Changes in the Relationship (7)
The conference room still carried the faint aroma of coffee that hadn't quite cooled. Actor profiles and meeting materials were spread out across the table.
Producer Oh Jung-woo tapped the documents lightly with his fingertips and spoke up.
"With Director Kim Sang-tae at the helm, I have to say my expectations are pretty high."
Director Kim Sang-tae replied with his usual impassive expression.
"OTT these days isn't all that different from movies."
"Come on, though. When it's you directing, there's always that subtle emotional nuance. We can look forward to it again this time, right?"
"That's something you'd have to ask the writer about. I'm just the guy who shoots well-written scripts well."
"So you're saying the script you wrote yourself is well-written, then."
Oh Jung-woo deftly matched Kim Sang-tae's nonchalance with his own wry humor.
From the PD's perspective, he wasn't the easiest person to deal with. The director rarely touched dramas anyway, and once he committed, he stuck firmly to his own standards.
But his skills were undeniable. That's why Oh Jung-woo was handling him this way.
Just then, someone knocked on the conference room door and entered.
It was Casting Director Lee Jin-muk.
"Actor Lee Min-woo's meeting is set. We scheduled it for next weekend. His school schedule only left that slot open."
"I see."
Kim Sang-tae reacted indifferently, but Oh Jung-woo was different.
"Hmm..."
He stroked his chin with one hand and pulled Lee Min-woo's profile from the materials, examining it once more.
The actor in the photo definitely stood out. A face that was getting buzz lately. No, not just lately—it was the kind of look that would work in any era without much backlash.
But from a production standpoint, they couldn't stop there.
He opened his mouth cautiously.
"I hate to bring it up now, but his visuals are too good... I'm just wondering if we're basing this too much on his face."
"His acting... seemed solid to me."
"That was just a student role in that drama."
At that moment, Director Kim Sang-tae let out a short burst of laughter. More like a scoff. He'd instantly grasped what Oh Jung-woo was getting at.
In truth, Kim Sang-tae had first checked out the actor out of half curiosity. The writer had pushed hard for him.
His filmography boiled down to essentially one project. Calling him a fresh debutant wouldn't be a stretch.
Yet when he'd actually watched the footage, the performance was far more natural than expected. Everything else aside, those eyes that took in emotions so well—they were good.
"So if students play students well, we should hire cops for cop roles and gangsters for gangster roles, huh."
Oh Jung-woo waved his hands hurriedly.
"No, that's not what I meant so simplistically."
Still, he knew his words sounded a bit lame even to himself.
But from production's side, it was a point they had to raise.
Being talented and fitting this specific project were two different things.
"That's exactly what worries me. If this were a character who just shines in a scene or two, fine. But the emotional arc stretches out pretty long here. Even for a child actor."
Kim Sang-tae glanced down at Lee Min-woo's profile again.
The boy in the photo was undeniably handsome. Of course, you couldn't ignore that.
But actors who survive long on screen were a special breed, even among the good-looking ones.
"We'll know once we meet him."
Oh Jung-woo said it like a sigh.
"Got it. Sorry to raise doubts when everything's already set."
"I get the concern."
The casting director said lightly, perhaps to ease the mood.
"He's hot right now, though."
"Yeah. At least domestically, there's a reaction."
"Global fandom..."
"Not quite there yet."
Then Kim Sang-tae said indifferently,
"If it doesn't exist, we make it with this project."
"Confident, huh. I like it."
I was studying in the library when Yoon Seo-ha didn't show up. She usually appeared around the same time every day, so it was unexpected.
Well, people aren't robots, so maybe she just skipped today. I was about to let it go when, a bit later, I heard the chair next to me scrape as it was pulled out.
I turned to look. It was Yoon Seo-ha.
What had kept her? She sat down without a word, as always. Putting down her bag, taking out her stationery—same old motions. Indifferent and quiet.
But looking closely, her breathing seemed a little ragged.
...Did she run here because she was late?
The thought crossed my mind, but I didn't voice it.
I turned back to my book. We studied as usual, and then a small note slid over to me.
Neat, precise handwriting.
