Page 80 of Wish Upon a K-Star

As I walk to the prep area, I try to avoid Hongjoo’s laser stare.

“Is something happening I should know about?” she asks.

“No,” I huff out with a strained laugh. Great, some actress I am.

“Hyeri,” Hongjoo says, voice firm. “You have to tell me if there’s something I should be aware of.”

“I swear, Eonni. There’s nothing,” I say, then call out to Jeongho, who passes in front of us. I jog to catch up with him, ignoring the questioning look on my manager’s face.

Today, the date includes wandering the quaint streets of Hannam, an area with steep inclines and narrow alleys with hidden gems. Some buildings decorated with artistic graffiti. Others built in a sleek industrial style.

It’s an area I would enjoy exploring on any other day. But all I can focus on is Minseok. How he keeps standing dangerously close to me. How it makes me go internally haywire.

I actually giggle. Twice. It would be horrifying if I didn’t see the approving nod of Han-PD.

Minseok keeps finding reasons to touch me. Tucking my hair back when the wind blows it in my face. Fixing the collar of my dress. Claiming a leaf fell on my shoulder that he had to brush away.

Is he doing it on purpose? He seems so unnaturally calm, when my whole body is tighter than a coiled spring.

I’m grateful when we break for lunch. We only have a shooting permit for a couple more hours. So, I opt to eat quickly in my car so I can be ready to return to the shoot as soon as they’re set up again.

Just as I’m opening the sliding van door, Minseok calls my name, jogging between the cars.

“Minseok, what—” I’m cut off as he cages me in against the side of the van.

“I’ve been waiting all day to get you alone,” he murmurs, his eyes moving to my lips like an archer zeroing in on a target.

“Wait,” I blurt out, pressing a hand against his chest before he can close the distance.

“What?” He pouts but moves back. “What’s wrong?

I look around, making sure no one is watching before I pull him inside the van.

With the door closed behind us, I turn to him. “Do you think we should talk?”

He looks amused. “Is that really what you want to do with me right now? Talk?”

My pulse goes double-time at his words. Wow, he’s really good at this. But I won’t let him distract me. “I definitely want to do more than talk,” I admit.

“Good.” He grins as he starts to lean in again.

I press my palm against his mouth before he can make contact, and he rolls his eyes at me over my hand.

“But weshouldtalk. Is doing this too risky?”

He peels my hand from his mouth, interlacing our fingers. “You’re worried that someone might see us together and start rumors?”

I nod, grateful that he understands. “What if we’re making a mistake?”

His smile falls. “Hyeri, do you not want to—”

“It’s not that,” I blurt out hurriedly. I’m suddenly desperate to take back my words. I’m scared of being caught, but I also don’t want to lose this thing that I’ve wanted for so long.

“Well, maybe we should just tell everyone we’re dati—”

“No,” I say, cutting him off. “That’s too serious. We can’t know how they’ll twist it to use against us.”

His jaw tenses before he nods. “Fine, we won’t tell anyone. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun together. Don’t you want to have fun with me, Hyeri?”

---