“When did you start acting?”
Domyeong asked Yuho again with an expressionless face. Now that he looked at it, it seemed like the expression he made when he was curious about something.
“I’ve only done web dramas so far. This is my second one, and the first work didn’t go well.”
“Everyone starts out that way at first.”
At Domyeong’s words that somehow sounded like comfort, Yuho felt puzzled.
“But sunbae-nim wasn’t like that.”
“My old nickname was Gukbap. Because every movie I participated in flopped.”
Come to think of it, the representative works of Domyeong that Yuho knew were all from within the last 5 years.
Domyeong’s early works became topics for their scenes, but not as works themselves. Among them, only one or two works where Domyeong had almost no lines received favorable reviews.
“But sunbae-nim is handsome, so.”
“Not everything is forgiven just for being handsome.”
Even as Domyeong acknowledged his own handsomeness without changing his expression, Yuho could only nod in agreement. Because even at that very moment he was saying such things, Domyeong was handsome.
“I find it quite forgivable though.”
So Yuho felt like he could forgive Domyeong right now no matter what wrongdoing he committed. But Domyeong instead raised a counterargument to Yuho.
“Isn’t it more so for cute things?”
“That’s natural. Because cute things are always right.”
“Then Yuho hyung must have an easy time living in the world.”
“Huh? …Why me?”
Could he be saying I’m cute right now? At this story he couldn’t believe even hearing with his own ears, Yuho raised his guard again.
Sure enough, Domyeong ended up mentioning the name Yuho least wanted to hear right now one more time.
“Jung Inhan said Yuho hyung is cute so everything is forgiven.”
I knew it. Yuho glared at Domyeong with rolling eyes. And spat out resentfully.
“Sunbae-nim, you weren’t really sent by Inhan, were you?”
“Do I look like someone who would obediently go somewhere just because someone told me to?”
“Not really.”
“Domyeong!”
Before Yuho could continue the conversation further, familiar faces crowded near the two of them. In the end, Domyeong, who had failed at hiding secretly, got up from his seat and began greeting acquaintances.
“Director-nim. Long time no see.”
“What brings you here? You coming to a place like this.”
“It just happened that way.”
“We should work on a project together next time.”
“Yes. Please call me if there’s an opportunity.”
At Domyeong’s more sociable appearance than expected, Yuho’s prejudice was melting away like snow.
So this is why he gets along well with Inhan too. While realizing this anew, he also felt envious.
“Who’s this?”
In the midst of this, Domyeong’s acquaintance was curious about Yuho. Domyeong answered simply.
“An idol friend. From Inhan’s group.”
“Hello. I’m Seon Yuho from 7SPOT.”
“I see. Nice to meet you.”
Though Yuho stood up from his seat and politely offered a greeting, the other person withdrew their gaze without much interest. Thanks to that, Yuho stood awkwardly waiting for this uncomfortable situation to end.
“Seon Yuho-ssi from 7SPOT. You’re next. Please get ready.”
With good timing, Yuho’s name was called and Yuho breathed a sigh of relief as he first offered a greeting to Domyeong.
“Seo Domyeong sunbae-nim. Then I’ll…”
“I’ll hold your seat and wait.”
He was trying to be in a corner seat without presence like a transparent person. With Domyeong’s one remark, Yuho’s plan went down the drain. With Domyeong, wherever that place was, it would become a seat that received attention. Though it was clearly predictable, Yuho couldn’t refuse and nodded his head.
“Yes.”
Why are you doing this to me when you know so many people? He secretly resented him inwardly.
“This is Yuho-ssi from 7SPOT.”
With the MC’s introductory comment, Yuho stepped onto the red carpet. People gathered around the red carpet cheered and welcomed Yuho. It seemed they were reacting just because he was a celebrity.
Yuho carefully walked the red carpet and went to stand at the photo zone. And as the MC requested, he looked at the front once, right once, left once, and received the bundle of microphones handed to him.
“Yuho-ssi. Please give us a word of support.”
“Yes. I came to attend like this to support actor Joo Seonchan-ssi. Thank you so much for inviting me, and I hope the movie ‘The Worker’ becomes a huge hit.”
After finishing his comment briefly, Yuho quickly left the photo zone. Now he had passed through all the difficult barriers.
Yuho, who headed straight to the screening room, chose to sit in the corner seat of the very back row so as not to stand out as much as possible. If Domyeong sat next to him, wherever that seat was would become a seat that received attention, but still, he didn’t have the courage to sit in the center first.
Soon Domyeong also entered the screening room and naturally occupied the seat next to Yuho.
“Yuho hyung seems to really like corners.”
“…Yes.”
Yuho suddenly became a person who likes corners.
The movie was a crime film full of clichés with moderate melodrama added. It was just the right movie for killing time, neither good nor bad.
In the film, Seonchan showed off his presence by perfectly portraying his character as the youngest detective who was kind, righteous, and naturally handsome.
