LS Ch 6

Once the joint filming was somewhat completed, individual filming began. When the director asked who would go first, Kang Yiwon stepped up, saying he would. Thanks to that, Jewoo could take a break for a while.

“Are you planning to stay here?”

Jiho, leaning against one wall of the filming set, handed Jewoo a drink and asked. There was a waiting room prepared next door where Jewoo could rest comfortably, so the question was why he would choose to stand there. Jewoo’s gaze shifted from Kang Yiwon to Jiho at the inquiry.

“It feels different from acting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just the atmosphere. Maybe he’s more used to modeling work.”

At Jewoo’s response, Jiho glanced back at Kang Yiwon, who was currently shooting.

“Maybe. I’ve seen Kang Yiwon’s SNS; he’s got quite a few brand ambassador deals and ads. His visuals are definitely impressive.”

Not only was his face handsome, but his height and physique were also ideal. However, having good physical attributes alone didn’t make one a suitable model. His posture, gaze, everything seemed quite familiar. This must be evidence of Kang Yiwon’s substantial training and practice.

“Nothing comes for free in this world. It shows how much effort he’s put in.”

At Jewoo’s assessment, Jiho looked at him with a smirk.

“Why are you smiling like that? It’s unsettling.”

When Jewoo expressed his discomfort at Jiho’s mysterious smile, Jiho patted his shoulder.

“It seems like you’re growing to like him more. The works you’ve done with actors you like have always turned out well. This one feels good too.”

Jewoo shook his head at the positive evaluation. It was just Jiho’s intuition, not based on any solid evidence. Of course, filming was more comfortable when you got along with your co-star, which naturally made acting easier.

But it’s not that comfortable yet.

Jewoo swallowed back the words he didn’t say to Jiho. When he looked towards Kang Yiwon, their eyes met again. At first, he thought it might be a coincidence, but it seemed unlikely the more he looked. Even while following the director’s instructions, Kang Yiwon occasionally glanced towards where Jewoo stood, more specifically at Jewoo himself. His gaze was so natural that it wasn’t disrupting the shoot, but there was definitely eye contact, and he didn’t seem inclined to avoid it.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Jiho asked what he meant when Jewoo muttered to himself, but Jewoo just shook his head.

“You don’t have any other schedules after this shoot, right?”

“Today, no.”

“Then can you talk to Kang Yiwon’s manager and set up a dinner appointment with him? You, me, and his manager should go together.”

“Today? Right away?”

“Getting to know each other better helps with filming… The staff were all raving about it. Let’s try to get close.”

After a casual reply, Jewoo headed towards the director who was calling for him.

“Since Yiwon’s filming is done, we’ll start Jewoo’s. Stand over there and strike a comfortable pose. Think about your character’s image.”

It was a vague request, but Jewoo went into the set without any objections and took his position.

“Oh, nice! Keep that pose but lift your gaze.”

The staff were amazed at how quickly Jewoo’s eyes filled with longing. The director, pleased, kept snapping away with the camera.

“Turn your head and look far off.”

At this request, Jewoo turned his head, locking eyes with Kang Yiwon, who was still staring intently at him. Expecting this since he could feel Kang Yiwon’s gaze, Jewoo wasn’t surprised.

A faint, ambiguous smile, as if both happy and sad, slowly formed on Jewoo’s lips as he stared back at Kang Yiwon without a hint of wavering. Kang Yiwon’s expression flickered momentarily.

“Okay! That expression was perfect. Who were you thinking of to get that look?”

The director asked playfully.

“My lover.”

Jewoo answered with a bright smile. At the word “lover,” the staff exclaimed in surprise, teasing if this was a public confession.

“It is my lover. Geonhwon, my lover.”

With his gaze blatantly on Kang Yiwon, Jewoo answered from his character’s perspective, and the staff burst into laughter, realizing it.

“What? It was so natural I thought it was real.”

Some even jokingly asked if Jewoo had already started immersing himself in the role.

“Did Yiwon get a heart flutter just now?”

One of the staff directed the question at Yiwon.

“Well…”

It was an ambiguous answer, neither confirming nor denying. The staff teased Jewoo, saying he needed to work harder, given his composed response and expression. Jewoo stared blankly at Kang Yiwon, then chuckled and turned his head away. There wasn’t much change in his expression, but Kang Yiwon’s ears had turned bright red.

Could he be cuter than I expected?

He hadn’t thought he’d find someone taller and of the same gender as him cute. But, when he looked at it differently, Kang Yiwon was just a younger brother by three years, big in size but still younger. It was perfectly reasonable to think he was cute.

