The city was recovering from yesterday's storm. As if nothing had happened, the morning sun shone outside the window. Workers were clearing the streets of fallen trees, utility poles and pieces of roofing that had been torn from buildings. Thank goodness the power had come back on while everyone was still asleep.
Do Hwan was awoken by the sun's rays brazenly streaming through a gap in the curtains. He sat up in bed, stretched and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Only then did he realise that he wasn't in his own bedroom. Slowly shifting his gaze to the other side of the bed, he broke into a smile as he recalled all the tender moments of the previous night.
SoMi was sleeping soundly beside him, hugging her pillow. Do Hwan tucked a blanket around her and tiptoed out of the bedroom, striding confidently into the kitchen to make breakfast and coffee. Soft music played on the radio, setting the mood for the day ahead. He's happily danced along to the lively beat, swaying his hips with skill.
Pancakes sizzled on the stove and coffee brewed, filling every corner of the house with their aromas. Waves of fresh morning air poured in through the slightly open window. Never before had Do Hwan's day begun so successfully and brightly.
While Do Hwan was working his magic in the kitchen, SoMi woke up. She heard the sounds coming from the kitchen and then remembered what had happened the last night. The memory of yesterday brought a happy smile to her face, causing her to bury her head in her pillow, overwhelmed by both embarrassment and joy.
A light, fresh breeze crept into the bedroom from behind the door. SoMi finally crawled out from under the blanket, pulling back the curtains to let the sun's rays into the room. She threw on a light silk robe and tiptoed to the kitchen, where the aroma of delicious pancakes wafted from the stove.
She was just about to say hello to Do Hwan when she suddenly stopped, hid by the wall and watched the cheerful scene unfold. A guy in baggy athletic shorts and her apron stood by the stove, his bare torso exposed. He swayed his hips to the music and sang into a pancake spatula.
SoMi immediately recalled the moment when she had danced in the same way by the stove while he had stood in the corner watching her. She bit her lip, staring at his broad, muscular shoulders. This was the first time SoMi had seen Do Hwan looking so sexy. Well, no. This was the second time. The first time was that evening when sauce spilled onto his favourite white T-shirt and he had to take it off. True, SoMi's friends had also seen his toned torso, but that didn't matter anymore.
As he finished making the pancakes and carried the plates to the table, SoMi decided to reveal her presence so that he wouldn't notice she was watching him.
"Oh, SoMi, you're awake already," he chirped cheerfully.
"Good morning," she greeted him calmly, settling into a chair.
"How did you sleep? What did you dream about?" Do Hwan asked, pouring some fragrant coffee.
"I slept well — it was sweet," she replied modestly, first glancing at Do Hwan, then at his torso peeking out from under his apron.
"Glad to hear it," he beamed, taking off his apron and sitting down at the table opposite her.
"For breakfast today, I made pancakes with strawberries and coffee," he said, presenting his handiwork.
"Thank you. It looks delicious." She took her first bite and broke into a satisfied smile. "Delicious! My mum used to make these for me, too. Hers always turned out so soft and fluffy."
Do Hwan simply smiled in response, savouring his own portion.
"The electricity's back on in the house. After breakfast, I'm heading straight to my place and then to the shoot."
"Right. I'm off to work too. It looks like they'll be offering me a new project today."
"But you're an author, too, aren't you? Your work should be edited, not the other way around," said Do Hwan, sounding a bit indignant.
"Yes, but the book is still being prepared for publication. I won't receive any royalties from it until it hits the shelves in bookshops. For now, I have to make a living by editing."
"Uh-huh, you're right," he mused.
"By the way, Do Hwan…" she suddenly sad to him. "Let's not rush things for now. You have your acting career, which is taking off quickly. If people find out about us, it'll be difficult for you. You know that yourself. For now, it's just the two of us who know about this. We'll only see each other at home so we don't get caught red-handed."
"Oh, what a shame. I was planning to tell everyone that we kissed yesterday," the guy said sarcastically.
"Do Hwan! I'm serious."
"Okay, okay, I know. We have to stay out of the spotlight and keep quiet. Who else would know that but me? Besides, I'll get into trouble at work if they find out. According to my contract, I'm not allowed to be in a relationship while I'm employed there. It's one of the strictest conditions, and it's not worth breaking," he said, finishing his coffee.
"So we're on the same page," SoMi exhaled with relief.
"All right, I'm going to head out now." He stood up from the table, put his plate and cup in the sink, and stepped close to SoMi. "Maybe we could do what we did yesterday again sometime?" he suggested, kissing her. "Mmm, so sweet." He left, leaving SoMi to come to her senses alone.
While putting on his shoes in the hallway, he noticed a set of door keys in SoMi's bag.
"I think she said there weren't any keys in her bag," he recalled, smiling slightly at the thought.
