‘I wish it had ended there….’
He completely forgot that these people wouldn’t just stay silent after hearing that story.
Jeong Bong-sik, retracing the past quickly, let out a small sigh. At that moment, someone’s hand landed on his shoulder.
“Why, can’t you do it?”
It was Yeo Eun-su. Her voice was somewhat careless and blunt. At first glance, it almost sounded like she was scolding him for not being able to manage even that much. But…
“If you really can’t, don’t overdo it.”
What followed was completely different. Still careless in tone, but the words were surprisingly kind.
“Yeah~ if you can’t, just say so honestly. We can just go eat together. How about some sashimi? Tuna?”
I-bona, who had been watching from the side, also began chattering away. At that moment, Jeong Bong-sik felt the stiffness in his heart soften gently.
“Ah, no. I’m okay. I agreed to this too…”
Out of habit, he made a gesture to push up his glasses but almost poked his own eye. I-bona reflexively burst out laughing before biting her lip tightly.
It wasn’t that he was simply pushed into this gathering by the others. After hearing Jeong Bong-sik’s story, the members had suggested going to the company dinner to teach him a lesson, but they also wanted to respect his decision.
In other words, the final call was his.
‘I didn’t know this kind of preparation was necessary….’
Jeong Bong-sik gave himself a quick once-over and smiled awkwardly. Everything felt strange and uncomfortable.
Everyone kept saying he was fine, cool, handsome, but it all felt like lies. If he had really been a decent person in anyone’s eyes, he probably wouldn’t have lived such a lonely life for so long.
“Alright. Hey, don’t chicken out.”
Jang Gwang-cheol, who had just joined, spoke in a rough, heavy voice. As soon as he appeared, the people who had been glancing around at the three of them quickly scattered in all directions.
Jeong Bong-sik, staring at Jang Gwang-cheol who exuded intimidation just by his presence, then looked over at I-bona.
His thoughts drifted to Kim Cheol-soo, who had left for Switzerland and was absent from this moment. His gaze, faintly smiling, lingered last on Yeo Eun-su.
‘Eun-su noona.’
She introduced herself casually as a bad person. Now Jeong Bong-sik also knew that wasn’t far from the truth. She had definitely committed a crime and would likely continue living a life not much different from that.
Jeong Bong-sik knew well that he could never change her. Yeo Eun-su wasn’t the type to change for love, but he also learned that there had been a man she loved enough to consider changing for.
No matter how much time passed, he accepted that he could never be that kind of person for her.
Still, Jeong Bong-sik liked Yeo Eun-su.
‘Why the hell do I like such a foul-tempered woman?’
A question I-bona had once asked him came to mind. Yeo Eun-su’s personality couldn’t be called good even as a white lie. Of course, Jeong Bong-sik didn’t think her personality was excessively bad either.
Anyway, there were countless reasons why Jeong Bong-sik liked Yeo Eun-su. If he had to pick just one…
‘Because she always shows me new things.’
It was the same when he first fell in love, and the same this time. Thanks to her, Jeong Bong-sik met new people.
At first, it was scary and unfamiliar, but not anymore. Whether he was allowed to say it or not, Jeong Bong-sik thought he had become friends with them.
His gaze slowly moved away from Yeo Eun-su. Although it stung a bit that her eyes never met his until the very end, by now, he was used to it. Or maybe it was a fate he’d carry for life.
That’s why Jeong Bong-sik didn’t hesitate. If he wanted to see her, he could just see her again. When he missed her badly, he could even try sending some trivial messages—they’d gotten that close. And that was enough for him.
Just as Jeong Bong-sik’s eyes were about to fully leave Yeo Eun-su,
“…!”
Her gaze suddenly locked onto his. Their eyes, which had been off each other, met sharply because of Jeong Bong-sik’s quick glance.
Jeong Bong-sik looked surprised and bewildered but never looked away.
Yeo Eun-su smiled at him. It was the usual frank smile, but with a strangely captivating glow.
“Hic!”
The ending was the same as always. Sure enough, Jeong Bong-sik’s hiccup started again, drawing a flood of scolding from the other members. Only Yeo Eun-su was different. She silently stared at him for a moment, then looked away first.
“Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and come inside.”
Only Jeong Bong-sik, who had been spacing out, ended up getting another scolding for nothing.
But even if the ending was the same, not everything was unchanged. The possibility they had just faced brought a glimmer of hope to Jeong Bong-sik’s heart. Maybe the future unfolding ahead would have a slightly different conclusion.
Jeong Bong-sik took a step toward the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, then stopped again just ahead.
Just thinking about those waiting inside sent a chill down his neck.
But he didn’t want to run away. That would be a nuisance to the members who had taken time for him today. More than anything, he didn’t want to make the time and effort spent on him meaningless.
