"You are..." I stammer, dumbfounded, "Kim Tae?!"She smiles, enjoying my shocked expression as she gestures to the words "Ding Dong Deng! You got it right!"
Still a little stunned by the sudden turn of events, my mind draws a blank.
"How blind must I be to not recognize Kim Tae?!"
Who is Kim Tae, you ask?
She is the G.o.ddess of Intellect and Beauty.
The undisputed ruler of South Korean Television.
Reigning over national cinemas and TVs since 2003!
One of the remarkable few actresses to enjoy staggering box-office sales and appeal among both men and women on both the small and big screens.
The actress, best known for her roles and performance in the "Stairway to Paradise", "Love Story in Yale", she has built a stellar career studded with commercial success.
"You"re the "G.o.ddess of all men" Kim Tae?" I ask once more; trying to confirm my thoughts.
She laughs at my question "What is that? "G.o.ddess of all men" who gave me that t.i.tle?"
I nod my head ferociously, "Uh, yes, it"s the nickname they gave you in the news."
"Which one?" She asks as if intrigued.
"Um... all of them."
"Oh really? So you"re telling me this "G.o.ddess of all men" wasn"t recognized by you for a full ten minutes?" She inquires playfully at my lack of awareness.
I laugh in slight embarra.s.sment, "The name is Dylan. Dylan Park. and you can consider me momentarily blinded," palming my forehead, I cast my gaze towards her, "my brain must have meltdown."
"Meltdown? Are you sure you are not just a tad bit slow?"
"No no, swear to G.o.d or G.o.ddess. I"m actually an SNU student. Don"t let my dashing looks fool you" I brag instinctively.
"So, you are aware you are quite good looking? Isn"t that quite arrogant of you."
"Uhm, weren"t you the one telling me to have confidence in myself?" I copy her pose from earlier, and in my cutest, nasally-sounding voice, I mimicked her phrase: "Fighting!"
"Hey, I do not sound like that!" She throws a cute fit at my impersonation.
I use my "excellent" vocal mimicry to impersonate her: "I don"t sound like that!"
"It"s disrespectful to make fun of your elders. Where are your manners?" She teases and nudges me back.
"Oh, I"m sorry. I will behave myself," as I glance at her "Ahjumma (ma"am)" I stuck out my tongue, with knowledge of my sweeping victory.
"Hey! Who are you calling an Ahjumma! I-I"m only twenty-nine this year..."
In natural succession, we talk for a bit more about work and life after the playful exchange.
I must say, my impression of her is undoubtedly natural. She doesn"t seem like one who puts on a show of pretenses and artifice. It"s beyond refreshing.
Time does, in spite of entertainment, fly by and before I know it the plane lands in Jeju Island.
I fully acknowledge Einstein"s words in this moment: "Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute."
"I guess this is where we get off." I smile, "It was really nice speaking to you, Noona. The time simply flew by, pun intended."
"You need new material." She jokes, as she shows an amused expression.
I grab my carry-on bag from the compartment and offer to carry hers too.
We then take a walk together to the baggage reclaim for our luggage.
After the long wait, we stand side by side in silence. Not really knowing what to do, it developed into an awkward situation when we were joined by both our staffs.
While my team consisted of three, hers was enough to sign up for a soccer team.
Unlike the time spent on the flight, time seems to have slowed down here. Unpleasantly, if I may add.
When our staff retrieves all our luggage, it finally confirms the reality that we had to part ways.
This chance meeting has come to an end.
Just before we reach the exit, Tae stops me in my tracks and speaks, "Dylan, can we get some s.p.a.ce for a second?"
Looking around, I signal for Yuri-noona and the others to give us privacy.
Seeing the s.p.a.ce around us emptying, I speak up, "I actually wanted to speak to you too."
"Hmm? About what?" She cutely questions, her eyes showing signs of expectation.
I clear my throat before answering, "It was...um... nice to meet you. Can I get your signature?" I start, before breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Why are you so nervous?" She asks poking at the obvious awkwardness.
"I don"t know! It"s not everyday you meet "KIM TAE" , a real life Hallyu Star."
She laughs humorously, "I"m not that special. Just treat me like you would any girl you just met."
"If she"s pretty, then I"d probably have ask her number."
"Then, why don"t you try asking me for mine?" She issues a challenging look at me.
"Oh, so you think you are pretty... So much for being the "humble beauty". But, here goes anyway," with a cough, I changed the bright timbre of my voice to a darker, seductive one, "excuse me, before you go, I"m going to need your number."
"What will you be using it for? How do I know it won"t be used for nefarious purposes?" She responds in fake doubt.
"I promise to only use it for the betterment of mankind." I hand her my cell phone and she takes it from me, enters her number and hands it back.
Not wasting any time, I start typing on the keys and press send.
Right then, her phone sounds out in alarm and she excuses herself to check her phone.
She sees that it"s from an unfamiliar number and opens the message. Surveying it, she beams and reads out loud.
"Just checking if it"s real.. "