The cut ended, but Im Seungun was nowhere to be seen. Just as Siyoung wondered where he’d gone, he came into the filming site with Kim Gyujeong. And on top of that, he was carefully holding an umbrella over someone who wasn’t even his assigned actor from behind, as if attending to them. Even the meddlesome Myeongwoo had never held an umbrella for another actor.
“Hurry and get your hand treated.”
“…….”
“Sit here.”
Seungun grabbed Siyoung’s hand and examined it from all angles. Fortunately, there were no signs of glass shards embedded in the flesh. Instead of checking his own wound, Gi Siyoung stared at the head of Seungun, who was kneeling on one knee. Seungun furrowed his brow while looking at the hand that had been slightly cut by glass.
“Are you a Kim Gyujeong fan?”
“No.”
“Then why are you sticking by his side and holding an umbrella for him?”
“…….”
Seungun, who had been biting his lip and concentrating on treatment, raised his head. Endlessly pitch-black eyes like caves were looking straight at Seungun.
“It’s not like Kim Gyujeong pays your salary even if you suck up to him, so why were you doing that there?”
“I’ve never sucked up to anyone. It was raining and I happened to be there, and since he came out without an umbrella, I just held one over him.”
“That’s called sucking up.”
“There’s also the nice phrase ‘helping others.'”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re hoping to get from Kim Gyujeong by sucking up to him….”
Gi Siyoung muttered as if Seungun had done that because he wanted something from Kim Gyujeong, and as if he was displeased that his employee was attending to another actor. Seungun stood up while pressing down hard on Siyoung’s wound, even though he said the same thing in an irritating way.
“Ow!”
“All done. You need to get ready for standby.”
Gi Siyoung’s eyes widened fiercely like a yaksha. Somehow it felt like he was talking alone to a rock that wouldn’t communicate. Siyoung’s face twisted as he watched the back of Seungun, who was returning to the site without a care.
Before long, filming resumed.
After that, Gi Siyoung didn’t leave Seungun alone for even a moment. As if taking revenge for looking after Kim Gyujeong, he made Seungun run here and there at the filming site. Whenever Seungun sat down to rest even briefly, he would pop up from somewhere.
“Can’t you move more briskly? Is your ass glued to the ground? I’ve never seen Myeongwoo hyung’s soles touch the ground before.”
“Siyoung-ah, what’s wrong with you? When did I say that? And you’re going to shoot lasers from your eyes. What are you doing only chasing after Seungun with your eyes burning like that? You should talk with the director about today’s acting too.”
“Who’s chasing who!”
When Gi Siyoung snapped, all the surrounding staff members turned to look at once. Myeongwoo laughed awkwardly and made excuses, saying “It’s nothing, yeees-.”
“I need to tell Director Kim to quit either cigarettes or coffee. What more am I supposed to talk about with a director who has bad breath? Do you know how hard it is to talk face-to-face with someone whose mouth smells rotten from coffee and cigarettes?”
“I got it, lower your voice, please.”
Myeongwoo clasped his hands together and begged. Even though the director was known for kissing up to Gi Siyoung, he wanted to shut Siyoung’s mouth for badmouthing him when he was right next to them.
“Im Seungun-ssi.”
Unable to resist the opportunity, Siyoung called for Seungun again.
“Yes?”
“Do you see something on my face right now?”
“Your face? I don’t see anything in particular.”
“Don’t you see the sweat flowing here right now? Kim Gyujeong’s sweat has already dried.”
“Ah, yes.”
Seungun hurriedly opened his pouch. He gently dabbed at the beads of sweat on his face with the checkered handkerchief that he had to give Gi Siyoung whenever needed. After a moment, Gi Siyoung frowned and pushed Seungun’s arm away.
“Go get me an iced americano.”
“Yes.”
“No syrup, lots of ice. Just try bringing it with only a little ice like last time.”
“That wasn’t my fault, I explained that the ice had run out so there was no choice-.”
“How does Myeongwoo hyung train his juniors?”
As soon as those words ended, Seungun rushed to the coffee truck standing in the corner, worried that Myeongwoo might catch the blame unnecessarily. Gi Siyoung watched that sight with a satisfied face.
“Training juniors? Our company doesn’t have that. We have handovers though.”
“So you’re handing over that it’s okay for my manager to chase after some random bastard’s ass instead of me?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Gi Siyoung shot back, following Seungun who had gone to the coffee truck to get a cold americano as ordered.
“That guy is chasing after Kim Gyujeong instead of me.”
“Hey, and I’m saying what.”
