CRANK 43

“…Really?”

“Yes, really. I’m naturally sturdy… perhaps my tendons are sturdy too?”

I looked at Woo Dobin with suspicious eyes, then shook my head. Since the person in question said so, and since he said they told him so at the hospital, I had nothing to say. He certainly did look sturdy…. The moment Woo Dobin’s bare chest crossed my mind again, I hurriedly shook my head to clear the thought.

“If your shoulder is healed, you should go back to filming.”

“I’m doing that right now, returning.”

“No, I mean not as a manager….”

“Actually, it’s because of my schedule. I contacted Director Bae yesterday, but I don’t think it will be easy to readjust it again.”

Woo Dobin had originally been scheduled to take a week off. That meant that all the filming segments Woo Dobin was supposed to appear in for that week had been removed. It would surely be a headache to try and readjust the schedule now.

“Besides, I have nothing else to do, and it’ll help me adjust to the filming set atmosphere….”

“If you want to adjust, you should just go rest instead of being a manager.”

Thinking about how we had to be stuck together all day today after what happened last night made me feel truly unsettled. Being awkward was one thing, but I was also worried about what might happen if another incident occurred.

“It doesn’t look good if an actor is just spacing out at the filming set with nothing to do. I have to do something.”

Is it a good look for an actor to be running errands for others….

“Are you perhaps worried that I might make a mistake?”

“That’s not it—”

“I might be lacking compared to Youngjun-ssi, but I’ll do my best.”

As if he were truly a manager, Woo Dobin smiled brightly. Lacking, my foot—he was a talent far too good to be used as a manager. Especially with that face of his….

“Hey, still, that is….”

“Just because. I’m doing this because I want to.”

“…”

“Because I want to be with you, Sunbae, even a little bit. This much… is fine, right?”

As if he already knew what I was about to say, Woo Dobin smiled bitterly. When he spoke with such bitterness… I had nothing to say.

Oh, forget it, I don’t know anymore. I turned my gaze to the window. Like Woo Dobin said, it was impossible for Youngjun to come to work today, I needed a manager, and a healthy Woo Dobin had nothing to do. And it’s not like he’d do anything crazy at the film set….

Woo Dobin drove the car smoothly and skillfully. His skills were not inferior even when compared to Youngjun, who was only good at driving. Perhaps it was because it was such an expensive car that the ride was smooth.

“But is this car yours?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm….”

I glanced around the interior of the car. I didn’t know much about cars, but I knew it was an expensive brand. Looking at the beige seats and the sophisticated controls, it seemed like one of the top-tier models.

Seeing him own a car like this, he can’t be poor, can he?

Wait a minute, if his house isn’t struggling and his shoulder isn’t hurt, does he even need to stay at my house anymore? With that sudden thought, I whipped my head around to glare at Woo Dobin.

“Hey, but if your shoulder is all healed, isn’t there no reason for you to be at my house anymore?”

“Sunbae.”

Woo Dobin said in a deliberately serious voice.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll do well.”

Suddenly?

“I’ll truly do well. I’ll be a housekeeper, and I’ll be your manager.”

There’s already a housekeeper and a manager, so why on earth you? Woo Dobin nodded with a face far too serious to just ignore.

“I can do everything you ask of me well.”

“…What does that have to do with moving out of my house?”

“…Everyone seems to have live-in housekeepers.”

“…What….”

“Managers are live-in too….”

Woo Dobin glanced at me sideways and pouted his lips.

“Do you not like me?”

“…That’s not the problem.”

“Were you perhaps very uncomfortable while living together?”

“That’s….”

“I did all the housework and cooked you delicious meals every day….”

If it comes down to that, Woo Dobin was certainly the best roommate. No, as he said, should I call him a live-in housekeeper?

“…Hey, I got it for now, so watch the road.”

“Okay.”

Feeling like we were going to get into an accident, I spoke to him as I would to Youngjun, and Woo Dobin answered like Youngjun, too, and turned his gaze back.

He’d be a housekeeper and a manager? Looking at that sharp nose and the well-defined jawline, a face that looked more suited to being a sedan commercial model than a manager, my mind became even more unsettled.

