༺ Requesting Cloud Support from a Shooting Star – 26 ༻
[**Lee Eun-sung**: Hyung]
[**Lee Eun-sung**: Hyung]
[**Lee Eun-sung**: Are you busy?]
[**Why would you ask when I’m not**]
Over an hour passed between Eun-sung’s message and Hee-wook’s reply. Thinking that he might have discovered the message too late, Eun-sung quickly sent a response.
[**Lee Eun-sung**: I was wondering if actors don’t socialize with each other.]
‘Actor-idol?’
Hee-wook furrowed his brows. Feeling a bit suffocated after reading the message, he decided to call. Eun-sung picked up almost immediately.
“What are you talking about?”
― Dong-hoon invited us out tomorrow, I was wondering if you’d like to join.
“Dong-hoon?”
― Han Dong-hoon from Nectar. None of us have a shoot scheduled for tomorrow.
Ah. Hee-wook recalled the idol with the striking presence he met at a script reading. Hearing the name without the surname felt unexpectedly unfamiliar.
― How about grabbing a beer in a bit?
“You know we shouldn’t be eating out these days.”
― Dong-hoon was very insistent. Saying it’s fine if it’s just four of us. It was a bit awkward for me to decline.
Hee-wook hesitated, thinking of the current situation. Apart from the ever-active Jae Gyu, all the members of Two Planet were rather introverted and reserved.
Eun-sung was the most reserved and introverted within the team. He couldn’t decline his colleague’s offer, yet seemed fearful of the potential awkwardness if they went out. Hee-wook, guessing Eun-sung’s feelings, took a deep breath.
‘My younger brother, I should look after him.’
The sense of responsibility he had momentarily forgotten as a leader welled up within him. Eun-sung didn’t belong to any agency. Given the times, there was a possibility that he might drink alone and make a mistake. The idea of watching over him came to mind.
After a moment of silence, Hee-wook finally made up his mind and spoke.
“Where are we meeting? In the evening?”
―Let’s meet during the day.
Caught off guard by the unexpected timing, Hee-wook made a puzzled face. Eun-sung replied with a short sigh.
―It’s because of the quarantine regulations.
＊＊＊
“Isn’t this too wholesome?”
At a time when the sun was directly overhead, they entered a pub located in a Sinsa-dong alley with Eun-sung. Dong-hoon said he knew the pub owner. The establishment had just one space, a room separate from the main hall, and the three of them settled in there.
Dong-hoon lightly tapped the table and chuckled.
“I’ve heard that other celebrities secretly have fun at night! It’s hard to make time during the day. But Eun-sung insisted on meeting in the daytime. Always the righteous one.”
Hee-wook glanced at Eun-sung upon hearing Dong-hoon’s side comment. Eun-sung furrowed a brow.
“It’s a headache if an issue arises before the drama release.”
“Well, it would cause quite the stir. But as long as we don’t get caught.”
Dong-hoon laughed and picked up his glass.
“Anyway, since we’ve met, shall we toast?”
Hee-wook too took hold of his glass. It had been a while since he drank. The cold beer cups clinked together in mid-air.
“Nice to meet you all! Oh, Hee-wook hyung, feel free to speak casually! Eun-sung and I already do.”
Hee-wook nodded. Dong-hoon, with a bright smile, gulped down his beer refreshingly. Watching him nearly empty the glass in one go, Hee-wook took a couple of big sips and then set it down.
Dong-hoon was incredibly cheerful. In a buoyant mood, he chattered about the events at the drama set. Hee-wook sipped his drink and just listened, while Eun-sung mostly nodded and reacted to his stories.
While Dong-hoon had emptied four glasses of beer, Eun-sung had consumed two, and Hee-wook hadn’t even finished one. With his face turning a rosy hue, a giggling Dong-hoon began discussing Nectar’s recent activities. Hee-wook, who had been silent throughout, finally spoke up.
“Has Nectar finished their promotions?”
“Ah, yes.”
Dong-hoon, who had been wearing a mask on his chin, completely removed it and stuffed it into his bag.
“But we’re still doing fan signing events.”
