On December 30th, the Acting Awards were set to take place, a time when we would find out which drama was the most popular that year, who acted the best, and who immersed themselves in their character the most.
Of course, that was just on the surface.
In reality, the winners were decided not just through acting skills alone but also through a combination of factors including what was hot at the moment, competition among the hosting companies, and under-the-table struggles.
This year, Please Take the Camera was naturally scattered across various nominations.
Despite criticisms of favoritism, Min Jiheon and Yu Jia also ended up as nominees for the Best Actor and Best Actress.
Anyway, they were even preparing a celebratory performance to push Please Take the Camera until the very end….
“Wow….”
Yu Jia exclaimed in admiration.
“Jiheon… that… you know.”
“Yep?”
“…Why do you look so much like a robot?”
Despite her initial hesitation, Yu Jia’s blunt observation made Min Jiheon, who was standing in the middle of the practice room, laugh awkwardly.
Jiheon, who usually soared in acting, proved so bad at dancing that it was truly astonishing.
A robot? No, that comparison would be too harsh on the robots.
As Min Jiheon moved like a piece of junk that squeaked and seemed beyond repair, Yu Jia shook her head disapprovingly.
“I just thought of a joke about robots!”
“It’s fine.”
“I don’t really want to know either.”
Despite Yu Jia’s and my attempts to ignore him and turn away, Min Jiheon persisted.
“What sound does a robot make while cooking chicken?”
“Yu Jia-sunbae, how long will you practice?”
“Sorry, I think I have to go soon….”
“…So, the sound is~?”
Unable to completely ignore Min Jiheon, who looked at her expectantly, Yu Jia finally waved the white flag of surrender and responded,
“What is it?”
With an excited expression, Min Jiheon answered,
“Wing… chicken, wing… chicken.”[1]
“…”
“Hehe.”
These days, even dad jokes wouldn’t use such material….
I looked at Min Jiheon, who wasn’t born with a silver humor spoon, with pity and said,
“Thank goodness you’re going for a mysterious concept, sunbae.”
“…Yes, I have to make a living somehow.”
Min Jiheon muttered, “Was it that bad?” feeling embarrassed.
If it had been Jeong Dajun, he might have laughed.
I quickly shook my head, drank an ion drink, and looked back at Min Jiheon, who had already resumed practicing.
Yu Jia, standing by, offered advice here and there with a look-at-this expression but refrained from openly criticizing too much.
“Umm…”
Although Yu Jia debuted first, in terms of acting career, Min Jiheon had been around longer.
It was a tricky situation for Yu Jia to openly criticize.
But…
“Yu Jia-sunbae.”
“Oh, yes, Hoyun?”
“I will help Min Jiheon-sunbae. I was also bad at dancing at first… I can use that experience to guide him.”
There I was, Seo Hoyun, diligently engaging in idol activities.
Now was the time for the real troublemaker to step in.
“Ah! Could you please?”
“Yes.”
Yu Jia’s face brightened instantly.
Hearing our conversation, Min Jiheon opened his eyes wide and looked back and forth between us.
“…Yu Jia, are you leaving? So, it’s just me and Hoyun practicing?”
“Um, I have some work to do….”
“It’s okay, sunbae.”
I showed a broad smile.
Then Min Jiheon, recalling something, stepped back.
“Yu-Yu Jia, don’t leave me alone~. We were getting along so well~.”
“Ahaha. Sorry… I’m not really talented in teaching.”
That made sense.
Having tried to match dances with Yu Jia, it was evident she was in the same boat as Joo Woosung in terms of talent.
“Min Jiheon-sunbae, I will definitely help you diligently.”
As Min Jiheon trembled, pondering how to escape this predicament, Yu Jia quickly packed up and left the practice room with her manager.
“Well… I should also go then.”
As soon as the door closed, I dragged Min Jiheon, who was starting to move away.
“Where are you going, Mingro?”
