—Early October 2020—

Ji-hyun flicked through her photos of the “Suspicious Partner” cast dinner. She was looking for the right one to post on instagram. It was a week since the dinner and the only person who had posted was Park Sun-ho PD. She had debated not posting but with the CF for 섹시/comfy in full swing it seemed pointless to avoid it. She had already chosen her post for 섹시/comfy—a couple of photos where she and Chang-wook were playing kai, bai, bo while wearing matching green turtle necks. The one for the cast dinner was trickier. In most of them she was seen sitting next to him and she was hoping to avoid as many as ten official photographs of them together on her instagram. At last she picked one he had taken of her and Yoon Bok-in sunbae. Her on-screen mother had pulled her aside and told her not to be afraid of her feelings because all of them were supporting them. 

“Hyun-i,” she had said. “You know your heart. Follow it. Not everyone meets someone who gets the support of all their friends and family. Remember, we are your friends and your family too.”

She posted the pictures for 섹시/comfy first and then made a note to post the picture with Yoon Bok-in sunbae the next day. She pulled her hair out of her face and tied it in a knot on the top of her head. She needed to wash it but thought that maybe she could wait until tomorrow when she went to the salon. The first set of promotion pictures for her new drama were being shot tomorrow and she and Park Bo-gum would be visiting the salon first. 

“Are you in?” Chang-wook called from her doorway.

“Ya! What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you,” he said. “You never come to my place…”

“Oppa… you were the one who…”

“I know, I know. And abeonim likes that he can make sure that I leave on time when I visit you here.”

“You can’t stay late, I have an early start tomorrow. We have a photo shoot and then filming.”

“Ok. Did you see my picture?” he asked. He walked to where her kitchen s along one wall and put down a bag of groceries on the table. 

“No…” Ji-hyun opened instagram. The picture he had uploaded for the 섹시/comfy CF was the same ones she had. “How did you…”

“I didn’t know! I swear! I picked them with Chi-gu,” he laughed. “Imagine my surprise when I saw what you posted.”

“Did they go up at the same time?” she flicked back to hers. Yes, both read: five minutes. She smiled. It might have been better to be worried what netizens would read into their simultaneous and identical posting but she wasn’t. She could honestly say they didn’t know and no one would be able to call them liars.

“What do you want to eat?” she asked moving to his side. “Eomma left some things for me. You know they are out of town visiting Immo?”

“They are?” Chang-wook’s eyes sparkled. He could possibly get away… but his hopefully future father-in-law had made him promise not to spend the night. “I hope… I hope they know they can trust me.”

“They know we are adults…” Ji-hyun pointed out. She picked up the large bag of courgettes that he brought. “Why do you need so many?”

“I was going to make spaghetti with them! I saw it online. You grate it…”

Ji-hyun allowed him to enthusiastically describe the recipe he had found. If this was her future it was the best future she could have imagined. Except of course that they were limited to staying indoors, far away from the public eye. She hadn’t broached the idea of their going to the jjimjjilbang but every once in a while she caught herself imagining him in the standard green and black uniform handed out to the men at the one she went to with her family. 

“When was the last time you went to the jjimjjilbang?” she asked when he took a breath while discussing the best thickness for the courgette spaghetti. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Probably… a long time ago I guess.”

“Oh,” she sighed. She couldn’t help herself. 

“Umm… I was wondering if you wanted to do something next week. Tuesday morning. Early. Breakfast.”

“Umm…” Ji-hyun frowned. “Why that day and time?”

“I… there is something I want to do with you. I can only do that thing at that time. My eomma… she might join us.”

“Jang-i!” Ji-hyun leapt into his arms. Her heart was pounding. Instinct told her that he was planning his big gesture and that he wanted to include his eomma made it that much more special.

“So yes?”

“As long as my schedule makes it work,” she promised. She gave his chest a quick kiss then moved around to the other side of the table to help prepare dinner. After they finished the dishes, she waved him off and washed up for bed. She allowed herself daydreams of what he had in mind. A trip to Busan? Maybe going to his villa, which she desperately wanted to see. Or it could be… she didn’t want to raise her expectations but jjimjjilbang were normally not very crowded on weekdays at breakfast time. 

—

The next morning Stylist-eonnie was waiting for her with a large drink in one hand and a pastry in the other.

“I can’t have that!” she cried as she looked at the buttery pastry. She thought about her breakfast which now seemed too healthy and inadequate.

