Chapter 15: The second week of March
Ttiriri-
The moment the morning sun shone, the phone alarm rang.
Muyoung rubbed his eyes and barely managed to get up.
Next to him lay Junho, who was sleeping with his stomach exposed.
“Lim Junho. Wake up.”
“Ugh…….”
Muyoung shook his shoulder, but there was no response.
It had already been three days since the shoot with Enbin ended. Over the weekend, they had used Junho’s house as a base and completed all the additional filming. Now it was time to go to the classroom, not the set.
“I’m going first? Don’t blame me if you’re late for work.”
“Ugh…….”
He reluctantly got dressed and left Junho’s room. Each room had its own bathroom and a long corridor.
‘Why would he want to move out when he has such a nice house?’
Gurgle.
The smell of meat filled the spacious house.
As he entered the kitchen, Junho’s parents greeted him warmly.
“Is Muyoung awake?”
“Hello, Uncle, Auntie.”
“You said you’re starting classes today, right?”
It was like a scene from a fairy tale.
A lavish table, a cozy breakfast together. Junho’s father put down the newspaper and asked kindly.
“Yes. The orientation period for classes is over, so now I really have to attend.”
The orientation period was when you could cancel or modify your course registration.
If it weren’t for that, I would have lost attendance points from the start.
“Still, the timing worked out well. What would you have done if a shoot was scheduled during exam time?”
“Right. It would have been difficult if it wasn’t just the first episode.”
“Is there going to be more?”
“No. I’m completely done.”
“Since it’s Seoyeon University, you’ll really have to work hard. It’s a place where only the best high school students are gathered. You’re still not working part-time, right?”
“I posted a tutoring ad, but I haven’t gotten any calls. I guess it’s because I’m a first-year with no experience.”
“I’ll ask my friends around, too.”
“Hehe. Thank you for your kind words.”
They say that comfort comes from your wallet and carbohydrates.
Junho’s parents, who were kind and generous, were the epitome of kindness. Whenever Muyoung saw them, he realized anew what a real family was.
“It’s your first class, so eat well and go.”
Beef was served on the table.
It was bought with Muyoung’s first acting fee of 300,000 won.
There were so many people to be grateful for, but especially Junho.
“I told you to eat it when I’m not here.”
“Aigo. It’s okay. Meat tastes better when you tear it apart together, right?”
They gave him food, clothes, and a place to sleep as if he were their own family. And that was when they were all high school students.
It was all possible thanks to Junho’s parents, who supported them behind the scenes with one mind.
“You’re going to live in the dorm from today, right? Come often. If you want home-cooked food, Auntie will make it for you.”
Muyoung ate rice with meat and kimchi and chatted with his parents about various things. His impressions of Enbin in person, the atmosphere on set, and future schedules.
“It’s an omnibus, so Enbin is still filming. They said they’ll produce more depending on the response, but I don’t know yet.”
“The first episode upload is…….”
“Probably this Friday.”
“I see. Uncle will hit the like button too. Haha. By the way, it’s so strange to have a celebrity friend.”
“It’s all just polite talk. I haven’t been able to contact him since then.”
Well. He must be pretty busy.
Actually, they had exchanged a few messages on SNS.
But as the replies became less frequent, the conversation naturally ended.
Muyoung laughed as he scraped the last spoonful of food.
“We’ll have a chance to meet again. By the way, when it’s over, there’ll be a wrap party. I think we’ll meet then.”
“Having a dinner party with a celebrity, Muyoung has become a star.”
“What are you talking about? And Enbin doesn’t feel like a celebrity. Haha. He seems to have a similar personality to Junho?”
“……What. Are you talking behind my back?”
Sloppily. Junho came out, scratching his stomach. Muyoung nodded.
“You’re still not a gentleman.”
“Haaam—! If you’re done eating, let’s go. I’ll give you a ride.”
“Aren’t you eating?”
“Yeah. I’ll go downstairs first, so come out quickly.”
