I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That

Inguk struggled to sleep, changing positions repeatedly to feel comfortable. But the reason behind his restlessness was present in his mind. He couldn't forget what he did in the forest. Every time it flashed in front of him, he would shiver.

Why did I do that, what would she think- he kept wondering.

Although he was still sure that he didn't have romantic feelings for her, he had no justification for his actions when she was in danger, hurt or close.

He picked up his phone and thought of apologizing for what happened, but it might have made things more awkward for them.

No. I can't lose her as a friend - he swore that he would try his best to mend things, without straining their relationship as best friends.

Deep inside, only he knew why he was so reluctant to develop feelings for her. But hardly did he know that people fall in love, in mysterious ways!

On the other side, Boyoung kept staring at her cellphone, having the same conflict in her mind.

Why did I do that, what would he think?

She felt it was her mistake somehow and she was already in dilemma about her jealousy towards Min Ji. Unlike Inguk, she was considering a chance for the possibilities of her having developed feelings for him. She turned towards Hayoung who was half-asleep.

"Ya... Hayoung-ah" she whispered. "Are you asleep?" She asked.

"I was," Hayoung said opening her eyes slowly. " What happened? "

"So, there's a friend of mine. She's confused if she has feelings for a guy and -" Boyoung began but Hayoung interrupted.

"Yes, you have feelings for him," Hayoung said bluntly as if she saw it coming and Boyoung's trick to use an imaginary friend was a big flop.

"Ya" Boyoung was taken aback. "I wasn't talking about myself " she lied.

Hayoung opened her eyes wide and took a sigh. She kept her hand on Boyoung's cheek and smiled.

"You're waking me up in the middle of the night to talk about a friend?" She said.

"Umm. I- was, I -" Boyoung struggled to justify herself.

"Eonnie, don't stress so much, I noticed your hair was open when you came back with Inguk-sshi"

"Ya! So what?"

"Look, I don't know what happened in the forest, but if you are confused about your feelings, then I can assure you that you are developing feelings for him"

Boyoung felt as if she heard what she wanted to, but it was too sudden for her to accept.

"Umm, you're still sleepy! Just go back to sleep" she said and turned to the other side, not wanting to face the truth.

~

It was a bright sunny day when the team was out to plan out their shooting schedule on the beach. Boyoung was actively working with them. Soohyun was giving his inputs while Hayoung was observing how things were carried out.

Inguk walked up to the place where the production team was but didn't notice Boyoung there. He rushed to Soohyun and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good morning," he said flashing a smile at him.

"Very good morning to you too" Soohyun replied.

That's when Inguk's eyes moved in Boyoung's direction. Instinctively he opened his mouth to say something funny but stopped as soon as the events of last night came back to him.

His smile vanished and he gulped in looking the other way. Boyoung almost forgot what she was talking about and started stammering.

"I'll go and check with the director" Inguk excused himself as quickly as possible and rushed away.

Boyoung took a deep breath when he was gone, she was about to run away herself if he hadn't.

Soohyun and Hayoung looked at each other and shrugged, confused about their behavior.

Inguk simply watched Boyoung from a distance through the corner of his eyes. She wore an orange shirt and blue jeans. But something was different about her that morning, something very different.

Her hair is open! - He said to himself, feeling a gush of happiness run through him.

Although he was glad to see that, he still felt giddy about how he had opened her hair last night. God forbid if Boyoung had felt offended by his actions, he was soon to lose his best friend forever.

"Mr. Seo, can you please discuss this plan with Ms. Park? It needs her approval too" Said a crew member from the director's team.

"Umm, I- Actually I-" Inguk hesitated to speak.

"Wait, I'll go and call her here"

"No! No no don't call her here" Inguk almost screamed.

Before it became awkward for the ones standing there, he corrected himself.

"I mean, I'll go and talk to her," he said, gulping in.

As Inguk walked in baby steps towards Boyoung, he didn't know that Soohyun and Hayoung were watching him from a distance. They had walked towards the water and sat on the sand, enjoying the waves, but at the same time, observing all the awkwardness.

Inguk stood behind Boyoung and tried his best to speak up, but he couldn't gather the courage.

"What's wrong with him?" said Soohyun.

