Chapter Text
"You can't keep doing this, Beomgyu."
"It's not my fault you can't afford all of my needs!"
The yelling. Soobin hates how Beomgyu would scream over his calm voice. It made his ears ring, like they're coming from the quietest room before hearing Beomgyu's pitching voice. How irritating.
"You're not supposed to be eating on set-" Soobin once again tried a calm approach, only to be cut off.
"I was hungry! I told you I was starving and you won't listen to me!"
Soobin slapped his hand on his own face out of exhaustion. "That's not my fault. I emailed, texted, and even told everyone yesterday that we'll take a lengthy time shooting this scene because of the required shots. I didn't fall short on doing my part."
It took a lot for Soobin not to slam the door at Beomgyu's face when the actor began to whine. He's acting like a child, it's not a pretty sight.
"I'm your protagonist!"
"So is Yeonjun, yet you don't see me giving him the privilege to just eat in the middle of taping, and ending up ruining his clothes."
"Don't you dare compare me to him," Beomgyu snarled, and it didn't take a genius to know that Soobin hit a nerve.
Choi Beomgyu, proclaimed Best Rookie Actor upon debut, was a mess. His shirt was covered in red paste, far from any props and planned outfit; truthfully from the tteokbokki he smuggled on set when he should have eaten lunch prior to his arrival. Unlike fierce looks and sweet smiles, Soobin sees a scowl on the actor's face. It reminded him of Angry Birds , but he held back from saying that out loud.
"Fine, but I am expecting you to never do this again," Soobin proceeded to end the conversation by closing the door before Beomgyu could react, not forgetting to lock it tight.
He knew it was rude, and Beomgyu telling him it was was enough to realize, but must he not have hired Beomgyu in the first place then he wouldn't need to take meditations every five minutes.
It would have been easier if Beomgyu was horrible at his job, if he was one of those actors that earn from their faces rather than their talents. But God had his favorites; Beomgyu was one of them.
He's an outstanding actor who has starred in multiple award-winning films. Under his names were recognitions that impressed Soobin within first glance.
So, don't misunderstand! Soobin is more than thankful for having Beomgyu in the movie he's producing and directing, but he didn't get a heads-up on how "high maintenance" this A-list celebrity is.
A nicely shot scene done in the cold? Beomgyu just had to ask for a retake because he forgot to add extra moisturizer on his lips. ("Your role demands simplicity." "Moisturizing your lips is literally the bare minimum.")
Outfits pre-planned to fit the setting and story? Beomgyu wouldn't shut up about his opinions on things he doesn't fully understand. ("No, you can't wear boots and shorts in a church scene!")
A kissing scene? Beomgyu kept blabbering about the most uncomfortable things about his co-actor. ("How should we kiss? Like our first kiss or our kiss in the dressing room for a quickie?" "That's below the belt.")
The list goes on and on.
Soobin wonders if Beomgyu was always like this or if it's just because of the circumstances he's in right now—the latter always seem to be the most likely answer.
"I'm sorry about the troubles Beomgyu caused," Yeonjun apologized when he and Soobin bumped into each other on their way out. "Rescheduling the shoot is an additional job for you."
Soobin takes sympathy and accepts the apology. "It's not your fault."
Beomgyu's just a little shit, Soobin thought.
"He wasn't like this before, but I guess, working with me makes a difference," Yeonjun further dragged the topic. Soobin knew what he meant anyway, so there was no need to hide. But this was honestly none of Soobin's business.
To put it simply, Yeonjun and Beomgyu have history. An open wound left to heal alone. It was one of the things Soobin found out when he first got the cast together, and he decided not to prod farther.
"As long as it doesn't affect work," Soobin said that day. "I will not meddle with your lives."
Beomgyu must have missed what Soobin meant by that when he couldn't remain professional for heaven's sake. It didn't help that the characters they play are in love with each other.
They kiss, they hug, they tell each other sweet nothings—Soobin never missed the way Beomgyu's eyes would water before he blinked it away. How peculiar , he always mused, but he kept his focus on the monitors in times like that.
"It's his fault. Everything is his fault."
Beomgyu snached Soobin's freedom to freely dwell in his thoughts as Yeonjun's silhouette disappeared when he spoke to break the thick air of silence.
"What are you still doing here? It's late," Soobin asked, ignoring what Beomgyu said previously. He was sure he saw Huening Kai, Beomgyu's manager, leave the premises an hour ago.
"Kai forced me to apologize and beg for you not to fire me," Beomgyu answered nonchalantly. "He wouldn't believe me when I told him you didn't have the guts to kick me out."