Junho said that and took an apple from the table. His mother sighed deeply and expressed her concern.
“Some diet that’s not in his destiny or whatever. He hasn’t eaten at home in a while.”
“Diet? Junho?”
“I didn’t know, but clothing companies use the youngest employees as fitting models? That’s how they cut labor costs. My cousin became so skinny after that, tsk tsk, according to my aunt.”
Junho, who used to feed Bora so much meat, how did he end up like that? Muyoung clicked his tongue and grabbed his outerwear.
“Auntie. Uncle. I’ve been a burden.”
“Yes. Be careful on your way.”
“Come often, Muyoung.”
“Yes. I’ll be going now.”
And with a bow, he quickly ran out of the front door.
Junho was in the driver’s seat, gnawing on an apple with a zombie-like expression.
Taak-
The car started moving as soon as he got in the passenger seat. The handling reflected his tiredness.
In other words, it was very slow.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“No. I’m going crazy. Dieting is hell. I don’t know why people do this.”
“Don’t do it. You’re fine as you are.”
“I’d like to, but the company is taking a big gamble this season. They’re going to advertise on the portal with a celebrity model. So I immediately stopped the fitting measurements I was taking.”
“You’re doing that?”
“Not just me, but everyone at the company is working while eating only chicken breasts. The clothes came out a bit skinny.”
It seems hard, but it suits his personality. He doesn’t say he’s going to quit, after all.
“Who’s the model?”
“JB. He’s a newcomer who’s been gaining popularity on variety shows lately.”
I don’t know who that is.
Junho glanced at Muyoung and muttered.
“You should consider it a blessing that you can eat without gaining weight. Our Bora must be going through this ordeal too. Sniff. A shared suffering, it’s destiny. It’s destiny.”
“Our Bora? Crazy. I’m going to faint.”
“Honestly, I don’t think celebrity models are that great. I don’t think they’re worth the effort. It would be better to use you or Bora instead.”
At his words, Muyoung turned his head sharply.
I don’t care about models or anything else, that’s what I’m saying.
“How much do they pay?”
“It depends on the level. But don’t get your hopes up. I already gave my opinion and got rejected. I’m at the very bottom there.”
Tsk. That’s too bad.
Model. Is standing in front of a camera the same as acting?
No, it must be different, right?
Muyoung took the apple from Junho’s right hand and ate it as he spoke.
“I’ll give you a friend discount and make it cheap. Just leave it to me anytime.”
He thought it would be fun to try it at least once.
Junho chuckled and changed lanes.
In the distance, the entrance to Seoyeon University came into view.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s very kind of you. If you want to try it, apply for something like that, you know, a college model or something.”
“Is there something like that?”
“How would I know? You’re the student. Are you going to the dorm? Or the classroom?”
“Hmm. Let’s see. The classroom.”
The timing was awkward.
Since he hadn’t been to the dorm even once since the semester started, he was planning to go there first if possible…… but it didn’t seem like it would work.
Muyoung looked around and asked Junho.
“Stop around here.”
“Okay. Then, take care.”
“You too. Keep losing weight.”
Buaang-
Junho rolled down the window and waved playfully.
Whether it’s the entertainment industry or the fashion industry, jobs that are visible to others are tough.
‘Let’s see. Is this it? Hanbom Hall 501?’
It was a first-year required course called ‘Fundamentals of Global Culture.’
In other words, most of the people gathered here were his classmates.
Muyoung opened the back door with a slightly trembling heart.
Click-
“After class, let’s go to the new cafe that opened near the back gate.”
“So I was drinking, and then tears came out of my eyes!”
“Hahaha! Stop lying!”
The classroom was bustling. Apart from not wearing uniforms, it didn’t seem much different from high school. Muyoung looked around awkwardly, searching for an empty seat.
‘Everyone seems to be very close.’
It had only been a week since the semester started, but there had already been an orientation, an entrance ceremony, and a class orientation. If someone was determined to engage in campus life, they would have had enough time to make friends.
“Is there a seat here, by any chance?”
