the place under the spotlight | soogyu

Chapter Four

The story continues when Dohyun and Taejun started learning the same thing differently together. A touch of the softest flower is a discovery for those who don't see it, but watching it fall gently for the thousandth time with curious eyes is an epiphany to appreciate the smallest things.

Beomgyu was fondling the script on his lap and the plastic of bandages he asked Kai to buy for his bruising heel when Yeonjun walked over to him with an excited smile. "Beom, I heard we're having a company dinner."

"For someone who's been in the industry for years, you sound like it's your first time."

"For someone who's hungry all the time, you don't sound excited about free food."

Touché.

"You know how it goes—they ask all the personal questions once they get a sip of that alcohol," Beomgyu turns his attention back to the script, pretending like he's reading when he's actually waiting for what Yeonjun will say.

Yeonjun sits in an empty space beside the actor. "I don't think that's anything to be afraid of. Unless, you still feel all jittery about the two of us."

Beomgyu saw the teasing look on Yeonjun's face and he was ready to pounce. He was reminded of why he was ready to beat the shit of this man months ago. "Maybe I should tell them about how clingy you are, or how you kiss me like you're always running out of time."

"I'm sure they know," Yeonjun rolled his eyes. At this point, he's immune to every attempt Beomgyu makes to provoke him. "It was all over the news."

"I don't need a reminder," Beomgyu hissed. "Tell me what time and I'll let Kai know. I don't have plans after this anyway."

"Oh.."

"I won't say anything about you, Yeonjun. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried about that, dummy. I just-" Yeonjun reached for the back of his head, a habit he picked up whenever he's nervous. "-I heard about your company almost terminating your contract because of me."

"It's not because of you. You're not that special," Beomgyu answered nonchalantly. "I lost so much because of it, so the ideal solution was to kick me out before I taint the company image further. But then I got this. Now, I'm here."

"I still feel bad about it."

"You better. I still hate you, by the way."

"You're still my best friend, Beomie," Yeonjun mumbled rather cutely. "I'm sorry for indulging you in this... relationship when we're both unsure of what we want."

Beomgyu chuckles. He realized that he never stopped Yeonjun from calling him nicknames even if they used to be one step away from murdering each other. "I really did love you, hyung. But we were so young."

Yeonjun frowns. "Do you still hate me?"

"Yup!" Beomgyu exclaimed and walked away. Even if it was unspoken, they knew that they would be fine.

________________

Beomgyu just hopes Kai won't leave him alone for the pretty boy again. His manager can get a little reckless and irresponsible when he's drunk—the incident at dinner weeks ago can vouch for this—but it's not anything Beomgyu takes to heart.

The company meal was nothing out of the ordinary. There's a lot of cringe-worthy speeches and a timid cheer from Soobin when he was pushed to say something as the head of the team—he was as red as the tomatoes Beomgyu dislikes.

It's hilarious how Soobin sits at the very top of the hierarchy on set, but had taken on such a huge project at a young age that there's no room left for power. He still gets ample respect, but people dote on him like their favorite child.

Beomgyu had to admit; even if he's been Soobin's number one hater from the very beginning, he does acknowledge his strengths.

Soobin knows what he wants and makes it happen, but he prioritizes collaboration. He's never a linear communicator and values the opinion of others. Maybe people will think that his strengths and weaknesses are the same, but Beomgyu thinks that Soobin's gentle-leader-esque personality is what earned him a deserving position as the director.

"What on earth happened to your hand?" Beomgyu held back a curse when he saw Soobin's hand wounded. He forgot how clumsy Soobin can get—definitely his weakness.

"I was trying to cut the meat but my hand kinda slipped," He explained, hissing when Beomgyu pressed on them gently. "Don't touch it or it'll get infected."

"Are you saying that my hands are dirty?!"

"I saw you claw that meat and sauce—look, what's that?!"

"That's a mole?!"

Beomgyu will never tell Soobin that he passed the actor's standards out loud. Especially if Soobin keeps saying the dumbest things at the most inappropriate time.

Beomgyu grabbed the plastic from the pockets of his coat, he shoves it in Soobin's clean hand. "Since you have a phobia for germs, then patch that up on your own."

"Beomgyu, my right hand is bleeding."

"I can see that."

"I'm right handed," Soobin cried.

"Then let me-"

"Wash your hands first!"

The universe must have glitched when Beomgyu starts tugging the director to the restroom. He held Soobin's arm with one hand and the bandages he asked Kai to buy him earlier in the other. Annoying seems to rhyme with Soobin's name today more than how it used to be with Beomgyu's ridiculous demands.

Searching for Taehyun was Beomgyu's first instinct when they walked across the room, but when his eyes caught the bubble that trapped Taehyun and Kai in their own world as they drank, he knew that there was no way he could pop that.

"Good for them, good for them," Beomgyu mumbled. "Now, I just hope you'll stop crying like a toddler over a small cut."

"I'm not crying."

Beomgyu ignores the other's protest and has him rinse his bloodied hand in one sink as Beomgyu does the same in another.

"You should wrap yourself in bubble wrap. Some of the wounds here aren't new."

"Papers just like my skin a lot," Soobin yelped when Beomgyu dubbed cleaning alcohol on his open cut. "Careful! It's painful."

Beomgyu hums. "How many drinks did you have?"

"Two."

"Bottles?"

"Yeah."

Soobin was hopeless.

"I'll patch this up and get as far as you can from knives when we get back in there," Beomgyu began wrapping up his hand like he's getting ready for boxing, except Soobin was nowhere near punching anything at this state.

"Do you randomly just have an entire first aid kit out of nowhere?" Soobin asked. "That's honestly hot."

"You'll regret everything you're saying in the morning," Beomgyu wished he could record his state right now. "But I don't carry a first aid kit around me. The scene today gave me blisters, so I asked Kai for medicine."

Beomgyu finished his hand up with tape. "Yeonjun's fault for messing up his lines over and over again."

Soobin winced when he moved his fingers around to feel his hand. "Have I told you that I never see you whenever I monitor the scene?"

"I don't understand."

Soobin's mouth was open, then closed, then open again. He can't say the jumbled words in his mind. "It's like you become him."

"Him?"

"Kim Dohyun."

Beomgyu bites back a smile. "Is this your way of saying that I'm a great actor?"

"You become the character," Soobin was rubbing his eyes when he said, unaware of everything that's leaving his mouth. "I wish everyone could see you the way I do."