*.☽.*
I immediately went inside my room and ran to sit in front of my desk where my laptop was. When I was asked to enter a keyword to start searching, I couldn't think of any. I don't know where to start but as I closed my eyes to try and remember his face, I started to type random words like "Korean actor" and "Korean idol". I went to look at the images but none of them resembled the guy I met earlier this afternoon.
I drummed my fingers on my desk as I tried to think of something else. I typed "Celebrities in Korea". I clicked on the images tab and started scrolling down hoping I would find a familiar face. I was doing the same thing for a few minutes when Aunt Sunny called me for dinner.
*.☽.*
Aunt Sunny prepared a delicious dinner. My heart fluttered when I saw Samgyeopsal on the table because it was one of my favorite dishes. My cousin Jihye was already on the table with her plate full but her eyes were glued to her phone. My uncle usually went home late so he wouldn't be able to eat dinner with us tonight.
I sat and ate with them on the dining table but my mind started to wander somewhere else. I tried to close my eyes making sure I still remembered his face.
"Are you okay Hae Won?" My aunt's voice startled me.
"Uh yes, Auntie. Sorry, the food was so delicious, I needed to close my eyes for a moment. " I answered jokingly.
She laughed at my remark. "You like to eat just like your mom."
She was right, my mom and I like to eat very much. Since I was young, I never said no to any food. Well, minus the extremely exotic ones of course.
After a few minutes of munching and chewing, my cousin, who was seated next to me, shrieked. I almost choked that I had to immediately grab the glass of water in front of me.
My aunt and I looked at her in surprise. She was holding her phone and seemed like she read or saw something that made her react that way.
"What's wrong Jihye?" I asked her when I was able to finally swallow my food.
"It's number one! He's number one!" She answered me causing me to be more confused.
"Huh?"
"Eonnie, it's my favorite singer! He topped the charts!" She sounded so happy. "Oh my gosh, this is so amazing. I have to tell my friends." She added as she started to type like crazy.
I just looked at her not knowing how to react exactly to my aunt who was still eating and didn't seem to care about her teenager's sudden outbreak.
"You'll get used to her Haewon," Auntie told me.
I nodded in response.
"You should listen to his songs Eonnie, he has the most beautiful voice, I swear. And he's also very handsome."
"What's his name?" I asked out of curiosity as I grabbed my phone, ready to search for her favorite singer.
"By-" She stopped halfway before she started yelling. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! He's on TV! Mom, please let me watch his performance. I promise I'll do my homework right after." She begged breathlessly.
I looked at my aunt's reaction and for a moment there she seemed to disagree with her.
"Please. Please. Please, Mom." Jihye begged once more. "I swear, I will study very hard after the show."
"Okay but-" My aunt was not even finished talking yet when Jihye sprinted out of the dining room to the living room.
I laughed at them because Jihye moved really fast. The house wasn't that big so, in just a matter of seconds, Jihye was already in front of the TV.
"Sometimes, I wonder where she gets her energy when it comes to her favorite celebrities. I just hope she has the same energy when it comes to studying." I heard my aunt say.
"She's very cute Auntie," I commented smiling while I watched Jihye panic in the living room.
"Oh my gosh!!! He's going to sing his new song!!!" Jihye screamed like crazy.
"She must like him very much," I muttered.
"Well, that singer's good." Auntie said as she stood to gather the dishes on the table. "I like him too." She smiled at me. "But never tell Jihye about this, okay?"
I chuckled at my aunt's revelation.
"Well lucky you Auntie, I am good at keeping secrets," I replied and we both laughed.
I also stood until I was finished eating too. I offered to wash the dishes but she didn't let me.
"Why don't you go watch with Jihye Please look after her, I'm scared she might faint anytime."
I nodded laughing.
I went to the living room and as I got closer I could hear someone on the TV. It was a man's voice and I stopped on my feet when it sounded a little familiar.
"Eonnie!!" I heard Jihye call as she signaled me to come near her. "He's about to sing."
I walked and stood right next to her.
"Are you sure I'm going to like him?" I asked Jihye trying to tease her.
"100%! Baekhyun is Perfect!" She replied enthusiastically.
I smiled at her before darting my eyes on the TV.
I first saw the pretty host on the screen before it was focused on the guest. Right at that exact moment, I found myself swallowing hard when I finally saw the singer Jihye was talking about.
Right at the same time, I had a flashback of what happened this afternoon. Especially the part where I saw his bare face.
