“Saranghae.” Hyojin frowned and shook her head.

 

“Saranghae?” Hyojin pouted and shook her head again.

 

Cutely, “Saranghae…” “Nope.”

 

“Saranghae!” “STILL not feeling it.”

 

“Yah! Why are you so picky?!” Kibum complained to Hyojin. He was frustrated after having said “saranghae” for the umpteenth time.

 

“Because! I’m still not feeling it,” Hyojin replied with a sigh. The two of them had been going at it for 20 minutes already, yet Hyojin couldn’t feel any excitement from Kibum’s tries to confess well. “Soohyun is trying to confess to Minji. Isn’t he supposed to be desperate? Minji likes DongWook and Soohyun is feeling exasperated at the closeness that Minji and Dongwook are having. So… Be exasperated!”

 

“Saranghaejana!” Kibum shouted. Hyojin practically slapped herself with her facepalm. “Exasperated, not angry. Sound desperate. If your girlfriend is leaving you, how do you react?”

 

Kibum hesitated for a moment, and slumped back into his chair. “Why are we even rehearsing this? The director can just tell me how much emotion he wants in the scene. Besides, who knows how he wants the scene to play out.”

 

“A) We are doing this to give your name a good reputation, not one that says you don’t know how to act. B) It’s good to rehearse and have a good idea of what to do. C) The scene is already written out for you; go with it! And D) YOU WANTED TO DO THIS!” Hyojin reasoned with him.

 

“True. Okay let’s try this again-“ “Just confess to your girlfriend who’s breaking up with you, or do it like you did in Snow Flower! Your audition for Deep Rooted Tree was well done, so why can't you do it well now?” Kibum glared at Hyojin, “Have you actually watched the drama, or are you just flinging every relation at me? Let’s try this again.” “Maybe we’ll work better if we actually tried the whole scene,” Hyojin suggested, and so they gave it a shot.

 

“Soohyun-ah, koenchana? Oh you stink so badly. How much did you have to drink?”

 

“Noona. Why not me?”

 

“Soohyun-ah, what are you talking about?”

 

“Why did you choose hyung and not me?”

 

“Why didn’t I choose you for what?”

 

“Saranghae.”

 

Silence.

 

“Saranghaejana, so why do you have to choose hyung?”

 

“Whoa…. I feel it! Kibum-ssi, FINALLY we’re getting somewhere!” Kibum glared at her again, a totally different feel from his character. “Yah Han Hyojin, what’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Hyojin felt a strong aura, hence widening her eyes a little. “Nothing. Here,” she said, taking out a container and a flask. “Lunch and your drink.” Kibum opened the bento casually and then opened the flask. He sighed with a grimace on his face. “Han Hyojin, I appreciate your bento A LOT and the effort you go through to make a healthy meal for me. But do I have to drink this protein thing? It’s so… Healthy. AND YUCKY. Not to be really offensive and I’m sure it’s not your fault, but why does it have to taste so horrible? It’s so frothy! And bland.” Kibum’s body started shaking in disgust.

 

Hyojin held it in. She could understand that it tasted horrible. “I’ll try to change it yeah? At least bring some flavor to it.” “Komabda!” Kibum smiled at Hyojin. “Ah! Shall we go and drink to your one month anniversary of job survival?”

 

“No thanks… You shouldn’t be drinking, especially since you have an interview tomorrow morning,” Hyojin said with a glare.

 

“Fine. Then barbeque. Let’s do something else for once! They’re letting me off after this scene. I’m bored. Let’s go out.”

 

Hyojin looked at him awkwardly and said, “err. No thanks.” Her face was giving off a really scared look. “Why not?” “Kibum-ssi, we’re colleagues. You’re a star. I’m your assistant…”

 

“No, not like THAT. Just go and eat! What’s wrong with that? Come on! Let’s just have some fun together over dinner. All we’ve been is star and assistant. What happened to all that ”best friends” talk you gave me a month ago?”

 

Hyojin sighed, “Seriously…. Why can’t you just take a hint and stop asking me?”

