* * *

“It’s nothing much… I just remember waking up for a moment and seeing you.”

“At dawn? What time exactly?”

“I didn’t check, but it wasn’t fully dark outside, so maybe around five or six…”

Siyoung let out a relieved sigh.

Five or six in the morning—by then, everything had already happened.

If it was around that time, he had a pretty good idea of what Jaeyoon might’ve seen.

“So you saw me leaving, then.”

Jaeyoon spoke in a remorseful tone.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to bring it up in front of the others… You were crying that night.”

That night was a haze, a chaotic mess of memories.

He’d been swept into the mood, drinking far more than he should have, and everything had become a blur, with dreams bleeding into reality.

Afterward, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t drink with them again.

And since that night was nearly two months ago, his memory was vague, but one scene flashed across his mind: at dawn, he’d gone to the kitchen for water and saw Siyoung leaving.

It wasn’t a big deal, but the hurried footsteps and quiet sniffles stuck with him.

He hadn’t been sure if it was a dream or reality, so he hadn’t brought it up.

But when he saw Siyoung get up to leave tonight, that memory resurfaced.

And judging by Siyoung’s reaction, it must not have been a dream.

“I won’t tell the others. I… I didn’t make a scene, did I?”

“No, you were just asleep. I was… just feeling a bit down about things. That’s all.”

Jaeyoon hesitated, trying to gauge Siyoung’s mood before asking, “Would it be okay if I asked what happened?”

Siyoung wasn’t the type to cry so easily.

Had someone like Yeonseok or Jeonghyun gone too far?

“It’s… nothing. I had to clean up some mess, and I was just tired. I was drunk, so… it felt a bit miserable, that’s all.”

Siyoung’s explanation wasn’t far from the truth.

Feeling sorry for himself was part of it, but the real reason was the sense of reality that hit him when he realized what he’d done.

“I’m sorry…”

“Just keep it between us, okay? They’d definitely tease me if they knew.”

“I won’t say a word.”

Thankfully, that was all Jaeyoon remembered.

Siyoung breathed a sigh of relief and released the hand gripping Jaeyoon’s sleeve.

“So what exactly happened that night? You seem tense.”

“Nothing much… I was drunk and built up some embarrassing memories. Nothing worth anyone remembering.”

“Oh, come on. You’re a heavy drinker with barely any hangovers.”

“Don’t get curious. It’s something I don’t want to think about.”

“Alright, I won’t ask anymore.”

Siyoung was grateful it was Jaeyoon who saw him that night.

If the other two had been the ones who remembered, it wouldn’t have ended here.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

“You’ve been drinking too.”

“I already called a driver. I won’t be driving, but I can still give you a lift…”

“It’s fine. Your place is totally out of the way. I’ll just grab a taxi.”

With the tension easing, Siyoung lightly patted Jaeyoon on the shoulder and stepped out of the alley.

He glanced back at Jaeyoon, who looked slightly worried, as he raised a hand in farewell.

“Get home safe.”

Jaeyoon waved with a concerned look.

Whether he took a taxi or got a ride with Jaeyoon, it wouldn’t make much difference.

So why was it weighing on him?

“Overprotective as always… even when I tell him not to.”

With a wave back at Jaeyoon, Siyoung got into the taxi.

It was time to get home and rest.

He had work to do, but at least things would settle down for the next few days, giving him some breathing room.

“Maybe for another four months at most…”

Still, he intended to give it his all for as long as he worked there.

As he leaned his head against the window, he thought to himself, “… It really was just a dream, right?”

Watching the taxi disappear into the distance, Jaeyoon muttered softly.

Another scene had come to mind, but it felt too far-fetched, so he brushed it off as a dream.

“Honestly, dreaming about that… What am I, a kid?”

Feeling embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head and headed for the parking lot.

“Hello, I’m Lee Siyoung, an employee from Jeonghyun’s company. Please take care of me.”

“The manager didn’t come with you? By any chance…?”

“Oh, no. There was something urgent at home for him today, so I’m here instead.”

A few days later, I visited the broadcasting station for a meeting about an upcoming variety show shoot.

Originally, this was Sera’s job, but since her mother had to undergo unexpected surgery, she asked if I could cover for her for just three days.

So, here I am in her place.

“This manager’s been around for quite a while. At first, I thought Siyoung was the actual manager.”

“Haha…”

A staff member, whom I’d seen a few times, joked with a smile. It was clearly a joke, but somehow, it didn’t feel all that funny.

‘It’s a good thing Sera’s hanging in there. Really.’

“We’ve gathered you here today to go over final checks before filming… as I mentioned. While the cast is having a separate meeting in the other room, we called the managers here because there are some requests we’ll need your help with during next week’s shoot.”

The producer grinned mischievously.

With cameras installed here and there, it seemed like they were planning a surprise hidden-camera prank.

But I won’t be around on the filming day anyway.

Siyoung hesitated, thinking he’d just relay everything to Sera and listened quietly.

“Our show’s motto is ‘Nothing in life is free.’ So, during the four-night, five-day shoot, the cast will have to gather all the items and locations they need on their own. Of course, we’ll provide some items through games or missions, but nothing comes without a price. No one can use any private resources, and we won’t be relying on any of you for help during filming.”

Even hearing it again, it sounded like a format that didn’t quite suit Jeonghyun.

We’d be lucky if he didn’t bolt halfway through.

Siyoung took notes, feeling a bit worried that Sera might find it tough.

“Before filming starts, please hand over the cast’s phones, wallets, or anything they could use to ask for help, and then step outside the building.”

“While we’re filming the introduction outside, you managers and stylists will head to the hotel we’ve arranged for you. You’ll stay there for a day, filming a few short cuts for the broadcast, then return to the filming site on the last day.”

‘Sera… I hope she’ll be okay.’

It’s understandable as part of the program, but there’d likely be a lot of tension, even if it didn’t lead to an actual complaint.

And what if Jeonghyun actually ran off?

That couldn’t happen.

Siyoung shuddered slightly at the thought.

“See you next week, then. And please, don’t tell the cast members. Oh, we’d also like to do a brief interview with each of you…”

“Um, actually, I’m just here temporarily because Jeonghyun’s manager couldn’t make it today. The actual manager will be here on the day of the shoot, so I doubt my interview would be of much use.”

Siyoung gave the assistant PD an awkward look, not thrilled about doing an interview.

If he ended up on screen, even for a second, he’d get teased, and Jeonghyun might not be too pleased either.

“But you’ve been around Jeonghyun, right? It’ll just be a simple interview. We might not even end up using it on the show.”

“But…”

Couldn’t they just interview someone else?

There were five other managers besides him.

Surely, one of their interview clips would work just fine.

‘Then again, Jeonghyun probably has the biggest fanbase, so his off-camera life must be the most intriguing.’

“The manager will be here on the actual shoot day, so wouldn’t it be better to interview him then? I mean, he’d definitely know Jeonghyun better than I do…”

Sorry, Sera.

But I have to look out for myself too.

Siyoung shook his head, pretending he didn’t know much about Jeonghyun.

The producer finally backed down with a hint of disappointment.

“Then, could you ask the manager to bring a different outfit with him when he comes? It needs to look like it was filmed on another day.”

“Sure, I’ll make sure to let him know.”

With a sigh of relief, Siyoung left the meeting room, having dodged that bullet.

In the next room, other cast members were doing their personal interviews.

“Well, good luck, Sera. Let her handle some of the hard work.”

“What’s that?”

“Whoa!”

Startled, Siyoung nearly stumbled but caught himself.

Behind him, Jeonghyun was standing there, pretending to cover his ears, as if he’d been more startled himself.

* * *