But three years passed, five years passed, ten years passed — and there was no word at all. If he ever thought of him, he would surely feel guilt. The person he knew was definitely that kind of person. That kind of hyung.
“…I was about to give it all up.”
Yoo Sinju pressed his hands against his throbbing head and muttered. As the emotion that had been the source of his drive gradually dimmed, Yoo Sinju was consumed by a creeping sense of disillusionment and couldn’t focus on his work. He was losing whatever attachment he had left to this acting career. It wasn’t money or fame that he needed.
And yet — right when he was about to give it all up, he appeared. This late…, showing up out of nowhere right when he was ready to let everything go — how could he do this to him? Yoo Sinju couldn’t make sense of it. He had imagined their reunion for years. A face looking at him with longing, or crying in apology, or lighting up in greeting. He had imagined dozens, hundreds of versions. He had thought that even if it wasn’t warmth, there would at least be guilt.
“…Bastard.”
Yoo Sinju bit down on his lip and slammed his fist against the shelf.
“Damn it….”
Muttering under his breath, he slammed the shelf again. With that, a bracelet that had been slightly loose slid off and fell to the floor. But it didn’t register in Yoo Sinju’s eyes at all — he hadn’t been able to think straight since meeting Moon Heesung. This was the person he had waited for so long. But the wave of betrayal that came with it had him so wound up he didn’t even notice his lip splitting.
“The actor’s ready to start slowly….”
During their self-scheduled break, the assistant director carefully approached and spoke up in a soft voice. Yoo Sinju, feeling exhausted by everything in that moment, lowered his eyes and gestured toward the coordinators. At that, a dozen or so people filed in to touch up his makeup, fix his hair, and adjust his outfit. All while the piece of jewelry that had been kicked around underfoot by the flood of people went unnoticed by anyone.
**
Splash.
Moon Heesung turned on the faucet and washed his face with cold water. His first visit to a filming set was, as expected, chaotic. He had been out in the world for over ten years now, and honestly, even pretending to be a functioning member of society was not easy for Moon Heesung. He had spent half his life in prison. The ordinary appearance and routines of a normal person were not something that came naturally to him. But he had no desire to show any weakness. It wasn’t in his nature, and he wanted to do the manager job he had been planning since his time in prison perfectly. He wanted to make something of Yoo Sinju — not make a fool of him.
As he dried his wet face with a paper towel, he saw a message from the manager.
[There will be a private gathering after filming ends. Stay close. Don’t let him cause any trouble.]
Moon Heesung already had the schedule memorized. The fact that it was being emphasized again meant it was important. He sent a brief acknowledgment and left the bathroom. At that moment, he collided shoulders with a staff member walking quickly toward him. But the other person seemed not to even register the collision and passed by swiftly. Something about the hurried figure from behind gave Moon Heesung a vague sense of unease, and he stood still for a moment, watching. Then from the opposite direction came the sound of other staff members whispering among themselves.
“What do we do, then?”
“No idea. Don’t you think they’d have to compensate for it?”
“I heard it’s not something you can just buy?”
Sensing the unmistakably bad atmosphere, Moon Heesung headed quickly toward the filming set. A biting, icy energy had settled over it. Both the staff and the filming director seemed to have stiffened up and were hovering hesitantly.
“What are you going to do about this.”
“If the head office finds out, we’re in serious trouble. Just where did you leave it?”
He had taken his eyes off things for just a moment — barely three minutes. His head had been heavy and he’d wanted a splash of cold water. And in that gap….
“What’s going on?”
Moon Heesung grabbed one of the staff members and asked directly. A flustered director, a company employee seething with anger, and at the center of it all, Yoo Sinju looking perfectly unbothered. It was immediately clear that something had gone wrong.
“It’s… a product has gone missing.”
“A product, meaning….”
“Yes, the advertising jewelry. It’s a bracelet meant to be layered with a watch, and it just suddenly disappeared. The actor says he doesn’t know where it went either, so everything’s in an uproar right now. You’re the actor’s manager, right?”
The staff member stamped their feet anxiously and grabbed Moon Heesung as if pleading for his help.
“Has a search been done?”
“Yes. The staff and the actor’s company people have all looked, but it’s nowhere to be found, and that’s why everything’s in an uproar. Manager, if this product disappears, it’s a serious problem. It’s not something you can just buy with money — it’s a high-end item from overseas, and it took a full month just to get approval for the sponsorship. This could easily turn into a legal battle…. No matter how big a star he is, these high-end companies have incredibly high standards. You’ll need to consult with someone senior at the company quickly…!”
