Chapter 18: A Role That Grew, A Hand That Stayed

“I actually showed yesterday’s footage to the screenwriter,” the director said.
“They found you very impressive, Eunchan.
Especially the scene we shot at the archery training grounds.
They said you understood the character extremely well and praised you a lot.”

Eunchan had never dreamed he would hear praise like that.

“So because of that, your role has been revised.”

At the director’s next words, Shim Eunchan blinked.
After setting it up like that, surely this wasn’t going to turn into something like, Your screen time’s been reduced, right?

“Ah… yes.
When you say revised, how exactly?”

His heart began to beat faster with cautious anticipation.

“You know how it was originally supposed to end as a happy ending for everyone?
We changed it so that Yeonwoon dies in the episode right before the finale.
What we’ve already filmed can’t be helped, but from that point on, your role will actually have more weight than before.”

Eunchan’s eyes widened in shock.
The urge to ask the director again and again whether he’d heard that right surged up, and he bit down hard on his lip.

“I always thought Yeonwoon’s role was too small compared to the others, but this happened because you worked for it.
It’s not because your popularity rose during the broadcast or anything like that.
This is really rare.
So let’s do well until the very end.”

Something unbelievable had just happened.
Eunchan clenched and unclenched his fists, barely holding back the urge to shout.

“The revised script will come out in a few days.
Since it’s good news, I wanted to tell you first.”

“Thank you…!”

“Alright then. Go get ready.
I’ll be looking forward to today as well.”

“Yes. Thank you!”

Eunchan left his seat and headed to a place with little foot traffic.
After making sure no one was around, he silently clenched his fist and struck a fighting pose, savoring his joy for a long while.

Before he knew it, the day of filming for the Idol Athletics Championships had arrived.

Thanks to the consideration of the director and the other actors, his filming schedule was adjusted.
Given the nature of the Idol Athletics Championships, he didn’t need to be on camera the entire time, so it felt more reasonable to shoot the drama during the free hours.
However, the PD didn’t allow it, leaving him no choice but to ask the drama production for understanding instead.
Fortunately, the drama’s director was willing to accommodate him.

It felt excessive, but there was nothing to be done.
He couldn’t afford to fall out of favor with the PD of DBC’s music program Music Enter.
Working in the same broadcasting circle meant their paths would cross sooner or later, and though he wished for more leniency, Song Jungyoung—the PD in charge of the Idol Athletics Championships—was notoriously strict and fond of asserting his authority.
Even if the drama had been airing on DBC as well, the situation likely wouldn’t have been much different.
Just like in his previous life, the man would probably sit firmly as Music Enter’s main PD for the next three years without any major upheaval, and antagonizing him would only bring losses.

Even though adjusting the schedule was no small matter, none of the actors who were filming with him showed any displeasure.
Kim Hyuin, in particular, even worried about him having to film the Idol Athletics Championships all day, which honestly moved Eunchan quite a bit.

He could wake up later than usual, but between choreography practice and vocal training he’d been putting off due to drama filming, he returned utterly exhausted.
One major reason he could barely open his eyes was that only three hours had passed since he’d finished his schedule, returned to the dorm, and collapsed onto the bed.

Even when gentle hands shook him as he wriggled deeper into the blankets, his half-asleep mind refused to fully wake.
Then, all of a sudden, it felt as though his entire body lifted into the air along with the blanket.

Hyun Wooyoung looked down at Shim Eunchan, bundled tightly in blankets in his arms.
He’d thought Eunchan looked thin, but actually holding him made it hard to believe he was even a man.
He was unbelievably light.
Eunchan wasn’t even short, so this weight felt almost abnormal.
It made Wooyoung wonder whether he had any muscle at all, and whether he was even eating properly.

Come to think of it, he’d skipped dinner last time, saying he had a schedule the next day.

As Wooyoung recalled his past interactions with Eunchan, Ryu Seo-oh spoke up.

“Wooyoung, isn’t he heavy?
I mean, he’s a guy, no matter what.”

Wooyoung shook his head.

“It’s fine.
He’s not that heavy, and this feels faster than trying to wake him.
Besides, I’m staff today.”

“Junseo, move.
We need to film this.
Once Eunchan wakes up, we have to show him.”

