In between takes, Shin Hye joked and laughed around with Woo Bin, a dark contrast to how she had been acting around him lately. Min Ho could all but grit his teeth, plastering on a fake smile so as not to attract unwanted attention.

‘Woo Bin-ah! Do this last take well, then you can go catch up on your sleep.’ Kang PD said through the microphone. Shin Hye and Woo Bin had finished all their YoungSang moments earlier in the night, leaving just the TanSang moments to be filmed.

‘Can do!’ Woo Bin hollered back, straightening his jacket. He and Shin Hye had just finished wrestling with each other after Shin Hye had jokingly about his hair, ‘Yah, you could throw a rock at it and it’d still stay like that!’

‘Alright then! Let’s get this over with!’ Shouted Kang PD, indicating to the cameraman to begin rolling.

~.~
 

‘It’s sad.’ Young Do bit out before he walked past a dumbstruck Eun Sang and a seething Kim Tan.

‘Cut!’ Kang PD yelled, ‘Good! Good job Woo Bin, see you tomorrow! Get some good rest! Shin Hye, Min Ho, do you two need a short breather or can we power through this last bit before the campfire scene?’

Amidst the farewell greetings between Woo Bin and the crew, Min Ho side eyed Shin Hye. Knowing her, she’d want to carry on to avoid talking to me.

‘If it’s alright with Oppa, I can power through this next scene.’ Shin Hye responded.

I knew it. ‘I’m ok with going on too.’ Min Ho said, shoving his hands back into his jacket pockets.

‘Great!’ Kang PD replied.

Shin Hye turned her head back to face the spot Woo Bin had vacated moments earlier.

While waiting for Kang PD to give the cameraman the cue to begin, Min Ho began searching through his head for frustrating moments in his past to help him make Kim Tan’s sullenness more convincing. His thoughts returned back to the conversation he had with Shin Hye earlier.

‘…but I didn’t have time to respond.’

Min Ho reflexively clenched his jaw. Didn’t have time my foot! Had plenty of time to laugh my message off with the gang, but didn’t have two seconds to tap a few buttons on her phone. He didn’t remember himself being so pissy, especially over a girl who definitely didn’t give two hoots about him. Yet, he couldn’t help himself. What he felt for her was more than brotherly love. It was clear to him. He had even begun to think of her as ‘his’ in everyday conversations about Park Shin Hye, his co-star. 

‘Action!’

Well, he definitely had enough inner frustration to channel into Kim Tan now.

Kim Tan unclenched his jaw and fixated his eyes on a still, dumbstruck Eun Sang. Mistaking her bewildered expression as being touched, Kim Tan all but nearly barked, ‘Wake up!’ Eun Sang quickly turned to face him; eyes still a little dazed, ‘What are you thinking?’

‘Don’t!’ she warned, ‘I’m the one panicking here.’

Kim Tan still misinterpreting her flustered state as something more than just simple shock, indignantly retorted, ‘Yeah, and I’m really happy. I drove four hours to get here and this is what you can show me?’ I put down my pride to send you that text, and all you did was lie through your teeth about your non-response?

‘I know that you’re angry…’

‘You know nothing!’ You don’t know how much it’s been eating at me, having you avoid me like that. You don’t know how confused I was when I could not figure out what I could’ve possibly done wrong. You don’t know how much it angers me that you felt the need to lie, rather than affording me the truth at least. ‘Do you even think about me?’ Like how I think about you? Do you think of me before you go to bed at night, and at the first morning light? Do you wonder if I’ve eaten when you’re having your meals? ‘Am I the only crazy one here?’ Have I been thinking about you as you were thinking about someone else? Am I a fool for thinking we could have had a chance?

Eun Sang lowered her head, brows furrowed.

‘I know it’s hard for you but I hope that Choi Young Do isn’t your ticket to get away from me.’

Eun Sang eyes shot back up and held Kim Tan’s gaze. His face had softened, his watching eyes almost tender.

Kim Tan was the first to break eye contact as he turned away and stepped past her, in the opposite direction Young Do had left for.

The confusion and the mixture of emotions were all too much for her, and she began to feel tears welling up in her eyes. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding and gulped down the sob that was pushing to get out.

‘Annnnd Cut!’ Kang PD hollered, ‘Aigoo! Min Ho-ah, Shin Hye-ah that was well done! You really nailed it! We won’t need to do that again!’ He got up from his director’s chair and stretched, ‘We’ve got three more scenes left! Freshen up a bit, and we’ll meet back by the tents!’ 

~.~

Crewmembers began shuffling around as Shin Hye caught up with Min Ho. She tapped him on the shoulder, 'Oppa, jamkahnmahn’. Min Ho turned to face her, his eyes, unyielding, similar to the look that Kim Tan had earlier, Shin Hye shuddered a little but decided to go on with what she had planned, ‘Can I speak to you for a few minutes?’ When he made no move or sound to respond, she hesitantly continued, ‘It’ll just take five minutes.’