Soobin lets out a scoff in disbelief. "You're so full of yourself."
"Did I lie?"
No . "Yes. Pull the same stunt again and I'll fire you."
"Whatever," Beomgyu crossed his arms against his chest. He changed into clean clothes, and Soobin allowed himself to look at the way Beomgyu was swallowed by the oversized shirt he's wearing.
"Drive me home," Beomgyu demanded. If it weren't for the kindness in Soobin's heart, he would have left the nuisance alone without a final farewell.
Choi Beomgyu is a pain in the ass.
_______________
Beomgyu walks.
His heels hit the ground with harsh thuds as he made his way to his manager who's relishing the meal he prepared that Beomgyu ignored. It was a little over dinner time, but hunger was taken away by the pilot episode script he had to memorize.
Beomgyu tossed the thick binder on the table. "Why did you make me take such a mediocre drama? The script is far too simple! God, I can't believe this even has the budget and a bunch of big names sponsoring."
Kai nonchalantly skimmed through the first few pages, not even bothering to wash his hands before doing so. "It seems fine to me."
"Of course, you won't understand," Beomgyu rolled his eyes. "A big actor like me should only take on big projects. Not… just-debuted quality! This KTH guy doesn't reach my standards."
"Pardon me, 'big actor', but if it weren't for this movie you would be jobless for a few years after your whole scandal with Yeonjun. This is your redemption drama, so don't mess it up," Kai was not having it with Beomgyu. "And KTH is a marvelous writer. His books are bestsellers!"
"Every book says that on the front cover," It's a marketing technique, Beomgyu wanted to add, but instead settled with slumping on the free chair beside his manager.
So maybe his career wasn't as stable as he planned. One moment, he was sure that he's doing the right thing, and the next, his face was all over the tabloids with bold letters spelling out claims that were unheard of. It was a price to pay for being in the limelight, but it didn't destroy his ambitions any less.
Kai managed to drag him out of his suffocating bedroom back then, for an audition he didn't even prepare for—and it must be the charm, because he had a call-back almost immediately before receiving the role he never knew about.
"A movie adaptation of a novel? I hate those the most, Kai," Beomgyu reacted negatively upon receiving details. "It's someone's writing debut, and it's the director's first time taking the job, too. This is going to be a shit show."
Kai sighs. "The best part is yet to come: apparently, Yeonjun is playing your love interest."
The best part . Beomgyu cannot imagine the situation getting worse than this.
One day, he attends the table reading and meets everyone he'll be stuck with in every single day of the months promised, he sees Yeonjun for the first time after the unpretty rumors—and who would believe that that wasn't the most horrible part Beomgyu has to sit through yet?
Weeks later, he's here. In a painstakingly long journey to his home in Choi Soobin's car. This… timid and quiet man that doesn't seem suitable to lead, Choi Soobin, is the director and executive producer of the film. A newbie, inexperienced, and reads the same book over and over again despite an already created script. He never runs out of patience and it's one of the main reasons why Beomgyu wants to see him break .
He always acts so precisely. So careful. It's simply too calculated for Beomgyu's liking that every praise Soobin receives and gives irks him.
"You should stop wasting everybody's time, Beomgyu. This is multiple people's jobs you're messing up," Soobin tisked. He's always unhappy with everything Beomgyu does.
Beomgyu scoffs. "Then maybe you shouldn't have given me the role in the first place."
"Do me a favor and actually take your job seriously," The car stopped at the last word, the apartment building was just far enough for Beomgyu to walk. Soobin unlocked the door through his little nubs and bid the actor goodbye.
Beomgyu didn't bother saying thanks, and left to rest in the comfort of his home.
The first time he meets Soobin was before the table reading. It's during a company meeting, and Kai was shamelessly proposing solutions to a problem they did not predict. A scandal between a megastar like Choi Yeonjun and a rising star actor like Choi Beomgyu is never to be taken lightly—so the story was more than just using Beomgyu's charm to get the role. No , never. The industry doesn't work like that.
Maybe it required bribing, maybe it involved money. Beomgyu was just not there to see because he was as good as jobless when his boss mentioned the possibility of nobody signing him ever again.
He left after a tantrum to show his dislike, but not before bumping into Soobin who stupidly asked him for directions. ("Do I look like the information desk to you?" "You look like you know the building well.")
Soobin got him at the ugliest time.
Beomgyu knew that Soobin came inside the office, he knew that Soobin had some sort of agreement with the staff when he shook their hands with a smile. He knew it involved him somehow when Kai tapped his shoulder with 'great news'—and he finally had something written in his rotting schedule after so long.
