Runaway
“Where exactly are we going? Have I been kidnapped?”
“We’re heading to the after-party for the rehearsal anyway. I’ll give you a ride, so let’s talk.”
As expected from a top star whose status was beyond comparison with someone of the same age.
It was a van—the very symbol of stardom that I had always dreamed of riding someday.
The moment the door closed, all outside noise was completely shut out.
It was quiet. Impressive. Incredible!
As I looked around in fascination, Lee Se-rin leaned forward from the seat across from me, resting her chin on her hand and bringing her face close to mine.
“What are you doing?”
For a second, my breath caught.
She really is beautiful up close.
Maybe it was her perfume. A sweet musk scent lingered around my nose inside the car.
I answered without showing any sign of being flustered.
“It’s just fascinating.”
“What is?”
“It’s a van. Only stars ride around in these, right?”
Lee Se-rin let out a light snort.
“My agency provided one the moment I debuted.”
I ground my teeth. Of course that’s because you’re Lee Se-rin.
She stared straight at me as if it didn’t matter either way and opened her mouth.
“This worked out perfectly. I was actually looking for you.”
“Me? Why would the great actress Lee Se-rin be looking for…”
“That’s right. Keep calling me Great Actress from now on.”
“No thanks.”
“……”
“More importantly, how did you even find me? You called me a stalker earlier. Unless…?”
Lee Se-rin shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“What? That’s ridiculous. You were standing on the main road near the broadcasting station muttering to yourself the whole time. Everyone passing by was looking at you like you were crazy. How could I miss you?”
Was I really that bad?
“There was a line that kept bothering me, so I just stopped for a moment.”
“A moment? Until two hours after rehearsal ended?”
Lee Se-rin made an incredulous face before glancing at me and nodding.
“Never mind. I guess that can happen.”
What kind of acceptance was that? My treatment felt a bit too harsh. I really hadn’t realized two whole hours had passed. It was the kind of mistake that could happen when you get too focused. Yeah.
Lee Se-rin held out her hand.
“Anyway, let me see that memo you were looking at earlier.”
“Memo?”
“The one you were staring at so hard on the street.”
At her urging gesture, I figured there was no real secret to it and no reason not to show her.
I opened the old flip phone and handed it over to Lee Se-rin.
She slowly scrolled down, and her eyes gradually grew serious.
“You really are ruthless.”
“Ruthless? That’s a bit much.”
“It’s a compliment.”
To think I’d hear the word ruthless from actress Lee Se-rin. I didn’t think it was that intense.
“More importantly, why were you looking for me? It couldn’t have been just to give me a ride.”
Lee Se-rin closed her mouth for a moment and bit her red lips. There was a hint of hesitation.
Then, as if she had made up her mind, she lifted her head and met my eyes.
“…I wanted to practice. The rehearsal’s already over, isn’t it?”
“Practice? Can’t you do that at your agency?”
Her agency was Cheongram, right?
Cheongram—the massive actor management company. They would have professional acting coaches and a thorough training curriculum.
Why practice with me of all people?
Lee Se-rin spoke up.
“Compared to practicing with the other actors or teachers at the agency…”
Oh. So Lee Se-rin had actually liked my acting lessons?! When had she stopped frowning and saying she hated it?
“Compared to…?”
When I raised the corner of my mouth and asked mischievously, Lee Se-rin paused for a second. But she didn’t avoid it and continued.
“That practice session we did together back then. It helped more than I expected—actually, quite a lot. After spending those few days practicing with you, doing it with other people just feels… lacking.”
Her last words were almost a mumble, but in the confined space of the van, I heard them clearly.
Wait… hey, saying it like that is dangerous, you know?
“Don’t say things like that to other people.”
Lee Se-rin looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why not?”
“Just… there’s a reason.”
I brushed it off vaguely.
More importantly, she wants to practice with me.
The proud Lee Se-rin wanted to practice with no one but me. Didn’t this mean I had earned the favor of the great actress Lee Se-rin!
“Thank you, Lee Se-rin!”
I grabbed her shoulders and smiled. Lee Se-rin stammered in confusion.
“W-what are you doing? Just get out already.”
“Oh, we’re here?”
I thought the car had just stopped for a moment. Outside the window, I could see the samgyeopsal restaurant where the after-party was being held.
“Let’s go. I’ll grill the meat for you, Great Actress.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Lee Se-rin lightly brushed off my joke. Just as I was about to close the van door and head into the restaurant, she suddenly asked from behind me.
“Why do you work so hard?”
“Work so hard?”
“With acting.”
I was aware of how much effort I had put in, and the training had been painful, but in the end, it was because I loved acting.
But I already told her that last time.
This time, I put my goal into words.
“Ten-million actor. That’s my goal.”
At those words, Lee Se-rin looked at me with her signature cold gaze.
