RCSSS Chapter 25

༺ Requesting Cloud Support from a Shooting Star – 25 ༻ 

 

  He had walked for about 15 minutes after leaving his home. Entering a quiet café with no customers, Hee-wook chose a seat at the innermost table.

 

  Setting the coffee he ordered aside, he pulled out a script and a notebook. It was a notebook he had been using as a practice diary. As he casually skimmed over the traces of his diligent past practices, he quickly turned the page, fearing he might become lost in memories and procrastinate.

 

  On a blank page, he wrote the title ‘Character Analysis’. After taking a sip of the cold coffee, he adjusted his cap, pushing it down a bit further, and picked up his pen.

 

  He smoothly wrote down words, crossed out lines, sketched a tangled mess, then started writing letters again.

 

  “…Hmm.”

 

  After scribbling for quite some time, he lifted his head.

 

  He had been in the café for an hour and a half. Sipping on his coffee that had turned bland with melted ice, Hee-wook scanned over what he had jotted down.

 

  He hadn’t produced results as substantial as he’d hoped, but having organized the floating words gave him a vague direction to move forward.

 

  Hee-wook recalled the sharp voice that had criticized him,

 

  “You’ve only acted as an idol, but never actually been a fan, right? That’s why your expression lacks authenticity.”

 

  A twisted face and a sour tone. The words sounded rather unpleasant, but he thought,

 

  “Analyzing it, my acting might gain some depth.”

 

  Whether it was a pretense or a dispute, it had been helpful in the end. Hee-wook gave a faint smile and finished the remaining coffee. He put the notebook and script into his bag and picked up his phone.

 

  [Cheon Kyung Seo]

 

  He looked for the contact of the handsome man whose small profile picture still radiated charm and clicked on it. Hee-wook was about to send a message right away but paused. He accessed the ‘Send Gift’ feature in the messenger.

 

  “Coffee should be a safe bet.”

 

  After sending a franchise coffee coupon to Kyung Seo, he left a short message.

 

  [Thanks for the advice last time.]

 

  Hee-wook hadn’t expected an immediate reply from Kyung Seo. He swiftly put his phone in his pocket and stood up.

 

  ‘Maybe he was irritated because he disliked me.’

 

  It’s possible that Kyung Seo hadn’t been fond of a rookie actor who received the director’s criticism multiple times for just a short line. It might have been advice to do better next time without being a nuisance.

 

  However, if Hee-wook had been in Kyung Seo’s position, he would have avoided even talking to someone he disliked, let alone giving advice.

 

  Furthermore, having a conversation with Kyung Seo, the hottest actor lately, after their shoot. The episode of receiving advice from him was worth more than any appearance fee for Hee-wook.

 

  If he framed it as a warm anecdote with Kyung Seo and spiced it up a bit, it would surely attract attention anywhere. For Hee-wook, who feared being forgotten as time went on, it was a valuable story.

 

  “……”

 

  Anyway, once Hee-wook’s screen time was over, there would be no reason to run into Kyung Seo. Becoming close friends was something he couldn’t even dream of. So he resolved to do his best based on Kyung Seo’s advice and use this experience when the time was right.

 

  He plugged in his earphones and left the café. Feeling a bit tired of his playlist, he set it to shuffle and unexpectedly, a song by Two Planet started playing. He flinched for a moment but continued walking, trying to appear unaffected.

 

  The song that played was ‘from,’ a fan song the members participated in writing.

 

  Though it hadn’t been selected as the title track, it was a song good enough to compete until the end. His steps quickened to the beat. In his mind, he vividly saw himself performing the choreography.

 

  His heart raced, but at the same time, he felt increasingly melancholic.

 

  ‘There’s really no chance I’ll perform with this song.’

 

  He hummed and mulled over the lyrics as he listened. Once home, he set ‘from’ on repeat. He listened to the song even as he showered and when he flopped down on his bed afterwards.

 

  ‘I want to stand on stage.’

 

  He closed his eyes, recalling the past moments on the stage of the concert hall. The bright white lights cascading from above, and the sea of lights spread out before him like a star-studded sky. The sound of music that resonated so loudly, it made his heart thump in harmony.

 

  The overwhelming longing and the choking sadness almost brought tears to his eyes. Suddenly, the song that was building to its climax stopped. At the same time, the endless train of melancholic thoughts was interrupted.

 

  His phone vibrated. There was an incoming call.

 

  “Who would be calling me now?”

 

  He flipped the phone he’d placed face down. Hee-wook’s eyes widened upon checking the screen.

 

  [Kyung Seo Cheon]

 

  The caller’s name felt unreal. Hee-wook, frozen in place, quickly rose from the bed. Hesitating awkwardly for a moment, he finally answered the call.

 

  “Hello?”

 

―Ah, Mr. Sung Hee-wook.

 

  It was really Kyung Seo. For a moment, Hee-wook wondered if it was the manager calling on his behalf, but there was no mistaking that voice. While Hee-wook was at a loss for words, taken aback, Kyung Seo unexpectedly asked,

 

―So, did you try out the idol setting you liked in the drama?

