She could feel him watching her, but neither uttered a word. Aside from the quick run through with Kang PD, they had said no more than two sentences to each other the entire night thus far.

‘Are you okay?’ He had asked.

‘Yes, I’m okay. You?’

With biting lips, he had answered, ‘I’m okay too.’

‘Arasso.’

So little has happened since Manager Han walked in on them, but for some reason, she has felt so much since that day.

‘Are you guys ready?’ A crewmember asked, popping his head in.

‘Ne.’ Shin Hye said in response; he simply nodded, his Adam’s Apple bopping.

The crewmember left, and Shin Hye straightened herself, attempting to maintain composure. However, his taller, more masculine figure against her smaller, more feminine frame, made her all too aware of him.

Ding, Ding! It was their cue to begin.

Kim Tan began, ‘I said I’ll go get you. I said for you to wait. Please stay where I tell you to. Wait if I tell you to wait. And don’t go if I say don’t go. From now on, you go and come back from school with me. Listen to what I’m saying. Arasso?’

She could see desperation in his eyes. Is that Kim Tan or Min Ho? I can’t tell…

Tears began filling her eyes as Cha Eun Sang nodded her head, not wanting to upset Kim Tan further.

Swiftly, he bent forward, hand clutching her chin, drawing her face to his, and with that, his mouth fastened onto hers. This was a totally distinctive sort of kiss she’d ever experienced. She grabbed on to his arm, both in surprise, and to keep herself from falling bonelessly to the floor. Feeling her ease into the kiss, he shifted his hand from her chin to the nape of her neck, drawing her closer to the hard support of his body, while simultaneously deepening the kiss. The of his fingers on her nape brought chills of pleasure, and at the same time, ignited something deep inside her. Something hot.

Just as she thought nothing else could surprise her, he ran his tongue over the edges of , forcing open. Her hand clutched his arm even tighter. She had filmed more kisses than she could count, but they usually didn’t involve any tongue. Neither had any ever advanced to this incredible intimacy that stole her breath and made her heart pound so furiously.

He explored her slowly, the tip of his tongue prodding, , tasting. Shin Hye felt like he was attempting to lure the very soul from her.

When what felt like all the air had been out of her, he began to pull away. Shin Hye relaxed her hand, ready to get back into her role, the role she had so carelessly abandoned. However, without warning, he crushed his mouth to hers once again. Seeking. Yearning. It was easy to move with him, to press close and forget everything. But she knew better, so she gently pulled her face away.

Min Ho pressed his lips tightly together, gathering his wits. It wasn’t what he had expected either. But now that he had a sip, he wanted more. Cherry.

Easing up, Kim Tan pulled Eun Sang into a tight hug, hands holding her head close to him, ‘Don’t go anywhere. Promise me.’ I love you, don’t leave me.

Upon hearing his words, Eun Sang/ Shin Hye nodded slightly, hands circling his waist, tears blurring her vision.

With that, the bell went off in the tiny, storage closet. Ding, Ding!  Outside, the room was noisy with chatter. Inside, the pair remained silent, unmoving.

They stared at each other, breaths heavy, eyes heavy lidded, and hearts racing. That was one hell of a kiss.

Kang PD knew it, the managers knew it, the pairs’ stylists knew it, the entire filming crew knew it. Difference was, he felt it, and so did she.

~.~

‘Hyung~ Please. Just today. Please!’ Min Ho begged his manager. It was the next day, and he had an hour before the first filming.

‘Wae?! You were so good for the past few days. Why are you bugging me now? Is it because of the kiss?’ His Manager groused, brushing Min Ho’s pleading hands away.

‘I just want to talk to her. You know we haven’t been able to talk alone for the past few days! You and Jun Hyung orchestrated it!’

‘You knew you wouldn’t be able to once you left that room, the other day!’

‘Ne…keunde, I did something stupid.’ Min Ho said embarrassedly. Something I cannot tell you Hyung, or you’ll never let me live it down.

‘Yah! What? Didn’t I tell you not to do anything stupid?’

‘Ani, not like that. I did something stupid to her, Park Shin Hye.’

‘Wae?’

Min Ho got up from the sofa and began pacing the room, ‘I said something I shouldn’t have…yet, and…now, I need to talk to her. I’m going mad!’ He stopped and stood in front of his Hyung, ‘Please! My life depends on it!’

Manager Han eyed him wearingly, ‘This chap is going to be the death of me!’ He said out loud, ignoring the fact that Min Ho could hear him, ‘What stupid thing could you have possibly said that’s making you so pitiful right now? Did you call her fat? Yah! That’s the number one thing you don’t do! Don’t call your girlfriend f—’

‘YAH! I’m not stupid! Besides, there’s no way she can appear to be fat!’ Min Ho smacked his manager on the arm, ‘Are you going to help me or not?’

‘You don’t smack the person you’re trying to get help from.’ His manager growled, pulling out his phone.

Min Ho quickly sank back down on the sofa, reaching out to hold the same arm he had smacked earlier, ‘Mianhae, I’ve been spending too much time with Shin Hye. Gomawo, Hyung.’