Everything has only just become clear. SoMi lied about the keys because she wanted Do Hwan to stay for the night. For them both, the keys became an excuse to spend time together. If it weren't for the keys, nothing would have happened last night except for the storm outside and two lonely nights' sleep, each in their own bed in a stuffy bedroom.
Do Hwan's day was moving at a slightly faster pace: the drive to the studio, makeup, costumes — and now he and his co-star were shooting the first photos for the posters and the main shoot for the upcoming drama based on SoMi's book.
After an unsuccessful attempt a few days earlier when he had ruined the shoot, he was now trying to give it his all, fully immersing himself in his work. With every shot, the photographer praised him and encouraged him to keep it up.
Actress Kim Se Ra tried her best to charm Do Hwan, but he remained indifferent, focused solely on his work. She couldn't understand why he was so cold towards her — after all, last time they were burning with passion. Today, however, she was the only one making a move. What was she doing wrong?
There was a calm, relaxed atmosphere on set today, as if everyone was enjoying the process rather than just doing their jobs. Do Hwan saw no one but the camera in front of him, only occasionally glancing at the actress shooting daggers in his direction.
Suddenly, among nearly a hundred faces, he spotted a familiar silhouette that he wouldn't mistake for anything else. It was SoMi, who had also been invited to oversee the photo shoot today, just like last time.
This time, she was alone without Director Kim. Director Kang Seok Yeol was chatting away next to her. He was probably explaining his vision for each scene of the upcoming drama. That was just his style. Do Hwan had been trying for a long time to catch SoMi's eye, but the photographer kept bringing him back to work with a gentle reminder each time, having noticed that he was getting distracted.
Finally, their eyes met just as the photographer called a break because Do Hwan was no longer working properly. SoMi smiled slightly and looked away shyly. He just scratched the back of his head, having once again disrupted the shoot because he'd become distracted.
Snacks and coffee had been ordered for the entire staff and had just been delivered. The staff rushed to sort through the order. Do Hwan wasn't opposed to having some coffee himself. He literally snatched up the last two iced lattes, which the young stylists almost took right from under his nose, giggling and whispering to one another.
By the time almost everything on the table had been taken, SoMi came over to pick something out too. She took a sandwich, but there was no coffee left. Just then, out of the blue, someone held out a glass of the iced latte she loved so much. She looked up — it was Do Hwan. He seemed to be scanning the table to see what was left while handing SoMi the coffee. She glanced around. No one was looking their way. She took the cup silently and smiled at him, receiving a smile in return.
Work continued.
Late in the evening, once everyone had finished work, they slowly began heading home. SoMi was waiting for Do Hwan because she had just received a short message: "Let's go home together." She had to wait quite a while until all the staff had gone home so that no one from the crew would see them together.
As she walked past the lead actress's dressing room in the hallway, SoMi overheard a very interesting conversation.
Kim Se Ra was sitting in a chair in front of a mirror, with her manager standing next to her.
"Do you think Do Hwan and I would make a good couple?" she asked, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
"I think so. You both did a great job today."
"No, I'm not talking about our characters in the drama. I'm talking about us in real life. Just imagine the headlines: "Rising star Kim Se Ra and the actor of "Bloodhounds" were spotted out together."
"What made you think of that all of a sudden?" the actress's manager asked.
"Haven't you noticed the chemistry between us? Last time, there was a spark between us – I could feel it. He likes me."
"As far as I'm concerned, he's just doing his job well. He's an actor and he's good at playing womanisers."
"Ugh, you just don't get it," she sighed, touching up her lipstick. "He's definitely into me. Either way, he'll be mine," she declared. Then she spun abruptly towards the door as if she'd heard a rustle.
Thank goodness SoMi wasn't there anymore. She'd sensed just in time that it was time for her to go.
Shuffling down the hallway as she waited for Do Hwan, SoMi replayed the actress's words in her head. Silly thoughts began to creep into her mind: "She's right — they look great together! On-screen couples are always more interesting to people. But who am I? I'm nobody. Just an ordinary editor trying to make a name for herself."
A wave of silly thoughts suddenly washed over her, but it was stopped by Do Hwan. Without slowing his pace, he grabbed SoMi by the hand and pulled her towards the stairwell. He closed the door behind him, checked quickly to make sure no one was there, and did what he'd been dreaming of all day. He kissed her.
SoMi was completely overwhelmed by Do Hwan's unexpected gesture. This wasn't the first romantic thing he had done recently. How could she doubt that she was the leading lady in her own drama, titled 'Reality'? All her doubts vanished in that very moment, like ashes. His heart was now in SoMi's hands and there was simply no reason to doubt his feelings or be jealous of him for no reason.
They returned home together in a taxi when they knew they wouldn't be seen together anymore.