Chapter 507
***
wavedatKwonJunhyeokwhenhearrivedonset.
“t’sreallybeenalongtime!”
“Yeah...ithas....”
Smilingshyly,KwonJunhyeokwasdressedinaneatsky-blueshirtpairedwithnavysuitpants.
WehadinvitedhimforacameoinDongdaemunRomance.hatwasthankstoanYeoreum’sshamelesslittlesocial-climbercalculatorquicklyreachingaconclusion.
‘fKwonJunhyeokcomes,peoplewholikedtheMyeongRyeongcouplewillprobablyrememberthemagain....’
UnabletoforgetthesweetimpactofthecameothatseniorJiaebeomhadpracticallyspoon-fedmeduringUnfairrade,askedKwonJunhyeoktoplayarolethatwouldbrieflypassthroughDongdaemunRomancelikeanextra.
KwonJunhyeokagreedimmediatelywithoutevenhesitating.
“You’veimprovedalotatacting.”
“Aaaah.oway.”
AfterthesuccessofStrangeales,scriptsfloodedintoKwonJunhyeok’sagencylikeatidalwave.
‘Justfromwhatheard,therewereoverten.’
Firstlovesinyouthcampusdramas,sociopathicvillainsinthrillers,andespeciallyoccultprojectsinspiredbyStrangealesallsenthimlovecallsatleastonceeach.xorcists,demon-banishingpriests.
utofallofthem,theoneKwonJunhyeokchosewasafull-fledgedofficedramawhereheplayedarookieemployeeonamajorcorporation’sPRteam.
venhisclumsy,inexperiencedpartswerebroughttolifewiththefreshcharmuniquetoanewcomer,andthankstothat,hesuccessfullyscoredtwoconsecutivehits.
“hanksforcomingeventhoughyou’rebusy.”
“fYeoreumcalls,havetocome.”
esitatingforamoment,KwonJunhyeokrevealedhissoftheartagain.
“hat’sarelief....”
“Whatis?”
“hesetrightnowlooksreallynice...sniff...andyouseemlikeyou’redoingwell....BackduringStrangealeswegothurtallthetime...andwewerealwaysrunningaround...andbecausewefilmedinthemountainswekeptgettingbittenbybugs....”
“Whyareyoucryingagain?ncetimepasses,itallbecomesmemories.”
“’mnotsomeonewhocriesallthetime.Sniff....”
Whatareyoutalkingabout?Youcriedconstantly.Butasaproperactingseniornow,coveredformyjunior’sflaws.
“Still,wasn’tthattimereallyfun?”
“...Really?”
“Sometimesthinkaboutit.”
Cometothinkofit,backthenwereallyhadrunaroundmountainswhilefilming.hefilmingenvironmentreallyhadimprovedalot.verythingsuddenlyfeltnewagain.
herewasatimewhenoutdoorshootsfeltendlesslystrangeandawkward,butnowevenoverseasschedulesfeltnatural.
Andiftherewasonethingthathadchangedthemost—
“Junhyeok’shere?”
“Directooor...huuuhk....”
WhenthelightingdirectorwhohadalsoworkedwithusonStrangealesapproachedKwonJunhyeok,tearsofjoywereaddedontop.ereallywasstillsuchacrybaby.
‘tmeans’mnolongerdesperatetokeeppeoplearoundasconnections.’
BecauseofDoyeoul,hadalwaysbeenafraidarolemightdisappear.Afraid’dgetpushedaside.Afraidsomethingwouldbestolenfromme.Sohadwantedimpressivepeoplearoundmenomatterwhat.
Atsomepoint,thatfeelinghadgrownlighter.
‘Because’vegrownalotnow.’
nolongerhadtorelyonpeoplearoundmejusttomaintainmyplace.
Atsomepoint,thatcertaintysettlednaturallyinsideme.wasn’ttherookieanYeoreumfromdebutdaysanymore,tremblinginfearandanxiety.
Peoplenaturallygatheredaroundmenow.
helightingdirectorwhohadbeenwithmesinceParChei,KwonJunhyeokwhoagreedtocameooutofloyaltytoStrangeales,andSeoden,whohadoncebeenmypartneronMusicandwasnowmypartnerinthesamedrama.
hesetfeltlikemyentireworld.anYeoreum’sworld.