A few days after Soobin drove him home, Kai forced him out of his bed and got him on the road an hour before the planned time for shooting. "You're the main character. Main characters shouldn't be late," Kai sing-songs, and Beomgyu wonders where he got the optimism when the actor he's managing almost got fired last time.
"What a surprise. The 'A-class' actor is early—earlier than Soobin and Yeonjun."
"Don't compare me to anyone if you still want my respect, Taehyun."
Taehyun shook his head with a chuckle. "I didn't even know I had any from you."
There was no use arguing. Instead, Beomgyu sits in his assigned vanity and starts reading the script he already knew like the back of his hand. Taehyun understood the conversation died as soon as it started.
"Don't give Soobin-hyung a hard time this time. He's had enough of your antics since the first day," Taehyun left without giving Beomgyu a chance to respond.
________________
Soobin liked working with the perfect people.
From staff, writers, and actors—he was particular about the roles given to them, big or small. Yeonjun and Beomgyu are household names for melodramatic films, and it was what Soobin was searching for; Taehyun is a famous writer under an alias, has connections left and right—collaborating with different types of artists to produce art is beautiful.
But it's no walk in a park.
"Hyung, great job today," Taehyun came rushing to his side, joining him and a couple more people in the team to monitor.
"You, too, Hyun. I'm just glad the schedule didn't need much adjusting from the previous incident," Soobin sighed, exasperated by the memory of Beomgyu causing a huge mess over an empty stomach. (Which is fully Beomgyu's fault!)
Taehyun always seems to see the good in everything as he nonchalantly shrugs and says, "There's no use thinking about what has already passed. I think Beomgyu's actually trying now; he came early."
"You're easily pleased."
Standards are probably taboo in Taehyun's vocabulary. Although Soobin trusts his intelligent judgements, Taehyun was an easy going guy. He called Soobin to turn one of his most famous novels into a film— Soobin; someone who daydreamed his way through a couple film focused studies until he graduated, and now has a major project under his belt as soon as he did.
That Soobin. A dreamer and clumsy but picky director. It was humbling.
"I feel sorry for your cowardly self," Taehyun pouts. "Don't be too hard on him and just admit that he's not that horrible."
Soobin shook his head. "I'm more terrified of what you think. I hope I'm doing this right."
"Ever since I started writing, I have learned to accept that my work will never be imagined uniformly."
"Stop talking to me like you're writing poetry," Soobin playfully commented.
Taehyun snorts. "Add a little sparkle in your life, hyung. All I'm saying is that—well, this is pretty much your story now. Your version of my work. I like watching from the side and seeing everything unfold."
"You know, Beomgyu thinks the story is mediocre."
"How dare he," Taehyun gasped. "But then again, he's never pleased with anything."
Soobin was frustrated, perplexed, and tired from all the trouble that's been happening between the cast.
He had his fair share of tension and working in a very ill environment workplaces, but he doesn't want to keep working with two main characters who kiss on camera and then urge each other to choke and die when he yells cut!
Yeonjun and Beomgyu… okay . They have a strange history that's far too vague for Soobin to talk to them about clearly—he dances around the issue like he's Michael Jackson.
But when Soobin knocks the door open in the dressing room after hearing a series of yellings and finds both actors ready to throw each other fists; there is no way he's sweeping this under the rug. The time will come when conflict gets a little bit too out of hand and Soobin gives up on the playing pretend.
The overdue conversation goes a little bit like this:
One: Yeonjun apologizes for allowing a commotion to occur in the studio, and for failing to keep his personal life separated from his work. The positive reaction from the staff gave him an upper hand. While Beomgyu;
With number two: Beomgyu was insisting that he had nothing to apologize about when it was Yeonjun who started the entire thing. What entire thing ? It turns out;
Number three: what sparked the fight was a comment that was misunderstood—or maybe, not received kindly. ("You did great today, Gyu!" Yeonjun said; cue Beomgyu's sensitive feelings!)
Taehyun chose to handle the situation with a short talk about being professional. Even so, Soobin had to stop by Kai's car with a slightly reprimanding talk about the way Beomgyu's been acting.
"Please, do tell him. We can't keep accommodating him the way he demands if he continues to forget the reason why this one big team is formed and why he's part of it," Soobin, at this point, doesn't let shyness get the best of him.
Kai nodded more enthusiastically than usual from being flustered. "Will do! I'm sorry for causing a scene at work. I don't know what came over him."
"We all get sensitive at times, but Beomgyu and Yeonjun handled the situation horribly. I'm hoping this won't happen again."