Moon Sebyeol held up his phone.

Judging by how he still couldn’t wake up in this situation, he must have been truly exhausted.

Even Wooyoung, watching from nearby, couldn’t help clicking his tongue at how brutal the schedule had been.
Ever since the broadcast schedule was set, Eunchan would leave while the moon was still up and come back when the moon was up again.

The image of him barely removing his makeup and stumbling into his room was still vivid.

And yet, with a body like that, he never spared himself during choreography practice and even went to drama shoots.
Being both an idol and an actor was never going to be easy.
Wooyoung had never done it himself, but it wasn’t hard to imagine.

Anyone could tell how exhausting that schedule must be.
Still, Shim Eunchan had never once skipped choreography practice.
If he couldn’t attend group practice, he would always go to the practice room alone and train.
There were countless excuses he could’ve made.
He was tired.
His schedule was packed.
There was simply no time.
Those weren’t even excuses—they were valid reasons.

But Eunchan never used them.
He simply practiced in silence.

With a smiling face, a light attitude, he carried all of it as if it were nothing.

He was someone with a stronger core than anyone else.

My goal is to win the Grand Prize at the end of this year.

Wooyoung recalled the words Eunchan had once said.
That day, he’d acted impulsively out of impatience.
Now, he knew those words hadn’t been a joke or something said on a whim.
Just watching how Eunchan practiced made that clear.

Eunchan was serious.

He regretted saying what he’d said that first day.

Moon Sebyeol’s filming—“Eunchan is sleeping like this right now”—ended in less than a minute.
As they opened the front door to leave, cold air rushed in, and Eunchan frowned, shivering slightly.
Even wrapped tightly in blankets, he still felt the chill.

Eunchan wriggled and burrowed toward Wooyoung’s body.

“Look at him.
He’s crawling toward Wooyoung.
Wow… is this even possible while half-asleep?
Is he doing that so he’s easier to carry?”

“That’s not it.
It’s instinct.
He hates the cold.
Cover him with a padded coat.”

Jung Minyu spoke in a pitiful tone as he draped a long padded coat over Eunchan.

“He still won’t wake up.
Well, he’s really been pushing himself lately.
We should let him rest a bit at the Idol Athletics Championships.”

At Do Junseo’s mutter, Eunchan twitched.
His hands flailed weakly in the air before finally managing to tug the blanket closer.

“Hyung…
Hyung.”

“What? Did Eunchan wake up?”

Without fully opening his eyes, Eunchan forced out his words.

“Please…
In my bag…
The Polaroid camera…
Please bring it…”

Before he could finish, his head slumped over.
All the members stared at him in silence.
The one to break it was Ryu Seo-oh.

“…Was that his last will?”

“……”

“…Kind of seems like it.”

The one who answered was Do Junseo.

How much time had passed?
Eunchan gasped as he exhaled sharply.

“…It’s hot.”

“You’re awake?”

“Mm.
I’m awake, but it’s too hot.
The window—please open the window.”

Panting, Eunchan pulled the blankets down.
It wasn’t just blankets covering him.
Several thick padded coats were piled on top as well.
With a sigh, he pushed them aside, the fabric rustling loudly.

When someone opened the window at his request, cool air rushed in.
After breathing deeply a few times as if revived, Eunchan suddenly shuddered with his eyes still closed.

“Are you cold?
Should I close it?”

“Uh, yes, yes.
Brr, it’s cold.”

He pulled the blanket back up and wrapped it around himself like an outer shell.
Slowly forcing his sticky eyelids open, Eunchan looked around—and his eyes widened.

Inside the parked car, only Hyun Wooyoung and Shim Eunchan remained.

“Huh?
What—why am I here?
When did I get in the car?
Huh? What?”

“The other hyungs went up to the shop first.
You seemed really tired, so we thought it’d be better for you to sleep a bit longer until they call.”

“What?
No, but why would they just leave me here alone?”

He muttered in disbelief, but Wooyoung must have heard, because he replied calmly.

“They didn’t tell me to.
I said I’d stay.
I don’t need to get set today anyway.”

He volunteered to stay?
…Why?

Eunchan stared at him, utterly confused.