Could this be a hidden camera? Dohyeong broke out in cold sweat while looking at the script.
“Do I need to get permission from you to come see Yehyun-ssi?”
How could even the lines be so much like Choi Yuchan?
“Not permission, but at least make an appointment in advance before coming. Does Yu Yehyun-ssi not have a schedule?”
Was Hyun Yujin’s line also like Jung Haesung?
Even the appearance of Yehyun in the script was exactly like him. Like a small animal caught between predators, unable to do this or that.
Of course, Yehyun was better than Dohyeong.
“You two know you’re being really childish, right? Go over there and fight. Don’t interfere with work for no reason.”
Because he wasn’t a character who couldn’t say what he wanted.
Hmm, a short cough passed and then Soyeon’s line came in.
He thought he had barely gotten over one hurdle, but the section Director Na suggested reading this time was nothing less than the most awkward scene for Dohyeong.
“Yehyun-ssi.”
Precisely, Onyoung’s confession scene.
“What brings you at this late hour? Did something happen?”
He asked urgently, but he hoped no one would notice the trembling contained at the end.
There are memories conveyed not by words and voice, but by sensation. Dohyeong, that moment when he blushed while calling his name and even the desperate heat felt at his fingertips.
Because it felt like the memories he had barely erased were coming back to life. Dohyeong deliberately straightened his back and took in the lines one by one with his eyes.
Just like someone absorbed in acting.
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
At the bitter answer, Yehyun approaches Onyoung. Looking around awkwardly at the somehow worried, troubled dark expression.
“…It seems like something happened?”
When he asks worriedly again, Onyoung pulls Yehyun into a tight embrace.
Even though it was just stage directions, his breath caught with a thud, so Dohyeong let out a short “hup” sound. Of course, from other actors’ perspectives, they might think his acting skills had improved tremendously.
“I said this before, right? That a guy who used to look at stars was somehow walking looking at the ground.”
“Onyoung-ssi, let go of this—”
“I like you.”
What overlaps with the calm confession is the image of Yuchan confessing while hooking his finger in his hand in the empty makeup room.
His ears heated up warmly. He was fumbling, not knowing what to do, when Yuchan’s voice, which continued once more, stabbed deeply into one side of Dohyeong’s chest.
“I’m not asking you to answer right now.”
Why is it so much like Choi Yuchan?
Did he take on the role of Seo Onyoung knowing all this? He couldn’t continue his words while thinking all sorts of things.
It was when Dohyeong, who had soon gathered his composure, was about to continue with the next line.
Thud! Along with a heavy sound, he felt a presence beside him. When he turned his head, he saw Haesung with a somewhat hardened expression standing up from his seat.
“…I have a headache.”
No, he was angry. Even if others didn’t know, at least Dohyeong could tell.
It was bitter in a way that he noticed even such small changes in emotion.
“Let’s take a break and then continue. I’m sorry.”
Director Na looked at the script once, the three people once, and nodded.
“Yeah, yeah. You moved early in the morning, so it’s understandable. Alright, let’s take a short break here.”
At the director’s words, the actors stood up from their seats. The veteran actors approached Haesung and asked why he was acting unlike himself, and some left their seats while glancing at the three people.
“Really… he’s a funny person.”
Right? Soyeon, who smiled while looking at Dohyeong, also added a word, but Dohyeong couldn’t quite smile. He just watched her back for a while as she left the room.
“Shall we take a walk?”
As soon as he heard Yuchan’s voice, he ended up being startled.
“Huh?”
“Why are you so surprised? Why is your face so red?”
With a worried expression, Yuchan reaches out his hand. The moment his palm was about to touch his forehead, Haesung grabbed and pulled up Dohyeong’s arm.
“Yu Yehyun-ssi.”
“Yes?”
If this rushing situation wasn’t a storm, what was it?
The actors who were about to go outside also glanced back, but at Director Na’s jest, they all awkwardly went outside.
“Why are you surprised? We promised yesterday. Yu Yehyun and Yujin. To stay as those two people. The two of us.”
Deliberately emphasizing ‘the two of us’ probably meant he had no intention of including Yuchan.
His goal had always been to get along smoothly, and he thought the best thing was to quietly do his job.
But this wasn’t it. He could no longer endure this situation where he didn’t know if he came to do script reading or to read the room.
If it was just reading those two people’s moods, he could just ignore them and be done with it. But now it was a situation where even other actors’ attention was focused on them. What kind of nuisance was this?
He barely held back the emotions about to explode and squeezed his eyes shut.
Be patient. Be patient. They say if you endure three times, you can avoid even murder.
“Let’s go out.”
But hadn’t he already endured as much as he could?
“…Stop it.”
“What?”
When Haesung asked back, thinking he couldn’t understand what he was saying at all, Dohyeong shook off that arm and shouted loudly.
“I’m telling you to stop, just stop!”
It wasn’t just Haesung who was startled. Yuchan, who had been sitting, also looked up at Dohyeong in surprise.
“Why are you two being so childish? You keep checking each other at every turn, you’re dying to devour each other. Just go out and fight between yourselves. Why do you keep putting me in the middle! I’m the only one embarrassed by people watching, and I’m the only one who has to bear it all!”
Haesung had never seen Dohyeong like this, but Yuchan had experienced it exactly once.
