Chapter 8

Yoon Hee-yoo was the kind of person whose figure and appearance differed greatly. Judging solely by her face, she somewhat resembled Sun Yi-jin in the early days of her career—pure and sweet. Yet, Yoon Hee-yoo stood tall at 1.7 meters, with a well-proportioned figure, which largely limited her from playing the traditional Cinderella-type female lead in dramas.

If the last recording session showcased a simple and elegant style, this time she fully displayed the advantages of her beauty and physique.

She wore a fitted black off-shoulder crop top paired with washed blue jeans that flared subtly at the bottom. A glimpse of her fair, slender waist appeared with her movements. Her long black hair was softly curled, complemented by a bright, vintage-style makeup look. Her red lips were striking enough to momentarily stun Jung Ki-shi when he saw her.

It wasn’t obvious, but Yoon Hee-yoo noticed his reaction. The corners of her mouth lifted higher, as if she had just discovered Jung Ki-shi, and she cheerfully waved to greet him.

Jung Ki-shi pursed his lips, feeling an inexplicable mix of emotions. Still, he feigned nonchalance and nodded in response.

At that moment, he suddenly realized he might have been interacting with Yoon Hee-yoo too frequently lately. He even felt a bit annoyed that she hadn’t noticed him immediately.

They were just friends—what was there to be annoyed about? Jung Ki-shi asked himself silently.

In the following moments, Yoon Hee-yoo noticed Jung Ki-shi seemed to deliberately avoid her. His eyes absentmindedly followed a man going to buy coffee, and her expression betrayed her obvious disappointment.

“Hello~”

Turning around, Yoon Hee-yoo saw a stranger standing not far away, his smile radiant and sunny. “Um… I’m your fan. I finished watching Crash Landing on You—it was amazing.”

“Oh, by the way, I’m BamBam.”

Jung Ki-shi returned carrying several cups of coffee. Usually, such errands were handled by managers or assistants, but rappers tended to be less formal.

Entering the room, he saw a man and woman chatting happily together. From the side, he caught a faint dimple when the girl smiled. His gaze then shifted to the man beside her—not unfamiliar, it was Got7’s BamBam, a guest on today’s recording.

Hearing the noise, BamBam looked over and greeted politely, “Brother.”

Jung Ki-shi’s lips twitched slightly, his voice deep and inviting, “Come have some coffee.”

As he spoke, his eyes flicked toward Yura and then Yoon Hee-yoo.

Yoon Hee-yoo smiled brightly and leaned in, her voice crisp, “I just happened to be thirsty~”

Without looking closely, she instinctively reached for the cup on the outside. The next moment, Jung Ki-shi gently pressed her hand back, causing her to pause and look up at him.

“This one is iced Americano. Take the one inside.”

Those few words revealed more than they seemed. BamBam and Yura, standing nearby, looked surprised. Yoon Hee-yoo blinked, a bit slow to catch on, and her fingers curled slightly before she reached past Jung Ki-shi’s hand to grab the latte inside.

His hand was much warmer than hers. Suddenly, this thought flashed in her mind.

Yet, he remembered she didn’t like iced Americano? She only mentioned it once in conversation. She hadn’t expected him to be so attentive.

Her fondness for him grew, and her gaze toward Jung Ki-shi sparkled even more.

Watching the whole scene unfold, Yura shook her head. She had just told Yoon Hee-yoo to learn the art of “playing hard to get,” but it seemed this girl hadn’t listened at all.

---

They often say women are fickle, but Yoon Hee-yoo thought that phrase better suited Jung Ki-shi. The man who had earlier been avoiding her now came back with coffee and sat beside her, refusing to leave.

Even when the filming began, he remained unmoved, sitting on the same sofa with her. Yura, who had sat with her last time, smiled and moved to another sofa. The director behind the camera glanced over, hesitated for a moment, then decided not to rearrange the seating and simply started filming according to the new arrangement.

This episode featured a new fifth female guest, named Sung Hae-eun. Yoon Hee-yoo described her as a girl who seemed genuinely kind at first glance, with a rabbit-like appearance.

During this recording, Yoon Hee-yoo was noticeably more active than before, especially when the segment about Hae-eun aired. Her feelings were distinctly clear—particularly when the fifth female guest’s ex-boyfriend behaved inhumanely and showed excessive coldness. Watching this in the studio, Yoon Hee-yoo was almost fuming.

Whenever she came close to spilling some words unbefitting an actress, Jung Ki-shi would scramble to smooth things over, so often that Yura and BamBam beside them couldn’t help but laugh.

Jung Ki-shi felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Yoon Hee-yoo’s bluntness even made him think she was the one with a notorious reputation. Could this be the American style?

