"Yes." He said it nonchalantly, his smile growing wider.

Jackie laughed. "Shit, no. How the hell did this happen?" She raised her glass of wine so she could reposition herself on the other couch. "A famous Korean actor in my living room." She put the glass back down on the table, and looked expectantly at him and then Trish.

Trish stiffened on the couch. "We should keep it a secret that he's here." She braced her arm against the cushion. Trish looked over to In-ho for any kind of emotional cue. She felt like she'd been caught. She was saved by In-ho's answer.

"It's part of Trish's job to help me out, Jackie. Can you be cool about this, please?" He moved on the couch, leaning forward to look at Jackie. He clasped his hands in front of him, looking directly at her. "I'm trying to be incognito going up the coast."

"I'm so shook." She moved over to her phone on the coffee table, picked it up, and started to swipe. "Marcy is going to be kicking herself when she finds out she missed this."

In-ho shot into action. He sat up, using a new stern tone in his voice. "Actually, I'd like it if no one found out about this. If you could tell no one, I'd appreciate it." Jackie stopped swiping and looked up from her phone as he continued. "I'm trying to just quietly go to my reunion, and back to LA to finish a shoot for something else. My agency wouldn't like any publicity photos that aren't approved. They could look unfavorably on it. Of course like Trish said, it is part of her job."

Trish stepped in to add, "I don't want to lose my job, Jackie. This really needs to be a secret. We weren't going to tell anyone. Just be cool, okay?" Trish swallowed, trying to calm her nerves. She didn't want to upset Jackie, but she had to convince her. She tried again. "Really. I didn't think anybody would know him here. He wanted to go local for awhile." She waved her hand around the room where all the items were arranged around the room like they were during their colleges days just a few months before. "You know, relax and hangout like a normal person."

Jackie glanced over to Trish and back to In-ho. "Okay, okay. I get it." She held out her hand. "I won't tell anyone. No TikTok. No IG. I promise." She put her phone away.

Trish let out her breath. "Thanks Jackie. I owe you one."

"Hey, you've given me a thrill of a lifetime. I can tell my grandkids, right?" She winked at In-ho.

"You'll have a favor from a K-pop star. I'll even sign the DVD, just so they'll know I was really here. Just no photos, okay?" In-ho took the box for the K-drama, and asked, "You got a pen?"

Jackie started to look around the coffee table, and found a pen tucked under some of the books. "Sure. I'd appreciate that. It's okay to tell the story later, right?"

Trish looked over to In-ho. He answered again, "Don't tell anyone for awhile. Give it several months. Like even next year would be better." He took the pen and signed the box. It read: Woo In-ho. Thank you for keeping my visit a secret. Tell the grandkids.

When Jackie saw the inscription, she laughed, putting the case back on the coffee table. "You know, I think I'll call it a night." She picked up the remote. "If you want to finish the episode, that's fine."

"No. That's okay. I'd actually like to try to get to sleep now," In-ho answered. There was still an awkward strain in his voice. Trish could feel the party atmosphere had been killed by the awkward discovery of In-ho's identity. Besides, she felt the day catching up with her too.

"Sure thing, In-ho." Jackie shook her head. "Can I at least tell Marcy later?"

"MUCH later," In-ho emphasized the word much. "At least several weeks from now. I'll be out of the country by then." His voice was gentle and kind. Like he was trying to make up for being harsh earlier.

Jackie huffed out a sigh, and shook out her arms. She seemed to be more relaxed, and smiled at In-ho. "Okay. You all have a good night. I don't think Marcy would believe me anyway. At least I have the signed case, and you'll back me up, right Trish?" She gave an impish smile.

"In several weeks. Yes." She nodded to Marcy and motioned to In-ho. "When he's back in Korea." She tried to not let that thought close around her heart. That he would eventually have to go back.

Marcy started walking down the hallway, stretching, then waved, with her back to them. "Good night. See you in the morning."

In-ho and Trish echoed together, "Good night."

Trish leaned back on the couch. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how much Jackie was a fan of K-dramas or that she would recognize you."

"I don't mind meeting fans. But I don't want anyone knowing I'm doing this trip. It is a secret."

"Is it wrong to go see old friends? Or is it you don't want someone else to know you're doing it?"

He looked away and didn't answer the question. Instead, he paused and said, "I'd rather not say why I want to keep it a secret. I do like going local when I can. It reminds me of living in the States before. I really miss being on my own like this." He looked off away from her for a moment. "It's comforting to be back near somewhere that I have good memories."

There it was again. That sadness she sometimes saw in his eyes, like back in the trailer when she first met him. She moved to get up. "I'll let you get to sleep."

He reached out for her. "Don't leave yet."

She eased herself back down. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just nice to have someone to talk to. Or even to understand that," he stopped for a second, "this reunion is hard for me."

"I know." Trish leaned forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "But they can be fun. Seeing all those people you used to hang out with. How long has it been since you've seen them?"

