He looked a little surprised as he stared at me through the glass door of the officetel’s main entrance, then came out. Kang Hyeon, who’d been mid-song, turned bright red with embarrassment. The alcohol buzz had already evaporated, and his pupils trembled slightly from the shock. Director Yoo Ji-ha approached and held out his hand.
“Alcohol.”
“Uh, here.”
“Is that your lover?”
“…Yes.”
—Baaabe~
Apparently, Yoon Do-yeong heard their conversation and chimed in playfully from the other end of the line. Kang Hyeon’s already flushed face heated up even more.
“You don’t seem the type, but you’re pretty sweet.”
“Ah… is that so.”
“Friends and lovers really are different~.”
The teasing tone made his mind go blank. The way Do-yeong acted so differently on calls compared to in person was so jarring it made Kang Hyeon question whether someone might get the wrong idea about their relationship. But more unsettling was that he had no idea what kind of expression or tone had given away his feelings for Do-yeong. Just then, a suspicious voice came through the phone as if seizing the moment.
—Hyeon-ah, did you talk to your lover before calling me?
“No.”
—Did you sing for him too?
“No…”
—What did you get Ga-yeong noona for her birthday?
“An apron.”
With Director Yoo Ji-ha standing right in front of him, Do-yeong’s barrage of questions sent chills down his spine. Yet, seeing Kang Hyeon answer them all diligently with a stiff expression made the director chuckle and quietly step aside.
—An apron?
“Yeah. She said she needed one for the café.”
—…An apron.
Yoon Do-yeong murmured to himself, then spoke again in a sweet, affectionate tone.
—Baaabe, sing me one more song.
“Go to bed.”
—Embarrassed?
Kang Hyeon placed a hand on his forehead and let out a sigh.
“Totally.”
He wondered what kind of reaction Director Yoo would’ve had if he realized the person on the other end was Yoon Do-yeong. A chill ran through his chest, but at the same time, it was strangely embarrassing to realize just how sweet he sounded when talking to Do-yeong on the phone.
—So, am I your boyfriend now?
“Looks like it.”
—Well, we did spend your birthday and Valentine’s Day together. That makes me your boyfriend, right?
“Don’t push it.”
Kang Hyeon instinctively defaulted to a defensive response. Do-yeong let out a low laugh. There was a faint coldness in that sound, but Kang Hyeon didn’t notice at all. He was too busy calming his startled heart, unable to hide his shy expression.
“Go to sleep already.”
—You too. Head home.
“Yeah.”
Even though the conversation had come to a natural close, Kang Hyeon didn’t hang up. As if sensing that, Do-yeong whispered gently.
—Should I come pick you up?
“Sleep.”
—I can’t fall asleep. Maybe if I go for a walk, I’ll be able to.
“…Sleep.”
—Why do you keep trying to make me go to bed?
“You need to.”
—Then shouldn’t you help me fall asleep?
“Are you a baby?”
Kang Hyeon chuckled softly, then murmured:
“Go to sleep now. If you wake up in the middle of the night, send me a message. If I’m still up, I’ll call you.”
—Can I send one every ten minutes?
“Stop it. Seriously.”
There was a happy lilt in Kang Hyeon’s voice as he replied. Even after that, similar exchanges continued.
And someone was watching from one of the officetel’s windows.
Director Yoo Ji-ha was observing Kang Hyeon’s phone call with an unreadable expression.
He’d been out behind the parking lot smoking when he heard the classical ringtone from Kang Hyeon’s phone and turned to look. Then, once he realized the person on the other end was Yoon Do-yeong, his ears perked up involuntarily. Embarrassed by how he’d started eavesdropping, he tried to head back inside—only to end up transfixed when Kang Hyeon began singing through the phone.
“…Makes sense.”
Kang Hyeon was always extremely polite around others, but he treated Yoon Do-yeong with an odd formality—almost cold, even. In contrast, Yoon Do-yeong was constantly on guard around people and faked politeness like it was protocol. But his gaze always lingered on Kang Hyeon, and whenever they spoke, his tone softened, affection seeping into every word.
Even when Do-yeong had been scolded by Kang Hyeon for being arrogant about going upstairs to the loft, his eyes had been brimming with fondness. The look he gave everyone else, though, was clinical—almost sterile. Even the way he looked at his manager, Chief Choi, was bone-dry.
In hindsight, it was clear: Kang Hyeon was acting cold to avoid exposing their relationship, while Yoon Do-yeong’s affection leaked out no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
The memory of how they’d fussed over each other while eating came to mind. Kang Hyeon had scooped out the tteokbokki broth just for Do-yeong, while Do-yeong had casually pushed the jokbal dish closer to him.
As Director Yoo ascended to the 5th floor, those moments kept replaying in his mind. Oh I-seul’s words about their on-screen chemistry echoed in his ears. Clicking his tongue lightly, he sealed his lips and continued up the stairs.
