Chapter Text
Ivan was watching Seoul’s night cityscape from the limousine window as they were driven to the venue of the gala for the Korea premiere. He was tapping his finger on his lap, head leaning on the cold window.
“This movie is set to be a huge success, I’ll tell you that!” Hyuna was talking on the phone, across Ivan’s seat. Compared to Ivan’s suit, though, hers was a lot more flashy.
Ivan’s eyes found Till from the reflection on the car window.
His suit, on the other hand, could be the most spectacular. Sure, no wonder. If the lead actor wasn’t set to steal the show, there was no point in making a gala.
Although Till didn’t seem to be sharing the same thoughts.
“Quit checking your hair from your phone screen,” Ivan mumbled. “You look fine.”
Till turned his head to both sides, observing how he looked from each angle. “Do you think I used too much gel? Maybe I shouldn’t have slicked it back. Maybe I should’ve left it be. Or styled it different? Should I leave a few strands to fall on my face or not?”
Ivan rolled his eyes. “There is a word in Russian for someone who asks a lot of questions. Pochemuchka. That’s what you are.”
Till frowned at that. “Okay, rude.”
“Once again, you look fine.”
To that, he didn’t answer. Both returned to watching reflections: Till watching his own from the phone screen, Ivan watching Till’s from the rear windowpane.
“You’re telling me Mizi already arrived?” Hyuna went on, on the phone. “Shit—avoid the carpet! I need her to pose with Till. We didn’t arrange those matching outfits for nothing.”
Observing Till’s chiffon and satin suit, Ivan couldn’t help but wonder what Mizi might be wearing.
A phone flash took Ivan’s eyes off of the window and made tim turn to Till, who was holding his phone up.
“Pose for the camera, Ivan. That’s going on my Instagram.”
Despite the way Ivan frowned, his lips still curled into a ghostly smile. “You’ll have enough pictures to post from the carpet.”
Till shrugged. “Nah. I prefer my phone over that.”
The limousine came to a stop and Hyuna straightened in her seat. “Alright, boys.” She hung up the phone and tilted her head, making the sunglasses on her head drop in front of her eyes. “Let’s have one hell of a night.”
Till grinned. Ivan tried to mimic.
When the driver opened their door, Ivan was momentarily blinded by the flashing lights and squeaking fans. He got out of the car first, holding a hand out for Hyuna. They were greeted with a humble ceremony of a few fans cheering and several cameras blinking at their sights. Sure, a director and a screenwriter wasn’t the reason why people pooled in front of a venue on a week night like this.
After them, got out Till.
That was when the crowd roared. Flashing lights went wild, people started clapping and whistling, girls in the front rows of the crowd extending their hands to touch Till’s.
The famous movie star took the reaction with a soothing smile and an easy attitude. As he followed Ivan and Hyuna into the venue, he posed for a million shots, high-fived with fans who probably would never want to wash their hands again, and signed a few posters with his face on them.
“All this hype before the carpet?” Ivan said as he and Hyuna waited for Till to catch up by the venue gate.
Hyuna simply shrugged. “What do you expect, Ivan? He’s a phenomenon. Nobody would dare miss a chance with a living legend.”
. . .
There was a time before Till was named a phenomenon.
Hell, there was a time when he was nothing better than a college dropout.
Ivan had met him back then. Both boys were freshly out of highschool, ready to step into the next chapter of their lives. It was a prestigious university they were attending: one only the gifted and wealthy of the country could attend, but only the clever and consistent of that cohort could graduate.
Ivan had always thought of Till to be clever, yet consistent? That was a matter of doubt.
Ivan was majoring in language studies at the time, since there was nothing better for a confused college kid to go and do the easy thing for themselves.
With a Russian father and a Korean mother, Ivan was already sufficient in two languages due to his upbringing. English was a tool for his passion for western cinema. Mandarin and Japanese, he had taken in the university. Similarly, Latin was a mandatory class, and before the end of his first year in college, Ivan was growing a specific interest for romance languages.
When all he had to do was complete a few readings for classes and write essays for his finals, Ivan had found more than enough time to engross himself into every language he wanted to get a grip of, expand his knowledge in every possible chance.
But Till was different. Whatever lectures he attended, he wasn’t interested. Whatever assignments he had, he slacked off. He spent every week until the finals partying until dawn, calling Ivan from unknown numbers to ask him to take him home.
By the end of the first semester of their sophomore year, Till had made his decision.
“I’m dropping out,” he had told Ivan one night as they sat on the balcony of Ivan’s apartment, watching the stars with the company of two cans of beer and some Don McLean Till had put on.
If it was anyone else, Ivan could’ve thought of quitting the most prestigious university of the country to be stupid. He would’ve tried to convince them otherwise, counting a whole list of advantages their future degree could get them in the working life.
But when he’d looked at Till’s eyes in that moment, he knew there was no use in any of that. He knew Till had a plan. He knew his face was beaming with some hope Ivan had never seen before.
So, he had smiled instead. “Is that so?”
Till had nodded. “I got this job on a commercial,” he had said. “The director gave me a list of auditions in Seoul that I could try out.”
Starry, starry nights , the song kept playing from his phone, on the concrete floor between them. Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, swirling clouds in violet haze …
As if on cue, Till looked up at the starry night sky. “I’m not sure if it can open any doors for me,” he had said. “But better no regrets than playing safe.”
“I’m pretty sure the saying goes ‘better safe than sorry’,” Ivan had said.
Till had rolled his eyes. “We live once, Ivan. I’d rather live it to the fullest than hope for a stable salary, a wife and two kids. That shit is no fun.”
