LS Ch 32

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Jewoo turned around to see Yiwon standing right behind him.

“Oh, you’re done?”

Just moments ago, they were filming a scene with Yiwon. It was an action scene, so they had to reshoot from various angles.

“You didn’t watch, did you?”

Yiwon sounded slightly upset. Jewoo looked at him intently.

“Why?”

“Just.”

Even this reaction was not normal. Actors sometimes watched their seniors perform to study, but most didn’t watch scenes they weren’t in. They usually took the opportunity to rest or eat something they hadn’t had time for. However, since some point, both he and Yiwon had been naturally watching each other’s filming.

It’s because we appear together most of the time anyway. Jewoo tried to use that excuse, but it didn’t fully explain everything.

“Are you sick somewhere?”

Yiwon naturally reached out to feel Jewoo’s forehead.

Yeah, this kind of thing. Normally, you wouldn’t do this.

Jewoo pushed his hand away with a bitter smile. Normally, he would have just left it, but after what Sihyeon had said, he was more conscious of how others might perceive it. Perhaps because his hand was pushed away, Yiwon’s face stiffened for a moment.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Yiwon asked again, sensing something different.

“Don’t stick so close.”

At Jewoo’s words, Yiwon furrowed his brows, his expression suggesting he couldn’t understand Jewoo’s behavior.

Indeed, they had deviated from what was normal. Normally, such closeness would be seen as unusual, and no one would react so seriously to being told not to cling. Compared to Sihyeon, the difference was clear. When Jewoo had told Sihyeon not to cling because of the heat, Sihyeon had retorted by telling him to sit further away.

“Something’s off today.”

Yiwon, still looking displeased, pulled up a chair and sat opposite Jewoo.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“No.”

“Seems like you’re not.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

Yiwon kept talking to him, and the more he did, the more Jewoo felt his mind becoming noisy.

“Just let me rest quietly.”

“You must be really tired. Did you get overheated?”

Even when Jewoo asked him to be quiet for a bit, Yiwon paid no heed. He kept checking on Jewoo’s condition. When Jewoo waved him off, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, hoping for some silence, he heard Yiwon calling his manager.

“Hello, can you bring some ice packs and some cold electrolyte drinks? Oh, and some snacks for an energy boost.”

After hearing this short conversation, Jewoo opened his eyes to look at him.

“Are you seriously asking for all that for me?”

When he asked, half in disbelief, Yiwon nodded, then reached out to feel Jewoo’s forehead again.

“You don’t seem to have a fever… but just in case, use the ice pack when it comes. You might have internal heat.”

He looked genuinely concerned.

Why are you being so nice to me?

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Jewoo swallowed them back. He felt like he already knew the answer without asking. He wasn’t ready to accept that answer. The problem was that he had done things he shouldn’t have with Kang Yiwon even before he was prepared.

“From today, let’s use our rooms separately like we used to. I’ll talk to the director.”

“Suddenly?”

“It’s not sudden, we only agreed to share temporarily.”

When Jewoo mentioned it was just for show to the investors, Yiwon’s lips tightened into a straight line.

“You’re not sick, you’re mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Jewoo shook his head and met Yiwon’s eyes. How should he explain this? He wasn’t even clear about his own feelings yet, so he didn’t know how to convince Yiwon.

“Anyway, you have to go to Seoul tomorrow and the day after, right? It’s not like you should use that big room alone, and I thought this would be a good time to go back to how things were.”

He used Yiwon’s schedule as an excuse, but Yiwon didn’t seem convinced at all.

“It’s kind of scary being alone in such a large room.”

He added another excuse, but it still wasn’t enough to persuade Yiwon. Even to himself, it sounded ridiculous. He had only added that because he suddenly remembered that Kang Yiwon was afraid of ghosts.

“Should I not go?”

Jewoo paused at this unexpected suggestion.

“You said you’re scared of being alone.”

Yiwon replied with a hint of humor.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

The idea of canceling a scheduled event just for that reason was absurd. Jewoo waved his hand dismissively, trying to brush it off, but the smile disappeared from Yiwon’s face.

“If you tell me not to go, I won’t.”

It didn’t sound like a joke anymore. Yiwon seemed ready not to go if Jewoo just said the word.

“Kang Yiwon.”

