By Zephyria 
Song Hyun-soo stopped the song and replied curtly.
“I couldn’t get a taxi.”
Yoon Joo-ho was in the rear passenger seat, so the distance was a bit far. He leaned his upper body towards the window, resting his chin on the armrest, and said,
“Get in.”
“It’s fine. There are still plenty of buses.”
“Don’t be stubborn and get in, okay?”
Am I the only one being stubborn? Senior, you’re being stubborn about telling someone who says they’re fine to get in, aren’t you?
Isn’t that Yoon Joo-ho? No way. It looks like Yoon Joo-ho, though. Look.
The drunk group gathered at the bus stop started whispering. “Hey, film it, film it.” One of them said urgently.
Yoon Joo-ho, resting his chin, swung his crossed legs and muttered in an exaggerated tone,
“Ah… what a shame. People are starting to recognize us.”
That, that, sly fox… Taking a deep breath, Song Hyun-soo had no choice but to get into the car. As soon as the door closed, the car pulled away from the bus stop.
He had assumed Director Bang would be driving, but seeing an unfamiliar back, Song Hyun-soo felt awkward. He pulled down the shoulder strap of his backpack and glanced towards the driver’s seat.
“It’s not Director Bang?”
The person holding the steering wheel was a large man with a short haircut.
“Another manager from the company. Manager Cha, this is actor Song Hyun-soo, who will be joining us for
“I am Manager Cha Gyu-min. Please take care of me, actor.”
The manager, whose back was facing Song Hyun-soo, slightly tilted his head towards him while driving. Song Hyun-soo also awkwardly bowed his waist.
“Hello. I’m Song Hyun-soo.”
“Weren’t you good at socializing, enough that you wouldn’t need the company? Why are you shy?”
“I’m not shy, I’m embarrassed because I’m showing you a childish scene.”
Unlike when they parted in front of the restaurant, Yoon Joo-ho seemed amused, cracking jokes. He had returned to being the Yoon Joo-ho who bickered with him over trivial matters while practicing lines together in the mansion.
As his tension eased, Song Hyun-soo’s eyes finally took in the car’s interior. He put his earphones back in their case, leaned towards Yoon Joo-ho, and lowered his voice.
“What did you do to the seats and the interior? Are they all options?”
“VIP seat option.”
“It feels like a business class airplane, not a car. Though I’ve never been on one.”
It was a Cadillac Escalade, a full-size SUV.
As impressive as its exterior size was, the interior was surprisingly spacious. With only two seats in the wide second row, the size of each seat was bound to be generous. The legroom between the first and second rows was also ample, making it seem like one could even eat a meal while seated. This would allow for comfortable rest during long drives or waiting periods on set.
He had seen many celebrities use large RVs with their second-row seats replaced by recliners. But an Escalade. Yoon Joo-ho was on another level.
A wide armrest with cup holders was placed between Song Hyun-soo and Yoon Joo-ho, perfectly separating their spaces. Song Hyun-soo fiddled with a button on the armrest.
“How far back does this seat recline? 180 degrees? 160 degrees?”
“Press it yourself if you’re curious.”
“You could just tell me.”
“You felt free to open and touch things when we were in a 911 together, but are you being coy because Manager Cha is here?”
Yoon Joo-ho, leaning back against the center armrest, kept teasing him, finding something very amusing.
“What do you mean coy? Stop saying weird things.”
“Aren’t you going to ask how much this car costs?”
“Ah, come on.”
Song Hyun-soo, constantly glancing at the driver, quickly covered Yoon Joo-ho’s mouth. It happened without him realizing it.
“…”
And the moment Yoon Joo-ho’s lips touched his palm, he flinched as if having a seizure and pulled his hand away.
“You keep saying weird things, Senior…”
“Why are you more surprised? I’m the one who lost my lips.”
“Take your lips back, who lost…! Seriously, why are you like this? Did you eat something wrong at the steakhouse earlier?”
His heart pounded. Just like when Yoon Joo-ho’s hand touched his cheek, no, even more than that. The palm that Yoon Joo-ho’s lips had touched burned as if branded by a hot iron. It felt like a new, small heart had been implanted there.
Why is this happening? Since when did I become so naive?
Trying to find an answer, he stole a glance at Yoon Joo-ho’s profile as he twisted open a bottle of water.
Is it because it’s Yoon Joo-ho? Because I touched a top star’s body. When you see him on TV, people of all ages and genders are desperate to shake his hand, right? Even if he’s joking around with me, he’s still Yoon Joo-ho. It’s normal for anyone to get excited if their clothes just brush against Yoon Joo-ho, right? It’s a perfectly normal reaction for anyone in Korea.
“It’s completely the opposite direction of your house, Senior. You don’t have to give me a ride.”
