CRANK 12

Perhaps that was why. Because I didn’t want to see that gloomy face. Because it annoyed me to see the face that had been so bright until now become clouded.

“…If you’re going to make a promise, hook your pinky finger.”

“That means…”

The moment I saw Woo Dobin’s face brighten up again, regret came rushing in immediately.

“Hey, let’s get this straight. Whatever you do, and whatever rumors come out because of it, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Yes!”

“And no matter what you do, my feelings won’t change.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I told you just to watch. Don’t say anything else later.”

“Of course!”

Woo Dobin grabbed my hand and shook it up and down. Is this bastard engaging in skinship on the sly? I narrowed my eyes, but his expression was far too bright for that to be the case.

I shook my head from side to side. For some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being swept up by him again.

🍋🍁

Woo Dobin didn’t seem to care that we were the same gender. Having worked in the broadcasting industry and experienced all sorts of people, I wasn’t a closed-minded person either. Whether he liked women, men, or puppies, it wasn’t my business as a complete stranger.

The problem was that the target was me.

Woo Dobin is incredibly handsome. Even I, who am unmoved by most beauty because I live my life looking in the mirror, was surprised. As he said himself, he is also tall and rich. He acts well, too. It meant that, objectively speaking, there were no lacking parts. Lacking, hell, he was excessively outstanding.

“Even so, it’s not like we’re meeting.”

“Yes?”

Youngjun, who was sitting in the front seat, shouted loudly.

“You scared me.”

“Mr. Hoyoon, did you get someone you’re seeing?”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Who is it! Surely it’s not a celebrity, right?”

“Just drive. Keep your eyes on the road.”

“Mr. Hoyoon!”

Youngjun’s face turned deathly pale.

“Mr. Hoyoon, you’ve never had any scandals like this before. You haven’t even had those common rumors. The clean guy of private life, Park Hoyoon!”

“There won’t be any in the future, either.”

“Mr. Hoyooon. You really mean it, right?”

Youngjun drooped his eyebrows and pouted.

“Don’t act cute. It makes me want to vomit.”

It definitely seemed cute when Woo Dobin did it.

“…Shit.”

Cute, my ass. I shook my head roughly at the thought that popped into my head without me realizing it.

“No, even so, there’s no need to curse…”

“Just drive.”

“Mr. Hoyoon, you really must not meet anyone. You know that, right?”

“So I should live alone for the rest of my life and die?”

“Wasn’t that your dream, Mr. Hoyoon?”

Instead of answering, I turned my gaze to the window.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t wrong. If I could live alone for the rest of my life and die, that was what I wanted to do.

I was a person who had a lot to take responsibility for. My mom, my dad, and even a younger brother ten years my junior. It wasn’t a financial burden. I send them pocket money, but things aren’t so hard at home that I need to support them.

I just hated having something related to me. It was burdensome. Relationships eventually come to an end, and that end is inevitably sad. It’s like that with family, let alone with strangers.

‘Please look at me kindly. Give me a chance.’

It has already been three days since that hopeless guy came to my house and left. Every time I see the sake placed in a corner of the kitchen, I have to think of Woo Dobin.

Someone likes me. Whether it’s a man or a woman, Woo Dobin or not, even if that bastard Youngjun, who is only good at driving, had confessed to me, it would have been something to worry about. But out of all people, the partner is Woo Dobin. The excessively outstanding Woo Dobin.

Woo Dobin’s confession was powerful. I don’t want to admit it, but perhaps because of his face, which is quite to my taste, or because of his eyes that were filled with sincerity that contrasted with his light tone—I don’t know.

One thing was clear: if that bastard Youngjun had confessed, I wouldn’t have been this shaken.

I should have cut him off coldly. I regretted giving in and promising to watch him until the crank-up.

“Ha….”

The sigh I let out left a white trace on the window.

“…Why, Mr. Hoyoon. Do you have something bothering you?”

Youngjun glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“My worry depends on your speed.”

