“Cut!” Seonho flinched as the director yelled at him. “Ya! Kim Seonho-ssi! You’re screwing this up! Maybe you’re not ready to lead a drama after all.”

Years had passed since he graduated from school. He turned out to be what people would call a “late bloomer”. Fresh out of college, he had his start in theatre and then landed his first role on a television drama in his late 20s. It was not much –he only had a handful of lines–but the experience and the recognition aided his career. His breakout role came at age 34. He was part of the supporting cast of a blockbuster film. Although he did not play the lead, his acting skills garnered praise from critics and the general public alike. Things were finally looking up for him; he was getting calls left and right from some of the biggest directors of the industry. He naturally took up the offer of the most famous and beloved among them: Po Joon. Little did he know that working with the great Po Joon entailed facing his past.

“And you, Yoona-ssi: just because you’re working with an amateur doesn’t mean you have to act like one too! Let’s take a break. When we get back, you two better nail the scene or I swear, I’ll send you both home to Korea.”

Of all the actresses in the industry, he had to work with Im Yoona, his old high school crush. They did not speak with each other again after the incident at the amusement park, save for the polite greetings and necessary discussions for drama club. That did not stop him from closely following her acting career. Unlike him, Yoona had a meteoric rise to fame. She landed her first leading part in a hit drama as a teenager and was the face of many brands. Since then, she was given role after role to the point that she became a household name. However, her path also had its fair share of hurdles. Her projects went fifty-fifty: half of them were immensely successful while the other half flopped hard. As a result, many people doubted her abilities and thought that she was just a pretty face. On the bright side, Seonho believed that their upcoming drama together could silence her naysayers. If only they could figure out how to act like a real couple.

“I’m sorry, gamdog-nim. I’ll try harder,” Yoona apologized with a low bow and Seonho followed suit.

Director Joon waved dismissively and walked away. When he was out of earshot, Seonho turned to his co-star, “Ugh, what was he expecting? It’s not our fault we had to film the freaking kissing scene on the first week!”

Yoona nodded emphatically. “Yeah, but I guess it’s the price we have to pay for a big-budget drama with an overseas location.”

Seonho groaned in response. She had a point. It was their last night in Australia and they were running out of time. Both of them were messing up the single scene they had together because they were simply too awkward with each other. They needed to break the ice somehow.

An idea sparked in Seonho’s mind. “How long will our break be?”

“I heard him tell the staff to come back after an hour and a half,” Yoona replied, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Well then…Yoona, do you want to run away with me? Just for a while, of course.” He sported the same boyish grin he had that fateful day he caught her cutting classes.

 “That didn’t really end well last time, huh?” she said but her voice did not have an edge to it. Rather, she sounded like she was humoring him.

“Come on! For old time’s sake? I want to tell you something and we need to work on our chemistry anyway. Pretty please!” Seonho was putting on his best puppy dog eyes.

Yoona could not help but chuckle at his ridiculous expression. “Okay, you win. But we better get back on time. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of gamdog-nim’s verbal assaults again.”

*****

Darling Harbour was buzzing with people. Families were eating their dinners, couples were cozying up by the bridge, and children were playing by the fountain. Meanwhile, Seonho was fidgeting inside the passenger car of a Ferris wheel with his high school crush turned famous Korean actress. There was something about being in tight spaces with Yoona that turned him into a nervous wreck. His eyes shifted with unease while his co-star gazed at him reassuringly.

“What did you want to tell me, Seonho-oppa?” she queried.

He took a deep breath then replied, “I’m sorry for what I did to you back in high school. I was so stupid. I wanted to help you but I overstepped my boundaries. I tried so hard to act like your knight in shining armor when I should’ve just listened to you. Like actually listened. I was projecting my fantasies onto you so I could escape my boring life, I forgot to treat you like a real person. Please forgive me.”

“Don’t worry about it, oppa. We were young and immature. You’re already forgiven,” she replied with a wry smile.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how’s your family?”

“It’s getting better. My appa and unnie have always been supportive. My umma and I are civil. I’ve even met my half-siblings a few times. They seemed nice.”

“That’s good to hear,” Seonho grinned.

“How are things on your end?”

“I get it now.”

“Get what now?”

“I understand what it’s like to have people watch me but not see me…the true me. To have people obsess over their idea of me rather than who I really am. It’s funny ‘cause I was pretty much invisible back in high school. It took being in a movie and months in the gym for people to want to be around me.”

“Welcome to my world. But oppa, you weren’t invisible before. I think I had a crush on you at some point,” Yoona said with nonchalance.

Her offhand comment made Seonho’s face heat up, his heart fluttering. It was unfair; it had been years and she still had him wrapped around her finger.

He forced himself to hold her warm yet tantalizing gaze as the words escaped his mouth, “I still like you, you know? I never stopped liking you.”

It was Yoona’s turn to blush. “Oh,” she said weakly.
“I like the way you laugh like an alligator; it’s so cute. I like how you donate to charity, especially when you do it in secret. I like the way you’ve carried yourself with grace and humility throughout your career. And, I like how you've been helping me with this project. You’ve been so kind and patient…I couldn’t have asked for a better co-star.”

“Wow…that’s…thank you, Seonho-oppa.”

“What can I say? I’m a huge fan. I hope you don’t think I’m a sasaeng though.”
They both erupted in laughter. Seonho watched Yoona as she threw her head back, guffawing at his little joke. He decided that her laugh was his favorite sound in the world.

Once they had simmered down, he asked, “Can I kiss you?” His eyes widened when he realized what he had just said. He immediately regurgitated a slew of excuses, “F-f-or practice. We n-n-need to get that scene right o-or else–”

“Yes...w-we can do that,” Yoona said, interrupting his rambling. Seonho was surprised to see her eyes darkening with desire.

They both slowly leaned in for a kiss. When their lips met, Seonho's instincts took over, releasing his pent up emotions. His arms circled her waist as he claimed as his own. Yoona put her arms around his neck and reciprocated his fervor. They seemed to be perfectly in sync yet nothing about their kiss felt rehearsed. Everything felt raw. Everything felt real. At that moment, they were no longer the upcoming actor and the celebrated actress; they were simply Seonho and Yoona.

Suffice to say, the rest of the day’s shooting went swimmingly.