It was a plea to resolve this quickly, as his manager. Having grasped the rough situation, Moon Heesung stood quietly and looked at Yoo Sinju, standing at the center of the set.
“I worked for over a month to get this product brought to Korea. I fought like crazy with the head office just to get it here, and now you’re telling me it’s gone?!”
“No, Team Leader Song… let’s calm down for now. Our staff are still looking….”
“This is exactly why I was nervous….”
The man addressed as Team Leader Song suddenly turned and glared at Yoo Sinju. There had already been plenty of talk internally. The model in question had already pulled out twice. There were even internal discussions about whether to put the second model up as the advertising face instead of the main ambassador Yoo Sinju, given how many issues there were with his character and attitude. In any case, a model’s attitude mattered most to high-end companies. They were, after all, entrusting products worth hundreds of millions of won.
He had held out hope anyway — but when the concern he had tried to dismiss as paranoia actually materialized right in front of his eyes, Team Leader Song’s mind went completely blank. Whether the other party was a top actor or a top star, this was a matter that put his own position on the line. It wasn’t just his position that was at stake. This product was one the head office didn’t even sell — it was a piece with deep history, one that was exclusively gifted as sponsorship to royalty and the most prominent stars.
“…Can’t I just buy it?”
But Yoo Sinju, the person at the center of it all, was perfectly calm. More than calm — he looked genuinely bothered and tired by the whole thing.
“This is not something that can simply be bought!”
“Then why advertise with something that can’t be bought?”
“Ha……, this is a brand image campaign, not a product sales campaign?!”
“Who are you raising your voice at?”
“Yoo Sinju, you think this isn’t a big deal, but if word gets to the head office, they’ll file a lawsuit immediately and—”
“Let them.”
“Excuse me…?”
“Let’s go to court. Then it’s settled, isn’t it?”
“Ha…….”
“Is filming done?”
Yoo Sinju asked the director with an indifferent expression. At that, the director pressed their hand over their eyes and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Hey, Yoo Sinju!”
Team Leader Song finally snapped.
“I’ve been watching and watching, but — shouldn’t the first thing you do in a situation like this be to apologize?”
“What?”
“I pushed through with you despite all the ugly rumors because everyone said you were so remarkable — and now it’s come to this. With this little professional integrity, how do you expect to do any kind of work…, ha.”
The man let out a scornful laugh and criticized Yoo Sinju openly and explicitly. Everything that everyone had been whispering behind his back was now being said to his face. The watching staff all seemed to collectively hold their breath.
“No wonder your reputation is what it is, working like this.”
At Team Leader Song’s words, spilling out with all composure abandoned, Yoo Sinju just let out a hollow, deflated laugh. He knows. He knows exactly what’s being said about him behind his back.
“You’re laughing? You find this funny right now?!”
“…Want me to curse you out instead?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m actually holding myself back right now.”
“Ha……, what kind of person…, what kind of person is this?”
“Team, Team Leader Song, let’s calm down….”
“Do I look calm to you? What nerve he has, turning it around like this—!”
It was a moment where the situation was spiraling into something serious. While the fault was one hundred percent Yoo Sinju’s, having a company employee openly criticize and humiliate the model representing their brand in front of this many staff members was something that simply didn’t happen in this industry.
“Team Leader Song, I understand, but we need to calm down first—”
“I’m sorry.”
At that moment, Moon Heesung, who had drawn close without anyone noticing, stepped in front of Yoo Sinju. As Moon Heesung bowed in apology on his behalf, Yoo Sinju looked at him with a flat expression, as if asking where he’d been and why he’d only just shown up.
“Where did you disappear to and only now you appear?”
Rebuking Moon Heesung for not showing up in time when the whole point of having a manager was to handle situations exactly like this, Yoo Sinju watched as Moon Heesung then bowed to the company side as well.
“I’m sorry.”
At the quiet, steady apology, everyone paused — and then let out long, complicated sighs.
“Manager, a sorry isn’t going to fix this.”
“I know.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said I know.”
“……Knowing that, do you have a solution?”
“Can’t we just find it?”
“What?”
Team Leader Song asked back, bewildered, at Moon Heesung’s matter-of-fact response.
