ACTSV chapter 78

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“Then let’s split the popcorn.”

“Where are we going to find something to split it into? Look, the kid can’t take his eyes off the popcorn. Are you going to make him keep standing like this?”

Out of the four, only Jingyeom was interested in eating the popcorn.

That’s why they bought a large caramel popcorn for him.

Even if he couldn’t eat much, they wanted to make sure he got something he liked.

Jingyeom hesitated at Soohyuk’s words.

His opinion of Wonbeom had changed, and he realized he didn’t need to keep Jingyeom away from Jinwoo anymore—not that he ever really had.

Plus, he really wanted to eat the caramel popcorn.

In the end, Jingyeom quietly moved closer to Soohyuk.

Actually, from the moment Soohyuk bought the popcorn, Jingyeom had been sneaking bites every time Jinwoo looked away as they walked into the theater.

Every time their eyes met, Jingyeom would smile as if asking Soohyuk to keep it a secret.

It was a bit sad that he couldn’t eat freely, but Jingyeom knew it was important to exercise self-control for his health and longevity.

So, he didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity to eat without worrying.

“Let’s sit like this. You and Wonbeom… hyung won’t eat, right?”

“…Wonbeom hyung?”

Jinwoo rubbed his ears, thinking he misheard. Soohyuk also looked down at Jingyeom, surprised at what he just heard.

Wonbeom, satisfied, grabbed Jinwoo’s arm and pulled him into the seat. He didn’t care where he sat.

Besides, he still had the image of Jingyeom sneaking popcorn into his mind, so he wanted to let him eat comfortably.

“Director.”

“Sit down. You’re blocking the aisle. I know you don’t want to be apart from Baek Jingyeom, but it’s just two hours. Can’t you handle that?”

“…Alright.”

Jinwoo reluctantly took his seat, and Jingyeom quickly sat beside Soohyuk, making sure to check that the view was adequately blocked.

Jinwoo sighed quietly. Even though it happened less often now, he still let out a sigh whenever he started to worry about Jingyeom.

Wonbeom, staring at the screen showing commercials, spoke up.

“He’s not eating that much; it’s fine to just let him be.”

“Occasionally it’s fine, but if he remembers how good it tastes, he’ll want it again later. I’m just trying to prevent that… It’s frustrating when he can’t have it…”

Jinwoo responded while still looking at Jingyeom, but his tone hinted that his concern was about more than just food.

---

The movie itself was quite good.

True to its label as a comedy, there were plenty of laughs throughout, and the actors’ performances and direction were so engaging that it was easy to get absorbed in.

It lived up to its high ratings and positive reviews, making it well worth watching.

At first, Jingyeom enjoyed the movie while eating the caramel popcorn to his heart’s content, the crunchy sound of the popcorn filling the theater as he kept eating.

“Don’t eat too much.”

Soohyuk’s words made Jingyeom pause mid-bite.

“I’m not saying don’t eat at all, just eat in moderation. You know it’s not good to overdo it.”

Jingyeom silently accepted the popcorn that was handed to him.

‘He’s such a strange person.’

Soohyuk had a peculiar way of speaking. He would tell you to do something while also telling you not to, and vice versa.

It was confusing to the point where you didn’t know what to follow.

Because of this, he didn’t come across as very serious.

Jingyeom nodded slightly as if it didn’t matter and kept eating popcorn.

Meanwhile, Soohyuk was getting bored with the predictable plot.

He had seen this type of movie many times, and only a few had held his attention until the end.

The only thing keeping him from succumbing to the boredom was Jingyeom sitting next to him.

Watching Jingyeom absorbed in the movie, Soohyuk didn’t feel bored at all.

Soohyuk briefly glanced at the screen before turning his head back to look at Jingyeom. He was startled and straightened up.

Tears were streaming down Jingyeom’s face, glistening in the light from the screen, and dripping down his cheeks.

Jingyeom wasn’t the only one. Quiet sobs could be heard throughout the theater, but all Soohyuk could hear was Jingyeom’s crying.

“Hey, Baek Jingyeom?”

“Hic, hic, ugh.”

“Oh, geez…”

Seeing Jingyeom cry so pitifully, Soohyuk didn’t know what to do.

He put the popcorn on the floor and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.

“Look at me.”

“Huu…”

“You’re not a child; why are you crying over something like this?”

Even with all the lights off, Soohyuk could see Jingyeom’s face clearly.

Tears continued to stream down his eyes without any sign of stopping.

Soohyuk pressed the handkerchief against Jingyeom’s eyes, trying to wipe away the tears, but as fast as the handkerchief absorbed them, more tears fell, rendering the effort pointless.

On top of that, Jingyeom was biting his lip to keep from making noise, and Soohyuk, feeling sorry for him, gently pressed his thumb against Jingyeom’s lower lip.

