I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

***

wavedatKwonJunhyeokwhenhearrivedonset.

“t’sreallybeenalongtime!”

“Yeah...ithas....”

Smilingshyly,KwonJunhyeokwasdressedinaneatsky-blueshirtpairedwithnavysuitpants.

WehadinvitedhimforacameoinDongdaemunRomance.hatwasthankstoanYeoreum’sshamelesslittlesocial-climbercalculatorquicklyreachingaconclusion.

‘fKwonJunhyeokcomes,peoplewholikedtheMyeongRyeongcouplewillprobablyrememberthemagain....’

UnabletoforgetthesweetimpactofthecameothatseniorJiaebeomhadpracticallyspoon-fedmeduringUnfairrade,askedKwonJunhyeoktoplayarolethatwouldbrieflypassthroughDongdaemunRomancelikeanextra.

KwonJunhyeokagreedimmediatelywithoutevenhesitating.

“You’veimprovedalotatacting.”

“Aaaah.oway.”

AfterthesuccessofStrangeales,scriptsfloodedintoKwonJunhyeok’sagencylikeatidalwave.

‘Justfromwhatheard,therewereoverten.’

Firstlovesinyouthcampusdramas,sociopathicvillainsinthrillers,andespeciallyoccultprojectsinspiredbyStrangealesallsenthimlovecallsatleastonceeach.xorcists,demon-banishingpriests.

utofallofthem,theoneKwonJunhyeokchosewasafull-fledgedofficedramawhereheplayedarookieemployeeonamajorcorporation’sPRteam.

venhisclumsy,inexperiencedpartswerebroughttolifewiththefreshcharmuniquetoanewcomer,andthankstothat,hesuccessfullyscoredtwoconsecutivehits.

“hanksforcomingeventhoughyou’rebusy.”

“fYeoreumcalls,havetocome.”

esitatingforamoment,KwonJunhyeokrevealedhissoftheartagain.

“hat’sarelief....”

“Whatis?”

“hesetrightnowlooksreallynice...sniff...andyouseemlikeyou’redoingwell....BackduringStrangealeswegothurtallthetime...andwewerealwaysrunningaround...andbecausewefilmedinthemountainswekeptgettingbittenbybugs....”

“Whyareyoucryingagain?ncetimepasses,itallbecomesmemories.”

“’mnotsomeonewhocriesallthetime.Sniff....”

Whatareyoutalkingabout?Youcriedconstantly.Butasaproperactingseniornow,coveredformyjunior’sflaws.

“Still,wasn’tthattimereallyfun?”

“...Really?”

“Sometimesthinkaboutit.”

Cometothinkofit,backthenwereallyhadrunaroundmountainswhilefilming.hefilmingenvironmentreallyhadimprovedalot.verythingsuddenlyfeltnewagain.

herewasatimewhenoutdoorshootsfeltendlesslystrangeandawkward,butnowevenoverseasschedulesfeltnatural.

tfeltlikeonlyyesterdaythatcriedwhileholdingmyRookieof❀оvеlігht❀(Don’tcopy,readhere)theYeartrophy,butnowwasevenaimingtowinawardsatceremoniesinAmerica.

Andiftherewasonethingthathadchangedthemost—

“Junhyeok’shere?”

“Directooor...huuuhk....”

WhenthelightingdirectorwhohadalsoworkedwithusonStrangealesapproachedKwonJunhyeok,tearsofjoywereaddedontop.ereallywasstillsuchacrybaby.

‘tmeans’mnolongerdesperatetokeeppeoplearoundasconnections.’

BecauseofDoyeoul,hadalwaysbeenafraidarolemightdisappear.Afraid’dgetpushedaside.Afraidsomethingwouldbestolenfromme.Sohadwantedimpressivepeoplearoundmenomatterwhat.

Atsomepoint,thatfeelinghadgrownlighter.

‘Because’vegrownalotnow.’

nolongerhadtorelyonpeoplearoundmejusttomaintainmyplace.

Atsomepoint,thatcertaintysettlednaturallyinsideme.wasn’ttherookieanYeoreumfromdebutdaysanymore,tremblinginfearandanxiety.

