TRWBU Ch 4

PR by neji

The wind was cold today. As it brushed against her skin, HaYeon grabbed her coat tighter against her chest as she lifted her head.

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The autumn sky was still so blue, but the world felt like winter. The season passed without a sound.

I wish time would just stop.

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As HaYeon thought this, her phone began to ring. It was from her agency.

“Hello?”

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– You’re on your way, right? I’m sorry that we couldn’t go pick you up today.

“It’s okay.”

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– Call me if you run into a problem. You can’t be late, but you already know that, right? That director may seem like he has a good personality, but he absolutely hates it when people are tardy.

Her agency CEO spoke nervously. As if he’d recognized that she wanted to just run away and escape the booking.

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“Don’t worry, sir. I’m on my way now.”

– Alright. I’ll leave it to you. Call me when you’re done with the shoot.

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“Okay.”

– Good luck.

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After ending the call, HaYeon looked up at the sky before putting her cell phone deep into her pockets. Then she began to walk again.

As she drove to the studio, she was overcome by an intense migraine, so she stopped by a pharmacy and purchased some medicine. After taking a few capsules, she walked into the set. As she greeted the staff, she turned around when she felt an intense gaze on her back.

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The male actor who was set to participate in today’s photoshoot was standing behind her.

He was tall, as if he were a model. His long limbs, his stiff posture, his sharp eyes and nose. She knew very well how different that face looked when it smiled. She could clearly see that face even if her eyes were closed. She might have even seen that face as often as she’d seen her own.

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When she saw Taewan, the throbbing pain in her head went away. It was as if her headache had been a warning sign of this impending meeting. Then, as if it were all a joke, it faded away as soon as she saw him. The irony of it all. She wanted to laugh, but she remained frozen in place.

One month had passed since she’d last seen Taewan. Because the celebrity world was small and wide at the same time, she always felt that she’d meet him again someday. But she never expected to meet him so soon. For the past ten years, their schedules had never crossed.

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She felt like taking on more work, so she asked her agency CEO to pack her schedule. It didn’t matter who or what it was. She never asked for any details, kept her mouth shut, and did the work. This booking had been the same.

She was merely told it would be a photoshoot for a magazine. She didn’t check to see who she would be working with. That was her mistake. She never expected to be doing a photoshoot for a magazine with Kang Taewan.

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“It’s your first time meeting Kang Taewan-ssi, right?”

The director approached her and spoke up. Unable to answer, HaYeon merely smiled. The director guided HaYeon to Taewan.

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Taewan’s eyes landed on HaYeon’s face. HaYeon took a moment before raising her head to look at him. When their eyes met, Kang Taewan’s eyes slightly narrowed. He had known that she’d be coming all along.

“…Hello.”

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Unable to endure the silence, HaYeon greeted him first. Taewan merely replied with, ‘Hello.’ These were the first words they had said to each other in a month.

During the stretch of silence, Taewan’s eyes didn’t blink once as he gazed at her. Unable to take it anymore, HaYeon turned her eyes away from him.

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“You should get ready.”

Suddenly, a staff member approached them.

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“Alright.”

Thanks to the staff member, HaYeon was guided to the preparation room. She could feel Taewan’s eyes on her back, but she pretended not to notice.

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As the female staff members prepared HaYeon for the photoshoot, they wouldn’t stop talking about Kang Taewan.

“Now that I’ve seen him in real life, he’s really handsome.”

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“I know, right? I actually think the camera doesn’t do him justice.”

“Just now, I asked him if we could take a selfie together, and he readily agreed.”

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“Omo, the director told us that taking pictures wasn’t allowed…”

“We took it in secret.”

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“How nice. I should have done it in secret too.”

As the staff’s words circled around her, HaYeon silently listened. They began to talk about the drama he was shooting right now.

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Even though she had left him, he was continuing his life as if nothing had changed. Although it was to be expected, HaYeon’s heart sank.

“What about you, HaYeon-ssi? Do you like Kang Taewan-ssi?”

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The stylist touched her hair as she asked in an excited voice.

Do I like him…

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She wondered how deep of an emotion the word entailed. She wanted to ask if to ‘like’ someone included being unable to get a wink of sleep at night as she lay in bed, her heart in pain.

