# Chapter 37
Rookie actor Ryu Doha has rapidly risen to prominence with his outstanding visuals and stable acting skills.
Newcomer Ryu Doha, who drove viewership ratings with his buzzworthiness that surpassed the lead actors, conducted a finale interview for DBS Drama Special “Collapsed Assembly Hall.”
Ryu Doha, who played the role of Park Heewoon in the drama, said, “It was easy to immerse myself in the character because I’m similar to him in that I constantly question my identity. Actually, until recently, I believed I was an angel who fell from the sky,” drawing laughter.
Previously, it was reported that Ryu Doha had been recruited as an actor under Lee Jaei’s one-person agency. When asked about Lee Jaei, who is both his senior and CEO, he replied, “Sunbae is an actor I like. I don’t know what else to say besides that I like him. I like him more than anyone in the world. I’ve liked him since his debut. I love him not as an actor but as a person. I hope Sunbae loves me the same way,” fully revealing the quirkiness and pure charm of an 18-year-old.
After reading aloud the last paragraph of the article, Jaei covered his mouth with both hands and let out a loud scream. The employees, interpreting that Jaei felt embarrassed, said, “He’s still a baby, let’s cut him some slack because he’s cute.” However, Jaei’s scream was clearly a shout of joy.
Timed with the finale date of the 8-part drama that aired for a month, they released a flood of articles all at once—about the agency contract, filing charges against false information, the finale interview, and upcoming projects. Jaei thought that after seeing these articles, Doha’s family would surely contact the company soon. They must have been struggling to find a way to contact “Ryu Doha,” a rookie actor who had been active without an official agency or SNS accounts.
While keeping Doha’s first interview article open and repeatedly reading the paragraph where he professed his love to Lee Jaei, Jaei sent him a message. It was time for him to finish class and leave school.
[Where are you now]
[Going to an audition]
[Suddenly? Without telling me? What project?]
[Director Hong Duyoung’s next work. I want to go to work with hyung]
Jaei, with his phone wedged between his cheek and shoulder, jumped up from his seat, put on his jacket, and called Doha.
“Why are you going there alone? It’s dangerous.”
—I’m not going alone. Who would I go with? My mom?
Everyone else came with their mothers. Since it was an audition for child actors between 14-19 years old, many parents served as managers. Doha had a manager, but he thought there was no reason to bring a company employee to an audition he had personally chosen that wasn’t an official schedule arranged by the company.
There were three judges at the audition, one of whom was Hong Duyoung. Hong Duyoung looked much more dried up in person than he did in photos and videos, like a withered balloon flower root. Meeting him in person for the first time, Doha felt an inexplicable discomfort. It wasn’t just because this dehydrated balloon flower was Jaei’s lover. It was an instinctive aversion that was difficult to put into words.
After delivering a performance he found satisfactory, Doha stood properly with his hands clasped together. Hong Duyoung addressed him. It wasn’t an evaluation or a question about his acting, but it wasn’t a completely unexpected question either.
“What is your relationship with Lee Jaei-ssi?”
He must have seen the article about Doha being recruited as an actor under Jaei’s company. Why is he asking when he seems to already know what kind of relationship they have? So instead of answering, Doha countered with his own question.
“What is your relationship with him, Director?”
Hong Duyoung gave an awkward smile at the teenager’s bold question. And then he gave a nauseating answer.
“We’re souls who share our art.”
In that moment, Doha’s fingers instinctively curled as he clenched his fists and glared at Hong Duyoung as if he wanted to kill him. Swallowing the words that were about to burst from his mouth, he barely managed a different response.
“I’m someone who will share everything with him in the future.”
He had almost said this: We’re in a kissing relationship, three times a day.
While the audition was in progress, Jaei, who had arrived at Hong Duyoung’s company, waited in Hong Duyoung’s private studio drinking coffee. He had come with the purpose of safely transporting Doha from the audition to home, but a production staff member informed Hong Duyoung that Jaei was in the office. Hong Duyoung sent word that he wanted to meet with Jaei and Doha together after the audition.
Shortly afterward, Jaei was able to meet with Hong Duyoung and Doha together in the studio. He walked briskly toward Doha with an affectionate eye smile and took his bag. At the same time, he observed Hong Duyoung’s expression.
Hong Duyoung was visibly on edge. He must be afraid. Even if Ryu Doha had come back to life, or if someone else with Ryu Doha’s face was acting in front of him using the name Ryu Doha, it would frighten him. That’s why the air in the space where the three of them were together was suffocatingly cold.