"He's acting weird" Hayoung agreed.

While Inguk was still struggling to speak up, Boyoung turned around and almost got a mini heart attack finding him right behind her.

"Ya! You scared me" she said casually but got reminded of last night immediately and looked away.

"Uhhh... I'm... I'm sorry" he spoke

"For?" she asked looking the other side.

"For scaring you," he said gritting his teeth.

"It's okay"

"Just...see this and approve," he said handing her the file.

"What is this?" She asked taking it from him.

"I don't know, just some guy told me your approval is needed " he explained, but didn't look at her.

"You should have looked at it at least..." she mumbled but her heart started racing for some random reason.

"I'll, just go and ... I'll go to my room" Inguk spoke, almost sweating.

"Good Idea, me too," she said and squeezed her eyes as she realized what that implied. "I mean, I'll go to my room, not yours"

She turned around immediately and shut her eyes for making it worse.

Shit - she thought gritting her teeth.

Inguk looked down trying to hide his smile at her words.

"Something is definitely wrong with them," said Hayoung.

"They are complicated people" Soohyun shrugged.

"Ah, by the way" he added, "In the evening, some of us are going to a small pub, it's on the other side of the Island"

"Oh, that's amazing" exclaimed Hayoung.

"Umm, yes but there's couple entry so... I was thinking" he stammered.

"Eonnie and Inguk-sshi should go together?" Hayoung widened her eyes in excitement, missing the point that Soohyun was trying to make.

"Ah, yes... " he pursed his lips. " But that would happen if we ... go together," he said.

"Oh, that..." Hayoung looked away, not wanting him to see her face which was turning red.

"So?" He asked again.

"Okay" she replied feeling giddy.

~

"Eonnie C'mon stop being weird " Hayoung pushed Boyoung to go and join Inguk as everyone was making entry into the pub.

"Hayoung-ah, let me go with Soohyun-shhi, you go with Oppa" Boyoung pleaded.

"No, you're acting strange! just go" Hayoung pushed her towards Inguk.

Boyoung wore a knee-length red dress, looking dazzling with her hair open and deep red lipstick. Inguk wore a simple white shirt and black jeans.

As she stood next to him, he gave her a short smile and looked away. He badly wanted to compliment her, but he had to control himself.

Boyoung didn't know what to say and kept trying hard to come up with something.

"I don't know why they have only couple entries" she laughed forcefully.

"I know right" he forced a smile.

As Hayoung and Soohyun were entering, Boyoung noticed Min Ji walking towards them. She didn't think twice before wrapping her hands in Inguk's arm. She wanted to make sure Min Ji doesn't take him with her.

Inguk looked at Boyoung in surprise.

"Hi Oppa, Hi Boyoung" Min Ji greeted.

"Hi, he's with me" Boyoung replied.

"What?" Exclaimed Min Ji.

Boyoung gritted her teeth and looked around.

"I mean, we are going in together" she corrected.

"Okay, that's great, I'm going in with Jung" Min Ji smiled.

"Okay, let's go Oppa," said Boyoung as she dragged him with her.

They gave their details at the entry and got the stamp on their hands before getting inside. The others cheered for them as they walked in. Boyoung realized that she was still holding on to his arm and immediately left it.

"Eonnie, come our table is there " Hayoung called out directing them towards their table.

It was a small pub, with few areas to sit and eat. There was a dance floor at the center where a few people were already dancing.

Each table had space for only four people and Boyoung made sure Inguk does not sit with Min Ji. Soohyun, Hayoung, Inguk, and Boyoung were seated together.

Their talks were still limited and strange. Although Soohyun tried his best to get them back to normal, it went all in vain. After they had dinner, It was soon getting awkward for all of them since Inguk and Boyoung avoided even looking at each other.

"Shall we go for a dance?" Soohyun asked Hayoung for which she readily agreed.

"Ya, where are you guys going?" Boyoung mumbled.

"Bye Eonnie, have fun"

Boyoung gritted her teeth as she was left alone with Inguk. She didn't know what to say, how to make up for what happened. She kept thinking of a decent way to end their awkwardness but nothing came to her mind.

"You look beautiful tonight " Inguk finally spoke, as if he had been trying to hold that on his tongue all this while.