“And I’m saying what?”
“People who work together can help each other. And Siyoung-ah, Seungun is two years older than you, so let’s get the honorifics right. Using banmal is a bit much. If you do that in front of people later, you’ll just hear bad things.”
“What?”
“Why. What, what’s the problem.”
“What did you say?”
“I said to help each other….”
“After that.”
“Not to speak in banmal to Seungun….”
“Before that.”
Myeongwoo clenched his fists and trembled. Is this really training a person like a mutt? Still, he opened his mouth with a smile.
“That Seungun is two years older than you?”
“Two years older than me?”
“Yeah. Isn’t he totally baby-faced, really?”
“…….”
Gi Siyoung watched Im Seungun, who was already running toward them holding a cold americano full of ice. Since there was so much camera equipment around, he took quick little steps while looking at the ground, worried he might trip over the bent equipment cables. No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t feel like someone older than himself.
After filming ended, in the car.
“Turn off the air conditioner. It smells like mold. Don’t you manage the car properly?”
“Let’s turn it off, turn it off. Come out and show me if there’s a cleaner car than this. I’m raising a child when I’m not even married, raising a child.”
Myeongwoo grumbled as he turned off all the car’s air conditioning. Even while driving down the road, Gi Siyoung’s demands were endless. He said his hand hurt so he couldn’t hold the script, so Myeongwoo should drive and Seungun should sit next to him and hold the script. In the end, they had to stop the car midway to switch positions.
“Tsk, he’s been managing his diet lately, seems like he’s cutting down his character too.”
Myeongwoo clicked his tongue while looking in the rearview mirror.
“I’m done.”
When Gi Siyoung spoke, Seungun sitting next to him would turn a page of the script he was holding with a rustle. This kind of work wasn’t hard. Moreover, it wasn’t particularly difficult either. Physical work was actually more comfortable for Seungun.
“Seungun-ah. You bastard. You can’t accept everything like that. It becomes a habit.”
“I’m fine. It’s not even difficult work.”
“How are you going to live this harsh life being so soft?”
“Hyung, you live well yourself.”
“Gi Siyoung, you…!”
“Do you need anything else? Should I give you water?”
Seungun uncapped the heavy tumbler and held it out. Water was pooled inside, sloshing full.
“Ah, forget it. Put it away.”
Gi Siyoung turned his head with a wrinkled brow. Seungun closed the lid again and fit it into the holder. Gi Siyoung chewed the inside of his lip and fell into thought.
It was so infuriating he couldn’t stand it. Was he taking on other people’s errands too because the work was easy?
Past managers had a knack for ghostly timing when it came to break time. Whenever there was a chance to rest, they’d be busy on their phones in a corner without looking anywhere else.
But Im Seungun was different. He’d never seen him making personal contact during work hours. Even when Siyoung went into filming, he never sat still for a moment. He was always recording and checking something. Gi Siyoung, who had been lost in thought, suddenly turned his head to look to the side. Seungun, who had been waiting without putting down the script raised to eye level, met his round eyes.
“My hand hurts so I really can’t do anything.”
It was a strangely blaming tone.
Seungun had nothing to say.
“The cleaning lady isn’t coming today either, so the laundry is piled up and the salad bowl from breakfast this morning is probably still sitting there.”
“…….”
“How am I supposed to do laundry with this hand, and how am I supposed to wash dishes? It’s summer, so if I don’t run them right away, they’ll smell.”
“One day should be fine.”
Myeongwoo, who was driving, interjected.
“I’ll do it for you before I go.”
“Will you?”
Gi Siyoung seized the opportunity as if he’d been waiting for it.
“Hey, Seungun-ah! Why would you do his laundry and dishes there!”
“Then will you do it, hyung?”
“…….”
Myeongwoo closed his mouth and focused on driving again.
“You hurt your hand, so there’s no choice. I’ll help you until you’re better.”
“Seungun-ah. Having too strong a sense of responsibility in useless ways isn’t good either.”
“Will hyung go? I’m saying hyung is fine too? Let’s switch seats one more time while we’re at it.”
“…….”
Myeongwoo, who had been interrupting, focused on driving again.
A measure of peace came to mind. Gi Siyoung sent both hands back to support the back of his head. When he said “next,” Seungun magically opened the next page of the script. He quite liked how he moved promptly like a remote control when commanded.
“Then Seungun-ah, good work….”
“Yes.”
“Read the room and clock out quickly.”
Myeongwoo whispered the last words and rolled up the window. The vehicle shot toward ground level.