“I heard they’re conducted through video calls now?”
“That’s right. It’s become a bit more convenient. The number of attendees has also decreased.”
Watching Dong-hoon give a thumbs-up, Eun-sung suddenly chuckled and took out his phone.
“I looked up those video calls, they were truly hilarious.”
At Eun-sung’s words, Dong-hoon’s eyes widened, and he abruptly set down his glass.
“Ah! I told you not to look it up!”
“How could I not? It was extremely interesting.”
Given the vehement reaction, while Hee-wook looked puzzled, Eun-sung held out his phone.
“Look at this.”
“I told everyone not to watch it! It’s embarrassing!”
“It’s already spread everywhere anyway.”
Hee-wook hesitantly took Eun-sung’s phone. The short video posted on SNS showed Dong-hoon in it, making a circular gesture with his fingers and dancing while pressing them against his cheeks.
The cute gesture, which didn’t quite match his physique, seemed to make him feel awkward. He awkwardly imitated the action and soon crumbled into an embarrassed expression.
Dong-hoon’s face turned from red to blue as he muttered a series of expletives.
“I don’t get why they make me do stuff like this. Is this even enjoyable? It just feels like crap.”
“You’re good at it, though? Your fans must be going crazy.”
“Damn it, just eat this.”
With a mischievous expression, Dong-hoon raised his middle finger toward Eun-sung. Eun-sung, seemingly unfazed, smirked cheekily in response.
Hee-wook stared intently at the Dong-hoon on the screen. It wasn’t particularly a challenging move; he should’ve done it properly if he was going to do it at all. Fans probably bought a lot of albums hoping he would do such things for them.
Although Eun-sung had shown him the video as if it were entertaining, Hee-wook felt rather uneasy. He handed the phone back to Eun-sung and finished the remainder of his beer. Suddenly, he noticed one empty seat at their table.
“Why didn’t you invite someone else? We could gather up to four.”
“Hyung-kyun has a performance today.”
“What about Cheon Kyung Seo?”
He asked without much thought, but Dong-hoon’s face turned sour.
“Cheon Kyung Seo?”
Hee-wook nodded at Dong-hoon’s shocked inquiry. Dong-hoon waved his hand dismissively.
“I never invited him in the first place! Do you think he would come if I did? He’d likely stand us up.”
“True, Kyung-seo might have a schedule.”
“Even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t come! Would he fit in a place like this? That guy’s completely antisocial.”
Dong-hoon clicked his tongue in annoyance. Eun-sung simply chuckled and picked at the snacks in front of him.
“Is that so?”
Hee-wook pondered on Kyung-seo’s behavioral patterns. Kyung-seo was undoubtedly indifferent at times and wasn’t particularly affectionate or warm toward others.
But, recalling the moments when he even dialed the number of someone with such a minor role like him to check if their characterization was going well, or when he expressed wishes for them to speak comfortably, he seemed not as reserved or distant as one would initially think.
As Hee-wook was lost in thought, Eun-sung shook his head dramatically.
“Dong-hoon has had some issues with Cheon Kyung Seo.”
“Oh, that’s right! I don’t like Cheon Kyung Seo. He’s so unlucky. Even though I took the initiative to befriend him, he just blatantly ignored me. Last time, he got so annoyed just because I made a minor error. Can’t someone make a mistake? It’s my first time acting, I think I did quite well.”
In a flurry of words, Dong-hoon took a big gulp of his beer.
“Whenever I see him, it feels like he’s trying to put me in my place. Damn that guy!”
Hee-wook stole a glance at Dong-hoon, who was speaking through gritted teeth, and murmured with a chuckle.
“I doubt he’ll face any misfortune.”
He spoke so softly that Dong-hoon didn’t seem to hear. Quietly, Hee-wook picked up a piece of squid and deeply dipped it in the sauce. Since neither Eun-sung nor Hee-wook seemed to side with him, Dong-hoon changed the topic and began gossiping about their group members. Hee-wook half-listened, half-tuned out.
It was boring.
