LS Ch 18

“Did you two finally decide to date? Congratulations.”

A passing staff member playfully congratulated him.

“Ah, yes…”

Jewoo awkwardly laughed in response.

“Seems like it’s true. I was half-doubting it.”

Turning around at the voice, Choi Jiyoo was approaching with a meaningful smile.

“It’s not like that.”

With a sigh, he answered, and mischief twinkled in her eyes.

“If it’s not like that, why are there so many rumors? Kang Yiwon himself said it, right? That he’s dating you. That you enjoy secret meetings in your room every night.”

“Secret meetings… ha.”

Indeed, rumors seem to grow like a snowball, gathering more and more layers. The absurdity of it all made him give up on defending himself.

“Since when, exactly?”

She asked as if it were a fact.

“I told you, it’s not like that.”

“Not like that, but Kang Yiwon said it on his own?”

“Well, not exactly…”

“What’s not exactly? What is it, then?”

Choi Jiyoo pressed him for a clear explanation, saying she couldn’t understand at all.

“So…”

Jewoo finally explained that he and Yiwon had decided to engage in a pseudo-romantic relationship during the filming period. After hearing everything, Choi Jiyoo let out a long “hmm.”

“It could happen, but is that really all there is to it?”

Her question was odd.

“What more should there be?”

“You should know best what there is more of.”

He couldn’t refute her words. He couldn’t say with certainty that there was nothing else. Instead, his heart ached a bit.

Unable to respond and just frowning, Choi Jiyoo, who had been watching him, patted his shoulder.

“Why so serious? People’s hearts don’t work just because you decide they should. Just let it flow. Eventually, you’ll see the real answer.”

He was grateful for her trying to keep things from getting too serious, but by her logic, he was lost, looking for an answer. That unclear part bothered him.

“Look at it positively. Kang Yiwon being this committed means our drama is going to be a hit. It feels good.”

Seeing his expression didn’t lighten, she added one more comment. Only then did Jewoo reluctantly nod. She was right; it was all about perspective. In fact, half of the staff and actors took the dating rumors as a jest. Perhaps because it was a BL drama set, there was an atmosphere of taking things lightly. So, Choi Jiyoo was right about not taking it too seriously.

Everyone considered it an extension of the acting. Even Kang Yiwon thought so. So, Jewoo should just let it go as well. He understood the situation intellectually, but something still felt off.

Forget it. Worrying about it now wouldn’t change anything.

“Is it okay if we talk for a bit?”

Yiwon approached with the script. Choi Jiyoo seemed about to leave, but Jewoo quickly grabbed her clothes to keep her from escaping. She glanced back with an expression asking, ‘Why are you including me in this?‘ but he ignored it.

“I need some advice.”

Yiwon looked quite serious.

“Is it okay if I’m here?”

Choi Jiyoo pointed at herself and asked.

“It’s fine.”

“You can stay.”

As both Yiwon and Jewoo answered simultaneously, she burst into a chuckle and sat back down, saying, “Alright.”

“I don’t understand this scene.”

Yiwon handed over the page he was looking at. It was the scene where ‘Haeyul’ unknowingly stabs ‘Geonhwon’, who is the emperor, in the chest. It was dark, so ‘Haeyul’ couldn’t see the emperor’s face, and ‘Geonhwon’, knowing ‘Haeyul’ would come to harm him, had dismissed all his guards and waited alone. This was also the moment where the identity of the emperor, whom ‘Haeyul’ had taken as a hostage, was revealed to be ‘Geonhwon’, whom he had harbored feelings for.

“What don’t you understand about it?”

At Jewoo’s question, Yiwon frowned.

“Everything. He brought him here because he wanted him so badly. Even if ‘Geonhwon’ hid his identity because he didn’t want to be hated, I don’t understand why he would go this far. It feels like he’s the biggest pushover in the world, so I can’t empathize.”

Indeed. Kang Yiwon probably wouldn’t make such a choice.

“My perspective is different. ‘Geonhwon’ isn’t a pushover; he’s actually quite cunning.”

“Cunning?”

Yiwon’s frown deepened, not understanding.

“It’s like he knows exactly how to be forgiven by Haeyul. Since he’s the one who took so much from Haeyul, he knows that only this much will make Haeyul accept him.”

