Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Kimchi Soup
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After wrapping up the film shoot on the outskirts of Namyangju, Gong Ji-hyun headed to a drama set in Seoul early the next morning.
Principal filming began an hour after she arrived. Her scenes as a supporting actress were quite short, so they finished quickly.
In the afternoon, she had a scene fighting the female lead. She had to wait a few hours until the lead actress arrived. She could have gone home and back in that time, but she chose to stay on set.
She sat in a corner, rereading her well-worn script and mentally rehearsing her afternoon performance.
At lunchtime, she ate at a nearby restaurant arranged by the film staff. Gong Ji-hyun ordered spicy pork bibimbap. Midway through, she thought of the jajang rice she'd eaten at yesterday's set, made by Na Gang-in.
'It was really delicious.'
After lunch, during the break, Gong Ji-hyun passed out snacks to everyone.
The night before, she'd portioned the jajang cookies into small transparent bags the size of her palm, tying each with a pretty ribbon.
She handed out the bags one by one to the staff.
"Have these if you get peckish."
"Oh, thanks."
She offered two to the PD specially.
The PD glanced at the jajang cookies.
'They look like hardtack?'
"You made these yourself?"
Gong Ji-hyun shook her head with a smile.
"No. A friend made them for me."
"Pass. I just ate. And I don't really like hardtack anyway."
"Oh, okay."
Even so, Gong Ji-hyun placed one transparent bag next to the PD.
As she turned to leave, a surprised exclamation came from the other side.
"Whoa? What's this? It's so good!"
Others eating the jajang cookies chimed in with admiration.
"Man, it looks like hardtack, but how's it this tasty?"
The lighting director nearby asked Gong Ji-hyun.
"Where can I buy these?"
She beamed back.
"They're not for sale. A friend made them specially for me."
The reactions from those who'd tried them were overwhelmingly positive.
"Wow, even after a full meal, it's delicious."
"Gonna turn into a pig at this rate."
"You already are."
"So're you."
"I know."
The rave reviews piqued the PD's curiosity.
'What's so great about them?'
He untied the ribbon on the palm-sized bag and took out just one to taste.
"Huh?"
It was delicious.
"This is seriously good."
The bag was small, holding only a few cookies.
He remembered Gong Ji-hyun offering him two earlier.
"Ah... Should've taken both."
Regret hit late, but pride kept him from asking for more.
He quietly re-tied the ribbon.
'Gotta savor these for later.'
The three extras playing Gong Ji-hyun's friends arrived. As her role grew, they got more chances to appear as her entourage. No lines today, but they were happy anyway.
The trio gossiped.
"Last time we were on TV, friends and family blew up my phone."
"Same. My ex even texted."
"Gonna get back together?"
"He wants Ji-hyun unnie's autograph."
"What a psycho."
"I cussed him out too."
Lee Yeon-ji asked.
"Unnie, maybe he couldn't straight-up ask to get back together, so he beat around the bush?"
"I dumped him after finding out he was two-timing."
"Total psycho confirmed."
Gong Ji-hyun pulled out a bag of jajang cookies.
"Wanna try these?"
Lee Yeon-ji snatched it eagerly.
"Ooh! Thanks!"
Each bag held five cookies, enough for the trio to sample one or two.
Lee Yeon-ji knew who made them the instant she tasted one.
"Huh? These are the cookies that ajusshi makes."
Gong Ji-hyun blinked.
"Ajusshi?"
Lee Yeon-ji had only a minor role in the movie with few lines, so she'd skipped script readings and didn't know Na Gang-in had visited.
"The ajusshi who sells food at our neighborhood PC bang. His jajang cookies taste exactly like this. I doubted from the look, but the flavor confirms it."
Gong Ji-hyun waved it off with a laugh.
"Nah. The guy who made these is the martial arts director on the movie I'm shooting now."
"Our ajusshi does martial arts directing on the side. So it is him."
Gong Ji-hyun paused.
"Wait, really?"
"Totally."
"Hold on. How do you know our instructor?"
"He's from our neighborhood?"
One of the trio chimed in.
"Yeon-ji, you said you live near Eun-ha unnie. Does that ajusshi too?"
"Yeah. Well, not exactly next door—more like the next town over? Never been, but he said his place is about that far."
Gong Ji-hyun cut in.
"Wait, so you've had these before?"
"Of course. If you ask nicely on days he cooks, he makes jajang cookies."
"Jajang cookies?"
"That's what he calls them. Flavor varies a bit by ingredients that day, but all delicious. I've had ones exactly like these."
