Ji Chang Wook watches as JiHyun’s taxi disappears around a corner. He feels numb with disbelief, not sure how the evening had turned out this way. Nothing made sense.

He hears a sound behind him and turns, seeing In Guk standing barely five feet away. Before he realizes it, his hands are clenched around the other man’s shirt and he’s half shoving half lifting In Guk until they both fall against the bushes by the sidewalk

The frustration and rage that had been building all night bursts forth and his right arm lifts, ready to throw a punch.

But then he hesitates. Seo In Guk looks at him, his face void of any expression.

With a frustrated yell, Chang Wook shoves In Guk away and retreats. Fists clenched in anger.

“What the HELL, In Guk?!!”

He looks up, rage and hurt shaking through every inch of him. In Guk does not say a word. He just looks away

“You were my best friend. My f*king best friend.”

“I know.” In Guk states quietly.

“You know how I feel about her.”

“I know.”

“So why….? Why would you do this?” 

Spying a bench nearby, Chang Wook slumps down on top of it. Suddenly everything seems too much.  He shoves his hands through his hair and holds his head in his hands, trying to make sense of it all. He'd spent years, years, revealing his closest secrets to this very man. His friend had laughed with him; listened when he needed it; let him vent any time. 

He tries to think back about any signs or clues he must have missed. Had he been so blind?

After what seems like long eternal minutes, he hears In Guk walking over towards him. The other man does not say anything. Just sits quietly down next to him.

More minutes go by. Everything is silent except for the sound of the occasional car passing by.

Finally, a question breaks the quiet.

“Why have you not told her?”

At this, Chang Wook turns to look at his former friend, but In Guk is staring straight ahead.

Various responses run through Chang Wook’s head. He was about to tell her, he wants to shout. Then he remembers the doubts he was having the previous night. Had he been about to tell her?

He thinks back to the past months where he had lived in such happiness but never revealed a single sign of his feelings to JiHyun. He had been content enjoying being with her, seeing her every day; being close to her. Had he been afraid to ruin it?

Is he afraid?

He doesn't know how to answer. And he does not want to explain any of this. Especially not to the man sitting next to him.

Chang Wook gets up in frustration. He slams his fist at a nearby lamppost. The pain that shoots up his arm matches the violence he feels inside and p erversely fills him with relief. He’s not sure who he is angry at now. In Guk? Himself? Both?

When he turns around Seo In Guk is gone.

The next day, Chang Wook arrived at the set much earlier than scheduled. He  had texted Manager Bang to let him know he was going to ride his bike to the set. He didn’t feel like company this morning.

The night before he had sat for a long time on that bench, trying to think things through. He had messaged JiHyun to make sure she was alright and waited late into the night until he received her text letting him know she was home safely.

Only then had he gotten back onto his scooter and rode silently home. But sleep had eluded him and finally, feeling restless, he left before the sun was up; letting the roar of his superbike and the feel of the wind blowing past him drown out the anxieties inside.

When he arrived at the studio, it was so early that only a few crew members were there. Not even the craft trucks that were loaded first thing in the morning with coffee and pastries had been set up. Some of the workers look up, surprised to see Chang Wook there. He nods at them as he walks past but the expression on his face did not invite conversation.

He heads directly towards the dressing rooms, walking right past the one marked for him and opens the one next door instead. It’s too early, so no one is there.

He lays down his helmet, shrugs off his leather jacket and waits.

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