Our Story - Binjin

Chapter 16: Invitation to The Swindlers VIP Screening

Hyun Bin's Apartment

Hyun Bin has been locked in an argument with himself for the last few days. Yes, with himself.

The VIP screening date for The Swindlers has been confirmed and he was deciding on who to invite as his guests. Even though it says VIP screening, it's actually quite a casual event, more like a gathering of friends, with press coverage. It really wasn't difficult to decide on who to invite. He already had thirty plus names on his list and he pulled that together in ten minutes.

What was he arguing about with himself then? Not many people have this impact on him. It was again due to our blissfully unaware Ye-Jin. He had been struggling with whether or not he should invite Son Ye-Jin. Don't be mistaken, he really wanted to have Ye-Jin at the screening. He was arguing with himself because he couldn't conclude in what capacity he was inviting her.

A normal person will not be able to understand why there was even a concern. Ye-Jin was Hyun Bin's co-star in The Negotiation. Everyone knew they were good friends. No one will raise an eyebrow if he invited her. It was perfectly normal.

Hyun Bin could have also easily gone this route and saved himself the headache. But if he did, he wouldn't be Hyun Bin. He has always been a straightforward person. He was not naive enough to believe that everything can always be either black or white. If anything, the entertainment industry probably has more shades of gray than anywhere else on the planet. But he is uncompromising in his own personal standards. At least in his controllable space, he has always tried to minimize the grays and be honest with himself.

He mentally sighed. He had subconsciously avoided facing up to his personal relationships for the last couple of months, resulting in it growing to this murky shade of gray in his mind. He had been busy but that's no excuse. Now that he's considering taking an action i.e inviting Ye-Jin, he wants to make sure he's clear on his own intention. He's willing to admit he had avoided delving too deep earlier because he was not ready to face what he would find. It's not like he acted on any of the turmoil going through him so he technically didn't do anything wrong but he knew he fell short of his own moral standards.

He had already faced up to one part of the equation. He admitted to himself that his relationship with Sora was not love – not for him and he suspected not for her as well when she turned down his invitation to the VIP screening. He had already decided to bring up the issue with her when they met after the VIP screening. This will at least untangle one of the knots in the situation. He was very clear that Ye-Jin had nothing to do with his relationship with Sora. The timing may look ambiguous to outsiders but hand to heart, Hyun Bin knew they would have the same ending with or without Ye-Jin.

The second part of the equation was the one he was afraid to face. Son Ye-Jin. He wanted to be honest with himself but he really didn't have answers – he just couldn't figure out what she meant to him. His logical mind tells him it cannot be love, he doesn't know her well enough to love her. Then it can only be an infatuation. But if it was an infatuation, then this has to be his first infatuation ever. He cannot recall ever feeling and acting like this because of anyone. To add to the confusion, what then are his previous relationships if this is not love and merely an infatuation?

Can you see why Hyun Bin is confused? He has been going in circles since the day he decided he needed to be honest with himself.

Back to the matter at hand, which is the screening. Hyun Bin tried to rationalize from another angle. He has already been brutally honest with himself and he really still doesn't know what Ye-Jin means to him. If he has to place her in a social relationship bucket then and now, she can only be classified as a friend. That's not deceit or cheating right? Hyun Bin slowly nodded, agreeing with his mental self. Yes, she is currently a friend and he has no intention of changing anything now. He can invite her as a friend.

He took out his phone and started to text, before he changed his mind again.

[Bin] Hello Ye-Jin, its been awhile. Hope filming is going smoothly.

His phone beeped and he jumped a little. He wasn't expecting an immediate reply.

[Ye-Jin] Hello Bin! Has it been about four months since we last saw each other? I'm close to finishing filming 😊 It's been great working with Ji Sub oppa but I'm really looking forward to a break. How have you been? I saw articles about how tough filming for Rampant is. Are you keeping well?

Hyun Bin felt a warmth spread from his chest at her message. She was following his status. He forgot about all his convoluted debates earlier. As always, she always made him feel comfortable and suddenly it felt natural to be messaging Ye-Jin.

[Bin] I'm envious you're close to completion. It's tougher than I expected. There are many physical scenes and it's challenging. I work closely with the stunt team but it's hard to totally avoid injuries.

[Ye-Jin] Oh dear, are the injuries serious? I know you want perfect takes but you have to be careful of injuries. You're athletic but still not a professional stuntman. You have to know your limits.

Hyun Bin smiled, his dimples deepening and the warm feeling grew at her praise and concern.

[Bin] Okay, I know. I'll be careful. Has your filming been smooth?

[Ye-Jin] Yes, quite smooth. Lol, that is, after Director Lee got over my hair cut. Thank goodness Ji Sub oppa was there to help with the Director.

Hyun Bin's smile disappeared a little. Ji Sub oppa. That was the second time she mentioned him. The name was starting to grate on Hyun Bin's ears.

[Bin] Sounds like you get along well. That's good given it's a romantic script. (As if, Hyun Bin muttered to himself)

[Ye-Jin] I worked with Ji Sub oppa when I first debuted, so its like an homecoming of sorts. Like meeting your family after a long time. In fact, I had put extra effort to get into character. Thank goodness the script is about a mature, sacrificial type of love rather than your passionate, romantic one. But I had a good time filming. Screening is likely going to be in Spring next year. I'll invite you to the premier when the time comes!

Hyun Bin smiled again, family was good. Hyun Bin has always admired So Ji Sub, he is a very talented and dedicated senior actor.

[Bin] That's great, actually, I wanted to invite you to the VIP screening for The Swindler's. Its happening on 22nd Nov. Will you be available?

[Ye-Jin] Oh dear. I would really love to be there. But I'll be in Hawaii during that period. I'm so sorry Bin. I'll definitely make it to your next movie's screening – Negotiation aside :p

Hyun Bin was a little disappointed but he could feel her disappointment too and it couldn't be helped if she had plans.

[Bin] That's okay, are you there for work or holiday?

[Ye-Jin] Holiday! I'm spending about 10 days in Hawaii with my team and then taking off to LA for 2 weeks to visit some friends. Are you envious? 😊 just kidding

[Bin] I am. I'll be hard at work through the holidays. Have fun for me too. LA is lovely. I was there a few years ago for a movie shoot. I should go back one day and enjoy it as a tourist and catch a good baseball match.

[Ye-Jin] I'll remember you when I'm there :p Work hard, your break will come after. Again, I'm sorry I can't make it to the screening, here's wishing the movie will be a box-office hit.

Hyun Bin sat on the sofa for quite some time after their conversation, he was feeling tired after his mental debate. He scoffed at himself after a while, was it really that complicated to invite a friend to a movie screening? Look, she can't make it at the end of the day. Then he sighed, maybe it's good she's going to be traveling for a while. He's happy she gets the break she deserves and for himself, this will buy him more time to sort out his thoughts.