‘Lucifer’ kept flowing on the set.
A golden throne placed in the center of an entirely black set.
Evan approached that chair that looked excessively large even for one person to sit in.
His face was once again filled with boredom and indolence, and his posture sitting languidly with crossed legs looked arrogant.
With his arm on the armrest and his chin propped up, his eyes looking down slowly closed. And that moment when all time seemed to stop was the starting point of everything for Siwoo.
The throne sat alone in the middle of a wide artificial lake.
The path approaching him. Cold water touched Siwoo’s bare feet. Though he was walking on a set with very shallow water pooled on it, if CG was added, Siwoo would look like he was walking on water.
The water on the floor wet the hem of Siwoo’s pants and gradually soaked upward from below. Between the calmly laid music, the sound of Siwoo’s footsteps walking on water with splashing mixed in irregularly.
As he gradually got closer to him, Siwoo’s heart also began to beat gradually faster.
It’s just filming. A scene that must absolutely be in the music video, the scene that would most perfectly express this story. But right now, Siwoo really felt like he was falling for a demon.
Evan. He had become such an existence to him.
Though they hadn’t known each other for that long, he had somehow become the most precious existence.
That’s why he was more afraid. Because he didn’t know if it would be a brief fling that would pass in a moment, or if they would share the yoke of a curse that wouldn’t end, burned into his memories and heart. If he was lucky enough to be with Evan like now, it might be okay.
But in a situation where all frameworks had now been broken, nothing could be predicted. The regression time had already changed. And the regression starting point, age, and situation had changed. Since the starting point had changed, the destination point must have changed too.
There was no certainty that he could meet him in the next regression.
Would he return to twenty-three when it always ended? Today. Tomorrow. Or since there was a 5-year gap, twenty-five?
The kiss he shared with Evan. At least in that moment, he thought Evan and he were feeling the same emotions. But now that several days had passed, it had become ambiguous again.
To avoid regrets, he would do his best this time too. Because he had always lived so fiercely every time. He had never given up even once. He lived as if this time was the last.
No expression showed on Siwoo’s face as he approached Evan. It was partly because that’s what the setting required, but Siwoo, who had fallen deeply into a world of his own, was in a state consumed by emptiness.
His complicated thoughts always stopped at the same point. Emptiness.
Every time having hope and trying hard, and that time turning into nothing. This time would be the same.
Under these brilliant lights like this. Under people’s cheers. After standing shoulder to shoulder with the person he admired most.
At the point where the water ended, white marble stairs continued.
‘Welcome.’
Evan clearly had his eyes closed. He was acting as if asleep.
But Siwoo heard his voice. As the cold texture of marble brushed under his feet that had been wet with water, a chill seeped in. He could feel the jib camera moving around.
The corners of Siwoo’s mouth moved little by little. A faint smile appeared on the face that had been devoid of any expression until now. A wicked smile bloomed on his red lips and his eyes, whose corners were particularly red, curved gently.
Lucifer, who had approached the sleeping demon, was fearlessly thinking of waking him.
To captivate everything and make him his puppet.
Acting? Truth? Siwoo looked down at Evan and slowly closed and opened his eyes. Surrounded by dazzling lights, he looked too peaceful.
I’m having such a hard time. I’m in such pain. I’m so confused.
He looked so comfortable that it was unfairly frustrating.
Siwoo’s lower lip, who had approached closely, trembled.
His face with that enchanting smile was captured completely on camera. The blue lenses completely hid the darkness beneath them.
He had to slowly bend at the waist and bring his lips close to Evan’s slightly parted lips. Just up to there! Lucifer waking the sleeping demon with a kiss. That scene was the amount they needed to film now.
Little by little, as Evan’s face got closer, his eyes closed without realizing it.
“Cut!”
At that single word striking his body, strength entered Siwoo’s body that had been languidly relaxing, and he straightened his body at the same time his closed eyes opened.
“Good atmosphere, let’s go again.”
“Yes!”
Turning around and coming down the stairs, Siwoo wrapped his upper body with both arms and rubbed his forearms. August. The heat hadn’t subsided yet. That’s why large air conditioners ran ceaselessly on the set. Even so, fans were placed everywhere, and everyone was sweating saying it was hot.
I’m cold.
And warm?
Siwoo, who felt a chill and heat at the same time, turned around. Evan, who had his eyes closed, was looking at him. Could the mint scent that felt cold also feel this warm? The mint scent that he hadn’t felt at all until just now circled thickly around Siwoo.
Siwoo, who had his feet in the set with pooled water, stared at Evan approaching him. Evan, who had come down the stairs with quick steps, stopped his feet on the marble. That person who was already much bigger than him looked even bigger standing on the platform.
