Episode 2

[*a/n: scroll down at the end of the chapter to see more details about the asterisked terms]

A week had passed after the incident where Jieun and Baekhyun got stuck on an elevator, just the two of them. After the script reading ended, she further did not bother to apologize or communicate with Baekhyun once more as her pride was eating her whole self, she decides to leave the venue immediately without looking back at him.

Jieun and Baekhyun manage to escape the eagle eyes of the reporters who are endlessly stalking them. There was no scandal released on that day. Although Jieun still keeps recalling the scenery where they first met at the elevator. Jieun finds herself stupid and shameless for acting kind of disrespectful towards a person whom she had just met (plus points when she spoke informally to Baekhyun). On the first filming day that starts later in the morning, she plans to avoid Baekhyun as much as possible because she can still feel embarrassed over what happened in their first encounter.

Although, Jieun is still curious on how Baekhyun knows that director Kim would not be angry even if he was late for the first script reading. Directors are usually annoyed already when it comes to those kinds of instances, but director Kim seems to be cool with it. Are Baekhyun and director Kim acquaintances? Friends perhaps? She does not know, but she would like to find out soon.

Jieun rests her exhausted body in her van as she waits for the filming to start. She’s still wearing her casual clothes because her stylist is still nowhere to be found.

She planned to arrive at the first shooting early because of the trauma she had back on the first script reading. She does not want that to happen again.

Jieun is on standby, she plays with her phone and searches her name in Naver. She sees a bunch of articles regarding today’s schedule of Moon Lover’s shooting, she spots netizens being all too excited over the drama and she feels delighted over the positive responses so far.

Suddenly a knock on her van’s window made her jump slightly over her seat.

“Jieun-ah!” Haneul continues to knock outside. “I miss you, please come outside.” He fools around.

Jieun scoffs at disbelief. She dislikes it when someone interrupts her ‘resting time’, but she lets Haneul go this time since both of them are newly-made friends.

Jieun opens the door and flashes Haneul an unimpressed look. “What is it?”

Haneul laughs with his boyish awkward laugh. “Come out, Joongi hyung has a breakfast stand near the Sabigung palace. I’m sure he would like to see you with everyone having a feast.”

Jieun playfully rolls her eyes causing Haneul to chuckle from her unusual action. “Fine, I’ll go.”

Their current filming location is at Baekje Cultural Land* that is located somewhere in Chungcheongnam-do. As Jieun finally lets her drained body out of the van, Haneul leads the way onto Sabigung palace where most of the cast are happily eating while they wait for the shooting to start.

The palace is enormously huge where 50,000 Korean army can fit in it. It looks legitimately historical, but she already assumes the palace is already part of history. When she took a step inside it, she feels like a historical woman, she feels like as if she had already travelled time. It’s magical and fascinating, she could not get her eyes off the ceilings where beautiful historical art are posted and to her surroundings where old vases and furnitures are being displayed.

It took Jieun several minutes to acknowledge her environment before she snaps back to reality. She grabs Haneul’s arm and halts from walking.

“Are all the casts at the eating place?” She asks with worry.

“As far as I know most of the casts are there, but some casts are still not in the filming site. Although I’m sure they’ll catch up anytime soon.” Haneul gives her an inspiriting smile. “Is there something wrong?”

“Not at all!” She replies quickly with a fake laugh. So far she has only seen Haneul from the casts to this day. She haven’t decided to meet the others because her anti-social disorder is attacking her. Jieun is mostly worried in meeting Baekhyun today, but she suppose that maybe Baekhyun is one of those ‘some’ casts that are not yet in the filming site. She hopes for it desperately.

***

Jieun is wrong. She regrets coming with Haneul in feasting with the casts. She utterly remorse every decision she made today. Baekhyun is sitting on her right, Haneul on her left, in front she has Joongi and the rest of the princes were all gathered in one table. The only girls in the table are her, Hanna, Seohyun and Z.Hera.

The atmosphere isn’t that awkward as she expected it to be. It was lively rather, everyone is joking around and laughing. It’s their first day of filming and it already feels like they all known each other for decades.

The group’s atmosphere isn’t indeed awkward, but Jieun confesses to herself that the aura between her and Baekhyun’s is uncomfortable and she wills to herself that she’ll ignore him from the rest of the filming days they had (which approximately lasts for about more than six months) just to avoid embarrassment.

Joongi is the only one who notice the silence between Jieun and Baekhyun and decides to take interest in it. While the others are busy talking to one another, he whispers: “What’s with that silence, huh?”

Jieun’s eyes trails his as she is bewildered with the sudden interaction Joongi had made. “What is it, sunbae?”

