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I was invited to a movie screening.

To be honest, when I first got the message, I wondered if it was really okay for me to go.

Even though it’s a screening for industry insiders… I felt like I’d just be awkwardly standing around.

Aren’t there specific seats for these kinds of events?

The only people I knew were the two leads and the director, but they’d be busy mingling with everyone else.

As a supporting character, it seemed like my only option would be to sit in a corner, watch the movie, and then head home.

So…

“Is this the place?”

I ended up coming anyway.

What else was I supposed to do when I had nothing planned besides watching the movie?

Thinking about it, this was exactly what I wanted!

I could see how my scenes turned out while enjoying the movie and then head home.

With that in mind, I felt a bit more at ease as I arrived in front of the building.

I smoothly entered the screening venue with the help of the staff…

In all honesty, it was a little exactly as I expected—kind of awkward.

The only familiar faces like Moon Chang-sik and the director were gathered in a distant group with other actors, leaving me feeling out of place.

So I sat on a sofa in the corner, waiting for the screening to begin.

I just wanted to see the movie and sneak out.

The other actors seemed to be rushing to greet the director, but… I didn’t feel the need to do that.

Formal greetings could always be exchanged through messages.

I figured I’d just glance at the scenes I was in and then enthusiastically recommend the movie to my friends.

They’d probably be surprised if I randomly appeared on screen, right?

As for broadcasts…

I’d have to see how that went before making a decision.

It’s possible my appearance would be so brief that no one would even notice.

While I was waiting for the screening to start with those thoughts in mind…

“Hmm?”

I heard a male voice beside me.

Curious, I turned my head to find a young, handsome guy looking my way.

…Wow, he was strikingly good-looking; he looked more like an idol than an actor.

“Don’t we know each other?”

“Me?”

His sudden familiarity made me wonder if he was trying to hit on me, but then I remembered we were at a screening.

…He probably wouldn’t be flirting here; could we have actually met before?

Hmm… The only person I knew who looked like him was Lee Hyun-jun.

Noticing my clueless expression, the guy in front of me seemed a bit thrown off.

“Oh, maybe not? I think I saw you in front of the dance lesson room.”

“Oh.”

Dance lesson room?

Thinking back, I felt like I probably saw him once.

“Are you with Beasts?”

“Oh yes, yes, that’s right! Phew, I thought I was mistaken.”

Right, that’s definitely him.

No wonder he seemed just like Lee Hyun-jun.

“I’m Kang Yun-sung, the leader of Beasts. Looks like we’re both here?”

As he introduced himself and greeted me, I felt like I had heard that name before.

“I’m Kim Soo-hyun.”

“Ah, nice to meet you! By the way, did you happen to perform here?”

“Yeah, as an extra…”

“Oh… I didn’t know that. I’m kinda in a similar position, maybe like Supporting Role 3?”

He said this while showing three fingers and grinning.

…He really does laugh like an idol.

No wonder he’s the leader; he exudes that star quality even without a camera around…

Anyway, it seems like we hadn’t crossed paths in our respective roles.

But the fact that we were both at a screening means Kang Yun-sung must be a popular idol.

As for me… I’m just here because Moon Chang-sik invited me.

“So… is Lee Hyun-jun doing well?”

“Hyun-jun’s doing fine. Don’t you guys keep in touch?”

“No, not really?”

“Oh, I see.”

After that, a silence fell between us.

Honestly, what else were we supposed to talk about?

The only common ground we had was being in the same movie and mentioning Lee Hyun-jun?

It wasn’t like we were on a blind date or anything, so we should have had more to say.

Just as the silence lingered for a moment, I suddenly thought of something.

“Um…”

“Oh, yes? What’s up?”

As I casually called out, he immediately responded.

Ah, so he was feeling awkward too.

“Could I possibly get your autograph?”

“Eh? Oh, of course.”

What I had in mind was getting an autograph.

Now that I think about it, Kang Yun-sung is with Beasts, right? And he’s their leader.

In that case…

“Just a moment…”

I got up to fetch some paper and a pen from a nearby staff member and handed it to Kang Yun-sung.

“Please write ‘Izakaya Sake’ here.”

“Eh?”

“Oh, let me repeat. Izakaya Sake.”

“Ah, I wasn’t misunderstanding, but why that name?”

“It’s for a friend of mine…”

Kang Yun-sung lifted his gaze and met my eyes, his glance filled with confusion.

What’s going on with this guy…? I subtly looked away.

“…Don’t you want an autograph for yourself, Soo-hyun?”

“I prioritize my friend over myself.”

“Really doesn’t seem like it.”

“How did you figure that out…?”