Because she wasn’t able to find the right word for it, HaYeon merely gave her a smile. Taking her smile as an affirmative answer, the stylist continued to talk about matters regarding Kang Taewan.

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What drama he was currently shooting, what he was doing. Her face went red as she revealed that she had been a long-time fan of his. She even expressed her worries about him. Apparently, he had grown a lot thinner lately.

Had he lost weight? She couldn’t remember. When their eyes met, she felt her body grow stiff.

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After she was finished, HaYeon exited the preparation room. She could see Taewan standing underneath the lights. He had already been looking at her, and their eyes met.

As she walked over to him, his eyes never left her. What if the staff members thought something was amiss? His gaze was so obvious that HaYeon couldn’t help but worry.

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HaYeon stopped when she was by his side.

“Okay, stand a little closer together. We’re going with a sexy look today. Why don’t you begin by taking any pose you’d like.”

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At the director’s words, HaYeon was just about to relax her stiff body when she suddenly felt someone walk up behind her and place his hand on her hips. She didn’t have to turn her head to know that it was Taewan’s hand. He sat down on the wooden boxes that were laid out as props.

Tap.

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His forehead rested on her shoulder.

It wasn’t heavy, but it was enough for her to know that it was there.

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HaYeon felt a bit dizzy.

He would always lean against her like this whenever he was going through something difficult. After his grandmother’s wake had ended. The time his role had been taken away from him for no reason.

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He would lean on her like this and let out a deep sigh. Then he’d lift his head and give her a bright smile and say, ‘Charge complete.’

Every time he did this, she would stretch out her hand and gently stroke his hair. She’d look into his eyes for a long time before pressing her lips against his. Because she wanted to share her warmth with him instead of giving him words of comfort. What they both needed was more warmth.

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As if he knew, he would cling onto her. HaYeon would stagger back and tightly embrace him. Then he’d plunge even deeper inside. As if she were his only source of rest. Even if it was too overwhelming, she’d continue to receive his embraces for as long as he needed it.

The feel of his skin, the brush of his breath, his heart wrenching touch…

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Throb.

As the memories faded away, her migraine returned. She realized that she had stepped on a shard of glass that Jiyoon had been talking about.

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“Kang Taewan-ssi, you look good, but raise your head in that position. You need to show us your face.”

The director spoke up, unable to keep silent any longer. Taewan reluctantly lifted his head.

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“HaYeon-ssi, please make your pose look a little more natural.”

After hearing the director’s comment, HaYeon finally relaxed her pose. She wound her arm around Taewan’s shoulder. Although she’d touched him many times before, it felt as if she were touching him for the first time. Her fingertips were tense. Suddenly, Taewan burrowed even deeper into her embrace.

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“Mm, everything’s good, but… Taewan-ssi, what’s wrong with your expression?”

The director tilted his head.

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“How should I put it… It’s too sad. Spring is coming, but you look too grave.”

A few staff members grinned at the director’s words. However, HaYeon and Taewan didn’t crack a smile.

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Click.

The sound of the camera filled the silent set. Throughout the entire photoshoot, Taewan didn’t let go of her once. Whenever HaYeon tried to put some distance between them, he would lean towards her.

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After a few more shots, Taewan grabbed HaYeon and spun her around. They were now face to face. She saw his face come closer to hers.

Taewan stretched out his arms and placed them on her shoulders. Then he leaned his forehead against hers. The female staff members brought their hands to their lips at his bold pose.

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HaYeon looked up at him. His black eyes held countless thoughts. In the past, HaYeon would have been able to recognize what he wanted to say with one glance, but now, she wasn’t able to read any of it.

It was then that HaYeon realized that she had forgotten the language that was spoken between them.

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* * *

“Good work today.”

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The photoshoot ended in three hours. As HaYeon prepared to go home, she walked over to the director. He showed her the pictures they had taken today.

The director didn’t hold back his compliments as he praised her. He told her that all the photos had come out great. HaYeon half-smiled half-grimaced as she looked at the monitor. After checking the photos she’d done on her own first, she checked the ones she had taken with Taewan. The Taewan in the photo was leaning his forehead against her shoulder.

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I’m having a hard time. Such a hard time.

His body expressed these words in the photo. HaYeon unconsciously clenched her fist.

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“It really turned out well. Good work.”

HaYeon mustered up all her strength to tear her eyes away from the screen. She greeted the director one more time.

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“The lonely expressions matched today’s concept very well… but I think I’d like to shoot the same expression in a different concept next time. It’s strange, but when I see HaYeon-ssi, all sorts of ideas pop into my head. I like that about you. What I’m trying to say is that you’re not a famous model for nothing.”

HaYeon thanked the director for his high praise. A staff member walked over to them with two mugs.

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“Have a cup of tea before you go. The weather outside is very cold. Drink some tea and warm yourself before you leave.”

HaYeon received the mug that the director held out to her. It was a familiar aroma. Green tea. She didn’t drink green tea. She was fine with coffee, but if she drank green tea, her heart would race for the entire day and she wouldn’t be able to think straight. She wouldn’t even get any sleep at night. Whenever she ate out, she’d always check to see if green tea was used as an ingredient.

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“Mm, delicious. Aren’t you going to drink it?”

As the director urged her, HaYeon was unable to refuse and lifted the mug. She planned on merely putting her lips on the rim of the cup to show that she accepted his sincerity. But before the cup touched her lips, it disappeared. The familiar fragrance she had smelled for the past three hours wafted into her nose. The director’s eyes were staring at something next to her.

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“Na HaYeon-ssi can’t drink green tea.”

Taewan seized the mug and spoke up.

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“Uh… really? I apologize. But how did you know that, Kang Taewan-ssi?”

The director stammered his question.

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“I’m a fan of Na HaYeon-ssi.”

“Aah, really?”

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The director seemed surprised. He observed the awkwardness between the two of them.

Wasn’t it the other way around?

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This seemed to be written on his face. HaYeon was a well-known model, but it paled in comparison to Taewan’s popularity. Something seemed off.

“Thank you, Kang Taewan-ssi. I’m also a fan of yours.”

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HaYeon answered stiffly as she gazed at Taewan. She saw his brow twitch. That expression on his face only showed up when his feelings were hurt.

“Director, I’ll see you some other time. Thank you for your hard work.”

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HaYeon gave him a gentle greeting and turned around. As soon as she opened the door to exit the studio, a gust of cold wind pushed against her.

She walked over to her car and got into the driver’s seat. Just as she started the engine, the passenger side door opened. It was Taewan. He got inside as if it were his own car.

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“What are you doing?”

HaYeon looked around. Thankfully, she was parked in a corner, so none of the staff had seen him.

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“Drive.”

He looked forward as he gave her an order.

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“Kang Taewan.”

“If you don’t want to, should we just talk here?”

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Taewan turned his head and looked at her. His face told her that he didn’t care if people saw them. Seeing that all reason had left his head, HaYeon quietly pulled the car out of the parking space and drove away.

“Then lower your head. Don’t let other people see you.”

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HaYeon spoke in a cold voice as she turned the steering wheel.

* * *

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As HaYeon drove, she could only think.

What happened to his manager? Did he know about this? What did Taewan tell him? Did anyone else see him?

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Only worries about Taewan filled her head. But she couldn’t say a single word. Taewan was staring at the side of her face. As if he were waiting for her to say something.

She parked her car on a secluded shoulder of the road. Tap, tap. The dried leaves of the shrubs next to the road rustled as they fell to the ground. The leaves made a pattern on the ground as they hit the car. They were hidden from prying eyes. It was a lonely but beautiful place.

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“Why are you acting like this? It’s not like you.”

HaYeon spoke in a dry voice as she looked forward.

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“This was the only way I could see you.”

“……”

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“You moved away and changed your cell phone number.”

HaYeon kept her mouth shut. In order to brush off the remnants of Taewan, she moved out of the apartment as if she were running away. She even changed her phone number. She hated catching herself waiting for Taewan’s call.

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But if he knew this, that meant he had tried to come by her apartment and call her. For some reason, she felt relieved. As if it were proof that she wasn’t the only one who had been in love.

“So what?”

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However, HaYeon spoke coldly. As if her moving away and changing her number had nothing to do with him.