“Sunbae is too formal, ‘oppa’ would be nice.” Joongi smiles sincerely which made Jieun’s cheeks flush pink then she smiles back at him. Baekhyun giggles at the sight of it. “Anyway, again, what’s with the silence between you two?” Joongi nods his head towards Baekhyun.

Jieun slowly shifts her gaze to meet Baekhyun’s and Jieun avoids his eyes quickly after the eye contact. “It’s nothing” She sheepishly laughs.

“Yeah, it’s nothing, hyung. Maybe we’re just still uncomfortable with each other’s presence, but hopefully some time we can get along.” Baekhyun says boldly, he’s still aware they’re the only ones who can hear their conversation.

“I see, I was just bothered. Get along well.” Joongi advices to the both of them before joining a talk with the others. He ignores the tension between the co-stars for the meanwhile, but deep inside he knows what’s up.

***

Filming starts at about in an hour. Jieun’s makeup and clothes are getting done. She shares a waiting room with Hanna who is constantly watching her transforms into Hae Soo.

“Sunbae,” Hanna shyly approaches her with a smile as her eyes are still on the script.

“Ey, we’ll be working together now, Hanna unnie, you should stop calling me sunbae” Jieun took a glimpse of her looking at the script. Hanna’s smiling so widely. Jieun wonders what’s making her smile ear-to-ear.

Hanna giggles. “Sorry, sorry, Jieun-ah~” She sings her name. “Anyway, look at this!” She excitingly showed Jieun the script. “Wow, all the princes will get half for the first scene. You’re so lucky, Jieun-ah~” She laughs a loud causing the stylists to laugh along with her.

Jieun hides her face with her hands. One thing that she didn’t like filming today’s episode is the bath scene. She’s going to see numerous half guys and she doesn’t know if it’ll be a heavenly sight or is it cringe worthy. Knowing the casts and how nice they are at the welcoming ceremony, she’s embarrassed to look at their flesh. In general, she’s just embarrassed to see men half .

“Please do not remind me of that.”

Hanna laughs a lot harder this time. “If I were the leading lady I would probably be living paradise now. I’ll watch you film if that’s okay with you?” She beams at Jieun, eagerly to watch some good looking young men without their shirts on.

“Why are you so hyped about this, unnie? It’s so embarrassing.” She fans her face with her hands. She also cannot believe she has to watch that scene before her eyes.

“You’re still too young to realize what a woman truly desires, Jieun-ah.”

Jieun looks at her with a troubled face while her stylists fixes her hanbok. “What do women desire anyway?”

Hanna leans near her and covers to whisper something. “Nice abs” she says then laughs again. Her cheeks are red from laughing.

Jieun made a visible face palm and tries to prevent her laughter as well. For some reasons, she can’t help but laugh too because it’s mostly true.

Hanna wipes her invisible tears and began to talk to Jieun again. “Anyway, do any of the princes caught your attention so far?” She asks so boldly that Jieun’s eyes widen from shock. “No worries, stylist unnies won’t tell anyone.”

Jieun does not understand how Hanna’s mind works. She’s extremely friendly towards everyone and she makes sure once you both meet you’ll automatically become BFFs. But, Jieun wonders why Hanna’s conversations have to start off with unusual topics.

“I think that’s a little—“ Jieun hesitates. ‘Controversial’ she continues in her thoughts.

“For me,” Hanna adds. “Sunwoo oppa caught my attention.” She giggles like a little girl. “I’m curious about yours, Jieun-ah.” She smiles, really eager to know.

Jieun does not respond quickly, she thinks of someone who has caught her attention. She thinks of Haneul whom she only sees as an older brother, Joongi is someone whom she sees as a sunbae, Jisoo and Juhyuk are like those high school classmates she used to have, and none of them stood out to her.

Her mind went in circles until it landed to a name: Baekhyun. Again? Why? Out of all people, why him? Why most of the times she thinks of him? Has Baekhyun really caught her attention?

“I don’t know.” Jieun partially lies. She was really unsure of who had made a great impression on her so far.

Their conversation didn’t last any further as some staff knocks at their door and tells that filming starts in thirty minutes.

Jieun prepares herself while she still doesn’t know the correct answer to Hanna’s question and why does Baekhyun’s name kept appearing in her thoughts.

 *Baekje Cultural Land (Sabigung Palace)

A/N: Sorry if this is boring UHUHU but yeah might update episode 3 his week (hopefully)! I finished moon lovers a week ago and i'm still not over the ending!! I need season 2!!! what do you guys think of the ending? T_T anyway comments and upvotes are highly appreciated! there'll probably be more baekxiu interaction in the next chapters so stay tune!