The Lucky Fans (LEE JUN HO'S FANFICTION // ENG VER)

22. Thank You

"Why did Jun Ho Oppa hug Rhea Eonni during the commercial shoot earlier? The director just asked you guys to look at each other!" Jennifer's question froze Jun Ho for a moment.

He could feel all eyes on him, and he knew everyone was waiting for his answer. Truth is, he had no idea why he suddenly hugged Rhea. But one thing was clear: he couldn't pretend when he was in front of his girlfriend.

The director had asked them to channel the longing of a long-distance couple by just locking eyes. And in that moment, Jun Ho found himself imagining how it would feel to reunite with Rhea after being apart. Naturally, the first thing that popped into his mind was to hug her.

"It was just improvisation," Jun Ho said, taking a swig of his soju.

"If that was just improvisation, then why are you drinking soju too?" Lee Teuk noticed the weird vibe coming from him.

"Oh, I just felt like drinking," Jun Ho shrugged.

"No wonder Jun Ho Oppa's acting feels so real. Lee Jun Ho, the first idol to win Best Actor at the Baeksang Awards. Do you still doubt his acting skills?"

What Ji Hye said was spot on. Pulling off improvisation during a shoot like that wasn't difficult for an idol who had snagged a Baeksang Awards for Best Actor. But... the body language Jun Ho displayed during the shoot earlier told a different story. Only a handful of people understood that body language, and Ji Hye was one of them.

-ooo-

Many people called her the Early Bird, and Rhea only realized it then. After a lively dinner filled with fun games, they all headed to their glamping tents right at midnight. But by five in the morning, Rhea was wide awake from her deep sleep, unlike the five lucky fans who were still cozily wrapped up in their blankets.

Not wanting to wake anyone else, Rhea tiptoed to wash her face and brush her teeth. She wanted to take a little stroll, maybe find an interesting spot to show off to Okta. Ugh, that woman always got annoyed if Rhea visited a cool place without her.

As she opened the door, the crisp autumn morning air greeted her. Walking a bit further, Rhea discovered a path leading to an area filled with benches and tables. It offered a stunning view of the Han River and was a perfect spot to catch the sunrise.

"Ugh! Why won't my phone turn on all of a sudden?" Just as the sun began to rise, Rhea's phone decided it didn't want to cooperate. She pressed the buttons repeatedly, and thankfully, her phone finally agreed to compromise, albeit after a bit of a struggle.

Against the backdrop of the Han River with the sunrise shining down, Rhea snapped a selfie to flaunt to Okta. Ah, it was so much fun to make Okta pout over trivial things!

A hand reached for the phone from behind, lifting it slightly higher so that both the owner of the hand and Rhea could fit into the frame with a better angle. Rhea was startled to see Jun Ho suddenly behind her. She was sure she was the only person at that spot. How did he appear out of nowhere?

"Hana, dul, set!" One photo was successfully snapped. Jun Ho handed the phone back to its owner, who now looked at him with suspicion. "Wae?"

"Don't tell me you were following me?"

"Nope. I just happened to be looking for some fresh air and saw you walking over here."

"And?"

Jun Ho flashed a smile, wearing an innocent expression. "Following you, of course."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. After not being able to sit together or hold hands while strolling the night before, their embrace felt far from enough. It was indeed hard to hide their relationship from everyone else. Jun Ho didn't want to keep it a secret; he was just waiting for the right moment.