“Good work, everyone.”
After the filming ended, Haeseong bowed at the waist as he gave his closing greeting. People instantly gathered around him, seeking to exchange pleasantries.
“My goodness. I never dreamed that Haeseong-gun would come to our program. If we get the chance, let’s work together again next time. Hahaha.”
“Thank you, PD-nim. If you call me again, it would be my honor.”
The PD and main cinematographer came over personally to greet Haeseong, saying he’d worked hard. When Haeseong curved his eyes prettily into a smile and accepted the handshake, the PD’s face brightened even more.
Even though it was in the form of an event appearance, Haeseong generally refrained from appearing on anything other than dramas or films.
A celebrity among celebrities. Even the idols who hadn’t left yet and were still lingering around were too busy gawking at Haeseong—whom they rarely got to see in person—as if watching animals at a zoo. The area around Haeseong became as noisy as a marketplace.
“What are you doing? You said you’d talk to him today. Hurry up and go.”
“Ah, fuck. Stop pushing me, you crazy bastard.”
Boys and girls adorned with flashy makeup and costumes sent interested gazes and glances toward Haeseong. They loitered around him as if they had a purpose, waiting for their turn. Haeseong kept showing a clear smile in front of the PD who had grabbed hold of him and had no intention of letting him go.
When Haeseong finished his conversation with the PD, he looked around. As if he hadn’t found what he was looking for, he took steps toward the exit. With each step he took, the people who had gathered to see Haeseong parted like Moses’s miracle, clearing a path for him.
“Hey. His manager isn’t here? Hurry up and go talk to him.”
One girl urged the person next to her. However, because Haeseong was walking quickly toward the entrance, she missed her timing.
Haeseong, who had barely escaped the set, had an imperceptible crack forming in his brow.
‘Fuck. Where the hell is that bastard?’
The manager who should be looking after him and taking him out was nowhere to be seen. It was a clear dereliction of duty, and Haeseong’s insides began to boil like lava.
That’s when it happened.
“Jin Haeseong! Why aren’t you answering noona’s messages? If you do that again, noona said she’d scold you!”
Han Yunhae, who had popped out from somewhere, wrapped her arm around Haeseong’s and shook it back and forth cutely. The eyes of the people watching from around them grew as big as marbles.
“…Ah, noona. It’s been a while.”
When Haeseong raised the corners of his mouth smoothly as if he was happy to see her, a strange atmosphere emanated from the two of them. The way they were stuck together without any gaps made one think of lovers.
“What? Are those two dating? There’s never been a rumor about that.”
“Han Yunhae’s been bragging like crazy about it since they were filming that drama together. Nobody knows about it though.”
The two who had appeared as siblings in the same drama last year seemed quite close. The sight of the two walking down the corridor arm in arm while chatting created quite a suspicious atmosphere.
Thanks to this, the boys and girls who had been determined to at least talk to Haeseong today and build some connection with him couldn’t hide their disappointment and let out deep sighs.
If they stood next to Haeseong, their beauty would be killed off by his dazzling appearance, but what did it matter? In the future, Haeseong might go abroad and grow so big that they couldn’t even casually talk to him.
Although it was premature to already be discussing the overseas market for the still-young Haeseong, it wasn’t entirely wrong either. Why? Because Haeseong had caught the eye of Hollywood master director Liam Lindberg.
Director Lindberg steadily released interviews saying he wanted to continue working with Haeseong in the future and looked forward to his growth, and showed continuous interest in Haeseong by periodically contacting his company. Rumors were already rampant in the industry that he was waiting for Haeseong to become an adult and had already passed a synopsis for his next work that he’d written in advance to the agency.
Haeseong, who received special treatment even among those shining and charming celebrities, headed to the waiting room while receiving everyone’s attention at a glance. The way he wore a gentle and kind smile while sincerely answering Han Yunhae’s aggressive barrage of questions was beautiful.
However, if someone had good eyes and was quick-witted, they would be able to notice it. The fact that veins were standing out near his temples.
Crash—!
As soon as he arrived at the waiting room, Haeseong grabbed the first thing his hand touched and threw it against the wall.
“Oh my, what on earth… Are you hurt?”
The coordinator who was next to him approached in shock, but Haeseong asked her in a lower voice than ever before.
“Where is that bastard?”
He was referring to Euiju.
“You mean Euiju-ssi? Well… He said he was going out to buy cake and left, but he still hasn’t come back.”
“Ha.”
Haeseong snorted as if it was absurd.
One of a manager’s duties is to protect their celebrity. If the manager had been waiting, he could have escaped the set early under the excuse of being busy. He wouldn’t have become a monkey in a zoo being examined from all sides like now. Without having to wear a mask and deal with people himself, he would have quickly gotten away from that place.
Lee Euiju had essentially skipped over his most important role, and from Haeseong’s standpoint, it was the time when the manager’s usefulness should have shone the brightest, so even if he got angry, he had no choice but to be extremely angry.
