He couldn’t believe it even though he was seeing it with his eyes.
Just then, Kwon Isoo casually tossed his bag into the back seat and glanced at the passenger seat. Wondering what he was looking at, he reached out and pulled the passenger seat seatbelt all the way out, then released it with a snap. Then, as if suddenly discovering something, he quickly bent his head down.
A very tiny stain in the corner of the seat was shown in close-up. Kwon Isoo, with a frown, pulled out a wet wipe and scrubbed that spot hard. With a cold face, pursing his lips, he muttered lowly:
[Look at the condition of this car… so dirty.]
Apparently, he was very displeased with RAYEON’s vehicle. As if just wiping away the stain wasn’t satisfying enough, he wore a suspicious expression for a while then opened the car door and got out of the driver’s seat. Then he kicked the tires with his foot a few times.
Soon after, he crouched down with a thud and began carefully checking even the tire condition.
“……?”
The screen switched to a post-interview. Kwon Isoo’s sullen face filled the screen.
[Q. Isoo-ssi. Why did you bring the eye mask and headset?]
[So he could sleep instead of bothering me with conversation while I’m driving.]
[Q. Ah…. Then what about the motion sickness medicine?]
[If he gets motion sick and throws up, who’s going to clean it? I’d have to clean it as the manager.]
[Q. Why did you suddenly check the tire condition….]
[That’s something a manager should obviously check.]
[Q. Ah… I see….]
At Kwon Isoo’s attitude of saying he’d just done manager duties after making such a fuss about everything, the PD’s voice briefly faded. Though her face wasn’t captured on screen, her incredulous emotion was clearly felt just from her voice alone.
Since he insisted that was the case, she couldn’t argue otherwise, so the PD asked a different question.
[Q. After preparing so diligently like that, why didn’t you give any of it to Yeonjae-ssi?]
Right, that’s what I’m saying. Even if I didn’t get motion sick so the medicine wasn’t needed, I didn’t even get to see the rest of those items…
Do Yeonjae reflected on Kwon Isoo’s appearance in the parking lot. As soon as he met him, he’d asked what he did yesterday… and after learning about the ‘thank you’ mission content, he’d coldly creased his expression.
‘Say it properly with your own mouth. Was it a mission?’
He’d gotten angry saying he’d been annoyed by contact for several days, then spent the entire drive chewing him out thoroughly. Even then, the memory remained of being bewildered, not knowing why he was like that.
Was there something that caused a change of heart?
Do Yeonjae, whose curiosity from that day was revived again, unconsciously leaned his back toward the monitor. However, as if mocking such curiosity, Kwon Isoo on screen let out an indifferent snort.
[He should have made me want to give it to him first, Do Yeonjae should have.]
“…What did I even do?”
Do Yeonjae let out a muttered comment mixed with a hollow laugh. As expected, it was just a common whim after all. Simply because he didn’t want to give it… And at the same time, new captions appeared on screen.
<The one who said he had no desire to give anything,> After such captions, Kwon Isoo’s actions from that day began flashing past in short cuts.
[You said you didn’t eat breakfast.]
[Show your forehead. Don’t expose it all, just this much.]
[You’re looking at the script too much.]
After scenes of him buying coffee and sandwiches, deciding Do Yeonjae’s hairstyle, and muttering while watching Do Yeonjae host the radio appeared, captions were stamped large again.
<He really worked hard.>
<What kind of day did they spend exactly….>
<One-day manager experience to closely observe my best friend’s daily life! From now on, observe ‘idol Do Yeonjae’s’ day closely through ‘manager Kwon Isoo’s’ eyes.>
“Huh?”
Do Yeonjae muttered in surprise. Through manager Kwon Isoo’s eyes?
The screen crackled for a while then suddenly showed the scenery outside the car window. At the bottom of the screen appeared long hands gripping the steering wheel. Do Yeonjae immediately noticed.
That the directing method had just switched to Kwon Isoo’s first-person perspective.
He heard the song ‘Tingle’ playing gently from the side and Do Yeonjae’s humming. He’d been practicing the song on the way to the live studio. After he’d tried talking friendly to Kwon Isoo who was blatantly ignoring him, then heard the whisper “Don’t force yourself to ask about things you’re not even curious about, just practice that instead.”
In the video, all the scenes of him talking here and there and Kwon Isoo’s irritable face at that time were completely edited out, showing only the scenery outside the car window and Kwon Isoo’s hand turning the steering wheel. Then when the car stopped at a signal, the screen turned to the side. There was himself, preoccupied with looking at the lyric sheet. After the camera captured his face forming a faint smile, it showed the front windshield again. The scenery outside the window passed by swiftly.
So this composition was showing Kwon Isoo’s gaze as-is—concentrating on driving as a manager while occasionally glancing at Do Yeonjae.