Swallowing hard, Jeong Bong-sik opened the door.
The noise of people’s voices and the smell of grilled meat hit him as if to swallow him whole. Without realizing it, he squeezed his eyes shut and hesitated, but then forced himself to open them wide and look straight ahead.
All eyes turned to him. The looks he usually expected—disdain and pity—were different this time. There was light interest, curiosity… even surprised eyes from former coworkers.
At that moment, almost as if by magic, many things felt alright.
The legs that had given out regained strength, and his hunched back straightened a little more firmly.
Of course, this didn’t mean his past wounds were healed. But right now, in this place, he felt like he could hold on a little better.
Jeong Bong-sik approached the team leader who had just recognized him and was still visibly surprised. An odd smile came to his lips.
“Cut! Okay!”
The moment he heard that, the breath he’d been holding finally escaped.
The final okay sign I always heard at filming locations.
“…….”
Too many emotions rushed through my mind in a flash. What remained was a strange mix of exhilaration and regret. Surely, I could have done better. Limited acting skills and a subtle tension I couldn’t shake off had held me back.
But… it was fun. Especially this last shoot.
‘…Fun?’
At the thoughtless word, I almost bit my tongue. No, just stop it already.
‘…I’m really not Yoo Chae-min.’
Wiping away unnecessary feelings, I lowered my head slightly, then raised it. A smile curved my lips. I thanked the senior actors I had worked with and moved to monitor the footage.
Suddenly, Kim Eun-hye senior caught my gaze and gave me a thumbs-up.
Everything felt normal. Except for the fact that this was my last.
“Do you like it? I think it’s okay.”
Director Lee Seung-heon asked after we finished shooting. Since the last reshoot, he’d often asked for my opinion like this.
“I like it too.”
I replied immediately. Even considering my acting was at a C level, this was pretty decent. Even if I had to do it again, I doubted I could perform better.
No sooner had I spoken than Director Lee grabbed my forearm tightly. He was smiling broadly—the kind of smile I’d never seen on set before. Not just during my scenes, but throughout the entire filming.
“Good job! You nailed the added scenes too; I’m really pleased.”
“Thank you for the great opportunity.”
“Chae-min, I know you’re secretly an FM type, right?”
Han Yuri, who had been quietly observing our conversation, suddenly said this. Taken aback, I just laughed.
“Ah, did I answer too clumsily…?”
I asked cautiously, and Director Lee quickly shook his head.
“No, no! Not at all! Oh, Yuri!”
At his reproachful glance, Han Yuri covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
“Oh, what did I do? It’s all the director’s karma~”
“Exactly~”
Kim Eun-hye, who had been silently crossing her arms and watching, nodded in agreement.
Director Lee looked helpless, glancing back and forth between me and them.
‘Wait, even if you look at me like that…’
I was the one who didn’t get it. I roughly understood the situation. They were probably teasing Director Lee about how he treated me, but why did he look embarrassed not just at me but also when looking at the other actors? As if they had also complained about it.
“Those two have talked to Director Lee a lot. They said he seems to push too hard from their point of view.”
The voice of senior Jung Hee-seok, who had been silent the whole time, came.
Startled, I looked over. Jung Hee-seok met my gaze, nodded lightly, and wiped beneath his nose.
“I also pitched in a bit on the side… well, when it’s not right, it’s obvious to anyone.”
He said this in a slightly embarrassed tone but finished cheerfully as usual.
“…….”
I had never expected this.
“…Thank you.”
Emotions aside, I had to express my gratitude first. Then all the other actors burst into laughter.
“So cute, really.”
“You’ve got a weird charm, I tell you.”
It seemed pretty funny that Yoo Chae-min’s face had an FM personality. Well, with that face, what wouldn’t be funny?
The mood that had briefly grown heavy lightened instantly.
Still, I wondered if I should properly thank them, but it didn’t feel right with Director Lee here. I smiled appropriately, and light, everyday chatter continued for a while.
“Alright, alright, we’ll talk more after filming while unwinding. Actually, there’s a guest here to see Bong-sik.”
Just as the conversation threatened to get longer, Director Lee wrapped things up. But the content was somewhat unexpected.
‘A guest?’
I hadn’t received any notice.
Instantly, Seong Sang-woo and Lee Choi came to mind. But both had been quite busy lately.
Seong Sang-woo was filming, and Lee Choi had already rekindled her passion for acting and was preparing for a new project.
She often lamented in the group chat that she wanted to come to the set to cheer us on but circumstances never allowed it.
I looked at Director Lee with a puzzled expression, and he smiled.
“You hungry? Let’s eat here at the barbecue restaurant. The guest is sitting over there at that table.”
Following the direction Director Lee pointed, I turned my head.