"Oh, thank you" she blushed.

"And, I wanted to say that..." he tried to speak.

"Yes?" Boyoung asked, not knowing what to expect.

But before he could complete, he was interrupted by Min Ji who had walked up to their table.

"Hey, if you're free let's go and dance" she offered.

"Oh, Actually I-" Inguk tried to deny but Min Ji insisted.

Boyoung clenched her fists as she saw Inguk agree and walk up to the dance stage. She had no plans to join them. It was unbearable for her to see him with another woman, but she was still figuring out how to deal with her changing emotions towards him. Thinking it was better to walk out, she requested Yo-Han to drop her back at the hotel.

"Noona, are you alright?" Yo Han asked as he dropped her at the lobby.

"Yes, I'm fine." She said before going back to her room.

~

Later that night, Boyoung had been on a call with her friend for quite some time, she needed to divert her mind from Inguk and Min Ji dancing together. She didn't realize that it was almost midnight and she had to wish Hayoung on her birthday. She immediately said good night to her friend and dialed Hayoung's number.

"Yes, Eonnie"

"Happy Birthday Hayoung, where are you?" Boyoung asked.

"Thank you Eonnie, actually Oppa asked me to go on a long drive with him, so I'll be late"

"What? Oppa asked you?"

"Not your Oppa, I'm talking about Soohyun Oppa"

"Oh, okay but- "

"I got to go now, bye I love you"

Boyoung cut the call and walked up to her balcony thinking what was up with Hayoung and Soohyun. There was a beautiful view of the beach from her room and she let the cold breeze hit her face.

It's relaxing here - She thought to herself and looked around when she noticed someone sitting alone on the beach. After a moment she realized that it was Inguk. He had laid down a mat on the sand right next to the place where the waves ended. He was sitting on it, with a blanket around him and a bottle of Makgeolli in his hand.

She didn't think much and rushed down to him. She was as quick as possible until she reached near him. She wanted to talk, but some part of her mind made her nervous. Especially the memory of what happened last night.

"What are you doing here?" she finally asked.

Inguk looked to his side and saw her standing next to him. She truly looked gorgeous in the little dress while the breeze hit her hair making them fall on her face. He had longed to see her that way.

"Umm, nothing I'm just relaxing"

Boyoung gulped in and sighed.

"Look, I can't do this anymore. I want us to be back to normal" she said.

Inguk looked up at her, he was relieved that she wasn't offended. But he still needed to make sure that she wasn't doing it just for the sake of their professional relationship.

"Okay, sit here" he offered, making some space for her on the mat.

Boyoung promptly went and sat next to him. It was cold and her dress was sleeveless, so she ran her hands on her arms to keep her warm. Inguk extended his arm with the blanket hanging on it. Boyoung smiled and shifted next to him as he wrapped his arm around her, sharing the blanket he had. He gently rested his hand on her shoulder as she pulled the other end of the blanket tightly.

She felt warm and comfortable in his embrace. Without thinking much she shifted closer to him.

"Boyoung, I'm really sorry if you felt bad about what happened -"

"No, I was just worried about you" she replied.

"I'm fine, it's just that I don't know why that happened, I mean -"

"Let's not talk about it, I am enjoying sitting here with you like this," she said.

"I just want to be sure"

"Can you let it go, please? Or else I'll not talk to you for a week" she chuckled.

He didn't know when he had started smiling at her. He was satisfied that she was okay and didn't plan to break their friendship for what he did. It wasn't easy to let go of what happened without any explanations, but he just thought of putting it aside as long as Boyoung was alright.

"Why did you leave suddenly from the pub?" he asked, as his lips almost brushed her hair since she was so close.

She looked up at him with a dreaded glare.

"I thought you were busy with your other friends" she rolled her eyes and looked in front.

Inguk giggled, gulping his bottle of Makgeolli.

"What's so funny?" she asked snatching the bottle from his hand.

"Ya, that's the only bottle I have" he chuckled.

"Nevermind," she said drinking some of it from his bottle.

"Leave some for me" he objected.

"You can ask your friend for more" she chuckled.

"Which friend are you talking about, may I know?"

"You know who" she shrugged, bringing the bottle to her lips, but Inguk snatched it.

