LS Ch 33

Yiwon was originally supposed to head to Seoul last night. With his schedule starting early this morning, it made sense. However, because Jewoo was going back and forth about changing rooms, there was a tussle with his manager, and he only left early this morning.

After Yiwon left for Seoul, Jewoo asked Jiho to change the rooms before heading to the set. He also asked Jiho to hold onto Yiwon’s belongings that were in the suite. Thus, Jiho had no choice but to contact Yiwon’s manager after moving the rooms.

Yiwon started sending messages incessantly after Jiho’s call with his manager. The content of the messages was predictable. Since they hadn’t perfectly resolved their conversation last night before changing rooms, he must be angry.

“Aren’t you working?”

Jewoo started to worry since Yiwon kept sending messages despite going to Seoul for work. He felt guilty, wondering if it was because of him that Yiwon couldn’t concentrate.

“Oh, really!”

When his voice got a little loud out of frustration, Sihyeon looked back at him.

“Why are you struggling alone?”

At Sihyeon’s scolding, Jewoo gave an awkward smile, and Sihyeon sighed, saying, “Ha, I see.”

“I can guess, but just go with the flow, easily. Keep doing what you’ve been doing. I feel sorry for throwing a stone into a calm lake.”

Since Jewoo was ignoring Yiwon’s messages, Sihyeon guessed it was related to that concern.

“It’s not because of you. It’s something I had to deal with eventually.”

While it was true that Sihyeon had pointed out his earlier complacency, Jewoo knew he had to clarify his feelings at some point. He should have sorted it out earlier, but it had gotten too late, making it more confusing and complicated.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Haah. Yiwon let out a long sigh, loud enough to hear, and frowned at the message screen that still showed no read receipt.

“Your expression isn’t under control today.”

Doyoon, who had been watching from the side, commented. He knew why Yiwon was wrestling with his phone whenever there was a break during the recording.

“It’s not urgent. Talk about it when you get back.”

Why was moving rooms such a big deal? Ever since he heard from Jewoo’s manager that the room had been changed without an agreement, Yiwon had been like this. Or, thinking back, he seemed in a bad mood even when he left the hotel early in the morning.

“Did you fight with Han Jewoo?”

“No way. You need a fight to have fought.”

Yiwon replied with a sigh. He clearly looked as if he was dying of anxiety. Doyoon had been Yiwon’s manager for quite a while, but it was the first time he’d seen him so restless.

Although he asked if they had fought, Doyoon also thought that was unlikely. Yiwon wasn’t one to cause trouble with others, and from what he’d observed, neither was Han Jewoo. Especially, everyone praised Han Jewoo as a “good person.” The staff and older actors who worked with him had similar opinions. So, when they were told to share a room, there was no real concern. Even Yiwon, who had subtle social anxiety, got along well with Jewoo.

Maybe the problem was that they got along too well. To think he’d become this unstable just from hearing that his belongings were moved out of the shared room.

“Could it be…”

Doyoon started to speak but then, frowning, cut himself off, saying, “No, never mind.”

“What were you going to say?”

Since he had brought it up, Yiwon turned to look at him. Doyoon met his gaze and furrowed his brows. No, it couldn’t be. The suspicion lingering in his mouth seemed too risky to voice.

“Moderate it. You’ll look ugly if you keep it up. Maybe he just can’t check because he’s filming.”

Doyoon merely advised him to restrain from sending messages to Han Jewoo, indirectly.

“Do you think he’ll get tired of it?”

Yiwon asked with a bitter expression.

“If I were him.”

Watching from the side, it seemed like Yiwon had already sent dozens of messages. Wouldn’t Jewoo be shocked if he checked later?

“Even if he’s filming, wouldn’t he have had at least one break in the last hour?”

Yiwon’s question didn’t need an answer. It was more like a lament about how he could not have checked even once after sending messages for the last hour.

“It’s not like you.”

Even within the group, Yiwon rarely initiated contact. So, when their solo activities increased, other members sometimes criticized Yiwon for his aloofness. Yet here was Kang Yiwon, persistently sending messages because he hadn’t received a reply from Han Jewoo. It was an unusual sight and not like Kang Yiwon at all.

“I don’t know what being like me means anymore, not when it comes to Han Jewoo.”

