“I look forward to working with you.”
His waist bent deeply downward then lifted back up. Since he’d maintained his already good physique and wore clothes that revealed his lines, his advantages came fully to life.
What they were filming today at the outdoor set was mostly the dance parts. As soon as he warmed up his body, he immediately plunged into the solo dance.
‘He handles the camera better than I expected.’
Rookies usually show awkwardness toward cameras that come right up to their faces and tenaciously film only them.
But this guy’s expressions and gestures actually came more alive the closer the camera got.
“That’s why I’ve had my eye on Won since Debut Chart. He’s crying out with his whole body to look at him on stage.”
“But when we talk, he’s not like that at all.”
“Ah… Right, the kid is a bit bad at talking. But that’ll improve after appearing on variety shows a few times, won’t it?”
“Will it?”
Go Won immediately started the dance break. As I kept watching, something slightly different from Team Leader Shin’s sentiment came to me.
Rather than crying out to be looked at…
Mm, it’s a bit more desperate than that.
Like wanting to shine even for just one moment… is that the feeling?
Anyway, whichever direction, it really doesn’t suit his age.
“Oh, they’re filming the highlight. The weather makes me feel even more sorry for him.”
“Hm? Why?”
At that moment, a stream of champagne poured down on Go Won.
“…Wow.”
Surely, it’s a glorious scene celebrating an honored winner… well, something like that.
But doing that in this midwinter cold made it seem like he was suffering severe bullying.
Of course, it’ll come out well when they edit the video.
Go Won, soaked from head to toe, looked at the camera and smiled slightly. However, the director who had been full of praise for Go Won until just now had the corners of his mouth stretch regrettably from side to side.
“Oh my… his face has gone completely pale. Please touch him up.”
“Yes!”
The standby makeup staff hurried over and added color to Go Won’s cheeks and lips.
Even in the cold, Go Won bowed his head to those who fixed his makeup.
“He’s polite too. I hope that lasts a long time.”
“It will last.”
“Oh, what was that? You at least acknowledge his character?”
No. If Go Won had really been genuinely kind from birth, I actually couldn’t have said this.
This is the entertainment industry that can make even a normal person spin around completely.
What I believed in was the desperate self-control he showed.
Things like how a twenty-year-old with a good appetite tightened his diet to death amid an extreme schedule, and could smile without showing it even when wearing only one thin layer of clothing in midwinter and getting doused with water.
This kind of desperate struggle doesn’t come from ordinary resolve.
So it has no choice but to last long.
Q1-1. Crisis!
Progress: 55%
Perhaps thanks to that guy’s desperation, the numbers were rising smoothly too.
It definitely was.
Q1-1. Crisis!
Progress: 52%
Why is it suddenly like this again?
“You’re all working hard.”
At that moment, an unwelcome voice came into the filming site.
“Hey, Henzel. Why did that person come here?”
I very much agreed with Team Leader Shin’s words.
‘It’s Executive Director Choi.’
Behind him, several employees from the 4th Division were trailing along.
He said he came to cheer for Go Won and also for advance inspection since the 4th Division would soon use this set…
Executive Director Choi first shook hands with the music video director. The young director seemed displeased that an outsider suddenly barged in, but since he was an executive of a mega entertainment company, it seemed difficult to express dissatisfaction.
Because he approached making his presence known, Go Won also had to put down the towel he was using to wipe off champagne and stand properly.
Standing before him, Executive Director Choi looked Go Won up and down.
“Getting wet with water and all this…”
“……”
“Isn’t it a bit too old-fashioned?”
“Classic is the best, what bullshit is he talking.”
Team Leader Shin whispered in a voice only I could hear.
Go Won over there trembled slightly at the end of his lips before answering.
“I… like it.”
“Director Kwon and the 5th Division educated the kid to be obedient well. In the old-fashioned way. These days they respect artists’ freedom and all that.”
Wow, even though he’s managed celebrities for a few years, he really picks out exactly what would make kids that age bristle the most.
“……”
Go Won had no particular reaction.
Due to the damn Executive Director Choi’s appearance, filming stopped in an instant.
Q1-1. Crisis!
Progress: 49%
The progress that had barely exceeded 50% also declined along with it.
‘He really is a bad person anyway.’
“Hanje, this won’t do. Let me call Taeyoung. Tell him to do something about that person.”
I smoothly pressed down Team Leader Shin’s hand.
“Don’t dirty our hyung-nim’s hands, save them. I can solve this much.”
