Chapter 8: The Weight of Professionalism

“I am helping Zenon get dressed.”

“All done?”

“Yeah.”

“Then go get your makeup done, Yeongchan.”

“I am finished.”

Han Hoseong said.

His eyes looked unusually deep, and his lips were glossy red, clearly worked on by the makeup artist.

“Wait, can I get a touch-up first?”

“My blush smeared a bit.”

“It will be quick.”

Lee Jujin asked.

Woo Yeongchan did not care either way, so he nodded.

“Sure.”

“Thanks!”

Lee Jujin waddled off, because he was wearing a big lemon mascot costume.

The sight made Yeongchan feel complicated, and he let out a sigh.

“Why are you sighing again?”

“What?”

“Because you look like you do not want to be here.”

Han Hoseong asked.

His tone was calm, but it sounded like a reproach.

Woo Yeongchan felt a surge of resentment.

“Would you want to be in my place?”

Possessing someone else overnight was already maddening, and now he had to work as an idol that did not suit him at all.

The fact that he had not just thrown it all away and said “whatever happens, happens” was already him trying hard enough.

But no one understood what he was going through.

“Cut the nasty remarks.”

“If you hate it that much, then quit cleanly.”

“You are only here because you cannot pay the penalty.”

“Now you do not want to work?”

“Do we look like we are in a position to pick jobs?”

Moon Haeil cut in, scolding.

His tomato mask bumped against Yeongchan’s strawberry mask with a thump.

Seol Itae, who would normally stop Moon Haeil, stayed silent.

He, too, seemed to have run out of patience, staring at Yeongchan with cold eyes.

This made Yeongchan even more upset.

He was being blamed for something that was not his fault.

Even knowing no one would believe him, he could not help but speak up.

“Is that my fault?”

“If you guys had done things right from the start……”

“Enough.”

Han Hoseong said firmly.

“If you are going to fight, do it at the dorm.”

“What are you doing out here?”

“Hyung, but that guy……”

Moon Haeil pointed at Yeongchan, then trailed off.

He saw Han Hoseong’s face dark like a storm cloud.

“Sh*t……”

Haeil huffed and puffed, trying to swallow his anger.

Seol Itae patted him and led him to a corner of the waiting room.

“……”

Woo Yeongchan just stared at the innocent floor.

He felt awful.

Every moment since possessing this body called Kim Jeguk or Zenon or whatever had been terrible, but right now was by far the worst.

“Yeongchan.”

Han Hoseong spoke.

Yeongchan expected more nagging, but the next words were different from what he expected.

“To answer your question first, I do not dislike filming this CF.”

“Actually, I like it.”

“……”

“I am being serious, not just saying that.”

Yeongchan slowly raised his head.

Eyes full of appeal were looking at him.

Maybe it was the effect of the reddish eye makeup, but Han Hoseong’s gaze felt like it was piercing his chest.

“This is a very important opportunity for me.”

“Why?”

“Because you get to make money?”

Even Yeongchan thought his tone was pretty annoying.

It was not that he had any particular grudge against Han Hoseong.

It was natural for him to feel frustrated, but Yeongchan did not have the leeway to consider that.

“I cannot say that is not part of it, but beyond money, every moment I spend as HIGH-5 is precious to me.”

“Whether it is filming a CF, a stage, or a variety show.”

“It makes me happy to know there are people who come to us, fans who like me.”

“……”

“I know my opportunity is not worth the same as yours.”

“But since we have decided to walk the same path…… I wish you would have a bit more professionalism.”

In the end, it was a scolding telling him to “do better.”

Yeongchan turned his head away defiantly.

But caught a glimpse of Han Hoseong’s hand at the edge of his vision.

A hand in red velvet gloves, trembling.

Yeongchan was slightly taken aback.

The trembling was bad enough to be noticeable.

“You……”

“Ready!”

“Zenon, your turn.”

Lee Jujin burst through the waiting room door.

Yeongchan swallowed his words.

Even if he did not ask whether he was okay, Han Hoseong would take care of his own body.

“What is with the mood?”

“Did you fight again?”

Lee Jujin looked around the waiting room and clicked his tongue.

Yeongchan did not answer, just left the room.

Under the intense white lights, the five mascots danced.

The hostile mood from the waiting room was nowhere to be found.

Instead, the atmosphere was as fresh as if fruit juice were fizzing.

“Whole family can drink without worry, nutritious fruit and veggie juice~.”

Moon Haeil hummed a song.

Yeongchan was amazed by him.

