episode_0165

The staff were bustling. However, although they were all energetic, there was no sign of confusion. The sight of everyone faithfully performing their assigned tasks was even majestic.

“We need to add more sand here, don’t we?”

“Is this not enough? Ah, no. If it’s not enough, then of course we should add more! Should we also scatter some seashells?”

“Don’t overdo it with the shells, we don’t want anyone hurting their feet!”

What they were trying to create now was the scenery of a beach. It wasn’t actually being filmed at the beach; the background would later be turned into the sea through CG processing.

“Done! The sand beach construction is perfect!”

“Great! Let’s go to the climax! Ready!”

Soon, when Director Park Mu-ryong grabbed the megaphone.

“Action!”

Lies, lies, lies.

The climax shooting began.

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Like throwing an egg at a rock.

Im Soo-hee (Sua) trying to save Park Si-yeon (Seo Yeon-ju) alone was no different from that. How could she single-handedly stop the Gyeil faction, the largest violent organization in Korea?

But Im Soo-hee (Sua) resists with all her might.

She doesn’t know what’s best for Park Si-yeon, she doesn’t know what to do, but shouldn’t they both survive first so they can ponder it even a little longer?

But now even that has reached its limit.

“Ugh…”

Im Soo-hee, who fought nearly 10 gang members alone, was not in good shape.

“…Soo-hee! Im Soo-hee! Are you coming to your senses?”

Park Si-yeon, realizing that Soo-hee fought for her, is desperately late, but it’s too late. Soo-hee knew that fact even better than Si-yeon. It’s her own body, after all.

Meanwhile, Soo-hee quietly looks up at Si-yeon. When Soo-hee quietly smiles, Park Si-yeon smiles along too. In reality, her eyes are brimming with tears.

Im Soo-hee (Sua) said.

“Park Si-yeon, you didn’t abandon me?”

“I’ll save you no matter what. Just hang in there a little longer.”

“How can I trust a liar? I don’t believe you. I’m going to die soon anyway. How can I live with my body in this condition?”

“You’ll live. You will. I’m not lying.”

“Haaagh…”

Soo-hee groaned, grimacing. Even to Park Si-yeon, who had no medical knowledge, the wound on her abdomen looked serious.

“The sea….”

“Huh?”

“I want to see the sea. Take me there.”

Park Si-yeon bit her lip tightly and eventually headed to the nearby beach. With Soo-hee on her back.

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The beach.

One step.

Two steps.

Si-yeon takes one step at a time with Soo-hee on her back.

Carrying her like this, Soo-hee felt surprisingly light. She had worked so hard for herself with such a light body; it was amazing, and she felt like a fool for only realizing it now.

Park Si-yeon (Seo Yeon-ju) forced her lips apart.

“If you have anything to say to a whore who doesn’t know gratitude, then say it.”

The whore who doesn’t know gratitude was referring to herself. Park Si-yeon was now reflecting. On the fact that she had constantly used Im Soo-hee for her own success.

“Well, I have nothing to say to someone like that.”

“I see.”

“But I do have something to say to a friend.”

“You still have a friend? Didn’t we break up?”

Park Si-yeon (Seo Yeon-ju)’s voice trembled.

They had a big fight at the food stall and hadn’t contacted each other since. So this was a question cautiously asking if she still considered herself a friend.

Im Soo-hee (Sua) chuckled.

“Of course. She’s my only friend. How can I break up with her?”

“…I didn’t know.”

“Yeah. You didn’t seem to know. I guess not all prosecutors are smart. I always thought of you as a friend….”

Soo-hee, who was being carried on her back, continued in a weak voice.

“…When I first saw her, she was a dog just like me. Tied to poverty and dragged here and there, and I wanted to save her. I wanted to make her human. Not just an ordinary person, but a very happy person….”

At this point, Park Si-yeon felt like she was choking.

She never dreamed that she was being helped for such a great reason. Im Soo-hee had never clearly expressed her feelings before. A lump formed in her chest.

Park Si-yeon spoke in a muffled voice after a long pause.

“…Soo-hee, the sea is so beautiful. Isn’t it?”

In the meantime, Soo-hee (Sua)’s breathing became even rougher.

“You live as a person. I’m…. just a dog that bit its owner and got beaten to death in the end. It’s so funny when I see it like this.”

“You and I are both people. You idiot.”

Park Si-yeon (Seo Yeon-ju)’s voice trembled as she swore for no reason. She was so anxious as Soo-hee’s death approached.

Soo-hee said in a dry voice.

“I’ll be born as a person in my next life. I’ll wear a school uniform, put books in my bag, and carefully pack pretty stationery…. I’ll study with you. I’ll be smarter than you.”

That was the end. Soo-hee’s arms and head fell limply. It was her last words, and she finally died.

Tears streamed down Park Si-yeon’s cheeks.

“…Im Soo-hee, are you asleep?”

There was no reply. In fact, she knew it herself. Im Soo-hee was dead.

“Soo-hee, Soo-hee, are you asleep? Are you sleeping?”

Park Si-yeon’s body trembled. Tears flowed non-stop.