“Yes?”

“How long will it take?”

“Uh… ten minutes?”

“Haaa….”

The sigh deepened even more. Youngjun shook his head with an expression that asked why that guy is like that again.

I was on my way to the production company building for a script reading. Yes, so I was on my way to the place where that Woo Dobin was.

Ten minutes from now, in ten minutes, I would have to meet the fish in the fish tank.

A circular table was set up in the large meeting room. The director sat at the head of the table, right next to him were me and Woo Dobin, and the rest were seats for staff and bit players.

There were no major characters in the movie other than me and Woo Dobin. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was a movie carried almost entirely by the two of us. Because of that, the number of people was significantly smaller than other movie or drama sets, but the bustle was twice as much. It was because of the reporters.

Except for the production team’s camera located behind the director to shoot behind-the-scenes footage, all of them were the reporters’. The reporters were sitting even on the floor, as the chairs placed in every corner of the hall were not enough.

This is, what, not a script reading but almost a production presentation… No, wait, a press conference, or what?

Seeing my fed-up expression, Youngjun poked me in the side. I smiled, slowly closing and opening my eyes once. It was a capitalist smile that could only be seen when the camera was rolling.

As soon as I stepped into the hall, large cameras looked at me. I bowed lightly and headed to the seat with my name on it.

“Mr. Hoyoon.”

“Director Bae.”

Director Bae pulled out a chair and stood up. We shook hands and talked about useless small talk. Since there were many eyes watching and many ears listening, we couldn’t really have a conversation that one would have in private anyway.

“You look tired.”

“…You know.”

Director Bae smiled bitterly. He didn’t look very healthy in the first place, and his cheeks had sunk so much that it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed soon.

It must be because of Lim Han. I recalled what happened when Woo Dobin came to see me, when he said that he had stayed up all night tearing apart the script.

“Still, it’s a relief.”

“Right.”

“By any chance, are you close with Mr. Woo Dobin?”

How many times have I heard this in recent days?

“No.”

My answer was always the same, and the bewildered expression of the person who asked was also the same.

“Really? Mr. Woo Dobin suddenly stepped up to do this, so I wondered if by any chance…”

At that moment, there was a commotion in the hall as footsteps were heard. All the reporters’ gazes were drawn to one side. The cameras that had been filming me and Director Bae also turned their angles. I could tell without even turning around.

Woo Dobin must have arrived. Because in the first place, all the reporters had gathered here because of him.

Woo Dobin was, in name and reality, the hottest star in Korea right now. Such a person had stepped in as a replacement for Lim Han, and a Lim Han who had committed drunk driving at that.

It goes without saying, but there is no actor who welcomes the job of being someone’s replacement. However, Woo Dobin decided to join just one day after Lim Han was booked. It was an exceptional case, so it was natural for the reporters’ eyes to shine like hunting dogs that had found prey.

“Hello.”

Woo Dobin’s voice got closer. I saw Director Bae rising from his seat. I also had to get up and greet Woo Dobin. I had to share even a hollow handshake and force a smile.

But I was embarrassed to face Woo Dobin. That was the face I was seeing for the first time since he confessed that he liked me… kisses and sex… and whatever. Of course, I had three calls and twelve messages from him in the meantime, but I had ignored them all.

“Sunbae.”

Woo Dobin smiled brightly first. I couldn’t help but get up now. I stood up very slowly and held out my hand to him. Just like the first time we met, Woo Dobin grabbed my hand with both of his.

“I should have arrived earlier, but the traffic was jammed. Have you been well?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief.”

With that, Woo Dobin sat in the seat next to me. As I had done, he had casual small talk with Director Bae.

…That’s it? For some reason, it felt empty. Woo Dobin looked unaffected. At least he didn’t look like someone who had confessed to me.

“Now, if everyone is here, let’s start the reading.”

As Director Bae stood up and clapped his hands, coughing sounds were heard here and there.