Yiwon reluctantly put down his phone, his voice sounding defeated.

Maybe it’s more serious than I thought.

Doyoon didn’t add much more but contemplated if he should prepare for the headaches that might come in the future.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Knock, knock. At the sound of tapping on the table, Jewoo looked up to see Choi Jiyoo waving her hand.

“Oh?”

Her filming had all been completed last week, and since she had packed all her belongings from the hotel, it was surprising to see her standing there.

“Why are you sitting here like this?”

Jewoo was sitting in the hotel lobby.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

It seemed odd to her that he was sitting in the bustling lobby.

“Why are you here then?”

“The director contacted me saying there’s a scene he wants to reshoot. I have a reshoot tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

Her scenes rarely overlapped with Jewoo’s, so he didn’t know about the reshoot.

“Why are you like this? What if people see you?”

He chuckled at her words.

“I’m not as famous as Kang Yiwon, so there won’t be any fuss even if I’m here.”

When he questioned if it was okay for her, an actress, to be seen with him, she shrugged, saying she wasn’t famous enough to be recognized. Moreover, since most of the hotel guests during weekdays were from the filming crew and actors, it wasn’t an issue even if someone saw them.

“So, where’s the famous Kang Yiwon?”

She naturally looked for Yiwon. Having heard this question all day, Jewoo was tired of answering.

“Seoul. He has another schedule.”

“I figured. I thought he wasn’t around.”

The assumption that if Jewoo was there, Yiwon should be too, made him smile wryly.

“What’s going on with you and Kang Yiwon?”

Why did everyone ask if he had fought with Yiwon whenever he looked upset? He wanted to ask back, but since it wasn’t entirely unrelated to Yiwon, he had no comeback.

“Looks like it’s true.”

Choi Jiyoo looked at him with interest.

“Do you guys have any conflicts? He seemed like he’d do anything you asked.”

So that’s how Kang Yiwon appeared in her eyes.

“Why? How did you upset him to make our Jewoo like this?”

She asked in a big sisterly tone. The term ‘our Jewoo’ made him chuckle. Even though they were the same age, there were times when she seemed like a real older sister, unlike Sihyeon.

“Just… I’m confused.”

“About what?”

“My feelings.”

Despite the brief answer without specific words, Choi Jiyoo hummed and leaned back deeply into the sofa.

“You’re later than I thought.”

He looked at her, wondering what she meant, and she smiled quietly.

“I thought you were too accommodating. I was starting to doubt how dedicated you were to your profession.”

“Profession?”

“That’s right. Because you thought filming came first, you couldn’t refuse when Kang Yiwon was pushing.”

Somehow, women could be sharper than men at times. Sihyeon had said something similar, but Choi Jiyoo’s points were more precise. He thought it was just acting, and that was the real issue from the start. The tightrope walking that followed was just how situations unfolded.

“You were too confident.”

He couldn’t deny her words and looked down. Maybe he was too confident. He thought he could just deal with Yiwon appropriately during filming and that once it ended, Yiwon would go back to his own life.

“And now you’re starting to get confused.”

She repeated what Jewoo had said about being confused.

“Exactly.”

He affirmed her statement with a wry smile.

“The other person is Kang Yiwon, after all. It would be strange not to be swayed.”

“But he’s a man…”

“What does gender matter when you’re attracted to someone’s charm?”

“I guess so.”

“Do you still have the luxury to talk about it like it’s someone else’s problem?”

She asked, smiling with her eyes. This time, he couldn’t say ‘yes.’ He was just trying to act calm, but he had no such luxury.

“Are you scared because he’s the same sex?”

“I don’t think that’s it…”

Maybe because he was filming a BL drama and could understand those feelings, or maybe because he had no such prejudices to begin with, which allowed him to participate in this drama, the same-sex aspect didn’t bother him much.

“Then?”

She asked again. Jewoo took a deep breath and slowly began to speak. Talking through her questions seemed to help him organize his thoughts better than stewing over them alone.

“I’m not sure if these are really my feelings. Could I be caught up in ‘Haeyul’s’ emotions, and could Kang Yiwon be the same, just caught up in his character’s feelings? If that’s the case…”

It would be pointless anyway.

He swallowed the rest of the sentence, not wanting to say it out loud.