TBM Vol 2 Part 5

“Il-seo! You were carried by Seung-yeon yesterday. No hangover?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Il-seo, is your stomach okay? Want to drink this?”

“No, I’m fine. I appreciate the thought, sunbae.”

As soon as he arrived on set, he was bombarded with similar questions. Most of the seniors, except for one who never acknowledged greetings, were smiling brightly at him, so it seemed he hadn’t made any big mistakes yesterday.

As Il-seo was repeatedly bowing his head, he belatedly reunited with Kyung-hyun. Kyung-hyun, who came running immediately upon seeing Il-seo, slapped his back and growled lowly.

“You little punk! You scared the hell out of me.”

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, hyung. Is Yeon-seo okay?”

“Yeah. The diarrhea stopped. She’s regaining strength while getting an IV.”

“That’s a relief.”

Kyung-hyun, who was quick to notice his slightly tired voice, lowered his voice and asked.

“No one force-fed you, right?”

“No way, not at all.”

Il-seo waved his hands, quickly erasing the handsome face that had handed him a beer glass with a smile. It was he who had shown off with his drinking capacity in the first place. He glanced at Seung-yeon. Seung-yeon was coordinating with the action director for an action scene they would film today.

“Wow. Look at that body.”

Kyung-hyun seemed to be looking at Seung-yeon too. Thanks to Kyung-hyun also staring absentmindedly at Seung-yeon’s physique, Il-seo could also admire Seung-yeon’s appearance for a while without worrying about his subtle gaze being detected.

Seung-yeon, wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt and gray sweatpants, was spinning a metal pipe in his hand. Every time he moved his arms swiftly to clash and spin the pipe, deep shadows formed beneath his thick arms and shoulders. Il-seo tried hard to swallow his dry saliva silently.

“I heard that Seung-yeon’s agency issued a ban on exercise.”

Though it was something Il-seo already knew from Seung-yeon mentioning it in an interview, he pretended to hear it for the first time, responding, “Oh, really?” Being an Alpha, his frame was naturally large, but after exercising, his body had grown too big, so he reduced his workout routine.

“You should gain some weight. You’ve lost too much. If someone like me who sees you often can notice, it means you’re losing weight really quickly.”

“The director seems to like it…”

“Are you losing weight on purpose?”

Il-seo shook his head. Strangely, he kept losing weight. Lately, his body wasn’t feeling well. Though he had injured his leg, he also had persistent mild fever and continued weight loss despite eating properly. It was probably due to the busy filming schedule.

“We’re ready to shoot.”

Though Seung-yeon’s cold behavior bothered him, fortunately, he could quickly immerse himself once filming began. After completing his scene without major mistakes and finishing monitoring, Il-seo sat in a chair to catch his breath.

Next was Seung-yeon’s action scene. Seung-yeon performed most of the action without stunts. With each “cut,” small exclamations and applause flowed among the staff. Before he knew it, while watching with his mouth open, the scene was over.

“Let’s go to the next scene right away. Haru and Tae-hyun, get ready.”

Il-seo and Seung-yeon each went to their waiting rooms to prepare for the bed scene. As filming progressed past the halfway point, the skinship between Haru and Tae-hyun had intensified. Today’s scene required them to be nearly nude from the beginning. Il-seo finished his taping more meticulously than usual.

In this scene, he needed to express the subtle emotions of Haru beginning to depend mentally on Jang Tae-hyun, so he had to pay attention to not only his body but also his expressions. After practicing several times in front of the mirror, he went out upon hearing the assistant director’s call.

“…”

The scene started with them already entangled in a kiss on the bed. Since it was a scene that began with both of them naked, they both came out wearing only light robes. Il-seo blinked awkwardly with his ears and cheeks flushed. It was because he recalled Seung-yeon sitting on the sofa wearing only a robe that morning.

“Let’s begin.”

They lay down on the bed according to Director Chae’s request.

“Tae-hyun, turn your head more and go down.”

Seung-yeon’s lips, which approached boldly, stopped with just the distance of a sheet of paper.

“Like this?”

“That’s right.”

Seung-yeon’s body scent mixed with his favorite cologne created a subtly different fragrance than usual. Breathing in and out felt automated. The moment he felt a slight dizziness and his breathing became slightly rapid, Director Chae gave directions. Il-seo quickly focused on Director Chae’s instructions and moved his body.

“Action.”

With the action cue, their lips overlapped. They bit and sucked the pressed lips frantically. It was supposed to be Haru starting to be influenced, and Tae-hyun’s rough kisses controlling such a Haru. But somehow, Seung-yeon’s lips seemed to hesitate. When Il-seo bit his lips at a subtly different angle from the direction, the cut signal came immediately.