And at this moment, the boy Lee Doha, the source of this chilling atmosphere, was fully immersed in his role as Jaei’s sweet potential boyfriend. In this first three-way encounter, he wanted to achieve a perfect victory over Hong Duyoung.
Sitting next to Jaei, Doha made no attempt to hide his wariness toward Hong Duyoung and wrapped his arm around Jaei’s waist. With his other hand, he took Jaei’s hand in a demonstrative gesture. Jaei naturally interlaced their fingers and said kindly:
“You worked hard. You should have told the company. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Doha interpreted his gentle voice and gesture as meaning “I’ll protect you.” He felt as if he was being confirmed as the most precious person to Jaei in front of Hong Duyoung. Despite having loved him for so long that he wondered if there was any excitement left, a tingling sensation rose from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.
Ignoring Hong Duyoung’s presence right in front of them, Jaei asked Doha:
“But do you really have to do this?”
“Yes. I want to.”
After confirming Doha’s resolve, Jaei turned his head and asked Hong Duyoung:
“How was Doha’s acting? Objectively. Please don’t consider the fact that he’s with me.”
Having witnessed Doha and Jaei displaying their intimacy right before his eyes, Hong Duyoung couldn’t hide his agitated state. He looked mentally frail. He answered Jaei’s question halfheartedly. His assessment of Doha’s acting remained the same as before.
“I didn’t expect anything, but it was better than expected.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Doha closely observed Jaei and Hong Duyoung’s conversation. At first, he couldn’t hide his jealousy, but as time passed, he began to view their relationship from a different perspective. Seeing it with his own eyes, contrary to what he had thought, Jaei was dry like a withered flower petal. He was kind and gentle, but there was no love in his eyes when he looked at Hong Duyoung. On the other hand, the look that Hong Duyoung gave Jaei was clearly affectionate.
At first, he thought Jaei was impressive for clearly separating business and personal matters. However, even assuming that he was good at separating work and love, it was difficult to believe that Jaei loved him. By this point, he also began to question the form of affection Hong Duyoung had for Jaei. His affection for Jaei might not be romantic love either.
Hong Duyoung listlessly enumerated Doha’s strengths and weaknesses as an actor. However, Jaei judged that it would be difficult to draw out Hong Duyoung’s honest feelings with Doha present.
“Director, let’s talk separately. Doha, would you wait outside?”
Having reassessed Jaei and Hong Duyoung’s relationship, Doha willingly nodded.
As soon as Doha left, Hong Duyoung urgently asked Jaei:
“Jaei, what’s going on here? Is that child really Ryu Doha’s younger brother? Has your family been in contact with Ryu Doha’s family all this time? Did you debut him as an actor from the beginning?”
“Well, is he Ryu Doha’s younger brother? I’m not sure. And no, we haven’t been in contact with Doha’s family.”
Until now, neither Jaei nor his parents had informed Hong Duyoung about Doha’s existence. Since Hong Duyoung had left Haesung-dong and was no longer a neighbor, there was no reason to tell him, and they were also afraid that Lee Doha might repeat what Ryu Doha had experienced if they became entangled with him, a film director.
“It was only natural for me to recruit him as an actor. I liked everything about Doha. His personality, his acting, his face. When an identical kid appeared in front of me, how could I let him go? I caught him, prepared to give my all.”
After taking a sip of coffee through a straw, he continued:
“But I didn’t expect him to come audition for your project without telling me. To be honest, I don’t want him to do this project either. But if it’s what he wants, I can’t stop him.”
“Why is his real name Lee Doha? And why did he specifically choose Ryu Doha as his stage name?”
“Does that matter? It’s just a person’s name.”
Jaei removed the straw and held the cup with both hands as he drank his coffee. Hong Duyoung tapped the sofa armrest with his finger as he spoke:
“I have no intention of casting him.”
“Why not?”
“A director doesn’t simply remember an actor’s appearance. We remember their unique atmosphere, how they use their facial muscles, how they produce sound, their speech patterns, habits and mannerisms. These are like an actor’s fingerprints. But he’s too similar to Ryu Doha. Even twins couldn’t be this similar.”
“That reasoning isn’t valid at all. For a character inspired by Ryu Doha, you don’t want to use an actor who performs exactly like Ryu Doha.”
Jaei replied with a snicker. Hong Duyoung frowned with an extremely tired expression, then spoke as if confessing his true feelings:
“Actually, after that incident 12 years ago, I saw hallucinations a few times. I could see Ryu Doha’s figure, so I even moved out of that apartment. It was a shock for me too.”
Momentarily choked up, Jaei composed himself by drinking the last sip of coffee. Then he calmly continued:
