Bubble

17. Sorry, I Love You

Twenty-one-year-old Jeongin stayed on the floor of his dorm room, clutching tightly to the small trash can as if it were a lifeline. His stomach rolled again as he caught sight of his pilot script laying in a halo of light on the desk. Today was supposed to be possibly lifechanging. Instead, it had turned into the worst. Everything had ended in disaster for him and his anxiety had caused him to get ill. He leaned forward to throw up again as he felt another wave hit him. A knock at the door captured his attention as he stopped throwing up.

"Jeongin...I know you're in there," came twenty-four-year-old Chris' voice through the door. "Please open up."

"It's unlocked," said Jeongin as another wave came over him, bending over the trash can again as heard the door open.

"Oh Jeongin," said Chris with a sigh as he walked over to him, immediately kneeling down by his side and rubbing his back as he finished retching into the trash can.

"What...what are you doing here?" asked Jeongin as he sat up straight, leaning back against the side of his bed as he looked at Chris. "I thought you had to work."

"I wanted to come surprise you at your presentation today," said Chris. "I mean, it's a big deal that you were even chosen for a chance to present your script to Starbright Entertainment while you're still a student."

"Well...you shouldn't have wasted your time," said Jeongin as Chris furrowed his brows.

"What happened?"

"The person that was supposed to read the male lead...he cancelled," said Jeongin. "Told me I didn't stand a chance anyway."

Looking towards the desk where the script laid, Chris reached up to grab it. His eyes scanned the cover page where the show's title lay. The title 'Bubble' was followed with the by line of 'by I.N'. Flipping the script open, Chris' eyes lit on the name of the main character, intrigued by the fact that — upon closer examination — he seemed to be the only character.

"I can read Bang Chan's part," said Chris as Jeongin stayed hugging the trash can.

"You...you what?"

"You heard me," said Chris. "Just give me a few moments to study the lines on the way down to the auditorium."

Jeongin flushed as he looked at Chris, putting the trash can down.

"You don't have to..."

"I want to," insisted Chris. "This is your big moment and it's time you lived in it, Jeongin."

A smile twitched across Jeongin's lips as Chris reminded him of the reason they had chosen his pen name in the first place. He had to live in the moment. Chris helped him off the ground, Jeongin quickly taking a minute to freshen up before leaving the dormitory with him. Chris continued reading through the Bubble script as they walked across the college campus towards where the presentations were going on. Jeongin looked over at Chris as they walked into the building.

"Chris," said Jeongin as he watched Chris flip another page of the script, completely engrossed in it, "We're here."

Jeongin turned green as what he had said sunk in. He was about to turn and flee, but Chris reached out to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him rooted in his spot.

"It's going to go well. I promise," he said with a grin. "I believe in you, and I believe in your script."

- - -

"If it wasn't for Chris coming to save the day yet again, I probably wouldn't have gone to the pitch presentation. However, he got up and read the part for me. In doing so, he floored the executives who had come to judge. He had made my character come to life on the stage, which was only fitting considering I had modeled the character after him. They wanted to greenlight my script on the condition that Chris would also come on and play the title role."