"And….CUT!" The director chimes, tossing his cap back on his seat as he ushers for Hyunki's manager aka Jimin, to come by him.
Hyunki relaxes himself, tossing the can of the soda he was 'endorsing' and exclaiming how much he loved all while he absolutely detested the taste of this particular plum flavoured drink.
Sodas infused with the zest of fruit were nothing short of a joke to him.
Money however, was the only motivating factor he needed to put on a staged smile.
The world didn't need to know what Min Hyun Ki, as a person, loved.
They wanted to know what Hyunki, the sensational pop star, wanted to drink and what he, in his superstar aura, wanted to wear.
The world didn't need to know that he was dying.
"Jimin-ssi, I don't quite get what is wrong with Hyunki-nim. Is his condition not okay? He-uh..looks a little too stiff.." The director whispers in Jimin's ears.
Jimin shakes his head no, fervently.
He hands the director a hot beverage and caresses his arm, comfortingly.
"PD-nim, Hyunki-ssi hasn't been feeling very well lately..you know how packed his schedule is. After all, he isn't getting any younger..He has fittings for MAMA after this shoot and then an intensive stage rehearsal..He's bound to feel exhausted but you, don't have to worry about a thing. I'll speak to him..Give us a quick 5!" Jimin chimes, enthusiastically.
The director looks over at Hyunki who is sat on a chair, scrolling through his phone, mindlessly.
The director nods in Jimin's direction and calls for a 5 minute break.
Jimin takes steady strides towards Hyunki.
He snatches Hyunki's phone out of his hand and switches it off, placing it in his own back pocket.
Hyunki glares at Jimin but just groans loudly, turning his head sideways, head lolling back.
"What's the matter with you? PD-nim has called you out twice already..Keep this up and you'll lose this endorsement to Lee Dong Hee…He's already beating you in this month's brand reputation. Do you really want to loose everything you've worked hard for?" Jimin hisses.
Hyunki breathes out, composing his stature.
"I'm loosing it all, anyway.." He mumbles under his breath.
Jimin signals for the stylist to come their way and she does, immediately.
"Please make him look fresh..why does he look paler than usual? Have you not used the right shade of foundation on him? Also, bring his bangs down, please..it'll make him look a lot more youthful!" Jimin instructs as he moves to the side, allowing the stylist to make the desired changes.
Hyunki closes his eyes as he sits back in his chair, calming himself.
"I'm tired, Jimin.." Hyunki says.
Jimin scoffs at the response.
"I get that you're tired but the schedule was okay-ed only after your approval last month..You've already bailed on 2 fashion items in the past week and now you're trying to singlehandedly create problems for us in this one shoot, as well? This isn't all about you, man..I, your stylists, your spot boys, the extras, the cameramen, the director, etc all have made time out for this." Jimin explains.
Hyunki nods his head, understandingly.
"I get it..I know what you mean. I'm not stupid..It's just, things have changed within me in the past few weeks, is all.." He mutters.
Jimin puts on a fake smile as the Director looks over at them, sending him a thumbs up.
"Anyway, did you hear back about your report?" Jimin asks, adjusting Hyunki's collar.
Hyunki breathes a shallow breath.
His fists clench and palms get sweaty.
He feels as though he's been put on spot.
"Yeah, um..It was just a regular cold..They want me to take some injections." He answers.
Jimin smiles a little.
"You were complaining so much the other day and it turns out it was just a regular cold? Damn, fame has really made you a Drama Queen..Speaking of being a Drama Queen, you've been offered a Drama." Jimin explains as Hyunki and him walk back before the camera.
"What's it about?" Hyunki asks, straightening out his pants as he grabs back the can of Soda.
"It's a Romantic Tragedy..Involves your character having a terminal illness. It's pretty dark and I don't know if you'd even like the topic in the first place."
Hyunki hisses, biting his tongue.
Death was starting to follow him, much like an unshakeable shadow.
"Life's a beautiful tragedy, isn't it?" He asks with a sad smile, looking at Jimin who raises his brow in question.
"Everyone, clear the set..We'll be starting now. Jimin-ssi, please move out of the frame..Alright! Hyunki-nim, just as we'd practiced, alright?" The Director shouts, causing Jimin to walk back as Hyunki wears back his half-hearted empty smile.
——————————
Hyejin wakes up in the comfort of her own bed.
She raises both her arms, stretching as she yawns, wholeheartedly.
She reaches out for her phone and is in glee as she sees it's only 10:03 am and she doesn't have to show up any time before 2pm.
Hyejin hops out of bed, loving the warm feeling of her pyjamas and fur sandals as she struts into the kitchen, the smell of sweet waffles wafting through the air.
"Mom, you're going to spoil me!" She sing-songs as she watches her mother lay out a hefty breakfast.
"My daughter has been slaving so hard, these past few days. It's the least I can do. Besides, I know how irregular your eating habits are. Now, sit down and have a stomach full of food." Her mother says, caressing the back of Hyejin's knotted head.
Hyejin salivates as she chomps down on a french toast, the sound of the television ringing in her ears.
She hears the starting tune of a song and groans inwardly.
"He refuses to leave me alone…even in the comfort of my own home!" Hyejin grumbles.
Her mother turns her head from the couch in her direction.
"Who?" She asks.
"Him. Min Hyunki. It's his darn song, 'Why won't you call me by your name'."
Hyejin's mother increases the volume, tuning in to see his performance.
"He's so handsome! I can see why he's so popular.." She exclaims.
Hyejin turns her dining chair, to face the television, where she's met with Hyunki's face on her 50inch Tv, a close-up of his face as he sings into his mic.
He's moving his hips along with a parade of female dancers who are circling him.
Hyejin rolls her eyes as she aggressively pokes her waffle, the blueberry placed on top, rolling down the waffle and onto the dining table.
"I don't get it, Ma..What's so special about him anyway? Do you hear how loud his fans are screaming? One can barely hear his vocals…How overrated.." Hyejin complains.
"Hyejin-ah, always speak good about others..Haven't I always told you..everyone's fighting a battle of their own. Treat people with kindness!" She sing-songs.
Hyejin looks down at her food, feeling bad.
"How can I, when he was such a monster, to me? Why do good things happen to bad people?" She whispers.
She watches as Hyunki removes his shirt, flinging it in the crowd, as his biceps come into vision, causing her cheeks to warm up.
She recalls how she'd fallen into his muscular chest.
He did have a great body.
The camera zooms in on the veins that scatter across his forearm and he flashes a lopsided grin into the camera, his gummy smile being captured as sweat trickles down his forehead.
Hm, he was absolutely hot.
No doubt about that.