“kay,standtheretogetherfornow.Wow,thatcompositionlooksgood.Bringoverareflectorhere.”
Butmyshamelesslittlesocial-climbercalculatorstillworkedperfectly.quicklygrabbedKwonJunhyeokandturnedhimaround.
“Mr.KwonJunhyeok,let’suseyourbackviewalittletoo,okay?t’dbeawastetoonlyuseyourprofile.Startwithyourbackturnedandthenslightlyturnaround.Yep.”
Sincehecameallthewayhere,hadtousehimproperly.carefullycheckedthetwo-shotofKwonJunhyeokandmecapturedonscreen.
‘veryone,remember.’
heemotionfromthefinalepisodeofStrangeales.
opefullyit’llgoviralagainwithSeoryeongandMyungdolookinglikereincarnations.
Justthinkingaboutthebuzzmademegrinbrightly.
***
“Doesn’tthisfeelkindaweird?Right?”
Watchingthetwofilming,SeodenhuggedBeopsuntightly.
“Beopbeop.”
“Anyonewatchingwouldthinkthatguyoverthereisthemalelead.knowhyungcriesallthetime,buttodayheshouldreallyholditin.”
“Beop.”
“Andthelightingdirectortoo,seriously.Don’tyoufeellikehe’spayingmoreattentiontothereflectorangleovertherethantome,Beopsun?”
Seodenwasoriginallythetypewhobelievedgoodthingswerejustgoodthings.Withtwooldersistersturningintoseven,therewasnowayhispersonalitywouldn’tbecomeeasygoing.
esworetoheavenandeverything.enormallywasn’tlikethis.WhichmeantthiswasdefinitelyJunhyeokhyung’sfault.
venifhelookedlikethis,hewasactuallysomeonewithexcellentself-awareness.SeodenstaredatKwonJunhyeokwithfloundereyes.
“Andyoutoo,Beopsun.Whenyoufirstmetme,yousaid‘beopbeopbeop’threetimes,butwhataboutwhenJunhyeokhyungcameearlier?”
“Beop?”
“Didn’tyouonlydoittwice?Fromnowon,whodoyouthinkyou’llseelongeronset,meorJunhyeokhyung?”
“...Beopbeopbeop!”
“ood.Since’mnotthatpetty,’llletitslideonce.Butseriously,whyaretheyusingmorereflectorsthantheydoforme?”
hescenecurrentlybeingfilmedwasamPyeonghwameetingdesignerJayafterbeinginvitedbyansung,thefamousrivalcompanyof&.
AndthesceneofJeonSegyeandBeopsunwatchingamPyeonghwa.
ncethetakeswitchedtoJeonSegye’sperspectivewatchingthetwoofthem,thelightingbecameevenmoredelicatethanbefore.
herewasareasonthosetwohadoncesweptKoreaastheMyeongRyeongcouple.heygenuinelymatchedeachotherperfectly.
SeodenfeltasharpacheintheheartholdingBeopsun....
“Beopbeopbeop.”
“Youwerescratchingmewithyourpaw.owonderithurt.”
Butsomethingwasstrange.venwhenBeopsunstoppedscratchinghischestwithhispaw,itstillkeptstinging.
riginally,Seodenhadbeenbetweenthosetwopeople.ewasclosewithKwonJunhyeokandclosewithanYeoreumtoo.ewasbasicallytheirintersection.
Butnow,itfeltlikeaworldbelongingonlytothetwoofthemwasunfoldingwithoutSeodeninit.
ottheJeonhwacouple,buttheMyeongRyeongcouple.
anYeoreum’ssideprofileasshelookedupatKwonJunhyeokseemedsofterthanusualtoday.Cometothinkofit,comparedtothewayshelookedathim,thegazeshegaveSeodenfeltsomehow...somehow....
“den!”
anYeoreumturnedherheadtowardhim,andtheireyesmet.Smilingbrightly,shebeckonedhimover.
“Comenow.”
“...Yeees....”
