Someone Like You / Rowoon & Hyeyoon (On-going)

Chapter 20: First Jealousy

"Hold Hyeyoon's hands tightly like your life depends on it. That scene should be clingy, loving, and passionate." Director Sang-hyub gave his constructive criticism to Youngdae.

Meanwhile a few inches away from the stage, one guy is looking intently at the entangled hands. He clasped his own hands tightly, the veins almost popping out.  If flares could come out of a mad person's nostrils, the whole camp would be burned to ashes by now.

"Now Youngdae, look intently into her eyes.  Feel the scene.  Move a bit closer to her.  A few more inches.  Good!  Now, say your lines slowly. Slow but loud and powerful. Remember, you're in front of a woman whom you love so much and you're trying to make her stay. How do you make her stay? Hold her hands tightly."

Everyone is intently watching the scene.  Everyone except the guy who rushed out of the room.  

He ran to the restroom and threw up.  He knows he had to be professional and all but this activity shocked him. Suddenly, he can't explain why he is feeling so protective of her when it's just been a few days. 

Everything's going back in his memory. This familiar feeling of protecting someone but also feeling helpless. He forced himself to breathe deeply and tried to regain his focus.  He talked to the reflection on the mirror. "Calm down, Rowoon. Calm yourself down.  It's just a scene.  It's not reality."

A few minutes after, he walked back in the room.  He wanted to be there with her but not in such situation.

Hyeyoon looked so focused on the scene.  It's like she can't be bothered by anything, not even by the presence of her man.

"I love you too, with my whole heart." Hyeyoon ending the scene with an emotional voice and nearly watery eyes, hand being held tightly by Youngdae.

Rowoon is now reaching another peak of discomfort.  He stood up and paced quietly at the back of the room. His height didn't help in hiding his raw emotions.  Those actions didn't go unnoticed by Kim Sang-hyub.  The kid is clearly tormented by the whole situation.

"Perfect!  Good job, Hyeyoon and Youngdae!"  The whole class clapped wildly and cheered for the new partners.  All clapped except one soul.

With his hands inside his pocket, he checked his shoes and kicked on the invisible dirt in the room. His razor-sharp gaze at Youngdae could potentially kill the poor guy.

Youngdae was high fived by everyone.  He was trying not to meet Rowoon's gaze.  The whole time, he thought someone would suddenly punch him while he's reciting his lines.  That's how powerful Rowoon's emotions are--it could be felt by everyone.

Just when he was about to sit down, someone tapped his back a bit hard, he thought his lungs would leave his body for good.  He looked up and saw the tallest guy in class looking down at him, trying to choose his words. "Did you enjoy holding my girl's hand, huh?"

Youngdae is a heartthrob in his school.  The girls chase him and the guys want to be like him.  So now that there's someone who's being all sarcastic around him, he doesn't quite know how to react.  He was surprised at the subtle attack by his cabinmate when all he did was follow the director's instructions.  After a few seconds, regained his composure and decided not to back down.

He whispered to Rowoon with a smile, "I didn't know she has such soft hands.  I enjoyed holding it.  I hope the scene lasted longer."

The next thing he knew, he's being grabbed by the collar and being hauled up in the air by Rowoon.

"Rowoon, stop that!!!" Hyeyoon ran to her boyfriend's side and grabbed his arm.

The guys took sides and stopped the two boys from hurting each other.

Director Sang-hyub was shaking his head while smiling in disbelief. 'When boys get too emotional, it usually spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e.' 

"Hey, all of you!  Enough of the childishness."

Everybody froze upon hearing the director's voice--even Rowoon and Youngdae.

"Go back to your seats. Rowoon, Youngdae, stop that. You're brothers here in camp." He was so chill while saying those words, as if he's just scolding 5-year old kids.

Rowoon is still breathless from holding his feelings.  'What have I turned into?  I'm not usually like this.' He grabbed Hyeyoon's hand and gave Youngdae one last threatening glance.  He practically dragged her next to him at the back of the room.

"Ya! What did you just do, huh?" Hyeyoon hit his arm so hard he was sure he'd see a mark on it later.

"Ouchhh!" He covered his arm again for another round of his girlfriend's hitting.

"You think that's cool, huh? You think what you did was okay, huh?" 

"Ow! Stop it, aishhh!  Your hand's so small but you hit like a man!"

"Say sorry to Youngdae!"

"Are you out of your mind? Did you see what he did?! He was holding your hand so tightly.  Can you check the blood circulation now? I'm sure they turned blue earlier!"

"Sanghyub-ssi told him to do that, you fool!" Hyeyoon hissed.

"Not only that!  I asked him if he enjoyed it, and you know what he said? You know what that stupid guy said?? HE SAID HE DID!!!"  Rowoon balled his fists on his lap.

"Do you know why he said that?" Calmly, she figured it out for him.

"Why?"

"He's just teasing you. You know how guys are!  Youngdae's not doing anything to you and suddenly you pat his back hard and asked such a senseless question!  I mean, of course it's not true that he enjoyed it!" She looked at the ceiling while trying to remember the scene.

"How did you know that he didn't?!"

"Simple.  His hands were shaking.  He's nervous, okay?  I can tell he's afraid of Sanghyub-ssi's criticisms.  He wasn't immersed that much in the scene." She said it in a matter-of-factly manner to her jealous significant other.

"Really?  How about you? You were staring at his eyes so intently. You were so close to his face I'm almost sure you could tell he had kimchi for lunch!" His tone changed. From a reprimanding boyfriend, he now morphed into a hurt puppy.

"You know why I did that?  Because that's the reason why we're here.  We're here to act. To learn. To challenge ourselves.  To grow. But I have one more reason..."

"What?"

She looked at him intently and lovingly.

"Ya!  What?!"

"Because I want it to be a take-one scene.  I gave it my all because I didn't want the director to ask us to repeat everything.  Because my heart can't take it when I say 'I love you' to another person...because I only want to say those words to you."