Chapter 106
At first, nobody realized it was an NG.
They just thought Lee Yeon-jae had his own timing or was preparing an ad-lib. Such was the immense trust they had in him.
Even the PD didn’t shout ‘cut,’ thinking it was impossible for Lee Yeon-jae to forget such a simple line.
However, after a 10-second silence, everyone sensed something was off.
Then, Kim Ho-yoon, no, Lee Yeon-jae, lifted his head with a blank expression, tears nowhere to be seen.
“I’m sorry. I forgot my line.”
“…Huh?”
This was Lee Yeon-jae’s first NG during the filming of “Goodbye, My Summer.”
He was an actor who had completed even highly difficult scenes, like a heartfelt confession to Hanna, in a single take.
The surrounding actors and staff were initially stunned, then, understanding the situation, began to laugh.
“Wow. I just saw Lee Yeon-jae forget a line right in front of me?”
“I heard even Lee Jung-hyun hasn’t seen that.”
“No way, really? Then we should toast to witnessing Yeon-jae’s first NG later!”
Amid the laughter, Lee Yeon-jae reacted a bit slower than others.
With a slightly raised corner of his mouth, he spoke in a refined voice.
“I couldn’t sleep last night…. If it’s alright, could we take a 10-minute break before resuming?”
“Of course! We still have plenty of time, so let’s start again in 15 minutes!”
At the PD’s shout, everyone stretched.
“Se-hyun~.”
“Hey, In-joon! Are you bored?”
Shin Ah-young, who played Kim Hye-yoon, immediately clung to Kang Se-hyun, who deftly avoided her and ran to Choi In-joon.
Choi In-joon, patting Kang Se-hyun, who was whispering in his ear to save him, glanced to the side.
Lee Yeon-jae, expressionless, strode somewhere and soon disappeared.
‘Huh?’
Did I see it wrong because he moved so quickly?
Choi In-joon blinked, recalling the expression Lee Yeon-jae had before he turned the corner.
‘Why… is he angry?’
* * *
Shhhh―.
The sound of cold water filled the narrow bathroom.
I stared blankly at the gushing water.
‘What a waste of water…’
It was a waste of resources. I should turn off the faucet quickly, but my hand wouldn’t leave the sink.
“……”
In truth, I couldn’t stand being alone in silence.
Just then, there was a knock, followed by a familiar voice from beyond the door.
“Actor-nim. Can I come in?”
I lifted my head without responding.
My expression in the mirror attached to the wall was decent. It wasn’t awkwardly stiff, nor were my eyes reddish.
After confirming there was no trace of misunderstanding, I turned off the faucet.
“Yes, come in.”
At my steady voice, the door cautiously opened.
Manager An Jin-bae hesitated at the surprisingly small bathroom but eventually squeezed his large frame inside.
“……”
Manager An Jin-bae, now inside, said nothing.
But oddly enough, the silent space felt noisy.
“Shall we go get rice cakes after we finish?”
Maybe it was because of the many emotions in those eyes.
“You don’t like rice cakes, though.”
“But you do, Actor-nim.”
“…Still, you don’t like them.”
“But you do, Actor-nim. That’s enough for me.”
His eyes, looking at me, were filled with various emotions.
Concern, pity, curiosity, stability, warmth.
Why does he have such eyes?
I already knew the reason. He’s my manager.
For him, this is a job. Something he must do.
Just like how I act.
“Hyung, can I ask you something?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Are we close, considering how long we’ve known each other?”
It wasn’t until the clumsy sentence left my mouth that I came to my senses.
Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, I was about to apologize when he quickly responded.
“I think so. I hope you think so too, Actor-nim.”
“…….”
“What about you, Actor-nim? Do you think we’re close?”
In the gentle voice, only one thought filled my mind.
‘I miss Mist.’
I missed Mist. The small child whose eyes would be filled only with me when we hugged.
The fact that this was reality became unbearably painful for a moment.
I wanted to go where Mist was. Right now.
“I don’t really know….”
In the end, the answer that came out of my mouth was a foolish evasion.
I realized that when you’re too frustrated, you can’t even sigh.
“We still have a lot of time. It’s not like you need to know the answer right now, Actor-nim.”
Right. Why does it matter if I’m close to Manager An Jin-bae?
Why does it matter why Noh Bi-hyuk and I became close?
‘In-joon is not just a colleague now. He’s my family.’
Why does it matter how close we have to be to use such words?
What matters to me now is not transferring the misfortune factor to others. Not causing harm to others.
For that, I must do well. Act well.
I shouldn’t let my personal feelings interfere with a single line.
Recalling the mistake I made earlier, I frowned.
A hand touched my shoulder.
“Actor-nim. Can I ask you something?”
“Ah, yes.”
“You said you read the script several times because a particular scene was impressive.”
I looked up, slightly startled. His eyes were calm and steady.
“Were you satisfied after filming that scene?”
I didn’t open my mouth, but his eyes seemed to know the answer already.
Acting in front of someone who already knew everything felt quite foolish, so I just shook my head.
Manager An Jin-bae patted my shoulder, as if that was enough for him.
“Let’s skip the rice cakes and buy lotus root side dish to take home.”
“…? Lotus root side dish?”
“Yes.”
