Summer Day's Time Loop (5)
Was early summer weather always this hot? It rained every few days, and on the rare clear days, the temperature spiked. And now they were shooting outdoors. With the lights adding even more heat, just standing there drained his stamina fast.
"Cut. That's it for today's shoot."
With Baek Yul sunbae's shout, the filming wrapped. He could hear the staff chatting among themselves.
"Can we even eat lunch?"
"Possible in 5 minutes?"
"Factoring in travel and serving time, about 3 minutes."
"Great Challenge? Smash the human limits?"
"What are you idiots doing? Just hit the vending machine."
They'd only squeezed in one or two scenes today using lunch break, so time was tight. Most shooting happened on weekends, minus rainy days when they couldn't film. Before he knew it, half of May had passed.
"Good work, everyone!"
"Seryeon, good job. Saero too!"
The cast and crew dispersed quickly, and the shooting vibe lifted. Still, Kang Saero seemed lost in the moment, sitting on the bench staring up at the clear sky for a while.
Maybe it was the afterglow. Or maybe she was just physically exhausted.
He pulled out an ion drink from the vending machine and plopped it in front of her.
"Hm?"
"Drink."
Kang Saero's dazed eyes lit up instantly. Pure joy, mostly.
"Whoa, what's this? Just for me?"
"Too much hassle to buy for all the sunbaes."
"Wow, you're so lame."
"But when shooting wraps, we'll do a big one..."
"Kidding. You worry too much. The sunbaes will love you. Especially since you're handsome."
In his second life, that last line always tagged on. Am I really that handsome? He thought he looked good, but it seemed to hit others harder.
"What? Not drinking?"
"Hng."
Kang Saero looked up at him with a subtle smile. Whatever she was thinking, his hand holding the can was getting cold.
"My hand's freezing. Take it."
"So, why only pamper me like this?"
He blurted, feeling awkward. "Well, I suck at acting. Feels bad making you carry everything."
She was covering his parts too—no monitoring needed to see that.
Kang Saero took the drink and popped the tab with a crisp click, no hesitation.
"You get it, huh."
"No, I tried, it's not like I didn't..."
"Joking. You just stand there looking pretty."
No room to respond—three crisp moves followed: cool swig, cool one-shot, cool smile.
She downed the ion drink deliciously, letting out the classic sound effect.
Kyaah.
"Truth is, I can act that well because you're here."
"Yeah?"
Leaning back on the bench, fiddling with the can, she gave him a strange look. "You know everything, but you always make me say it."
"'Cause I'm handsome...?"
"Yeah, dummy."
Was it from that moment with the drink? Or much earlier?
Kang Saero sank into a strange mood. She'd thought it was just filming emotion, but back in the classroom, it lingered.
What do I do?
Dilemma. Conflict. Infinite loops with imaginary Kim Seryeon 5000 times vs. one lifetime with the real one.
In the MV, Kim Seryeon was trapped in eternal summer, indifferent like he'd let go of everything. Perfect, no need to change. So pulling that bored Seryeon out was her role. Fun and joyful, but the problem? He was real.
Real Kim Seryeon was different. Clumsy, awkward, quiet. Probably hopeless at everything but composing. Menhera and all. But he still tried reaching out, however poorly.
That's what's really cute.
She'd wished this dazzling summer wouldn't end. Now greed stirred.
I'm starting to like two guys? No, this one's a guy too.
So, what about Christmas? She wanted to see fall come, winter snow, spring blooms—with Kim Seryeon.
No futureless relationship.
Thus, on the shoot for the loop-ending scene, Kang Saero boldly approached Baek Yul.
"Um, Director."
"Yeah."
"I had an idea. Mind hearing it?"
"What?"
"Phew, good. You'll hear me out?"
"I'll listen first."
"Ehehe."
She rummaged deep in her bag, pulling out something suffocating just to look at midsummer: a thick red wool scarf.
"What do you think?"
"A scarf."
"Yes!"
"In summer?"
She nodded vigorously. Baek Yul's brow furrowed, but she pressed on.
