Chapter 50: Ready, Action (2)

“By the way, weren’t you two fighting before?” Juho asked, looking at us walking side by side on our way to the filming location.

Come to think of it, So-yul and I had our little quarrel right when we met Juho. It would’ve been reasonable to expect things to still be awkward between us.

Though we’d already resolved that awkwardness, we couldn’t exactly show that to others given our situation.

There were various stories and incidents between us, but explaining everything would be too troublesome.

There was one expression that summed up this complicated situation:

“We worked it out somehow.”

“Really? That’s such a vague explanation,” Juho snorted, clearly unsatisfied with my answer.

“Back then you were making such a fuss about it being a lovers’ quarrel and whatnot.”

“L-lovers’ quarrel?” So-yul stammered in surprise. They really didn’t need to bring that up.

“We just had different views but worked it out by talking,” I explained.

“Is that so? Well, couples do fight sometimes. I guess it would be rude for an outsider to interfere.”

Juho laughed heartily and nodded as if understanding something, then fell silent.

I was relieved they acknowledged it would be rude to pry. Even if we were only fake dating.

At least they didn’t seem intent on digging deeper, which was fortunate. We couldn’t exactly explain how we’d snuck out during the school trip, shared our feelings, and made up.

As I let out a sigh of relief, I felt a finger poke my side.

I turned to find So-yul looking up at me with an embarrassed expression.

She whispered softly:

“Why did they suddenly bring up lovers’ quarrels?”

“Oh, well… I couldn’t give a long explanation about our small argument, so I tried to brush it off…”

“But why mention lovers’ quarrels specifically?”

“…”

She had a point.

Thinking about it now, she wasn’t even my wife, let alone my real girlfriend – it was all fake. Talking about lovers’ quarrels was practically like declaring myself her husband. It wouldn’t be strange if So-yul found it offensive.

Especially since I’d said it when she wasn’t even present. I definitely owed her an apology.

“I’m sorry,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

So-yul pouted slightly and said:

“Save that kind of talk for after we’re married, dummy.”

Hmm.

“…So you’ll marry me?”

“W-what? No, that’s not what I meant, I was saying after marriage, to your future wife…”

When I pointed out the ambiguous nuance, So-yul trailed off, flustered, and started playfully punching me.

Could such a small slip of the tongue really embarrass her that much? Her strong reaction to one comment made me smile involuntarily. I was starting to understand why So-yul kept teasing me.

So-yul continued sulking the entire way to our destination.

Since I had no desire to stop her, I just walked along with a slight smirk.

I heard someone’s exasperated laughter from somewhere, but I decided to ignore it completely.

◎

The morning filming wrapped up surprisingly quickly.

The script was short, there weren’t many lines, and shooting in small segments meant few NGs.

Plus, while we were just standing around waiting for setup, they’d secretly film us and give the OK sign.

Juho praised it as creating a natural atmosphere, but I had doubts whether the movie would turn out properly.

Either way, filming was going smoother than expected. I was feeling relieved thinking the afternoon would go the same way, but…

“We’ll film the next scene here, so wait,” Juho instructed while mounting the camera on a tripod after lunch.

“Film here?”

“Yeah. Why? Is that a problem?”

Juho asked, seeming confused.

It wasn’t that we couldn’t film here, but…

Of all places, the walking path behind the dorm? It felt almost deliberate.

This was where the bench where So-yul and I met was located, where we had our first fake date.

It was meaningful in various ways. Having to act like real lovers with So-yul in such a place made me feel several times more awkward.

So-yul glanced up at me with a bitter smile.

She probably felt similar emotions.

I quietly asked her:

“Why here of all places?”

“Yeah, I know.”

She agreed lightly, then covered her mouth with both hands and giggled.

“Considering what we have to film next… there’s really no better place.”

“Well, I guess.”

Though I memorized the lines as we went, I remembered what we had to film. This afternoon’s scenes ranged from holding hands while walking to hugging each other. Either way, romance was key.

It was good for walking, had few onlookers, and was quite scenic. There probably wasn’t a better backdrop on campus.

“Alright, we’re starting, so both of you get ready,” Juho called out, gesturing to us. The camera setup seemed nearly complete.

We’d memorized this scene during lunch. So-yul must have too, as she showed no sign of checking the script. With that, all preparations were complete.

…Except for one thing.

I looked at So-yul standing beside me. She had turned her head away, not even meeting my eyes.

Though I understood how she felt, we couldn’t start filming like this.

“Han So-yul.”

“What?”

Her response was sharp. Maybe she’d gotten shy now that we were about to actually film.

Sorry, but I didn’t write the script. If you want to blame someone, blame that person grinning behind the camera.