"You're very funny you know" he chuckled and finished the remaining Makgeolli.

"Ya!" she shouted hitting him on the chest.

"Umm, by the way, did Hayoung tell you that she went on a date with Soohyun?" he asked.

"Well, is it a date really?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course it is"

"Okay, I don't know how to feel about that," she said.

"Me too,"

"I mean, if they are happy I don't mind"

"Boyoung, there is something I wanted to tell," he said turning serious.

"Yes, go ahead"

"I am very particular about my relationships with anyone. I don't like when it overlaps"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, it's already a bit difficult to see you as my best friend as well as office colleague, I am always afraid I would spoil both relations at once" he expressed his concern.

"It's okay, relations are two-way things, you shouldn't be worried about it alone. I know you wouldn't do anything to spoil it"

"I don't know, I just - " he didn't know how to say what had been concerning him.

"And, sometimes relations change, maybe how you feel about someone now is different from before and we should accept that" she spoke her mind as she knew her feelings towards him were changing.

"No Boyoung. It just spoils the relation you already had" he said sternly.

She had no reply. Not because she couldn't counter his point, but because her worst fear appeared to be turning true. He did not want anything more than friendship.

"You see, if Hayoung and Soohyun are dating each other, I have no issues. But what if things don't work out. It would strain our relationship as well" he explained.

Boyoung gulped in, unable to understand whether she should argue with him, or be sad that he was so rigid about relations.

"Oppa, I promise I wouldn't let anything come in between us," she said, still unsure if she would be able to control her feelings.

"I'm sorry if I said anything wrong, I am just a bit worried -" he said.

"It's okay, just let it go, you think too much at times"

He nodded with a smile. He did not seem very happy with the conversation, but only he knew that what he said was important for Boyoung to know.

"You want to listen to some songs?" he said, putting one earplug in his ear and handing over the other to her.

"Sure, which one?" she asked putting it inside her ear.

"Distant fate," he said.

"Wow, makes me nostalgic"

"Mee too,"

Not just the song, but there was something else that made them feel nostalgic about how they had to shoot for parting ways when this song played in the background. This time, they had to part ways with their feelings. But for how long?

~

The team was back in Seol and a few days had passed. The shoot of their new Project - Miracle was about to kick-off and the preparations were in full force. Boyoung was the busiest, supervising everything single-handedly as Inguk was busy preparing for his role. He would come to the office for a few hours every day just to check on her.

On the morning of their first day of the shoot, Boyoung was busy going through the schedules and making sure every arrangement was in place. She was dressed in a formal one-piece blue dress and black heels, sitting in her cabin. She didn't realize it, but ever since the night Inguk had opened up her bun, she preferred keeping her hair open.

Just when Inguk was about to arrive in the office, an e-mail popped up which she casually opened without realizing how much it was about to affect her.

The email was from an unknown source and said :

"Mr Kim Baek Hyeon : A cruel father and Male Chauvinist?

A person who was respected by all in this organization, who was the founder of such a huge production house, was never a good father. He abandoned his sons of their right to take charge of his company by not giving them a prominent position.

Not only this but the only person who worked hard with him to build the company, Miss Park Bo Young was given the post of Vice President and not the President. Was there an explanation for choosing Mr. Seo In Guk for this role? Or was it just because Mr. Kim was gender-biased. "

Boyoung stood up from her chair. Her legs were shaking with the anger that was bubbling inside of her. It was intolerable for her to read anything against her Uncle or Inguk. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, swearing to find out who did that and punishing the person for this offense. Her secretary walked in and stood next to her with a concerned look.

"Ms. Park, did you read the e-mail?"

"I did, please call Jung in the cabin right now" she commanded.

"Miss Park, some of the team members have already started agreeing that your rights were stolen"

Boyoung bit her lips, trying not to say anything rude and keep her temper at bay. She simply gestured her secretary to go out and call Jung.

When Jung entered her cabin in a while, the news had spread in the entire office. He took a seat in front of Boyoung.

"Boyoungie, are you alright?" he asked.

"No, are you okay? Did you read what that e-mail said about your father?"

"I know, I am equally offended."

"What details do you have?"

"The email was sent via our intranet, so thankfully it won't go out in the press. We are already trying to track the IP address, but it seems to be the work of a hacker" he explained.

