by Shawn Bailey
Andy rose over him. Ae-Jong was asleep. Instead of getting him up to bathe, Andy just let him sleep. He reached for his cell phone and texted Ra. “Ae-Jong is unconscious and sleep.”
Ra texted back. “Enjoy the wine.”
* * * *
Ae-Jong was up and had showered by the time Andy opened his eyes the next morning. Ae-Jong had on one of Andy’s pajama shirts. It came down to his knees. “Get up and shower. I made breakfast.” He left the room.
“Bossy much?” Andy grumbled as he got up and dragged himself to the bathroom. He was dead tired and usually slept late on Saturday mornings. He spotted Ae-Jong’s wet toothbrush in the holder next to his. Andy emptied his bladder, showered and put on underwear and a robe. Ae-Jong had changed the linen and made the bed. Andy went to the kitchen. The washer was on, and Ae-Jong was making tea. He stopped long enough to take Andy’s plate out of the microwave.
Andy sat, and Ae-Jong put the plate in front of him. Two pieces of toast popped up in the toaster. Andy looked down at his plate. He had scrambled eggs, porridge, and several side dishes like kimchi and other vegetables. He buttered the toast and put into on a saucer and placed it in front of Andy. “Thank you,”
“You’re welcome,” he said in English. Ae-Jong poured coffee for Andy too and then finished making the tea. He placed another plate into the microwave, heated it and then joined Andy at the table.
He was loving the fuck out of the sight of Ae-Jong being domestic in his kitchen. “Are you in pain?”
“No,” Ae-Jong answered. “I took two aspirin earlier. I’m straight.”
Andy smiled listening to the western term. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
“Sightseeing,” Ae-Jong answered.
Ji-Hu arrived at the front door about an hour later. They were both dressed to camouflage their looks. They got into the car. The next thing he knew, they were knee-deep in traffic heading to a destination unknown. They ended up at Hahoe Folk Village where they changed into traditional Korean clothing called hanbok and visited the hanoks, houses with elegantly curved tiled roofs. Andy wore a gat, a hat from the Joseon Dynasty. His costume was blue and white. Andy got a good idea of what he would have looked like had he been born during that era.
Ae-Jong, on the other hand, wore a red costume of a king. It had gold dragon embroidery all over it. The costume also came with a fancy black belt that only kings wore. The black hat had gold braiding on it. Many people they passed as they walked around the area bowed to Ae-Jong. Even in costume, he had a regal bearing.
Afterward, they visited several temples and finally settled down to eat hot stone pot bibimbap, a Korean dish. It was warm white rice, topped with sautéed vegetables, chili pepper paste, soy sauce, fermented soybean paste, and a fried egg.
“This dish was traditionally eaten on the eve of the lunar new year before my ancestors thought they had to get rid of all their leftovers before the new year,” Ae-Jong explained. “So, they threw everything together into a bowl with some rice and served it. It also used to be served to one of the kings as an afternoon snack.” He added sesame oil and pepper to his bowl.
Andy did the same, and then they began eating. “Thank you for showing me a part of your heritage.”
“Next time we’ll go to Jeju Island or to visit an onsen or a temple,” Ae-Jong said.
“I’d like that,” Andy said as he ate his food.
“What’s Manhattan like?”
“Crowded, noisy, and the fashion capital of the world. It’s a lot like Gangnam.”
“Expensive?”
“Very,” Andy said. “I have an apartment there.”
“When will you be going there?”
“After your uncle’s celebration. I have some things to tidy up before I move here permanently.”
“I wish I could go with you.”
“Maybe the next time,” Andy said. “Do you have a passport?”
Ae-Jong nodded. “Hanako’s and Chika’s need to be updated.”
“I’ll have Ra work on that. Those guys are going to need current passports if they need to leave the country.”
“Do you have a boyfriend back there?”
Andy wondered where that had come from. “No. I haven’t been in a relationship in over a year.”
“But you have been with other guys.”
