Side Story (Part 3)

The noisy sounds of the set echoed in Sung-hyun’s ears. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes. He hadn’t been able to sleep for the past few days due to overnight shoots, but whether it was insomnia or just the lack of sleep, he couldn’t seem to fall asleep. His eyes were tired, so whenever he had a moment to spare, he just closed them for a bit.

“Oppa, let me touch up your makeup.”

His makeup artist, Yura, approached and spoke to him.

“Give me 10 minutes.”

“Okay.”

Perhaps because of the lack of sleep, his head throbbed. Sung-hyun furrowed his brows and massaged his temples.

Even with his eyes closed, he can still see Seowoo’s face from their recent brief encounter. It’s only been a few months, but she was as familiar, as nice, and as pretty as if it had been yesterday. Her beauty remains unchanged.

“How pathetic.”

A sigh mixed with a hint of self-pity escaped his lips. He’d thought he’d gotten over his feelings for her by keeping busy, but now he was back to square one. He’s been like this ever since he met Yoon Seowoo.

How much time will it take for my feelings to dull a bit?

He was already quite busy with the drama filming, but it seemed he would need to keep himself even more occupied for the time being.

As an actress himself, news about her often reached him regardless of his intentions. While it was pleasant to hear about her, it was also not easy to process his emotions.

“Yura.”

“Yes, oppa!”

As he called her name, Yura rushed over and began to touch up his makeup.

“Oppa, are you very tired?”

“Why?”

“You look like it. Or is something bothering you? You seem down all the time.”

Despite being tired and worn out, Sung-hyun always greeted the staff with a smile. But suddenly, he started to look lethargic and unwell, but he was still a professional during the shoot.

“Maybe it’s just fatigue.”

There might be reasons behind it, but it wouldn’t be solely due to exhaustion.

“I’m sorry. I apologize.”

Slap.

At that moment, the set fell silent with a sharp sound. Sung-hyun, who had his eyes closed, also shifted his gaze toward the source of the noise.

“Because of you, my clothes are ruined!”

“I’m sorry.”

“I told you not to disturb me. Did you ignore what I said?”

Sung-hyun’s co-star, Hye-ran, scolded the girl, tapping her forehead with her index finger.

“It’s starting again.”

Yura, tapping Sung-hyun’s cheek with a puff, muttered softly. His gaze remained fixed there.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, you know how Hong Hye-ran’s temper is. She’s only acting calm if she’s in front of you.”

Yura whispered so only Sunghyun could hear, then covered her mouth with her hand and spoke again.

“It’s this supporting actress’s first day today. Seems like Hye-ran’s picking a fight for no reason.”

The face looks familiar. Where had I seen her before?

Sung-hyun narrowed his eyes and tried to recall.

The girl’s cheek was now red from the slap Hye-ran had given her earlier. Despite bowing her head and biting her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, and Hye-ran seemed unfazed.

“You shouldn’t be wearing such bright clothes. Do you think you’re the lead? Go change into something dull.”

“….”

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

“I understand.”

After a curt bow, the woman left the scene. Hye-ran brushed off her clothes with an annoyed look on her face and sighed.

“All done, Oppa.”

“Good work.”

After giving a slight smile to Yura, Sung-hyun picked up the script that was lying next to him and walked away slowly. As soon as Hye-ran noticed Sung-hyun, her demeanor changed quickly. It was so ridiculous that Sung-hyun couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Oppa, how do you like this outfit today?”

Watching her twirl around in front of him, Sung-hyun’s lips twitched slightly.

“It’s pretty.”

“Really? We have a dating scene today, so I purposely paid special attention to it.”

Even as they conversed, Sung-hyun was still pondering over the familiar face he had seen earlier. He couldn’t quite place where he had seen her before. It was frustrating that the memory didn’t seem to surface.

“I think we get along well.”

“…….”

“If the filming wraps up early, would you like to have dinner together…”

“Ah!”

At that moment, an exclamation escaped Sung-hyun’s lips. As he spoke, Hye-ran looked at him bewildered.

“I remember now.”

In an instant, a scene flashed through his mind. He couldn’t recall the name, but…

“Why? What’s the matter?”

The woman approached Hye-ran’s side. Unlike before, she was now wearing a navy knitted sweater instead of the outfit she had on earlier. It seemed she had changed because of all the commotion caused by Hye-ran.

“Now you look somewhat presentable.”

Hye-ran forced a smile and gave the woman a reluctant compliment.

“How did you get here? Manager Kim didn’t say anything.”

Sung-hyun addressed the woman, but whether she realized he was talking to her or not, she kept her head bowed beside Hye-ran.

“Oppa, do you know her? What was her name again? Han… What’s your name?”

“Han Ga-yoon.”

“Han Ga-yoon?”

At his call, Ga-yoon slowly lifted her head. The spot where Hye-ran had hit her was still swollen. Her lips seemed to be split, and the area around her mouth was reddened. Sung-hyun’s brow furrowed as he looked at that spot.

“Your cheek is so swollen. Can you even continue shooting like this? Yura, could you bring an ice pack over here?”

“Yes, oppa.”

At his instruction, Yura responded from a distance. Hye-ran’s face showed a bewildered expression at Sung-hyun’s sudden action.

“Oh, it’s not that bad.”

“Hye-ran.”

“Yes?”

Still keeping his gaze fixed on Ga-yoon’s face, Sung-hyun spoke up.

“Fix your habits. Don’t make a fuss over trivial matters.”

“Oppa, is she one of your company’s employees? Did you put her up to this?”

“I don’t do such things. And…”

Sung-hyun turned his head to look at Hye-ran. Startled by his intense gaze, Hye-ran stared back at him, taken aback.

“Don’t ruin the atmosphere on set. Behave yourself. Understand?”

“Isn’t that too much? What if I decide to leave the shoot today?”

“Do as you please. You’re the one ruining the atmosphere, not me.”

With a cold expression and a chilly tone, Hye-ran eventually started shedding tears. Even that sight was disgusting. It’s all just acting, anyway. Ga-yoon, who had been watching quietly from the side, also looked extremely uncomfortable.

“Right, you put her up to this. With all that talk about the manager, and now you two are acting together well in front of me?”

“I’m very sorry.”

Feeling responsible for the situation, Ga-yoon bowed repeatedly and apologized. Sung-hyun’s forehead creased at her actions.

“Ms. Han Ga-yoon.”

“….”

“You don’t need to apologize so much. That’s enough.”

“I’m sorry…”

“If she doesn’t leave, I won’t continue shooting today. I can’t do it with my mood ruined any further.”

“Whatever, I’m not filming if you don’t apologize.”

Grumbling, Hye-ran left the scene first. The staff around them could only watch her warily.

“Here you go, Oppa.”

“Thank you.”