Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“Where are you going?”
Kim Jaewon—Cha Jungwoo’s classmate—asks as Jungwoo just steps out of the elevator at the fifth floor. Much to Jungwoo’s dislike, that brat follows him and now they’re standing in the empty hallway.
It’s still the fourth period and a lot of the students are still in their respective classes. They’re at the film department, where so many studios are located for broadcasting, film producing, and editing. The rooms are large and it occupies up to the ninth floor.
Jungwoo is there because he has an appointment with a student from the acting department, Bong Jaehyun. Jaewon, who’s been in the same class as Jungwoo, must have sensed that and decides to be nosy.
Without taking any glance, Jungwoo goes straight to the theater studio where Jaehyun is practicing his acting skill. Jaehyun is a senior in Cheong-ah International University, and he will graduate next winter. And generally, Jungwoo doesn’t care about him—not until he found out that Bong Jaehyun is getting quite close with Kim Hoyoung.
He sighs, not even hiding his annoyance from his classmate. As if Jaewon hasn’t been a nuisance, now he needs to face his other rival as well.
Jungwoo fishes out his phone, then types in the chat room, I’m here. Right on cue, the door to the theater studio opens.
There, Bong Jaehyun appears, wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The bang sticks to his temple, sweating from his intense practice. Though, Jaehyun still manages to look charming and breathtaking—his round, doe eyes and his full, plump lips will enamor anyone in an instant.
Like Kim Jaewon next to him.
“Do you have it?” Jungwoo just cuts to the business, not wanting to prolong his existence here.
Jaehyun nods, taking out a bifold wallet from his pocket, then opens it. Two navy blue tickets with clean, simple design pops out from there. Jaehyun takes one, then hands it out to Jungwoo.
“Front row seat as requested,” Jaehyun says, showing a meaningful smirk towards Jungwoo. “You’re such a demanding hoobae, you know? This should be sold out in the first hour when the ticket sale was opened last week.”
“Thank you, Jaehyun-sunbaenim,” Jungwoo replies sweetly. He still knows manners. As much as he hates how Jaehyun always seeks help from Hoyoung, he knows when to be considerate. “I’ll make sure to bring your favorite flowers.”
“You know his favorite flowers?” Jaewon snaps, his eyes widen. His gaze gleams under the studio’s light, staring dagger as if Jungwoo has committed some serious crime.
Jungwoo tilts his head, not knowing what his mistake is. He raises his eyebrow, before focusing on Jaehyun again.
Jaehyun blinks, then turns his head at his other hoobae, as if he just recognizes that Kim Jaewon is also there. “I heard you’ll come too with Hyewon and Jeong-eui.” He doesn’t continue after that, clearly waiting for an answer.
Jungwoo peeks a glance at Jaewon, who stammers as he searches for words, pathetically showing his unrequited crush.
“Yeah. I’m looking forward to your show, Jaehyun hyung.” When Jaewon has said his words clearly, he beams, showing his warm expression.
Jungwoo grimaces, watching all the cringe scenarios between his classmate and his sunbae. He won’t do that with Hoyoung, beating around the bush just because he’s afraid of getting rejected. Cha Jungwoo will confess properly after this show, and he will make sure that his claim for Kim Hoyoung is as clear as the flaming sun outside this building.
Jungwoo saw Hoyoung for the first time during the orientation week. At that time, Kim Hoyoung had just graduated and was promoting the theater club. He was from the Acting Department, getting a summa cum laude and the highest GPA among his peers. Not only that, before he finished his undergraduate thesis, Hoyoung was also casted in a k-drama and won the Best Supporting Role and Rising Star Award in the same year.
In an instant, Jungwoo regretted not choosing any art major in the university. He just followed his parents’ suggestion to study economics, even when Cheong-ah is more famous in debuting musicians, actors, and artists who also had studied in their high school.
After Hoyoung was done talking on the stage, Jungwoo raised his hand. He didn’t think, nor even blink. His gaze was directed at the beautiful man while he asked, “Can we join even if we’re not from the art major?”
What a stupid question, of course you can! Jungwoo’s mind reprimanded him, probably too dumbstruck to even conjure a coherent sentence. Yet, he doubled down, not wanting Kim Hoyoung to consider him as this silly, inexperienced guy that craved his attention (he certainly did).
“Especially if some of us never acted before—” Oh, shit. Jungwoo gulped, then schooled his expression to be as calm as possible.
There, under the scrutiny of the new students, and some of his friends in the theater club, Hoyoung smiled.
Jungwoo’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, and he took a deep breath slowly, not wanting to miss any of Hoyoung’s soft, careful voice.