Unfortunately, his late-film screen time disappeared when he was stabbed by the villain’s knife and died miserably in the middle of the movie, but he left a strong impression with his impactful death, so it wasn’t a bad result for a debut work.
“Your friend has a good face.”
Domyeong’s review after the movie ended was excessively brief.
“Right.”
Yuho also responded simply.
“So that’s why.”
“What is?”
“Being a bit close with that friend.”
“…Yes. I guess so.”
Yuho suddenly became a person who makes friends based on their looks too. Since it wasn’t 100% wrong either, it was awkward to step forward and deny it.
When all the movie credits rolled up and people stood up one by one, Yuho also tactfully got up from his seat.
“Going to the dorm?”
“No. I’m supposed to have dinner with my friend.”
Yuho answered Domyeong’s question, and Domyeong nodded and offered Yuho a farewell greeting.
“I see. Then see you next time.”
“Yes. Thank you for looking after me today. Take care.”
Like that, the two people’s unexpected meeting ended, only leaving strange prejudices on each other. Still, it felt like their intimacy had risen about 10 percent.
Having left the screening room, Yuho was relieved that all the hurdles had passed more lightly than expected and brushed his chest. Soon a call came from Seonchan and Yuho answered the phone right away.
– Yuho. Where are you now?
“I just came out. Where should I go?”
– Wait in the VIP waiting room for now. I’ll come there.
“Got it. See you later.”
– Yeah.
Yuho moved his steps to the VIP waiting room again.
* * *
The place Yuho and Seonchan headed to after the screening ended was an upscale room-style Korean beef restaurant. It was a restaurant of a scale that seemed burdensome for a rookie actor who had just finished his debut work screening to treat. Yuho reluctantly sat in the chair while expressing concern to Seonchan.
“What did I even do to deserve Korean beef?”
“I got lots of snacks thanks to you while filming, so what.”
“But you’re a rookie, is it okay to eat at such an expensive place?”
“I’m from a rich family. I’m buying with my own money, so you don’t need to worry.”
“In that case, I won’t refuse.”
Yuho quickly opened the menu. He was also thinking of paying himself if it came to it.
“Can’t I get something like yukhoe bibimbap?”
“That’s the lunch special.”
“Mm. Then naengmyeon?”
“That’s dessert.”
When Yuho hesitated in his choice at the Korean beef prices that were more expensive than expected, Seonchan eventually snatched the menu away.
“I’ll just order.”
“Okay. Sure.”
Yuho quickly agreed.
Seonchan’s staff were eating in the next room, and there were only the two of them in the private room.
The meat was grilled appropriately by the employee’s hands, and the two people at a vigorous age quickly emptied their plates.
Seonchan seemed slightly surprised at Yuho’s unexpected appetite.
“Yuho. Did you always eat this well?”
“I’m a carnivore.”
Yuho laughed embarrassedly, and Seonchan transferred the meat from the grill to Yuho’s plate.
“I’ll have to buy you more next time.”
“No. Once is enough.”
Yuho didn’t understand why Seonchan kept trying to do something for him.
“It would have been nice if Soi came too.”
So Yuho was saying things that would be absurd for Seonchan to hear. Why is Soi’s name coming up here? Seonchan asked Yuho in puzzlement.
“Soi? Why Soi?”
Yuho spoke to Seonchan with a subtle smile.
“You’re interested in Soi.”
“Me? No, I’m not.”
Seonchan flatly denied it, and only then did Yuho realize he had properly barked up the wrong tree.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you two seemed close.”
“We just got along well as colleagues. If I had to say, we’re closer to rivals.”
“I see. I didn’t know.”
Rivals. Yuho thought it was an unsuitable word choice, but since the two people’s debut timing was similar, he thought it could be that way.
“How was the movie today?”
“It was totally fun. Seonchan, I think you’re really going to blow up. Give me an autograph later.”
“If I really blow up, I can give it to you then. Let’s not be too hasty.”
“I’m saying this because I think you’ll really do well. You’ll probably be too busy now to have time to meet anyone.”
“Still, I can make time to meet you.”
At Seonchan’s words delivered meaningfully, Yuho felt puzzled inside. Were we that close? Still, Yuho offered words of affirmation so Seonchan wouldn’t be embarrassed.
“Then that would be nice for me.”
“But Yuho, is something wrong?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“No. You just seemed a bit down today.”
At Seonchan’s suddenly delivered words, Yuho was flustered. He thought he had managed his expression reasonably well, but he felt embarrassed that it showed. But he soon pretended to be calm and denied Seonchan’s words.
“No. Nothing happened.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
At Yuho’s answer, Seonchan nodded in agreement. He subtly felt that Yuho was continuing to draw a line, but thought he couldn’t cross the line arbitrarily.
“Let’s see each other occasionally like this.”
Still, he decided to keep trying to get closer.
