27 Are you friend zoning me now?

Nam Ji Won stares at the piles of the book. She wants to escape the hospital, but she ends up coming to hell.

"Sister, I think that I don't feel good." She looks at Nam Go Eun weakly. "I think, I have a headache. Can I go back to the hospital?"

Nam Go Eun smiles widely at her younger sister. "Start studying."

"But sister, I just woke up from...five years of illness." Nam Ji Won feels like her world is turned upside down. She wants to get discharged early to come home. She wants to see Tae Il more, but he has been busy with work ever since that day.

Being an actor is also hard.

Next day, Nam Ji Won leaves the house to meet Tae Il. Because they have seen her with Son Jong Pil before, guards don't stop her. They think that she must be one of the rookie actresses with a backer. She finds Tae Il diligently reading his script. She hugs him from behind.

"Who?" Tae Il is surprised too see her. He has been missing her. The mall incident is all over the news too. He has to act low to keep the rumors down. He is afraid that the reporters would follow him to her house and bother her later. This girl doesn't need that kind of attention right now.

"Ji Won...why are you here?"

"I came to see you." She grumbles. "You didn't come like you promised...not even once after that day."

Tae Il gives her a small smile. "I am sorry."

"Okay." She peers into her script. "Is this a scene where you kiss Yun Sun Hee?"

"Yes." He puts the script on the table. He stares at her. "Let me take a look at you first."

His fingertip traces her cheek. She freezes on the spot with her eyes going round in surprise. He smiles when he saw her cheeks gaining colour.

"You are not pale like before. That's good."

"Tae Il?" The door is opened. Tae Il pulls his hand back and looks at the person at the door. It's a familiar woman. She has long dark hair, porcelain skin, and warm eyes. She is wearing a red coat and black boots.

"Lee Hyo Rin..." Tae Il steals a glance at Nam Ji Won who didn't show any reaction. Lee Hyo Rin doesn't recognize Nam Ji Won either. Why is this woman here?

"Finally, we meet again." Lee Hyo Rin walks in. "You didn't forget me."

"Noona, when did you come back from abroad?" Lee Hyo Rin has been in the USA for studies shortly since her parent's death. For the last five years, they did not contact each other. Seo Tae Il feels that it's a big coincidence that they met again like this.

"I came back last week." She glances at Nam Ji Won.

"She is...an old friend." Tae Il seizes Nam Ji Won's hand.

"Friend?" Nam Ji Won jerks off his hand. "Are you friend zoning me now?"

"..." Tae Il is at loss for words. It's not like that. Can't she guess the situation?

"Are you two more than friends?" Lee Hyo Rin winks at Tae Il.

"We have kissed ten times," Nam Ji Won tells her. "I wonder if friends do that.

"Tae Il...don't tell me that you want to keep your relationship a secret from me?" Lee Hyo Rin laughs without restraint.

"It's not like that, Noona. She is a special friend." He smiles lightly. "Have you heard from Ju Jimin?"

"Jimin?" Lee Hyo Rin sighs. "He didn't contact me ever again. Did you find out anything about him?"

"Nothing." He is anxious. It looks like Lee Hyo Rin truly has no idea that Nam Ji Won was Ju Jimin. He didn't tell her either.

"It's odd that he disappeared like that," Lee Hyo Rin says dejectedly.

"Was he a special friend of yours?" Nam Ji Won asks her.

There is a moment of silence. Lee Hyo Rin gazes at her gravely. Seo Tae Il feels that the air around them is getting tensed.

"He is a special person to me."

"If he is important to you, I am sure that you will see him again." Nam Ji Won grins at her. "I read in a book that the universe conspires to help you achieve something if you want it hard enough."

Lee Hyo Rin only smiles wistfully. Seo Tae Il is afraid that Lee Hyo Rin would recognize Nam Ji Won.

"Noona, I have to take her home." He gives her a formal nod and then, rushes out of the room with Nam Ji Won. He doesn't stop even when some people calls after him. He brings her home, not stopping anywhere like last time.

"Are you okay?" Ji Won asks him.

"If you see that woman again, you should hide," He tells her calmly.

"Why?" She looks at him suspiciously. "Is she a bad person?"

'Is she a bad person?' Tae Il repeats the question in his mind. He has no answer. He thinks that Lee Hyo Rin doesn't know Ju Jimin's real identity. She should not react badly if she found out, right? Tae Il has a bad feeling.

"You should stay away from her. Don't visit me from now on. I will come to see you."

"You said that last time too."

"I will come to see you."

"Okay, I will believe you this time." Nam Ji Won blinks at him playfully.

"Don't do that." He gets out of the car. "Come out now."

"Can't we go somewhere else to hang out?" She looks at him with puppy eyes. "I missed you."

She is acting cute, but that sly look in her eyes is nowhere innocent.

"We will go out tomorrow." He gives in.

"Okay, it's the second promise. Are you coming inside?"

"No, I have to go back...it's hectic these days." He looks like he is tired. Nam Ji Won hugs him tightly.

"What are you doing?" He tries to struggle but feels her softness rubbing against him. He turns into a statue, unable to move.

"I am sharing my energy to you through osmosis."

"You got the concept wrong." He flicks her forehead. "If you are studying, do it well."

"Ah...I can hear your heart beating fast."

He pushes her away and gets into the car. His face turns crimson. He can hear her loud laughter behind him.

"She hit her her head and turned into a fox," He mutters to himself as he drives away.