The Second Week of March
Brrring—
The phone alarm went off the moment the morning sunlight hit his face.
Mu-yeong rubbed his eyes and sat up with effort.Next to him, Junho was sprawled out on his back, belly exposed, dead to the world.
"Im Junho. Get up."
"Urgh…"
Even when Mu-yeong shook his shoulder, he didn't budge.
It had already been three days since they wrapped filming with En-bin.Over the weekend, they had used Junho's house as a base for the extra shoots, which were finally finished.Now, it was time to trade the film set for a lecture hall.
"I'm leaving first, okay? Don't blame me if you're late for work."
"Mmmph…"
With no other choice, Mu-yeong got dressed and left the room.Each bedroom in the house had its own bathroom, and the long hallway echoed faintly with his footsteps.
"Why would anyone move out when they live in a place like this?"
Grrr—
The smell of grilled meat filled the spacious home.
When he walked into the kitchen, Junho's parents greeted him warmly.
"Mu-yeong, you're up?"
"Good morning, sir, ma'am."
"You said your classes start today?"
It was like a scene from a picture book—a lavish breakfast spread and a family chatting over the table.
Junho's father set down his newspaper and smiled kindly.
"Yes, sir. Orientation week's over, so I have to actually show up now."
During the orientation week, students could still add or drop courses—otherwise, he would've started with a demerit for attendance.
"Lucky timing. Imagine if filming had overlapped with your exams."
"Exactly. If it hadn't been just for Episode 1, I'd have been in trouble."
"No more filming now?"
"No, sir. I'm completely done."
"Since you're at Seoyeon University, you'll have to study hard. Only top students get in there, right? Still no part-time job?"
"I posted a tutoring ad, but no one's reached out yet. Probably because I'm a freshman with no experience."
"I'll ask around with some of my friends."
"Hehe, thank you so much."
They say comfort comes from carbs and a full wallet—Junho's parents were the embodiment of kindness.Whenever he saw them, Mu-yeong was reminded of what family truly meant.
"It's your first class today. Eat well before you go."
On the table sat beef—bought with his very first paycheck of ₩300,000.
He owed a lot of people thanks,but above all, Junho.
"I told you to have it when I wasn't around."
"Nonsense. Meat tastes best when shared."
They'd given him food, shelter, and warmth—like real family, despite being just high schoolers not long ago.Without their support, none of this would've been possible.
"You're moving into the dorm today, right? Visit often. If you miss home-cooked food, I'll make you some."
While eating rice topped with beef and kimchi,Mu-yeong chatted about everything—En-bin's real-life charm, the set's atmosphere, and future plans.
"Since it's an omnibus series, En-bin's still filming.They said they'll decide on extra episodes depending on the response, but who knows."
"When does the first episode air?"
"This Friday, I think."
"I'll give it a thumbs-up, then. Haha.Imagine that—our boy's got a celebrity friend."
"It's just small talk, sir. We haven't really kept in touch."
Well, he had exchanged a few messages on social media—but as the replies grew slower, the conversation faded naturally.
Still, he smiled as he scraped up his last bite.
"We'll probably meet again. Oh, right—there's supposed to be a wrap-up party once the first episode airs. Maybe then."
"A wrap-up with celebrities, huh? You're practically a star now."
"No way. And honestly, En-bin doesn't feel much like a celebrity. Haha.He's kinda like Junho, actually."
"...What's this? Talking behind my back?"
Junho appeared, scratching his stomach and yawning.Mu-yeong nodded without hesitation.
"You're definitely no gentleman."
"Yaaawn—! If you're done eating, let's go. I'll give you a ride."
"Aren't you eating?"
"Nah, I'll be downstairs. Hurry up."
Junho grabbed an apple off the table and trudged out.His mother sighed.
"He's been on some diet nonsense lately.It's been ages since he ate breakfast at home."
"Diet? Junho?"
"Apparently, in fashion companies they use their interns as fitting models to save labor costs.His aunt said even his cousin's gotten all skinny because of it."
The same Junho who used to shovel meat into Bora's bowl—what a turnaround.
Clicking his tongue, Mu-yeong grabbed his coat.
"Thank you again, sir, ma'am. For everything."
"Go safely."
"Come by often, Mu-yeong."
"I will. Thank you."
He bowed deeply and dashed out the door.
Junho sat behind the wheel, gnawing on his apple like a zombie.
Thunk—
The moment Mu-yeong got in, the car rolled forward.The sluggish steering spoke for itself—he was exhausted.
"You okay?"
"Nope. This diet's hell. Why do people do this to themselves?"
"Then don't. You're fine as you are."
"I'd love to, but the company's going all-in this season.They're bringing in a celebrity model for a big portal ad,so we've been on strict measurements since last week."
"You're doing the fitting?"
"Me and the whole team. Just chicken breast every meal.The new line's super skinny-fit."
He looked worn out, but he must've been enjoying the challenge—since he never once said he wanted to quit.
"Who's the model?"
"JB. That new guy they're pushing hard on variety shows."
Never heard of him.
Junho glanced sideways at him and muttered:
"You should count yourself lucky you can eat anything and stay slim.Our Bora must be going through the same hell right now.Sigh… shared suffering—it's fate, man. Fate."
"Our Bora? God, you're hopeless."
"Honestly, celebrity models are overrated.I don't get why brands push themselves so hard for that.They'd be better off hiring you or Bora."
Mu-yeong turned his head sharply.
Forget modeling—he only cared about one thing.
"How much does it pay?"
"Depends on your tier. Don't get your hopes up, though.I already suggested it and got shot down.I'm just the lowest of the low there."
Tsk. What a shame.
