By Zephyria “I saw it on the monitor, but it felt different from when we practiced together at your place, Senior.”
“How was it different?”
As he was racking his brain to answer the question, the car slowly began to move. The two, who were sitting close together in the spacious seats, fastened their seatbelts. Even so, the gap between them didn’t widen. Yoon Joo-ho couldn’t rest his head on Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder, but their knees touched.
“I could see how you acted, and how it was expressed on screen. Today, I could see that.”
“What, how boring,” Yoon Joo-ho said, turning his head towards the window with the blinds down.
“Boring?”
“You’re acting so desperately towards someone else. Aren’t you jealous?”
“J-jealous… It’s acting, what jealousy is there?”
“Hmm. That’s shocking in its own way.”
Muttering words that could be taken as either a joke or serious, Yoon Joo-ho partially raised the lowered blinds. Then, he looked out at the dark country road, it being past midnight.
Acting was Yoon Joo-ho’s everything. Having lived as an actor since he was three years old, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that acting was literally everything to him. It wasn’t that he clung to acting because he had nothing else he could do, but rather, he craved acting. Watching him up close, Yoon Joo-ho poured all his devotion into his work and characters. It was as if acting was the only thing he truly loved.
To be jealous of such acting?
To talk as if he was jealous of the other actor because he did a melodrama scene?
It was impossible to imagine Yoon Joo-ho finding such complaints cute and gently comforting them. It seemed unlikely he had done so with his past romantic partners.
The man who would get annoyed if you actually showed jealousy, yet grumbled about not being jealous. That demanding man spoke while looking out the window.
“During filming today, I felt that you were seeing me as Baek Kang properly.”
“Well, you were Baek Kang, Senior.”
Yoon Joo-ho turned back to him again.
“When we went into scene 77. I sat at the dining table and looked at everyone’s faces, and I thought, ‘Ah, it’s done.’ I felt a premonition that I didn’t need to worry, and I felt at ease. It was strange.”
Yoon Joo-ho chuckled and nodded.
“I was nervous, trembling, and didn’t know what was what. But… to be honest, the excitement was greater than the nervousness and trembling.”
Yoon Joo-ho’s upper body leaned closer to Song Hyun-soo. His chin almost touched the end of his shoulder.
“Me too.”
Whispering as if confessing a secret, Yoon Joo-ho sought Song Hyun-soo’s hand. From his wrist to his palm, and then towards his fingers, his hand slid slowly as if caressing. He slipped between his fingers, brushing against his skin, moving back and forth to create a suggestive sensation.
Baek Kang’s fingernails, unkempt from the spa, trimmed by Yoon Joo-ho himself.
A sudden desire arose towards them.
“Did you hear about Joo-young hyung? They say Yoon Gyeol-ho hung a banner at the entrance where Myung Hae-ri comes in. Something like, ‘Cheering for Yoon Joo-ho’s first film,
“Ah, I saw it on the way to filming.”
Yoon Joo-ho’s fingers circled and rubbed the deep part between his thumb and index finger.
“Ah! Monroe! I checked the cam when we were preparing for the third take earlier, and he was fine. He was running around excitedly in his room!”
To prepare for the crank-in, the two had installed home cams together. When they were away from home, cameras were installed in Monroe’s room, where he would primarily stay, and also in various places around the house just in case. These cams were connected to the phones of Yoon Joo-ho, Director Bang, and Song Hyun-soo.
Yoon Joo-ho, turning his body completely to face him, tilted his head and stared intently at Song Hyun-soo’s face. He gently pulled Song Hyun-soo’s ring finger.
“Why are you suddenly talking so much?”
“Me? No. I’m always talkative. Wherever I go, I set the mood…”
As if surrendering the moment their lips met, his eyes slowly closed, rendering his efforts to hide the heat he felt for him futile. It was irresistible.
With Song Hyun-soo’s lower lip in his mouth, he pressed, sucked, and pulled the flesh using only the soft power of his mucous membrane. With much gentler force than usual. As if coaxing, soothing, and melting him.
“Mmm…”
A groan escaped from Song Hyun-soo, who clutched the sleeve below his shoulder. Yoon Joo-ho’s tongue smoothly entered his mouth through the gap. With a gulp, he had to swallow his saliva, parting his lips further to receive his tongue.
The sensation of their lips, hidden within, always wet, rubbing and grinding against each other, a sensation that never touched anyone other than a lover, was always ecstatic.
It felt as if the deep core of his body, still softened by the long hours of filming, was finally melting completely with his kiss.
Even after pulling his tongue out, Yoon Joo-ho lingered at the corners of his mouth, kissing him repeatedly. Song Hyun-soo, weakened and languid, mumbled with a worried look, his cheeks flushed red as if warmed by a bonfire.
“What if this happens every time we film? It won’t become a habit, will it?”
