Chapter 12

We are at the set of Inkigayo today, where Super Junior will be performing ‘U’, and Hee Chul had been emceeing since February. Anya and Eva had surprised them by bringing them kimbap before the show. They were filming an episode of Super Junior Full House on the Inkigayo set today, so Han Kyung and I couldn’t really speak at all since he had to interact with the others for the taping.

They were goofing around, eating and laughing happily. I stayed in the shadows, out of the cameras, and Han Kyung, as he always does, sneaked glances as me. I glared at him briefly on one occasion, and he puffed up his cheeks in defiance at me. He was facing someone else when he did that, but we both knew he’d meant the gesture for me. I waved, and walked out of the room so that I didn’t have to feel so left out.

“Nuna,” Si Won came to me a few minutes later.

“Wae?”

“Han Kyung wanted me to pass this to you,” he said as he handed me a wad of tissue paper.

“Are you asking me to throw your rubbish for you now?” I asked, pretending to be offended.

“Andwae… open it,” he said, and that was when I realized there was something wrapped in the tissue.

I unwrapped it. In it was a slice of kimbap with the carrots and cucumbers rearranged and pressed back into the rice to show a frowning face.

“Hwanajima,” Si Won smiled. “Han Kyung sent me with this message,” he laughed, then he walked off.

I smiled as I looked back down at the kimbap in my hand, and then back up at Si Won’s back as he walked away. There wasn’t a day that these guys didn’t make me smile.

Later on, I watched as they walked onto the stage to perform ‘U’. Anya and Eva sat with the fans and waved blue balloons with them. Sometimes, I wish I could sit there and do the same, but I was a staff, and even if I was able to wave the blue balloon, it will be with the identity of a fan, and never of Han Kyung’s girlfriend.

I was backstage helping out the PAs when we heard a huge commotion.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I looked at the PAs with me.

“Mollayo,” one of them said as she craned her neck to see what was going on.

Then, we saw the guys come in. People were congratulating them as they came in. Si Won, Kang In, Shin Dong and Ee Teuk were crying.

“Waegeurae?” I asked Kyu Hyun as he walked past.

“We won, nuna,” he said tearfully. “We won!”

“Yaa!!!” I screamed in excitement. “Chintcha??!!” And Kyu Hyun nodded.

“Ch’uk’ahamnida!” I said as I hugged him.

It was their first Mutizen award since their debut; I could understand why they were over the moon. I looked up to search for Han Kyung, he wasn’t crying, but he looked as ecstatic as the others were. I longed to run toward him and hug him, but because of the cameras, I couldn’t. For a moment during the commotion, our eyes met, and he smiled warmly at me. I nodded, to acknowledge what his smile said.

“Ch’uk’ahamnida,” I mouthed at him.

“Wo ai ni,” he mouthed back.

The date for Super Junior to visit Malaysia finally rolled around. I was on the flight, on the 10th of July, sitting somewhere behind with the other staff. Super Junior sat in one area, together. We were traveling ahead of TVXQ, who will only arrive in Malaysia on the 12th for the concert. On the agenda of this trip was the filming of the ‘Dancing Out’ MV. Super Junior’s video for a song featured in the 2007 Summer SM Town compilation album. And also a Super Junior’s first photo book, Boys in the City.

During the middle of the flight, just as I was about to walk into the toilet, Han Kyung rushed at me pushing me into the toilet with him and closing the door.

“Ni feng le?” I exclaimed at him. “We’re gonna be in trouble if we get caught.”

“Hehe,” he laughed. “Wo bu guan,” he added, and he kissed me.

“Ni shi bien tai le ma?” I hissed at him as I pulled away.

I’ll admit that the adrenaline surge from doing this was making me really high. But the fear of getting caught was stronger, so I tried to push him off.

“I just want a minute with you,” he said, looking a little bewildered from my rough reaction.

“But not in the toilet, on the plane!” I half yelled at him. “What do you take me for? Ni dang wo shi shen me?”

“Dui bu qi,” he said, and he put his arms around me.

“Bien tai!” I scolded him.

“Dui bu qi ya…” he whined as he pulled me close for a hug. “I just missed you to much. I didn’t get to see you alone for the past few days while preparing for this trip.”

“I know, I know… I missed you too,” I said, and I hugged him back.

He tilted my head up and kissed me again. This time, I returned his kiss. This is really kinda fun, kissing in the toilet on an airplane, albeit being a little unhygienic.

“Hyung!” we heard Si Won tap on the door. “I know you’re in there. Get out now. The manager’s coming.”

We quickly opened the door and I pushed Han Kyung out as fast as I could.

