LS Ch 19

When he looked back, Yiwon’s face was calm as if nothing had happened.

Was it just a coincidence?

As Jewoo tilted his head, about to dismiss it, Yiwon grabbed his wrist. Then, he felt Yiwon’s finger brush against the back of his hand again, this time with a more deliberate intent.

Glancing at Yiwon, he saw his lips curl up slightly before quickly returning to normal so no one else would notice.

It was definitely intentional. Jewoo tried to ignore it, acting like it was nothing, but the spot where Yiwon’s finger had brushed felt ticklish.

“After stabbing with the sword, light the lamp…”

The director meticulously instructed Jewoo on the movements he should make.

“When the light comes on and Haeyul sees Geonhwon’s face, that’s when he starts to feel the turmoil.”

Jewoo nodded to the director’s words while following the script with his eyes.

“When Haeyul starts to cry, Geonhwon reaches out as if to wipe away the tears.”

Following the director’s instruction, Yiwon reached out towards Jewoo. His hand slightly brushed Jewoo’s cheek. According to the script, his hand should have fallen limply before touching ‘Haeyul’. So, Jewoo slightly pulled back to avoid Yiwon’s hand, and he saw the ends of Yiwon’s eyes curve gently.

“Wouldn’t it be better if Geonhwon cupped Haeyul’s cheek here?”

Yiwon asked the director with a serious expression. Although it wasn’t in the script, he suggested it would convey more emotion. The director agreed to shoot it both ways.

“You…”

Are you doing this on purpose to touch me?

To ask that seemed too sensitive since it was clear Yiwon was just deeply immersed in his role. Unable to continue, Yiwon stared at him and then smiled quietly.

“You look especially handsome today.”

At this unexpected remark, not only Jewoo but even the director paused to look at Yiwon. Jewoo, feeling dazed, pointed at himself with his finger, mouthing ‘Me?’ Yiwon, as if waiting for that, nodded and stared at him intently. That gaze felt too affectionate to be a mistake. The director, sensing the strange atmosphere, cleared his throat to get their attention.

“You’re the one who’s more handsome.”

Caught in Yiwon’s gaze, Jewoo answered without thinking and then realized what he’d said. Kang Yiwon was acting strangely, and it seemed to be contagious. However, Yiwon seemed pleased by the compliment and smiled.

“Alright, we know you both are handsome, so let’s stop the flirtation here and start filming.”

Fortunately, the director cut off their antics at the right time.

“Don’t forget to leave space for Haeyul’s flashbacks between the lines.”

They took their positions for the scene start, and the director gave the cue. Jewoo, as if forgetting all that had happened before, closed his eyes and steadied his breath. Recalling the previous scene, he summoned ‘Haeyul’s’ emotions. When he opened his eyes to look ahead, standing there was no longer Han Jewoo but ‘Haeyul’.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Yejun punched Jewoo in the abdomen as he stubbornly refused to leave. After Jewoo collapsed softly, the director called cut. Only then did Jewoo raise his head, breathing heavily. From the moment he stabbed ‘Geonhwon’ with the sword to this scene where ‘Yeong’ takes ‘Haeyul’ away, Jewoo had to maintain ‘Haeyul’s’ complex and intense emotional state. His face was a mess from crying. His head ached from holding back tears.

“Are you okay?”

Yiwon, who had come down from the bed, knelt in front of Jewoo to check his condition. Jewoo, lacking the energy to respond, just waved his hand dismissively.

“Please get me some water.”

When Yiwon called out to the staff, someone brought bottled water. He opened the cap and brought the bottle to Jewoo’s lips.

“I’ll drink it.”

Jewoo tried to take the bottle, but Yiwon held his hand with his other hand.

“Just drink it. Your hands are shaking.”

With his words, Jewoo finally realized his hands were trembling slightly. It was because he had exerted too much energy during the acting. Reluctantly, he drank the water as given, and it helped him breathe a bit easier.

“I must look a mess now.”

He had cried a lot and had to pull out strong emotions, which made his face feel hot. Plus, after struggling physically with ‘Yeong’ to not be dragged away, his clothes and hair were all messed up.

Actually, it didn’t matter if he looked disheveled during acting. He just said it to change the subject because Kang Yiwon was sitting right in front of him, overly worried about him.

“No.”

Yiwon answered without any hesitation.

“It’s amazing that someone can look beautiful even when crying that much.”