I picked up the note and looked at the part she'd marked.
Hmm...
Really?
I hadn't thought about it, but now that Yoon Seo-ha pointed it out, it felt different somehow.
I pondered for a moment and wrote back: Possible, yeah. It was a plain answer, but hey, I hadn't even considered it.
Soon another note came back.
Between these two, which is more likely?
The questions were getting more specific.
This time, the reply came right away.
...What was this? It didn't feel like she was just asking.
It was more like she was telling me. Like a spot-on tutoring session.
No reason for me to refuse. Everyone knew Yoon Seo-ha's grades were top-tier.
How much time passed? I checked my watch and glanced sideways. Yoon Seo-ha had just set down her pen and was lightly pressing her temple with her fingers.
I scribbled quickly on one of the notes that had come my way.
I slid it over, and she looked down.
This time, no note—she turned her head and nodded at me.
Lee Seol had planned to grab some bread for lunch again today, but it didn't feel like it'd fill her up.
In the end, she skipped the convenience store tucked in the library like a snack bar and headed outside.
Walking aimlessly, she stopped short. Up ahead, walking toward the library, were two people.
Yoon Seo-ha and Lee Min-woo. They'd probably already eaten and were heading back, walking side by side toward the library.
Lee Min-woo.
The name popped into her head, and a dull ache bloomed in her chest.
They'd made up. Definitely. She wasn't avoiding him like a stranger anymore, wasn't showing obvious hurt. On the surface, their relationship looked sorted.
But it hadn't gone back to how it was before.
Back then... I wasn't honest. Was that the problem?
And in the meantime, Yoon Seo-ha had gotten that close to him.
Yoon Seo-ha walking side by side with a guy after eating? Not something you saw every day.
No, she couldn't even imagine it.
He's that close with Seo-ha now... and me...?
Her thoughts reached that point, and before she knew it, Lee Seol bit the inside of her lip hard.
What was this feeling? Jealousy? Regret? Lingering attachment?
It was too tangled to pin down to one word. But one thing was clear: something in her chest kept urging her that she was late, to grab hold before it was too late.
As she wrestled with it, she bit her lip again.
Why can't we go back? Because I wasn't honest?
The thought flashed through, and impulse shoved aside her hesitation. Almost reflexively, Lee Seol strode toward them and stopped right in their path.
"Uh...?"
Confusion spread across Lee Min-woo's face. Yoon Seo-ha stopped too.
Yoon Seo-ha's usual blank expression. Why did it feel like it was carving into her heart? Probably because she knew her situation. Lee Seol had confided in her, after all.
But she couldn't stop now. If she clammed up here, it'd end up like last time—awkward smiles and nothing resolved.
She didn't want that.
"Can we talk for a sec?"
Lee Min-woo blinked.
"Me? Or Seo-ha?"
"You."
"..."
Lee Min-woo studied her face for a moment, then nodded.
"...Sure."
Yoon Seo-ha just watched them silently. She didn't hold on or follow.
They headed to a narrow alley next to the library, where few people passed.
Lee Seol decided to speak. She clenched her fists tight. If she hesitated, her courage might fizzle out.
"Last time, I didn't say everything honestly."
Her voice trembled more than expected. Lee Min-woo said nothing. The silence felt like pressure.
Lee Seol squeezed her eyes shut and went for it. No turning back now—see it through.
"I... liked you."
The words tumbled out, and her heart pounded hard. The feelings she'd hidden, denied, pretended weren't there—they took shape so easily it made her dizzy.
"......Huh?"
"I liked you too. I acted all prickly because I didn't want to admit it. Being snappy for no reason, pretending otherwise..."
"Liked... as in past tense?"
"I like you."
Her throat burned. Her face was surely red. It was embarrassing... but she didn't want to back down anymore.
She looked up cautiously and flinched at his expression.
He was looking at her with a face she'd never seen before.
Embarrassment, bewilderment, and a hardness that had set in—all tangled together.
Just seeing that stiff face told her the answer.
The courage she'd barely mustered drained away cold in an instant.
Her heart sank before he even spoke.