Delayed (2)

"Where the heck is Sooyun?" 

Outside, Director Choi Yejun was speaking with a production assistant near the equipment trucks. The smile on his face earlier was replaced by a look of frustration.

The assistant shook her head, looking uneasy. 

"We've been trying to contact his manager, but they're not answering. Traffic might be an issue, but it's getting late. The crew is also starting to get anxious."

It wasn't only the two of them who were frustrated, but the other directors and crew members too. They were getting problematic since they had a schedule to follow, and they were already running late. 

Yejun glanced at the clock on his phone. It was already 8:45 p.m. Even though it was only a few minutes, the delay was slowly affecting their carefully planned schedule. 

They just rented the whole street for a specific amount of time. If they get passed by that time, they have to pay larger fees. What was more was, they also had to pay compensation for all the extras they hired.

"Everyone, stay ready! We'll start as soon as Sooyun gets here. Keep everything set and double-check the lighting. Make sure we're not wasting any time as we wait." Yejun turned back toward the crew as he shouted.

The crew nodded hastily. They were scrambling to appear busy while waiting. Behind the scenes, though, the atmosphere was tense. Whispers of frustration and concern passed between different crew members. 

Yejun, who was standing still on one side, looked towards Minjae's tent. He sighed and shook his head. 

"Damn it, Sooyun. Where are you?

- - - 

After a few more minutes of waiting in his tent, Minjae finally stepped out. He clutched his clothes tightly as the cold night air brushed against him. Good thing that his clothes were thick and layered. 

Minjae was surprised to see that the energy of the set before was now heavy. He immediately noticed the frustration etched on the crew members' faces — the furrowed brows, whispered conversations, and occasional glances at the clock.

He approached Yejun, who was standing near the equipment trucks, tapping his phone as a sigh repeatedly came out of his lips.

"Director Yejun," Minjae called out, his calm tone was a contrast to the tense atmosphere. "Is everything alright? What's going on?" 

It was evident that they were having a problem with Sooyun. It seemed like the man was uncontactable causing everyone to worry.

"Oh, Minjae, nothing to worry about. Just a little delay with the lead actor's arrival. These things happen sometimes, you know." Yejun turned to Minjae with a forced small smile, though the weariness in his eyes betrayed him. 

Minjae just nodded. He kept his thoughts to himself, recalling the countless times he'd overheard whispers from the staff about Sooyun's late arrivals during his past life. 

Back then, he hadn't paid much attention to it since that could really happen due to unforeseen circumstances. But now, standing on the other side of fame, he could feel the strain it caused on the staff.

Before Minjae could dwell on it further, Yejun tapped his shoulder. 

"Since we've got some time, go greet Producer Sean and Director Suwon. They just got out of their tent. They were busy talking to the writer earlier when you arrived."

"Sure, director." Minjae quietly nodded.

Minjae followed Yejun. They went near two men who were standing near a set of monitors.

Producer Sean was skimming through the script while Director Suwon was looking at the different monitors before him. 

"Producer Sean, Director Suwon," Yejun called out as they approached. "Minjae came here to greet you two."

"Ah, Minjae…" Sean was thrilled to see Minjae in the set. "Nice to meet you again." 

"It's nice to meet you too, Producer Sean." Minjae slightly bowed his head at Sean before doing the same to Director Suwon. "You too, Director Suwon." 

Suwon gave Minjae a quick look. His expression was unreadable at first before the corner of his lips rose to a small smile. 

"Good to see you, Minjae. I see that you're already ready. Goodluck" Suwon uttered as he gave a quick glance to Minjae's current looks and outfit. 

"Thank you, Director Suwon. I'll do my best," Minjae replied earnestly, meeting the director's piercing gaze.

As they exchanged pleasantries, a commotion near the entrance of the set caught their attention. A sleek white van pulled up, and the doors opened to reveal Sooyun who looked like he wasn't in a rush. 

The lead actor, dressed in casual yet expensive-looking clothes, slowly walked his way towards the crew, bowing repeatedly. 

"I'm so sorry for the delay everyone. The traffic was worse than expected, and my previous shoot ran over time. I deeply apologize to everyone for making you wait." he looked apologetic. 

The tension in the air eased slightly as the crew, though still frazzled, returned Sooyun's greetings. Yejun sighed in relief and approached him, signaling for Minjae to follow.

"Sooyun-ssi, we're glad you made it," Yejun uttered in glee, his voice was now kind. "We're a bit behind schedule, so let's move quickly. By the way, this is Minjae, your co-actor for tonight's scene."

Sooyun turned his gaze to Minjae, his lips curling into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Ah, you're Minjae! Nice to meet you. I've heard about your audition. I'm looking forward to working with you."

Minjae bowed slightly, but his expression remained composed. "The pleasure is mine, Senior Sooyun. It's also nice to meet you." His voice was respectful.

As Minjae straightened his body, he forced himself to smile. It looked genuine on the outside, however, on the inside, a cold feeling radiated in him.

'So this is the man I once thought was a close friend.' Standing this close, Minjae could sense the subtle disdain radiating from Sooyun's eyes.

'How quickly admiration fades when you see someone for who they are.' he thought. 

Sooyun's gaze lingered a moment too long, and as Yejun turned to address the crew, he dropped his smile. 

'Tsk. Minjae, huh? This guy is just another newbie trying to claw his way to the top. I bet he's already basking in the attention he got from that audition. Let's see if he can even keep up with my acting later.' Sooyun slightly grinned. 

'I'll make sure this guy knows the difference between a newbie and a veteran actor."