At least not at work , Soobin wanted to add since the anger in Beomgyu doesn't seem like it'll subside any time soon.
He was about to leave when said anger hoarder got out of the car. Beomgyu's face is red—as Soobin understands as the outcome of his choice to eavesdrop on the previous conversation. Kai was almost frantic, he tried coaxing the actor back in the passenger seat, but to whom does Beomgyu listen to anyway?
"If you have something to say, say it to my face."
Soobin ignored the most disrespectful tone in Beomgyu's voice and took a deep breath to grasp composure. He's not afraid, he's had confrontations like this far too many, and he swears to never give Beomgyu the power he acts like he has over people. So, Soobin shakes his head and says, "I left nothing unsaid."
"You didn't say much."
"Well, besides asking you to stop making everyone's jobs harder for everyone? There's not a lot to say," Soobin sighed. "I warned you before: do something that you're not supposed to and I'll fire you."
Beomgyu's snort contradicts Kai's gasp. He dismissed his manager's attempts to cut the conversation short. "Soobin, I can make a thousand mistakes and you'll still have me in the show," He rolled his eyes. "I'm not threatened."
Soobin sighs, exasperated. No words can tame this conceited bastard. "Your pride will be big enough to crush you one day, and I hope I'm not there to see it."
"Is that another empty threat?"
"No. I'm jinxing you," He smiled. "Good night."
Soobin leaves.
________________
The plot goes as follows: Kim Dohyun is in his early years of university, taking up a course he was not happy with but still wakes up to follow a boring routine on his way to his lectures. His family was nothing but dotting, turning him into a dependent brat who carries a lot of expectations from being the oldest son. Still, he languished the luxury that comes with wealth and ended up in an accident with his car for recklessly driving at the ass crack of dawn.
He ends up meeting Lee Taejun, a blind bystander and could-have-been-victim of the car accident if it weren't for the poor tree beside him. They started off on the wrong foot and were not on good terms as many more fateful meetings occurred. Eventually, Dohyun found interest in Taejun when he found out that he's a retired ballet dancer at a very young age. Then- "Ugh!"
Beomgyu throws the memorized script on his vanity as he's getting his makeup done. The atmosphere is still tense from his last fight with Yeonjun, but they were great actors. When Soobin signalled ' action!', they were as perfect as the director wanted.
"Which scene are you working on now?" Kai peered from behind him. Confused why he's still in the dressing area and not where cameras were all set.
"They're shooting Yeonjun's ballet sequence. I'm not part of it," Beomgyu answered nonchalantly.
The makeup artist got him done in a jiffy, Kai thanked her with unintelligible words and a bow. Beomgyu on the other hand was making his way to where the shooting was taking place: cameras and lighting fixed into one area, and in the center stood Yeonjun in an outfit that corresponded to the scene before this. It's an all black wear, definitely not for ballet, and he was barefoot to heighten his sense of touch in exchange for his loss of the sense of sight.
Yeonjun plays Lee Taejun and Beomgyu plays Kim Dohyun. They were supposed to live, hurt, and fall in love—and although acting in love was easy in front of the cameras before… doing it with someone you were actually in love with once is torture.
Beomgyu shakes his head. Separate work from your personal life, he reminds himself. He can't get into Choi Soobin's nerve again if he wishes to continue the following months with ease.
He turns to his manager and gives him a rare pleading look. "Kai, I'm hungry."
Taehyun knocked at Beomgyu's trailer door at the end of the day. "Good job today!" He said. It's always his role to give everyone in the set affirmations.
"You, too, I guess."
The writer beams. "Thank you. Are you heading home?"
"My manager is preparing the car," Beomgyu answered.
"I was wondering if you and Kai would like to join Soobin hyung and I's plans for dinner—that is… if you're free," Taehyun fiddles with his fingers. "We never actually shared a nice meal with the main cast before and I'm hoping that this can melt the cold walls a little."
Beomgyu shoots Taehyun a questioning look, his left eyebrow raised. "What did Soobin say about this?"
"I'm still, uh, yet to tell him."
A meal with the director and the writer. It's nothing new. Beomgyu knows how this one goes and should go—get on the director's good side, please him, thank him. Sadly, Soobin had seen Beomgyu's bad side far too many times that a game of play-pretend is useless.
It made Beomgyu wonder why they hadn't had a meal together at the beginning. Isn't that tradition? The mutual dislike must have been enough to cross out any potential bond there is to grow.
"So he doesn't know?"
"He will and he will agree."
Taehyun is a funny man.