“You stupid girl. You stupid girl. How can someone like you who sleeps all the time study? You’d sleep during class too…. Wake up…. Wake up quickly…!”

Park Si-yeon sobbed as she recited her lines.

In reality, Seo Yeon-ju, who was playing Park Si-yeon, felt like her head was about to explode. Her mind was going blank.

‘I don’t know, how should I act in the next part?’

That was the reason why Seo Yeon-ju’s head was going blank.

From here on out, Park Si-yeon has to face her true self and reveal her honest self, but Seo Yeon-ju still hadn’t found the answer even at this moment.

…Yeah. I guess I can’t do it after all. Is it an NG after all?

However.

At that moment.

“Oof.”

Suddenly, her back felt lighter. Sua had gotten off Seo Yeon-ju’s back. When Seo Yeon-ju turned her head, wondering what was happening, Sua shouted.

“Director! Can we try filming this scene again?”

It was a sudden, unexpected action.

◈◈◈◈◈

Even though Sua suddenly stopped filming, the set was buzzing. Rather than being displeased, everyone was busy getting excited.

“Wow, the two of them are breathing in sync.”

“When the two of them were saying their lines and Yeon-ju was shedding tears, I couldn’t help but tear up a little. Ah, isn’t this too sad?”

“The two of them don’t say direct words, but it’s so bittersweet that you get to know their inner thoughts in such detail.”

“…I wonder how Yeon-ju will act in the subsequent scene?”

Everyone was busy being impressed.

At the same time, they were sure of success.

Well, it was a script that was painstakingly revised to aim for a climax like Special Task Force 808. Moreover, with the acting skills of the two people combined, it is difficult to predict failure.

However.

In reality, Seo Yeon-ju’s head felt like it was about to break.

‘…What is it?’

She couldn’t understand why Sua suddenly did that.

‘Is she saying she wants to try again because she’s disappointed with this take?’

Seo Yeon-ju felt a subtle sense of unease. Because she felt that it was absolutely perfect while acting. She couldn’t understand why Sua would insist on re-shooting.

‘No, but Sua is a perfectionist.’

But she soon decided to accept it.

It seems that Sua has a perfectionist personality, and perhaps she made a mistake. Besides, she hadn’t found the answer anyway, so isn’t it a good thing that she bought some time? Anyway, there’s nothing bad about it for Seo Yeon-ju.

Seo Yeon-ju took a deep breath again.

“Let’s go again from the beginning! Ready! Action!”

The climax shooting began again.

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Im Soo-hee died.

Trickle.

Once again, tears streamed down Seo Yeon-ju’s cheeks.

Crying isn’t a big deal. It’s clearly written in the script, and crying desperately is the most unhateable thing to do, right? Seo Yeon-ju was confident in this.

However.

“…Im Soo-hee, are you asleep?”

“Soo-hee, Soo-hee, are you asleep? Are you sleeping?”

“You stupid girl. You stupid girl. How can someone like you who sleeps all the time study? You’d sleep during class too…. Wake up…. Wake up quickly…!”

As she recited her lines, Seo Yeon-ju’s head began to get complicated again. She bought some time by reshooting, but she still didn’t know. What should she do from now on?

But.

Again, it was a strange thing.

“Ah, wait! Wait a minute! I’ll do it again!”

Sua jumped off Seo Yeon-ju’s back again.

“….”

Seo Yeon-ju felt an even stronger sense of unease this time.

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How much time had passed?

Similar things continued to happen after that.

Seo Yeon-ju couldn’t feel what honesty was, and of course, she didn’t know the true appearance that Park Si-yeon would reveal. But in reality, Seo Yeon-ju wasn’t the reason for the NGs.

“Umm! Let’s do it again after all!”

Sua said to do it again.

“Please let me do it again just once! I’m sorry!”

Sua quit again.

“I want to do it again! I’m sorry!”

It’s Sua again this time. It seemed like it would be the case in the future as well.

At this point, even if the things that happen are the same, the surrounding views are bound to change. Yeon-ju could hear it.

“…Why is she doing that?”

“Isn’t there something wrong?”

There were just people who were worried, but it was fortunate that it was just that. People who assumed a serious situation or expressed anger began to appear.

“Is she a rookie after all? Is she nervous?”

“It’s a huge nuisance to Yeon-ju….”

“It’s going to be dawn soon. She was doing so well all along, so what’s going on? Everyone is tired to death….”

In the end, Yeon-ju couldn’t stand it and called Sua aside.

“Sua.”

“Yeah.”

“You….”

Yeon-ju squeezed her eyes shut and opened them before speaking.

“I think you keep doing that because of me, am I right?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Sua answered without hesitation.

Yeon-ju immediately narrowed her eyebrows.

“Why?”

“I think Yeon-ju unnie still has a lot of worries.”

“Yeah, so why are you doing that?”

Sua pondered for a moment.

“This is my honesty.”

She didn’t say anything else.

Filming started again.

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“I’m so sorry! Please let me do it again just once!”

Sua jumps off Yeon-ju’s back once again.

The eyes around her are gradually dyed with worry and anger, and Seo Yeon-ju looks at Sua with confused eyes, but Sua had no intention of hesitating in her actions.