Manager Han placed his phone to his ear, ‘Ah, Jun-ssi! What does our girls schedule look like now?’ In the background, he and Min Ho were silently wrestling. Min Ho, trying to massage the arm he smacked, Manager Han, pushing Min Ho away. ‘Ani, ani. I was just wondering if she could spare my boy some time.’ Min Ho stopped, and plastered his ear to the outside of his Manager’s phone, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. ‘No…They shouldn’t…That’s right.’

Min Ho made a face, ‘Yah! Hyung! Aren’t you helping me?’ He mouthed. Ignoring him, Han Hyung continued, ‘Keunde, I am told that Kim Tan did something stupid, and he needs to fix it. Mmm, mmmm…Ani, ani, he didn’t call her fat.’

Aisssh! These two hyungs!

‘Arasso. Yes, he’ll be careful. Gomawo, Jun-ssi!’ Manager Han ended the call, and looked at Min Ho with mock sternness, ‘I am still angry with you for hiding your relationship from me. But seeing you so pitiful, I decided to help you this once. She’s in her dressing room trailer, go over now, Jun-ssi is ushering everyone away right now. Be careful!’

Min Ho was already half way out the door, ‘I owe you one, Hyung!’

‘Aisssh! Ggeojyeo! AND DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID AGAIN!’ His last words raised because Min Ho was already long gone.

~.~

‘Omo!’ Shin Hye yelped, ‘You gave me a shock!’

Min Ho had come in unannounced, sneaked behind a standing Shin Hye and hugged her.   

‘Mianhae, I saw a chance, and grabbed it.’ If I am going to do this, I’m going head on.

‘How did you manage to get in? I’d have thought Jun Oppa would be guarding the door!’

‘He is.’

‘Mwo?’

‘He let me in.’ So I can amend my wrongs.

‘MWO?’

‘Wae? Do you want him to keep me out?’ Min Ho said, letting her go, and stepping around her so that they stood face to face.

‘Ani! I just didn’t expect him to allow you in, with him and Manager Han finding out and keeping us…’ Her voice trailed away silently, she was suddenly blushing.

‘Why are you blushing? Did he say something about us? What did he say?’

Shin Hye looked at her feet shyly, suddenly interested with the colour of the trailers carpet. ‘Ani. He hasn’t said much thus far…’

‘Is…is it about what I said the other time?’ Min Ho finally asked. Ah, what the hell.

Shin Hye headshot up, her doe-eyes wide, ‘Oh?’

in a large breath, ready to deliver the speech he had come to give, ‘I probably should apologize for—’

The look of confusion on her face only deepened further, ‘Apologize?’

‘Ne. You know, we were talking and then I blurted out something…and then the room froze over…’ In attempt to hide his nervousness, he ran a shaky hand through his hair, forcing a smile. This is harder than I imagined. It seemed so much simpler in my head.

She didn’t respond. Instead, she tilted her head and looked at him curiously. As if to say, ‘Neo micheoseo?’

However, he mistook it for her giving him the chance to say his piece, and he quickly began again, ‘I probably should apologize for what I said the other day. I may’ve been too quick in blurting out my feelings, scaring you like that. I’ve been pacing the floor for days now, because I was afraid I had scared you, or pressured you. Mianh—’

There was understanding on her face now, ‘Oppa! Ani!’ She hurried to say.

‘No? You don’t accept my apology?’ Brows furrowed, hands growing cold. This definitely did not go as I had planned.

‘Ani, ani. There’s no need to apologize. I think, I should be the one apologizing, again.’

‘Eh?’

‘Mianhae, Oppa. I honestly didn’t know. Though now that I think about it, it’s probably about right.’

‘Mwo?’ Min Ho voiced, ‘Shin Hye-ah, I think you’re having half a conversation in your head.’

Shin Hye laughed in realization, ‘Oh! Mian!’ Suddenly, she began ushering him to sit on the small sofa behind him, ‘Sit.’ Obediently, he sat.

She knelt down in front of him, much to his alarm, ‘Wae? What are you doing? Sit next to me!’ He exclaimed, trying to pull her up.

‘The sofa is too tiny for the both of us...’ She eyed the sofa. It was truly a small sofa. There was hardly any space for her on it. If she were to sit there, she and Min Ho’d be way too close for a talk like this, ‘I’m more comfortable down here.’

He let go of her hands, and eased back into the couch.

When he didn’t respond, Shin Hye asked, ‘You’re not taking what you said back right?’

Is this a trick question? What are my options? ‘No.’ He said simply.

Shin Hye’s eyes gleamed, ‘I scared you didn’t I? Mianhae, Oppa. I did it unknowingly. I was taken aback, yes. And I needed time to think. But only because I’ve never ever heard any male say that to me before. Aside from my brother and father, you’re the only one. I wasn’t expecting it too. So I froze up, and then there was the call…’ She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing, ‘You must be wondering why I react so oddly in such situations…Keunde, I don’t know why myself. I’ve got a pretty bad habit don’t I?’ She asked, chuckling to herself.

