​“Perfect, Beom Seok-ssi,” the stylist said with a nod. “You look just like the character.”

​But he wasn’t Beom Seok. Not now. He was Park Si-eun, the lead role in the upcoming drama, "At Our Seventeen." He practiced a serious, slightly moody expression in the mirror, dropping his bright smile in an instant. Si-eun was a typical romance male lead—a little brooding, a little mysterious, with a hidden heart of gold.

​A director from the crew called out from the door. “Beom Seok-ssi, are you ready? We’re about to start.”

​“Yes, I’m ready,” Beom Seok replied, his voice a little deeper than usual to match the persona. He took one last look at his reflection, the image of his true self giving way to the character he had to be.

​Beom Seok walked out of the dressing room, still in his brooding Si-eun persona, and headed for the set. He saw his co-star, Nayeon, standing near the fountain, already in her costume. She wore a similar school uniform and her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.

​As he approached, she gave him a cheerful smile that matched her character, Jang Bora.

​“You look the part,” Nayeon said, still in character.

​“And you look the part of a woman who just stole my surname, Bora,” Beom Seok shot back, his voice a quiet, brooding mumble that made Nayeon laugh, breaking her cheerful facade.

​“It was just a coincidence, Park Si-eun,” she laughed. “Though I will admit, you are the perfect brooding romance male lead.”

​“And you,” he said, letting a sliver of his real smile peek through, “are the perfect cheerful and emotionally sharp heroine.”

​A director from the crew called out for them to get ready. The lighthearted conversation ended as quickly as it began. They took their places. Beom Seok’s expression returned to a quiet, intense frown. Nayeon’s face lit up with a bright, determined cheerfulness. The cameras rolled.

​Jang Bora, with a cheerful but piercing gaze, approached Park Si-eun and looked at the fountain he was so intently studying. "Thinking about jumping in, are you? The water is cold this time of year, but I'm sure it matches your personality."

​Park Si-eun's expression remained unmoved, a mask of quiet contemplation. He raised a brow. "How about you're the one jumping, Jang Bora. Your cheerfulness needs a cooldown, it's... annoying." He made his eyes show some adorement.

​"Oh, it's not cheerfulness. It's an honest assessment," she said, her voice bright. "I'm simply observing that if you scowl any harder, your face might just get stuck that way."

​He didn't respond, a small sigh escaping his lips that was exactly what the director wanted. They continued their lines, a back-and-forth of her bright words and his quiet, brooding nature, until the end of the scene.

​"Cut! And that's a wrap!" the Director called out. "That was perfect, you two!"

​As the crew relaxed around them, Nayeon, who was still in character, reached out and poked Beom Seok's shoulder with a mischievous finger. Then she pinched him, which made him jump a little. "You're still brooding. Pinching your hands up!" she said in a playful, English tone. Instinctively, he raised his hands up.

​Beom Seok blinked, his mind reeling. Was that... an ad-lib? He had to fight the urge to break character. A real ad-lib. He responded as his character would; he schooled his expression then glared.

​"Wait, wait, don't move!" The director rushed over, looking at the playback on his monitor. "That's perfect! Let's keep that! The ad-lib works!"

​Beom Seok turned to Nayeon, a genuine smile replacing his character’s scowl. "Your ad-lib was great, Nayeon-ssi."

​"Ad-lib? No, I just wanted to make some bloopers," she said with a cheeky grin.

​Beom Seok’s smile faltered. "What?"

​"You're really good, Bomsok-ssi," she said, her praise now sincere. "Even with that, you still stayed in character."

​"Of course," he replied, his voice still a little deeper than his usual. "Because we were still in the scene, so I acted how Si-eun is supposedly supposed to if that happened."

​Nayeon's smile softened. "Luckily my Bora is cheerful, so in that moment, I could act in character in some way."

​They were soon joined by the other supporting actors. They all gathered in a small circle, laughing and talking as the crew prepared the next scene. The atmosphere was light and friendly, a welcome break from the intense focus of filming. They decided to take a group selfie. Beom Seok pulled out his phone, and they all made funny faces, crowding together for the picture.

​After they finished, Beom Seok posted the selfie to his social media, adding a caption about their hard work. He was scrolling through the comments when he paused. An account that looked like an... NSFW account liked his photo. He squinted at the username, reading it slowly. Nampilseokwon.

​He immediately remembered his last conversation with Minho. He widened his eyes. Minho hyung?!

​Some Years Ago 

​Minho’s peace was never easily shaken. Not by stress, not by deadlines—and definitely not by hate comments. So when Beom Seok asked him about them, Minho welcomed them.

​He said they were “good for improvement.”

​He claimed some haters were brutally honest in ways fans never dared to be.

​He meant it, too.

