“No I’m fine. Just continue what you’re doing. Don’t worry I’m perfectly fine. Always fine as usual.” Realizing that his right hand was trembling, he held it with his other hand. Joong Ki tried to act normal but he failed this time. The rising actor emphasized the word ‘fine’ too much that it made Gwang Soo even more worried.

“You’re obviously not fine. What happened? I saw you talking to Ji Hyo noona at the balcony. Did she say something harsh to you?”

“No it’s not like that. I kissed her.”

Gwang Soo put his knife down and covered his mouth with his two hands. Although Joong Ki could not see his friend’s mouth, he knew that he was smiling from the way his eyebrows lifted and his cheeks turned red.  

There are only two persons that Joong Ki was comfortable enough to have a conversation with when something bothered him. The first is Jong Kook hyung and the second is his same aged friend, Gwang Soo. However Jong Kook was more like an elder brother to him, someone he went to when he was looking for protection. On the other hand, Gwang Soo was a best friend to him, someone he trusted more when it comes to love life.

Joong Ki told Jong Kook that he was in love, but he never told the hyung who the woman was—although in the end Jong Kook figured it out by himself. Well, Gwang Soo got the complete version. He knew the story from the very first time, even the detail he had memorized well. So honestly it was a good news for him although he felt bad for Jong Kook. He didn’t want to betray the commander but he also wanted to be happy for Joong Ki. In this case, he decided that he was in Joong Ki’s side.

“Wow, this has turned into a drama!” Gwang Soo couldn’t help but laugh happily after being speechless for a moment.

“Jong Kook hyung saw everything.” Frustration was in Joong Ki’s eyes.

“Wow, it is a drama…” there was a sudden change in Gwang Soo’s expression. He could now understand the reason behind Joong Ki’s frustration.

The two stood in the silence. Both of them could not figure anything to say. Luckily Jae Suk came in and broke the silence as he questioned the boys.

“Hey, what are you two doing here staring each other without saying anything like that? It’s scaring me. Are you two started to grow feelings for each other?” He laughed as he put his hands on Gwang Soo’s and Joong Ki’s back.

“Yah Hyung, how could you say something like that?” Gwang Soo started a quarrel with the older guy, making Joong Ki chuckle.

“Seriously, you guys looked like you were just about to kiss or something!” Jae Suk was as talkative as usual. He always knew how to make people laugh and that was one of the things Joong Ki loved the most about this particular hyung.

“Stop it, just take this with hyung and go!” Gwang Soo jokingly put the plate full of pieces of cake on Jae Suk’s hand. The elder man took it happily as his eyes scanned the yummy looking cake.

“I’m definitely leaving!” Jae Suk walked away from the kitchen with satisfaction. What he wanted was something to eat after all. However before he completely stepped out of the kitchen, he turned to ask again.

“By the way, do you know what’s wrong with Jong Kook? He went home a couple of minutes ago saying that he had a headache. Does that have something to do with Eun Hye? She looked uncomfortable and left early too.”

Joong Ki and Gwang Soo were both quiet. Pretending to know nothing was the best thing to do. Casually Jae Suk left to join Suk Jin after believing that the boys didn’t know anything.

“So what was noona’s response?” Gwang Soo continued the conversation after he made sure that no one could hear them.

“I don’t know, I was afraid to see it so I ran away after kissing her.”

“Aiissh, you’re making this too hard for the audience to really understand the drama Joong Ki-yah. Please don’t give me an undone story. Didn’t you take a peek—Just a tiny little peek? Didn’t she smile or say something?”

“No I didn’t dare to look back. But she’s blank Ji Hyo, I’m 75% sure she was blank as usual.” Joong Ki leaned his body on the wall comfortably as he got calmer than earlier.

 “Yah, what are you planning to do now? You know that Jong Kook hyung is probably going to kill you, right?”

“I’m more worried that he’s probably going to kill himself Gwang Soo-yah.”

Jong Kook closed the door behind him. He just told his friends that he had a headache and that he wanted to leave earlier. Jae Suk offered to give him a ride but he refused it politely. Of course the headache was just an excuse. Although secretly he admitted that he was too mentally unstable to be able to drive home safely.

So just like that he stood leaning to the door thinking about what happened. The kissing scene couldn’t get out of his head, making him even more eager to punch the wall beside him. How he wished he was made of steel so he wouldn’t be bleeding if he really tried it.

