Before I knew it, it was the last day. The third day of filming also proceeded smoothly.
Tomorrow morning, I’d have to board a flight back to Korea. My ambitious plan to bring Lee Dojun and Seo Hanryul together over these three days was so embarrassingly unrealized that I hadn’t even managed to start.
On days one and two of filming, the schedule was so packed that there wasn’t even enough time to sleep. I’d repeated a lifestyle of heading straight to the lodging after the schedule ended and collapsing onto the bed.
Moreover, after the motorcycle incident, even if Seo Hanryul couldn’t go to Lee Dojun, he hovered around me and looked after me. To be precise, his nagging increased—nagging that was of absolutely no help to my mind or body.
He’d enter my hotel room without even calling, check on my condition, verify whether I’d eaten or taken headache medicine, and constantly told me to do this and do that.
While I was grateful that he’d found me collapsed on the road, why did it have to be Seo Hanryul of all people? Every time that guy came close to me, the scent of his skin from when he’d held me kept coming back, endlessly reviving that embarrassing memory.
‘Why over just a motorcycle…’
I was also curious. To think I’d fall into a panic state where I couldn’t even breathe over just a motorcycle. Living in this guy’s body for so long, I’d come to know information about him that hadn’t even been described in the novel.
Like me, he enjoys alcohol, but he doesn’t actually seem to hold his liquor well. He can’t handle strong drinks. Also, contrary to his sharp impression, his body lines are quite delicate. Perhaps because he drinks and smokes a lot, his stamina doesn’t seem particularly outstanding either. On top of that, he even falls into a severe panic state at the sight of a moving motorcycle.
In the novel, Cha Jaehyun was a scoundrel not worth thinking about, but unsuited to the spectacular misdeeds he’d committed, his durability was very weak. If only the motorcycle incident hadn’t happened, nothing of that sort would have occurred with Seo Hanryul.
‘…But there’s still hope.’
I’d picked up somewhere that they finish early on the last day, so I just waited for filming to end. On the third day as well, whenever time opened up, Seo Hanryul would walk over to me and nag until my ears bled.
Perhaps he’d found the motorcycle incident interesting, as he kept asking why I’d reacted that way and insisted I should go to the hospital first thing when we returned to Korea. But since I also didn’t know why Cha Jaehyun had such an extreme reaction, I just vaguely brushed it off, saying it was because I was tired.
“That’s a wrap! Great work, everyone.”
The three-day journey finally came to an end.
7 PM. The perfect time and weather for a drink.
“Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
As soon as filming wrapped, Seo Hanryul approached me, and as expected, Lee Dojun also walked toward Seo Hanryul.
“Filming ended early, and it’s our last night—wouldn’t it be a shame to part like this? How about we go to a local restaurant?”
“…The three of us? I don’t want to.”
Seo Hanryul answered curtly, not disappointing my expectations. From his subconscious that even he didn’t know, he probably wanted to spend the night with Lee Dojun without me.
“Then Hanryul-ssi can return to the lodging. I’ll do as Jiwon-ssi suggests.”
‘Ah… this isn’t right.’
This was Lee Dojun’s chronic problem. While all his attention was focused on Seo Hanryul inside, he absolutely never showed it on the outside.
“Aw, if one person drops out, it loses meaning.”
To break the stiff atmosphere, I smiled gently and tugged on Seo Hanryul’s sleeve.
“Ha… If you want it that badly, I’ll go along.”
Seo Hanryul surprisingly complied right away.
‘Tonight is the answer.’
Prospective lovers spending the night in a foreign land. I felt that tonight was the key.
“Then I’ll take it that everyone agrees. Let’s go!”
I started walking toward where the bars were gathered with light steps.
“How about here?”
I pointed to a bar I’d thought would be good to drop by during break time.
“…”
‘They’re frighteningly similar in how self-centered they are.’
Neither of them seemed to have any particular opinion. If they don’t have an opinion, they could just say they don’t know, so why won’t they answer? Watching these two who ignore others’ words as naturally as breathing, I thought that birds of a feather really do flock together.
“Your opinions, please.”
“Fine.”
“Sounds good.”
It wasn’t like robots were answering. There was no soul in their responses. No, wait. Was this a case of ‘as long as we have time together, the location doesn’t matter’?
“Then we’ll go with here.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s do that.”
Once we settled into our seats, a comical scene unfolded. The makeshift chairs set up on the street and the plastic table were inadequate for handling three large frames. The sight of the three of us gathered at one table with our legs scrunched up as much as possible was an unexpectedly amusing scene.
