NB | Chapter 1

Through the long-grown bangs, the May sunlight seeped in. Everywhere he looked, the white and small hawthorn flowers imprinted on his retina. The wind made the clusters of white flowers and green leaves sway abundantly.

“Action!”

The director shouted through a megaphone. A subtle tension filled the previously relaxed filming set, bringing focus. Woohyun tore his gaze away from the street tree nameplate in the flowerbed and found his place.

In line with the leisurely and bright atmosphere, the lead actor brushed past him with a pace that was neither fast nor slow, then walked seven more steps to exit the frame. It was a straightforward direction.

He pretended to fiddle with the phone screen he received as a prop. Soon, the lead actor passed by, maintaining the character’s signature cynical expression. Counting his steps, Woohyun naturally exited the frame on the seventh step.

The director, positioned among the clustered staff, scrutinized the monitor and gave some instructions to the assistant director beside him.

“We’ll shoot from the front one more time!”

At the assistant director’s call, Woohyun returned to his original spot. Even though the camera angle changed, the movement remained the same. Everyone standing on Garosu-gil seemed frozen in time, moving only when the action signal was given.

As he walked along the path, a previously calm wind blew. White petals rustled with the leaves. His bangs, long enough to cover his eyebrows, started to tickle his eyes. Suddenly, a pain, as if his eyeball was being pricked, surged in. Outwardly, Woohyun appeared calm, but inside, he was unsettled.

Ah, ouch.

He held back a sigh rising from his core, but couldn’t stop his eyes from watering. He had the urge to brush his hair back. However, the assistant director had warned the extras not to stand out, so all actors except the lead had restricted actions.

There must be a reason for not allowing unspecified actions, but wouldn’t it be better than suddenly crying from the pain of hair poking his eyes?

Deciding, Woohyun brushed his shaggy bangs aside, trying not to be conscious of the following camera. As the black hair that had made his face look gloomy was brushed away, his face shone in the natural light. He praised himself for the natural gesture.

“Cut!”

“Let’s take a short break!”

With the signal, the fabricated leisure broke, and the real street noises filled in.

He squeezed between the staff and dabbed his eyes with his sleeve. The gray fabric absorbed the tears, leaving a dark stain.

If I knew this would happen, I would’ve cut my hair earlier.

When he applied for the extra job through messenger, they asked for a photo taken within the last week, so he hastily sent a selfie. On the filming day, they said he couldn’t look different from the photo, so he couldn’t touch his hair.

He habitually brushed his bangs back, realizing too late that it was a mistake. The hairstyle set by the staff was already different.

Should I ask them to fix my hair? Looking around for the staff who did his hair, he suddenly felt ridiculous. It seemed silly for a one-day extra to fuss so much. Woohyun’s face was hidden again by his black hair.

He hunched his shoulders before his tall height drew attention. In the already crowded group of people and equipment, he needed to minimize his presence to move without disturbing them.

Due to the nature of outdoor filming, not only the crew but also passersby occasionally stopped to watch the set. Moreover, Garosu-gil, lined with white hawthorn trees stretching over a kilometer, was a place to fully experience early summer’s charm. Every spring, people visited this street, much like they would for cherry blossoms. That’s why it was crowded wherever you turned.

He thought it better to step aside and was about to move when an extra passing by grabbed him.

“Woohyun, come over here. Everyone’s gathered here.”

It was the person who sat next to him on the bus from the meeting point. He had only responded casually when spoken to, but somehow they ended up exchanging names.

Following him, Woohyun found other extras from the same agency gathered in small groups. Most were meeting for the first time today, yet they mingled and chatted as if they had known each other for years.

“I have a feeling. Don’t you think we’ll wrap up shooting here today?”

“Getting off after 4 hours is a sweet deal. I went to another set the other day, and they kept us for the full 9 hours.”

“Some directors are like that. They don’t let you leave even when there’s nothing to shoot.”

“There are directors known for squeezing every minute out of extras. That’s why drama sets have a reputation for being worse than movie sets.”

Among them were full-time extras and some with considerable experience, naturally leading to industry talk. Woohyun stood among them, letting their conversation go in one ear and out the other. He wasn’t particularly interested.

The atmosphere on set when the cameras weren’t rolling was generally relaxed. Only around the director, who was monitoring the recent scene, was there a busy and serious vibe. As the shoot neared its end after months of filming, the staff seemed to have mixed feelings.

