The Prince of K-Pop || Bang Chan FF

Chapter Twenty-Two

          Thankful.

          Grateful.

          Filled with appreciation.

          Naty was many things she could not find words for once the plane landed. The woman never enjoyed flying but nineteen hours proved to require a special endurance. She never knew she could be so exhausted from simply sitting and lying down for hours straight but there she was. The time difference made her feel delirious. She nearly lost her way ten times trying to go to baggage claim in the Incheon International Airport but pulled it together at the prospect of seeing Bang Chan.

          To avoid being mobbed, Naty wore a disguise which consisted of a mask with thick sunglasses plus a totally different outfit than she would ever wear out in public. Her manager Leslie had picked out the outfit which didn't help her in the question of whether the woman liked her or not. It was very ugly...but that ugliness did help to conceal her identity. Regardless, the outfit seemed to work like a charm and ward off any additional looks in her direction. It also helped that Naty and Leslie had come up with the plan to tell her followers that she was visiting her family in the United States for some private time. Leslie made sure to post different updates on Naty's behalf to give off the illusion that it was true.

          Once Naty grabbed her luggage she looked to her phone for instructions on where to meet Chan. Unlike LAX, Chan could not step foot outside of the vehicle for fear of what fans would do if they saw him or him and her together. They were not afraid of Stays; they were just so desperate to be together they could not handle pictures or any sort of attention.

          There was still no word from Chan yet.

          That soft anxiety began to nudge at Naty as she looked around the airport. She hated not knowing what was happening or what to do. She felt the lost fear of being on another continent unfamiliar to her. Though she knew the language, she still felt as if she were a small fish in a massive pond with no compass to guide her. All she knew was that it was dark outside and she stood away from the hustling and bustling of people around her. She just wanted Chan.

          The feeling of being watched suddenly captured Naty's attention.

           She looked across from her and saw a man dressed in a suit with his own thick sunglasses. He looked to be staring in her direction but the black tint of the eyewear made it impossible for her to know for sure. Naty simply felt the stare without actually seeing if it were true. The man didn't have any baggage with him and she had no clue how long he had been there. He looked to have some sort of pin on his lapel but from the distance she could not identify it.

          Could he be security that Chan hired to bring her to him?

          The vibration of her phone caught her attention.

          She looked to see the message from Chan: "Fred is coming to get you."

          It was both comforting and frightening to read. Naty was thankful to see Fred. He was the sole reason the two had been able to cement their relationship. It was frightening because she was suddenly positive the man was staring at her and knowing he was not affiliated with Chan gave her the creeps. Especially since he seemed to be walking straight toward her.

          "Ms. Higuera."

          Naty nearly screamed. She looked to her left to see Fred and immediately threw her arms around the man, "I'm so glad to see you."

          He gave her his signature stiff return hug before taking her bags, "Follow me. It's best to get out of her as soon as possible."

          There was no other need to exchange words. Naty following Fred through the airport with a speed just under running. It seemed to her there was a danger lurking in every corner that Fred wanted to avoid. She wondered if he had seen the man or if it was just in her imagination. She hoped it was the latter.