Too Close For Comfort

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Manager Jun watches as Shin Hye’s eyes immediately lit up when Keun Suk enters the music hall and sigh. She has definitely caught something more dangerous than the flu bug. He follows her gaze as she gives her co-star a smile and a high five. Keun Suk immediately returns the favour, his famous disarming smile correctly in place. This guy couldn’t just be flirting with our Shin Hye, is he? He mutters under his breath and shakes his head. He knows he has to do something before these two get things out of hand. As her manager, he knows it is his job to look after her, protect her interest and see to it that she never ever gets hurt. Sensible as she already is, he is perfectly aware that the heart could often cloud reason and the way things are going, he knows it wouldn’t be for long before Shin Hye’s heart clouds her perfectly rational, albeit young, mind. Manager Jun is beginning to get worried and as he locks eyes with Manager Lee who is just coming in, trailing behind his own ward, he knows he should start asking questions from the right sources.

“Tell me, what is really up between those two?” Manager Jun asks Keun Suk’s manager point blank as they both settle in the gallery, watching the A.N.JELL practice their upcoming performance for the Drama Awards the following night. The four stars are horsing around onstage – Hong Ki jumping up and down, doing air guitar, Yong Hwa trying on the drums, banging his head along with the sound, and Keun Suk doing dorky dance steps with Shin Hye. It is obvious the four really missed each other’s company and the managers couldn’t blame them. Being close in age, they really hit it off when they were filming the drama. The camaraderie they had was translated onscreen and registered well with the fans. It was the selling point of the drama, the cast and crew had all both agreed on that. The chemistry between the A.N.JELL members were the one which sparked a remarkable cult following that made the drama a hit not only in Korea but also in international markets, if the growing influx of netizens who rave about the drama online could be believed.

But one thing we didn’t expect to have is a love story! Manager Jun thought as he waited for Manager Lee’s answer.

The latter gave him a thoughtful look and shrugged. “Keun Suk doesn’t really discuss what he feels about his friends with me,” comes his evasive and safe answer.

Manager Jun laughs. Of course you would feel less scared. Your talent wouldn’t be much affected with a scandal, would he? He wouldn’t be the one getting attacked by anti-fans. “Come on, let’s not be blind. You see what I see. It’s right there before our very eyes just now.”

“Have you tried asking Shin Hye the same question?” Manager Lee asks. He perfectly understands where Manager Jun is coming from. Of course he is alarmed by the growing closeness between their two talents. Business-wise, he knows the ramifications of Keun Suk publicly dating or liking anyone. An unattached Keun Suk is more marketable as a brand than an attached one. Women fans can really get jealous and possessive whenever they want to and he as a manager is very aware of that. But what Keun Suk believes and wants is another matter. And these past few weeks, the boy has really been getting transparent on what he wants. It has been the first time in years since he saw Keun Suk open up to a girl. Oh, he has always been caught flirting with everyone, that’s a fact. He even flirts with news reporters during interviews. But getting too close for comfort with a girl like he is doing right now? That is a rare Keun Suk phenomenon. He has never seen him so happy like this for a long time. He is enjoying her company. And as much as he wants to give Keun Suk a business advice about his obvious growing affections with Shin Hye, he has been deciding against it for the time being. He is enjoying himself too much. I would hate to interrupt it for now, Manager Lee tells himself every time he gets alarmed when Keun Suk talks about Shin Hye in shows and magazine interviews.

But now that Shin Hye’s own manager is getting alarmed, he thinks he needs to speak to Keun Suk real soon.

“I am afraid to ask because I don’t want her to confirm what I already know,” Manager Jun admits to him squarely.

Manager Lee smiles at his colleague, nodding his head knowingly. “Look, we are on the same boat. We both want to protect their interests at all cost. And I totally understand where you’re coming from. I would hate to see Shin Hye become the subject of gossip columns and scandals among the fans. She certainly deserves her privacy. But don’t you think we ought to talk to them first so we will know what to do?”

