"I'd like to have another bottle please."

The bartender nodded as he went off to get Hyuk's fourth bottle of beer.

He was all alone in his usual spot at his favorite bar. Looking at his watch, he realized it was only 11PM; the surroundings already felt like 2 AM. When the bartender came back with his order, the exhausted detective sighed as he opened the bottle and drank again. 

The door of the bar opened, breaking Hyuk's reverie and introducing a familiar face. 

"I'll have a bottle please," said his drinking buddy from months ago. For a second, Hyuk wondered if the man would recognize him. When the man noticed him, a super excited smile lit up on his face as he waved enthusiastically -- too enthusiastically, actually. 

"You're here!" he exclaimed. Hyuk was dumbfounded as the stranger approached (quite giddily) him and took the seat right next to him. There was definitely excitement in this man's eyes; Hyuk wasn't that drunk yet to imagine that.

"Uh...yeah," replied the bewildered detective, "Welcome back?"

His drinking buddy immediately sensed the sudden retraction from Hyuk's side; he subdued himself, choosing to paste that sunny smile on his face. 

"You look better than the last time I saw you," he remarked, observing the detective's face, "I guess things are better?" he then ordered a beer. Hyuk, on the other hand, did not mind the sudden closeness this stranger had for him. 

"Yeah, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I mean...I got the girl."

"YOU GOT THE GIRL?!"

Even the bartender was astounded when the man got up from his seat and hugged Hyuk, shaking as he did. It was fortunate that he was a bit drunk; otherwise, he would've pushed the man aside.

"You did well, you did well!" said the man. He pulled away and Hyuk could see his drinking buddy was really ecstatic (and it did not make sense). "I knew you'd get the girl in the end!"

Hyuk returned to his bottle. "Yeah well don't get too excited," he said. 

"Why not?"

The detective sighed. "We just fought."

[ 3 DAYS AGO ]

"And that's all I'll be needing."

He noticed the witness looking a little relieved; she was watching him shuffle the files, but Hyuk could see she was glad this was over. 

"We'll call you in case there's an update," he told her, "In the meantime, I'd advise staying with your family first. We don't know what could happen when your husband comes back in town."

"I fervently hope he doesn't," replied the witness, "He could stick it with those gangster friends of his."

Hyuk smiled politely as he ushered the woman outside of the interrogation room before returning to the table and sorting through the files. He hated these long-term cases; they weren't just long, they were also taxing and wore him out. These past days, he was always tired. But being what he is, he knew that he came with the job.

There was a knock and the door opened.

"Hey, I need to talk to you," said Gook Doo. 

"Right now? I have to finish the statement," replied Hyuk, writing furiously.

"You need to hear this."

"What about?"

"It's about your girlfriend's stalker."

That got Hyuk's attention.

Just a week ago, Sun Hee's stalker made a re-appearance, not physically, but his mere presence made itself known again. 

The premier of the actress' drama was bound to attract attention and when the first episode aired, the reception was astounding. Even Sun Hee was amazed with the audience falling in love instantly. When episode 2 received the same amount of love, the media hounded all the cast and crew of the drama for an ambush interview, congratulating them on their success.

Despite being the second lead, Sun Hee's character also received much love, which meant more fans. 

Hyuk had to watch her from the far back because she suddenly gained a following; apparently, her character as the quirky detective/best friend of the head inspector/male lead was so relatable, she became a crowd favorite. It was only natural for fans to gather. 

Everything was going well: Sun Hee was finally receiving the recognition she worked so hard for. It wasn't a massive following yet, but judging from the rate of people who like her and her character, Hyuk expected the fan base to grow. So it wasn't unusual anymore for her to receive more fan gifts, have paparazzis trailing her, and get more attention.

Her stalker, however, saw this as a way to get to her.

"So do you have another lead?" Hyuk was asking Gook Doo as they walked back to the Violent Crimes department.

