CRANK 25

Thinking about the number of reporters who had shown up for the script reading, it was indeed terrifying. But that was that, and this was this. Is it even sensible to say I wouldn’t go to the hospital because I was afraid of reporters? I folded my arms and stood my ground in front of Woo Dobin. Woo Dobin’s lips parted and closed several times, and finally, he said it like a sigh.

“…All right. I’ll go, to the hospital.”

“Good, then…”

“But alone.”

“What?”

I halted my steps abruptly.

“It’ll be better if I’m alone. It’s really not a good idea for you to go with me. Do you want headlines about you starting from the first day of the New Year, Sunbae? All sorts of rumors will pop up.”

“Hey, that goes for you too.”

“I’m…”

“Let’s just go, come on.”

“But…”

“It’s because of me. It’s because I kicked you that this happened. …How much more guilty are you going to make me feel?”

“…Sunbae.”

Woo Dobin crept closer to me. Perhaps because of the tight-fitting padding coat, his shoulders were hunched, making him look pitiful.

“I’m sorry….”

“Why are you apologizing? Come on, is it decided then? Hat.”

I waved the black hat that had been sitting on the shoe rack, and Woo Dobin bowed his head as if greeting someone. With his fluffy hair sticking out, it looked exactly like he was asking to be patted. His head shape is pretty, matching his face—I tried hard to suppress that kind of thought and pulled the hat down firmly over his head.

The padding is small, yet the hat size fits? Just how small is his face? The annoyance started creeping up again.

“Now, the mask too…”

I absentmindedly went to hand it to him, but stopped. It looked like it would be difficult to put on a mask with only his left hand.

“Come here.”

Having said that, I was the one who took a step closer.

“Bow your head again.”

This time, it wasn’t the top of his head but his face that thrust forward. I reached out with the mask, then hesitated.

It was funny. Woo Dobin had only ever taken on sharp roles because of his cool impression, so why had I mistaken him until now for having a foolishly kind impression?

Looking at that blank face without any expression, stripped of all effort, I thought that this expression was the real Woo Dobin. A face like a well-sharpened blade that felt like it would cut you if you even touched it. A face that looked like it would build a wall against everyone who approached, far from being friendly or approachable.

Facing that face, somehow, I felt a little…

“Sunbae?”

“Ah, sorry.”

I hurriedly looped the mask over Woo Dobin’s ears. When my hand touched his earlobe, which was hotter than I expected, Woo Dobin shriveled his neck.

“Your hands… are cold.”

“…Sorry.”

“Why do you keep apologizing? Not like you.”

Woo Dobin laughed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Right, why am I apologizing? No, wait. I should apologize. It is a situation that calls for an apology. I felt like I had completely lost my mind.

“Whatever, just put your shoes on.”

I put on my mask and hat as well and quickly slipped into my shoes. Woo Dobin dragged out his words, saying let’s go together. I avoided his gaze and tried hard to push the thoughts out of my head.

To think that seeing Woo Dobin’s expressionless face made me think I wouldn’t be able to handle it. What on earth is there for me to handle? It was a funny thought.

Only after I sat in the driver’s seat to go to the hospital did I recall the fact that I had been drinking. Since it was awkward to call a designated driver when two celebrities were heading to the hospital, I called Youngjun, who lived nearby. When I told him I needed to go to the hospital, Youngjun didn’t ask why or what; he came running out and heaved a sigh of relief.

“I thought it was you who got hurt, Hyung…. Ah, of course, that doesn’t mean Actor Dobin isn’t important.”

“I’m fine.”

Woo Dobin, sitting in the back seat, smiled relaxedly. If anything, I was the one who was anxious. That’s because Youngjun kept blathering on: What about the filming, we should contact Director Bae, shouldn’t the schedule be postponed, do you have any personal schedules separately? Every time he did, guilt pricked at my chest.

It was fortunate that Youngjun didn’t know Woo Dobin was hurt because of me; if he did, it was obvious he would have poured out nagging on me too.

“I’ll call Director Bae myself.”

Woo Dobin stopped my hand as I was hurriedly searching for my phone.

“What are you going to tell him?”

