NUTMEG 4

Just then, a high school girl who had been pressed against the glass at the very front shouted, “Oppa, I love you!” The gazes of the three people, including Choi Wonoh and Director Shin Jiho, turned toward the practice room, and Choi Wonoh raised the corners of his mouth into a smile. A dimple, like a period on his perfect face, formed on one side. Not only the girl who had spoken, but even Kyungsoo let out a gasp, “Ugh!”

Minje, standing a step away from them, felt as if his eyes had briefly met Choi Wonoh’s and froze on the spot.

‘We look forward to working with you, sunbae-nim!!’

At their first music show after debuting, the five members of SPARK:L, including Minje, were making the rounds to the waiting rooms of the senior artists, guided by Director Kim. On that day, Uncontrol, who were two years their senior and the most popular idol group, were also on the show, so naturally, their waiting room was the first stop.

Following the leader’s command, they shouted the group’s cheer, which still felt awkward to Minje, and handed the Uncontrol members albums with handwritten letters and signatures crammed onto them like a study sheet, bowing until their heads touched the ground with each one. As it was only their second broadcast, every member of SPARK:L was on high alert.

In particular, the youngest member, Junjun, who worshipped Uncontrol like gods, was even trembling after seeing today’s music show lineup. When Junjun, with tears welling in his eyes, exclaimed, ‘I’m really… a fan!!’ the Uncontrol members lightened the mood, smiling and saying, ‘Ah, we were like this once too~.’

Just as the members were whispering among themselves that some seniors intentionally treated them coldly or bullied them, but the god-like Uncon was different in some way, Minje, who had slightly raised his head, made eye contact with the expressionless face of Choi Wonoh.

Minje, who had been stiff and awkward the whole time as if wearing someone else’s clothes, felt goosebumps rise on his skin at that moment.

Although he didn’t know all the members of Uncontrol like Junjun or the other members did, he knew Choi Wonoh. No, there probably wasn’t a single person in the Republic of Korea who didn’t know Choi Wonoh.

He was the son of one of the world’s greatest masters in Korean film history and a man whose mother was a legendary beautiful actress once called the Sophie Marceau of Korea.

Director Choi Cheowon, who received the grand prize at a European film festival for his documentary-style film depicting the true story of Korea’s first female pilot, announced his marriage to the film’s star, Baek Hwao, during his acceptance speech.

It was a time when Korean cinema was not as famous as it is now. Not only were his achievements at renowned international film festivals astonishing, but a movie-like love story of them falling in love while filming was added to the mix.

It was only natural that the entire country was in an uproar. People loved and were proud of the talented and beautiful couple. This naturally led to the movie’s massive success, and soon the two, dubbed a walking enterprise, began to exert influence with every word they spoke and every morsel they ate.

The movie-like and wealthy life of the dominant alpha Choi Cheowon and the dominant omega Baek Hwao greatly contributed to the public’s prejudice of seeing the world of those with sub-genders as unconditionally superior and romantic. Unlike the veiled lives of actual chaebol heads, the two’s lives, already widely on display, would have been convenient to consume.

From the moment of his conception, Choi Wonoh was as good as born with a diamond spoon in his mouth. The story that a news flash appeared on the 9 o’clock news on the night of his birth was registered on a wiki like an urban legend. He, who had inherited his mother’s beauty exactly, naturally debuted as a child actor as if taking his prepared place, and then at some point, he vanished without a trace.

And in the year he turned 20, he suddenly debuted as an idol. Uncontrol, a four-member male group backed by the massive promotional push from Choi Wonoh and One Entertainment, instantly shot to the top of the A-list. Ignoring the unwritten industry rule of mixing alphas and omegas as a set, Uncontrol was composed of three exceptionally talented beta members, aside from the alpha Choi Wonoh.

And he, as everyone knew, was a dominant alpha born to a dominant alpha and a dominant omega.

Even Cheon Minje, who was insensitive to others’ pheromones due to being recessive, couldn’t help but bow his head before the overwhelming presence of the dominant alpha standing before him. When their eyes met and he saw the cold temperature in them, his knees went weak.

