By Zephyria Another van entered, and everyone’s gaze turned sharply. The people getting out of the stopped van were the members of ‘Asla.’
“Hello! Asla Sunbaenims, we’re Sky Blue!”
“Hello! Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, Sky Blue everyone! Hello!”
The members who recognized the Sunbaes first and the Sunbaes exchanged greetings.
“Ah, what! Did Sky Blue also get caught and brought here as soon as you woke up?”
“Ahaha! Yes! We came without even washing up…”
Even while watching the people laugh cheerfully as they looked at each other’s appearances, I was still frozen.
“Tae-kyung?”
“Ah, hello. Sunbaenim!”
As I bowed deeply, Asla’s leader, Dae-hoo, extended his hand to me.
“Let’s have fun filming!”
Even while shaking the extended hand, my mind was filled with other thoughts.
Then, are we going to meet Perfect Puzzle now too…?
Today…?
Ah, wait. I’m not ready at all yet, what should I do?
Even while thinking that I couldn’t believe the reality of meeting Sung Se-han right now, my feet were moving first.
“Tae-kyung? This way!”
I snapped back to my senses at the sound of the writer Noona calling me. Without even realizing it, I was walking aimlessly in the direction where Perfect Puzzle’s van used to come.
“Okay, let’s move as a set! It’s good to hurry.”
“Let’s move quickly!”
I could hear the members and writer Noonas urging me. But it felt like Sung Se-han’s van would appear from over there soon, so I couldn’t move a single step.
The image of Sung Se-han getting out of the sleek, black van, the sight of his long, firm legs striding forward, seemed to appear before my eyes. The cheers from that day, which seemed to shake the studio, still rang vividly in my ears.
“Tae-kyung Hyung! What are you doing?”
“Uh, uh?”
Jeong-min grabbed my arm and pulled me, so I started running in a daze.
“We have to go quickly! The writer Noona said there’s a penalty for the last team!”
Penalty. The moment I heard that word, my heart tightened. The Status Window that I can no longer see or hear, the Status Window. I used to grumble about receiving penalties from Status Window-nim, but looking back, it was a really happy time.
“Okay. Let’s go quickly!”
It wasn’t a situation to bring out the longing I had tried so hard to suppress. I followed behind the members, wearing slippers, and ran with all my might.
*
“Oh, wow…!”
“Wow! It’s so wide!”
The members exclaimed as they entered the Star Light set. Behind the members, who were looking around with tense faces, I was also quite embarrassed.
Having experienced the luxurious set that was decorated like a European royal palace, the rectangular set that was empty and wide open was unfamiliar to me, to the point of being suspicious.
Can we even get a good shot recording in a set like this warehouse? They made all sorts of promotions saying they had difficulty casting Perfect Puzzle, so why is it so shabby…?
I glanced at the production team and quickly lowered my gaze. My heart was pounding because it felt like I had made eye contact with PD Bae Dong-yeon, who was looking this way.
PD Bae Dong-yeon, who was like family with Kang Robin Sunbaenim. Then he must be close to Sung Se-han too. Just that fact alone made my heart flutter and my chest surge.
“Tae-kyung, what are you doing? Come this way!”
When I turned around at Gun-woo Hyung’s voice, the members were greeting the other teams who had arrived first. I also quickly approached and greeted Jumping Boys, True Heart, and Sun&Moon Sunbaenims.
“Greetings! I’m Sky Blue Lee Tae-kyung…”
I was bowing busily here and there when I suddenly stopped and froze.
“We finally meet, Tae-kyung-ssi.”
The person who approached me with a cotton candy-like smile was the one who extended his hand to me.
“It’s really nice to meet you. I’m really, really a fan of Tae-kyung-ssi!”
“Thank you, Liv Sunbae. I’m also a fan of Sun&Moon Sunbaenim…”
When I slowly took the extended hand, Liv Sunbae grabbed my hands tightly with both hands.
“No, I’m really a fan of Tae-kyung-ssi, you know? I have to listen to Tae-kyung-ssi’s songs before I go to sleep every day. I even mentioned it in advance when I interviewed with the writer Noona.”
Whenever I met someone I had met before, I was always happy and grateful. But it was hard to say that I was happy about the reunion with Liv Sunbae.
Before and now, Liv Sunbae and I had almost no connection. There was no process of accumulating time and overlapping feelings at all.
