Chapter 10 - Green Eyed Monster

PD Pyo, Shin Hye, Yong Hwa and Manager Jun were exhausted from lack of sleep, and equally high on caffeine, but the show had to go on, and there were many scenes of episodes five and six that needed to be shot.

The director used each scene as an opportunity to explore his new ideas for the script.  He kept his eyes wide open, and he soon pulled his ‘Ki-Young’ aside.

Lee Hyun Jin was a good natured actor; mature and intuitive.  His smile lit up his whole face as he jogged over to join the director.

“Hyun Jin,” the director whispered in a low voice.  “Shin Hye suggested a controversial idea for your role.  I would like you to go talk to her about it.”

The talented actor looked around, and spotted Shin Hye walking off the set.  She was smiling at something hidden on the inside of her hand.

“Shin Hye and I both want to change the world with our jobs,” said Hyun Jin.  “I’m sure whatever she has in mind will be interesting.  Let me guess.  Political?  Social?”

Director Pyo patted him on the back.  “You’re a good boy.  Go talk to her.”

“Yong Hwa.”

The star ignored his name, and continued to watch Hyun Jin and Shin Hye laughing and smiling in the distance.

“Hyung!”

He blinked and whirled around to face Min Hyuk.  “What?”

The younger CN Blue band member shook his head at him.  “What’s wrong with you today?  Didn’t you sleep last night?”

“Yeah,” Yong Hwa answered vaguely.  He turned his eyes back on Shin Hye and Hyun Jin.  “Something like that.”

“Did you and Eonni have a fight?”

He blinked.  “What makes you think that?”

“You keep giving her these weird looks.”

Yong Hwa watched the actor and actress walk over to the coffee and tea making facilities.  He had been doing his best all morning to keep his distance from Shin Hye, but it was very difficult.

And he really didn’t like it when Hyun Jin smiled at her.

“I’m thirsty,” Yong Hwa said suddenly, grabbing Min Hyuk by the shirt.

“But Hyung, it’s too hot for coffee!  Let’s go to the drinks machine and get something cold instead.”

His band mate didn’t hear him.  Together, they marched up the slope to the refreshments table.

Unaware that he was being targeted, Hyun Jin took his time pouring out the hot water from the automatic boiler into cups for both him and Shin Hye.

Yong Hwa walked right up into his elder’s personal space and tapped his foot impatiently.

“Hi guys,” said Hyun Jin with his warm smile.  “Are you looking forward to watching the filming of the ‘flashback scene’ this afternoon?”

Min Hyuk smiled.  “Absolutely.”

“What flashback scene is that?” asked Shin Hye.

“Eh-hem!”  Yong Hwa cleared his throat, indicating that he wanted to get to the hot water dispenser.

“Ah, sorry Yong Hwa.”  Hyun Jin moved over to the tray of sugars, milks and spoons.  “It’s the scene showing what Professors Kim and Jung were like in their university days.”

“I want to see it,” said Min Hyuk.  “I heard that Chang Ui-ssi is going to have his hair done just like Lee Shin’s.”

Shin Hye chuckled, and then stopped when she saw Yong Hwa’s annoyed face.  Jealousy and exhaustion had not put him in a good mood.

“How much sugar did you want, Shin Hye?” asked Hyun Jin, already pouring some raw sugar into her cup.

“She doesn’t take sugar,” said Yong Hwa shortly.

“Ah.”  Hyun Jin blushed.  “I already put one packet in your coffee, Shin Hye.  Did you want me to make a new one?”

Shin Hye gave Yong Hwa a warning look, and then broke into a smile.  “It’s fine, Oppa.  Instant coffee doesn’t taste very good by itself, anyway.”

Oppa?

She’s on ‘Oppa’ terms with him?

Yong Hwa mashed his hand into the box of plastic spoons, making the other three jump.

“Oops.  My hand slipped.  I was just getting sugar,” Yong Hwa explained in an innocent and calm tone.

Hyun Jin gulped and hurried Shin Hye over to the safety of the snacks tray.

“Yah, Hyung,” Min Hyuk whispered.  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Yong Hwa shook his sugar packets with a little too much energy.  “Of course I’m fine.  Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

Min Hyuk looked nervous.  “Errrrrr.”  He watched as his Hyung poured his sugar all over the grass rather than in his cup.

“Wait!” shouted Yong Hwa, making everyone jump again.  He pointed a finger at Hyun Jin, and the poor elder flinched.  “Hyun Jin-ssi, you’re going to take the last brownie?  Just like that?”

Hyun Jin lowered the chocolate delicacy from his mouth.  “But-“

“Kindly put the brownie down and step away from the table!” Yong Hwa warned, clenching his cup of coffee tightly.

Noting the hot water in Yong Hwa’s hands, Hyun Jin obeyed.  Shin Hye looked at her lover as if he had transformed into the King of green-eyed monsters.

“Shin Hye likes to have a brownie,” Yong Hwa explained in a polite tone.

“Ah,” replied Hyun Jin.  He looked to Shin Hye for an explanation, but she was too busy getting angry at Yong Hwa and his mood swings to notice anything else.

“Yong Hwa,” she seethed.  “You’re acting strange, and you look tired.  Why don’t you go home and get some rest?  I’ll ask the director to put off some of our scenes until later this afternoon.”

Yong Hwa gave her an irritating smile.  “I’m fine right here.  Thanks for your concern, Shin Hye.  By the way, when you get a chance, could I talk to you for a moment...alone?”

“I was just going to explain to Hyun Jin Oppa my idea for his character,” said Shin Hye, mirroring his false smile.  “So I’m sorry, but we’ll have to talk later.”

They traded challenging glares before Shin Hye picked up the brownie, took an angry bite out of it and stormed away.

Hyun Jin followed her, leaving Yong Hwa to drink his disgusting coffee by himself.

“Ah, Hyung,” said Min Hyuk, approaching his friend with caution.  “I think you might be suffering from the green-eyed sickness.”

Yong Hwa grimaced at the taste of his hot drink and tipped it onto the grass.  “Huh?  I’m not sick.”

Min Hyuk patted his friend on the back.  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think you like Shin Hye.”

“Like?”  Yong Hwa spun around to look at his friend.  “I have no use for the word, ‘like’.  ‘Liking’ is for people who aren’t certain of their feelings.”

His junior looked confused.  “Aaaaah, okay then.  My mistake.  So...you don’t like her?”

Yong Hwa spotted Shin Hye and Hyun Jin walking through the garden, and he sighed in defeat.

Yes, it was going to be a long, miserable day.