“Jung So Min to Romance Kim Hyun Joong in Playful Kiss” – the headline read. So Min still couldn’t believe her luck as she read the newspaper. Yesterday, MBC released an announcement that she will be paired with Kim Hyun Joong in the Korean remake of Itazura Na Kiss.

This is a dream come true for her. She thought it will be a few more years before she could land a starring role in a drama. After all, she only has Bad Guy to her name. She was introduced in the drama early this year but now she’s going to end the year with a leading role! It was certainly a feat like no other.  Her phone has been ringing since this morning—everyone, from the media to her grandparents to long-lost relatives and friends--had been calling to congratulate her. And they were all interested in knowing one thing: how does she feel about working with Korea’s current “IT” guy Kim Hyun Joong?

“Oh, I feel very privileged, of course,” she would reply sweetly every single time. But unknown to all of them she was starting to get really annoyed. ‘What’s the big deal about working with that guy anyway?! That guy won’t be able to act to save himself! It’s bad enough that I have to stand in his shadow, now I have to put up with that ert of a statue!’

Hyun Joong left a very bad impression on her the first time they met. The guy had the gall to ask her out immediately after their first story briefing, confident that she’ll fall for his charms.

They were on a break when she found Hyun Joong waiting for her as she stepped out of the rest room. “Shall I call you by your real name, Yoon Ji, or shall I start calling you Honey—H-O-N-E-Y?”Hyun Joong casually asked without looking at her, emphasizing every letter as he spelled out the word honey.

“What?! And why would I let you call me that?” So Min was taken aback, but she’s not one who is easily intimidated. “Because I like you, I think you’re really pretty,” Hyun Joong said as he turned and bent down to about an inch from her face. “You even look cute now that you’re mad,” he said smiling, cupping her chin with his right hand and giving her a very passionate kiss on the lips without any warning. It was so sudden that it took So Min a few moments before realizing what was happening.

Instinctively, she pushed him away and smacked his right cheek with all her might. Hyun Joong felt the sting of her hand on his face but instead of getting mad he smiled and pulled So Min’s arm before she could walk away. He pulled her into a tight embrace and softly whispered: “I’m sorry, Honey, you’re so cute I just couldn’t resist kissing you. Don’t be mad. Oppa just wants to take care of you. Let’s start dating, okay?”  

She struggled under his tight embrace but she was no match for him. He was just too big and too strong, there was no way she could wiggle out of his embrace. She wanted to keep on struggling but hearing his voice and feeling his body so close to hers put her in a trance-like state. She just stood there as Hyun Joong hugged her even closer. Then they heard the sound of footsteps—Hyun Joong reluctantly released her and they went back inside the conference room as if nothing happened.

Hyun Joong discreetly moved his chair closer to hers when they took their seats. The briefing went on smoothly but from time to time Hyun Joong distracted her by rubbing his thigh against hers. At some point So Min had her left hand on her thigh ready to push away Hyun Joong’s if he dares to do something again, but it just gave Hyun Joong the opportunity to hold her hand under the table.  Good thing the director asked her to stand up to demonstrate how she would act out a certain scene, Hyun Joong didn’t have a choice but to let go of her hand.   

So Min knew that Hyun Joong would try to get hold of her again at the end of the briefing so she told her Road Manager she wants to go home immediately because she has a really bad headache. As they were making their way out of the door Hyun Joong caught up with them and asked if she’d like to join him for a cup of coffee. Her manager responded on her behalf, “I’m very sorry, Hyun Joong-shi but So Min has a really bad headache right now and has to rest maybe you can have coffee next time?” Hyun Joong gave her a knowing look. “Oh is that so?  I guess we’ll have to meet up some other time, then” he said as he snatched the phone from her hand and called his number. “There, that’s my number. Just call or send me a message when you’re well enough to meet, okay? Rest well, Honey.” He handed back her phone and gently rustled her hair before walking off with that billion-won smile plastered on his face. 

“Ah, So Min-ah, he’s a nice guy after all. I guess we got lucky; he seems to be already quite fond of you.  I heard he doesn’t talk to his co-stars at all if he doesn’t want to. It’s so cute that he’s already calling you Hani, I think you’ll have a nice working relationship,” her manager happily said.

“Yeah,” So Min replied, but unknown to her manager, she was seething.