Ivan had always heard the stories about Till—how he was a force of nature on-screen, how everyone in the industry respected him. But being on set with him? That was something else entirely. Ivan couldn’t believe it—he was actually here, working alongside Till, the legendary actor himself. And honestly, the only thing Ivan could do was stare in awe, like a starstruck fan boy. Every performance felt like watching a master at work.

As Ivan idly chatted with Luka off-set, trying to keep himself distracted while the others worked, he couldn’t help but glance toward the set. Till was in his element—sweating it out under the hot lights, totally immersed in his role. Ivan’s heart did a little flip. He could watch Till work for hours. No, scratch that—he would watch him forever if he had the chance.

And then, as if the universe had heard Ivan’s silent prayers, Till walked past. Just having finished up, towel around his neck as he dried his face. Ivan could see the weariness in the man's eyes, the dark circles that told a story of endless late nights and too many cups of coffee. Till was always running on empty, like he gave everything to each performance and had nothing left for himself.

“Sunbae!” Ivan couldn’t help himself. The words tumbled out, too quickly, but they were sincere. He jogged up to Till, nearly tripping over his own feet in his rush. “That take you did was amazing just now! Seriously, you deserve a break!” Ivan hummed, practically bouncing on his heels, his voice full of pure, uncontained admiration, like an overenthusiastic puppy who had just found its favorite person.

Till raised an eyebrow, the familiar tiredness flickering behind his gaze, but the corner of his mouth quirked upward in something that resembled amusement. “A break? Ivan, we just started--”

But before he could finish, Ivan had already wrapped a hand around his elbow, dragging him along with surprising strength. “Come on, let's go get lunch! You always look so tired, Sunbae! You need to take better care of yourself!”