"I dare you to do something, I'm waiting on you again, so I don't take the blame."

Life likes playing weird tricks on people, and sometimes, mercy was not on the table.

That's what Ji Chang Wook is feeling right now as they sat in silence. They didn't know how long they sat in the swing, watching the buildings suddenly twinkling in the horizon as the sky's hues changed from orange to navy. He feels the leaves crunch under his shoes, accompanied by the creaking of the bolts on the swing set they were pushing against. The cold wind was chipping against his cheeks, nipping on the sides of his lips before he them. By the corner of his eye, a discreet gaze looks at his action, but they both straightened themselves up and decided that they were done for the day. 

"Do... Do you need a walk back?" Like the gentleman that he is, he stood by a meter as he asked the question. 

"... Is that alright with you? My hotel is just a few blocks away." She gazed up at him, but her nails scratching on the side of her notebook was too much for him to ignore: she was nervous with his answer. 

"I think I can spare some time." He shrugged. "Besides, I have questions on some parts of the plot. I need insight since I'd like to make sure the vision of the scriptwriter would be respected."

He knew he was being strictly professional with her, but that's all they were at the moment. He doesn't want to dwell on the painful encounter a few moments ago anymore, nor he doesn't want to be stuck in the past with her. This time around, the only identity she'll be facing would be PD Ji Chang Wook, nothing more and nothing less. 

"Oh." She nodded. "...Alright, let me lead the way."

And so, they did. He asked further on the character charts and the twists that should be pulled in the movie. A detail he found out about her as a scriptwriter though, was that she definitely knew and understood the image she wants to manifest on the work. Every detail was laid out, from the character's looks, emotions, motives, and even cinematography. No wonder she was already respected the moment she stepped on the scene, she was too good to be true for PDs. He pushes the memories of her holding hands with him on this very pathway, squeezing fingers and talking about the weather and the sceneries. He even had to supress even further his walks with her back in Central Park, the scent of cloves hitting his nostrils while he listened to her talk about her days in uni. He could still remember how her voice raised about the coffee shops in the area she was in, and how the subways reeked of cigarettes, alcohol, and cheese, strangely. He still remembered how she worried about her new script came about for one of her classes as they ate ice cream on one hand while they held each other's hands. 

Life was simpler back then, but it's cruel if you think of how it turned out. 

The walk lasted only a few minutes, but strangely enough, it's like he's been walking with her for eons for some reason. Why is it every time he's with her, time seems to slow down? He still doesn't know why after all these years, but it sure did speed up the moment they stopped in front of the marble steps of her hotel. There was this fleeting feeling where he wanted to leave as fast as he could to avoid bringing the painful topics back to memory, and it seems like she felt the same way, judging by how she was teetering on her own heels. 

"So, here I am, I guess." She shrugged. 

"Oh, okay." He nodded. "Well... Have a good night, Ji Hyun-ssi."

At this rate, he was avoiding her gaze. It's like he can't afford to sit in this type of pain and awkwardness anymore. But it had to be more awkward when another figure came in the conversation.

"Hazel!"

He turned to face the same man he saw at the after party, his lanky figure covered in a beige trench coat as he stood by Ji Hyun's side, the wind blowing his quiff. The hold on her arm made his skin tingle a little, but he suppressed that feeling easily.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" The man spoke in English, his words echoing the same thing he heard from him at the afterparty. "Where have you been?"

"I was at the park." She responded with perfect English as well. "I met the PD along the way, too. We talked about finishing the project."

He didn't know if he was seeing things, but in his perspective, the man looks at her not like how colleagues do. He looks at her the same way he did, but the thing is, he's not sure if she knows it as well. The man suddenly turns to him, and Chang Wook raises his eyebrows.

"You must be the new PD." He spoke, extending a hand towards him. "I'm Eugene."

"Hello." Chang Wook spoke, warily taking his hand and giving it a shake. "Nice to meet you."

"I think I've seen you at the Baeksangs' afterparty. We're looking forward to working with you." Eugene responded, the grip on his hand still tight. Chang Wook could only nod in response, but a buzz by his pocket made him let go of his hold. 

"Just a moment." He spoke towards the two, and the PD looked at the text message that flashed on his screen. 

Sora: Do you have some time? I need someone to talk to. 

He lifted his head to see Ji Hyun moving her gaze away from his phone, and somehow, the awkwardness increased tenfold. He gripped the phone in his hand, contemplating whether he needed that talk or he didn't. He wasn't blind to Sora's advances, but somehow, he did need someone to help him drown those sorrows away.

Thought you'd have a lot of friends to talk to.

Guessing that I need your company now I guess. 

Fine. Just a can of beer and I'm leaving. 

My place tomorrow?

Okay. 

Eugene, however, could barely feel the tension, but his timing seemed to be helpful as of the moment. 

"I think we better head inside. You still have a lot of work to do, don't you, hun?" He spoke to Ji Hyun, before he draped his arm over her shoulder. Chang Wook could only blink, and he watched as Ji Hyun nod at him in response. 

She bowed in response. "Good night... Chang Wook-ssi."

He was glad she didn't turn around to see them walk safely inside, since he doesn't want it to look like he cared for her more that she knew. He didn't know if that encounter was the very thing that would make him back off, but it sure did increase the degrees of separation between them. 

___

"I'm glad to hear you're still alive, hyung." 

"Ya, I just don't like draining my phone battery too much." He rolled his eyes at his junior. "Anyways, how are you holding up?"

He was busy downing his meal and side dishes as he watched Soo Jeon from the other side of the screen. After the entire exchange at the park and the lonely walk home, he figured that he could just eat with the leftovers he had from earlier for the sake of sustainability. He chewed a piece of meat as he watched the boy fold his laundry.

"I'm well, hyung." He sighed. "Still not used to the silence of the home, though."

He felt the same thing. Usually, his senior was rowdy in the background with his antics for his son, or somehow cursing over some inanimate object. Silence does make the heart grow fonder, something they've both learned in different ways. 

"We'll heal one day, Soo Jeon. There's no rush to it." He sighed as he chewed on the last of his side dishes and laid back on his seat. 

"I know, hyung." He breathed out. "How's the project?"

"You knew?"

"I was one of the first people to hear it, hyung. Of course I'd know." 

Chang Wook shook his head. "Of course." 

"Don't be too scared of noona." He assured as he stacked a shirt on top of his pile. "She's actually a nice woman."

"I've known her for years, Soo Jeon. I know how she is." He massaged his temple.

"Ooh..." he trailed off with raised eyebrows and a look in the distance, and Chang Wook raised his eyebrows at him. 

"What?"

"