༺ Requesting Cloud Support from a Shooting Star – 6 ༻
“Yes, hyung.”
“I want to go with you.”
Upon hearing Hee-wook’s words, Eun Sung asked back in a tone higher than usual, “Audition?” There was no video call, so there was no way he could see, but Hee-wook nodded.
“…The odds of not getting it are higher though.”
―If you think you’re going to make it in one try without ever having acted before, that’s arrogance! Even if you fail, you should consider it an experience.
“That’s true. If I hadn’t fallen out with Cha Yoon Min, I could have asked him for advice. Right?”
Eun Sung chuckled at the casually thrown remark.
―Advice, what advice! Is that person the type to kindly teach you the know-how? And anyway, even if we hadn’t fallen out, it would be useless. He’s also in the military, isn’t he?
Listening to Eun Sung’s response, given with such certainty, Hee-wook scratched his cheek. It was a fact he had forgotten.
“That’s right. That guy did go to the military….”
The year after Hee-wook enlisted, Yoon Min also went to the military. The news was a bit of a surprise, as he was in his mid-twenties and still in the prime of his career, but it turned out that he had to adjust his schedule to participate in a famous director’s project.
Remembering Yoon Min, who had established himself as an actor before enlisting, Hee-wook’s mouth went dry. The situation was too different from his own in many ways. A crease formed between Hee-wook’s brows.
“Then, tell me the place and schedule of the audition.”
―But, hyung. Do you know this?
“Huh?”
―Due to Corona, all auditions are now conducted remotely.
“…What? What’s that?”
―You have to film a set scene and send it in. We’ll practice together when we meet next.
He had a rough idea that a lot had changed due to the virus, but at this unexpected shift, Hee-wook touched his forehead. He felt like a time traveler who had mistakenly flown in from the past.
―Anyway, I’ll contact you again, hyung.
“Ah, take care of your health. Wear your mask properly…”
Eun Sung responded with “Yes, yes,” as if his responses were automated, repeating the same responses in every segment.
A drama audition. In a situation he had never imagined, Hee-wook blankly stared at the wallpaper. He chewed over the information Eun Sung had tossed at him earlier.
An idol drama. A remote audition to select someone to play the role of an idol group member. The director was a famous person, and the lead role was already cast with a very popular actor…
Like he had been electrified, Hee-wook jerked his body, which had been leaning against the wall.
“Wait a minute! So who’s the lead?”
Eun Sung’s voice, which was about to bid him farewell with ‘I’ll leave it at that,’ suddenly cut off. He cleared his throat and responded decisively.
―It’s Cheon Kyung Seo. It’s quite surprising that he chose an idol role after a lot of consideration.
Cheon Kyung Seo. Hee-wook muttered the name to himself.
―You know who Cheon Kyung Seo is, right, Hee-wook hyung?
Eun Sung asked in a dubious tone. Hee-wook grimaced as he was taken aback. Even though he hadn’t been a civilian for long, he felt overlooked. He had watched more TV inside the military than outside.
“How could I not know?”
Cheon Kyung Seo, the actor who had taken over all kinds of commercials in South Korea. It would have been stranger if he didn’t know him.
＊＊＊
In a large studio located in Paju. Staff were busy installing cameras and lights, and checking whether the costumes and accessories were right. The lights, similar to sunlight, gently illuminated the inside of the studio.
Today’s commercial shooting required a cozy and intimate atmosphere, so the props and costumes were prepared accordingly. As the youngest staff member Hee Ji, who was setting up a few beer cans, giggled, staff member Yura, who was meticulously checking the list, furrowed her brows.
“Why are you laughing? We’re so busy and you’re laughing?”
“No… I mean the beer.”
Hee Ji tapped on the beer can with her long nails. A ‘clang’ sound echoed.
“It just doesn’t seem to suit our actor.”
“Hmm?”
“No matter how I think about it, he seems more like a wine person! He’s enchanting.”
Feeling pleased with herself for using a word she rarely used, Hee Ji shrugged her shoulders. Yura narrowed her eyes and studied Hee Ji before chuckling.
“That’s why we prepared beer even more. We need to create a comfortable atmosphere today.”
“Indeed, the image of beer foam on his lips is also quite…”
As Hee Ji, who was making a lascivious face while stroking her chin, was suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Oh no, I should stop. I feel like me being a fan is going to be exposed.”
“Right, moreover, the talk about the type of alcohol itself is funny. After all, the actor is…”
Yura let out a brief sigh.
