With the Han Bam interview over, the two of them filed back into the van, heading back to the studio for a late night shoot.

‘Yah! Jugulle?’ She said when Manager Jun slammed the van door closed.

The van took off, and turned around the corner, ‘He he he, wae?’

The music was still up from earlier, so Shin Hye didn’t hesitate to continue, ‘You were practically feeding them rumour material!’

He could tell that she was more startled than annoyed, ‘Ani-ya! That was fan service!’ He bit back a chuckle when Shin Hye’s eyes widened further. However, he wasn’t lying. The only time he had actually forgotten himself was when he teasingly asked Shin Hye if she enjoyed the kiss in the closet. A sneaky attempt to get Shin Hye to answer his question.

‘Fan service? Yah! You could’ve given them other kinds of fan service!’

Finally picking up on her earlier statement, Min Ho yapped,‘…Yah! We’re not a rumour!’

‘You know what I mean!’ Shin Hye said with narrowed eyes, in an attempt to look menacing, ‘You’re in trouble, Mister!’ Failing terribly as she had to purse her lips to prevent herself from smiling.

‘So….the “empty kiss” eh? I got an answer after all…’ He wasn’t about to let this conversation go, no matter how many times he’d have to bicker with her, ‘Did you really enjoy that moment the most? Or was that a cover…?’

Feigning nonchalance, but her red ears and cheeks giving her away, Shin Hye answered, ‘Cover for what?’

We’re playing hard to get, I see. Alright… ‘For the fact that you enjoyed the real closet kiss most.’ He decided to get straight to the point, knowing Shin Hye, if he played along, they’d never get to the end of the conversation.

‘Yah! Who asks that so out rightly?’

‘Namja Chingu’s.’

She struggled to find a way out of the conversation, but she saw none. Finally, a slow smile reached her lips, ‘I liked all, because each of them were with you~’

Aisssh! The diplomatic answer. I should’ve seen that coming! ‘I give up! You’re honestly too good at this!’

‘I had practice, Oppa.’

‘Practice from what?’ He sat up in his seat, intrigued. Information like this was definitely more interesting than the ones he read about her on fan websites.

‘Talking to other namjas.’

‘Mwo? Yah! Explain!’

Seemingly proud of herself, Shin Hye enlightened, ‘Well…when I sense the conversation is going in a direction I do not want it to go, I steer it clear…It has proved very effective, thus far.’

‘Oh? Should I be blessed that you didn’t steer clear of me?’ Min Ho goaded, ‘No, wait—there wasn’t a need to! You came to me!’

Shin Hye opened to produce a counter attack, but all that came out was a pathetic, ‘Yah!’ There wasn’t much she could say, he was right.

‘Chamna, we’re a match made in heaven, Shin Hye-ah…I’m glad it took you so long to find someone who can out talk you.’

‘Well…actually, there was one other.’ Shin Hye began, sneaking a smirk, ‘But we should save this conversation for another day.’ He didn’t manage to press for more details because suddenly, she raised her knees to her chest, and began massaging it gently. He could tell that she trying to hide a look of agony on her face, but he knew what her actions meant, he was familiar with the feeling.

‘It hurts doesn’t it?’ He stretched out to place a warm hand over her knee. To hell with the driver. My girl’s in pain.

‘Ne. How’d you know?’ She moved her hands to massage her other knee, allowing his warmer hand to rest on her right knee. It helped. ‘Oh, right! Mianhae, you got into an accident before too! Is it better now?’

‘In 2006.’ He began kneading her knee, ‘Whenever the weather got chilly, or when it rained, my knee’s would begin to hurt really bad. It’s better now…but I still get it sometimes.’

‘Do kindred spirits exist?’ He mused to himself as he held Shin Hye’s tender gaze. He knew she was probably biting her tongue from the pain, and so didn’t push for a response. He wished he could do something, make it better, but the heater in the van was pushed up as far as it possibly go without turning it into a sauna. Experience also told him that there was nothing much he could do, the ache would subside on it own. Massaging and pressing a warm hand to the knee only helped alleviate the ache by a little. ‘Mianhae.’