“Aish. You can. Celebrate! You’ll be wearing that horrible corset they stuff you into. It will take away any bloat,” the woman the pastry under her nose. “Hyun-i, this is my order. Eat it!”

“If you don’t, I will,” Park Bo-gum said as he walked up to them. He gave a friendly smile to the women and snatched the pastry out of the stylist’s hands. He ripped it into three strips and offered each of the women a piece. “There! Kai, Bai, Bo... One for each of us. Now we can all enjoy only a third of the bloating!”

Ji-hyun smiled. Bo-gum-ssi was proving to be her favourite co-star. They had the same love of food and, more importantly Ji-hyun thought, a love for education and learning. They often discussed the reading list she had made for the cast and crew. The works included philosophy and fiction and, to that point, he was one of the few who had actually read them.

“Tonight let’s have tteokbokki,” he said. “I think I found a place that will make it just right.”

He emphasised the words with an elaborate hand gesture—as if he were presenting the grand prize at a carnival. Ji-hyun doubled over with laughter, which was cut short when she saw Chang-wook standing behind her costar. Bo-gum, oblivious to their rekindled romance, turned around and smiled at Chang-wook.

“Chang-wook-ssi! I haven’t seen you in a while. Are you here to have your hair done for an event? Stylist-nim! You are very busy today.”

“Actually… I was just stopping by to deliver these…” he held up a large bag of pastries. “But I see stylist-nim has already shared with you.”

“Haha. Yes. It was lovely!” Ji-hyun piped up. 

“Oh, I just remembered. I was sitting at the same table, I think?, as you when you sang Ji-hyun-ah. Remember? With Park…”

“Aish! don’t remind me! I was so embarrassed.”

“You were wonderful,” Bo-gum said. He turned to Chang-wook “Remember, you told me she was wonderful.”

“And she was!” her boyfriend defended. 

“I thought so too! No need to get aggressive.”

Ji-hyun smiled. She had seen the video on youtube and the cut away to the two actors listening to her very untutored voice. At the time she had been embarrassed to have these two handsome men smiling, as she thought out of professional politeness, at her performance. Now, she was pleased with herself for being so brave. 

“… I think that too much vocal training would ruin her voice,” Bo-gum was saying when she refocused on their conversation. “But a little would just add…”

“I don’t think she needs any vocal training. Her voice is fine just the way it is,” Chang-wook argued back.

“ENOUGH!” Stylist-eonnie shouted. “It was cute to hear you bicker about Hyun-i’s voice but we need to get going. Chang-wook-i, thank you for the pastries but you can go. Bo-gum-ssi, follow me. Hyun-i, dear, come over when you are ready.”

She whisked Bo-gum off to the back of the salon but gave a quick wink to the couple first. 

“She isn’t very subtle is she?” Chi-gu remarked. Ji-hyun jumped. She hadn’t seen him standing there. “Hyun-i. Good morning. Are you doing well? I know you are eating well.”

“Chi-gu! Oh, it is so good to see you!” Ji-hyun gave him a little hug. He patted her back as he had a year ago in Busan. “I never got to thank you…” 

She trailed off as the memory of the fateful meeting in Busan burst into life. She gave him another hug. 

“You are the best Chi-gu oppa,” she said firmly. “Don’t let him bully you.”

“Hyun-i, I will always let him bully me. Same reason you will always let him get away…”

“I’m standing right here…”

“We know!” Ji-hyun and Chi-gu said in unison.

“I need to go," she sighed. "Thank you for stopping by. I'll eat more pastries.”

“Can I see you in costume?” Chang-wook couldn’t help asking. “I haven’t seen any pictures.”

“Oh? I did,” Chi-gu said with a straight face. He couldn’t hold up the charade for long, though. Chang-wook grabbed his phone and immediately started scrolling through his messages with Ji-hyun.

“LIAR!” 

They all laughed. It felt like order was restored in their little ALUU world.

—

Ji-hyun was surprised to see Tae-hyung when she got to set later that day. 

“I persuaded him to do a cameo,” Bo-gum explained.

“I love it!”

“Hyun-i!”

“Tae-hyung-ah!”

“How is hyung?” the idol asked.

“Hyung?”

“Chang-wook-ssi…” his eyes went wide when he realised how indiscrete he had been. “Sorry… I assumed you would have said something because…”

“AWW!!! Ohhh… that makes sooo much sense. Hahahahaha. He should just send a food truck like a normal person,” Park Bo-gum laughed.

