“Hey, Lee Chan, let’s go to the noraebang after school.”

“We have tests soon. Go after the exams.”

“The tests are ages away. Don’t say that and let’s go. Yeonjeong, you are going to go, right?”

“Me? I’m not sure. I was planning to go home with Yeseul.”

“Dongwook, you should go home as well. You should raise your scores.”

“Hey, why don’t we play around a little? We’re only in our 2nd year of high school.”

Jichan looked at Maru, Joomin, and Dongho saying their lines. Although it was an everyday conversation which was nothing hard, producer Park Hoon’s expression wasn’t that good. Jichan opened the script. Next to Dongho’s line was this: As though frustrated from not playing around for a long time.

Dongwook, the character Dongho played, was supposed to be a prankster character, but Dongho looked a little awkward. Even he could see that Dongho was hesitating, so the producer must have noticed that a long time ago.

“Cut, let’s do that again,” said producer Park Hoon.

The three got into position again. After one more round, the producer shouted cut again.

“Let’s do that again. Relax your shoulders. You should relax a little more. Think that you’re in your actual classes at school. We need you to look natural. Get ready.”

Again, again, and yet again. As the shoot repeated, everyone’s acting became stiff. Producer Park Hoon no longer said anything either. He only parroted the word ‘again’.

“Let’s take a little break,” said producer Park Hoon while stretching his arms out.

The people holding the lights and the reflectors yawned before doing some stretches. Jichan cautiously looked at producer Park Hoon. He was chatting with the other actors and the camera director. He didn't even glance at the three people sitting by the window.

‘This is the worst possible first shoot.’

It would be his turn again once this scene ended. If he didn’t want to be given the cold shoulder like those three, he had to do something now. He opened his script and went over all of the directions, situational contexts, and his lines. He even read the narration several times. He could feel that he wasn’t qualified to be worried about someone else.

At that moment, he heard a voice from the window side.

“Dongho, stand up for a sec.”

Maru was talking to Dongho. Dongho, looking nervous, signalled him to not talk to him. He thought that that side was in chaos as well. Joomin-noona didn’t say anything as though she was feeling rather complex as well.

“Stand up for a sec,” Maru said once again.

For some reason, though, his expression looked scary. Was he about to pick a fight? That would cause even more chaos.

‘No. I guess it might be better for me if they get into a fight?’

Giwoo, Yeseul, and Jichan himself were the three main characters. These three wouldn’t get scolded if those three caused trouble. No, perhaps this was an opportunity. Wouldn’t his evaluation rise if he showed everyone that he stopped a fight and encouraged them?

Just as he was thinking that, he saw Kang Giwoo standing up. Jichan intuitively realized that Giwoo was thinking the same thing as him. He was such a cocky guy. Jichan always believed that guys that acted gentlemanly were never good at heart, so he did not see Giwoo in a good way. Actually, he was aware that he was only jealous of Giwoo since he had more popularity, but didn’t want to admit that.

Giwoo slid on his chair loudly. The noise was quite loud. Jichan inwardly exclaimed. He was properly gathering everyone’s attention. He could see that some people were looking at him. From now on, everyone would watch as Giwoo stopped those three, between whom there was a bad atmosphere. He could practically hear everyone saying that Giwoo was a good boy. He looked at Yeseul through the corner of his eyes. She was staring at her script in a daze as though the scolding from producer Park Hoon had gotten the better of her. She had a really cute face, but she was really stupid.

Giwoo started walking towards the three.

‘Why is he acting like that!?’

Maru had grabbed Dongho’s collars before forcefully making him stand. Jichan inwardly screamed. He thought that Maru would fight in a quiet manner, but it looked as though it was going to break out into a proper fight. He thought that Maru was a quiet kid when they first met, but maybe his personality was just as vicious as he looked?

