245 Something Creeping in the Shadows (1/2)

The filming continued.

The scene was shot smoothly even after adding in the sudden changes.

During a break, Ryeon Jae Hwan inched closer to Yeo Ri to strike up a concersation with her.

”So why do you keep staring at me, Miss Yeo Ri?” Ryeon Jae Hwan straightforwardly asked. His mouth curled up into a slight smirk, as if he already knew in his mind the reason why. How sinful it was, his handsomeness!

”Um...” Yeo Ri lowered her head with a slight blush. ”Actually... you look like my Oppa.”

”—Huh?” Hearing the unexpected answer, the actor almost slipped.

The word 'Oppa' had two platonic meanings and one romantic meaning—so which one was she referring to?

”Are you hitting on me?” He asked with a wry smile.

”No, no, no!” Yeo Ri denied furiously. Her blush deepened. ”I mean—my oldest... brother...” Yeo Ri fumbled around for her phone, but realising that she left it with Secretary Kwon since her costume didn't have any pockets, she hurriedly called out to him and retrieved the gadget.

Ryeon Jae Hwan watched her with confusion, wondering what she was trying to do. Ask for his number?

Yeo Ri unlocked her phone and scrolled through her photo gallery, searching for a picture of Hyuk. Her brother's only two friends happened to have a few photos of him from before they left the old house, and when Yeo Ri started becoming more active on the messaging apps, they generously shared with her the pictures that they had of him. Those pictures were a rarity, and most of them were not good. Hyuk hated being photographed, and in the ones that he was caught in, his expression was oftentimes angry or annoyed and never smiling. Even so, Yeo Ri appreciated them.

Finally finding a satisfactory picture, she zoomed in on Hyuk and showed it to the actor.

”This is my... eldest brother,” she explained. Yeo Ri felt weird introducing Hyuk as her brother after all the things that happened between them, but it wasn't like she could just tell people about their true relationship... not that they even had a label for their complicated affair.

”I thought you look a lot like him, sunbaenim. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable.”

”Huh.” Most people would say that they knew someone who looked like him; it was his first time hearing it the other way around. Raising an eyebrow with curiosity, he shifted his sight to the phone's screen.

The actor observed the image with squinted eyes. The screen was zoomed in on a man with a fierce and unfriendly expression. With his slightly crooked nose and bandages over random parts of his skin, this guy was definitely a wild and unruly thug.

The man in the photo had some resemblance to him, especially the shape of his eyes. However, he did not think that they were all that similar. At the very least, he was much more handsome than the other guy.

—And he wasn't as gangster.

Ryeon Jae Hwan felt that he would probably lose in a fight with this scary-looking guy. What would happen if he starts dating this guy's little sister...

The actor felt a sudden chill run up his spine.

”Well, we do look a little similar, I guess...” He chuckled, hiding his awkwardness.

”Right?!” Yeo Ri brightened at his words of confirmation. Looking affectionately at Hyuk's picture, she sighed, ”I haven't seen him in a long time. I miss him a lot.”

”Oh? Do you not live together? Did something happen to him? Is he in the army?”

Yeo Ri hesitated before answering. She flashed him a weak smile, ”Well... he's... in prison.”

”...Oh.” Code Red! Fall back! Retreat!

Ryeon Jae Hwan decided to give up on flirting with her right then and there. There was no way he could survive going against a 'bro' with such a colourful history.

Judging from the way she spoke, they were definitely very close, and in his experience as a brother himself, anyone who dates his little sister needed his seal of approval first, or else. He was already quite critical even when he barely got along with his sister on a normal day, so Yeo Ri's brother was probably more extreme than him.

”I hope... he gets discharged soon,” he said slowly. His tone could not hide the nervousness he was feeling.

”Thank you. And I'm sorry for bringing up such a personal matter when we've only just met, sunbaenim.”

”It's fine. I'm glad you found it easy to open up about such sensitive matters to me. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

”Yes, me too, sir.”