“AISH. SERIOUSLY,” Ji-hyun shouted. She looked around and bowed an apology to the cast and crew they were disturbing. “Keep it quiet.”

“Sorry,” Tae-hyung apologised. 

“Sorry, I won’t say anything.”

“Aigoo! There you are!” Park Seul-gi called. She was there to interview Ji-hyun and Bo-gum but now that Tae-hyung was there she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to approach the trio. “Kim Tae-hyung-ssi! Are you here to do a cameo? Would you be willing to answer a few questions?”

The idol’s manager agreed to a pre-set list of questions and Park Seul-gi got her scoop. 

After the introductory questions had been asked she turned to Nam Ji-hyun and asked whether the chemistry between her and Park Bo-gum would be as amazing as her chemistry with her past co-stars. 

“Oh. You want the audience to see the couple and say, ‘Yes I think they are in love’ that is what you do as an actress. So of course I hope it will meet people's expectations.”

“And are you in love right now?”

“I don’t think that my personal life is very interesting. I am very happy with my personal life right now and there is nothing I want to change about it.”

“Can you give us any more details? That sounds very mysterious.”

“Hahahah. Not really. I am very happy with myself. I have done so many exciting things. And some wonderful people are supporting me. If I ever have anything to say in the future, I will let my fans know. Right now I want to focus on working hard on this drama and giving people something to love watching.”

“Ji-hyun-ah is right,” Tae-hyung cut in. “Our private lives help with acting and singing but they are not important to how good the show will be. Even though I only have a cameo, I hope that people will watch the drama and find it real. But there is no need to pry into her life. Or mine. I love my fans and they come first after my family and friends.”

“Ah…” Park Seul-gi looked around at her cameraman. Her eyes were wide. “I think we can cut that part.”

“Thank you!” Ji-hyun said and looked at Tae-hyung who seemed to have realised what he had done. She met Bo-gum’s eyes. 

“I think that Bo-gum oppa will agree with me? That people want to watch a drama that they will love…”

“Yes! One of the great things about acting is that you can show new sides of yourself. And, of course, part of that… As Ji-hyun-ssi said, we want the audience to feel the emotions. But, obviously, our private lives don’t come in to play, except to help teach us new things…”

“We can end it here,” Park Seul-gi interrupted. “Ah… Yes. I think that we don't have enough though. Maybe we can do a few questions about it being a pre-produced drama?”

She fiddled with her cue-cards trying to find something she could fill the rest of the interview with. They managed to do a bit more and the veteran reporter made it clear to the anxious managers that Tae-hyung’s outburst would not be aired. There were no papers to sign but a handshake was enough for all the parties. 

—

That night Ji-hyun was able to confirm with Chang-wook that she could meet him on Tuesday morning.

“I don’t have filming that day!” she messaged with a picture of her Geobug filter that an enthusiastic fan had created. It turned the subject into a tortoiseshell cat by imposing the characteristic markings around their face. 

“Perfect! I’ll… I’ll pick you up the night before. We can have dinner at the villa with my eomma.”

She read the message and immediately called Won Jin-ah.

“I’m meeting orabeoni’s eomma tomorrow. What do I bring her?” she begged.

“WOAH! OMO. WHAT? SERIOUSLY? YOU ARE CALLING ME NOW? Aish. Ok. Where? At his place? Food… No… flowers. I think I remember him saying that she loves flowers. Let me ask Oppa.”

Ji-hyun paced around her apartment while she waited for Jin-ah to finish speaking to her boyfriend. 

“He says tulips.”

“Tulips?”

“Since… Ok, I won’t ask questions now but we are going drinking with Min-ji right after, ok? We have both covered for you guys and deserve to hear the details,” Jin-ah gave a throaty laugh that Ji-hyun returned. It felt good to have made a friend who was so direct but also caring. Not many people would be willing to help out without wanting to hear all the details immediately afterwards. 

“Thanks eonnie.”

“Aish, I’m just glad it got sorted. Took you long enough. Just, you know, be discrete?”

“We are. I think we can date in secret but eventually… We will go public. We both want to.”

“Ok, ok. Now leave me alone! I’m having a romantic dinner with my boyfriend! Only for you two would I stop… aish, you are too innocent to hear what we were doing.”

“Omo! have fun. I am so sorry!” Ji-hyun hung up. From past drinking sessions with her and Min-ji, Ji-hyun had a pretty good idea of what they were up to. Jin-ah liked strawberries dipped in chocolate. And as she liked to say, ‘a man should always know what his lady likes.’

to be continued...