It’s practically just a matter of asking those two questions to her, and his life would return to that normal pace again. Of course he had girlfriends in the past.  For fun, to share his days with, and to have someone to cuddle with.

But the funny thing was, he knew Ji Eun would never be only “for fun” for him. If he asked those two questions, he had a feeling he would be attached to her for good.

All his girls in the past knew what they had would be something nice, but nothing serious. He enjoyed his career. Music hypnotized him, and acting consumed him. Career had been his true love for a long time. When he’s in a relationship, he treated his girl well, yet he never experienced anything that made his heart flipped or fell to the ground.

He accepted Scarlet Heart Ryeo because he liked the story, and the idea to be a king after all these years playing in saeguk dramas. When he heard he would be paired with IU, he was honestly wary. To tell the truth, the only thing he knew of IU was first, that scandalous picture a few years ago with Eun Hyuk from Super Junior.

He considered her as a young spoiled idol since then. Everyone in his generation knew how to maintain their privacy. It’s not that all the idols in his generation were pure and proper. No. Yet they knew how to uphold their good image. It meant controlling their behaviour and emotion. This IU seemed to be lacking in that.

Second, he knew her singles sold millions. Her music videos were all cute, yet he’s stayed in the entertainment world for too long to know that the cutest ones always have the most scandalous personal lives, so he grimaced everytime her music videos was played near him in the past.

And third, she’s just so – young. Young idols these days only knew partying then posting the pictures in Instagram. They had it easier than the idols in his generation. He was readying himself to be patient in working with somebody who would giggle too much, whine a lot, and took selfies every time there was a shooting break.

As if she knew all his judgemental thoughts of her before they worked together, she slammed all his thoughts around like some kind of a living, smiling karma.

She was not IU. She’s Lee Ji Eun.

She might be very young for an actress in a lead role, but she barely ever checked her script before the “action” order was heard. He didn’t know she’s a genius or what, but she memorized most of her dialogues, and even his and the others too.

She’s polite, humble and always cheerful. She never whined or complained. She said “thank you” to the crew after every scene was finished, and she was always on time, even early to be on the set every morning.

She respected him, but she respected everybody. Her smiles were not reserved only for the actors and directors. She greeted even the staff who brought their meals as cheerfully as she greeted the director.

For someone who had sold more than 10 millions, it’s surprising how she was always shy and declined when they asked her to sing during their nights out as the whole cast.

It took her only one day at the filming set to convince him that she’s a nice girl. Effortlessly.

He’s never been a shy guy with all the women species he had the chance to cross in life, so he got friendly with her in mere three days.

At least, he comforted himself, she was not pretty. She wouldn’t be able to distract him from his path.

And then after a week of filming, he began to think that she was kinda pretty.

After two weeks, he turned to think that she was graceful.

On the third week, he barely could take his eyes off her.

It’s her easy yet calm and polite manners. It’s in her smiles that he swore could make even the worst stress melt away. It’s in her fair smooth skin that glowed when they’re face to face. It’s in her big eyes that pulled him in and pulled him far.

It’s.......it’s her.

Every second of filming with her turned to be absolute joy, making him extra energetic and dorky all the time.

But they’re just working, and it’s just chemistry. It would pass. It would cease once they didn’t see each other anymore.

And then he chanced to hear her answering a call from her boyfriend, and his heart fell to his feet.

That calm voice, reporting about her day, to someone, a guy who had the privilege to be with her, made his throat hurt, like he swallowed something bad.

She’s taken, his mind reminded his heart.

So he told himself to just enjoy the moment while it lasted, because after the last scene was shot, she would return to him, and he would be left with only 20 episodes of a drama with her.

Besides, he was allowed to be in love as Wang So to Hae Soo.

Feeling he had nothing to lose, as if in the middle of nowhere, he let go. He treated her like a best friend yet it was bordering to someone he’s pursuing.

He hoped for nothing in return, he only wanted to enjoy the time he had with her, while he still could.

However, it was her who changed.

Whenever he cracked a joke or acted dorky, her laughter turned louder. When they acted in romantic scenes, her eyes sparkled more. When they ate meals together on the set and he told her about his previous experiences shooting dramas and movies, her smile lasted longer.

