“Okay, cut!”
The director’s signal rang out, sharper and more refreshing than usual.
Kang Myungwoo instantly returned to his bright smile, and Jung Inha went back to her usual sassy expression.
“You worked hard, Inha. Your acting was great.”
“You too, oppa. …You’re seriously so good. Are you sure you only started recently?”
“Haha.”
Jung Inha’s slightly snippy tone made Myungwoo smile even wider as he reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
“Thanks. Hearing that from you makes me feel good.”
“Well, I’m just saying what’s obvious.”
Jung Inha turned her head with a quick motion, her ears slightly red.
Seeing her obvious embarrassment, Myungwoo let out a small chuckle.
“All right, my little actors, shall we keep going right away? You good?”
“I’m fine.”
“Me too.”
Of course, both Myungwoo and Jung Inha answered without hesitation.
“Great! Let’s move straight to the next scene!”
The director, smiling widely at their confident replies, immediately started the next take.
“Scene 26! Conversation between Shin Woojin and Jeon Seohyun in the alley!”
Shin Woojin and Jeon Seohyun sat against the brick wall of the alley in silence.
Shin Woojin had his head lowered, while Jeon Seohyun kept glancing at him.
Even so, the redness of Shin Woojin’s ears stood out clearly.
The camera zoomed in for a close-up of his side profile.
“Oppa, were you crying?”
At Jeon Seohyun’s question, Shin Woojin’s body flinched.
“No, I wasn’t.”
“But your eyes earlier…”
“I-It’s because I ran too fast and dust got in them. I wasn’t crying.”
“Ah, true. You were running really fast.”
Jeon Seohyun nodded, accepting his excuse easily.
Still burying his face between his knees, Shin Woojin asked quietly,
“…You’re close with him?”
“Hm? Who? Jaemin?”
“…Yeah.”
Hearing her use that friendly name — Jaemin — made Shin Woojin’s mood sink even lower.
Jeon Seohyun smiled brightly, not noticing his reaction at all.
“Yeah, of course. We’ve known each other since we were little.”
“Since long ago?”
“Mm-hm. We used to live in the same place. Then both our families moved here.”
“The same place…”
Did that mean they’d lived in the same neighborhood before?
Then she must be much closer to Jaemin than she was to him. That thought made Shin Woojin feel even worse.
“…Do you like him?”
Shin Woojin’s voice trembled as he asked.
If she did — what was he supposed to do?
For Shin Woojin, who was experiencing liking someone for the first time, that was an impossibly difficult question.
“Huh? Of course I like him.”
Thump.
At her answer, Shin Woojin’s heart dropped.
“Jaemin’s a really close friend. He’s a good kid.”
“A… good friend?”
“Yeah. We’ve been close for a long time, and he’s really nice.”
A good friend, huh.
It felt completely different from the ‘liking’ he felt for her.
And realizing that made Shin Woojin brighten again.
He raised his head, his face visibly lighter.
“Really?”
“Yup! Ah, and of course you’re a good friend too, oppa!”
Thump.
Her words made his heart sink all over again.
But he managed to hide it behind a wide smile.
“Yeah, I think you’re a good friend too, Seohyun.”
Even if she didn’t share the same feelings, that was fine.
It was enough that he stood on the same level as that rival, Jaemin.
Thinking that, Shin Woojin looked at Jeon Seohyun and smiled brightly.
Jeon Seohyun, unaware of his real thoughts, smiled back.
“But why did you ask all of a sudden?”
“Hm?”
“Haha, I mean — that question about whether I like Jaemin. Why did you ask? Did I seem like I did?”
“Ah… th-that’s…”
“That’s?”
Cold sweat rolled down Shin Woojin’s back.
Jeon Seohyun tilted her head curiously, her innocent eyes fixed on him.
“That’s… because if you liked him and only played with him, I was worried you’d stop coming to the alley where we share our secret!”
Forcing the words out, Shin Woojin clenched his fists.
Did she notice? Was it too obvious?
He bit his lip nervously.
“Ahh, so that’s why. Don’t worry, oppa. Why would I only play with Jaemin? You’re both my friends!”
Luckily, Jeon Seohyun didn’t seem to catch on.
Relieved by her bright, cheerful face, Shin Woojin let out a small sigh.
“Hm? Why are you sighing, oppa?”
“Ah, nothing. I was just a little worried.”
“Haha, what’s there to worry about! We can all just play together, right? I wanted to introduce Jaemin to you anyway.”
“…Introduce?”
“Yeah. He’s my closest friend, so I thought it’d be fun for the three of us to hang out.”
I see.
That made sense… but it also hurt.
A moment ago, he’d been happy just to be on the same level as Jaemin.
Now, realizing that being equal meant sharing her, his chest ached.
Still, he couldn’t do anything about it. To her, both he and Jaemin were simply friends.
But still…
“I don’t really want to bring him to this alley.”
Maybe he could at least keep this to himself.
“Huh? Really?”
Jeon Seohyun blinked in mild surprise at his stubborn tone.
