Is that the new beginning?

More Than Colleagues?

After the end of the set "Lovely Runner," Woo Seok and Hye Yoon rarely meet these days. They filmed together for almost 10 months, meeting at least four days a week, so they became like family. For Woo Seok, Hye Yoon is someone he cherishes and respects as an actress and a woman. Hye Yoon is such a nice person who treats everyone nicely and is energetic and supportive. For Hye Yoon, Woo Seok is like a neighborhood oppa, who is cool on the outside but inside is such a goofy, kind, and nice person. They have shared many intimate scenes, and even at that time, they felt like colleagues who were good to each other. But little did they know, they were so comfortable with each other that they seemed to mistake their relationship as merely colleagues, when in fact, they were growing closer, almost like a married couple, through the drama's end.

When they met again for Salon Drip, with many fans shipping them together, they felt something strange. Not long ago, they were like a neighborhood oppa and dongsaeng, but now something between them was different. Unlike the fans, they didn't realize it, but they acted like a couple all the time. Woo Seok began to see Hye Yoon as a beautiful woman, and Hye Yoon started to see Woo Seok as a handsome man. They talked and talked, but Woo Seok couldn't help but keep noticing Hye Yoon's beauty. Little did he know, Hye Yoon was also aware that he was looking at her, and she felt shy as well. They finished filming Salon Drip and went their separate ways due to their schedules. But at least Woo Seok said "sugohaeseo" and wanted to maintain the conversation. Hye Yoon wrote, "oppa do."

They also did separate interviews. As usual, Woo Seok was very supportive of Hye Yoon and always said good things about her. She remembered Woo Seok saying, "call me and I can treat you," but she was too shy to call him because she didn't want to take advantage of him, especially since their possible dating news was spreading like wildfire. However, only they knew they were not in that kind of relationship "yet." Hye Yoon felt shy when Woo Seok said, "she said she feels like she is looking at my back, then I will move forward to her." She didn't know if he was being flirty or not, but it still felt good.

After some time, they were not even close until their next vacation schedule.

Every cast member was scheduled to meet at the airport and go straight to Phuket, but as the news mentioned, Woo Seok was not able to join due to scheduling conflicts.

Hyeyoon joined the cast and they talked about Woo Seok too, saying it would be good to have him. Hyeyoon actually missed him a lot; they couldn't meet each other because both were busy these days. Hyeyoon barely noticed the days passing when she was working, but now she realized it was vacation time and she finally felt like running to see Woo Seok. She didn't realize it, but she kept talking about Woo Seok to fellow actress Seo Hye Won since they sat together.

Hyeyoon said, "Ah.. It would be better if Woo Seok oppa were going with us."
Hye Won replied, "Yes, exactly. His popularity is no joke. I'm so glad that our team is getting popular."
Hyeyoon continued, "Haha, Woo Seok oppa likes this candy. He eats three at one time."
"Woo Seok oppa always loves to try new food."
"I remember the scene when Woo Seok oppa cried so hard. He is so genuine."
"Woo Seok oppa ... Woo Seok oppa..."

As Hyeyoon noticed herself talking a lot about Woo Seok oppa, Hye Won realized it and teased her, "You miss him, right?"

Hyeyoon shyly said, "Of course, we all miss him, don't we?"
Hye Won replied, "Well, we all miss him, but you are still special to him."
Hyeyoon couldn't say anything due to shyness, and then they arrived in Thailand.

Little did she know that Woo Seok also missed her presence. He was currently on a fan meeting tour and rarely had time to rest peacefully. After the tour, there were events, then another tour, and then commercial shoots. There was no reason to rest since it was his first in 8 years of acting. He was happy even though he couldn't rest. At the end of the day, he was drained and had little time to think before sleeping, but in his mind, someone was always there—it was Hyeyoon. He liked her, yes, he liked her a lot, but he couldn't confess to her. He knew Hyeyoon was close to other co-workers as well and never thought she treated him any more specially than anyone else. Sometimes, he felt jealous when Hyeyoon treated other male actors well, especially those she had met in previous dramas and was close to. But what right did he have to be jealous? His schedule prevented him from dating, as he didn't want to burden someone when he couldn't even find time for himself. So, he was basically crushing on her alone, without anyone knowing, and hadn't told her his feelings yet.

At every fan meeting, fans would bring up his previous works, including the masterpiece "Lovely Runner," particularly the kiss scene. He had no choice but to keep looking at the scene, which made him miss her a lot. But what could he say? Sometimes he felt like SunJae himself, keeping his feelings and secretly crushing on someone. One night, feeling too tired, he made an excuse to call her just to hear her voice.

Wooseok: "Hello..Hyeyoon-ah, how are you doing?"
Hyeyoon: "Aw oppa, what a surprise! I'm good. How about you? You must be busy these days, right?"
Wooseok: "Yes, I am. I just wanted to know how your trip is going since I cannot come, haha."
Hyeyoon: "Aww, I'm packing right now. Most people are present. Oppa, you know Mr. Woo, right? He is also coming."
Wooseok: "Yes, the person who helped us during the swimming scene. So good. I wish I was there too."
Hyeyoon: "Me too. Take good care of yourself, though. You need to sing a lot, right? Also, oppa, these days AI is really great. They make songs with your voice and they are so good."
Wooseok: "You listen to the songs that AI sings using my voice?"
Hyeyoon (a bit surprised and shy): "Ah yes, unexpectedly, haha, but you should listen too. You'll also be surprised."
Wooseok: "Okay, I will."
Wooseok: "Hyeyoon-ah..."
Hyeyoon: "Huh...?"
Wooseok: "Nothing."
Hyeyoon: "Huh..? What?"
Wooseok: "I was thinking about coming, but it would be awkward, right?"
Hyeyoon: "Why would it be? You are the most welcome person there."
Wooseok: "I feel like it's not good showing up while reporters are definitely there."
Hyeyoon: "Haha, you should come secretly then."
Wooseok: "I will."
Hyeyoon: "What? Are you serious?"
Wooseok: "Haha, nope."
Hyeyoon: "What, oppa!"
Wooseok: "Good night, Hyeyoon-ah. Take good care of everything. Don't forget anything."
Hyeyoon: "Oppa, take care."
Wooseok: "Mm, see you."
Hyeyoon: "Okay."

Hyeyoon felt strange about the whole conversation. What did he want to say all that time? But it was good to hear his voice again. She couldn't help but smile, feeling warmth spread through her chest at the memory of their talk. Despite the distance and their busy schedules, moments like this reminded her of how much she valued their friendship and maybe something more.

Meanwhile, Woo Seok lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The sound of Hyeyoon's voice lingered in his mind, making him feel both comforted and frustrated by his inability to express his true feelings. He resolved to find a way to see her soon, no matter how hectic things got.

Little did they know, their paths would cross again sooner than they expected, bringing with it a chance to confront their feelings and the potential for a deeper connection.