Peoplenaturallygatheredaroundmenow.

helightingdirectorwhohadbeenwithmesinceParChei,KwonJunhyeokwhoagreedtocameooutofloyaltytoStrangeales,andSeoden,whohadoncebeenmypartneronMusicandwasnowmypartnerinthesamedrama.

hesetfeltlikemyentireworld.anYeoreum’sworld.

“kay,standtheretogetherfornow.Wow,thatcompositionlooksgood.Bringoverareflectorhere.”

Butmyshamelesslittlesocial-climbercalculatorstillworkedperfectly.quicklygrabbedKwonJunhyeokandturnedhimaround.

“Mr.KwonJunhyeok,let’suseyourbackviewalittletoo,okay?t’dbeawastetoonlyuseyourprofile.Startwithyourbackturnedandthenslightlyturnaround.Yep.”

Sincehecameallthewayhere,hadtousehimproperly.carefullycheckedthetwo-shotofKwonJunhyeokandmecapturedonscreen.

‘veryone,remember.’

heemotionfromthefinalepisodeofStrangeales.

opefullyit’llgoviralagainwithSeoryeongandMyungdolookinglikereincarnations.

Justthinkingaboutthebuzzmademegrinbrightly.

***

“Doesn’tthisfeelkindaweird?Right?”

Watchingthetwofilming,SeodenhuggedBeopsuntightly.

“Beopbeop.”

“Anyonewatchingwouldthinkthatguyoverthereisthemalelead.knowhyungcriesallthetime,buttodayheshouldreallyholditin.”

“Beop.”

“Andthelightingdirectortoo,seriously.Don’tyoufeellikehe’spayingmoreattentiontothereflectorangleovertherethantome,Beopsun?”

Seodenwasoriginallythetypewhobelievedgoodthingswerejustgoodthings.Withtwooldersistersturningintoseven,therewasnowayhispersonalitywouldn’tbecomeeasygoing.

esworetoheavenandeverything.enormallywasn’tlikethis.WhichmeantthiswasdefinitelyJunhyeokhyung’sfault.

venifhelookedlikethis,hewasactuallysomeonewithexcellentself-awareness.SeodenstaredatKwonJunhyeokwithfloundereyes.

“Andyoutoo,Beopsun.Whenyoufirstmetme,yousaid‘beopbeopbeop’threetimes,butwhataboutwhenJunhyeokhyungcameearlier?”

“Beop?”

“Didn’tyouonlydoittwice?Fromnowon,whodoyouthinkyou’llseelongeronset,meorJunhyeokhyung?”

“...Beopbeopbeop!”

“ood.Since’mnotthatpetty,’llletitslideonce.Butseriously,whyaretheyusingmorereflectorsthantheydoforme?”

hescenecurrentlybeingfilmedwasamPyeonghwameetingdesignerJayafterbeinginvitedbyansung,thefamousrivalcompanyof&.

AndthesceneofJeonSegyeandBeopsunwatchingamPyeonghwa.

ncethetakeswitchedtoJeonSegye’sperspectivewatchingthetwoofthem,thelightingbecameevenmoredelicatethanbefore.

herewasareasonthosetwohadoncesweptKoreaastheMyeongRyeongcouple.heygenuinelymatchedeachotherperfectly.

SeodenfeltasharpacheintheheartholdingBeopsun....

“Beopbeopbeop.”

“Youwerescratchingmewithyourpaw.owonderithurt.”

Butsomethingwasstrange.venwhenBeopsunstoppedscratchinghischestwithhispaw,itstillkeptstinging.

riginally,Seodenhadbeenbetweenthosetwopeople.ewasclosewithKwonJunhyeokandclosewithanYeoreumtoo.ewasbasicallytheirintersection.

Butnow,itfeltlikeaworldbelongingonlytothetwoofthemwasunfoldingwithoutSeodeninit.

ottheJeonhwacouple,buttheMyeongRyeongcouple.

anYeoreum’ssideprofileasshelookedupatKwonJunhyeokseemedsofterthanusualtoday.Cometothinkofit,comparedtothewayshelookedathim,thegazeshegaveSeodenfeltsomehow...somehow....

“den!”

anYeoreumturnedherheadtowardhim,andtheireyesmet.Smilingbrightly,shebeckonedhimover.

“Comenow.”