"This, shouldn't go out in the media, or else you all will see the worst side of me," she said strictly

"I'll take care of it" Jung assured.

Inguk entered her cabin, looking equally distressed.

"Boyoung..." he said, worried what state of mind she was in.

She gestured him to wait and continued her conversation with Jung.

"I want you to demote the head of our intranet security and hire a new one above him, who is the best in Seol" she commanded.

"Okay, I'll start the process right away," Jung said before leaving.

Inguk looked at him suspiciously as he walked out of the cabin.

"Boyoung, are you okay?" he asked rushing towards her.

"Mr. Seo I am sorry if you felt offended with that e-mail, the security team must have been careful "

"Boyoung, I am not here as your President, " he said with a fallen face.

"Then I want to be left alone. Please" she said sternly.

"Okay, but if you need me, just give me a call. Okay?"

"Thank you, Just make sure the shoot goes as planned," she said before he left the cabin.

It was probably the toughest day for her at work. She had to write an apology mail for the entire office, assuring them that whatever the malicious person meant was not true. But she knew that once such a thing was out, it would become a topic of gossip and cause more trouble.

Inguk finished his shoot and headed back to the office. It was already late at night and Boyoung wasn't picking up his calls. He rushed towards her cabin and found that most of the team members had left for home, including her secretary. But the lights of her cabin were on.

He knocked on the door and called out to her, he could see a glimpse of her through the glass but she didn't seem to be moving. He pushed the door open and entered her cabin.

She had put her head on the table and her eyes were closed. He went up to her and held her arm.

"Boyoung!" He shouted.

"Hmm, let me sleep," she said turning her head to the other side.

Inguk heaved a sigh of relief. She was just asleep, probably drunk.

He knelt next to her and kept his hand on her forehead.

"Boyoung, it's late. Let's go home" he said.

But there was no reply. She was in deep sleep.

Inguk could have waited next to her for the whole night, just to ensure she was alright, but he knew she wasn't very comfortable on that table and chair. He knew she had a tough day and needed some rest.

It had pained him as well, to see such harsh words written for Mr. Kim but it pained him more to imagine how Boyoung must be feeling. He was terrified if she thought the same way too, that he stole her position. But he prayed that he would mend it even if she did.

"Boyoung" he tried to get some response for one last time, before deciding to take her with him by himself.

He gently pulled her up and carefully lifted her in his arms. She flinched a little but didn't respond. For him, she was light as a feather and he carried her with that much delicacy.

He took her out and saw Yo-han outside the cabin. He looked a little surprised to see Inguk carrying Boyoung.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes, she's just asleep. Can you help me with the elevator and car door?" Inguk asked.

"Oh yes sure, I'll come with you till the car," he said.

~

Inguk got down from his car and opened the door of the back seat where Boyoung was sleeping. He picked her up again and walked inside the house.

He kept wondering how calm she looked while sleeping and how fierce she was in the morning. He carefully carried her up to her room and placed her gently on the bed.

He removed her heels and stretched a blanket over her. Then he took a moment to sit next to her and caress her head.

"Good night, sleep well," he said, preparing to leave.

"Don't go" she said in a low voice with her eyes half-open.

"Ya, you were awake all this time?" He asked.

"Yes"

"Then why didn't you respond?"

"Because I wanted you to carry me" she shrugged, sounding drunk.

He chuckled and leaned over her head.

"Miss Park, did you drink? In the office?" He asked.

"Just a little, but not in the office, in the cafeteria" she accepted.

"I don't think it was a little amount" he chuckled.

"Oppa, just sleep here please. Next to me" she pleaded.

"Ah, no. You sleep here, I'll go to my room."

"No please,"

"Boyoung, you can call me if you need anything "

"No! Just sleep next to me" she commanded.

Inguk rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Fine. But don't keep talking. Just sleep" he said, adjusting himself next to her. He assumed that she would fall asleep quickly and he would leave after that.

But she happily rolled into his arms and cuddled against his chest. He was startled a little by her closeness, but he found her actions very cute. He readily covered her in his arms.

Her head reached his neck and he gently rested his chin on her head while she hugged him tightly. He knew her lips were touching his white shirt and leaving a red stain on it.

