Episode 57

 

Do you care about those kinds of comments? It was a question I didn’t know how to answer.

Haeun felt he needed to be careful in responding for the first time in a while. It was similar to the feeling he had when playing “U-Idol” for the first time, at crucial moments when one dialogue choice could branch the ending. 

Feeling this way toward Kim Gyowon, who was probably a hidden character he’d never even seen during him playthrough, made his pride as an experienced “U-Idol” player surge.

After contemplating briefly, Haeun quickly dismissed his concerns. It wasn’t like choosing from predetermined answers when playing mobile games, so overthinking wouldn’t get him any closer to the right answer.

“I’m a bit sensitive these days..”

Haeun answered casually, as if joking. He expected him to laugh lightly at his response, but Gyowon just stared at him with an expressionless face. The atmosphere felt somehow subtle.

There was no notification that his favorability had increased or decreased. If this were an important choice in a game, had he chosen correctly or incorrectly? Given the absence of any notification, perhaps his answer was neither good nor bad.

After staring at Haeun with that peculiar gaze for a moment, Gyowon finally spoke.

“Anyway, those kinds of comments get many more dislikes than likes.”

“Did you see the news too, sunbaenim?”

After showing an inexplicable expression that made Haeun hesitate, his actual words turned out to be nothing special. But his nuance sounded less like a mere guess and more like he had seen it personally, so Haeun asked directly. Gyowon answered without denying it.

“Since you mentioned that an article came out… it came to mind.”

This also sounded somehow strange, but if he asked what exactly was strange about it, he couldn’t pinpoint it clearly. Haeun shrugged as if to make light of the situation.

“I thought actors of your caliber would be really busy, but I guess that’s not always the case.”

“Why? Because I looked up stories about you?”

He had just said he read the article because it came to mind, but now his words shifted in this direction. Haeun looked at him with a slightly disgruntled face. He continued speaking calmly.

“Is this about meddling again? Seems like I made a wrong first impression.” “Not necessarily just the first impression.”

Unlike his cynical exterior that suggested he wouldn’t care about others’ business, he was unexpectedly attentive to other people’s matters. Haeun couldn’t help thinking he was more meddlesome than he appeared. But feeling it would seem pointless to explain this in detail, he kept quiet.

Gyowon leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and propping his chin on his hands.

‘This isn’t a commercial shoot, why are you posing?’

Haeun was about to joke like this but quickly closed his mouth. It might accidentally sound like he thought Kim Gyowon looked as impressive as when he was shooting commercials.

Since Kim Gyowon was considerably taller than Haeun, even his seated height was tall. But with him lowering his head and resting his chin on his hands, the angle naturally made him look up at Haeun. 

It seemed like for the first time he was looking down at Kim Gyowon. The awkwardness was amplified by that inscrutable gaze of his. But given Haeun’s personality, averting his eyes in such a situation was unacceptable.

After a meaningless exchange of glances, Gyowon spoke.

“If I were really that meddlesome, wouldn’t I have already taken in all sorts of pitiful kids and been living with them? Taking them on variety shows every day?”

“……”

Haeun glared at him silently. Then, before Gyowon could say anything else, he spoke first.

“…Do you save your pickup lines for when you’re off the clock?”

He had intended to end with “don’t you?” but feeling his tone might be too rude even toward Gyowon, he hastily changed it. As a result, his phrasing became even more awkward, but the meaning should have been conveyed.

Gyowon’s eyes widened slightly. He looked surprised at what Haeun had spoken. 

While saying it, Haeun had secretly worried what he would do if he quickly agreed, but seeing this reaction was somewhat reassuring. After composing his expression, Gyowon spoke in a perplexed tone.

“Talking about being off the clock… Is it okay for an idol to talk like that?”

“It’s not like anyone else is listening anyway.”

That was true. 

Sitting side by side in chairs on the set should have drawn attention, but the staff and the few actors who arrived early only glanced at them occasionally without approaching or starting a conversation. 

Given how noisy the set was, there was no way anyone could hear their quiet conversation from that distance. Was everyone subtly giving them space because Kim Gyowon was sitting there?

Certainly, if not for the incident in the bathroom, or if Gyowon hadn’t approached him first afterward, Haeun himself wouldn’t have been able to act this comfortably. 

Even though he needed to raise his likability score and might have flirted a bit, he probably wouldn’t have approached him on his own. In Haeun’s case, his annoyance was a bigger factor, but the fact that Kim Gyowon was intimidating also played a role.

Anyway, if Gyowon was the only one listening, it shouldn’t matter if he spoke casually. In response to Haeun’s answer, Gyowon smiled and said without much else:

“Did that sound like I was hitting on you?”

His voice carried a tone of curiosity. It was a hundred times better than confirming he was actually hitting on her. Haeun answered calmly.