“...Yeees....” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Seodenimmediatelytriedsteppingintotheframeathercall.Reliefspreadthroughhimattherealizationthatshehadn’tforgottenhimafterall—

“o,don’tcometome.veeerthere.You’resupposedtostandbehindthatpillar.”

“uessheforgot.e’ssupposedtohidebehindthatpillarsohecan’tbeseen.”

“xactly.Youneedtogofartherback.”

“den-ah.urryoverthere.”

ButanYeoreumwavedhimoffintoacorner.AndKwonJunhyeok,standingrightbesideher,didtoo.

Draggedbehindthepillarbyastaffmember,Seoden’slipstrembled.

“h,thatexpression’sgood.xactlythat.”

ByeonJuhwaexclaimedinadmirationwhileadjustingtheangle.

“Beopsun.et’sdovibrationmode.Shakeshake,okay?”

“rrrr....”

“ood,good.rulyageniusdog.”

Seoden’scheststillstungwhereBeopsunhadscratchedhimearlier.ecouldn’tevenheartheactioncueanymore.hefactthathewashidingbehindapillarwatchingthetwoofthemsimplymadenosense.

Wasn’thesupposedtobestandingovertherebesidethem?hiscouldn’tbehappening.

hetwowhisperedsomethingtoeachotherthathecouldn’thearbeforelaughing.hewayJaylookedatamPyeonghwacarriedasenseofhelplessfondness...ha...seriously,thiswasridiculous....

“kay!ey,wemightnotevenneedtoshootmorethanthis?”

“Really?”

“Wow.denmust’vedonereallywell.”

hetwocompletelyleftSeodenstandingbehindthepillarandwalkedovertoDirectorByeontomonitorthefootage.

ecouldn’tunderstandwhytheyweresmilingsomuchwhilelookingatthescreen.Seoden’seyeskeptturningintofloundereyesagain.

“ood,thenlet’smovestraightintoden’sclose-up...wait,what?e’sstillholdingontotheemotion?ice!hat’sit!”

***

DirectorByeonfinallypreparedfortheendingsceneofpisode8.oday’sfilmingwasgoingunbelievablysmoothly.

“sn’tdenseriouslyonfiretoday?”

“e’sbasicallyJeonSegyehimself.”

“Whoeverarrangedtoday’sfilmingscheduleseriouslydeservespraise.”

hestaffmemberswerecheerfultoo.otonlyhadthegeniusdogBeopsunworkedwonders,butKwonJunhyeok’scameoperfectlyrevivednostalgiafortheMyeongRyeongcouplewhileshowingoffincrediblechemistrywithanYeoreum.

Morethananything,Seoden’semotionalimmersionstoodout.

“hedayweshootthekisssceneandhisconditionisthisgood!”

odaywasthedaytheyhadtofilmtheendingsceneofpisode8,themomentwherenewemotionstrulybeganbloomingbetweenthetwocharacters.

Arainyday.wopeopletrappedinsideawarehouse.

Shiveringinthecoldwithoutevenheating,theyshareJeonSegye’scoatandcontinuetalking.

Carefullyrevealingeachother’swounds.heiremptiness.Andlove.

hescenewheretheireyesmeetandtheirlipsslowlyoverlapwasDongdaemunRomance’sdecisivefinishingblowthatcouldwithstandthefiercechasefromtheotherthreecompetingproductions.

“hisisyourfirstrealkissscene,right,den?heearlieronewasjustanaccidentalbump,butthisisyourfirstofficialone.”

“uessso.”

“Youwerereallyimmersedtoday,soifyoujustkeepcarryingthatemotionforward,thinkwe’llgetsomethingamazing.”

Kisssceneswereevenharderthancryingscenes.

Becausetheyinvolvedtwopeopletogether.

hecamerarightinfrontofthem,thestaff’sgazes,thelightsandreflectors.

Allofthosethingsinterruptedemotionalimmersion,andontopofthattheyhadtocarefullypayattentiontothingsliketheangleoftheirheadsandtheplacementoftheirhands.

“You’lldowell.”

ButrememberingSeodenfromearlier,DirectorByeonsmiled.

Becauseatsomepoint,hehadalreadybecomeJeonSegye,themanwhohadfallenforamPyeonghwa.