Beomgyu nods when Kai comes in. "Sure. We're coming."
A meal with Soobin and Taehyun. What could go wrong?
Well, a few things.
When Taehyun said the main cast , he also meant Yeonjun. It completely flew out of Beomgyu's head despite feeling the first stroke in his ego when Soobin was flustered to see him join the table. (That was number one.)
Kai stepped on his foot under the table when the air felt too thick to talk. Maybe this was a bad idea after all—and Taehyun, as a writer, is as good as illiterate when he asks through the awkward atmosphere, "How is it working together?"
"It's fine. Beomgyu's a great actor, so he's easy to work with," Yeonjun smiled like he doesn't hold anything unkind in his heart.
"I studied acting, so of course I'm going to be great at it," Beomgyu interjected. "You could use a little oil, you're getting rusty-"
"Ha! You're funny, Gyu. Maybe I should sign you up as a comedian. Don'tsaythingslikethathere- Haha! He's funny," Kai was quick to cut the actor off with an almost violent nudge.
Yeonjun caught on very easily and playfully rolled his eyes. "I'm barely two years older than you, Beomie. You talk like I'm seconds away from retiring."
"You should consider-"
"Hahaha! So funny," Kai once again interrupted.
Beomgyu gave up on trying and just focused on the food served—and here comes the second thing that went wrong.
"There's tomatoes on my plate. I asked to get them removed," He murmured. Nobody heard. In the end, he just picked his meal like an abstract ready to morph it into something else. He had lost his appetite.
The meal wasn't anything special per se. Beomgyu was quiet most of the time, much to Soobin's surprise. But it's not like anyone had prompted him to speak nor was he given many chances to add anything to the conversation—and he was far too upset about the food to complain about anything else anyway.
Yeonjun on the other hand was the center of attention. Even Kai kept asking him questions like this was an episode of a gossip talk show; the actor doesn't seem to mind. Yeonjun had always loved attention, his first career choice can speak for itself. Sometimes Beomgyu wonders if he got it from him, if he got swayed by the way Yeonjun romanticized fame, if he's far too drunk into the belief that attention—even if it's negative—is still fame.
It's like a bullet lunged in Yeonjun's brain and now Beomgyu's too.
Except, Beomgyu knows that keeping a bullet in your system can kill you.
When dinner ended, Kai was too drunk to drive. His stupid ass even got the guts to ask Taehyun to drive him home. ("What about me?!" "Here's the keys. Do it yourself. Now, let me have my shot with this guy." "Kai, he's my employer!")
That's when number three comes. When Yeonjun drove away with a genuine smile and when Beomgyu got to the car and realized one crucial thing.
"What are you doing here?" He scoffed when he saw Soobin standing by the trunk. They barely talked the whole night, it was almost like they didn't exist in each other's words for a few hours.
Soobin shrugs. "Sending you off. I have to make sure everyone goes safely."
"I can leave without saying goodbye to you."
"C'mon. I'll help you back the car."
"Soobin, just leave me alone."
"I will once you drive off."
Beomgyu sighed in defeat, allowing his hands to cover his face as he flushed. He was too sober for this. Kai had always been there to assist him for the longest time that he forgot how dependent he's grown through the years.
"I..I can't drive."
Soobin was stunned. "Then why did you take the keys?"
"I didn't take the keys. Kai gave them to me and told me to go home myself. He forgot that I failed to get my license twice," Beomgyu snarled.
"Twice? How bad could you get?" Soobin said in disbelief and Beomgyu was the last to appreciate the small chuckle mixed in his tone.
He snatched Soobin's own car keys from his hand and invited himself in the director's passenger seat. Beomgyu knows that Soobin would never let him commute his way back to his place and there's absolutely no way he'll commute anyway . The last time he took the bus or booked a cab, he was in university. Years later, he can afford his own car, even his own bus, but can't pass that freaking driving test for goodness sake!
"You know where I live," Beomgyu mumbled when Soobin got in the driver's seat. He dropped the keys he stole on Soobin's large hand, like a thief surrendering.
"It doesn't take so much of your time to ask properly," Soobin tisked. "You didn't eat anything earlier. Did the food not fit your standards?"
Beomgyu rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Maybe if you were paying attention, you would have heard me ask for no tomatoes. It's too bothersome to ask for another one."
"You ended up wasting the food."
"Would you rather me eat something I don't like?"
"Children are starv-"
Beomgyu groans. "Cut that crap, Soobin. Are you going to ask me if I donate to starving children next?"