“For the month we were apart, I thought about it a lot. But no matter how much I try, I can’t figure it out.”

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“……”

“The reason we broke up.”

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His voice was low. He was planning on meeting HaYeon when he found the reason. However, a long time had passed, and he still hadn’t found it. Did he drop HaYeon somewhere as Jaewon had said? He wondered. No, he tightly held onto Na HaYeon as he ran. No, he lived for Na HaYeon. So that she wouldn’t have to lower her head because of him.

So he couldn’t figure out why they had to break up. He couldn’t find it at all.

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“If you tell me what it is, I’ll fix it. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll fix it, so… Please reconsider this.”

Taewan’s voice was gruff with emotion. HaYeon slowly turned her head.

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“If you can’t figure it out after a month, then you won’t know it even if I tell you.”

“You don’t know that. I might understand.”

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Taewan turned his head and looked at her.

“I told you. I don’t have the confidence to keep loving you.”

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Even if she could get through today, she didn’t have the confidence to endure it tomorrow. And she didn’t want to watch the love fade away.

“So why?”

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His voice was sharp. He continued in an angry tone.

“We met when we had time. I got you a place where you could live comfortably. I never took an interest in another woman, and I only looked at you. I’m finally able to let you do whatever you want, so why are you breaking up with me? What more do you need? I told you I’d do anything you say! I can give you everything I have, so why…?! Why are we breaking up?!”

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He spoke in a hoarse voice as the emotion burst through his lips.

“Taewan.”

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“Don’t call my name like that.”

She spoke as if she were trying to console him. HaYeon sighed. A desolate silence settled inside the car.

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We’re in the same space and breathing the same air, but why does it feel like we’re in different worlds?

HaYeon clenched her lonely heart and opened her mouth.

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“You feel responsible for me.”

“What about it?”

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Taewan asked back coldly. He didn’t see what the problem was.

“That’s all you have left. Duty. You weren’t able to let me go because I was someone who was with you when you went through your most difficult times.”

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“That’s not true.”

HaYeon’s expression turned sorrowful as she heard Taewan’s denial. Even if he didn’t say it, she could hear it. She could see it. When he told her it wasn’t true, one of his brows twitched. She hated seeing the tic that only came out when he was lying.

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She knew that Taewan had a strong sense of duty. Just as much as he hated his parents who had abandoned him, only leaving behind a large debt. Even if that duty led him down a path he didn’t want to take.

And now, Na HaYeon was one of many things he felt responsible for. It wasn’t love. It was duty.

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He wanted to repay her for all the things she went through when he was struggling. Why else would he say ‘I’m finally able to let you do whatever you want’?

‘I miss you so much that I can’t take it. Let’s just forget this happened and start seeing each other again.’

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If he had said these words instead. If he had said, ‘I still like you’, she might have wavered.

So that’s what I became to you.

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HaYeon felt her eyes fill with tears and clenched her hands on the steering wheel. The final strand of her heart finally snapped.

HaYeon glanced at Taewan.

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“Shall I be honest?”

“……”

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“Taewan, I… I’m tired.”

HaYeon’s voice dropped in the silent car.

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“If I were to be even more honest… I’m lonely. Even more than I would be if I were alone.”

As if he hadn’t expected her to say this, Taewan’s frowning face suddenly went blank. He forgot what he wanted to say. She was even more lonely than if she were alone? He didn’t think she’d say something like this.

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“Being by your side makes me unhappy.”

After saying these words, HaYeon turned her head and looked at him directly. Her still eyes began to well up with tears.

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After they broke up, she hadn’t shed a single tear. Whenever she felt the tears well up, she’d close her eyes until the feeling went away.

But right now, in a moment when she desperately wanted to hold them back, they dripped out. Only after she said these words did she realize. That this love was tiring.

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This cooling love, this relationship that she had to endure, seeing herself become a burden to Taewan.

“That’s the reason.”

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“…HaYeon.”

Taewan had finally recovered and was about to tell her something.

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“Let me go, Taewan.”

She quickly cut him off.

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“It’s not because of something you did or something I did. We both did our best. It’s just… our love is coming to an end.”

“……”

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“So let’s end it here. Please.”

So that we’re only left with the pretty memories. She didn’t want to see them foolishly cling onto each other any longer.

