Ji Hyo was exhausted by the time she finished her take for the day; she could barely walk – the sole of her injured feet had swollen badly and left her with a painful throbbing that she had to will herself to walk normally with whatever left of her strength. The limp had to be visible for she was half dragging herself but nobody seemed to be bothered to ask, not that she wanted them to. She steeled herself and put a blank face, intent on not showing her feelings. The cold sweat on her forehead told her that her fever might have been back and Ji Hyou could only hope that it wasn’t an indication of any infections on her injuries.

Too focused on her current goal – reaching the costume department without making a scene by collapsing out of exhaustion – Ji Hyo didn’t pay attention to her surroundings; she didn’t see that someone was making their way to her beeline until after a strong hand circle her upper arm.

Gasping in surprise, her reflexes kicked in before her tired mind could register who the owner of the hand might be. Ji Hyo flinched, jerking her arm with enough force to make herself stagger sideway by a couple of steps.

“Ji Hyo, it’s me,” Jong Kook announced himself quickly before she could panic, raising a hand placidly to calm her down. His other hand was still around her arm.

“Oppa!” Ji Hyo exclaimed breathlessly, fear shining for a second in her eyes before it was replaced by recognition. “Oppa, you scared me to death!”

Jong Kook stayed still, not pulling away nor tightening his grip and he waited until he felt her relax under his touch. His eyes searched worriedly into Ji Hyo’s, looking for a sign of panic or disorientation. He had a hunch of what she had been thinking a split second before – the younger woman must have thought that someone was out to attack her.

The knowledge was a hug blow, like a punch in the gut. The small involuntary reaction spoke high volume, telling Jong Kook what she had adamantly refused to tell him – that whatever had transpired between her and Chang Joo weeks ago had created deep scar, traumatising her. I’m not going to hurt you, Ji Hyo, he tried to communicate with his eyes but Ji Hyo had averted her eyes.

“I thought you went home,” she remarked absently, hinting that she did see him leave for somewhere in between her take.

He shook his head, vaguely noting the disappointment in her voice on the thought of him leaving. “I went to get you something to eat,” he told her, “and some painkillers.” The last three words were delivered in a whisper, respecting Ji Hyo’s wish to keep her injuries unknown. She glanced his way incredulously and Jong Kook raised an eyebrow. “What? Do you honestly think that I will leave you without saying goodbye?” Ji Hyo’s blush gave her away. “You have to give me more credit than that, young lady.” Jong Kook nodded at the younger woman. “Come on, let’s get you out of this dress.”

When Ji Hyo’s blush deepened, Jong Kook didn’t immediately realise what was wrong; it took him a second to get the reference and he was flustered. “Ah... I didn’t mean to sound – it’s not... I wasn’t...,” he stuttered.

Ji Hyo chuckled at his embarrassment but she was too tired to think of anything to with. She sighed in relief when Jong Kook seemed to take on; he moved closer to her, giving her the much needed additional support which lifted half her weight off the aching feet. She leaned on him gratefully, letting him lead them to where the costume department parked their trailer. It was such a blessing that he didn’t make a fuss about her feet, not that anybody else cared anyway.

Sun Mi was chatting with Ji Hyo’s costume artist when she saw her charge limping back to the trailer and she rushed to meet them. A question was formed in but a look of warning Ji Hyo cast her was enough to keep the question unasked. Nodding cordially at Jong Kook, she took over and helped Ji Hyo into the trailer.

Ji Hyo paused before she went inside. “Go home, Oppa. It’s late,” she said.

“I’ll wait,” replied Jong Kook.

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” she persisted.

“I’ll wait.” It was a definitive decision. They shared a meaningful look before Ji Hyo relented and went inside, mumbling something about him suiting himself.

Inside the trailer, Ji Hyo unceremoniously slumped into a chair with her legs stretched out. She didn’t need a mirror to know that she looked like hell – the look on Sun Mi’s and her costume artist’s face told her so.

“You look like something a cat dragged in,” commented the costume artist as she started to work, loosening Ji Hyo’s crown and everything.

“Wow, talk about being blunt. Thanks for inflating my ego,” replied Ji Hyo sarcastically, making the costume artist chortle with her antics. She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the two older women do all the work instead of helping as usual. “I’m so tired,” she exhaled.

“Did you get enough sleep?”

Ji Hyo nodded without opening her eyes. “I did – I just still feel very tired.”