“What if it becomes a habit?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Yoon Joo-ho lifted Song Hyun-soo’s chin further. Swish. This time, he came closer, his shadow seeming to engulf Song Hyun-soo. Despite worrying about it becoming a habit, he opened his arms to embrace him and closed his eyes. Outside the car window was nothing but night. A dark night that seemed to hide them, and their kiss, completely.
■■■
Director Jeong Joon-hee, the assistant director, PD Kim Yoo-jung, and the four actors gathered in the director’s room. It was a drinking session with a famous director and top star actors, but the refreshments consisted only of canned beer, a few types of snacks, and convenience store jerky.
Regardless of the fare, the atmosphere was lively. Everyone was passionate about the film, and while drinking, they excitedly discussed how to make this project a success.
Concerns about the budget, worries about how to make the work ‘sell well,’ boasting about industry connections, gossip about who dated whom and who slept with whom… no one showed interest in such talk. Yet, it was filled with a more vibrant energy than any other drinking session Song Hyun-soo had experienced in this field.
He realized that people who talk about something they love so much, without expecting anything in return, exude a pure, childlike energy regardless of their age. Sitting on the floor around the coffee table, they looked like university film club students, talking all night over drinks about the movies they wanted to make.
Yoon Joo-ho also remained in his seat for an hour with a pleasant expression. He was second to none when it came to loving acting. However, he did not touch alcohol. Song Hyun-soo was once again surprised by his strict self-discipline, being able to abstain in such an atmosphere.
“So, who do you all think killed Director Jeon Yu-jeong?”
Director Jeong Joon-hee asked, putting down his beer can.
“Huh?? Who killed Director Jeon Yu-jeong… I naturally thought Baek Kang killed him. Wasn’t it Baek Kang?”
Han Joo-young looked completely taken aback.
Near the end of the film, Director Jeon Yu-jeong is found dead. However, the movie ends without showing what led to his death. Depending on how one interprets the film
In other words, it meant that the nature of the work could subtly change depending on how each actor interpreted and portrayed his death.
Shin Hyo-jin, resting her elbow on the table with a beer can in hand, tilted her head.
“I don’t think it was Lee Sol, at least. She was someone who couldn’t even dream of fighting back against her father’s terrible violence, let alone enduring it. Lee Sol would have remained indecisive until the end. And I hope she did.”
“Why, Senior? Why do you hope Sol-i remained indecisive until the end?”
Song Hyun-soo asked, his eyes shining.
“Well… I think that’s the perspective of ordinary people. Just going with the flow, unable to do this or that.”
She put down her can and continued speaking to everyone gathered.
“I hope Lee Sol is a character who represents those ordinary people, rather than a cinematic one. Even if I get criticized overall, I think someone will empathize with Lee Sol. Whether I can persuade many viewers will ultimately be up to me.”
“Then what about Sani? Who do you think killed Sani?”
“……”
When the director’s question turned to him, Song Hyun-soo instinctively leaned back and looked for Yoon Joo-ho. He quickly averted his gaze, feeling like a child seeking a protector when in a difficult situation.
Director Jeong Joon-hee encouraged Song Hyun-soo, who hesitated without answering immediately.
“It’s okay, just speak comfortably. There’s no right answer. It’s asking for Sani’s thoughts, so Sani’s thoughts are the answer.”
“I…”
Suddenly feeling thirsty, Song Hyun-soo took several sips of beer and opened his mouth again.
“I think Sani killed him.”
“Oh, no way, Sani? He doesn’t seem like the type to kill someone. He’s just a bright kid.”
Han Joo-young tilted his head, but showed curiosity and waited for the explanation.
“It was Kang-i who left the village after Director Jeon Yu-jeong died. You think Sani killed him, not Kang-i?”
Perhaps it was an unexpected interpretation, but Director Jeong Joon-hee nodded slowly and asked again.
“When Kang-i discovered the scene where his father was murdered, Sani’s reaction was somehow not typical. He was still his father, and someone had been killed, after all. Sani was afraid Kang-i would go to prison, wasn’t he? More precisely, what Sani truly feared was the breaking of the perfect triangle if Kang-i went to prison.”
“The perfect triangle?”
Director Jeong Joon-hee repeated.
“The triangle formed by Kang-i, Sori, and Sani. To Sani, that seems to be his entire world. To an abnormal degree, even.”
Since the speaker was Song Hyun-soo, everyone was paying attention to him. They occasionally drank beer, picked at snacks, or adjusted their postures.
Only Yoon Joo-ho watched Song Hyun-soo without moving. He didn’t take his eyes off him for a single moment. Because of this, he almost looked like someone who was intensely angry at Song Hyun-soo. Yoon Joo-ho’s interest and attention were focused entirely on him. Song Hyun-soo felt a slight shiver from that gaze, as if it might swallow him whole.