episode_0053

“Kuaaaah, practicing that much for filming… The director was really impressed by your passion, seriously.”

Then, Minji imitates crying.

The three people from outside just stare blankly, not knowing what’s going on.

The kids at our school are like, well, it’s because of the relationship between Eugene and me.

‘Because there were a lot of rumors that they were dating.’

Since the four of them were together since they entered school, there was a rumor that Byun Ha-jin, Oh Yu-jin, Kim Beom-jun, and Pyo Min-ji were a couple.

Minji was furious and said it was nonsense, but Yujin had an ambiguous attitude and neither confirmed nor denied it, so in one semester, all kinds of rumors spread.

They promised each other a future together since kindergarten, they are a couple that even their parents acknowledge, they got engaged in middle school… things like that.

If I said no, it would be a back smashing angle, so I stayed quiet.

“Just say you’re dating, or say you kissed… .”

Eugene keeps grumbling next to me.

I whispered as if I was afraid my ears would bleed if I kept listening.

“When you calm down, I’ll let you sit on my lap and kiss me.”

Ugh.

The effect was clear.

*****

“I put my tongue in a little bit and she flinched and didn’t know what to do. She’s so cute.”

“… … .”

“The other day, I kissed her while deliberately pressing her chest. She was startled and struggled, so I kept pushing her against the wall.”

“… … .”

“These days, when he comes to read the script, he gargles. How could he have such a wonderful idea… .”

“Hey, Miss Oh Yu-jin.”

“And then… Huh?”

“We’re rivals, right? But if you tell me everything you’ve done, you’ll just be bragging to me.”

“That’s right to brag.”

“So, bragging…what?”

“You’re bragging. Where else are you going to tell this? You’re the one doing it. When you come back to Korea in the winter, you’re going to do everything I did. You can brag about it then. I’ll listen to it all.”

Han So-ra sighs, speechless at this reaction.

“Haa, was it that good?”

“Okay. You’ll feel it too. It’ll feel like you’re floating around in cotton candy.”

Han So-ra looked at her best friend singing the kiss hymn across the screen with a bitter expression.

“But are you okay? Hajin said she kissed her friends in front of her. Won’t rumors spread around school later?”

“It doesn’t matter. There are already worse rumors out there. ”

“What’s the bigger rumor?”

“They are childhood friends who promised a future together, they are a couple officially recognized by both sets of parents, they got engaged in middle school, they are already living together… things like that.”

“Wow, that’s serious.”

“I spread it.”

“What?”

“As soon as I entered the school, there was a line of girls, so I told the girls who liked to gossip. Thanks to that, the competition was reduced considerably, right?”

“… … .”

“Why?”

“Hajin is really great. She made Eugene use his brain.”

Oh Yu-jin’s expression crumpled at Han So-ra’s straight ball.

“I use my head when I need to! I just don’t do it because it’s annoying!”

“Everything except things related to Hajin is annoying.”

“Profit, what does that matter! If I just get Hajin, I don’t need anything else!”

“That’s just like me. Hajin is a very happy yet unhappy man.”

“Why is Hajin unhappy? We both like each other. Are you and I just ordinary women?”

“Well, I was going to say that I’m unhappy because I don’t have the power to choose a woman, but after seeing your confidence, I don’t think that’s right. Yes, we like you.”

Then the two continued their conversation.

Most of it was related chatter or strategy tips.

“I won’t be able to contact you often because I’m filming starting next week.”

“Okay. Take good care of your filming.”

The day before shooting —

I packed underwear, a change of clothes, and toiletries.

I also brought a swimsuit just in case.

There is one rainy day in the schedule that Minji sent.

‘Let’s just wait. It’s US time now…’

Calculating the time difference, it wasn’t yet time.

I called because I thought I should tell him that I was going to do well in filming.

‘I’m not receiving it.’

I hung up the phone thinking I was going to sleep, but a few minutes later I got a message.

[I heard from Eugene. You start filming tomorrow, right? You have to do a good job acting and come back and tell me how it was. Bye♡]

I wanted to hear your voice, but since you sent a text, I guess it’s not a situation where you can talk.

After replying that I would do so, I spent the evening checking the script.

*****

“Cut!”

Minji is looking at the monitor with an ambiguous expression.

It’s a face that’s in stark contrast to senior Min-hee, who’s grumbling behind her.

“Isn’t it pretty good at using natural light? Did you take it at this angle on purpose? To create shadows here. But then wouldn’t the bottom be too dark?”