Unless, like Muyoung, everyone had cut class refreshingly.
At his words, a male student who was chatting turned to look at him.
“Uh…….”
It was someone he had never seen before, in every sense.
As a classmate, it was the first time, and it was also the first time he had seen someone so tall.
As he trailed off, Muyoung awkwardly smiled and apologized.
“Sorry. I was just checking if there was a seat.”
“Oh, no. There isn’t.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
The group chatting with the man also stopped their chatter and glanced at Muyoung.
That awkward atmosphere slowly spread through the air, silencing the once noisy classroom.
“……?”
Muyoung, who had been staring blankly ahead, felt something was odd and turned his head left and right.
‘What, what’s going on?’
Some were staring openly, while others were sneaking glances. Muyoung’s pupils shook with confusion.
Why? Why did they suddenly go quiet?
‘Oh no. Is this college bullying? What’s it called? An outcast?’
All sorts of thoughts flooded Muyoung’s mind. Surely, no matter how much he skipped orientation and the entrance ceremony, it couldn’t be bullying, right?
Muyoung stiffened, waiting for the class to start. Then, the man sitting next to him cautiously spoke up.
“Are you a senior, by any chance?”
It was a first-year major class, but not only first-years could take it. If someone had a reckless freshman period, upperclassmen could also enroll.
“No. I just enrolled this—”
“Then a classmate? Why haven’t I seen you before? Were you absent during orientation and the entrance ceremony? What’s your name? No, let me ask your age first.”
“Hi. I’m the department president, and this is the vice president. I retook the year.”
“You don’t have a dialect, so you’re not from Seoul, right?”
That signal sparked another round of commotion. Most of it was either whispering about Muyoung or greeting him.
The female students, full of college romance fantasies, cheered inwardly.
‘Thank you!’
Youth dramas weren’t just a dream after all!
It was on a level that made the
They were captivated by Muyoung’s side profile and recalled the date of the freshman welcome party.
Click.
“Have a good day! It’s noisier than usual today.”
At that moment, the professor entered, greeting everyone energetically.
Among the students sitting quietly, one man stood out particularly. The professor instinctively realized that he was the source of the commotion.
“You know the course orientation is over, right? Attendance taken from today will count toward your grade. I’ll take attendance now. Kim Garang!”
“-So, that’s it for today.”
“Good work.”
“Thank you!”
“Don’t forget to do your assignment.”
The class lasted about two and a half hours.
After only taking one-hour classes every day, attending such a long one is exhausting.
Muyoung slumped over his desk, rubbing his tired eyes.
“Muyoung. Do you have another class?”
“No. I don’t.”
The department president and his group were sitting right next to him.
They packed up their bags, smiling as if everything had worked out well.
“Then let’s have lunch together.”
“You haven’t tried the cafeteria food yet, right? It’s really good.”
“Oh, right. Since you’re in the dorm, the student union building is close, so you can eat and go.”
Thanks to them, he was able to naturally get to know his classmates. Muyoung nodded repeatedly with gratitude.
“Okay.”
Then he turned his phone back on, which he had kept off during class.
Without thinking, he was about to put it in his pocket.
Zziiing— Zziiing— Zziiing— Zziiing—
Missed call alerts and messages exploded like a bomb.
Muyoung hesitated as he followed his friends.
‘……What’s this? 18 missed calls from Enbin? 7 from an unknown number. And 4 from the team leader?’
First, he replied to the team leader, who had called last.
The team leader picked up after a few rings.
-Muyoung! Are you busy?
“I was in class. What’s going on?”
-Enbin and his agency said they can’t reach you, so they called me. Call them back right away.
Muyoung stepped slightly away from the group and immediately grabbed his phone. The team leader’s voice was trembling, indicating something very bad had happened.
-……And the upload scheduled for this Friday is likely to be postponed. Probably indefinitely.
“What? Why?”
-It’s not our problem, it’s Enbin’s. He’s going to halt all activities. Apparently, some video of him was leaked.