Episode 56

 

Why are you posting it?? 

Haeun replied with complete bewilderment, but he still searched through his photo gallery. The camera gallery was full of selfies apparently taken for fans and photos of delicious-looking desserts.

However, he couldn’t find anything suitable to send. Sending his selfies to Kim Gyowon seemed… really strange, and suddenly sending food photos was odd too. Moreover, the fact that Kim Gyowon would post them on his SNS made it even stranger.

Really, why this sudden talk about SNS? 

Among the people Haeun knew in real life, there were a few who would take all sorts of photos and post them on SNS whenever they met. In times like these, SNS addiction is common. 

But Kim Gyowon didn’t seem like that type. Someone who doesn’t properly reply to KaTalk messages he initiated wouldn’t be addicted to SNS.

People say SNS is a waste of life

Not having any photos to send, she just sent that kind of reply. Kim Gyowon, who had been acting polite all along, sent several “ㅋ”s and responded with “Sure.” 

And the replies that had been coming relatively quickly once again slowed to a gap of several hours.

***

With his hand over his mouth as if he was thinking something hard, Haeun stared at the screen before closing all the open apps. The KaTalk window and various news article windows closed one by one and disappeared.

Two more days passed after that. 

It was now the next filming day for the drama. 

According to the original plan, today should have been the day to meet Kim Gyowon again. Though because of his visit, that non-existent plan became even more nebulous. 

Haeun put his phone in her pocket.

Normally at the drama filming set, Haeun had to keep busy by watching the filming, practicing his script, or going around greeting people. Thanks to that, there was no time for distractions, but today for various reasons, he had some free time. 

Perhaps feeling anxious without realizing it, Haeun had arrived much earlier than usual, and was also in a state where it felt a bit awkward to approach others to chat.

He raised his head and looked around. It was to check if Kim Gyowon had arrived yet. Ironically, Kim Gyowon, who initially felt the most uncomfortable on this set, had now become almost the only person he felt comfortable with.

It seemed like he hasn’t arrived yet. Well, it might be strange for the lead actor to arrive this early anyway…

Haeun lowered his head and was about to reopen the window he had been looking at when–

“What are you looking at?” 

A voice came from right behind him. Haeun dropped the phone he was holding in shock. Haeun still reacted excessively, even though it wasn’t something to be so surprised about. This too was probably due to the body switch.

The phone that was about to fall was fortunately caught by a hand that quickly extended from behind. Haeun mumbled thanks with a disgruntled feeling. When he turned his head back, sure enough, Kim Gyowon was standing there.

“Have you been well?”

Their eyes met. 

With his hand resting on Haeun’s chair, Gyowon greeted him gently. His attitude was kind and intimate, like someone meeting an old friend after a long time. 

Haeun, whose neck hurt from tilting her head all the way back, replied with a reproachful tone.

“…We just talked earlier today.”

Although Kim Gyowon’s reply timing was still hopelessly slow, they had been in contact. When called out for asking if he’d been well, Gyowon answered without any sign of embarrassment.

“We haven’t seen each other’s faces yesterday.” 

“It hasn’t been that long since we saw each other.”

After all, they had met just two days ago. When his consecutive responses took on a critical tone, Gyowon smiled and asked.

“Why are you in such a bad mood today?”

Though this was his normal way of speaking, it was true that he was particularly snippy today. Haeun lowered his head back down, avoiding Kim Gyowon’s eyes.

In fact, if transcribed, Gyowon’s speaking tone might not seem much different from his KaTalk messages. However, there was a considerable difference in feeling between the somewhat dry messages and his voice heard directly. 

Perhaps because he was smiling or due to the characteristics of his voice, it sounded much kinder and more languid than a mere arrangement of letters.

Perhaps that’s why it became difficult to continue responding with a sullen attitude to that calm question. As Gyowon said, Haeun was in a bad mood today. 

Although Kim Gyowon had suddenly appeared behind him, it wasn’t really something to grumble about, and it was true that he was upset for other reasons.

“Just because…”

He muddled his answer vaguely. The article windows he had been looking at until just now felt like thorns pricking his heart. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have deliberately looked for the comments on the articles. The mindset that had been indifferent when he proposed appearing together on a variety show was now uncomfortable.

The fact that Kim Gyowon had come to see Park Ha seemed to have become quite the rumor thanks to the people already on set. 

In that situation, with an article about filming a variety show together for drama promotion being released, many people seemed to think that the previous article was just groundless gossip.

There were people who cursed… I never really imagined or expected such a situation, but it wasn’t strange either. People who twist everything exist everywhere. Still, the weight felt different when it was happening to me versus when it was someone else’s problem.

Comments like I was riding on Kim Gyowon’s coattails or that I was a nobody idol didn’t bother me. 