After that comment, his gaze intensified even more.

This is so embarrassing…

Did I say something unnecessary? Still, I was the one asking for an autograph, so I should have thought about my words carefully.

“…I felt you were a bit unique last time too.”

“If that was rude, I apologize.”

It seems that after doing personal broadcasts, I’d developed a bit of a thick skin, and words just kind of tumbled out.

It’s a bad habit, and I should fix it someday.

“Oh no, it’s rather interesting!”

But Kang Yun-sung seemed completely unbothered, laughing heartily.

This guy is something else; he gave a great autograph too.

“Is that so? Thank you very much for the signature.”

“Not at all.”

Anyway, I now had two autographs from a member of Beasts.

…For a moment, I thought about collecting all the members’ autographs.

Who knows, maybe if I gathered them all and gave them to Sake, he’d grant me a wish.

“Well, it seems like the movie is about to start, shall we head in?”

Fortunately, after that, the awkwardness didn’t stretch any longer as we moved to the screening room to watch the film.

“Are you excited?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Since I’m just a supporting character, I didn’t want to stand out. I took a seat at the back, but naturally, Kang Yun-sung sat down next to me.

…Uh, honestly, we’re not really close enough to sit next to each other, are we?

In today’s world, if a young man and woman sit right next to each other when there are plenty of seats, that could lead to misunderstandings. I tried to leave a gap between us, but Kang Yun-sung looked a bit disappointed.

“Are you feeling distant after getting my autograph?”

“Eh… Am I flirting with you?”

“Well, you could say that.”

Seriously?

I freaked out and shifted my seat even further away.

“…That was just a joke; you really seem to dislike it.”

“Haha, I get that.”

“…You don’t have to move any further away.”

“Oh, really?”

Just as I was subtly planning to shift away again, I held back.

“Are you really that bothered by it?”

“I’ve had a million fans swarm me before.”

“Ah-ha… Are we one of those fandoms?”

“Yeah.”

On my Bluebird account, those shoe marks are still visible if you look carefully.

Speaking of which, I haven’t posted my drawings lately.

Maybe when I get home, I’ll post one.

“Umm… I’ll apologize on behalf of our fans. They can get a bit intense.”

Kang Yun-sung, being a true professional idol, immediately bowed his head in an apology.

He really knows how to handle himself.

It feels weird for me to continue holding a grudge against that…

“That was just a joke, so you don’t have to apologize.”

“Still, it’s somewhat true.”

After that, another silence filled the space between us.

Ugh, this is awkward.

If we hadn’t spoken at all, I could have just thought of us as strangers without worry.

But now, having greeted and gotten an autograph from him, I started to feel conscious of my words.

Thus, I eagerly awaited the movie to start when suddenly, a group of people who had been chatting earlier came rushing in.

Seeing the director and other lead actors enter, I thought, “Looks like it’s really about to start…” when Moon Chang-sik, who was among those entering, looked around before our eyes met.

He waved slightly at me…

“What’s up?”

Why’s he coming over here?

He really didn’t have to.

Contrary to my thinking, Moon Chang-sik reached the seat right next to Kang Yun-sung and bowed his head to greet him before turning to speak to me.

“You were here?”

“Yeah.”

“When did you arrive? You should’ve let me know.”

It had been a while since I last saw Moon Chang-sik… and honestly, he hadn’t changed at all.

How many months has it been since we last met? But he looked remarkably the same.

Is he intentionally maintaining his style?

“You looked busy, so I was just sitting here quietly.”

Well, it’s true that I had been sitting quietly, like a wallflower.

If Kang Yun-sung hadn’t talked to me, I might have just been staring at the wall until the movie started.

“…Why didn’t you come over to greet the director?”

“Forget it. I really just came to watch the movie and head home quickly.”

What’s the point of lingering here? I just came to see the movie.

I mean, I just want to see my scenes, feel satisfied, and then go home.

“Are you skipping out on the post-screening dinner?”

“Yep.”

Skipping those dinners isn’t new for me.

For Miro, the trendsetter of Gen Z, post-screening gatherings feel like a pit of fire.

That’s definitely a no-go for me.

“Wow, you really have it good.”

As I conversed with Moon Chang-sik, he chuckled slightly.

And honestly, skipping those dinners seems even more reasonable for me. I’m just a supporting character.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Just as I was chatting with Moon Chang-sik, I suddenly felt eyes on me.

Oh, right, Kang Yun-sung was still here.

I had forgotten about him as I was engaged in conversation, and he was staring at us with wide eyes, looking intrigued.

“Uh… You two seem close.”

I hope there’s no misunderstanding happening.

I really hope that’s not the case.

 

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