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After she finished saying what she wanted to say, HaYeon looked down. Taewan closed his parted lips. Nothing came out. He suddenly felt as if everything had stopped. Time. The wind. Their breaths.

Tap.

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In the silence, HaYeon’s tears dripped onto the seat. Taewan clenched his fist. In the past, if something happened to cause HaYeon to cry, she’d always do it in front of him. Then it was his job to pull her into his arms and console her.

And tell her everything was okay. That if she were ever having a difficult time, he’d always be there to protect her.

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But right now, he didn’t know what to do. HaYeon was crying because of him.

Because this is the first time this has happened. The fact that we’ve become like this feels so unnatural to me…

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Taewan looked away. He couldn’t stand to see her cry any longer and covered his eyes with his hand.

* * *

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Click.

Taewan opened the door and returned home. He staggered inside and leaned against the wall. He was completely drunk.

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As he leaned against the wall, he barely managed to make it inside. His hand searched the wall before finding the switch. Tap. With that sound, the lights turned on and illuminated the apartment.

When he saw the completely empty apartment, Taewan finally realized that he had come to the wrong apartment. The door lock and password was the same, and because he had come here so often, he had ended up coming to HaYeon’s old apartment instead.

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Although they were only a floor apart, whenever he drank, he would always find himself coming back here. Maybe it was because he slept here a lot more often than he did in his own apartment. Maybe because he had considered this place to be his home.

Taewan stumbled into the living room and sat down on the floor. He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes.

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He hadn’t been able to properly shoot his scenes today. He had been stuck on ‘Okay. Let’s break up.’ for the past two days. However, he managed to blurt it out today.

He sounded as if he were reading out of a textbook, but they accepted it because they were running out of time. Taewan didn’t even check the monitor to see how he did. The director didn’t even call him over and ask.

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Both of them were shocked to see that his eyes were completely dry. No matter how hard he tried, the result was always the same. For the first time, he began to think that he wouldn’t be able to act.

As he stood still with a vacant look on his face, the set was filled with whispers and murmurs.

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“What’s wrong with him?”

“Is he sick? It looks like he hasn’t been able to focus on his acting at all lately.”

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“I know. It’s as if he’s a completely different person…”

The whispers reached his ears before fading away. His manager rushed over to him and asked, ‘Do you want to add some fake tears to your eyes? You’re usually so good at crying, so why are you acting like this?’ Ultimately, Jaewon yelled ‘cut’ and dragged him to a secluded area of the set.

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“Kang Taewan! Are you seriously going to continue on this way? I let it go for a few days, but I also have my limit! Hey, you! You’re a pro! Just how much longer are you going to be like this?! Are you the only one having a hard time? Why are you taking it this far? Huh?”

Unable to endure it any longer, Jaewon began to shout. His words should have pricked his pride, but Taewan didn’t feel anything. He felt as if he were underwater, and all words had lost their weight. He felt as if he were floating.

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“Find another actor.”

“…What?”

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“Fire me. I’ll quit.”

The words spilled out of his lips.

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“…Hey, you. Hey. What are you saying? Do you know how large the consequences of those words will be? Are you saying that because you don’t understand the repercussions?”

Jaewon’s anger quickly transformed into disbelief. He grasped his forehead. If they replaced the actor now, their project would be delayed and the cost was nothing to scoff at.

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They could put in a claim to Taewan’s agency to cover the cancellation cost, but this would ruin Taewan’s image and reputation. 

“I’m sorry.”

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“Hey, are you not going to see me again? Are you going to quit being an actor?”

“……”

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When Taewan didn’t say anything, Jaewon looked up in disbelief.

“You’re seriously…”

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“I’m sorry.”

Taewan bowed farewell to Jaewon and began to walk out of the set.

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“If you leave now, I’ll consider you AWOL! Hey! You!”

Jaewon shouted out, but Taewan’s footsteps did not slow. Taewan’s manager, who had been watching nervously, followed after him, but he wasn’t able to catch up.

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After getting inside his car and driving out of the studio, Taewan went to drink a lot of liquor and returned home. No, he was going to return home, but he came to HaYeon’s apartment instead.