“Coco.”
Suddenly, unknown emotions rushed in and an answer didn’t come out easily.
Since it was a music video shoot, the two weren’t wearing microphones. The surroundings were full of various noises, and there weren’t even staff at a distance where their conversation could be heard.
“Is it hard?”
He hated Evan who was asking kindly while looking at him.
Did he hate Evan? Or was the problem himself, who was caught in a gap and kept falling into repeated agonizing even after making a decision?
Siwoo was still just turning his head to look at Evan. When Evan, who had been standing like a giant statue, bent one knee to sit, this time instead of looking up, he had to look down.
“Trust me a little.”
“I trust you.”
I trust you. But I’m doing this because I can’t trust myself. I still don’t know what happened to the countless times I’ve returned. I don’t know if it’s a parallel world, or if it keeps getting overwritten.
But that night. The rainy night.
I don’t know if the Evan who told me everything is you now or a completely different person.
Now I have to go back to my place. Because we have to film the same scene again. Like my own appearance repeating the same situation.
Siwoo, who was about to step away, couldn’t shake off that hand reaching out to hold his. Unlike just before when he had his back turned and barely made eye contact, he had to completely turn his body to look down at Evan.
“You said you wanted to do everything. We can’t not release an album, and if you do this, I……”
Clearly he was the one in pain, so why did Evan seem to be in more pain?
There was no reason for him to be in pain at all. Evan confessed to him, and he accepted the confession. They just hadn’t had time to talk alone due to their busy schedule.
“Should we make time after we’re done to go on a date?”
“That’s funny. What date?”
At Evan’s words bringing up the word date with a serious expression, Siwoo let out a scoffing laugh and said words contrary to his heart.
“Siwoo-ya.”
“We eat at least one meal together every day. You know we practice together for at least two hours, right?”
“Not that kind of thing.”
“When the second album promotions are over, then.”
Maybe I’m too greedy. Wanting to do everything is greed itself.
Siwoo moved his fingertips to pull his hand from Evan’s hand. And he returned to his place.
“Siwoo-ya, this time let’s get a little closer. Close enough to really touch. So tilt your head to the side a bit more too. Don’t worry about the camera and such.”
“Yes.”
Siwoo answered while lightly loosening up his body. It wasn’t that difficult a scene, but the director, not liking something, made a slightly different suggestion this time.
The distracting thoughts that had initially captivated Siwoo had long since disappeared. The mint scent that had been stickily circling around him had also disappeared. Evan’s face that seemed asleep also seemed a bit more familiar after seeing it repeatedly. Though it was a very short time, after having a conversation with Evan, the anxiety and random thoughts floating in his head had disappeared.
You’re annoyingly handsome, really.
Enough to make my heart flutter.
He had such thoughts while approaching Evan closely. And recalling the director’s words to tilt his head more and not worry about the camera, he got a little closer……
“Smooch—.”
“Cut! What’s wrong?”
No. Director. It’s not me. This guy……
His lips had touched Evan’s lips, who had been still like a statue. And there was even a sound! Startled, Siwoo hurriedly straightened his body, causing an NG.
“Ah…… no.”
“Let’s go again like just now.”
He kissed me…… I mean, in front of all these people he……
Unable to speak the truth, Siwoo, who was stammering, saw Evan winking at him.
What kind of outrageous thing are you doing at this sacred workplace right now?
Desperately suppressing the desire to shout at him to stop it and ask what he was doing, Siwoo glared at Evan. And he returned to the starting point again.
“Cut!”
“Cut!”
“Again…… It feels like we’ll get the right shot, but what’s lacking?”
Siwoo, who was standing next to the director watching what they just filmed, unconsciously nodded at the director’s words. There wasn’t really anything wrong. No. There was a problem.
Whether Evan had gotten into the fun of it, every time he approached that closely, he kissed him. At first he was startled and caused an NG, but before he knew it, when he walked back and approached closely, Siwoo unconsciously became slightly tense.
So clearly his own back of the head covered the camera so it wasn’t captured anywhere, but even in the video they were watching now, the two’s lips touched very briefly then separated. Though no one would know.
“Then shall I try doing it my way this time?”
“Do you have a good idea? Or I think we could use this cut.”
The moment Evan, who had been watching the video together with his arms crossed, suggested to the director, Siwoo unconsciously grabbed his forearm. I don’t know what it is, but it seems better not to do it.
Recalling the situations that had passed in a very short time, in cases like this, the alternatives Evan came up with were truly impossible.
‘Sure! Then if Siwoo and I exchange it five times, we’ll consider it a success.’
Like this.
