Chapter 8 - Confession

Shin Hye bolted awake and looked around her.

The sky was still dark, and it took some time before she could make out the sleeping forms of Director Pyo and Yong Hwa.

“Ah!”  She rubbed her sore neck and realised that she had fallen asleep on her computer tablet.  Make-up smudges were marring the screen.  She pulled out the silk cloth from her bag and gave it a good rub.  A sigh of relief escaped when she saw that her document had been auto-saved.

‘It’s all here,’ she thought to herself, her eyes catching the words: ‘About you liking me...don’t give up’

Those words had been Yong Hwa’s idea.

She peered over at him and smiled at how peaceful he looked when he was asleep.  He was curled over the table, his head resting on both arms like a raised pillow.

Putting down her tablet, Shin Hye climbed out of her chair and crept over to him.

She wanted a closer look at his eyelashes.

Feeling a wave of affection for him, she reached out with one hand and feathered over the tiny black fringes with her little finger.  They were so soft.

Don’t give up.

“Yong Hwa,” she said to his closed eyes, keeping her voice low so as not to wake him.  “I didn’t have a chance.  I liked you from the start.  And then...I fell in love with you.”

He didn’t stir.

She kneeled down on the grass to get a better look at his face.  “I’m just afraid that you don’t like me as much as you think you do.  I wonder if you’ve fooled yourself.  Everyone keeps pushing us together or implying that we’re...”

A few tears fell down her face.  Shin Hye sniffed and wiped them away.  She tried to focus on how good it had been to give in and finally kiss him.

“I don’t mean to get upset.  I would just like to know if you’re going to break my heart or not.”  She sighed.  “You’re not like me.  You go with the flow of the water.  You do what your feelings tell you, and I’m afraid they’ll lead you away from me when we’re no longer working together.”

Feeling lethargic, she sat back on the grass and rested her head in her hand.

It was hard for her to believe in him.  Working in the fickle world of entertainment had made her mistrustful of other people and their proffered friendships.  However, she knew that if they were to have any chance as a couple, she would have to make herself vulnerable.

With that frightening thought, she got back up onto her feet and walked around the grass to loosen up her stiff muscles.

When she returned to the table, she gasped.

Yong Hwa was wide awake, and he didn’t look happy.

Upset and astounded by what he’d just heard, Yong Hwa got to his feet to confront her.

“I thought you were asleep,” she said sheepishly.

“You’ve studied enough of the arts to know that someone always overhears the monologue.”  He regretted the bitter line the instant it popped out of his mouth.  He made a mental note that no sleep had a bad effect on his mood.

He tried again.  “Do you think I just go around kissing any girl I like?” he shot at her.  Realising that’s not what he wanted to say, he stopped, rubbed his eyes and started again.  “How could you not know what I think of you?  I’m an idiot whenever I’m around you.  Forget ‘like’, I lo-“

“Muuuuuuuuuuuurrrrggghh!”

Shin Hye and Yong Hwa jumped at the noise.

“Muuuuuuuuuuuurrrrggghh!”

They looked around at Director Pyo, and realised that he was waking up.  With one last heated look at each other, they walked over to the elder to check on him.

“Director?”  Yong Hwa leaned in to see if the ahjusshi was opening his eyes.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, two large hands grasped the CN Blue star and pulled him into a boa constrictor-hug.  Yong Hwa choked against the director’s shoulder bone and looked to Shin Hye for some help.

“Oh-ah.”  She tried to think of something to do.  “Director Pyo!”  She shook him, and then slapped him on the back.

Nothing happened.

“Director!”  She used her baseball arm to smack him harder.

The elder’s eyes shot open, and Yong Hwa was released from the death grip.

“What the-“  Director Pyo blinked and looked around angrily.  “Who just hit me?”

Yong Hwa and Shin Hye exchanged nervous glances.

“Sorry Director,” said Shin Hye, stepping into his periphery.  “But you were strangling your male lead in your sleep.”

He rubbed the back of his head and squinted at the pair.

“Do you want some water, Director?” asked Shin Hye, reaching for the jug on the table.

The director looked around and realised it was still dark.  “How long have I been asleep for?”

“Hours,” supplied Yong Hwa.

Shin Hye handed the elder a glass of water.  “Don’t worry, Director.  We’ve been working on the script while you’ve been asleep.  There may be some ideas that you won’t like, though.”

“Oh.”  He rubbed his sore head and took a drink.  “I’m sorry kids.  I didn’t mean to be irresponsible.  I was just enjoying myself so much.  Are you okay?  Nothing happened while I was out, did it?”

Like two guilty children, Yong Hwa and Shin Hye blushed and shook their heads in unison.

Director Pyo narrowed his eyes, and then let whatever it was go.  He was feeling too sick to wrest the secret out of them.

“I dreamed of another romantic idea for the script,” he said, looking for his typewriter.

“Here.”  Shin Hye handed him her tablet.  “This is what we put together while you were sleeping.”

“Thank you for all your hard work.”  He took the gadget gratefully.  “I will just make a couple of notes before I forget my dream, and then I will read your ideas.  Perhaps I can mix them together afterwards.”