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Episode 8
“You can’t take your eyes off it.”
The TA, having finished moving the lighting, poked Dasom in the side as he spoke.
Not far away, Han-gyeol stood talking with the bride and groom while looking at the camera.
Dasom, who had been blankly chewing on her straw, startled and looked at the TA. Had he noticed she’d been observing Han-gyeol?
“W-what is it?”
Other staff members besides her were also stealing glances at Han-gyeol. So she thought she wouldn’t get caught.
Embarrassed, Dasom made a fuss as she asked back. The TA chuckled and leaned close to whisper.
“The wedding dress.”
“Ah….”
Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be about Han-gyeol. Relieved, Dasom chuckled.
“It’s pretty, so I keep looking at it.”
“You want to wear it?”
“Pardon? Me?”
“Yeah, you. It’s about time you thought about getting married too, Dasom.”
“Oh come on, Professor. I’m not even dating, what marriage.”
“Huh?”
At Dasom’s grumbling, the TA tilted his head curiously.
“I thought you and Gyeol had something?”
“Me and Senior Han-gyeol?”
“This is the first time Gyeol’s brought anyone here. And Gyeol cherished you so much in university.”
“Cherished?”
Her expression twisted at this bizarre word she was hearing for the first time. Regardless, the TA nodded and continued.
“He looked after you so particularly. Ah, it was completely different from how he treated other juniors.”
“It was… completely different, I guess.”
Unlike how he treated other juniors, he was totally prickly, picked fights, and looked at her disapprovingly at every turn.
Da-som looked at the TA with strange eyes. As if asking how on earth that could be seen as cherishing a junior.
‘Maybe it’s because I was the only female junior left around Senior Han-gyeol… that he thought that way?’
At the time, there were many female juniors who wanted to get close to Han-gyeol. But Han-gyeol didn’t accept them.
Why was that, again.
She thought she remembered asking him once, and getting this answer.
[‘Them? If I leave them alone, they’ll end up confessing to me later. It’s annoying to reject them one by one.’]
Even thinking about it now, it was an insufferable answer, but to Han-gyeol, it was probably a statistically proven fact.
‘But why didn’t I think I was one of them? I never got to ask him that back then.’
Anyway, in conclusion, his words all turned out to be true, and in the end, she was the only one left.
So everything, even bearing the brunt of Han-gyeol’s temper, ultimately became her responsibility….
Recalling the past, Dasom pouted. And she said firmly to the TA.
“I don’t have anything with Senior Han-gyeol. Never. Nothing.”
“Is that so? Then should I set up a blind date for you….”
Just as the TA placed his hand on Dasom’s shoulder and was about to speak, a suddenly chilly voice cut between them.
“brother.”
Turning her head, Dasom saw Han-gyeol looking at them. His eyes briefly glanced at the TA’s hand on Dasom’s shoulder, then returned forward.
“I think we need to set up some new props here.”
“Oh, right. One moment.”
The TA removed his hand from Dasom and shrugged with a smile. And he recalled that piercing gaze from just now.
If he’d stayed any longer, he might have been impaled by that look. It was that blatant.
“Never, Nothing, my foot….”
Moving his steps, the TA glanced sidelong at Dasom. Dasom merely wore a bright, innocent expression.
Well, she had been rather oblivious in university too.
“It’s totally Something.”
Anyway, the cute ones. Chuckling and shaking his head, the TA headed toward the storage room.
***
The wedding photo shoot continued until night. But the bride and groom continued the shoot without any signs of boredom or fatigue.
The bride in her pure white wedding dress smiled shyly and took the groom’s hand.
The groom in his classic tuxedo knelt on one knee before the bride.
Affection dripped like honey from the groom’s eyes as he looked at the bride. The same was true for the bride.
Such a sight made them even more lovely.
‘I understand now why Senior comes here sometimes.’
Just watching made her heart feel soft and romance well up inside.
Perhaps Han-gyeol came here sometimes to recharge that romance, to see engaged couples coming for wedding photos? And then pour that recharged romance into his work.
And then people watching Han-gyeol’s works created that way would recharge their romance in turn.
It was a truly virtuous cycle.
