Jihyo’s phone vibrated on the table, so she picked it up to check her messages. She was on break from her photoshoot as the staff changed the background set, and after several hours of standing and posing under the flash of a camera, she was feeling rather spent and a little bored. Taking photos was something that came natural to her; she was used to it since she’d done it so often. Indeed, it was more comfortable for her to take pictures, but in comparison to the taxing games she played when filming Running Man or the effort it took for her to act in dramas, photoshoots were a little bit of a drag. The message was just a commercial from some phone company seeking her business, and there were no more messages. She sighed and put down her phone again and watched the workers move the props around, waiting out the break, when her phone buzzed again. She was surprised to see a message from Kang Gary.

             Mongji, what’re you up to?

             It was a bit unexpected, since they’d never texted or called each other outside of filming. She wondered what was up.

            Photoshoot, she replied. Though I’m taking a break right now.

            His reply came a few seconds later. Then why do I see you in front of my house? This was followed by a picture of her in a makeup commercial on a billboard, evidently taken from Gary’s window.

            She rolled her eyes. You must be really bored, huh, oppa? She grabbed the stuffed collie dog prop that she’d been taking pictures with earlier, put her baseball cap on its head, and took a picture of it to send to Gary. Look, I can see you too.

            Nah, he returned, he’s too good looking to be me.

            She laughed out loud, but quickly clamped shut when she noticed a few people looking over at her. Her phone buzzed again, and she quickly looked down at it.

            When are you going to bring me my get-well-soon present?

            Yah, she texted, it’s bad manners to ask people to bring you gifts.

            Then just bring yourself! I’m so bored… All I can do is sit or lie down all day.

            “Five more minutes,” the staff called to her. She nodded at him and read the next text that buzzed in.

            Pretty please? Gil will be there too. He said he didn’t get to greet you properly last time and wants to meet you. And the two of us are so tired of sitting here together, he added. We need a change in the atmosphere!

           Oh, all right. I’ll come, she decided, then got up to continue the photoshoot.

           Just as she was about to leave the set to go to Gary’s apartment, the stuffed collie from earlier caught her eye, and she suddenly had an idea that made her grin. She grabbed the dog and swung around to find one of the staff. “Can I take this?”