LS Ch 4

“Phew.” 

Seated in the back of the car, Jewoo took deep, loud breaths. Still feeling his face flushed, he fanned himself with his hand when Jiho, who was waiting in the front seat, turned around to look at him.

“How was it?”

“What?”

“The script reading. Did you sync well with Kang Yiwon?”

“I don’t know.”

With Jewoo’s curt reply, Jiho made a thoughtful “hmm” sound.

“Seems like it wasn’t bad then. You’re not saying you hated it.”

“It’s not about liking or disliking, it’s the content…!”

Jewoo started to respond but cut himself off mid-sentence. Jiho looked at him questioningly, wondering what he was about to say, but Jewoo just waved his hand dismissively.

He couldn’t bring himself to complain about how cringeworthy some scenes were. He had read the script at home beforehand, so saying he didn’t know the content would be a lie. But there was a huge difference between recognizing it intellectually and experiencing Kang Yiwon saying those lines right in front of him. Plus, there were quite a few scenes with physical contact.

He thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but… a groan lingered in his throat. Now that he thought about it, he had never filmed a proper romance scene. When he was a child actor, he played the younger version of the protagonist, so any interaction with the female lead was just innocent, youthful flirting. As he grew older, he mostly played supporting roles in serious dramas, which kept him far from romance.

He had never even done kiss or hug scenes with an actress, and now, for his first lead role in a romance, his co-star was a man – the hurdle felt incredibly high. He thought acting was just acting, something he could handle easily, but it was a complete misjudgment.

“If I say I won’t do it now, it won’t work, right?”

At his mumbled words, Jiho gasped in surprise.

“What are you talking about? The contract’s already been signed, and the casting news might even be out.”

“Ugh.”

As Jewoo squirmed in his seat, Jiho clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“You didn’t make a scene in front of everyone up there, did you?”

“No way.”

Jewoo replied seriously. Although he might grumble or complain privately, he never showed weakness in front of others. He had strictly adhered to this principle since childhood. Once, when he had appendicitis in his late teens, he endured it until he finished his scenes, collapsing right after. Because of that, he got a reputation among directors for his sense of responsibility.

“You’re going to do it anyway. Might as well do it with a positive attitude.”

Jiho knew Jewoo wasn’t seriously considering breaking the contract; he was just venting. With some soothing words, Jewoo slid down in his seat and covered his face with the script.

“It’s all because of you. Why did you have to go and persuade me?”

It’s not like I’d starve to death if I didn’t do this. I really didn’t want to be involved with Kang Yiwon. Why does he have to be so good-looking? And taller than me too, damn it.

As Jewoo kept muttering, Jiho shook his head, turned to face forward, and started the car.

“Get some rest tonight. We have the drama poster shoot tomorrow, so don’t show up with a puffy face from lack of sleep.”

“I doubt I’ll be able to sleep even if I go home.”

Jewoo sighed heavily in response. Jiho just chuckled, not adding more as he believed Jewoo would perform professionally once the shoot started.

“What’s Kang Yiwon like in person?”

He subtly shifted the conversation to Kang Yiwon. Although it wasn’t Jewoo’s favorite topic, Jiho was personally curious.

“I’m not sure yet. He seems a bit shy?”

Despite his complaints, Jewoo refrained from judging people too quickly. His reluctance to be associated with Kang Yiwon was purely about not wanting to be the subject of fan speculation, not any prejudice against Kang Yiwon himself.

This was one of Jewoo’s strengths. After rolling around in this industry for over 20 years, he had no prejudices against others and didn’t make hasty judgments. Given how many rumors circulated, he trusted only what he saw and experienced firsthand.

Plus, he was sociable. He might act like a child around Jiho, but in front of others, he had always been mature since childhood. Being polite and having a naturally friendly face made him popular with older actors, and his peers liked him as well. His easygoing personality meant that after working with him, both male and female actors had good things to say about him.

The only thing he lacked was ‘popularity’, just that one thing. When he was a child actor, his pretty looks made him quite recognizable, but as he entered his twenties, that pretty look became ambiguous. He was still handsome in a beautiful way, but he didn’t have the strong presence needed for a male lead. He was good at acting, so he continued to appear in serious dramas, but he often heard he wasn’t suitable for leading romantic roles that could make him super popular.

