Backstage | Kwon Soonyoung

18.

A/N Happy Valentine's Day.

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Yerim looked at Mina's unusual behaviour as she pushed her food around. Knocking the table that her friend seemed to find an interest in, Yerim smiled, "What's wrong? Is it work? That celebrity you ran into?"

Mina had but one friend she could open up to. Finding solace in her company, Mina spoke, "I'm conflicted about something."

"About?"

"About Kwon Soonyoung or Hoshi, whatever you want to call him," Mina observed the tiger print on the borders of the tablecloth in the Indian restaurant they were in, beautifully portrayed in colourful shades of red, orange and yellow. "He messed up. Soonyoung was at my office again and he's making what he wants pretty obvious. And I like it too."

Mina blinked, remembering the heated kiss on her office table. She looked away, "But I don't think I'm ready yet."

Yerim took a bite of her food, eyeing Mina carefully. Mina had always been a difficult cookie to crack, considering the number of layers she'd built over herself. She couldn't keep anything to herself, always needed someone to tell the sadness in her eyes or the tragedy in her life. Her personality required her to be honest but her habit meant lying. So when Mina said she wasn't ready, Yerim knew it meant she was afraid of letting him through the walls she'd created, through the lies and towards the truth.

But Yerim was a prosecutor. Propping one last bite into her mouth, she gently tapped the corners of her lips with the napkins there. With a calm voice, Yerim advised, "If you're afraid, obtain surety first."

Mina looked at her friend, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Test him."

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"Hoshi-yah, where were you yesterday?" Woozi asked, spotting Hoshi on the dorm couch, "We went out for dinner at your favourite restaurant and you cancelled. Everything alright?"

"Yeah." Hoshi spoke with a grin, "I was at Mina's shoot."

Woozi looked surprised, "The one from the GoSe episode? Wow. I didn't think you had it in you to ask her out after everything that happened."

Hoshi was sensitive to his surroundings. He was extremely intuitive and could sense when something was off. As a result, he needed just as much cheering as much as he cheered everyone up. An equivalent exchange, be it emotional or physical. That was Hoshi's requirement. So when he'd lost quite a lot to a woman he barely knew, Jihoon wasn't sure Hoshi was going to pursue it. He'd feel too indebted, would give too much, receive too less and end up hurt. Hoshi knew that and still sought her? Unheard of.

"Yeah, I—I don't know what came over me," Hoshi spoke honestly, scratching the top of his head, "But when I saw her in that hotel, with that guy... I couldn't help myself since then."

Jihoon's eyebrows rose at his friend's shy face as Hoshi's ears grew red. "You have it bad, huh?"

Hoshi shook his head, "You have no idea."

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Mina walked into her office, watching everyone prep for the post-production editing rally. Snacks had been gathered, sleeping bags had been brought out and two new air-fresheners were brought out for the dingy editing room. Editing almost always took many days straight, with no proper sleep and no going home until a satisfactory episode had been achieved.

Shrugging, Mina found her seat next to the assistant and the writer. Cracking her knuckles, Mina announced, "Let's get this episode started!"

The first few hours were filled with enthusiasm. The team was new and editing for their first episode was exciting. Opinions were shared and changes were made for a promising outcome. Ten hours into editing, however, with the sun slowly creeping back up and sleep finally catching on, the members grew weary and sleepy. It was tiring of course as they were still a few hours always from finishing it.

"Let's take a fifteen-minute break and start after some coffee." Mina looked around at how tired everyone looked, "I'll go bring coffee."

"No need." Everyone turned to a sudden voice from the doorway. A tall, dark-haired man, leaned against the door, coffee in his hand. He seemed familiar somehow but Mina couldn't quite put a point on it. Who was he?

"Who are you?" Mina asked, surprised. He was wearing a suit unlike the other employees there, meaning he was either someone higher up on the ladder or not an employee at all.

The man handed out coffee to the members not answering Mina, turn by turn. The members took the coffee hesitantly, not sure what to do with it. Turning to Mina last, however, he offered his ID before coffee, Mina glancing at it with a confused expression.

The man was a managing director at the SBS, surprisingly, being one of the higher-ups she needed to watch out for. However, it wasn't his designation that caught her off-guard but his name. Looking back at him, with his gelled back hair and expensive suit, Mina recognised him, eyes wide, "Min Seuk-ssi? From the hotel that day?"

The man grinned, placing a hand in his pocket, "You finally got my name right, Mina-yah."

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