"I won't," Soobin said. He was now driving out of the parking lot. "I know you do, so there's no use asking. What I will ask though is if you want to stop over at a drive-thru before I send you off?"
"I just need you to drive faster or I'll sleep in your car."
"Don't drool if you will."
"I don't drool!"
"I'm not taking any chances," Soobin hollered. He's far too energetic at a time like this and Beomgyu can't match it. "There's no need to be grumpy. Unlike you, I actually got my license on my first try, and I know that driving over the speed limit could kill us."
"You don't need to have a driver's license to know that."
"Right! So, stop glaring at me for not driving faster unless you want us in jail before sunlight."
Beomgyu looks away. "I'll tell the press it's your fault."
"Oh, the press loves you," Soobin retorted. He must have touched a sensitive spot because he receives no response for that.
Silence draped around them like the night. Beomgyu was definitely too sober for this, he didn't like the tension—it's a thread that's waiting to be pulled for a dam to flow. But whether Soobin was mocking his frequent appearances in press conferences over non-favorable conditions or not (if this is another example of what Soobin concludes as "just Beomgyu being sensitive") it should not affect Beomgyu at all.
People will perceive him differently as a public figure. Especially Soobin, who knows how to manipulate the industry. He knew of the dating scandal between Beomgyu and Yeonjun, and took advantage of that potential noise maker. Now, here they are. Earning headlines after headlines even if they just started production.
Beomgyu underestimates Soobin far too much.
"Thank you for the ride," Beomgyu said once, never to say that again. He makes a mental note to tell Kai to get the car from the restaurant in the morning before he opens the door himself.
Soobin gently tugged his coat before he went. "Hey, uh, great job today. At work, I mean. I'm sorry about dinner, I'll make it up for you next time."
Beomgyu looks at the director with tired eyes but Soobin quickly averts his gaze. "Drive me to work tomorrow. I'm sure Kai will fall sick in the morning."
Without waiting for a response, Beomgyu left.
________________
"What happened to your hand?" Taehyun, fully well and not showing any signs of hangover, asked Soobin as soon as he arrived.
"Just a paper cut."
"It looks painful though."
It feels painful, too. Soobin was crying a little bit inside from the tiny cut people can barely see, and it's far too embarrassing to admit out loud.
They both stand behind the camera, monitoring the shots taken just a few minutes ago as the actors wait by beautiful cherry blossom trees. The timing was spot on as they just bloomed recently and Taehyun was already taking pictures before they even began.
Yeonjun and Beomgyu were in the middle of the frame, between pinks from the flowers and yellows from the sun—Dohyun explains what cherry blossoms look like to someone who has never seen them before. A fairly simple scene, but it's probably the prettiest one yet.
Soobin takes a handful of petals and calls for assistance. "Let's end it with this."
"Should I call Dohyun?"
"Yes, please," The staff did as asked, and soon they were all huddled up in front of the camera. Beomgyu was gently playing with his bangs before shifting his eyes on Soobin with an anticipating look. "I'll shower you with petals. They'll fall slowly, so just look at them with gentle fascination."
"Gentle fascination?" Beomgyu's face contorted.
"Just look at it fondly," Soobin hissed in response. Nobody was fazed when he did.
Beomgyu shook his head with a soft laugh, in a great mood for a great day. His head filled the screen and his eyes glimmering with what was required.
And cue the magic.
Petals rained on Beomgyu; it was Soobin's favorite shot.
They transfer to a new filming site: in a home, specifically, on a porch. Somewhere Taejun likes to spend his time looking at nothingness—and it's quite ironic when his sight is anything but something. Dohyun arrives with jokes and banters hidden in his pockets.
It's the rising action. Although they don't film in chronological order, it's still satisfying to watch everything align and create a story. Soobin yells "cut!" and he knows they're another step closer to seeing the biggest puzzle done.
Beomgyu was on standby when Soobin approached him. "You know what to do, right?"
"Walk to the porch, give him my jacket, then deliver the lines."
"Good job," Soobin gave a thumbs up.
Beomgyu snorts. "You've been praising me lately."
"You'll get to hear it more often if you keep up the good work."
"I always do great."
"The changes we had to make because of you said otherwise," Soobin cocked a brow. "Good luck."
"Don't need it."
As much as Soobin doesn't want to admit it, Beomgyu was right.
The movie had an overall melodramatic tone. It is shot in a way viewers will feel like they're seeing something they shouldn't, something intimate—exactly what Soobin desires to achieve. He wants it to feel as real as possible, and when Beomgyu's eyes seem to dilate whenever it lands on Yeonjun… he feels just that.
Soobin never sees Beomgyu through the camera.
