Yeonwoo had been terrified in advance, fearing the kind of looks he might receive like a guilty man jumping at his own shadow, but those who appeared to be staff merely made room for Yeonwoo without saying anything in particular. They were simply more focused on opening their respective bento box sets placed on the table, seemingly about to have lunch.

"If you haven't had lunch yet, would you like to join us? It'll take a while for the shoot to end, and we have plenty of extra food."

He hadn't been particularly hungry since he had been tasting food while cooking all morning, but Yeonwoo couldn't refuse the kindness of someone placing a lunch box in front of him, so he naturally joined them for the meal.

Yeonwoo took out the side dishes he had brought in a paper bag and spread them out on the table.

"Um... please have some of this too."

The people, who had been focused on their own food, widened their eyes and looked at Yeonwoo. Through the soft rustling sounds, a high pitched voice rang out.

"Wow, what is all this?"

"Oh... I just brought some simple side dishes."

He had intended to give them to Inhyeok, but thinking about it now, it seemed he had brought way too much for just one person.

"Did you make all of this yourself?"

"......Yes."

"Are you a chef, by any chance?"

"No! Nothing like that. I just learned while working part-time jobs."

The staff's chopsticks moved busily over the table. Yeonwoo was too preoccupied glancing at the others to focus on his own meal.

As his side dishes emptied faster than the food in their own lunch boxes, Yeonwoo couldn't hide a satisfied smile.

"It's so delicious. It feels like I'm at my grandmother's house."

"It doesn't taste artificial at all. How can it be this good?"

"You said your name is Yeonwoo, right? Do you take separate orders for side dishes? Or could you at least tell us the restaurant where you work?"

The staff asked Yeonwoo in serious voices.

"I'm working at a food truck right now. You'll probably be able to try the food if you come to the filming set."

"A food truck? Do you take short term gigs too?"

"Even if it's not long term, we sometimes need a food truck for just a day."

However, Yeonwoo hadn't heard how the Dino Food Truck handled its contracts yet, so he couldn't answer immediately.

"I'm a new employee, so I'm not sure if they take short term requests. Right now, we're on a long term contract at a set in Gangwon Province. But just in case, I'll give you my contact information."

Yeonwoo handed them his personal number for now. It might have just been polite talk, but as staff, they were no different from potential future customers.

The staff who was saving Yeonwoo's number asked.

"Then which food truck is it?"

"Oh, you can save it as Dino Food Truck."

"That Dino Food Truck?"

"The one run by the couple with the surnames Gong and Yong?"

He didn't know if there was another Dino truck, but since it was indeed run by a couple, Yeonwoo gave a slight nod.

"Wow, I heard that place wasn't operating anymore."

"I heard the Dino food is so delicious... I've never been to a site where they came. But I'm getting to try it like this today."

"No wonder I felt lucky since this morning."

Whether the Dino Food Truck was quite famous in the industry or not, everyone looked at Yeonwoo with sparkling eyes. Overwhelmed by the continuous barrage of compliments, Yeonwoo shook his head, not knowing what to do.

"But I really just joined. The famous one is Boss Gong, who used to do the cooking before."

"Still! They must have trusted you and handed it over because you're good at cooking."

"These side dishes are already insane."

Yeonwoo couldn't hide the grin that escaped when he heard that his side dishes were delicious.

"Then did you become friends with Actor Sun Inhyeok on set?"

"Ah, about Sun Inhyeok..."

The staff exchanged opinions about how unexpected it was that he was close with Inhyeok. It would be a lie to say they were close, but he couldn't exactly say he had pounced on the actor at a party either.

Just as Yeonwoo was hesitating, Inhyeok, who had entered at some point with his shirt still unbuttoned, cut him off.

"Everyone seems to be quite idle."

Yeonwoo's relaxed face hardened instantly. The staff also looked like startled rabbits at Inhyeok's oppressive mood, which was usually indifferent.

He had been a bit sensitive lately, but since he wasn't the type to show his irritation so openly, the atmosphere froze even more.

"We'll clean up!"

The staff, reading the room, quickly organized their half-eaten lunch boxes. Inhyeok sat down in a chair and closed his eyes tightly, seemingly having no intention of eating.