Seodenimmediatelytriedsteppingintotheframeathercall.Reliefspreadthroughhimattherealizationthatshehadn’tforgottenhimafterall—
“o,don’tcometome.veeerthere.You’resupposedtostandbehindthatpillar.”
“uessheforgot.e’ssupposedtohidebehindthatpillarsohecan’tbeseen.”
“xactly.Youneedtogofartherback.”
“den-ah.urryoverthere.”
ButanYeoreumwavedhimoffintoacorner.AndKwonJunhyeok,standingrightbesideher,didtoo.
Draggedbehindthepillarbyastaffmember,Seoden’slipstrembled.
“h,thatexpression’sgood.xactlythat.”
ByeonJuhwaexclaimedinadmirationwhileadjustingtheangle.
“Beopsun.et’sdovibrationmode.Shakeshake,okay?”
“rrrr....”
“ood,good.rulyageniusdog.”
Seoden’scheststillstungwhereBeopsunhadscratchedhimearlier.ecouldn’tevenheartheactioncueanymore.hefactthathewashidingbehindapillarwatchingthetwoofthemsimplymadenosense.
Wasn’thesupposedtobestandingovertherebesidethem?hiscouldn’tbehappening.
hetwowhisperedsomethingtoeachotherthathecouldn’thearbeforelaughing.hewayJaylookedatamPyeonghwacarriedasenseofhelplessfondness...ha...seriously,thiswasridiculous....
“kay!ey,wemightnotevenneedtoshootmorethanthis?”
“Really?”
“Wow.denmust’vedonereallywell.”
hetwocompletelyleftSeodenstandingbehindthepillarandwalkedovertoDirectorByeontomonitorthefootage.
ecouldn’tunderstandwhytheyweresmilingsomuchwhilelookingatthescreen.Seoden’seyeskeptturningintofloundereyesagain.
“ood,thenlet’smovestraightintoden’sclose-up...wait,what?e’sstillholdingontotheemotion?ice!hat’sit!”
***
DirectorByeonfinallypreparedfortheendingsceneofpisode8.oday’sfilmingwasgoingunbelievablysmoothly.
“sn’tdenseriouslyonfiretoday?”
“e’sbasicallyJeonSegyehimself.”
“Whoeverarrangedtoday’sfilmingscheduleseriouslydeservespraise.”
hestaffmemberswerecheerfultoo.otonlyhadthegeniusdogBeopsunworkedwonders,butKwonJunhyeok’scameoperfectlyrevivednostalgiafortheMyeongRyeongcouplewhileshowingoffincrediblechemistrywithanYeoreum.
Morethananything,Seoden’semotionalimmersionstoodout.
“hedayweshootthekisssceneandhisconditionisthisgood!”
odaywasthedaytheyhadtofilmtheendingsceneofpisode8,themomentwherenewemotionstrulybeganbloomingbetweenthetwocharacters.
Arainyday.wopeopletrappedinsideawarehouse.
Shiveringinthecoldwithoutevenheating,theyshareJeonSegye’scoatandcontinuetalking.
Carefullyrevealingeachother’swounds.heiremptiness.Andlove.
hescenewheretheireyesmeetandtheirlipsslowlyoverlapwasDongdaemunRomance’sdecisivefinishingblowthatcouldwithstandthefiercechasefromtheotherthreecompetingproductions.
“hisisyourfirstrealkissscene,right,den?heearlieronewasjustanaccidentalbump,butthisisyourfirstofficialone.”
“uessso.”
“Youwerereallyimmersedtoday,soifyoujustkeepcarryingthatemotionforward,thinkwe’llgetsomethingamazing.”
Kisssceneswereevenharderthancryingscenes.
Becausetheyinvolvedtwopeopletogether.
hecamerarightinfrontofthem,thestaff’sgazes,thelightsandreflectors.
Allofthosethingsinterruptedemotionalimmersion,andontopofthattheyhadtocarefullypayattentiontothingsliketheangleoftheirheadsandtheplacementoftheirhands.
“You’lldowell.”
ButrememberingSeodenfromearlier,DirectorByeonsmiled.
Becauseatsomepoint,hehadalreadybecomeJeonSegye,themanwhohadfallenforamPyeonghwa.