“What do we tell them? Stop liking each other? Stop being so happy together?” Manager Jun asks rhetorically. He looks at Shin Hye who is now practicing the duet with Keun Suk onstage. He would hate to wipe that smile off her face. He doesn’t have the heart to dictate her like that. Besides, meddling with her feelings is no longer part of his job description. But still, he needs to protect her from the harsh realities of the entertainment business. And if Keun Suk really cares for her, he would definitely understand.

Manager Lee laughed at his questions. “Here’s a deal, I will talk to Keun Suk about this and tell him our concerns and you will deal with Shin Hye yourself. He will listen, definitely. But I cannot promise you that he will actually do what he doesn’t want to do.”

“Fair enough,” Manager Jun agrees. “I will make Shin Hye understand the situation.”

Keun Suk laughs incredulously at his manager’s suggestion. “You’re kidding me, right?” he asks. “You’re telling me to stop getting close to her in public,” he repeats, wanting to make sure he heard it right.

They are on their way home from the rehearsals when Manager Lee decides to bring up the subject to him, taking advantage of Keun Suk’s good mood. “I didn’t mean you should stop getting close to her in public. I’m just suggesting that you should minimize wearing your heart on your sleeves,” he explains.

Keun Suk’s eyes widens at his figurative language. “I’m not wearing it here,” he jokes, touching his sleeves. “It’s right here for everyone to see!” he says, pointing to his eyes.

Manager Lee gives a short laugh. “I’m serious, Keun Suk. Look at it this way. It’s for Shin Hye’s benefit, too. Would you like her to get anti-fans? I read somewhere online that she has already been receiving hate mails and comments on her sites. Would you like her to get more, all because you two happen to like each other?”

Keun Suk frowns. “I didn’t know about her getting hate mails because of me. I know my fans. They like her. They would never do that to her or to anyone I like.”

Manager Lee sighs. “Not everyone who likes you likes her, too. And her manager is getting worried about it already, which I totally understand. You must admit Keun Suk that it is better if we do not attract attention towards the both of you for the time being. The drama has ended. You both are moving on to other projects. You must try to separate your personal life from your career this time around. She is also an actress. She has her own career to build and maintain. We wouldn’t like for her to miss out on opportunities just because she is constantly attached to you, right? I wouldn’t like that to happen to you as well.”

Keun Suk looks at him thoughtfully. “You know me, Manager Lee. When I feel for someone, I give all out. I don’t know if I can restrain myself when we are together in public. But I get your point. Maybe I am doing her career a lot of harm than good if I won’t stop talking about her in public.”

Something in his voice tells his manager that he is affected by what he just told him and Manager Lee smiles inwardly. He has really started to care about her. “Explain it to her, too. Her manager is afraid to ask the obvious but I think he is starting to get miffed guessing about the real score between you two,” he tells Keun Suk. “Which reminds me to ask you exactly the same thing – what is really going on?”

Keun Suk flashes his boyish smile. “I like her, a lot. And I have the feeling that she likes me, too. But I could be wrong,” he shrugs, evading to answer the obvious.

The night of the drama awards, Keun Suk scans the red carpet, looking for the one face he wants to see at the moment. A sea of beautiful faces parades in front of him as he anxiously waits for her entrance. I want to see in your eyes that you understand my message, he prays as his eyes strains for a glimpse of her. Then something red catches his eye just before the flashbulbs obscure his line of vision. Look at you, he muses, his eyes feasting on the sight of her, elegantly dressed in a simple red dress adorned with a black belt. Tell me, how could I stop myself from getting close to you tonight? He asks her, waiting to catch her eyes.

I will do something tonight that is totally against my will. But I have to do it to protect you and me. Please understand. I will explain it to you later.

The text message he sent earlier is what on Shin Hye’s mind as she catches him looking at her from the other side of the hall as she makes her entrance. She smiles at him briefly and gives him a curt nod. She will be lying if she says she is not affected by his message. It sounds ominous but she knows she will have to wait for his answers. For now, prepare to get shocked, Shin Hye, she tells herself, bracing herself for the worst.

