LS Ch 11

“Come here and look at this.”

The camera director beckoned the head director closer. As the head director approached, he peered at the screen the camera director was pointing at. The scene they had just filmed with Jewoo and Yiwon was playing.

“His eyes are definitely different when he looks at Haeyul compared to when he looks at others, right?”

The camera director asked with a smile on his lips.

“Indeed.”

Even to the head director, it was clear that in the video, ‘Geonhwon’s’ eyes changed noticeably the moment he turned his head.

“It’s one thing for the lines to be different, but for the eyes to change too, that’s not easy.”

The camera director was very pleased.

“Doesn’t it look real?”

When did she approach? Sihyeon added from behind them, looking at the screen. The camera director and head director laughed at the word ‘real.’

“It means they’re acting naturally well. If Han Jewoo is doing what we expected, then that’s fine, but honestly, Kang Yiwon surprised me. He wasn’t like this during the script reading. His voice tone was lower than in modern dramas, which seemed to fit the role well, but I was half-expecting whether he could capture the subtle emotions.”

The head director paused the video and zoomed in on Kang Yiwon’s face.

“Wow, even when you zoom in, he’s handsome.”

The camera director genuinely admired his appearance. The head director shook his head, laughing as if to say, ‘Of course.’

“To be honest, I was worried because he’s too handsome. The production company pushed for Kang Yiwon, but sometimes when someone is too good-looking, it can break immersion. Plus, there was some controversy about his acting skills.”

Sihyeon laughed awkwardly at the director’s brutally honest evaluation, even though it wasn’t about her. She was also worried that Kang Yiwon might overhear.

“But he’s exceeding expectations. Look at his eyes here. They’re subtly different from before, right? That’s not easy, but he nailed it.”

That was the highest praise that could come from the director’s mouth. Sihyeon nodded in agreement; it was indeed as the head director said.

“It might be thanks to Han Jewoo.”

The head director then paused at a shot where Han Jewoo was looking at Kang Yiwon. No matter what line he was delivering, his expressions were always different. He captured the director’s desired nuances without needing explanations, even down to the slightest eyebrow movement.

The head director suggested that because Han Jewoo was his counterpart, Kang Yiwon was naturally getting immersed in the role. However, Sihyeon’s thoughts were slightly different.

Looking beyond the filming equipment, she saw Han Jewoo and Kang Yiwon talking at a distance. They had just finished shooting a sword fight scene and were still playfully handling their swords. Jewoo was trying to balance a sword on his palm, and when it looked like it might fall, he quickly grabbed it, tilting his upper body. In response, Kang Yiwon’s arm naturally went up as if to catch him. Fortunately, Jewoo regained his balance, and Kang Yiwon’s hand hung in the air before returning to its place as if nothing had happened.

That’s what’s suspicious.

Sihyeon narrowed her eyes, watching them. It was ambiguous whether he intended to catch the sword or Jewoo himself. It could just be good reflexes.

That gaze is the problem.

Sihyeon’s gaze shifted to Kang Yiwon’s face. He was certainly laughing more than at the beginning of the shoot and talking more with other actors besides Jewoo. But that look in his eyes was reserved only for Han Jewoo. He never took his eyes off Jewoo while he was playfully laughing and talking. Sometimes, even from a distance, he watched Jewoo act with the same eyes.

As if he could die of love for him, as if Jewoo was the only one in the world.

It was hard to explain, but that was exactly the look. That’s why people were saying it might be real.

Not just Sihyeon, but other crew members and actors made similar jests. However, given the drama’s context, it was generally brushed off as him being deeply immersed in his role. In fact, ‘Geonhwon’s’ gaze towards ‘Haeyul’ in the drama was quite similar. Some crew members, who had worried about Kang Yiwon’s reputation for weak romance acting, even considered it a relief.

Well, that could be possible.

Sihyeon wasn’t seriously suspicious either. It was more like she was marveling at how Kang Yiwon looked at Jewoo with eyes dripping with honey even when not acting. On the other hand, she found Han Jewoo even more intriguing. Despite Kang Yiwon staring so openly, Jewoo showed no sign of being flustered.

