Yoona and Kibum had been filming and rehearsing together for a couple of weeks now, and luckily for them, Yoona’s character was still nothing but a brat. Filming with the animosity and awkwardness between them was alright—not that Kibum let his personal feelings get in the way of his job; ever since his phone call with Han Geng he swore to do his absolute best with this drama, to achieve nothing short of perfection in all aspects. But he was glad Yoona was still playing his antagonist. Kibum dreaded filming the romance scenes—or worse, the kiss scenes—that were coming inevitably soon.

            The Kims weren’t particularly rich, but well enough off to provide for their sons.  Every day Kibum would buy the staff and his fellow actors vitamin drinks—and if they filmed at night, Kibum brought them coffee to keep them awake and warm in the summer breeze. Little did they know that when Kibum returned to his hotel room, the only food he ate was a packet of ramyeon.

            Better than the bribes of food and drink was the way he treated his coworkers. Kibum charmed all the female staff with his smile and melted the males’ iciness with his work ethic and manly behavior. He greeted everyone politely each time he arrived on set (on time, of course). He was the cast member to make the least NGs, and the only one to know his lines perfectly for every single rehearsal and filming. Even when rehearsal ran late, Kibum never complained. He thought of what Heechul would do in this situation, of Han Geng. He thought of Siwon and his impeccable manners, and he thought of the actors who suffered the same things he did and the staff workers whose jobs were so much more physically demanding. But most of all, he thought of you and just like that, he felt like everything was so much easier.

            Except the staff members didn’t know that. They just thought he was extraordinarily polite.

            Of course, there was a lot they didn’t know. Kibum was polite, but he was still the same shy boy he had been all his life, and he certainly hadn’t suddenly become the type of person to spill out his life story. Therefore, poor Kibum was more often than not mercilessly teased by the staff.

            Kibum was zoning out, waiting for his turn to enter the set while Yoona and the woman playing his grandfather had a scene together.

            “Staring at Im Yoona again, Kibum-ssi?” One of his new friends asked. Jehyun worked the lights and was also waiting for the scene change. He wasn’t handsome, per se, but a certain twinkle in his smile and his easygoing manner and dedication to his job made him ten thousand times better as a person, in Kibum’s opinion. Except when he was nagged by him.

            “No,” Kibum said automatically. He was used to this treatment. “Of course not. I was just thinking.”

            “About Yoona-ssi, right?”

            Kibum turned to face the grinning Jehyun. Before snapping, he realized that Jehyun knew nothing of his past and nothing of _____. So instead he said, “Yoona-ssi is pretty enough, but just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she’s someone I could like.”

            “She’s someone I could like,” Jehyun said with a dreamy sigh. “She’s better than pretty—she’s a goddess. And so talented at acting, too…”

            “Then why don’t you stop nagging me and confess to her?” Kibum said pointedly.

            Jehyun sighed again, much more hopelessly than before. “Of course not. Do you realize how popular she is? She’s new to the acting scene but she has so many uncle fans already. Besides, she’d never notice me.”

            Kibum felt sympathetic. He knew that kind of disappointment all too well. “You never know unless you try.” What’s the worse that could happen? She hates you and never talks to you again? Kibum felt sick. Did _____ hate him?

            Jehyun glanced at Kibum. “Your expression right now doesn’t have me very convinced.” He turned back to the set to daydream about Yoona some more when he noticed her heading over. “Oh, look, Kibum-ssi! Yoona-ssi is coming over here. What should I do? What should—“

            He cut off when Yoona walked right up to Kibum. Jehyun’s face fell and he quickly shuffled away, probably to set up lights. Kibum watched him go sympathetically, promising himself that he would later help Jehyun somehow.

            “Hi, Kibum oppa,” Yoona said brightly, dragging Kibum from his inner thoughts.

            “Hello, Yoona-ssi,” he greeted formally.

            Yoona frowned. “Oppa, how long have we known each other? Are you really going to be calling me Yoona-ssi?”

