'No! I've planned this for 13 years now, there is no way I will fail!' Holding on to the rose in her hands, she whispered with much intensity in her voice, 'At the hottest moment, I will take you down in the coldest way!' while crushing the blood red petals that used to belong to that rose she was holding. Her eyes were shining with fury and her lips quivered as she spoke.
'Cut' shouted the Director! 'Well done! It's a wrap for Lee Rael today, we will move on to the other scenes with CEO Kang and So Ra!'
Yeaji thanks her co-stars and the director while saying her goodbyes.
Manager Ryu passes Yeaji her Starbucks tumbler but after a sip of the drink, she realised it was not her favourite drink, Iced Americano that she was drinking, but plain water. She looked up, initially irritated that her taste buds were not satisfied, but it gradually dawned on her that there can only be a certain someone who would tease her this way.
'He's here?' she wondered, narrowing her eyes as she scans around, looking for her favourite person.
There he was, wearing his usual black cap and casual attire, speaking to Sang Yeob at the back of the studio.
10 minutes ago...
'Hyung, pass me Yeaji's tumbler. She's been drinking too much coffee these days because of her filming schedule... her fans have been asking her to drink more water instead of caffeinated drinks! I'll go fill it up and come back soon!' Soo Hyun said to Manager Ryu and ran off to run the errand.
He came back into the studio and bumped into Sang Yeob who was surprised to see him.
'Yah Kim Soo Hyun! It's been a while since we last met! What brings you here? I didn't know Gold Medalist colleagues were so close with each other to even come visit their colleagues on set! Hey, isn't that Yeaji's tumbler? Eh ehhhh!' Sang Yeob broke into a sneaky, sly smile pointing at the object held in Soo Hyun's hand. He tried to hide the tumbler behind his back but it was too late, raising more suspicion from Sang Yeob. Soo Hyun signaled Manager Ryu to get the tumbler from him.
Sang Yeob continued to tease while showing a cheeky face. 'There is something going on between the two of you right? I remember Gold Medalist sending a coffee truck, that's pretty normal, but colleagues from the same agency coming on set? Unless...'
'Yah Hyung! Hyung!' Soo Hyun frantically tried to think of a topic, hoping to change the subject. 'I really enjoyed watching Sixth Sense! I mean the production crew coming up with those options... I, myself am fooled! I mean, like that episode that featured the ramen place that allowed customers to choose their ingredients by weight. Wow! I was so sure that place was real and was intending to go to that restaurant to try it. Who knew it was a fake place!' Soo Hyun rumbled on while speaking casually to Sang Yeob.
Seeing Yeaji walking towards them, Sang Yeob pat firmly on Soo Hyun's shoulder and whispered, 'Don't worry about this, it's safe with me. I know you will protect her fiercely and I have seen how your agency works differently to make sure she is protected from nasty Kmedia and Knetizens. She's a nice girl, treasure her! Or else Seo Eun-Pyeong will end up chasing after her! Here comes your girl with her tumbler...'
'Oppa, I'm done with my shots for today. 'Fighting!' for your remaining shots and I'd see you tomorrow!' Yeaji said to Sang Yeob and bowed goodbye as she normally does when she ends her filming schedule for the day.
She stole a look at Soo Hyun, greeted him formally and left to get changed.
'You guys are funny!' Sang Yeob let out a stifled laugh. 'Go, go! I'd catch up with you another time.'
Soo Hyun said his goodbyes and followed after her together with Manager Ryu.
'Someone's going to get into some trouble later!' Manager Ryu said to him while they walked down the corridor to the make-up room.
'Wae?'
'She was obviously expecting to drink her favourite IA after her shot! But of course, the irritated look on her face faded away when she realised who would actually have the audacity to change her drink. You should have seen the change, the subtle smile on her face when she found you through the crowd of back-stage crew talking to Actor Sang Yeob. So maybe, you wouldn't be in too big of a trouble later.'
'Hyung! I haven't seen her in weeks, and this is one of the little ways I can help her keep healthy! I wouldn't want her to revert to those days when she drank 8 cups of coffee in a day! Jeoldae andwae!' Soo Hyun said in an earnest and serious tone.
'Ne, ne... Nae dong saeng Actor Kim all grown up, taking care of his loved one.' Manager Ryu teased.
They entered the make-up room and there sat Yeaji, with her eyes closed getting her make-up removed, allowing her make-up artist Maeng to skillfully do her job.
Now that they were in the room with people they both trusted, he took a bold move and sat on the stool next to her. He held her hand and brought it to his lips, causing her eyes to crinkle and the corners of her lips to turn upwards.
'You're here.' She said in a gentle and deep tone, the voice he was so attracted to.
'Neo mu bo go sip-eoss-eo' he replied tenderly. A sudden smack on his shoulder broke him out of his reverie.
'Yah, Actor Kim! Can't you see that I'm trying to remove her make-up? You making her instantly smile isn't helping me get my job done properly!' Maeng exclaimed in a joking manner, making Yeaji chuckle even more.