Gook Doo led him to his cubicle where a blown-up image of a CCTV footage was on display. The younger detective tapped on the screen and zoomed it in. 

"That was the man who might have placed the 'gift' in her dressing room."

The gift Gook Doo mentioned was unlike the other fan gifts Sun Hee started receiving -- unless one thinks another bundle of her hair and a note saying "I'll see you soon" is the idea of a perfect gift. Hyuk clearly remembered how he was about to visit her in her dressing room when she burst out of the door, running away. Her friend Jin Hae informed him of the ordeal, showing him the so-called fan gift.

He swore that note was written in blood. 

"You think that guy's the stalker?" asked Gook Doo, "But I remember reading from the file that you suspected it's a group activity."

"He could be one of them," answered Hyuk, trying to decipher a better image, "Do you have any idea who he could be?"

Gook Doo opened another tab on his computer; it showed a wanted image of a man named Do Jong Soo.

"Do Jong Soo is a con-man wanted for scam cases in Busan," explained Gook Doo, he then touched the screen and zoomed in more, "We ran this blur of an image on facial recognition and his name came up. Currently, he got no job."

"So it would make sense if he was one of the hitmen."

"Yep."

"Where do we find him?"

Gook Doo frowned. "In the morgue."

"What?"

The younger detective pulled up another image of the same man -- only this time, he was pale and dead on a metal table. 

"Locals found his body dumped in an empty parking lot near the train station," explained Gook Doo, "According to the report, he might've been killed last night. The annoying thing is he died from a gunshot wound to the head, but when the bullet was analyzed, guess who can own that kind of gun?"

"Who?"

"Every other citizen in this damn place," replied Gook Doo, "Meaning our culprit's good at cleaning up his mess."

Hyuk heaved a frustrated sigh as he walked away from Gook Doo's computer. Gook Doo, on the other hand, mused over their findings.

"Wow, whoever this person is knows what he's doing, huh?" he remarked, "That means he's that dedicated to the cause."

"That's one slippery stalker you have."

His drinking buddy was calmly peeling off the shell from one of the hard-boiled eggs he ordered. Hyuk noticed how precise the man was in peeling; all he did was crack once and he could remove the entire shell. 

"That's true," commented Hyuk, drinking.

"So, is that why you fought?" asked the man.

The detective did not answer at first. He was just lazily staring at his fourth bottle of beer, still secretly wondering why he was telling the story to this complete stranger (he really couldn't pick at it, but Hyuk thought he really looked familiar). But it felt better than just bottling up his feelings and exploding (like what happened six hours ago).

"Women are weird," was all he said.

"I don't think so."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" asked Hyuk. 

The question caught his drinking buddy off-guard. It was unmistakable; the man's cheeks reddened, reaching the roots of his floppy hair. He didn't say anything much, but Hyuk caught phrases like "underage," "Canada," and "waiting" in his speech. He didn't mind though; he was too busy ordering another bottle. 

"Your girlfriend is definitely in demand, isn't she?" asked the man. 

"You bet."

"Well, she always has been," the stranger said, "She has always had that effect on people. I don't know where she gets that from."

Hyuk glanced at his new friend. "Uh...do you know her?" he asked.

The stranger, who was busy eyeing his bottle, suddenly jolted from his seat. "Er...I mean...hasn't she always been?" he asked, "Being an actress and all that. I was wondering which agency brought her on." Immediately, he took another sip. "So uh...what happened next?"

[ 2 DAYS AGO ]

"Are you okay?"

Hyuk was startled by Sun Hee's voice. She was staring at him, holding her cup of tea. They were at this really fancy tea place down at the local mall. Situated near the end of the small cafe, Hyuk could still hear the tiny cheers from a small group of fans outside. 

He expected this already. Since he didn't want to draw attention, he wore too many layers and a hat. For some good measure, he slapped on a mask.

"Yeah...I'm fine," he told her, taking one of those dainty macaroons she ordered. The place was too pink for his liking, but Sun Hee insisted it was the best place to unwind after her hectic schedule. He thought it was a miracle she even made time for him, but then again, he remembered that he too was struggling with juggling everything. 

