonderful adventure."
"Most definitely an adventure."
When the van came to a stop, Crystal noticed that they were outside a hotel. There was a gaggle of young girls there too, no doubt wanting to catch a glimpse of her. She turned to Samantha, and sighed deeply. Samantha nodded at her, and gave her hand a squeeze. The doors to the van opened, and Crystal plastered on a smile on her face. There were flashes of cameras, less so than at the airport, and there were many girls, their phones pointed at her. She smiled at them, bowed slightly, and kept walking to the entrance.
Someone said something in Korean, and Samantha nodded. She turned to look at Crystal. "We're going to check you into the hotel. In a couple of hours, Mark will be here with the camera crew of the show, and you're going to go out and about the city, filming a few 'dates' for the show."
"Oh, ok," Crystal said with a nod.
"That gives you enough time for a nap, because if I know you, you didn't sleep enough on the plane."
"Actually," Crystal said, with a smile, and she turned to walk into the hotel.
"Wait, what?" Samantha exclaimed. "You slept on the plane for more than an hour?"
"Twelve, to be precise."
Samantha grabbed Crystal's arms and turned her to face each other. "You weren't panicked on the plane?"
"I was, at first," Crystal nodded. She shrugged. "But somehow, Mark made it ok."
"Mark did?" Samantha asked, a smile spreading on her face. "Mark Tuan made flying ok?"
"Not ok," Crystal answered, turning towards the receptionist again. "Just bearable enough to sleep."
Samantha's mouth dropped as she stared after her friend. Crystal smiled at the receptionist, and turned to look at Samantha. She smiled, and turned back to the receptionists. "Sorry my friend is a little surprised."
"How can I help you?" the receptionist said.
"I'd like to check in, please."
As Crystal gave the receptionist her information, she looked at Crystal in surprise. "You are the fiancée of Mark Tuan from Got7, right?"
"Yes, well soon-to-be fiancée, I guess."
"My sister loves Got7. Her bias is Jackson."
"Oh, he's so wonderfully sweet," Crystal said, nodding. "Every one of them are very nice."
"Oh, well we will be keeping your privacy as well as we can. No fans will be coming into the hotel to bother you, I promise you."
"Thank you, but I don't think they're going to be very interested in me."
"They are, because you're going to be married to Mark, but we will help keep them out of your way, I promise."
Crystal walked, with Samantha, to her hotel room. She looked around the hotel, while Sam turned on the TV. The room was spacious, with two beds. Crystal lied down on one of them, and put her hands behind her back. She turned to Samantha, who was plastered to the TV watching an episode of Weekly Idol. Something funny happened, but Crystal didn't know what. Samantha, however, started laughing. Crystal shook her head, and walked over to the window in the tall building. The window was actually a door, leading to a small balcony outside.
Crystal walked out onto the balcony, and stared dumbfounded. From where she was, she could see the mountain range, and she smiled. There was a soft fog covering some of it, and she just wanted to go and explore it. Directly under her, the hustle and bustle of Seoul was calling to her too. She bit her lip, and turned to look at Samantha.
"So, do I have to exchange my money from American money to Korean money?" she asked.
Samantha turned to look at her. "Some people accept American money, but most people don't." She furrowed her brow. "I guess that would be a yes, you should. Though, it'd be more convenient to pay for whatever you want to buy with a card." Samantha sat up, her eyes glowing. "Why, do you want to go shopping?"
"Like you need any incentive to go out shopping," Crystal answered, grinning.
"But you want to go," Samantha insisted. "That's why you're wanting to know about the money and stuff."
"If you must know, yes, I do."
"We should wait for Mark," Samantha answered. "I think he wants to show you the city, so we should really wait for him."
She had to admit, the prospect of experiencing the city for the first time with Mark was just too wonderful to pass up. She was, however, bored, and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to wait until five when Mark showed up. She turned back to the scenery out on the balcony, and she sighed. She wasn't made to be cooped up. She was used to going out to lessons, or going out with her friends. She bit her lower lip, and stared hard at the mountains.
"Why don't you make a list of things you want to do while you're here? Chances are you can do something on that list tonight with Mark," Samantha said, correctly reading Crystal's mood.
"Right," Crystal said, nodding.
Crystal closed the doors to the balcony, and she walked over to the desk in the hotel room. Pulling up her backpack, Crystal pulled out her laptop, and her notebook.
1. Lotte World
2. Seoul Zoo
3. Trick Eye Museum
4. Ice Museum
5. Coex Aquarium
6. Han River
7. Spa Treatment
8. Shopping
She looked at her list, and nodded. If she was going to be here in the city for the next week, "dating" Mark, then this is what she wanted to do with him. She took her laptop to the bed, and sat with her back on the wall, propping her computer on her lap. She smiled, and looked up all of the activities that she'd written down. They looked like a lot of fun to do, either alone, but even better with a partner in crime. She bit her lower lip, and added eating a lot of Korean food, and drinking Soju in a tent to the list.
