The Center Director, who was looking suspiciously at Sangho vaguely hedging, was silent for a moment then showed a smile again.
“Really? Then can you get me actor Jang Wonha’s autograph?”
“What?”
“You said you’re close. He’d at least give an autograph, right? I’ll ask you tomorrow.”
Saying that, the Center Director adjusted his glasses and quickly entered the office.
In the alley in front of his house, Sangho smoked a cigarette with an anxious face. After returning to his studio apartment after work, Sangho checked his phone several times, repeatedly pressing and deleting Wonha’s contact. It was a contact he hadn’t even saved because he had no intention of meeting Wonha again. After staring at just the number like that for a long while, Sangho eventually saved Wonha’s contact.
When he opened the messenger app, ‘Jang Wonha-nim’ appeared in new friends. Sangho, who inhaled the cigarette all the way to the filter, put out the cigarette and exhaled as if the ground would cave in. The previous day, Wonha started calling past 9 PM, so filming would be finished by now. Sangho, who pressed Wonha’s profile and clicked ‘Chat,’ wrote and deleted messages several times. After running all kinds of conversation simulations in his head, he eventually sent one simple message.
[Thank you for yesterday. I’ll buy you a meal next time.]
As soon as he sent the message, a ‘Read’ notification appeared, then immediately Sangho’s phone rang. It was ‘Jang Wonha-nim.’ Sangho, who was flustered for a moment, answered the call after the ringtone rang twice.
“Hello.”
—When?
“What?”
—When will you buy it next time? I just finished filming and I’m at the studio now!
Is he saying to meet now? Sangho hesitated, unable to continue his words. Then Wonha’s excited voice rang from beyond the phone again. Even though he wasn’t in front of him, Sangho wore a faint smile at the thought of Wonha’s face spinning around excitedly.
—Should I go now? There’s a famous meat jjamppong place.
“What? No, just when you have time…”
—I have time now! About 30 minutes… no, I think about 20 minutes will do! Let’s meet where we met before!
Click.
At the call unilaterally cut off again, Sangho took the phone from his ear and looked at the screen. Originally he’d planned to send trivial greetings, and when Wonha replied, ask jokingly ‘could you give me an autograph next time?’ He hadn’t planned to meet so suddenly.
Gurgle.
He happened to be getting hungry. Meat jjamppong. All the restaurants Wonha introduced were delicious places. Sangho, who liked jjamppong more than jjajang, started secretly feeling anticipation in his heart. If he met Wonha, he could take the opportunity to ask for an autograph. Just this once, just get the autograph. Then I won’t see him again. Sangho thought that.
Wonha really called Sangho exactly 20 minutes later. In the meantime, Sangho quickly washed and put a sketchbook and marker he’d bought during the day into his bag. When Sangho, who recognized Wonha’s car, approached and bowed in greeting, a click—the sound of the door opening came from inside. Wonha, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, greeted him welcomingly.
“It takes a while to drive from here.”
Saying that, Wonha softly turned on music and drove for 30 minutes, parking in front of a lit jjamppong restaurant. It must have been a really popular place, as several people were sitting and eating even late at night. Wonha, who ordered two meat jjamppongs, spoke to Sangho with a slightly expectant expression.
“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d contact me, Sangho-nim. You seemed to… find me burdensome.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Do you like jjamppong? The fire flavor here is really killer. And they pile meat up like a mountain.”
“Yes. I’m team jjamppong over jjajang.”
When Sangho answered with a chuckle, Wonha’s eyes sparkled even more. He seemed overwhelmed that Sangho was now treating him quite comfortably and even showing smiles.
The jjamppong was really delicious. Fire-roasted beef brisket was piled mountain-high in the richly steeped broth. Sangho, who slowly cleared away the toppings on top, buried his head and continuously gulped down the broth, even exclaiming in admiration.
“This is the real deal.”
“Haha. How was today?”
“It was okay. You completely separated all the lunchbox recycling. Thanks to that, I left early. I’ll definitely spread this good deed about you, actor-nim.”
At Sangho’s words, Wonha slightly blushed and smiled. It wasn’t like I did it to show off. Wonha, who muttered that, pulled out a few napkins and placed them in front of Sangho. Sangho diligently emptied the jjamppong bowl, then wiped the broth on his mouth with a napkin.