“Again, Haru’s body went too far. Jang Tae-hyun, be more aggressive.”

“Yes.”

With a brief response, their lips intertwined again. Fortunately, this time the kiss scene was completed successfully according to the direction. Without a break, they moved right on to the next sex scene. By now, his body had warmed up appropriately. It felt nice to have Seung-yeon’s cool and firm body against his with just a thin blanket between them.

“Now, Haru, get on top of Tae-hyun. Haru, can you bend your waist a little more?”

“Yes.”

“Action from there.”

Looking down at Seung-yeon with drowsy eyes, he moved his waist.

“Uh, nngh.”

“Ha…”

Though their cocks were taped, it would be a lie to say there was no presence felt. Especially Seung-yeon’s, being much larger than average, felt like a heavy weight even just from the flesh. He looked down at Seung-yeon while pressing down on his groin area with his buttocks.

‘What’s this?’

The expression looking up at him was somewhat ambiguous. According to Director Chae’s expression, he should be excited to the point where semen would flow from his eyes, but somehow it felt a bit dry. But out of respect for Jang Tae-hyun as portrayed by Seung-yeon, Il-seo slowly bent his head and closed his eyes. His sweaty thighs trembled slightly, and as his heated breathing continued, a sharp voice cut through the set.

“Cut! What’s going on?”

Director Chae shouted irritably. Instinctively shrinking, Il-seo hurriedly reviewed what might have been lacking in his performance. But the frowning Director Chae’s gaze was directed not at him.

“Sa Seung-yeon. What’s wrong with you?”

Seung-yeon tapped Il-seo’s thigh. At the signal to move, Il-seo quickly shifted to the side, and Seung-yeon rose, supporting himself on the bed sheet.

“Are you not feeling well? Why are you so stiff?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well.”

Though Seung-yeon gave a compliant answer, Il-seo, sitting beside him, opened his eyes wide. Even Director Chae, who had spoken irritably, cleared his throat and adjusted his voice before asking again.

“Do you want to rest before continuing?”

“No, the schedule is tight, isn’t it?”

Il-seo bit his lip nervously, feeling a pang of guilt. Director Chae looked at Seung-yeon with concern, then patted his shoulder saying, “You did well last time, just be a little more active.” Seung-yeon nodded, and Il-seo perceptively sat back down on Seung-yeon’s thighs.

“Now, focus, and action!”

Il-seo slowly closed his eyes and concentrated. Though Seung-yeon had a bit more light in his eyes than before, the cut signal kept coming from Director Chae. The criticism was mainly directed at Seung-yeon. Of course, perhaps because of Seung-yeon’s statement about not feeling well, Director Chae tried to minimize emotional expressions and only offered necessary direction.

The critiques were mostly the same as what Il-seo had felt: “Fix that somehow uncomfortable expression,” “Tae-hyun is not an alpha,” “You’re acting like an innocent student, not a gangster,” “That’s too nonchalant.” As these criticisms continued, even Il-seo became increasingly intimidated. Though the wording differed, overall, it blamed Seung-yeon’s lack of immersion.

Every time their eyes met, the distance reflected in Seung-yeon’s eyes eventually disrupted Il-seo’s concentration as well. Bewilderment bloomed on his white face, and predictably, Director Chae’s command fell.

“Il-seo, what are you doing too!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Focus. We really don’t have time. What are we supposed to do if the leads aren’t getting it together?”

“I’m sorry.”

Like desperately patching torn clothes, the fragmented cuts barely came together to complete one ragged scene. Kyung-hyun, who had been waiting anxiously, approached Il-seo and handed him a robe first, and Il-seo, fastening the front, observed Seung-yeon.

Whether angry at the unsuccessful acting or not, Seung-yeon, with a cold face, put on his robe and went into a separate waiting room without monitoring the scene. Director Chae also gave a break without saying much. As the atmosphere on set became uneasy, even the staff filming the making-of and still cuts turned off their cameras with glum faces.

‘Is it because of me…?’

His heart raced, wondering if Seung-yeon’s poor condition might be due to his drunken behavior overnight. Staring at the receding back, Il-seo quickly pulled out his script with eyes that looked like they might cry.

He read the script for the next scene countless times. Practice was the best way to erase anxiety.

***

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Get home safely and see you tomorrow!”

“You mean today.”

“Hahaha!”