But why is this Sunbae looking at me with such excited eyes? How can he say with his whole body that he likes me without even knowing anything about me?
“Tae-kyung, actually, Liv and I are old friends? So I know, he’s really sincere. He’s a real fan of yours.”
I could only smile ambiguously at Gun-woo Hyung’s active appeal.
“Ah… I’m really honored. Thank you, Sunbaenim.”
“But, Tae-kyung-ssi didn’t even get to wear sneakers. Hahaha!”
I lowered my head and looked down at my feet at the sound of Liv Sunbae laughing happily. No matter how much I looked around, I was the only one wearing slippers, so it was really embarrassing.
“Haha… I came out in such a hurry… I really don’t know if it’s okay to film in this outfit.”
“What does it matter? Tae-kyung-ssi, you look really cute right now? Hahaha!”
At Liv Sunbae’s words, the Sunbaes around me looked at me and started laughing together. Honestly, from my perspective, the situation didn’t seem much better for the other Sunbaes either. They had all managed to bring sneakers, but it was all the same that they had come out roughly dressed as they had woken up.
At that time, a cheer suddenly erupted, so I quickly looked at the entrance. The person who appeared before my eyes, filled with anticipation, was announcer Nam Sang-jin, wearing a purple tracksuit.
“Hello! Everyone!”
“Wow!”
“Waaaah!”
Cheers erupted at the appearance of announcer Nam Sang-jin, who was currently raising his stock with variety shows. As Nam Sang-jin, who was standing at the podium prepared for the proceedings, pointed at familiar faces and threw out witty greetings, the atmosphere became even more heated.
I was clapping with a slightly complicated feeling. I was wondering why our agency’s Seol Ye-eun Noona hadn’t been cast as the host this time, but with this format, it was perhaps natural that it had been changed to Nam Sang-jin.
“As expected of idols, you don’t look like you just woke up! Yes, as expected, handsome people shine even when they wear rags!”
I couldn’t concentrate properly on Nam Sang-jin’s smooth hosting, and all my nerves were focused on the entrance. The recording has already started, so when is Perfect Puzzle coming?
Really… are they coming? What if only Perfect Puzzle’s recording was canceled… A sudden sense of unease made the hands that were clapping freeze.
“Okay, the current time is morning! It’s past 10:20! Yes, in this case, the last team to arrive is… Oh! As I’m saying it, Perfect Puzzle is entering!”
Perfect Puzzle is entering. The moment I heard those words, I forgot how to breathe.
My ears became deafeningly muffled, but I didn’t care. I just clenched my fists tightly and focused on the Perfect Puzzle members who were entering while receiving the camera. I gathered all my nerves and looked at them.
First, leader Song Woo-shin, Myung-yoon and Si-hyun, and Mu-yeol, who always appeared from the back as usual. Last but not least… Sung Se-han.
“Sung Se-han.”
I didn’t even realize that I had uttered Sung Se-han’s name. Because the sound of my heart was ringing in my ears, I couldn’t hear anything else.
The moment Sung Se-han, walking steadily with his long, firm legs, came into view, I clenched my hands tightly. I had to bite my lip to stifle a groan.
Sung Se-han! Se-han…!
I knew very well that Sung Se-han’s long legs were especially prominent when he wore black joggers. No one would know better than me that the charcoal gray short-sleeved t-shirt that clung to his body made his upper body line stand out.
I remember the time when I was mesmerized every time his unset hair swayed naturally.
That beautiful jawline that tilted so obliquely, those alluring lips and nose. And those long, clear eyes, and above all, how much fullness I felt when those beautiful brown eyes turned to me, I remembered it all.
I remember it like this.
Sung Se-han didn’t look at me.
Even when he walked in indifferently and stood in line with the members, he never once sent me a glance. He didn’t look at me when he shouted the slogan, greeted, and even when he smiled slightly.
Ah, without even realizing it, I staggered back and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t help it because I felt like I would make an unsightly sound if I didn’t.
“Damn it…!”
Of course, I knew.
That I don’t exist in Sung Se-han’s world.
Of course, I knew that Sung Se-han, who used to find me and make eye contact with me at any time, was no longer there. I knew it, but I don’t know why I’m being like this.
“Ah…”
I couldn’t hide my expression, so I completely covered my eyes with my hands.
Ah, I’m going crazy. I was so embarrassed that my eyes were getting hot because I couldn’t control my emotions.