Ah, that’s my luck :’D You won’t believe it, but I will tell you anyways, that this chapter was ready THREE days after uploading the last one. And boom, some server in my student dorm just died and I could use Internet here in the meantime. So annoying. But, the new chapter is here, hope you will like it :)

(I’m such an angst trash, I always go for the sad things. But I thought it would too much if there is no fun at all, so I decided to write this chapter before I will write the Birthday one. Hope you enjoy!)

Spring was in the air.

And so were bugs. Many of them. And all of them somehow managed to found her the first. The boys told her it was because of her perfume which she wasn't even wearing any on that day. But still, she couldn't relax even for a minute, because the damn little things were in her face all the time.

When the PDs called for a lunch break, Ji Hyo gladly left the area where the cameras were set up. Her manager approached quickly asking if everything was okay, but she just waved off all his worries. She only asked for her bag because she wanted to play on her phone. The actress soon found a quite spot not too far from the production team and sat down in the shadows of a tree.

The weather that day was actually really nice. Not too hot, just right, so they only wore t-shirts and shorts. Well, a long trousers for Ji Hyo as she is a person to get cold easily, but still. After breathing in the scent of all the flowers, she unlocked her phone and searched for the game she was playing with recently. She wasn’t a person to play often, but sometimes she needed to distract herself with something.

It was flappy bird. Angry bird already got on her nerves, not that this game was any better on that matter. She still wanted to pass some time without actually thinking about anything, and these silly games were perfect for that.

She reached only the ninth level when the pixel animal crushed into a green tunnel, and at the same time a not too nice word left . It was actually a really bad one, starting with a B, she would rather not let her younger fans to hear. On the running man episodes the editors usually cover her voice with silly sounds, but in real life nobody did, so everyone could hear that.

Everyone was actually only Jong Kook at the moment, who approached the woman with a grin on his face.

"Are you playing Angry bird again?" asked the man from afar distracting her, so she looked up which meant another Game Over for her, and a sigh escaping her lips again.

"No" she shook her head, helding up the phone with the screen towards the man.

"I don’t know this one" shrugged Jong Kook and sat down next to the actress while handing a bottle of water to her. Ji Hyo smiled at him and accepted it gratefully.

"It’s not even new" told her Ji Hyo while putting the phone away. "Or that great to say. It’s really annoying."

"Yet you keep playing with them." added the man mockingly.

Ji Hyo sent her a glare halfways, but decided not to comment on that. She didn’t play with them that often anyway, and both of them knew that.

"If they are annoying why don’t you look at all the flowers instead?" Asked Jong Kook, but he wasn’t nagging this time. He seemed genuinely fascinated. "It’s spring, Ji Hyo-yah. Only a few weeks and they will disappear."

Ji Hyo glanced around the park, and huffed. Not many people were around despite them filming there for hours now. Normally a large crowd found them already by this time. She suspected maybe after six years the people got bored following them around in the city during filming. Or just the gossip didn’t reach the fans that they were there yet. Anyway, the people who actually spent time at that park, the same place she visited not too long ago with Yeo Jin, didn’t pay attention to the flowers either.

"You are so poetic sometimes." She told him after all, sending him a kind smile. He truely was. That made him a wonderful singer.

„Maybe I will write a song about it” chuckled the man and glanced at her. "Pretty Ji Hyo, flower girl - why you ain’t like flowers, girl..." Came his high-pitched, melodic voice suddenly.

"Okay, thats enough!" Ji Hyo made him mute covering his mouth with her palm, but Jong Kook just removed the limb easily laughing loudly.

Ji Hyo on the other hand was getting flustered and turned away, folding her arms together in front of her chest. She was actually calm before even being completely alone with the man. Normally that already made her heart beat like crazy. Now with him sitting so close to her without any cameras, or anyone in particular around to watch them she still managed to stay collected. But after his sudden serenade moments ago, him calling her pretty, and flower girl, and his strong hand clenching her lower arm gently made her heart beat fast.

"What?" He asked as her behaviour was so defensive all of a sudden. She usually is up to their playful antics.

Ji Hyo just sighed. She didn't like being like this around him. It ruined everything.

"Actually…" she wanted to change the subject. "I… have something for you."

"Really?" He seemed genuinely surprised. "What for?"

