“How’s it going with you and Kim Kim?” Jordie asked while playing his mobile game. They were still inside the van, waiting for Shelly’s and Zeno’s scene to finish while enjoying the air conditioned space.
Jaehyun shrugged, looking out of the window. “Well, we were talking, but now I don’t know. She said she’s busy with the drama, so she hasn’t contacted me since.”
Jordie clicked his tongue. “Bagging her would be great for your career, you know? Although your follower count isn’t drastically different, Kim still has more loyal fans. They’re somehow rich, too. “
Jaehyun didn’t respond, merely pursing his lips together.
“But didn’t you have something going on with Shelly back then, too?”
Jaehyun sighed. “That was before Tick even became a thing. It’s ancient.”
Jordie chuckled, nudging his shoulder. “I was just curious, man.”
“Anyway,” Jordie continued, changing the subject. “Do you want to go to ‘Saliva’ with me this week?”
Sammy reacted before Jaehyun could speak. “THE Saliva? You have a reservation there?”
“Yup,” Jordie boasted. “I went last week with Rex and Minseok. Do you want to come?”
“Can’t I come?” Sammy interrupted once more.
“Sorry,” Jordie smirked. “I can only invite one other person.”
“You already know how it is in Saliva. Reservations are impossible to get.”
With that, he turned to Jaehyun once more. “So, what do you say, man? Come with us this Friday. Let’s even watch our show together. They have a huge TV in the VIP rooms.”
Jaehyun was about to agree when Yujin opened the car door. He clicked his tongue but quickly smiled.
“It’s your turn,” she said. “We’ll film right away. You already know what to do, right?”
Jaehyun confidently nodded.
After bailing out on Sohee, it would be revealed that Jake had an argument with his father. However, he quickly realized that it was wrong to cancel at the last minute, especially when Sohee appeared so happy when he invited her.
He would then go to the fish market in hopes of seeing her, but in the end, he would find a scene where Jimin and Sohee appeared happy, making him confused about his feelings.
Jaehyun walked confidently, enjoying how the vendors and customers stared at him as he passed by. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he was sure he was being complimented.
“Why is he walking so slow?”
“That kid wants attention. Don’t look at him.”
“Let’s stop here,” Yujin said a few meters away from where Zeno and Shelly were. He couldn’t see them just yet. However, he knew he would soon. With that, he relaxed his facial muscles and got ready to act.
He was going to act like it hurt looking at them. It was challenging for him, of course, especially since he didn’t have any feelings for Shelly. However, he would just pretend she was an imaginary woman in one of his acting POVs!
“Scene 45. Take 1. Shot 1. Action!”
Jake ran through the crowded market, trying to get a glimpse of Sohee. He realized he was in the wrong for canceling at the last minute.
He had given her plenty of mixed signals, he knew about that. However, there was a conflict in his mind that he still couldn’t solve. What was it that he truly felt for her?
He pushed through the busy street, dodging baskets of vegetables and fish crates, and finally, he saw them.
Everything cleared.
Jaehyun’s pace slowed, his body moving on instinct. He had expected to see some level of awkwardness—especially with Shelly feeling shy throughout their filming situation.
However, instead of being greeted with the scene he expected, he saw Zeno and Shelly smiling and laughing together. They even moved in sync as they entertained the customers.
Zeno gestured to the fish, his face lighting up as he spoke to the old man, who burst into laughter. Shelly, on the other hand, leaned in, playfully nudging him as she handed over a wrapped package.
It shouldn’t have, but the sight felt like Jaehyun was being punched in the gut.
He stopped in his tracks, just like the script said so. However, it wasn’t deliberate. He had really stopped.
The camera captured his gaze, and Young felt like he had already won the lotto. He didn’t know what was in the air today, but if getting the market set taken away by Ollie’s crew was the price of such scenes, he was willing to go through the trouble all over again.
Yujin, too, was mesmerized.
“It’s strange,” she muttered. “Don’t you think they’re doing too well?”
“Don’t jinx it,” Young whispered. “If you ask me, though, I think it’s because of Zeno.”
Yujin turned to him with raised eyebrows. “Why do you say so?”
“Can’t you see?” Young asked, turning his attention back to Zeno, who was still selling fish like it was his real family’s business.
“He acted so well to the point he ignited a fire within his co-stars! He is the epitome of a real actor,” he said, clenching his fist over his chest and looking up at the sky.
“It’s like he came down on Earth just to bless the entertainment industry!”
Yujin chuckled in amusement; however, she didn’t argue. At first, she didn’t think too highly of Zeno.
In the short span of time she had been working in Story Lab, all the actors she met were either talentless or conceited. Most of the time, they were both. Zeno didn’t fall into either of those categories, and she found herself agreeing with Young.
“Cut!” Young exclaimed, capturing Jaehyun’s attention. He snapped out of his thoughts. It was then that Shelly looked at him, but there was still a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
However, he knew it wasn’t directed at him—like all the other times.
“It’s… over?” he asked as Young approached him.
Young patted him on the back, giving him a thumbs up. “You did a great job, Jaehyun. It was the best you had acted throughout the series.”
Jaehyun was quite fond of compliments. He thrived in them! However, at that moment, he didn’t feel too good about it. In the end, it felt like in that scene, he didn’t act at all.
Just then, Jordie and Sammy joined them, making Jaehyun snap out of his thoughts.
“Is it finally done?” Jordie asked with a yawn.
Young nodded. “We just need to clean up.”
“Alright,” Jordie said, about to go back to the van when he suddenly tripped on the small table beside the basin of fish, causing the contents to fall to the wet concrete.
The mysterious notepad’s pages got drenched, sticking to the floor. Jordie looked at it and cursed under his breath.
“Ah, seriously. Could this day get worse?”
He was about to walk away when Zeno stood, grabbing his shoulder and rooting him in place. Jordie frowned and turned to Zeno, about to cuss him out. However, he stopped when he saw the murderous look on his face.
“Pick it up.”
