Joon-won's face soured as he saw the young miss sitting there. He never liked persistent people, and seeing her sitting there even after he insulted her yesterday only intensified his dislike. He also noticed the hate in the young master's eyes as he watched the practice, as if he were looking at low-born commoners.
"Leave it. Nothing to be concerned about. Those two are persistent idiots. Let's just continue to practice and go home after we're done. Did you have lunch?" he asked Jung-hwa, deciding to ignore the two and focus on their practice.
Jung-hwa was shocked at how easily he brushed off the two seniors. She saw how courteous Hyeong Myung was when they both entered and asked for Joon-won. The same Hyeong Myung who acted like he was the king of their class just because he knew a few people in the Star Batch of the first year.
"Are you going to ignore them just like that? We both came to this city from a small town with no background. We shouldn't cross paths with them, Joon-won," she cried out, more worried than ever. She was concerned at how nonchalant he was about the situation.
Looking at her concerned face, he shook his head with a wry smile. Then he heard people calling him for his part and said, "Alright, they are calling me for my scene. Don't worry too much about it. I've got it covered. Think about where we should eat lunch," and walked away without giving her another chance to reply.
He went to the edge of the stage and watched as his scene was about to start. He already felt two intense gazes on him. One was fierce with hate and jealousy, and the other was irritatingly persistent. He knew exactly who they belonged to, seeing Roh Ji point at him from the corner of his eye.
Ignoring them, he focused on his scene. As he walked onto the stage, he forgot about everything else and felt like he was back home. It reminded him of the first time he was on a stage all those years ago. Taking a deep breath, he started acting, his face transforming into one of hate and jealousy as he delivered his lines with venom, watching the two leads in the distance.
Finishing his part, he walked backstage and noticed the seats were now empty. He didn't need to guess where the two went, as he saw them as soon as he exited the stage. The young miss had the same teasing smile as the day before, while the young master looked at them with pure hate.
"I didn't think you could act so well, little boy. Very interesting. Come, let's go have some lunch. This young miss is feeling a little hungry," she said as she walked up to him. Now everyone's eyes were on him, and he noticed the surprise in Hyeong Myung and Roh Ji's eyes.
He glanced at her and replied, "I need to decline your offer, young miss. I already have arrangements to eat with someone, and my part in the drama is not done yet." He sat beside Jung-hwa, who stiffened as he did.
The young miss stared down at them and said, "Oh, is this girl your girlfriend? She can join us too, little boy," she said, glancing at Jung-hwa before turning back to him.
'Why is she so goddamn persistent? I wish I could kick this woman to the ground,' he cursed internally.
"Young miss, please leave us alone. What she is to me doesn't matter, especially to you. I'm sure the man beside you would love to take you out for an extraordinary lunch, and I would not like to get in between you two. Please stop these antics and continue on with your day," he said firmly, glancing at the young master behind her. He noticed the young man's gaze became less fierce after he said that.
"Yes, come, let's go and have lunch at Nine-Palace. I heard the head chef is cooking your favorite dish today. Why waste our time with these poor idiots here?" the young master quickly added, seizing the opportunity.
She ignored him, continuing to stare at Joon-won with the same smile. She glanced at Jung-hwa, who stiffened again, and said, "Very good, little brother. I know this girl isn't your girlfriend. Look how scared she is. Well, it looks like you are really fun to be around. I'll leave for now after seeing you act in the other part, but expect me at your exam tomorrow. I want to see you act more," and walked out. The young master followed her like a loyal dog, and they both left backstage.
As she said, she didn't leave entirely, choosing to sit in the same seats, waiting for the drama to continue. The backstage was still completely silent, everyone in shock at what had just transpired.
"Hey, bastards! How long should we wait for your shitty drama? Continue quickly!" they heard the young master's roar from outside, jolting everyone back to reality and scrambling to continue acting.
Joon-won noticed Jung-hwa was still stiff and shook her a little. "Ah! Joon-won, I finally know who those two are. They are really famous on campus, and both their families are very influential in the city," she said, waking from her stupor.
Joon-won raised an eyebrow. "Who are they? I know nothing about them, yet they seem to know quite a lot about me."