I thought she would laugh at me.
Instead, she gave the faintest smile—so faint it was almost invisible—and walked past me.
“…I see.”
By the time we arrived, the staff and actors had already filled the place.
Following the unspoken rule that you should avoid holding a dinner party right before a live broadcast, they had scheduled it for today—one week earlier.
Now that everyone’s gathered, there really are a lot of people.
As I walked in, the staff greeted me with warm smiles.
“Doyun’s here!”
“Come sit down quick. The meat’s gonna get cold.”
“Aigoo! Why are you so late? We were waiting for you so long I thought our necks would fall off!”
The prop team’s welcome was especially enthusiastic.
“What are you talking about? For a rookie, the set is the dinner party.”
At the director of photography’s words, the prop team leader shuddered.
“These days the young ones call that being a boomer.”
“Tsk. Kim Doyun, come sit next to me. I’ll teach you about filming.”
“Ignore him, Doyun. If you sit there you’ll have to listen to the director brag about himself until the party’s over.”
“Haha…”
Had I ever received treatment like this before? I was smiling awkwardly when one of the prop team members laughed and said,
“At this point, the dinner party can’t even start without Doyun, huh?”
The prop team leader answered cheerfully.
“Didn’t you know? Our prop team’s main star has always been Doyun.”
After greeting all the staff at the dinner table with smiles, I finally sat down.
Good. So now the things I had to do were—
Rest. Chat. Grill meat.
Ah. There was clearly a correct answer here.
I picked up the tongs and smiled.
“I’ll grill for everyone.”
The staff around me protested.
“Come on, why would an actor grill the meat? Put those down—our youngest will do it.”
I protected the tongs from their grasp and smiled.
“I may not look it, but I have quite a long history working part-time at a meat restaurant. When I see someone who can’t grill meat properly, my hands get itchy and I can’t stand it.”
It was the truth. These people were taking perfectly thick, well-cut samgyeopsal and slicing it thin before burning it. How could I watch that?
“See? Our actor Kim Doyun is different, right? Have you ever seen an actor take care of the staff like this?”
“Haha…”
Whether it was the alcohol or the atmosphere, everyone’s voices were gradually getting louder.
Lee Se-rin, who had come in after giving a light greeting, sat down next to me.
“Is this seat taken?”
I nodded at her question.
“Of course not, Great Actress!”
Wow. I never thought the day would come when I’d sit next to Lee Se-rin at a dinner party. I could die happy now.
Lee Se-rin looked at my expression suspiciously.
“…What are you thinking about?”
“There’s a reason.”
I handed her a drink and asked.
“What about you, Lee Se-rin?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Are you crazy?”
Ah, right. She was still a minor.
Thinking back, I recalled that around this time Lee Se-rin had said in an interview that she always just ate and left during work dinners, so she regretted not having time for deeper conversations with actors and directors.
There was no way the real Lee Se-rin actually wanted to have a cozy chat.
She probably just didn’t like that we were talking about the project without her…
I nodded and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, Lee Se-rin. Let’s have a deep discussion and conversation together!”
At my smile, Lee Se-rin looked at me as if I were spouting nonsense.
“What…?”
The staff around us began whispering at the sight of me and Lee Se-rin.
“Doyun, you’re close with actress Lee Se-rin?”
“Lee Se-rin is famous for not saying a single word to anyone on other sets. This is surprising.”
“Did they know each other before?”
“No way. Actor Doyun is a complete rookie with no agency at all.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Sniffle. I do have an agency. It’s called the Actor Gallery.
Meanwhile, at a table slightly separated from the noisy central one, Kim Chan-uk was sitting.
He suddenly left during rehearsal earlier. Looks like he’s fine now.
He was smiling brightly and chatting with the staff, but for some reason his eyes were coldly fixed in my direction.
“Are you okay, Chan-uk? You left so suddenly earlier—the staff were really worried.”
Kim Chan-uk gave the staff member a vague smile and turned to Yoon Seong-woo, the director of photography sitting beside him, speaking in a gentle voice.
“Director, the meat is delicious today. It’s the kind of flavor that makes all your worries disappear.”
“Worries? About what?”
“About Doyun’s acting.”
His skill at naturally bringing up the topic was cunning.
“I mean the actor playing Sang-cheol.”
“Kim Doyun? What about him?”
Seeming to think he had caught Director Yoon Seong-woo’s interest, Kim Chan-uk continued.
“As his senior, I’m a little concerned. The reaction on set is good, but… he didn’t learn the proper way, did he? I’m worried his tone might be off. I keep wondering how I should match him.”
On the surface it sounded like concern for the project, but wasn’t this just trash-talking?
However, the agreement Kim Chan-uk expected didn’t come. Director Yoon Seong-woo answered with a puzzled look instead.
