Notes for the previous chapter :

I made a mistake while writing the draft for Chapter 5. I accidentally un-clicked the "Hide Chapter" button that for at least one hour, it was posted publicly. Some of you might have probably seen it and found it was weird how the story was written in two different languages. I apologize for that, and if you haven't, you could re-read the final version on Chapter 5. Thank you so much ^^

“Can’t you push it back? Can’t you not go?”

Joongki rolled on the floor, now lying on his side with one hand propping his head. The man stared intensively at the woman in front of him who was showing him her back as she was busy arranging her stuffs into the suitcase. She stopped her activity and turned to look at her sulking boyfriend. 

“You know I can’t do that, even if I want to. It had been long since we planned this trip, long before you appeared out of nowhere into my life again. I can’t be a brat and cancel it, throwing my friends away, just because my boyfriend doesn’t want me to go.”

Though he himself knew it was a vain effort, he kept going on.

“But when you come back, I will be off to Greece!” His voice had turned whining.

Just, she was too clever for his game. She had gotten used of that wicked tone of talking, she wouldn’t fall for it again. It was not like he was asking it for real. Of course he would like her to stay close to him, but the thing he wanted the most was to hear her giving in to his words.

“There will be few days left before your departure. It’s enough time to see each other.”

Her hand flew to caress his cheek. There was not much flesh left there, he had been losing weight. She patted him there, two times, before rising up from her position. There were some clothes she needed to get from the closet. Purposely, he drew a breath noisily and tailed behind her.

“Your shooting schedule is really packed right now. Even if I don’t go, we still can’t see each other,” she said further.

As they reached her bedroom, he dove into the bed.

“I can always steal some time to meet you, not everyday, but at least once in four or five days. You are the one who said you would open your door for me no matter how late,” he retorted back. Of course, he was not who he was if not stubborn.

It drew out an annoyed snap from her.

“Oppa, didn’t I beg you to use that little rest time of yours wisely? I’d rather not see you than letting you drive alone from Taebek after hours of filming. It’s not like you can ask your manager to bring you here.”

For the time being, they had agreed to keep their relationship a secret from each agency. Only some close friends and their families who knew about the situation they were in. The less people who knew, the better, because they had only began dating for a short time and the risk of getting rumors spread out would be smaller.

“You only call me ‘oppa’ when you nag me,” Joongki grumbled as his hand reached to take the pillow.

Chaewon turned around in her place, hands at her hips.

“You’re at it again. I didn’t call you ‘oppa’ only when I told you something that is good for you,” she retorted, emphasizing the last part of her sentence.

He snorted.

“Yeah, yeah, that one or two times when I asked you, of course. I should’ve counted it, I’m sorry.” He said sarcastically.

Chaewon glared at him, torn in between laughing or getting on her nerves. She decided he looked so silly there, lying on her bed, sulking. She shook her head at him.

 “Our little kid Song Joongki is grumpy right now. Ah, yes, he didn’t sleep last night, seems like he needs to sleep. Have a nice dream, Song Joongki-ssi. I’m going to continue with packing.”

She trailed off out the room as soon as she said it. Joongki yelled behind her, annoyed that she was treating him like a child and that his trick had failed to work again this time.

“Ne, Moon Chaewon-sii. Thank you so much!”

She chuckled, mumbling telling her self.

“Aigoo, what am I doing dating an immature old man like that?”

.

Joongki stirred up from his deep slumber when he felt Chaewon’s touch in his shoulder. He blinked several times and found her sitting beside him by the edge of the bed.

“How long did I sleep?”

She smiled, running her hand through his hair affectionately.

“The whole day,” she stated, “it’s dark outside now.”

He sighed in disbelief, disappointed at his own self for spending his precious day off sleeping. He should have set an alarm.

“I was planning to take you out though. Insung Hyung’s relative is running a good restaurant around Sangamdong.”

“We can always go later,” she said, keeping the action of combing his hair between her fingers.

They fell into silence, just staring at each other, studying each other’s features. For her, there was nothing more beautiful than seeing people worked hard to reach their own goals. That was him at the moment, pouring his all into his work that it showed so clearly in his face, all the fatigue and the weight he shredded off from it. Sometimes, she found her self feeling anxious over the possible injuries he could get. As his girlfriend, she wished he did not have to do all those dangerous scenes on his own, he could always use a stuntman for that. However, as a fellow actor, she understood the pride he took in it and how satisfying it would feel to know that one had finished the job properly. For that, she bit her tongue and held in, praying to the heaven to guard him.

Suddenly, he shifted more reaching the middle part of the bed, leaving a space for her to lie down in front of him.

“I was just going to tell you to have a bath,” she spoke softly, but letting him pulling her into his arms. 

“Just a moment, I won’t be able to do this until the next three weeks.”

She complied and they let the stillness enfolded them. Their heart beats and breaths sounded more apparent than it usually did. She snuggled closer, circling his waist with her hand, smuggling her face on the nape of his neck. This time, she could feel him leaving a kiss on the top of her head, and combing her brown locks.

