Tunnel vision. That is the only logical explanation left in Eunyoung's mind regarding how it were possible that Hakyeon had gotten sulky over a thrown-out packet of donuts, yet barely batted a lid when Eunyoung suddenly stopped talking to him.

"He mustn't have noticed. How could he not have noticed?" she whispered to herself with a sad glance down to the old-fashioned lunch box in her hand. Heaving a sigh, she forced herself toward the bench where he sat playing with his phone. She had something to speak to him about, regardless of whether he knew it or not.

"Oh! Eunyoungie!" he beamed at the younger as she stepped into view. "How are you?"

Her nose scrunched involuntarily as she found her heartbeat beginning to quicken. She hated this feeling. Life was so much easier when all she wanted to do was be friends. Distracting herself from the man had proven to be a much more difficult task than she had thought; she had no choice but to confront her problem face-first. "I'm good... hey, um-- can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," he reassured, putting his phone back in his pocket. A frown soon appeared on his face as he noticed her extended hesitance. "Is everything okay?"

"I..." she began, though she found herself struggling with her voice caught in . It was an experience she had only ever seen in dramas, and admittedly only had to act out once before - but this wasn't a drama. This was real life, and this time the glistening of her eyes weren't due to drops. This time, her shoulders were slumping by themselves and was slackjawed as she found her body unwilling to follow through with her brain's commands. "Oh, boy, this is harder than I expected..."

"What is it? What's wrong?" his brows furrowed in concern.

"I, um... I..." Her lips formed a fine line as she inhaled deeply, telling herself to calm down. It was now or never. Just get it out. "I've liked you for a year and a half." It escaped amid a sigh of defeat, and her head shook with her hands as everything she'd been holding back - everything she had been afraid of - finally escaped. "And I-- I'm not... telling you this because I want you to say you feel the same, because I know you don't, because-- I've-- I've seen Ellin unnie, and I've seen the way you look at her, and I can't... I'm not... that's fine, I just..." she had to pause for a moment to catch her breath. She had known getting it all out through words would be difficult; she just hadn't expected it to be this painful. "It's just that I've liked you for so long, and-- if I left... if the show ended and we all just-- just left, and I never got to tell you the truth and instead had to listen to your drunken voicemails about how this... this... beautiful, and funny, and talented and interesting female keeps rejecting you..." her words were laced with hurt rather than bitterness and she found herself wincing slightly as she shook her head. "I think I would hate myself."

"Eunyoung-ah..." he began slowly, eyes wide in a mixture of confusion and caution. "You... are a very beautiful girl, and I--"

"Don't--" her nose scrunched slightly as she averted her gaze. "Don't... say that. I don't want to hear that."

He lowered his head in guilt. For someone who had found pride in his ability to talk his way out of situations, this was a conversation for which he had never been prepared. "I'm sorry."

There was silence as she found herself once again unable to force her lips apart and speak. Her teeth practically about to imprint the inside of her cheek as she struggled with her anxieties, she finally held out the lunch box. "Yours."

He could only stare in bewilderment.

"I lost the bet," she hurriedly continued. "Remember, a few months ago? I said that... that there was no reason Ellin unnie was acting differently to you. I was wrong. I'm sorry I didn't admit it sooner, this is... completely overdue..."

"Ah... well, as long as it hasn't been sitting in your fridge the entire time..." he offered a small smile, uncertainly trying to ease the tension with a joke.

Having been trying to mentally prepare herself for this moment for months, Eunyoung had come to grips with the idea that perhaps she may not be able to say everything she wishes to in the moment. In recognition of this, she had come to the decision that she would write a note and attach it to the bottom of the lid. Her eyes flickered to the ground as she awkwardly shuffled on her heels. "You should eat."

Hakyeon was surprised to see the small, folded sheet of paper, and as he scanned through the hand-written note he found his shoulders slumping. There was an inevitable feeling of guilt swirling around his stomach and he was almost wincing as he turned his head to meet Eunyoung's gaze.

I should have given this to you a long time ago but I didn't. I didn't do it because I could see how sad you were just because of the possibility of Ellin unni ignoring you... and I realised that nobody would really get that sad unless they had other expectations. I think deep down, you had feelings for her, and I think that even deeper down you expected her to feel the same.

The problem is that I liked you. I really, really liked you. Maybe it was since that first drama we worked on together - was it around a year ago now? I think that was when it started, but I never really understood why I was feeling the way I was. I never thought much of it and I never mentioned it, because... just like you... I think that deep down, I expected you to feel the same, too. I didn't think it needed saying. I thought it was just... understood. You were my person. Maybe that sounds weird, but I don't know how else it can be explained. It was just you. For me, it was you.

