Lee Jong Suk POV

My agency wanted to know if I wanted to have a meeting with Kim Woo Bin before we started script reading.  I said no.  I wanted to treat him like any other actor and meet him just the way I would have met other actors.  The more I treat him as a costar, the easier it would be.  I needed to be cold and distant.  Focus on acting and keep the distance rest of the time.  Considering he is supposed to be mostly chasing me, our scenes together probably would be limited.  Script was ready for only the first four episodes.  Writer did not want to give out too much of the story even to the actors.  I had a general outline but they were very clear that things could change once we go live based on fan reactions.

But the general outline was an interesting one though it was a bit of a cliché.  My role was of a murderer.  However, I am a forensic scientist by day, work as an external consultant to police.   I am on retainer with NPA and get called in when special tasks forces are set up for cases of high importance.

A political campaigner for a very popular politician is found murdered and the case is initially assigned to the local jurisdiction.  The detective in-charge is Kim Woo Bin.   Through investigation with the help of some brilliant – of course – information analyst, he finds at least 5 more unsolved murders with similar characteristics.  The case suddenly classified as of high importance and a special task force is setup, and they want him to drop out of the investigation stating he is too inexperienced for something like this.  He persists and finally kept in the team.  I am then requested as the external consultant to this investigation team.

Based on initial script, our direct interactions are very limited.  That gives me hope that I will be able to handle this.

All I know is in the end I die.  It is not a character that could live anyway.  It is a fully fleshed out character where I am slightly bumbling forensic scientist now but had an interesting, though dark past which drives me to choose a path that I chose.  Writers tell me story will take twists and turns but they do not tell me what they are yet.

I mentally get ready to face him again.  I feel strong and in control.

I am good.  I will be fine.

…..

Kim Woo Bin’s POV

Three months before my release from military, during one of the calls from my agency, they ask me if I have any ideas about my comeback.

I tell them; maybe I should do something with Lee Jong Suk again now that enough time has passed.

They think it is a brilliant idea.

Sukkie, did you really think I would give up on us?

……

It has now been over 3 years since we stopped being in touch.  There was not a single day that I did not think of him or ache for him.  But I needed to choose my career over love for all those who trusted in me.  I had to do it for my parents.  I had to do it for myself.  No matter how much it hurt, no matter how lonely it felt, no matter how much I wanted to scream because I missed him, a choice had to be made.  To be able to survive. 

My heart broke into million pieces for both of us, the day I called him to tell him I will be seen with another girl.  By then, we already knew that was the only choice left to us.  I told him he should do the same for his career.  He had disconnected the phone then without saying goodbye.  That was our last call.  I then received a text telling me not to try and contact him again so that he can move on. 

It was only fair.

I followed his career after that, not missing one piece of news. 

When I saw news that said he will be joining military, I made sure that my duty closely followed his.  We were both born in the same year and therefore it was easy.  I noticed there was no dating news from him.  I was ready for that as well.  But it never came. 

I was never unfaithful to him.  I could not do it.  The first girl I went out with sensed my disinterest in anything physical after just three dates.  We decided to be just friends. 

My need for him never went away.  I thought time and distance will change how I felt.  It became easier to bear mostly because I knew in the end, I would not be really giving up on him.  I knew I was taking temporary break.  I did not want to tell him that.  I wanted to give him the freedom to move on if he wanted to. 

Time had finally come to find out if he had moved on.  If he did, I would stop the chasing.  But if he had not, there is nothing that will stop me now from pursuing what I wanted the most in this world.

Be with him again.

…..

I wanted to meet him before the script reading.  He had changed his number after we went on a break.  So, I called his manager.  His manager told me Jong Suk did not want to meet me outside of formal meetings, that he will see me at the script read.  His manager was cold and told me that I should ideally go through my agency in the future if I wanted something arranged. 

…..

I held the phone in my hand not believing what I had just heard.  He does not want to see me?

Sukkie, did you give up on us?  Have you really moved on?  Should I give up now?  Was this a bad idea after all? 

Was I being too optimistic?  Have I been lying to myself? 

For the first time, I am afraid.  I have survived these years purely based on one belief that we will be together in the end.  In however way we can.  But we will be together.  Was that a baseless belief? 

I feel a wind has knocked off my sails.  I feel someone has just punched me in my stomach. 

Was this a bad idea?

What should I do?

Script reading is coming up in 10 days…

…..