Seunghyun sighed loudly, staring at his phone. Jiyong looked up from his music sheets and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Wae, hyung?” Jiyong asked casually, half-knowing what the sigh was about.

“Ji, you haven’t met with Karin?” Seunghyun asked, still staring at his phone. His phone had a reflector on so that only he could see the screen. He had changed his wall paper to a photo he had taken of her side profile, eating an ice cream. That had been the first and last time he heard her call him “Oppa”. It’d been 3 weeks since, but their schedules had not permitted any free time to meet.

“Hyung, our schedules are identical – we’ve been in dance practice, or recording, or attending shows… The only person here who has seen her this week is Youngbae, and only because they bumped into each other at the TV station when he went to perform solo,” Jiyong sipped on his coffee. “Text her if you miss her.”

Seunghyun sat up straight, “Yah, don’t say stupid things – especially not in front of her. I feel like one wrong step and she’ll disappear again…” He pressed a button to access his inbox. “We’ve been texting but her answers are always so short.”

The guys had been busy but so had Karin. She had gone on to appear in both Shinee’s and Super Junior’s MV. She also received an offer to endorse a local make-up brand and now, she was filming a mini-series with Kim Hyun Joong. It was a work commissioned by both S. Korea and Japan’s tourism boards to promote tourism in both countries. Due to the tight timeline, they were filming it each episode just 2 weeks before it actually aired. The first episode had been met with rave ratings last week.

His only consolation was that they will finally share a schedule item tonight. She was attending a music show together with her co-star of the mini-series to “support” Infinite who sang the main theme song for the mini-series. Big Bang will be performing on the same show and Taeyang will also be performing I Need a Girl.

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They had arrived at the TV station and were getting ready for the show. There was a knock at the door and Hyun Joong entered the room with Karin. Seunghyun was happy to see Karin and their eyes met even as she was making her way towards Jiyong to give her cousin a hug first. Their dressing room was so packed that Seunghyun couldn’t make his way near her without looking too deliberate. Hyun Joong was a good friend of his too so he went over to the older man instead.

“Hyung! Are you ready for the show later?” Seunghyun asked. Hyun Joong smiled and patted his back. “Aish… My manager was telling me the internet was going on about how we’re the ‘International Couple’… I was just updating Karin about that news too and that to expect that to come up during the interview later.”

“Hyung, you’re going to make someone very uncomfortable by saying that,” Jiyong called out. Seunghyun stared at Jiyong, not sure what he was going to say next. Karin also held her breath. “She’s the female lead in Youngbae’s song… It’s like the meeting of the rivals!”

Youngbae laughed easily and tapped Karin’s arm to get her attention. “You still remember the dance?” Karin felt the weight lift off her shoulder and smiled back. “Of course, Soo Yee unnie said there’s a likelihood the MC will try to get us to perform it a bit since we’re appearing on the show together today so I practiced a little just now.”

Seunghyun was glad that Jiyong didn’t reveal their secret. But he wasn’t very happy with the teasing that was going on also. Well, they’ll be on air in just a few minutes… Maybe he’ll try to catch her after the show.

“Alright, we’ll have to go now,” Hyun Joong steered Karin out with his arm slung casually around her shoulders. “See you when we go Live!”

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“…Thank you for the dance, that was really hot!” The MC almost shouted as Karin and Youngbae returned to their seats after a short demonstration of their dance from the MV. “So Karin-sshi, I heard that you were initially very into music but you became an actress in the end. If you had become a singer, who would you like to do a duet with?” The MC asked.

“I think Infinite is a really fantastic group and so, a duet with any of them would be great,” Karin recited her prepared answer but she was distracted by Seunghyun’s almost forlorn expression. “And of course, Big Bang is another group that I really like.”

The audience and MC laughed as the guys did a mini victory dance in their seats. “I’m sure, since your cousin and Youngbae are members there too. But if you had to choose just one person, who would that be?” the MC probed. Karin looked away from Jiyong and Youngbae who were doing ‘PICK ME’ gestures.

“TOP Oppa?” Karin said uncertainly, opting to use his stage name instead. Seunghyun wasn’t expecting that and looked up immediately while the audience Ooh-ed and Aah-ed. The MC was asking her to explain her choice. “I think he has a really great and warm voice. I know he raps usually but I’ve heard him sing on a couple of his songs and I really like it.” Karin said simply, trying to play it cool. The MC noticed that Hyun Joong was grinning and looked like he had something to say.

“Ah… yes… I think Karin really likes his voice. It’s like TOP’s voice gives her great power,” Hyun Joong said suggestively. Everyone was waiting for his explanation. “Everyone knows that Karin-sshi practices Muay Thai and I had the opportunity to work out with her a few times when we were filming. Whenever they play Big Bang’s song in the gym and his rap part comes up, Karin’s punches become stronger and faster, it’s like she powers up!”

Everyone was laughing while Karin looked down in embarrassment, laughing along too. The MC turned to Seunghyun, “She says she likes your voice but it sounds more like you bring out the violent side of her. If you ever do a recording together, please be careful.”

Seunghyun laughed. “As long as it’s not my face.”

After the show, Karin was going to spend a rare evening with the Big Bang members to grab dinner. She was waiting in their car when suddenly, the door slid open and only Seunghyun boarded the car. “Where are the rest?” she asked.

“They piled into the other car and said they’ll go first,” Seunghyun said, silently thanking Jiyong for slyly making the arrangements.  “Should I stay quiet so that you won’t turn violent suddenly?”

Karin slapped his arm, telling him not to anymore. “That was so embarrassing! It’s not even true, that Hyun Joong oppa! Aish!”

Seunghyun settled comfortably into his seat as the car pulled away from the TV station. When their driver wasn’t paying attention to them anymore, he silently pulled out an envelope and pushed it across the seat to Karin. She picked it up and opened it quietly. Inside it was a single ticket to a movie tomorrow afternoon. Seunghyun was typing something into his phone and the moment he put it down, Karin’s phone beeped.

It was a message from him:

“I’d like to say, ‘Let’s go to the movies!’ but I know you’re afraid of the paps. Go on a date with me tomorrow, at this address…”

Karin looked at him, but Seunghyun was avoiding her eyes. She looked out the window for a while, thinking as she looked at the night lights. She picked up her phone again and typed in her answer.

Seunghyun’s phone beeped. “OK.”