“Actually, I thought that raw feeling was refreshing. You should try absorbing some of Doyun’s energy too, Chan-uk. The synergy will be good.”
At those words, Kim Chan-uk bit his lip as if flustered. But he quickly continued.
“Doyun really adapts quickly. He got close to the staff in no time.”
“That’s true. Doyun is quite friendly.”
“Sometimes I wonder if he’s more focused on networking than on practicing his acting. Haha.”
At Kim Chan-uk’s words, the prop team leader’s eyebrows twitched.
“Chan-uk, that seems like a misunderstanding. I’ve received a lot of help from Doyun myself, but that was only possible because he has an exceptional understanding of the script. I wouldn’t have accepted help from just anyone.”
When the reactions around him went differently than expected, Kim Chan-uk’s previously relaxed expression crumpled.
“I see.”
He answered roughly and poured soju into a beer glass.
“Whoa, Chan-uk. Are you allowed to drink?”
“Of course I can drink. I drink very well.”
Kim Chan-uk began gulping down the beer glass full of soju.
Clack—
“Ugh…”
“Chan-uk, are you okay?”
With his face flushed red, Kim Chan-uk spat out,
“Everyone’s being really generous with their praise for actor Kim Doyun.”
His tone was sarcastic.
“He’s not even a properly trained actor. Does he really deserve that kind of evaluation?”
I nodded.
What nonsense.
I have teachers who are hundreds, no, thousands of times better than those famous instructors attached to you.
Don’t trust the instructors. Trust the Actor Gallery!!
If it had been the old me, those words might have stung. But now, just thinking of the teachers from the Actor Gallery left me completely unfazed.
A dog is barking.
That was about the extent of my reaction. Unlike me, however, the surrounding staff looked uncomfortable.
“What do you all think? Don’t you agree?”
He looked completely drunk now.
His persistence was impressive. I had held back my own frustration and turned him down, so he should be satisfied.
The staff soon stopped even looking at Kim Chan-uk. Instead, they spoke to me or chatted among themselves.
They were clearly trying to change the mood.
Of course, our mad dog Chan-uk paid no attention and kept going.
“At the very least, I thought I was the one carrying more weight in this production.”
“I didn’t think you were like this, Chan-uk. You’re making a lot of verbal slip-ups.”
“Kim Chan-uk. That’s enough.”
Even with the staff’s cold reactions, Kim Chan-uk ignored them and kept heating up.
“No, why is everyone acting like this?”
Kim Chan-uk had reached the peak of pettiness. At that moment, a calm but irritated voice cut him off.
“That’s enough. It’s uncomfortable to listen to.”
It was Lee Se-rin.
While it was touching that actress Lee Se-rin had stepped up for me, it felt like she had just poured oil on a burning house.
“Even you, sunbae? Did I say something wrong? What does that guy who crawled up from the gutter have that I don’t? In visuals, popularity, and even the lead role—it’s all me!”
Lee Se-rin frowned as she answered.
“Well, I don’t recall ever having a junior like you.”
As their voices made the atmosphere turn hostile, the previously noisy dinner party suddenly fell silent.
All eyes turned toward us.
What should I do now?
First, I needed to calm the situation. With that thought, I opened my mouth.
“As Chan-uk said, my acting is still lacking. Haha. Still, we should all…”
That was when it happened.
“Hey! What the hell did you just say to our actor Doyun!”
Huh?
A man suddenly shot up from the corner.
It was definitely the staff member who had given me the lunchbox last time. I think he said he was the youngest on set.
He looked like he had properly had a few drinks too.
“The director wanted to cut you and give the lead to actor Doyun! Doyun turned it down, so you barely kept the role, and now you’re raising your voice?! You rude little—mmph!!!”
The other staff members, startled, quickly covered the youngest’s mouth.
“You crazy bastard!”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Mmph, let go…”
It wasn’t exactly wrong, but you really shouldn’t say that right now?!
Kim Chan-uk’s face turned red.
The situation was getting more serious by the second. If things continued like this, nothing good would come of it.
I should stop them.
Just as I thought that—
“Damn it! I’m done! I quit this trash project!”
Kim Chan-uk shoved the table and stormed out of the restaurant.
…Excuse me?
Did I hear that wrong? Quitting a week before the live broadcast?
Haha. It would definitely make headlines. That title was perfect for the news, wasn’t it?
“Ha… haha……”
“K-Kim Doyun?”
The staff’s eyes had gone wide at Kim Chan-uk’s words.
Where do you think you’re running off to?
This crazy bastard is trying to ruin my first debut stage without even asking permission.
Leaving the stunned staff behind, I stood up from my seat.
“I’ll bring him back.”
Whether I had to coax him or drag him back by the collar,
that bastard had to be on stage one week from now no matter what.