“That much is possible with post-processing. The natural light isn’t the problem right now. Huhu, the acting is good, but how should I explain it?”

Minji called the two of us.

“Let’s go one more time. I wrote it with the idea of a dry encounter in mind, but that feeling didn’t come out well. I wish they spoke as if they were really not interested in each other.”

Then, the situation the two main characters are in is explained again.

‘It was my fault.’

Lately, I’ve been kissing Eugene a lot, so I’ve been feeling affectionate towards her lines without even realizing it.

Chae Hong-sa Im Sang-heon hates himself for pursuing women under a tyrant.

It is unlikely that a man like this would show favor when looking for a woman to present to the king.

You should speak dryly, as if you were evaluating an object rather than a person.

‘If I let out my emotions, Eugene will follow.’

Later on, when they become teacher and student, their affection will reach a lethal level, but for now, it is their first meeting.

There can be no emotional connection between a nobleman who hates himself and a commoner who has lost the meaning of life.

“I said it really indifferently.”

Eugene said, puffing out her cheeks.

“I’m the problem. What did you feel when I told you to sing earlier?”

When I go into the script, my emotions and the other person’s emotions are connected.

“Well, curious and expectant… and fond… Ah.”

The ball turned slightly red.

“You should have treated it like an object, but you got selfish. You felt it.”

“Because the opponent is my country?”

“Uh, no… .”

“When you act with me, affection surges up without warning, right?”

There is a serious misunderstanding.

I acted as if Im Jin-heon was showing affection for Yeon-hwa.

But I think Eugene has affection for my acting.

It’s like when real lovers act, the sweetness becomes otherworldly.

“Why do you keep flirting? Don’t you want to kill your feelings quickly!”

Minji, who couldn’t stand to watch, said something.

*

“Ready… Action!!”

I took a deep breath and started acting.

— S#1-2. Thatched cottage at the entrance to the village

“Today was another waste of time.”

I didn’t like the song the local magistrate told me about.

The beauty was not enough to send it to the palace.

As Im Sang-heon was passing by the thatched cottage, he heard the sound of singing coming from inside the house.

It was rough and lacking in technique, but I really liked the sound of it.

Looking inside, I see a girl singing in front of the fireplace room.

As we approached, the girl whose eyes met mine quickly lowered her head.

“What brings you here, Nari?”

“Do you know me?”

The girl, who had hesitated for a moment, opened her mouth.

“I heard that you are Chae Hong-sa Nari from Hanyang.”

“What is your name?”

“It’s called Yeonhwa.”

“Yes, Yeonhwa. Keep singing what you were singing earlier.”

“Yes?”

“The song you used to sing. I won’t regret paying you for my song.”

Then he sat down on the porch next to the door.

Yeonhwa, who had been observing the situation, started singing the song she had been singing earlier again.

.

.

.

Im Sang-heon, completely absorbed in the song, stared blankly at the sky for a while.

It was an emotion that I had never felt even from Heungcheong, who was said to be the most famous person in the palace.

“Do you know why I came to this town?”

“I heard you’re looking for a girl who’s good at arts and crafts.”

“Then I understand why you came to me.”

“But, Nari. The girl has never learned how to dance properly.”

“You can learn and master singing and dancing even now. However, if you don’t have the talent, even if you learn it, it will be of little use. That’s why I’m not looking for someone who is good at singing and dancing, but someone who has the talent. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Are you saying that the girl has talent?”

“My eyes are never wrong.”

Only then did Yeonhwa look straight into Im Sang-heon’s face.

Her eyes were too clear to hold any lies.

“Will you follow me?”

“If I leave, there will be no one to take care of my sick mother, Nari.”

“I will take care of your mother until she leaves this world. Will you follow me now?”

“I, I… .”

“Come back tomorrow. Spend your last night with your mother.”

It was a thoughtless consideration that would not allow Yeonhwa to refuse.

*

“What!”

Minji clenched her fists and shouted “Cut” loudly.

It was an okay gesture that showed that he liked it without even asking.

The thatched cottage disappeared before my eyes and the original background returned.

Even though it was the same thatched cottage, the sense of presence I felt when acting was different.

It was just a set recreated using similar materials.

“That’s weird. That house, it looked nice until the morning, but why does it look so empty? When I was acting, it felt like I was really living there.”

This is the feeling felt by the person who entered the script with me.

Eugene played Yeonhwa in the time and space where Yeonhwa lived.

“That’s because you have good concentration when acting. There’s no way the thatched roof would suddenly change.”

“That’s right?”

I couldn’t tell the truth, so I just muddled things through.