Ji Hyo looked at the black car in front of her. An unknown man came out of the driver's seat, ran to the backseat and opened the door.

 

 

 

The man nodded and she walked closer to the car. She was expecting to see Jong Kook inside and she got a little disappointed when she didn't. Suddenly, her phone started ringing again.

 

 

"Are you on your way?" A deep, and a seemingly excited voice echoed from the other line.

 

"What do you mean?" She asked cluelessly.

 

 

 

"Yes. Ji Hyo, I'm sorry I couldn't-" His voice sounded as if he's very sorry so she cut him off.

 

"Ani, it's okay, don't worry about it." She assured but her voice slightly faltered.

 

 

"Yes, yes." She answered nervously. 

 

Jong Kook's chuckles vibrated against her ears. "Don't worry, my mom invited people who don't care about celebrities. They won't bother you. Just enjoy this night, okay?"

 

Her rapidly beating heart slowed down. He really has his way with words. "Okay, I will."

 

 

"Ne." She said half heartedly. She feels that something was off but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She shrugged her thoughts and rode the car. He's with you, nothing's going to happen. Just...enjoy. 

 

 

 

Ji Hyo entered the restaurant. She observed from the lobby for a while and found quite a number of people, who looked elegant and rich, but she doesn't recognize any of them. She suddenly felt like an outsider who doesn't know a thing or two about being classy even though she had been attending even more extravagant occasions. She nervously gripped on to her dress, finally deciding to look for her 'partner', but as she was about to enter the main hall, a hand tapped her shoulder.

 

 

Ji Hyo was startled but she quickly smiled. "Oh, why are you here?"

 

 

 

"Looks like you're not." The man said and offered her his arm. 

 

 

She wasn't able to finish her sentence because Ji Hoon took her hand and placed it around his lean but not so buff arm. Then, he brought her along to the main hall.

 

 

 

"Ji Hoon-." Ji Hyo tried to get his attention but she was once again interrupted. 

 

"Ji Hyo-ya, you're here." Mrs. Kim, who was talking to someone, met her eyes and greeted her with a confused look. 

 

She was going to explain that she's with Jong Kook but the person, whom Mrs. Kim was talking to, turned around and she found the man she was going to look for. Ji Hyo looked at Jong Kook with a very surprised face and her hands gripped onto Ji Hoon's arm tighter.

 

 

 

 

 

Jong Kook waited for Ji Hyo at the entrance to the main hall. While waiting, someone called his name and when he turned around, he saw his mom. Following his mom, is a woman wearing a blazing red dress fitting for a well-known actress. He was frozen in place.

 

"Annyeong, Jong Kook oppa." She smiled shyly. Her face looked dazzling as she tucked her curled hair behind her ears.

 

 

"Since you didn't want to bring someone, I asked her to come instead. I know you're a bachelor but you shouldn't come to parties without a partner." His mom explained and Eun Hye wrapped her hands around his arms.

 

 

 

His mom turned to his side and her face looked shocked.

 

 

 

Jong Kook stiffened. He turned around bringing Eun Hye along. He was stunned when he found Ji Hyo gripping her hands around Joo Ji Hoon's arms.

 

 

 

The party venue, even with the huge dining hall, seemed very small for the four t.v. personalities. The atmosphere was soon filled with tension and their outfits became very uncomfortable. Mrs. Kim broke the ice by greeting Ji Hyo with a hug. She then turned to the other guest. "Ji Hoon-ah I'm glad you were able to come. Your mom said you're busy with your schedule."

 

 

 

"Ne. We used to work together in a drama." He explained while looking and smiling at Ji Hyo.

 

 

 

Mrs. Kim was convinced and she brought them to a table. Ji Hyo just held on to Ji Hoon while walking. She can't raise her head and she doubts she could walk alone. She almost forgot about her, Eun Hye. I thought he invited me to this party? Why would he ask me to accompany him if he's actually with his girlfriend? They all sat down. Ji Hyo was sitting in front of Jong Kook and beside her is Ji Hoon while sitting in front of him is Eun Hye.