“…Look at this person’s quick change of attitude.”
“That’s part of my charm.”
People should have a bit of a capricious side to live well.
The practice continued for a while longer, and I criticized every small mistake fiercely.
“Hey, not there, here.”
“Do you really want to be on stage??”
“Jiheon! Let’s quit!!”
And Min Jiheon’s reaction was as follows.
“Uh, not here…?”
“Um, I’m not really desperate… Sorry~.”
“Wow, hyung, you’re like a fish back in water~.”
Though Min Jiheon managed to capture everything from movement to gestures and eye contact, like being possessed by Seong Jiwon, he only managed to improve to the level of a robot.
Seeing Min Jiheon lying on the floor gasping, I left him to rest for a while, feeling somewhat satisfied.
“Hey, drink some water.”
“Giving illness, giving medicine, and it turns out to be a water bottle…”[2]
Min Jiheon grumbled, “Mingro is also human,” perhaps hinting at a potential talent for rapping.
I snorted and leaned against the wall of the practice room, checking the time on my phone.
“Let’s just do enough and go. I’m busy.”
In fact, I had more pressing matters to attend to than Min Jiheon’s dancing. It was contacting Kim JaeYeon.
Yoon Heeun, it’s the right move.
But timing was the issue.
At the beginning of the year? Or after joining Shining Star is confirmed?
The latter would paint a prettier picture, but there were too many uncertain factors.
While I was organizing my thoughts, Min Jiheon, who had been rolling on the floor, suddenly came over and plopped down next to me.
“Are you contacting that person?”
“Who?”
“You know, the paparazzi who kept following me.”
I stopped scrolling through my phone and looked down.
Seeing that I didn’t respond, Min Jiheon propped his chin up and looked up at me.
“Hmm, does hyung really like the members that much?”
What was he talking about?
“Let’s stick to the 5W1H.”
“Some bold guy harassed you about the members at last week’s end-of-year stage, right?”
“…”
“Again, you probably did something unnecessarily…”
Min Jiheon, who seemed to have a knack for reading minds, playfully flicked his bangs off his forehead.
“Right?”
There was no use in asking how he knew.
“…Min Jiheon, tell me honestly. How many snakes have you swallowed?”
“Wow, is that something you of all people should say to me?”
Min Jiheon was right.
In truth, there was no need to go to such lengths.
I, Seo Hoyun, who had lived for 33 years, was like that.
No matter how annoying, infuriating, or bothersome things were, if the return on my efforts was minimal, I would have cleanly turned my attention elsewhere.
However, there was no obligation to explain this in detail, so I was about to gloss over it when Min Jiheon, having emptied a bottle of water, slyly threw in another comment.
“Who could it be~? Seong Jiwon?”
…That was correct, but this wasn’t for his sake.
He’s calmer than you’d think.
He wasn’t as indifferent as I was, but he was someone who knew what he needed to do. He wouldn’t have wanted to engage in petty revenge over some comment made by a passerby.
But you never know.
“Sigh….”
Just because I was used to such words didn’t mean they don’t hurt.
I brushed my hair back, remembering Seong Jiwon, who was pale and trembling at the recording studio, before the showcase, and even a few weeks ago.
I’m making a racket all by myself, just like now….
“Hey, Min Jiheon.”
Thud.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and, picking up a new bottle of water from the floor, twisted it open and chugged it down.
“You’re wrong.”
“Hmm?”
“I want to bring down some rotten guys, one by one….”
I wiped the water from my lips with the back of my hand and smiled refreshingly.
“Because I want to be number one by taking things away.”
“….”
Min Jiheon stared blankly at my face for a moment before silently shifting away.
“…. I’m glad I’m not an idol.”
“I sometimes regret that too.”
“I can’t tell if you’re serious or joking sometimes, it’s scary. You’re still crazy….”
Were you introducing yourself?
Min Jiheon, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was as consistent as ever.