Sun Mi swept a look at her charge and decided that Ji Hyo looked truly awful indeed – the dark circles under her eyes were prominent even under heavy makeup. When her eyes trailed down to the costume she was wearing, Sun Mi frowned – realising that the custom-tailored dress hung quite loosely around Ji Hyo’s body, indicating that the younger woman had lost a significant amount of weight.

“Maybe we should cancel tomorrow’s shooting,” she suggested. From the corner of her eyes she saw Ji Hyo’s costume artist nodded her agreement but Ji Hyo’s eyes snapped open in an instant.

“Don’t,” she warned, “Unnie, please don’t. I am fine.” I don’t need people to have another bullet to attack me with, she thought grimly. Canceling a schedule meant that she had to make it up later and that they had to arrange another filming schedule that would fit everyone; that was almost impossible to begin with without the complication of anyone postponing.

Contemplating her option, Sun Mi spoke up quite harshly, “I will have a word with Kim Jong Kook about being responsible with your health. Doesn’t he worry at all about his girlfriend’s health?”

Clicking her tongue impatiently, Ji Hyo huffed. “I can take care of myself, Unnie. Don’t go pointing fingers at Jong Kook Oppa – he’s in the dog house already,” she said.

“Are you two quarrelling?” the costume artist asked inquisitively.

“We’re not,” replied Ji Hyo firmly, her tone was menacing, “He wouldn’t be out there if we were, would he?”

“You said he’s in the dog house,” the older woman pointed out as she went to fold Ji Hyo’s outer dress.

The actress shrugged. “He just is,” she repeated as if it was enough of an explanation. She stood up to take off the rest of her prop clothes and winced when she put her weight on her feet. She lost her balance and had to find something for support, gasping from the pain.

Sun Mi frowned at Ji Hyo’s reaction and her eyes were suddenly drawn to Ji Hyo’s feet. To her horror, she saw how the prop shoes were blotted with blood. “Ji Hyo-yah! What happened to your feet?!” she exclaimed, immediately kneeling on the floor to grab at one of the younger woman’s feet. The panicked tone brought their costume artist’s attention and she also gasped in shock.

“Unnie, don’t speak too loudly!” Ji Hyo shushed the older woman, pointing outside. She was afraid that Jong Kook heard the manager. “It’s nothing.” She tried to pull away but now both her feet were in the tight grasp of two older women.

“Do you want me to call medic?” the costume artist asked worriedly; she was very careful when pulling off the traditional shoes and Ji Hyo’s socks.

Ji Hyo shook her head vigorously. “No, it’s fine – just a scratch,” she said pleadingly.

Sun Mi gritted her teeth. “Did Kim Jong Kook-ssi know?” Ji Hyo’s silence confirmed that. “Look, Ji Hyo – I know that he is your boyfriend and that anything that happens between you and him is none of my business, but I think this time I need to speak with him.” With that the manager stood up and walked to the door.

“Unnie!” Ji Hyo called out, “Sun Mi Unnie – please don’t!” But Sun Mi was already out of the trailer. Ji Hyo and the costume artist exchanged a nervous glance as they listened to a muffled one-sided conversation between Jong Kook and Sun Mi.

The costume artist bit her lower lip, feeling so out of place. She didn’t dare ask any questions but the situation was too awkward for her to stay. Not really knowing what to do, she decided that it was best to get Ji Hyo out of the bloody footwear and dress her wounds properly.

“Ji Hyo-ssi, did you walk barefoot?” she queried, wanting to distract the anxious younger woman.

Ji Hyo didn’t even feel the pain on her feet anymore – she was too occupied with what happened outside the trailer. Absent-mindedly she told the costume artist that she had, indeed, been running barefoot on the street. She was going to answer another question when the door to the trailer was opened from the outside and Jong Kook and Sun Mi stepped in.

A glance at Ji Hyo’s feet was enough to make Jong Kook feel guiltier. He closed his eyes and counted to five before going to Ji Hyo, kneeling beside her.

“Hey,” he called out softly.

“Hey yourself,” replied Ji Hyo lightly, not wanting to show that she was in a lot of pain. “You’re still alive I see.”

Jong Kook couldn’t help but smile at how easily the woman in front of him put him at ease. “I guess I’m lucky your Unnie didn’t have a sword with her.”

“You think this is funny, huh?” Sun Mi growled from behind Jong Kook, anger still hot on her head as she watched the pair banter like there was nothing wrong. The manager was going to continue berating them when Ji Hyo tilted her head to look at her with a pleading look. She shook her head and sighed in resignation. “I don’t know what I am to do with you,” she scolded Ji Hyo. To Jong Kook, she said, “This is the last warning, Kim Jong Kook-ssi.”