Modeling, huh.Standing in front of a camera—wasn't that kind of like acting?Or… maybe not quite the same.
Mu-yeong snatched the apple from Junho's hand and took a bite.
"I'll give you a friend discount. Whenever you need someone, call me."
It might actually be fun to try once.
Junho chuckled, changing lanes.Up ahead, the Seoyeon University gate came into view.
"Yeah, sure. Thanks a lot, Mr. Actor.If you're serious, you should apply for something like a campus model gig."
"They have those?"
"You're the student—you tell me.So, dorm first or straight to class?"
"Hmm… let's see. The lecture hall."
The timing was tricky.Mu-yeong had planned to visit the dorm first since he hadn't even set foot in it yet,but looking at the clock, that clearly wasn't going to happen.
He glanced around and turned to Junho.
"Can you drop me off around here?"
"Sure thing. Good luck, man."
"You too—keep shedding those pounds."
Vroooom—
Junho rolled down the window and waved jokingly as he drove off.Whether it was showbiz or fashion, any job that relied on appearances seemed rough.
"Let's see… Here? Hanbom Hall, Room 501?"
The class was Introduction to Global Culture, a mandatory first-year course for his major.Which meant most of the people inside would be his classmates.
With a slight flutter in his chest, Mu-yeong opened the back door.
Click—
"Wanna hit that new café by the back gate after class?"
"And then he took a shot, and tears just—boom!—started falling!"
"Hahaha! No way!"
The lecture room was buzzing.Aside from the lack of uniforms, it didn't look much different from high school.
Mu-yeong glanced around awkwardly, looking for an empty seat.
"Wow… they all seem so close already."
It had only been a week since the semester began,but with orientation and department meetings done, anyone who wanted friends had already made them.
"Uh, excuse me. Is this seat taken?"
If you hadn't completely ghosted orientation like Mu-yeong had,you probably wouldn't be sitting alone now.
The guy he asked turned, mid-conversation.
"Uh…"
Someone unfamiliar—and strikingly tall and handsome.His words trailed off as he blinked up at him.
Mu-yeong smiled awkwardly and apologized.
"Oh, sorry. Guess it's taken."
"N-no, it's free."
"Ah! Thanks."
The group chatting with the guy fell silent, sneaking glances at the newcomer.A strange, quiet tension spread through the room,and little by little, the once lively classroom grew silent.
"...?"
Mu-yeong blinked and turned his head.Something felt off.
"What's… going on?"
A few students were openly staring.Most pretended not to but kept sneaking looks.
His pupils trembled.
Why did it suddenly get so quiet?
"Wait—what if this is that university outcast thing?What do they call it again? An… outsider? An assa?"
A flood of random worries filled his mind.No way, right? They couldn't possibly be ostracizing him just for skipping orientation?
Frozen in place, Mu-yeong prayed for the professor to start class soon.Then the guy next to him leaned in cautiously.
"Uh, are you… a senior?"
Technically, it was a first-year class,but upperclassmen could take it too if they'd missed it before.
"No, I just enrolled—"
"Then you're a freshman too? Weird, I've never seen you before.You didn't come to orientation or the welcome party, right?What's your name? Wait, first—how old are you?"
"Hey! I'm the class rep, and this guy's the vice-rep.I repeated a year, by the way."
"You don't sound like you're from Seoul."
And just like that, the silence broke.The noise flooded back in, students chatting and whispering again—mostly about him.
For the girls, it was like watching a scene out of a youth drama come to life.
"Thank you, universe!"
Maybe campus life really could be like the movies.
Compared to the model poster on the bulletin board,the real thing sitting in front of them—Mu-yeong—was leagues above.
They couldn't help but sneak glances, their minds already jumping to the upcoming freshman mixer.
Click.
"Good morning! Wow, everyone's lively today."
The professor entered with a bright voice.
Among the rows of ordinary students,one figure stood out immediately.
The professor's intuition told him exactly who'd caused the stir.
"Orientation's over, right?Starting today, attendance counts toward your grade.Let's take roll. Kim Garang!"
"—and that'll be all for today."
"Thank you!"
"See you next time!"
"Don't forget your assignments!"
Two and a half hours later, the class finally ended.
After a string of one-hour lectures, this marathon session had drained him completely.Mu-yeong rubbed his tired eyes and rested his head on his desk.
"Hey, Mu-yeong. You got another class after this?"
"Nope, that was the last one."
It was the class rep and his friends again.They zipped up their bags and grinned.
"Then let's grab lunch together."
"You haven't tried the cafeteria yet, right? It's actually good."
"Oh, and your dorm's near the student center, right?We can eat and you can head straight there."
Thanks to them, Mu-yeong found himself easing into the group naturally.He nodded gratefully.
"Sounds good."
Then he took out his phone, which he'd kept off during class.He was about to slip it back into his pocket when—
Bzzz—Bzzzz—Bzzz—Bzzzz—
Missed call alerts exploded across the screen.
He stopped mid-step.
"…What the…? Eighteen missed calls from En-bin?Seven from unknown numbers… and four from the team leader?"
He quickly redialed the last number—from his manager.The call connected almost instantly.
"Mu-yeong! Are you busy?"
"I was in class. Did something happen?"
The team leader's voice quivered slightly,and Mu-yeong's stomach dropped.Something was definitely wrong.
"En-bin and his agency said they couldn't reach you.They called us directly. You should call him right away."
Mu-yeong stepped aside from the group, gripping his phone tighter.
The trembling in his manager's voice only confirmed it—this wasn't good news.
"…Also, the upload scheduled for this Friday—it's getting postponed.Indefinitely, from the sound of it."
"What? Why?"
"It's not on our end. It's En-bin.Word is… he's halting all activities.Something about a leaked video?"