He had thought Haeil was just some guy looking for a fight, but he really was an idol.

Seeing him enjoy a commercial jingle like that.

‘So that is professionalism.’

Yeongchan was still uncertain.

What exactly was professionalism?

For one thing, he was not an idol, but what was he supposed to do, burn with professionalism while wearing a strawberry mask?!

“Hold on, stop.”

“Zenon, I need a fresher expression.”

“Like a strawberry!”

The director ordered.

What kind of expression was “like a strawberry”?

The set was full of things he could not understand.

Yeongchan stopped the endless chain of thoughts and decided to just empty his head.

He danced without thinking for a while.

The music suddenly stopped.

“Hmm.”

“The strawberry has been looking dark since a while ago…… I think it is the dark circles.”

“Let us cover them with concealer.”

“We cannot.”

“The decadent dark circles are Zenon’s identity.”

“Really?”

“If I had known, I would have cast him as a cabbage.”

“Cabbage is supposed to be good for dark circles.”

“Should we switch now?”

“How would a cabbage with dark circles look?”

“Strawberry’s better.”

The director and staff whispered while monitoring the footage.

They spoke loud enough for Yeongchan to hear, as if they had nothing to hide.

Yeongchan clenched his fists.

The dark circles were Kim Jeguk’s problem, so he could not help those, but the expression was his own fault.

After all, Yeongchan had never once managed his facial expression in his life.

He did not know how to make a fresh expression, or even what one looked like.

“Ha ha, I guess Zenon’s nervous and got stiff.”

“You do not need to try too hard!”

“Just like how you usually dance, naturally, naturally.”

“Going again.”

The music started.

Yeongchan danced to it.

His body was sluggish under the heavy strawberry mask, but there was not a single mistake in his moves.

That was the effect of cramming practice.

“A little more natural with your expression!”

But the director kept criticizing.

Every time, the filming stopped and he had to dance the same routine again.

As he danced with the corners of his mouth twitching, Yeongchan suddenly realized.

‘Is the filming being delayed because of me?’

It was true, whether he liked it or not.

No one else had been told off even once.

If only he had done well, the OK sign would have come a long time ago.

Thinking that only made his expression harder.

Yeongchan tried to lift the corners of his mouth, but he could not manage anything that could be called a “fresh smile.”

“Um, let us take a break.”

The director scratched between his brows and said.

Staff set down the equipment one by one.

The words “I am sorry” buzzed in his mouth, but Yeongchan gritted his teeth.

“Let us rest too.”

Lee Jujin patted his back.

Yeongchan followed him and sat on a plastic chair in the corner of the set.

He felt like a straggler.

Actually, he really was one now.

With an unfamiliar sense of helplessness, Yeongchan clenched his fist so hard his nails bit into his palm.

“Having a hard time?”

“……”

“Why do you look so blank?”

“If your sugar’s low, drink this.”

Lee Jujin brought some fruit and veggie juice from somewhere and handed it over.

He also did not forget to add, “If you drink too much, you will gain weight, so just a little.”

But Yeongchan did not drink it.

He was sick of fruit juice, and his appetite had vanished.

“Hyung! Hug me this time!”

“It’s my turn, me first!”

Suddenly, from somewhere, he heard a sound like chicks chirping.

Yeongchan turned his head.

Han Hoseong was playing with children at one side of the set.

The boy he hoisted up burst into laughter.

“They are a children’s choir.”

“I heard they are filming a part with them singing together.”

Lee Jujin explained.

That explained the white uniforms everyone was wearing; it was for the shoot.

Those kids would look fine even in mascot costumes.

“It would have been better to use kids as models.”

“I do not get why they make grown men wear these.”

“So be grateful, to the advertiser.”

“And the outfit is not bad, right?”

“It is cute.”

“I like it.”

Lee Jujin patted his lemon costume.

Indeed, his delicate features and light blonde hair made the lemon costume suit him reasonably well.

“Hyung, one more time.”

“Just one more!”

The kids’ whining reached them all the way here.

Moon Haeil and Seol Itae were right there, but Han Hoseong was especially popular.

Probably because he played with the kids so energetically.

‘What if he throws out his back doing that?’

Yeongchan looked at Hoseong’s thin waist and thought.

His body was so skinny it looked dangerous.

Even if he had a lot of muscle for his weight, it was hard to say whether he could handle the weight of a child.

And was not his hand trembling earlier?

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Who Exactly Climbed into My Bed in the Girls’ Dormitory?

Female ProtagonistRomancetransformation

Read Now →
Not interested