'Mianhae, I'll help to pack up then...' Soo Hyun sheepishly answered, and joined his Hyung to gather Yeaji's items.
After a few minutes, Yeaji was free to go. They thanked the people in the room and bid them goodbye. Manager Ryu reminded Yeaji about her schedule the next day, to be at the outdoor location by 4am the next morning.
They went on their way to her house in his BMW i8, his hand not leaving hers as he skilfully handles the steering wheel with the other hand. She looked at him in bliss but was reminded about her drink that was replaced and decided to tease him, wanting to indulge in witty banter with her best partner.
She played with his fingers and asked, 'So, what happened to my IA? And you also didn't reply my message, or tell me you were coming!'
'Well, you did say during the interview with The Swoon that you'd be ok if your best friend doesn't reply immediately! It was meant to be a surprise for you too! As for the IA, your fans would be happy to know that I did them a favour to get you to drink water instead of caffeinated drinks. You should have seen their posts when they found out what you ordered from the coffee trucks that they sent! They are concerned about your health, and so am I.'
Yeaji pouts after hearing what he said, knowing full well that there was no way she could win this banter. 'Nae, I'd drink less caffienated drinks next time,' she obediently answered.
His car stopped at the traffic light at that point. He looked into her eyes and stroked her hair, praising her he said, 'Good girl'. They smiled at each other, soaking in this blissful moment, one that they thoroughly missed, and they both knew that this memory will be one that will spur them on in their relationship.
___________________________________________________________________________
They reached her house, and she proceeds to the shower to wash up. Manny and Ssulti were at her parents' house during this period when her filming schedule is erratic. It is almost dinner time and instead of ordering in, he decides to whip up something for her. Compared to her, he was not very good at cooking. But he has recently gotten better as he spent his time trying to perfect cooking ramen, something not too difficult for him.
She comes out of the shower and sees a man concentrating on cooking. He fumbles with the tongs that he used to put the noodles into a bowl. Only after a few seconds did he notice that the bowl he was holding was getting hot, leading him to exclaim as he puts the bowl on the kitchen top. She smiles to herself as she sees this sight. This clumsy 35-year-old dork who doesn't cook much, whipping up dinner for them.
Yeaji hugs him from behind and he responded, 'Careful, it's hot!'
'You should have used those oven mittens you bought for me when I baked the cookies for the crew! Don't hurt your hands because I still want you to hold my hands in future.' She shyly said while lying her head on his back.
He giggled and enjoyed the moment, knowing full well that she only showed this side of her to people she loved most. Riding on her comment, he asked cheekily, 'Ramyeon meokgo galrae?' Receiving a playful smack on his back.
Soo Hyun placed a bowl of ramen on the table and directs her to sit. She eats first, humming in approval as she enjoys the ramen he cooked for her.
'Nomu mashiseoyo, you're getting better at this!' she exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up. He finally sits at the table, slurping up a mouthful of noodles. Yeaji laughs at him as his cheeks fill up like a squirrel. Surprised by her laughter, he looks at her with his eyebrows lifted, wondering why she was laughing at him.
She leans in and pecks on his lips. 'Thank you for the meal'.
Giving him another peck, she said, 'Thank you for taking care of me'.
And her last peck, she lingered a while longer than the other two. 'Thank you for loving me'.
Soo Hyun, with his mouth still full of noodles, took a while to let what happened sink in and they both ended up giggled shyly at each other.
They caught up with each other after dinner as they cosied up on the sofa, describing in more detail what they could not say over the video calls that they had, or in the messages they sent over the period of time they were not able to meet each other. Simple gestures of love - holding onto and caressing each other's hands, a gentle and loving touch on one's cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning on his chest, softly rising and falling with his breath, listening to his heart beating as they embraced each other - all these were simple pleasures to them.
'Saranghae Yeaji ya'
'Saranghae Soo Hyun-ssi'
They shared a prolonged kiss, a deeply romantic one after being apart from each other for a long time, not wanting to break away, ending with an intimate and sweet gesture, rubbing their noses against each other as they cherished each moment spent with each other.
Being in a relationship and maintaining it is tough enough. Being a celebrity couple where Knetizens and Kmedia are always on a lookout to point out and make what is false look true, or to blow things out of proportion, made maintaining a relationship even harder. They both know that choosing to keep a low profile about their relationship status while still maintaining their love will continue to be an arduous journey for them. But they were committed to keep this going, for as long as none of them gives up, because their love was worth fighting for.
________________________________________________________________________________
'But piece by piece, he collected me up
Off the ground, where you abandoned things, yeah
Piece by piece he filled the holes that you burned in me...
He takes care of me
'Cause he loves me'
I know the meaning of this song was written about Kelly Clarkson's father, but I thought certain parts of the song can be seen in a romantic way as well. It could be someone who helped in forgetting an abusive partner, a toxic relationship that one had...