Sangho, who emptied his bowl in an instant, looked at Wonha’s bowl, which wasn’t even half empty yet, and asked.
“Ah, you said you can’t eat spicy food, right?”
“Haha. I’m also a bit full. I need to diet too…”
At Wonha scratching his neck awkwardly, Sangho felt somewhat embarrassed. It feels like I said I’d buy a meal but only ate a lot myself.
“I was trying to buy you a meal to thank you…”
“Th-then we can just meet again, right? I always eat alone at this time, you know?”
Now Wonha spoke while fidgeting his fingers. Ah. Is he saying to meet and eat dinner every day? Sangho wore a slightly mechanical smile and started worrying in his heart about how to say words of refusal. After a very slight silence like that, Sangho quickly spoke vaguely.
“Ah really. It’s because there’s filming until late. That must be hard.”
“Yes… So about that—”
“Ah, actor-nim. Could you give me a few autographs?”
Before Wonha could continue, Sangho urgently opened his bag and pulled out the sketchbook. It was clearly a situation of changing the subject. Wonha blinked for a moment as if flustered, then answered haltingly.
“Ah, ah. Autograph.”
“Yes. I couldn’t see you for a few months because I was busy, but I’m also a fan… When else would I get this kind of fan service opportunity?”
At Wonha’s somewhat disappointed expression, Sangho felt a pang of conscience, but it couldn’t be helped. This situation of meeting personally a few times was just ‘fan service’—Sangho drew that line. When Sangho held out the sketchbook and marker, Wonha, who received them, signed while turning pages with a stiff face.
“…”
And Wonha, who was about to hand the sketchbook back to Sangho, suddenly snatched it back. When Sangho’s hand, which was about to receive the autograph book, slashed through the air and he made a flustered face, Wonha spoke with a sulky expression.
“Meeting you isn’t fan service, Sangho-nim. You didn’t ask for autographs until now, so why are you like this?”
It was an unexpected fastball. When Sangho couldn’t answer, Wonha asked again.
“Why are you calling me actor-nim? You called me Wonha-ssi.”
“Ah…”
I need to get the autograph book to stop the Center Director’s whining. Sangho, flustered while looking at Wonha who still had a sulky expression, haltingly confessed the truth.
“Um. Our Center Director… asked me to get an autograph.”
“…Center Director? So you contacted me for that? Not because you wanted to meet me?”
“I’m sorry. But it’s really true that I wanted to buy you a meal to thank you. Um, you treated me so comfortably. When I was having a hard time, you did that for me, so I was really grateful, that was real…”
Sangho couldn’t bear to look at Wonha’s gradually hardening face and muttered while looking at the floor. He was ashamed of himself for trying to get an autograph by bragging about his measly relationship after eating with Wonha a few times. However, Wonha didn’t interrogate Sangho further and made a “hmm” sound.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“What?”
“If you meet me this weekend, I’ll give you this.”
Wonha waved the autograph book before his eyes. Sangho made a dumbfounded face.
“Ah… yes. This weekend.”
“Yes. All day. My schedule happens to be empty this week.”
“Yes, yes…”
“So we’re meeting?”
At the somewhat grinning voice, Sangho unknowingly nodded his head. Having secured a weekend appointment, Wonha’s expression brightened again and he made a mischievous expression. Wonha readily handed the autograph book to Sangho and stood up from his seat.
“Sangho-nim. This isn’t fan service. Got it?”
“Yes…”
I’m screwed. With that thought, Sangho fidgeted and stood up following Wonha.
Wonha naturally dropped Sangho off in front of Korea University and drove away. Sangho, who’d been worried inside about what to do if he invited him to sleep at the studio again, felt relieved when Wonha unexpectedly withdrew cleanly. It’s burdensome to keep getting entangled with Wonha, but whenever I try to cut it off cleanly, he seems to notice it like a ghost and backs away.
It can’t be helped. At least I got the autograph book. With that thought, Sangho secretly entered through the gymnasium side door and headed to the 4th floor.
The gymnasium past 12 o’clock was filled only with darkness. Sangho, who was walking quietly down the hallway, didn’t see someone coming out of the shower room located on the 4th floor and ended up bumping into them. When Sangho, who buried his nose in a solid chest, made a sound and plopped down on the floor, a low voice full of wariness rang out.