Song Hyun-soo said, unzipping his jumper. The interior felt warm, almost hot.
“The kids are gathering in Hannam-dong. I’m stopping by there on the way.”
“Are you going to meet your friends?”
“I didn’t say friends. I just said kids.”
Yoon Joo-ho said, drawing a line as he dropped the water bottle he was holding into the holder.
The car, struggling to exit Eonju-ro, turned left towards Apgujeong-ro and then began to pick up speed.
“But you didn’t wear perfume today? You usually wear so much it’s overpowering.”
“Why are you so interested in my perfume? Are you a fragrance fanatic?”
“How many times do I have to tell you I don’t have money for that?”
“It was a meal. It’s rude to wear perfume to the point it’s bothersome.”
Huh? Is there such a rule?
He imagined himself showing off a perfume he’d splurged on, mimicking Yoon Joo-ho, dousing himself in it as if showering from head to toe. He didn’t have money for such things right now, and even if he did, he wouldn’t use it so lavishly because he’d be too stingy. Still, just the thought made him dizzy.
“How do you learn things like that?”
“Like what?”
“Not wearing perfume to meals, drinking white wine with fish. Things like that. Is there a book?”
“What book? You learn them one by one, like today.”
“By getting embarrassed like this every time?”
These were all manners that had been unnecessary in the world Song Hyun-soo had belonged to until now. He could live his life without knowing them. But now, they were starting to cause him trouble.
“When wearing a suit, you must match the color of your shoes and belt. When you briefly leave the dining table, you should place your napkin on your chair. The list of rules is endless. It’s not something you can cram in a short period.”
“Yes… Thank you for the encouraging advice.”
“When your position changes, the scenery you see, the stories you hear, and the people you meet also change. You’ll naturally learn them faster that way.”
“……”
“You just have to endure. In this industry, the one who lasts is the winner.”
The advice from a top-tier professional with 30 years of experience wasn’t just empty platitudes.
Indeed, after being cast in Director Jung Joon-hee’s project, he was sitting in the second row of a multi-million dollar Escalade, watching the changing scenery outside, and receiving advice that would become his flesh and blood from top actor Yoon Joo-ho.
He realized, without consciously noticing, that the world around him had already begun to change little by little.
“Even if the media or malicious commenters try to push me down relentlessly?”
“If they push you relentlessly, you push back relentlessly.”
Yoon Joo-ho said, shrugging as if it were nothing.
Song Hyun-soo had his own resolve for not leaving the entertainment industry even after his company vanished.
This entertainment industry, which had pushed Choi Hong-seo from the 32nd floor.
He was determined to succeed spectacularly here. It wasn’t solely for Choi Hong-seo’s revenge. Rather, after Choi Hong-seo’s death, a fire of anger and resentment had ignited within Song Hyun-soo, and to avoid being consumed by that flame, he decided to struggle and fight his way through this world.
No matter how much someone tried to drag him down, he would endure with tenacity and malice.
Yoon Joo-ho’s advice was perhaps the most crucial thing Song Hyun-soo needed right now.
Song Hyun-soo glanced down at the backpack he had placed on the floor. Then, steeling his resolve, he leaned forward and unzipped the bag. Rustle, rustle. He felt Yoon Joo-ho’s gaze, showing interest.
He handed Yoon Joo-ho a crumpled shopping bag, which had been in his bag for a long time.
“Sunbae, this is for you.”
“What is this?”
“A book and a notebook.”
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
Yoon Joo-ho took the shopping bag.
The crumpled bookstore shopping bag looked so out of place with Yoon Joo-ho that Song Hyun-soo wanted to snatch it back, thinking he’d given him the wrong thing. To prevent himself from doing that, he shoved both hands into his jumper pockets. It wasn’t because his hands were cold.
“It’s like a bribe for my employer.”
“You think you can do something to me with a book and a notebook?”
Even as he said it, Yoon Joo-ho didn’t look displeased. As Yoon Joo-ho reached into the shopping bag, Song Hyun-soo urgently stopped him.
“At home! Please open it at home.”
“You’re so particular.”
“I found out that handwriting is good for insomnia.”
“Handwriting?”
“They say that by copying good writing by hand, your mind and body stabilize, and you can sleep well.”
“……”
“Sunbae, you’ve probably tried everything expensive and otherwise that’s said to be good for sleep. But this book has great reviews… And, it was Christmas recently! So, consider it a gift too.”
He had felt a void for the past week, having no reason to see Yoon Joo-ho. He had only ever seen him on TV his whole life. His visits to Yoon Joo-ho’s social media account increased, and he found himself repeatedly opening Yoon Joo-ho’s contact information, even though he had no intention of calling or texting.
Then, he ended up searching for ‘how to sleep well’ and ‘mind and body stability’ on portal sites. He had already tried most of the methods himself. Except for handwriting.