He nodded and she motioned for him to follow her.

Shin Hye had decided to ‘fess up. She could tell that he knew she had lied to him earlier. She also had a feeling that in the scene where Kim Tan showed Eun Sang a little of his darker side, there was some Min Ho in there. It seemed like such a sudden decision, but she figured it was better if he understood why she did what she did, rather than steam over her weird behaviour. Either way, things between them were already awkward. Rather than letting the awkwardness persist while he was still angry with her, she preferred if the awkwardness was over the truth. Even if the truth involved the matters of her heart.

Appa, this is what you would’ve told me to do, right? Shin Hye mused. She could almost hear her father’s voice, ‘Princess you know better than anyone that honesty is the best policy.’

Back inside the same camper van they spoke in beforehand, Shin Hye rubbed her feet on the rug by the doorway and then scurried further inside the van. Min Ho simply stood by the doorway, unmoving. However, he did turn to close the van door, shutting out the cold air.

 ‘Ah...’ Shin Hye started. Min Ho lifted his brow expectantly in response. ‘You’re upset.’ Of course he’s upset, you idiot. You’ve only got a few minutes; beating around the bush isn’t going to help your cause! ‘The reason why I—’

‘Just because I’m mad, doesn’t mean you’ve got to force yourself to explain yourself to me.’ Ani! It’s not like that!

‘I’ve been unfair. It’s only right I explain myself.’ Shin Hye in a breath and then began again, ‘The reason why I’ve been avoiding you is—can I just stop for a second and have you promise that whatever I say today, isn’t going to be held against me? Or have it be the reason things begin to get more awkward with us...?’

He nodded. His change in facial expression showed her that his interest was piqued.

‘The reason why I’ve been avoiding you is because…is because IthinkI’vedevelopedsomekindof...of…feelingsforyouand—’ she took in another sharp breath and then continued, ‘andIdidn’t…want...wantyoutofindoutbecauseIwas scared—’

‘Slow down’ His voice soft, but his face unreadable.

‘Ah…I was scared it’d make things awkward between us.’ She stopped and dropped her gaze to stare at her feet.

‘Is that all?’

‘No,’ She in another large breath, ‘I thought time away would also help me figure out if I was just tapping into Eun Sang’s feelings or not…and…to you know, help me just stop.’

‘Stop what?’ He said, finally moving further into the van, towards her.

‘Stop, you know…feeling. I don’t do…feelings very well. There shouldn’t be feelings.’

‘I don’t do feelings very well either.’ He responded, now directly in front of her.

Shin Hye refrained from looking up at him, ‘I know the girl usually doesn’t admit her feelings…especially not this way. But I didn’t want the strain between us to affect our performance of Eun Sang and Kim Tan.’ She felt him stiffen a little. Quick to realize what that could’ve implied, and not wanting any further misunderstandings for the night, she sheepishly continued, ‘Not…not that I would’ve left the strain between us, even without filming…but aside from not wanting to affect our work, I…I just didn’t want this sourness between us to continue. To be honest, I had tried to come up with convincing truths, so I wouldn’t have to burden you with my confession…but, I’m also a terrible liar.’

She finally looked up at Min Ho, and he was grinning like a proud schoolboy, ‘Is there something on my face?’ She reached up to touch her cheek.

He simply shook his head, reached out and covered her hand with his, ‘Ani, your face is fine.’

No one made a move for the next few seconds. What is going on? The mood has definitely changed, but I can’t tell from his expression what he’s thinking. Clearly the dark clouds have passed…Shin Hye reflected. Ya! What kind of guy just smiles like a small boy and not says anything after a girl has just confessed her embarrassing truth?

‘Have you figured out if these feelings are of Eun Sang or of Shin Hye?’ he finally asked.

Shin Hye contemplated the question for a while. She had two choices... She could either affirm that what she felt was just her being too caught up in the character, or she could tell him the truth. The former meant that perhaps they could go back to how they were like before, but it also meant he’d probably start seeing her as a childish little girl. The latter would most probably result in heightened awkwardness between them, but at least he’d see her as a lady.

‘They’re all Shin Hye,’ she opted for the latter. No time for playing games, she reasoned.

Without a word he pulled her into a hug. Oh? What does this mean?

His voice was muffled as he spoke into her hair, ‘Thank you.’ Thank you? He’s thanking me for my feelings? Yah! Has this guy ever dealt with girls before? ‘You’re thinking that I’m acting really strange…’ He continued. Strange is an understatement.