His phone continued to vibrate on the floor. His manager. Even his agency director had called. It seemed that Jaewon had contacted them. When he didn’t answer his phone, his phone was flooded with texts.

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[Where are you? Let’s just meet up for now.]

After reading his manager-hyung’s text, Taewan turned off his phone. That wasn’t enough, so he pushed his phone away. His surroundings were silent.

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“Why…”

He murmured in a soft voice as he grasped his forehead. At this rate, he’d never be able to act again.

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Acting was one of his talents. But right now, even though he couldn’t do any of it, he didn’t feel anything.

He merely closed his eyes. But even when they were open, all he could see was HaYeon crying.

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I’m tired.

He watched HaYeon blurt these words out as she crumbled before him.

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I’ll make it so that you’re not tired anymore.

He couldn’t say it. Because he hadn’t known she was tired all along. He didn’t know what he could do so that she wasn’t tired anymore. Although they spoke the same language, he felt that they couldn’t understand each other.

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Taewan grasped the floor so that he could get up, but he stumbled back down again. Something like this had happened before.

But back then, there was a soft sofa to prop him up. Now, the part of his body that had crashed into the floor began to throb. After sitting back down, he glanced at the space in front of him.

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Back then, he’d fallen on the sofa and bumped into HaYeon’s body. She looked surprised for a moment before laughing and asking him ‘Are you okay?’ She had just gotten out of the shower, and her clean face looked so adorable. So he placed a kiss on her lips.

“Why are you being like this all of a sudden?”

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HaYeon asked with a laughing face. Her red lips were so adorable. He liked seeing her like this so much that his lips continued to rain down on her skin.

A light chuckle bubbled out from between their lips. His lips tickled. His racing heart tickled even more.

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A breeze entered through the half-open veranda window. The places where their skin touched felt hot. Their light kisses soon began to deepen.

Their tongues tangled, and Taewan’s hand naturally slipped under HaYeon’s t-shirt. HaYeon flinched for a moment before she wound her arms around his neck with ease. 

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They made love on the sofa. That was the first time they had consummated on the sofa since she had moved in. She told him it felt weird because they weren’t on the bed. Taewan found HaYeon to be so cute that they never left the sofa that day.

The memories were so clear, but there was no evidence left. Taewan slumped down onto the floor and closed his eyes.

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He still loved her with everything he had. But HaYeon told him that their love was coming to an end. Taewan wondered what love was.

What was love to HaYeon? And what was love to him…

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He still didn’t know.

Love. He thought it was the answer, but now he realized it was merely the question.

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* * *

“Kang Taewan. Are you really going to be like this? You’re driving me crazy.”

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YoungSik, who had been Taewan’s manager since his debut, swept back his hair in frustration. As if that hadn’t helped at all, he let out a ragged breath.

He watched Taewan’s apartment door for the past few days. He discovered Taewan staggering up the stairs late in the night.

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‘What are you doing, you bastard?!’ He shouted out at him, but Taewan was unresponsive. He merely glanced up at his yelling face and brushed past him as if it didn’t matter.

“Hyung, go home. I have nothing to say.”

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He merely said those words and walked away.

As Taewan closed the door, YoungSik managed to block him and forced his way inside. However, thirty minutes had passed, but they hadn’t had a successful conversation.

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As soon as he entered inside, Taewan took off his jacket and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After his shower, he laid down on the sofa, his hair still drenched. 

YoungSik huffed as he gazed at Taewan.

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“Just what is the problem? Hm? What happened? Have you and I only worked together for a year or two? Why are you suddenly acting like this? You’ve never been like this before. Are you sick? Or…”

YoungSik hesitated. Taewan was an orphan, so he didn’t have any family. That meant this wasn’t a family issue.

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“…Then did something happen with HaYeon?”

Taewan, who hadn’t shown any reaction until now, turned his head.

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“How did you know I was still dating HaYeon?”

Taewan asked in a low voice.

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“Huu.”

YoungSik let out another sigh at Taewan’s reaction.

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“Don’t tell me… Did you meet with HaYeon again, Hyung? Did you tell her to break up with me again?”

The sudden change in Taewan’s eyes caused YoungSik to hold up his hands.

