Chapter - 40화 (40/150)
"Why are you even doing this to me…?"
"What do you mean, why? You really don't know?"
"You're the one who makes the final choice, sunbae. This is so childish—seriously!"
Before the regression, Dohyeon would often take Dansol to the hill path behind the set where there were no cameras, or to the terrace at Chunmonggak.
"Childish?"
"…That's not what I meant."
"I guess it can look childish to you. Me, chasing all the way here just to get that one heart of yours. While you got it just by sitting still. Right?"
That day too, Dohyeon's nasty behavior didn't stop.
"But aren't you curious? How far Lee Iiyeon will trust you."
Dohyeon kept pushing Dansol closer and closer to the railing.It wasn't that high, but it was still high enough that a fall could break a leg. Looking down at the front yard beyond his back, Dansol felt his soles go queasy.
While Dansol's anxious gaze stayed fixed beyond the railing, Dohyeon stepped even closer.It happened in an instant.
With a shrill scream, Dansol curled into himself.
"Why…"
"Ahh!"
But the one hanging from the railing was Dohyeon.Dansol grabbed him desperately.
"Ahh! Dansol—save me!"
Even as he said that, Dohyeon kept putting strength in his hands, trying to shake Dansol's grip off. Dansol's hands were even getting scraped by his nails, enough to draw blood.
"What is wrong with you—seriously!"
"You're curious too, aren't you? Whether Lee Iiyeon will take your side. If you're curious, let go."
Tears fell in a rush, blurring his vision.
People came running at the sound and hauled Dohyeon back up from outside the railing. Only then could Dansol finally release him, gasping for breath.
But Dohyeon didn't stop there.He trembled like a frightened puppy—when he was the one who climbed over, the one who'd been desperate to fall.
"Dansol… why… why did you push me?"
At that, everyone's eyes pinned onto Dansol.And among them, the first person Dansol saw was Iiyeon.
"Did you… really push him?"
Everyone looked at Dansol with suspicion.But what hurt the most was Iiyeon's suspicion—him, the one Dansol had trusted.
Even if Dansol said it wasn't true… would Iiyeon believe him?
Young Dansol didn't know what to do in that sudden situation.
"N-no… It wasn't me… It wasn't!"
"Huh—"
"You okay? Did you have a nightmare or something?"
Dansol woke up drenched in cold sweat—inside Iiyeon's car.They must have arrived ages ago; the car was parked, and Dansol's seat was reclined.
"Ah… I didn't realize we'd arrived… You should've woken me."
"It's fine. I liked just watching you sleep. But… are you really okay? You're pale. We can just do this another day—"
"No. We're going today. Where are we? Should I get out?"
What happened in the dream was clearly from before the regression.Even so, Dansol couldn't stop the sharp tone that kept slipping out at Iiyeon.
"You're not feeling well. If you're not okay, you can say you're not okay. We can come another time—"
"I said I'm fine!"
Without meaning to, Dansol snapped—raising his voice at Iiyeon's tone that kept pretending he was thinking about him.
Then Dansol remembered.Right. The camera.
Still half-asleep and prickly, Dansol finally noticed the red recording light on the camera in front of him.
It was true that he couldn't stand looking at Iiyeon, but the public preferred Joo Dansol who was always respectful to senior celebrities—he couldn't show this.
"I'm sorry… but I really am fine. When I wake up, my face just turns pale, that's all."
He added a pathetic excuse, seeing Iiyeon's expression fall.Iiyeon didn't know what had happened before the regression, so Dansol's reaction must have felt sudden to him.
"…You don't want to postpone it."
Dansol bit down on his lip, feeling like his heart had been seen through.If he said no, it would be a lie.If he said yes, Iiyeon would obviously get hurt.
"I don't know why… but I'm not stupid. I can tell you're trying to keep your distance."
"…"
"But I'm not going to force my feelings on you, not if it means hurting you. If dating is hard, let's just rest and go home. No thinking about filming or anything."
Before the regression, whenever Dansol went on dates with him, it was always exercising, or learning something—like Iiyeon had a compulsion to spend time "productively."Dansol wasn't the type who enjoyed being active, but he usually went along with it because Iiyeon seemed to like it.
But this time, even Dansol had never been here before.It was a place he hadn't visited even before the regression, and he hesitated.
"Where… are we?"
"You'll see."
Where Iiyeon led him was a premium cinema.A place rented out for VVIPs—there were only six seats total, all made as oversized reclining beds. And it looked like Iiyeon had rented the whole theater; the only people inside were the two of them.
Champagne, sparkling water, simple food—service good enough you could mistake it for a hotel. Dansol's eyes went wide.
"There are beds in a movie theater…"
"Feels nice sometimes. What's the last movie you watched?"
"…Robot Hero Tamus?"
"There's… a movie like that?"
"…We sang the OST. The CEO booked it and said we had to hear it in a theater."
