At Hakyung’s appearance, Haesung wrinkled his brow.
It was an unrestrained emotional expression.
“Haesung sunbae-nim doesn’t seem happy to see me at all.”
“…There’s nothing to be happy or unhappy about. Especially with those awkward articles coming out.”
“Why not? Since we’re in a situation where such articles came out, you could be happy to see me.”
He didn’t even want to see him chattering like that.
He thought it would be better to just leave, so he stood up.
“I’ll be going now.”
“No, no. Haesung-ssi, you can’t leave. Stay seated.”
Wasn’t he planning to talk with just the two of them?
Haesung looked at Director Na questioningly, then sat down.
“I wanted to hear from both of you about what happened.”
The fact that he was using formal speech meant Director Na’s mood wasn’t very good.
He might want to say that this case was different from Yuchan and Dohyeong’s scandal.
To begin with, those two are friends, and they’re characters with a clear love line in the script. There’s plenty of room for misunderstanding in any way.
But Haesung and Hakyung were different. Of course, they have many scenes together in the drama. But that doesn’t mean they have a relationship that occupies an important portion.
“Even if you two aren’t in that kind of relationship like the article says, perhaps…”
“We’re not.”
Haesung drew a firm line.
“Ey, Director-nim. We’re not. Haesung sunbae-nim is just my senior, that’s all.”
Hakyung answered while waving his hands.
Of course, his gaze was still directed at Haesung.
“But… if we just say we’re not like this, the drama won’t be without damage.”
“Damage? What damage?”
When Director Na asked with a puzzled expression, Hakyung shrugged and continued matter-of-factly.
“That’s right. Dohyeong sunbae and Yuchan sunbae’s scandal came out, and so did Haesung sunbae-nim’s and mine. If we say it’s all false here… won’t there be talk that the director is silencing the actors, starting with the drama filming atmosphere?”
“That won’t happen.”
“No one knows how it’ll turn out.”
“Director-nim. It’s not uncommon for scandals to come out during drama filming. If we package something false as true and the truth is revealed, the damage will be even greater. You know about the adverse effects of noise marketing, don’t you?”
“Sunbae.”
“Im Hakyung-ssi. Let’s insist on what we should insist on. Are scandals child’s play? Do you think they’re just gossip that can be used like that, attached and removed like a name tag?”
For Director Na, this was the first time experiencing Haesung reacting this sensitively.
What’s good is good, it’ll all be revealed someday.
Of course, that wasn’t everything. Even without being overly sensitive, he always held a hidden card that could flip the board.
He was in a position to quell scandals with unexpected counterattacks.
Still, an actor who doesn’t take much damage, an actor who can’t help but be that way.
Since Haesung himself was like an unshakable tree, people seemed to follow his attitude.
‘…But, seeing how much he dislikes scandals.’
There was definitely something.
Actually, Director Na had vaguely noticed that “something” in Haesung was Dohyeong.
On days when they had filming together, their arrival times mysteriously overlapped. When the two made eye contact, they’d smile slightly too.
Even if others didn’t know, he could tell the change. Right. Whether it was long or frequent. He was someone who had been watching the two of them.
“Both of you, calm down.”
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason he was taking Haesung’s side.
Hakyung was trying to persuade him, but just as Haesung said, Yuchan and Dohyeong’s scandal was enough to utilize as noise marketing.
Using it beyond that would be too risky.
“Hakyung-ssi, I understand what you’re saying. I’m not unaware, but… well, I don’t think we need to take on such an adventure. Like Haesung-ssi said.”
“Director-nim. If you think about it one more time—”
“This is the result of careful consideration. The adverse effects of noise marketing. It’s not just consuming the actors’ images, but we’d also bear the stigma of floating the drama with gossip. The production company, our directing staff. And the writer who penned this script.”
Haesung knew he was saying in a roundabout way that it couldn’t be done.
He thought Hakyung would give up at this point and looked at him.
Somehow, he had a resentful expression. He tried to hide it, but just his tightly bitten lips clearly revealed that feeling.
‘A case that won’t last long. At most two years.’
Even if he’s lucky, he’ll only remain as a supporting actor like now.
To be cast as a lead actor, you must know how to control your emotions.
Is it just emotions? Regardless of the situation, you shouldn’t show yourself pursuing only your own interests.
The virtue was to just hide your thoughts and calculate internally.
He’ll never know how much help the creed he’s kept throughout his acting career has given him.
“So, should I understand that nothing happened between you two?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
“Alright. Then about this photo…”
“We ran into each other at a department store. Quite coincidentally. I just caught Im Hakyung-ssi when he almost fell.”
Director Na stared intently at the photo. Then he let out a long sigh and propped his chin.
“That day, Yuchan-ssi and Dohyeong-ssi were at the same department store too, right?”
“…How did you know?”
When Hakyung asked in surprise, Director Na chuckled and crossed his arms.
“I got a message from Dohyeong-ssi. That day, he also ran into Haesung-ssi at the department store and the outfit was exactly the same as then. Same with Hakyung-ssi.”
At those words, his heart thumped loudly.