She set down her cup. "You don't look fine to me," she said, "What's wrong?"

He found it weird that Sun Hee wasn't the least disturbed with her latest brush with her stalker. She was scared at first, but she immediately got over it. Now, she's gallivanting here and there, not even mindful of the fact that her stalker could be anywhere. To be fair, however, he hasn't said much about her case. She never asked; he figured she didn't want to know about it. 

"I'm just tired, I guess," he said.

"Rough day?"

"Yep."

It was weird she hasn't asked anything. Didn't she want to know? Instead of asking the details, here she was calmly sipping her tea, checking her phone, and mouthing her lines.

She then looked outside.

"Oh gosh, look at them," she said, "This is really strange."

"What is?"

"I've never had that much of a group huddled in front of the store I'm in," she remarked, amazed, "Wow, look at them. Do you think I should go out and greet them?"

"No."

The "No" came too strong for Hyuk's liking. Unfortunately for him, she noticed.

"Why not?"

"You could get hurt."

"By a couple of teenage girls?" she asked sarcastically, "Yeah right."

"You never know, though. Someone out there could hurt you."

He didn't trust anyone right now. The mere fact that someone got inside her dressing room was enough cause for worry. Anyone could harm her if she let her guard down. 

Sun Hee finished her cup of tea and smacked her lips. She set the tea down and stood up.

"Well, I don't think they can hurt me," she said, "Wait a moment."

"Sun Hee," said Hyuk, standing up, "Don't."

"Why not?"

"Someone out there can hurt you," he repeated.

"Hyuk, I don't think a bunch of high school girls asking for an autograph will hurt me."

"What if they stab you with a pen?"

"Why woud they do that?"

Their voices were getting too heated for the fancy cafe. Some of the guests were already looking at them, wondering why the pretty woman was arguing with that masked man. Hyuk, not wanting to create any trouble, sat down, and gazed at Sun Hee, asking her to sit down. He couldn't explain it, but he really didn't want her to go.

Sun Hee, being the stubborn person she was, just looked at him and set her bag before she walked towards the door, eager to greet her fans.

"They never listen, do they?"

Hyuk peeled one of the eggs shared by his friend. "No, they don't."

"But she had a point," said the man, taking a swig, "High school girls can be dangerous but I don't think they'd stab her with a pen."

"But she doesn't understand," argued Hyuk calmly, "Anything can happen to her. That stalker of hers could have an army for all we know. I was just trying to keep her safe."

"So is that when she got mad at you?" asked his drinking buddy, "When you doubted her fans and you told her high school girls could possibly stab her with a pen?"

The detective drank from his bottle and bit from the egg in his hands. 

"No, that was the start of everything."

[ YESTERDAY ]

"...and Miss Sun Hee over here, playing the lovable role of Go Soo-Young, the detective hopelessly in love with her partner," the host was saying. 

Hyuk watched as Sun Hee bowed to the audience, basking in their appreciation of her. He stood quite far from the stage, however; he didn't want anyone to notice him since she hasn't gone public with the relationship (and it was better that way). Also, she had no idea that he finished at the station earlier so he could catch her show. 

They also sort of fought the day before.

Sun Hee told him off for being so paranoid with the kids to which Hyuk said nothing. He didn't feel like arguing with her, but he was annoyed with the fact that she never took security measures seriously. Was it because she had more bodyguards now? But they didn't blow into a big argument; just the regular one-liner spat off they usually had.

After that, they said nothing more. Hyuk, however, sensed his girlfriend was kind of mad at him. She didn't text him this morning at all.

She smiled graciously at fans as she thanked the MCs for that day's segment. He watched as she took photos with the cast, signed a bunch of autographs, and hugged fans when she could. He could see that she was really enjoying the spotlight; she worked so hard for it, he couldn't blame her. Eventually, the audience started to file out of the studio, following the cast as they got out. Probably more time for autographs.