Iiyeon looked at Dansol like he was cute.Dansol knew that gaze.
From the moment Dansol woke up—no, really, Iiyeon's eyes were always on him.
"What movie are we watching today?"
Dansol nudged at food he didn't particularly want with his fork, changing the subject.
"Lee Iiyeon Collection."
Iiyeon answered teasingly, and as the surroundings darkened, the screen lit up.
Lee Iiyeon was called the crown prince of indie films.That famous indie-star status—paired with a face like his—was a big part of how he'd been able to settle into commercial films. His looks backed the solid acting.
"You know what the best thing about these movies is?"
"…What?"
"They make you sleepy."
Even though it was just the two of them, Iiyeon whispered softly, and Dansol stifled a laugh.And whether Iiyeon was right or not, after three short films—barely ten minutes each—Dansol fell asleep.
He'd drunk heavily the night before, and he'd woken up early without meaning to.Choosing a theater like this was Iiyeon's consideration for Dansol, who looked especially exhausted.
With cameras everywhere, variety shows were the kind of world where one slip could brand you the villain.
Iiyeon brushed Dansol's bangs back and stared at his face for a long time before lying down too.He was exhausted as well.
Lately, Yoo Dohyeon's obsession had gotten worse.Iiyeon had only realized Dohyeon was using not just the people around him but even Iiyeon himself, just to stay attached, by pure coincidence.
The day they went hiking and Dohyeon came down early claiming he was injured, Iiyeon thought it was his fault.Feeling guilty, he brought medicine and headed toward the omega dorms—only to find that Dohyeon, who had looked like he might collapse moments ago, was standing perfectly fine with both feet on the ground.
When Dohyeon spotted Iiyeon, he looked flustered and started limping on the foot that wasn't injured.
Watching him cling to Iiyeon even if it meant getting cursed at by viewers, Iiyeon started to feel afraid of Dohyeon.How far would he go?
The moment they left the island, Iiyeon got a call from his agency's CEO.
—Are you just going to be a half-assed extra behind Han Jisu and Jeong Daesu? You need to secure your screentime. How many people have actually dated for real on these shows and blown up? This isn't a loss, got it?
"So?"
—Yoo Dohyeon's agency CEO is a close junior of mine. It's all been discussed. You think chances like this come often?
"This is ridiculous, CEO. Up till now, fine—I let it slide because it was kind of cute. But in the end, Yoo Dohyeon is just my stalker. If you're the agency head, act like it and swat away the pests that stick to me. Instead of picking my dating partner, go date yourself. You said you don't even go back home because you're sick of hearing 'when are you getting married.'"
—Ha, hey! I'm not joking.
"I'm not joking either. Real dating on a dating show? Sure, maybe. But I choose the partner. Not Yoo Dohyeon. You know it too—he's the kid who used to camp in front of our agency building."
—Exactly! Fan to real boyfriend—what storyline is better than that? You really have no feelings for Yoo Dohyeon? Not even one percent?
"You think I'm a pervert? Give my heart to some stalker bastard? Enough. And stop that… fixed-match crap with their agency too. He might be scarier than you think."
—Hah. He's just a kid who debuted a little over three years ago. What's so scary? Iiyeon, keep your head on straight. This is a battlefield.
After threatening that he'd chase him down if next week's screentime got crushed by Han Jisu and Jeong Daesu again, the CEO hung up.
Iiyeon's head throbbed. He pressed his fingertips to his temple.
Just then, on the screen, a young Iiyeon delivered a line.Back then, people praised him for being good, so he hadn't known—but now that he watched it, his projection and emotions were a mess.He'd pushed through on nothing but youth and reckless energy.
"That…"
Some of the films hadn't even had a screen—they'd never been shown in theaters at all.And Iiyeon wasn't the type to rewatch his own work, so it had been a long time since he'd seen himself like this.
But behind Iiyeon, reciting lines in a café scene, there was a familiar figure.
"Ha…"
It was Yoo Dohyeon.
It was a long time ago, but he could tell.From the earliest works up to just before his commercial film debut—while all ten films played, Iiyeon didn't sleep for a second.
No—he watched for Dohyeon.
Dohyeon left traces in almost every film, from a tiny passerby to small supporting roles with lines—awkward, but unmistakable.
Indie films had so few staff and actors that you could count them on your fingers, so why hadn't he noticed Dohyeon's presence back then?Maybe Dohyeon's obsession had started far earlier than Iiyeon thought.
Before joining the Alpha-Omega Match Survival, Iiyeon hadn't hated Dohyeon's blatant interest this much.He liked attention, and since it was his job, it even felt entertaining sometimes.But only up to that point.
Once he started thinking that what he'd dismissed as mere "fan love" was pushing Dansol farther away, discomfort began to bloom in him toward Dohyeon's affection, without him even noticing when it started.
In that dark theater, Iiyeon stayed there for a long time—brow furrowed, lost in thought.
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