Giwoo also flinched and stopped on the spot. This must have been an unexpected situation for him as well. Dongho looked at Maru with shock, while Joomin stood up from her seat, even more surprised than Dongho. Although not everyone had noticed this situation since they were in a corner, it would be big trouble if Maru started beating Dongho up or something.

Those idiots - Jichan signalled Giwoo. Everything would go down the drain if those two fought here. They had to stop that at all costs.

“WAAAAAAAAAA!”

Maru suddenly peeked out the window before shouting. Jichan didn’t understand what was going on. He looked at Maru, half standing up from his seat. Everyone was looking at him now.

“Sorry about that. I was just exercising my throat while I took a break. Please don’t mind.”

Maru bowed before bringing the dazed Dongho near the window. Jichan walked past Giwoo who was standing still and approached those three.

“What are you doing?” He asked Maru while grabbing his shoulders.

“Exercising my throat.”

“What?”

“There’s nothing better than that when it comes to unsinking your voice.”

“Why would you do that here?”

“Is there a reason for me to not do it?” Maru asked directly.

Jichan couldn’t say anything. When he thought about it, there was no reason to stop him. An actor was exercising his voice. Why should he be stopped?

“There are seniors here too.”

He squeezed his mind to utter one reason.

“They don’t seem to mind though?”

Maru pointed at where the producer and the actors were standing. They looked at Maru for a while, but they soon lost interest and went back to talking amongst themselves.

Jichan no longer spoke and stepped back. He felt a little embarrassed because he felt like he made a big deal out of nothing. He watched Maru with his lips twitching.

“Seong Dongho, time’s passing. Do that quickly,” Maru said as he pushed Dongho’s shoulders.

“Why would I do something like….”

“You feel embarrassed?”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Are you embarrassed about shouting outside?”

“Why would I feel embarrassed about something like that?” Dongho said as though he was throwing a tantrum

However, his voice was very weak.

“Then do it.”

“Why should I?”

“You can’t do it?”

“I can.”

“Then do it.”

Dongho’s cheeks twitched and he looked flabbergasted before placing his hands on the window sill. Was he about to shout? However, Dongho peeked out the window, but only mumbled something to himself and did not produce any sound.

“So you can’t do it.”

Maru stood next to Dongho before shouting as though he was demonstrating. His voice was very loud and clear. Jichan could hear producer Park Hoon saying that he had a good voice.

Dongho gritted his teeth and looked around before opening his mouth again. However, what escaped his mouth was a weak sound.

“Why are you wussing out? Just spit it out. Or do something like this instead.”

The next moment, Jichan subconsciously muttered ‘that lunatic’ when he heard Maru’s words.

“YOU SON OF A BIIIITCH!”

That was what Maru said out the window. Dongho made a flabbergasted expression. Joomin looked at Maru while covering her mouth.

Jichan couldn’t look behind him. He didn’t have the confidence to look at the expressions of the director, the actors, as well as the staff. He felt as though producer Park Hoon would be walking towards them with a scary face. He shrunk his neck and glanced behind him.

‘...No one’s looking here.’

Some of the staff were looking, but the rest looked uninterested like the first time Maru shouted. Producer Park Hoon was laughing and talking with the assistant director.

“Do it,” Maru said as he placed his hand on Dongho’s back.

Dongho was uncooperative at first, but it seemed as though he had changed his mind after seeing Maru do ludicrous things. Well, even Jichan himself would give in to the pressure if he was standing there.

‘He’s a complete lunatic.’

Dongho grabbed the window sill and took a deep breath in again. This time, his voice was much louder than before. He was just shouting ‘ack’ though, instead of swearing.

“Much better.”

Maru sat down while smiling. Dongho was panting with his face bright red. After that, the shooting location was peaceful for five minutes as though nothing had happened.

“If you’re done resting, let’s continue,” said producer Park Hoon.

The camera started rolling and started shooting the three again.

“Please wait. Sorry about that. Let’s try that again after I get myself together,” Dongho said those words as soon as the shoot started.