“Yes. I’m going home to sublet my apartment, ship some of my stuff here and to visit my parents before permanently taking up residence right here in Seoul,” Andy said. “There is no secret lover I’m going home to.”
Ae-Jong went back to eating. Later, Andy had Ji-Hu drop Ae-Jong back off at the palace. Andy called home to check on things and to talk to his ex-boss, Giovanni Bassett.
“When are you coming back to Manhattan?” Giovanni asked him.
“In two weeks,” Andy answered.
“I think I’ve found someone who’d like to sublet your apartment.”
“Who?” Andy asked.
“My cousin. His lease is almost up at his current place, and yours is closer to the fashion house.”
“Good,” Andy said. “That’s one thing I can scratch off my list if he wants it.”
“How is South Korea?”
“Beautiful,” Andy said. “I’ll call you right before I arrive.”
“Okay,” Giovanni said.
“Give G my love. Tell him thanks for the suits.”
“I’ll tell him,” Giovanni said. “I’ll see you soon.”
Andy hung up and then called his parents. It was very early in America. Good thing his mother was an early riser. It was good hearing her voice again. “Yes, Mother, I’ll be back in time for Edward’s wedding. Yes, he and I are behaving ourselves. Yes, we’re eating enough.” His mother was quite the worrier. “I’ll see you in in two weeks,” he said to her after speaking with his dad. He disconnected the phone. Took a shower and then started looking over some of the information that Luke had sent to him about the upcoming tour for Dazed.
Chapter Ten
“Ah, the royal infant nursery,” Andy teased as he stepped inside of Ae-Jong’s wing. He’d come to drop them off after work, and the empress has insisted that he stay for dinner.
“Very funny,” Ae-Jong said.
This was the first time Andy had ever been invited to this part of the palace. Ae-Jong had a living room or what Andy would consider a place to entertain formally or have tea with the empress. There was sort of a mini kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, and a sink. The dinette had just two seats. He counted two powder rooms.
“One for boys and one for girls,” Ae-Jong explained.
“What girls would you be entertaining in here?” Andy asked.
“I do have girl cousins who visit, and believe it or not, I do have girls who are friends.”
The wing had its own barbershop. “Does it come with its own personal barber?” Andy asked.
Ae-Jong nodded. “To be frank, he didn’t work much during the first twenty-two years of my life, except for an occasional trimming.”
“Ah, the royal ponytail I’ve heard so much about.”
“It is customary for the males in my family to wear their hair in this fashion until they reach manhood. I got much flack because my hair grew pretty fast and before I knew it, I could sit on it. The stylist at our other agency did love to wash and condition my hair, and Mee-Yon and Choon-Hee used to like to adorn it with combs and ribbons.”
“Really. I wish I could have known you then.” He pulled out his wallet and extracted a picture and showed it to Ae-Jong.
Ae-Jong giggled. “Is this you?”
“Yes. I had this rebellious time in my life when I refused to cut my hair.”
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen or sixteen. Then I discovered sports, and after getting my hair pulled or caught in my helmet, I decided to cut it.”
Ae-Jong handed him back the picture, and Andy put it back into his wallet. They walked up some stairs. Ae-Jong stopped outside a door and opened it.
He signaled with his finger for Andy to follow him into the dark room. “What’s this?”
Ae-Jong turned on the lights. “My observatory.”
They were in the highest part of the palace. It seemed like the real deal, with chairs and divans. Ae-Jog pushed a button, and the ceiling opened, and the starry sky appeared. There were telescopes. Andy walked over and looked through one of them. “Fantastic.”
Ae-Jong lowered a screen and then walked over to a popcorn maker and poured some kernels into the machine. Then he filled two cups with ice and soda at the soda machine. He brought those over to Andy. Andy put each cup in a holder on the seats. Ae-Jong went back to filling the red-and-white boxes with freshly popped corn. He brought them, napkins, and straws over to Andy, too. “One more thing.” He sat next to Andy, held up a remote and started a program. “It’s a new documentary about space. I haven’t seen it yet.”