“Now, go wash and we’ll have dinner,” Chaewon finally broke the silence after a few minutes passed by. “Omma sent me some oysters yesterday, she said it would be good to put it inside samgyetang, and it’s good for stamina too. Ah, even if she’s my own mother, she’s really incredible. How could she know you would be coming over today?”

She chuckled funnily at the end of her words.

Joongki pulled away slightly, trying to find her eyes.

“Chaewon-ah, don’t you think it’s the time I greet her in person? She has been treating me so well, but I only talked to her once through your phone. What would she think of me then?” He muttered.

She met his gaze, considering. They had talk about it before, so she was well aware of his thoughts about the matter. After talking to him, she had reflected on it over and over again on her own, but she still found her self was yet to be ready.

In her eyes, their relationship had been really good. They were happy. They argued with each other too from time to time, just like any other couple, but it had yet get out of the line she could endure.

Just, for her, she would never bring anyone to her parents unless he was someone she wanted to marry. Joongki was a good person. She found her heart beating faster for him and the thoughts of him filled her head many times in a day, but marriage was a different thing. It was not something she thought she would do just because she felt good. Especially, not to someone that she only knew for a couple of months.

“I still think it’s too early to get our parents involve,” she concluded, “Please give me some more time? My parents will understand.”

He heaved a breath, taking a strain of her hair and put it behind her ear.

Actually, he wasn’t having the same mind as her about the matter. As their relationship set off, he was doing it with a serious intention. They were already in their 30s, it was not the time for him, for them, to take a relationship lightly. From the start, he was all prepared to see her parents and properly asking for their blessings. However, he respected her opinion. She still needed time to build their relationship, to feel assure and to know him better before they went further.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

A small smile appeared on his lips upon it.

“At least you know you are making me feeling miserable,” he told her half joking.

It resulted him a slap on his forearm.

“Oppa,” she called.

He immediately recognized that tone of her that only appeared whenever she talked about important matters or when she was worried.

“Hmm?”

“Oppa, when you told your parents about us, how was the response? Do they…like me?”

He did not expect that it was what would come out of . She had never asked about it before. Since she said she didn’t want to involve their parents in the relationship yet, he thought she didn’t really care about it that it actually upset him at first. The new realization that she too was concerned about his family’s opinions, without knowingly, made him smile.

“Hmmm, what to do? They said they have to see you in person first before deciding if you are worthy of their beloved son,” he joked. The worried look that was plastered in her face brought out a loud laugh from him.

“Don’t worry. My father likes you because you are pretty and my mother thinks you appeared to be polite and gentle, also she likes that you have no past scandal. Besides, my parents always trust my choice,” he said it purposely, teasing her again.

She shot him a dirty look.

“Did you always bring your girlfriends home?”

“It’s not like that, but my parents always know who I was with.”

A grin appeared in his face when Chaewon’s look gradually changed.

“You’re jealous, right?”

“Well, not really, but, a little bit,” she said, hesitating for she did not want to completely admitting.

It made him chuckled.

“Love,” he said, her face gently, “this is obvious already, but, I love you.”

She looked back at him smiling. He just chased away all her worries.

“Do you know?” she uttered, “lately I’ve been feeling like I’m going to go crazy because of you.”

She paused, looking directly into his brown eyes that mirrored her. Her habit whenever she was about to talk honestly about her deepest feelings.

“It’s like you are stirring my emotions. Sometimes the things you do made me feel happy but the other time, your words hurt me. It’s silly, I feel like a school girl because I keep missing you when you were away. Even the little thing like whether you are taking your food regularly concerns me. I wish to see you faster so we can spend more time together, so I can know you better. But, do you know the thing that surprised me most?” she threw a question he knew he did not need to answer.

“That it did not take too long to feel comfortable around you and to trust you. Just like now, we are in my bedroom, on my bed, and you are holding me in your arms. I can let you do these things even when I myself think that this relationship is still early, without having to worry that you would do something out of my consent.”

He gave a peck on her lips shortly.

“Don’t be so sure with the last part. You don’t know how hard I’ve been trying to hold my self. Who knows, I can be attacking you someday when you are asleep.”

It was overwhelming for him that he tried to joke to sweep his own emotions away. One thing about her was she never exaggerated, but she was always straightforward with the things she wanted and she felt. Being with her gave him a realization that no matter man or woman, a human being could feel such intense emotions over love.

“I’m sure you won’t, because you know it would be the end of us if you pull that kind of stunt,” she told him trickily, and gave him back the soft peck he placed on her lips before.

“Don’t tease me,” he groaned, “I’ve told you I am trying so hard to hold my self sane.”

Joongki brought their lips together, merging it softly as if brushing. He nibbled on her lower lip, tenderly taking a sip of her taste. She responded by nipping his upper lip while her hand moved circling his waist.

Letting go of their hook, he switched to swallow her lips, taking a total control of their movement. They moved even closer to each other, deepening their kisses until both their noses rubbed against each other and no room left in between their bodies. Slowly, his hand crawled up to her nape, pressing on it so he could savor her even deeper. For a moment, she opened trying to take a breath, but he took the opportunity to venture inside her.

