Moon

by Violette Paradis

  But what was he going to do?

  His eyes found the pool and the jacuzzi.

  Being a pop star was like running on a hamster wheel. He was always writing, recording, rehearsing, dancing, promoting, or performing. There were no weekends in the life of a k-pop star.

  Sam was right. Kimoon had to think about himself every once in a while. He had to listen to his heart, his desires. He couldn’t work this hard without taking time for himself. He deserved a day of rest, especially since tonight kicked off the tour where they’d be traveling for the next nine months.

  He looked around the room again. The jacuzzi and penthouse suite would have looked a lot more appealing without the wet towels, the soaked clothes, and the half-eaten plates of food everywhere.

  Kimoon signaled for cleaning service before stepping out into the hallway. He stood at the railing which looked down at the hotel lobby and the restaurant area.

  As he stared absently down at the people walking through the hotel, he saw a familiar blond head of hair. Vanessa walked across the lobby, sitting down at one of the restaurant tables in the corner by the waterfall.

  Kimoon’s heart beat hard in his chest.

  He didn’t waste any time. He adjusted his clothes and hair in the reflection of the wall before pulling away toward the elevators.

  Going against everything he had done for the past five years, he was listening to his heart. Yes, his heart knew what it wanted. It was singing out loud and clear.

  ***

  Vanessa sat at the restaurant table stirring a coffee. She had a perfect view to watch people walk through the lobby beyond the waterfall that separated the two sections of the main floor.

  As she watched absently and listened to the smooth jazz playing over the speakers, she thought about the last time she truly took time to relax.

  It felt like ever since she graduated from school and took the job as a secretary, she had been living life on auto-pilot. She didn’t even realize how fast time was ticking by.

  Now that she had time to sit back and relax, she found herself seeing the forest for the trees.

  She needed something new in her life. She needed something to invigorate her and she hoped this trip would do exactly that.

  Maybe some time with her sister would encourage her to kick-start a new life back home.

  Maybe she could apply for a new job or sign up to take some classes at the nearby school.

  Or maybe she’d try online dating.

  She didn’t want anything serious, not like last time. She just wanted to dip her toes back into the dating scene. She wanted to know that romance was possible again.

  Still stirring her coffee, she let her thoughts wander to the mysterious man from earlier. Beyond the smell of coffee, she swore she could still smell his clean masculine scent of citrus and wood.

  “Phanessa?” A deep voice asked.

  Pulled from her reverie, she looked up at the man standing over her table.

  There he was.

  Kimoon was in a brand new outfit but his deep voice, elven features, and magnetic eyes were unmistakable.

  “Kimoon,” she said, unsure if she was saying it right.

  She must have done something right because he smiled.

  He pointed at the chair opposite her.

  “Can I?”

  “Oh, of course.” She gestured for him to sit.

  With his back to the entrance, he sat and leaned forward onto his knees, keeping intense eye contact with her. Though he was wearing a headband, his hair still fell into his eyes. The headband revealed his pointed sideburns. She couldn’t believe how insanely cute he was.

  Now that they were in better lighting, she could see all the details she couldn’t see in the dim taxi. She noted how broad his shoulders were, how tall he was, how smooth and flawless his skin looked.

  She timidly lifted the coffee cup to her lips.

  “So,” she asked between sips. “Are you staying here?”

  She gestured at him, then to the hotel.

  He thought about his words before answering. “Yes. Where… where are you from?”

  She smiled. “New York.”

  “Ahh.” He nodded. “New York City.”

  “No, not the city. New York state.”

  He pointed to himself. “I’ve been.”

  “To New York City?”

  He nodded. “I love New York City hot dogs.”

  She laughed. “Is that the only thing?”

  “And… I love New York City dancing.”

  “Oh, yes. The dancing there is incredible. Do you mean street dancing or Broadway?”

  Clearly she got too fast and fancy with her words because he was staring at her trying to parse her words. The sound of the nearby fountain drowned out the silence. She clearly lost him.

  She bit her lip and looked down at her coffee, stirring the foam until it dissolved.

  His gaze traveled down to her hands watching as she stirred the foam into the coffee. They both watched as it dissolved.

  Reaching over the table, he pointed at her bracelet.

  “Very nice.”

  “Oh, this? Thank you.” She gestured to herself. “I made this.”

  “You?” His eyes grew wide.

  She nodded.

  “Wow!” He took her wrist in his gentle hands and inspected the bracelet. “How?”

  “It’s a mix of wire and thread.” She mimed the movements needed to twist the materials together. “I know this looks ridiculous but I hope this makes some sense.”

  He nodded as if listening with the deepest focus. As he inspected the bracelet, his finger touched the inside of her wrist soft like a feather grazing her skin. She looked up into his eyes, wondering if he could feel her pulse frantically beating under his touch.

  His eyes met hers. His touch lingered. The waterfall rushed beside them.

  “I like that,” he said. His gaze held hers as he reclaimed his hand.

  She left her hand on the table in case he felt inclined to touch her again.

  She pointed at his scarf. “I like your bold fashion choices. It reminds me of that band my sister likes.”

