22 December 2011 7:15 AM

He had been on his way to the SBS studios to film some holiday promotional greetings for the variety show Running Man, but he needed to get his morning dose of caffeine and sugar first.  Jo In Sung had introduced him to this little off-the-beaten-path place when they first met, and Soong Ki had been addicted to its coffee ever since.  Additionally, beyond their unique combinations of coffees and teas, the owners are famous for their “discretion” when it comes to their more well-known clientele. 

It was still early in the morning, and the first rays of sunshine still a few minutes away.  Joong Ki entered the shop at a brisk pace, knowing that the clerk would have his order ready and waiting as he had called ahead for it.  He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the only other two customers in the place, who happened to be Song Hye Kyo and her ex-boyfriend, Hyun Bin.  ‘Was he an “ex”?’ Soong Ki though and for an infinitely small second, a wave of jealousy washed over him.  He wasn’t quite near enough to hear what they were saying, but it was obvious that they were having less of a conversation and more of an argument.  He could tell that Hye Kyo was angry and as she turned away and Hyun Bin grabbed her right elbow, she loudly told him to “LET GO.”

“I think you better do as the lady asks,” Joong Ki made his way to the couple, his tone calm but with just enough of an edge to make it sound menacing. 

Both were shocked to hear him, as if they had just snapped back to reality.

“Who…who are you?” Hyun Bin stammered, taken aback that anyone, let alone this kid, would talk to him like that.

“Sunbae, I’m sorry I’m late.  I forgot to set my alarm clock.  Let me grab some coffee and we can start going over the script.”  Soong Ki addressed Hye Kyo without missing a beat.  Turning to Hyun Bin, he stated again, this time a little bit firmer, “I think you should let go of sunbae’s arm.”

“Wha…what?” By now, Hyun Bin realized that the one clerk and two co-owners of the shop were all staring at the three of them.  Slowly, he let go of Hye Kyo’s elbow. 

“I…I…is there somewhere we can talk later?” Hyun Bin asked Hye Kyo.  He needed to talk with her, but not like this, not in public.  He needed to explain that he had been a fool.  He needed to beg for her forgiveness.  These past 8 months in the Marine Corps had been, if anything, much worse than his first separation from her a few years ago when he had to film in Busan while she had remained in Seoul.  He had tried to get into contact with her during his first leave, but she wouldn’t return his calls, her manager hung up on him, and her agency all but blocked any contact he had tried with them.  Now, with a few days off for Christmas, he was determined to try again. 

“This is Jo In Sung’s friend, Song Joong Ki.  And no, I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” Hye Kyo said in a cold, monotone voice, and for the first time Soong Ki realized that he was witnessing the “Ice Goddess” that only Hye Kyo can portray so well.  And yet, as he looked into her eyes, he could see…sadness…and pain.

“Hye Kyo…please….” Hyun Bin started, but before he could get another word in, he was interrupted again by the annoying kid, who had now positioned himself between them.

“I believe sunbae said no.”  Joong Ki said, just a little bit more firm and more menacing.  “Now, is there anything else you need here?”

Hye Kyo didn’t realize that she was shaking until she saw Hyun Bin’s frame exit the coffee shop and turn the corner.  For the past 11 months, she had tried to get over him, to forget him, to move on from him.  She had thought that he was it, he was THE ONE.  But it’s hard to have a relationship with someone who is more in love with fame, fortune, and career than he is with you.  Did she still have feelings for him?  Of course she did.  You don’t just move on from a relationship as intense and as deep as theirs was overnight, but she had learned a bitter lesson.  On the day that they ended their relationship, she vowed to herself that she would never get involved with another actor or entertainer, never mix business with her personal life again.

“Are you alright?” Joong Ki asked worriedly as he saw Hye Kyo shaking.  He led her to a table and signaled to the clerk to bring them two coffees as he sat her down in the chair. 

“Ye…yes.  And thank…thank you again,” Hye Kyo managed to whisper. 

“Who was that jackass anyway? Such a fool for treating you the way he did,” Joong Ki said, hoping she got the double meaning in his words.  Again, Hye Kyo looked at him and this time gave a small smile of gratitude.

“What are you doing today?” Joong Ki asked.  In the second that she had given him the smile, an idea popped into his head.  Whatever happened, he knew that she shouldn’t be alone today.  He knew that she needed to escape, needed to be distracted.

“I…er…I was just going to do some shopping,” Hye Kyo replied, not really sure at the turn in conversation.  She really had nothing planned other than some last-minute Christmas shopping and lunch with her manager.

“No you’re not, you’re coming with me.”  Joong Ki said with a twinkle in his eye as he pulled her to her feet, paid for the coffees, and dragged her to his car.  “We’re going skating.”

He knew there would be hell for him to pay with his agency and with SBS, but that wasn’t important to him at that moment.  She was.

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

23 December 2011 5:45 AM

“Where are you!?!” She could hear Jo In Sung scream through her telephone.  “The coffee shop owners are frantic and think Hyun Bin kidnapped you.  Your manager Mrs. Park is ready to hunt him down and skin him alive.  So I’m going to ask once again, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

“Oppa, calm down!  You’re going to get a heart attack in your old age.  And don’t yell at me this early in the morning.” Hye Kyo teased.  In Sung finally let out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.  After hearing from the coffee shop what had happened, he was so worried about her.  And then when no one seemed to be able to get in touch with her, his worry became panic. 

“I…I just needed some time to think.  I wanted to be by myself for a bit.  Call Vivian and tell her not to worry…I’ll be back in Seoul tonight.”  Hye Kyo replied. A smile slowly formed as her gaze moved across the living room of the mountain cabin that she was in and focused on the softly snoring figure next to the fireplace.  She wasn’t exactly lying to In Sung, but she wasn’t telling him the whole truth either.  She left out a few details here and there about how she had spent the entire day and night.  It was still a blur to her…the past 24 hours.

At first, the words that Joong Ki had said didn’t register in her brain at all.  Skating?  Now?  Why?  All she wanted to do was go home, lock the door, close all the shades and curtains, and have a good cry.  By the time she regained her senses, they were in his car on the highway heading out of Seoul, north and east to the mountains.

“My grandparents have a small cabin in the mountains.  It’s next to a lake that is frozen this time of year.  That’s where I first learned how to skate.”  Joong Ki explained.  “I’ve always found that skating helps me think and sort things out.  And it’s very private, no one can get there if they don’t know the roads very well.”

When they reached their destination, Hye Kyo was surprised that there was no one around.  Joong Ki’s grandparents were in the US visiting his aunt, uncle, and cousins and wouldn’t be back before the new year.  He rummaged through the pairs of skates in storage and found that Hye Kyo could fit perfectly into his younger sister’s skates.  They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon on the breathtakingly beautiful lake, skating until they were both near exhaustion.  Never once did Joong Ki ask any questions…never once did he pry into what had happened earlier that morning.  He gave her space and time, for which she was grateful.  She cooked them a simple supper from the items they found in the pantry, and they ended up sitting in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames deep into the night.

He had insisted that she take the only bedroom in the cabin while he set up his bed in front of the fireplace.  Although she had only 5 hours of sleep, she had not felt this refreshed and revived in months.  As Hye Kyo continued to listen to In Sung scold her over the phone, her thoughts were on the sleeping figure in front of her.  If In Sung was like an older brother to her, then was Joong Ki the younger brother…or was he something else?