When was it? It was a night when he exploded and poured out on Yuchan, who kept reading Dohyeong’s mood trying to match him from one to ten.
He was surprised then, but now that Dohyeong was just cute and he felt sorry.
Wondering how much he had been reading the room for it to pile up like this.
“Dohyeong.”
“Choi Yuchan. You need to remember this going forward. Me and Jung Haesung-ssi? We’re tied together by business, nothing more, nothing less. We’ve come too far to be that, and anyway, this person has no such feelings for me.”
“…Uh, uh.”
“So from now on, act properly. No matter how much you don’t like Jung Haesung-ssi, he’s your senior in the industry. Understand?”
“…Yes.”
Ha, Dohyeong let out a short sigh and this time turned his head to face Haesung.
He had never been like this with him before, but the situation then and now were different.
As a junior, it was right to be intimidated by Jung Haesung, but at least the behavior he showed him wasn’t that of a ‘senior.’
It should be okay.
“And Jung Haesung-ssi. No, sunbae-nim. I’m sorry, but you’re the one who broke the Yu Yehyun and Hyun Yujin arrangement first. Last night, you remember, right? If it’s not maintained from start to finish, I have no intention of doing it anymore. I’m grateful you helped with the scandal last time. But I don’t want to be held accountable for that and dragged around.”
“Kim Dohyeong-ssi, that’s—”
“I want to stand on my own. As Kim Dohyeong the actor, not as your ex-husband, sunbae-nim.”
How could he add words to such resolute determination? Haesung also had no choice but to quietly stare at Dohyeong.
But he should say it’s a misunderstanding. He should reveal that he didn’t help to hold it over him.
“And please stop checking Choi Yuchan-ssi. I’ll definitely be careful not to give the reporters any ammunition too.”
He wanted to say that wasn’t it either. That checking Yuchan wasn’t simply for that reason, but because of the reason he conveyed last night.
But Dohyeong must know. Seeing him come out like this even after being told outright.
‘…He must really dislike it.’
Yeah, it must have been an unspoken expression of rejecting his proposal.
“Anyway, I’ve said everything I wanted to say, so I’m leaving. See you when reading resumes later.”
Dohyeong gathered his script and left. While walking forward briskly, leaving the two behind, his heart pounded as if it would burst.
‘I finally said it.’
With just this one action, he had taken a step forward.
Until now, he had never properly conveyed his feelings to Haesung, and being entangled with apologetic and grateful feelings toward Yuchan, he had never properly conveyed his words to him either.
On one hand, he wondered if this was right, but on the other hand, he shrugged his shoulders thinking, what does it matter?
It was a step toward standing on his own. Thinking that, he just left the building.
Dohyeong, who came outside, sighed deeply and walked around the vicinity.
The actors were sitting here and there, or resting inside the building.
Some were already holding beer cans, and they looked quite free.
After walking around for a while, the place he settled was a corner of the building. A place that wouldn’t be visible unless you deliberately walked there.
The moment he sat down under the shade and closed his eyes, someone approached in front of Dohyeong.
At the long shadow, he slightly lifted his eyelids.
“…Im Hakyung-ssi?”
Hakyung, who played the role of Yujin’s close friend, was standing in front of him.
As he remembered, two years younger than him. And since he debuted a bit late, <Glass Holding Stars> was the biggest project among his few filmographies.
It was worth reviewing the cast in advance with Wootae.
But was there a reason to meet like this? Dohyeong was flustered by the displeased look showing on his expression.
“Must be nice to feel so comfortable.”
He knew the words thrown out had thorns.
If there was one regret, it was that he had no energy since he had just burst out with everything earlier.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“There’s no particular meaning. It’s just like an exclamation.”
“So why should I hear such words?”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
At the hostility shown on the face that smiled with a snort, Dohyeong hesitated and stepped back.
Hakyung lowered his body and sat down as is, making eye contact with Dohyeong. He couldn’t tell at all what those vividly shining eyes were thinking.
“Does sunbae have some special scent…”
“A scent? There’s no such thing.”
“If not, then why are two Alphas dying over sunbae? I’m a Beta, so I don’t know.”
“That never happened.”
“Aw. Liar.”
He, who smiled brightly, reaches out his hand. The moment the hand that was moving his bangs brushed past his ear, Dohyeong unconsciously slapped his arm away.
“Don’t touch me carelessly.”
“I wasn’t touching, just wanted to see how pretty you are. Because no matter how I think about it, I don’t understand.”
Hakyung, who was still rattling off incomprehensible things, stood up while pressing his knees. The eyes looking down at Dohyeong were folded long in a smile.
“Well, even if I don’t understand, I got a rough idea, so that’s fine.”
“Tell me clearly what you mean.”
“I’m saying let me benefit too. What else could it be?”
What the hell does that mean? Dohyeong’s face contorted. When he stood up abruptly from his seat, Hakyung stepped back two steps and raised both hands.
“I have no intention of fighting with Dohyeong sunbae or bothering you. I’m not the type attracted to Omegas in the first place. I was just curious, but it’s resolved, so… I’ll be going. Rest well.”
Hakyung smiled an inscrutable smile, then left. Dohyeong, who watched his back disappearing in the distance, let out a deep sigh and swept up his hair.
Somehow he had a bad feeling.
He hoped to finish the script reading peacefully, but why did it seem so difficult?