 

“Yah. Do you hate me? Did I do something wrong? Am I an embarrassment? Will your boyfriend get angry?” Kibum bombarded question after question at her. “What’s so hard about one dinner together?”

 

“I told you before I DON’T HAVE A BOYFRIEND! Stop saying that I do!”

 

“Then what is it?!”

 

“I… I have no money,” Hyojin said quietly.

 

“What?”

 

“I have no money.” Kibum’s head cocked backwards a little. “No money? You just got your pay!”

 

“This is why I wanted you to drop the matter! I don’t HAVE the money anymore,” Hyojin’s voice raised a little.

 

“Are you in debt? I can lend you money if you need some. But not too much. I’m not THAT rich,” Kibum said with an embarrassing laugh.

 

“No I’m not in debt. Let’s stop,” Hyojin said firmly. Truth was, Hyojin had used up her first allowance to pay for Kibum’s dry-cleaning. If he found out, he was bound to get all guilty and take back his words about her paying. At the same time, she was frustrated that Kibum kept thinking she had a boyfriend. She wanted to get rid of those memories and that past, and he wasn’t helping one bit.

 

Hyojin had no idea that she had spaced out, thinking about her ex. Kibum observed her sad expression for a while. “You know what? Let’s just go and eat together. Anywhere. It’s my treat, for being a great assistant to me.” Hyojin’s snapped out of her thoughts. “Ne-neh? Hajimaseyo. You don’t have to treat me. It’s part of my job and my challenge to be a good assistant.”

 

“A star once told me, to treat my assistant well. ‘Our assistant is all we got.’ So I want to thank you. I don’t think I’ve felt so healthy while being stressed out before! Haha. Besides, I have to salute you. You really keep your word about things, like a healthy lifestyle…. And my laundry that you had to paid for with your salary…” Hyojin’s eyes widened. “You remembered?”

 

Kibum smirked. “Of course. My clothes don’t just returned to me dry-cleaned without a receipt, you pabo. And this isn’t the first time they’ve been ruined so I know how expensive it is to get them dry-cleaned hehe. You know, I meant this to be a treat for you from the beginning. Don’t think too much and assume that I’m doing this because I’m guilty. That’s why you didn’t want to tell me right? This is genuinely MY treat to you. Even Jihoo hyung is coming and chipping in. Even HE’S benefitted from your care. Take it as a family outing of the two oppas and the pretty-smart dongsaeng.”

 

Hyojin blushed. “Kamsahamnida.” “Aniya. WE are the grateful ones. I’ll be back soon. One scene for the day! Assa!” Kibum got up from his chair, pat Hyojin’s head, and head out of the tent.

 

“Yah Kim Kibum! Powder!”

---

 

 

“Uhhhhh  my head hurts.”

 

“Kim Kibum-ssi, I told you no drinking last night. Here, have this.”

 

“Well you didn't drink what I ordered so I drank your portion. How did I know that you don’t drink?”

 

“When I said that I have a low tolerance? Besides, if I joined you, both of you will be drinking even more.”

 

“Mianhae, Hyojin-ssi, having you to drive for me.”

 

“Koenchanayo, Jihoo oppa. Just get over the headache before we reach the filming site, and we can switch back our seats.”

 

“Yah. Why are you angry with me, and not angry with him? He’s hungover on the job too.”

 

“Coz he doesn’t have to appear on a variety show, ee pabo!” 

To Jong Oppa:

'Oppa, jangnan aniya. You weren't kidding when you said that he's not that reserved.'

---

 

From Jong Oppa:

kekeke About him opening up to you, chukahae! Wait til you meet his tongue  Make sure his words don't cut you.  Stay strong!

 

To Jong Oppa:

Ne! Advice heeded! Have fun in Paris!

---

 

A/N

My dear readers, if you were thinking something dirty at the reply from "Jong Oppa".... SHAME ON YOU. I felt that it was weird too, when I read it. Too much adult stuff happening on AFF tsk tsk.

Sorry if the chapters seem boring. I'm still building up the characters' relationship. And you know who "Jong Oppa" is right?