There was a knock on the door after she had added those two. Samantha walked up to the door, as Crystal continued to check out on the web, the things that she had written down. She was looking at the Ice Museum, when the she felt the bed dip. She turned, and was very surprised, but very happy, to see Mark there. He smiled at her.
"What are you looking at?"
She blushed. "Touristy stuff," she answered, closing her laptop. He looked at the notebook on the bed, and read what she'd written. She followed his gaze, and blushed again. "I told you, touristy stuff."
"You missed something though," he answered, taking the pen in his hand. He wrote down Namsan Tower. She furrowed her brow, and looked at him. "That's the tower with all the love wishes locked on the fence."
"Oh," she said, nodding. "I was wondering about that tower."
"Where do you want to go first?"
"Huh?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Um, I don't know wherever."
"Let's go," he said, holding up her list, and pointing to one of the items on her list, "eat a lot of Korean food."
Crystal blushed, smiling and nodding.
Mark took Crystal's hand, and led her out of the hotel room. The We Got Married film crew were right outside the room, and Mark had warned her they would be. As they walked down the hall, Mark folded the piece of paper he'd taken from her notebook, and put it in his pocket, hiding the fact that he'd taken it. She turned to look at him, flashed him a big smile. He cleared his throat, feeling the paper in his pocket, and blushed, maybe feeling a little guilty for taking it without her permission. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, still smiling, and for some reason, he blushed even redder. This caused her to laugh.
"You look so cute when you're caught doing something you're not supposed to," she said, smiling joyously up at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, folding his arms over his chest.
She giggled, and sighed. "배고파요 (I'm hungry)," she said, looking at him.
"가자 (let's go)," he answered, leading her through the hotel.
They walked through the lobby, and he could see that there were already scores of fans out on the sidewalk. He turned to look at her, and grinned sheepishly. She smiled at him, an understanding look in her eyes.
"We can go out the back way, if it would make you more comfortable."
"If you want to, that's fine. I, however, think they're going to want to meet me eventually, don't you think?"
Mark smiled. "All right, let's go."
Mark laced his finger with hers, and led her out of the hotel. The fans were screaming, but he noticed that there were a lot more that were looking at her with curiosity. He looked at her, and smiled as he led her down the sidewalk. The camera crew would take care of the fans that were following them, and he wanted to give Crystal a very personal feel of the city. They walked a few blocks, with her looking everywhere, her eyes big and her mouth a small "o" of surprise.
Today he'd take her out to get some food, and maybe to get some street food around the city. He wanted to take the time to read her list before he took her anywhere else. Maybe he could convince the guys to come with him and show her the city, before they got married. This was the dating session of the show, and he wanted to show her a good time. He wanted to make sure that she wasn't disappointed for actually going through with the show.
He would propose to her at Namsoon tower, with a lock of their own. He would decorate it and paint it, maybe with ballet slippers, and converse in front of an American flag. He smiled at the idea. Then he stopped short. That was only for people who were in love, and made wishes. His smile faded slightly. He wasn't in love with her. She was just the fan who got to marry him for the show. When his left arm moved up, and then tugged him, he looked in the direction it had moved. Crystal was looking at him, concern in her eyes.
He smiled at her, and caught up with her. Her gaze stayed on him, seeming to be concerned. He laced his hand with hers, and took her to the first vender that he saw. The vender was selling tteokbokki and eomuk.
Mark pulled Crystal up to the cart, and motioned at it with his free hand. She looked at him, and then turned to the cart. Her eyes widened, and she gasped.
"Tteokbokki!" she said, looking at him again. "And fish cakes on a stick!"
She was so excited. She clapped her hands and hopped up and down twice, and smiled wide at the vendor. Mark looked at the old lady selling the food, and smiled. In Korean he told her that it was his girlfriend's first time to Korea, and she was very excited about the food especially. The lady told him that his girlfriend was very lovely, and because it was her first time to her cart, everything would be free, and she hoped that his girlfriend liked the food. Mark thanked her. Crystal turned to him.
"That's thank you," she said, confidently. Then seemed to remember her saying that she sometimes confused that word with I'm sorry, and lost some of that confidence when she looked at him again. "Isn't it?"
"Yes, it is."
"I'm right!" she exclaimed, and jumped up and down again.
Mark laughed. "맞아요 (you're right), now pick what you want, the vender says that it's free."
"Free?" Crystal asked, looking from Mark to the lady. "But isn't this how she lives? How could we take it for free?"
"When people offer you gifts here, it's impolite to decline," Mark said, nodding. "You don't want to be rude, do you?"