Woohyun glanced around, yawning slightly. Since arriving at 9 a.m., he had worked less than 30 minutes, spending the rest waiting. Being physically comfortable made it boring, but more than anything, he felt uneasy. Was it okay to earn money this easily? Despite the good conditions, many sets had terrible meals, but the lunch provided here was quite decent.

“Woohyun, it’s your first time today, right? How is it? Manageable?”

“Yes, so far.”

Woohyun fiddled with his gray hoodie sleeve as he replied. The tear stain from earlier hadn’t fully dried. The unease he felt didn’t last long. If they really finished early, he’d earn 120,000 won for 4 hours of work. Compared to his usual labor intensity, today’s pay was almost like free money. The simple calculation lifted Woohyun’s spirits, making him smile.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Despite his above-average height and lean yet sturdy build, his long bangs gave him an intimidating aura, but now he seemed more his age.

When they first met at the gathering point, Seo Woohyun seemed hard to approach, but now he appeared quite different. Seeing his shy smile made them curious about the rest of his face hidden by his hair.

The silence broke before Woohyun noticed the oddity. Everyone followed his lead and smiled.

“You’re lucky, kid. Winter’s really tough. Try going to a historical drama shoot. Your pay goes straight to hospital bills.”

A middle-aged full-time extra glanced at Woohyun, showing off. Woohyun sensed he was being underestimated due to his age. Such looks were familiar since he started working at 18, so he wasn’t even angry anymore.

“These days, they say sitting at a desk studying is physical labor. Those kids need to experience real hardship to realize their youth.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Still, you look quite young. It’s admirable, not relying on your parents and earning pocket money on your own.”

Woohyun glanced around. The clear sky and cool weather of early summer, the sweet and fresh scent of flowers wafting with the breeze. He understood what “this place” meant, but the street lined with quaint shops and brunch cafes felt peaceful and cozy.

Seo Woohyun decided to let the middle-aged man continue thinking he was a fresh college student experiencing youth. Though the smell of fish still made him nauseous, the truth was too complicated to correct. They weren’t likely to meet again anyway.

Feeling bored, he turned his head sharply, signaling not to be bothered. Sensing Woohyun’s disregard, the man muttered about young people these days.

However, the man’s muttering was soon drowned out by the murmurs of people nearby. It sounded similar yet slightly different from the usual reactions when a celebrity appeared. Woohyun’s head naturally turned in that direction.

Amidst the crowd, he spotted someone particularly captivating. A man in a sharp vest suit stood out among the casually dressed crowd.

“Wow.”

“How can someone… He’s really handsome.”

The pure admiration from his core was met with a serious nod from the extra beside him. Remembering how they had said seeing celebrities in person loses its thrill after three times, Woohyun found their reaction intriguing.

The lead actor of the current drama was said to be quite handsome, but compared to this man, the compliments seemed like mere flattery for a celebrity.

Though Woohyun wasn’t familiar with the current trending celebrities or the workings of the set, he could tell that someone who could change the atmosphere just by appearing must be quite well-known.

But I heard this drama has a single lead.

Having already seen the lead actor, he knew this man wasn’t the lead. Curious about why he couldn’t take his eyes off him, Woohyun asked.

“Is he an actor too?”

“An actor? No.”

The extra standing next to him shook their head with a laugh.

“It’s my first time seeing him in person too, but that’s Kang Jiwon, the executive director of Newon Entertainment. This drama’s production company is a subsidiary of Newon.”

Seo Woohyun was inwardly impressed. He wasn’t familiar with entertainment companies since he only knew actors by name, even those frequently appearing in media. However, he understood the significance of the title “executive director.”

He seemed to be in his mid-30s at most. With such looks and a professional background, he appeared no different from a lead actor in a drama. The question of why someone with such a face wasn’t a celebrity quickly vanished. His life was probably already like a drama, so why would he need to be a celebrity?

Woohyun knew staring at someone wasn’t polite, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the man. Anyway, everyone else was focused on him too, so the chances of making eye contact were…

“…”

“…”

As if waiting for a moment of carelessness, the man’s eyes met Woohyun’s. Outside in the wind, amidst a crowd, at a distance where only faces could be discerned. There wasn’t a single condition for one’s sense of smell to become sensitive to a particular person.

The moment their eyes met, a sound echoed in Woohyun’s heart, like a lock being opened with the key of unspoken desire. It was so quiet that even he couldn’t realize it.