Jan-The Bias

Mia and I headed towards the VIP spot at the hotel's restaurant. It was pretty secluded but I still made sure no unwanted person was around. I placed our orders at the counter and returned to my chair next to Mia.

'What brings you here?' I asked.

'Work,' Mia replied. 'I'm a fashion designer for a company. We have a schedule here.'

'Which company?'

She was taking a while to answer. I raised my eyebrows. Why was she hesitating to reveal the company name?

Mia was spared from answering by the arrival of the server.

'Enjoy your waffles and coffee, sir and madame,' the server said as he bowed and retreated.

'The waffle looks yummy,' Mia said in an attempt to change the topic.

'Oh yeah!' I exclaimed. 'I love sweet stuff and this waffle is my favorite!'

'I know,' Mia said excitedly. 'I've read it on a fansite.'

'Ahhh, I do recall you're a huge fan,' I teased.

'A very big fan,' she said, unashamed. 'Your music helped me through some tough times.'

'I can tell. So which one of us is your bias?'

'That is a secret,' Mia winked.

'Oh come on!' I whined. 'Surely, you must have a favorite one among us. Tell me who is it?'

'Nope.'

'Pretty please,' I pleaded, putting on my puppy dog expression. It did not work.

Mia shook her head. 'The bias I have,' she started. 'Is not something I will reveal so casually. That person was a ray of sunshine during a time when I had to make the most difficult choice of my life. When I had no one to turn to, that person's words kept me going. I feel a special connection with him. A bond which is beyond anything I've ever had. I fear that if I reveal his name to people, I'll no longer have that bond. So, no. I won't tell you who it is.'

Her eyes had a strange sparkle to them as she spoke.

'You sound like you're in love,' I observed.

'Love is a heavy word,' she mused. 'I don't think it's love. It's more like...I understand him.'

She noticed my scrutinizing gaze. 'I'm not being a sasaeng!' she rectified. 'I'm just saying what's on my mind. Other than the feeling of respect, I have no other intentions. I just wanna live peacefully with my son.'

'I don't think you're a sasaeng,' I said. 'But why did you choose to come to Korea? Surely, you could have gone to another country.'

Mia smiled at me. 'To get away from people,' she answered simply, baffling me.