He slightly rubbed his palms that unusually had sweat on his thighs and opened his mouth.
“I never thought I’d see someone like you in a place like this. I was rude. I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. In that sense, I should be more surprised. I usually liked Muyoung-ssi’s acting.”
“……That’s even harder to believe.”
“Isn’t meeting an actor a rarer thing here than the CEO of a small company?”
A small company. At Dowon’s words, Muyoung’s expression became somewhat dismayed. J Entertainment that Han Dowon was running was called entertainment but was one of the affiliates run by a media group. It was the same as a major agency that not only managed affiliated artists but also made profits through media content production and investment and even exported overseas.
He didn’t know well about entertainment management, but when CEO Choi occasionally passionately spoke as if in jest that ‘the ones who have it all try to take everything,’ J Entertainment’s story never failed to appear. From detailed casting to various drama or movie production and investment, it was to the extent that there wasn’t a work without J Entertainment’s name. Well, if it was CEO Choi who had to consistently compete with this huge opponent under the surface, it would be frustrating.
“I’m not such a famous actor.”
“Lee Muyoung-ssi, did you perhaps not check the content about your own performance at the company?”
“Performance?”
“I know that things like work casting, audition proposal lists, advertisement lists, and appearance fees are actors’ performances.”
“Ah… I roughly know. The company regularly informs me about works and explains revenue properly before settlement.”
The man’s tone that slowly pointed out and answered was smooth and had no rough corners, yet somehow in a feeling of being pressed, he continued explanations like excuses. Why am I answering each one of these? Although it wasn’t a significant fact, the man’s words had a strange power that made him feel he must answer.
Even during this, the calm gaze that didn’t leave him was soft. Soft? Hoping the empty laugh that slipped out at the thought that arose would be seen as because of awkwardness, Muyoung lightly avoided the gaze he had been meeting.
“And yet for words saying you’re not a famous actor to come from an actor’s mouth, I don’t know if the company can’t do work or if Muyoung-ssi is modest.”
“……It doesn’t seem like words to hear from CEO Han-nim who is much more modest than me.”
At words that seemed to criticize people at the company, Muyoung momentarily spat out blunt words.
“Mm, I got hit by the words I spit out.”
Dowon, who looked like he took no damage at all unlike his words, now even outright smiled. Muyoung lost energy because it was his limit to keep his nerves on edge any longer. Considering it was because he had been tense even about conversation that would be meaningless due to a completely different opponent from his expectation, he lightly shook his head and gazed at the other person again.
“……I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“I’m not uncomfortable. Rather, I couldn’t keep the line. I asked just in case, so please don’t mind.”
Could that be as one pleased? The words he couldn’t spit out tickled Muyoung’s throat. Feeling the awkward atmosphere, he glanced repeatedly at the entrance that was well closed.
As an actor, Muyoung was an actor whose reviews weren’t very bad compared to the position of supporting actor level. Since he had been active from his early to mid-20s, considering the age range where he should emphasize being splendid and fresh, it was true that he didn’t have much casting luck among his peer actors. But there was no dissent in the industry that he was an actor with capability that could be anticipated more in the future.
Until now, there had been no big scandals, and he faithfully approached castings and auditions, and his acting ability was quite stable and consistent. Along with the advantage of being able to continue to broaden his spectrum going forward, his attitude on site was also good, so it was easy to hear opinions that they actually wanted to work together.
Above all, his appearance was very decent. Of course, it wasn’t the visual that media required at Muyoung’s age range. The atmosphere that looked pristinely clean to the extent of seeming stubborn at a glance seemed to have a story, and the large eyes with light pigmented irises and slender jawline were attractive while also looking delicate. It was a face holding a color not easily found in the market. Although he hadn’t received the spotlight yet, because of such skill and appearance balance, his possibility as an actor was high.
It was definitely because of himself that he was more tense, but Dowon didn’t make attempts to forcibly ease the atmosphere. He was also more curious about how Muyoung would act, and the atmosphere of exploring each other like now wasn’t bad either.
Was it closer to avoidance than exploration? The eyes hoping someone would come in moved awkwardly toward the door. If not looked at with interest, even that was at a level that could feel natural. Dowon put away the gaze that had been excessively examining Muyoung and indifferently tossed out words.
“Rather, I was surprised that Lee Muyoung-ssi was an omega.”
