The tremor of laughter subsided, and Yoon Jooho lifted his head. The remnants of joy still lingered on his face and at the corners of his lips.
He clearly looked happy, and Song Hyunsoo couldn’t take his eyes off that face.
Yoon Jooho returned to the box where he’d originally been sitting and picked up the script, holding it out to Song Hyunsoo.
“You don’t have to memorize it completely, so just read it naturally while looking at the script.”
“Right here?”
Yoon Jooho fiddled with his phone, his gaze still fixed on the screen as he spoke.
“Why, are you embarrassed again? Want me to turn off the lights?”
The night they’d slept together. He was referencing the time Song Hyunsoo had asked for the lights to be dimmed. That side profile made Song Hyunsoo stubborn.
“Embarrassed? I’m someone who can even enjoy 69 in your bed, you know.”
Yoon Jooho let out a small laugh and turned the phone’s camera lens toward him.
“Start.”
“You’re recording this too?”
“You need that tension of being filmed. Try it. If you do well in front of me, you’ll have no choice but to do well in front of the real camera.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Yoon Jooho, who’d been checking Song Hyunsoo’s reflection on the screen, lifted only his eyes to meet the real Song Hyunsoo sitting across from him.
“Because you’ll be more nervous in front of me.”
■
The afterparty venue was, as always, Gukine.
Snow was falling outside the door, and condensation fogged up the edges of the rattling window from the warmth inside.
The menu was the same as usual, and the atmosphere was as boisterous as ever. The only difference was that Song Hyunsoo was downing his soju faster than usual.
“Hyunsoo, aren’t you drinking a bit fast today?”
Shin Hyojin, who’d been watching from the seat across, lightly touched the tip of his chopsticks to his lips and asked with concern.
Song Hyunsoo, who was refilling his glass, pointed at his own chest and widened his eyes.
“Me?”
“Yeah, while I had one drink, you’re already on your third.”
Even Han Jooyoung chimed in.
After filling his glass, Song Hyunsoo raised it over the grill and flashed a bright smile.
“I guess I did it without realizing because I’m in such a good mood! Seniors, let’s drink! Cheers.”
“Yeah, cheers, my foot.”
The glass, brimming with soju to the point it seemed about to spill, vanished from Song Hyunsoo’s hand. Yoon Jooho, sitting beside him, had snatched it away.
Song Hyunsoo stared forlornly at his now empty hand and lunged at Yoon Jooho.
“Ah, why? Give it back.”
“It’s been less than an hour and you’ve already had more than a bottle.”
Yoon Jooho blocked Song Hyunsoo with his left arm, turned his head away, and emptied the soju from the glass himself. Placing the empty glass in front of him, he glanced at Song Hyunsoo.
“Is it because of the interview shoot?”
“……”
Song Hyunsoo pressed his lips together and dropped his gaze.
When Song Hyunsoo said he’d be more nervous with his senior watching, Yoon Jooho had left the set during the shoot.
Since he didn’t know what had happened, he turned to Song Hyunsoo and asked,
“Was it that bad?”
“No, it wasn’t that bad. Even Jooyoung oppa and I had a lot of NGs, you know.”
Shin Hyojin shook his head, denying it. Song Hyunsoo looked at her with a crestfallen expression.
“Thirty times for a twenty-second video?”
“……”
This time, Shin Hyojin couldn’t answer.
Song Hyunsoo felt too ashamed to look at Yoon Jooho. He’d even revised the script and helped him practice, yet it turned out like this…
“But the atmosphere was fun, right? Isn’t that so, PD? Hyunsoo’s shoot wasn’t that bad, was it?”
Maybe feeling their words weren’t enough, Shin Hyojin drew in Kim Yookyung PD from the next table.
“Hyunsoo? Hyunsoo was cute. Who isn’t like that when they’re a rookie? That’s just being endearing. When the cameras roll, everyone stammers and sweats. Hyunsoo, you didn’t do that during the camera test when acting.”
“I’m fine with the camera when I’m acting. But this kind of shoot was my first time…”
“Almost every rookie actor I know was like that. Want to know something?”
Kim Yookyung PD leaned her upper body toward Song Hyunsoo.
“The better the actor, the more they were like that.”
“Really…?”
“Of course, really. Even the filming team praised how well you looked on camera, and said you were fresh and cute, just like a rookie. The last cut came out well in the end, too.”
Hearing Kim PD’s words made Song Hyunsoo feel a bit more at ease.
He regretted not just asking Yoon Jooho to watch the shoot. There was no one else who would give it to him straight, without a single empty word, like Yoon Jooho.
The only problem was that he was so blunt, it could shatter your mental.
“Hmph.”
That Yoon Jooho let out a dissatisfied sigh from beside him.
“So you locked me out, but inside you were being all cute, huh, Song Hyunsoo?”
“Cute… Ha, seriously, what are you saying?”
He’d spoken in a voice only Song Hyunsoo beside him could hear, but even so, it was something he feared others might overhear.
“It’s obvious you’re just trying to comfort me. I sweated so much my shirt was soaked. I thought I was going to die.”
“If everyone just laughed it off, what’s the problem?”
“I didn’t want to be funny, that’s the thing.”
He wanted to do it smoothly, just like his senior, with that effortless, natural flow. Because his senior had watched him so earnestly…
He’d wanted to be praised by the Director for doing so well, so he could boast about it.
Song Hyunsoo took back the glass Yoon Jooho had set down, filled it with soju, and downed it in one go before anyone could stop him.
