CHAPTER 15

YOONA opens her eyes from her sleep when suddenly she feels the urge to go to the toilet. But it takes her one good minute to realize that she is actually leaning her head onto MINHO’s shoulder when she sleeps. It embarrasses her greatly but then she sees that MINHO is also sleeping at the moment. She can only wish that he does not know it. Then she sneakily passes him to go to the toilet when most of the people on plane are deep in slumber.

Little she knows that MINHO is not at all sleeping but he does pretend to be the whole time. It is difficult for him to sleep when he cannot move his shoulder. He finally can stretch his tired body. It is a bit painful but he does not complain.

He spent half an hour watching her sleeping so peacefully within a very short distance between his face and hers. In fact, he likes to feel the warmth of her breath and to smell the fragrance of her nice perfume.

Then his mind is filled with thoughts again.

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YOONA comes back looking fresher as she did wash her face. She will not let herself fall asleep again. It will be very shameful if it happens again and moreover, if he should know. She recalls the memory of bumping into him when they first met. His displeased expression is still very clear in her mind. She cannot imagine if he knows she leaned onto him, he may smack her head to the window. YOONA cannot help but smiles imagining such scenario in her own head.

“Why are smiling by yourself? Have you lost your mind?”

YOONA’s eyes are popping. “You are not sleeping?” asked her timidly and nervously.

“I wake up just now” answered him opening his eyes, yawning.

“AHH, I thought you are sleeping” responds her extremely relieved.

“But I don’t know why my shoulder is hurt so much” while stretching his left arm, wanting to see her reaction.

YOONA is flustered. She does not know what to say. “O…of course it hurts w…whose shoulder is not hurt when one sleeps while sitting. Mine is also hurt” replied her stuttering which MINHO finds so very cute. He tries to hide his smile but YOONA notices it. She is astonished to see more surprising things the hateful MINHO is capable to show her.

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YOONA feels bored. She has tried to read magazines and watch movies to keep herself awake. But she cannot help get so tedious. She looks at Lee MINHO who seems to enjoy some music through his earphones.

“What song do you listen to?” asked her.

There is no response from him at all. She pouts and then turns to the window to see it completely dark out there, nothing to really give her entertainment and then she pulls down the cover.

“WAH, I am so bored” whines her. To her surprise, MINHO suddenly reaches her ear to plug it with one of his earphones letting her listen to the song he plays on his MP3 player.

He does not utter a word nor glances at her at all. YOONA is bewildered yet cannot refuse his kind gesture. He must have heard her complaining.

But to hear the song, she bursts to laugh. MINHO looks at her and glares.

“WEIYO, what is so funny?” he is confused.

“HAHAHA… I am sorry I cannot help it. MINHO SSI, You actually listen to Girl Groups songs?”

He plays SNSD song, GEE which leaves YOONA laughing in split.

MINHO’s expression shows that he is very upset to be laughed at and a bit ashamed as well.

“WHY? All men like girl groups. Why can’t I like these songs?” retorts him bashfully.

He gets pissed off and immediately changes his playlist to his favorite ballad songs. YOONA tries hard to hold her laugh knowing her boss is upset right now.

“I… I am sorry” mumbles her.

Now, brown eyed soul’s song “nothing better” is played on. YOONA is surprised to find out that he also likes this song since it is actually her favorite song as well.

The embarrassed MINHO listens with his eyes closed, he lip-syncs the lyric very accurately and YOONA finds it so adorable, she follows him and closes hers trying to feel the song. It is so very nice and heartwarming.

MINHO takes peaks at her and sees her copying him. He smiles and then closes his eyes again enjoying the moment to bits.

No song will be more perfect than this in such a moment.

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The crew finds out that the CEO comes with them only after they arrive at the airport and gathers there.

YOONA wonders to find out that the crew does not even have the idea of his coming. It is very strange indeed and she is too sharp a girl not to notice how odd his sudden involvement is.

After helping collecting the team’s stuff, the crews head to the hotel where they will stay during the process of shooting.

YOONA shares her room with two more crews, one is girl and one is guy. There are not so many girls in the team. It’s only four of them. Though it is very uncomfortable, she tries to deal with it.

But to find out this fact, LEE MINHO is making a fuss. He comes to the head team and scolds him. He cannot believe they actually let female crews sharing rooms with male ones. But the head team insists that rooms for the crews, each has three bedrooms and financially, it will viable for them to reduce the budget if they can accommodate them wisely by filling each room to the maximal.