Ivan had to agree with that. That was no fun.
But now that Till had brought it up, Ivan had begun thinking. What was he going to do with his life when he graduated? He’d never pondered that before. Not relatively.
Though thankfully, he didn’t need to answer that question just yet, because Till didn’t ask. He never did, not when it was about the future. When the two of them sit together on a night like this, it was only the present. The sole moment they spent breathing in the cold air and watching the city lights that blinked as much as the stars.
“One day, I will make it, though,” Till had said. “I’ll show them what I’m made for.”
Ivan found he had no doubts about that. Not even the slightest.
. . .
Who knew posing for the red carpet could get a man exhausted enough to down three glasses of champagne, fourth on the way.
Till gulped down a big sip from his drink, exhaling like it was water. “That was good .”
“You’re acting like you ran a marathon,” Mizi said, casually drinking her own champagne.
“Yeah, a marathon of cameras,” Till retorted. “I’m relieved now that the picture session is over.”
Sua gave a soft laugh. “If this is how Seoul gets you, I wonder how you’ll handle the world press tour.”
At that, both Mizi and Till turned to her with wide eyes, confusion readable in both their faces. Even Ivan, actually, found himself staring at Sua, waiting on an elaboration.
The silence stretched out until, “The world press tour?” Mizi echoed.
Till looked like he could drop his champagne at any given chance. “That’s confirmed?” he asked.
Sua blinked. “Oh,” she let out. “Hyuna didn’t tell you?”
Ivan glanced over at Hyuna across the room, who was talking to some white directors with hand gestures, most likely illustrating her wild ideas for the poor man caught in her spider web. “I think she wanted it to be a surprise,” he said matter of factly.
“Well, it’s not anymore!” Till said as a grin painted his face. “Go on, Sua, tell me! Where are we going for this tour?”
Sua tapped a finger on her chin. “Let’s see. We start with Tokyo if I’m not mistaken, followed by Los Angeles—”
“ Los Angeles ?” Till repeated.
Mizi beamed. “Oh, I had missed L.A. so much! Haven’t visited there for like three years.”
Till hummed mockingly. “Three years,” he said. “Try twenty three.”
The smile on Mizi’s face was quick to be erased. “Oh, Till! You know that’s not what I meant!”
He put on a winning smirk. “Keep ranting, silverspoon!”
“Don’t call me that!” Mizi complained.
“Speaking of the tour,” Sua chimed in. “Mizi, we need to get in touch with a trusted translator. I know you are quite sufficient in English, but the tour schedule extends over Europe and Asia. You know what that calls for.”
Till’s eyes slid towards Ivan absently, yet Ivan pretended not to notice.
“Right,” Mizi said thoughtfully. “I’ll ask dad to see if I can get a trusted name.”
“When do we leave?” Till asked. “For the tour, I mean?”
Sua frowned as if she tried to remember. “Must be monday. That gives you—”
“ Two days to pack for a whole world tour?” Mizi sighed. “Goodness, Sua, you need to help me choose what to pack.”
Sua smiled. “As much as I love my job as your manager, I’m thinking it is time you get yourself a proper stylist, Mizi.”
“Hell no,” Mizi strictly said. “Nobody does it like you! The last stylist I got was pairing pink stilettos with bright green dresses. Who wears those two together ?”
As the girls were lost in their own conversation, “Hey,” Till said, head tilted towards Ivan. “What would you say about being my translator?”
Ivan blinked. “Your translator?”
“You know, for the press tour.”
There was a short silence as Ivan let the question sink in, weighing the words. It was unexpected, coming from Till.
Though, Till must’ve taken it as a no since he immediately amended, “Okay, my English is awful and you know that already. Sua said it extends over Europe and Asia, it’s clear as shit I need someone. How many languages did you know? It was at least five back in college, right? There’s nobody else I could ask this. Whoever Mizi plans to hire probably costs half my fortune. You know I ain’t got mansions in France like she does—”
“I’ll do it, pochemuchka ,” Ivan said.
“I get that you don’t want—” Till stopped. He blinked. “Hold on. What?”
Ivan shrugged. “I said I’ll do it,” he said. “I’m a screenwriter in the movie, remember? I’m being dragged to this tour whether I like or not. Might as well take my chance to practice my skills.”
Till’s blank face quickly morphed into happiness. “Really?” he asked. “You’ll do it? Like, you’ll actually be my translator for the entire press tour?”
“Ask me that question one more time and see how I change my mind, Till.”
“Okay, okay, sorry!” He looked away, though he was still smiling.
It hadn’t even been two minutes when Hyuna appeared from behind, throwing her arms over Mizi and Till. “Here are the stars of the night!” she let out, planting a kiss on Mizi’s cheek and ruffling Till’s hair in a way that messed up the perfectly styled slick-back.
“Hyuna,” Mizi said, half in a greeting manner and half in a plea for her to squeeze her less so she can breathe.
Hyuna didn’t seem to care. “I’ve been waiting all night to get to you two. I have insane news and I’m sure you’ll be super excited to—”
“Can I have a wild guess?” Till offered. “Could it possibly be—”
“A world press tour?” Mizi finished in his stead.
Hyuna froze. Her smile fell as she raised a brow, and Ivan had to try so hard to not snort at her reaction.
“Alright, who let the cat out of the bag?” she asked, but the only response she got was Till and Mizi bursting into laughter.
Sua chuckled with them, and at that rate, even Ivan couldn’t help a smile.
“Who the hell cares?” Till said. “We’re going on a world tour!”