 

"So, you came together?" Ji Hoon asked while cutting the meat on his plate. 

 

 

"Then, are you back together?" Ji Hoon asked without hesitation.

 

 

 

Eun Hye, in surprise, looked at Jong Kook. Jong Kook glared at Ji Hoon and Ji Hoon glared back at him. Ji Hyo just focused on her food.

 

But Eun Hye quickly recovered and laughed awkwardly. "What kind of a question is that oppa? Of course not."

 

 

 

Ji Hyo played with her drink while waiting for Ji Hoon to get the dessert. Eun Hye on the other hand waited for Jong Kook.

 

 

Ji Hyo looked at her. She was still as pretty as before. Her red dress made her look even more stunning. "Ne, it's nice to be back." Her words were dry and uneasy. She had never been that quiet ever since she became a Song Ji Hyo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ji Hyo smiled, that's the only thing she did all night.

 

 

"Ohh, that. Well, I had to, because another project came up. I was just busy." She explained.

 

 

"Yeah, we could do that." Ji Hyo cursed herself. All she did was stutter, nod, and repeat what the others are saying. She knew she shouldn't have went to that party.

 

 

 

 

"Oppa, let's dance." Eun Hye asked Jong Kook when she heard Yiruma's Love Me playing.

 

 

Jong Kook hesitated but he eventually nodded. On the dance floor, he wasn't looking at Eun Hye, instead his eyes wandered to where Ji Hyo was. He saw her leaving the table with Ji Hoon. He gritted his teeth and he didn't know why he felt so angry.

 

 

 

He felt Eun Hye's eyes looking at her. He faced her and their eyes met. 

 

 

His anger subsided. It wasn't her fault too. He thought that maybe he's just upset because he just broke his promise to Ji Hyo, yet again. He smiled at Eun Hye and nodded. "No, it's fine."

 

She suddenly leaned her head on his chest. "I missed you, oppa." Before he could push her away, she held him tightly and gently spoke. "Please, let's stay like this for a while."

 

 

 

"You've been quiet. I'm not used to it." Ji Hoon tried to cheer Ji Hyo up. They're at the part of the restaurant which looked like a garden. He guessed that it's the place for special occasions. There's a swimming pool in the middle and lights hung along the wooden walls, which were dividing the place from the inside. 

 

He actually arrived a little earlier than he appeared. He even heard Jong Kook talking to Ji Hyo about how he'll see her tonight. After that, he looked for his mom. While doing so, he heard Jong Kook's mom asking Eun Hye to come out since Jong Kook had arrived. He immediately ran outside the restaurant and waited for Ji Hyo as if guessing what will happen. He also knew about the relationship between the so called commander and his colleague from the drama 'Goong'. But he didn't know what Ji Hyo has to do with them. Nevertheless, he knows that Ji Hyo might need him around. He guessed that no one, from the three people mentioned, knew that their pairings were mixed up.

 

"It would be amazing to stargaze here." Ji Hyo disrupted his thoughts.

 

Ji Hoon pulled her closer to the pool. "Let's sit then. It would be nice to put our feet in the pool while stargazing."

 

 

Ji Hoon took his coat off. "Here use this to cover your legs."

 

 

They both removed their shoes and folded their outfits to prevent them from getting wet. Ji Hyo wagged her feet while looking at the sky. 

 

"Those few stars aren't so bad." Ji Hoon said while looking at the woman beside her.

 

 

He shifted his head upwards and smiled. "That's a plane."

 

"I know." She smirked. "I was joking. You still have no sense of humor." She complained.

 

 

Ji Hyo looked at Ji Hoon, who was already looking at her. "My wish?" She looked back at the sky. "I...have no idea."

 

Ji Hoon chuckled. With Ji Hyo, he never fails to laugh. "Don't force yourself to think or you'll explode." Ji Hoon teased. 

