Chapter 401 (1/2)

“Uljin.”

Uljin, who was drinking water, quickly put down the water bottle and looked in front of him. Producer Changsung was there.

“Y-yes.”

“What’s up with you all of a sudden? Are you tired because you shot for too long?” Producer Changsung asked with a smile.

He grabbed Uljin’s shoulder as though he didn’t need to mind it that much.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Then did you eat something bad during dinner?”

“My stomach is fine.”

“Then are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m really fine.”

“Then there are no problems, right?”

“Yes…,” Uljin barely replied.

“Then let’s resume the shoot after five more minutes. You can do that, can’t you?”

“Yes, I can do it.”

“Good. Get yourself together. You did well during the day, so you should do just that. There’s no need for you to do as well as the beginning. You just need to show what you can do. After that, the direction and editing will do the rest. Okay?”

Producer Changsung patted Uljin lightly on the back before turning around. Uljin gulped. The bitterness in his mouth did not disappear. He had a bad premonition that he would repeat the same mistake if he started the shoot as he was now. He was going to drink the remaining water thinking that he was worried for nothing, but the water bottle was already empty. He had emptied two bottles, yet his mouth still felt bitter.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Giwoo asked with a worried expression.

“I just dazed out for a second there.”

“You’re okay, right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Uhm, I need to go to the toilet, so if the producer looks for me, please tell him for me.”

“Okay.”

Uljin went to the public bathroom which was a little distant from the set. He turned on the tap and stared at the water gushing down. He had the urge to get some water and splash it on his face.

He put some water on his palms and put it against his eyes. He felt a little clearer now that he came into contact with cold water.

Uljin had a look in the mirror. He could see himself making a vacant expression. It would be the worst if he had the same expression in front of the camera. No wonder the producer approached him and asked him if he was sick. He slapped his face. He had won this role with difficulty. His parents, as well as his academy, had a lot of expectations of him. He couldn’t make a mistake in such an easy scene.

“You seem nervous.”

He flinched when he heard a voice behind him and turned around. Maru was coming inside.

“I had to pee. No, this little one had to pee.”

“Is this the first time you saw someone else pee? Your gaze is too hot.”

“It’s not that….”

“What, you have something to say to me?”

While Maru washed his hands next to him, Uljin tried his best to analyze the mysterious emotions bubbling inside him. This unease and anxiousness. He had none of those before the shoot began. If he was asked when he started having such emotions, he would say that it was after he started acting with Maru.

Those eyes that stared into his soul as he was grabbed by the collar. He had received many of such gazes since he had shot fighting scenes before. No matter how much killing intent they had while looking at him, it was acting in the end. It was possible for him to return the act without being shaken. Then, just what was the problem?

Even as he thought that he kept reminding himself of Maru’s eyes for some reason. Whenever he blinked, the image of Maru’s two eyes staring at him appeared in front of him like a residual image. Uljin looked down at the ground, avoiding the eyes of the residual image. It somehow felt rather unpleasant to meet it head on.

“Washing your hands?”

Maru asked from next to him. Uljin replied awkwardly before opening the tap and starting to wash his hands again. He put some soap on and rubbed his hands to the point that they started making skidding sounds. He wished that these emotions would be washed away with the water.

“Can I just continue like last time?”

Maru asked as he wiped away the water with a paper towel. Uljin carefully shook the water off his hands and asked back.

“Like last time? What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Acting of course.”

“Oh, acting.”

“I think we got along pretty well.”

“Uh, yeah. I think so too.”

“Then what happened to you all of a sudden? Did a bug enter your mouth or something?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

He felt thirsty. Uljin wiped his mouth with the back of his hands. His lips felt rather rough from what he felt from his hands. He tried to stick his tongue out and wet his lips, but even his tongue felt rather rough as though all the moisture had dried out. Did he suddenly get dehydrated or something?

He breathed out slowly and wet his hands before bringing them to his lips again. This time, though, his lips felt very moist as though it wasn’t dry at all in the first place. Now that he checked himself, he didn’t feel thirsty either. However, he still felt stuffy. He swallowed his saliva which had accumulated beneath his tongue. Just what was wrong with him?

“Are you okay?”

He saw Maru slowly reaching out to him. Uljin subconsciously swung his arm violently to slap Maru’s hand away. He felt a sharp pain from where his hand hit Maru’s. Only after he hit Maru’s hand did he realize what he had done.

“S-sorry.”

“Whoa, that startled me.”

He saw Maru faintly smile as he covered his hand.

“Are you okay?”

“I am. But aren’t you too much? I wouldn’t like another man’s hand to touch me either, but there was no need for you to hit me, was there?”

“Y-yeah. I wonder why I did that. I must be out of my mind.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“...Maybe.”

Was smiling such a humiliating thing to do? Uljin forced his lips to curve upwards to smile. When he slapped away Maru’s hands just now, he could see a glimpse of what his inward emotions were like. Right now, he was afraid of Maru’s hand.