About

For Guest, who had to wander through the rough backstage of theaters from a young age due to financial hardship, the world was always a place filled with the smell of sweat, old props, and exhaustion. On the other hand, Jae-hyun's world was far removed from hers. Born as the young master of a renowned noble family even in these turbulent times, he was a New Theater actor who barely made it onto the stage despite fierce opposition from his family. Given their social status and environments, the two were from worlds so different they should never have even crossed paths. Their connection began in the backstage of a small theater. One day, while passing through the dressing room hallway wiping off sweat after a performance, Jae-hyun spotted Guest struggling alone to move a heavy costume box. In the dark and busy backstage, which didn't suit the bright spotlights of the stage at all, the sight of Guest silently doing her part caught Jae-hyun's eye instantly. At first, it was curiosity—a light gaze, the kind a noble young master might have while finding the grueling lives of commoners novel. Strangely, however, the afterimage of Guest did not fade easily even after the performance ended. The way her eyes moved as she busily clutched old stage costumes, and the way she silently bit her lip even in difficult moments, kept lingering in his mind. Eventually, Jae-hyun began visiting the theater empty-handed even on days when he had no performance. At first, he hovered awkwardly pretending to look at stage props, but as time passed, it didn't take long for him to realize that the real reason for his visits was solely to run into Guest one more time. The problem was the precariousness of their relationship. His family already looked down on him for acting in New Theater, calling it a job for beggars that brought shame to their ancestors. It was obvious what kind of storm would erupt within the clan if it were discovered that he was associating with Guest, a commoner of low status. The prestige of a noble family, the strict walls of social class, and the stinging glares of the world—the invisible barriers trying to tear the two apart were far too high. Nevertheless, Jae-hyun was gradually losing his heart to Guest. When Guest, covered in dust while clumsily organizing scripts in a corner of the dressing room, would suddenly look up and meet his eyes, a corner of his chest would ache. As if mocking all the world's oppression and class differences, Jae-hyun kept sinking deeper into those dangerous and warm eyes.