 

"Ya!" She punched his arm. She smiled and looked at her feet. "You don't do things like this, thank you, for doing it with me."

 

He was a little bit shocked with the seriousness of her voice. "Don't bother, it's actually fun to do them with you."

 

 

Ji Hyo raised her head and looked at him.

 

"Because you're funny, like a clown." He added.

 

She frowned. "I thought for a second that I'm really fun to be with."

 

 

He smiled. I guess I'm a little biased about that Ji Hyo-ya, because I'm always happy, when I'm with you. 

 

 

 

Ji Hoon and Ji Hyo both fancied the relaxing moment together. They caught up with each other and laughed out loud the whole night. Unknown to them was the fact that, there's another odd couple right above them, looking at the same sky from the veranda. 

 

 

 

The veranda seemed like an extension of the second floor's dining hall. It was also lit up by small light bulbs hanging from the railings and lamppost-like lanterns placed around the corners.

 

"This place is amazing, don't you think?" Eun Hye looked at the man sitting on the chair beside her. 

 

 

Both of them turned silent. There were no people around and the music downstairs echoed only faintly in their ears. They can't deny the fact that it's not normal for them to be alone 'together'. But it also felt like they need to talk and the veranda's the perfect place for that. 

 

 

Jong Kook was flustered with her straightforwardness. "W-what do you mean?"

 

 

"I'm sorry." He finally had the courage to ask her what's bothering him. "But...why are you here?"

 

 

 

Eun Hye was silent. She's very hurt to hear that he didn't want her back in his life when that's all she ever wished for. "I never left oppa. You're the one who left me, remember?"

 

 

Jong Kook stood up from his seat.

 

Eun Hye held his wrist to stop him from leaving. "Do you hate me?" She said with her head bowed down to the floor.

 

She felt his hands against hers. They were very gentle and caring. She knew that it was real. He cared for her and his hand tells her that he still does. "You know why I had to." She felt him gently removing her grip from his wrist. He started walking away.

 

"No. I don't...I never understood why." Eun Hye started crying.

 

Her sobs were making her breathe difficultly but her heavy heart felt lighter when she felt his arms around her shoulders. "You should go home." He pulled her closer to his chest and he caressed her back. "Don't cry anymore."

 

 

 

Jong Kook dropped Eun Hye off, a few blocks away from her house where her manager waited for her. He can't send her home for the news might start talking about them...again. 

 

He drove aimlessly and eventually stopped by near the Han river. He drank his canned beer and he felt the bitter taste against his tongue. He suddenly heard a knock on his car window and saw his manager waiting outside while rubbing his arms warm from the cold wind. He opened the doors and Gap Jin immediately entered and sat on the seat beside him.

 

 

 

"Okay, I won't." Gap Jin raised his arms in surrender. "So why did you call me? It's very late, you wouldn't ask for me if it's not important."

 

"Huh? Well it's not important but I called you." He drank more of his beer as if it's giving him the confidence to speak up.

 

"Really?" He asked mockingly but Jong Kook didn't budge. "Aish! You're such a dork at women. Fine. I know what happened at the party. So what's wrong?"

 

 

 

 

Jong Kook looked away. He actually didn't know if that's what's really bothering him. 

 

"Hyung, you know what your problem is? You're holding yourself back. If you still like her then tell her or...maybe you like someone else. Maybe that's not your problem." Gap Jin said while grinning. 

 

 

 

 

"I'm not." Gap Jin sighed. His friend is hopeless. "Hyung, seriously, you should assess your feelings. Especially with Song Ji Hyo-ssi, are you sure you're not just guilty of what you did to her before that's why you're being nice to her? Have you forgotten what you've been through when she left? Are you getting close to her just so you could get your revenge?" Gap Jin paused. "Can you hear me hyung? I've been asking you a lot of questions and you haven't responded to at least one of them. Do you even know what your answers are?"