‘Wae?’

‘I want to do more.’ He really did. He removed his hand from her knee momentarily, removed his windbreaker, and placed it over her knees. Then he slipped his hand back under the jacket, and returned his hand to its earlier position.

‘You. being…here is…enough.’ Her words were broken and punctuated from holding the pain in.

‘Do we trust this guy?’ He asked, referring to the driver. He didn’t want his comforting to bring more trouble to Shin Hye later on.

‘Ne. He’s a trusted friend of Oppa’s.’ Shin Hye shared.

He nodded, reassured by the knowledge that their secret was in good hands. I really have to thank Jun Hyung. He wasn’t sure how, but he was certain he’d figure out a way to. Being able to spend time with Shin Hye like this, especially with the drama ending so soon, made him especially thankful.

Shin Hye and him sat in silence for a little while longer, his hand still covering her right knee as she massaged her left. He felt at peace, he felt an overwhelming feeling of…love. He hadn’t expected to feel like this so fast. After his last relationship, he had sworn himself off all girls, especially female celebrities. He was sure he would never be ready to face the complications, the pressure, and the heartbreak again. Then Shin Hye came along. In these short four months, it was like she had broken down all his barriers, erased all his past hurts, and reintroduced him to a joy he hadn’t been able to feel in a long time.

Underneath the windbreaker, a smaller hand reached over and interlinked its fingers with his, Min Ho looked over at its owner, ‘Gomawo.’ She said. Her tone was soft, affectionate, thankful.

He gave her hand a light squeeze, ‘It’s the least I could do. Gomawo.’

Reminded of what those words meant, Shin Hye tilted her head, leaned on his shoulder, and beamed to herself. He wasn’t whom she was expecting.  
~.~

‘Keunde, that needed to happen for Kim Tan to be with Cha Eun Sang.’ Shi Hye said. It was one of their nightly calls, and Min Ho had just conveyed his sadness for the fictional break-up between Kim Won and Jeon Hyun Joo. ‘Though, I think Kim Won loved power, and riches more than he loved Hyun Joo. It probably wouldn’t have worked out even if they chose to stay together.’

‘When she said, ‘I’ll be old while waiting, should I just do it?’ it was like eluding to the fact that she had finally grown tired of waiting…and she had to be the better man, she had to be the one to break them up. She knew…she knew that despite his engagement, Won wouldn’t and didn’t want to break-up. But, I think she was also testing him at that moment. And when he made no move to do anything, to stop her…she understood that they were over. What pains me is that it was so obvious how much the two of them really wanted to stay together, despite their circumstances. The scene where Won and Hyun Joo were lying in bed together was probably their happiest time together.’ He had told her.

‘Ne. I just feel a little sad for them, is all. Besides, sometimes I feel like dramas can be a place where people can escape to…to be able to experience a happy ending not possible in reality. Spending more time with Hyun Joo could change his world views, help him see what really matters…’ Min Ho answered.

He heard Shin Hye chuckle, ‘Oppa, you’re quite the romantic…and a little bit of a daydreamer.’ However, when she continued, her voice was softer, more serious, ‘If we look to dramas to escape from reality, after awhile, we may begin to have a warped sense of reality. Unknowingly, we may begin to apply the laws of physics that dramas adopt to real life situations, only to find out it doesn’t actually work…leading to disappointment.’ The tone of her voice, the melancholy in her words gave Min Ho the impression that she was speaking from experience, ‘It’s nice to escape, only if you consciously remind yourself that reel life cannot meld with real life. Even then, one might still find themselves sorely disappointed with what real life has to offer.’

He wasn’t quite sure if it’d be appropriate of him to ask her about the nostalgic vibe she was giving. Were they at the stage in their relationship where asking such questions would result in heightened awkwardness? Or would they be able to roll through it comfortably? He really wasn’t sure. As a result, he chose to address the point she tried to convey instead, ‘You know, sometimes real life has a lot more to offer than we think. Dramas are a figment of our imaginations…based on some real life experiences...they are somewhat predictable. Reality on the other hand, can surprise you. Things that you never imagined, never expected, just happen. With that, dramas and stories are created.’