Andy settled back in his chair and watched the program and ate popcorn for the next thirty minutes. He got a refresher course about the solar system. Andy leaned over and stole a kiss and licked the buttered salt from Ae-Jong’s lips.
“What was that for?” the startled prince asked.
“For the most relaxing date,” Andy answered.
“I want to take you on a real date this weekend. Are you free to take a little trip?”
Andy nodded. “But we have to be back on Monday to start rehearsal for your new music video.”
“We’ll be back in time for it. We’ll have to leave on Friday evening, but we’ll return early on Sunday.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a secret,” Ae-Jong said.
With this one, they could end up anywhere. Andy was down for an adventure.
Ae-Jong straightened up the observatory, making sure the popcorn machine was off, and then the two of them left and went back down the stairs. Andy got a brief glimpse of Ae-Jong’s bedroom. It looked huge. They rejoined the rest of Dazed in the sitting room.
“How did you like the observatory?” Ra asked Andy.
“I liked it a lot. It’s great to finally meet someone who shares the same interests as me.”
“Yes, it is,” Ra said, looking at Prince Jung-Woo who had just entered the room.
Andy smiled. The Kim family were good folks. He thanked them for their hospitality and left for the evening. Then he went to bed early. He wanted to get a good night’s sleep before their trip.
* * * *
Andy left work early on Friday. Ae-Jong wanted to get on the road, so he went home to pack. Ra showed up at his door dressed in black livery instead of Ji-Hu. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m chauffeuring you and the royal brat to the train station.”
“We’re taking a train?”
Ra answered, “Yes.”
“Do you know where?” Andy asked.
“Yes, but it is a surprise. Ae-Jong is in the van very excited about this date. Please try to keep an eye on him.”
Andy locked up his apartment and followed Ra to the elevator. He dragged his rolling suitcase behind him.
Ra looked him up and down. “Nice suit, but I hope you packed casual clothing and your swimsuit.”
It was the middle of fall and Seoul was having some unseasonably warm days. “I packed two swimsuits. A model is always prepared.” He spotted Ra’s SUV at the curb, along with several black cars containing security parked near it. “Are these guys going on the trip with us?”
Ra shook his head. “Adam told me that he briefed you on what to do in case something occurs. They are only escorting you to and from the train station. Ae-Jong is in disguise. You will have to keep him safe until you return.”
“I’ll guard him with my life,” Andy said. They walked to the car. Ra opened the back-passenger car door. Andy climbed in. Ae-Jong and Prince Jung-Woo were inside. Andy spoke to them. “Good afternoon, Your Excellencies.”
“Good afternoon,” they both said.
Ra climbed into the driver’s seat next to Jung-Woo, started his van and drove away from the curb.
Andy looked over at Ae-Jong. He had on a blond wig, a baseball cap, a university jersey, tennis shoes, and blue jeans. “You look like a high school student.”
“I’m supposed to,” Ae-Jong said.
“The blond hair was my idea,” Jung-Woo said. “I hardly recognized him.”
“Do you like it?” Ae-Jong asked Andy.
“No, but I can get used to it for the weekend. One blond in a relationship is enough.”
Ae-Jong giggled. “Aboje, I, I’m in a relationship.”
It was the first time Andy had heard Ae-Jong address Jung-Woo as father.
“Yes, you are,” Jung-Woo said. “Have a good time, eat good food and just relax this weekend. You won’t get many opportunities like this once you’re back on the music circuit.”
The traffic in Seoul was horrendous, as usual. Ra was a very good driver. There was a lot of pedestrians out and about. Some were probably trying to get home on the many subways or buses. South Korea had an excellent transportation system. If he was going to live there, he had to learn to not only drive around town but to get to and from different cities and prefectures.
They finally arrived at the train station. Ra got out with him and Ae-Jong. Security stayed behind to guard Jung-Woo.
“I purchased our train tickets online so we wouldn’t have to wait,” Ae-Jong informed Andy.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a secret,” both he and Ra said. Ra pointed. “Your train is arriving. We almost didn’t make it on time for all that traffic. Have a good time. I’ll meet you two here on Sunday afternoon.” He waved good-bye and left them.
