‘Do you have any idea how lame it is to do that in front of people? Just let us dance!’ Woo Bin complained.

‘No way. I just realized that it will actually be cute if you dance. What’s more embarrassing is if you randomly re-enact a scene in the middle of the party without any warning,’ Shin Hye said. ‘You lost. You have to do it. And besides, this was your idea, Kim Woo Bin. If you so much as laugh, I’m going to make you two do this in the middle of a  public road.’

‘Then why do I have to be Cha Eun Sang? I’m Choi Young Do! I’m the coolest character in the drama.’

‘YA. Don’t push it,’ Min Ho said, scowling at Woo Bin. ‘I don’t want you to be Eun Sang either.’

‘You can switch characters if you want. But one of you has to be me. Arachi? You better do it right.’ She narrowed her eyes at them before heading to the door.

As soon as she stepped outside, she noticed that the guests had almost doubled. How long were we in there? There were several people she recognized, but they were mostly Jong Suk’s friends. One guy came up to her and asked for a photo, which she gladly obliged. She scanned the area for Jong Suk, but she couldn’t find him. Where did he go?

‘Shin Hye,’ Bo Young came up to her. ‘I tried to go into the playroom a little while ago but it was locked. You guys didn’t do anything weird in there, right?’

‘Anya,’ she replied, smiling. ‘But I’m sure Min Ho oppa and Woo Bin are doing something weird in there right now.’ She looked past Bo Young and continued to eye the guests.

Bo Young followed her gaze and looked behind her. ‘Are you looking for someone?’

‘Ah yeah,’ Shin Hye replied. ‘Uhm did you see Jong Suk?’

‘I think I saw him go out the back a little while ago. He’s probably at the garden.’

Shin Hye thanked Bo Young and made her way to Jong Suk’s kitchen. A few more people greeted her, but she wiggled her way out of the crowd and to the back door. As soon as she opened it, cold breeze washed through her. She shuddered, her hands instinctively her bare arms. Her coat was left in the play room and she was only wearing a shirt. She was about to go back inside when in the corner of her eye, she noticed Jong Suk sitting on one of the garden chairs. The lights from the ground lamp were dim that she almost didn’t see him. She paused and watched as he took a puff of his cigarette and leaned back.

Quietly, she walked to where he was sitting. When she was only a few feet away, Jong Suk looked up at her. He stood up and threw his cigarette on the ground, putting it out with his foot. ‘Shin Hye,’ he said softly. ‘It’s cold out here.’

Shin Hye creased her brows. ‘I should be the one telling you that,’ she took a few more steps closer and sat on the chair beside his. ‘What are you doing here all alone? The party’s inside.’

Jong Suk didn’t reply and instead took off his jacket and put it over Shin Hye’s shoulders.

‘Jong Suk-ah, I’m fine…’ Shin Hye reached up to take it off, but Jong Suk placed his hands on her shoulders firmly. ‘Take it, I’ll go get another one inside.’

Shin Hye watched as Jong Suk made his way to the door. She tugged the jacket so it covered all of her upper body. As she waited for him to come back, she looked around at the well-kept garden. She wondered if Jong Suk personally took care of the plants, or if his parents or siblings did. Since his house was elevated, if you looked straight ahead, you can actually see several houses below. She stood up and walked to the edge of the fence to get a clearer view. Apart from the noise that came from inside the house, the night was incredibly quiet. And cold, very cold.

‘Shin Hye,’ she turned around and saw Jong Suk holding two mugs. He strolled toward her and handed her one. ‘I thought maybe you’d like some coffee. You drank beer and you’re driving later.’

Shin Hye smiled and took it from him. ‘Thanks.’

Jong Suk went back to the chair he was sitting on earlier, and Shin Hye followed. They sat side by side in silence, occasionally sipping from their mugs. Shin Hye racked her brain for something to say. Anything, really. She wanted to apologize, but for what? She didn’t know when to start.

Jong Suk’s expression when Min Ho had revealed to him and Woo Bin that they were dating was something she probably will never forget. She remembered her chest tightening and drying up. She wanted to say something to him right then, but she couldn’t find the words. And when Jong Suk looked up to meet her eyes and put on a forced smile, she almost choked up.

