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Jake Sim won’t do kiss scenes.
While boys his age are starring in beach party films, Jake focuses on dramas and the occasional sitcom. He could make a lot more money if he sold out, but he won’t, and that’s how Sunghoon knows he’s the real thing.
Sunghoon toys with the handle of his makeup bag. This is his first big gig since he worked with AIP. Within minutes, Jake Sim will come into the back room and the air will leave Sunghoon’s lungs.
Sunghoon has only seen him through screens, big and small. Even in his role as a dying astronaut, Jake has always been beautiful. He’s never been seen kissing a co-star. Teen idols like Jake rarely go public with their relationships, but there’s a part of Sunghoon that thinks he has a chance.
“Don’t meet your idol,” is what Heeseung has been telling him for years. Still, Sunghoon took the gig the second it was offered.
Kiss of Summer, from what Sunghoon can tell, is a film about a Korean-American refugee. Sunghoon has been tasked with making Jake look like he’s been at sea for months. Sunghoon is armed with a collection of dark eyeshadows and liners. It’ll be hard to be so close to Jake, but he’ll manage.
The studio is a swinging scene. Cameras and props are being transported from one room to another. Actors are practicing their lines, carefully reading through their scripts. The executive producer is scrambling to get everything just right.
“Hello?” Sunghoon hears a small voice from the doorway, and he turns around to see Jake Sim standing behind him. Sunghoon straightens his back and smooths the wrinkles in his pleated pants. “Are you the makeup artist?”
Sunghoon nods. He’s never seen Jake without makeup before, but he’s ethereal, like always. Jake is a lot smaller in person. When Sunghoon stands up, he feels bad for towering above him.
“Sunghoon Park.” Jake takes his hand and his eyes widen.
“You’re Korean?” Jake asks, smiling widely. Sunghoon nods, and Jake smiles even wider. Sunghoon can’t help but notice the way Jake’s hand feels in his own. “Nice to meet you, Sunghoon-ah.”
Sunghoon’s heart is already a puddle on the floor. Jake is so close to him and he’s smiling and he smells really good. Sunghoon flushes, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
Jake takes a seat in front of the bedazzled mirror. Sunghoon has to steady his breathing, lest his hands shake while he’s doing Jake’s makeup. Getting fired from a gig like this would put him in an early grave.
It’s hard to focus when Sunghoon’s in charge of touching Jake’s face. It’s not weird unless he makes it that way.
“Sunghoon-ah,” Jake says. Sunghoon reaches into his bag for a smaller brush. “Were you born here?”
Sunghoon shakes his head. “We came after the war,” he replies. Removing the color from Jake’s lips and carving his face reminds Sunghoon of everything he’s gained and lost. “What about you?”
Jake beams. There’s a sweet twinkle in his eye Sunghoon could never dull with makeup. “Born and raised in L.A.,” he says. “Doubt I’d get much work if I wasn’t.”
“What about Keye Luke?” Sunghoon asks. “He’s good.” He leans forward and brushes dark pigment under Jake’s eyes.
“I’m not that special,” Jake replies with a small laugh. Sunghoon wants to disagree but he keeps his mouth shut. God forbid, Jake thinks he’s overbearing.
“Did you see the Blue Comets on Ed Sullivan?” Sunghoon asks. Jake shakes his head. “They’re Japanese,” he says. The silence between them is thin. “I think you’d be successful no matter what.”
Jake smiles. “Thank you, Sunghoon-ah.”
Sunghoon smudges dark liner around Jake’s eyes. He looks like the metal band members that parents are so concerned about. A mod and a rocker. “You afraid of getting drafted?” Sunghoon asks.
Jake stares at himself in the mirror. “Not really,” he replies. “I’d just be a conscientious objector.”
“You’d get arrested,” Sunghoon says. He imagines Jake burning his draft card and speaking in front of the press with his hands clasped together.
Jake shrugs. “It could be practice for a future role,” he replies. “What about you, Sunghoon-ah?”
Sunghoon adds grey powder to Jake’s lips. “I guess I never thought about it,” he replies. “I wouldn’t go, either.”
Jake smiles. He reminds Sunghoon of a puppy. “You’re my kinda cat, Sunghoon-ah.”
