Momentum (5)
Kang So-yeon was riding in a Carnival with her manager, heading straight to the university campus filming location where Tae-san was currently shooting his movie.
“Wow. I’m so nervous. Do you think he’ll hate this?”
She had arranged everything through Kidari Entertainment, planning to show up with a coffee truck as a surprise. The idea had been her own clever little scheme to keep it a secret from Kang Tae-san until the very last moment.
“So-yeon, having a pretty little sister is an enormous blessing, whether you’re in the army or on a film set.”
“Really? I’m not just getting in everyone’s way…?”
“Not at all. If a pretty sister shows up with delicious snacks, she’s welcome anytime.”
The manager, who had once worked as a filming staff member before taking on managerial duties, understood the hearts of on-set crew better than anyone. He knew today’s visit would be talked about for the rest of the shoot—and probably long after.
After confirming Tae-san’s break time with his manager, So-yeon arrived right as the coffee truck pulled up.
“Huh? Wait, isn’t that Kang So-yeon?”
“POA? No way, it’s really her.”
“What’s Kang So-yeon doing here?”
“Oh, right—So-yeon is Tae-san’s sister.”
“Insane genes. Absolutely insane.”
The crew gathered in small groups to receive coffee and desserts, snapping photos in front of the truck that read, “Actor Kang Tae-san is cheering on the film crew!” So-yeon happily posed for pictures whenever anyone asked, turning the moment into genuine fan service.
Her manager didn’t miss the opportunity either, taking promotional shots for the company’s SNS account. The fans were going to love this.
Her male fans would probably project themselves onto Tae-san and hit like on the heartwarming little-sister gesture, while her female fans would gush over both So-yeon’s thoughtfulness and Tae-san’s handsome face in the comments. In short, it was free publicity for the agency.
“So-yeon!”
Tae-san, having finished his scene, rushed over as soon as he heard the news.
“Oppa!”
“What’s all this? You should’ve at least texted me, you little rascal.”
“Surprise~ You’ve already done three filming sessions and I’ve been too busy to properly take care of you.”
“Aigoo. Look at you, all grown up.”
“Hehe. Is this your first time getting a coffee truck?”
“Of course. Wow, so this is what a coffee truck looks like. Did you pick the slogan and photos too?”
“The agency chose those. Hehe.”
Tae-san felt a swell of pride as he watched So-yeon smile brightly. He was proud of the girl who had finally achieved her dream of becoming an idol, and touched that she still thought of him like this.
The two of them stood side by side, holding iced Americanos, and took commemorative photos under the watchful eyes of their managers. They were chatting happily when a familiar voice cut in.
“Hello. You’re Kang So-yeon, the recent POA winner, right?”
“Oh my, sunbae-nim. Hello. It’s an honor!”
Yoon Si-on had recognized her and come over to greet her.
“Ah, so Tae-san’s sister is So-yeon.”
“Hehe. I was so surprised when I heard my brother was working with you, sunbae-nim. Please take good care of him.”
“I should be the one asking you to take care of me. I had no idea he had such a wonderful sister.”
Until now, Yoon Si-on hadn’t shown much interest in Tae-san, but suddenly he was smiling directly at him.
‘What’s going on? Why is he acting like that all of a sudden?’
Yoon Si-on continued chatting naturally with So-yeon.
“From what I saw on POA, you seemed to practice a lot. Wasn’t it exhausting?”
“There was way more to do during the live broadcast than during regular practice, but it was still fun! All the friends I performed with were so passionate, and I learned a lot from them.”
“Come on, that’s probably because you have such a great personality, So-yeon.”
“Aww, no way. But it’s still amazing that you watched the professional version, sunbae-nim.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I like idols just like any other guy.”
“Hehe. To me, you’re like someone up in the sky. Back in school, my friends and I watched your movies and dramas over and over.”
Yoon Si-on kept the conversation going with the same friendly, natural charm he showed female staff members. So-yeon, clearly flattered that a top star like him was paying attention to her, grew pink-cheeked and responded enthusiastically.
‘Hmm. Something about this atmosphere feels off.’