“Only twenty, right? An absolute baby.”
“Ha… it’s really unbelievable. He’s a symbol of decadence! How can he, with that height, those shoulders, that face, only be an adult now…”
Just as Hee Ji was shaking her head as if she genuinely couldn’t understand, a staff member ran over and knocked on the wall.
“Actor Cheon has arrived!”
At the booming voice, the staff members in the studio momentarily froze. ‘What to do!’ Hee Ji, with her excited face, scurried to the window and peeked out. A large, black car was parked in front of the studio. The moment Yura was about to roll up her sleeves and head outside, footsteps were heard.
He had arrived.
Every staff member, regardless of age or gender, swallowed their saliva. After a moment, a tall man whose height was not much different from the door frame of the studio entrance, leaned in.
The star of the day, actor Cheon Kyung Seo.
“Hey, I will check your temperature.”
A skinny male staff member standing at the door spoke, holding a thermometer. Kyung Seo, who was well over 190 cm, appeared to be nonchalantly gazing at the staff member, but soon slightly bent his waist. The non-contact thermometer measured the temperature on his forehead. 36.2 degrees. It was normal.
After confirming his temperature, Kyung Seo straightened his back and walked inside. His manager followed him and checked his own temperature.
“You must have had a hard time coming here.”
Yura, who had quickly walked up to the entrance, spoke with a smile. Kyung Seo, who had been looking down at Yura, slowly lifted his hand. His elongated fingers gently gripped the mask and slid it down.
“Yes.”
Though he was clearly bare-faced without makeup. His thick eyebrows, dense eyelashes, a dot under his left eye, prominent nose bridge, smooth cheeks, and transparently red lips. As soon as he lowered his mask, his handsome features captured everyone’s attention, and Yura was momentarily dazed.
She knew he was handsome from seeing him on screen, but the power of his real-life appearance was astonishing. She thought he would only have a solid and sexy impression, but seeing him in person, he also had a pretty vibe. With his eyes lowered, he looked like a lonely boy.
So twenty years old is indeed twenty years old, Yura secretly nodded her head. Of course, Kyung Seo, being a 193 cm giant, was quite far from the ‘boyish’ image.
Kyung Seo, without saying anything, just stared at Yura who was lost in thought. Belatedly realizing this, she smiled awkwardly and pointed towards a room on the opposite side of the shooting area.
“Ri, right, we’ll proceed with the makeup now. Please, this way.”
Kyung Seo quietly nodded. The manager walked towards the room first, and Kyung Seo followed.
After exchanging eye greetings with the familiar makeup artist, Kyung Seo yawned once, covering his mouth with his hand.
＊＊＊
“Kyung Seo, how are you feeling today?”
The makeup artist, Chae Hyun, spread the foundation with a brush. Kyung Seo’s skin had a slightly darker tone, so she was in the process of painting a tone lighter for the shoot. She asked him casually while feeling like she was turning dark chocolate into milk chocolate. Kyung Seo, who had been closing his eyes, half-lifted his eyelids.
“Not bad.”
“Tired?”
“Just a bit.”
Kyung Seo closed his eyes again.
“I am a bit sleepy.”
At his dry answer, Chae Hyun chuckled.
“If you’re feeling good, then show it on your face. Everyone is shivering when they see you.”
This time Kyung Seo fully opened his eyes. The forceful gaze of his fully opened eyes was rather fierce. Feeling like a herbivore standing before a predator in an unexpected moment, Chae Hyun swallowed dryly.
“Of, of course, that’s part of your charm.”
“What do you mean by ‘that’?”
His questioning tone did not match his cold gaze, devoid of any emotion. Chae Hyun stopped her brushwork and began counting off on her fingers.
“Being reticent, sharp, and quiet.”
Chae Hyun’s gaze rested on Kyung Seo’s face. She scanned his features, each seeming cold and dry without a hint of laughter.
“Even though you have a job that requires you to be in front of people, you seem uninterested in others. You are exactly as you appear.”
“……Hmm.”
“Cool!”
Kyung Seo moistened his lips, as if about to say something. Being generally quiet, the curious eyes of the people were drawn to Kyung Seo’s lips in the mirror. Would he be embarrassed? Would he deny that he was that kind of person? The words Kyung Seo spit out after a few seconds of making people anxious were……
“Yes.”
Regrettably, it was a single word. The energy of the watching people fizzled out. Among the people turning their heads in disappointment, Kyung Seo stealthily checked his manager through the mirror.