“Thanks, Si Won,” I said, before I closed the door.

“Is there someone in the toilet?” I heard the manager say moments later. “Why are you all lining up here?”

“Someone’s been in there for ages,” Si Won said, laughing.

“Really?” the manager said, and then, I opened the door.

“Sorry,” I smiled, and started walking back to my seat.

After that close call, the rest of the flight was uneventful as Han Kyung kept his distance in case the manager caught on. Other than when we had an impromptu birthday celebration for Hee Chul, we didn’t come close to each other.

“Thanks guys,” Hee Chul laughed and I tossed him a small box.

“Saengil ch’uk’ahae!” I said.

“What’s this? You actually bought me a present?” he said incredulously as he shook the box.

“Yes I did, Cinderella,” I laughed.

“Thanks, Little Mermaid,” he said.

He’d taken to call me a the Little Mermaid, in line with his usual Disney nicknames, because he insists that I’m not human, and that I’m probably from the sea or something, the main reason being my signature dance steps.

“You dance like a fish,” he once told me.

“Huh?”

“You’re all flowy and it’s like as if you were dancing underwater or something,” he said.

“How would you know how it is to be dancing underwater?” I asked him.

“I don’t,” he said.

“Then why do you say I do?”

“You just look like it to me,” he laughed, and that was the only explanation he ever really offered for his nickname for me.

The plane finally landed in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and it was almost 12am. As we alighted the plane, the sense of familiarity overwhelmed me. I’m home after years of being abroad.

“Kwaench’ana?” Si Won asked me as I stopped just outside the gate, before we entered the airport area where all the restaurants and shops were.

“Kwaench’ana,” I smiled. “It’s just strange to be back home after so many years.”

“I bet it is,” he smiled. “Come on,” he said, and steered me gently, by the elbow, to catch up with the rest.

“Mei shi ma?” Han Kyung asked me as I caught up with him.

“Mei shi,” I smiled. “Just didn’t realize how much I missed home.”

“I’d almost forgotten this is where you’re really from. I’ve always felt as if you were from Beijing, like I was,” he laughed softly. “Do you want to get anything from the shops? Will you be meeting your family?”

“Probably not, since our schedule is so tight.”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” I replied and punched him affectionately.

At the immigration, Han Kyung ran into some visa problems.

“You guys go ahead and board the bus to the hotel,” one of the managers said. “We’ll catch up with you guys later.”

We were pleasantly surprised by the turnout of fans who’d come to see Super Junior. We’d initially thought that Super Junior was pretty unknown in Malaysia, but it turns out that they were almost on par with TXVQ. We were stalked all the way to the Regent Hotel, and at the hotel, there were fans crowded at the door.

“I didn’t think we were that famous,” Ee Teuk said.

“You’re as famous as TVXQ in Malaysia,” I said.

“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Ee Teuk said.

“Of course you guys are. Or else, why would there be people chasing you like this?”

It wasn’t till 4am that Han Kyung was released, and despite having reached the hotel at 5 am, he had to join the team for the shoot the next morning. The photo shoot and also the filming of their ‘Dancing Out’ MV was held at the KLCC Park.

“It’s so hot!!!” the guys were yelling between breaks.

“Take off your shirts,” I laughed from the sidelines. “Make your fans go crazy.”

Groups of fans had followed us here and were watching from afar. The crew had to make sure they didn’t rush forward and interrupt the photo shoot or filming process. During their breaks, there were fans who managed to get close enough to talk to the guys, and I just smirked whenever any of them caught my eye. It was so cute how they were so excited and happy with the attention they were getting. Malaysia would definitely be a memorable place for them.

“Shing bu shing?” I asked Han Kyung, who looked visibly tired.

“I had a nap on the sofa at the coffee place, with Kang In,” he laughed.

“You guys didn’t get jumped on?” I laughed.

“Nope” he laughed as he stretched. “Turns out, Malaysian fans are pretty tame.”

“You just haven’t been attacked,” I laughed. “Wait till you meet some desperate, stalker fan,” I warned him, and he just laughed and nudged me playfully.

Chinese Notes:

Wo ai ni.
I love you.

Ni feng le?
Have you gone mad?

Wo bu guan.
I don’t care.

Ni shi bien tai le ma?
Have you gone insane ?

Ni dang wo shi shen me?
What do you take me for?

Dui bu qi.
I’m sorry.

Bien tai!
Insane / crazy / sick!

Dui bu qi ya…
I’m sorry…

Mei shi ma?
Is everything alright? / Is there a problem?

Mei shi.
No problem.

Shing bu shing?
Can you handle it? / Can you carry on?