At the end, the CEO does not give his consent to this and asks him to book double rooms for girls while the males can have the original rooms instead.

“AISH, why does he take a big deal out of this simple matter? We would not do anything to you girls anyway”

“But still, men and women should not share a room, stupid!”

“CHUKAYE, you all get better room than us”

YOONA is relieved. It is very wise and nice of him to understand the girls.

MINHO indeed thinks it is very inappropriate to let girls stay in a room with boys in the first place. But to him, it is more that he cannot stand to see YOONA share a room with men. At the end of the day, he knows man better than anyone.

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YOONA helps the crew handling the costumes of the models, carrying them here and there.

They shoot in difficult location and it is extremely cold. She has to deal with the freezing weather and also the models that are keep whining and complaining.

LEE MINHO who is there all the time during the shoot feels like running to help her every time she looks so tired. It is a tough work for a girl like her and there is no one that actually helps her. All the other three girls are responsible for makeup which is far more easier that it can actually be done by only one of them.

But he does not want to draw attentions by giving her a hand. It will surely create gossips and rumors on the set.

When he gets the opportunity to approach her while everyone is busy with their own stuff, he offers her some hot packs to keep her warm.

YOONA looks at him dumbfounded and cannot refrain herself from asking.

“MINHO SSI, AH MIANHAE excuse me for asking this, but why are you so kind to me lately?” asked her innocently.

MINHO is flustered; he does not know what to answer. He is afraid if he is caught. But he indeed realizes how his acts are ways too obvious to make her notice.

“What…WHAT? Kind, I am always like this. I am kind. I do it to everyone not to you only. Please do not misunderstand my attention to you”

YOONA is blushing, she is a little embarrassed. She regrets AFTER asking such frank and daring question to LEE MINHO who he knows is a man who dislikes her very much.

“Don’t you remember our conversation the last time we met in SANG YOON’s birthday party?”

YOONA tries to recall the memory and then nods at him lightly.

“You told me that you were trying to find out my true characters. I am sure you did not see too many good things in my personality, manners and behaviors, did you?”

YOONA nods again lightly but this time, a bit timidly.

“And I promised you that if we should meet again, I will let you see that I am not that bad”

YOONA is surprised he still remembers it. So that is why he is been so nice to her.

“Why are you doing all these things alone? You can ask other crew to help you carrying these clothes”

“They are busy with their own things. I do not want to give more burdens and this is not their responsibility” she sighs.

“I don’t think they are that busy though” observes him spot on.

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“Tomorrow we will go to even tougher location than this, so all crews; everything must be prepared well to make sure that the shooting will run smoothly” checks the head team before wrapping up today’s shoot.

YOONA asks her female crew, “where are we going tomorrow, by the way?”

“Tomorrow’s schedule is to this certain rainforest”

“Really”

“We are about to brave the cold there. They said that this season is uncommonly freezing”

YOONA sighs, indeed tomorrow will be quite a feat for her personally. She wishes she got a partner to help her with all the costumes. But she is no one to complain.

She remembers when MINHO asked her personally if she feels it so hard on her.

“I should just tell him that it is indeed too hard. He must have done something for me” murmurs her. But then realize how she is so dependant to him a lot lately. But strangely he always is around to help her.

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They are literally into the depth of the forest. The crews are accompanied by some native securities to make sure they get there safely. They are required to literally have a long walk. Moreover there is only one safe route they can take and the road is very rough.

“YOONA YA, you need to bring these clothes”

“NE, is there no one that can help me carrying the costumes?”

“Why? You can’t do it alone?”

“There are ten of them; it will be very helpful if I can get one person to work with me”

“We’ll see if we can get one”

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At the last minute, the head team cannot get one of the crew to help the poor YOONA so she must carry all the costumes with her.

They are too heavy for her and considering it will not be an easy distance, she thinks of an idea to deal with it.

As clever as she is, she decides to wear some of them. It will be easier to carry and the plus point is that they will warm her. She got five layers on her body but no one should know so she tries to hide them inside a big sized jacket.

MINHO approaches YOONA to ask her:

“Why are you wearing such a hideous jacket? You are supposed to wear windbreaker. It will be very cold inside. It may rain as well”

“I am perfectly fine and very warm right now”

“How many layers, your upper body almost explodes”

“HEHE…about two or maybe three”

The team is ready to go…

“Let me help you carry some” he cannot refrain from helping her anymore, just ignoring what the others might say.

But to his surprise, YOONA refused for the same reason he thought yesterday.