***
A blinding light cut through the narrow, dark alleyway. Dozens of crew members lined up along the designated route as Kang Hyeon ran through it nearly twenty times. Gasping between the alley walls, his wild eyes darted around while a boom mic dropped above his head. He let out a low chuckle—heudeuk, heudeuk—pushing down the intense thrill building deep in his chest.
Sweat dripped from his forehead, sliding beneath his eyelid and stinging his eye, but he held back the urge to blink. At the staff’s signal, he flinched slightly and moved deeper into the alley.
“Cut.”
Apparently still unsatisfied, Director Yoo Ji-ha signaled for one more take.
“That was good, but I want more of that fear of being caught. That spine-tingling thrill from killing someone… Hmm. Like, uh, almost like an orgasm. A sickening kind of pleasure?”
Even though Kang Hyeon understood what he meant, he struggled to convey it. After a moment of reflection, he half-lowered his gaze and mimed licking the blood off his finger.
“Yeah, yeah. Even less focus in your eyes. And then, when the siren hits, your eyes sharpen—like snapping out of it.”
Catching his breath, Kang Hyeon returned to the mark at the end of the alley. Once he was steady, he ran again on cue. As he rounded the tight corner, he stumbled from the speed, hit the wall, then kept running with dragging feet, disappearing into the darkness. He inhaled sharply, eyelids trembling, then stared at his bloody finger like it was a decadent treat, raising it slowly to his lips. A red light passed over his face like a brushstroke, and at the cue, he flinched and stepped farther into the alley.
“Cut! Kang Hyeon, come here.”
At Director Yoo’s excited call, he stepped forward to monitor the footage. Even he thought his performance was a little grotesque.
“Wow…”
“Damn…”
A few murmurs and pats on the shoulder from staff finally brought a smile to Kang Hyeon’s lips. For the first time since the shoot began, Director Yoo looked pleased.
“Good work,” he said, then moved on to the next scene.
Now, it was a young actress crawling across the ground, covered in blood, trying to reach her phone. On screen, the caller ID read “Mom.” Kang Hyeon nudged her phone with his foot and watched her desperately plead for her life with a look of sheer ecstasy.
That scene was also reshot repeatedly, and the close-ups of Kang Hyeon’s eyes were filmed dozens of times. As his bloodshot eyes began to glimmer with unhinged madness, Director Yoo clapped enthusiastically.
Throughout the shoot, Kang Hyeon was quietly impressed by the director’s meticulousness. When Yoo offered a handshake afterward, he took it with both hands in respect.
Despite the director’s normally laid-back, neighborhood-uncle vibe, he was incredibly thorough on set. Kang Hyeon had never worked with someone who poured so much effort into each scene. He found himself watching the director closely, wanting to learn from him.
Eventually, all of his own scenes were wrapped, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he cleaned off his makeup while watching the others perform. After a while, he took his phone out of his pocket. He’d just meant to check the time, but there was already a message from Yoon Do-yeong:
[Call me after the shoot.]
The message had been sent three hours ago. As he stepped off set, he switched his phone from silent to vibrate and quickly typed:
[Just finished. Come down to the main road.]
Kang Hyeon smiled to himself and waited until another actor’s scene wrapped before saying his goodbyes to the director and crew, then left the set. He was drained from all the running, but the thought of seeing Yoon Do-yeong lightened his steps until he was practically jogging.
As soon as he reached the main road, he heard a car horn behind him. Turning around, he spotted Do-yeong’s car and hurried over.
“When did you get here?”
“Did you finish shooting?”
“I’m done, but the others are still filming.”
“Overnight shoot?”
“Don’t think so. It’s a residential area, so they need to wrap by ten.”
He glanced at the time—it was already past 8:30.
“What’s Director Yoo like?”
“Very detail-oriented. He’ll do a take over and over until it’s exactly what he wants.”
“Ah… those kinds of directors are the toughest.”
Do-yeong nodded, but his eyes said keep working hard.
“Still, I’m glad the hardest part is over.”
Kang Hyeon let out a sigh of relief and slumped against the seat. Do-yeong asked gently:
“Did you eat?”
“No. You?”
“What should we eat?”
“Something like gukbap.”
When Kang Hyeon gave a vague answer, Do-yeong frowned slightly.
“There’s a nice Korean set meal place about 20 minutes from here. Their galbi is amazing.”
“No. Somewhere with food that comes out fast.”
Adding a mumbled I’m starving, made Do-yeong sigh lightly and start the car.
But Kang Hyeon didn’t notice, busy wiping off the leftover makeup with a wet tissue. Seeing that, Do-yeong sounded annoyed.
“Rubbing like that’s gonna mess up your skin.”
“There, there—gukbap place.”
Clearly famished, Kang Hyeon pointed at a nearby sign for a gukbap restaurant. Do-yeong, in turn, teased him in a sing-song voice:
“Hyeon-ah, you wanna eat gukbap with your boyfriend? Pork gukbap with perilla powder, of all things?”
“…”
“Imagine if you start laughing while eating it. That’d be such a lovely sight, huh?”