"That was perfect," Taehyun beamed. He's monitoring the performance with doe eyes, obviously pleased.
"It's not that bad," Soobin whistled and life flashed before his eyes when Taehyun nudged him a little too hard. "I think you broke my shoulder and I didn't even ask you about Kai yet."
"Shut up."
Taehyun can be scary when he wants to be.
Somewhere far, Dohyun lays on the road. Cuts and wounds bleed in his face, and he lost all power to collect himself up as soon as he broke down.
They wait for the sun to set. Soobin said that this was a chase between them and the darkness, and they trusted everything Beomgyu could do to the scene in less than an hour.
He delivers a painful groan and a helpless cry. Dohyun falls from the vehicle and laughs at his own demise—and somehow, it was still heartbreaking.
"I think Beomgyu does it best," Taehyun said.
Soobin does a timid nod. "He's great."
"Finally admitting?"
"Yeah," Soobin lost the game.
Beomgyu ran to where he could monitor his performance and watched the screen intently. One of the stylists wrapped him in a blanket, and Soobin remembers the cold air wafting against their skin.
"You did amazing!" Taehyun was hopping on his feet.
Beomgyu smiled, surprisingly not preparing for an argument. "It could be better," He shifts his eyes to where Soobin was standing quietly beside Taehyun, also monitoring even if he's done that a hundred times already. "How about you?"
"Great job. Keep up the good work," Soobin's dimples peaked out when he said. It made Taehyun poke one of them in adoration.
Beomgyu scoffed. "You sound like a dad."
"Is Kai around?" Taehyun asked, looking around.
"Yeah, he's in the car. You can go see him if you want," Beomgyu shrugged and Taehyun didn't bother asking Soobin for permission before taking long strides to where the manager was.
"Is that okay with you?" Soobin asked when Taehyun was out of earshot. "Taehyun and Kai."
"As long as Kai won't ditch me again like he did last time. Why?" Beomgyu throws the question back. "Are you one of those people that doesn't allow dating at work?"
"It can be a distraction, but I trust Taehyun."
"It's fun—dating at work."
"Speaking from experience?"
Beomgyu shook his head. "God, no! Last time I did that my career almost ended."
"So, you did date Yeonjun. It's not just this whole misunderstanding."
"You're an idiot. They caught us making out in the car and you think it's not true?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's a thing you both do. You know, for fun..?"
Beomgyu lets out a puff of air in disbelief. "So, you think I'll just kiss anyone for fun? That I'll kiss you because I think it's fun to kiss your pretty lips?"
" My pretty lips?!" Soobin gasped, eyes wide and round.
"They're tiny and you always talk in pout."
"What?"
"What?"
________________
The story continues when Dohyun and Taejun started learning the same thing differently together. A touch of the softest flower is a discovery for those who don't see it, but watching it fall gently for the thousandth time with curious eyes is an epiphany to appreciate the smallest things.
Beomgyu was fondling the script on his lap and the plastic of bandages he asked Kai to buy for his bruising heel when Yeonjun walked over to him with an excited smile. "Beom, I heard we're having a company dinner."
"For someone who's been in the industry for years, you sound like it's your first time."
"For someone who's hungry all the time, you don't sound excited about free food."
Touché.
"You know how it goes—they ask all the personal questions once they get a sip of that alcohol," Beomgyu turns his attention back to the script, pretending like he's reading when he's actually waiting for what Yeonjun will say.
Yeonjun sits in an empty space beside the actor. "I don't think that's anything to be afraid of. Unless, you still feel all jittery about the two of us."
Beomgyu saw the teasing look on Yeonjun's face and he was ready to pounce. He was reminded of why he was ready to beat the shit of this man months ago. "Maybe I should tell them about how clingy you are, or how you kiss me like you're always running out of time."
"I'm sure they know," Yeonjun rolled his eyes. At this point, he's immune to every attempt Beomgyu makes to provoke him. "It was all over the news."
"I don't need a reminder," Beomgyu hissed. "Tell me what time and I'll let Kai know. I don't have plans after this anyway."
"Oh.."
"I won't say anything about you, Yeonjun. Don't worry."
"I'm not worried about that, dummy. I just-" Yeonjun reached for the back of his head, a habit he picked up whenever he's nervous. "-I heard about your company almost terminating your contract because of me."
"It's not because of you . You're not that special," Beomgyu answered nonchalantly. "I lost so much because of it, so the ideal solution was to kick me out before I taint the company image further. But then I got this. Now, I'm here."
"I still feel bad about it."
"You better. I still hate you, by the way."
