Cold City Romance Chapter 11.1

Cha Dokyung, dressed in a fitted riding outfit that revealed the lines of his body perfectly, mounted a glossy black stallion. He climbed onto the horse, straightened his back, and shortened the reins. The elegant equestrian posture as he skillfully trotted across the wide outdoor riding arena captured everyone’s attention at once.

It was not the first time he had learned horse riding for a movie shoot. In his late twenties, he had first learned it for a shoot, and Cha Dokyung had enjoyed that hobby in his spare time ever since. The fact that he had to train in swordsmanship while mounted on the horse was physically exhausting, but the opportunity to ride horses in nature under the pretext of filming had been a quite important factor in choosing this project.

When he rode and trotted on the horse, idle thoughts disappeared. He was never outstanding in skill like a professional rider, but he liked the free sense of liberation from riding in nature, and as he got older, he often thought that after retirement, he wanted to raise horses and live like this on the outskirts of the city.

As the crank-in for ‘Mun-gwan’ drew closer, the intense training to prepare for filming continued. Cha Dokyung was desperately pushing through swordsmanship practice and horse riding practice for more than three hours a day, for a full eight hours each day in this place far from the city, to the point where his body felt like it was breaking apart.

When idle thoughts crept in, he would spend the entire day here from sunrise to sunset, finishing swordsmanship practice and then riding the horse. The grueling practice of sweating at full throttle was also a perfect means of escape to forget someone and to absolutely avoid encountering him.

As he pressed down on the horse’s back, sinking into the saddle, the horse stopped in place. It was because he could see the director’s face.

“Mr. Cha Dokyung.”

Pyo Woongje, the director, was capturing the image of Cha Dokyung elegantly trotting while wearing a fake wooden sword in its scabbard in his own camera.

Cha Dokyung dismounted the horse and affectionately praised the horse while stroking the neck of the handsome black stallion. Pyo Woongje approached Cha Dokyung.

“I heard rumors that Dokyung rides horses so well, so I came to spy on just how skilled you are.”

His calm face welcomed him kindly.

“So you came to monitor whether I’m doing well.”

“As expected, your form is impressive. Thanks to that, I won’t have to worry about the opening chase scene where you ride away on horseback with your overcoat fluttering.”

However, from earlier, Cha Dokyung’s gaze was fixed not on Director Pyo Woongje, but on the familiar and welcome face beside him. At the sudden appearance of one man, Cha Dokyung could not hide it and revealed an innocent, surprised smile.

He had heard that he was close to Director Pyo Woongje as usual, but he had not expected to meet him in this place. It was Director Moon Jeongho, who had been like a benefactor to him since his debut.

“How did you come all the way here…”

Director Moon Jeongho, who had an intellectual impression and was tall and lanky, smiled with a face that was still boyish and straightforward, lacking in bravado, even in middle age.

“Dokyung, you’re still the same. You’re really unchanged.”

Perhaps that kid would give off a similar feeling when he grows up.

“Director, you’re the same too.”

It was not that their appearances resembled each other, but he thought their atmospheres were a little similar when they smiled. He was the only man in this industry whom he respected as one human being to another.

“This time, because of my comeback project. Director Pyo threatened that if he wanted to cast Cha Dokyung, he’d have to line up a year in advance… So I came to make my presence known early and to line up for you.”

“Are you really making a comeback?”

“It seems like it could work if you help me, Dokyung.”

“……”

“Let’s have a drink. Today.”

Cha Dokyung learned today for the first time that Director Moon Jeongho’s villa was not far from this riding arena.

Director Moon Jeongho’s standalone villa and annex residence, surrounded by the beautiful scenery of a lovely valley and serene forest, was extremely quiet and peaceful, without a single sign of human presence.