The train pulled into the station.
“Come on,” Ae-Jong said, pulling his luggage behind him to Line One.
“We don’t have to check our bags?” Andy asked.
“Not this time,” Ae-Jong answered. “We’re not going very far.” He walked up to the porter and handed the man his tickets.
“We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Lee,” the man said. “Your room is ready. It’s the first one on the left.”
“Thank you,” Ae-Jong said. He climbed the stairs.
Andy picked up his case and followed Ae-Jong. “Mr. Lee.”
“It’s my mother’s maiden name.”
It was the first time he’d ever heard Ae-Jong speak of her. Their walk took them to an area of private compartments. It was pretty spacious and had enough room for two of them and their luggage.
“I have to use the restroom,” Ae-Jong announced.
Andy looked around after he’d left. It wasn’t a sleeper car, but it did have its own private restroom.
Ae-Jong came out smiling. He sat. “Why don’t you take off your jacket and get comfortable?”
Andy hesitated for a moment and then removed his jacket.
“Oh!” Ae-Jong said after seeing Andy’s gun in his shoulder harness. “Is that real?”
“Very,” Andy said. Tory had insisted that he bring it.
“Do you know how to use it?”
“Yes.” Andy carefully removed it, made sure the safety was on, and put it and his jacket aside.
Ae-Jong relaxed just a bit. The train started moving. Someone came around with food a short time later. They got the full treatment, not just a box lunch or bento box. There were served on china, and the wineglasses were crystal.
“Ah, who are you supposed to be?”
“The son of a wealthy businessman,” Ae-Jong answered. “It’s not exactly a lie.” He picked up his chopsticks.
“And me?”
“A very important client.”
Andy said grace and lifted the top off his plate. They both had vegetarian hamburgers and home fries. He was expecting something a little more glamorous but realized that Ae-Jong very seldom, if ever got to eat take-out food. To him, this was a treat. He sampled his. It was delicious. The food came with soda. Andy opened the bottle and poured for both of them.
“Thank you,” Ae-Jong said.
Dessert arrived after the dishes were taken away. It was vanilla and matcha ice cream. Ae-Jong gave him the vanilla one. Ae-Jong devoured his.
Two hours later the conductor announced a town he’d never heard of.
“This is where we’re getting off,” Ae-Jong announced.
“Where are we?” Andy asked.
“Not Seoul,” Ae-Jong said as he grabbed his luggage and headed out of their private car.
“Hey wait.” Andy had to get back into his gun holster and suit jacket. He eventually caught up with Ae-Jong before the train stopped.
“Have a nice visit, Mr. Lee,” the porter said as they exited the door and walked down the stairs. “I’ll see you on Sunday.” The porter bowed to him.
Andy bowed back and followed Ae-Jong off the train. There was no one else at the station except them. Ae-Jong started walking. Andy decided to follow without asking questions. They had to go up a hill. Ae-Jong was definitely in better shape than he was, or he had less weight to carry around. Andy was winded by the time they made it to a top. He spotted an inn. The place was off the beaten path, but beautiful.
“We are going to spend tonight here,” Ae-Jong announced. They entered the inn.
“Quaint,” Andy said.
Ae-Jong registered them and got the key. An older Korean woman led the way down a long hallway. “Dinner will be served at six,” she said. Then she bowed and left them.
Ae-Jong opened the door, and the two of them stepped inside. Both of them removed their shoes at the door.
“One room? How are you going to explain me?”
“Stop worrying. It’s a suite with two separate bedrooms. And for the record, no one here cares. We’re here to relax and enjoy the onsen.”
“There’s an onsen?” Andy asked. An onsen was a hot spring.
Ae-Jong nodded. He walked over to the other side of the room and opened the door. “Yes, several.”
Andy went for a look. They had their own private one.
“There are others around the property, and there’s a swimming pool, too.”
“You've been here before?” Andy asked as they went back into the suite.