"A little over seven years." In-ho leaned back and put his legs up on the table.

Trish could feel the cushions move next to her as he readjusted. "Then, you'll have a lot to talk about. I mean, you can tell them you're famous now?"

Closing his eyes, he said, "They knew I was going back to Korea to work on my music and start a career."

"When did you go back?" Trish put her arm under her head, studying him.

In-ho seemed to be lost in his thoughts. He kept his head back, and she could see his eyelashes. His face had a perfect complexion. His voice grew softer. "Just when I turned seventeen. You have to start young to make it there. As it was, that was almost too late." He took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and turned his head towards her. "It's an all in or die commitment." He raised his leg, placing his hand on his knee. "I lived in the dorms, studied and worked hard at developing my music when I got back in Korea. I didn't do anything else until I debuted when I was twenty. I lived with the band."

"You all lived in one place?"

"The dorms all have rooms where we shared with bunk beds. Sometimes we'd take turns cooking. It mostly fell to me and Dae-Hyun to cook in the end. We were the best at it. But also, the agency had a food service that helped with some prepared meals to keep us on a diet."

"That must have been tough. Getting ready." Trish leaned more on the cushion, happy to see him opening up.

"We spent hours training our dance moves, voice class, and recording the songs. It's a lot of work. It's kind of nice to have a break right now."

Trish sat up, spreading her hands in a revelation. "But here you are now. A famous K-pop star and actor. They'll all probably be jealous at your old school." She put her hands on her hips. "I have an idea. Why don't you walk in there as the pop star that you are? Impress that group you knew back in the day."

"Because I want to go in as me. In-ho."

She looked into his eyes, sensing the hurt again. There was more going on inside of him. She leaned back. She could tell he was going through some internal struggles that he was dealing with and she'd walked right into the middle of it back in that trailer during the video shoot. He was more than just his bio or his pictures on the albums. He was more than just the music. He was a human being, with needs and wants that seemed to be ignored and he had no one to share it with. She was getting that message again. She had walked in at a time that he really needed a friend. Or maybe more than a friend. She stopped the flutter in her stomach with that thought.

She shook her head and took a deep breath to steady herself. She needed to settle and try to focus on the real In-ho. That's what he seemed to want. He wanted someone to see the real In-ho. She realized what she needed to do.

"In-ho, I'm here. I see you. I'm trying to see the real you, too. And I'll help you at the reunion. Not because it's my job, but because I'm getting to know you as a friend, too. " She put her hand on his, and gripped it. "And it can be a simple date or an outing with two friends."

"Just friends on an outing, with maybe a date?" He added the question on the end with a smile. "You took my breath away on the shoot, you know. You don't seem to know how beautiful you are."

Trish was taken aback. He continued on before she could answer.

"I don't know why, but just looking at you makes me smile and want to just—" he stopped mid-sentence.

She leaned forward towards him. "And?"

"Let's wait for later. Somewhere more private." He nodded his head towards the hallway. "It will give me a chance to get some rest before tomorrow, too."

She was expecting him to say something like that. But she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. All she wanted to do was kiss him right then. But with Jackie knowing who he was, it wouldn't be a good idea, especially after pointing out he was associated with her new job.

"Getting a good night's sleep sounds like the right thing to do." She got up and turned, "Sleep well, In-ho."

"You too, Trish."

She started walking down the hallway, and everything inside her kept her feet moving down the hall, and not turning around and laying on top of In-ho. What was she going to do?

She got in Marcy's bed and laid back. Sleep was difficult knowing he was just in the other room. She took a deep breath and reviewed some of the situation. In-ho was going to have to go back to Korea. All this could be leading to was a terrific fling. A fling that could jeopardize her new job, too. But then, he did say she calmed him and keeping him company through this reunion was something that was good to do. But the butterflies in her stomach were dictating something else. Could she just offer friendship and keep the other feelings brewing calm? The longing welled up again. How come she felt this way towards him?

He was just so different. Gorgeous and sexy one minute. Hurt and confusing the next. He was a whole roller coaster of a guy. She'd never met anyone that made her feel like this before. It just sucked that she was meeting him this way. But then again, if she didn't have this job, she wouldn't have met him. It was a Catch 22. Damned if she did, and regret if she didn't.

It was her job to make him comfortable and happy, not sleep with him. Not to mention she didn't want to go the whole sexual harassment route. Not like she would, but mutual kissing couldn't be that. Especially since she felt a longing for his lips on hers right now. She knew she was walking through a gray area. Could she take the risk?

She'd already taken a cold enough shower. She turned over trying to get comfortable again. She wanted to break into this profession, and spent all that time in college getting ready for an opportunity like this. No matter how cute the guy or how she felt about him, she was not going to give up this opportunity. No. She couldn't risk it. It was hard to fall asleep. She kept thinking of In-ho sleeping out on the couch, and how she wanted to wrap herself around him. Feel his arms around her. With those thoughts of being next to him, she fell asleep.