Maybe I should be saying this out loud, but I don't know how. I know how unexpected it must seem and I think that... knowing that, I'd be less willing to get the words out. It's probably easier if you don't know. Who am I kidding? Of course it would be easier. But feelings are a much heavier burden than I thought. I tried sharing them with someone else who offered, but my shoulders are still sore from how long I carried them alone.

I hope this is the right remedy.

I'm getting over it now - slowly. I think that slowly is better than nothing. I might avoid you for a while longer. I hope that's okay.

Someday, we'll cross paths again and I'll smile genuinely. I hope that you will, too. 

She had already reached the door by the time he finished reading. The reality that she was honestly planning on avoiding him finally registered in his mind, and he reached out a hand almost helplessly as he tried to figure out what he could possibly say before she disappeared. "Eunyoung-ah?" he called out tentatively.

She paused, turning her head slightly in his direction as gave acknowledgement through a short hum.

"Thank you... for everything. I'm... I'm really grateful... that we're friends."

There was a moment of silence before she glanced up at him and nodded, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

* * *

Kang ran his fingers through his hair. She still didn't get it. All this time, and she still didn't get it. "I'm always the reason you're getting hurt. Okay? Always, and... I guess the most logical solution would be for me to leave your side, but I can't do that. I... I was a disappointment until I met you. I worked so hard only to have my dreams crushed. But now-- now I have someone who I think about, and who I care for, and... who I love," he added quietly. "So I'm not going to leave your side. I'm a useless person who can't even do that one thing for you - so instead, I'm going to do a thousand others. I'm going to protect you no matter what, and I'm going to give you my heart in a hundred different ways. Minyoung, even if you can't accept my feelings, at least let me do this much."

"Cut!" the director called out and the staff turned in unison to look at him. "Last line, one more time. Minkyung, not Minyoung."

Hakyeon froze, feeling his palms break into a cold sweat.. "Did I say Minyoung?"

"Yeah. Vanishing Points, episode 11, take 3!"

"… Minkyung, even if you can’t accept my feelings, at least let me do this much."

"Cut. Good work everybody. Let's break for dinner."

Slip of the tongue. Slip of the tongue. That's all Minyoung kept repeating in her mind as she entered her dressing room to change back into her regular clothes, though as she opened the door again to find her manager, she was instead met with her co-star.

He had been tapping his feet nervously and fumbling with his fingernails until his head snapped up at the sound of the door, and he took a step forward. "Coffee and cake, right?"

She groaned. "Hakyeon--"

"I owed you. You even said I owed you," he added. The letter he had read earlier had reminded him of another deal he'd made; it had been back during one of the many times he would keep Minyoung company as she was getting her make-up applied. She had forgotten about her coffee due to his strange antics, therefore leading to Hakyeon's apt decision that he should make it up to her accordingly. "I've taken this long... the drama's ending soon, isn't it? Let me take you out now before we no longer have the time."

He could sense her hesitation and continued in a soft voice. "Please, Minyoung."

...She had drank better coffee in her life, Minyoung decided as the pair sat chatting together in the nearby cafe. The cake was nicer than she had expected, though it left her with a strange, sick feeling in her stomach. She was busy wondering what could have caused it when Hakyeon suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"What would you say to someone who thought they might like you?" he spoke quietly as he stirred his coffee, images of Eunyoung's confession running through his mind. She had a point - there was only a week left of filming. If he didn't speak up now, he might lose the chance completely.

"I'd kick them," Minyoung responded, not entirely different to his expectation.

"Why?"

"Because 'might' is selfish. I hate it. 'Might' is amusing the idea that someone might be able to entertain you for an amount of time, while leaving the door open in case you change your mind-- in case you decide to kick them out of your life." She paused as she harshly ripped open another packet of sugar. "So I'd beat them to it. I'd kick them first, as soon as the 'might' escapes their lips."

He nodded his head in silence for a moment. "You're right. I worded it wrong."

She was mid-sip of her coffee before she gave him an incredulous look. "What?" she said flatly.

"I like you. Kim Minyoung, I like you. What are you going to do about it?"

She leaned back into her seat, weakly putting her mug back on its coaster as she became faintly aware that the feeling in her stomach was, in fact, her intestines holding a wrestling match - an idea that was admittedly a lot less realistic than the moment had made it seem, but one she figured must feel just about the same.