‘Is it good because the two of them can stick closer together?’
“Let’s order right away.”
As soon as we sat down, worried that Seo Hanryul might bounce saying he didn’t like this place, I quickly called the staff and ordered from the menu.
“You’re ordering right after arriving? …Don’t tell me you looked it up beforehand?”
“This is basic.”
I shot an annoying smirk toward Seo Hanryul.
“Jiwon-ssi. I knew it, but you seem even more interesting than I thought.”
Lee Dojun looked at me and laughed heartily. It’s not like I’m a comedian, yet since last time he’s only said I’m interesting every time he sees me.
‘Interesting? It’ll be more interesting if I slip away.’
What I had to do today was simple. Get these two hotheads moderately drunk, then slip away. If the two of them spend the night together, game over—though I know this isn’t a high-probability scenario.
Even if the two don’t get drunk, I plan to slip away after gauging the timing, and then the two will spend time alone together for the first time. Right now, they bicker even when their eyes meet, but if they have a conversation, they’ll become aware of their true feelings.
“Shall we toast?”
The menu I’d quickly ordered came out. Appetizing-looking assorted fried food and freshly poured cold beer. Just looking at it made my mouth water.
“I’m not drinking.”
“I won’t have alcohol either.”
But neither of them touched their glasses, and in the end, only I took a lonely sip.
“Hey, you both have a talent for killing the mood. Let’s have a light drink!”
To break the strange atmosphere between the two, some appropriate alcohol seemed necessary. But the two didn’t even glance at the alcohol and just glared at each other.
They stared only at each other as if I wasn’t there, and the intensity was very strong. That intensity seemed more like competitive spirit than affection, but it was fine. They say people fall in love while fighting like that.
‘So it begins.’
“Hanryul-ssi, you must not be able to drink at all?”
“No. I just don’t feel like drinking right now. CEO-nim seems to be the one who can’t handle it.”
“Don’t I look like someone who can drink just by looking at me?”
Lee Dojun answered Seo Hanryul while narrowing his brow.
I quietly began watching the prospective couple’s exciting fight. Before, I would have pressed my forehead at such a heated situation, but having thoroughly studied, I could tell that the two were slowly starting their lovers’ quarrel.
After midterms during evening self-study. When our bodies were itching because we didn’t want to study, around the time the classroom atmosphere became unsettled, the teacher threw out a short joke to lighten the mood.
“You punks, do you know the three most interesting things to watch in the world? First is watching a fire, second is watching water.”
“What’s the last one?”
“Third is watching a fight. It’s overwhelmingly the most interesting thing to watch. If you don’t want to fight with me, stop chatting and study!”
Watching a fire and watching water literally meant watching someone else’s house across the river burn or flood. Watching a fight meant watching a fight that has nothing to do with you. It was quite an impressive story that elevated humanity’s wicked heart into humor.
‘That’s right~ Good job. Fight more!’
A meaningless argument was beginning to unfold before my eyes, and since it was a couple’s fight, the entertainment value was doubled.
“Ha, you must be very good at drinking?”
“At least I think I’m better than Hanryul-ssi.”
Laughter nearly escaped at the childish lovers’ quarrel being waged by adults who were easily over 180cm tall, but if I laughed in this atmosphere it would be ruined, so I held it in by poking my innocent thigh.
“Hey, are you just watching the show?”
Suddenly the spark flew to me. This Seo Hanryul guy would become a superstar even in a bullfighting ring, not just the entertainment industry.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Why are you sitting there so quietly?”
This guy has a talent for leaving people speechless.
“You two are talking well enough, so what would I say?”
I looked toward Lee Dojun and made an awkward expression.
“That’s true. Jiwon-ssi, say something too.”
‘Ha…’
Even Lee Dojun started looking at me. I’d been gleefully watching the fight, but having spectated too closely, I ended up suffering the consequences.
“Haha, you all must be good drinkers. I used to drink quite a bit too, but lately, maybe because I’m getting older, my energy is failing.”
“Really now. How old are you to be talking about getting old? That’s not something to say in front of CEO-nim, who’s your elder.”
“Hanryul-ssi, must be nice being so young.”
“Right, Seo Hanryul. Must be nice being young.”
What kind of conversation is this? I don’t have anything to say but they tell me to talk, so weird things come out. I talked about alcohol because we were talking about alcohol. …So why did they make me talk and create this situation?
“Haha, we only talked about alcohol. Even if we just eat the snacks, we can have fun, can’t we?”
These guys, they won’t touch the alcohol even if they die. To break the strange atmosphere, I ended up starting a tearful solo performance.