Producer Park Hoon unexpectedly said that it was okay and waited for him. Maru brought his face against Dongho, who was tapping his chest with his hand before grinning.

“Should I show you my balls? Are you going to smile if you see my twin jewels?”

Although it was a small voice, Jichan could clearly hear it. Giwoo and Yeseul should have heard him as well. Joomin, who was sitting right next to Maru, made a flabbergasted expression before laughing while slapping Maru’s back, and Dongho also looked at Maru like a madman before shaking his head.

“I think you guys are ready, shall we start?”

“Yes! I’m ready.”

Dongho’s voice contained power.

The shoot began, and Dongho, who was sitting on the desk, said his line to Maru as he kicked at empty air. His shoes touched Maru’s clothes and dirtied them, but neither of them minded. No, in fact, Maru naturally dusted his clothes off with his hand as he naturally said his line.

“We should really go to the noraebang.”

“Let’s just study.”

“Damn model student. Hey, play around a little.”

Dongho coquettishly shook his shoulders as he said those words, and he looked like he was really close to Maru. That kind of mischievous action did not look unnatural at all, and perhaps thanks to that, Jichan had a much easier time looking at the three. Joomin’s acting looked like it hadn’t changed at all, but thanks to the overall change in atmosphere, she did look a little softer than before.

“Okay.”

Producer Park Hoon gave the okay sign.

“Keep that up, you three. It’s good to look at. Well, then. Let’s go to the next place.”

That was the first compliment after the scolding.

* * *

Dongho and Maru hung their arms around each other’s shoulders. They were shooting their way home from school. It was a simple scene where they just had to walk behind some background actors. The camera and the microphone were pointing at Yeseul and Giwoo.

“Let’s walk energetically,” said Maru as he pulled Dongho closer.

Dongho looked at Maru with a displeased gaze.

“Don’t act close to me.”

“Are we doing this again?”

“Last time I was….”

Dongho was about to mention what happened in the classroom, but he didn’t say anything. He found it absurd even when he thought about it now. He was worried about what the producer or other people would say, but fortunately, none of them said anything.

The producer’s cue sign came. Maru walked forward with a big smile on his face. As they were hanging their arms around each other, Dongho had to walk as well.

“Can’t I act close to you? We have to act like we’re close to each other for a whole year, you know?” said Maru.

“It’s just a TV program.”

“Exactly. It’s just a TV program, so let’s pretend that we’re close. It’s not like I truly want you to like me or something. That sounds creepy. But at least make the people watching us think that we’re on good terms. Can you act like you’re close to me immediately after the camera starts rolling without talking to me even once off camera? I sure am not that skilled.”

Dongho glared at Maru who stroked his face with his hand. As the camera was rolling, Dongho had to speak without snapping at him.

“Just cut corners.”

“You’ll become sick if you get money from cutting corners, you know?”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to at least pretend to be close to me. I know that you aren’t serious about it, so just pretend to do so. Is that so hard?”

“Hard? It’s not hard at all?”

“That’s that then. Well then, what shall we start off with? Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Uh, what?”

“Ooh, look at this guy. Your reaction told me everything. Who is it? Someone from the same school?”

“Wh-why would I tell you something like th….”

Just as Dongho said up to those words, the producer signalled them to walk back to the school field. They walked to the entrance with their arms around each other.

“Then let’s see. Do you have a cute little sister or big sister?”

“What the heck are you saying?”

“Nothing in particular. Don’t you want to know anything about me?”

“Nothing.”

“Then I’ll keep asking the questions then. What do you like? Video games? Soccer? Porn? Japanese? Western?”

“You lunatic, what are you saying?”

“That’s it, react to me like that. I don’t want to be talking to a wall. For me personally, I like western,” Maru said with a grin.

Dongho narrowed his eyes and looked at Maru.

The only thought in his head was that Maru was a complete madman.