T/N: Sorry for the delay! I don’t have a schedule, but I’ll do my best!
Heewook’s eyes flew wide and he froze. Kyungseo moved his lips as if to explain something, then let out a short sigh.
“The title and the lyrics aren’t bright either.”
“Uh, right…”
It was true. The music itself was lively, but it definitely wasn’t a song that felt purely cheerful.
In the neatly written song blurb, it said it was “a song about no longer being interfered with or hurt by anyone and doggedly following only my own choices,” and, between the meaningless words meant to hype people up, there were lyrics with a lonely mood.
But it wasn’t a song sad enough to move someone to tears.
It was just that the situation of not having been able to release another album since then was sad. Heewook quietly bit his lower lip.
“That’s true.”
Kyungseo probably hadn’t said it with their situation at the time in mind, yet the song suddenly felt all the sadder.
“You think this is sad? I just think it’s exciting. You really are odd.”
Woojin muttered. Kyungseo closed his eyes without replying. Since it was a long trip to Busan, he seemed to be trying to sleep.
Heewook likewise lowered his eyelids and relaxed his body.
After Two Planet’s song, the radio played several tracks in a row. There were Korean songs and songs in foreign languages. Gradually both the music and the occasional bits of speech grew distant. At some point, Heewook was sucked into a deep sleep.
Familiar singing and a noisy clatter echoed dully in his ears.
He lifted his head and looked around. It was a music show waiting room. They had returned from the dry rehearsal, and now they had to change outfits for the camera rehearsal.
Staff members carrying big boxes came in among the busy members and stacked them near the wall. Heewook went over and looked through them one by one.
Each box had a member’s name written on it. The two characters “Heewook,” written alongside a red heart, filled his vision. When he opened the box, he saw lunch boxes packed with appetizing food, snack boxes, and a card attached to the lid.
Heewook opened the card. Inside, scented with a sweet fragrance, was a short message written directly by a fan.
[Eat well, keep up your strength, and do great on stage! I’m cheering you on today too. My star!]
A yellow star sticker was stuck to the upper corner of the card.
“Star…”
He traced the star, which felt as if it were floating in midair, with his thumb. The prickly tips somehow felt like a fluffy cloud. He was frowning and feeling it some more when—
“Wake up.”
A strange man’s voice sounded. Puzzled, Heewook moved his head side to side and looked around. The manager and the other staff were gone, as were the members who had been hastily changing into stage outfits.
The waiting room, emptied of all signs of people, was quiet. He was staring blankly at the space where silence flowed when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
“Ack!”
Startled, Heewook opened his eyes. He couldn’t immediately grasp what was going on. More than anything, it was because an incredibly handsome face was leaning in close.
“What’s wrong?”
Thick, long eyelashes, a dot right under the eye. Eyes black as the abyss.
Staring blankly into those eyes, Heewook answered, dazed.
“Support…”
“What support?”
Kyungseo furrowed his brow.
“Huh?”
While he was completely groggy, a cool cologne scent rushed in. Only then did he understand the situation.
This was actor Cheon Kyungseo’s van, and the man, having gone out of his way to be kind by giving a ride to the rookie actor who had just zonked out in the back, was now looking at his face.
Because Kyungseo had his hand on the seat back and was leaning in, they were close enough that Heewook could faintly feel his breath. For no reason, heat rose to his face.
Coming to his senses, Heewook jerked upright.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Heewook hyung, we’ve arrived! You need to get out.”
He could also hear Eunseong’s voice from outside the car. Realizing he’d been mumbling nonsense half-asleep, Heewook felt his blood run cold.
“I’ll get out. Sorry. I nodded off.”
When Heewook unbuckled and sat up, Kyungseo shifted aside. Quietly rubbing the back of his own neck, eyes averted, Kyungseo asked,
“What… Did you dream you were getting support?”
“Ah, uh…”
Heewook gave an embarrassed laugh.
“Maybe because I fell asleep listening to our song.”
“What kind of support do idols get?”
He tossed the words into the air offhandedly. Heewook slid his gaze toward him and looked.
“Designer gifts on birthdays, that kind of thing? Or lunch boxes?”
“In the dream it was lunchbox support.”
He’d thought he wouldn’t know anything, but apparently, he knew quite well what gifts idols received from fans. He quickly got out of the van and shut the door.
Leaning against the car, Kyungseo stared fixedly at Heewook.
“Did you like getting things like that?”
“Of course I liked it. I was grateful.”
“…Did it give you strength?”
Manager Woojin called to them from up ahead.