A few years ago, after transitioning from a drama directing PD to a film director, Director Moon Jeongho had suddenly vanished after winning the director’s award at an overseas film festival and leaving behind a string of acclaimed hits. He had moved away from the harsh city with his actress wife and was said to have been enjoying a leisurely rural life, operating this charming and beautiful villa in Hwai Mountain.

His wife, the legendary beauty actress Hong Yeongui, still exuded a simple and graceful atmosphere like wildflowers even in middle age. The familiar woman greeted Cha Dokyung in her unadorned, simple, and comfortable attire. When he politely bowed his head in greeting, she kindly led the two men into the standalone house.

“Come on in, Dokyung. Drink comfortably, and I’ve prepared a place to sleep, so rest as much as you want before you go. Now, even operating this villa, which I did as a hobby to receive guests… This month is the last. So, Dokyung, you become our last guest.”

Director Moon Jeongho, who had married his first love, actress Hong Yeongui, had been consistently the same from the time Cha Dokyung first debuted until now. Contrary to his flashy fame as a star PD and star director, he was still the same unpretentious, devoted husband who knew nothing but his wife, then and now.

When Director Moon brought up the story of his comeback project over a modestly prepared drinking table, his wife quietly excused herself so they could talk. As they tilted their glasses, the conversation about the movie deepened.

It was a movie with a very provocative and experimental subject matter.

“It was raised on that island. It’s neither human nor a different being, and its identity is mysterious and ambiguous, and regardless of man or woman… So, it’s too beautiful, but perhaps like a carnivorous plant that lures in prey. Or, should I say it’s like a living god, a Kumari, created by the people of that isolated island village.”

“……”

“No matter how much I think about it, for such a mysterious and enigmatic role, I can’t think of any actor other than you.”

Cha Dokyung answered without a moment’s hesitation. He had already resolved before coming here that if it was Director Moon’s comeback project, he would take any role without refusing.

“If you’re making a comeback, I should repay the favor to you, Director.”

Meeting PD Moon Jeongho through his debut work, the youth drama ‘Our Summer’ that had catapulted Cha Dokyung to stardom overnight, had been a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck. He had boldly cast him on the spot as a complete rookie who had never stood in front of a camera, with no agency decided yet, simply based on Cha Dokyung’s mask and image.

He was also the one who had strictly advised Cha Dokyung that if he wanted to survive in this industry, he should thoroughly hide the fact that he was an omega and live as an alpha.

As he tilted his glass, recalling the old past from ten years ago.

“Yes, from your debut, it was sensational in various meanings.”

“……”

“Woman, man, alpha, omega… Regardless of gender or trait, you were the first to appeal with that image and mask, and until you appeared, there had been no star with such an image. Seeing that I’m ultimately making this request to you, my answer is that you’re still irreplaceable even now.”

The only person in the industry who knew Cha Dokyung was an omega, and the benefactor who had guarded that secret for ten years, was Director Moon Jeongho, who had directed his debut work.

“Even without you giving me a free ride, I was going to do your project unconditionally, Director. Because you’re my benefactor.”

“What benefactor…”

Director Moon Jeongho let out a hearty, good-natured laugh.

“As soon as you appeared, there probably hasn’t been another guy who received as many dirty demands from all over as you did. It was because you were so pure and young, untainted.”

“……”

“It got to the point where, right after your debut, with no agency and as a fresh rookie, dirty external pressure came through me, the PD.”

However, the upright and just PD had taken the side of the innocent rookie who knew nothing of the world and had nothing. He had rejected all the pressures and unfair demands at his own line. These were stories from the era when PDs as directors held far more powerful authority and power than now.

“So you told me that if I didn’t want to see the dirty and filthy side of this industry, I should get my act together, thoroughly hide that I was an omega, and live as an alpha. Otherwise, just quit everything… You grabbed me, who was wandering around like an idiot, unable to do this or that, and scolded me harshly and frighteningly while getting angry.”

However, the reason PD Moon Jeongho had advised Cha Dokyung to live as an alpha until the end at that time was elsewhere.