"No," she said, quickly, shaking her head. "I don't want to be rude."
"Besides, if you like it, then we can come again tomorrow, and then we can pay her double." Crystal smiled, and nodded. "Pick what you want, and taste it."
The lady looked at Crystal and smiled. "떡볶이(Tteokbokki)?" she asked.
"내 (yes)."
The vendor gave her a cup full of rice cakes in a red sauce. When the vendor offered him some, he took it, but kept an eye on Crystal. So did the vendor. Crystal didn't seem to notice that she was the center of attention at the moment, even one of the cameras was focused on her reaction. Crystal took a spoonful of the food, and put it in her mouth. She savored it, closed her eyes, smiled and made a very satisfied sound.
"This is so wonderful," she said, after she'd swallowed. "This is soooo much better than what I get at home." She turned to look at him, grinned, and took another mouthful.
Mark turned to look at the vendor, and smiled. He told her that his girlfriend thought the teokbokki was delicious. The vendor smiled, and thanked them both. She then handed Crystal a stick with a fish cake patty on it. Crystal took it, grinning, and biting her lower lip. She took a bite of it, and that same look she'd had with the rice cakes came on her face. She hopped up and down excitedly.
"This is so amazing!" she said, finishing off the fish cake.
The vendor didn't need to be told what Crystal had said. She smiled, laughed, and handed them a few each. Crystal thanked her, in Korean, before turning to look at him for confirmation. He nodded that she'd used the correct word, and he thanked the vendor too. Before they left, she handed them each another cup of rice cakes. Crystal thanked her again, and bowed, before turning to walk away.
Mark took the moment that she was enjoying her food to look at her list of what she wanted to do. He smiled. There was something else that he could do with her, right now, that he was pretty sure that she would love. He quickly folded up her list, and put it away. She had walked up to a bench, and had taken a seat. Mark sat down next to her, enjoying his food, and enjoying her eating her food.
After she had finished, Mark looked over at her. "Ready to eat some more food?"
"You're being far too enabling," she said, smiling. "Yes, I am."
He took her trash, and threw it away, before leading her to the street. There they got a taxi, got into it, and went for a drive. She turned to look at him. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he said, smiling at her. "I promise that you're going to like it."
Both the taxi they were in and the camera crew van pulled up to the docks, and Mark helped Crystal out of the taxi. He also took a scarf that he was wearing, and blindfolded her. She held her hands out, clearly not able to see anything, and Mark took her hand.
"This isn't fair," she said, tightening her hold on his hand.
"You just have to trust me," he answered, leading her down the dock to the waiting ferry.
When the sound of her shoes hitting the ground changed from the asphalt of the street to the wood of the dock, she stopped. Mark chuckled, and pulled her along. She tilted her head from side to side, in what he could only guess was an attempt to figure out where they were. He kept pulling her forward, until they got to the ramp of the ferry.
There was a step, so he took both her hands, and guided her carefully. "There's a step, so be careful," he added, as a precaution.
After she was safely on board, he led her to the inside of the ferry, where they would be served dinner, before the fireworks show. Once she was seated, Mark removed the blindfold. She blinked her eyes several times, as they adjusted to the light in the ferry. She looked around, taking in the décor.
The dining room was large, with several round tables covered with red and gold table cloths. Each table, which seated four, had a single rose in a vase in the center of the table, and several rose petals scattered around the table. She gasped at the room, turned to look at him, and smiled, probably the brightest smile she'd ever given him.
"This place is amazing," she said, touching the table cloth gingerly. "Where are we?"
The boat started moving on the water, and her mouth fell open. Mark laughed, reaching over and closing her mouth. "We're on the Han River," he answered.
She gasped, stood up, and went to the doorway they had walked through. She stared out at the river, at all the shops, the bridges, and the people. Mark walked up behind her, and took her hand. He led her back to the table. She went with him, if somewhat reluctantly. Mark grinned.
"This is a forty-minute tour, excluding dinner and the firework show."
"There's a firework show?" she asked, incredulously.
"Yeah," he answered, as the waiter brought the menus. He looked at the menus, and then at her. "Do you mind if I order for the both of us?"
She put her elbows on the table, leaned into them, and stared at him. "Be my guest."
He turned to the waiter, and ordered the food in Korean. When he turned back to her, he realized she was still staring at him. He furrowed his brow. "What?" he asked, reaching up to make sure his hair wasn't out of place.
"This is going to sound, either very weird, or like I'm a super fanatic fan," she said, leaning back into her chair. "I love watching your mouth when you speak."
Mark blushed. "You're right, it sounds weird."
