Third Take

You woke up slowly from your slumber, the pillow still cool against your cheek, and you realized something happened yesterday that hit your mind in early morning. You stares at the ceiling for some time realizing what was happened yesterday.

Last night at Wonyoung's apartment. Her arms around you from behind. The way her breath had caught. The almost-kiss that her manager's phone call had cut off before it could happen. The look she'd given you at the door, her eyes that glance at you.

You rolled onto your back and stared at the ceiling, pulse already climbing.

What the hell was that.

You pressed both hands over your face and groaned into them. The pillow still smelled faintly like her — or maybe you were just imagining it now. Either way your chest felt too full for its own space.

She's just my bias. This is a job. A contract. Stay professional.

The line got weaker every time you repeated it. Her fingers laced through yours. "I didn't mind," whispered right against your ear. Her head heavy on your shoulder in the back of the car. None of it had felt like a performance.

You sat up, rubbed the back of your neck. The room was still dim, but outside Seoul was already moving — cars, people, a city that didn't care what had almost happened to you last night. You got up and went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on your face. It helped for about four seconds. In the mirror your eyes still looked like you hadn't slept at all.

How am I supposed to look at her today.

You dried off, walked back into the room. The bed looked too big now that you were the only one in it. You sat on the edge, phone in hand, thumb hovering thru your screen, half of you wanted to text first, the other half was scared of what she'd say back.

Before you could decide, the phone buzzed in your palm.

Wonyoung : Good morning… did you sleep okay?

You stared at it for a second, heart going faster than it should for four lines of text.

You: Hey, Good morning. Slept okay, I guess… I'm really sorry for last night.. I feel bad. I almost crossed a line last night. That wasn't fair to you.

The reply came back fast.

Wonyoung: It's fine. I did the same thing, remember? I'm the one who hugged you and didn't want to let go. Don't put all of that on yourself.

You blinked at the screen. Her word loosen the tightness in your chest.

You: Still. I should've been more careful.

Wonyoung: You're being too hard on yourself again. Are you always this shy with your bias, or only when she's supposed to be your girlfriend? 😌

You laughed under your breath, shaking your head at the screen like she could see you. Even through text you could picture the exact face she was making.

You: Guess I should start acting like a better "boyfriend" then.

Wonyoung: Hmm. Good answer. I'll be watching for it later. Don't be late okay! Car's picking you up at 10:30.

You stared at that last message longer than you needed to, thumb hovering over the screen like there might be more to read if you just waited. A smile tugged at your mouth anyway, even with the nerves still sitting low in your stomach. The guilt hadn't gone anywhere. It was still there, but it didn't sit as heavy now. She wasn't angry. She wasn't pulling away.

If anything, she was pulling you closer.

You set the phone face-down on the sheets and sat there for a second. Then you got up, the carpet cool under your feet, and headed for the shower. Something in your chest had loosened overnight, like a held breath finally let go and underneath the relief was something else too, something that made your pulse pick up a little every time you thought about seeing her in an hour.

At exactly 10:30, the black company van pulled up outside the hotel. Wonyoung was already in the back seat when you climbed in, in a soft cream blouse and jeans, hair in a low ponytail. She looked up and her whole face softened.

"Morning," she said quietly.

"Morning," you said, sliding in beside her.

Manager Ji-hoon was up front, scrolling through his tablet. He glanced back. "You two look fine. Good. Today's a brand shoot and a short interview. Wonyoung's paired with the actor Min-jae… you stay close as the boyfriend for the PR shots. Keep it natural."

You both nodded, and the van pulled into traffic.

For a while nobody said anything. Wonyoung's perfume mixed with the smell of the leather seats. There was a leftover tension from last night that neither of you wanted the manager to catch, so you both just sat with it.

Then Wonyoung leaned in a little, voice light. "Did you actually eat breakfast?"

"Just eggs and coffee," you said, matching her tone. "You?"

"Slice of fruits. I was a little distracted this morning." Her voice stayed playful, but pitched low enough that it was only for you.

You caught the curve at the corner of her mouth from the side. "Distracted, huh?"

She shot you a look and whisper to you "Sssh! Don't say more. Manager's right there."

You both swallowed a laugh, and for a second the awkwardness from the morning just melted away. Seoul blurred past the windows. The the van just felt warmer than it had any right to.

When the van finally pulled up outside the studio, Ji-hoon turned around. "We're here. Stay professional, both of you, especially you," he said, pointing at you. "People are watching."

You and Wonyoung traded a glance, something that was half understanding and half something else, before getting out.

The studio was already loud with motion, bright lights, staff wheeling around clothing racks, soft music underneath the noise. It smelled like hairspray and coffee and money. Near the makeup chairs stood a tall guy in a black shirt and jeans, sharp-featured, the kind of confident that made people glance twice. This was Min-jae, the actor Wonyoung would be shooting with.

His face lit up the second he saw her. "Wonyoung-ssi," he said, crossing over. "It's been a while. You look even better in person."

Wonyoung bowed, polite. "Hello, Min-jae-ssi. Thanks for working with me today."

His eyes flicked to you, and he gave a small nod, still smiling. "And this must be the boyfriend everyone's talking about."

You bowed too, keeping your face even. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." He turned right back to Wonyoung, standing a little closer than he needed to. "Saw the recent couple photos. You two looked good. Hope you don't mind if we build some chemistry today too, for the brand."

Wonyoung laughed, "Of course. Let's do our best."

You stood a step behind her, hands in your pockets, watching. Something in your chest was already pulling tight. It wasn't anything he said… it was the hand he rested on her shoulder like it was nothing, like he did it all the time.

Wonyoung glanced back at you for half a second. Her eyes were calm, but there was a question lingers, like she could already feel your mood shift.

A staff member called them off toward hair and makeup. Min-jae walked ahead with her, still talking. You followed a few steps behind, not saying much of anything.

The shoot hadn't even started yet, and the day already felt different.