  “Oh, my scarf?” He pointed at the floral fabric on his head and smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You know, your English is pretty good. You don’t need that phone.”

  “I’m learning...”

  “At the university?” She asked.

  “Hopefully. But, for now, I can practice with you.”

  She smiled. The sound of a saxophone playing slow jazz wailed over the speakers. His dark curious eyes stared at her.

  “What?” She asked, taken aback.

  “You,” he said. “You are beautiful.”

  She bit back a smile. “Thank you.”

  The lights dimmed as the lunch service ended. Jazzy piano injected the air with sexy sophistication.

  “Who are you?” She asked, watching him with keen eyes.

  The corners of his lips turned up into a slight smile.

  “A dreamer,” he said.

  She laughed. “A dreamer?”

  He nodded. “The world… to me… I see colors,” he said in his Korean accent. “Colors and songs.”

  “You’re an artist?” She asked. “I mean, you clearly like to take creative risks, and you recognize art when you see it.” She held her bracelet up.

  The bracelet caught his attention again.

  “You…” He sat in careful concentration for a moment. “Make more.”

  “I should make more bracelets?”

  He nodded. “Make art.”

  She looked at her bracelet and admired it. “Maybe you’re right. You know, I’ve been stuck at this stupid receptionist job and there’s nothing wrong with it. I’m just mad at myself for not pushing myself more. You know, I went to school for art?”

  She looked up at him as if expecting a response. Instead, he was staring at her with soft amusement.

  “Your voice,” he said, “is beautiful.”
<
br />   Her cheeks grew hot. “You’re full of compliments today. You probably give girls all sorts of compliments all the time, don’t you?”

  She knew he didn’t understand this because he stared at her as if she was a shiny piece of gold found at the top of a mountain.

  His phone rang and he signaled to her that he needed a moment.

  “Yeoboseyo?”

  As he was busy on his phone, Vanessa thought about Kimoon’s words. He was right. It was easy to feel complacent but she had so much more to offer. The attention her bracelet received was proof of that.

  And it wasn’t just what Kimoon was saying, but how he was saying it. His words sounded like poetry. He was living proof that there was room for art in this world.

  As she listened to Kimoon speak in his beautiful deep Korean cadence, she watched him wistfully. He was pensive and careful when he spoke.

  Vanessa found herself unapologetically staring at him as if she knew him personally. He was sweet, sensitive, and he fostered her ambitions more than what's-his-name ever did, all in one afternoon.

  Kimoon put his phone away.

  “Joesonghabnida,” he said. “Sorry.”

  “That’s fine.” She put her own phone away. “Are you from Seoul?”

  He nodded.

  “Do you want to tour with me?” He asked.

  “You want to give me a tour of Seoul?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded. “Okay but I have to be back by five.”

  “Perfect.” He looked at her with a big smile.

  Standing up, he put his hand out.

  Was this real? He wanted her to hold his hand? That seemed a bit… intimate.

  She timidly put her hand out and he took it confidently in his.

  “Come.” He walked out of the restaurant and through the lobby as she kept up behind him.

  They were getting looks but who wouldn’t when they were dressed like this? Kimoon was in his sexy motorcycle jacket and floral headband, while Vanessa was wearing her skirt and trendy top.

  As they stepped outside, the warm air blew through her hair. Kimoon tightened his grip on her hand, interlacing their fingers. The gesture was insanely intimate and only became more-so the longer their hands were clasped together.

  Kimoon waved at a black car nearby, summoning it instantly. When the car pulled up, he spoke to the driver in Korean.

  Feeling crazy for doing this, Vanessa looked back at the hotel.

  Was this the kind of adventure she was looking for? Was this the reset she needed? Or was she just being reckless?

  “Ready?” He asked.

  She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “Ready.”

  They climbed into the car.

  ***

  Kimoon was still holding her hand. His eyes were on her.

  They had complete privacy as the partition had been rolled up by the driver.

  “This is not…” He thought for a moment over which word to use. “Normal.”

  She laughed. “This is not normal for me either.”

  “I&emdash;” He searched for his words. “I want to show&emdash;”

  “Speak Korean,” she said. “It’s beautiful when you speak it.”

  She held up her phone, showing him the app she downloaded. She quickly typed something in. The app translated it phonetically for her and she spoke it out loud.

  “Dangsin-i dangsin-ui… umm… eon-eolo malhal… ttae aleumdabseubnida.” She had no clue if she said it right or if he even understood, but she suspected that he had a hunch because his smile grew wide.

  “Gwaenchanh-a,” he said. He dove straight into speaking fluent Korean.

  His words floated like a boat on ocean waves. The way he spoke sounded so musical and so beautiful that she didn’t even pay attention to the translated words filling up on her screen.

  She simply stared at him in awe. He spoke with such a vulnerability and pensive wisdom that she felt like she understood him.

  As he spoke, he looked down at her fingers which were still in his hand. He touched her fingertips as he sighed and spoke with gentle words.

  He asked a question and looked up at her.

  Gently laughing to himself, he shook his head and looked down.

  “Naneun baboibnida,” he said.

