context: this universe/canon

 

"Hey, Eunwoo yah," she answered the phone rather absentmindedly.

"Ah, noona," he replied rather plainly. "Are you sleeping yet?"

"Soon, I guess?" still rather perplexed, she responded with a question, "what's the matter?"

"Ah, no, okay, good night then," Eunwoo, on the other side of the line, was shaking his head. He wore a dejected frown on his face, though his eyes shone despite the unease in them.

Soohyang had sensed the oddness in his voice. Their daily nighttime calls were never this solemn. "Eunwoo yah, what's wrong?"

Eunwoo, seated on the floor in the leaving room of their dorm, shot up as soon as the question was registered in his head.  Guilty, he was quick to deny, "There's nothing wrong, noona yah! Don't worry about it."

However, it only made Soohyang worry even more. "Yahh, is there anything you can't tell noona?" there was a sense of annoyance in her speech; Soohyang was rather frustrated by Eunwoo's passiveness in the phone call, for the latter was usually a bright and cheerful person. It further concerned her that he was not being his usual self.

"Ani- it's nothing, really," Eunwoo could not help but release a sigh, blaming himself for cooking up such a commotion. 

"Are you sleeping too?" Soohyang asked.

"Maybe, I just wanted to talk," Eunwoo honestly spilt. 

Soohyang who was mindlessly taking her glance out her bedroom window that boasted a view of the beautiful Han river at night then thought out a suggestion. "Eunwoo yah, you know I live near the river right? Do you want to meet up for a bit?"

It was then Eunwoo's turn to tilt his head in confusion. "Now?"

"If it's inconvenient, then never mind, we'll see each other the next filming session anyway," Soohyang shook her head with a smile.

"No," Eunwoo immediately refuted Soohyang's words, "I can meet you now," there was a sense of urgency- or excitement- in his words, and Eunwoo wondered if he was being too obvious. 

Since I've already come so far into this commotion, Eunwoo thought, "I have something to tell you," he bravely stated.

"Really?" Soohyang raised her eyebrows. "Okay, I'll wait for you and text you exactly where I'll be at."

 

 

Once the call ended, Eunwoo headed to get himself a windbreaker. Wait, he thought, noona gets cold easily. With the thought, he puts on his windbreaker and grabs another one and proceeds to leave the house.

The winds at the river bank in the night were pretty chilly even though it was almost midsummer; Eunwoo walked along the river with hastened steps once he received the said text from Soohyang, in worry that the woman might catch a cold. I hope she's got her own jacket too, he thought.

When he finally caught sight of the one that was on his mind all these while, he jogged over and sat himself down on the bench beside Soohyang who was already seated.

As expected, Soohyang looked cold with her arms tightly hugging her own frail figure. Without hesitation, Eunwoo placed the spare windbreakers on her shoulders, arranging it carefully such that it should keep her warm. 

"Noona, you know you should keep warm," he could not help but nag. Soohyang felt a gush of warmth in her heart, as she always did whenever Eunwoo was acting like an oppa.

"Gomawo, Eunwoo yah," she smiled, "I hope you don't catch a cold as well."

"I'm okay, it's noona that gets cold easily," Eunwoo calmly replied before chuckling, "don't run away halfway through our conversation later because it's cold."

"Yahh, do you have to tease me every time you see me?" she lightly whacked his arm.

"Yes," he nodded without any hesitation, his eyes smiling in crescents brighter than the stars in the sky that night. 

Soohyang narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue, though his shining eyes still made her feel butterflies inside of her. Moving on, she asked, "So what is it you have to tell me?"

Eunwoo blinked. This is it, he told himself. Starting with a question, he said, "What do you really think of Kyunghoon hyung?"

Soohyang's jaw almost dropped at the question. Her eyes trailed away as she recalled their filming of Knowing Brothers earlier that day. "Why are you asking me that?"

"You asked me if there's anything I can't tell noona," Eunwoo smoothly replied. 

This flustered Soohyang even more. "Yahh, are you really that concerned with my life?"

"Of course," the certainty in his voice threw her off. 