            “We’re at work, aren’t we?” Kibum replied coolly.

            Yoona turned away for a moment, frowning slightly to herself. She said quietly,

            “Oppa, I’m sorry.”

            Kibum blinked. “Eh?”

            “I know what I did to you was harsh,” Yoona said steadily. “And I’m so, so sorry.”

            “Sorry for what?” Kibum asked stoically, completely unfeeling of Yoona’s predicament.

            Yoona bit her lip and looked down in shame. “I’m sorry for walking away like that. You didn’t deserve that from me, especially after all those years together. You were so good to me, oppa,” she glanced up, eyes moist, “I’m sorry for what I did.”

            Kibum didn’t move, but he smiled gently and said, “That apology is the only thing I’ve been waiting for. It’s okay, Yoona. I’m over it.”           

            “Breaking up with you made me even more determined to become a great actor,” Yoona said, dabbing at her eyes. “I said I had to succeed to make myself someone you could be proud of.”

            “That’s not how it should be done,” Kibum reproved. “Acting is an art. You don’t just jump in like that. You waste everyone’s time and efforts by doing that.”

            Yoona just laughed, her smile lighting up the set more than the male staff could handle. Kibum remained unaffected but listened as she shared, “My very first time on a set, I spilled coffee on my costar.”

            Kibum opened his mouth to respond, but she quickly interjected,

            “No, no, that’s not even the end of it. I drank another cup of coffee on an empty stomach, so I held up the entire staff when I was sitting on the toilet all day.”

            Kibum made a face. Yoona pushed his arm lightly, teasing, “What, Kibum oppa? We’ve known each other for nearly ten years. This much should be okay.”

            Kibum could only nod. He didn’t hate Yoona, but he couldn’t say he was particularly attached, not quite yet. The only girl who had ever successfully wormed her way into his heart and stayed there was _____. Kibum doubted someone else could be that lucky.

                                                                                                               ~*~

            These past few weeks had been unbelievably hectic for you. You were racing through your classes, struggling to get to the top for the first time since freshman year. Grades never really mattered much, but thanks to a little extra push from Siwon, you were finally determined to do your best.

            And if it weren’t for the fact that you could see Siwon every weekend during your free time, you might have gone crazy. During the day you needed a distraction from work and at night, you needed someone to distract you and keep you from looking at your phone, waiting for Kibum to call. You were afraid to call him first—what if he said he was too busy to talk? What if some other girl picked up instead?

            So Siwon was the perfect distraction—quite literally, perfect. His face looked like it was sculpted from the gods. You could spend the rest of eternity staring at his face. His smile was even lovelier, even more of a distraction, although it wasn’t quite as stunning as Kibu—

            But nevermind that, because Siwon was more than just a pretty face and y body (although Song Qian insisted that those two factors alone were good enough). No, you liked spending time with Siwon because the more you got to know him, the more you found yourself comfortable in his presence. Talking to him was soothing, because he always had advice to share, even if it wasn’t really helpful for your situation, but he wasn’t quite as good a listener as Kib—

            All-in-all, Siwon made the best distraction and a great new friend. And each time you stole a glance at his dimpled smile, you wondered to yourself if you were willing to let it be more. Willing to replace the hole…he…had left in your heart. You complained about Kibum to Siwon once.

