Chapter 19
“Should we leave to give you some space?”
“No, no, it’s fine. Just enjoy your meal.”
Before the owner could finish speaking, a middle-aged man in a padded jacket stepped in, taking off his hat and shaking hands with Jason, the director. Jason, who had been chatting with Kim Soo-hyun, nodded politely and stepped away.
“That’s the director of the drama team filming next door. You know, the historical drama we talked about,” Kim Soo-hyun explained to Tae joo, whose gaze instinctively moved to the entrance.
Could it be…?
More people began filing into the restaurant, taking up tables. Some of them looked like actors, but Yoon Seol wasn’t among them.
“Looking for someone?” Seokjin teased, poking Tae joo’s side. Before Tae joo could answer, Jason’s cheerful voice interrupted.
“Have you guys ever done a Korean-style gathering before?” Jason laughed, addressing Tae joo and Seokjin.
{They both lived in America, so they probably haven’t. It’s fun! Karaoke is so much fun!}
{It’s not karaoke; it’s noraebang (Noraebang is a Korean term that translates to “karaoke room.” It’s a popular leisure activity in South Korea where people rent private rooms equipped with a karaoke machine, microphones, and a screen to sing songs.), Director.}
While Jason and Kim Soo-hyun talked, Tae joo tried to focus elsewhere, feeling slightly uneasy. His thoughts were disrupted by a man’s voice cutting through the noise.
“Yoon Seol, over here!”
The festival van stopped near a restaurant alley.
“Do I have to go?” Yoon Seol asked.
“Do you have a choice? The director came in person and is already there, calling nonstop asking when you’ll arrive.”
Back when she was a child actress, she didn’t have to attend these kinds of gatherings. Lately, she hated this stuff even more.
“Let’s just eat quickly and leave. It’s samgyeopsal ( The name “samgyeopsal” literally means “three-layered meat,” referring to the three visible layers of fat and meat in the pork belly slices.), you know. This place is famous for it.”
Not that she could eat it anyway, with her strict diet. Yoon Seol held back a sarcastic comment and got out of the van, not wanting to make the staff uncomfortable.
As they walked to the restaurant, they joined the rest of the drama crew heading the same way.
“Seol, you’ve worked hard,” said the audio director, lightly patting her shoulder in encouragement.
“Thank you, Director. You’ve worked hard too,” she replied politely before stepping inside with a few others.
The place was loud, filled with the smell of sizzling pork.
“Yoon Seol, over here!”
In the corner, Seonghoon waved at her, pointing to the empty seats next to him and his manager.
“Go ahead and sit,” Seonyeong whispered. She glanced at the director, then nudged Seol and her stylist, Eun-jin, toward the table.
Seol took off her mask and sat across from Seonghoon.
“How does it feel to finally join one of these gatherings?” Seonghoon teased, swirling his drink dramatically.
Seonghoon always acted like a know-it-all just because he was a year older. She wasn’t impressed. After all, Seol had already met real adults who inspired her.
“Annoying,” she muttered.
“Eun-jin! Over here!”
When her stylist friend called Eun-jin, she looked at Seol.
“Enjoy your meal, Seol. I’ll stay with them.”
“Really? Okay. Seonghoon, look after our Seol!” Eun-jin said with a wink before leaving.
“Yoon Seol now’s your chance. Eat secretly,” Seonghoon whispered, quickly placing some grilled pork on her plate.
“I’m not eating.”
“Why not?”
“If I gain weight, I’ll have to exercise even harder. I’d rather just skip eating,” Seol replied, shuddering, as she picked at some carrots instead.
“By the way, Jason is here,” Seonghoon said suddenly.
“Who?”
“Jason, the director of Mad Dog.”
“Oh, right! Jason!”
Seol realized who the older man from earlier was. She couldn’t help but smile at the strange coincidence.
“Where is he?”
“Over there, near the TV. See him?”
As Seol looked for Jason, she spotted a familiar face instead.
…Huh? Teacher?
Tae joo kept glancing toward a quiet corner of the room as he emptied his glass.
How long is she going to eat that one carrot? No wonder she’s so skinny.
Since she was little, Yoon Seol never really ate properly. Now, she sat there with her shoulders slumped, nibbling on a carrot, looking completely drained.
While the other actors mingled, drinking and laughing, Seol seemed determined to fade into the background. She only came alive a little when talking to someone across from her.
From the back, Tae joo recognized that person immediately. The same kid who once argued with him over kimbap.
“Hey, are we supposed to stay here?” Seokjin whispered.
More people kept coming over to greet Jason, leaving Kim Soo-hyun busy translating.
“I mean, it’s nice to skip the Tolstoy discussion, but still…”
“Finish the contract before he changes his mind,” Tae joo muttered.
“Right, right. But, hey, isn’t that Yoon Seol over there?”
Tae joo didn’t respond, but his gaze lingered on Seol until, suddenly, her head shot up. Their eyes met.
Her wide, surprised eyes looked like a startled rabbit’s. Tae joo held his breath. Was she going to rush over like she usually did, all smiles?
But his expectations were wrong.
Seol quickly looked away, pulled her hood over her head, and hid her face.
At that moment, someone announced, “Let’s watch the making film for our last episode!”
The lights dimmed, and Tae joo couldn’t see her expression anymore. A screen rolled down, and footage from the set began playing.
The room filled with laughter and applause as everyone enjoyed the clips. Even Jason looked entertained despite it being someone else’s party.
Tae joo tried to focus but found himself looking at his watch, then at Seol, and back at the screen.
Suddenly, Seol appeared on the screen.
It was the first time Tae joo had watched her act, and he found himself drawn in.
Then came a scene where Seol got slapped.
Smack!
NG.
Smack!
Another NG.
With each take, her cheek visibly swelled. Tae joo realized this was from her birthday.
A strange mix of anger and guilt welled up inside him.
As the video moved on, Seol’s delicate acting brought the room to silence. In one scene, she quietly dropped a single tear while suppressing her emotions.
{She’s amazing,} Jason murmured to Kim Soo-hyun, clearly impressed.
The director’s shout of “Cut!” was followed by a playful moment where Seonghoon teased Seol. She pouted, punching him on the shoulder.
“Aw, they’re so cute together!”
“Are they dating or something?”
The room burst into laughter.
“What? With her? No way! If that happens, I’ll get kicked out of my group!” Seonghoon stammered, clearly flustered, though his eyes betrayed his feelings for her.
Tae joo quietly slipped out, feeling suffocated.
In the cold winter air outside, Tae joo lit a cigarette. He smirked bitterly.
She didn’t run over to him like he thought she might. She had every right to avoid him.
…So why did it bother him?
As he smoked, voices drifted over from the shadows nearby.
“Ugh, finally done. Filming in this cold-wearing hanbok is brutal.”
“Tell me about it. No more historical dramas for me.”
“By the way, Sun young, you slapped that kid pretty hard earlier. The making film showed it too.”
“That’s just how they edited it. It’s fake.”
“Come on, everyone knows you don’t like Yoon Seol.”
“…I didn’t hit her that hard. Ugh, why did they even show that?”
Tae joo’s eyes narrowed.
Ah… So it was on purpose.
