Chapter 4
I Like You
<Prince Hodong>
The first production Jinju worked on after starting at the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe was a fusion historical drama.
She was a fourth-year student, but had only one course left, and even that was a performance-preparation class, so her attendance at the troupe could substitute for academic credits.
Jinju held the script tightly in her hands.
At the table read, all members of the troupe greeted one another first. Jinju smiled as Jinsoo stood up to greet everyone, intending to greet the entire company.
“Hello, I’m Baek Jinsoo, playing Prince Hodong in this production. I look forward to working with you all.”
Baek Jinsoo—one of the so-called “three flower boys” representing the young male talents of the traditional music world. He was the son and disciple of Nam Ae-sun, and also Jinju’s senior from the same school.
“Wow!”
As Jinsoo stood and introduced himself, Jinju clapped the table loudly with the biggest cheer she could muster, her face lit up with delight as if she could not be happier. Around her, others also welcomed Jinsoo warmly.
“Look at Jinju—she’s been calling him her older brother since they were kids. Jinsoo must feel so reassured having a younger sister like that at work.”
“Of course. Our Jinsoo oppa is the best-looking after all.”
Jinju answered before Jinsoo even had the chance, not hiding her affection. She smiled brightly at him, and Jinsoo, meeting her gaze, smiled back.
Then Jinju’s eyes met those of Director Lee Yoonjae, who was seated at the far end of the table, watching her.
Why is he like that?
It wasn’t certain, but it felt like he had been glaring at her constantly.
Since the blind date, it would be a lie to say Jinju hadn’t been aware of Yoonjae at all.
This is so uncomfortable I could die.
Even as Jinju greeted the rest of the troupe, she tried her best to ignore his persistent gaze. Meanwhile, Yoonjae greeted the others while intermittently locking his attention on Baek Jinju.
That woman… why is she looking at me like that?
Thinking back, ever since their first arranged meeting, her eyes had always carried something like disdain.
Yoonjae had never been looked at like that before. Rather, Jinju’s indifferent avoidance made him even more unsettled.
But observing closely, she didn’t look at all men that way. At the first troupe orientation, Jinju had greeted the other male members with bright smiles and excessive friendliness.
And toward Jinsoo, the man she had grown up with, she showed a warmth and radiance he had never seen directed at anyone else.
So she’s only ignoring me?
Whenever their eyes accidentally met during rehearsals, her expression would subtly twist into something like disappointment or contempt.
She clearly knew he was watching her—but she deliberately avoided his gaze.
Haa… what an odd woman.
*
“Wait! Baek Jinju!”
Director Lee Yoonjae’s sharp voice thundered across the stage.
“How many times is this? I’ve told you repeatedly—that is not the expression for that scene!”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do it again.”
It was already the same mistake several times over. Jinju’s role was the younger sister of Princess Nakrang, a naive girl who falls in love with a royal guard.
But her acting remained awkward, resulting in repeated NGs. After watching a few more takes, Yoonjae finally raised his voice.
“Cut! We can’t keep rehearsing like this. Let’s take a 20-minute break.”
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
Jinju bowed repeatedly, feeling deeply apologetic to her seniors. No matter how hard she tried, it never seemed to meet Yoonjae’s standards.
She left the rehearsal hall, feeling guilty toward the entire troupe. The others glanced at her but said nothing, only exchanging uneasy looks. Unable to control her expression, Jinju slipped into the restroom and locked the door.
“Haa…”
Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back.
This is nothing. Even her master and her father had told her countless times that beginners always hear “that’s not right” at first. She was used to practicing again and again to correct her flaws.
Traditional pansori focused on vocal expression—sound, narration, and movement—while remaining fundamentally static in structure. Changgeuk, however, placed far greater emphasis on acting. For Jinju, learning it for the first time was a new challenge.
Even so, she wanted to prove herself to that arrogant man who judged her so casually.
But her determination was not entirely realistic.
What is this…
Her nose stung and her eyes grew hot. Jinju wiped her nose quickly with her hand.
She wouldn’t be Baek Jinju if she gave up so easily. She just had to practice more and fix it.
Steeling herself, she composed her face in the mirror.
When she stepped out, Jinsoo was waiting outside the women’s restroom, looking worried.
Without a word, he handed her a bottle of water. They sat together on a bench in the lobby. Jinsoo studied her face.
“Wow, your fiancé is really strict.”
Jinju glanced around nervously in case someone overheard, then hissed quietly at him.
“Be quiet.”
Jinsoo already knew about the engagement rumors between Yoonjae and Jinju from Nam Ae-sun.
“So things are a bit awkward between you two?”
“No. You’re misunderstanding.”
“Why did you join the troupe so quickly after graduating? You’re just making life harder for yourself.”