He pulled back from the hug and looked down at her, his eyes were warm and tender, ‘First off, I want to apologize. I shouldn’t have let my temper get ahead of me. You didn’t deserve that…even if you had been acting peculiar. Secondly, I’d like you to note that I don’t usually share my feelings either, but because you shared first, it’s only fair I shared mine too.’ He was embarrassed now. Shin Hye tilted her head, confused, ‘Thirdly, I lost my temper only because I was hurt.’ Shin Hye frowned, Hurt?

‘See, all my teasing, my jokes, was my own foolish way of getting your attention.’ Realization began to show on her face. ‘So when you began to avoid me, I had thought that maybe I had overdid it, and you were annoyed with me. Then when you offered that very lame excuse earlier for not replying me, I assumed it was just you trying to brush me off…’

Shin Hye stared up at him, stupefied, ‘Oppa…I didn’t know.’ But this still doesn’t quite reach the full extent of what she had hoped he’d say.

‘No, you didn’t…and neither did I know, about you. But I’m happy you told me. Because, lastly, I know I’ve developed some kind of feelings for you too.’ His last few words, mirroring the ones she uttered a few minutes earlier, made her smile. ‘So don’t “stop feeling”, because I don’t think I can.’

Shin Hye could feel her heart soaring, as cliché as it sounded. If heart had wings, hers would be flying by now. There’s something about knowing that your feelings are reciprocated. Knowing that he probably struggled as much as she did to suppress her own growing feelings. The genuineness of his words also showed her that there was more to him than she had expected. It all felt surreal. Like the dream Eun Sang knew she’d have to wake up from eventually…

‘In a drama, the boy’d be leaning in for a kiss by now.’ Min Ho teased to fill the silence. Lost in her thoughts, she had forgotten to reply, again. This time unintentionally. ‘And because I know now how you feel, and because we’re old enough, the kiss could result in much more.’

Scandalized, Shin Hye stepped away from him, far away from him, ‘Hajima! Just because two people like each other, doesn’t mean they should…do stuff!’

Mischievous Min Ho was back, his footsteps trailed after her retreating ones, ‘Why? It happens in dramas, and dramas are supposedly a reflection of real life. What just happened can be taken straight out of a drama. Girl avoids boy. Boy gets upset. Girl confesses. Boy reciprocates.’

‘You said boy and girl. So you’re probably referring to teens. Teen dramas I’ve seen stop at light kisses.’ She shot back, looking around; gauging how much space she had before she hit the wall. She could’ve sworn if he had a choice, he’d have her back to a wall 24/7. ‘Dramas are an exaggeration of real life.’

‘Women like the exaggerated version.’

‘I’m not, most women.’

He suddenly stopped and smirked, ‘No, I guess you aren’t.’ He looked at the door and quickly finished, ‘Most women don’t give into a man’s anger so easily. Most women don’t call a man into a camper van alone, late at night, to confess their feelings.’

Before she could deliver her comeback, the camper van door swung open, almost knocking Shin Hye over. ‘Shin Hye-ah! Don’t stand behind a door!’ It was Min Ho’s manager, who had been searching all over for them. ‘Oh, Min Ho, you’re here too. What are the two of you doing in here? Kang PD wants to continue filming.’  

He left before either of them could reply, letting the camper van door slam shut behind him.

‘You took longer than five minutes.’

Shin Hye looked at him, eyes narrowed ‘That’s because you spent half of it pouring your heart out!’ She bit back a giggle, and quickly pulled the door open, hopping out of the van.

~.~

‘Aish! She always has to have the last words!’ Min Ho said to the empty van. Then he sighed, ‘Looks like we’ve got things to sort out too, we shouldn’t leave this conversation hanging. I don’t want to leave this conversation hanging.' He closed his eyes and imagined the tabloids splashed with pictures of Shin Hye and him vacationing on some island. ‘Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye.’

“Two Hallyu Co-stars Become Lovers!” Said one magazine.
“Lee Min Ho’s New Squeeze. How Long Will This Last?” Read another.

Where do they go from here? Dating wasn’t exactly easy, especially with two celebrities such as themselves. Plus, he wasn’t sure he was ready to date under the heavy scrutiny of the public again. Judging from Shin Hye’s past involvement with previous male actors, she too wouldn’t want a highly publicized relationship. He hadn’t thought this through when he had let his heart pursue after her so freely.

He opened his eyes and said a silent prayer to the sky, ‘Don’t let me mess this one up.’ He drew the camper van’s door open and inhaled the cool air.

His eyes caught Shin Hye’s and she offered him a shy smile in return. His heart swelled with pride and he smiled to himself, ‘Thank you Lord, for making her such a terrible liar.’ Whatever their relationship outcome, he was sure it’ll all be worth it. She was Park Shin Hye, and whether she liked it or not, she was His. 





Author's Note:
Oh noes! If you visited your local grocer today and found out that they were out of corn, 
I apologize. I ordered all of them and rained it all over this chapter. 
-sheepish grin-
I couldn't seem to steer myself away from it.