SONG HYE KYO

It had been three days since I broke up with Seung Heon Oppa but we both decided not to release any official statement about it just yet. Breaking up so soon just after our dating announcement might cause some uncalled for rumors and controversies that would put the both of us in a diffcult position and neither Oppa nor I wanted that.

I had kept myself busy these days with trying to finish the decorations at my place. My house this time was bigger and since I live alone, I had a hard time trying to make it feel as homely and cozy as possible. The items that I kept from Joong Ki's office in my previous house are now safely tucked inside a small leather box at the corner of my new home office. The blue box that held my wedding ring, after having fully admitted to myself that I still love Joong Ki, is now kept inside my jewelry drawer, away from prying eyes but not totally out of my sight. 

I returned my attention to the pile of script books on my coffee table in the living room. I had been trying to postpone accepting a drama for the past three days now but my manager had called me just a few minutes ago saying that the agency was waiting for my decision and it would be great if I can make one by the end of today. She also said that UAA had emphasized that I take Now We Are Breaking Up into great consideration. After all, everyone had high expectations for the drama.

As I flipped through NWABU's script, there was no denying the fact that it held the most potential out of all the offers I received. It also had the most interesting story line. I also felt that the character of the female lead was enthralling. She's a cold-hearted realist that prioritizes stability over everything. Though I'm not sure if I could be described as cold hearted in real life, I would like to play someone who puts importance on stability, since I think I've long neglected that aspect in some parts of my life. Having stability and control even if it's only in an acting role seemed nice. There was honestly no reason for me to reject the role if I was only to base my decision objectively, but I would be lying if I said that the possibility of having Joong Ki as the lead male didn't concern me. Because it did. Big time. 

We still haven't talked since that night we argued and I wasn't really sure if he'd like the prospect of working with me again. After I saw him at the restaurant, it was safe to say that Joong Ki might've already resented me. I still couldn't forget how cold he stared at me that night. Being on the receiving end of a cold and detached stare did not feel good at all. This must be how he felt like when I was the one giving him those looks of contempt before. 

But on the other hand, accepting the offer would pose as a great chance for me to spend some time with him. I've ran out of excuses to be near Joong Ki and this drama offer seemed like a good opportunity to have those reasons again. My manager had assured me that if I do accept the role there was no need to be concerned about the public's reaction since everyone was expecting positive feedback for the two of us to be working together again. 

As I weighed the pros and cons of accepting the role, I sighed. The pay is good, the production is big-scale, ratings are predicted to be high, the rest of the cast are seasoned actors and actresses, the story line is amazing, the director and writers are phenomenal in their respective fields, and also Joong Ki and I are great collaborators when it comes to a project. Descendants of the Sun was a proof of that. We have similar styles of acting and we have good on-screen chemistry too if we do work together again. So what else is there for me to be hesitant about? 

Right. My feelings.

But when did I ever let my feelings get in the way of my job? I never skimped on my responsibilities as an actress just because of my feelings in my 26 years in the industry, and now is not the time to start doing that. To let this project slip through my fingers just because I'm scared of how this will affect my feelings would be the greatest mistake of all. And besides, didn't they say that they have only offered Joong Ki the role? I haven't heard news that he already accepted. He might reject it once he learns that I took on the role of the female lead. Although that thought irks me. 

I exhaled in determination as I gave my manager a call.  

"Hye Kyo, what's up?" She answered.

"Hi Unnie. I'm just calling to say that I'm going to accept the offer for Now We Are Breaking Up. When do you think we can schedule a meeting with the staff?" I said.

It took her a few seconds before she answered. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I am. I see no reason to decline. Especially since the agency seems to be pushing this drama on me too."

"Alright. I'll relay your decision to the office and then I'll message you back in regards to the date of the meeting."

"Thanks, Unnie." I said as I hung up. 

It took only a few minutes before I received a text from my manager. 

Contract signing will be two days from now at KBS. We'll be discussing the schedule for filming and table read on that day too.

I just replied with a simple 'Okay'. 

I felt excited about the drama now that I've accepted the role, but a part of me still felt restless and nervous about it. 

Two days quickly passed in a blur and I quickly found myself sitting inside a meeting room at KBS, anxiously waiting for the arrival of the director, producer, and writer for the drama Now We Are Breaking Up. Within a few more minutes the staff for the drama all walked in with huge grins on their faces. I immediately stood up and greeted everyone before we all settled on to our seats. 

"Hye Kyo-ssi, we're so glad you accepted the role for the drama. You have no idea how much we're looking forward to working with you on this project." The director said as we signed the contracts. 

"I'm very honored to participate in the drama as well." I smiled. 

"The vibe of the female lead is very fitting for you since you're so beautiful and chic too." The writer smiled. 

I blushed a little at the compliment and laughed. "That's very flattering. Thank you." 

"For the first table read, the schedule will be on the third week of next month. About two weeks after that we'll be starting the filming. We've already forwarded the schedule of the shoot to your manager. It will span about 4 months since the drama is set to have atleast 16 epsiodes for now." The director continued. 

"For now? Is the number of episodes yet to be decided?" I asked.

The writer nodded her head. "Since the writing for the storyline is still ongoing we're planning to lengthen the number of episodes depending on the reception of the viewers on the first three episodes." 

"Will we be simultaenously shooting while the drama airs?" I asked. 

"Yes. We know that there will be pressures on time since we're planning the pilot to be aired around December of 2022, but rest assured that everything has been organized and prepared by the staff." The director smiled. 

"I'm not worried." I smiled at both the director and writer as I replied. "Has the casting been completed already?" 

That question had been bugging me since we started the meeting but I felt that asking early on would make me seem over eager to know who the male lead was. It felt like now was the perfect opportunity to ask. 

"Ah. Yes. The female lead is actually the last one to be casted since we were hopeful that you will accept the role." The director said. 

"Is that so? I apologize for taking too long in taking up the role." I smiled apologetically at them.

"No worries at all." They both smiled at me as they replied. 

When I didn't say anything the director continued. "Actually, Song Joong Ki-ssi had already accepted the male lead role and had signed the contract a few days ago. We were quite worried that it may pose problems but we're glad that you still agreed to join in on the project despite that." 

Oh. So he's already on board.

"I just heard that he was considering it but I didn't know he was already signed on the project." I said. "But there's no need to be concerned, Joong Ki-ssi and I are professionals at our job." 

"That was what he said when we told him that we offered you the female lead. We're pleased to know that the both of you are so amicable with each other and are very focused on your commitments as actors" The director seemed delighted as he said that.