Soohyang thought back about Eunwoo's smiling eyes as he told her, multiple times, "Kyunghoonie andwae. (It can't be Kyunghoon)"

What's wrong with this kid again? Soohyang narrowed her eyes. Could it really be...?

Soohyang wanted so much to deny her own thoughts. It wasn't the first time she had a suspicion of the state of their relationship, but Soohyang always concluded that it would be best for them to remain the way they were, just as Eunwoo's career as both an idol in a boy group and a new actor was beginning to blossom, and as she was beginning to find herself after a coming-of-age drama that had her rethink the youth she never really had ever since starting her career at a young age. 

"Eunwoo yah," Soohyang started, rather nervously. "Why are you anxious about that?" she tried to make her question sound like a joke, but she knew she was doing did a pretty bad job at it.

"You make me anxious, noona," his response was completely unexpected. "You chose him, you were blushing while talking about him, they asked if it was love and you were so embarrassed- you repeated the question three times- and he said today was your start! I thought there was really something in you, I even watched your episode from two years ago last week and seeing you all flustered when he looked into your eyes- and your faces were so close-"

Soohyang uncontrollably chuckled at Eunwoo's frantic speech, which interrupted his words. 

"Cute," she muttered when her laughter was dying off. 

Eunwoo remained frozen, his eyes glaring at Soohyang who was clutching onto her abdomen from the laughing. 

"Kyunghoonie wae andwae? (Why can't it be Kyunghoon?)" she decided to let the question slip from her playful lips, as she gradually learnt to accept the reality.

Eunwoo did not answer her question. 

"Geunde niga dwae? (But it can be you?)" Soohyang continued with the attack. Her heart was jumping in her, and though she was excited and enjoying the fun, she was equally jittery and afraid.

"Can I?" Eunwoo looked into her eyes and earnestly asked. It was a question from the bottom of the heart. "Can I love you?"

The smile was quick to fade from Soohyang's pink lips.

"Can I?" Eunwoo repeated his question, with refuelled resolution. "Can we love?"

Soohyang released the breath in her nostrils, only to realise that she had been holding it in. 

Can we? The question resounded in her head and she felt as if she was searching for an answer that was already right before her. 

"Can we?" the question eventually found its way in her voice.

"Would you want it?" Eunwoo continued the string of questions. 

Soohyang knew that it was the right question that she had been needing to answer all along: would I want it? 

Never mind what I should do, she thought, would I want it?

Taking a deep breath, she firmly replied, "I want only the same thing as you do."

Soohyang couldn't be any surer of her feelings after hearing her own words.

Eunwoo heard the burst of fireworks in the back of his mind. Spurred, he bravely pushed himself forward and let his lips crash against Soohyang's.

The sudden action startled Soohyang, but she slowly allowed her lips to taste the way his lips feel on hers. Soohyang started to feel her insecurities disappear: it did not matter that he was seven years younger than her. It did not matter that he was a member of a boy group. It did not matter that he was literally the most handsome face in the Korean peninsula and taking this step was bringing on a burden. 

Their lips only departed a good moment later, and the new couple found themselves to be out of breath. 

Regaining her senses, Soohyang whipped her head around to spot for any onlookers. 

"Is it that bad if we get caught?" Eunwoo could not help but feel disappointed.

Soohyang frowned. "You're an idol, you know that," she reasoned herself. Eunwoo remembered once again Soohyang's initial concerns of opening up to him, due to his identity of being an idol.

"We'll be alright, noona," a reassuring smile spread on his lips as he placed a hand on Soohyang's freezing fingers.

The touch sent a tingling sensation through Soohyang's veins. She felt her heart flutter- an effect he always had on her ever since filming for their drama had commenced. 

This is it; the thought rang and she could not contain her excitement. "We're dating now, right?"

"Do you really have to ask, Kang Mirae?" his face showed a flash of annoyance.

"Yahh, don't give me that face," she frowned.

"Okay, then more of this face," he inched nearer and grinned.

Soohyang narrowed her eyes at him and gave his arm a light slap. 

