* * *
Han Yohan was the type to let bygones remain in the past.
Humans could not stop time from flowing.
Emotions, too, drifted away with time.
It wasn't as if Han Yohan had never regretted a project.
He simply knew when it was time to let go.
Burning anger turned to ashes after consuming itself. Sharp frustration wore down little by little until one day it disappeared. Heavy affection was shaved away by the wind, and joy that had once risen endlessly eventually struck an invisible ceiling.
Everything naturally left his hands after enough time had passed.
There was no need to bury himself in it.
“Ready—.”
At last, the moment Han Yeoreum had desperately wanted to reshoot had arrived.
It held no particular meaning for Han Yohan, but perhaps because he had spared neither mind nor body these past days, fatigue had accumulated, and all his senses felt duller than usual.
Han Yohan gathered himself together while carrying the staff, the director, and even Han Yeoreum's tension on his shoulders.
No matter how exhausting and difficult it was, this too would eventually pass.
“Action!”
The exact same scene.
The exact same lines.
If anything had changed, it was only that the weather had grown colder.
The wind of Moscow blew mercilessly.
Han Yohan silently walked forward.
Behind him, the sound of hurried little footsteps approached.
“You got hurt, didn't you?”
“...”
“You got hurt!”
But her voice was subtly different from before.
There was irritation mixed into the sharpness.
“Why won't you say anything? Why?!”
She had been trembling inside the car and still managed to do what she needed to do.
She possessed remarkable judgment, capable of grasping the essence of a situation, and a composure that wasn't ruled by immediate emotions.
Which meant—
The irritation she was showing now stemmed from the belief that the other person would accept it.
But Han Yohan lightly brushed her hand away.
Exactly as written in the script.
His gaze remained unchanged.
“Don't concern yourself with me.”
At those words, Han Yeoreum looked at him with eyes unlike any she'd shown before.
During the previous shoot, she had looked like someone unable to control the emotions rising inside her.
Now—
She seemed somewhat more childlike.
“This isn't my concern? What isn't? Tell me!”
The fists striking his chest became more forceful.
Faint resentment.
Embarrassment toward someone who refused to accept her.
And...
“Is that what they teach you at the ICC? Even if it's someone on the same team... don't share anything, keep your distance, draw the line, like that?”
Resentment toward a man who seemed indifferent to death.
Her voice trembled once on the words same team.
Im Ria looked up at him with widened eyes, as though remembering the fear she'd felt before.
But another emotion outweighed it.
Han Yohan released both wrists he had grabbed according to the script.
And fell silent.
Cold wind blew.
As though telling her to continue if she had more to say.
Yet refusing to accept any of it.
Standing with his hands behind his back—
The man before her was nothing more than an ICC agent.
“If you weren't hurt, then why couldn't I reach you?! You could've at least said something! You disappeared for days—!”
“There was nothing wrong, so I didn't contact you. As long as the project remains unaffected, we maintain the status quo.”
“...You almost died that day. Do you know that? Is that nothing to you?”
“Yes.”
Im Ria's shoulders trembled, her fists clenched.
“Ha... Aren't you amazing...”
“...”
“Then how serious does it have to be before you consider it a big deal?”
And then—
She grabbed his collar.
Just as the script demanded.
The two lips met.
The way she pressed herself against him was like a child throwing a tantrum.
Ill-mannered and selfish.
Over Im Ria's cold, soft lips, chilled by the winter wind, Matteo's warmth slowly spread.
And through that awful kiss—
The senses that had long gone numb gradually sharpened again.
She would cry.
Matteo knew naturally that if things continued this way, Im Ria would eventually break.
He alone remembered.
Days that didn't need to be recalled.
And so—
He should turn his back now.
“Then this isn't a big deal to you either, huh?”
Despite stubbornly clutching both sides of his coat, unwilling to leave him, her tone remained crooked.
But Im Ria's eyes did not lie.
Tell me no.
Tell me right now that it isn't true.
That was what those eyes seemed to be saying.
Like the Im Ria of his memories.
Like the child he alone remembered.
She was being spoiled.
Days only Matteo knew.
But memories held by one person alone possessed no worth.
No meaning.
It was better to forget them.
Nothing good would come from bringing them back.
He knew that.
He knew...
“...Yes.”
His lips moved unusually slowly.
He knew he should let everything flow away.
Yet in that instant—
It happened.
The details and emotional delivery had changed from the previous shoot.
And waves arose within Han Yohan's own emotions.
As he looked into the woman's eyes fixed on him—
For that brief moment—
A sentence he had never once felt before crossed his mind.
Some feelings—
Sometimes—
Needed to remain still.
It was the first raw emotion Han Yohan had ever experienced.
* * *
Cutting her omelet in half with a fork, Jo Eunnara once again realized how unfair the world truly was.
“Huh? Senior, don't you dislike °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° cheese? There's cheese in the omelet.”
“There must be a reason this came to me... It's not like eating it will kill me...”