 

"Of course, I know Gap Jin. You just talk too much." He suddenly turned the engine on. He remembered something and Gap Jin hadn't been a good company. "Get off the car."

 

The tires screeched and a few minutes after, the car was out of sight. Revenge? How silly? He thought.

 

 

 

Ji Hyo was stunned to see Lizzy jumping in front of her. Ji Hoon drove her home since she never saw Jong Kook since he went dancing with Eun Hye. The thought ruined her good mood. "Go to sleep." She nagged. 

 

Lizzy pouted. "You're so unfair. You don't tell me anything anymore."

 

 

 

Ji Hyo went to the bathroom and changed her clothes. She threw her pink dress on the bed in frustration. She scrambled around the kitchen and looked for food. 

 

Lizzy was still in the living room and she saw what her unni was doing. "You came from a party with tons of food. Why are you still eating here?"

 

"I...didn't eat that much." She mumbled. 

 

Lizzy examined the older woman and when she wasn't satisfied with her answer she burst. "What the heck happened? Don't tell me you're on a diet, cause you're not unni. Don't lie to me. Song Ji Hyo...and...diet? They don't fit."

 

 

 

"What? Eun Hye? That girl again?" Lizzy shouted after hearing the story from Ji Hyo. The older one had no choice since Lizzy seemed like she wouldn't stop bugging her.

 

 

Lizzy calmed herself down. "So they're really dating?"

 

 

Lizzy shrugged. "Well, I don't know unni, are you?"

 

 

 

 

Lizzy held her hands up and surrendered. "Okay, fine. But I told you unni..." She moved closer to her. "You can't lie to me." She whispered. 

 

Ji Hyo pushed her head back and she whined. "Go to sleep."

 

Their bickering was disrupted by their doorbell ringing. "Who could that be? It's already 2 am."

 

"I bet that's your prince charming, asking for forgiveness." Lizzy said while running to her bedroom. 

 

 

 

Ji Hyo shook her head and took her jacket to see who's outside. What Lizzy said bugged her thoughts and she expected to see the commander. There was a glint of joy in her eyes and she peeked quietly, not taking any chances if ever their visitor is a criminal. 

 

She was about to walk out the door but she was stopped by a mountain of foods stacked up on the floor. Instead of gleaming with happiness, she was filled with disappointment. She closed the door, stronger than usual and sat on the floor, with her back against the door. She sighed and tears fell from her eyes out of frustration. That jerk...he doesn't even have the guts to show his face.

 

 

 

Lizzy woke up to a normal morning and she, as usual, walked lazily out of her bed to get a glass of water. While half awake and after being rehydrated by the cool liquid, she set off to the bathroom, took a bath and prepared herself for another day in the studio. She came out of her room and she found her unni, pouring hot coffee on her cup with her eyes barely open. 

 

She approached her and poked her cheeks. The older one glared at her in annoyance and she immediately backed off. "So...what happened last night?"

 

Ji Hyo took the warm cup closer to and she blew the coffee before taking a sip. "Just eat your breakfast and leave."

 

 

She was ignored, yet again. She ate the toast and omelette and went for the door. She doesn't want to spend any second near bad Ji Hyo for the woman might kick her out of the house, literally. As she opened the door, she was halted by packs of food lying by the door. She bent her knees to reach for the stuff and she wondered where they came from. She suddenly thought of the 'food issue' her unni was having last night. Poor delicious food, you just got rejected by the Ace. She grabbed a handful of the goods and brought them to the kitchen. She traveled three rounds of going back and forth from the door to the kitchen to finally see something hidden beneath the packets of eatables.

 

 

 

Ji Hyo heard annoying sounds in the kitchen so she finally stood up from her seat in the living room to check it out. She found the bags of food she saw by the door last night on top of the kitchen table. Before she could react, she heard Lizzy coming close to her direction.

 

 

 

"I do." Lizzy said proudly. 