When Jewoo called his name sternly, Yiwon laughed, saying it was a joke, but it was clear he had said it because he feared Jewoo might get angry.

“Since there’s not much filming left, wouldn’t it be better if we just stayed like this?”

Not liking the idea of returning to their original rooms, Yiwon tried to persuade Jewoo again.

“It’s a waste to use a suite unnecessarily.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

Yiwon’s nonchalant offer to cover the cost of the suite with his own money left Jewoo speechless.

Don’t you know how strange that sounds? Aren’t you worried about what people might think if they find out?

He had a lot he wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut, fearing the staff and other actors around might overhear.

“You look like you have a lot to say.”

Yet, Yiwon sensed Jewoo’s intentions.

“Let’s talk after filming.”

Thinking it was better to have a proper conversation, Jewoo cut off the talk and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

Yiwon quickly grabbed Jewoo’s wrist. Looking down, Yiwon’s expression reminded him of a child who had lost its mother, making Jewoo want to sigh again.

“I’m going to the bathroom. The bathroom.”

When Jewoo scolded him, asking if he’d follow him to the bathroom too, Yiwon finally let go, smiling sheepishly.

Only after turning around and walking away did Jewoo let out a long breath. He felt a bit guilty for being too blunt. Having given Yiwon so much leeway before, trying to set boundaries now wouldn’t be easy. Yiwon’s reaction was one thing, but Jewoo himself was confused about whether this was the right thing to do.

Should I just continue as before? But what does ‘as before’ even mean? Once you start questioning, everything feels like a mess, like stepping into a swamp.

Am I the only one going through this? Does Kang Yiwon have no concerns at all?

He felt a bit resentful, pondering alone.

What does Kang Yiwon feel? Could he also be caught up in the emotions of ‘Geonhwon’? If that’s the case, it’s problematic even if I’m sincere. Sincere… Am I really sincere?

His thoughts were jumping all over the place. He felt like he was wandering in a maze without an answer. Right now, today, after filming, he’d have to decide how to deal with sharing a room with Yiwon back at the hotel… At least, he was relieved that Yiwon would be away from the set for two days starting tomorrow.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Zing, zing.

The phone on the table kept vibrating incessantly. It wasn’t a call but messages coming in. Kang Yiwon’s name appeared on the screen and disappeared before another new message arrived.

“Aren’t you going to check it? It’s noisy. Answer him.”

Sihyeon, who was resting next to him, looked at Jewoo’s phone and clicked his tongue.

“Seems like you were an angel when he was here on set. He’s going crazy just because you’re a bit away.”

At Sihyeon’s scolding, Jewoo awkwardly picked up his phone. He switched it to silent mode, stopping the vibration, but the screen still lit up with each new message. He was cautious, worried he might accidentally open the messages.

“Why are you ignoring him? Did you fight?”

“Fight? We’re not kids.”

“You’re acting like kids.”

Sihyeon’s gaze shifted to Jewoo’s phone. Jewoo gave a wry smile and put the phone in his bag.

“What’s going on? Why are you acting like this?”

Even when asked why he wasn’t responding properly when not filming, Jewoo kept silent and turned away, making Sihyeon give up, saying, “If you don’t want to talk, then don’t.”

They couldn’t change rooms last night. After talking to the director about returning to their original rooms, the director said to do it from tomorrow because it was the weekend and they needed to check if there were any available rooms.

Yiwon, for his part, was insistent, saying he couldn’t understand it. He argued that it was only for two days he’d be away from the set and questioned if it made sense to change rooms because of that.

“I just want to rest comfortably alone.”

Eventually, those words came out. When Yiwon asked if he was uncomfortable sleeping with him, Jewoo replied, 

“I’ve been sleeping alone my whole life; do you think sleeping with someone would be comfortable?”

In truth, it wasn’t that uncomfortable. The fact that sharing a bed with someone didn’t bother him was surprisingly startling. Still, he had to tell Yiwon it was uncomfortable. That excuse seemed like the only way Yiwon would back off.

‘Were you enduring the discomfort all this time? Is that so?’

In the end, they slept in separate rooms last night. Yiwon, feeling rejected to that extent, seemed to be upset, and by the end, he closed his door without a word and didn’t move until morning.

Because of that, Jewoo couldn’t sleep well, feeling uneasy.