This episode sparked lively discussions online after airing.

“LOL kkkkkkk first time seeing 3D so flustered.”

“Hee-yoo really seems to like Hae-eun—I do too.”

“Hae-eun is an angel. If it were me, I’d ignore male lead 1 completely.”

“If my ex and roommate were having a long private talk in the room, honestly, I’d be heartbroken too.”

“Does male lead 1 think he’s really that charming?”

“Hee-yoo speaks my mind entirely. Seeing Hae-eun cry, I just want to punch male lead 1.”

“Seems like Simon D and Hee-yoo are pretty close?”

“I think Simon D is paying a lot of attention to Hee-yoo.”

“No way? Simon D doesn’t seem to like that type, plus there’s quite an age gap.”

“On the contrary, I think Hee-yoo is exactly the type rappers like—beautiful, great figure, and interesting personality.”

“Oh my, 3D followed Hee-yoo’s Instagram!!! Among the artists changing shifts during recording, he only followed Hee-yoo!”

This time, Yoon Hee-yoo went home with Jung Ki-shi. They lived in adjacent buildings, and her manager sister thoughtfully arranged the opportunity for them to spend time together, so they ended up sharing a taxi.

The atmosphere was quiet during the ride. Jung Ki-shi caught Yoon Hee-yoo sneaking glances at him through the rearview mirror. She wasn’t completely oblivious; after the recording, she slowly realized her impulsiveness. He found her cautious gaze somewhat amusing but held back his laughter. Some matters required seriousness to teach this little troublemaker the weight of the situation.

After they got out, Yoon Hee-yoo walked beside him with surprisingly quick steps. Jung Ki-shi was a beat slow to realize the reason—their heights were similar, but due to the natural difference between male and female bodies and his own measurements, the painful truth was that Yoon Hee-yoo’s legs were slightly longer.

Realizing this, Jung Ki-shi couldn’t help but feel a little grim, his expression growing more serious.

Yoon Hee-yoo felt nervous. Seeing him press his lips tight made her even more anxious. She wasn’t good at keeping things inside; just as they reached the entrance of the apartment building, she tugged on Jung Ki-shi’s arm.

Her voice sounded pitiful: “I’m sorry.”

---

Jung Ki-shi turned to face her, locking eyes with Yoon Hee-yoo’s dark, shining ones. Her lips curved downward slightly, her expression affectionate and playful, like a child, as she shook his arm gently.

“I was too impulsive. Please help me clean up the mess, brother.”

“Sorry,” she repeated softly.

Jung Ki-shi’s resolve wavered. Faced with this charming barrage, how could he resist? After all, he was just an ordinary man.

He sighed helplessly. “Being genuine isn’t a bad thing, but since you’re an actress, sometimes you have to consider your image.”

Jung Ki-shi wasn’t exactly known for a calm temper. Though better than in his twenties, some traits were ingrained in his bones. He knew he had a bad temper and sometimes acted impulsively, but he bore the consequences.

However, regarding Yoon Hee-yoo, he didn’t want her to face criticism or bad reviews. She should always be happy, without worries.

He couldn’t quite explain why he felt this way, but he truly believed it.

Yoon Hee-yoo’s lips curved into a gentle smile as she nodded obediently. Especially when she noticed no blame or anger in Jung Ki-shi’s eyes, her smile grew even sweeter. She leaned closer, looking deeply into his eyes with a teasing tone.

“Ki-shi, you’re so considerate of me...”

“Does that mean you like me?”

Jung Ki-shi’s pupils trembled, his expression frozen for several seconds. He quickly recovered, forcing a laugh and tugging at the corner of his mouth. He pushed her pretty face away with a hint of mock annoyance.

“Can you act a little more like a girl? Who just casually says something like that?”

After speaking, he swallowed nervously. Strange—he had been through plenty of romantic turmoil before, yet this simple sentence from this girl made his heart race wildly.

Yoon Hee-yoo puffed her cheeks, a little upset.

“Why can’t I say it? And I don’t look like a girl?”

She raised her chin slightly and struck a pose.

“I’m cute and sexy, obviously.”

“Pfft!”

His burst of laughter shattered her vain expression.

Yoon Hee-yoo gritted her teeth and glared at him. “What’s so funny? Is it really that funny?”

Jung Ki-shi pressed his lips tight, his laughter twisting his expression.

The flustered girl grabbed her bag and hurled it at him. Of course, Jung Ki-shi deftly dodged.

“You dodged!?”

For once acting like a playful teenager, he ran around with her playing a game of cat and mouse, muttering, “Duh, do you want me to just stand there and take it?”

“You, you, you!!”

Yoon Hee-yoo chased after him, bag in hand. Their playful tussle in the night looked exceptionally intimate.