Tae-san sensed that So-yeon was acting more flustered than her usual kind self. The way she kept covering her mouth while laughing and tapping the ground with the tip of her foot was something he’d never seen before.
“Want to exchange star accounts?”
“Ah, my account is managed by the company……”
After confirming that So-yeon’s manager was busy greeting the staff, Yoon Si-on lowered his voice.
“I see. By the way, do you have any favorite foods? Or anything you can’t eat?”
“Um…… I eat everything!”
“Then how about omakase? The place run by Chef Kang from ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ is pretty private and nice.”
“Huk, I’m a huge fan of his. I heard reservations are super hard to get.”
“If I ask as a close friend, he’ll usually squeeze in one table. Oh, exchanging KakaoTalk IDs should be fine, right?”
Yoon Si-on tried calling So-yeon’s phone to save his number, but she gently pulled back.
“Ah, instead of a number, could you just give me your KakaoTalk ID, sunbae-nim?”
“Sure. I’ll send you my ID.”
Watching him smoothly set up a private meeting, Tae-san suddenly felt uneasy.
‘Wait… is Yoon Si-on actually interested in So-yeon?’
It was probably nothing, but after hearing a passing male staff member mutter, “Yoon Si-on really loves women,” Tae-san couldn’t help seeing it that way. Yoon Si-on only ever talked to women and always gravitated toward wherever the female staff were gathered.
“Oppa! I’m heading out now.”
After greeting Director Mo Yeon-hee with Yoon Si-on, So-yeon returned with an even brighter expression.
“Thanks for today. The atmosphere on set got so much better because of you.”
“Everyone was only talking about how great you are. Especially Yoon Si-on sunbae—he kept saying your acting was amazing. Who would’ve thought a big star like him would be working alongside you!”
“Really?”
As Tae-san walked her to the car, his thoughts grew heavier. He was going to have to keep an eye on this.
“So-yeon, you……”
“Yeah?”
“Never mind. Get home safe. Thank you, Manager-nim.”
“You too, oppa! Fighting with the shoot! I’ll text you!”
He had wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. In all the years they’d grown up together, he’d never once worried about her love life. So-yeon wasn’t the type to cause trouble, and she had always told him everything—every confession she received and how she turned them down.
‘What if So-yeon actually starts liking Yoon Si-on?’
No matter how he looked at it, her earlier behavior hadn’t seemed like simple fan admiration.
‘Hoo. So this is what it feels like to be an overprotective big brother.’
While Tae-san was lost in thought on his way back to the set, a KakaoTalk message arrived that fanned the flames of his worries.
-Oppa! Si-on sunbae-nim said he wants to have dinner with me next weekend >ㅅ<
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!
Min Jin-cheol had decided to respect Tae-san’s desire to get closer to Yoon Si-on.
“Alright. I’ll head out first. Call me if anything comes up—I’ll come running anytime.”
“Yes, hyung. Take care on your way home.”
Of course, Tae-san’s intentions were slightly different from Min Jin-cheol’s.
After going home yesterday, Tae-san had spent the night thinking and preparing thoroughly. The final, biggest task left in his life was vetting his little sister’s potential husband.
As her only family, he could never allow So-yeon—who had grown up without parents—to be treated poorly. He needed to confirm whether the other person was decent, sincere, and free of ulterior motives.
He had never planned to vet every single one of So-yeon’s boyfriends this way. But if it wasn’t Yoon Si-on—the man currently resting his hand so naturally on a female script supervisor’s shoulder while monitoring the footage—then none of this would be necessary.
“Director Mo, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow evening if you’re free?”
“Ja-young, you must be tired from changing the lighting setup today. Is your arm okay?”
“Ga-in! Was our team’s company dinner next week?”
“Min-ji~ You changed your hairstyle?”
The man flirted with every woman around him as naturally as breathing.
“Oh, Kang San. You’re still here?”
And yet he still couldn’t remember Tae-san’s name—probably on purpose. Tae-san decided it was time to confirm this man’s character, man to man.
“Yes. I had something I wanted to ask you, sunbae-nim.”
Normally, Yoon Si-on would have brushed him off with an excuse about being busy, but ever since learning Tae-san was So-yeon’s real brother, his attitude had become strangely gentle.
