Shin Hye was leaning on her bed frame reading the script for the next day’s shoot. They finished the scenes at Kim Tan’s school a lot earlier than expected so they were released mid-afternoon, to her delight. She decided to go directly back to the hotel for a much needed nap while her manager went with some people from Min Ho’s agency to check out some sights in L.A. Her stylist stayed back with her, and was now sleeping soundly on her bed next to Shin Hye’s.

She was writing notes on the script when her phone rang. It was her manager.

‘Oppa, aren’t you coming back yet?’ She answered, looking at her watch. ‘It’s past dinnertime.’

‘Oh, Shin Hye-ah. We’re eating right now then we’ll head to a bar nearby. Gotta make the most out of our time here, you know. We’ll be back before midnight. Is everything okay there? Did you eat yet?’

‘Yeah, it’s all good,’ she replied. ‘I’m still full from lunch so I just had a sandwich.’

Just then, her stylist stirred, gave a nasty look, and threw a small pillow in her direction before pulling the blanket over her head.

Shin Hye blocked the pillow. ‘Oppa, I have to hang up. Eonnie might kick me out of the room. You know how she gets when her sleep is disturbed.’

‘YA! Tell that woman it’s your room and you’re the one who’s supposed to be kicking her out! She's not even an actress and she's such a diva!’

Shin Hye laughed. ‘Alright, I will. Have fun, oppa! Don’t drink too much.’ She hung up.

Looking at her sleeping stylist, Shin Hye smiled. She figured she wouldn’t be able to practice in her room tonight so she stood up and grabbed her summer coat from the closet. She walked back to her bed, picked up the script and her phone, and tiptoed to the door.

In the hallway, she racked her brain for a place in the hotel where she can read and practice her lines. Restaurant? Nah – I’ll look like a crazy person talking to myself. Fire exit stairs? That’s just creepy. Eventually, she decided to head to the pool area hoping there wouldn’t be too many guests there.

When she arrived, there were a couple of people still swimming and a couple lounging on the pool chairs. This will do. She walked to the farthest chair from the pool but nearest the bar. She sat and started reading her script.

Around thirty minutes had passed and she was reciting lines in her head and making notes. She was in the middle of memorizing a line when she looked to her left and saw a familiar silhouette. She squinted her eyes to make sure: Lee Min Ho was at the other end of the pool talking on his phone. He was holding a beer can, pacing. She watched him long enough to see him laugh and take a sip. She unconsciously wondered who he was talking to.

Min Ho looked around the pool area as he was speaking and locked eyes with Shin Hye. She panicked and instantly turned back to her script. She moved and pretended to read aloud but she knew that he already saw her gawking at him. Why did you look down? You should have just waved. Stupid.

She tried to brush it off and immersed herself in what she was reading. Just as she was about to get into it, she was suddenly aware of a figure standing next to her chair. She bit her lip and muttered under her breath. Aigoo. She grinned as she looked up. ‘Annyeong oppa,’ she greeted playfully and smiled.

Min Ho chuckled. ‘What are you doing here?’

Shin Hye didn’t reply but lifted her script so he can see.

‘Heol. You’re a hardworking one, aren’t you?’ Min Ho said, crossing his arms.

‘Well, I didn’t know what else to do. My manager abandoned me, and my stylist is sleeping so I thought I might as well prepare for tomorrow,’ she answered. ‘I thought you’d be asleep, oppa.’

‘I collapsed on the bed this afternoon and woke up just now,’ Min Ho replied, beaming. ‘I noticed none of my friends were back yet so I wanted to walk around. I guess I was also abandoned.’

‘Did they call you, too?’ Shin Hye motioned to his phone. ‘My manager said they were going to some bar.’

Min Ho shook his head. ‘No, they didn’t. Wha, they really don’t care about me,’ he said, pretending to