"You're still my best friend, Beomie," Yeonjun mumbled rather cutely. "I'm sorry for indulging you in this… relationship when we're both unsure of what we want."
Beomgyu chuckles. He realized that he never stopped Yeonjun from calling him nicknames even if they used to be one step away from murdering each other. "I really did love you, hyung. But we were so young."
Yeonjun frowns. "Do you still hate me?"
"Yup!" Beomgyu exclaimed and walked away. Even if it was unspoken, they knew that they would be fine.
Beomgyu just hopes Kai won't leave him alone for the pretty boy again. His manager can get a little reckless and irresponsible when he's drunk—the incident at dinner weeks ago can vouch for this—but it's not anything Beomgyu takes to heart.
The company meal was nothing out of the ordinary. There's a lot of cringe-worthy speeches and a timid cheer from Soobin when he was pushed to say something as the head of the team—he was as red as the tomatoes Beomgyu dislikes.
It's hilarious how Soobin sits at the very top of the hierarchy on set, but had taken on such a huge project at a young age that there's no room left for power. He still gets ample respect, but people dote on him like their favorite child.
Beomgyu had to admit; even if he's been Soobin's number one hater from the very beginning, he does acknowledge his strengths.
Soobin knows what he wants and makes it happen, but he prioritizes collaboration. He's never a linear communicator and values the opinion of others. Maybe people will think that his strengths and weaknesses are the same, but Beomgyu thinks that Soobin's gentle-leader-esque personality is what earned him a deserving position as the director.
"What on earth happened to your hand?" Beomgyu held back a curse when he saw Soobin's hand wounded. He forgot how clumsy Soobin can get—definitely his weakness.
"I was trying to cut the meat but my hand kinda slipped," He explained, hissing when Beomgyu pressed on them gently. "Don't touch it or it'll get infected."
"Are you saying that my hands are dirty?!"
"I saw you claw that meat and sauce—look, what's that?!"
"That's a mole?!"
Beomgyu will never tell Soobin that he passed the actor's standards out loud. Especially if Soobin keeps saying the dumbest things at the most inappropriate time.
Beomgyu grabbed the plastic from the pockets of his coat, he shoves it in Soobin's clean hand. "Since you have a phobia for germs, then patch that up on your own."
"Beomgyu, my right hand is bleeding."
"I can see that."
"I'm right handed," Soobin cried.
"Then let me-"
"Wash your hands first!"
The universe must have glitched when Beomgyu starts tugging the director to the restroom. He held Soobin's arm with one hand and the bandages he asked Kai to buy him earlier in the other. Annoying seems to rhyme with Soobin's name today more than how it used to be with Beomgyu's ridiculous demands.
Searching for Taehyun was Beomgyu's first instinct when they walked across the room, but when his eyes caught the bubble that trapped Taehyun and Kai in their own world as they drank, he knew that there was no way he could pop that.
"Good for them, good for them," Beomgyu mumbled. "Now, I just hope you'll stop crying like a toddler over a small cut."
"I'm not crying."
Beomgyu ignores the other's protest and has him rinse his bloodied hand in one sink as Beomgyu does the same in another.
"You should wrap yourself in bubble wrap. Some of the wounds here aren't new."
"Papers just like my skin a lot," Soobin yelped when Beomgyu dubbed cleaning alcohol on his open cut. "Careful! It's painful."
Beomgyu hums. "How many drinks did you have?"
"Two."
"Bottles?"
"Yeah."
Soobin was hopeless.
"I'll patch this up and get as far as you can from knives when we get back in there," Beomgyu began wrapping up his hand like he's getting ready for boxing, except Soobin was nowhere near punching anything at this state.
"Do you randomly just have an entire first aid kit out of nowhere?" Soobin asked. "That's honestly hot."
"You'll regret everything you're saying in the morning," Beomgyu wished he could record his state right now. "But I don't carry a first aid kit around me. The scene today gave me blisters, so I asked Kai for medicine."
Beomgyu finished his hand up with tape. "Yeonjun's fault for messing up his lines over and over again."
Soobin winced when he moved his fingers around to feel his hand. "Have I told you that I never see you whenever I monitor the scene?"
"I don't understand."
Soobin's mouth was open, then closed, then open again. He can't say the jumbled words in his mind. "It's like you become him."
"Him?"
"Kim Dohyun."
Beomgyu bites back a smile. "Is this your way of saying that I'm a great actor?"
"You become the character," Soobin was rubbing his eyes when he said, unaware of everything that's leaving his mouth. "I wish everyone could see you the way I do."