“Yeah. I’m the one who found this alley, and I only showed it to you… Besides, I don’t even know that Jaemin kid well.”
As he spoke, his ears turned red again in embarrassment.
It probably sounded petty. But still…
He wanted to protect this one place.
Jaemin already had the spot of Seohyun’s closest friend, so at least this secret alley should belong to him.
“Ah, I see. Well, yeah, that makes sense. You and Jaemin aren’t close yet.”
She nodded, accepting it easily.
Yeah, that’s true, she thought. They weren’t friends yet.
And this was his secret place — it made sense not to share it with someone else so soon.
Smiling softly, she said,
“Well, then you can tell him later once you get closer!”
“Yeah, sure.”
Whether he’d ever actually tell him or not was another story.
He just smiled and nodded.
“But let’s all play together next time. It’ll be fun.”
“Yeah.”
He couldn’t stop that, at least.
So all he could do was keep smiling and nodding.
“Hehe, then shall we go see Jaemin now? I left him behind when I came looking for you.”
“…All right.”
Though reluctant, Shin Woojin stood up and followed her.
The two of them walked side by side out of the alley.
Once they exited the frame completely, the director shouted loudly,
“Cut!”
Cut!
It was another successful one-take, and the director’s grin stretched to his ears.
“Wow, Myungwoo, Inha — seriously incredible. Even adult actors struggle to do two scenes in a row in one take, but you two nailed it!”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Thank you.”
Myungwoo smiled brightly, while Inha put on her usual composed look.
“Kang Myungwoo’s really… something else.”
“Seriously. How can a kid express such complex emotions so perfectly?”
“Has he ever had a crush before?”
Compliments filled the set again, as always.
Myungwoo listened with a calm, cheerful smile.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
Inha’s voice came from beside him, and he turned to face her.
“Have you ever had a crush before?”
“Huh?”
The unexpected question made Myungwoo blink in surprise.
Inha looked at him with wide, curious eyes.
“I mean, you acted the part of a boy with a crush so well. The way you made excuses, and when you said you didn’t want to share the alley — it all felt so real. You were too natural.”
…Do nine-year-olds these days even understand romantic emotions that well?
“Ah, of course, oppa, you’re amazing at all acting, but still!”
Inha laughed brightly as she added that.
Myungwoo paused for a moment, then smiled softly.
“No, I haven’t. Not yet.”
“Really? That’s surprising.”
“Haha, is it?”
A crush, huh.
He hadn’t experienced it in this life, but in his past life as Han Minwoo, he definitely had.
If he tried, he could remember.
But it doesn’t matter now.
Those were just old memories.
Right now, what mattered most to him was acting.
With that thought, Myungwoo smiled even wider and turned the question around.
“What about you, Inha?”
“Me? Hmm…”
She blinked and thought for a bit. Then, twirling a strand of hair, she said,
“I’ve never liked anyone, but I’ve been confessed to… a few times?”
“Confessed to?”
“Yeah. Some said they liked me directly, or a friend would come and say their friend had a crush on me.”
“I see.”
That much, Myungwoo could relate to.
He’d gotten a few confessions when he went to school too.
Well, it’s pretty common for kids with looks like ours.
Besides, they were actors — idols of their peers, in a way.
Beautiful faces plus celebrity glow — it’d be strange if no one was interested.
“So, did you accept any of them?”
“Huh? No. I don’t even go to school that often; I barely know them.”
“Good choice. At our age, dating’s a bit early anyway.”
“Haha, I guess so.”
Myungwoo nodded approvingly at her firm answer.
Inha smiled back at him.
“What, you two never dated before?”
Just then, Jo Seungha popped up beside them with a teasing grin.
“Ah, hyung, have you?”
“Of course I have. I’ve had plenty of girls confess to me.”
Seungha puffed out his chest proudly.
Wow, he’s such a kid.
To think he was bragging about that.
Still, that was just the age for such things.
“You’ve really dated before?”
“Yeah. What’s that look for? I could’ve, you know.”
“Nothing~ It’s just funny.”
Then, as usual, Inha and Seungha started bickering again.
Unlike before, when they were awkward rivals, now they almost seemed like squabbling friends.
Even so, Myungwoo couldn’t just let them keep at it.
“All right, Inha, that’s enough. Hyung, you too. We should get ready for the next shoot.”
“Hmph, fine.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
They glared at each other one more time before turning their heads away.
Myungwoo sighed and rubbed his forehead.
I came here to act, and somehow I ended up babysitting kids instead.
Still, this was the path he chose — a little hassle was part of the deal.
He finished his preparations and turned toward the director.
First love…
Even though he tried to suppress it, old memories from his previous life — Han Minwoo’s first love — rose unbidden.
I wonder what she’s doing now.
Was she still acting? Was her personality the same?
Various questions chased each other in his mind.
“Alright! Myungwoo, ready?”
“Ah, yes.”
At the director’s call, Myungwoo shook off the lingering thoughts and focused back on the shoot.