She chuckled. "One of the differences in languages is pronunciation," Crystal started, as the waiter brought her drink. She smiled at him, thanked him in Korean, and then got back to her conversation with Mark. "It's what makes learning a new language, past the age of 10, difficult. The way that one moves their lips, places their tongue, all of that affects pronunciation, and those are all things that become habit as we grow older." She took a sip of her drink, and closed her eyes savoring it. When she opened her eyes, they were bright with joy.
"So, you're saying that when I speak in English, my pronunciation is different?"
"Yours isn't," she corrected. "That's not true, the pronunciation is different, but the way you move your mouth, the way your tongue peeks out from between your teeth when you speak, it's very Korean." She smiled. "I like the way you speak in Korean and in English."
"Is that what attracts you first?" he blurted, then blushed.
"In guys? My ideal type?" she asked. He nodded. "Funny enough, I don't have a type when it comes to looks, except for lips. I like to watch people's mouths when they talk." She shrugged. "It's weird I know, but I can't help it." She looked down for a second, seemed to think, then she looked back at him. "In personality, I like a man who's confident, and humble, sweet, but strong, most of all someone who can make me laugh."
"You just described each member of Got7 individually," Mark said, grinning.
Crystal laughed. "Here's the thing, I'm a very quiet person, until you get to know me. Even then, when I've said my piece I tend to quiet down. I'm very comfortable in silence, while some people aren't." She shrugged. "I'm also not the type of person to go asking personal questions. Unless I know something is very wrong, I won't ask what's wrong." She smiled, looking down a second. "So, I need someone who will talk without being asked to, and who will ask open-ended questions, so that a conversation happens."
"Are you shy?"
"No, I'm antisocial," she corrected. "I'm not the type to be nosy, and if we had met on the streets, you would never have known I was a fan."
"You wouldn't have asked for an autograph?"
"No," she shook her head. "I wouldn't have bothered you."
"It's not a bother," he answered, taking her hand. "I...we love it when the fans recognize us, it's what makes our lives matter."
"I know," she said, squeezing his hand. "But I also know that if you're out enjoying a museum, or a park, or a meal, that you want to enjoy it in peace. So, I just wouldn't have bothered you."
Mark laughed, shaking his head. "How can you be nice and antisocial?"
"I don't know that antisocial is the best word. I just don't go bothering people. If I have friends to talk with at the moment, great, if I don't, great."
"You're a contradiction, you know that?"
Crystal bit her lip, looked down, and furrowed her brow. "I know, "she said, looking at the table cloth. "I'm very different." She looked up at him. "I'm not your typical girl, or your typical IGOT7."
The food arrived, and Mark just kept staring at her. They started eating the food that Mark ordered. He kept an eye on her, waiting for that look that had come over her at the food cart. He wasn't disappointed. As she ate, first the entrée, then the dessert, Mark watched her eat. When they were both done, she looked up noticing that he was looking at her. She turned a pretty shade of pink, and bit her lip.
"Was I eating like a pig?" she asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"You were eating like someone who enjoys good food," he corrected. "I've never seen anyone eat with that much...enjoyment."
"You haven't seen yourself eat, have you?" she asked, grinning.
The waiter came by, and told Mark that the tour was going to star, and that promptly after, the fireworks were going to happen. Mark thanked him, and turned to Crystal. He smiled, holding out his hand for hers. She took it, tentatively, and he led her out to the deck of the ferry. There in silence, they stayed, watching the scenery of the city.
Crystal watched open-mouthed as the lights of the city turned on. She smiled, looking at all the shops, the people milling around. She noticed the bridge they were coming up to, and she smiled, staring at it in awe. Then she looked up at the sky, and stared at the stars. Mark stood next to her, not understanding how someone could live with that much passion, all the time.
The fireworks started, after a tour of the river, and the sights around it. They were beautiful, bright, and full of inspiration. Crystal smiled, staring at the fireworks show, gasping when one was particularly awe-inspiring. In Marks' opinion, the fireworks were over much too soon. He wanted to spend more time with her tonight, ask her more questions, get to know her more. He had a feeling that she was going to be someone who could make him a better person, if he just listened to her.
As the ferry docked, Mark took her hand. He led her to one of the waiting taxis and opened the door for her. She looked up at him, and smiled. "Thank you so much, for showing me the Han River, and for introducing me to the wonders of Korean food," she said, her eyes bright. "I had a great time."
"Tomorrow, I'll pick you up in the morning, ok?" he asked, not letting go of her hand.
She nodded, and he took in a deep breath, and kissed her cheek. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. When he moved back to look at her eyes, she blushed, looking down. She bit her lower lip, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You should get in the taxi," he said, letting her hand go.
She nodded, and looked up at him briefly, before getting into the taxi. Mark closed the door to the taxi, he told the driver where to go, and he watched as it drove off. Mark took a deep breath, put a hand on his chest, over his wildly beating heart, and shook his head smiling. He cleared his throat again, and got into the waiting taxi.