Jong Kook heard what Ji Hyo told Joong Ki before the kiss. He heard her confessions about all the things she missed from him but somehow it worth nothing for him now. That kiss could change everything. Especially after all the things Joong Ki had done for his noona.

He was full of dilemma. Joong Ki wasn’t wrong for doing that since he had loved Ji Hyo long before him. Besides, their relationship was already over and now Ji Hyo was not his to lose. But something kept bothering him: the fact that he was still madly in love with her.

Slowly Jong Kook sat on the carpeted hotel floor. He felt his two legs were too weak to lift his body up. Vacantly he stared at the elevator located at the end of the hallway. How can I ever reach the elevator if I can’t even stand on my feet. He couldn’t imagine how awful he would be if he drank that night.

 Like an old man, he tried really heard to stand. Every step he took was so small that it almost concerning would he be able to reach the elevator. First step, second step, third step. He counted it like he had nothing else to do besides concentrating on walking stably. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen…

 He stopped at the eighteenth step. He was still a meter away from the elevator when he heard the door was opened. When Jong Kook turned his body around to see who it was, he saw Eun Hye standing far behind him.

“Oppa did I do anything wrong? Do you really want me to get out of your life that much?” suddenly she said with a flash of hurt in her eyes.

“What are you saying? What is this about?” Jong Kook was confused to hear her sudden words. Honestly he had nothing going on in his head that had something to do with Eun Hye. He didn’t even remember that she attended the party too. All he could think about at that time was the kiss and he didn’t want any other problem to appear in such a bad time.  

 “I thought we were okay. I thought we were friends again, oppa. But you take everything so seriously.” Eun Hye kept on talking without even realizing how confused Jong Kook was. She thought Jong Kook left the party early because of her.  

“What are you talking about?”

“If you don’t want me on the show, just tell me. I’ll leave if that’s what you want.” She said, still not giving Jong Kook any reason about her hurt feeling.

“Please calm down and tell me what this is about!” Finally Jong Kook lost his patience.

“This is about you avoiding me all night. You left the party early because of me, right? Just admit that you hate me, oppa!” Her voice was loud but was also trembling as she spoke. It was quite obvious that she was going to cry.

“Stop talking nonsense. I don’t hate you and I didn’t leave the party because of you, alright? How much did you drink anyway?” He grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

“Then what is it about?” She said coldly, not believing Jong Kook’s words.

“It has nothing to do with you. It’s none of your business.” Like a sharp blade he said that to Eun Hye in an unfriendly tone. Jong Kook was not his normal self. He wouldn’t say something so impolite if he was in his usual state. Even if he was annoyed he wouldn’t behave like that.

Being treated like that, Eun Hye could do nothing but standing still with half opened. Never in her life she had seen Jong Kook acting like that before. Painfully she looked down and walked pass him toward the elevator. Quickly she pressed the button and waited for the door to open.

Realizing what he had done, Jong Kook chased her and grabbed her hand tight in his grip.

“I’m really sorry. That wasn’t my usual self. I didn’t mean that.” He said with a low and regretful voice. He waited for Eun Hye to say something but it was a useless waiting. From a quick glance Jong Kook noticed that she was crying. He finally gave up and told her the reason.  

“Please, I’m so sorry…. It was about Ji Hyo. I can’t control myself when it comes to her.”

“All you think about is Ji Hyo noona all the time. Don’t you ever think about me anymore?!” She let go of his grip and pressed the elevator buttons a few more time, wanting to get away from there as fast as possible.

“What the hell did you mean?” Jong Kook couldn’t decide how to act. He felt guilty yet he wanted to get away from her so bad. But then she started to act like a woman he used to love a long time ago. All he had thought about was Ji Hyo but then she showed up and making things even harder. How could he get away from something so complicated?

Then suddenly the elevator doors were opened. Eun Hye quickly went in, followed by Jong Kook who was still waiting for her answer. He couldn’t let the conversation end with a big question mark. He wanted everything to be finished right there.

Although she hesitated, Eun Hye couldn’t help but letting out things she had on her mind without even filtering it. The look she had in her eyes was unreadable but her speaking tone was brief and full of emotion.

“I hate you! I really really hate you for making me fall in love with you after rejecting you back then! I really really hate you for dating Ji Hyo unnie and still thinking about her after breaking up with her! I hate you for almost kissing me and I hate you for—“

“—If you really wanted that kiss so much, I’ll give you.” Jong Kook said without thinking thoroughly and pressed his lips against her skin, making the young woman surprised.