PAP Chapter 9

After dealing with countless people, he could roughly gauge someone’s emotions just from their laughter. Yiwoon’s laughter sounded close to a genuine expression of amusement. If it were a forced smile out of awkwardness, there would be no need to make a sound. He would’ve just lifted the corners of his mouth. It was strange that he seemed to be in a good mood despite the tiring filming that required constant movement.

Drawn by the refreshing laughter, Yoohyun raised his head once more. His calm gaze, exploring the wide curve of Yiwoon’s smile, intertwined softly with Yiwoon’s intense yet relaxed gaze, the depths of which were unreadable.

“Hello, Yoohyun sunbae-nim¹.” 

Following their intense eye contact, a soft and warm voice, like freshly baked bread, tickled Yoohyun’s ears. The confident greeting, devoid of any hesitation, confirmed that they had exchanged greetings before. He couldn’t clearly recall when or where they first greeted each other, or when the last time was. Every filming location was always so hectic, and most encounters were fleeting, so they didn’t stick in his memory. Yoohyun’s indifference towards others also played a part.

Since Yiwoon seemed to expect him to remember, he felt bad for completely forgetting and couldn’t simply brush it off. Yoohyun graciously returned the greeting, adding a suitable pleasantry.

“Hello. I enjoyed watching your shoot.”

It was lip service, but it was the most appropriate and effortless thing to say without much thought. He hadn’t seen much since he had his eyes half-closed for most of it, but nothing else came to mind. Since Yiwoon probably hadn’t even noticed he was there, he wouldn’t be able to tell it was a lie anyway.

Yoohyun waited for Yiwoon’s reply, maintaining his composure. He wished the conversation would end there, but Yiwoon’s narrowing eyes suggested otherwise.

“I saw you had your eyes closed earlier.”

Yoohyun’s assumption that Yiwoon wouldn’t notice was proven wrong. Yiwoon had caught his lie and pointed it out. It wasn’t as if he had done anything wrong, since he hadn’t come to see Yiwoon in the first place.

It was true that he had been watching him at first, so he could have explained, but Yoohyun remained silent. He couldn’t be bothered to expend energy correcting a polite remark. Rather, he was surprised that Yiwoon had spotted him tucked away in a corner, barely visible. Yiwoon, also seemingly not expecting a reply, smiled and changed the subject.

“Thank you for accepting my greeting.”

“…….”

“I’ve seen you several times at award ceremonies before.”

“…….”

“Sunbae-nim. My name is Han Yiwoon.”

As if conveying important information, Yiwoon clearly stated his name, a name everyone already knew. Yoohyun slowly nodded. He didn’t know what kind of response Yiwoon wanted, nor did he have any desire to find out. Aside from the nod, Yoohyun remained silent.

“My name is Han Yiwoon, sunbae-nim.”

Perhaps spurred on by Yoohyun’s bland reaction, which couldn’t have been anything but the wrong answer, Yiwoon repeated his introduction, his eyes narrowing into a smile. Even though he was only talking to Yoohyun, he diligently used the honorific “Sunbae-nim.” Seeing as he had no intention of backing down, it seemed like he had something specific result in mind.

It would have been nice if Yiwoon had just stated his desire directly, but trying to deduce it was quite perplexing. Yoohyun, who was about to nod again, changed course.

“Choi Yoohyun.”

Yiwoon had called him by his name, so there was no way he wouldn’t know, but Yoohyun formally introduced himself. He guessed that Yiwoon wanted a proper exchange of names. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to repeat his own name so many times.

Despite his efforts and against his better judgment, Yoohyun’s greeting wasn’t the right answer either. Yiwoon winked with one eye, his tongue darting out to wet his plump lower lip. Just as Yoohyun was starting to get annoyed by the unreadable, meaningless eye contact, he finally figured out what Yiwoon wanted.

“Enjoy your lunch, Mr. Han Yiwoon.”

As soon as Yoohyun uttered his name, a shy smile finally bloomed on Yiwoon’s lovely lips. At this transparent change, Yoohyun swallowed down his bewilderment.

Why is he so obsessed with hearing his name?

He recalled snippets of conversations between fellow actors, about how much they enjoyed it when passersby recognized and addressed them by their names. He supposed it was understandable, considering their profession thrived on attention, so these small greetings likely held a special significance.

Yoohyun nodded curtly again and placed a hand on Sujin’s shoulder. He had done enough on his part, and he wanted to escape the situation before it became more bothersome. He applied pressure to his fingers, hoping Sujin would follow, but for some reason, she didn’t budge.

Unlike Yoohyun, who wanted to leave as quickly as possible, Sujin stared intently at Yiwoon, who couldn’t seem to stop smiling. Yiwoon had kept glancing at Yoohyun even while talking to her. 

Seeing him unable to hide his joy after receiving a simple greeting, Sujin had a hunch.

‘Mr. Yiwoon is Yoohyun’s fan.’

Unless someone expressed their admiration openly, Yoohyun was completely oblivious to these matters. That’s why he keeps urging me her leave. A flicker of disappointment crossed Yiwoon’s face, perhaps due to the abruptly ended conversation.