The distance between them was oddly satisfying; Soohyang felt no urge to pull away. Instead, she felt prompted to close the nearing distance between them. For a second time, she experienced the taste of his lips on hers. 

They tore apart from each other when a notification from Eunwoo's phone interrupted the serenity of that night. 

"Ah, manager nim," he scratched the back of his head as he read the text.

Soohyang immediately showed an apologetic expression, "Are you in trouble for being out this late?"

Eunwoo smiled, his lips forming a smile once again. "It's okay."

Soohyang heaved a small sigh, "Thankfully."

"Noona, let's not worry about the consequences yet. We'll still have many chances to meet, and we will get to talk it out. For now, please get home before you catch a cold, and get some rest," Eunwoo softly said. He was still smiling, with his eyes twinkling and sending Soohyang's heart on another rollercoaster ride.

In times like this, Soohyang was immensely grateful for his maturity. "Arasseo," she smiled in return and raised a hand to his face. "You too, get home and get some rest."

Eunwoo reached for her hand on his cheek and brought it to his lips, giving it a soft kiss. Soohyang released a small giggle in embarrassment.

"Let's go," she said while standing herself on her feet.

"Okay," he smiled and followed suit, and at the same time holding her hand in his.

Soohyang felt yet another gush of warmth within her when their fingers are firmly intertwined.

"I'm going that way," Soohyang pointed.

"I came from there," Eunwoo turned to where her finger was directing.

"I know, so we can walk for a little side by side," the explanation had her cheeks flush red.

"So I can hold your hand for a little longer," Eunwoo continued. Soohyang didn't know he could be so cheesy.

After a quiet stroll for a long moment with only the sound of cicadas and the waves of the Han river, it was time they parted ways. 

"Ah, right, your jacket," Soohyang said, almost ready to take it off.

"Keep it," Eunwoo stopped her actions by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Wear it," he instructed her.

Her lips curved into a small smile. "Arasseo. Jalga (Goodbye)!" she waved, and the grip in their hands loosened.

"Text me when you're home," he gave yet another instruction.

Soohyang lightly stifled a smile at her new naggy boyfriend. "I know, go already," she said as she took a step away from him.

"Goodbye," he smiled and waved. 

When Soohyang was finally on her own, she noticed how her heartbeat was racing. She held her hand closed to her heart, warmed by his touch. The memory of his lips on hers created a lingering sensation in her, and Soohyang knew for the first time the true feeling of being in love.

Soohyang silently thanked the heavens that she had decided to go through with acting as Kang Mirae. This drama had brought her so many blessings, fulfilling dreams of her youth tucked away in a corner of her mind when she stepped into the industry at a young age, reminding her of what it was like to be a teenager, teaching her what youth was supposed to be like. Most of all, she had met the perfect candidate as the first person in her life to give her heart away to.

What a beautiful summer, she thought in silence as the elevator brought her up to her home. 

Thankful she went out that night and had a constructive time with Eunwoo, a smile never left her lips that night as she returned home.

Kang Mirae gave her a new life. Tonight was a new beginning. 

 

 

author's note:

was initially planning to write a collection that had a proper storyline, set in this factual universe w them as celebs, and this was supposed to be how they started, but i decided i'll just keep it open so i could put in here any idea that comes along. ofc that means i'll have to indicate if it's au or not lol but that is for me to worry about~ haha

i honestly don't think the two are dating right now (tho we never know haha songsong tricked us and i believe now anything is possible) but their interactions certainly show a form of affection that transcends just "another friend in the industry i've had a nice time working with" and i'd like to just hope for more to come :") though of course the most impt thing is that they be happy be it w each other or not HEHE 

thank im soohyang for buying a house at such a nice location for so many potential fanfic plots tyvm HAHAHA IM KIDDING and yes she gets cold so easily i hope she stays healthy in the winter. (alternatively pls come to sg and enjoy the weather here also meet sg amaris HEHE im kidding ok) also yes, lee dongmin aka cha eunwoo is literally the most handsome face in the Korean peninsula this is nothing to argue about

another blabbering author's note, i shall end here bc it is 02:41 also bc this is getting crazy long