Of course, as an entertainer, Kwon Seonghyun smiles a lot.
Even so, it felt like ages since anyone had seen a smile that came this deeply from his heart.
That alone was astonishing, but the more surprising part was his companion:Yeonwoo.
“I told you, I don’t need any. Your fans prepared this, so you should drink up, Kwon Seonghyun-ssi.”
Imagine saying that to none other than Kwon Seonghyun.
Yet the great man himself only looked mildly put out.
“No, really! They brought enough for everyone on the crew.”
“Th-that’s right! Their mint-choco frappés are legitimately amazing—please, at least try one!”
Vice-president 1, who used to insist that mint chocolate was nothing but edible toothpaste, an insult to the tongue, now pushed it, stressing how delicious it was.
“I’ll pass. There’s no need for me—”
“Yeonwoo-ssi. Will you please just try one?”
At that moment the admins swore they saw two huge puppy ears flap above Seonghyun’s head and a tail wagging like crazy.
He looked exactly like a big dog waiting for its master’s approval.
Has Seonghyun-nim, after mastering acting, now become a virtuoso of animal roles too?!
Sigh…
Yeonwoo glanced toward the space above Seonghyun’s head, then reluctantly accepted the mint-choco frappé.
“You two… you must really be close.”
Vice-president 2 broke the silence, unable to believe her eyes.
“Really? Do we look close?”
Seonghyun beamed.
Vice-president 2 later said that single smile nearly triggered her arrhythmia.
“Yes! Extremely!”
Barely revived from the brink, she answered with gusto.
“Ah, thank goodness. At least it looks that way.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I feel like I’m the only one who likes Yeonwoo-ssi this much.”
Every gaze shifted to Yeonwoo.
“Keep it in moderation, will you? When you can’t moderate, I have to rein you in.”
“How do I ‘moderate’ when it’s Yeonwoo-ssi we’re talking about?”
The three admins had only one thing to say:
“Wow… You two really are close.”
Never before had Kwon Seonghyun shown such open affection and never had anyone scolded him back without hesitation.
He was surrounded by good people, sure… but also by a truckload of people after his crumbs.
Yet here…
President… what is happening?
Mm. The vibe is not what we expected.
I felt something odd from the start. Director Heo, all the staff…
The admins, long accustomed to non-verbal communication, exchanged looks.
Seonghyun’s praise for Yeonwoo kept coming:
“Yeonwoo-ssi is helping you rehearse?”
“Not helping. Just showing him things.”
“Isn’t that the same?”
“No.”
His replies were cool like a blade slicing clean.
“He refuses whatever I suggest. Won’t go eat, won’t go anywhere together…”
“Because of all the weird people hanging around, that’s why.”
“They’re useful contacts if you get to know them.”
“No thanks.”
He shrugged, as if the idea of networking bored him to death.
Yet whenever Seonghyun seemed genuinely crestfallen…
“You don’t need those people. Isn’t it enough to have Kwon Seonghyun-ssi right here?”
He always knew how to mollify him so naturally.
After all, Kwon Seonghyun was a splendid source of life energy.
Such an excellent straw—no, an excellent human. Can’t risk putting him in a bad mood.
But agreeing to every request was another matter.
Seonghyun tossed out lifespan like candy and clearing stray thoughts on set earned extra life bonuses.
It’s okay. Stroke him gently and use him prudently.
Trouble was, others didn’t hear Yeonwoo’s words that way.
That’s no rookie attitude.
Look at that push-and-pull. He’s got serious handler vibes.
If he can toy with Seonghyun-nim like that, this sprout is… something else.
Perhaps that was why the admins never quite recovered their composure, even as Yeonwoo and Seonghyun walked away laden with mint-choco frappés.
“Ugh, my head’s still spinning.”
“I nearly fainted. Thought I’d grown immune after getting used to Seonghyun-nim…”
“You can survive one aura. Two is… whew.”
“Two is a bit much, right?”
People say real-life celebrities shine with a halo.
Seeing one in person is worlds apart from seeing them on TV.
Kwon Seonghyun sat atop that world and yet, beside him, Yeonwoo looked different even to their jaded eyes.
“I knew when you two scampered off with him.”
“President, you were worse than us.”
“What could I do? He was even more overwhelming than our first time meeting Seonghyun-nim.”
“Same for us.”
They sighed in unison.
“Honestly, I noticed from the photo. If he wasn’t overshadowed there, seeing him walk up blew me away. He’s even more striking in person.”
“And he didn’t seem to have a bad personality.”
“Not bad, just detached. I’ve never seen Seonghyun-nim act like that.”
“Still, he didn’t look like someone using Seonghyun-nim, did he?”
“Feels more like Seonghyun-nim’s the clingy one, President.”
