Chapter 110.1

Chapter 110.1

The Tisch School of the Arts at New York University stood in the heart of the East Village, an area deep in the throes of gentrification.

The people walking its streets were, on average, at least twenty years younger than those on the Upper East Side. Their unique clothes and easygoing energy gave the neighborhood the unmistakable pulse of a university district.

Stepping out of his sedan, André entered the building marked by a purple flag bearing a white torch emblem. His neatly pressed suit made him stand out. The security guard, assuming he was a professor, nodded politely and let him through.

His destination was the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, where Seunghyuk was a graduate student.

That morning, André had powered on Miran’s old phone and called the last number she had dialed before leaving. The fact that it belonged to Nam Seunghyuk tore open a wound that hadn’t yet healed.

If André were to rank the people he least wanted to see, Nam Seunghyuk would sit higher than Gordon Lowell.

But there was something he had to confirm.

― Hello?

[This is André de Lafayette. Could you spare a moment this evening at seven?]

There was a brief silence on the other end. Just as André thought he might refuse, Seunghyuk spoke.

― That might be difficult. I’ve already booked the editing lab for post-production work tonight.

[Then I’ll come to you.]

― …All right, then. Kanbar Institute, Post-Production Center, tenth floor.

Seunghyuk didn’t even bother to ask why André wanted to meet. That casual indifference rubbed him the wrong way.

What had the man done to make Miran decide to act again?

She had told André she wanted to become a flight attendant.

The relationship between the two had always been strange. Miran had confessed that she once had a crush on Seunghyuk, and Seunghyuk, in turn, had shown her excessive kindness and consideration.

What kind of look had Miran given him? Had she smiled at him the same way she used to smile at André—warm and radiant like sunlight? Did she still love him?

It felt like his body was burning alive. He exhaled a heavy breath toward the ceiling, trying to steady himself.

The ruin of Miran’s acting career had been largely his fault. So if she wanted to act again, he intended to help her in any way he could.

Even if that meant working on Nam Seunghyuk’s film.

When André reached the tenth floor, he stopped in front of the editing room door and knocked. A voice called out moments later.

[Come in!]

As he stepped inside, three men who had been watching the monitor of a Steenbeck editing machine turned their heads toward him. Metal film reels were stacked waist-high, and scraps of cut film were scattered messily across the floor.

Seunghyuk stood up, greeting him with a polite nod, then pointed to a table on one side of the room.

[It’s been a while. Please, have a seat.]

André walked over to the cluttered table, covered in unfamiliar equipment and strips of film, and sat down on a folding metal chair. Seunghyuk poured a mug of dark coffee from the pot sitting in the corner.

[Coffee?]

André shook his head.

Seunghyuk pressed his fingertips to his eyelids, then ran a hand through his hair and looked at him with bloodshot eyes.

[What brings you here?]

[I heard Miran shot a short film. I’d like to know what kind of film it is, and what role she plays.]

Seunghyuk tilted his head slightly, hesitating for a moment before meeting André’s gaze. His eyes were calm, deliberate, and stubborn.

[And why should I tell you that?]

[…Because I intend to invest in it.]

The editing room fell silent. Then one of the men sitting in front of the Steenbeck suddenly stood up and approached the table.

[Hello, sir. I’m the producer, Jung Hyunsu. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but when I heard you mention investing in the film, I couldn’t help but join the conversation.]

Hyunsu smiled awkwardly and pulled up a chair. Seunghyuk let out a long sigh, glaring at him in exasperation.

[You must be Ms. Miran’s boyfriend, right?]

At Hyunsu’s question, André gave a brief nod.