Sunghoon feels his face heat up. He considers subtly telling Jake to hang it up before he does something he regrets. Instead, Sunghoon opens his mouth and words come out like the sun during the summer of love.
“I first saw you in Gilligan’s Island,” he says. “I thought you were really cool.” Sunghoon dusts the white powder off Jake’s cheeks. He’s supposed to be an image of despair, but he’s cute. Sunghoon might be biased.
Jake smiles. “My first role,” he says softly. “I was sixteen back then, wasn’t I?” Sunghoon nods. “You’re a real fan, Sunghoon-ah.”
Sunghoon nods. “You’re my favorite,” he replies. He ruffles Jake’s hair until it looks like he just crawled out of bed.
“Actor?” Jake asks. He turns around in his chair and Sunghoon chokes. “Or person?” Sunghoon nearly comes unglued. Jake laughs softly. “I’m just teasing you, babe.”
The Jake Sim is teasing him. Sunghoon gulps nervously. He sets Jake’s face with powder before he sets his palette down on the makeup table. Sunghoon stares at his lips for too long.
Sunghoon reaches for a smaller brush. It might be weirder to tell Jake he needs to touch his lips. It’s his job, after all. Jake tilts his head up and Sunghoon gets caught in his gaze. Jake’s eyes are soft and pretty, just like the rest of him.
Sunghoon leans forward and presses powder onto Jake’s lips. He tries to focus on the makeup instead of Jake. It’s a hairy situation.
Jake grimaces. “What happens if I eat this stuff?”
“You’d live,” Sunghoon replies. “But you’ll make my job harder.”
Jake laughs. “I’d never do that.” He finally stands up from his chair. He’s the perfect height. Small, but taller than Davy Jones. Sunghoon could kiss his forehead if he wanted to. “You should be a model, Sunghoon-ah.”
Sunghoon swallows thickly. He feels sweat collecting under his collar. Jake is a little too close to him and he’s wired. “You think so?”
Jake moves a little closer. “You’re so pretty!” He smiles softly. “You should be out there instead of in here.”
“I’m flattered—” Sunghoon hesitates for a moment. According to his Rave of the Year profile, Jake’s full name is Sim Jaeyun—are they on a first-name basis?
“Call me Jaeyun,” Jake says. His hand brushes against Sunghoon’s and the other boy feels it in his teeth.
“I’m flattered, Jaeyun-ah,” Sunghoon says. “But I like doing makeup.”
Jake pouts. “You’re real good at it.”
Sunghoon smiles softly. “That’s my bag.” He’s been dipping his toes into the water for the past thirty minutes. He’s comfortable enough now to take the leap. Sunghoon clicks his tongue. “My job was to make you look grungy,” he says. “You’re still pretty.”
“You think I’m pretty?” Jake asks, eyes sparkling. Anyone could walk in on them, but Sunghoon wants to kiss Jake so badly it hurts.
Sunghoon nods. “I think you’re beautiful, Jaeyun-ah.” If this were a Gary Cooper film, he’d tuck a strand of longish hair behind Jake’s ear, maybe pull the other boy into his arms. Jake would kiss him and Sunghoon would whisk him away.
Jake beams. “I think you’re beautiful, too,” he says. A loud bell tolls and he jumps. He’s so cute. “That’s my cue,” he says. “I gotta jet.”
Jake leans over and presses a feather-light kiss to Sunghoon’s cheek. When he pulls away, he smiles a little wider. “I’ll be back in an hour, Hoon-ah.” Jake says, and Sunghoon is sure his cheeks are blazing red. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Sunghoon can only nod. He feels the warmth of Jake’s skin long after the other boy leaves the room.
🫧
Moments after Jake leaves, Sunghoon follows. He heads over to the main studio, where Jake is preparing for the first scene of the day. He spots Sunghoon standing by the cameras, and he smiles. He gives Sunghoon a small wave. Sunghoon shyly waves back.
Jake has all the authenticity of a pre-code film. The clapperboard sounds and Jake instantly gets into character. Even with his knees pressed into the ground, lips quivering, he’s beautiful.
