During break on the Code Blue set, Yui was lazily reading some of the magazines lying around the place where the cast rest in between scenes.

  The staff members were busy preparing for the next scene, which did not involve her. She sighed heavily as she waited (impatiently) for her turn. At that time, she wished for nothing more than to go home and take a long hot bath to soothe her sore muscles.

  Despite her fatigue, she perked up a bit at the sight of her own self on one of the magazines' covers.

  Code Blue was the big feature for that edition, so she jogged her memory to remember which interview she and the other four main cast members did for it.

  After reading it through, she felt satisfied with her answers, and gave herself a pat on the back for being professional without sounding too boring.

  She couldn't help but laugh out loud at the hilarious quotes coming from Yosuke.

  "What's so funny?"

  Yui's head snapped up at the sound of that voice coming from her left. She saw a hot and bothered Yamaa Tomohisa bounding over and sank in the chair next to hers, fanning himself with one of the magazines.

  She smiled brightly at him while showing him the page she was reading, which he glanced at with little interest. 

  "I was just reading this interview we did for this magazine. Yosuke's answers were just so funny! Do you remember what he said?"

  Yui then remembered that Yamapi probably does tons of interviews every week, so it was highly unlikely that he would remember what other people said.

  Before she could apologize, he shook his head blankly and muttered, "Sorry."

  "Ah, I'm the one who should apologize for asking such a ridiculous question," she said hastily. 

   Yamapi hummed in reply, his attention already far away from her and whatever she was talking about.

  Sometimes it surprised her how the man can be so cheerful and funny in one second, and so devastatingly moody the next.

  She turned back to her magazine, now analyzing her appearance and poses for the camera. Frowning, she made a mental note to sometimes wear more flattering outfits in the future, instead of some baggy pants and long dresses.

  The young man next to her let out a deep sigh and slumped down in his chair. "When is this day going to end?" he moaned. "The only thing I want to do right now is to take a shower and go to bed."

  Yui glanced at him, surprised to know about their sort of similar wishes. "Me too. Our last scene is just a short one, so why can't they shoot it first and then let us go?"

  Yamapi turned his head to look at her and nodded in understanding. "I don't know why I'm so tired today. It's not like I had to do a rescue scene or anything like you." He closed his eyes bitterly.

  She laughed. "I myself didn't do any rescuing scene today, so I have no excuse now, do I?"

  He chuckled. She giggled and looked back at the cover of the magazine in her hand, oddly pleased that she was able to make him laugh.

  On the cover, Yamapi was flanked by herself and Erika, while Manami and Yosuke stood behind them. 

  She decided that she looked cute enough with her bright smile, but she noticed something weird about the singer/actor next to her.

  "Why do you always do that?" she asked him curiously.

  He opened his eyes to stare quizzically at her. "Do what?"

  "That thing with your lips. You always curl your lips when you pose for the cameras. It's like you were puckering but not quite. It's annoying, really." She gave him a disappointed look and shook her head unhappily.

  He continued staring at her, but this time blankly. He was clearly in denial.

  "Yes, you do! You always do this," she said, demonstrating with her own lips.

  Yamapi stared at her lips, appearing deep in thought for a few seconds. "Oh, yeah! I do!" He then had an embarrassed look in his face. "But do I always?"

  She nodded vigorously.

  "And you know this how?" His shamed expression had been replaced by a mischievous one.

  Stunned, Yui looked back at him, opening and closing as she tried hard to think of a passable reply.

  "I... happened to notice it... since we've done quite a number of photo shoots together. You know, for Code Blue." She nodded her head indignantly and looked away from him, now feeling extremely awkward.

  What he said next would bring even more awkwardness to the situation. 

  "I didn't know you paid so much attention to my lips."

  She gasped in horror and looked at him, her eyes wide and face reddening. "No! No! No! I just... happened to notice! I'm sorry! Just forget what I said!" she cried, possibly on the verge of tears.

  Yamapi just laughed at her. "I was just playing with you, Yui-chan. Take it easy."

  She calmed down somewhat, and gave him an embarrassed smile. He returned it and looked away at Charlie who was rehearsing lines with Erika at the nurses' station on the set, while Manami looked at them with boredom etched on her face.

  An awkward silence took over, which he broke a minute later to her relief.

  "Is it really annoying to look at?"

  Yui had to think for a second about what he was referring to. When it finally came to her, she went back to her defensive mode.

  "No! No! No! I was exaggerating. In fact, it's not annoying at all," she told him earnestly. "Just... Odd."

  He chuckled at her explanation. "Then what do you suggest I do?"

  She was surprised at the question. "Just smile normally," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I know men love to look macho all the time, but sometimes it's important to show that you're human."

  She was even more surprised to find him looking a bit crestfallen. "Why? What's the matter?" she asked worriedly.

  "I don't usually smile for the cameras. I think I look weird when I do," he said softly.

  "What? That's nonsense! You have a nice smile."

  He stared at her, touched by her honesty.

  "I've seen you smile off-camera, like the times when you make jokes, or laugh at jokes. I mean, we all have seen it, and it looks fine. Trust me. You should try it sometimes for your photoshoots."

  Still taken by her words, he gave a small nod. In return, she flashed him an encouraging smile and said, "Take it easy. You'll do great. I'm sure your fans would love it."

  He burst out laughing and then she joined in. He continued to look at her, while she picked another magazine to read.

  He watched her curl her lip when she was engrossed in reading. He watched her push her fringe away from her eyes. He watched as she cooed at a cute picture of a baby hugging a puppy, which she showed to him.

  He just couldn't bring himself to look away, and it scares him a little, but he felt that it was a good kind of fear. The kind that rewards you with good things if you work hard at overcoming it.

  After doing some deep thinking, he cleared his throat. "Hey, you want to go have dinner with me tonight?"

  She looked up at him in surprise, and giggled with confusion. "What? I thought you wanted to go home and rest."

  He shrugged. "I don't feel tired anymore. I feel hungry."

  Laughing at his typically boyish trait of forever needing to eat, Yui was surprised that her own exhaustion had totally disappeared. She wondered what made things change, and stared at the man next to her who was still waiting for her answer, rather nervously.

  "Come on, it will be on me, I promise. You can teach me how to smile better," he told her teasingly with a smile that needed no repair, in her opinion.

  She laughed again at him and agreed to his invitation. With this man, she just couldn't say no sometimes.

  She had a feeling that this "dinner" (she was too embarrassed to say 'date' even in her own head) will be the start of something special for the both of them. And she couldn't wait.

  By looking at the way his eyes always lingered on her when they shot their last scene for that day, she knew that he couldn't either.

  FIN