***

It was a little before midnight when Ji Hyo exited her trailer with her manager and ready to go home. She wasn’t surprised to see Jong Kook outside her trailer; she knew that he could be more stubborn than a mule when he set his mind to something. What she was surprised to see was the fact that Jong Kook wasn’t alone. He was conversing with Seo Jin.

“Ah, there she is,” the senior actor said when he spotted Ji Hyo walking towards them. He waved her greetings and relayed what they had been talking about. “I just told Kim Jong Kook-ssi here about how our shooting time works. Apparently he didn’t know that we can shoot twenty-four hours non-stop sometimes.”

“It just doesn’t make sense,” Jong Kook mumbled.

Ji Hyo shrugged non-chalantly. “You can’t blame us for living off coffee, now, can you, Kim Jong Kook?” Their eyes met for a second and Ji Hyo knew what he was going to say next because she shook her head and continued in a low tone so that only the three of them heard her, “You don’t want to say it, Oppa.”

There was an awkward silence among them for a split second before Seo Jin decided to lighten up. “It is tiring – but we have to do what we have to do,” he said neutrally, “ You both go home then. My break is almost up and I still need to find my manager. She promised me some gimbab. It’s really nice to meet you, Kim Jong Kook-ssi. I’ll see you in the morning, Ji Hyo-ssi.” With that, the senior actor left the three people alone.

“He is... something,” Jong Kook said, unable to express his real thoughts in front of Sun Mi, whom he still considered a stranger.

“That’s eloquent,” replied Ji Hyo in mock tone and Sun Mi nearly snorted at this reply. The manager excused herself to get their driver and left the two people to their element.

They said nothing to each other at first and it started to become awkward since neither was willing to break the silence – Jong Kook was quiet because he didn’t want to have to say goodbye to Ji Hyo, and Ji Hyo was quiet because she was too tired emotionally and physically to keep a straight face in front of this infuriating man before her. It was her who finally relented, though.

“Walk me to the car, Orabeonni?” she asked. Jong Kook only nodded in reply. They walked side by side to Ji Hyo’s van, careful not to brush against each other as they walked. The tension between them was so thick it was suffocating.

“They are being mean to you, aren’t they, Ji Hyo-yah?” was Jong Kook question when he finally opened his mouth.

Ji Hyo could act a fool and pretended she didn’t understand what he was talking about if she wanted, but she had been through enough emotional roller-coasters of late and had no filters left in her brain. “They just want me to stop making unnecessary scandals.”

“Did my coming here add fuel to the fire?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, my dear,” replied Ji Hyo. The term of endearment sounded like a curse in Jong Kook’s ears that he involuntarily winced. She ignored him. “Believe it or not, they see you as a victim in this – whatever it is.”

“I’m not a victim,” Jong Kook said hotly. “You are the victim here – and Chang Joo is...”

“A name you should never bring up, especially here.” Ji Hyo cut him off coldly. Her eyes bore a hole in his, daring him to say otherwise. “Every villain is a hero when the story is told the right way, Kim Jong Kook. You should understand that by now.”

Jong Kook didn’t have time to respond to her odd statement. From the corner of his eyes he saw something moving towards them and it took him a split second to react. “Look out!” He grabbed Ji Hyo’s arm and yanked her into his arms, effectively shielding the woman from a falling prop lamp.

The heavy prop landed with a loud thud, scattering sharp glass everywhere to the ground where Ji Hyo had just stood a second before. Everyone screamed and rushed to see if they were okay and to see the damage.

Ji Hyo’s blood rushed to her head and she could hear nothing but the loud buzz of her own ears and the sound of Jong Kook’s heart thumping wildly in his chest as she was pressed against him. She looked up. Jong Kook was looking down at her with a worried face but there was no visible injury or blood that she could see. You’re okay, she sighed inwardly. Her legs turned into jelly and the last thing she remembered before everything went dark were voices calling out her name and flashing red light of ambulance coming closer. You’re okay. 

A/N: Right.. so it's been forever since I updated this story. I have my reasons and I am not going to make an excuse for my reasons. I hope this update will quench your thirst (or set you on a murdering spree for my torturing the two again) for a while. I am not sure if I'm going to update any time soon but I am not abandoning this story.

Thank you for being so patient with me in this ride; I am so flattered in every good sense of the way. You are all great and you don't know how you are so great for my ego. See you on the next update, whenever that is.

xoxo