I heard he was busy preparing for a movie set to be released in the middle of next year….
Moreover, his wrists, now bare due to his sleeves being rolled up from the heat, lacked the rosary he usually wore.
When my gaze lingered there, Min Jiheon casually waved his hand.
Interesting bastard.
Min Jiheon had deliberately left it behind.
From experience, unless that guy started a conversation himself, he wasn’t the type to easily open up.
I wasn’t sure whether he was genuinely interested in me or just found teasing me amusing, but I wasn’t the type to easily share what others wanted to know just out of goodwill, so there was a bit of distance there as well.
Above all, the worst part about dealing with Min Jiheon was that even what I initially dismissed as nonsense came back to haunt me like a reflection over time.
“Isn’t asking a favor a more common approach than threats?”
Like this.
Because what he had said before applied to Seong Jiwon’s situation now.
Looking at him, whose face was still exceptionally pretty, I suddenly felt that Seong Jiwon and Min Jiheon were similar.
…Have I lost my mind?!!!
With so many things piling up recently, I quickly dismissed the absurd thought, convincing myself I wasn’t in my right mind.
“But you know what?”
While I was internally apologizing to Seong Jiwon, Min Jiheon leaned against the wall, slid down as he relaxed his body, and sneakily glanced at me while pushing his hair back.
“I’m really curious about something.”
“Then keep being curious.”
“…Rude. Anyway, do you get threatened often?”
“What?”
It wasn’t that I was surprised by the idea of me being threatened.
“Ah, judging by your reaction, guess not.”
He muttered under his breath.
“But why did you do that at the awards ceremony….”
“….”
Perhaps not expecting a clear answer, Min Jiheon shrugged and seemed to lose interest in me, humming the song for the congratulatory performance as he spaced out.
Being around him seemed to constantly fill my head with unnecessary thoughts, so I decided to recharge with some sweets and head to the nearby convenience store.
As I rummaged through my sports bag for my wallet, a loud, persistent buzzing filled the air.
Vrrr, vrrr.
Min Jiheon’s phone, carelessly tossed aside, rang noisily.
Even when I turned to look, Min Jiheon didn’t seem to have any intention of moving, forcing me to say,
“Hey, you’ve got a call.”
“Just hang it up for me… So annoying…”
“Not even going to check who it is?”
As the phone continued to vibrate, I was about to toss it over to Min Jiheon when I accidentally caught a glimpse of the caller ID.
[♡Princess♡]
“…Are you serious?”
Was this guy in a relationship?
“Hm? Why?”
“South Korea isn’t a constitutional monarchy, Mr. Min Jiheon.”
He got up abruptly, looking disgusted at the creepy nickname, and said,
“…Ah, Chaeyeon?”
“…?”
“Hold on, wait! Don’t hang up, give it here!”
Clang, bang!!
Regardless of my confusion, he hastily came over. He snatched the phone from my hand, cleared his throat, and then answered the call.
“Princess!!”
“???”
“Why did you call all of a sudden?”
Even as he spoke, I could see Min Jiheon struggling to suppress his laughter.
This bastard, he was definitely making fun of someone.
Chills ran down my spine, and without realizing it, I took a step back from him.
But Min Jiheon didn’t stop there.
“Why? Do you have something to tell oppa?”
“Ugh…”
Princess and oppa??
I looked at him with a cold gaze, and after Min Jiheon glanced at me for a moment, he turned his attention back to the call.
“Yeah, yeah. Oppa’s been a bit busy recently, so I couldn’t check in… Oh? Ahaha, really? My bad.”
As I was apparently immune to such a sight of insincerity, I decided to leave.
However, Min Jiheon blocked my way with his arm as I tried to pass.
“What now?”
“Ah, do you want me to switch it to video call? … Ah, are you crazy?”
“…?”
“Hmm… Wow, hmm. Chaeyeon, you’ve gotten even sharper with words since I last saw you. Yeah… It’s definitely my fault, sorry.”