Quietly, he filed out as well, his eyes scanning for Sun Hee.

They gathered at the lobby again. Security tried to subdue the adoring crowd as the stars of the show headed towards the special backstage. Hyuk, being a cop, only had to show his badge to gain access. 

While he was surveying the crowd, he noticed a man in black holding a camera. Hyuk noticed that his lens was always focused on Sun Hee, despite the abundance of stars ahead. Sun Hee, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to this fact. She kept laughing with her co-actors. This annoyed Hyuk again; he recalled the countless times he told her to be mindful of her surroundings. 

The Gangnam detective followed the photographer following the group.

He could see the photographer taking way too many shots of Sun Hee. Too much for his liking. 

Hiding behind one of the poles, he watched as the man trailed after the group -- one click after the other. Eventually, he grabbed Sun Hee by the wrist.

Oh that's it.

Without thinking, the Detective emerged from his hiding place and seized the man before he could hurt Sun Hee. Everyone was startled at this masked man's presence, attacking the man holding the camera.

"GEROFF ME!" yelled the man, struggling as Hyuk reached for the camera.

"What the hell is going on?" yelled the lead actor.

Hyuk struggled as he tried to subdue the man, deaf to the screams of the people around him. He was so into it that he didn't hear Sun Hee screaming into his ear. 

"GET OFF HIM!" she was yelling, pulling Hyuk off the photographer. 

When her nails dug deep on his back, it was only then that Hyuk stopped. Miraculously, he kept his mask on, but his hat was on the floor -- which made Sun Hee recognized him. 

She was helping the man to his feet. 

"What the hell?" asked the man when he got up, brushing off dust and glaring at Hyuk.

"You're asking me that, really?" spat Hyuk.

"What's going on?"

The remaining cast was bewildered with the scene; all of them were looking back and forth between Hyuk and the photographer, Sun Hee in between. He couldn't understand; why was she helping the stalker up? Why was she glaring at him? 

She apologized profusely to the man and bowed in front of her cast before pulling Hyuk by the arm.

"I'll follow," she told them all, "I'm so sorry. I have to fix this first."

Hyuk had no time to reason out in front of them as she immediately dragged him towards a concealed place by the trees. Judging from the intensity of her touch (she held him pretty tightly), she was obviously pissed off. The actress finally let go when they were face to face.

"What was that?!" she suddenly exclaimed. 

"He was following you," reasoned Hyuk.

"Did you think he's my stalker?" she asked, "Did you know who you just punched? That was a fan photographer! The fans hired him to follow me around!" 

"How do you know that?"

"I just do!"

Her face was flushed with annoyance. Hyuk, on the other hand, couldn't understand how she could be so...reckless.

"You never know. That guy could be after you."

"Hyuk, for the love of God, not every guy with a camera is stalking me," explained Sun Hee exasperatedly, "Some of them are actual photographers, others are paparazzis. Not everyone is a stalker! Stop being so paranoid!"

That got him. 

"Paranoid, huh?" he repeated, "So that's what you call being caring? Paranoid?" he shrugged, "Okay, I get it."

Her eyes rounded in annoyance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He took off his mask. "I'm just watching out for you," he explained, "Because lately, you haven't been taking your safety seriously. You go about without even thinking about precautionary measures."

"That's not true!" she argued, "My fans aren't going to kill me."

"But what if your stalker pretends to be one?"

"That's unlikely."

"See," accused Hyuk, "You don't even know that. Haven't you ever thought about it? He could get you anytime, anywhere."

"You're so protective!"

"And that's a bad thing?"

There was silence. Both Hyuk and Sun Hee were glaring at each other, the tension growing between them. The former shocked to the latter's lack of discipline; the latter annoyed at the former's iron grip. 

"It's not," said Sun Hee, "It's just...you're overreacting. I get that you're watching out for me, but not everything's a danger! I wish you'd stop being so protective!"