“Fuck…”
Haeseong irritably brushed off his clothes that reeked of strong perfume. It still felt like he could smell Han Yunhae’s scent right in front of his nose.
A few months ago, the manager working at the time had left Haeseong alone like this while flirting with his lover who had come to visit the set. That manager’s groveling appearance in front of the team leader who held him accountable was quite satisfying to watch too.
The time had come to press down on the stiff Lee Euiju’s pride.
Moreover.
—Hyung is really sorry. When I go home later, I’ll only buy Roun’s, so can you wait just a little bit without crying?
—Haha. Got it. I’ll buy two of Roun’s things, so wait. Got it?
His affectionate way of speaking strangely contributed to making Haeseong feel worse.
It was already the second time. That he had witnessed that kind of sweet and cringe-worthy tone from his manager. The first time was with Jang Yeonguk, and the next was with his family.
‘Acting all cutesy when you don’t suit it with that stiff personality.’
Haeseong changed his clothes, put on a hat and mask, and left the waiting room. The coordinator asked where he was going, but he didn’t answer.
After stopping by the parking lot to confirm that the van was still there, Haeseong began wandering around inside the broadcasting station looking for him. Occasionally there were people who recognized him, but since he kept his head deeply bowed and ignored them, they didn’t follow him and bother him.
“Ugh, fuck. Where is he?”
As Haeseong climbed the stairs while quietly muttering curses, he stopped in his tracks at a familiar voice that he could faintly hear as soon as he exited through the emergency door.
It was a voice flowing out from the crack in the door right in front of him. Haeseong’s eyes narrowed.
“No matter what I say, she acts like she’s going to throw up, saying I’m disgusting. If I happen to stand in the center, she says I’m greedy because I’ve gotten popular…”
Haeseong, who had a good memory, immediately recognized that this voice belonged to Seo Jiyul.
“Have you told any of the adults around you?”
The man’s voice that followed after. It was Lee Euiju.
‘Ha. Of course.’
He didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, but they were clearly shooting the breeze here while putting aside his own work.
Haeseong leaned his back against the wall and listened to their conversation. Listening roughly to the content, it was Seo Jiyul whining about how hard things were, and Haeseong couldn’t understand why Seo Jiyul would say such things to someone else’s manager, but he understood even less why Euiju would listen to it at face value. He looked stupid and very pathetic.
‘Right. I should properly fuck him over with this opportunity.’
He would hold him accountable for abandoning his assigned celebrity and looking after someone else instead.
Since he failed to fulfill his duty, what excuse would he make? How about holding him severely accountable for his first mistake? It didn’t seem like his family circumstances were comfortable, so if he grabbed hold of his leash and played with him, he’d probably make quite an interesting expression.
Haeseong was about to open the door with an excited heart without realizing it. That’s when it happened.
“There’s also someone I hate enough to want to kill them.”
Haeseong’s movement to throw open the door suddenly stopped. Haeseong briefly doubted his own ears, wondering if he had heard wrong, but that was definitely Lee Euiju’s voice.
Except for topics related to work, there was absolutely no small talk exchanged between Haeseong and Euiju. This was the first time Haeseong was seeing Euiju pour out human emotions like that.
The same expression every day, the same tone of voice. A manager who completed whatever task he was given without displeasure and without complaint.
Such a person was now unburdening himself to a young girl.
“Just thinking about that person makes my chest feel stuffy and painful. But what’s even harder is that they’re famous, so even when I don’t want to hear about them, news comes from here and there. Sometimes they even appear in my nightmares and ruin my mood for the whole day.”
Strength suddenly entered Haeseong’s hand gripping the doorknob.
‘…Famous?’
Haeseong momentarily thought that the person Euiju hated might be himself, but soon dismissed it as unlikely and let out a scoff.
Although he hadn’t been watching Euiju for long, it didn’t seem like someone who had been doing well silently without complaint until now would badmouth his assigned actor to a young girl he didn’t even know well while unburdening himself. Even to Haeseong, that didn’t make sense.
However, that thought was also brief.
“By any chance… is the person ahjussi hates someone I know too?”
Why was that? Haeseong suddenly wanted to run away.
Fragments of memories that he had pushed to the far side of the past began to find their place again and sent him warning signals. To run away from this place. To turn away without listening to his answer.
—Haeseong-ah. I’m always on your side.
—Haeseong-ah. Will you come a little closer? That’s right. You’re doing so well.
“…”
Why was that? Unlike that time, Haeseong hadn’t given Euiju affection or opened his heart to him. He hadn’t given that person anything. He hadn’t opened his heart or given permission.
The situation was completely different from that time. Nevertheless…
“Probably, Jiyul-ssi knows them too.”
A person he hated enough to have wicked thoughts about.
A famous person he ends up knowing about even when he doesn’t want to hear about them.
A person Seo Jiyul knows.
“Ha, fuck…!”
It was the moment he was stabbed in the foot once again by someone close to him.