“Hey.”
It was just then that Yoon Jooho called out to Song Hyunsoo in a slightly rough tone.
― Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.
Suddenly, all the lights in the restaurant went out at once, and a few staff members approached from the far corner, carrying a large cake lit with candles.
― Happy birthday, dear Yoon Jooho, happy birthday to you.
As the song crammed a lot of syllables into the melody, the restaurant erupted with cheers loud enough to shake the walls.
Even the Gukine auntie and the staff were clapping along. It seemed the production crew had planned this in advance, as confetti poppers went off at tables all around.
The star of the moment stood up and received the cake.
“Actor, happy birthday! We wanted to give it to you before your birthday, but making the cake took longer than expected.”
“Thank you. Wow, the cake is amazing! If I upload a photo, the fans will love it.”
Yoon Jooho turned the cake this way and that, admiring it. He could react so sensibly, and seeing him at times like this, he really did seem like a normal member of society.
Thinking that, Song Hyunsoo looked up at Yoon Jooho and clapped along.
The cake that arrived in front of Yoon Jooho was a lavish three-tier cake decorated with fresh flowers. At the very top was a print of Yoon Jooho’s face.
“A superstar really is a superstar.”
At Han Jooyoung’s envious tone, Song Hyunsoo turned his head.
“There was a shoot around my birthday a few months ago, but I didn’t even dream of this kind of treatment.”
Han Jooyoung, who’d always seemed so confident, was now resting her chin on the table, looking up at Yoon Jooho with envy.
“There’s nowhere the saying ‘make it big first’ fits better than this industry. It’s brutal.”
Song Hyunsoo couldn’t help but agree with Han Jooyoung’s words.
While Yoon Jooho was busy taking photos with the Director, the President, Kim Yookyung PD, and others, the three actors continued their conversation. Han Jooyoung, poking at the meat on the grill, suddenly asked,
“Oh, Hyunsoo, what happened on Jooho’s birthday?”
“Huh? Why? What about it?”
When Yoon Jooho’s birthday came up, Song Hyunsoo felt a pang of guilt.
It was the day he’d shared his first kiss with Yoon Jooho, and also the day they’d tumbled together in his bed.
“I saw you leave with him in his car that day.”
“Ah… that’s…”
Song Hyunsoo glanced at Yoon Jooho, who was still busy taking photos with the cake. Countless phone cameras were capturing him.
Song Hyunsoo poured another drink into his empty glass and replied,
“He got so many gifts that day. I went along to help him carry them. That’s why we went together.”
“You must’ve gotten really close with Jooho since then.”
“I was in charge of the Bar that day, remember? So somehow, we just… a little…”
Well, it wasn’t just a little. They’d seen each other naked and rubbed those naked bodies together in all sorts of ways.
“Right, that day! At the Bar! I was really surprised. You seemed like a different person, Hyunsoo. The Cocktail you made for me— can you share the Recipe? It became my life-changing Cocktail.”
“Of course. I’ll message you the Recipe later.”
He was honestly happy that she’d called the Cocktail he made her “life-changing.” It was true that Han Jooyoung’s attitude toward him had changed somewhat since Yoon Jooho’s birthday party.
He didn’t know if Yoon Jooho’s request for him to run the Bar was all part of some grand plan, but one thing was certain— it was thanks to Yoon Jooho.
There was so much to be grateful for, which made him want to nail the shoot even more. If he succeeded, he thought his senior would be even happier than he let on, just like an older brother or Hongseo.
Feeling a mix of regret and guilt, he glanced over at Yoon Jooho again. Looking perfectly at home as the center of attention, Yoon Jooho was now taking commemorative photos with the staff.
“Hyunsoo, this person— wasn’t he your old company’s President?”
“Huh?”
At Kim Yookyung PD’s voice, Song Hyunsoo looked at her absentmindedly and was hit with an unexpected question.
“Myung Dohoon. He’s the President of UB Entertainment, right?”
The moment he heard that name, his whole body felt as if it had frozen over. Goosebumps prickled the back of his neck.
Song Hyunsoo forced himself to stay calm, swallowing dryly as he asked,
“Yes, that’s right. But why do you ask…?”
“I heard he died in prison?”
“……”
“There’s a breaking news alert on the portal.”
Kim Yookyung stared at her phone with a grave expression, talking quietly with another production staff member beside her.
Behind him, Yoon Jooho’s mini birthday party was still in full swing. Laughter and cheerful voices never stopped.
“Should we get a photo with the actors, too?”
Someone made the suggestion, and swept up by the situation, Song Hyunsoo stood up in a daze.
He awkwardly took his place next to Yoon Jooho with Shin Hyojin and Han Jooyoung.
“What’s with your face again?”
Still holding the cake, Yoon Jooho turned to look at Song Hyunsoo.
“What about my face?”
“You were tipsy and giggling just a moment ago. Now you look upset? Is it still because of the shoot?”
“No. Let’s just take the photo.”
He pushed Yoon Jooho’s back, telling him to look forward.
“Everyone, look here and smile. Actors, smile.”
He tried to mimic a smiling face, but even to himself, it felt like a terrible performance.
Myung Dohoon was dead.
『Kill Myung Dohoon, too! Only then will Hongseo be able to close his eyes!』
The voice he’d once screamed at Choi Hongseo’s lover seemed to ring in his ears.
『You said you loved Hongseo! Then kill that bastard! Kill him!』
His heart began to race wildly.