“Ah……”
That’s right. Come to think of it, Muyoung only now realized he was in the position of revealing the fact that he was an omega to the person he met. Since they met because they were matched with him, the other person would definitely also be a trait holder, so how could he not think that far? He was so focused on refusing that he moved thoughtlessly to this extent. His eyes became dizzy at a situation that wasn’t at the mistake level.
“Actually, to be honest, I was planning to refuse no matter who the other person was today.”
Muyoung’s head, who had been only chewing his lips while sharply reproaching his foolish self inside, perked up. If their purpose was the same, wasn’t there some room to talk about it? The gladness that came from the person he had been wary of until just now rather having the same purpose as himself was clearly revealed on Muyoung’s face.
“That, I’m actually also……”
“But my thoughts changed a bit.”
“……Yes?”
But the gladness was only for a moment.
“Because I like Lee Muyoung-ssi too much to end it in just one time today.”
“……”
“You won’t have a schedule today anyway, so after finishing the procedures here, let’s talk separately.”
As soon as those words ended, someone knocked on the door. The agency worker continued some guidance for the next procedure, but he couldn’t hear any of it. In the midst of it all, he was caught up with Dowon unexpectedly. Even though it was a tone that didn’t contain even a bit of coercion, Muyoung could only stay in place. Somehow, he had a premonition it would flow in a different direction from what he had prepared for.
His gaze no longer turned to the clock or door.
* * *
There wasn’t much work the two had to process. With the guidance of an employee who continued to accompany them inside the building for procedures and a specialist belonging to the agency in charge of questionnaires, they went through the process one by one. As for examination matters, since they relied heavily on trait specialized hospitals recently, they didn’t do detailed examinations. However, a light question and answer close to a checklist together with the agency’s resident doctor was substituted for examination to check if there were any abnormalities in traits.
The procedures that Dowon and Muyoung had been conducting while continuously moving seats and at the same place simultaneously were separated because of different traits, at least for the examination. It was fortunate for Muyoung to be apart from each other even briefly.
Muyoung, who had finished a simple physical examination and answering the doctor’s questions, was quietly waiting for the results while hiding his anxious heart. The doctor who had been examining this and that for a while tilted their head as if puzzled and continued questioning again.
“But Lee Muyoung-ssi’s trait is much weaker than I thought.”
“Yes, I thought it might be… because I’m recessive.”
“There’s a difference between recessive and dominant, but people as weak as Lee Muyoung-ssi are uncommon. Moreover, you’ve barely received examinations since manifestation. You only got suppressants prescribed, right?”
“Ah, it wasn’t particularly inconvenient. Is that not allowed?”
If it had been a hospital, it would naturally have led to other tests, but since today’s purpose wasn’t a health checkup, it seemed they wouldn’t suggest that much. He deliberately didn’t even mention the dizziness or other pains he usually experienced because he was afraid the problems he had might already be discovered, yet it was like this. Muyoung felt unnecessarily troubled.
“It’s not that it’s not allowed, but traits are more delicate than you think, so you must definitely get regular checkups. You’re still young so there probably won’t be big problems, but… The pheromone level coming out on the test paper is close to zero. If the current state becomes long-term, it could affect other organs.”
“Yes, I’ll visit a hospital separately.”
“Even if you’re very busy, please definitely go. Here, this is the examination confirmation, and you can submit it to the person in charge who was just guiding you. If you need it, they’ll help you so you can submit just a copy.”
“Thank you for your work.”
Taking the document handed over as if it was nothing, he finished greeting with a smiling face and left the treatment room. Just in case, he quickly scanned over the papers with his eyes, but there was no content that seemed significantly abnormal. The problem was rather the man waiting for him after this procedure.
“Are you finished?”
“That… yes. I’m going to submit the documents now.”
Looking at Dowon approaching closely, he carefully put away the documents. As the distance got closer, the scent that gently brushed past his nose was impressive. In fact, it was a scent he had been feeling since he first faced Dowon, so he thought he used perfume just like him.
Although he had been continuously tense so his inner thoughts wouldn’t show on the outside, what bothered him didn’t change. Muyoung absolutely couldn’t tell what kind of talk Dowon had to do with him. If it had been a time when he knew nothing, he might have even blushed at the words saying he liked him.
“Right now you look exactly like an elementary school student forced to come out to do homework.”
“Is it that awkward?”
He pondered over the time that had flowed by without knowing how it passed. He thought a little that perhaps the man might not be as uncomfortable a person as he had been tense. Rather, the person with many things to be caught on would be Muyoung himself.