Representative Yeom had simply urged him to disguise himself because alpha male actors sold for a higher price. But PD Moon Jeongho was different. His advice was on a completely different level from Representative Yeom’s vulgar values, who treated him thoroughly as a commodity and would sell him anywhere if it made money.

—If you don’t want to suffer from the dirty sexual favors or entertainment issues in this industry, just close your eyes tight and live as an alpha.

—……

—Does the world still seem rosy? No, it’s not something you can make happen by refusing! There are guys who trample you forcibly because they want to take what they desire, and even enjoy that downfall like misfortune porn as pleasure… If you want to live as a real actor, get your head straight in this filthy industry! Face reality coldly! You could end up being used everywhere without knowing it, then discarded, and in an instant, tumble down to the depths.

He had genuinely worried about the corruption and downfall of twenty-three-year-old Cha Dokyung, who had been clear and pure back then.

The only adult Cha Dokyung could trust was the steadfast PD Moon Jeongho, who had protected him from the very beginning when he entered the entertainment industry.

It was not the opportunistic Representative Yeom, who had cast him at the same time as PD Moon, nor his peers like Hyun Kangwoo or Hyun Serin.

“Even when it was revealed that you were an alpha, they threw all that tantrum… If it had been revealed that you were an omega, they would have pulled every dirty trick to try to break you at least once.”

Cha Dokyung answered with a detached face.

“It’s all thanks to you, Director. Because you grabbed me back then and scolded me so sternly, I came to my senses and made it this far.”

“Seeing you makes me think this is what they mean by the vicissitudes of life.”

“……”

“Because of those bastards who believed in their power and made dirty demands to you from high positions, you ground your teeth in front of me, crying that you’d become a top star and get revenge… It feels like just yesterday.”

“……”

“And in the end, it’s admirable and praiseworthy that you achieved that dream so coolly.”

Cha Dokyung gave a bitter smile as he recalled the greedy adults who had targeted him when he was a young rookie just over twenty.

“It’s all in the past now. Well…”

“To tell you now, if it hadn’t been for Chairman Hyun of HK, things would have been really bad.”

“……”

“If that gentleman hadn’t stepped in and driven the wedge, saying you were like his adopted son…”

It was also the reason why Cha Dokyung must never betray Chairman Hyun.

“To me, he’s like a father. Even now, I serve him as a benefactor.”

Director Moon Jeongho always spared long words. Instead, over the past ten years, he had shown mature character through his steadfast silence in guarding the secret of Cha Dokyung, who had risen to the top star position. He was the one who consistently stood by Cha Dokyung’s side with solid silence on stories that could make money if sold to the press, until the end.

“By the way, how have you been living these days?”

“As you saw earlier, because of Director Pyo’s project, I’m living every day practicing swordsmanship and riding horses. Everywhere aches, and there’s no spot that doesn’t hurt.”

“I’m talking about human Cha Dokyung, not actor Cha Dokyung. Dokyung, you, aren’t you dating anyone?”

Cha Dokyung looked at him quietly and then shook his head slowly.

“Haha, I’m too busy for that. Who would I be with, given my position…”

Director Moon clinked glasses and said with a kindly smile.

“If a serious partner comes along, bring them in front of me once.”

“……”

“I need to see what kind of guy he is to know. What do you know? They look slick and flashy on the outside, but they’re hopelessly naive.”

“I’m turning thirty-three soon, Director. Naive? I’ve survived in this industry for ten years.”

Director Moon had an expression that the years were cruel.

“Has it already been that long? Maybe because I first saw you around twenty when you debuted.”

“……”

“You still look exactly like you did back then, so even past thirty, to me, you feel just like a kid…”

As they tilted their glasses back and forth several times, the stories he had kept inside inevitably spilled out on their own. The real inner thoughts that he could not tell anyone.

“I’ve become all worn out now.”

Director Moon silently refilled Cha Dokyung’s empty glass.