An Inconvenient Talent

Gye-won, having finished his styling, was literally perfect. He was wearing only a grey striped jacket over his bare skin, and it suited him incredibly well.

I guess not just anyone can be an actor.

It was impossible to guess how much effort went into maintaining that muscular physique. These weren’t just showy muscles; they were firm, densely packed layers of strength.

“Am I handsome?”

Perhaps he had been staring absentmindedly, as Cha Gye-won lightly flicked Yi-seo’s chin as if giving him a playful nugie.

“That sounds like a very obvious question,” Yi-seo replied grumpily. Everyone on set was staring only at him; did he really have to ask?

“The most handsome person here?”

“Yes.”

Yi-seo answered without a hint of hesitation. Right now, Cha Gye-won looked like he could bewitch even a plant.

At that firm, one-syllable answer, Gye-won clutched his stomach and laughed. It was hilarious how Yi-seo was bashful about receiving compliments but nodded without hesitation when saying Gye-won was handsome. He really is a little fox, Gye-won thought.

“Are you falling for me?” Gye-won asked, his voice laced with laughter. It was a line he heard so often he was sick of it, but coming from those lips, it felt a little less tedious. However, contrary to Gye-won’s expectation, Baek Yi-seo hesitated this time.

“It’s not like that….”

“…….”

A momentary silence swept through the dressing room. Realizing his slip-up, Yi-seo quickly added, “Being handsome and falling for someone are two different things. B-but still, you are the most handsome.”

“CEO.”

“Yes.”

“Does it cost money to say a few empty words?”

Just a moment ago, in front of the woman who was squeezing his cheeks, he was full of jokes about looking the same age and all that.

Gye-won playfully pinched Baek Yi-seo’s lips. Why was it so hard to get a few sweet words out of him?

“Hmm.”

Gye-won let out a long breath as if he were deep in thought. Perhaps it was his naturally mischievous nature, but those expensive lips of Yi-seo’s were becoming quite annoying.

“Are you… uncomfortable?” Yi-seo asked, perhaps feeling guilty or trying to match Gye-won’s mood.

“Uncomfortable….”

Gye-won blinked slowly. He finally understood why he felt so strangely annoyed. He was uncomfortable.

“Yes. I am uncomfortable.”

He hadn’t realized it, but Baek Yi-seo had a knack for drawing people in. He didn’t seem like an outgoing person himself, but you could feel that people felt at ease around him. Even a moment ago, as soon as Baek Yi-seo left the dressing room, the sound of people looking for him could be heard through the door.

The photographer was the same. Yi-seo might not know, but she was known for being quite fastidious. She might look cheerful on the outside, but she wasn’t. She was as strict as she was talented.

“Uh… what exactly is uncomfortable? Is there something you need me to get for you?”

Baek Yi-seo looked up at Gye-won with clear eyes. Fine. Once again, I’m the only bad guy here.

“Could you go buy me some coffee?”

“But the monitoring….”

“I don’t need it.”

“Okay. An Americano, right? I’ll be back soon.”

Baek Yi-seo grabbed his wallet and put on his coat. He busily shoved his arms through the sleeves and zipped it up.

“Make it iced. From that cafe we went to earlier.”

“Uh. That place is far….”

The cafe they stopped at before arriving at the studio was at least a 30-minute drive away. Since they had gone there together, there was no way Gye-won didn’t know that.

“Do as you wish,” Gye-won said with a grin, turning his back and walking out of the dressing room.

There’s no helping it. What can I do if I was born with such a rotten personality?

**************************************

It took about an hour and a half for the round trip to buy the coffee. By the time he arrived, the shoot was already past the halfway mark. It took even longer because he decided to buy drinks for the staff as well.

“Please have some coffee!!” shouted a staff member who spotted Yi-seo carrying a load of coffee. At that sound, Gye-won, who was focused on the shoot, looked over indifferently.

“Let’s take a short break!” announced the director.

Cha Gye-won had even sent a short text saying, “Make mine decaf.” Unfortunately, it was sent right as Yi-seo had finished buying all the coffee and was loading it into the car.

Yi-seo searched through the coffees he’d bought, found the decaf one, and ran toward Gye-won. He held out the cup with a straw in it, sweating despite it being mid-winter.

“Here you go.”

“……I told you to buy my coffee, but you bought all this yourself?”

Gye-won crossed his arms and didn’t take the cup, only leaning forward to bite the straw.

“It was only a few cups….”

“Do the other people not have hands?”

Gye-won was the one who sent him on the errand in the first place, and now he was playing the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine.

“The CEO can have the rest,” Gye-won said, pushing the coffee cup away after taking just one sip, as if he didn’t want any more. Even that one sip was minimal.