As they walked together, Kyungseo asked in a low voice. Heewook let out a wry chuckle. He had even decorated his room with ribbons to hold onto that sun-like energy he’d received, so the answer was obvious.
He recalled the star sticker he had touched in the dream. He hadn’t felt the texture since it was a dream, but the shape—and the word “star” the fan had written—were vivid. At fan sign events, many fans had told him that straight out. That he was their star.
“A lot. They cheer me on. They even use the word ‘star,’ no less.”
It’s too much, he muttered under his breath.
“To fans, idols are beings up in the sky.”
Kyungseo replied indifferently. It was somehow funny that he specifically said “idol.” He himself was a being in the sky. And he held that place steadily.
In an instant, Heewook felt himself sink. Even with his feet on the ground, it was as if he were dropping straight down underground.
“Since the star… fell, I feel ashamed toward the fans.”
Murmuring as he passed by Kyungseo, Heewook deliberately lengthened his stride.
He didn’t want it to show that he felt slammed down under the floor. His position as a fallen star suddenly felt shameful.
“Was I ever really a star to begin with?” Clenching his molars, he asked himself.
Just then, his arm swept backward. At the same time, warmth spread to his wrist. Startled, he turned back to find Kyungseo standing there, holding his wrist.
“W-why?”
Startled, he stammered out the question. Lips pressed tight, Kyungseo stared at him. He was so tall that to meet Heewook’s eyes, he had to lower his head. When he inclined his head forward, a shadow fell over his face.
After a brief silence with that dark expression, Kyungseo jerked his chin and pointed to the side.
“The lodging isn’t that way. We have to go this way.”
“Ah! Sorry.”
It was embarrassing to have walked off so confidently without even knowing.
When he turned in the right direction, Kyungseo naturally let go of his hand. Woojin and Eunseong were already moving ahead.
Awkwardly matching his pace to Kyungseo’s, Heewook stole a glance at his expression.
“…”
Kyungseo still had a gloomy look. Finding it odd that he didn’t seem in a good mood, Heewook looked at him, puzzled.
It looked strange… almost as if he were bothered by what I’d said.
The next day.
“Concert scene.”
Heewook looked once at the script and once at the auditorium.
Today’s filming location was the Grand Ballroom at a convention center in Busan. They said it was often used as a concert hall, but perhaps because the equipment hadn’t been set up yet, it just looked like a spacious, large auditorium. He had heard they would be shooting the concert scene here.
“Isn’t this from the very end of the drama?”
“Right. But the venue rental is only for today. We have to finish all the cuts shot at this location today.”
At the FD’s words, Heewook carefully skimmed the script. He had no lines in today’s scenes.
[Heewook (cheers).]
That was all.
“The background performers will come in later. Let’s do a good job acting as audience members who came with tickets from a friend!”
With an awkward smile, Heewook nodded.
They said he could have free time until his call time. On the schedule he’d received beforehand, his call time was 5 p.m. It was 9 a.m. now—enough time to go back to the lodging and catch a nap.
But Kyungseo and Eunseong’s filming would start soon. When he asked if it would be okay to watch the shoot, the FD nodded as if to say of course.
Rather than wasting the time sleeping at the lodging, he decided he would get more out of seeing the situation on set. Walking along the wall, he approached near the stage. On the stage, four actors were standing and talking.
The lead, Cheon Kyungseo, and the three actors playing his group members.
Since it was a performance scene, they were all dressed more flashily than usual. He’d heard every stage outfit had been custom-made by a famous designer. They looked like the main looks from a popular idol’s music video.
Coming up behind where the actors’ staff were gathered, Heewook gazed at the stage.
For Heewook, this current view from below the stage felt more awkward. The views he had looked down on from atop the stage were still vivid. He took a deep breath. Inside his body felt hollow, empty.
“We’ll test the lights.”
A white pin spotlight fell onto the stage.
“Kyungseo, try standing in the center.”
“Okay.”
The three stepped back and Kyungseo walked forward. White light shone down on Kyungseo as he stood in the center of the stage. Bewitched, Heewook watched him standing there.
The lighting director turned off the white light, then turned on a yellow light. Next came blue light. Colors familiar even to Heewook poured over the stage one after another.
“Please say hello to the behind-the-scenes camera.”
Just then, a cameraman who had come right up next to Heewook shouted.
Kyungseo, who had been staring straight ahead with a blank face, slowly turned his head. He seemed to look at the cameraman, then subtly shifted his gaze.
Kyungseo looked at Heewook. Their eyes met.
“We’ll test the last lighting color!”
In that instant, the lighting turned red. In Heewook’s eyes, both Kyungseo—and Kyungseo reflected in Heewook’s pupils—turned scarlet.
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