Enchanted by a Superstar

Joon chapter 2

Joon stepped out of the car, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath of the cool air. The aroma of pine trees, which he loved and missed, was incredibly soothing. His grandmother's house was located on the countryside of Seoul, in a mountainous area where many pine trees grew. Far from the hustle and bustle, the house stood out with its minimalist Korean design, characterized by a wooden theme. It was far from the neighbors and had its own hill. Joon pressed the doorbell and waited for his grandmother to answer. "Who is it?" There was a moment of silence after his grandmother asked and looked at the intercom screen.

"Joon, is that really you?" she continued from inside the house.

Joon took off his mask and waved at the camera. "Oh my, you've surprised me. I'll open the door in a minute." His grandmother pressed the gate's unlock button.

Joon immediately entered the yard. His grandmother was waiting at the front door, ready to welcome her grandson, and warmly hugged him.

"Why didn't you let me know you were coming? I could have prepared your favorite food."

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Whatever you cook, I'll eat it. You know what I don't like." As they walked, they entered the house together.

"I will make you a warm chocolate drink, let's go to the kitchen." Joon's grandma headed to the kitchen. As they walked towards the kitchen, Joon looked around the room they were passing through, and nothing had changed since his last visit. Everything looked neat and clean. In the center of the room, there was a small indoor pond decorated with rocks and plants, truly a captivating house.

"Here's your hot chocolate," Joon's grandma said, placing a cup of hot chocolate in front of Joon and then sitting down.

"Do you have a long break, Joon?"

"Yes, a month..." Joon blew on the drink briefly before taking small sips.

"What made you think of coming here?" Grandma's smile was full of meaning, showing how much she missed Joon. She had been living alone in the not-too-large but charming house, and family visits always brought her joy.

Joon replied shyly. "I just remembered that there's someone I love and I should visit them and eat all the food they cook."

"Hahaha... Joon. I was just testing you. I'm sure your mom told you to come here, didn't she?" "That's true, and what I said earlier is also true." Joon's dimples appeared as he smiled.

"Yes, I believes you. Enjoy your vacation here comfortably, Joon. Maybe some inspiration will come to you."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

"I'll prepare dinner. You can rest now."

"Is my bike still here, Grandma?" Joon asked.

"Of course, do you think I'd sell your bike that's worth 30 million?" Joon's grandma closed the refrigerator door after taking out some vegetables to cook.

"Your bike is in great condition, like new. I always have someone take care of it."

"Wow, Grandma is really thoughtful." Joon was proud.

"Of course, but before that, Grandma wants to apologize because I didn't tell you earlier. I always asked that person to buy groceries at the market and allowed to use your bike." "Oh, it's okay, Grandma. Actually, I was worried that you would be the one using it."

"By the way, who is the one using and taking care of my bike?" Joon asked curiously while resting his chin on one hand.

"She's a young woman who lives in a cabin house on the hill. She's been living in this area for only a few months."

"A cabin house? I've never heard of that. Is it possible to build a cabin house on a hill?" Joon asked again, his curiosity growing.

"Yes, it just happened that way. She rented the land and bought the cabin house. I had lunch at her house once, and it's really charming, suitable for living alone or as a couple." Grandma explained to Joon, who was curious.

"Ah, they must be a very nice couple." Joon's tone dropped.

Grandma picked up on the signal that Joon was interested in something.

" she's a young woman living alone, where did your mind go?" Grandma smiled playfully at Joon's reaction as he tried to recall.

"Ah... yes... yes... a young woman." Joon remembered with an awkward smile.

"But wait, does she know that you have a grandson who's part of a group..." Joon's voice slowed down, speculating, a bit worried about what might happen if the woman was a fanatic fan, as that could be dangerous.

"Yes, she knows you're a member of a boy band since she saw our photo in the living room, but her reaction was normal, and she never asked many questions about you. She wouldn't have come here if I hadn't asked her to." Grandma knew Joon looked worried and tried to reassure him.

It could be a problem if the woman was a "sasaeng". Joon's family life and his own life could be disrupted if a sasaeng caused trouble. Joon had experienced unpleasant incidents with sasaeng before.

That Sasaeng was a young woman who was willing to bribe someone working at the airline and pay a high price to be on the same flight as Whalien. Joon and his group members were worried that fans had gone to such extremes. They couldn't enjoy their work and private lives. Fortunately, Whalien had a great agency that quickly took action to investigate the fanatic fan and secure their artists.

"Don't worry, Joon. I'll continue cooking. You can rest in your room."

"No, I'll take a walk to the hill before sunset."

"Alright, be careful."

Joon walked out through the side door in the kitchen. In the side yard, Joon saw his bike parked next to the wall and checked it briefly.

"Hmm, still in good condition."

"Since I'm going to the hill, I won't ride you for now." Joon patted the bike's saddle gently, like he was petting a little girl's head.

As he left the gate, the green hill was already visible. Not many people came to the top of the hill. The distance to the top wasn't too far, less than twenty minutes if you walked without stopping.

Even with a mask and hat, others could still notice that a celebrity was walking in public. Sometimes Joon didn't feel too comfortable when he really wanted to enjoy his private life.

Joon had a secret spot on one side of the hilltop, and only he knew the path to get there. Halfway through his journey, Joon caught the scent of rosemary, a herb that dominated the aroma. He didn't remember smelling rosemary on his previous visits to the hill, so he wondered where the scent was coming from.

A few steps later, a small white cabin house with thin gray lines came into view. It was true that the aroma was coming from the cabin. The yard was filled with neatly arranged rosemary plants, and colorful flowers added to the beauty near the rosemary. Joon stopped for a moment to admire the house.

Suddenly, he thought, "So the woman that Grandma told me about lives here? I should leave right away."