Ah, I get it. So someone told you to ignore me in public, Shin Hye muses as reality dawns on her. She is standing in front of all her sunbaes and colleagues in the industry, receiving an award with Hong Ki and Yong Hwa, while the very person she so wants to share it with and receive a congratulatory pat in the back from just walked past her like she is not there. What, not even a glance? She screams at him with her eyes as he hands another trophy to the actress standing beside her. She knows it is just an act he is trying so hard to pull through but she still feels the hurt of being ignored on national TV. Hold back your tears, she tells herself sternly as they threaten to blur her vision. She tries to catch Hong Ki’s and Yong Hwa’s attentions just so she can smile to ward off the tears. He didn’t mean it! she tries to pep-talk herself. His cold act is just totally out of character for him that she feels it like it is for real. You better give me a good explanation, Oppa!

She has felt something was off with him when they were performing earlier as A.N.JELL. He kept avoiding her eyes and he looked strained. It was awkward to look at him, too while they were singing the duet part of the song because she couldn’t catch his gaze. It was either he was closing his eyes or averting them from her. It was weird and she was taken aback by his reaction. But now, she has finally confirmed that he was really avoiding her on purpose. I know this is all pretend but it still hurts.

“Did you see that?” Keun Suk asks Manager Lee inside the dressing room as he prepares to change for his second costume for the night. “I just ignored her in front of everyone else. It was foolish. She won an award, darn it! But I was so afraid to even just glance at her because I thought about what you said.” He is fuming mad, he knows it, but more to himself and the situation than to his manager.

“You don’t have to ignore her, Keun Suk. You just have to treat her like everyone else,” Manager Lee reminds him. He feels sorry for him. Keun Suk really acted totally not himself out there. He could almost hear the fans reactions to it right now.

Keun Suk looked at his manager squarely and says, “That’s my problem, Manager Lee. She is not just like everyone else.” He takes a deep breath and walks out of the room calmly, a smile falsely plastered on his face.

As he comes out of the door, he catches Shin Hye emerging from her own dressing room a couple of feet away. He looks at her until she turns her eyes towards him and bows in acknowledgment. He quickly mouths “Let’s talk later” and gives her a warm smile before he walks past her once again. He hopes she understands what he is doing tonight. Acting like a total jerk in front of you is no fun, you should know that. He mutters under his breath on his way to the stage.

Looking at him receiving not one but two awards makes her so proud that Shin Hye has momentarily forgotten the pain of being snubbed by him earlier. As he delivers his speech for the second award, he looks at their table for a moment and beams proudly. It is your time to shine, Oppa, Shin Hye thinks as she joins in the clapping. She smiles at him proudly, totally elated and happy for his recognitions.

When Yong Hwa and Hong Ki stand up to congratulate him onstage, she restrains the urge to follow them so hard it crushes her heart to pieces. Why can I just freely do what I want to do towards him? Her heart cries out stubbornly.

Up on the stage, Keun Suk’s mind is reeling with happiness and frustration. Now I actually feel how I made you feel earlier, Shin Hye. We just won awards but we can’t even congratulate each other freely. This whole thing sucks!

As the credits on the screen starts to roll and the awards show is concluded, Keun Suk quickly runs to where Hong Ki, Yong Hwa and Shin Hye are sitting and smiles to them excitedly. Time to play the real me!

The guys cheer him on as he takes a seat beside Yong Hwa. “Two awards when we only got one each? Ah, you definitely owe us a round of drinks, Hyung!” Hong Ki exclaims as he gives him a high five.

“And dinner,” Yong Hwa quickly adds, smiling.

But Keun Suk barely hears their comments as his eyes searches for Shin Hye’s. He wasn’t expecting much from her after what he did tonight but he never expected her next move either. Her eyes are smiling proudly at him as she gets up from her seat, walks towards where he is sitting and gives him a surprise hug.

Keun Suk feels a tug at his heart as he returns the embrace. “Hyungnim,” he hears her say, playfully tugging at his collar. “I knew you’d been waiting for a hug from me all night. Wish granted,” she whispers to him meaningfully, in mock sarcasm.

They both laugh. He knows he has just been forgiven and that makes him a lot happier and more grateful than the two awards he just received. You just reminded me again why I keep looking at you all this time, Keun Suk tells her with his eyes.