Second Lead Syndrome

A Second Chance

teamLab:LIFE exhibit
Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul

'When can I see you again?' echoed in her head and Seo Ji-hye couldn't stop herself from staring into those large brown eyes.

She cast a surreptitious glance at the camera, embarrassed that it caught her unguarded expression. Whatever ease she felt around her former co-star onset disappeared a long time ago. Now, she simply felt flustered.

She laughed nervously. "Sure, let's set something up," she said, noncommittally.

It's been a year since they saw each other. A year since that moment in the trailer. She had convinced herself that she was past it. It was fine, everything was fine. They're just good friends. Then she remembered that she'd been late for today's call time because she had changed her outfit five times.

It had been her idea to invite Jung-hyun. She had oh-so-casually suggested his name during the meeting with teamLab. And the organizers, who were big fans of Crash Land on You, had jumped on it.

"Do you know how many offers that kid gets in a week?" asked a PR executive. "It's insane! I bet you that agencies will be fighting over him when his contract is up for renewal."

"Oh really?" Ji-hye had asked coolly as if she wasn't keeping track of him through regular updates from mutual friends.

"I think we're done," said the cameraman, snapping Ji-hye out of her recollections.

"We've got enough to work with."

"Great, thanks," she said.

Jung-hyun bowed and thanked everyone and watched the crew pack up their equipment and leave, one by one.

Ji-hye pretended to be immersed in the catalogue she found on a bench, flipping through the pages with one eye and watching Jung-hyun's back with another as he chatted with his assistant.

It was late, near closing time and the gallery was quickly emptying until it was just the two of them and a mother with her young daughter.

Finally, Jung-hyun's assistant nodded, waved at Ji-hye and left. Jung-hyun turned and walked back towards her with that wry half-smile.

She couldn't help but smile back.

"How is Chung-hee?" she asked, inquiring after his assistant.

"Oh, fine," he said, dryly. "He tells me I drink too much and don't eat enough vegetables. He's even set three alarms on my phone to remind me when to go to bed. It's like having a girlfriend without the benefits. He and my mom are best friends so, you know, I guess I'm in a long-term relationship now."

Ji-hye laughed. She couldn't help herself.

"Whenever I threaten to fire him, they just laugh in my face," he added.

"Oh god, I've missed you," she blurted without thinking.

He looked mildly taken aback as she stared at him, mortified.

"How's your mom?" she asked, swiftly changing the subject.

Jung-hyun looked like he was about to say something but he, ever the gentleman, went along with it.

"Good, good," he said, nodding. "Mom's been your biggest fan since she met you last year. I spoke to her this morning and she told me to tell you that she watched 'Dinner Mate' religiously. And repeatedly, I might add."

"That's so sweet," she said. "I'm so glad she enjoyed it."

"Yeah well, she would call me cursing about the 'psycho exes' after each episode," said Jung-hyun. "She said she'd marry Song Seung-heon given the chance."