Their tongues were dancing together, mingling, twisting around, and trying to familiarize with the caverns of their mouths. He paused its movement and softly hers, making her squirmed and squeezed the back of his shirt. Her restrained moan drove him mad that he was back to kissing her, even more fervently than before. He groaned contentedly before slowing their pace down. He kissed her some more, until it turned into small pecks and butterfly kisses. He concluded it by kissing her forehead tenderly and whispering warm words of love in her ears.

She still had her eyes shut when he opened his. Her face was red and breathe uneven.

Once again, he kissed her forehead and hugged her tight. They stayed in each other’s embrace without saying anything, relishing in the sound of her breath that had began to find its rhythm again, feeling their hearts acting like they were about to jump of its place.

“Go, take a shower. The food is waiting,” she spoke faintly, feeling her energy drained.

“A moment,” he insisted.

She gently pushed him away.

“Go, or we’ll end up doing something stupid.”

“Like what?”

“Like having instead of making love.”

Her words made him laughed dejectedly.

“You know, I’m really fond of that blunt side of yours, when it also gives me hard times,” he told her.

She only pushed him further away, still with her eyes shut. She had no energy left even for his jokes.

“Alright,” he finally moved, pecking her forehead once more before strolling to the bathroom.

.

Joongki inched toward her. She was leaning on the couch while her eyes focused in reading the itinerary for her three weeks trip.

“Chaewon-ah,” he called, straightening the end of his shirt.

"Hm?"

He wrapped her with his two arms, sticking his head in her shoulder, right beside her neck.

“Can I stay with you tonight?”

She turned her head, trying to look at him, that her chin and his nose made a contact.

“Didn’t you ask me before, and haven’t I agreed?” she asked in wonder. She was sure they had made an agreement about it.

“I mean, sleeping together in your room?”

He could feel her stiffening inside his arms. Since the start of his shoot, he stayed over the night a few times, but he always slept in the guest room.

Chaewon cleared , blinking her eyes awkwardly.

“Only…sleeping, right?”

“While holding you,” he snatched right away.

“That’s all?”

He nodded. She let out a breath of relief.

“Alright.”

It was almost three months since the beginning of their relationship. He was a healthy and ordinary man. There were times when his desires to be connected to her physically emerged strongly. However, he understood it was not the time yet. He didn’t want them to be rushed if it only would hurt her or distance her from him.

“So, would you watch my drama when it airs later?” he asked, trying to change the tense air around them.

Her lips moved into a small pout. She gazed up wondering.

“I’m not sure. I’ve tried many times but I always failed to enjoy romantic-comedy genre, other than My Sassy Girl. It’s not my cup of tea, I guess.”

“It’ great then, I’ve been worried you’ll get super jealous over the romantic scenes. The script is no joke.”

He was not fooling around but she laughed because she thought it was him being immature again.

“You don’t have to worry, I’m not the type to get jealous over my man’s work. I’m worried about you instead. You must be forgetting that I still have one more romantic comedy movie to be released early next year, right?”

She purposely took her time to turn around and looked at him in teasing manner.

“Looking at how you kept bringing Seunggi up in our conversation for the whole week, this one would last you at least, one month, I guess.

She smiled in victory, leaving him flabbergasted.

"Ya!”

.

Joongki inhaled her smell deeply as he hugged her. At time like that, he hoped they were not who they were so he could freely take her to the airport and waited as she disappeared behind the departure gate. But, they couldn’t.

They have decided that one of the things they had to do was to keep the relationship off the public’s watching eyes. Though there were many hardships, both knew how precious that profession as an actor was for both of them. They were passionate about their works, they still had many things they wanted to achieve, to grow as actors of their own. But in the moment their relationship was made public, people would link them together all the time and it would be hard to be recognized for their work alone. So, they agreed to always be careful in their actions without forgetting to be considerate to each other.

“Rest well when you have time and try to not skip your meal, okay? Take the vitamins too,” she said, patting his back.

“Send me messages when you arrive, I will call you back when the shoot is over,” he replied.

She could not help but smile when he pulled her even more.

“There, enough,” she said, “you could be late and I could missed my plane.”

She forcefully broke away and pecked his lips shortly.

“See you in three weeks, Oppa.”

He kissed her forehead in turn.

“Enjoy your vacation, take care.”

.

Author's note :

Sometimes, when I wrote this story, I stopped and asked myself whether it is too sweet even for my own taste. It lacks that drama element so it could be boring for some people. But, then, I decided, I began writing this story at the time when I was having a hard time with stuffs from real life, so just let this be one filled with sweetness and all those cringeworthy skinships. For my own excuse, Chaewon and Joongki in this story just started dating, so they are in the honeymoon phase. Now, let me rack my head whether I want to keep this sweetness or start putting some serious drama inside this story. 

Anyway, thank you so much for all the readers and subscribers. I also appreciate people leaving their thoughts on the comment section, and would be happier if you can give me feedback and critics, it would help me to improve my writing too. Thank you once again. Have a wonderful weekend.

Ps : the thing about Chaewon not enjoying romantic comedy genre is something she once said on her interview. She said it was hard for her to enjoy that genre, as a viewer also as an actress. That's why it took her so long to finally filmed a romantic comedy movies.