I wasn’t exactly calm either. But having come this far, there was no backing out. If someone had to take the lead, it might as well be me.

Finally, after swallowing hard, I said:

“I’m going to hold your hand.”

“O-okay.”

Her voice trembled noticeably.

Having gotten permission, there was nothing holding me back now.

I slowly reached out… and gently took So-yul’s hand.

I felt her tremble slightly through our joined hands.

The soft, tender feel of her skin. Her small fingers extending from her delicate hand. Her body temperature slightly warmer than mine.

Every single aspect made my heart race.

“…Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

So-yul’s response seemed oddly stiff.

Her cheeks were flushed red, her lips quivering slightly.

Naturally, she wouldn’t look my way.

Of course, I was the same way.

“Wow, the mood is perfect,” Juho commented casually, seemingly oblivious to our embarrassment.

When I shot them a look meaning “hurry up and film,” they just shrugged smugly.

What an absolutely awful personality.

◎

After that, we continued filming at various locations around the school.

Some places I’d never been since enrolling. Well, as an aspiring film director, they must have scouted filming locations around campus.

The filming continued smoothly and finally… it was time to shoot the hugging scene.

By evening, darkness had fallen outside. Since we couldn’t use lighting, we had to move indoors. With few places available to borrow, the club room was ultimately chosen as the final filming location.

That was fortunate at least. Even if it was acting, I had to hug So-yul. At least we wouldn’t have to worry about being watched.

“This is the last scene for today, so hang in there~” Juho encouraged in an incredibly light tone.

To me it just sounded like they were making fun of us.

Well, they weren’t wrong. This was the last scene for Saturday’s filming. Just close my eyes, hug her, say a few lines and it’s over. It shouldn’t be difficult.

That’s exactly why it was a problem.

“…We ended up having to film it after all,” So-yul muttered quietly beside me.

No matter how indifferent she tried to act, it couldn’t be hidden. So-yul was clearly shy right now.

“…Yeah.”

I wasn’t any different.

While I’d managed to hold her hand in the heat of the moment, hugging was different – I couldn’t muster the courage to just say “I’m going to hug you” and do it. Hesitation was inevitable.

But I couldn’t leave it to So-yul either. She always teased me but became incredibly timid in situations like this.

“What are you two doing? Hurry and get ready,” Juho commanded, not even trying to hide their smile.

The person responsible for putting us in this awkward situation was acting like that – I really wanted to hit them.

But no one was going to save us from this deadlock.

Hadn’t I already made up my mind while reading the script? That even friends hug sometimes. That though unintentional, we’d already experienced it. Moreover… that So-yul had agreed to it.

“Hey.”

“…!”

So-yul’s body jerked even though I’d just called out to her.

Oh dear, how nervous must she be to react like that? Looking at her now, she sat frozen with her hands on her knees. Her intense reaction actually helped ease my own tension.

Then So-yul’s lips moved slightly:

“Y-yes?”

“Um, well, it’s in the script so please bear with it even if you don’t like it. I’ll try to finish it quickly somehow…”

Though I didn’t actually have the authority to end it quickly.

Anyway, I had no intention of hugging for long. Even as a fake boyfriend, we were still essentially strangers. While for me it was physical contact with the girl I liked, for So-yul it was contact with a guy she had no real feelings for.

After making my earnest request, I waited for So-yul’s response. If she agreed to endure it, I planned to quickly give her a light hug and proceed with filming.

But no matter how long I waited, So-yul didn’t move at all. She remained frozen, not even opening her mouth.

Then finally, So-yul squeezed her eyes shut and:

“…Ugh, really.”

She bit her lower lip hard and…

Suddenly hugged me tight.

The rush of her fragrance. Her amber hair flowing softly.

I felt her delicate hands gripping my waist, soft sensations spreading across my chest, that spot gradually warming with someone else’s body heat.

I was so surprised I could barely breathe, let alone speak.

So-yul slowly raised her head to look at me.

Her eyes wavered like rippling water. Both cheeks were bright red. Her pink lips were pressed tightly shut as if trying to hold back her embarrassment.

“You surprised me by suddenly hugging me,” I whispered quietly.

So-yul nuzzled her face slightly and:

“…Rather than anxiously waiting for you to hug me, I thought it would be less nerve-wracking if I just hugged you first.”

“What?”

“Besides,” she added:

“…I don’t really mind it.”

…Don’t mind it?

“Perfect expression. Rolling now~”

Before I could understand what So-yul meant, Juho’s filming cue cut in.

A small sound effect followed, indicating the camera had indeed started rolling.

But I wonder. What kind of expression was I making right now?

No, more than that… what expression did So-yul have when she hugged me?

I had no way of knowing.