            "That's weird," Siwon frowned slightly. "The day he left—" 
            He cut himself off. What if she didn't know how Kibum felt about her? What if Kibum wasn't talking to her for a reason? Maybe by now he had already moved on with one of his costars. Siwon figured it wasn't any of his business, anyway.
            You looked at him suspiciously, "What? What happened the day he left?"
            "I just figured he would've said goodbye to you, of all people," Siwon covered smoothly. I hate to lie, but this is better for them both.
            You accepted his words readily, any suspicion quickly fading to sadness. "He's supposed to be my best friend. I thought he wouldn't stop talking to me about everything he was doing there, since he's fulfilling his dream and everything. It doesn't make sense. What if…" Your next thought hurt you too much for you to say aloud.
            Siwon's frown deepened. It didn't make sense. He supposed that he was right—Kibum really was getting over you.
            He quickly smiled at you, albeit a little too brightly. "Don't worry about Kibum. He'll finish filming eventually, and then I'm sure he'll explain himself."
            "I miss him," you said, too quietly for Siwon to hear, but he could guess at your words based on your expression.
            "You know what?" he said suddenly. "I'll be there for you. Whenever you need someone to talk to, I'll be there."
            "I probably look so pathetic," you laughed ruefully. "Like I have no friends besides Kibum."
            "That's not true," Siwon insisted. "You just look like you could use a real friend. A good friend who can understand how you feel."
            "You think you can be like that?" You looked up into his eyes. "Do you think you can understand me like Kibum does?"
            "No," he admitted. "But I can try."
            And he looked so sincere, so genuinely concerned, that you couldn't resist. Especially not when he had just accepted your rejection so lightly.
            You wrapped your arms around him and squeezed lightly. "Thanks, Siwon. I'm glad we can be friends. You're an amazing person."
            Siwon just chuckled, patting you on the back, thinking to himself, Kim Kibum, what do you think you're doing to this poor girl?           

            Siwon lifted your chin to smile at you, and when you smiled back, he couldn’t control himself.

            He kissed you.

            It was quick, innocent, but you were shocked nonetheless. “I—“

            Siwon kissed you again, this time slower, more deeply.

            He pulled away and bit his own lip. “That…was…not what I was expecting.”

            You pursed your lips, not sure if you were offended. He seemed to read your mind as he chuckled, “Not that you’re a bad kisser. But it didn’t feel like I thought it would.”

            “No,” you said it decidedly. “It didn’t.” You recalled him, and how he could set your heart racing with just a single touch. But here you were, standing an inch from Siwon’s face, wrapped in his arms, and your heart was still beating along at its steady rate.

            Siwon sighed, stepping away from you. “Looks like I’m losing my touch,” he said woefully. You hit his arm playfully.

            “That’s not true! It’s not you…it’s not even me. It’s just us. I like you a lot Siwon and I think you’re the best-looking guy in all of Seoul National Uinversity—“

            Siwon grinned teasingly. “Oh, really?”

            “Shush,” you admonished him. “What I was saying is that you’re a great guy…just not for me.”           

            Siwon smiled again, this time sincerely. “I think I feel just about the same you for you, _____. Friends?”

            “Friends,” you agreed, squeezing him one last time. “But I think I know a few other people who might be good for you…”

                                                                                                           ~*~

            Yet another week later—still without a single text from Kibum—you were talking to Siwon on the phone, on your way to hang out with Hyukjae, since you had promised him earlier. 
            "Mm," you said into the phone. "My day was alright. Classes are getting intense. We have to prepare for this project…"
            Babbling on and on to Siwon, you completely failed to notice Hyukjae waving both his arms in the air, trying to catch your attention while calling your name. You were so involved in your conversation that you didn't notice Hyukjae until he grabbed your arm. By instinct, you screamed, but he quickly clapped a hand on your mouth, shushing you, eyes wide.
            "It's just me, _____!" he assured anxiously.
            You removed his hand from his face and laughed out loud, trying to look stern and horribly failing. "I almost peed my pants!”
            He grinned. "Sorry!" 
            You heard Siwon's voice mumbling in your phone. As you brought it closer to your ear, you could hear that his voice was actually yelling for you.
            "_____! _____! Are you alright?!"
            You laughed again, reassuring Siwon, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Hyukjae oppa just startled me."
            "Hey, why don't you call me oppa?" he protested. 
            You reassured him again, saying, "I can call you oppa, too, if you want." You glanced up. Hyukjae was staring at you, looking noticeably less excited.
            "I have to go," you told Siwon hastily. 
            "Okay," he chirped. "I'll talk to you later?"
            "Sure! I'm hanging up first," you told him before shutting your phone and turning to face Hyukjae sheepishly.
            "Who was that?" he asked flatly.
            "Just Siwon," you insisted, not really sure why you were so anxious to appease him.
            "Are you two dating?" Something flickered in Hyukjae's face.
            "No, no!" you exclaimed, becoming more anxious to soothe him, despite not completely understanding his problem. “He’s just a friend. We’ve gotten pretty close over the past few weeks, that’s all.”