Il-seo also bowed his head repeatedly with a bright smile in response to the greetings exchanged by the staff with dark circles under their eyes. Filming had wrapped up past three in the morning. The staff said they would stay at nearby accommodations and gather here again tomorrow. This was because morning filming would begin just a few hours later.

Il-seo stretched as he walked toward the parking lot. The bed scene had been somewhat disappointing, but fortunately, the rest of the filming had gone smoothly. Even if he slept now, he wouldn’t get even three hours of sleep given the schedule, but with Kyung-hyun handling the driving, and because of his exercise and diet regimen, it was still better to return to Seoul for now. However, as filming neared its end, Il-seo thought he should also look into nearby accommodations.

But as he was about to get in the car, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. It was actually calling for Kyung-hyun, but Il-seo turned his head along with him.

“Hello, Manager.”

“Oh, yes. Hello.”

“You must be working hard, traveling such a long distance.”

Deep dimples formed on Seung-yeon’s face. Il-seo, who had been staring at the smile as if entranced, quickly came to his senses and listened to the voice. Kyung-hyun also looked at Seung-yeon with curiosity.

“Is there something you need?”

“Ah, Il-seo’s clothes are at my place. And what he’s wearing now is mine.”

Kyung-hyun turned his head to examine Il-seo’s outfit. Not having paid close attention, he had simply thought Il-seo was wearing extremely large clothes, but they were Seung-yeon’s. Reading the question that had crept onto Kyung-hyun’s face, Seung-yeon added an explanation.

“Il-seo threw up yesterday, on his clothes.”

“Oh my, he threw up? The kid doesn’t usually get drunk unless he drinks a lot.”

At these words defending Il-seo, Seung-yeon’s lips drew a crooked arc. Kyung-hyun apologized once more on Il-seo’s behalf.

“I heard you took care of Il-seo yesterday. I’m sorry, it should have been my job, but I caused you trouble.”

“Why are you apologizing, Manager? Il-seo was the one who threw up.”

At this pointed remark, Kyung-hyun laughed awkwardly and nudged Il-seo’s arm. Il-seo bowed his head once more. He felt sorry not only to Seung-yeon but also to Kyung-hyun who had to make these apologetic statements.

“I’m sorry, sunbae…”

“So about that. Il-seo, I think you need to come to my place today.”

Il-seo raised his head and slightly furrowed his brow. The conclusion that came abruptly without any context was somewhat absurd.

“You need to come get them. Your clothes and underwear.”

Il-seo, his cheeks suddenly burning, quickly raised his head. He had naturally planned to clean Seung-yeon’s clothes and return them on the next filming day. Suddenly, Seung-yeon’s voice saying they would talk later came to his mind belatedly. Could it be that from the beginning he had intended this…? Seeing Il-seo’s face colored with confusion, Seung-yeon wrinkled his nose.

“Oh, and Manager. Like this morning, and now too. You’re traveling such a long distance without Il-seo.”

“It’s fine, it’s my job.”

At that moment, Seung-yeon took out a key card.

“This is the hotel where my manager and stylist are staying. I reserved an extra one for myself, so please stay comfortably.”

“It’s, it’s okay. Or how about going to Seung-yeon’s place together? After Il-seo gets his clothes, I can drive him back. And I’ll stop by Seung-yeon’s place in the morning as well.”

Kyung-hyun looked at Il-seo and asked again.

“How were you planning to get home after getting your stuff?”

Seung-yeon, looking at Il-seo who was nodding his head with a blank expression, tilted his head to the side.

“I’m not comfortable giving my address to just anyone.”

There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, but Seung-yeon soon produced a perfect smile and grabbed Il-seo’s hand. In the blink of an eye, the thin body was pulled away.

“You don’t think I’d let Il-seo go alone at this hour, do you? I’ll make sure he sleeps well and bring him back.”

Then the large hand thrust the card into the hand of “anyone” as if shoving it.

“Take it. It was originally my place to stay, so if you don’t use it, I’ll be wasting money.”

“Ah… okay…”

“Shall we go, Lee Il-seo?”

‘How shamefully did I behave?’

Kyung-hyun looked regretfully first at Seung-yeon’s face, then at Il-seo tinged with tension, but he had no excuse to stop or hold them back any longer. Seung-yeon, who had taken the car keys from Hwan, moved first, and Il-seo turned his head to look at Kyung-hyun with a distant gaze.

For a moment, Kyung-hyun felt his chest tighten, as if watching an innocent student being dragged away by a bully. The large eyes shook as if asking to be held back, then fell on the hotel key in Kyung-hyun’s hand.

Unable to speak, he bowed his head deeply. His steps following Seung-yeon were thickly coated with resignation.