＊＊＊
In the afternoon, after returning home, Hee-wook locked himself in his room to practice acting and singing. He spent the day quite productively and should’ve been exhausted, but sleep eluded him until the early hours. After tossing and turning for a while, he opened his SNS and began a live broadcast.
“Hello, everyone.”
With the camera turned off, only his voice echoed through, reminiscent of a radio show. Since it was an impromptu stream, he expected not many would join.
“It’s quite late, isn’t it?”
However, after a while, a few comments popped up, joyfully asking why he was on at this hour. Recognizing a familiar username, Hee-wook chuckled softly.
“I missed all of you and decided to come online. Just a short one before bed.”
Hee-wook leaned his head against the wall beside his bed, gazing at the comments. After exchanging pleasantries, the fans made a fuss, asking about the drama. Clapping and firework emojis flooded the screen.
A mix of embarrassment and awkwardness made Hee-wook scratch his cheek.
“It seems you’ve heard. I may not have a big role in the drama, but I’m happy to show my face to you all after such a long time.”
Though he couldn’t see the faces of his fans, their joyful emojis lifted his spirits. Since the camera was off, only the image of his smiling face in the dimly lit room was visible. As Hee-wook brushed his hair aside, he asked,
“Any questions? Just no spoilers about the drama.”
[YK_woogie: What did you do today?]
Yu-kyung’s comment appeared. Considering it was dawn in Korea, it must be broad daylight in the U.S. Hee-wook wondered how she always managed to tune in right away, lost in fleeting thoughts, before opening his mouth again.
“What did I do today? Today… I had a meeting after a really long time, so I went out briefly. Wore my mask properly, just had a meal, and returned shortly after.”
It was a time when social gatherings were discouraged and strict social distancing measures were in place. Even non-celebrities were criticized for not following guidelines, so entertainers had to be even more cautious.
Hee-wook explained as cautiously as possible. The gathering, where they had a drink, took longer than expected, but he returned before evening.
Comments from fans who knew of Hee-wook’s preference for staying in rather than going out started to pop up, filled with curious sentiments.
[YK_woogie: What made you go out? Met the members from Two Planet?]
[Heewoogielove: Perhaps an actor friend?]
Recognizing the usernames from the direct messages he occasionally received, Hee-wook grinned and replied,
“Ah, yes. I met with Eun-sung and an actor we got to know through this shoot for a meal.”
He deliberately avoided mentioning the actor’s name, intending to shift the topic. However, he couldn’t. For a moment, Hee-wook thought there was an error in the comment section.
[YK_woogie: What??]
[YK_woogie: Whoa.]
[YK_woogie: Wow…]
[YK_woogie: Huh.]
[YK_woogie: Wha..]
It was definitely the Yu-kyung I knew. After plastering the comments with her surprise, she suddenly expressed anger.
[YK_woogie: Why???????]
To be precise, she had added a lot of question marks. It seemed to be a rather heated response, quite different from her usual tone. It came off as if she was really upset. Hee-wook blinked in confusion.
“Why? You’re asking why? I was just… trying to get closer, I mean, we’ve become close…”
Without realizing, Hee-wook found himself explaining and quickly bit his lip.
‘Why am I rambling on like this?’
Regaining his composure, he laughed it off, “Anyway, I followed all the health guidelines, so don’t worry! I’ll probably just order food or cook at home from now on. Everyone, please be careful with COVID.”
He didn’t particularly click well with Dong-hoon anyway. Moreover, if he were to catch a disease from wandering around, it’d be a huge problem. So he planned to be even more cautious in the future. Hastily wrapping up the conversation, he announced his departure.
“Goodnight, everyone.”
The fans sent their farewells, tinged with a hint of regret. Hee-wook waited patiently for their goodbyes to conclude.
[YK_woogie: ㅠㅠ]
However, instead of her usual affectionate farewell, Yu-kyung left two vowels. He felt uneasy as he watched Yu-kyung’s comment swiftly disappear up the chat. He then ended the live stream.
“…Is she disappointed because I went out for a meal?”
Did I turn on the live stream for no reason? Frustrated, Hee-wook raked his fingers through his hair, tousling it further, before collapsing onto the bed.
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