Jiho believed Jewoo just hadn’t found the right project yet. In his early twenties, the image of him as the “nation’s little brother” was a hindrance, but he had since worked out regularly and played various roles in serious dramas. Jiho believed that Jewoo could now handle roles that required ‘masculinity’. However, he hadn’t yet landed a role that could establish that image, so he hadn’t fully showcased his talent.

Recommending this project was a kind of gamble for Jiho as well. Although it was a BL, the role Jewoo was taking was that of a king who, having lost in war, was taken as a hostage by the enemy country, with a character that contrasted his pretty appearance by being decisive and skilled in martial arts. In the end, this character returns to his kingdom to be reinstated as king, and Jiho thought it had plenty of appeal for female fans.

“Try to talk to him more friendly. You’re good at that.”

Since Jewoo would have to interact most with Kang Yiwon during filming, Jiho suggested they get along well, but Jewoo didn’t respond much. Of course, he would try to get along. How Kang Yiwon would react, though, was unknown.

“He was better at acting than I expected.”

Muttering this while they were on the move, Jiho glanced back through the rear-view mirror.

“I was a bit worried since he’s an idol and hasn’t been acting for long.”

Given that Jewoo had only worked with veteran actors in serious dramas, such concerns were understandable.

“I thought he was just living off his looks.”

At Jewoo’s honest assessment, Jiho let out a chuckle.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nice that you’re honest, but never say that in front of Kang Yiwon.”

“Am I stupid? I wouldn’t say it to his face.”

“Alright, alright. Just try to get along.”

Jewoo didn’t respond to Jiho’s words and looked out the window. Naturally, they would become friendly during filming. He had always gotten along well with the cast in every project so far, except for a few with truly odd personalities.

Since Kang Yiwon didn’t seem like a bad person, things would work out somehow.

Despite some inconveniences, Jewoo was looking forward to the filming itself. Kang Yiwon’s acting had exceeded his expectations, making him curious about how they would perform together.

While on the move, Yiwon was looking at the script for “At the End of That Season.” The dim light in the car might have caused motion sickness while reading, but he seemed unbothered, re-reading the pages he had just gone through.

“What kind of feeling would it be to love someone so much you’d give your life for them?”

After a while, he asked his manager, Doyoon. He had read this part repeatedly because he couldn’t understand it, but he still couldn’t follow the emotion.

“Well, I’ve never loved someone to that extent, so I don’t know.”

Doyoon’s answer made Yiwon frown slightly. In this day and age, who would sacrifice their life for love?

“A man he had longed for over ten years, even after finding out he was a man, he couldn’t give up, so he took him as a hostage, only to kill himself to send him back…”

This was the part that hadn’t made sense to him even when he first read the script. If it were him, he would have used any means to make the person his own. To go through all the trouble of starting a war to get him, only to send him back, what kind of foolish act was that?

“Unlike you, ‘Geonhwon’ is someone who loves devotedly.”

“Devoted… Since when did ‘devotion’ and ‘pushover’ become synonyms?”

At the term ‘pushover’, Doyoon let out a laugh.

“That’s what they say true love is like.”

Doyoon, who also had little experience in love, could only say that much. Kang Yiwon, who debuted in his teens and was now only twenty-four, would find the concept of ‘devotion’ even harder to grasp.

“Hmm.”

Still not understanding, Yiwon let out a long sigh. Doyoon, seeing his serious expression through the rear-view mirror, was subtly worried about the upcoming filming. In fact, Kang Yiwon, popular for his looks, had always starred in romance dramas, but he always seemed to lack something in scenes requiring deep emotion. Since directors and producers often cast him for his popularity rather than expecting outstanding acting, they overlooked it, but there were constant criticisms of his acting among general viewers, not just his fanbase.

Because he had never experienced love or romance.

Doyoon believed that unless one was a born actor, acting stemmed from experience. In that regard, Kang Yiwon was bound to have shortcomings. Even during his time with the group and after Doyoon became his dedicated manager, Yiwon had shown no signs of dating anyone. With his packed schedule, there was no time for it.

So, when Yiwon decided to participate in not just any romance but a BL, Doyoon couldn’t help but try to dissuade him.