"I wish you'd take your safety seriously," retorted Hyuk, "I'm not the one with the stalker here."

"Oh my god, you could ruin my career here!"

That bit stung. Hyuk felt his defenses shutting down as Sun Hee's flushed face and flaring eyes told him what she really felt. She didn't understand and he couldn't understand. They were on different pages. 

She said he could ruin her career.

Without another word, the Detective put his mask back and walked away.

"Whew, that sounds nasty."

Hyuk didn't reply; he was too immersed with the light bouncing off his beer bottle. 

"Is this your first fight?" asked his drinking  buddy.

"No. I mean...we've argued before, even when we weren't dating but -- "

"This is different, huh?"

The detective nodded as he bit another egg and sighed. 

After that fateful first fight as a couple, Hyuk found himself storming back to the station and zoning out in his spot, choosing to focus on the bunch of criminals hounded by the team. He might've screamed too much during interrogation that day, but there was no use holding back emotions. He wanted to block out the idea that she thought about him that way -- that she considered his actions as detrimental instead of beneficial. 

He hated to admit, but it hurt. 

"You know what they say about fights?"

"What?"

The man drank from his bottle. "The worse fights usually happen between two people who truly love each other," he explained, "I don't know how that's going to help you, but I hope it assures you somehow."

"How?"

"That she probably spoke out of turn. You know how women can be; they can be too emotional," said his friend, "But also, you might have been too overprotective with her."

"I'm just trying to keep her safe," defended Hyuk, "You don't understand it -- this feeling I have. I have to protect her."

"I know you do and I'm glad," replied the man, "Truly glad that you are now stepping up to protect her...finally."

Finally? What does he mean?

His drinking buddy smiled sleepily, gazing at the bar. "You do what you have to do," he continued, "But remember, you also have to listen to her. You can be very demanding."

He said this fact as if he knew Hyuk.

"What makes you say that?" asked the detective.

The man almost spilled his drink. "AH...well...you have that look. You know...type of guy who likes to force things on other people." He then smiled at Hyuk, "Forgive me, I can be very judgmental. But that doesn't mean I think less of you. In fact, I really admire you." He cleared off the shells. "You must really love this girl."

"Love her? I haven't even told her that."

"Well...you do. It's pretty obvious that you do."

The man finished off his bottle and smacked his lips. He looked wistfully at Hyuk and smiled encouragingly.

"You'll get better. You'll see."

Both men shoved their hands inside their coat pockets as the breeze hit their faces. Hyuk shivered while the man continued to babble, completely unfazed by the cold weather. He was talking about something related to maple leaves; the detective was too distracted to mind. 

"So where will you be heading?" asked his drinking buddy. 

"I...will probably go back to the station."

"Buried in work?"

"Plenty of overtime."

"Or you just don't want to go home?"

Hyuk sighed. "Probably."

"Chin up, fighting," said his drinking buddy, looking very much sincere, "You're probably old enough, but you're still growing."

He then reached out to pat Hyuk on the shoulder.

"It's okay," he said.

It was strange that this man (who he encountered twice only) was capable of comforting him. Hyuk figured he was probably too drunk to care, but it didn't matter. He needed the encouragement...no matter where or who it came from.

He didn't want to think of tomorrow. Sun Hee still hadn't called him. She probably wouldn't call again tomorrow. 

Maybe she would end things with him -- 

"You're here."

The voice startled both Hyuk and his new friend. Through his hazy gaze, he could see her bright eyes shinning in the middle of the darkness. 

Sun Hee stood in front of them, wrapped in many layers of clothing, but still recognizable. It was night anyway; no one flocked her. 

What was she doing there?

"What...why are you here?" he asked.

Sun Hee hesitated before gazing up at him. "I...I was looking for you," she explained, "I knew that you could be here."

"AH!"

Both Sun Hee and Hyuk were startled with the stranger's reaction. Hyuk saw that he was looking at Sun Hee with such awe and amazement.  He was even pointing at her with one hand. Was his drinking buddy also a fan of the show?