“No, I am fine, please do not worry”

“I am sure it will be very heavy to carry these costumes”

“Please, the others will start to spread gossips if you appear to give me preference”

“Preference”

“I know you do not mean to but others will see it differently. So please let me do it myself”

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The shooting went smoothly until the female model starts throwing a tantrum. She complains of the cold and that she is extremely tired after such walk, demanding a break.

YOONA who has taken off all of the clothes on her except one has to stand the cold more than the others. She just hopes for the shoot to wrap up soon but it seems like a dream now. It has to be delayed because of the model.

“YOONA YA, what are you doing? Please go give these to SE YONG SSI”

A crew asks her to give some foods and drinks to the female model who wants to be surrounded by more assistance to get the best convenience.

YOONA pouts, why can’t she say no when these works are not her responsibility.

And to be very honest, she cannot stand to be near the cocky model and her annoying tantrums on everything. She just got screamed and yelled by her who complained her costumes to be not so neat and clean and that she does not like the colors and the sizes are too small or too big.

MINHO who observes and watches her from time to time notices it. He purposefully approaches the model in case YOONA needs his help. The beautiful model who has been trying to flirt with the rich and dashing CEO cannot be happier to see his coming.

“It is tough, isn’t it, SE YONG SSI”

“NE, AH, only you understand me, LEE MINHO SSI, it is the toughest shoot that I have experienced in my life” trying to be agreeable in his eyes.

YOONA is coming near and yet a bit hesitant to come inside the tent knowing these two having a conversation.

“Excuse me; here is your foods and drinks ma’am”

YOONA tries not to look at him while LEE MINHO fixes his eyes on her.

“Put them here” orders the model pointing to the table in front of her. And LEE MINHO is sitting exactly opposite her.

YOONA feels a bit awkward but she acts composed as her usual.

“Okay you may go” orders SE YONG.

“Wait, why don’t you sit here for awhile and get some food yourself YOONA SSI”

It surprises both YOONA and SE YONG at the same time. The later cannot believe he just asks a costume crew to join their table while YOONA is bewildered for so many reasons.

“No thank you sir, I am fine I still have things to do”

“We have a break right now. What things you need to do during a break? Sit here” insists him taking a chair beside him for her to take.

SE YONG rolls her eyes, she just lost her opportunity to get closer to the CEO. They barely speak anything with each other and now come an intruder.

YOONA wants to run from there but she must not. She finally takes her seat and sits there uneasily not knowing what to do between these people.

“Do you have something to complain to me about your costumes SE YONG SSI?” asks MINHO while taking a bottle of beer and opening it.

YOONA wonders why he should ask such question when she is present there. Does he plan to bully her?

“I like all the clothes, they are all very pretty, warm and comfortable. I always like your brands MINHO SSI. They are all very modern and sophisticated. Even the colors are amazing. I never told you that I am so very happy and honored when your team chooses me as the model” flatters her.

It is very surprising to YOONA. Such response she never imagines. It is still afresh in her mind all of her complains on her costumes but now she seems like having nothing but compliment and praises on them which gives her the idea of her fancy on LEE MINHO.

“The credits should be given to YOONA SSI as well. She has taken care of all the clothes so they will be comfortable for the shoot”

She looks SO displeased when she turns to look at the dumbfounded YOONA. But immediately smiles and thanks her for her good assistance.

When SE YONG is talking to him about fashion giving her best to engage him, YOONA is busy with her foods ignoring their conversation while MINHO is stealing looks on YOONA several times and notices some changes in her.

YOONA excuses herself to go to the crews’ tent and joins the others in case she is needed. And they send her go. But when she comes out from the tent, MINHO follows her excusing himself to SE YONG who has to get annoyed for being totally ignored.

“YOONA SSI” called him.

YOONA turns back and sees him approaching her again. What again? Mutters her

“What is wrong with your clothes, you take them off. Look your face is completely white. Your hands shiver. Are you not cold?”

YOONA looks a lot slimmer once she sheds some of the clothes. And the eagle-eyed MINHO cannot escape it.

“It’s fine. I accustomed myself with cold weather so I don’t really feel it”

“Are you sure”

“Yes thank you for the attention, now, excuse me”

SE YONG heard their conversation and gets very upset for she is defeated by a mere costume assistant. He sounds so attentive to her and she is not without suspicion to witness it. Her jealousy leads her to hate YOONA more and more as she makes an evil plan in mind she is eager to perform.