Chapter 22

Nine months later.

Na-Ri was just passing her first birthday. That was the cutest birthday party ever, full of balloons, cupcakes, detail decoration with little pony theme, and the guests wearing a cute hairpieces like crowns or unicorn hat.

One night, Jiyong and Chaerin are at home playing with Na-Ri.

“Daddy’s girl is getting bigger now.” Jiyong hold the giggling Na-Ri. She grews perfectly, she’s able to mumbles some words, her teeth starting to show up, and also now she’s ready to walk because she’s so active in crawling.

“Hey, babe, come here, there’s something i’d like to discus with you.” Chaerin said to Jiyong.

“Why it sounds so serious?”

“Its not, Jiyong.” She said.

He sat beside her in their sitting room’s couch. Chaerin gave him a bundle of papers.

“Drama script?” Jiyong gave Na-Ri to her.

She took Na-Ri and kiss her cheek, “Yup.” she said then doing a funny peek-a-boo to Na-Ri.

“You’re going back on screen again?”

“You said you’ll allow me after Na-Ri’s first birthday.”

Chaerin has been off almost two years from drama and movies. She only took some commercials and her last project was the reality show with Jiyong.

Jiyong nodded. “I won’t break my promises, love.”

“So, what do you think of the storyline?”

Jiyong flipping through the pages.

"Who's the lead male character?"

"Kim So Hyun-ssi." she answered.

As long as Jiyong remember they never met each other before, Kim So Hyun also known for his working prpfessionalism and he always waiting at his own van every filming break.

“Will there be a romantic scenes?” he asked.

She nodded, “It’s a romantic drama.”

“Will there be a kiss scenes?” he asked again.

She nodded again, “It’s a romantic drama.”

“Will there be a bed scenes?” he asked again.

“Yah! Kwon Jiyong!” she yelled.

“Yah! Lee Chaerin!” he yelled back, “I should know!”

“I know, but you can’t do this to me, or else I’ll be a boring actress, and no one will use me again.” she pouted.

Jiyong laughs. Na-Ri looking at her daddy and Jiyong took her from Chae.

“Baby, what do you think? What will the punishment for mommy if she does a touchy scenes with some random uncles?”

“Random uncles??” Chaerin rolled her eyes.

Na-Ri giggling again because Jiyong kisses her stomach.

“Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, tell me what you think.” Jiyong acting serious and looking at Na-Ri. “Do you think we can stand seeing mommy kissing some uncles?” he said while shaking his head.

And Na-Ri, since she’s on the stage of mimicking other people, she also shook her head.

“See??” Jiyong said to Chae, “Na-Ri doesn’t agree.”

Chaerin smiled. “What if…” she said and then covering Na-Ri’s ear, “everytime I have a romantic scene, you can do whatever you want to me at home.”

“Like what?” Jiyong blushed because of his own dirty mind.

“Like… tying my hands on our bed header, like you always want.” She whispers on his ear.

“Deal!” he said.

___

Few days later, Chaerin and her manager went to the first script reading with the production staff. She greeted some of the actresses and actors who takes part in the drama.

Not long after when they already at a hall sitting in a round table, the producer, PD Ra, came with the lead actor.

“Hi, everyone, I’m sorry that I’m a bit late.” He said, “actually I’m not late but we have a situation before. Our leading actor who should be Kim So Hyun had a minor accident during filming CF of a water park, so in the last minute we decided to change the lead actor.”

“Annyeong haseo…” he bowed to everyone. “I’m Kim Woo Bin.”

Everyone greeted him and then took place beside Chaerin.

Chaerin smiled but deep inside she knows she's in trouble. Jiyong won't like it.

“Hi, Lee Chaerin-ssi.” He bowed at her politely. “Its nice to be paired with you again.” he smiled. They worked together as the brand ambassador of Samsung commercial. About four years a go Samsung made a mini commercial movie and they were the lead stars of that movie.

“Hello.” She also bowed. “Can we drop the formalities? We’ve known each other quiet well back then.”

“Sure!” he grinned.

___

“Kim Woo Bin??” Jiyong his ipad right in Chaerin’s face.

“What the heck, Jiyong!” Chaerin was startled.

“I thought you said it was Kim So Hyun.”

“What’s the different?” she pretended like nothing happened.

“Of course they’re different, you never worked with So Hyun-ssi before and you never had any rumor with him. While Kim Woo Bin, you were gaining a huge rumor with him during the filming of Samsung mini series.”

“That was just rumor.” She said.

“Rumor because of your ‘too friendly’ off cam with him!”

“Come on, Jiyong, we were just being friendly to each other, for our filming sake, in that series me and him should act like a long time bestfriend who secretly fall in love to each other, while we just met like a week before, so as a pro me and him should talk to each other often so we can act better.” She explained, “and those rumor from the behind the scene video is just some fans exaggerating things, plus they add they’re own delusional thoughts. What can I say more? And what can I do to make it stop? Nothing. So I just let it go.”

Jiyong sighed.

“I don’t know why I’m explaining this to you, you’re my husband and the entire crew knew I’m happily married and having a beautiful angel now, fans are not making this another rumor for me working with him again, Ji, they won’t.”

Jiyong snugged into her.

“Come here.” She put her arms around him. Jiyong shrugged into her neck. “Don’t worry. I’ll go to work while I’ll leave my heart at home. Okay babe?”

He nodded.

___

Second day of script reading and acting briefing in SBS building, TV station where the drama will be aired, run smoothly, PD Ra explained to all team about the drama.

“As we read the script, this drama is about a long lost love. Woo Bin-ssi will play the male lead character, a successful lawyer who suddenly has to handle a divorce case of a very famous singer who turned out to be his ex lover. And the singer-slash-the female lead character will played by Lee Chaerin-ssi.” He said. “The twist will be in the middle, during the mediation of two parties, suddenly her husband change his mind and want to stay with her. The husband role will be played by Taecyon-ssi.”

All the actors nodded.

“Alright, after a short break, we will continue the script reading and also some explanation about the filming places.” PD Ra said.

“PD,” Chaerin raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“Will we have any filming outside seoul?”

“I think so… Is there any problem with that?” he asked.

“Its just, I have to make sure if I could bring Na-Ri with me or should I leave her with Jiyong.”

“Oh, your baby, right? I think the filming will only takes around three days the longest. so, yeah, you decide the best for it.”

“Oh, okay, three days is not long even if I should leave Na-Ri with Jiyong.” She smiled. "thank you."

Woo Bin came to her during the break.

“Chaerin!” he came with two glasses of coffee. “here’s for you.”

“Thank you.” She smiled.

“How’s Na-Ri?” he asked.

“You haven’t seen her, right?”

“Not yet.”

“She’s fine.” Chaerin said.

“I saw her picture everywhere, she’s adorable.” Woo Bin said.

“You should go to my house one day and meet her, she’s such an angel.” She said and then she laughs, “isn’t it awkward to praise your own child?”

He shook his head, “Not at all.” He said, “its been a while we don’t see each other and suddenly you already have a lovely family.”

“You should go and settle yourself with somebody, Woo Bin-ah.”

He shrugged his shoulder.

“Do you have any girlfriend now?”

He shook his head, “Nope.”

“Liar.” She chuckles, “I heard about Shin Min Ah-ssi.”

“Seriously, no one.” He grinned.

“Do you have someone you like?”

“Yes, you.” He said. And the laughed hard. “You know I was just kidding right?”

“I know.” Chaerin smiled.

They were quite close to each other during the