            “_____,” Hyukjae said, taking in a deep breath. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”

            You looked at him, instinctively knowing what he was going to say. “Okay,” you said softly. “Where do you want to go?”

            He ended up taking you to Kona Beans. He sat you at a table in the corner, where it felt like you two were the only people in the world. He twisted his hands together nervously. You stared at them as you listened to him speak.

            “The truth is…_____, I’ve liked you since I first saw you. I’ve liked you for years.”

            He glanced at you, but you were looking down. He hastened to continue, “I swear I wasn’t stalking you, but the first time I saw you walk into Kona Beans, I thought you were gorgeous. And then you came more often, and I learned your name and what you liked to drink and how you liked it made. I guess you were just a freshman at SNU at that time. When I finally worked up the nerve to talk to you…you stopped coming around.”

            He gestured to the front door. “Every day I stared at that door, waiting for you to come every morning at the same time you always did, smiling and greeting everyone politely like you always did. But you didn’t. For two years, I never saw you again.”

            Him. It was because of him, you wanted to tell Hyukjae, but the words were stuck in your throat. It was so unreal, hearing your own story told from the eyes of another. Hyukjae stopped fiddling with his hands to gently brush his fingers against yours, just for a moment. “And when you finally came back, you looked so different. Thinner, paler, and even though you smiled at me…it wasn’t the same. You weren’t happy. I had known you when you were happy, truly happy, and when I saw you walk in that moment I knew something was wrong. That you were faking it. And you were with another guy, whom I later learned was Kibum. But he wasn’t your boyfriend, so I felt like I could breathe.”

            Your heart burned at the memory. Kibum…

            Hyukjae watched your reaction, confused as inexplicable sadness crossed your eyes. He wanted to comfort you, somehow—so he grabbed your hand, holding it firmly in his. “I learned from Jungsu hyung that you had a boyfriend, even though he wasn’t Kibum. So I had to wait, again. I thought I was going to die from waiting for you,” Hyukjae cracked a smile. “But I waited two years to see you again, and I was so glad to see you come back to Kona, even if you came with another man. And you looked happier, at least a little bit.”

            “Hyukjae oppa, I—“

            “Let me finish,” he said insistently. “It seems weird, right? How I barely knew you but somehow ended up liking you so much. I waited so long for you, _____, please don’t make me wait anymore. Please tell me you’re not dating that Siwon guy, that you’ll go on a date with me and only me, that you’ll be my girlfriend.”

            You hesitated. No, you didn’t like Siwon like that. That had already been proven. “I…no, there’s nothing between me and Siwon.”

            Hyukjae looked into your eyes from across the table, leaning closer, his own eyes silently begging with you. “Then can you give me a chance? I like you so much, and even if you don’t like me yet, I could make you like me. I have my ways,” he added, his gummy smile setting his face alight.

            Something about that smile made you give in. Or maybe it was his words. For the first time, you wanted this. You wanted someone to make you happy. You wanted someone who wouldn’t make you wait a month for his call, you wanted someone you liked you to no end. You squeezed Hyukjae’s hand and maneuvered it so you could intertwine his fingers with yours. You smiled at him, pushing every painful thought of Kibum into the back of your mind, giving Hyukjae your silent acceptance. 

A/N: It's almost been a month 0_o I'm so sorry guys! You all were super supportive last chapter. Things will pick up in the next chapter, so it shouldn't take me too long to get out. Thank you for your support and patience...I hope you guys will still read and comment<3<3<3