His additional comment made Jewoo flinch. Is this guy calling me ‘beautiful’? When he was younger, he heard it often, but hardly anyone would openly say that to a man over twenty. He didn’t know how to react, feeling embarrassed. Meeting Kang Yiwon’s gaze, who couldn’t take his eyes off him, was becoming overwhelming.

“Who would call who beautiful?”

He said it dismissively out of embarrassment, but in fact, Kang Yiwon, even with blood on his lips and a dagger in his chest, still had a handsome face. The phrase ‘stepping out from the pages of a novel’ described Kang Yiwon perfectly. No wonder his fans were so crazy about him; his looks made sense.

“Could you two tone it down a bit?”

Sihyeon had appeared at some point, arms crossed, watching them. The next scene was one where Yiwon and he would appear together.

“I’m getting goosebumps just listening. You both are beautiful. Annoyingly beautiful. Happy now?”

Sihyeon, who seemed to have heard everything from the beginning, shivered. Yejun, standing next to her, just laughed awkwardly, “Ahahaha.”

Jewoo tried to get up with a cough but couldn’t muster the strength in his legs.

“Help me up.”

Without thinking, he naturally extended his arms towards Yiwon. Yiwon, without hesitation, pulled him up by the hand. Jewoo stumbled slightly, and Yiwon steadied him by grabbing his shoulders.

“Just say you two are dating.”

Sihyeon, watching them, commented.

“We are dating.”

At Yiwon’s response, Sihyeon shook her head, saying, “Sure, whatever.”

“Really?”

Yejun asked Jewoo with wide eyes.

“Well…”

With Jewoo’s ambiguous answer, Yejun seemed unsure which way to take it, but Sihyeon waved her hand dismissively, saying, “What’s there to think about?”

“Really, I’m getting goosebumps. What kind of guy are you, Kang Yiwon?”

Sihyeon said that Yiwon was nothing like the image she had of him, feeling somewhat deceived. Yiwon only smirked at her words, not bothering to refute.

🎞️✮⋆˙

While Yiwon and Sihyeon were filming, Jewoo lay on a chair in a corner, trying to catch some sleep. The makeup coordinator was worried that his face would swell from crying and then sleeping, but he felt he needed to rest to regain some energy.

Even in the noisy filming environment, he couldn’t sleep deeply, always alert, half-awake, waiting for his turn to be called.

“Asleep?”

Hearing Yiwon’s voice, Jewoo opened his eyes to see him looking down from above.

“Not asleep, just had my eyes closed.”

“Hmm.”

Yiwon, making a sound through his nose, sat on the chair where Jewoo had rested his head, asking him to move aside. Consequently, Jewoo had to sit up, but then Yiwon wrapped his arm around Jewoo’s head and pulled him down.

“Lie down here.”

At the suggestion to lay his head on his thigh, Jewoo instinctively resisted.

“Who cares? No one’s paying attention.”

Yiwon added reassuringly, noticing Jewoo looking around. Indeed, everyone was busy with their own tasks, not minding them. After a moment of hesitation, Jewoo decided, ‘Why not?’ and relaxed, resting his head on Yiwon’s thigh.

“Could you get a blanket?”

Wondering who he was talking to, Jewoo looked around to see Yiwon on the phone. Shortly after, his manager brought a blanket. Jewoo tried to get up to greet him, but Yiwon pressed his head down, not letting him move.

“Sleep properly. I’ll wake you when it’s your turn.”

It seemed Yiwon was determined to make him rest properly. Too tired to argue, Jewoo lay back comfortably and closed his eyes.

He felt a hand gently stroking his hair. It seemed like Yiwon was playing with his hair. The careful movement of fingers through his hair felt nice, and he gradually felt his consciousness fading.

Yiwon stroked Jewoo’s hair with one hand while reading the script with the other. His touch was like soothing a child to sleep. After a while, Jewoo showed no signs of movement. Looking down, he seemed to have really fallen asleep. He had said he wasn’t asleep, but he must have been tired.

The saying that crying scenes are the hardest was true. Moreover, since it wasn’t just bawling but holding back emotions while crying, it was even more exhausting.

His gaze slowly moved from Jewoo’s forehead down to his chin. He had a genuinely beautiful face. Not feminine, but there was a coexistence of handsomeness and beauty. Especially his eyes were beautiful. They weren’t small, and they were longer horizontally than most. They were pretty almond-shaped, curving like a crescent moon when he smiled. People often described it as ‘smiling eyes,’ and Han Jewoo fit that description perfectly.

It was the same back then, when they first met.