A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update, but school has started- I always choose the best times to start writing a fanfic, don't I? Sigh.

Thanks for all who suscribed!!! You guys are amazing ;A; So touched to see old readers from my previous fanfic reading this one too. And thanks to kitty_pandora for upvoting!!!

“I don’t.” is what Gary says in response to the accusation Haha makes when they go out for drinks Sunday night.

“You so do, hyung,” Haha contradicts, pouring him a new glass. “It’s written all over your face.” He shakes his head in disapproval. “You fool. Can’t believe you’d fall for a star. And not just any star, but one who happens to be the daughter of the big boss. And you know what CEO Song does to those who take a liking to his daughter.”

Not like he could ever forget. He’s seen Jihyo’s various suitors over the years- a long list of actors and stars, rich young sons of politicians and company heirs, and a few commoners. Whether Jihyo returned said suitors’ affections or not, Gary knew that within a month or so of confessing to Jihyo or even getting near to her, the poor guy would magically disappear or back off. No doubt, this was the work of the all-powerful CEO Song, who had enough connections and enough money to pull anything off.

Even if he hadn’t seen all that happened to those suitors of the past, those who got on Daddy Song’s bad side, he still remembers the first and only time he’d met the man in person.

Gary isn’t a genius, but he’s always been street smart. He’d learned it the hard way that having dreams was meant for fools with the luxury of time and money, and so when he’d finally landed this job as a manager, he put his whole mind into not screwing up. As in, he had to play by the rules. He persevered through the first few months of working for this girl who, upon first impression, was a stuck up, spoiled actress. But she became more and more of a puzzle to him. Somehow, she wasn’t just a spoiled heiress, but a young, spirited, and sometimes cheeky girl who had seen more things than she should have for someone of her age and status. Somehow, she was just like him- just a young person who wanted so much to be free. Somehow, she had an ability to make him lose himself, to make him throw all caution to the wind.

He knew he’d screwed up as soon as he’d taken her hand and ran from the venue. But she’d looked so incredibly vulnerable that day, even more so than when she’d cried on the actual day of her mother’s passing- just sitting there trembling as she waited her turn to do an audition she didn’t have the mettle for, holding back unshed tears and looking so very trapped.

CEO Song looked him up the very next day.

“You’re the Kangs’ kid.” The CEO said. His words felt like ice.

“Yes, sir.”

“Your father works for my company.”

“Yes, sir.”

The CEO thumbed through a file musingly. “Do you know that your father begged me on his knees for you to have this job?”

“Yes, sir.” Gary’s words were barely a whisper now.

“Your father has worked for me for a good twenty years now. Those twenty years could all come to closure today, just because of his one fool of a son who decided to teach me how to deal with my own child.”

Gary waited, not daring to say anything. After a chilling moment, CEO Song raised his head to stare down at Gary.

“I’ll be watching you.” He intoned in a deep, quiet voice. “Don’t mess up again.”

Gary shakes himself of his reverie. “I’m not a fool. I don’t like her.”

Haha snorts. “Yeah, yeah. You’re a fool, alright. A fool for love.”

“I don’t like Jihyo-ssi.” Gary insists. “She’s not my type.”

He’s willing to admit that she’s pretty.

She’s most beautiful, Gary thinks, when she’s doing something she’s passionate about, like when she’s in character for acting, something she enjoys despite all her complaints about wanting to be a manager instead, or when she’s playing a card game with him, furrowing her brows just slightly and pursing her lips in concentration.

He’s willing to admit that she makes him feel comfortable.

Gary’s not sure what it really is like to be a manager, because he and Jihyo are closer than most. She treats him like a close friend, talking to him about her struggles and her thoughts and encouraging him to share more with her too. In between her jokes and daily confessions, she’s done a lot for him, really- urging him to show her the lyrics he writes in his spare time and always giving detailed feedback of each song as if it really mattered to his current career, crying for him when he couldn’t when his grandfather passed away on his birthday, listening to him talk about his past with a face clear of any judgment, and just simply being there every Monday morning, standing outside the company and waiting for him to pick her up with a cheery smile on her face.

He’s willing to admit that he has in fact, in his wildest dreams, entertained the thought of a life where they could be together without all those complications.

But dreams are meant for fools with the luxury of time and money, and Gary’s not a fool. He can’t afford to be a fool.

His phone beeps at that moment, and Gary looks down to check it.

I like you, oppa. See you tomorrow!

Except that he IS a fool.

“Look at that silly grin on your face,” Haha puts in. Gary hadn’t even noticed when Haha moved in to peer at his phone screen over his shoulder. “You’re so done for.”

Gary wipes the smile off his face, but the giddy feelings inside his chest don’t go away.

He’s totally a fool. But at least out loud, he’s never going to admit that.