They arrived at the gate. Juhan greeted PD Park and the assistant director.
“You’ve worked really hard during this filming. Thank you for shooting so well.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re the ones who should thank you. Have a good business trip.”
“Yeah. I’ll say hello again when I get back.”
Juhan and Eunsoo stood facing each other for a moment. Since they couldn’t just shake hands and leave, and from Juhan’s perspective, it was the first time being seen off by someone for a business trip, it was inevitably awkward. Fortunately, the camera captured it as if they were reluctant to part.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Eunsoo took a step forward. As she raised her arm to embrace Juhan, he instinctively lowered his body slightly, wrapping his arms around Eunsoo’s back. Eunsoo’s chin nestled on Juhan’s shoulder.
Eunsoo whispered softly, lips barely moving, “Answer when you return.”
Juhan nodded, and for a moment, it seemed like he was touching Eunsoo’s hair. Eunsoo slowly released her arms and faced Juhan.
“Well then, have a safe trip…”
Juhan covered Eunsoo’s cheek with both hands. The gaze looking down at Eunsoo was intense yet tender.
The thought, “No way,” and the surroundings darkening occurred almost simultaneously. Eunsoo’s eyes widened in surprise, and before she could react, Juhan’s lips pressed firmly, hotly onto hers. They stayed that way without parting, then with a sound, separated.
“Just gave the camera a little treat at the end.”
Juhan, who spoke very softly, gently stroked Eunsoo’s cheek with a regretful look. After lightly brushing away a strand of hair, he let go.
“If you miss me, call. Don’t worry about the time difference, call anytime.”
Eunsoo managed to nod.
“I’ll go.”
Turning around, Juhan entered the boarding gate. Watching his broad back with a backpack on one shoulder disappear behind the door, Eunsoo was suddenly taken aback by the tingling sensation at the tip of her nose.
What? Why is it like he’s really hard to send off?
She almost shed tears. Even though he’s only going away for three weeks on a business trip, the fact that she almost cried at the airport, where he’s not leaving forever, made her feel like she and Juhan would be labeled as a problematic couple.
After barely managing to control her expression and suppressing the lump in her throat, a belated sense of embarrassment overwhelmed her. In the middle of the bustling airport, and in front of cameras and broadcasting staff, the realization that she and Juhan had just kissed finally hit her.
While still feeling Juhan’s warmth on her, she was pressing her still tingling cheek with her palm when PD Park said, “Ms. Eunsoo, we’ll stop filming here when you leave the airport alone.”
“Oh, sure.”
Eunsoo traversed the increasingly crowded airport and went outside. After crossing the crosswalk and reaching the other side, PD Park approached.
“We’ll stop shooting here. Ms. Eunsoo, you’ve worked really hard.”
“You’ve worked harder than us.”
It felt lonely yet slightly regretful. PD Park and the assistant director seemed similar. After exchanging short words of thanks and joking that there was still a lot left to edit, they parted ways.
While getting into the station car and leaving the airport, PD Park made various comments with a tone that had become much more relaxed compared to the interviews.
“We said this program’s concept was an encouragement for love. You two fit that concept so well that we enjoyed shooting it. Just looking at you two made us think you’re a good match naturally.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I’m relieved.”
“By any chance… do you two have any plans for marriage…?”
“No.”
Eunsoo quickly added, wondering if it was cut too sharply,
“I’m still too busy.”
“I see. Well, you’re still young. Anyway, I think you two will have a really enjoyable married life, whenever it happens.”
Thank you, muttered Eunsoo as if crawling, and secretly swallowed a sigh while looking out the window.
Throughout the shoot, the subtle guilt seemed to grow.
Despite the affection and expectations for the couple she was in charge of, it was ironic that Eunsoo and Juhan had talked about breaking up around three months after the broadcast ended.
The car arrived near the broadcasting station without realizing it.
“Thanks to you, I arrived comfortably. Thank you for the ride.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you again when I go to to find the camera tomorrow, Ms. Eunsoo.”
After saying goodbye and getting off at a suitable place, Eunsoo immediately called Solhee. Solhee, who had said she would wait a moment since she would arrive soon, appeared in about ten minutes.
“Let’s go a bit away because the probability of meeting people we know around here is too high.”
“Sure.”
The two took a taxi and headed to a restaurant, a casual place with a wine bar.
“I’ll treat you to a full course today. You’ve worked hard shooting, and it’s not an easy decision to appear, so thank you.”
“It’s not like I’m doing it for free, though.”
Eunsoo forced a smile. For some reason, her emotions kept fluctuating. The slightly dull morning air at the airport a while ago, Juhan’s back as he entered the boarding gate alone, and the warmth that lingered on her cheek and lips, seemed to come to mind repeatedly.
She thought that if she successfully finished this fake couple role, she would naturally feel relieved and even cheer, but her thoughts and feelings became heavier, making her sink.
“But, you know, Solhee.”
“Hmm?”
“If… by any chance.”
Eunsoo, who had difficulty letting go of her luck, couldn’t easily continue. In Solhee’s mind, who was carefully observing her friend poking the fork into the boring salad, a hunch flashed.
“Wait a minute. Have you by any chance met Kim Juhan again?”
“Oh, no?”
“Not really? Really not? Even if not, you seem to want to talk about Kim Juhan.”
Feeling eerie from her ghost-like friend’s hunch, Eunsoo spilled the beans, barely plucking up the courage.
“Well, the thing is…”
He suggested meeting again, and I postponed the answer. I’m not sure if I was confused during the shoot or because I needed more time to think, so I decided to think about it a bit more. As Eunsoo explained, Solhee’s face showed a subtle expression.
She expected it, but it’s surprising that it’s really real. It was roughly that kind of expression. It was similar to when Eunsoo confessed that she was dating Juhan a long time ago.
“It makes sense. It was a good environment for various reasons. If there’s still a smoldering ember left between you two, it could happen even more.”
Solhee shook her head, saying that even if it were her, she wouldn’t have answered immediately. Encouraged by Solhee, who assured her that her only friend was not wrong, Eunsoo gathered the courage to reveal her deeper feelings.
“But I’m scared. Couples who break up are likely to break up again for the same reasons, you know.”
She thought that breaking up would feel like the world collapsing at that moment. However, it wasn’t like that.
It’s not as bad as I thought. When it’s about to collapse underfoot and barely rises, it suddenly goes out again, and I realized that it’s like struggling in the middle of a desert, sinking into a quicksand after parting with Juhan.
Will I be able to handle the constant fear of going through such emotions and times again? That uncertainty has been hanging over her, knowing that she might experience those emotions and times again.
Solhee, who was listening seriously, asked.
“Let’s start with this. What was the real reason you and Juhan broke up before?”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
