Happy Endings ⁘ Chenle

71 ⁘ Umbrella

⁘ 71 ⁘

When the director's familiar cut! pushed through the tense atmosphere, Da-eun and Chenle let go of their sadness at once, the melancholy of the scene suddenly pushed to the back of their minds. The feelings still lingered but they found themselves back in the here and now. 

Director Seung hurried over to the two with a wide smile. He clapped his hands together, eyes only briefly on Chenle before all his attention was on Da-eun. 

"What a stunning performance!" he praised the girl that clasped her hands in front of her, smiling shyly at the director. 

Meanwhile, Chenle's eyes were glued to her. He felt a sense of pride, one that he had barely ever felt before. Undoubtedly, she did a great job. Seeing her swiftly go back to being timid after acting to be so free made him adore her even more.   

Da-eun slightly bowed her head. "Thank you." 

Director Seung turned to Chenle. "What do you think? Wasn't it captivating?" 

The boy nodded. "She did amazing," he confirmed, eyes stuck on the girl that seemed to grow a little smaller underneath all the praise. "But I expected nothing less." 

Chae-bong rushed over to them, excitedly making his way to Da-eun. He held his phone in his hand - apparently Yu-rou had asked him to call her when it was Da-eun's time to film. 

"Da-eun!" he shouted excitedly. "You are an allrounder!"

She laughed awkwardly and bowed her head once more. "Thanks."

"So polite," the team leader praised with a smile. "Yu-rou also said you did great!" He raised his phone, the screen now back to black. "She had to get back to work but she saw it from afar." 

Unsure what to say, Da-eun stood there with a smile uncomfortably stuck on her face. The praise was a bit much, even though she was happy that she did well. Chenle nudged her shoulder to distract her. However, all she wanted was a moment away from everyone's eyes. 

For a few moments, she was busy coming up with a good excuse to leave abruptly, yet ended up empty-handed. She was in luck though, because someone else helped her out.  

"Barely an actress and yet you already have a fan club," In-hyuk said with a grin. All attention was on him now. He had his hands in the pockets of his trousers, a little more laid-back than he usually would be in these situations. 

He looked around the group of people before settling his eyes on Da-eun. "Mind if I talk to her for a moment?" he asked before adding, "As her temporary manager." 

Director Seung laughed. "How thoughtful to check in on our newest actress," he commented. He motioned towards the girl. "You are the manager, so go ahead." 

Grateful, In-hyuk bowed his head slightly, then turned around and walked away from the group. Chenle patted Da-eun on the back, urging her to follow him. She did so right away and soon caught up with In-hyuk. He came to a halt further away from them. She stopped next to him, yet looked back at the others. 

"Thanks," she said with a heavy sigh. 

"No problem." 

Indeed, this wasn't really that big of a problem. It was a rather small matter - or seemed like one. Because for Da-eun it was way more than that. It was stressful and awkward. 

She was happy. After all, she enjoyed acting. But how was she ever supposed to do this without Chenle or In-hyuk? 

All of a sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder. Warmth radiated off it, matching the comforting familiarity of the man it belonged to.