‘What is honesty?’

This was Seo Yeon-ju’s question.

Yeah, so at first, she thought that she just had to think about this and let her know. But things in the world weren’t so easy after all.

Sua thinking of something and making the other person realize it are two different problems.

But Sua finally realized how to make her realize it. While continuing to film.

‘Yeah, why couldn’t I think of that method?’

It was when Im Soo-hee killed the gang member with her own hands at the junkyard. Even as the gang member died at Im Soo-hee’s hands, he didn’t resent Im Soo-hee. Rather, he cheered her on.

Sua realized then.

A way to tell her what sincerity and honesty are?

‘Show me your sincerity! Countless times! With all your might!’

This was the way to teach honesty.

When you face honesty that doesn’t wear even a single outer shell, you finally have the courage to take off the veil that surrounds your own heart. Sua, who was playing Im Soo-hee, did so, so Seo Yeon-ju can definitely do it too.

At least Sua firmly believed in that.

Yeah, so.

“Just one more time!”

Sua caused another NG.

With Im Soo-hee’s sincerity to wish Park Si-yeon well, and Lee Sua’s honesty to wish Seo Yeon-ju well.

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But after all, it couldn’t be repeated indefinitely. There were physical problems, and the staff were people too.

“I guess what doesn’t work, doesn’t work after all….”

“I guess we’re not Special Task Force 808.”

“That’s too bad…. Ah, we have to do everything again.”

In the end, Director Park Mu-ryong made a decision.

“…It can’t be done anymore. Let’s make this take the last one. If it doesn’t work, let’s pretend the script revision didn’t happen. It’s okay. It was a reckless request from the beginning.”

That’s how the final shoot began.

“…Im Soo-hee, are you asleep?”

The point where Im Soo-hee dies came again.

“Soo-hee, Soo-hee, are you asleep? Are you sleeping?”

Seo Yeon-ju’s body was trembling.

The staff were saying, ‘Yeon-ju is getting better and better, but Sua is doing it for no reason…’, but they don’t know anything. Seo Yeon-ju isn’t trembling because she’s acting.

‘Honesty? I don’t know anything like that. I don’t know.’

Seo Yeon-ju only felt burdened.

Why does Sua believe in her so much?

Seo Yeon-ju said everything.

That she was lacking, that she had never done method acting, that this was beyond her capabilities!

But was Sua just like everyone else after all?

She keeps repeating NGs, expecting something amazing from Seo Yeon-ju. While sacrificing herself. Seo Yeon-ju was going crazy because she felt burdened.

Suddenly, she thought back to Sua’s words.

That she needed belief in herself?

And to express that belief?

‘What a joke!’

How can she believe when her true self is such a flawed being? How can she express that?

No, maybe she already expressed it. She said she couldn’t do this scene. But why are you making her do it as you please?

Rather, she was realizing even more that she was a pathetic being as the burden increased. Because she couldn’t do anything even though Sua was sacrificing herself. Powerlessness was a miserable emotion.

But.

That was the moment.

“Unnie.”

Sua, whose head had dropped on Seo Yeon-ju’s shoulder, whispered so quietly that the camera wouldn’t capture it.

“It’s possible that unnie isn’t a great person, just like unnie said. It’s just that everyone around you has mistakenly praised you, and it’s possible that even you don’t believe in yourself.”

“….”

“But.”

Sua, who was being carried, hugged Yeon-ju’s neck tightly.

“Does that matter so much? I just want to act with unnie right now. I don’t care how people evaluate us. That’s what it’s like to act with unnie.”

“….”

It was a feeling like being hit on the head with a hammer.

Seo Yeon-ju’s predictions were wrong.

Sua didn’t know the mistaken Yeon-ju and expect her. She believed in Yeon-ju’s confession, and yet she was saying that she was just okay with acting together.

Someone who accepted her as she was.

There wasn’t one.

To reveal herself as she was.

She had never even thought about it.

Seo Yeon-ju had lived like a chameleon so far. She changed herself every time in order to look good to others and not be hated. She didn’t even know what her true self was.

But why?

Was it because she heard Sua’s sincerity?

Sua revealed herself at this moment without hiding.

It must have been really hard to say, but she willingly spat out that the moment she was acting with Yeon-ju was precious. It was a desire as an actress, but at the same time, she felt affection as a family member.

Thump— Thump— Thump—

Her heart began to beat.

It was a feeling that her blood vessels were filled with the blood of an actress.

It felt like she could hear the sound of her heart if she listened now. So she could probably express it.

It wouldn’t be an appearance to look good to others, but it was something that might be hated, but she somehow felt like it would be okay to reveal it.

Yeah, she gained courage for the first time.

“….”

Park Si-yeon.

No, Seo Yeon-ju stood tall with Sua on her back.

Ssssssssss—!

It was as she felt the increasingly changing vision.

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[ Yeongyeong Commandery Inspection ]

[ 1. Kim Seon-il ─ Yeongyeong : Reconciliation ]

[ 2. Seo Yeon-ju ─ Yeongyeong : ■■ ]