"It's the loop story's ending. I don't wanna break the loop, but I don't wanna forget other seasons. So, once... mimic winter in midsummer... something like that."
Winter waiting in eternal summer. Contradictory, hence the desperate longing for tomorrow.
"It's summer now, but looking forward to eventual winter... that vibe. You get it, right, Director?"
But Baek Yul was firm. "Nah, don't get it."
"Whaaat?"
"Ending impressions matter hugely for audiences. That'd turn a summer video into winter."
"But it means staying trapped forever happily. Viewers might feel stuffy."
"Weren't you all for eternal trap with Kim Seryeon?"
"Imagining future makes it good."
Baek Yul wasn't that stubborn; he pondered seriously.
"The scene itself? I like it. Super paradoxical—scarf in midsummer."
Then director feedback time.
"Drawing winter in repeating summer. Imagining impossible winter together. That's enjoying the loop..."
"But does it fit the theme? Gotta think."
"It's hot. Summer. Viewers know by end; scarf and parka for 'winter experience' looks dumb."
Sulky. Kang Saero deflated from excited to shrunk. He chimed in.
"Crank the AC?"
"Hm?"
Baek Yul blinked blankly.
"Indoor shoot, so blast AC, right?"
"......Yeah."
"Kim Seryeon, genius?"
Enlightened, Baek Yul clapped at staff.
"Hey, this'll be fun. Max AC!"
"School central AC off in early summer."
"Anyone techy? Screw the AC thermostat to bypass central."
"Detention!"
"I'll take blame. Hurry!!!"
Genius decisiveness? Baek Yul switched gears, handling everything smoothly.
Arts high engineer, art nerd geek recruited. Central AC hacked, full blast. White blankets and winter clothes from prop room. Camera rolled; classroom blanketed like snowfield.
Outside felt over 30°C, but video world: snowy winter.
He took the red scarf from Kang Saero. One end on his neck, other on hers. Two connected by single scarf.
AC or not, hot was hot. Baek Yul's detail, but AC more directorial fix than actor relief. Like showing audience the temp drop cut.
Annoying in reality, but loop resets anyway.
Loop resets. Baek Yul's explanation.
They lay side-by-side on snowfield. Kicking limbs innocently. Maximizing cold contact.
Then Kang Saero gripped his hand tight. Slick with sweat, but she interlocked harder.
"......"
Eyes met. Hers no longer playful. Too earnest, hot for acting.
No lines, obviously.
Yet a voice seemed to echo. Stay here as long as you want. It's fine.
Fine. But someday, let's escape together.
Even if out when truly fine.
Heart dropped. Chest ached like forgetting to breathe.
Acting? Real acting?
Overwhelmed, he couldn't turn or look away. Just stared blankly at Kang Saero.
World noise faded; only breaths audible illusion.
Body instinctively shrank. Scary. Instinct screamed it should.
But why? No panic; eyes open, meeting hers.
Thanks to "fine."
Curtains open, vibrant summer outside. Snowfield under summer sky.
"Cut! Okay!"
Baek Yul's shout broke silence. Kang Saero released hand, exhaling hard.
"Thought I'd die of heat!"
Face beet red—scarf or heat? Unclear.
Post-shoot cleanup. Baek Yul sunbae tapped his shoulder.
"Seryeon junior."
"Ah, good work, sunbae!"
"You too. Be good to Saero."
"Huh? Friends, so obviously."
"Nah. Nah."
Baek Yul chuckled dryly, shaking head. Eyes sharp behind adjusted glasses.
"Can't you tell? Her look at you—not acting. Clueless or player?"
Baek Yul tsked.
"Neither."
"Now I get why you can't act."
Baek Yul grabbed bag with cryptic words.
He grabbed him. "Why?"
Baek Yul paused, turning. Backlit face shadowed, but eyes sharp.
"You chase only bright stuff too much?"
"Uh... songs?"
"Everything."
"Not just bright stuff gets love."
Baek Yul dropped that and vanished among packing staff.
Days later.
MV and track released to the world.