‘So was that why you didn’t give me an answer?’

Jong Suk’s voice had interrupted her thoughts. She turned to him, but he was looking down at his mug. ‘Eh?’

‘The card with the flowers. My question. You didn’t give me an answer.’

Shin Hye took a deep breath. Her heart was still feeling heavy, and Jong Suk's wistful voice just added to that weight.‘ I’m sorry. I should have called you and told you, but I was out of the country and…’ she stopped midsentence and bit her lip. ‘Actually, no excuses are valid. I should have called you and I didn’t. That was rude of me and I’m really, really sorry.’

Jong Suk turned to look at her. ‘You don’t have to be sorry. I think it’s me who owes you an apology. I barged into your house without thinking,’ he scratched his head. ‘I can be very impulsive sometimes. It’s one of my worst traits.’

‘Ani, I think it’s one of your best,’ Shin Hye replied. ‘You always do what you feel like doing, and you’re not afraid of what people might say. It’s really brave and endearing. Sure, I got a shock when I saw you at my door, but mostly, it was a pleasant surprise,’ she gave him a warm smile.

Jong Suk closed his eyes and drooped his head low, sighing deeply.

‘What’s wrong?’ She asked.

‘I’m in a hole and I don’t think I can come out soon,’ he replied. When he lifted his face, he looked troubled. ‘Promise me you’ll stop saying things like that to me, okay? It will just get harder to get over you.’

Shin Hye opened to speak, but as always, she had no idea how to respond to that.

Jong Suk took a sip from his mug and cleared his throat. ‘I’m sure you already knew. You’re my secret,’ he said softly. ‘And I think Min Ho hyung also realized it back there. It was really silly of me to bring it up, but I guess I was just too happy that you came.’

‘I’m sorry…’

‘Again, you don’t have to be sorry,’ Jong Suk cut her off, chuckling. ‘None of this is your fault. I just have the worst timing. And the worst luck. Min Ho hyung? I didn’t stand a chance,’ he paused. ‘Then again, what did I expect, right? That no other guy was interested in you? Half of Daehan Min Guk is probably in love with you.’

Shin Hye remained silent. She wasn't sure what to tell him, if she should comfort him or if she should leave him alone. What words could possibly make him feel better? If she put herself in his place, if she found out that Min Ho was in love with another girl, nothing he could ever say would make her feel better.

'I should have known. I mean, I was beside you at the SBS Awards. I should have realized it then. But I was too busy looking at you to notice that Min Ho hyung was looking at you the same way.'

‘Jong Suk-ah,’ Shin Hye said tenderly. ‘Do you know how much I appreciate you? You’re one of the most genuine people I know – not just in this industry – but ever. You’re wonderful and kind and lovely. So don’t think for one second that you pale in comparison to Min Ho oppa.’

She turned her body to face him. He was gripping his mug tight. Shin Hye opened her palm and stretched it toward Jong Suk. ‘Hand,’ she said.

Jong Suk looked down and hesitated, but after a while, he put his hand over her palm. Shin Hye squeezed it lightly. ‘My handsome friend, Lee Jong Suk,’ she let out a sigh. ‘It would be unfair for me to tell you what to do, or to tell you that this will just pass, when I don’t even know how you really feel. All I can do right now is tell you that I’m sorry. Maybe it’s insensitive, maybe it’s even vain. But that’s what my heart is telling me. I’m sincerely sorry.’

Jong Suk smiled. ‘Are you happy?’

Shin Hye let go of his hand and nodded her head. 'I really am,'

‘Ahh, I’m jealous,’ Jong Suk stretched his arms and put his clasped hands behind his head. Shin Hye watched as he leaned back and looked to the sky. ‘My dream girl just rejected me. But at least she’s happy.’

Shin Hye hissed. ‘Do you know how many girls want to date you? Half of Daehan min guk.’

‘But not one of them is you,’ he replied regretfully. ‘You know what ? I can never be friends with the girls I like. I'm too shy around them, and self-conscious. But for some reason, I got close to you. I thought maybe you're the one,’ he laughed. Shin Hye laughed a little and wrapped her hand around her mug. She noticed that it had cooled down now, but s