“Didn’t you want to drink it?”

“Maybe it’s because I had some in the car earlier. I can’t drink any more.”

“Then why….”

Yi-seo looked down at the coffee. Since Gye-won specifically asked for that cafe, he thought he really wanted it and had hurried back and forth.

“Let’s just get this over with quickly. Everyone needs to rest,” Cha Gye-won shouted toward the people who were just starting to pick out their coffee. To an outsider, it looked like he was the director.

“Right. We can’t let the flow break. Let’s start again!”

The director let out a hearty laugh and resumed the shoot. Yi-seo, fiddling with the coffee in his hands, moved toward the staff. It would be evening soon. It likely wouldn’t take much longer to wrap up.

“Wow. Nice. Very nice.”

“How are we going to pick the B-cuts later?”

“I know. Working with Cha Gye-won means every shot is a cover. Picking the final cuts is the hardest part.”

Following those who were admiring the monitor, Yi-seo saw that their praise was justified. His looks were a given, but his posture, composition, and expressions were flawless. Every shot being taken now was a potential final cut.

“You must be proud?”

“Pardon? Well….”

A staff member beside him poked Yi-seo in the waist, looking even more proud than he was.

“He is… quite handsome.”

It was obvious, but he really was handsome. It was different from the casual “good-looking” or “cool” that he’d thought of before.

To be honest, Yi-seo hadn’t expected Cha Gye-won to be so passionate about the shoot. He had expected him to just strike a few poses and be done with it, like many successful actors do. Or perhaps act arrogant.

Maybe he thought that because the Gye-won he’d seen was always relaxed and laid-back. His self-centered moments only reinforced that image.

“Alright, one more time!”

But in front of the camera, he was different. The flashing lights and the spotlights surrounding him seemed to remind everyone every second that he was the protagonist. He wasn’t just following the shoot; he was controlling the flow. He had a magnetic pull that seemed to draw in everyone in the room.

Is this what it takes to be recognized in one’s field?

“Hello there.”

A thick, quiet voice from behind broke Yi-seo’s thoughts without warning.

“Oh?!”

“I’ll enjoy the coffee.”

A man with a masculine gaze was smiling, holding up a coffee cup.

“Actor Lee Jin-kang…?”

Yi-seo knew him. He was Lee Jin-kang, an actor being mentioned in various media outlets as a next-generation star.

A few years ago, Lee Jin-kang, a former bodyguard, became famous after an idol fan took his picture and posted it on a fan page. His athlete-like physique and exotic features had a huge impact. The photo heated up various online communities and started appearing in several news articles. That served as his breakthrough into acting.

“I’m just grateful you recognized me right away,” Lee Jin-kang said with a deep bow. His polite demeanor was very formal.

“Of course I recognize you. I really enjoyed the movie you were in.”

The characters he played were mainly high-action roles or silent supporting leads, and he seemed to have a good eye for projects, as his box office results were decent.

“It’s an honor. You’re the CEO of Cha Gye-won sunbaenim’s agency, right?”

As Yi-seo shook the hand offered to him, he felt a heavy grip. His broad shoulders gave off an air of strength. Yi-seo smiled. Lee Jin-kang was an actor he personally liked.

“Yes. How did you know?”

“I asked who you were, and they told me.”

He pointed behind him with his thumb.

“Ah…. Do you have a shoot today?”

“Yes. I’m in the slot right after this. I came early to watch sunbaenim’s shoot. He’s a senior I respect. Though I still have a long way to go.”

“A long way to go? You’re doing perfectly well already.”

He pointed toward Cha Gye-won with his hand; he had a slightly intimidating look, but his expression was like that of a young boy.

“I have much to learn. I’m worried about the two-shot shoot with sunbaenim the day after tomorrow.”

He had heard there would be more filming the day after tomorrow, and it seemed it was a two-shot with Lee Jin-kang. Since Kim Gun was scheduled to come the day after tomorrow, Yi-seo hadn’t been informed of the detailed schedule.

“A two-shot…. The fans’ reaction will be great.”

Whoever planned this was clearly someone with good taste. The two were actors with contrasting charms. While Cha Gye-won had a somewhat cold and decadent atmosphere, Lee Jin-kang had a heavy and stiff vibe. His agency’s keyword for him was “primal beauty.”

Also, while Cha Gye-won had pale skin, Lee Jin-kang’s skin was dark, as if it had been tanned. Seeing a two-shot of them on a single page would be quite a sight. It was easy to see that the public reaction would be explosive.

“I’m so worried about being a burden that I can’t even sleep.”

“Oh, come on. That sounds like an unnecessary worry. You’re a very charming actor,” Yi-seo added, playfully giving him a thumbs-up.