“Right. If anything, the guy seemed mildly annoyed.”
“You felt that too, President?”
“You as well?”
They all nodded.
The fleeting image of puppy ears still lingered vividly.
“Seonghyun-nim seemed happy, though.”
“Yeah. Zero business vibe… just the warmth close friends share.”
“Exactly. That’s why I like it. Someone like him has trouble keeping people close. It’s a relief he’s found one more.”
Again, unanimous nods.
“So, we agree he’s not exploiting him.”
“If anything, Seonghyun-nim’s the one desperate to do more. Our actor is kind, but no pushover. He wouldn’t act that way if it were exploitation.”
“Makes more sense to say he ‘discovered a rookie.’”
“Right? Only, for a rookie they’re awfully familiar.”
“Maybe he really isthe ‘little brother’ he says.”
Vice-president 2 shrugged.
“Then… nothing’s holding us back?”
Silence and then:
“I’m in favor.”
“Me, too.”
“Count me in.”
Three admins exchanged looks of determination.
“This sapling has potential, Seonghyun-nim is investing in him, the face is top-tier, the character doesn’t seem bad, and he doesn’t look the type to change overnight,” Vice-president 1 summed up.
“Director said behind-the-scenes footage will air soon. Once the public sees it, they’ll understand. If the acting’s solid, we’re golden,” Vice-president 2 added.
“We lay a velvet road before Seonghyun-nim. It’s what we do. All clear?” the president asked.
Two nods.
“Seonghyun-nim’s will is our will. And with all three in agreement… ‘that’ is what we’ll do.”
“We can’t let anyone else steal his pick.”
That very night, eyes blazing, they posted a new thread on the fan page:
[New Face (feat. Seonghyun-nim’s Insta) — In-Person Fan Account.jyp]
Quiet yet powerful. It was the start of a legendary eyewitness report.
Since landing the Grim Reaper role, scenes postponed by Lee Deok-chun’s awful acting resumed in earnest.
New scenes were added; others had to be reshot, so the cast and crew were busy from morning on.
“Yeonwoo-ssi, have you seen this?”
Seonghyun approached Yeonwoo, who had been dragged straight to makeup on arrival.
“What is it?”
“This. A post on my fan page.”
Smiling brightly, he held out his phone.
Yeonwoo took it automatically and froze.
[New Face (feat. Seonghyun-nim’s Insta) — In-Person Fan Account.jyp]
What on earth?
“What is this?”
“Read it.”
Still smiling, Seonghyun waited.
I’ve got a bad feeling, Yeonwoo thought.
It was only a single thread, so why did it feel so ominous?
Reluctantly, he tapped.
[Admin here. On X-month X-day, yesterday, we visited the “Dear My Ghost” set with a coffee-truck support. The subject line is in casual speech to convey raw emotion. Please forgive us.
Straight to the report.
(photo)(photo)(photo)
Do you see? The Instagram shot that shocked us all. Rumors flew: it was staged, Photoshopped, deep-faked…
We, the admins, took these pictures ourselves to silence every doubt. Take a deep breath if you must.
Yes, there was no trickery in Seonghyun-nim’s post.]
“…”
Yeonwoo flipped the phone face-down.
Why is my photo there?
He remembered the three self-proclaimed fans snapping away yesterday.
—Let’s take some photos together for the fans, Yeonwoo-ssi.
[Harvestable lifespan: +7 days]
If not for the lifespan floating overhead, he’d never have agreed.
He’d thought: I’ll be caught on camera everywhere anyway, so why not?
He’d felt no particular reluctance. A camera test would have been impossible otherwise.
And he got free lifespan to boot.
He’d never imagined this use.
“They’re all compliments, right? I told you nothing would go wrong.”
Come to think of it, both Seonghyun and Writer Min had called yesterday “a test.”
“My people, my fans, are pretty demanding. But look, not a single harsh word about you.”
Indeed, the post brimmed with favor, not dislike.
Yet the talk of needing to “raise” him, calling him a golden sapling…
Why does everyone think they need to raise me? I’ll grow on my own.
And then:
Comrades, trusting Seonghyun-nim’s taste, we the admins declare: we can safely STAN this budding sprout!
Stan?
Were they selling his eyeballs? The thought sent a chill up his spine.
Clearly, this was all Kwon Seonghyun’s fault.
“…”
His brows knit instinctively only for the makeup artist to scold him:
“Don’t frown! Your skin’s so pale, the foundation’s light… wrinkle it and it’ll crease. Cameras are unforgiving. A handsome face should look its best, not its worst.”
“So… you took me there on purpose yesterday?”
“Yes. I knew they’d fall for you. My prediction was right. And I wanted you to see something too.”
“See what?”
“My certainty.”
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