The drama ended and they became very close. You couldn’t avoid being close when you spent lots of time in the past six months filming a drama together as lovers.

He felt a bit sad, though, because she would return to him, and his right to act sweet with her had expired.

Except that he tried to keep talking to her. Everyday.

Only at the chatting group of Scarlet Heart Ryeo cast at first.

Then through personal chat.

They never flirted or talked about anything bordering to anything more than friendship, but it went on. And on and on and on.

And when they met again for the press conference, he was sure he liked her very much.

Cosmopolitan photoshoot made his heart flipped inside out.

He always thought it was normal when his heart flipped for an actress during a drama filming. It was work. It’s the atmosphere speaking.

But outside filming? Nope, he had never experienced that before. Of course there was Jeon Hye Bin, yet it didn’t reach the level of being so proud to be beside her, or so elated to talk to her again, or to stare at her for nearly one minute in public.

It was a new experience.

Then there’s that rumour.

That she had broken up with her man.

It made him felt good to hear that, but no one was sure. He had to ask her himself, but he......was afraid he’d mess up.

What if she was only being friendly all this time? What if he ruined their oppa-dongsaeng relationship? What if she got offended because he turned the table and revealed he wanted more?

Because for Christ’s sake, he did! He wanted to be that one man who had the right to call her his. To be the reason of her smiles. To be the one she sang her songs about........

The only method he dared to take for the time being was calling her every day.

At first he asked, “Is it ok if I call you now? Just wanna talk to you. But feel free to say no if you’re busy”.

The words he didn’t type in the chat was, “If you’re with him, if you think it’s not right to talk to me at this time of the night, say so”.

But her reply was, “Of course, Pyeha, I would be honoured”

It’s their inside joke that they still play on after all these months. She still talked to him as if he was Emperor So.

And he called her every night. Sometimes she was at home, watching TV. Sometimes she’s practicing her singing. Sometimes she’s hanging out with her manager and stylist.

He caught the question after calling her for a few days.

She never seemed like she was with someone.

Their drama aired and it didn’t get the good respond that they were hoping. He wouldn’t lie, he felt bad about it.

Their chat turned to be more serious ever since he said, “I feel responsible because the rating is not that good.....”

She surprised him by calling him, then telling him that he was one of the best actor she had ever known.

“Eyyy, maybe you haven’t known that many actors yet”

“I watch a lot of dramas and movies. You made Wang So scary, charismatic, and magnetic, Oppa. You did great. The ratings are not ours to control. However the rating is, it doesn’t have enough value to judge whether you’re good or not. Trust me, Oppa, I was the one who worked with you the most”

And their chat and phone calls turned serious. They talked about life. About building their careers. About the hardship of maintaining what they’d achieved.

But they never talked about the future. Or about their love life.

Then it was time to attend the drama awards. They agreed to get ready and to go together.

“It will be nice if we could win the couple awards. After all, it will prove that people love Wang So and Hae Soo” he said.

“Yes, that would be nice”

And the awards night proved to be the best award night he had ever attended. For one night, he relived the right to be as happy as possible as Wang So and Hae Soo.

After the award, he found out she would have a concert in Taipei two weeks before his fanmeeting.

He threw caution to the wind and just boldly asked, “If I push forward my fanmeeting, can we hang out together in Taipei?”

She was preparing to go home with her manager and was surprised with the question, but she said, “I’d love to.”

Two days before her concert, she asked him to be the guest star.

He said yes in a heartbeat.

“Jongmalyo, Oppa? Won’t it ruin your schedule?”

“I’ll reschedule. Your concert is more important”

He knew that she knew, at that point, he wouldn’t do that for a mere colleague. Either she was a very good friends, or someone he liked.

For him, he refused to use his logic anymore. He wanted to follow his heart. He’d grab everything she was ready to give.

“But there’s nothing free in this world. You know that, right, Ji Eun-ah?”

She laughed.

“What??? What is it? What can I do for you, Oppa?”

“Come to my fanmeeting the next day. Also in Taipei”

“.........I’ll be there, Pyeha”

He might be imagining it, his ear could be playing tricks on him, or she really did spoke very gently that time.

“It’s a deal. See you there........Hae Soo”

He was amazed with the number of people who came to her concert. He felt honoured to be the guest star.