“Sure. Everyone is welcome to join.”
It was just a pity that Hoyoung had graduated, so the one in charge mostly is Bong Jaehyun, his senior whose acting skill is on a par with Hoyoung’s.
In the theater club, Jungwoo ends up learning every video of their performance starring Kim Hoyoung. That angelic guy had tried so many roles, and his acting range is very versatile. He was a calm, calculated serial killer. Another time, he was a skillful doctor who became the patients’ favorite.
Jungwoo’s personal favorite is when Kim Hoyoung acted as a divorced man. Then, after he separated from his ex-wife, he cheated with another man—Park Solomon. That lucky bastard. Their acting was raw. The way they conveyed their feelings, and maintained the underlying tension throughout the story, up until they couldn’t continue their relationship broke Jungwoo’s heart.
He always skipped the ending, though, since Hoyoung gave a passionate kiss to his co-actor. It was a brief, soft kiss on the lips, with Hoyoung’s drop of tears streaming down his delicate cheek. And Lomon’s hand slowly pulled away from Hoyoung’s waist, torn at the realization that they didn’t belong to each other.
In the span of one year, Jungwoo tried his best to master his acting skill. He got several supporting roles, which also played important parts in the story. From a dark warlock wanting to devour an entire city, a town crier that announced the royal ball to the common folks, and the recent one as a guard who protected the crown prince (Bong Jaehyun) from the evil duke (Kim Jaewon) who wanted to kill him. Well, the crown prince somehow ended up being in a complicated relationship with the duke, though.
Cheong-ah wanted to reach more audiences, more professional critics, so they held a megamusical in their newest theater building, La Tiare. Every miniscule detail was finished by their most prominent graduates—from the architecture building, the painted murals, sculptured columns, and all the electronic installation. The proscenium stage is as immaculate as Hera Palace, and meant to invite more investors to put their trust in Cheong-ah Group.
They’ll have Hamlet as their next performance, and Jungwoo is surprised that Hoyoung can sing. Another fact that he’s looking forward to.
After getting the ticket from Jaehyun, Jungwoo practically ignores Jaewon as he fishes his phone out. He searches for Hoyoung’s name, then types in the chat room.
I wish I could look at the rehearsal today, too.
Jungwoo-ya, you know you can’t. It’s classified to avoid any leaks before the show.
The reply comes fast enough that Jungwoo takes a sharp breath. He even lets Jaewon peer through his screen—which is rude—but it’s about time that guy knows who he’s been interested in.
Can I at least accompany you practicing, like always?
His tone is hopeful—desperate. He just wants any reason to meet his favorite hyung. To remind him that Jungwoo can be his potential partner. That particular scene of Hoyoung kissing another man had traumatized him. Enough to slap him that men and women naturally clamor around Kim Hoyoung. And honestly, none of them are decent enough to be with him.
Except Jungwoo, obviously.
“Since when are you close with Kim Hoyoung?” Jaewon frowns, staring at Jungwoo as he asks for explanation.
Jungwoo sighs, then puts his phone down. They stop walking when they reach the lobby. And with a smug look, Jungwoo confirms, “Never been closer compared to anyone else.”
Jaewon scoffs, clearly in disbelief. He genuinely thought that Cha Jungwoo—the persistent guy who aces his study, while still killing all of his performance despite announcing he had no experience—has a crush on Bong Jaehyun. They often have lunch together and discuss their scenes here and there around campus. And Jaewon felt like he needed to erase him from the picture, since he became a nuisance.
“Kim Hoyoung is single, though. He can just be with any guy or girl that picks his interest.” Jaewon doesn’t want to admit defeat. If Jungwoo knew about his antics all the time and chose to be silent, at least he needs to give him a proper comeback.
“He will stay so if the guy pursuing him is as slow as you pursuing Jaehyun hyung,” Jungwoo jeers, then stopping himself before their ridiculous argument turns even more absurd.
Jaewon visibly grits his teeth, though he extends his hand, reaching out to Jungwoo. “Truce?”
“Yeah, whatever.” Jungwoo shakes his hand, mortified, as another soft ding pops out from his phone. They go their separate ways after that, though Jungwoo’s mind now keeps whirring with myriad thoughts.
What if Kim Hoyoung already has a partner? What if he just considers Jungwoo as his hoobae, someone in need of guidance, rather than a potential boyfriend?
Jungwoo’s heart is pinched, then beats rapidly at the thought of Hoyoung slipping away from his grasp. He doesn’t like that. He’d rather make sure that Hoyoung will never stop thinking about him...