Just then, Choi Wonoh began to speak in a low voice.

‘Is it you?’

‘Sorry? ……Me?’

‘I’m asking if you’re the one doing the omega act.’

Cheon Minje froze in an at-ease posture. He could feel the very air around him turn cold and solid. He caught a glimpse of the youngest member Junjun’s face, which had turned even paler than his own.

‘Don’t tell me you think this is some incredibly creative seduction attempt?’

‘……’

‘Get out.’

The only ones who understood Choi Wonoh’s words immediately were himself and the alpha leader. Junjun, being a beta, stubbornly refused, not wanting to be remembered this way by the seniors he respected.

‘S-sunbae-nim! Just a moment, we really…’

‘I said get lost, your omega pheromones are making me want to puke.’

‘We’re sorry! We will come back to greet you properly later!’

The leader apologized politely, then grabbed the teary-faced Junjun and left the waiting room. There were still several waiting rooms of seniors they hadn’t greeted yet, but Cheon Minje was left alone in SPARK:L’s waiting room.

His fingertips were cold, and a sour stomach acid rose up his throat. It seemed the lunch box he had hastily eaten at the broadcast station was not sitting well. The staff, sensing the unusual atmosphere, glanced at the solitary Minje. His stomach felt as if someone was squeezing it, getting tighter and tighter.

The anxiety that he had ruined their debut day all by himself, the guilt of being a burden to the other members, and the depression of thinking that a place like this was not for someone like him, all surged up from under his feet in an instant.

Just then, the members who had finished making their rounds to the seniors’ waiting rooms came in, kicking the door open irritably. No, to be precise, it was the youngest, Junjun.

‘Fuck! I told you not to let this fucking retard omega in!’

‘Junseop, stop.’

Junseop was Junjun’s real name. A name Cheon Minje was not allowed to call him.

‘What, fuck. Do we have to be treated like that because of a bastard who can’t even control his damn pheromones?!’

And in the ‘we’ that Junseop spoke of, Cheon Minje was always excluded. Minje, knowing this, lowered his head, his face pale.

‘If a bastard like that was okay, it would have been much better for Hyesung to join!’

‘I told you to stop talking about that, Lee Junseop.’

‘Hyesung is still a trainee because of that bastard!’

‘Hyesung’ was an omega friend who had been a trainee with Junseop for a long time. A name Minje had heard constantly for the past three months. The other two beta members made a show of restraining the screaming Junseop. The one who broke the tense atmosphere was Director Kim, who came in late after a meeting.

‘Goodness. What’s this chaos. The recording is in an hour.’

Junseop, who didn’t even listen well to the eldest leader, was most afraid of Director Kim. Director Kim told Junseop to follow him and then whispered to the leader, ‘Go have a talk with Minje.’ Minje was now completely pale as a sheet. The leader took Minje to the emergency staircase.

‘Choi Wonoh is as much of a bastard as they say, that little punk.’

‘……’

‘I’ll ask the director to tell them next time that you have a peculiar constitution.’

‘……’

‘Cheon Minje.’

‘……I knew I shouldn’t have become an idol. I’m sorry.’

‘Cheon Minje.’

‘I’m sorry.’

Whenever something similar happened, the leader took on the role of protecting and comforting Minje. If it hadn’t been for the leader, he wouldn’t have been able to endure it until debut, regardless of the penalty fees, and would have quit. Minje gripped his constantly trembling shoulders with both hands and forced his eyes to hold back tears so his makeup wouldn’t be ruined. The leader, who was watching Minje quietly, continued speaking gently.

‘Cheon Minje. ……it.’

🍊

“This isn’t a formal audition, so don’t be too nervous. We’re just trying to see your chemistry with Wonoh. Just act like you’re friends~.”

“Ugh. How am I supposed to act like a friend with Choi Wonoh, Director!”

“Haha. Well, if you can’t do that, you can’t shoot a movie, can you.”

Director Shin Jiho, who had made a subtly cutting remark, said it was a hassle, so they would just go in the order they were sitting, and called Kyungsoo into the empty practice room first. Kyungsoo gaped, glanced at Minje once, and then followed Director Shin with a despairing look on his face.