Whether I tried to go right or left, he kept blocking me, continuously babbling about princess and oppa until he finally hung up, preventing me from moving anywhere.
So, I just crossed my arms and glared at him.
Even until the last moment, he kept apologizing to the person on the other end of the call, barely able to contain his laughter.
“Do you always tease your partner even when you’re dating?”
“…Eh?”
And why was I being dragged into this again?
I added my comment indifferently, but it was followed by Min Jiheon’s laughter.
“Dating? I don’t date, that was my sister.”
“Sister?”
“Chaeyeon~.”
I had never really thought about Min Jiheon’s family, so I was a bit suspicious.
Is he pretending to avoid getting caught dating?
But then again, he wasn’t an idol, and an actor of Min Jiheon’s caliber wouldn’t need to hide the fact that he was dating.
“I’m not interested in spreading rumors about your dating life.”
“I’ll show you a picture then?”
No.
I was about to lose interest, considering it wouldn’t be worth blackmailing him over, but Min Jiheon stubbornly flipped through his phone’s photo album and shoved a picture in front of me.
“Ta-da!”
There was Min Jiheon, smiling brightly, and a girl who looked to be in middle school at most, glaring at the camera with a pouty face.
And she looked nothing like Min Jiheon.
“Cute, isn’t she?”
“You call your sister ‘princess’?”
“It’s funny because she hates it.”
Min Jiheon rambled on about how there was a significant age gap between them, how he took care of her since she was young, and how she used to listen to him but was now rebelling incessantly.
Of course, I had no interest in forming any sort of empathy with Min Jiheon over teasing a younger sibling, so I quickly opened the practice room door.
“She’s really prickly. Come to think of it, her personality is a bit like hyung’s.”
“Chaeyeon must be really popular and happy.”
“…Well, not as shameless as you are though.”
Nice personality.
At the very least, to survive living under the same roof as Min Jiheon, one would need such a level of resistance.
“Our Chaeyeon, no matter how much she likes someone, she shouldn’t become too much like hyung…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah, did I not mention it?”
As I turned my head with narrowed eyes, Min Jiheon, who had been chuckling all this while, tilted his head in confusion.
“She’s a Noeul.”
“…”
“And hyung is her favorite.”
“…Hm?”
” I held onto hyung because I thought she would like it if I switched it to a video call. But when I actually asked her, she panicked and asked if I was crazy. She said she’s not ready yet, and that I should have talked about this kind of thing with her beforehand, complaining that I never think things through…”
“…”
“…Chaeyeon, even oppa gets hurt sometimes.”
Even a Hallyu star like Min Jiheon, who could easily conquer Asia, was just a nobody in front of his sister.
Whether he was hurt or not, I had more urgent needs, like recharging my energy, so I left him there and stepped outside.
“This is White Christmas,
Snow is falling slowly…”
Fitting for Christmas, carols were playing intermittently on the streets.
It would have been nice if we had prepared something for Christmas too.
…was what I was thinking, until a sudden realization hit me.
…Wait.
Something felt off.
I quickly pulled out my phone.
“Yes, it’s White Christmas,
With you in a winter wonderland!”
No way, right? It couldn’t be.
We didn’t prepare anything.
As expected, there was a huge headline on the entertainment news section of a portal site.
[Black Call, surprise Christmas album Christmas with You released…]
“The tyranny of big companies is fucking over the top…”
With a sigh, the Christmas season had begun.
[1] “윙… 치킨, 윙… 치킨.” 윙can mean either wing, as in the wings of a chicken, or something whirring or buzzing, like the sound a robot might make.
[2] The Korean is “병 주고 약 주고 물병주네….”. “물병주네” is where the wordplay really comes into play. It sounds like “물병 주네,” which would mean “giving a water bottle.” However, it also sounds similar to “물어보지 않네,” which means “does not ask” or “without asking.”