Even during the shoot, Jewoo felt Kang Yiwon’s gaze on him several times. At first, it felt burdensome, but as he got used to it, he thought, ‘Well, it’s just how it is.’ When he was learning to act, Jewoo would also sit to one side and watch his seniors’ performances intently, even if it wasn’t his turn. Maybe Kang Yiwon was doing the same. Realizing this, the discomfort faded.

“Huh? What about Kang Yiwon?”

After finishing the shoot and leaving the set, only Jiho was there; Kang Yiwon and his manager were nowhere to be seen.

“Didn’t we say we’d have dinner together?”

“We did.”

“Then?”

“He got called away. He has a schedule to attend to. He apologized and said he’d arrange something next time.”

If there was another commitment, it couldn’t be helped. Still, Jewoo felt a bit disappointed. He thought Kang Yiwon would definitely come if he was the one inviting…

“Was I mistaken?”

“About what?”

“Nothing.”

Shaking his head, Jewoo suggested they go get something to eat since he was hungry and led the way. But before he could take a step, Jiho grabbed his arm.

“What?”

“Are you planning to go out like that?”

At his comment, Jewoo finally realized he was still in makeup and costume, laughing awkwardly.

“Well, it’s not bad for promotion.”

Jiho grinned playfully. Jewoo pushed Jiho’s arm away and took off his wig first. As the wig came off, the cool air from the AC flowed through his hair, making him feel alive. Jiho chuckled and ruffled Jewoo’s hair.

“Go remove your makeup and come out.”

After sending Jewoo to the makeup room, Jiho turned around and locked eyes with Kang Yiwon who had been watching. He didn’t know when Kang Yiwon had come out of the opposite makeup room. Kang Yiwon bowed slightly in acknowledgment before leaving the set with his manager after greeting the staff.

Was I mistaken? His look seemed kind of cold.

Jiho tilted his head in confusion and went to Jewoo’s makeup room door, knocking.

“Are you done? Can I come in?”

“Just a moment. I’m changing.”

There was a sound of something falling from inside. It seemed he was in a rush to change. After a while, the door opened. Inside, the bag on the table had fallen, spilling its contents all over.

“I’m scared people might see this, really.”

No one would know Jewoo was this clumsy. While picking up the items from the floor, Jewoo just smiled bashfully.

“But was Kang Yiwon’s gaze always like that?”

“Like what?”

“Just… a bit…”

How to explain it?

“His look seemed cold.”

“Did you do something wrong?”

“What could I have done wrong? We don’t even have much interaction.”

“Then why would he look cold? Maybe you got it wrong.”

“Maybe.”

“It seemed like staring was a habit with him. He was looking a lot earlier too.”

Jewoo smiled as if thinking of something while speaking, then shook his head lightly and looked at Jiho.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s probably nothing.”

At Jewoo’s words, Jiho nodded, deciding to dismiss it as a fleeting misunderstanding.

🎞️✮⋆˙

“Why the face?”

On the way to the parking lot, Doyoon checked Yiwon’s expression.

“Tired?”

Although he asked if Yiwon was tired, canceling the next schedule would be tough. He was about to suggest taking a nap in the car when Yiwon’s eyebrows furrowed even more.

“Is Jewoo’s manager usually like that?”

The question was too vague for Doyoon to understand.

“Like what?”

Today was the first time he had seen Jewoo’s manager properly, and even then, they didn’t exchange many words. Jewoo had invited them for dinner, but they had politely declined due to scheduling conflicts.

“You don’t think he said something to you because you turned down the dinner invitation?”

He didn’t think that was likely. From the brief interaction, the manager seemed quite straightforward.

“It’s not that…!”

Yiwon started to say something but then closed his mouth. Even if he was a manager, wasn’t the physical contact too natural? Saying that felt ridiculous.

“Have you worked with Jewoo for a long time?”

Since Jewoo started as a child actor, it would make sense if they were close.

“Who knows. Even if they’ve worked together for a long time, it wouldn’t be since childhood, right? After he became an adult, maybe? They didn’t seem to have much of an age difference.”

At this, Yiwon frowned unconsciously. Maybe because he always maintained a proper distance and respect with Doyoon, he couldn’t understand the closeness between Jewoo and his manager.

“You worry about the strangest things. You’re not usually interested in others’ affairs.”

Doyoon was right. Even Yiwon thought it was odd why he was bothered by it.