“Wow, look at him smile. Do you know? There are a lot of fans who say their hearts would stop if Kang Yiwon smiled like that right in front of them. Was it at the concert two years ago? When a fan confessed their love very loudly, Kang Yiwon smiled out of embarrassment, and that clip is still circulating. They call it the ‘legendary smile’.”

One of the staff showed Sihyeon the clip on their phone. It was a video where fans went wild as Kang Yiwon’s smile spread across his face.

“Actually, Jewoo’s smile is prettier.”

As Sihyeon responded, Jewoo burst into laughter as if he had just shared a joke. Though Jewoo didn’t appear in romance dramas as often as Kang Yiwon, his smile captured people’s attention. His delicate features, combined with his eyes curving into crescent moons when he smiled, had been a topic since his child actor days.

“I wish Han Jewoo would do a proper romance drama once.”

The staff also nodded in agreement with Sihyeon’s opinion.

“This is a romance drama too, and with such amazing visuals.”

Another staff member gestured towards Jewoo and Yiwon. Indeed, when the two stood together, it felt like they were in a different world.

“Could they end up dating?”

Someone’s comment made everyone laugh. Given they were shooting a BL drama, neither the staff nor the actors had any prejudice against homosexuality, but it was only a jest; no one really thought they would date. Sihyeon shook her head and approached Jewoo and Yiwon. After all, the next scene they were shooting included all three of them.

“Stand close together.”

Sihyeon deliberately inserted herself between them as she spoke. Jewoo turned around with a look that asked, ‘What’s that about?’

“Everyone’s saying you look like you’re really dating, based on how you appear on camera.”

She pointed towards where the camera director and staff were gathered, watching the screen.

“What’s there to make a fuss about?”

Jewoo chuckled as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“We are dating, with this guy.”

With a playful look, he pointed at Kang Yiwon, making Sihyeon let out a small sigh.

“They say you look good together?”

“Scarily so.”

“That’s a relief.”

As an actor playing ‘Haeyul’, Sihyeon felt there was no need to say more. It was better that Jewoo and Yiwon had good chemistry rather than none. Regardless of the engaging story, since the drama was romance-based, it was crucial for the leads to look good together.

“Are you jealous?”

Yiwon, seemingly teasing, put one arm around Jewoo’s shoulder, pulling him towards himself.

“No way. Don’t involve me in this.”

Seeing Sihyeon shake her head in disgust, a slight smile appeared on Yiwon’s lips.

“Don’t get too used to it. I’m scared it might become a habit.”

Despite Sihyeon’s advice, Jewoo just laughed. He didn’t think it was something to worry about that much. When Yiwon had previously talked about pseudo-dating, he had wondered what would happen, but in reality, it just felt like an extension of the shoot. In fact, Yiwon seemed to have lowered his guard around him, making interactions easier.

Kang Yiwon’s gaze had definitely softened. But that was all. There was a slight concern that, immersed in their roles, they might engage in kisses or other physical contact as in the drama, but those worries turned out to be unnecessary.

It felt like he just gained another little brother who followed him well.

Of course, they were lovers in the drama, but during the breaks between takes or while waiting, when they played mobile games together, it felt exactly like hanging out with a younger brother.

“He’s cute. Follows well.”

At Jewoo’s response, Yiwon, who had his arm around Jewoo’s shoulder, seemed to flinch.

“He’s only cute to you. I think you’re the only one who can call Kang Yiwon cute.”

Sihyeon immediately denied Jewoo’s words, adding that he was too good-looking to be called cute, which could be overwhelming.

Jewoo removed Yiwon’s arm, turned to face him, and cupped his face with both hands. Yiwon’s eyes met Jewoo’s, and in that moment, Jewoo pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“He’s cuter because he’s good-looking. Right?”

At Jewoo’s words, implying where else would you find such a brother, Yiwon’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t treat me like a little brother.”

Yiwon removed Jewoo’s hands from his cheeks and answered in a blunt tone. To Sihyeon, it seemed like a serious response, but to Jewoo, who had grown accustomed to him, it didn’t matter.

“If you call me ‘hyung’, then you’re my little brother.”

Jewoo responded casually, but Sihyeon clearly saw Yiwon’s subtle frown at those words.