The next scene had started and has been going on for nearly an hour with the breaks in between. Things don’t seem to be working on Tiffany’s side. The director was very unhappy with the failed scenes and was on the verge of screaming his head off to get this right. Tiffany didn’t use enough strength and it looked too unnatural; she used too much strength later on and it looked unsynchronized with Sooyoung’s dodge; or otherwise, she was too fast or slow for the camera.

“Just imagine that there was someone you really hate in front of him and give it a good slap alright?” Sooyoung advised and somehow, the person who came to Tiffany’s mind was Sooyoung and just Sooyoung. She tried to shake off those thoughts but it isn’t working and the director shouted for her to start while she wasn’t prepared.

SLAP

You wouldn’t know how perfect that shot was. The director was so satisfied that they could call it a day off. However, he was more than shock because more was waiting in the queue. It was a little too loud for the ears; everyone was a little more flabbergasted than usual; Tiffany was a little more in trouble than she had perceived; the director was a little closer to being grilled and the most important thing, Sooyoung’s cheeks were a little redder than the reddest blusher could give.

All you would hear was nothing but the silence of death approaching. And moments later, heavy footsteps running towards Sooyoung with an ice pack trying to bring down the damage could be heard. Thousands of eyes were on Tiffany and she felt like they were drowning her in guilt. She didn’t mean it but somehow, she felt like Sooyoung didn’t even bother avoiding that hit. Yes, she did not.

“Tiffany! Didn’t I remind you?” You could hear his anger. The director wouldn’t die alone facing Sooyoung’s manager and Tiffany was obviously responsible for it. She ignored the director. She couldn’t understand all the murmurings around her but she wished Siwon would come up to her and tell her that it wasn’t her fault. Because Sooyoung clearly never tried to dodge that slap, not a single bit.

“Fany, how can you bring personal feelings into work?” Siwon questioned her while helping Sooyoung and somehow, that stepped onto her limits. He should be caressing her and not Sooyoung but everything just wasn’t going her way.

“She did it on purpose Siwon! She didn’t even dodge that hit!” Tiffany protested but of course, not a single soul believed her. Or maybe there was only one person in the entire studio that believe her; not Siwon, not anyone else but Wooyoung.

SLAP

“How could you say such a thing when it was clearly your mistake? Why would anyone want to be slapped when there is another shoot later on? What is wrong with you today Tiffany Hwang!”

He slapped her. He called her full name. For the first time in her life, she was slapped and being scolded by her full name. And it came out from nobody but Siwon’s mouth. She felt like that world was crashing and it was suffocating. Her vision got blur. He did it right in front of everyone else and she knew he trampled on her pride leaving no trace behind for that girl named Choi Sooyoung. For the first time, she hated her with a burning passion.

His hand remained in the position after the hit. His fist clenched tightly together as he tried to process every single word he had shot out and that slap. Her eyes were wet and he knew that he had gone overboard. It was as though a monster took over him and he couldn’t even control. Wrong, everything was wrong and he saw how her heart froze the instant he shouted at her after that slap. He wanted to apologized and hug her tightly once again. But she didn’t want that now. She ran out this time, without a single word.

She was running away from him and it was hurting him, so damn badly like how he had hurt her. The shoot was obviously over now that there is no way for it to continue since Sooyoung can’t go on and she knew that there is more awaiting her. She didn’t care how the rain soiled the clothes that were meant for the drama, neither did it bother how terribly freezing the rain was. She wished that it could at least wash away her tears and every inch of her pain so she could forget how Siwon had hurt her. It was the first time Siwon had ever laid his fingers on her and it was hurting so badly. The tingly sensation of the slap remained and she could still feel her cheeks burning.

“So this is how much you love me?”

“He was just shocked and overwhelmed by bewilderedness. Don’t take it to heart.”

If you ever knew, she was hoping that the guy who chased out into the rain with an umbrella was Siwon. But her hopes were never held high and it is a mild disappointment when she turned around to the owner of the voice, only to see Wooyoung standing there with an umbrella over her.

“That was the first time he had ever hit me.”

“Everything was too quick Fany. You need to understand him.”

“Then who is going to understand me?”

There was a long pause after she spoke. How she hoped that Siwon could come and tell her he understands and he believes her about Sooyoung taking the hit on purpose; how she hoped that Siwon could come and hold that umbrella telling her he is sorry; how she hoped that Siwon could run after her telling her that everything will be fine even though she had screwed up her first ever shoot completely. She jolly well knows that she will hit the newspaper headline tomorrow and the only thing that she wasn’t sure of was the title.

“I understand,” he replied as he bent down to face the squatting girl who was hugging her knees, shivering.

“You do?”

“She didn’t dodge, and I don’t think she is genuinely friendly. That is why you should stay on guards and avoid her,” he couldn’t tell her about the smirk he saw earlier on but the best he could think of was the piece of advice before her marriage really crumbles.

“It is so painful.”

“Then cry it out. Nobody can express the pain for you so do it for yourself.”

And there she was, crying her heart out in his arms. If Siwon couldn’t give the warmth and comfort she needs, then right now it no longer matters whose arms she’s in. Wooyoung saw how his ‘little sister’ was crying and somehow, he wished he could do a little more to make her feel better. A guy standing far away by the door had his eyes locked on them and his heart aches with every tear that falls. She had her hands on her cheeks as she stood a distant behind Siwon, watching every single thing that was happening.

“Thanks for the slap Fany.” She whispered as a tear fell. She was close to losing her purest innocence that was once so valuable because of a guy that never belonged to her.

You can choose to avoid so many things, but not when it is intentional.

----------

“You should close your eyes and rest for a while.”

“I’m not tired.” Taecyeon didn’t even bother turning around to see who that voice was coming from. He was tired. He was tired of keeping his hopes high as he waited aimlessly for Yuri to walk out of the theater. He was tired of telling himself everything will be fine. He was tired of blaming himself for being such a fool and causing so much harm to the two loveliest girls in his life. He was tired of telling himself that Yoona will certainly wait for him. He was full of insecurities