"Yes?" asked Sun Hee, "Do I know you?"

The man was gaping at her, stammering as he did and his hands moved unnaturally. 

"I...wow...I can't believe this," he was saying, "Wow."

Sun Hee was already confused and looked at Hyuk. "Do you know this man?" she asked, "Are you friends with him?"

Took him a second before he answered. "Oh, uh...yes," he said, "His name is...uhm."

Damn it, I don't even know.

"Yu Shin Jae," the man answered eagerly, "You must be Sun Hee."

"Yes, how did you know?"

Shin Jae pointed at Hyuk. "He tells me a lot about you."

"That's interesting."

Awkward silence.

Sun Hee's body language suggested that she wasn't in the mood to socialize right now; she was gazing at Hyuk, hoping he'd get the message. The detective, on the other hand, sensed what she wanted. 

"Uhm...I think we have to go," he told his friend named Yu Shin Jae, "I'm sorry for cutting the time short."

"No! I mean...no, it's okay," said Shin Jae, "I'm just...really glad we had the time again. Also glad to finally see the face of your Sun Hee." He was smiling warmly at the actress. "Really glad. I hope we could all have a drink some time."

"Probably."

Shin Jae pat Hyuk again on the shoulder before bidding the both of them goodbye, his eyes still sparkling at the sight of Sun Hee. Hyuk figured the man now had a first hand experience of the Sun Hee effect. 

And then, they were alone. 

The sound of traffic and dust bins were the only noise nearby. Hyuk was still rendered speechless at the sight of Sun Hee right in front of him; he was so sure that she'd probably not see him again. He was already preparing himself for break up texts. 

She said nothing. She was just looking up and down, observing him.

How long was this going to take? Couldn't she just spare him the agony and say something -- ?

"You know, you didn't have to disappear like that," she said, "One of the things I really hate is when someone walks out on me."

She looked at him with resentment. 

"You just left me there."

"You didn't want to listen to me."

"You were being unreasonable."

"So were you."

Sun Hee sighed. 

"Look, I know you're looking out for me and I appreciate that, I really do," she explained, "But sometimes, I need you to trust me when I say I'll be fine."

"It's not that I don't trust you," he said, "I don't trust the people around you."

"But you can't go on like that everyday," she reasoned, "It's going to drive me insane."

"I don't care if it drives you insane," he shot back, "I'd rather drive you insane than let someone hurt you. I love you too much to let that happen."

Hyuk's mouth suddenly froze at the words he just heard. Did he say that? Judging from the look on Sun Hee's face, he just did.

"What did you say?" she asked, "Did you just say that you...love me too much?"

Oh no, he thought, Oh no, I told her I loved her. Oh god, she's going to think it's too early. Oh no.

"I...well...I..."

Can you take it back?

"I...did."

He decided to power through. 

"Call me paranoid or crazy, but I do these things because I love you," he continued, "I'm sorry if I hurt you and yes, I might have overreacted. But I hope you understand that I don't...I can't stand the idea of losing you."

Silence.

He just confessed to loving someone he had been dating for only two months. He wanted to punch himself for sounding so cheesy when really, he should be apologizing instead. But he said what had to be said; the fates would have to take care of him from now on. 

Sun Hee approached him slowly. He still couldn't get a good read on her face; was she disgusted? Confused? Surprised?

She touched his face.

"You know...an apology would've been enough," she said, "But an 'I love you' is way better."

He leaned forward. 

"I love you then."

A/N: Hey guys, I'm sorry it took a week. Haha, this ain't my usual pace but a lot has happened. It already feels like I've been gone for years. I hope you're still there and I hope you're all well. I just celebrated my birthday today; it was my wish to finish this and ta-da, I did! 

I'm working on the next path of these two characters. It's funny how some readers want to extend the series; really touched guys, but let's see. Tell me what you think!