27 March 2011 1:15 PM

“You are such a chauvinist!” 

“And you are such a diva!” 

Jo In Sung closed his eyes and tried to wish away the pain that was beginning to throb inside his head.  Even out here in the back yard of his house, with the patio doors closed, he could still hear their argument.  He tried to concentrate on the last remaining pieces of beef and chicken that were on the grill, but to no avail.  Whatever possessed him to think that this was a good idea…that he could even remotely consider that they would get along, even for a few hours, for his sake.  All he wanted was a nice quiet afternoon with close friends on his last weekend off from the Air Force before he had to return to base and complete his tour of duty.  But no, two of those so-called close friends have been going at each other for the last hour.  He quickly glanced over at Lee Kwang Soo, who as leaning back in his chair and giving In Sung an “I told you so” look.

It was the first time he had tried to introduce his buddies to Hye Kyo, and he was already regretting it.  Just as Joong Ki and Kwang Soo were like younger brothers to him, so Hye Kyo was like the younger sister that he never had.  They were only four months apart in age and even though she had been in the business longer, they had developed an easy-going friendship that saw In Sung take a more and more protective, brotherly role in her life.  He knew the last few months had been terribly rough on her.  The Korean entertainment industry can be extreme, and the fans can be cruel.  He knew the difference between the cold, professional “goddess” that the public saw and the lonely, vulnerable, heart-broken girl that wept and wept into the night as he tried to console her over the telephone.  If only he could kill that bastard Hyun Bin for hurting her so. 

“Are you saying that men are superior to women?!”Hye Kyo almost hissed as the argument moved outside.  “How exactly are men and women NOT equal?!”

“I did NOT say that!” Joong Ki almost shouted back at her.  He knew he should have given her deference due to her age and seniority over him, but he really wanted to just throttle her right now.  His fingers could easily encircle her tiny neck and all he had to do was squeeze.  For the life of him, he had never met anyone so pig-headed and completely obstinate.  And he’ll be damned if she was going to get the best of him.  “What I said was that men and women have different strengths that complement each other.  If you would be a little bit more open-minded….”

“Open-minded?!?”  Hye Kyo almost laughed.  Who was this…this boy to insult her like this?  “Oppa, why did you even invite this kid here today?!”

“ENOUGH!”  In Sung thundered in his best military command voice, shocking the combatants into silence.  “All I wanted was a nice, quiet afternoon with my closest friends before I have to report back to my squad.  But what did I get?”

And before In Sung could finish his thought, Kwang Soo calmly walked over to where Hye Kyo and Joong Ki were standing, glaring at each other.  “Oil, meet Water.”

SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK |

31 March 2011 3:45 PM

Joong Ki quickly glanced at his watch as he turned the corner.  His train home to Daejeon wouldn’t leave for another 90 minutes, meaning he had just enough time to stop by his favorite bakery in Itaewon to pick up a few treats for his mother and younger sister.  As he entered the small boutique that was just off one of the main shopping thoroughfares, he saw a familiar figure strolling down the far end of the shop, looking at pastries.  His mind wandered back to the “discussion” that they had had on Sunday, and how it suddenly ended with Il Sung stuffing a beef wrap into Joong Ki’s mouth to tell him to shut up…to let the Goddess win the argument.  He unconsciously allowed himself a smile as he remembered her reaction, her spontaneous laugh, her genuine glowing beauty at the site of him trying to chew and swallow the food stuffed in his mouth. 

As he moved closer to her, ready with a tongue-in-cheek hello, he realized that something was not right.  There were several other patrons in the store… middle-aged mothers with their small kids, teenage girls, and an elderly couple.  He became aware of an invisible bubble that seemed to surround Hye Kyo.  The customers were giving her a wide berth, but he also realized they were gossiping about her.  The comments were loud enough for her, and others, to hear.  What Joong Ki heard made him angry.  It made him furious.  And it made him determined.  They had no idea what was going on in her private life, and neither did he, for that matter.  But they had no right to talk about her like that.  He didn’t know what it was, but something snapped inside him, and his course of action was set.

For in that brief instant, Joong Ki made eye contact with Hye Kyo, and that was the moment.  He himself would not realize it until much later, but that was the instant, the moment, the exact point in time that his life was irrevocably changed.  That was the exact second that he fell completely and hopelessly in love with the Song Hye Kyo.  For in that brief moment, he saw her, the real her.  The shy girl who had suffered through her parents’ divorce and her mother’s struggles to give her a good, safe home…the young beauty who had endured being put on a pedestal by an adoring public only to be targeted by jealousy and greed…the Helen of Seoul whose heart was broken over and over by smaller men not worthy to even breathe the same air has her…the gorgeous woman who was trying her best not to break down in front of everyone because no one could possibly know how lonely, how sad she was at that very moment.  And all Joong Ki wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and protect her, never letting her go.

“Sunbae, there you are!”  Joong Ki said loudly as he made his presence known to her and the rest of the customers.  “Thanks for helping me pick out these pastries for my mother.”

It took Hye Kyo a moment to recognize him. “Wha…?”

“Come on, we’ll be late.”  Joong Ki continued, smoothly moving next to her and adding a few items to the pastry box before paying for the order.  “Kwang Soo is meeting us at Seoul Station to take the train to Daejon.  My parents are looking forward to meeting the two of you, to thank you for your kindness in mentoring me.”

Joong Ki effortlessly maneuvered them out of the shop and flagged a cab.  Once safely ensconced in the back seat, Hye Kyo took a long look at him before finally saying a quiet thank you.  And Joong Ki could do nothing but flash his boyish grin at her.