Chapter 32
While Iseong was running on the treadmill, he didn’t notice Changshin stepping onto the one next to him. Breathing heavily, Changshin began his run.
“You’re going for a long one today?”
Iseong glanced at him sideways and greeted him bluntly.
“You’re here.”
“You tend to run longer when your head’s a mess. What’s going on? Things not going well with Gamjeong?”
“Not really. I think I got dumped.”
“Dumped? Why? You confessed and got rejected? Too hasty, huh?”
Was it too hasty? Had he gotten carried away by Gamjeong’s suggestive ‘let’s kiss’ and pushed things too far? Had he gone overboard, too eager for her to see him as a man, chasing her lips with that desire too openly?
Just because they slept together once, had he treated her like she was already his? Approached her like an animal?
Her awkward expression when she pushed him away, like he’d suddenly become a stranger—yeah, that really brought him back down to earth.
They’d known each other for 30 years. What the hell was he thinking? Her face, saying it was gross and weird between friends—those words stung.
“Yeah, I jumped the gun. Got completely shut down.”
“If you’re not gonna put that pretty face to use, give it to me. You’ve got a killer face—why not use it?”
“Been using this face on her for 30 years. Think it still works?”
“Damn, Gamjeong must have sky-high standards. She might never find a guy at this rate.”
Oh, but she had. She almost married someone—Go Dohun, who had also been just a friend at first, just like him.
Almost as if he read Iseong’s thoughts, Changshin added:
“Right, she almost married that guy, huh? So she’s not exactly shallow about looks.”
She had sometimes stared at him with wide eyes and told him to stop “attacking with his face,” but she never looked like she’d fallen for it.
“What does that even mean, ‘don’t attack with your face’?”
“Oh, so our actor is aware he’s good-looking. I mean, if you can’t tell Iseong’s built like a Greek statue, you need your eyes checked. But that doesn’t mean your heartbeat goes up, y’know? That’s a different field entirely.”
Could Gamjeong’s heart ever react to him? The way her body had opened up to him that night… could her heart follow?
It had always been his wish. A mirage-like dream.
“Just running like this gets my heart racing.”
“Exactly. Your body runs, your heart pounds, you sweat like crazy, breathing gets harder—it’s all input-output. But feelings? You can’t force those. You have to feel excited for your heart to race. That’s what’s hard—human emotions.”
“She’s the hardest person in the world.”
“Haha! Did I just hear you admit something’s hard? You’ve always been all ‘no such thing as just friends between men and women.’ But look at you—can’t even drop the ‘friend’ part from ‘guy friend.’”
Iseong stepped off the treadmill and lay back on the bench press. Just as he lifted the dumbbells, Changshin followed and matched his pace beside him.
Grunting as he worked his chest and triceps, Iseong let out a frustrated sigh.
“She looked scared. Like she figured something out and was about to run. Ugh…”
“What’d you do to scare her? Weren’t you gonna hold off on confessing?”
“Might’ve done worse than a confession…”
Changshin lowered his dumbbell and looked down at him, alarmed.
“Worse? What? Did you pin her to a wall or something? Go all ‘I’m a man’ on her?”
Just then, Director Heo approached, flashing a wide grin.
He was the director Iseong would be working with for his next-next project. Iseong quickly dropped the dumbbells and stood to greet him.
Director Heo, now in his late 30s, had burst onto the film scene a decade ago as an undeniable prodigy.
His work had shaken the industry with bold narratives and original visuals. He’d balanced art and mainstream appeal, establishing himself as a major name.
Now, for the first time, Director Heo was planning a series. As a longtime admirer, Iseong had no reason to turn down the offer—despite how exhausting it was to dive into another project right after his current one.
Still, he had a reason: Gamjeong. Back in their college days, they had joked about creating something amazing together and making it to Cannes. This was a second chance at that dream.
And this time, it was with Director Heo. He hoped Gamjeong wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to create something brilliant with the eccentric genius.
He had followed her into the theater club in youthful rebellion against his father. There, he found his path and his dream. He hoped Gamjeong would find a bigger dream through this project, too.
Director Heo shook Changshin’s hand first, then grinned playfully at Iseong.
“Actor Seong! We meet again. I heard when you’re not on set, you’re locked away in the gym or at action school. Guess that wasn’t a lie. Your discipline is insane.”
“You’re just as consistent, director. Aren’t you busy these days?”
“That’s your way of telling me to hurry up and work, huh? You’re right. It’s about to get hectic, so I’m storing up my energy while I can.”
Changshin joined the conversation, chiming in with a nod.
“Filming and the set are in Goseong, right? Must take a lot of energy just going back and forth.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll just stay there starting next week. Gotta work hard while looking out at the mountains and sea. I’m calling the crew for a meeting next week too.”
Iseong raised an eyebrow and pressed further.
“A production meeting?”
“Yeah, with the directing team, camera, lighting, art, and wardrobe. I want everyone to sync up.”
Something flickered in Iseong’s eyes. Changshin could guess why. Wardrobe—that meant Gamjeong.
“Wardrobe too?”
“It’s a period piece, so costumes are huge. We need smooth communication with the art department, so I want everyone to get friendly. Oh right, Gamjeong is your friend, right? I told Director Go I wanted to work with her. She’s got a great eye.”
“How long will you be in Goseong?”
“Why so curious? Planning to come too? You’ve got nothing to do there. Or are you thinking of making it a summer vacation?”
“I’m just interested in pre-production.”
“Oh? Planning to direct someday? I don’t want a handsome rival, you know. Makes me jealous.”
Iseong chuckled and waved him off.
“Don’t worry, I don’t want a strong rival either. I don’t have the skills.”
“Then why the interest in pre-prod? Gonna become a producer? Investor, maybe?”
“If I invest, does that mean I can join?”
At that, Changshin’s eyes flew wide open.
You’ve really gone insane, haven’t you? Why does it seem like you can’t function when she’s not in Seoul? Why does the thought of her traveling with Go Dohun drive you mad? Are you afraid they’ll fall back into each other’s arms on some scenic path?
He wanted to ask—but held back.
Beep-beep-beep-beep—beep.
Until last week, she had opened this door like it was her own home. But now, Gamjeong hesitated.
She was back already, yet it felt like ages had passed. Like she was stepping into a memory.
The time she had shared here with Go Dohun suddenly felt distant and hazy.
The apartment was clean and tidy. The fridge, dishwasher, and air purifier—things she had picked with Iseong—were still there.
The trash bins, utensil holder, cushions, DVD player, and lamp she had bought—everything was exactly as she left it.
Everything was the same… except their relationship. That had flipped 180 degrees.
She dragged her suitcase to the small room on the left side of the entryway.
It was a tiny room they had converted into a walk-in closet. The apartment was old, with no dedicated dressing room, so they had installed built-ins.
She opened the closet and began pulling out her clothes.
As she packed them into her suitcase, she glanced at her phone.
“He said he’d be here around six-thirty… I’ve got some time.”
Thirty minutes. Enough time to look around and gather her things.
The summer heat was pressing in, so she turned on the air conditioner in the living room.
Come to think of it, Iseong had picked this air conditioner too. Go Dohun never cared about house stuff—early-adopter Iseong had always been obsessed with appliance specs.
Ha. The irony of all this just made her laugh now.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Iseong really was a hopeless case.