“It didn’t seem that calculated to me…”

“He’s also a very pure-hearted person, wanting only one person his whole life. But at the same time, he’s quick to calculate. Think about it. If not, how could he have thought to win Haeyul over through war?”

“Well, after becoming emperor, he was pressured by the ministers to take an empress.”

Yiwon reflexively defended his character, ‘Geonhwon’.

“Even so, it was a wrong choice. Even knowing that war could hurt Haeyul, Geonhwon used the worst means to get what he wanted.”

Yiwon, unable to deny it, frowned but kept silent.

“What if he dies? If he dies, it’s all over. Even if Geonhwon wanted to send Haeyul back to his country, couldn’t there have been another way? I don’t even understand why he wants to send him back in the first place.”

“Can I answer that?”

Choi Jiyoo, who had been listening from the side, stepped in. She had read the entire original novel since the script reading day and had a better understanding of the overall story than the other actors.

“Geonhwon fell in love with Haeyul not as a hostage who had given up everything, but as the free Haeyul he once was. It’s a belated regret, but he wanted to restore Haeyul to his original self. There must have been guilt towards Haeyul too.”

“Even so, sending back someone he obtained through war?”

“It’s not just about sending him back. I think Geonhwon intended to follow Haeyul. Geonhwon never once gave up on Haeyul.”

With Choi Jiyoo’s explanation, Yiwon’s expression turned serious. He stared at the script in silence for a long time, lost in thought. Jewoo didn’t add any more explanations. How to interpret and portray ‘Geonhwon’ was entirely up to Yiwon.

Watching Yiwon think so seriously, Jewoo found himself reflecting deeply as well. Because Yiwon was so dedicated, he probably wanted to maintain the feeling of being in a relationship even off-camera to not lose that emotion. Understanding that made him realize that what others said about them really dating wasn’t that important. Rumors would fade, but this work would remain in his and Kang Yiwon’s filmography forever. This was much better than just going through the motions.

Feeling the gaze on him, Yiwon looked up.

“Why?”

When asked if there was something he wanted to say, Jewoo smiled brightly. That smile made Yiwon’s facial muscles twitch.

“Just… I think it’s great that you’re thinking so hard about it.”

Jewoo’s eyes curved even more softly.

“Wow, Han Jewoo, you’re enchanting people.”

Choi Jiyoo, watching from the side, commented. She teased that this was why Kang Yiwon was falling for him, but it didn’t bother Jewoo as much as it did at first. Now, he just decided to focus on being ‘Haeyul’ with ‘Geonhwon’, and on Kang Yiwon, who plays ‘Geonhwon’.

“It’s troublesome.”

Yiwon muttered to himself. Jewoo tilted his head, wondering what was troublesome, and Yiwon looked straight at him with a faint smile.

“It hurts to think that such a beautiful smile will soon stab me in the heart.”

Whether he was speaking as ‘Geonhwon’ or as Kang Yiwon was unclear, but Jewoo no longer cared.

“Do you think I’ll only feel heartache?”

At the implication that Yiwon didn’t know the pain of stabbing the heart of someone he loved with his own hands, Yiwon laughed in defeat.

Choi Jiyoo, looking back and forth between Jewoo and Yiwon, let out a soft “hmm” and smiled faintly. It was clear that Han Jewoo was unaware. Not only Kang Yiwon but also Han Jewoo’s gaze towards Kang Yiwon had softened since the beginning, to the point where someone might see affection in those eyes.

🎞️✮⋆˙

The filming of the scene Yiwon had been pondering over began. Before the actual shoot, Jewoo and Yiwon discussed specific angles and movements with the director.

“When Haeyul tries to retreat, Geonhwon senses his hesitation and grabs his wrist. Then he shakes his head, telling him not to make noise because if the soldiers come due to loud sounds, Haeyul will be in danger. Right now, what’s most important to Geonhwon isn’t his own safety but ensuring Haeyul escapes safely.”

After hearing the director’s explanation, they began to act out the scene. They didn’t fully immerse into their emotions for the dialogue but checked the movements and timing for the lines and actions.

“Here, you stab with the sword and then retreat…”

As Jewoo mimicked stabbing Yiwon’s chest with the sword and was about to pull back, he flinched. Yiwon had brushed his hand with his index finger as it passed by.