I could see the same face on TV. His black hair was down covering some parts of his eyes. He was wearing a white button-down long-sleeved top, black pants, and white sneakers. He was seated on the couch in front of a beautiful female host.
"Baekhyun, would you please sing a song for us?" The host asked.
He smiled and nodded at her before standing up and headed to the other part of the set. There was a big, black piano and he sat in front of it.
I held my breath realizing that he was going to play the piano.
"Oh my gosh, Eonnie! He's going to play the piano!!" Jihye shrieked once more but I didn't have the chance to reply anymore when he started to play.
My heart hammered the moment he started to sing. Jihye was right. He has a very good voice. He had a very beautiful voice color. He was singing a love song and his facial expressions caught me speechless. It sounded so emotional.
"Eonnie, I'm going to cry! He's handsome!!"
Ji Hye was right. He was handsome.
I can't believe what I am seeing. He was the same guy. It was him up there. As I dwell on the thought that I almost killed him, it makes my stomach churn.
And as if what I was seeing wasn't enough yet, the camera zoomed in on his pretty hands as they played with the piano keys, reminding me of what happened to his hand.
"Oh my!" I gasped, a hand covering my mouth causing my cousin to look at me.
"I told you Eonnie, he's really good! He's good, right? Right?!"
I nodded in response.
When his performance ended, Ji Hye clapped her hands so hard. Mine, on the other hand, went stiff, my knees somehow weakened so I slowly sat on the sofa right behind us.
The remaining part of the show was purely him answering questions about his new album and possible tours in the future.
I noticed that he has a bright personality. He kept on smiling. His speaking voice was really good too. He seemed to know what he was doing. The way he answered each question thrown at him and the way he communicated with the viewers. He also made a few jokes which made the host and the live audience laugh. I would have laughed too if I wasn't so tense.
The show ended and I still kept thinking of a reason why he was up there. What was someone as famous as him doing in this town?
"What's his name again?" I asked.
"Baekhyun." Ji Hye replied immediately. "Byun Baekhyun."
"Byun Baekhyun." I let his name roll on my tongue for the first time. "Is he famous?"
"Very very very famous. He's Korea's top male singer. He has so many songs and collaborations and all of them always hit the top spot. He has won many awards and he's not just famous here in Korea but also other countries."
"Really?"
Jihye nodded.
"My dream is to attend his concert. My mom won't let me so I told myself after I graduate High School, I will look for a part-time job to earn money for my concert ticket." She said eagerly.
"Have...have you ever seen him in person?" I asked her again.
"No." She pouted. "He must be very handsome in person."
"Yes, very," I replied as I recalled his handsome face this afternoon, totally unaware that I was thinking out loud.
"What?! Eonnie! You haven't seen him in person, right? Did he perhaps have a concert in Australia?"
"Ah, no no no, I haven't seen him yet." I denied. "I haven't heard of him when I was in Australia too."
"Ahhh." Jihye muttered. "That's right. Anyway Eonnie, you should give his songs a listen. You will surely love his voice-"
Ji Hye's sentence was cut when Auntie appeared in the living room, telling her to start doing her homework. I saw how my cousin's shoulders slumped as she stood to go to her room.
"Are you going to continue watching the TV, Haewon?" Auntie asked.
"No Auntie, I'm going to my room now. Have a good night." I told her before leaving.
*.☽.*
BYUN BAEKHYUN
I typed and after a few seconds, I was bombarded with his images. I couldn't help but be amazed by his visuals. He has tried several hair colors before like all shades of brown, red, silver, and blonde. He all looked good in those hair colors but I had come to agree that black was his best hair color. He had the most beautiful brown eyes which automatically turned into crescent when he smiled. His eye smiles were one of the most beautiful ones I have seen. He has a button nose and a pair of incredibly thin lips. His smile---this person even has the most beautiful teeth. Was he for real?
Yes, he was real. I even saw him. I told myself.
I clicked on his information.
BYUN BAEKHYUN
SINGER
South Korea
MAY 06 1992, 27 years old.
Below is a list of his songs and projects.
I watched some of his music videos that night.
Maybe I watched a little too much so I decided to stop at 2 AM.
*.☽.*
I was lying on my bed facing the ceiling.
Should I consider myself lucky for a real-life encounter with Byun Baekhyun? Was that a good thing? I didn't know but there was one thing I am sure of, I should not tell anyone about this.
"I just really hope he doesn't sue me."
I heard myself saying before I closed my tired eyes and let myself sleep that night.
*.☽.*