Chapter 52: Unexpected Persuasion

I found myself unconsciously comparing Tae-young’s arm to my own when his urgent prodding, like an overdue notice, suddenly flew my way.

“How long are you going to make me wait? I’m really looking forward to your honest opinion, you know.”

Yeon-ho stared at Tae-young with a look of utter exasperation.

To badger someone so relentlessly for just a few seconds’ wait was truly something.

“Don’t you have any patience?”

“Nope. None at all.”

He declared it with remarkable brazenness. Yeon-ho sighed and turned off his handheld fan. Tae-young’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Yeon-ho ignored him. There was no one else to cool, so there was no reason to waste battery power.

“I think it’s better to maintain the emotional line as it is.”

“Why?”

“Why? It’s just… I like it more that way.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘just’ in this world. There’s always a reason why you like or dislike something, even if you’re not conscious of it. Think carefully about why you like it.”

Tae-young leaned in close, his face nearly pressing against Yeon-ho’s as if to exert pressure. Yeon-ho tensed, startled, as their noses seemed on the verge of touching. He wanted to retreat, but with camera equipment and cables strewn about, he couldn’t move carelessly.

‘I didn’t expect him to ask something like this.’

Was he being spiteful because it wasn’t the answer he wanted? Regardless, Yeon-ho had never met anyone who genuinely meant it when they said, ‘It’s okay to be honest,’ even after claiming to want candid feedback.

It had been the same during his trainee days and his time as an idol. Everyone had wanted praise disguised as ‘honest feedback’; no one was truly interested in Yeon-ho’s genuine thoughts.

“On second thought, I think you’re right. I’d recommend toning down the emotions.”

Here, Yeon-ho thought, throwing him the words he wanted to hear. But Tae-young remained unsatisfied.

“Really? Then give me a reason why it’s better to tone down the emotions.”

Seeing Tae-young scoff, looking as if to say, ‘Do you really think I’d just accept you changing your mind now?’, Yeon-ho felt like he was going to lose his mind.

What a persistent nuisance. Just let it go instead of exhausting people.

‘…Wait a minute. If I just let it go here, will the toned-down version be the one that airs?’

Yeon-ho’s expression hardened. Given that Tae-young’s acting felt different from what he’d seen in the actual broadcast, it was clear that the take they’d just shot had been discarded in the future.

‘I don’t want that.’

If possible, he hoped the scene they had just filmed would air. He had already witnessed the best version, and it would be a huge shame for something inferior to be broadcast.

‘Let’s at least try, whether it works or not.’

Yeon-ho, furrowing his brow, rubbed the back of his neck with his palm.

“I apologize for changing my mind so often, but I actually preferred maintaining the emotional line over the rehearsal version.”

With his arms crossed, Tae-young nodded, signaling him to continue speaking.

“The reason I preferred it was… it felt good because it distinctly emphasized that twenty-year-old Bae Da-ro is the protagonist. Before and after this scene, the stories of other characters are highlighted, aren’t they? While it’s not bad for viewers to feel sympathetic towards other characters, the person viewers should empathize with the most is still Bae Da-ro.”

PD Go Woo-seung nodded repeatedly, as if fully agreeing with Yeon-ho’s words. Choo Gi-hoon, however, furrowed his brow, looking like someone listening to an opposing panelist at a debate. Yeon-ho suddenly wondered if Choo Gi-hoon might want ‘Cold Reading’ to pursue a multi-protagonist storyline.

‘Weren’t he and Han Tae-young close?’

No, that couldn’t be right. No actor would sacrifice their screen time just for the sake of friendship. Especially not a veteran actor who had survived over 20 years in an industry unforgiving to failures.

It was a world where ambition was necessary for survival. That was professional conduct. Whatever others might do, it had been that way during Yeon-ho’s time in the industry.

Yeon-ho dismissed his thoughts about Choo Gi-hoon and continued speaking.

“No matter how intelligent Bae Da-ro is, he’s still twenty years old at heart. Since he’s already shown his genius in psychological warfare extensively before, I think it’s necessary to show a slightly unpolished side of him as well.”

“And?”

Tae-young’s reaction, as if asking if that was all, flustered Yeon-ho.

Was this not enough?

Yeon-ho desperately racked his brain.

“…Bae Da-ro discovers a new truth regarding his father’s death, doesn’t he? To properly convey the immense shock he felt at that moment, I believe the emotions shouldn’t be toned down in this scene.”

A creeping feeling suggested he had intervened unnecessarily.

Would Tae-young really change his mind just because he explained it so painstakingly? What if he was told he was being pretentious, knowing so little about drama?

Yeon-ho knew he wasn’t skilled at persuading others. He had experienced countless frustrations as a leader during his idol activities. He had consistently offered suggestions to the company and his members—’I wish this could be fixed,’ ‘Let’s try this concept,’ ‘Let’s change our communication style’—but all had been ignored.

As he was sinking into negative thoughts, Tae-young’s voice cut through.

“They say even a slow worm has a trick up its sleeve. Seo Yeon-ho actually has a talent for saying things that captivate people.”