"He was fine until this morning. Why is he suddenly acting like that?"

"Hey, be quiet and just clean up."

Their gazes naturally turned toward the only variable, Yeonwoo. Feeling unnecessarily guilty, Yeonwoo kept his head down and repeatedly picked up and set down his lunch box.

Inhyeok didn't even glance at the lunch box, as if he weren't going to eat, and sat in the chair in front of the mirror. The friendly atmosphere from just a moment ago was nowhere to be found, replaced by an icy silence.

The staff caught the hint, gathered their lunch boxes, and left the waiting room. However, Yeonwoo could neither leave nor sit down, and hovered near the doorway.

A partition placed between Inhyeok and Yeonwoo partially blocked the view. Yeonwoo shrank his body as much as possible, searching for a position subtly out of his line of sight.

I have to... I have to say something.

Had he not heard from Gwanghyun that he would be coming? Because Inhyeok looked so displeased, Yeonwoo couldn't easily approach him. But since he couldn't let the misunderstanding grow any further, he cautiously explained the situation.

"Um... I contacted the number you gave me, and the manager sent me the address."

Inhyeok recalled the text message from Yeonwoo still on his phone, but he didn't bother correcting Yeonwoo's misunderstanding.

"It seems you get close to anyone quickly, Hong Yeonwoo. If you want to know about me, ask me directly. Why are you digging around with the staff? Like a stalker."

"No! I understand why you'd think that, but until now, we were only talking about food trucks and food! And as for being a stalker or something, I really..."

Before Yeonwoo could even finish his explanation, the door behind him swung open. Yeonwoo shivered like a person who had committed a crime and sought refuge in a corner.

"You really came. Seriously... haa."

The large framed Gwanghyun growled while looking at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo had nowhere else to shrink back to, but he crumpled his body while trembling.

However, Gwanghyun only muttered to himself and didn't say anything else to Yeonwoo. He walked right past him and headed around the partition toward Inhyeok.

"Hyung."

Gwanghyun, completely dissatisfied with the situation, wanted to kick Yeonwoo out immediately. But because Inhyeok had abruptly requested that morning not to say anything since Yeonwoo was coming, he couldn't say much.

Whether he knew Gwanghyun was burning with frustration or not, Inhyeok was looking at the partition reflected in the mirror. Yeonwoo seemed to have hidden himself in his own way, but a bit of his collar was peeking out, causing a smirk to escape Inhyeok's lips.

"You're not actually being blackmailed or anything, right? If some weird photo was taken or something, tell me. I need to know so I can prepare."

"It's not like that. And don't worry about Hong Yeonwoo. I'll take care of it."

Inhyeok calmed Gwanghyun down, who looked ready to charge at Yeonwoo at any moment. But Gwanghyun instead let out a sigh with a sorrowful face.

"How can I not worry... do you think I'm you, Hyung?"

"What about me?"

"You're doing things you never used to do. Since when were you so enthusiastic about catching stalkers?"

Gwanghyun grumbled and tore at his hair. Just as he said, Inhyeok himself didn't understand his own choices and actions that were so unlike him.

Breaking the ice cold air, the director entered the waiting room.

"Alright, let's get ready for the next shoot. Gwanghyun, come see me for a second."

The staff who had stepped out also returned to the waiting room following the director. They gave Yeonwoo a brief nod and returned to their respective positions, moving busily.

From hangers lined with costumes to makeup tools, the staff gathered their assigned belongings and swarmed around Inhyeok in an orderly fashion.

Among the busily moving people, Yeonwoo stood in a corner by the door, unable to even sit, looking like a fish out of water. Gwanghyun, who was leaving the waiting room with the director, glared at him as if he wanted to set him on fire, but perhaps because Inhyeok's warning had worked, he didn't say anything to him.

Let's speak properly during the next break.

Since he had come all this way with determination, he needed to have a clear conversation regarding today's compensation.

He only needed to get to Mancheol's shop by 5:00 PM to prepare ingredients. Yeonwoo, glancing at the time, took a spot in the furthest corner to be as out of the way as possible.

But does that person not even eat?

