Kissing You

Chapter 1
~~~

"As it is, we're still not certain. I wish I could say he'll pull through but..." the Doctor paused, knowing this kind of news was hard to handle. "...The is a large chance he won't make it."

A sound tore itself from Tony's throat, and the others in the room flinched away. Hee Jun wrapped his arms around Tony and buried his head in the boy's chest. Kangta let his head fall into his hands as Jae Won stared at the Doctor in shock.

"Doctor," Tony said weakly, holding Hee Jun's shaking body to himself tightly, "please... what are his chances?"

The doctor regarded his clipboard with a soft sigh. He took a step toward Tony, and tripped ungracefully over the corner of a chair.

"Cut!" the director shouted in frustration. Woo Hyuk, sitting a short distance from the set, sighed angrily, thinking the scene would never be filmed. He didn't like this drama - thinking of himself as a dying man was not something he particularly enjoyed. But he knew the reason behind this - for audiences to see Tony cry for him. He new the fans loved their fanservice. And at least there were worse people he could be paired with.

Tony glanced his way with an apologetic shrug as the director berated the clumsy actor in the doctor's outfit. The "doctor" violently removed his prop glasses and gestured around, complaining about the layout of the set. Tony wandered over to Woo Hyuk, knowing the fight would last awhile. It was a wonder the director hadn't already fired the difficult actor.

"Looks like it's about time for a break," Tony mumbled to Woo Hyuk as he sat next to him on the sofa. As though on cue, the director turned and yelled, "Break!" before turning back the the actor he was arguing with.

"Why won't he just fire the man already?" Woo Hyuk asked desperately.

Tony raised a eyebrow. "Just watch," he answered cryptically.

As Woo Hyuk carefully studied the two, he noticed nothing. Until he caught a subliminal caress from the director's hand to the actor's as the argument began to soften.

"They think no-one has noticed," Tony commented.

Woo Hyuk glanced to Tony, then back to the pair on set. The director let his hand slip from the actor's as he walked away. The actor stood alone for a few moments, fidgeting with the edge of his scrub, before heading in the direction the director had gone.

"They're so obvious."

Woo Hyuk nodded slightly before saying, "Well... it may not be what you think."

"Care to follow them and find out?" Tony asked with an air of confidence.

Woo Hyuk laughed shortly. "Just saying. Things aren't always what they seem."

"Sometimes they're exactly what they seem," Tony retorted, beginning to reference more than just the actor and the director.

"I generally try not to take things at face value."

"Maybe you're thinking too far into things. Maybe the truth is sitting right in front of you." Tony willed Woo Hyuk to see the doule-meaning of his words in his eyes.

"But you can never be sure," Woo Hyuk replied softly, not breaking his and Tony's gaze.

"Sometimes you have to risk it. You have to believe what you think is the truth."

"Tony?"

"Hyuk-ah?"

"...Are we still talking about the actor and the director?"

Tony blinked, turning his head to break their eye contact. His mind searched for the right answer.

"Tony An? Jang Woo Hyuk?" Seemingly from nowhere and woman, followed by a large man holding a camera, showed up. "Hi, I'm Kim Seonki form KNTV, just getting a few words from you and the other H.O.T boys about the new show."

Tony felt Woo Hyuk's fingers lace with his own as his hand was pulled silently into Woo Hyuk's lap. Subliminal fanservice with Woo Hyuk - his favourite kind.

The woman began spouting out questions that Tony and Woo Hyuk answered automatically, far too used to interviews like this. Soon, Tony felt his patience wearing thin and he tightened his hold on Woo Hyuk's hand.

"The show has already been projected to become a huge hit," he woman continued. "Why do you think it will be so popular?"

His voice dripping with sarcasm, a smile plastered across his face, Woo Hyuk answered, "I can't imagine ayone who wouldn't want to watch a dying man for an hour."

Tony nudged him slightly. "Well, you mix popular teel idols with popular teen drama, you're basically guaranteed a winning combination."

"It seems your fellow group members believe audiences just want to see you cry over your best friend," she directed the comment at Tony. "What do you think of that idea?"

"It's not far off base," Tony answered truthfully.

"One final question," she promised, and Tony began to relax his hold on Woo Hyuk. "I've been watching this current scene being filmed, where you react to the news delivered by the doctor. Tony, where do you get your inspiration to seem so sad?"

Tony half-shrugged with a lopsided grin. He winked and commented, "That's my little secret." He could feel Woo Hyuk's curious gaze as the woman thanked them and left.

"Your 'little secret'?" Woo Hyuk asked.

Tony laughed to himself briefly. "S'right."

"Even I can't know?" Woo Hyuk put on a pathetically fake begging pout.

Tony glanced at him, then rolled his eyes. "You really wanna know?"

"Yeah," Woo Hyuk persisted.

"Honestly... I just put myself in the character's position. I imagine what it would be like to lose you in my life."

Tony felt Woo Hyuk's hold on his hand tighten fractionally.

"Break's over!" the director shouted, walking onto the set and looking significantly tousled and more relaxed.

Tony glanced to the director, down at his lap, and over to Woo Hyuk. He stood, feeling Woo Hyuk's hand slip from his own. He stepped onto the set.

Woo Hyuk watched as filming began, watching as tears came to Tony's eyes so easily. He wished he hadn't asked.