​Some Days Later 

​So when Beom Seok, who wore a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled while his blazer hung over his arm, wandered into the living room one late night and found Minho alone, the soft blue glow of his laptop lighting up his face like a villain in an indie film, he knew exactly what was happening.

​“You reading hate again?” Beom Seok asked, already half-smiling as he dropped onto the couch beside him.

​Minho didn’t even look up. “Research.”

​Beom Seok’s smile widened. “What, plotting your next book, hyung? Or prepping another savage quote for your next interview?”

​With a sigh so slow it was almost threatening, Minho closed the lid of his laptop.

​“You ever try searching your name,” he said, “but with a zero instead of an O or maybe some symbol?”

​Beom Seok blinked. “What? No.”

​“You should,” Minho said, as if suggesting a good recipe. “You’ll find the real ones. The ones who hate you but are too embarrassed to admit they Google you every day.”

​Beom Seok shuddered. “That’s… terrifying.”

​“They’re honest in hate,” Minho shrugged. “More honest than some fans are in love.”

​There was a beat of silence.

​“You actually read that stuff?” Beom Seok asked, incredulous.

​“I read it. I file it. I track how far it spreads.”

​He said it casually, like checking the weather.

​“If it’s about you, I squash it. If it’s about me, I recycle it into jokes. Sometimes they don’t even notice I’m quoting them back during interviews.”

​Beom Seok stared. “You’re terrifying.”

​Minho glanced at him then ruffled his hair, making him squawk. “I prefer ‘useful.’”

​Ten minutes later, Beom Seok burst into Minho and Nozomu's shared room holding up his phone like it was evidence in a crime drama.

​“WHY is your burner account is NFSW and following something called NFSW?!”

​Minho, unfazed, looked up from his bed. “Strong emotional transitions. Subtle hand placement. Good narrative beats.”

​Beom Seok gawked at him. “THEY DO THING AND CALL THE LEAD ‘DADDY’!”

​“Chapter fourteen escalated quickly,” Minho said without a hint of irony. “I took notes. And did you forget I am into steamy stuff?”

​“You’re not real, hyung,” Beom Seok muttered, rubbing his temples.

​Minho calmly walked over and bonked him on the forehead.

​“Still dramatic as ever, Seokie.”

​Beom Seok groaned. “Why do you always hit my face?!”

​“Because I’m a ‘pass-a-fist.’” he said the last part in English.

​“…Hyung, ‘pacifist’ doesn’t mean that.”

​Then Minho talked in English. “I said ‘Pass a fist.’”

​Beom Seok gawked. "An English pun?!"

​Minho gave him a slow nod.

​And bonked him again.

​“HYUNG, NOT MY FACE AGAIN!”

​Present 

​"Ah, the NSFW account," another actor commented, chuckling.

​Meanwhile, Beom Seok sweatdropped and laughed nervously. "Haha... yeah, that kind of account."

​Minho hyung, why?!

​Meanwhile at the Modeling Place 

​The session had just ended, and a photographer called for a brief break. Minho sat down on a stool, grabbing his phone from his bag. He opened his social media and saw that Beom Seok had just posted. A soft, mischievous smile played on his lips.

​He picked up his phone, his thumb hovering over Beom Seok’s recent post. Seokie will be surprised, he thought, a quiet chuckle escaping him. But as his hyung, I should give him my support... and a little trolling. He switched to his private burner account, his finger moving to hit the 'like' button.

​The photographer, who had been focused on Minho's expression, noticed the change. "Minho-ssi, you look quite pleased. Everything okay?"

​Minho looked up, his smile unwavering. “Just teasing my dongsaeng,” he said smoothly. He put his phone back in his pocket. I have a normal account, of course. But liking his post with my private burner account that follows NSFW stuff, that’s just fun trolling.

​Another session started. Minho stood up and returned to the set. He smiled. Maybe I’ll check again using my burner account. He'd use symbols and numbers to find haters talking about Bomsok or Beom Seok after this modeling gig ends, of course.

​Another session began, and Minho was ready. He'd been asked to change into a sleek, dark suit for the next shot. The photographer adjusted the lighting as Minho straightened his tie.

​He suddenly chuckled, and the photographer, curious, asked, "What's funny?"

​"It just reminded me this is Seokie's casual outfit," Minho replied, still smiling. "Minus the tie, of course."

​The photographer's eyebrows raised in surprise. "So he really wears this every day?"

​Minho nodded. "Yep, dress shirt every day. The layer is based on the season. Spring and fall are blazers, summer is a vest, winter is an overcoat. The core is always a dress shirt." He paused, adjusting his cufflink. "Though his dress shirt is based on the season too. Mostly he wears long sleeves for spring, fall, and winter, while for summer, it's a short-sleeve one."

Minho fixed his tie and adjusted his collar, his lips curling into a satisfied half-smirk. He was ready, and he knew it. "Alright. Let's get this done."