“It came out wrong, then say something. Give it to me. I want cheese!”
Meanwhile, she'd specifically requested extra cheese and gotten none, whereas Han Yohan got cheese without even asking.
And on top of that, his girlfriend noticed such details immediately.
'Unbelievable.'
Jo Eunnara found it unbearable enough that people flirted while working—
But the fact that they were talented too made her stomach turn.
She finally understood why the set hadn't been shaken at all despite the chaos in public opinion and the anxiety caused by the emergency replacement cast.
Throughout filming, the two had proven why.
Their composure stemmed from overwhelming skill.
With the two leads holding everything together, even the staff had managed to stay sane despite the crisis—
“Hahaha! As expected, our drama isn't doomed!”
“The director must've finished treatment by now, right?”
“He has to come say goodbye before Yeoreum leaves!”
“Can't he stitch half of it up, come say goodbye, then go back and get the other half stitched?”
“Nice idea!!!”
Jo Eunnara briefly thought they were sane.
Then she remembered—
The staff had never been sane to begin with.
As for Galdaeguk—
He had spent the entire day suppressing his excitement.
Eventually, he jumped high into the air.
Unfortunately, he misjudged his position and smashed his head into the lighting equipment, splitting his forehead open.
“Oh my god, Director!!!”
“Are you okay?!”
The staff worried as they looked at Director Gal.
“We still have filming left!!!”
“Everyone's emotions are perfect right now!!!”
“We've all immersed ourselves completely!!!”
Not about him.
About the filming.
Unable to speak, Director Gal was replaced by the increasingly noisy staff.
Eventually, the staff physically dragged him away.
And only after finishing the shoot with blood running down his forehead did he finally go to the hospital.
Though she hadn't personally witnessed the kiss scene that had gone wrong on the first day—
Jo Eunnara instinctively knew.
It had absolutely needed a reshoot.
Han Yeoreum's close-up scenes weren't even worth explaining.
And Han Yohan—
Whose romance acting had never been particularly impressive—
Had delivered incredibly good close-ups.
That kind of change wasn't something you developed overnight.
'They must've broken up and gotten back together during filming.'
Thinking about it that way made everything make sense.
Everyone else in the world might be fooled—
But not her eyes.
To think they'd pull out such desperate emotions from their personal feelings.
It felt so precarious, like two people truly on the verge of breaking apart.
Sharpening her instincts, Jo Eunnara swore never to trust the two of them—
No matter how talented they were.
They were definitely in love.
She was certain.
The way they looked at each other was completely different from the way they looked at her.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
“Senior, your phone's ringing...”
“Ah, it's not a call. It's a message from senior Hong Suryeon.”
“Ah, a photo... I thought it was a video call...”
The three seemed close.
Probably because the two of them alone would attract suspicion, so they included Hong Suryeon as camouflage.
Again—
Everyone else in the world might be fooled.
But not her eyes.
Today was Han Yeoreum's final day of filming.
Swallowing the rest of her omelet, Jo Eunnara rose from her seat first.
“Huh? Senior, you're done already?”
“Yes. I'll head in first. Sorry I can't see you off. See you back in Korea.”
“Yep! Good luck with filming tomorrow!”
Facing Han Yeoreum's light smile, Jo Eunnara smiled along with her.
But the moment she turned around, her expression returned to blank indifference.
The action scene with Han Yohan—
The one Galdaeguk insisted absolutely could not be removed.
Jo Eunnara decided to pour everything she had into that reshoot.
'At this rate, I'll really get buried.'
She had to create even the slightest crack in the tenderness between those two.
What they had filmed today was on an entirely different level from anything they'd shown before.
That fleeting timing where emotions crossed while being completely out of sync.
A man who could push her away at any moment chose to remain where he was.
A woman perfectly capable of thinking rationally threw a childish tantrum.
Viewers would feel love—
Without anyone ever saying the word.
Returning to her room, script in hand, Jo Eunnara's phone vibrated excitedly atop the table.
[010-XXXX-XXXX]
The owner of the unsaved number called several times.
Annoyed, Jo Eunnara answered.
“Don't contact me. Misfortune spreads.”
-Stop talking bullshit.... Did you ruin another set because of yourself?
The caller was Eun Baekhap.
“Yeah, piss off.”
-You little shit. Learn some respect. Is everyone else okay? Nobody got electrocuted because lightning struck after diving into the sea with you, or almost got run over?
“The lovebirds are having the time of their lives. They're even exchanging selfies with Hong Suryeon, who isn't even there, so don't worry about them.”
-What? You bitch—
Jo Eunnara hung up and immediately blocked the number.
She wanted to step into the strange immersion she'd experienced earlier.
She focused, hoping to become the one and only crack in the flawless relationship between those two.
* * *
At the same time, in South Korea, year-end award ceremonies were in full swing.
Entertainment Awards.
Music Festivals.
And Drama Awards.
With the figures who had dominated the entire year gathered in one place, public attention naturally converged there.
