“Alright, eliminated!”
“Ahhh, Siyoung, what do we do!”
This time it was Gi Siyoung. He sprang up with a *thwoing!* like a coiled spring. He’d always wanted to see that smug, polished face fall into the water at least once, and his wish had come true. Siyoung’s long body sliced through the air and splashed magnificently into the blue pool. No sooner had he fallen in than he floated up to the surface as gracefully as a mermaid.
“Puh-ha!”
Siyoung shook his wet hair left and right, then swept his disheveled hair back with both hands. Anyone could predict how that would be edited for the broadcast airing in two weeks. An enchanting pop song would play, and they’d add slow motion to his movements. And Siyoung acted as if he knew exactly which angles would look beautiful when edited that way.
“Wow, isn’t he just perfect? So perfect.”
“Why can’t I pull off that vibe even when falling in water? Why do I look like soggy laundry?”
“Do you really want to hear the reason? Should I tell you?”
“Ah, never mind!”
Siyoung didn’t even crawl up using the pool ladder. He placed his hands on the pool floor and hoisted himself up in one go. Since no one had climbed out that way until now, the cast members made a fuss again.
His wet clothes clung tightly to his body, revealing his silhouette completely. When he twisted the hem of his clothes to wring out the water, his defined abs were slightly exposed. From his bare feet to his ankles, his taut and smooth calves all the way to his face—the camera captured that physique slowly and obsessively. For him, this wasn’t a penalty but just another video pictorial.
“……”
Standing there soaking wet under the scorching sun, Siyoung himself exuded a sultry energy. Someone poked the side of Seungun, who had been staring at Siyoung like everyone else.
“Huh? Why?”
It was the manager sitting next to him.
“The towel. You need to bring it to him.”
“Ah, right.”
Only then did Seungun hurriedly get up from his seat.
The stylist gave Seungun spare clothes. Myeongwoo patted Seungun’s shoulder as he put on socks over his dry feet.
“Seungun-ah, you worked hard. I never dreamed things would turn out like this either, seriously.”
“No, it’s fine. It wasn’t that hard.”
Seungun, who had finished putting on his shoes, fidgeted with his wet clothes. They were already halfway dry.
“Siyoung-ah. What were you thinking calling Seungun out there? We agreed that I would be the one appearing.”
As they were leaving the set, Myeongwoo asked Siyoung.
“I told you earlier on site. I wanted to get a bit closer to my new manager. Right, Seungun-ssi?”
“Yes.”
“I said I’d play the game hard, but I feel bad that Seungun-ssi fell in the water because of me. Still, a game is just a game. No hard feelings, right?”
“Of course. It’s just a happening.”
If only it hadn’t been for a certain someone, he wouldn’t have had to fall in the water. When he actually fell in, he was annoyed, but now that filming was over, he’d calmed down again. At Seungun’s composed tone, Siyoung nodded slightly.
“Good. I’ll look forward to working with you.”
Then he lightly squeezed Seungun’s shoulder before walking ahead.
“Look forward to? Did Siyoung just tell you he’s looking forward to it?”
Myeongwoo clasped his hands together and made a fuss.
“Why are you like that?”
“What do you mean why? When he says he’s looking forward to it, that means he wants to keep working together!”
Myeongwoo’s fussing was a bit overwhelming. Seungun gave a brief greeting to the staff member opening the set door and stepped outside, where an unusual scene awaited them. When they’d parked, there had definitely been only staff vehicles, but now there was an unidentified crowd buzzing about.
“Kyaaaaa! It’s really Gi Siyoung!”
“I told you! I said it was real!”
“Oppa! Over here!”
A group of fans had apparently been lying in wait in the parking lot.
“Hey, block them, block them! How did they even find out about this place!”
Myeongwoo shouted at Seungun in alarm. Seungun moved quickly too. With Siyoung in the middle, Seungun and Myeongwoo stood on either side like guards, but sadly, the crowd wasn’t something two people could hold back. Just because they were women didn’t mean their strength should be underestimated. Movement with purpose was stronger than a bull.