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened. He had almost given up on persuading Tae-young, so an unexpectedly positive remark surprised him. But at the same time, a suspicion arose that what he had just said might not be a compliment, but sarcasm.

Perhaps sensing the caution in Yeon-ho’s expression, Tae-young spoke.

“I wasn’t being sarcastic. When someone speaks, try to take them at their word.”

“Don’t blame your junior. He’s innocent. You just have a knack for making even good words sound sarcastic.”

Choo Gi-hoon sided with Yeon-ho. Or rather, he seized the perfect timing to tease Tae-young.

“You’re making me out to be trash in an instant.”

Tae-young glared at Choo Gi-hoon, then sighed.

“I wasn’t being sarcastic; it was a compliment. I like your insights and analysis.”

Yeon-ho’s expression softened. Yet, no joy appeared on his face. ‘Liking it’ wasn’t necessarily synonymous with ‘being persuaded.’

“How clearly do I have to say it for you to be satisfied?”

Tae-young frowned, then lightly tapped Yeon-ho’s chest.

“Seo Yeon-ho, you’ve won me over. I’ve changed my mind.”

Yeon-ho’s heart plummeted as if he had been caught off guard. He was flustered. He wondered why Tae-young had said such a thing to him.

More importantly, was it okay to say things like that so casually in front of others?

Confused by Tae-young’s intentions, he was pulled into the conversation when Tae-young addressed Choo Gi-hoon.

“Senior Choo, he’s won you over too, hasn’t he?”

“No, you devil. I wavered a little, but I still oppose going with it as is.”

Yeon-ho flinched, then his face flushed upon hearing Choo Gi-hoon’s answer. He realized that ‘won me over’ wasn’t meant in the way he had initially thought.

‘What was I thinking? Of course, he meant he was persuaded.’

There was no contextual reason for it to mean anything else, yet he couldn’t understand why he had suddenly suspected it was flirting.

“Why is your face red? Are you hot?”

Tae-young peered intently at Yeon-ho and asked.

“…Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“Then why did you turn off the fan? Honestly, you’re stubborn in the strangest ways.”

Tae-young reached into his bag, seemingly to retrieve his fan. Yeon-ho instinctively recoiled, avoiding his hand. His heart thumped loudly, vibrating through him.

“What are you doing?”

Tae-young looked puzzled. Instead of answering Tae-young’s question, Yeon-ho clung to the thought that had just occurred to him.

‘It’s because of the heat.’

Yes, that’s right. His strange thoughts were all due to the heat. He must have been temporarily disoriented from being trapped too long in the stuffy, poorly ventilated set.

“Seo Yeon-ho?”

“I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”

Leaving the quizzical Tae-young behind, Yeon-ho hastily exited the set. He wasn’t running away, not at all. He just wanted to wash his face, as the fan wouldn’t be enough to cool him down.

Arriving at the empty restroom, Yeon-ho roughly lifted the faucet handle.

*Whoosh!*

He felt like plunging his entire head into the sink, but since he couldn’t walk around with wet hair, he splashed cold water on his face, as if hitting it.

After repeatedly washing his face, the tape covering his tattoo became damp. Yeon-ho felt an urge to rip off the tape. He had an agreement with Tae-young to keep it on until work was over, but it was so itchy and uncomfortable.

*Bang!*

As he was about to poke the frayed edge of the tape with his fingernail, the restroom door burst open.

‘Baek Hwi-kyung?’

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened as he saw the man reflected in the mirror. He had heard the coffee truck event was over, so he wondered why Baek Hwi-kyung was still on set.

Baek Hwi-kyung took a spot in front of a urinal. Though Yeon-ho didn’t know why he was still on set, his purpose for visiting the restroom was immediately clear. Yeon-ho awkwardly averted his gaze from the mirror.

“You’re Han Tae-young’s new manager, aren’t you?”

Baek Hwi-kyung spoke as Yeon-ho pulled out a hand towel and wiped the water from his face.

“Yes.”

He wasn’t a new manager, but a temporary one, yet he simply replied in the affirmative. He figured saying no would lead to a lengthy explanation.

“Then why aren’t you greeting me properly? Do I look like some insignificant nobody you can just ignore?”

Baek Hwi-kyung abruptly picked a fight, but Yeon-ho wasn’t flustered. Since he and Tae-young were not on good terms, it was only natural that Tae-young’s manager, Yeon-ho, wouldn’t be viewed favorably. A normal person wouldn’t pick a fight, even with the manager of someone they disliked, but Baek Hwi-kyung didn’t fall into the category of a normal person.

“I apologize. I heard that celebrities find it uncomfortable when strangers pretend to know them, so I intentionally didn’t greet you. I’ll be more careful next time.”

He was someone Yeon-ho would likely never see again anyway. He tried to politely defer and make his escape, but Baek Hwi-kyung grabbed Yeon-ho’s shoulder from behind. Yeon-ho resisted the urge to swat his hand away and turned around.

“Do you have something to say?”