"Don’t play fool, oppa" chuckled the actress. "You know very well." She get her bag in her lap and searched for the little package, though it wasn't an easy task as many things littered her bag. Why did she have even a box of spice in there too? Totally unreasonable. She must’ve bought it weeks ago for cooking, and forgot about it completely.

"Maybe" shook his head the man. "But I told you that I don’t want any presents. The only thing I want is all my friends having fun at my party. That’s enough."

She finally got hold of the present and pulled it out. Simple brown wrapping paper covered it, but she tried to fold it nicely. Unfortunately the trip to there weared out and wrinkled the paper a bit. It still looked okay though.

"That’s why I decided to give it to you now" She smiled kindly at him and handed the little pack to him. He reached for it with his big hands that dwarfed hers, his fingers barely brushing against her pale skin. "Happy birthday, oppa. In advance."

His birthday will be only in two day, but she wanted to give a present anyway, as they agreed that everybody will come to his party empty handed.

"You really didn't have to…" said the man, eyeing his present with a small smile. Him being happy was everything she could ask for. Even that look on his face worth it.

"Yes, I did." nodded Ji Hyo. "Go ahead, open it."

Jong Kook glanced at her, then back down at his hands and started to pick at the paper. "We went to film on the countryside" started Ji Hyo. "This old lady sold them and they seemed to be pretty good, so I bought it for you."

Uncovered was a hand sized, brick shaped glass full of brown and greenish weeds that looked like dried tea leaves. There was also a small image of a flower painted onto the glass, probably handmade.

"Thank you, Ji Hyo-yah" smiled at her the man gratefully.

"The old lady said it’s good for people who did tiring manual works or have hard training. It helps you to stay hydrated when you sweat too much."

"You are saying I sweat too much?" asked the man chuckling, but Ji Hyo only laughed at that.

"Of course not. Yah! Don’t twist my words, you!"

Though, apparently he was. Even right now his t-shirt was drenched in sweat around his armpits, neck area and back. "Yah! What the… Are you insulting me with this present?" asked the man grinning, but Ji Hyo was only able to shook her head as she couldn't stop laughing. "You don’t like it when I’m sweating?"

"Oppa, it’s not that…" she tried to say, but the man suddenly leaned forward circling her back with his muscular arms, maybe in a vain attempt to get his sweat onto her clothes. "Yah, Kim Jong Kook! What are you doing?!"

He released her shaking his head. For a minute they just tried to regulate their breathing, then the man hold the glass up and looked at the small flower painted on it. He was almost sure that it was Ji Hyo who did that. She is actually really creative and clever with her hands. The flower was similar to the ones she sometimes drew absentmindedly on tissues or napkins in restaurants. It was really cute of her.

"But thank you, Ji Hyo-yah. I appreciate that you thought of me."

The woman only nodded cracking a smile.

"I will go and put it in the car so it won’t break. You would better go to the set, I think a sponsor sent us snacks again."

"What kind?" asked Ji Hyo with her eyes lit up.

"I’m not sure" answered the man chuckling upon seeing her childlike enthusiasm. "The package was red. I think something strawberry flavored. Or cherry."

"That’s good. I will go then." They stood up from the bench at the same time, but while Ji Hyo took a step towards the cameras, Jong Kook headed to the parking lot. "Hurry, oppa, or I won’t leave you any."

"They aren’t really healthy anyway" shook his head the man.

"Fine, you definitely won’t get any!"

Still smiling at their last words, the man reached the car. His manager, Gap Jin was there too, speaking on his phone. They only nodded as a form of greeting, while Jong Kook got into the back seat and put the glass down. He looked at again, shaking the tea leaves a bit in the box.

We went to film on the countryside – Ji Hyo’s words echoed in his mind. She was probably talking about her recent drama. Jong Kook knew that they went to film outside of Seoul often as many of the scenes took place in the nature. Though according to the woman they rarely spent enough time at places to hang out in the towns. Ji Hyo actually mentioned that the last schedule like that happened during the winter and they were freezing cold, but still wanted to wander around the market when they’ve got the time. It was actually short before Suk Jin’s birthday.

So… she bought his present about two month ago.

That actually seemed weird though. She either bought it randomly, or actually thought of him when she purchased it. Two months prior to giving it to him.

A smile crept onto his lips. Ji Hyo was truly really thoughtful sometimes. One of the kindest women he knew.

So that was it. ^^ A bit of a filler, but the real storyline will start in the next chapter I'm eager to write from the beginning.