"Oppa," she said while he felt tickles as her lips moved against his chest.

"Yes"

"If I ask you for something, would you scold me?"

"I won't scold you, what do you want?" he asked.

She popped her head up, and he looked down at her. His breath fell on her forehead. She took a deep breath and felt his manly perfume fill up her mind.

"Oppa, you smell so good," she said chuckling.

"Thank you," he smiled.

"So, I was asking..."

"Yes?"

"Can I probably, kiss you?" She asked with a straight face.

Inguk wasn't bothered by her question, he knew she was being absurd because alcohol never did well with her.

"No, just go to sleep," he said sternly.

"Please, you said you would agree"

"No, I just said I won't scold you" he smiled.

"But why can't I kiss you! " she whined.

"Because you're drunk"

"Aaah, why!!" She fussed.

"Sleep now," he said caressing her head.

She looked at him blankly and studied his face. Her eyes dropped to his lips as she spoke.

"Would you let me kiss you if I wasn't drunk ?" She asked.

That question caught him off guard. Would he let her do it if she was in her senses? He couldn't understand why his answer wasn't a straight No.

While he kept thinking about it, Boyoung took her hand to his face and touched his lips with her fingers. He distinctively felt shivers run down his spine leaving him stiff.

She gently ran her fingers through his lips, feeling every bit of it, and looked him in the eyes. Her hands felt softer than his lips to him.

His heart had already started racing and he was at a loss for words. Boyoung innocently took her hand away from his face and kissed her fingers with which she touched his lips.

"Boyoung" he sounded helpless.

He couldn't deny that at that moment he definitely wanted to kiss her, but he knew he couldn't do that.

"This is allowed right?" She asked.

He gulped in and forced a smile on his face.

"Yes," He nodded as he took her little hand in his and planted a kiss on the same fingers.

She grinned like a kid who was given not what she wanted, but something satisfactory.

She adjusted her head in the crook of his neck and planted butterfly kisses. Her lips felt like a flower tickling his skin.

"Boyoung, don't do that" he gritted his teeth trying not to make the same mistake of losing himself again especially when she was drunk.

She stopped immediately and looked up.

"What? You kissed me on the neck too, now we are even" she smiled.

He was amazed at how happy she was, even after having a bad day, at least she was smiling. Even if she wasn't in her right sense, it made him happy to see her face glow.

He wondered what would happen if she remembers all that the next morning. She would surely be embarrassed, but that's okay, nobody can predict what they do when drunk.

"Oppa what are you thinking?" She complained.

"I'm wondering when will you sleep?" he said with a smile showing off his dimples.

"How can I sleep when you look at me like that?" She blushed.

"Like what?" He chuckled.

She looked up at him and bit her lip.

"I don't know, I get wrong thoughts in my head" she expressed her concern.

"What wrong thoughts?" He asked faking a concerned look.

"I-" she said holding his head and sliding her fingers in his hair, "I feel like kissing you and more," she said stressing on the word more.

"Oh, I see" he tried not to laugh because she looked so serious and cute.

"I will sleep but I have a condition " she announced.

"Okay, let's hear it," he said.

"Can you please kiss me, and... more?" She asked, almost mumbling.

He smiled a little and leaned towards her face, lifting her head by the chin. His hand cupped her cheek and he moved down, merely an inch away from her lips. She clenched his hair, ready to get what she wanted and he hovered right above her lips.

And just then her lips suddenly dropped down as she fell asleep on his chest. He knew that was going to happen and smiled at her silliness.

"I'll Pretend I didn't hear that" he giggled as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

*************

Sneak Peek: Boyoung attends Inguk's shoot while they were filming a kissing scene. How would she handle it? And how would he handle her?

************A/N : Okay I apologize for testing your patience so much 🤭 but the more it takes for a kiss the hotter it gets 😁😉

Thank you so much for commenting on my last chapter 😘 I love each and everyone of you ♥️

Let me know what hints you got for the upcoming chapter? What do you think is wrong with Inguk? What do you think will happen next? 😉

Sorry if there are silly or illogical mistakes, a lot goes on in my head and sometimes I mess up! 😭

See you all in the next chapter 😁 you can come up with your predictions till then 😉