Because it was true that I was riding on his fame, and I was indeed a nobody idol. 

But what upset me were claims that I had confronted Kim Gyowon and got beaten down, then used connections to smooth things over, and even got myself inserted into the same variety show to manage public opinion. Some were saying what kind of connections did I have to force Kim Gyowon to appear on a variety show.

For me, Haeun, who once had real connections but lost them, was infuriating to hear. 

If I had that kind of backing, I wouldn’t have struggled like this in the first place. I wouldn’t have needed to be on “Eurasha Idol” or anything—I would have been a much more successful idol from the start.

Even so, there was no way to explain myself, so I could only feel irritated alone. I hadn’t thought deeply about being falsely accused as if it were someone else’s problem, but it felt very unpleasant to have all of Stone Cherry’s efforts disrespected.

“I don’t think it’s nothing.”

Kim Gyowon answered calmly. 

They weren’t strangers, and it was a natural response—no one would just accept and move past Haeun’s strained voice. 

Gyowon naturally reached out and ruffled Haeun’s hair. The gesture was so natural that Haeun almost let it pass, but quickly came to his senses and covered his head.

“Ah, you’re messing up my hair.”

“Who said something to you?” 

Gyowon asked in an unnecessarily gentle voice. No matter what I said to Kim Gyowon, I would just look like I was whining. Deciding to keep quiet about it, Haeun changed the subject.

“I’ve been thinking this since I first saw you.”

Gyowon slightly raised one eyebrow. He looked like he found it amusing.

“Is this the time for first impression confessions?”

His attitude seemed not at all serious, but this was just right. Haeun glared at Gyowon directly. Anyway, the system mostly allowed any attitude toward Gyowon, and since his glaring face wasn’t threatening at all, he could be confident.

To the smiling Gyowon, he told him her first impression, just as he expected.

“You seem much more meddlesome than you look.”

“That review is worse than I expected.”

Gyowon replied with an exaggerated sigh. Haeun recalled meeting Kim Gyowon on the emergency staircase during the “God Of Live” filming. 

Even in that moment when he was preoccupied with pathetically shedding tears because of the system, Gyowon’s meddling had left a strong impression.

“What meddling did I do when we first met?” 

Gyowon asked with a contemplative expression. In truth, Haeun had considered that he might not even remember that encounter. He had been crying so severely then… and he was too much of a big shot to remember a brief encounter with an unknown junior.

“You don’t even remember?” 

Still, he said it that way first. When he spoke with an exaggerated sigh imitating Kim Gyowon, Gyowon laughed without showing any sign of embarrassment.

“I’m just kidding.”

Was he really just saying whatever comes to mind? Haeun looked at him with disbelieving eyes. It wouldn’t really matter if he didn’t remember, but maybe he should tell him that now.

“I’ll remember it even a hundred years from now. I’ve never seen someone cry that much in my entire life.”

“Oh…. Really?”

Perhaps realizing Haeun’s skepticism, Kim Gyowon’s explanation grew longer. Seeing him tease like that, he must certainly remember. Would it kill him to pass up an opportunity to tease or joke around just once?

When he stared at him with her eyes narrowed as much as possible, Gyowon spoke as if he understood everything.

“Living as a celebrity, there are quite a lot of things that hurt your feelings, right?”

Now why is he using that kind of voice? It’s even more irritating that he knows how to act serious but chooses to joke around instead.

“…”

Hearing those words from Gyowon made her feel strange. Though “Park Ha” was also relatively new to being a celebrity, it was nothing compared to Ha-eun who had suddenly started living an idol’s life not long ago. 

In contrast, Gyowon had been a superstar for quite some time. When someone like him spoke about the hardships of being a celebrity, it struck a chord in his dejected heart.

“…That’s true. I’ve been trying my best, but lately I feel kind of empty.”

It felt odd to be speaking so honestly in front of him, especially at the filming location, but once he said it, he felt slightly relieved.

Gyowon didn’t add any unnecessary comments. He lightly touched his cheek with the back of his hand, and only then did he stop standing and sit down beside him.

Haeun glanced at Gyowon’s face as he sat next to him. As the situation unfolded this way, the words he had been keeping in his heart flowed out naturally.

“People have been saying that you’re being forced to do this variety show with me….”

His words sounded like he was testing him, which made him a bit embarrassed. Gyowon turned toward Haeun with a face devoid of humor and answered.

“Seeing you discouraged because of those insults makes me a bit annoyed.”

“What?”

Haeun was caught off guard without realizing it. At most, he expected Gyowon to say something like it hurt his feelings in his characteristic joking manner, but when he expressed his annoyance with a blank expression, it made him feel stung even though he wasn’t the target.

As Haeun reflexively asked back, Gyowon questioned him.

“Do you care about those kinds of comments?”