Chapter 32: A Cold Shoulder, a Warm Offer

Yeon-ho met Tae-young’s gaze, his eyes narrowing intently.

‘Why is he acting like he’s never seen me before?’

Yeon-ho hadn’t expected Tae-young to greet him warmly. He’d anticipated being treated like an invisible man at best, certainly not subjected to such deliberately unpleasant remarks.

‘Had his previous warning to stay out of his sight been genuine, not just a casual remark? Was he annoyed by Yeon-ho’s presence but trying to subtly reprimand him because of all the onlookers?’

A chill spread through Yeon-ho’s chest, as if ice had been poured inside him. Just as he tried to shrug off Tae-young’s arm, which was pressing down on his shoulder, a voice interjected.

“Oh, that friend is an extra,” Go Woo-seung PD said. “Baek Hwi-kyung was so late, so I had him stand in for a bit.”

Yeon-ho flinched, feeling a pang of guilt. Knowing full well that Yeon-ho wasn’t merely an extra, Tae-young offered a significant smile.

“Ah, so you were an extra.”

As Yeon-ho tried to pull his hand away from Tae-young’s arm, Tae-young seized it, gripping it like a fish caught in a net. His hold was so rough that the skin where he clutched Yeon-ho’s hand turned stark white.

‘What exactly are you trying to do?’

Yeon-ho whispered, but Tae-young acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

“Tae-young, do you like this friend?”

Yeon-ho stared at Go Woo-seung PD, doubting his own ears. To anyone observing, it was clear Yeon-ho was being unilaterally harassed. He couldn’t fathom what kind of delusion would lead someone to believe Tae-young *liked* him.

As if merely gripping his hand hard enough to cut off circulation wasn’t enough, Tae-young suddenly twisted Yeon-ho’s hand.

“Ah!”

It didn’t actually hurt, but Tae-young’s action was so absurd that Yeon-ho deliberately cried out.

“Yeon-ho, are you alr—”

“How could I like someone I’ve just met?” Tae-young’s voice cut off Kim Jin-woo. “I’m just happy to see someone my age, that’s all.”

Tae-young’s voice completely overshadowed Kim Jin-woo’s concerned inquiry. While it was indeed the right moment to answer Go Woo-seung PD’s question, Yeon-ho couldn’t shake the suspicion that Tae-young had intentionally interrupted Kim Jin-woo.

“Director, you know how friendly I am.”

Yeon-ho frowned, watching Tae-young flash a refreshing smile, as if posing for a beverage commercial. He wanted to curse, wondering what ‘friendly’ meant to Tae-young, but it was true that Tae-young was quick to strike up conversations. Even when they first met here at Moonlight Flower, Tae-young had approached him without hesitation.

‘So, he’s just the type to talk easily to anyone, then?’

Yeon-ho bit his lip. He felt a familiar sting of disappointment, reminiscent of his idol days when he’d greeted a fan, only to see them focus their camera solely on another member.

“Why wouldn’t there be people Tae-young’s age at a cold reading? Shim Ye-ji is your age, and Baek Hwi-kyung is also your age. Surely, Tae-young, you don’t not know their ages, do you?”

The making-of staff member, who had been circling Tae-young, likely sensing an opportunity for a soundbite, thrust a camera forward.

‘I don’t want to be filmed.’

Yeon-ho spun half a turn, avoiding the encroaching camera. He knew that not all footage shot on set made it into the making-of video. However, standing next to Tae-young, the drama’s lead, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t appear.

“Oh? Why are you hiding, Mr. Extra?”

He had tried to be cautious, not wanting to be caught on camera, but that very action seemed to have drawn the making-of staff’s attention.

“I’m not hiding.”

Yeon-ho replied, his gaze fixed on Tae-young’s chest.

“Oh come on, anyone can see you’re hiding. You must be quite shy.”

“Yes.”

The words ‘so please, leave me alone’ were practically choking him.

“You were so bold when acting earlier; you really have an on-and-off switch. But aren’t you two a bit too close?”

Only then did Yeon-ho realize he was standing excessively close to Tae-young. The scent of sea-tinged cologne registered belatedly. His heart began to pound uncontrollably. Tae-young’s grip on his wrist made their posture feel even more intimate.

“Indeed, we were a little too close.”

Tae-young released Yeon-ho’s hand without a second thought. Yeon-ho massaged his freed hand, feeling a confusing mix of relief and regret. Relief was natural, knowing he wouldn’t be caught on the making-of camera, but he couldn’t understand why he felt a pang of regret.

“But Tae-young, you came to visit the set empty-handed?”

As Go Woo-seung PD broke the ice, the staff members chimed in, one after another.

“Someone who came to cheer us on is showing so little sincerity.”

“Exactly! How could you be so thoughtless? Even if it’s not a coffee truck or a snack truck, you should have at least stopped by a convenience store, shouldn’t you?”

“Actor, please buy us ice cream. It’s so hot and tough right now. Waaah.”

Yeon-ho was pushed back towards where Kim Jin-woo was standing, surrounded by the camera crew staff who had encircled Tae-young. Catching Yeon-ho’s eye, Kim Jin-woo smiled warmly and struck up a conversation.