Why suddenly lotus root side dish?
The unexpected word cleared my complicated thoughts.
His eyes were filled with a serene smile.
“I’ll put lotus root side dish on your spoon for dinner tonight.”
“…….”
I barely restrained a chuckle that wanted to escape in disbelief.
At this point, shouldn’t the country give him a certificate of merit? How can he work so diligently?
However, his words were too kind and gentle to dismiss as ‘a manager’s effort to cheer up his actor,’ so I quietly nodded.
* * *
The plan to buy lotus root side dish failed miserably.
We both completely forgot about the wrap-up party after the shoot.
“Everyone, cheers~!”
Someone’s loud cheer was met with indifferent responses of “cheers, mumble…,” as everyone focused on the grilling beef.
‘At this rate, isn’t it better to eat it as raw meat?’
As I watched the beef disappear quickly, someone sat beside me.
“Actor-nim. Look at this.”
Manager An Jin-bae, who I thought had gone to drink with the staff, came back with a bowl.
In the bowl was…
“What’s this?”
“Braised beef. I asked in the kitchen, and this was the only braised dish they had.”
Seeing his face full of regret, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“You went to get this?”
“Yes. Please, use your spoon.”
Seeing him looking somewhat excited, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse, so I clumsily scooped some rice.
As I watched the thickly placed braised beef on top, I felt oddly emotional.
“How is it?”
“…It tastes like braised beef.”
After chewing for a while, I added.
“It’s good. Thank you.”
“That’s a relief.”
I looked at his maturely smiling face once and then lowered my gaze to the bowl again.
The lotus root side dish I had earlier during the shoot tasted somewhat unpleasant, but this braised beef was quite good.
As the staff kept devouring the beef like they were starved, I stopped Manager An Jin-bae from ordering more.
The braised beef was enough.
“Actor-nim. No, Yeon-jae. Did I ever tell you that I’m a big fan of yours?”
A visibly drunk Choi In-joon singer slumped down next to me.
“Yes. You told me four times earlier.”
“Oh, then~ did I tell you that I’m a fan of Bambi?”
“Choi In-joon. Enough. Why are you so drunk? You’re crashing someone else’s wrap-up party.”
Thank goodness. Please take him away.
“Did you eat a lot of meat? Should I order more?”
No, don’t sit down…
Ignoring my answer, Choi In-joon singer sat there like a mollusk, and singer Kang Se-hyun sat in front of me.
Suppressing a sigh, I answered that I had eaten a lot, but he ignored me and looked at Manager An Jin-bae.
“Manager-nim. Did he eat a lot?”
“He didn’t eat much beef.”
“As expected.”
Then why did you ask me?
Watching Kang Se-hyun singer order a combo set without hesitation, I was dumbfounded.
But he didn’t care and changed the subject.
“I’m having an exhibition next month. Want to come?”
“An exhibition?”
He mentioned before that painting was his hobby.
Usually, people don’t hold exhibitions for hobbies, right? His passion is impressive.
“Yes. I’ll give you two tickets, so come with your manager. Okay?”
“Yes. Got it.”
If he was giving me tickets, he must have invited many people.
Nodding at a seemingly meaningless suggestion wasn’t difficult.
“Make sure to come. This is a private exhibition, so not many people are coming. You have to come.”
…Is it not meaningless?
I wondered if it was right to invite me to such an event, but I couldn’t retract my nod.
Then, Choi In-joon singer, stuck to the floor, whispered.
“Bambi, Bambi. I have a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Gasp, are you accepting being called Bambi now? So cute….”
“…”
Kang Se-hyun singer, who was placing grilled beef on my bowl, looked at me.
“He probably didn’t mean anything bad. He was just spoiled. I’ll apologize. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
What bothered me more was the way Kang Se-hyun singer talked to Choi In-joon singer like he was a child, even though he was an adult.
I looked it up, and Choi In-joon singer was nine years older than me. Do people usually treat a 23-year-old like that?
“Bambi~. I really have a question.”
“Yes.”
I stuffed beef into my mouth. Why am I so annoyed?
If he couldn’t handle it, he should’ve known his limits.
I was annoyed by his careless drinking, by his unclear words, by the fact that someone would safely take him home no matter what.
What broke my restraint from snapping at a drunk person was his question.
“Why did you want to do this drama?”
“……”
“I found all your interviews, but you just said the script was interesting. Which part was interesting? I even talked to people I met on Twit☓, but we couldn’t figure it out―.”
“Because of the scene we filmed today.”
“Huh?”
“I wanted to personally experience what it’s like to have a harmonious meal with family. I wanted to feel what it was like.”
In the script I first read, there was no love line with Hanna, and Kim Ho-yoon was barely a supporting role.
Among the few lines he had, “I don’t need a sister, okay? As long as I have mom and dad, I’m fine,” stood out and kept bothering me.
“……”
The surrounding silence only made me more irritated, so I gulped down water.
“Do you have any other questions?”
“Oh? Oh, um… no….”
“Then I’ll be going now. Enjoy your meal.”
With superhuman effort, I smiled and stood up.
I politely greeted the director and staff before leaving the restaurant.
Standing quietly beside me, Manager An Jin-bae waited for a proxy driver with me.
The misery grew as we waited.