What heart must he have had to say that? Since he didn’t tell him, he thought he wasn’t particularly concerned.
He clenched his fist tightly. Because he couldn’t fathom that heart, and because of that, he felt even more sorry.
“Well, we can gloss over it by saying it’s a photo taken when actors went shopping together. The posture is a bit… there’s room for misunderstanding, but as long as we don’t refute beyond that. It’ll be buried quickly.”
“Yes. I think that would be good.”
“Then let’s do that. Yeah, it’s best to wrap it up like this.”
Director Na rubbed his face with both hands as if tired. Haah, his long exhale was full of fatigue.
“Well, both of you can go now. There’s filming tomorrow too, so go home and rest well.”
“Yes. Director-nim. I apologize for causing you concern.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Well, is this the first or second time experiencing this? I’m lucky the other party is Haesung-ssi. Right?”
Haha! At Director Na bursting into loud laughter, Haesung smiled bitterly.
There’s nothing to be lucky about. But he didn’t want to refute those words, so he just bowed his head and left the office.
Hakyung also followed behind him. Still with a resentful, seething expression.
His insides boiled the entire walk down the corridor. The photo in the article had a clear intention. Both the person who took it and one of the people in it.
Unable to endure it any longer, he turned around and glared at Hakyung, who also stopped in place and faced Haesung.
“Did you do it on purpose?”
Hakyung, who had been mulling over Haesung’s question for a while, snorted.
“You’re unnecessarily sensitive here too. Like someone else.”
“…Like who?”
“Never mind, just don’t regret it later. Sunbae-nim.”
“Im Hakyung-ssi.”
“A day will come when you’ll regret that you should have released a false article instead. Definitely.”
“What are you saying?”
“You’ll find out what I’m saying when the time comes.”
Hakyung’s gaze was unusual.
Seonghyeok often says something. That the eyes have gone crazy. He didn’t like it because it seemed like a derogatory remark, but…
Hakyung’s eyes glaring at him were exactly that. Eyes that had gone crazy.
Eyes that seemed ready to pounce at any time to grasp what he wanted.
“I definitely gave you a choice, sunbae-nim.”
But he wasn’t afraid of any matter.
No matter what happens, he’ll make sure Dohyeong escapes. He’s resolved countless times that he’ll be the one trapped in his shadow.
The arrows that Dohyeong endured alone until now would be his share from now on.
“Do as you please.”
Once he steeled his heart, he rather gained composure. Standing with his back even straighter, he looked down at Hakyung.
“Whatever you do, whatever scheme you plot.”
And he curled up the corners of his mouth. As if this little thing wasn’t ticklish at all.
“Let’s see if it goes the way you want.”
Hakyung seemed even more provoked by that appearance. After seething for a while, he walked forward angrily.
Watching his retreating figure, Haesung let out a sigh. As he rubbed his face with one hand, he felt a vibration in his pocket.
[Treasure]
No matter how much he thought about it, only this word came to mind, so after agonizing several times, he changed the name.
It was Dohyeong.
“Yeah, Dohyeong-ah.”
[Hyung, did your talk with the director end well?]
Seeing how urgent his voice was, he must have been waiting anxiously.
He couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah. It ended well. Were you waiting for my call? How did you know it just ended?”
[I asked the AD hyung. To just give me a call when the talk ended.]
“…Really, you too.”
Where else in the world would there be someone who worries about him this much?
A corner of his heart ached. Haah, the breath bursting out was boiling hot.
“I miss you.”
[I’m home.]
“Which home?”
It’s funny to ask this.
But for them right now, it’s the perfect name.
The home of the past, the home of the present.
[The new home.]
“…What’s that?”
Though he laughed softly, he couldn’t hide that he felt good. In case someone passed by and saw, he rubbed his face vigorously with one hand.
“Dohyeong-ah.”
It felt exactly like he was right in front of him.
Dohyeong’s face, welcoming him from within the warm blankets and smiling brightly, flickered before his eyes.
[Hm? Why did you call and not say anything?]
His heart beat as if it would burst.
His tiny lips calling him. His pure white skin.
His smile that somehow looks forlorn but shines brighter than anything in the world when he smiles.
And even his appearance heated with warmth that only shows to him.
Why didn’t he capture any of it with his eyes? Why didn’t he cherish and embrace and comfort him?
Countless regrets soon connect to realization.
Though it was a feeling that came long ago, he decided to convey it to him as if reaffirming it.
“I love you.”
A moment of silence flowed.
He doesn’t worry about whether it approached him as fear or was too sudden.
He decided to wait. Without urging or whining.
[Me too. I love you. Hyung.]
Because there was an answer that returned like this.
“…Really. Truly.”
Answering with a groaning voice, he ended up crouching down. Jung Haesung of all people was squatting in an empty corridor, leaning his head against the wall to cool down.
It’s quite a ridiculous story, but because it was Dohyeong, it was possible and he didn’t care.
He wanted to return quickly. To his and Dohyeong’s home, to their newly built space.
The story Hakyung threw out was no longer remaining in Haesung’s mind.
He was just continuously chewing over, reaffirming, and deeply imprinting his heart toward Dohyeong.