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“I’m not crazy. Why would I go and see HaYeon? Did you think I really didn’t know? I knew a long time ago that you only told me you guys broke up but kept seeing each other behind my back. I knew, but you were both good at keeping it a secret, so I pretended not to notice. I also don’t feel comfortable telling young people to break up, so I put my resignation on the line and told the CEO that you guys broke up for sure. Na HaYeon lives right downstairs, right?”

“……”

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“I’ve been with you for a long time now. If I didn’t notice, then I’m obviously not doing my job correctly. You gotta be one hundred times more observant in this line of work. So did you guys have a really big fight? Are you acting like this because of one measly fight? Don’t tell me… Did you two break up?”

YoungSik’s voice became cautious. Instead of replying, Taewan lowered his eyes. He avoided answering the question, but YoungSik realized right away.

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Taewan hadn’t been himself lately, so he felt that something had happened. He couldn’t focus on his acting at all, and whenever he had some free time, he’d be slumped in his seat as if his soul had left his body.

He spoke less and less, and now he barely even spoke at all. It seemed serious, so YoungSik cancelled all the events in Taewan’s schedule that he could. He hoped that Taewan would focus all of his attention on the drama. However, yesterday, he told the director that he was resigning and left.

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“Okay. I know the two of you have been seeing each other for a long time. I know how affectionate you two were, but… But…”

YoungSik closed his mouth.

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Taewan didn’t have any family. She was the only person Taewan would cling to. When Taewan first debuted, YoungSik had asked him how he’d feel about breaking up with HaYeon. Taewan immediately answered, ‘Then I’ll quit this career.’ That’s when YoungSik knew what kind of person HaYeon was to him.

To Kang Taewan, HaYeon was his central axis. HaYeon had to be there in order for Kang Taewan’s life to revolve around her. YoungSik hadn’t seen her after their first meeting, but he had a feeling that the same went for her.

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To think that the two of them broke up…

A bitter feeling rose in his chest. He wanted to just leave Taewan be, but he didn’t look like he was in a good place right now. YoungSik licked his dry lips and began to speak once again.

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“Kang Taewan, I know you’re having a hard time, but let’s get through this just once. You have to go to the awards ceremony today. If you skip out on receiving the Best Actor Award, you might never be able to return to this industry.”

“……”

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“How can a candidate for Best Actor be like this? Huh? If it was just an excellence award, I wouldn’t ask this of you! If a loyal guy like you is in this state, I know just how much pain you’re in! But you’re a candidate for Best Actor! And today is the awards ceremony!”

“……”

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“Kang Taewan!”

YoungSik begged until his voice rose into a shout. He placed his hands on his hips and glared down at Taewan.

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“You… If you keep acting like this, I’m going to call Na HaYeon-ssi.”

This was his final threat. Taewan’s eyes immediately turned to him.

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“…Do you know HaYeon’s phone number?”

“It wouldn’t be difficult for me to find out. I’ll call her and tell her that I’m going crazy because of you. I’m going to tell her to come here and drag you to the awards ceremony. If she doesn’t, I’m going to tell her that I’ll even go to her home. I’m going to tell her everything. I’m going to tell her what a wretched state you’re in. I’m going to tell her that you’re flaking on your acting. All of it! Do you really want me to do that? I’m sure Na HaYeon will be ecstatic when she hears this. Right?”

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“Hyung.”

Taewan looked at YoungSik with a terrifying expression.

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“What? Have you finally returned to your senses? Do you think I want to do this? I’ll let you rest for a while afterwards, so just attend the awards ceremony.”

“……”

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“This is my last request, Kang Taewan. If this doesn’t work, I’ll follow through with my threat. Then it won’t be you but Na HaYeon who’ll feel tormented.”

Taewan stared at YoungSik with icy eyes. YoungSik winced at his sudden transformation, but he endured it. While it was partly for his own career, he was moreso doing it for Taewan’s future. Therefore, Taewan had to attend this awards ceremony no matter what.

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Ultimately, Taewan glared at YoungSik for a long time before finally getting up. When YoungSik saw that he was going to his room to get ready, he let out a sigh of relief.

Even if he didn’t listen to him, Taewan wouldn’t be able to win when it came to Na HaYeon. It had always been that way.

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