And the way she looked at him on stage shocked him.

Is she that grateful?

He wondered, and his hope got stronger.

He attended the after party of the concert, watching how she’s well-loved by the crew, back singers and back dancers.

They had promised to have supper together though. He had booked a private room at a restaurant in the hotel she was staying. He wouldn’t come to her room, not wanting to give her the wrong idea of his intentions.

However, when she entered the private room at the restaurant, fresh from the shower and in a new dress, she laughed seeing the menu.

It was full with Taipei’s street food and cans of common beer. No high end cuisine or champagne. Just tasty stuffs.

“How could you have all these in these restaurant. Isn’t this rude to this place?”

“I’ve already ordered a lot of their food, they’ll wrap it for take away later. I’ll send it to your backing vocals and dancers. How about that?”

“Wow, that’s amazing! That’s really the sweetest thing, Oppa!”

“I know. We both know I’m that sweet and awesome”

He pushed his fringe in a diva manner and she pretended to look disgusted.

Then they both laughed, and began to eat the street food.

They joked and laughed about the time when they were still filming Scarlet Heart. They discussed her concert. And she asked, “What do you think I should improve, Oppa?”

“Nothing, you’re perfect” she grinned.

She whined cutely and he chuckled.

“Be serious, Oppa!”

“I am”

“I mean it! You’ve been in this for a long time!”

“Yah, you mean I’m old?”

“Aniyo! Just – everyone always praise me. Tell me something I can improve to be better. Criticize me!”

He was silent for some time, before saying, “Let go.”

“Let go?”

“Ne. Let go. Make your concert more personal. Don’t be afraid to not look pretty. Embarrass yourself. Be shameless”

She blinked, amazed with the brief words yet she could feel that he was being earnest.

“Be crazy. Surprise them. I don’t mean not being yourself. Be yourself. But let go”

“........I’ll remember that”

“You’re already good. But if you let go, you’ll be even better”

“I’ll work harder” she bowed formally.

He jovially bowed back.

“I need to ask you something” he finally said, after their love died down.

“I know”

“You know?” he asked, in an exaggerated shocked voice.

“Ne. It’s time”

Now he was genuinely shocked. What does she mean, it’s time? Does she? Is she? Will she?

“..........I think I’m going to have a heart attack” he said, putting his hand on his heart.

And then she looked at him like that, the way Hae Soo always looked at Wang So. But they were not filming........

He couldn’t help to joke at that moment.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m going to faint!”

And he pretended to fall from his chair, making her laugh.

Then he returned to his chair properly, and looked at her.

She smiled wider and she.......glowed? He knew what she was seeing. She was seeing the face of a very smitten guy, directed straight at her.

“Are you........still with Chang Ki Ha-ssi?”

He counted the seconds she took to answer.

One, two, three, four.

And she shook her head.

As his ulcer flipped flopped.

“No. Not anymore”

“Since when?”

“Since I cut my hair short. I did it because I want to start a new page”

“.........why are you not with him anymore?”

“Because he found out I’ve fallen in love with you, Oppa”

His heart stopped beating. His brain stopped functioning. His whole universe exploded.

Then his heart began beating again, and he circled the table, pulled her to stand up and to his embrace, Wang So style but minus the planning, minus the script, and plus the crazy thumps of his heart.

He didn’t realize he was breathing fast, as if he just ran for miles. It sounded so loud in that private room.

He hugged her tight and she hugged back just as tight.

“Was it a terrible break up?”

“No. I broke his heart, but he knew love can’t be forced”

He was gripping at her dress by then, holding her so tight she was crushing her.

Then his hold lessened in strength. He held her gently, and he inhaled her perfume on her neck, convincing himself it was real.

“Be with me, Ji Eun-ah”

“Ne”

*****************************************

He had always preferred his love life to be private. Regardless, when Ji Eun appeared on stage during his fanmeeting, he nearly announced it to the world that they had started their relationship.

He managed to NOT announce it, but he posted enough in Instagram.

The smart well-wishers would understand.

Wang So and Hae Soo met again in the modern world, and they fell in love just as hard.

****************************************

Author’s Note:

Wanted to write a small drabble, but ending up writing 8 pages.

Because SoSoo couple is so shippable and I can’t handle all these feels :3