“You worked hard. You did great earlier, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

Yeon-ho felt a swirl of emotions. From his perspective, he hadn’t performed well enough to warrant such praise, which complicated his feelings. Kim Jin-woo had likely meant it as a compliment for an amateur, anyway.

“Your acting was good, but I was especially surprised by your deep understanding of the character. It feels like you understand Seo Moon-gyu better than the actor currently playing him.”

Yeon-ho gave an awkward laugh. Having watched the drama to its conclusion, it was only natural that he understood Seo Moon-gyu better than Baek Hwi-kyung.

‘But can this person, a drama assistant director, really say such a thing so openly?’

Though he hadn’t explicitly named Baek Hwi-kyung, referring to ‘the actor playing Seo Moon-gyu’ was effectively the same. Kim Jin-woo seemed soft-spoken, yet surprisingly direct.

“When I asked if you’d seen the cold reading earlier, you hedged your answer. Are you secretly a huge fan of our drama?”

It seemed like a lighthearted joke, but Yeon-ho, feeling exposed, averted his gaze. However, his eyes landed directly on Tae-young.

‘He seems to be in a bad mood.’

His eyes were wide and intense, like those of a guardian statue, suggesting his temper was surely twisted, though Yeon-ho couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

Yeon-ho was reminded of his four-year-old nephew. He’d seen that exact look in his nephew’s eyes when, at the playground, his friend had played with another child, leaving him utterly sulky.

‘But why does he seem to be looking at me?’

Yeon-ho’s eyes darted around, trying to avoid Tae-young’s fixed gaze. It was probably just a coincidence that Tae-young was looking his way, but it felt incredibly burdensome. It was almost as if Tae-young was protesting that he was angry *because* of Yeon-ho.

‘What did I even do? Ah, is it that he doesn’t like me lingering?’

A defiant thought sparked in Yeon-ho: ‘Should I stay a little longer, just to annoy him?’ But then he sighed.

Engaging in a battle of wills with Tae-young wouldn’t earn him any money, and it was as hot here as in his rooftop room. Normally, the air conditioning would be blasting, making it cool, but since it was being used as a film set, everything was currently turned off. Any noise interfering with the footage would be problematic.

Deciding it was time to leave, Yeon-ho called out to Kim Jin-woo.

“Assistant Director.”

“Yes?”

“Could you check if the item I mentioned is in the back room right now?”

“I can, but why? You’re not thinking of leaving already, are you?”

Just as Kim Jin-woo grabbed Yeon-ho’s arm with a look that clearly asked if he was breaking their agreement, Tae-young’s voice cut through the air.

“Let’s have a company dinner.”

Words that no staff member could easily ignore spilled from Tae-young’s lips.

“Suddenly?”

“At this hour, will a few ice creams or kimbap really give you energy? You all seemed to have worked hard today, so I’ll treat everyone to a barbecue restaurant.”

The mere mention of a company dinner made hearts flutter, but with Tae-young offering to pay, the place erupted as if a winner had been announced at an awards ceremony.

“You’re serious, right? You can’t change your mind later.”

“Are you really going to treat us, Tae-young?”

“Yes, I’m treating. So relax, Director. I won’t ask you to pay.”

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t nervous, you rascal.”

Go Woo-seung PD vehemently denied it, startled. However, perhaps fearing that a slip of the tongue might force him to open his own wallet, he refrained from saying anything like, ‘I could pay any amount too.’

Tae-young smiled brightly and suggested.

“Shall we go now, since it’s been brought up?”

“Yes, let’s go. We couldn’t film anyway and were on endless standby. Everyone, pack up your things.”

As Go Woo-seung PD clapped his hands, the staff members dispersed quickly, beaming. The cafe, which had been as quiet as a temple until Tae-young appeared, suddenly buzzed with lively chatter.

“Assistant Director! What should we do with this?”

“Yes! Just a moment. I’m coming. Chang-min, don’t touch that. The props team will check it later.”

Kim Jin-woo suddenly became incredibly busy. While other staff only needed to pack their own team’s equipment, as the assistant director, Kim Jin-woo had to inspect and confirm everything on the set.

‘I should just leave.’

Yeon-ho watched the bustling Kim Jin-woo from afar before stepping out of the cafe. Kim Jin-woo would likely remain frantically busy until they moved to the dinner venue, and asking him to check the back room felt like too much of an imposition.

He resolved to visit again tomorrow when the cafe opened, and as he picked up his helmet, the entrance door suddenly burst open. A moment later, someone grabbed Yeon-ho’s arm from behind.

“Where are you going?”

Turning around, Yeon-ho saw Tae-young, heavily panting. ‘Why is he here?’ Yeon-ho wondered, opening his lips to speak.

“Home.”

“Why? Didn’t you hear about the company dinner?”

“I did.”

“Then why are you going home?”

Tae-young, looking utterly bewildered, swallowed his ragged breaths.

‘Is he very hot? Why is he panting so much?’

Yeon-ho replied, thinking Tae-young was acting as if he’d rushed out to catch him.