‘You do. I couldn’t sleep for days. Look at these eye bags! Your doing!’ He accusingly mocked. ‘But then why were you acting so weirdly afterwards?’

‘I didn’t know what to say. I felt embarrassed about the way I ran out on your, uh—’ She grappled around to find the right word.

‘Love confession.’

‘Ah, ne. I didn’t want to breach the subject through text either, I thought it’d be very unthoughtful of me…you, you know…and then me just casually bring it up through text just didn’t seem right.’

‘How about in-between filming? You could’ve said a word or two, before Jun Hyung or Han Hyung interrupted us.’ He wasn’t convinced, he still had doubts.

‘It wasn’t the time or the place…and you were looking at me with these brooding eyes, I thought you were in a bad mood.’

Min Ho finally let out a sigh of relief. He lifted his head and laughed to himself, ‘Why do we have so many misunderstandings ah, Shin Hye?’

‘Because our heads start working, making us go crazy, when we really should just follow our hearts.’

‘You sound very cheesy.’ Min Ho said, taking her hands into his now warm hands.

Shin Hye teased, ‘Says the person who said the worlds cheesiest three words!’

‘Yah!’ With all the strength he had, he pulled her up onto the sofa with him, and began tickling her, ‘First you run away, and then you act weird, now you tease me! I don’t think I have any heart or pride left!’

When their laughers and giggles subsided, Min Ho pulled her to him and hugged her tight, ‘Bogoshipeoyo, I have so much to tell you.’

He didn’t hear her the first time, but then she repeated it again, louder, ‘Nado.’

A steady beat of 10 knocks were heard from the door, ‘Ah, we have twenty minutes left to filming.’ He said.

‘How do you know?’ She said into his shoulder, they were still hugging.

‘That was Jun Hyung’s knock. His coded knock.’

Shin Hye pulled herself away from Min Ho, ‘Mwo?’

‘I begged the Hyungs to let me talk to you, I was desperate. They saw it. They took pity on me.’

‘How desperate were you exactly? Jun Oppa doesn’t give in easily!’

‘Let’s just say, very desperate.’

Shin Hye laughed, and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She keyed four-digits into her phone, tapped her screen a few times, and then held the screen up to Min Ho’s face, “Kim Tan-♥” read the screen, ‘We never settled the naming issue.’  

Pretending not to understand, Min Ho asked, ‘What’s the icon?’

‘Pabo-yah! Can’t you tell? It’s a heart!’

‘Does it mean anything in particular?’

Shin Hye bit her lip, giving her phone to Min Ho to hold, making a cute noise resembling that of a whine.

‘Wae?’ This is for making me panic over the past few days!

Shin Hye lifted her hands and made a heart shape with them, centering her face at the very core of it.

Min Ho finally laughed, ‘Arasso, arasso. I understand.’ He knew she wasn’t ready to say it out loud yet, and he was fine with that. He was just glad that they were okay. He knew that in time, when she was ready, she’d say it. ‘Keunde, why am I still Kim Tan? I have you saved as My Cherry!’

Before she could reply, a text came through, Min Ho clicked to open it, ‘Are you done yet? Has he apologized for calling you fat? Come out soon.’ The message read. He tried to shield her from reading it, but she had read it over his shoulder. ‘Yah! This Jun Hyung! I told him it wasn’t like that!’ He barked at the phone.

Shin Hye snatched the phone back, and reread the message, ‘Why am I fat?!’

Uh oh! Min Ho quickly attempted to clear up the highly unnecessary misunderstanding, ‘Ani! Ani! When I told Manager Han I did something stupid. He thought I had stupidly called you fat…and then he told Jun Hyung over the phone. And now, they won’t hush up about it!’

Shin Hye chortled, ‘I guess that’s better than knowing what you really said, right Oppa?’

‘Yah!’ He was ready to begin another war of tickles but she leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Almost instantaneously, he turned his face and caught with this. He heard her gasp softly in surprise, but before she could move away, Min Ho wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close. He inclined back against the hand rest of the sofa, pulling her with him so their mouths didn’t part. She was half lying on top of him, and he could swear he could feel her heart beating. An arm still held her fast, but his other hand slid into her loose hair, his fingers lacing through it. Their mouths moved with each other, tongues clashing.

He had felt it then, and he felt it now. A deep, unquenchable, hunger.

Another knock came from the door, followed by Jun Hyung’s voice, ‘Shin Hye-ah! Pali!’

The pair pulled apart, lips swollen.

‘I could get used to this. Shin Hye-ah, why’re you so good at kissing? Didn’t you say you only had one other?’ Min Ho said roguishly as Shin Hye hurriedly rose to her feet.

‘You. Outside, after me. 5 minutes.’ She managed to say, voice husky. She glanced at her reflection quickly, smoothened her hair, and yanked the trailer door wide open.

‘Mianhae, Oppa. I’m ready now.’ He heard her say as the door closed behind her.

Teasing her never gets old…Dayum! That was quite a kiss.

My Shin Hye, My Cherry.