Sujin covered Yoohyun’s hand on her shoulder, hesitating. Although she had already planned to have lunch with Yoohyun, she felt a pang of sympathy for Yiwoon, who was apparently eating lunch alone. At the same time, a strange sense of duty compelled her to step in and maintain the connection in place of her aloof brother.

Sujin grabbed Yoohyun’s arm, which was pulling her away, and tugged him back instead. As Sujin’s lips neared his ear, Yoohyun naturally lowered his upper body to match her height.

“Yoohyun-ah. Do you mind if Mr. Yiwoon joins us for lunch? It’s okay to refuse if you’re uncomfortable.”

Even though she liked Yiwoon quite a bit, Yoohyun was always her priority. She had invited him out to treat him to a delicious meal, and she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.

Hearing Sujin’s whisper, Yoohyun simply nodded, giving her permission without a second thought. He just wanted to get out of there, regardless of whether Yiwoon joined them or not. 

Now adding Yiwoon’s presence, he wasn’t particularly pleased that people were paying even more attention to them. Even things he’d usually brush off were bothering him today, indicating he was in a particularly bad mood. He vaguely felt he was reaching his limit.

Having received Yoohyun’s permission, Sujin turned to face Yiwoon. Thanks to Yoohyun’s quick answers earlier, Yiwoon had no time to get bored.

“Mr. Yiwoon, would you like to join us for lunch if you don’t mind?”

“…….”

“We’re going to have beef. If you like it, come with us. You need to eat well to power through the rest of the shoot.”

“…….”

“Just in case, you should probably get permission from your manager first, right?”

“I can just call him about that, but……”

Although Sujin had extended the invitation, Yiwoon looked at Yoohyun as soon as he heard the offer, as if seeking his approval to join them. Yoohyun, not understanding why Yiwoon was looking at him, nodded in confusion. As if confirming Yoohyun’s unintentional consent, Yiwoon shyly smiled and finally spoke.

“Then I’ll treat you. Actually, I don’t like eating alone. I’m grateful that you’re taking me with you.”

“I’m the one who invited you, so why would you pay? The shoot is going smoothly thanks to your cooperation, and the results are great, so I’ve been wanting to treat you to a meal.”

“…….”

“It’s a restaurant I frequent. They have private rooms, so you don’t have to worry about anything else. Let’s eat comfortably.”

Sujin, who enjoyed being generous, politely declined Yiwoon’s offer to pay. It didn’t matter who paid anyway; it wouldn’t make any difference to either of their wallets. Even if they had a multi-course meal that cost hundreds of thousands of won² indivudally, it would simply be a delicious lunch, nothing to be burdened by.

“I’ll buy you a delicious dinner next time.”

“Okay. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Yoohyun, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, pulled his car keys out of his jacket pocket. Since they had decided to have lunch together, it was better to make a move now. He didn’t want to spoil the friendly atmosphere, nor did he want to participate in it.

“We’re taking my car. I’ll go ahead and turn on the heater.”

Yoohyun, trying to slip away early under the excuse of warming up the car, was soon caught by Sujin. The car keys in his hand seamlessly transferred to hers.

“I’ll drive. You and Mr. Yiwoon sit in the back.”

Sujin, who had also retrieved the luggage Yoohyun had been carrying, ignored his hand around her wrist and walked ahead. As she passed Yoohyun, she subtly pushed him in the back, pretending not to. Having lost his chance to escape pathetically, Yoohyun awkwardly stopped right in front of Yiwoon.

Sujin wasn’t at an age where she could actively create something for him, but she at least wanted Yoohyun to interact with others. SShe worried that he’d become truly socially isolated if he continued like this.

“……Ha.”

Yoohyun, caught in this forced encounter, sighed inaudibly. 

I should have just stayed home. 

Regret washed over him, but it was like spilled water; there was nothing he could do now.

Even if he didn’t want to, Yoohyun couldn’t just leave Yiwoon and go on his own. Just as Yiwoon might be flustered by being left alone with him, Yoohyun also probably felt the same. The honorific “Sunbaenim” had become surprisingly familiar, and he felt obligated to act like a real sunbae.

“……Let’s go.”

Despite his efforts, he couldn’t completely erase the bluntness ingrained in his tone. The distance he maintained, like a wall between them, would likely make it difficult for anyone to approach him. However, Yiwoon didn’t seem to mind. With a bright smiling face, he took the spot next to Yoohyun without hesitation. 

Yoohyun had thought Yiwoon might felt uncomfortable with him because he kept glancing at him during his conversation with Sujin, but it seemed he had been mistaken. On the contrary, Yiwoon stuck so close to Yoohyun that it felt like he was being deliberately bothersome.

Unlike Yoohyun, who rarely maintained a smile unless he was acting, Yiwoon’s constant smile was simply fascinating to him. 

Could someone really grin that incessantly without reason?

Sujin, with her cheerful personality, smiled often enough, but not as relentlessly as Yiwoon.

“Shall we go, sunbae-nim?”

As if prompting Yoohyun, who was standing still despite saying they should go, Yiwoon tilted his head slightly. 

Yiwoon certainly had a beautiful face, so even his smile was pretty. In particular, the dimples that appeared on both his cheeks, complementing his flawlessly smooth skin, were truly admirable. 

However, being pretty was just that, and nothing more. 

Like a passing comment about the clear weather, the appreciation evaporated before it could settle.