When he first arrived in this world, he certainly resented the existence of parents who showed him no concern. But now, he truly felt nothing.
He had fans, he had members, he had a manager. Even a director he’d just met treated him so kindly.
Cheonghyeon was forging new, good connections here, and even if the figure of a father was absent, it no longer mattered much.
Honestly, hadn’t he barely seen his father even when he was in the Empire? Coming here had just made him realize how unrealistic his dreams had been.
“I don’t remember him anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Let’s go, hyung. We have to film.”
He turned lightly and headed toward the set.
All thoughts of Professor Gi had vanished, replaced by the synopsis he’d read earlier, filling his mind completely.
For someone accustomed only to hierarchical relationships, the image of a cool senior was quite difficult to conceptualize.
Someone higher in rank than the other party, yet not high-handed, with a warm image.
He walked toward the set, busily imagining the image of a cool senior in his mind.
“Hello.”
A woman spoke to him while he was reading the script. She was the new actress assigned to work with him.
He hesitated, unable to recall her name, but when she greeted him, the woman smiled brightly.
“I’m Yeonju. Shin Yeonju. I’m also the older sister of one of the extras who was shooting basketball with Mr. Cheonghyeon earlier this morning.”
Hearing that, a face overlapped in his mind. It was identical to the actor who had put his arm around his shoulder earlier.
Are all siblings like this? His half-brother Jeremy, who had ascended the throne, was completely different from him.
Isaac had bright blond hair, was shorter and much more slender than he was now, while Jeremy was incredibly tall with large, solid skeletal muscles.
Unlike Isaac’s face, which could easily be mistaken for a woman’s if he had long hair, Jeremy had an imposing presence that intimidated anyone.
Is it because they’re biological siblings that they look so much alike? Even though they were different genders, it felt like if that guy grew his hair long, he’d become this woman.
Finding that fascinating, he stared intently, causing Yeonju’s face to flush deeper and deeper.
“Well, it’s only natural you don’t remember. I heard from my brother earlier that there were four people in the photo together? Still, I heard you spoke with my brother…”
“Ah, no, it’s because you two look so much alike. Your brother’s name is Shin Dongyeon, right?”
“Ah, yes!”
Yeonju smiled brightly, looking genuinely happy. She seemed quite pleased that he remembered even her brother’s name.
“But what brings you here…?”
When Cheonghyeon looked at her, Yeonju flushed slightly and spoke. She had an ad-lib idea and was asking if he might be open to it.
“Of course, you can refuse. If you do refuse, I absolutely won’t hold it against you or say anything bad about you, Cheonghyeon, or write anything negative. That would be ridiculous. This is your solo ad, after all. I’m just asking, just in case. Really! If you say no, I’m totally fine with that.”
Hearing this, Cheonghyeon’s expression turned peculiar. Given her firm words, it felt odd that Cheonghyeon wouldn’t refuse.
Looking down, Yeonju was fidgeting, nervously tugging and releasing the hem of her skirt. Not entirely oblivious, he could roughly grasp the situation.
It was a solo commercial, but since it had a story, there was room for the supporting actors to get attention too. This brother and sister clearly wanted that.
Come to think of it, back at the basketball court, the younger brother had approached him with a flustered look, asking if it was okay to put his arm around his shoulder.
He hadn’t really wanted to get close while sweaty, but remembering that he’d nodded, thinking more varied shots would be good. They were siblings with tremendous passion.
When Cheonghyeon remained silent without a word, Yeonju’s face flushed even redder. Then, without being asked, she blurted out a rambling explanation.
“No, actually, thinking about it, I think I was the one who messed up. Since Cheonghyeon-ssi is the lead in the commercial, bringing this up in the first place could be a burden for him. Ah, why am I acting like this? Ever since I was little, I’ve heard so much about how I covet things that aren’t mine. This is just… typical of an actor, I guess…”
“What kind of ad-libs are we talking about?”
“Huh?”
“I’m just curious what you prepared. More options are better. The final choice will be up to the director and the advertiser anyway, so we just need to show as many scenes as possible.”
“Ah, ah. Yes! Just a moment. I wrote down a few things here.”
Cheonghyeon didn’t dislike seeing this brother and sister like this. Earlier, as she responded to the lines and motions thrown by that younger brother, she herself became more natural, and the director kept giving the okay sign. This shoot would probably be the same.
He understood that celebrities treated fans’ affection differently than a college student would treat a woman showing interest in him. But exactly how they differed remained vague.
Listening to others casually drop hints here and there, the memories grim reaper had given him naturally became internalized. And through people’s reactions, he could grasp the general feeling. If it benefited him, fine; it certainly didn’t hurt.