The lunch boxes the staff were eating earlier looked like they had just been delivered, and Inhyeok hadn't put anything in his mouth. If he didn't eat now, when exactly was he planning to eat?

He thought it might be a good time to talk about the situation while offering the side dishes if he happened to have a meal.

Yeonwoo caught Jiyoung, the youngest staff who had greeted him earlier, and asked.

"Excuse me, has everyone finished their meal?"

"Oh, we just took ours out when he came and finished them off quickly."

She answered, recalling how she had hurriedly finished her meal due to Inhyeok's mood.

"Ah, I see..."

"If you're hungry, Yeonwoo, shall I ask for you?"

"No! I'm fine."

Yeonwoo waved his hands hurriedly. Although he had barely eaten, he unusually had no appetite at all, and there was something more important than his own meal right now.

"Then what about Sun Inhyeok? I have more side dishes I brought."

"He usually doesn't eat much. I think he probably won't eat today either."

"I see."

Jiyoung gave a deep bow and left the waiting room with busy steps.

Is he more irritable because he's hungry?

For Yeonwoo, who usually felt his strength draining if he skipped even one meal, it was practically a mystery.

Left alone again, Yeonwoo peeked his head out and looked at Inhyeok reflected in the mirror beyond the partition.

It seems his cold is better now.

Inhyeok's face, with his eyes closed while getting his makeup done, seemed a bit gaunt. Just as Yeonwoo was examining Inhyeok this way and that, his eyes met Inhyeok's in the mirror. He couldn't even look away for fear of Inhyeok misunderstanding that he was sneakily staring at him.

However, the eye contact lasted unexpectedly long, and just as he was thinking it might be better to look away...

Surprisingly, it was Inhyeok who looked away first. He closed his eyes as if to hide his trembling pupils and did not open them again until the makeup was finished.

"Set change complete."

"Costumes are ready. We're going straight into filming! Please do a final hair and makeup check."

Outside the waiting room, the staff, including the director, moved busily and checked the situation. The filming site seen through the door had completely transformed into an office concept before he knew it.

Inhyeok didn't even spare a glance at Yeonwoo, but Yeonwoo couldn't take his eyes off his back. Of all things, he was wearing gray suit pants. It made him recall the torn pants in his closet that he hadn't been able to bring himself to pack.

"Ugh."

Was it because of stress? His head throbbed and his stomach churned. He wanted to go home and lie down right away. Jiyoung gestured for Yeonwoo to follow as he stood frozen behind the wide open waiting room door, holding his head.

"Come this way."

Taking a few deep breaths, Yeonwoo ignored the throbbing headache and followed Jiyoung out of the waiting room.

"You can watch from here."

A temporary place to sit had been arranged in a corner of the studio where the lights were set up.

"Is it okay for me to watch?"

"Of course. It'll take quite a while, so if it's too much, you can go back to the waiting room and rest. But once the main shoot starts, you have to move quietly."

Yeonwoo grew tense in the unfamiliar atmosphere of the studio. Even though they were still just setting up, his body instinctively flinched at the flashing lights every time a camera shutter clicked. Yeonwoo, whose physical condition was already poor, quickly stopped Jiyoung as she was about to leave.

"Could I go to the restroom for a moment?"

He had to settle his churning stomach. Jiyoung noticed that Yeonwoo's complexion was poor, but in her position as the youngest, she was too busy with her immediate tasks to pay any more attention to him.

"If you go inside the waiting room, there's a restroom behind the partition."

Yeonwoo rubbed his temples as the feverish sensation grew. He felt a slight heat radiating against his fingers. Returning to the empty waiting room and getting away from the flashing lights and noise, the headache seemed to ease at least a little.

"Am I about to catch a cold?"

It seemed he ought to either wash his face with cold water and return or wait for Inhyeok's filming to end.

However, the moment Yeonwoo grabbed the restroom door handle, the door swung open violently and someone burst out from inside. In the unexpected situation, Yeonwoo didn't even have time to react properly.

The man, whose face was hidden by a cap pulled low, seemed to pause for a moment upon seeing Yeonwoo, but then, with a short curse, he pushed Yeonwoo's chest hard with both hands.

"Fuck."