“I like being on stage with you, oppa.”
When it was just the two of them, they were warm and familiar—like real siblings who had grown up bickering together.
“Oppa, after practice today, let’s go eat dinner and get ice cream.”
“Again? Strawberry ice cream?”
“After getting scolded by the director, strawberry ice cream sounds perfect.”
“Alright.”
“Yay! Hehe.”
Jinju grinned brightly, clearly cheered up by the idea.
“Baek Jinju.”
At that moment, Yoonjae’s voice called her name. His voice was low and resonant, echoing through the high-ceilinged lobby. Jinju startled and stood up quickly.
“Yes!”
He walked toward her.
“I have something to say.”
“Oh, yes.”
Reading the atmosphere, Jinsoo politely excused himself and returned to the rehearsal room.
“Have you ever been in love with someone?”
Yoonjae suddenly asked. He stepped closer to Jinju, who stiffened in front of him.
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
Fear and confusion flickered in her eyes.
“Baek Jinju.”
“Yes—yes!”
Her clear eyes met his directly. His face moved closer.
“I like you.”
His deep voice reverberated through the lobby. His breath was dangerously close—hot and overwhelming.
Startled by how near he was, Jinju stepped backward. But she lost her footing and staggered.
Before she could fall, Yoonjae caught her.
One hand held her wrist, the other circled her waist lightly.
Jinju’s face flushed red in shock as their eyes met in that position.
His dark gaze felt like it could pierce through her. Jinju squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. It was a completely unfamiliar look—deep, layered, and unsettling. Her breath quickened.
Haa…
Trying to steady herself, she straightened her body and calmed her breathing. Her ears and cheeks were completely red.
Yoonjae quickly regained his usual expression, as if nothing had happened.
Jinju felt disoriented, as though she had met a completely different person.
Now even the skin beneath her neck had turned red.
What is happening right now?
There was no strength in his grip at all.
“Did you see my expression just now?”
“Pardon?”
She didn’t understand immediately.
“The kind of gaze I want you to show on stage when falling in love.”
Ah.
Embarrassment flooded her. Jinju lowered her head and stared at the floor.
So it was acting direction?
“Do you understand?”
“Yes. I understand…”
She quickly bowed and returned to the rehearsal room.
Yoonjae stood still for a few seconds, watching her disappear.
Haa.
Why did I do that?
It was hard to define whether it was jealousy or curiosity.
He slowly ran his thumb over his lower lip, replaying the moment.
He had come out intending to apologize for being too harsh on Jinju—but seeing her sitting so warmly with Baek Jinsoo had stirred something inside him.
And the moment their eyes met, why had he called her so impulsively?
That wasn’t like him at all.
“I like you?”
Using acting direction as an excuse—how absurd.
He let out a short, self-mocking laugh.
“I like you.”
Jinju lay in bed, unable to sleep for several days.
What is this.
The scene in the lobby—his dark eyes, his voice—kept replaying like a hallucination.
“I like you” was a line she heard constantly on stage. But what she experienced then was completely different.
Yoonjae’s intense gaze wouldn’t leave her mind. Seeing her own reflection trapped inside his eyes, shaking along with them, was something entirely new and unsettling.
And as time passed, the memory only grew clearer.
The faint, cool, sweet scent from him. The strong grip on her wrist. The arm around her waist. The solid feeling of his body against hers—it all remained vividly imprinted.
She had thought memories faded easily. But this one was different. It had form, sensation, even scent—fully three-dimensional.
“I need to sleep, Baek Jinju.”
She pulled the blanket over herself and muttered like a spell. She usually woke up early, so sleeping early was normal for her—but lately, those drifting memories kept her awake.
What’s wrong with me.
She had never experienced anything like this before, so she could only try to sleep without knowing the answer.
At last, the curtain rose on Prince Hodong. As time passed and performances continued, the actors grew more comfortable, and the production matured.
One evening after a performance, Jinju greeted acquaintances who had visited and headed toward the dressing room. Then she suddenly felt a burning gaze.
“Baek Jinju.”
At the low voice, she turned her head and froze.
Yoonjae was walking toward her.
Why… why is he coming again?
—“I like you.”
Haa.
The memory overlapped with the present. Jinju inhaled sharply and straightened her stiff shoulders.
She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts.
“Yes, Director.”
“Hey…”
He kept approaching. His tall frame soon filled her entire field of vision, casting a shadow over her.
“…!”
He stopped right in front of her.
A faint, dry scent brushed her nose—something like wood and stone mixed together.
Looking up, she saw his thick neck and the movement of his Adam’s apple. Another subtle, unfamiliar scent—like lotion—wafted toward her.
“Just a moment. Baek Jinju, don’t move.”