[HOT / Everyone singing live is making me embarrassed for them Special Stage.jpg]
[Our Village Chatter / Eun Baekhap is so pure today...TT_TT]
[Today's BEST / Eun Baekhap's Best Dresser outfit at the KBC Year-End Awards.jpg]
[Drama & Movie Actor TALK / Yoo Jiuk and Hong Suryeon's chemistry is insane T_T Please let them work together once more]
The stars of the glamorous and brutal actresses' Holy Grail War each made their appearance, and the public cheered.
-Anonymous 8: Even if the ending of Beom Hana was disappointing, both actresses acted their asses off lololol They deserved awards.
↳ Anonymous 12: Seriously an acting showcase T_T If they had any conscience, they would've given them the Grand Prize.
↳ Anonymous 17: Huh? The ending was trash. Grand Prize my ass lolololol
-Anonymous 56: Why do I cry every time Eun Baekhap cries holding a trophy T_T She's so fragile, I seriously want to protect her. Ah fuck, unnie TT___TT
-Anonymous 83: I don't remember any dramas besides the Holy Grail War this year.
↳ Anonymous 99: Same LOOLL
↳ Anonymous 102: LOL me too. I only vaguely remember something happened. Every time someone wins an award I'm shocked because they all feel like strangers.
Among all those ceremonies, the hottest attention focused on the Baekryong Film Awards and the MBS Awards.
[HOT / Today's Baekryong Film Awards Red Carpet.jpg]
[Issue Board / Myeong Jeha's face just destroyed the Baekryong Film Awards.jpg]
The red carpet itself drew overwhelming attention.
Especially this year, Myeong Jeha, the rookie who had broken into Hollywood with two films, made an enormous impact.
-Anonymous 208: Damn, Myeong Jeha.
-Anonymous 221: Please. Please clone him TT__TT Why is there only one?
-Anonymous 246: What the hell is that face condition? Crazy.
-Anonymous 251: Wait, wasn't that a wedding entrance song? I swear I heard one???
↳ Anonymous 288: Fuck, what is this LMAO
-Anonymous 302: A luxury actor who elevates the entire Korean film industry the moment he appears... okay, Korean cinema isn't dead yet.
As always, a gentle knock sounded outside the waiting room of Ji Haebeom, who was hosting the Baekryong Film Awards.
“Come in.”
The slowly opening door revealed Dong Baekyeong, one of today's special presenters.
“Um, senior...”
“Oh. Baekyeong, you're here.”
Ji Haebeom patiently waited for Dong Baekyeong, who clearly had something to say.
After fidgeting with her fingertips for a long while with her head lowered, Dong Baekyeong finally gathered her courage.
“I heard... you're making a movie...”
“Looks like the rumors have spread that far already.”
“Yeah... so... I wanted... to read it too...”
She spoke shyly.
“My manager said she'd bring me the synopsis... but I couldn't wait...”
“You're curious?”
“...”
Dong Baekyeong nodded.
Though shy and careful with every word she spoke, she became a monster the moment she stood before a camera.
Dong Baekyeong was the type who absorbed everyone's attention without even opening her mouth.
That unique aura only film actors supposedly possessed.
Dong Baekyeong had it.
Without trying to attract attention, people naturally gravitated toward her.
The moment she spoke, everyone listened.
Even without functioning as a celebrity, she held value simply by existing.
As a producer and investor rather than merely an actress, she was an incredibly interesting card.
Ji Haebeom briefly wondered if he should tell her that this was a project so difficult that even with Director Eom Gyun's name and his own market value, attracting investors wouldn't be easy.
“If it's difficult to talk about... then just tell me the genre...”
Then suddenly, he thought of the person he'd envisioned as the protagonist.
The two were exact opposites.
Their personalities.
Their acting styles.
Even the emotions they evoked in the public.
At present, Han Yeoreum was, if anything, a star.
She had escaped the status of rising actress and was settling into A-list territory, but most of her filmography revolved around entertainment and popularity.
Simply put—
She lacked weight.
Aside from her four episodes in <The Great Garland>, she had no work the public would describe as “heavy.”
It would've been nice if <Intern Academy of the Academy of the Academy> had reached television, but unfortunately it had only been a small Daehakro stage play.
In a word—
Her image leaned toward entertainment.
That had nothing to do with her acting ability or versatility.
Dong Baekyeong, on the other hand, had repeatedly appeared in works even film actors considered genuine masterpieces.
If she desired it, and he had to choose between the two for the lead role—
There was no need to think.
He would give it to Dong Baekyeong.
Because Ji Haebeom intended to win the Baekryong Film Awards Grand Prize with this project.
He weighed the quiet-looking yet explosively powerful Dong Baekyeong—
Against Han Yeoreum, who made everything appear effortless while actually fighting desperately for every performance.
This project—
Could never be light.
“Romance.”
“Ah... romance?”
“The genre is romance.”
“Love.”
Because it was—
A love story from one miserable spring in May.