Typical reality observation variety shows are based on a third-person perspective as if watching the cast members from outside the screen. But this method of observing another cast member from one cast member’s perspective wasn’t something often seen in variety shows. Because going this way, Kwon Isoo’s face would hardly appear.
The directing is quite unique… Seeing as there was no such talk during filming, it probably changed during the editing stage. Yeonjae, who’d been gauging her intention, decided to continue watching the video for now.
After arriving at the shop, Do Yeonjae sitting in the makeup chair appeared on screen.
[Buy a sandwich too while you’re getting coffee?]
[Huh?]
[You said you didn’t eat breakfast.]
Kwon Isoo’s low tone was heard very closely, as if speaking right in front. Not just the voice, but even small breaths and footsteps had the sense of auditory distance delicately touched up.
Despite not using separate first-person equipment during filming, the PD exquisitely alternated between first and third-person perspectives to lead the flow naturally. Especially in scenes of the two conversing, by exposing only part of Kwon Isoo’s profile hanging on the frame, she gave viewers an immersive feeling of sharing his gaze.
Then when it became a solo observation situation, she implemented a near-perfect first-person perspective through editing techniques.
Like the current scene of coming to buy a sandwich.
The camera scanned the sandwiches inside the café showcase persistently and slowly. There were really many varieties. Egg mayo sandwich, BLT sandwich, hot chicken sandwich, ham cheese sandwich. And the screen that returned to the beginning again scanned the egg mayo, BLT, and hot chicken sandwiches in order…
Only after the caption <Serious time of anguish> appeared at the bottom did he realize.
Is he agonizing over what to buy right now?
Do Yeonjae wrinkled his nose as if absurd. He didn’t know it was a sandwich bought after such deliberation.
Kwon Isoo’s anguish continued for quite a while. Eventually, unable to watch any longer, the café owner carefully spoke up.
[……Um, customer?]
Only then, as if he’d finished deciding, Kwon Isoo answered.
[Ham cheese sandwich please.]
[Yes, should I pack one for you?]
[…….]
At the owner’s question, Kwon Isoo, who’d been silent for a moment, muttered “Will one be enough? He eats so much.” Though he knew that guy sometimes looked at him like a glutton, hearing it in his own voice was newly embarrassing. Do Yeonjae’s earlobes heated up reddish.
Yet at the same time, the corners of his mouth were subtly rising. In truth, Do Yeonjae was quite immersed in the video right now. Seeing Kwon Isoo’s appearance on filming day that he hadn’t been able to see, from a first-person perspective, was quite interesting.
After briefly agonizing, Kwon Isoo answered to give him just one. Since he’d asked him to buy one without much filling, he seemed to have judged that would be enough.
[Your ordered drink and sandwich are ready.]
[Thank you.]
Right after Kwon Isoo’s hand receiving the well-packaged coffee and sandwich was shown in close-up, the scene switched with the exact same composition. Do Yeonjae wearing filming outfit under the bright lights of the waiting room. Kwon Isoo’s indifferent voice holding out a bag to him rang out.
[Eat.]
[Ah, thanks.]
Do Yeonjae in the video asked while munching on the sandwich.
[You’re not eating?]
[Yeah.]
[But why do you keep looking?]
[I’m on duty.]
[Duty?]
The thought ‘What duty’ appeared on his expression as-is. However, he quickly lost interest and after finishing the sandwich in three bites, Do Yeonjae subsequently opened two bags of mini nuts. The video continuously showed him chewing while staring intently at the lyric sheet, checking the melody then moving to the filming location at a staff’s words, and taking deep breaths while sitting in a brown wooden chair.
Soon after, the live cover filming began. Do Yeonjae in the video calmly filled in his voice.
– This tingle’s more than skin deep
“……”
Do Yeonjae, who’d been staring at the screen, fidgeted with his fingers for no reason. The camera up until now had captured Kwon Isoo’s gaze very meticulously. Wherever his eyes touched, the focus moved without fail and zoomed in, and sometimes shook slightly to vividly bring out the sense of presence.
But now, showing himself singing in full frame, there wasn’t even the slightest movement. Not looking elsewhere even for a moment, as if only gazing at him… So the feeling was strange.
As if Kwon Isoo had watched him like this.
The composition fixed firmly without a single movement rather made his heart ripple. Do Yeonjae breathed quietly while staring intently at the monitor. Because the feeling of his insides being churned up suddenly was inexplicably subtle, he wanted to find the cause within the screen… but no matter how much he watched the video, he couldn’t know the answer.
Then when the song was nearing its end, Do Yeonjae suddenly realized.
What he was curious about right now was none other than Kwon Isoo’s face watching him sing.