“Everyone, you need to stand farther back to get a good shot of my face.”
Finally, Siyoung stepped in to calm the fans. When he showed his palm and gestured for them to widen the distance, the fans began to step back.
“Seungun-ah, now’s our chance!”
Myeongwoo whispered to Seungun. The <Come On, Play On> staff, who belatedly realized the commotion, also joined in controlling the fans. Seungun was tossed around this way and that as if swept by waves. Even in the midst of it all, Siyoung took off his sunglasses and waved to the fans as if returning home in glory. The fans went wild trying to see that charming smile.
“Get in, get in!”
He didn’t even know how he made it to the van. Myeongwoo groaned that this was chaos beyond chaos. Seungun felt the same. As soon as Siyoung sat down, he drew all the window curtains. He tossed his sunglasses onto the seat next to him and rubbed his face dry—a tired look seeping from him.
Suddenly, Seungun recalled an interview he’d read while studying about Gi Siyoung.
- What do you think the many fans who love Gi Siyoung want from actor Gi Siyoung?
- What people want isn’t the human Gi Siyoung, but the face I show them when I smile in front of them, don’t you think?
Im Seungun carefully observed Siyoung in the back seat through the rearview mirror. It was worlds apart from the face that had been giving fans a capitalist smile just moments ago. Perhaps he wasn’t as simple a person as he appeared.
**TAKE 2**
Lee Myeongwoo gently shook Siyoung awake. He’d been curious about what was behind the quiet partition the entire ride, and it seemed he’d been sound asleep. His face, with eyes slightly open, was drowsy with sleep.
They’d finished filming the water-related variety show in the morning and immediately headed down to a regional studio set. He’d said yesterday he’d also filmed all day and came back up at dawn. Counting it up, he’d only slept two or three hours before starting his schedule again.
Gi Siyoung’s stamina felt newly impressive. The now-awake Siyoung stretched and hopped down from the back seat. As soon as they arrived, word must have spread because the tightly closed studio door opened. A staff member popped out from inside. The puzzling thing was that despite the blazing sun, the staff member was wearing a long padded coat.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, where’s our trailer?”
“It’s so cold inside that we deliberately left it outside. If you go around to the back there, you’ll find the actors’ trailers. Everything’s already set up.”
“Got it.”
“We can go straight into rehearsal whenever you’re ready to give us the okay. Just let us know after you prepare.”
The trailer waiting room was spacious enough for five or six people to stay at once. A table and chairs where several people could eat, a sofa that could convert into a bed, a spacious vanity with a large mirror. Detachable clothes hangers and a small room used as a changing room, a small bathroom was separately prepared, and there were not only coffee capsules but also a large monitor and even a game console.
It wasn’t just a simple trailer but practically a large mobile house.
“I’ll fix my face first.”
As soon as Siyoung sat in front of the vanity, the makeup team swarmed him. The hair staff began grooming Siyoung’s hair, and the makeup staff rubbed a white cotton pad soaked with toner across Siyoung’s face. With his eyes and mouth closed in front of the pure white lights, Siyoung was docile. It was understandable why nobles of old hung pleasing paintings on their walls until they died.
“Im Seungun-ssi?”
“Yes?”
Siyoung suddenly called out to Seungun.
“Take care of this ring for me. It’s precious to me, so I’m specially asking you to take good care of it.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
After finishing his makeup, he slowly rose from the chair. He looked completely different from before the makeup. Dressed in a suit, he stood up from his seat and removed the ring he’d been wearing on his finger, placing it on the vanity. Then, as if he’d finished his business, he left the trailer. As soon as he left, Myeongwoo, who’d been waiting, banged on the trailer wall urging Seungun.
“Seungun-ah, let’s go quickly!”
“Yes, just a moment!”
Even having two bodies wouldn’t be enough. Seungun moved frantically gathering this and that while also having to check on the ring Siyoung had put down. On the vanity was a small tray where personal belongings could be stored. Seungun placed the ring on that tray and quickly rushed out of the trailer.
