“Ya, Kim Jong Kook! Apologize right now!”

He turned around with a blank face at his first time hearing such a fierce shout from a woman. Shortly his eyes caught the gaze of one furious actress who was glaring daggers at him as she soothed Gwang Soo.

Had it been a guy, Jong Kook could have expressed his anger for not respecting a senior, but he was even more lost because she was a woman. His gaze wandered aimlessly, not knowing where to look whether it really was because she was a woman, or her gaze was just downright frightening he couldn’t say.

The tension that sent sweat trickling down his back still remained.

Jae Suk who seemed to have noticed the pleading look in the man’s eyes was the first to break the icy atmosphere. “J-Ji Hyo-ssi…. What’s wrong?”

They had barely known each other for a month, the awkwardness obvious from the addition of the honorific in formal speech.

“He's always angry and annoyed, and never apologizes, not even once. How can a person act like that?”

“Don’t take it so hard. It’s only a concept after all.” At his words everyone else nodded that Ji Hyo was in the wrong. She couldn’t help but feel her resolve weaken and at last, she changed her mind though she still appeared nonchalant.

“If… If he apologizes…. I’ll stop talking about it….”

“...Right then Jong Kook-ah, why don’t you apologize on this one and let it slide?” Jae Suk smiled, but anyone could see there was an odd sheepishness in it, maybe a glint that spoke of wanting to let the situation end on a better note.

His hand rested on Jong Kook’s arm, almost as if to restrain or perhaps even to comfort the muscled man.

But Jong Kook’s hand, large even by male standards, covered his face and the underlying expression of grave seriousness made even the main MC stare at him nervously.

A faint sadness was present on his face as he swept the hair out of his eyes, in one smooth practiced motion.

He sighed quietly, bitter smile forming on his lips.

“I’m sorry, Gwang Soo.”

.

.

.

.

After an even more subdued filming than usual, exhaustion settled in over the members who tirelessly ran in an hour when everyone was asleep. Amongst the voices that sleepily rang out farewells and another job well done, Jong Kook found his eyes trailing towards Ji Hyo who alone was called to talk with Jo Hyo Jin, the main PD.

But he told himself that it was no business of his and quietly got into the car.

“Hyung, did you have a fight with Ji Hyo-ssi today?

His manager Gap Jin who held the steering wheel began talking, tone joking more than anything. Jong Kook half sat, half collapsed onto the seat of the car and answered back in the same light tone.

“I