Four Years Ago

"Oh, what are you doing, Bonita?"

Standing in the hallway of Starbright Entertainment, Bonita felt as if she was about to either pass out or throw up. As she moved to lean back against the wall beside the conference room door, she was beginning to debate whether it was possible to do both. Internally coaching herself to calm down, she put her big girl pants on and entered the conference room.

She needed to pursue her dream. It was all she had left to keep her going.

Entering the room, Bonita was surprised how crowded it already was. Even though she knew it wasn't the case, she felt like everyone turned their heads to look at her as she entered. Making her way through the room, she moved to stand against the back wall. Standing a few feet away from her against the same wall was a man that looked to be about her age with a stoic face. Even though he looked as if he could kill you just from staring at you, Bonita couldn't help but to think he was attractive. Bonita hadn't been meaning to stare in his direction for that long, but apparently it had been long enough for him to realize that she was looking at him. Without saying a word, he turned to look at her, locking his eyes on her.

"I...um...sorry..." Bonita uttered in apology as she quickly looked away with red cheeks.

A flicker of a smirk traced itself across his lips before he looked forward again as an executive entered the room. Reading off a clipboard in his hands, he did attendance on all the interns before pairing them off. Bonita watched as the man beside her was named Lee Know and was led towards a small group of interns by the window up front.

'Lee Know,' thought Bonita as she looked after him. She felt for some reason like he was a kindred spirt behind whatever wall it was he put up, but also ultimately knew that he was way out of her league.

---

Eighteen Months Ago

"I don't even know why this company bothered to hire someone like you!"

Lifting his head, Minho looked up from the meeting he was having with some of the showrunners of 'Blades and Glades', the show that he had been assigned to help assist as intern. His eyes were riveted to the ongoing scene, watching as Lucien, the star of the show — who had arrived almost a half hour late to set — was yelling at another intern who had their head down. The intern was trying frantically to pick up the papers they had dropped when they had accidentally collided with the star, muttering apologies while the other continued to yell abuse.

Minho saw that the intern that was currently being yelled at was Bonita. Even though he hadn't directly interacted with her yet, he had been keeping his eyes on her ever since they first met. By the way she carried herself, he could see that some sort of grief shrouded her too, finding a kindred spirt in her because of it. A lot of the interns around him felt so fake, but even though Bonita seemed to hide her pain behind a smile, she was real and he couldn't help but be attracted to that.

"Look what you did! This was cashmere!" continued Lucien as he looked down at his white shirt that was now spotted with brown coffee splotches.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry doesn't fix this you..."

Minho sighed, watching as Lucien was attended to by his assistant in order to try to calm him down, much like one would try to console a whiny two-year-old.

"I want her fired!" shouted Lucien. "I want her fired or I won't be in this show!"

'All this whining over a shirt? Really?' thought Minho with a tsk.

His eyes widened a bit in disbelief when he watched the CEO of Starbright Entertainment come over and attempt to appease the situation. Even though Minho knew that Lucien was one of the main reasons the show had such interest, he was hoping that the CEO wouldn't succumb to the pressure. He found out mere minutes later that he was sorely mistaken, watching as Bonita — who was still apologizing profusely — was told to pack up her stuff and leave.

Minho felt his hands clench into fists as he watched her leave while the CEO and Lucien's assistant continued to console him. Without thinking, Minho left the group he was with and went over to where they stood. The CEO looked towards Minho as he approached.

"Lee Know, what are you doing?"

Minho came to a stop a few feet from Lucien, ignoring the CEO as he locked his gaze on Lucien's.

"I couldn't help but overhear the conversation just now," said Minho, reaching out to pinch the front of Lucien's stained shirt. "Let me tell you something. This shirt you're wearing is cashmere, not was cashmere. Coffee doesn't stop a shirt from being what it is. Just like you. Fame and being the nation's heartthrob doesn't stop you from being a jerk."

Not waiting for anyone to respond, Minho dropped Lucien's shirt from between his fingers and turned to walk out the door. Stopping by Bonita's workspace, he saw that she had already made quick work of packing up what little she had. He took a moment to scribble his number down on a piece of paper before deciding to go outside. Even though he knew he should worry about his own internship being in jeopardy, that didn't matter to him. Not as much as finally approaching her did.

- - -

Present Day

Silence stretched between them as Minho drew back from the quick kiss. Bonita stared at Minho with wide eyes, trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

"What was that?" Bonita finally asked.

"I think you know."

"But why?"

"I also think you know."

"But why...why me?"

"Why are you asking that like there is something wrong with me feeling this way about you?" asked Minho.

"Because you're you and I'm me."

"Bonita, your logic isn't making the most sense," said Minho with a small chuckle. "I've always had my eyes on you since we first started as interns at the entertainment company. I spent those two and a half years before I approached you trying to figure out just how to. When I eventually did, it was the best decision of my entire life. I was lucky to have you as a best friend. It wasn't until Bang Chan came along that I got so jealous of the two of you together and realized that the feelings I had for you had morphed into something more."

When Bonita still remained silent after Minho's explanation, he added quickly, "And I understand if you don't feel the same, I just..."

Minho's words were interrupted when Bonita leaned in to quickly press a kiss to his lips in return.

Before she could draw back like he had, Minho reached up a hand to put it on the back of her neck, keeping her head just a few inches from his.

"What was that?..." he asked softly.

Giving a small smirk, Bonita echoed back, "I think you know..."

Minho mirrored her smirk as he used the hand on the back of her neck to bring her closer again, pressing his lips once more against hers. Eventually he deepened the kiss with her as he parted his lips, the two of them crossing the line together from friendship into something more.

Minho's phone began to ring from his pocket as the two of them kissed, Bonita pulling back to rest her forehead against his.

"You should probably get that..."

"They can leave a message."

"What if it's something important?"

"They can leave a message."

"Minho..."

"Fine..." he said with a sigh when his phone had yet to stop ringing.

He shifted so he could stick his hand in his pocket, honestly surprised his phone was still there after everything that had happened to get him in the hospital in the first place. Digging it out, he saw that his boss' name was lighting up the screen. Perplexed as to why he was calling, he picked up and put the phone to his ear.

'Could there possibly be one more secret he has left to share?' thought Minho, still trying to come to terms with the fact that the man he admired was protecting a murderer.

"Where is that man that looks like Chris?" asked Ilsung immediately before Minho could even greet him.

"He's not here...why?"

"Because my brother isn't at his home either, but he left a note telling me goodbye. It has me worried that he is going to do something like kill again..."