“You meant you’d take just me around instead of all sorts of pitiful kids, right? What is that if not a pickup line?”

Facing the smiling Gyowon, Haeun furrowed his brow. He was already on edge, feeling like he’d entered a BL game, and he didn’t want to hear unnecessary comments that would make him wary of him.

“I guess it’s because you’re a romance actor so those things have become second nature to you, but when I hear stuff like that, it gives me the creeps. Please be more mindful in the future.”

“All right. I’ll be mindful, so you stop paying attention to what others say.”

“See, there you go again…”

“Another line like a romance actor.” 

Just as he was about to narrow his eyes and rebuke him, Gyowon raised both hands as if surrendering.

“Alright. If you’re going to continue being a celebrity, don’t waste your energy responding to every ignorant comment people make. Is that better?”

Haeun shrugged dramatically. In response to his silent answer, Gyowon made a somewhat unconvinced, sad expression.

“Why does it feel like Haeun is only this cold to me? In front of others, you cry well, act coy well, and have such a friendly concept.”

Now it was Haeun’s turn to be bewildered. If he spoke like this, he had plenty of ways to argue back. Haeun responded as if it were obvious.

“Even if I try hard to act nice, you don’t like it anyway, right?”

When he had tried his best to be friendly, Gyowon was the one whose favorability score dropped as soon as he greeted him. Since he seemed to enjoy it more when he abandoned his act of being nice like Park Ha and moved freely, there was no reason to make the effort.

“I’m actually doing my best to accommodate you, sunbaenim.”

Haeun said shamelessly, without any guilt. Gyowon erased the sad expression he had been putting on until just now, and his face changed to that familiar look of amusement. 

Since he only made that face when he was being teasingly unpleasant, wasn’t it natural for Haeun to treat him according to his true nature?

“This makes me feel like I should be the one feeling wronged…”

“What did you say?”

When he asked about his mumbling, Gyowon shook his head as if it were nothing. It was annoying how he was being deliberately vague and then trying to divert his curiosity.

“No, never mind. Let’s take the photo now.”

His next statement was equally absurd. There’s a limit to changing topics, but this had no connection whatsoever to what they had been discussing just moments ago.

Haeun looked at him with bewilderment, but Gyowon was already taking out his phone without paying any attention to Haeun.

“Are you good at taking selfies?”

“Why do you keep talking about photos?”

“Aren’t idols usually good at it?”

Seeing how he just said whatever he wanted regardless of what he asked, Haeun quickly gave up on getting proper answers. It was easier to just accept that he was the type of person whose conversation topics changed rapidly.

“My photo skills have deteriorated lately.”

Haeun responded casually. More precisely, it was because his body’s owner had changed, so he couldn’t properly utilize the skills the original had, but he couldn’t exactly say that. 

However, claiming he was never good at taking photos would sound like a lie since there were plenty of selfies taken by Park Ha before the body swap.

Gyowon apparently didn’t care who took the photos from the beginning. As soon as Haeun finished speaking, he said, “Then I’ll have to take them,” and raised his phone.

“Wait… Sunbaenim, you’re using the default camera app?”

“Of course?”

Haeun was taken aback when he saw Gyo-won immediately open the default camera app. Since the diligent Ilhyun, the twisted Junwoo, and even the temperamental Seongjae all had at least one specialized selfie app installed like proper idols, it was disconcerting to see Gyowon, an entertainer, confidently open the default camera. 

Haeun was at a loss for words at his questioning look, as if he couldn’t understand his surprise, and he stared at his large smartphone screen.

…Looking at Kim Gyowon’s face reflected on the screen, he could somewhat understand why he didn’t bother with selfie apps. For Haeun, who was diligently practicing taking selfies by changing filters in response to his members’ teasing about why he suddenly couldn’t take good photos, this situation felt extremely irritating.

“I’ll never take photos without MyLike!” 

Despite Haeun’s resistance, Gyowon reluctantly installed the app. While Haeun tilted his head this way and that, trying different V-sign angles, Gyowon glanced at him and abruptly spoke.

“Move closer.”

“What?”

“No, just lean on me.”

After saying this, Gyowon didn’t give him time to react. He simply wrapped his hand around the side of Haeun’s head and pulled him toward himself. Finding himself suddenly leaning against Gyo-won’s shoulder as several photos were taken in succession, Haeun burst out angrily.

“Ah, my face looks all squished!”

“It’s cute though. Should I post it?”

Again, he didn’t give him any time to respond. He immediately opened Instagram, attached the photo he’d just taken without any editing, and uploaded it with a lazy emoji. By the time Haeun screamed and reached for his phone, it was already too late.

gyowon_ ☑ 

???? 

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