 

  Hee-wook barely suppressed a shriek. A lead actor checking on a supporting actor’s preparation so meticulously was unheard of. Even the director, crew, or writer wouldn’t interfere to this extent.

 

  Hee-wook, flustered, settled awkwardly into a chair near his desk and responded, trying to hide his confusion.

 

  “Ah, yes… I tried it.”

 

―How is it? Something similar to your own group?

 

  “Well, setting it similar to our group didn’t seem to match the script. I thought about portraying it as the most popular group nowadays. Our group is a bit…”

 

  Hee-wook’s gaze lingered on the Two Planet albums displayed on the shelf.

 

  He recalled Two Planet’s image, who only clapped from behind the ‘popular groups’ who always seized the number one spot upon their comebacks. There had been passionate resolutions of ‘Next time, we’ll definitely be number one’, but hope had faded as the years went by.

 

  With a bitter smile, Hee-wook began to speak again.

 

  “It felt so lame.”

 

  He let out a deflated chuckle. He had expected Kyung Seo to join him in laughter at the funny comment, but the other end of the line remained silent. The silence was so pronounced that Hee-wook thought the call might have been disconnected. As he was about to say ‘Hello?’ again, Kyung Seo asked,

 

―Why are you using formal language?

 

  With a sigh, Hee-wook leaned to one side.

 

  “Well, I told you before, didn’t I? If you don’t call me ‘hyung’ (older brother), I’ll use formal language. It’s uncomfortable for only me to use informal speech.”

 

―It’s uncomfortable for me to call you ‘hyung’.

 

  “Really? Then shouldn’t we both avoid what’s uncomfortable?”

 

  Honestly, Hee-wook wanted to shout ‘So what!’ He couldn’t understand why Kyung Seo was being so stubborn about such a trivial matter.

 

  ‘This guy’s personality is really weird.’

 

  Holding his throbbing head, Hee-wook furrowed his brows. They weren’t even close enough to see each other frequently, so he thought Kyung Seo would just tell him to do as he pleased. However, an unexpected reply came.

 

―I’d really appreciate it if you could speak informally. Comfortably.

 

  It felt as if his entire body froze from his feet to his head. Hee-wook stretched out the fingers that had been resting on his forehead and then tightly gripped his hair.

 

  “Why on earth?”

 

―Do I need a reason?

 

  “Huh?”

 

  His grip on his hair relaxed. Hee-wook slid his hand down from his head to his cheek. Trying his best to remain composed, he swallowed a sigh.

 

  “We don’t necessarily need a reason. But we’re just repeating the same conversation right now.”

 

―Yes.

 

  “If you want to hear me speak informally to you, call me ‘hyung’ instead of ‘Mr. Sung Hee-wook.’ If we both use formal speech, it’s understandable. But if only one party speaks casually while Kyung Seo speaks formally, it looks a bit… to others.”

 

―Sigh…

 

  Hee-wook’s detailed explanation halted abruptly at Kyung Seo’s sigh. Suddenly, Hee-wook wondered if he appeared to Kyung Seo as someone with an odd temperament.

 

  Instead of just doing as the popular actor wanted, which would make things smoother, Hee-wook felt as if he, a failed idol, was unnecessarily being stubborn. With this sudden realization, a rush of heat surged to his face, and he tightly gripped his phone.

 

  “Well, if you really dislike it that much…”

 

―Sung Hee-wook.

 

  At the somber tone, Hee-wook straightened up. The voice, now much deeper than before and slightly trembling at the end, seemed to carry an emotion close to anger.

 

  It was at this tense moment, with Hee-wook clenching his teeth, that it happened.

 

―Hyung.

 

  The clear and concise word echoed in his ears.

 

  “Yes?”

 

―I just called you. Hee-wook… hyung.

 

  “Uh, yeah.”

 

  With widened eyes, Hee-wook blinked in surprise. It was a common term of address, but coming from Kyung Seo, it felt oddly ticklish, as if the gentle breezes of spring were brushing against his skin.

 

  Afraid he might burst into laughter at the unexpectedly soft call, Hee-wook quickly pressed his lips with the back of his hand.

 

  “You’re doing it well. But why…”

 

―It’s strange.

 

  He was about to ask why Kyung Seo had resisted something so simple, but Kyung Seo interrupted him.

 

―I shouldn’t have called you that way.

 

  The voice that followed was soft and resonated, sounding very much like someone talking to himself. Hee-wook responded with a puzzled “Huh?” to the cryptic statement, but it seemed like his words hadn’t reached the other end.

 

―…I’ll hang up now. I have a schedule.

 

  “Ah, okay.”

 

―Thanks for the coffee.

 

  Kyung Seo hung up somewhat hurriedly. Hee-wook slowly lowered his phone and checked the screen. He blankly stared at the notification indicating the end of the call before scratching his head.

 

  “Does Cheon Kyung Seo… not have any close ‘hyung’ figures around him?”

 

  There were a few unread messages he had missed while listening to music. Spotting messages from Eun-seong, who was calling out to him using “hyung,” Hee-wook shrugged his shoulders.

 

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