Her response was that of a thoughtful, “Mmmm.’

He wanted to know what had happened. What caused her to be so sceptical about life? Was she thinking about them? ‘Do you fear for our future?’ He blurted. The minute he uttered those words, he wished he could take it back. He had planned to thread the topic lightly, not run straight through! This is a fine example of when real life doesn’t quite meet one’s expectations.

He could hear the surprise in her voice, ‘Where is this coming from?’

‘Aniya, I was just wondering…’

‘Everyday.’ It was just one word, but he could feel her honesty…her worry coursing through from her end of the line to his.

‘Talk to me.’

‘I don’t know how to phrase it, Oppa.’ How do I phrase it without making you think I doubt us? Was what she really meant. He understood.

He assured her, ‘I won’t misunderstand. I just want to hear you. Phrase it anyway you are comfortable with.'

‘I like you…a lot.’ She clucked her tongue; it was a nervous habit of hers. He had noticed. ‘We aren’t like a typical couple…we’ve established that before. But we haven’t discussed what will happen when the public finds out about us…when the anti-fans…rise. When our schedules cause us to grow apart…when our relationship takes a toll on us…’ She clucked her tongue again, ‘I…just don’t want us to reach a point where…we can’t even talk to one another anymore…or to a point where…the only time we ever speak is through our companies for official work type events.’

‘Has that ever happened before? Is this why you’re afraid of it happening?’

‘Not really…something similar did…but we sorted it out. But, we never reached a stage that you and I are in right now…so…for us, it might get a lot worse.’

‘I wish you had told me this earlier. You shouldn’t spend the first bits of our relationship worrying about our future. I told you once, and I’ll say it again: Living constantly in fear of the future isn’t living life to the fullest. But I understand your feelings, and I don’t want you to feel like I’m brushing it away. I can’t tell you that our future will be filled with church bells, and gurgling babies…’ He heard her giggle softly. ‘I can’t predict the future, Shin Hye. I wish I could. Then I could tell you that our intimate outdoor wedding was a blast, and everyone who loves us, thought so too. I could tell you that our two daughters has your eyes, and our son can’t handle anyone touching his ears…just like you. I can’t do that…but I can tell you that I will work hard, everyday to make every step of our relationship, a memorable one. I can’t promise you that the public will fully accept us; there may be an anti-fan or two, our schedules may clash, a lot, we may even get too tired to talk to one another on some days…but I can tell you that everyday since you said ‘Yes’, has made be the happiest Min Ho I’ve ever been. You’re the reason I sound like a cheesy romantic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The pros will always outweigh the cons in our relationship.’

She didn’t respond!

‘Yah! Shin Hye-ah! Are you sleeping?’ He was pretty sure his words were touching enough to unfreeze the coldest heart. How could she fall asleep?

She sniffled.

‘Omo! Wae? Are you crying? It’s a good cry, right? I’m confident that what I said was more touching than hurting!’

She was laughing, then sniffling, then laughing again.

‘Yah! I can’t see you. I can’t tell if I made you cry or smile!’

‘Both’ She finally said. ‘Oppa, I’m beginning to think that you secretly read romance novels.’

‘Yah! A ‘Thank You’ would’ve sufficed!’ He smirked. He had noticed a pattern with Shin Hye. When she was overwhelmed with thankfulness, nine out of ten times she’d hide it by mocking him instead.

‘What makes you think I’m thankful?’ She ribbed.

‘Aisssh! Shin Hye-ah, are you feeling better?’ He wanted to be sure that they left this conversation on the same page. He felt guilty for letting her worry fester since they became exclusive in the van.

‘It’s hard to not worry, Oppa…But I’ll find comfort in the fact that I made you the happiest Min Ho you’ve ever been.’

‘Aissssh!’