The man who was with Choi Wonoh, Im Gihwan, was said to have suggested an impromptu audition after seeing the group gathered for the acting class. He explained that he was a rookie film director who was starting to gain attention after winning an award at a domestic film festival for his debut film with a strong independent color, and that he was preparing for his second film, starring Choi Wonoh.

Hearing that explanation, Minje’s mouth fell open in surprise.

He knew what this movie was. It had garnered attention for the reason that Choi Wonoh had chosen a rookie director’s work, subverting expectations that if he were to act in a movie, it would be in one directed by his father, Choi Cheowon. The film’s own quality and Choi Wonoh’s acting skills provided a strong late surge, allowing it to break even in the shortest period of time. It was a massive hit. As a finishing touch, after winning the Best Picture award at an international film festival, it was even re-released in theaters nationwide.

Director Shin had explained briefly that the title of this movie was still undecided, but Minje knew what the title of this movie was.

<Round and Round, Youth>

Cheon Minje had seen this movie three times in the theater, and after the movie’s run ended, he bought the VOD and watched it until it was worn out. If there was a turning point in the relationship between himself and Choi Wonoh, who had no good impression of each other, its beginning was this movie.

Although in places where they might actually meet, it had long become a daily routine to hide and avoid him, afraid of hearing that contemptuous voice again, when he was alone at home, he would lie on his side on the sofa and look at his face again and again. Cheon Minje felt a considerable intimacy with the Choi Wonoh on the screen. Strangely, that face, voice, and every gesture seemed to comfort Minje from beyond the screen. The admiration he secretly nurtured, unknown to the other party, was akin to a one-sided love.

“Ha, fuck… I totally bombed it, hyung.”

Kyungsoo, who had returned quickly, tore at his hair with a mournful expression. A few of the others who were waiting for their turn crowded around him and started to question him insistently.

“What did you do? How was it??”

“I don’t know, they just told me to have a conversation with Choi Wonoh like a friend, without any lines or stage directions… Shit, how is that even possible.”

“Whoa, damn. Are they testing how thick-skinned you are, or something?”

Amidst the noisy crowd, Minje stared blankly at his own hands. This role was that of Choi Wonoh’s best friend in the movie. The actor who played the friend, as Minje remembered, was overshadowed by Choi Wonoh throughout the movie and disappeared from the entertainment industry after this film without any notable achievements.

It wasn’t that he didn’t think he was stealing that actor’s spot, but the excitement was greater than the guilt. Minje recalled the lines he remembered vividly. His fingertips began to tingle slightly, unable to believe a situation that was so clearly advantageous to him.

He had never even imagined that he would be able to act with Choi Wonoh. Of course, today’s audition could be the first and last time…

“Next is Mr. Cheon Minje, please come in.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kyungsoo said, “Fighting, hyung,” and held out his fist as if for an American-style greeting. Minje, his mind elsewhere, met his fist with his palm instead and then moved his long legs toward the practice room where Choi Wonoh was.

“Ah, hello. My name is Cheon Minje.”

“Hello. I’m Director Im Gihwan.”

The man who introduced himself as Im Gihwan looked to be in his thirties. Having only seen his neat face in awards ceremony videos, Minje didn’t recognize the robust man with his bangs down casually and wearing horn-rimmed glasses at first.

“And this is, as you know, Mr. Choi Wonoh.”

Choi Wonoh met Minje’s eyes and gave a slight nod.

The moment their eyes met, Minje’s face froze.

……This won’t work after all. He’s a dominant; he’ll definitely notice my pheromones. The cold gaze he had seen in his past life was slowly closing in on Minje again. His fingertips began to tremble slightly. Just then, a vibration sound was heard from somewhere.

“Ah, sorry. I need to take this call. Please talk amongst yourselves for a moment.”

Director Im hurriedly stood up, holding a phone that looked ridiculously small in his hand, and left the practice room.

“……”

“……”

Thanks to that, the atmosphere seemed to change for a moment, but for the frozen Minje, it was even more of an ordeal to be in the same space with Choi Wonoh like this.

“Huh? What are you two doing? Where’s Director Im?”