Min Ho heard the ding indicating a text message had been received on his phone.  He sighed in relief and relaxed.  He hadn't even realized how tense he had been while waiting for her to send him a text. 

Shin Hye always sent him a text each night, even if it's just to say good night.   If she didn't send one tonight, he knew it meant he was in trouble.   He picked up his phone ready to grovel. 

His shoulders drooped when he read who the sender was. It wasn't from Shin Hye.

Il Woo:  Hey!  Want to go grab dinner?

Fifteen minutes later, he was sitting down to dinner with his best friend.

"You look tired, how many more weeks left to go?"  Tired was an understatement, Il Woo thought.  He looked dead on his feet.  His face was emotionless.  He looked like someone who had been er punched.  "Things going well on the set?"

"Two weeks left.  You know how the last two weeks wrap up goes.  A lot of stress. A couple of hours of sleep here and there, if you're lucky."  Min Ho told him. This wasn't a good idea.  His first instinct when he got Il Woo's text was to say no.  He wasn't in the mood for company tonight.  But he felt guilty. They hadn't met up since he came back from the US.  Maybe hanging out with Il Woo would help him gain perspective.  So here he was.

"How about you?"  Min Ho asked remembering his manners. Il Woo's drama just started.  He should be busy too. He should make an effort to enjoy dinner with his friend. It would help take his mind off of tonight.

"We're picking up the pace next week. That's why I have free time today."  Il Woo replied.  He should probably be home resting, he really didn't have the free time, but something was nagging him, telling him to call Min Ho and hang out.  He was surprised that Min Ho even agreed since he was so busy.

"You need a vacation after this.  You look like death warmed over." Il Woo told him bluntly.

Min Ho nodded.  He knew that wasn't happening.  His schedule was packed into early next year and maybe even beyond based on all the offers he had been receiving from China.

"I caught a few episodes of The Heirs. You don't look like a high schooler.  You've been looking old lately, especially surrounded by all those young kids.  It's a good thing you are immature."  Il Woo tried to get a reaction out of his expressionless friend. If your best friend can't be honest with you, who can?

Min Ho nodded again.  He glanced at his phone willing it to ding with a message.

"Park Shin Hye and Kim Woo Bin looks good together.  The mean, arrogant guy and the girl next door.  They have good chemistry. Lots of women are partial to second leads."  Il Woo tried a different approach.  His instinct told him to go with the Park Shin Hye angle.  He'd only met Park Shin Hye a few times.  He didn't know her that well.  She was nice and friendly on the set for their Holika shoot. He knew that Min Ho held her in high regards since their Etude days.

"Yeah."  Min Ho replied absently.  Maybe his phone battery was dead.

Well at least it wasn't just a nod, Il Woo thought.

Il Woo could see that Min Ho kept looking at his phone.  That's not typical of him. He usually puts his phone away when they hang out.  Unless...

"Seeing anybody?"  He had a suspicion.

"Wae?"  Min Ho looked at Il Woo.  He had been lost in thought.

Il Woo gestured to the phone in Min Ho's hand. "You keep looking at your phone, like you are expecting a text or a call."

Min Ho was quiet.  Should he tell Il Woo?  Sure they talk about women, superficial guy talk.  They joked around about liking so and so, but they didn't talk about relationships.  Neither of them had been relationships serious enough to share heartaches, not since their high school and early college days.

"I like this girl...a lot.  She likes me too.  But I did something stupid."  Min Ho confessed.  He needed to get it off his chest.  Il Woo was his best friend, he could trust him not to tell anyone about his life.

"Who?  What?" Il Woo hadn't expected that.  He had expected a devilish smile, a joke about women.  They were both prone to pretty faces and flirty women. He was not expecting this serious faced Min Ho and his confession. 

"I didn't protect her.  I didn't take care of her." Min Ho said.  He should have talked to Shin Hye.  He treated her like she was just another actress.  She was an actress, but she was also was someone he cared deeply for.  She deserved better treatment from him.

"Park Shin Hye?"  Il Woo guessed.  He figured that Park Shin Hye was Min Ho's type in terms of personality.  The only problem was she was too young.

"Yes." Min Ho replied, not surprised that Il Woo guessed.

"Are you an idiot?" Il Woo berated his friend. Park Shin Hye was also off limits.

"Wae?" Min Ho was taken aback.

"She's not a drama romance type."  There were actresses that you flirt with when you are in a drama together.  They would flirt back.  They were usually older. They knew the rules of the drama flirting game. The flirtation may lead to a little bit more, like dating, an affair, but that was it. When the affair fizzled, they both went their separate ways, no hard feelings.

"She's too young. She's not the kind of girl you fool around with.  She falls under the serious category."  Those actresses are the ones you keep your distance from. You can flirt with them, but you don't get involved. Getting involved with them meant you were serious, ready to settle down.  Shin Hye was the kind of girl you took home and introduce to your parents.

"I know." Min Ho admitted bleakly, too late now. Even if he wanted to avoid Shin Hye, he couldn't. He'd been attracted to her since they first met. Her attraction was even more powerful the more time he spent with her. 

Il Woo looked at his friend closely.  He didn't like the tone of his voice.  He'd never seen that look on Min Ho's face before.  He was serious. He looked like a man who was in love.

".  You've fallen for her.  What are you going to do?"  He had known Min Ho since they were both in high school, before they became famous.  Min Ho had women falling over him.  He had been in and out of love before.  But that was a long time ago. He doesn't think he had ever seen him like this before.

"Nothing.  I let her down.  She won't let me do anything.  She's shut me out."   Came the bleak response.

"What did you do?"  It couldn't be that bad, thought Il Woo.  Maybe Min Ho's tiredness and lack of sleep was causing him to be extra sensitive to the situation.  After the drama ends, he would be able to think more clearly about this.  Once the drama ends, he'll realize it's only an infatuation.

"I kissed her. "  A real kiss.

"Did you come in too quick, pressed too hard, make bleed?  You idiot.  I told you to be careful.  Did you not learn from my mistake?"  He did that in one of his drama and the poor actress's mouth was bleeding.  He felt really apologetic.  And the actress couldn't look at him afterwards.

"No. Nothing like that." Considering how often they've kissed, he knew exactly the right angle and projection. It was forceful, but their mouths came together and fitted perfectly.

"It was a real kiss."  He should have told her, discussed with her what he was going to do.

"Oh.  What did Shin Hye do?"  Il Woo was puzzled.  A real kiss? He's not sure what the problem was.

"She kissed me back." Because he told her to follow his lead and she tru