When we got to the safety of the car, the park's security left us. Turning to Ji Hyo, I saw her cradling her wrist. Even to my untrained eyes, it didn't look good, having swelled to twice its normal size. It would appear that when the anti-fan had grabbed her, she had pulled so hard that the movement had twisted Ji Hyo's wrist.

I gently took the actress's wrist in my hands and placed the cold bottle of water I had with me on it, attempting to reduce the swelling. Her wrist was so sore and tender that even that tiny movement made the actress yelp in pain. For half a second, the same unbelievable rage that had threaten to erupt earlier surfaced. I was surprised by this wild emotion, but I quickly stifled it and asked for her car keys.

She extracted the keys from her pocket and I gingerly took them from her, being mindful not to jolt her and cause any more pain. Ji Hyo looked up at me, surprised. I smiled gently in return. “Don't worry, I can drive. I just never drive in Korea because you guys drive on the wrong side of the road. And let's face it, you Koreans are a bunch of crazy drivers.” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

She forced a small smile, trying to alleviate my worries. I was touched by it. The silly girl. All I wanted was just to get her home safely as soon as possible. I unlocked the car and opened the door to the passenger side. As I helped her into the seat, I saw that she had a nasty gash on her cheek. I had no doubt that it was caused by the slap earlier. My eyes narrowed in concern, the wound was deep enough that the bleeding had yet to stop. Rummaging through her car, I searched for a clean piece of tissue paper or even just a strip of clean cloth I could wipe the cut with but I had no such luck. I cursed the higher beings.

Finally, I decided on using my tee. Taking off my top, I knelt and used the sleeve to gently dab at the lesion, applying pressure to try to stop the bleeding. “It's the only clean thing I could find. You wouldn't want the cut to get infected.” I explained sheepishly.

“Reg, it'll stain your shirt.” She argued, her brows creased in concern. “It's fine. It's a black tee. If there are any stains, they aren't going to be noticeable.” I replied offhandedly.

She studied my torso, her eyes ran over my bare upper-body before coming to rest on my chiselled abs. All of a sudden, I felt strangely self-conscious, standing in the cool air with nothing but a black sports bra. It wasn't that I was ashamed of my body, no. Quite the contrary. I was ripped from all my years of martial arts training and had a set of washboard abs, but having the actress study my body up close like this was unnerving.

After a couple of minutes, I ceased applying pressure. Removing my tee, I studied the wound, relieved to see that at least the bleeding had stopped. “Alright, the bleeding's stopped. When we get you home, the first thing you should do is to apply some antiseptic cream. We don't want the cut to get infected. It may cause scarring.” I said, before grinning cheekily at her. “You are after all an actress. You need your face to look pretty.” I teased.

This time, Ji Hyo finally smiled. A genuine smile. It was a little thing, but it meant the world to me that I could make her happy. From the corner of my eyes, I saw her extending a hand towards me and I felt soft warm hands brushing back my bangs before tenderly caressing my face. I looked up at her, our gazes meeting and locking. Under the light of the setting sun, I could see that they were shining from unshed tears. Those eyes, they seemed so private and proud. Like no one's allowed to see them when they cry. What were they hiding? I wanted to spend the rest of my life unravelling the mystery. To be the one to wipe away her tears, to hold her and comfort her when she cried.

She smiled through the tears. “You know... You really are kinda beautiful and handsome at the same time.” She commented. I shifted about uncomfortably. Reluctantly, I pulled my head away from her touch. “Okaaay... just how hard did she hit you?” I teased gently, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Without warning, she reached over and hugged me. My heart almost explodes. She nuzzled into the crook of my neck and I felt warm wetness coat my skin. My heart went out to her. At that moment, I began to understand. I began to understand that sometimes the more people recognised you, the lonelier it felt. That this was her life. The life she had been leading since stepping into the limelight. Having to face people who hated you for whatever you do. It was one that not many people could relate to.

“Shh... It's going to be ok.” I murmured. I didn't know how long I knelt there, but my feet were going to sleep. Yet I was unable to tear myself away from the crying woman before me. Slowly though, her crying turned to soft sobs before finally quietening down. It was replaced by an exploratory hand and she ran her hand over my arms and to my shoulders, softly kneading the tense, knotted up muscles there. It felt good and I found myself biting back a moan. It had been too long since I had gotten a massage, but I didn't want her to be the one. I stiffened and prepared to move away.

Sensing my reluctance, she stopped. Instead, she ran her hand down my back before suddenly pulling away. With her uninjured hand, she turned me around, I heard her gasp and realised that she had caught sight of my scars. “Reg! What are all these? Who did this to you?!” She exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror at the scars on my back. The scars inflicted on me as a child, when my father hit me across the back with a beer bottle, in a fit of drunken rage. The shattered glass had sliced deeply into my young skin and left deep scars. They served as a shameful but constant reminder of my dark past.

Backing away, I took my shirt and hastily pulled it over my head, covering the scars, shielding them from view. “It's nothing.” I mumbled. “Listen... It's getting late. We should get you home.” I said trying to change the subject. She looked at me, searching my face, her eyes pleading with me to give her answers. But all she got was a wall. A wall that had been abruptly and quickly erected. I wasn't ready to give her the answers she sought, and she must have seen that I was unwilling to give them. Sighing softly, she gave up.

The drive back was filled with a stony silence. I was bothered by the fact that Ji Hyo had seen the scars on my back and wondered what she thought of them. If she'd look at me in a different light. I had my mask of quiet indifference back on as I stared at the road. To the casual observer, I appeared to be just a normal driver concentrating on the road. But Ji Hyo knew better. From my peripheral vision, I could see the Korean casting concerned glances at me every so often. Suddenly, I felt a soft hand taking hold of my free hand, linking her fingers through mine. I spared her a quick glance and found her staring at me, an apologetic expression on her face. “I'm sorry,” She began. “I shouldn't have tried to pry. I was just worried about