Chapter 26
Sunghoon felt as though he'd been kicked in the gut. He couldn't believe Raiven would be so quick to buy into a narrative like that. Did I really look that untrustworthy? He didn't feel like talking,to Se-hee, to himself, or to the world. Luckily, Se-hee was buried in her work, so he managed to slip into his room and collapse into bed, physically and emotionally drained.
He tossed and turned for hours, replaying the argument, Raiven's cold eyes, and the sound of that door clicking shut. Eventually, his body gave way to exhaustion and he fell into a restless sleep.
The next day, the weight followed him to work. He moved through his shifts at the restaurant like a ghost. Even Se-hee noticed the change in his aura when he got home, but when she asked if something had happened, he just gave her a half-truth. "Just stressed about the role," he muttered. She looked skeptical,she knew him well enough to know work didn't usually dim his light,but she let it go.
The days passed in a daze until the weekend arrived: fitting day.
Alice picked him up, her energy a sharp contrast to his internal gloom. He forced himself to be professional. He smiled, interacted with the cast, and followed every direction the stylists gave him.
Shim-sul was there, of course. Haru ignored him, though he felt the veteran's petty sneer every time they crossed paths. The male lead, Go-jip, seemed buried in his own thoughts and wasn't in the mood for small talk, so Haru kept his distance. Deul-hwa, however, remained a bright spot.
"We should go over the script together sometime," she suggested, her eyes friendly. "When the schedule opens up." A few other minor cast members chimed in, eager to join, and Haru agreed with a genuine smile. At least here, in the craft of acting, things felt honest. They exchanged contacts, and the day officially wrapped.
Despite being a supporting character, Haru's role was pivotal. He was playing a notorious youth who ran with the wrong crowd,a "bad boy" archetype with a hidden depth. The director pulled him aside, reaffirming that the buzzcut was the perfect choice. It gave him an edge that balanced his polite demeanor.
On the drive back, Alice broke the silence.
"The production team is going to release the fitting stills soon to officially announce the cast. You need to make social media accounts, Haru. You don't have a digital footprint at all."
Haru nodded. He'd ignored the advice before, but he knew he couldn't hide forever. "I'll get on it. I'll ask Se-hee for help."
When he got home, the apartment smelled like spicy delivery food. Se-hee had left his portion aside, and he could hear her voice muffled through her bedroom door, high-pitched and animated. He decided to poke his head in.
He knocked softly and opened the door. Se-hee was sitting in front of a glowing ring light, wearing oversized headphones and a gaming chair.
"Come in!" she called out, spinning around with a wide grin.
"You're home late," she said, her eyes bright.
"Yeah," Haru said, walking toward her, squinting at the complex setup of monitors.
"What are you doing?"
He had seen her filming clips before, but this was different.
"I'm doing a live stream," she said, turning back to the screen where a column of text was flying upward so fast it looked like a blur.
"Live stream?" He leaned down, standing behind her to get a better look at the screen.
"Say hello to my followers," she said, grabbing his hand and forcing him to wave at the camera lens.
"They can see us? Right now?" Haru asked, his voice full of skepticism.
Se-hee burst out laughing. "Yes! See, guys? I told you my roommate is an old man trapped in a hot guy's body," she teased, reading the chat. "Yes, he is very handsome. His name is Haru."
She looked back at the camera, her expression turning supportive. "He landed a really important role in a huge drama, so please support him when it comes out! He's a total blackout on social media right now, but when he gets an Instagram, I'll share it."
"Hello everyone," Haru said, waving again, still baffled by the technology.
"How are you reading those?" he wondered, reaching out to touch the monitor. "They're going so fast."
"It's my superpower!" she joked. He gave her a playful scowl, which only made the chat erupt further.
"People are saying you look familiar," she noted, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the comments. "No, we aren't dating! That would be like incest. Gross!"
Haru chuckled, shaking his head. "I have to go eat before my food gets cold again. Goodbye, everyone."
He walked out, hearing Se-hee's laughter trailing behind him. "Stop thirsting after him, it's weird!" she shouted at her microphone.
As Haru sat down at the small kitchen table, his phone vibrated with a text. He expected it to be Alice or maybe a "congrats" from Suho.
Instead, the name on the screen made his heart skip a beat.
Hae-rin.
Hey, Haru. Can we meet up?