“I have to let him know the situation. And… since I have a lot of scenes early on, I have to ask if we can push back the scenes where we’re together and adjust the schedule.”

“You don’t have to go that far. I just twisted my shoulder a little.”

“It might not just be twisted. We have to convey the situation in advance…”

“Then let’s do it later. It won’t be too late after we hear what they say at the hospital. If they say it’s a minor sprain, I’ll be embarrassed. It’s not even an action movie.”

“But…”

“Later. It won’t change anything if we tell him an hour late.”

Woo Dobin soothed me in a very gentle voice. Youngjun glanced at us through the rearview mirror.

“Say, Hyung. But why were you two at Hyung’s house…”

“Youngjun-ah.”

Knowing what kind of curiosity was coming out of Youngjun’s mouth, I hurriedly blocked him.

“Yes?”

“Don’t be curious and just drive.”

“Yes…”

I looked at Woo Dobin’s profile in case he would intervene, but Woo Dobin just tilted his head without a word.

“And go to the university hospital. Don’t even think about going to a local orthopedic clinic.”

“Since tomorrow is a holiday, the university hospital will probably be crowded.”

“Youngjun-ah.”

“…Yes.”

“Let’s do as I say, okay?”

“Yes. But Hyung.”

“Kim Youngjun. Don’t be curious about whatever that is.”

“…Yup.”

Youngjun clamped his mouth shut. When we hit a red light, he didn’t forget to operate the navigation system to change the destination.

“You two are very close.”

Just as I was catching my breath, Woo Dobin said it in a somewhat meaningful way. Perhaps I was the only one who felt that way, because Youngjun answered nonchalantly.

“Hyung and I have known each other for a long time. You could say we work based on mutual trust.”

His tone was filled with such earnest pride that I couldn’t bring myself to scoff. Woo Dobin looked out the car window, tapping his fingers. Then, he muttered in a gloomy tone.

“‘Known for a long time’…”

“What?”

When I asked back because I couldn’t hear him well, Woo Dobin smiled with a refreshing face.

“It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”

The doctor diagnosed that something had gone wrong with the tendons and ligaments in his shoulder. It wasn’t a terribly big problem, he said, so he should take medicine and be careful for a while. However, he added that he should be cautious as it could recur at any time, and if symptoms persisted for more than two months, he would have to get an MRI.

Woo Dobin told me, ‘See, didn’t I say it was nothing?’ but my heart was unsettled. It could recur at any time. What if it leaves aftereffects?

Acting is a profession that uses the body. The 1.5 billion won market value of Woo Dobin’s body, which I had thought of unconsciously, was not an exaggeration at all. If he ends up being unable to film action movies later because of this… I knew it was excessive worry, but I still couldn’t erase my guilt.

While Youngjun went to get the medicine for us, we purchased a shoulder brace at the medical supply store provided separately on the first floor.

“He said you just need to take the medicine…”

“Stop complaining. They said it’s best to use your shoulder as little as possible. You’ll use it less if we keep it fastened with something like this.”

I picked up the largest size, paid for it, and forcibly shoved it into Woo Dobin’s arms.

“Anyway, there are more people here than I thought.”

I pulled Woo Dobin’s hat down low.

“Cover your face well.”

“I can’t see ahead.”

“Don’t look.”

“What if I fall then? You want me to break my shoulder again?”

“How can you say something like that…”

Woo Dobin grabbed my hand firmly.

“…What is it?”

“Because I shouldn’t fall.”

“Hey, but this is a bit… what if you get photographed?”

“If I get photographed… I think it would be nice.”

“Are you insane?”

“I’m joking…”

When I shouted in a whisper, Woo Dobin let go of the hand he was holding and grabbed the edge of my padding sleeve instead.

“This is fine, right? I’m serious, it’s because I really can’t see. Or I can take off the hat.”

It wasn’t like he was threatening me. Both falling and taking off the hat were troublesome. A sleeve should be fine. I nodded vaguely.

Even though they shouldn’t have realized that Woo Dobin was Woo Dobin, people kept glancing over this way. Perhaps it was suspicious that two grown men were wearing masks and hats, or perhaps it was because Woo Dobin’s physique exceeded the category of ordinary people.