"Ji Hyo," Jong Kook called out to the younger woman when he saw her walking to her car straight away after filming. 

 

"Hm?"

 

"Got anywhere to go? Everyone is going out to dinner; want to join us?"

 

The woman shook her head. "I think I want to go home," she said. She smiled at Jong Kook and told him it was good filming that day. "You didn't rip my name tag," she mentioned. 

 

Jong Kook laughed. "Honestly, Ji Hyo-yah, do you decide whether an episode is good or not based on if someone rips your name tag?"

 

"No; it's based on who rips my name tag," replied Ji Hyo, "and whose name tag I rip. It's been a while since I last beat you, Oppa. Be a little lenient to me and let me rip your name tag next time, will you? I'll say we're even then."

 

The man scoffed at the attempt of manipulation. Ji Hyo was getting really good at this. He laughed heartily, circling Ji Hyo's shoulder with his arm so that the woman was in his loose embrace. For a moment there he forgot about the scandal. 

 

"I'll think about it, Ji Hyo-yah. Oppa will think about it, promise," he said. He led the smaller woman to her car, all the way having his arm around her shoulder. "Come now, I'll walk you to the car."

 

They talked animatedly, oblivious to their surroundings. The staffs were still around and they witnessed the interaction; a few frowned at them while the others merely shook their heads. 

 

When they got to the car, Ji Hyo's manager had been waiting, folding her arms across the chest and looking very displeased. Jong Kook suddenly realised what he was doing and immediately dropped his arm, stepping aside to create some distance with Ji Hyo. 

 

"Park Sun Mi-ssi," Jong Kook greeted formally. 

 

"Kim Jong Kook-ssi," the manager addresses him rather coldly before getting inside the car. She was so pissed; didn't this man understand the consequences of his action? They were in public, for goodness sake! 

 

Ji Hyo turned around to bid him goodbye. "Thank you for walking me to the car, Jong Kook Hyungnim," she said, "You still owe me a name tag." She winked at him, lifting her left hand to brush a strand of hair that covered her face. 

 

That was when Jong Kook caught a glimpse of her bruised wrist. His reaction was quick; Jong Kook's hand shot forward to catch hers, pulling it towards himself so he could see better. 

 

Ji Hyo yelped, startled at the sudden move. Her eyes widened in fear and she shrank back. "No!" She yanked her hand and hid it behind her back. 

 

Sun Mi heard the commotion and got out of the car at once, quite speechless when Ji Hyo grabbed her and used her as a human barrier between herself and Jong Kook. "What-..?!"

 

"What's that?" Jong Kook demanded, not even acknowledging Sun Mi. "Ji Hyo-yah, what's that?"

 

"What's what?" Sun Mi intrjected, looking back and forth at the two with a confused expression. 

 

"That," Jong Kook pointed out, "the bruise around her wrist."

 

Sun Mi glanced down to where the tall man was pointing but Ji Hyo securely put the bruised wrist behind her back. "What is he talking about?"

 

"It's nothing,"mumbled the young woman. 

 

"It's not nothing! Who did it to you?"

 

"I fell," Ji Hyo retorted. "Don't make a fuss out of it, Oppa."

 

"That's not the kind of bruise people get when they fall. Someone did it to you," he insisted in a low tone, barely suppressing his anger.

 

Sun Mi was confused; what bruise? She didn't know that Ji Hyo fell. "Ji Hyo-yah, what is he talking about?" she asked her charge. "Did someone hurt you-.. Oh!" She gasped when she realised something. 

 

"Park Sun Mi-ssi, do you know anything?"

 

The two women exchanged glances and Sun Mi didn't have the heart to betray the pleading look Ji Hyo gave her to keep quiet. The older woman lowered her head and shook it vigorously in the attempt to hide her guilt. 

 

"Ji Hyo, please? Let me see it? Oppa is not going to hurt you, Ji Hyo-yah," he begged; the urgency and sincerity in his voice brought tears to Ji Hyo's eyes. 

 

She blinked the tears away, clearing before speaking so her voice wouldn't give her away. "Oppa, it's nothing. I promise," she paused. "Please don't tell anyone?"

 

The older man gritted his teeth, at a loss of what to do. From behind him he could hear footsteps approaching and he knew if he continued pressing this, more people would know about the matter. He finally nodded in defeat, whispering, "I understand. Go home now, Ji Hyo-yah; Oppa will call you later, alright?"