Even after arriving at the filming set, Woo Dobin acted as if he were truly a manager; he took care of my padding jacket, handed me water while asking if I was thirsty, and meticulously marked the script for the parts I needed to film. Director Bae and the staff were initially puzzled by Woo Dobin’s actions, but soon lost interest. It was thanks to Woo Dobin constantly saying things like, “I really want to learn a lot from Hoyoon-sunbae.”

I sat on the portable chair Woo Dobin had set up for me, flipping through the script that wasn’t really sinking in.

The movie Pale Death was largely divided into three parts.

Part 1 starts with the scene where Yeo Hajin fails his suicide attempt and meets Seo Taehyeok. After that, it flashes back to shed light on Yeo Hajin’s unhappy past. In short, except for the very beginning, Woo Dobin has almost no screen time.

Part 2 returns to the present time, where Seo Taehyeok saves Yeo Hajin and changes reality. This process proceeds at a fast tempo and can be considered the most commercial part of the film.

Finally, Part 3 is where the plot twist is revealed—that Seo Taehyeok is actually Yeo Hajin’s….

“Sunbae, we need to prepare for filming.”

“Oh? Oh….”

While I was reviewing the script, Woo Dobin, who had been talking to Director Bae, suddenly approached.

“Give the padding to me, and give me the script, too.”

Woo Dobin skillfully took my belongings and placed them neatly on the chair. He really is like a manager. As I stared at him with that thought, he misinterpreted something and pulled a hot pack out of his pocket to hand to me.

“It’s cold because you took off your padding, right? Keep this, at least. It’s a bust shot anyway.”

No, he’s actually more like a manager than an actual manager. Youngjun was never this devoted.

“No, it’s fine.”

“You’ll catch a cold. I’ll be right next to you, so if I get into the frame, give it back to me.”

Woo Dobin stubbornly pressed the hot pack into my hand. With a strange feeling, I stared blankly at the hot pack before nodding and heading toward the filming set.

The filming proceeded smoothly. It was when most of the solo shots were finished, and I was resting for a moment while avoiding the staff who were filming the scenery. Every time filming stopped, even for a moment, Woo Dobin would rush over with warm water or a new hot pack, and during the obvious gaps, he would bring my portable chair, padding, and a small radiator to make sure I was sitting comfortably.

“Are you not cold?”

“…It’s to the point of being hot.”

“That’s a relief.”

Woo Dobin smiled with a proud expression. It was so absurd, looking like he had become my nanny. Is he enjoying this situation?

“Hoyoon-ssi.”

While I was looking at Woo Dobin with a baffled expression, Director Bae approached nearby. Taking a quick look, it seemed the other staff members were preoccupied with filming preparations.

“Director,”

Director Bae stopped me quickly as I tried to stand up, thinking there might be an issue with the filmed segment.

“No, stay seated. I have something to say….”

“Yes, go ahead. Would you like to sit?”

“No, no.”

I thought about fetching another chair, but Director Bae waved his hands. He had a troubled look on his face, as if he had to ask for a favor.

“What is it?”

“Well… Hoyoon-ssi….”

Director Bae kept rubbing his chin and couldn’t easily continue. I stared at him without rushing him, and Director Bae, who finally seemed to have made up his mind, suddenly lifted his head and said,

“Hoyoon-ssi, do you… happen to know what a bromance is?”

“…A bromance? I know what it is, yes…?”

What on earth is this out of the blue? I stood up, and without even realizing that the padding I had draped over my chest was sliding down, I stared blankly at Director Bae.

“It’s just that… Hoyoon-ssi, you saw that article, right?”

“The article?”

“The one from that time.”

Woo Dobin intervened, picking up the fallen padding and draping it meticulously back over my body.

“Yesterday, the article we saw at Youngjun-ssi’s house.”

The article we saw yesterday? I did see it, but was there something special in it? The article was full of stories about Woo Dobin’s injury and his agency. And… ah, at the end of the article, it mentioned something about a bromance.

“What about it?”