‘Keunde, how did you know I wanted an outdoor wedding…and a family of five?’

‘When you caused me worry, and I did research on you.’

‘Oppa, that’s pretty stalker-like!’

‘Yah! It’s only because I’m your no.1 fan!’

‘Is that what you tell yourself to sleep better at night?’

‘I WAS WORRIED!’

‘While we’re on the topic of worry...OPPA!’

‘WAE?!’ His volume matching hers. It was amazing how fast and how often the mood in their conversations changed.

‘The scene where you adlibbed in Eun Sang’s place…Yah! I heard some crewmembers talking afterwards, remarking about us! They said we had chemistry, and they wouldn’t be surprised if we were together!’

The image of Kim Tan chasing Eun Sang in the tiny, one bedroom apartment made Min Ho chuckle. In that moment, when Kim Tan was teasing Eun Sang about perhaps ‘watching’ a Romance movie, Min Ho had suddenly forgotten to separate himself from Kim Tan, and made a joke.

Her eyes had fallen to his lips just as she shrugged away from his hug, ‘Don’t do it!’

Feeling cheeky, he delivered his next lines as he made two large steps towards her, ‘The living room is only two steps long.’

‘My mom will be here soon!’

‘It’s okay, I can lock the door.’ Min Ho had joked as he swiftly walked over to the set door and locked it. Unscripted.

Caught of guard, Shin Hye responded to him, ‘Don’t! Hey, what are you doing?...Oppa!’ As she attempted to escape the now advancing Kim Tan/ Min Ho.

‘Oh, Oppa, Oppa?’

After the cameras had been turned off, Min Ho had laughed it off as him trying to spice up the scene. To his surprise, Kang PD had liked that scene so much, citing that it was very true to Kim Tan’s and Eun Sang’s character that he decided he would add it into the episode.

‘They aren’t wrong!’ He responded, amusement in his words. He moved the phone slightly further away from his ear, ready for Shin Hye’s response.

‘OPPPPA!’ She squealed, ‘You know what I mean! First the Han Bam interview, now this!’

‘Arasso! Arasso! Mianhae, I’ll try and watch myself! Keunde, you have to stop being so cute.’

Shin Hye all but whined, ‘How?’ If he gave her a bogus response, like speak in monotones, she’d probably try to abide by it. That was cute.

‘No matter how I see it, it’s not possible.’ He was being honest.

Her exasperation gifted him the following response, ‘Pfft.’ Cute, again.

He chortled with laughter, ‘That was eloquent.’

‘I’ve decided…you’re also incorrigible!’

‘But that’s okay, because I’m still handsome, financially stable, morally outstanding, and excellent in character…and you like me.’ His words echoed a similar conversation they had before. ‘Which is why, your father will like me.’

‘Actually…he’s not too pleased with you.’

‘WAE?!’

‘He thinks…you’re an animal.’ She said, choking on her laughter. A purple-faced Min Ho in her mind.

‘Yah! That scene wasn’t animalistic! It was…hot!’

‘Who says that?!’

‘It was hot.’

Her embarrassment resounding through the line, ‘Yah!’

‘It was electrifying.’

‘Oppa~!’ Cute.

‘You liked it.’ Min Ho said matter-of-factly.

‘Incorrigible.'

‘Hot.’

On the other line, Shin Hye shook her head; there was no winning this conversation. ‘Oppa…’

‘Mmmm?’

‘You weren’t who I was expecting.’

‘Mwo?’

‘But I think, you’re exactly what I needed.’

Min Ho bobbled his head in delight, time to bring his argument home, ‘A fine example of when real life takes you by surprise, throwing all expectations out the window.’

‘Aisssh!’












Author's Note:
Lalalalalala~ Sorry, I've been a little lazy with writing, especially with all the
other awesome fan fic's out there (i.e. branwen's & pattituazon's)!
Also, admittedly, I think I've got the writer's block. My stories are going in circles!

That being said, may this humble chapter tide you over till Pat's or Branwen's next update! 
Hehe!