“Ayy, let’s drop the sunbae-nim stuff. We’re about the same age. Just call me hyung.”
“Ah, yes.”
“So what did you want to ask? I’ve been wanting to get closer to you too, actually.”
Yoon Si-on walked toward his car with Tae-san beside him.
“Where do you live? Want a ride? We can talk on the way.”
“I live in Yeongdeungpo.”
“Oh, perfect. I live in Yeouido. I’ll drop you off on the way.”
Had Yoon Si-on ever given anyone a ride in his car—let alone another man? Never. But he had an agenda.
‘So Kang Tae-san is Kang So-yeon’s brother? Might as well score some points while I’m at it.’
A true womanizer would turn any situation—rain or shine, man or woman—into an opportunity to get what he wanted.
Sitting in the backseat, Tae-san felt how comfortable the well-modified Carnival seats were.
“This car and I have been together for ten years.”
Yoon Si-on said he had never changed cars since receiving one after debut. On the surface, he gave off the image of someone who loved women and cars, but people were always more complicated than they seemed.
“Of course, I have three other cars I drive around in. Do you like cars, Kang San? There’s this new electric car Maserati just released……”
……But sometimes first impressions were exactly right.
During the drive from Paju back to Seoul, Yoon Si-on talked nonstop about cars. Tae-san, whose entire experience with vehicles consisted of buses, taxis, and the recently familiar Carnival, could only nod along and make polite noises.
What he really wanted to know was Yoon Si-on’s intentions toward his excited little sister, but the conversation never went there.
“By the way, you and your sister seem pretty close. I’ve never seen a sibling send a coffee truck before.”
Finally, Yoon Si-on opened the topic of So-yeon.
“So-yeon has always followed me around since she was little. I’m grateful for it. She’s unusually pure and kind compared to kids these days.”
Tae-san seized the moment. The message was clear: ‘My sister is kind and gentle, so don’t even think about hurting her.’
“She does seem that way. Live broadcasts reveal everything about someone’s personality. Your parents must have raised her well.”
“……Yes, well.”
Tae-san would have answered honestly if the question had been directed at him—he had grown up in an orphanage—but he hesitated, worried Yoon Si-on might look down on So-yeon.
“I’m having dinner with So-yeon next week. That’s okay with you, right?”
“Yes. She’s really looking forward to it.”
When Yoon Si-on spoke as if Tae-san’s approval didn’t matter, Tae-san fired back that he already knew about the plan and expected no nonsense.
While the invisible battle of nerves continued, Tae-san noticed the console box between the seats was overflowing with empty snack bags and plastic bottles.
Seeing his chance, he pulled out a trash bag he had prepared in advance and began collecting the garbage.
“Sunbae-nim, if it’s alright, I’ll take this trash with me when I get out.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Just leave it. Kang San.”
“No, you gave me a ride. I brought a trash bag anyway because I had things to throw out.”
It was suspicious for someone to suddenly clean another person’s car, but Yoon Si-on saw no reason to stop him.
“Hahaha, you’re a strange one, Kang San. Alright then.”
Tae-san even pulled out wet wipes and thoroughly cleaned the console box. Yoon Si-on scolded his manager for no reason.
“Our manager must’ve been busy. You should keep the car cleaner.”
“I had the interior cleaned last week……”
“You should do it every day.”
“I’ll keep that in mind……”
After finishing his conversation with the manager, Yoon Si-on glanced over and saw Tae-san staring blankly ahead.
“Kang San?”
Tae-san didn’t respond.
‘What, did he fall asleep? In that short time?’
Tae-san kept his eyes gently closed, looking as though he had dozed off.
“Hey, Kang San. We’re here.”
“Ah. Sorry. I must’ve nodded off for a second.”
“You must be tired these days. You should take better care of your stamina.”
“I will. Your driving was so smooth that I fell asleep without realizing it.”
Tae-san quickly gathered himself and looked at Yoon Si-on.
To Yoon Si-on, only about five minutes had passed. But thanks to cleaning the car, Kang Tae-san had just experienced the life of top star Yoon Si-on.