 

 

"Well, because of this." The redheaded girl took out an almost dried rose from her back. "Under those bags of food I found this beautiful pink rose." She said as if she's reciting a poem. 

 

Ji Hyo was stunned but she maintained her straight face and didn't look moved by the act. "Throw it, and these, throw these too." She said coldly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only then did Ji Hyo notice that there was a piece of paper hung onto the stem of the flower. She forcefully took the pink plant from Lizzy's hand. Instead of protesting, Lizzy gave her a teasing smile.

 

"I guess that's considered as a date." She giggled and left the house. 

 

 

 

While walking to the stop to wait for her manager, Lizzy felt her phone vibrating.

 

 

"Me too, how are you?" A deep voice said.

 

 

"You mean still weird?" He chuckled. 

 

"Funny, funny. Why did you call?" Her voice obviously sounded annoyed. 

 

 

 

Jin Hyuk was caught red-handed. He cleared his throat. "What are you talking about?" He tried. 

 

 

"I said I didn't call for her." He said but Lizzy wasn't convinced. "Well if you put it that way, then...how's her work?"

 

Lizzy smiled in victory. "She has photo shoots and running man."

 

 

 

"Lizzy..." His voice was serious. "Are you sure she's fine? I heard Jong Kook is working with her. Is she alright with that?"

 

She paused and thought for a while. She smiled and thought that maybe Jin Hyuk is just jealous. "Oppa-."

 

 

 

 

Lizzy stopped. She had been pushing her unni to Jong Kook and didn't think of the possibility that Jong Kook might hurt her again. But oppa's not going to do that, at least that's what I know. She thought. 

 

 

"N-ne." She said but not as energetic as before. 

 

 

She agreed and the phone call was ended. Her manager came and she rode the car while still in a daze.

 

 

 

 

 

It was another Monday morning and the running man members were waiting separately along the Han river harbor for their mission. All of them were complaining because the wind was very cold and their clothes can't cover them enough. The PDs then announced the mission and one man(han namja) bit his lip after hearing it. They had to make Princess Ji Hyo let them ride in the water taxi. Jong Kook doubted that Ji Hyo will let him aboard. 

 

 

 

A few nights before, after leaving Gap Jin, he immediately bought a lot of peace offerings from the convenience store, since the restaurants were closed at that time, and went to Ji Hyo's place. He placed the stuff he bought in front of their door and rang the doorbell. He ran to his car and waited. He saw Ji Hyo who was already dressed to sleep. He just wanted her to see his message and he'll leave. Unfortunately, she slammed the door shut. He waited for hours but the door didn't budge.

 

She's probably still mad at me. Even so, he still bought coffee for her. He placed the coffee closer to his chest to prevent it from getting cold. The past few days had been rough for him. His work came consecutively and he wasn't able to go to the gym. Gap Jin's acting weird and his mom kept on calling him, though he never answered her calls. But since he's working, he had to act like nothing is wrong.

 

 

 

Just then, he heard water splashing and engines roaring. He nervously prepared his commander-like speech. When the water taxi stopped, a cheerful Ji Hyo welcomed him. They talked casually and teased each other like everything is normal. After a while, Ji Hyo let him in, which he didn't expect to. When the cameras stopped rolling, Jong Kook tried to talk but she cut him off.

 

"Not because I let you in, it means I forgot what you did. You still owe me dinner on Friday." She whispered.

 

Jong Kook smiled. At least my week is not bad after all.

 

 

 

Ji Hyo looked at Jong Kook who was smiling weirdly. She shook her head. She actually read the note which Jong Kook sent with the food and rose. It said:

 

 

 

 

Despite the fact that his, trying-hard-to-be-so-sweet-act made her laugh, Ji Hyo actually wanted to talk to him. She realized how patient he is in coping up with her attitude. Maybe we became like this because of me, because I gave up on him. Ji Hyo wanted to hit her head for trying to trust again. But she knew she needed it, she doesn't want to be scared anymore. I can trust him...right?