  He pulled his hand from hers.

  She glanced down at the translation on her screen:

  This is not something I usually do. Every moment of my life is dictated by someone. Every minute is planned out. I feel like I’ve been trapped in a dark box looking for the light. I know it’s silly, but I met you and felt a spark of light. I saw an opportunity to do something fun, something spontaneous. Something I never do, you know? It seems silly. I’m a fool.

  “No,” she said, looking up at him. She reached for his hand. “You’re not a fool. I’m glad you’re opening up to me. It’s not fair for someone to have their life dictated for them. You should do whatever you want to do.”

  He watched her with an enchanting stare. Leaning in, he gently touched her cheek before pressing his lips against hers. A sensual feeling bloomed through her body at his touch. His woody citrus scent overwhelmed her as she breathed him in.

  Her hand moved over his broad shoulder, up his neck. He breathed heavily as he came up for air. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers.

  “Phanessa,” he whispered.

  She smiled before kissing his lips again.

  The car came to a stop and Kimoon pulled back.

  “Our stop,” he said.

  She smiled and bit her lip. She couldn’t believe they just made out in the back of a car.

  Who was she?

  Kimoon was right. This wasn’t normal… but it felt right.

  Madison would lose her mind if she knew her older sister made out with a cute stranger on her first day in South Korea.

  Kimoon smirked at her. “Come.”

  She followed him out of the car. He slipped his hand in hers with ease, as if it were meant to be there. They fit so perfectly together. She knew he felt it too.

  She followed him up the sidewalk. He looked back for a split moment… it was a dangerous look that would be etched in her memory for all of time. She didn’t understand how he could look so boyish, so innocent, yet with one simple glance he became so dangerous, so sexy.

  He pulled her along and she quickly realized where they were going.

  “Oh my god!” She brought her free hand to her mouth.

  It was a large ferris wheel with round mirrored pods.

  “This is so cool,” she said.

  He looked back at her with another dangerous smile.

  “Come.” He pulled her along.

  There were a few other people lingering around, tourists and locals alike. Kimoon pulled her along in the shade of the trees, walking around the backside of the ferris wheel.

  “Hey, isn’t the entrance over there?” She pointed to the other side.

  He lifted his finger to his pink lips.

  “Shh,” he said. “Secret.”

  They pushed through an unmarked door into a dark area.

  Vanessa’s heart was beating in her chest.

  An unknown male voice asked a question. Kimoon answered. The owner of the other voice was a large older man who led them up some stairs and guided them onto one of the pods.

  Vanessa found it strange that there was nobody around. They were the only ones here, along with the older man who was clearly a manager.

  Kimoon thanked him and gestured for Vanessa to step onto the pod first.

  “Gamsa,” she said.

  He smiled at her accent before following her on. He thanked the manager before the doors closed.

  The pod was spacious, big enough for twenty people. The floor to ceiling windows allowed an unrestricted view of the entire city. Vanessa knew that this was one-way glass. The two of them could see everything, but nobody could see in.

  Leaning against the railing along the walls, she turned and looked a
t Kimoon.

  He stood a few feet away with his hands in his pockets. He looked up at her with his dark mysterious eyes, his lips pulling up into a smirk.

  The pod started to move, lifting them up slowly. He stepped closer, bringing his masculine scent with him. God, he smelled good.

  “You like to dance?” He asked.

  “Dance?” Vanessa laughed. “Well I haven’t been to a club or a wedding in ages, so…”

  Kimoon tapped his phone’s screen a few times, finding a Korean pop song. The beat was slower. It sounded like a love song. He started swaying his hips back and forth. He closed his eyes as he moved, listening to the beat.

  Vanessa was instantly entranced with the way he danced. His body moved like liquid as the beat moved through him like a wave. His eyes opened, zeroing in on Vanessa.

  As he danced, he stepped closer to her with every beat. He slipped his hand around her waist. She felt the electricity move through her as she moved with him to the beat. His other hand took hers, guiding her.

  She looked up into his eyes. He was so tall, so strong. He parted his pink lips and began to sing. The timbre of his deep voice rippled through her. The minty breath gently touched her skin. She listened to him sing. She didn’t understand the words but the emotion in his voice was enough to send thrills down her spine.

  As the pod rose, sunlight filtered in through the mirrored windows illuminating Kimoon’s dark eyes.

  The singing came to a stop as the beat continued. His hand was still holding her waist, pulling her in closer, pressing his body against hers. She looked up into his eyes.

  “Kimoon,” she said. “There’s just so much I wish I could tell you. This is magic.”

  He said something in Korean. When he finished speaking, they stared at each other with such intensity that Vanessa swore sparks would illuminate between them.

  The corner of his lip lifted and she couldn’t help herself. She started laughing and so did he. It’s like they both simultaneously acknowledged the absurdity of the date they were on. Neither of them could understand the other but, at the same time, they completely understood each other.

  He touched her cheek, angling her face up.

  “Phanessa,” he said.

  God, his accent was so fucking cute.

  “Kimoon,” she said.

  He smirked, no doubt amused at her accent too.