Call My Name by the Stars

CHAPTER 22- Worlds Between Stars

"Geez Kang Min. If you're going to run off suddenly, you could've at least left the car keys with me," Chunyoung muttered to himself in complaints as he stood at the edge of the sidewalk, avoiding eye contact with anyone who passed behind him. He fiddled restlessly waiting for his cab to come and pick him out of that district, while attempting another dial to Min's phone that continuously answered with, "This person's phone has been turned off. Please direct to-"

He groaned, "I just hope that kid's not sleeping somewhere on the road. Oh right, he's not even a kid anymore, there's nothing to worry about. What could go wrong, right?", he reassured himself in uncertainty.

"Oh! Didn't expect to still see you here, Chunyoung," a jolly woman's voice.

Chunyoung quickly turned in panic, and thank God it was just Yeonsoo. But he wasn't expecting to see her either, "Oh, it's you. Are you just heading home now? Why are you alone? Weren't you with First AC Kim Hyojin?"

She stood next to him, "So many questions. We've parted ways since she lives nearby. And I told my manager I could get home on my own. I don't want to bother my staff at this time. It's also nice to get a me-time walk while I'm at it. What about you? Weren't you supposed to be with Park Jaeryeong?"

"Me? Park Jaeryeong just ditched me, so I called a taxi," he smirked smugly, "My manager would freak out if he knew we're out here roaming freely like this."

She laughed along, "Can you even say that when he left you two to hang out in public? Definitely, he saw how there'll be fewer people here now that most stores have closed up."

"You and your staff do trust each other a lot. How lucky. And here I always thought you'd have more restrictions than me with how you are."

She turned to him with a face of annoyance, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

He returned with a smirk.

Yeonsoo sighed and looked out hazily at the headlights passing by them, "They've never left my side since I debuted, so they've seen me in all different situations. We're taking it a lot easier now unlike how it was in the past. For me, it's easy. For them, I'm not so sure. They look fine, but I don't really know how it feels like to be working for the most hated actress. I just hope they enjoy what they do."

"Surely they do," he said.
She grinned slightly, "You think so?"

"Yes. It's more exciting to be around you."

She chuckled, stroking her hair behind her ear, "I'm not sure if I appreciate hearing such a backhanded compliment, but thank you anyway."

Both of them watched as headlights passed by, waiting for their own cabs to arrive.

"Chunyoung," Yeonsoo stretched his name, calling him out to the road.

"Hey, are you drunk? What's with that?" he questioned unsurprised.

She looked his way and stared closely, "Why don't you guess?~," she singsonged.

He paused, "...No, you're not. You're just acting like your ordinary jaunty self."

She laughed, turning back to the street, "You're still sharp-tongued to me despite what you witnessed. All you do is remain silent and distant."

"Is that wrong? Should I also ask you how much you've been through like what everyone else does? I'm not that curious or interested, but I'll do that if you prefer so."

"No, I don't expect you to ask either. I'm just amazed that I'm right about that."

"Tsk, we've worked for a month more now, but still you really are not very fond of me."