Kiss of Summer is far from a B-movie. The first location of the day is a war-trodden town. The sky is smoky and Jake coughs like he’s suffering from black-lung disease. Jake narrowly escapes onto a boat, leaving his home behind. Sunghoon bites his bottom lip and wills himself not to cry.
Jake looks so helpless, arriving in America with nothing but the clothes on his body. His sweet accent curls around his words when he explains himself. It’s one of the many things Sunghoon loves about him.
Jake’s character reminds Sunghoon of himself, arriving in America with three years of English lessons under his belt. Jake doesn’t seem to care about the way he pronounces things. There’s a sickly softness in his eyes when he watches Sunghoon speak.
Sunghoon can’t help but wonder if he looks at anyone else that way. In the span of an hour, Sunghoon has deluded himself into thinking he has a chance with Hollywood superstar Sim Jaeyun—the boy who keeps his love life as private as Fred Astaire.
Deluded. Sunghoon frowns. Jake kissed him on the cheek an hour ago. Sunghoon knows he should stop kicking himself in the shin when he’s standing straight.
Sunghoon contemplates taking Jake to a diner, maybe a club where young adults are wired, doing the Pony and the Jerk. Sunghoon might trip over his own feet.
A star like Jake has probably seen everything, but he’s always struck Sunghoon as humble. His clothes are groovy but Sunghoon has seen the same pieces in boutiques across California. He even bought his car used.
A few tears slide down Jake’s face as he lies in bed, watching the world from outside his window. He looks so small the world outside looms over him like the impending threat of nuclear destruction. He smiles despite it all.
“And that’s a wrap!”
Jake nearly collapses onto the ground. Filming must have sucked the life out of him. He springs up and meets Sunghoon’s eyes. Sunghoon swallows thickly, heart beating out of his chest.
Jake disappears for a few minutes. He reappears in a red shirt and a pair of well-cut jeans. Jake follows him into the dressing room. Their shoulders brush in the hallway. “So,” he starts, “how did I do?”
“You know the answer, Jaeyun-ah,” Sunghoon replies. Jake takes a seat on the large leather couch. There’s a transistor radio sitting on the shelf, whirring softly as it plays the Small Faces.
Jake pouts. “But I wanna hear you say it.” The tone of his voice gets Sunghoon jazzed. It settles beneath his skin and buzzes against his bones.
“You did great, Jaeyun-ah,” Sunghoon says. It’s hard to tell whether or not Jake is flirting with him. He’s always been sugary sweet. “You’re a star.”
Jake beams. “Means a lot coming from you.”
Sunghoon swallows thickly. He sets his palettes in his bag. He reaches for a package of cleansing wipes. “Why is that?” He asks. “I’m not anyone special.”
Jake frowns. “I like you,” he says. Sunghoon pauses for a moment. “You’re special to me.”
There’s no need to toe the line. Sunghoon kneels in front of Jake. He knows it’s a comprising position, one that a sitcom would play for laughs. “Do you want me to do it?” He asks softly.
Jake shakes his head. “I trust you, Hoon-ah.”
Sunghoon’s heart aches at that. He reaches up, gently running the napkin across Jake’s face. It’s black by the time he’s finished. Jake just closes his eyes and leans into the touch like a sleepy dog.
“I’m done,” Sunghoon says. “Let me know if anything stings.”
“I’m alright, Hoon-ah,” Jake replies. He leans forward, pressing a real kiss to Sunghoon’s cheek. “I think you forgot my lips, though.”
Sunghoon flushes. He doesn’t mind the powdery residue Jake leaves on his skin. “Sorry, Jaeyun-ah,” he says. He runs a fresh napkin across Jake’s lips and tries not to stare too hard.
“I’ll forgive you if you take me to dinner,” Jake says. “There’s a little Korean restaurant near here.”
Sunghoon had a mental script prepared. He planned to ask Jake slowly, skirting around his intentions like a politician. Jake beat him to it.
Sunghoon just nods. “I’d do anything for you” sounds creepy. He settles for resting his hand on Jake’s and smiling. “Of course, Jaeyun-ah.”
Jake’s grin could warm the world. He doesn’t bother letting go of Sunghoon’s hand as they leave the studio and step into the afternoon sun.
With his makeup kit in one hand and Jake in the other, Park Sunghoon has the world on a string.