“Originally, the plan was for me to hand it to Mr. Cheonghyeon when he walked by with his friends, saying, ‘Here, senior, have this.’ But honestly, just handing a bottle of water to someone you like and admire feels weird. Coffee or juice would be different. So, I was thinking…”
Yeonju’s ad-lib idea sounded pretty good upon hearing it. It might be tough for the short library-scene ad, but for a 60-second ad on YouTube or similar platforms, it seemed quite promising.
“Alright. Let’s shoot it according to the synopsis first. I’ll discuss this with the director.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Yeonju disappeared, her face looking much more refreshed than when she first arrived.
Even if Cheonghyeon had agreed, it seemed the extra felt burdened discussing the ad-lib.
Fortunately, when Cheonghyeon offered to relay that to the director too, Yeonju looked considerably lighter.
“Oh, that’s fine? Well, yeah. Just handing a bottle of water to the senior you have a crush on and then disappearing is kinda funny. Let’s shoot it this way then. Sanghyeon! Gather the extras for a sec. I have something to tell them.”
A moment later, Yeonju heard the director repeat her own explanation word for word. As Yeonju’s lips curved into a slight smile while listening, Cheonghyeon also entered rehearsal with a lighter heart.
“Alright. The long-awaited library scene. Let’s shoot this quickly and get out of here!”
“Yes!”
The production crew shouted in unison, full of determination.
“Camera rolling. Ready, action!”
Yeonju sat at the desk, nodding off. Her head swayed before springing back up with a start, looking quite realistic as if she were truly dozing off. At the director’s nod, Cheonghyeon approached Yeonju holding a bottle of Cheongsan Water.
Moments later, the screen captured the Cheongsan Water, then zoomed in on the post-it note’s message.
Drink this when you’re sleepy 🙂
“Who left this?” she wondered, glancing around. The next shot showed Cheonghyeon and her friends opening the library door and stepping out.
“If you’re sleepy, you should drink coffee. Why are you drinking water?”
The camera director zoomed in on Cheonghyeon, who chuckled softly, capturing him in a close-up. As his flawless skin, without a single pore visible, and his crystal-clear eyes filled the screen, the production crew found themselves gaping in awe.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because it’s so refreshing, but drinking this wakes me right up.”
As he took a refreshing gulp, as if to say it truly was refreshing water, the manager watching him swallowed hard.
Perhaps because the entire building was heated, he felt inexplicably thirsty. He wanted a cool sip of water right away.
With Cheonghyeon’s final, bright smile, the director gave a hearty “Cut!” It was a successful wrap.
“Ugh. Where did we even film without borrowing a big company’s space? Tired? Let’s head back to the hotel.”
The shoot that started in the morning finally ended at night. While the photos for each ad weren’t that long to shoot, having three different concepts meant moving locations three times, which was quite exhausting.
“Yeah. Let’s hurry home.”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you coming?”
“No! Of course I’m coming. Today, I’ll show you what a real road hog is. Did you buckle up?”
Cheonghyeon probably didn’t realize it, but this was the first time he’d ever called the lodging “home.” That fact made the manager incredibly happy. Ever since filming My Home, My Purchase, Cheonghyeon had subtly hinted at wanting independence.
Of course, he’d move out once his contract ended this year, but still, it was a place he’d lived for six years. Seeing him draw a line and become distant was heartbreaking.
But seeing him call the lodging “home” just a few days later made his heart flutter for no reason.
It felt like finally getting a cat that had been wary even after days of feeding to rub its face against his hand.
It had been a tiring day for Changsik too, following Cheonghyeon around during filming, but that one phrase gave him new energy.
Vroom! The engine starting up smoothly felt like it perfectly expressed his own feelings.
Even in the dead of night, the streets sparkled with neon signs. The car stopped in front of the convenience store near the lodging.
“Cheonghyeon, wait here for a moment. I’ll just pop into the convenience store and be right back.”
“Then can I go for a walk before coming in? You go to the convenience store and come straight home. I’ll walk around here a bit before coming in.”
“Are you sure? Aren’t you tired? And what time is it anyway…”
“Like I’m a kid.”
The words “You really are a child” rose to the tip of his tongue, but Changsik held them back with superhuman effort. Cheonghyeon was, after all, a grown man who had served in the military, but lately, he seemed like a child left by the water’s edge.
Whether it was due to losing his memory after the accident or not, these days Cheonghyeon strangely lacked a sense of reality and had poor social skills.
In truth, lacking social skills was a common trait among most celebrities. Having been fawned over for so long, with even simple tasks like buying things handled by managers or assistants, they tended to develop poor social skills. This was especially true for those who debuted young, like Cheonghyeon.
But Cheonghyeon, perhaps due to his memory loss, seemed detached from reality in every aspect. Judging by his actions alone, he resembled a third-generation chaebol heir more than a celebrity.
He lacked sensitivity to the behavior patterns of ordinary people, as if he’d only learned about commoners’ lives from books.
His unique innocence, born of a privileged upbringing, and his deficient grasp of reality caused Changsik considerable worry.
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