Chapter 19
The drama had earned him the mocking nickname “Wooden-Acting Idol,” but when Cha Wook spoke about it, his face showed more regret than relief.
“Even though the drama gave me that unflattering nickname, I think I’ve only just started to understand Shin Hyuk as a character. That’s what makes me regretful.”
“What kind of character was he?”
“Fragile and fearful. The kind who was always overanalyzing things. Back then, I was terrified of being rejected by people.”
“Haha. Everyone’s like that when they’re young. Even grown-ups hate rejection, don’t they?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I still do.”
His laughter faded, his eyes glazing over as if lost in a memory.
“When I was younger, there was someone I liked. At the time, I was exactly like Shin Hyuk—cowardly, afraid of rejection. In the end, I ran away on my own terms.”
The character he’d struggled to portray was, in reality, very much like himself.
His regret—that if he’d realized this sooner, he could’ve delivered a better performance—seemed genuine.
‘What if I could help him realize it earlier? Then maybe Wook could immerse himself in the role more easily.’
But the problem was how.
If even seasoned acting coaches couldn’t bridge the gap, what could I possibly do?
I clenched the lip balm in my pocket.
‘All I have is this lip balm.’
I racked my brain. Who could leave the deepest impression on Cha Wook right now?
“……”
One person came to mind—someone I desperately didn’t want to acknowledge. But no one else fit the bill.
The drama’s female lead, who’d stormed off in irritation.
‘I’m trying to stop the scandal with Heidi, and now the best solution is to become Heidi in this situation?’
Conflicting thoughts tangled in my head.
But I didn’t have time to dwell.
Remembering how little time I had left in this role, I steeled myself.
Before preventing a scandal that hadn’t even happened yet, my priority was helping my idol deliver his best performance.
“Eunseok. Go talk to Heidi.”
“What?”
“I’ll take Wook aside for a bit. You keep Heidi occupied, okay? As long as possible.”
“Wait, what are you—”
“You two are close, right? She looks exhausted—go cheer her up. Got it? Long conversation.”
Cutting off his bewildered protests, I turned and nudged Cha Wook.
“Wook-ah. Stop moping. Let’s talk.”
Behind me, Eunseok called out urgently, but I ignored him.
Leading Wook upstairs, I all but shoved him into an empty science lab and shut the door.
3… 2… 1.
Just in time, Manager Kang’s role expired. I swiped on the lip balm and reopened the door.
“From now on, to you, I am Heidi.”
Hah.
My jaw dropped at the absurd sight before me.
Do Eunseok stood rooted in the hallway, glaring at the closed science lab door.
‘I must be losing my mind from stress.’
The first sign something was off had been when he arrived on set.
—Sorry, Eunseok. The kid’s running a high fever—gotta rush to the ER. Keep it quiet from the CEO, yeah?
“Don’t worry about Wook, hyung. I’ll take care of him. I was already on my way to the set anyway—almost there.”
After hanging up, he’d headed inside—only to spot a familiar school uniform.
His gaze locked onto it instantly.
Not only was a student’s presence in the restricted area impossible, but more importantly—he recognized her.
“…Haebom?”
The soft curls bouncing at her shoulders, her curious eyes, the quick, small steps—
Jeon Haebom.
It was definitely her.
His nerves prickled.
How many times had he run into her lately?
Even if the girl at the salon hadn’t been her, it felt like she was haunting his life like a lingering afterimage.
The more he thought about it, the weirder it got. Running into her in unexpected places was one thing, but was she really a Yegrina student?
That was even more suspicious.
With outsiders barred from the set, he’d intended to alert staff—but none were nearby.
Left with no choice, he’d followed her, only for a group of extras to cut him off.
By the time he pushed past them—
“……”
She was gone.
How could someone with such short strides vanish so fast?
Frustrated, he scanned the area—only to spot an unexpected figure.
‘Manager Kwon…?’
Manager Kang, who’d supposedly left for an emergency, was right there.
Eunseok stared at the burly man chatting with security. The stubble, the muscular build—it was undeniably him.
He checked the surroundings again.
Piles of props, locked doors, only one entrance to the filming area—
There was no way a stray student could’ve slipped past security. Which meant if she’d gone in, she’d have had to pass him to leave.
‘Did she sink into the ground? Or sprout wings?’
His patience wearing thin, he’d quietly trailed the manager until they reached a secluded spot far from the music room. There, the man stopped—just peeking at the set.
The bizarre behavior was the last straw. Pulling out his phone, Eunseok called Manager Kang.
Ring… Ring…
Ring… Ring… Click.
—Eunseok! What’s up? Something wrong on set?
“……”
—Hello? Eunseok?
Stunned, he couldn’t speak. The voice on the phone was undeniably Manager Kang’s—yet the man in front of him remained oblivious, still eavesdropping.
‘This makes no sense. Then who is that guy?’
—Eunseok. What’s going—
Hanging up abruptly, Eunseok closed in on the imposter. His breath came faster, heart pounding.
“…Hyung.”
“M-Mom?!”
The manager—no, the stranger—jumped like he’d seen a ghost. Eunseok figured he should be the one reacting that way.
When questioned about their earlier call, the man looked clueless.
‘Am I hallucinating?’
He was seriously considering mental health issues when he grabbed the manager’s wrist—
And felt how fragile it was.
Too slender for someone so burly.
Confused, he glanced at his own hand—and for a split second, a different wrist overlapped the manager’s.
Pale. Delicate.
“……”
His mind reeled.
The tense set.
The manager’s unwavering focus on Cha Wook, even as the director berated him.
Eunseok stared, unable to tell if this was reality or a delusion.
Then, chaos erupted.
The “manager” whisked Wook away, telling Eunseok to “keep Heidi busy as long as possible.”
He followed, only to witness the impossible.
The man who’d been Manager Kang morphed into Jeon Haebom—
Then, right before his eyes, into Heidi.