“But, studio owner.”
While Dasom was observing them, one staff member quietly approached the TA and spoke. It was the staff member who had been helping with the bride’s makeup.
“That man helping with the shoot over there, who is he?”
“Ah, Han… no, him?”
“Yes. I didn’t see him last time I was here.”
Da-som’s ears perked up at the mention of Han-gyeol.
“He’s just a younger acquaintance. He comes by sometimes when he’s bored to help out.”
“Does he happen to have a girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend? Well, we’re not really close enough to ask that… Why? Are you interested?”
“No, it’s just… he’s very handsome….”
The makeup staff member’s cheeks flushed as if she’d applied extra blush. Her face clearly showed interest in Han-gyeol.
“Would it be possible to get his name and contact info?”
“Ah, well….”
If he said the name, she might immediately realize Han-gyeol was a famous film director. One search on a portal site would bring it up.
Because of that, the TA, unable to even properly say Han-gyeol’s name, was glancing at Han-gyeol who was in the middle of shooting.
At that moment, Dasom suddenly appeared beside the TA.
“I’m sorry, but Senior really dislikes other people talking about him.”
“Excuse me? Who, who are you?”
“I came here with that person.”
“Ah….”
The makeup staff member looked back and forth between Dasom and Han-gyeol with a somewhat disgruntled expression.
She probably wanted to snap back, asking why Dasom was interrupting their conversation, but Dasom was smiling so brightly it was hard to do so.
“If you’re really curious, I think it would be best to ask him directly.”
Dasom added cheerfully. The makeup staff member ultimately chose to back off with an awkward smile.
Probably afraid of being rejected if she asked. It was irritating, seeing someone probe through others without even having that courage.
Dasom snorted loudly. The TA, watching her with a meaningful gaze, curled the corner of his mouth and patted Da-som’s head.
“Wow, Chae Da-som. You even know how to guard your territory?”
“Guard my territory?”
Dasom replied coquettishly.
“I just stepped in because you looked troubled, Professor?”
“Oh my, is that so. Thank you.”
Giggling, the TA roughed up Da-som’s hair a bit more, then suddenly feeling a gaze piercing his face, he looked up in surprise.
Sure enough, Han-gyeol was staring this way.
Oh dear. The TA quickly removed his hand from Dasom. And he winked at Han-gyeol, whose eyes met his.
Han-gyeol frowned once, then turned his head away.
***
“Thank you for your hard work!”
The half-day wedding photo shoot had finally ended.
The staff left with their respective equipment, and even the bride and groom disappeared, leaving only the three people in the studio again.
“Thanks, Gyeol. It would’ve been tough without you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“And our Dasom worked hard with the odd jobs too.”
Greeting them both, the TA looked over today’s work, muttered that he needed to do some retouching, and went into his private office.
Dasom scurried off to do the last task of the day: cleaning.
While organizing the props used for the shoot, Han-gyeol suddenly sat down beside her. Perhaps because of the silence in the studio, his breathing sounded particularly loud.
Dasom stole a glance at him. Having shot under the hot lights, his hair was slightly damp.
A bead of sweat rolled down his straight nose bridge and disappeared between his lips.
Watching this, Dasom unconsciously swallowed hard. Come to think of it, was his swollen lip okay….
“Chae Da-som.”
Startled by the sudden call, Dasom quickly turned her head away. Watching her, Han-gyeol frowned.
In his eyes, it looked like Dasom had turned away as if she didn’t want to even look at him.
‘She acts so warmly with others.’
Smiling brightly in front of the TA. Even being comfortable with physical contact.
The image of her beaming, close together with the TA, came to mind and he felt inexplicably sulky. Yet with him.
“…Were you close with that guy originally?”
“Not particularly close… Wasn’t the Professor on friendly terms with everyone? Including you, Senior.”
“You seemed to get close quickly even though it’s been a while since you last saw him.”
“I’m not really the type to stay awkward for long. It was the same with you, Senior.”
“Is that guy and I the same?”
Dasom, who had been reaching out, flinched and blinked.
She wanted to ask how they were different, but Han-gyeol had already returned to his indifferent expression and was picking up other props.
Next…