“…Hey, wait. What are you going to do?”
I approached them while pulling down the zipper of the padding I was wearing. The two people noticed my approach and turned their heads.
“Sunb…”
The padding that had become warm from sitting in front of the heater was placed on Go Won’s shoulders.
The body I briefly touched was, naturally, cold as ice.
“Oh, it’s Executive Director-nim? Hello?”
I sent Go Won behind my back and greeted shamelessly.
“…Baek Hanje, you followed all the way here too?”
“I’m the composer, so I came out of curiosity. Team Leader Shin who planned the concept came too. But Executive Director-nim…”
Everyone at the set had a stake in this album, but why did you, who has no stake at all, come—that was the sarcasm.
Before he could open his mouth to say something, I made a “ahem” sound.
“Ah, maybe because the weather is cold, it’s quite dry. How much is my throat worth?”
No one answered my excessively self-centered nonsense. So I tapped the person standing behind me.
“Right, Go Won?”
“…Yes?”
“If yACE, who established the company’s foundation, has a sore throat, is that okay or not okay?”
“Ah, not…”
“So go and get me water.”
“……?”
“Steaming hot.”
“……”
Go Won looked flustered between the two people who were far higher than him in the company.
“Aren’t you going?”
Only after hearing one more word from me did he turn around.
If he gets a bit away from here, Team Leader Shin will take care of him.
After giving away the thick padding, cold air whipped around my body too. Still, I was wearing winter-appropriate clothing underneath, so my situation was better than his.
And I was much more skilled at pretending not to be cold.
In front of Executive Director Choi, I smiled brightly.
“Go Won already shows such good promise. Right? I’m giving him mental education in advance in case he succeeds and becomes rude.”
“Whether it’ll work out or not, you have to see to know.”
“That’s the eternal truth of the entertainment industry. But we’re K-dum family. Rather than cursing them to fail, it’s better to cheer for all the juniors to do well together. Newton too, Go Won too, fighting?”
A cold wind blew at just the right timing. Cold air dug through the gaps in the knit.
It’s really a hard season to pretend to be a cool senior.
“Still, seeing you gave an expensive song only to Go Won, it seems there’s a difference in affection for each junior.”
“What, are you telling me to hold an ideal type world cup among juniors who are all way younger? They’re all about the same. You know, right? I’m just.”
I gestured with my chin toward where Go Won had been drenched in champagne.
“I’m just crazy about people who perform well on stage.”
“……”
“So the ones with the highest affection level are the yACE members.”
My eternal ideal type world cup first place, no matter how much Go Won flies and crawls, the immovable 0-rank muses were them.
“Even if I’m not helping purely out of affection, I want to applaud since he’s overcoming a difficult situation. Seeing him pitifully bullied unfairly after having his filming interrupted on a cold day makes me look at him more.”
At the blatant words, Executive Director Choi clicked his tongue.
“When yACE makes a comeback, I’ll clap excitedly too.”
Well, that’s natural since it’s a great boon regardless of division, but this old man is changing the subject.
“Thank you. I’ll support my junior-nim a bit more with downward affection.”
Executive Director Choi seemed to want to strut around more, but since I stuck to him and didn’t hide my attitude of wanting him to leave quickly, he gave up not long after and left.
“It’s a problem when the company is too big…”
When there was no division system, seniors and juniors got along like siblings, so even staff were close, and when activities were busy, they’d ride together in vans to move around.
Now we can’t expect that much, but to think there’s competition inside to the point of growling at each other.
I was lamenting the bleak reality when warm energy smoothly approached from the side. Go Won was holding out a steaming cup to me.
Anyway, he has an honest side. He really brought water.
He then also returned the padding.
“They said filming will start again. …There might be some moisture left.”
“I suppose so.”
Since I put it on someone who was wet. Would I really say anything about that?
I put my arms through the padding. Go Won watched that silently.
Contrary to the words that there might be moisture left, inside the padding was warm as if it were an electric blanket. I shivered and buried myself deeply in the padding.
Only then did Go Won turn and head toward the camera. But the behind-the-scenes filming team that should be filming him didn’t follow Go Won and suddenly filmed me instead.
“Why me?”
Even though I looked puzzled, they just smiled silently and captured me from various angles.
“Your junior’s love is warm, isn’t it?”
“Yes, well…”
I lightly shook the cup containing water to show them. They sent another meaningless smile.
Q1-1. Crisis!
Progress: 56%
Why is this going up again?