The manager, with a furrowed eyebrow, met eyes with Kyung Seo in the mirror. Very briefly, the corner of Kyung Seo’s mouth rose, then lowered again.
“I even think so myself…..”
“Hmm? Just as I said?”
“I am not interested in others.”
Kyung Seo shrugged his shoulders. Chae Hyun snorted as if she expected that response.
“Right?”
While Chae Hyun turned her body to pick up another cosmetic, Kyung Seo looked back at his manager and asked. Seeing his manager take a quick look around and make a disgusted face when no one was watching, Kyung Seo widened his eyes.
What’s up with that? Kyung Seo, who mumbled to himself without a sound, stared back at the mirror again.
The features with distinct lines, dark skin, and broad shoulders. There was not a single part of him that wasn’t “manly.” Kyung Seo, who was intently looking at his own appearance, slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.
＊＊＊
Actor Cheon Kyung Seo. He debuted as a child actor playing the lead male role in a romance film at the age of sixteen, and received attention for his mature appearance and exceptional acting skills compared to his age.
Since then, he has built his career appearing in various advertisements and dramas. Despite his increasing popularity, he never appeared in variety shows, earning him the descriptor of a mysterious actor in this era.
Although he mostly played the role of a high school student, perhaps due to his appearance that better matched a suit than a school uniform, and a dangerous and decadent atmosphere more than a cheerful youth, Kyung Seo attracted fans who were considerably older than him rather than those his own age or younger.
Kyung Seo, who had wide and well-built shoulders and a tall stature since his debut, did not stop growing as the years went by. Not only the fans but also the related personnel looked at him with pleased eyes. His ineptness with the internet and his quiet and taciturn personality also contributed to Kyung Seo’s sexy image.
“When does Kyung Seo turn twenty!”
As soon as he becomes an adult. As soon as Kyung Seo becomes an adult! There were more than one or two people grinding their teeth in anticipation. They would trap him in incredibly sexy roles and decadent stories. Everyone waited with clenched fists.
And this year, Kyung Seo finally turned twenty.
“You’ve worked hard today, Kyung Seo.”
“You too, hyung.”
After the advertisement shooting in the studio was over, Manager Woo Jin opened the door of the van for him. Kyung Seo gave a short reply and got in the car. As soon as he got in the car, he looked around the seat and hastily searched for something while rummaging through the big and small bags.
Woo Jin, who had watched Kyung Seo for a while, closed the rear door and sat in the driver’s seat. Even until he was ready to start the car, Kyung Seo, with a frustrated look on his handsome face, continued to busy himself searching for something.
Woo Jin let out a deep sigh as he occasionally glanced at Kyung Seo through the mirror.
“Hey, Yu.”
Manager Woo Jin often called Kyung Seo by his original surname ‘Yu’. Kyung Seo glanced up at him.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“Yes.”
Kyung Seo replied without even turning around. Just at that moment, his face lit up as if he finally found what he had been looking for.
“No, do you understand what I’m saying and answering?”
“Sort of.”
“It’s about your next work. Are you okay with going for that project?”
‘That project’ was a youth drama being produced as an OTT original series this time, in which Kyung Seo was to play an idol role. The drama was about the growth of a 4-member idol group ‘Paint’, and it was a highly anticipated work directed by a famous director.
Considering that Kyung Seo had just turned twenty, the genre and character were appropriate for his age, but it was a rather odd choice considering the public’s needs, who had been eagerly waiting for the maturely charming him to become an adult.
“Well, what can I do.”
Sighing, Kyung Seo adjusted his posture. What he held in his hand was a mobile phone. The mobile phone he had used in the studio was a product of company S, and this was a smartphone from company A. Kyung Seo pressed the power button for a while to turn on the phone that had been off.
“The representative said it’s better to do a drama than a movie. And there wasn’t exactly a suitable synopsis for a role appropriate for my age.”
“Well, if you’re convinced, it doesn’t really matter. But still, for your next work, you should take on a slightly heavier role…..”
“Eek!”
The manager’s words about future direction were interrupted by Kyung Seo’s sudden scream. Unaware if Kyung Seo knew about the sudden stop Woo Jin almost made in surprise, Kyung Seo, who had been nearly lying down in his seat, sprang up and grabbed the driver’s seat.
“Hyung! Today…..!”
“Today, what? What is it?”
“I have a live broadcast!”
It was an exclamation like a bolt out of the blue. Woo Jin blinked his eyes in surprise.
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