“Don’t bite too hard. You’ll hurt your lip.”

“Hic!”

It wasn’t just tears streaming down.

Clear fluid was running from Jingyeom’s nose as well.

When it touched Soohyuk’s finger, Jingyeom hurried to wipe it away, but the handkerchief was faster.

“Blow your nose.”

“…”

“Is this awkward?”

Jingyeom glanced at Soohyuk, who spoke in a slightly amused tone.

Even though his eyebrows were drooping, the corners of his mouth were lifted.

Soohyuk had to muster all his self-control.

He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Jingyeom and hold him close, touching him as much as he wanted.

He felt sorry for Jingyeom crying, but more than that, he found him unbearably cute.

‘Oh, this is driving me crazy. How can someone be this adorable?’

Soohyuk had always known Jingyeom was cute, but he kept finding new ways to stir his heart.

‘Breathe… I need to hold back.’

If he acted on his impulses now, all the progress he had made in closing the gap between them could be undone in an instant.

He needed to approach slowly.

Soohyuk clenched his lips as he looked at Jingyeom, who was still shedding tears while looking at him.

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, the feelings in his heart might spill out.

After taking a short, deep breath, he stroked Jingyeom’s hair like he was soothing a child and wiped away the tears running down his cheeks.

“Do you want to leave?”

“No, I want to finish watching.”

“Okay.”

As Soohyuk continued to watch Jingyeom, who had turned his attention back to the screen, he whispered cautiously.

“…Can I move closer?”

Without taking his eyes off the screen, Jingyeom slowly nodded.

With permission granted, Soohyuk quickly stretched his arm behind Jingyeom’s back.

He wrapped it around Jingyeom’s slender frame, pulling him closer as if telling him not to cry.

Jingyeom had thought Soohyuk just meant moving closer, so when he suddenly pulled him into a hug, his body stiffened. Soohyuk noticed but didn’t let go.

If Jingyeom had shown any sign of dislike, Soohyuk would have let go immediately, but Jingyeom soon refocused on the movie, his eyes glued to the screen.

However, towards the end of the movie, the tears that had finally stopped began to flow again.

Soohyuk was busy wiping away Jingyeom’s tears, trying hard to suppress the smile that kept creeping up on his face.

Jinu, who had been watching the movie intently, was suddenly distracted by the sound of someone crying nearby.

When he turned his head, he saw Jingyeom crying. He wanted to go over, but seeing Jingyeom in Soohyuk’s arms, he clenched his fists and held himself back.

‘…Gyeom-ah.’

Wonbeom had also been watching the entire scene unfold.

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After the movie ended, Jingyeom went to the restroom to wipe away the tears and snot on his face, with Jinu following behind.

Soohyuk and Wonbeom waited outside.

Even after the movie ended, the image of Jingyeom sniffling stayed with Soohyuk.

He wasn’t fond of this type of movie at all, but if it was with Jingyeom, he thought he could watch it again.

‘I never imagined I’d find someone crying to be cute… He was just too adorable.’

The sight of Jingyeom’s tears tugged at his heart.

The way the tears didn’t just flow but dripped down made the image stick in his mind.

‘But was it really worth crying that much?’

If someone were emotional, they could definitely cry. That’s what the scene was designed to do, after all.

But he had cried so much that Soohyuk wondered if something else was bothering him. A small doubt crept in.

Did a fragment of his memories return while watching the movie?

After a moment’s thought, Soohyuk asked Wonbeom.

“Director Tak, did you find the movie sad?”

“No.”

Wonbeom’s quick and firm response made Soohyuk tilt his head slightly.

He knew there was no way Wonbeom would find it sad, but he asked anyway.

“Me neither… Baek Jingyeom is definitely different from us. He doesn’t just feel emotions; he gets deeply immersed in them.”

They had heard the sniffles from other people in the theater as well.

The scene was designed to stir emotions and trigger tears, so it was expected.

Soohyuk and Wonbeom were simply too emotionally numb to cry over something like that.

“I feel strange.”

“…”

“Is it because Baek Jingyeom was crying?”

“…”

“Am I the only one here?”

Even when Soohyuk muttered grumpily, Wonbeom didn’t respond.

His gaze was fixed on something in the distance.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

“…”

“Seriously… My words must be delicious.”

Ignoring Soohyuk’s calls, Wonbeom walked purposefully toward his destination—a convenience store across the street.

Given how much Jingyeom had cried, he probably needed to replenish his fluids.

‘…This is crazy.’

Soohyuk couldn’t believe he was worrying about someone so much that he went to buy water because they cried so much they might get dehydrated.

Yet, there he was, standing in front of the drink cooler, seriously contemplating what to buy.

‘An electrolyte drink would be better than water.’

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