 

The younger woman reached forward with her uninjured hand, touching his clasped ones gently as a silent thank you, then climbed into the van. They exchanged silent look as Ji Hyo said goodbye to Gwang Soo, who came to fetch him.

 

Jong Kook stayed rooted in his spot even when Ji Hyo's car was no longer visible that Gwang Soo had to ask him twice if anything was wrong. 

 

The Hyung chuckled bitterly. "I feel like strangling someone," he growled and Gwang Soo understood enough not to question him any more. 

 

***

 

It was late at night when her phone rang. Ji Hyo groaned in dissatisfaction; she had just fallen asleep after a long and winding talk with Sun Mi as the manager relentlessly forced Ji hyo to tell her every little detail of what happened in Chang Joo's office. 

 

This time she was smart enough to check the caller ID before picking up. The last thing she needed was a call from Chang Joo, not that he had tried to contact her again after the incident in the office, though. "Yes, Oppa?"

 

"Ji Hyo-yah, are you asleep?"

 

The woman rolled her eyes. You don't say? She deadpanned mentally. "Yeah - it's past midnight, Oppa. Where are you?"

 

Jong Kook kicked his shoes off and sat on the couch. "I just got home," he told her. Silence. "Yah, Song Ji Hyo, don't fall asleep on me! Why do you always sleep when I call you?"

 

It took another fifteen seconds before Ji Hyo spoke again. "Maybe you need to find better time to call me, Jong Kook Oppa," came the slurred answer, "This is such an ungodly hour to be calling someone; where is your manner?"

 

"I did say I'd call you later." He ignored the slight insult and cut to the chase. "Ji Hyo-yah, we need to talk about your bruise."

 

"I'd rather not," she said, "Can we not?" When Jong Kook didn't reply, Ji Hyo exhaled audibly to the speaker. "Oppa, why can't you let it go? It was nothing, I promise. Don't tire yourself with something so insignificant."

 

"You're not being truthful to me. Hey, Miss Song, I thought we were friends."

 

The woman bit her lower lip as she stared at the ceiling. The cobweb of sleep had left her and now she wasn't even sleepy anymore. Millions of things went inside her mind, making her dizzy. She thought about what she had to say to Jong Kook. The man was as relentless as her manager and between the two of them, Ji Hyo couldn't stand her ground. 

 

"What do you want to know?" she finally relented. Ji Hyo could literally hear Jong Kook's relieved sigh on the other side of line. 

 

"Everything," Jong Kook said, "tell me everything."

 

"I should have recorded myself earlier," Ji Hyo grumbled, "Jong Kook Hyungnim, I just spent two hours telling Unnie about this. Can you give me a break?"

 

"Why are you making this difficult?" Jong Kook nagged. He pondered his options and decided that he could be without any details but one - he needed to know about the bruise. "Alright, I'm just going to ask you one question," he bargained. "Your wrist - it was Baek Chang Joo who did it, wasn't it?"

 

At first Ji Hyo was considering lying but she knew that Jong Kook would be able to read through her lies so she merely grunted her confirmation, not wanting to directly voice her answer.

 

Jong Kook pinched the bridge of his nose, a migraine suddenly hit him. "I understand," he said hoarsely. A single tear rolled down his cheek and Jong Kook did nothing to wipe it. "Go back to sleep, Ji Hyo-yah. Oppa understands. I won't ask you anything anymore."

 

Ji Hyo frowned; the older man's voice sounded as if he was crying but she wasn't sure if she heard right. "Oppa, you okay?" He told her about the migraine. "Aissh, Oppa, you need to rest. Let's hang up, okay? You get something for the pain and go to sleep."

 

He smiled sadly at her caring words. It was so uniquely Ji Hyo to worry about other people even though she was not alright herself. Somehow Jong Kook wished that he was a part of her life - her real brother who had the right to protect her from people like Baek Chang Joo. He bid her goodnight after promising to eat something for his headache. 

 

Staggering into his room, Jong Kook slumped into the bed without changing his clothes. Soon, he drifted into slumber with a grim feeling that tomorrow would bring worse news for both him and Ji Hyo. 

 

 

 

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A/N: I must be crazy to be posting this now. I hope you enjoy the ride.