Gong Ji-hyun couldn't wrap her head around it.
"PC bang? Instructor's a famous martial arts director—why sell food there?"
"Oh, you didn't know? He occasionally sells cooking at our local PC bang. Used to be more often; we miss it now that it's rare."
Gong Ji-hyun had heard the 'Fate's Spear' cast flocked there because Na Gang-in was involved.
"Someone that successful, why? Not for money, surely."
"Dunno. Just does it sometimes. Hobby, maybe."
"When exactly?"
"Whenever the mood strikes—no one knows. Word spreads, you rush over. Sells out quick; latecomers miss the soup."
Gong Ji-hyun felt envy. Tough for her, living elsewhere.
"Ah... Must be nice living nearby."
"Yep. And ask then, you get jajang cookies."
Gong Ji-hyun pondered.
'Still, the ones he gave me must be special, not like the PC bang ones...'
Lee Yeon-ji dashed that hope.
"But these aren't the special ones."
"Huh? Special?"
"Special jajang cookies are next level."
"How could they be better than this?"
"They are. Once you try, no going back."
Lee Yeon-ji sighed wistfully.
"But he rarely makes specials. Gotta beg with the neighborhood sisters."
Gong Ji-hyun grew jealous listening. Sounded like everyone there had fun lives.
"I wanna move there too."
Before the female lead's afternoon shoot, the drama writer visited the set.
The script was complete, but she still had work. She valued ratings and tweaked based on viewer feedback and on-set vibes.
The PD was away talking to actors.
She stopped at his spot and spotted the transparent cookie bag with jajang cookies.
Fans and managers often gifted snacks like this. Actresses favored cookies.
The PD rarely ate them, so leftovers became hers.
As usual, she untied the ribbon, took one from the bag, and ate.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh my, delicious. Hmm? This flavor..."
The PD rushed over.
"No! Writer Kim! That was for later!"
"Oh, don't you hate snacks?"
"Not the tasty ones."
"True, these are good."
The PD hastily re-tied and sealed the bag.
"Tch, only three left."
Having tasted just one, the writer smacked her lips and glanced around.
"Where's Na Gang-in? Should at least say hi."
The confused PD stared.
"Huh? Na Gang-in? Why would he be here?"
"This is Na Gang-in's cookie."
"What?"
"Looks similar, tastes spot-on."
They blinked at each other, realizing the disconnect.
The writer, with some context, explained first.
"My friend is Do Ju-hee, writer of 'Blue Sky'."
Do Ju-hee wrote that drama; they were friends.
"Mid-season, Na Gang-in handled action. Shin Eun-ha gifted her his homemade cookies. I snuck some at her studio."
The PD shared his info.
"No way. Gong Ji-hyun said a friend made them."
Putting it together led to one conclusion.
The writer said.
"Then her friend must be Na Gang-in."
"Huh?"
She startled herself.
"Oh my, really?"
They called Gong Ji-hyun over.
The PD asked.
"These cookies you gave me."
"Yes. Got one left—want it?"
"Sure, if you have..."
The writer jumped in.
"Oh, Ji-hyun. Didn't peg you for favorites. Am I chopped liver?"
"Ah! No! Here, writer!"
"Thanks."
The PD, licking his lips, asked again.
"The guy who made these... Na Gang-in?"
Gong Ji-hyun gasped.
"How'd you know? I didn't say."
The PD pressed urgently.
"How do you know Na Gang-in? Sure, in this industry, you might cross paths. But him making you a whole box? That's different."
"Oh. The movie 'Fate's Spear' started shooting yesterday. I'm in it."
"Yeah, checked your schedule for conflicts."
"Na Gang-in instructor's the martial arts director."
The PD hadn't known that.
"Really?"
"He made these yesterday on set, so I shared today."
"Did all the actors get some?"
Gong Ji-hyun boasted.
"No, only I got a full extra box."
The PD eyed her.
"Him visiting our set before, sending cookies via you..."
He had a hunch.
"Maybe Na Gang-in wants in on our drama?"
The writer clapped, beaming.
"Oh! Yes! That's it!"
The PD grinned slyly.
"Then we need a meeting first? Terms gotta match. Haha, what's his agency? Lemme contact them."
"No idea."
"Tell the assistant director to reach out for a meet."
"I'll come that day—call me."
"Heh, of course. Gotta have our writer to tweak the script."
They ignored Gong Ji-hyun now, buzzing about action scenes.
Her part done, she returned to her spot, head tilted.
'Does instructor even have an agency?'
He didn't.
Na Gang-in used Shin Eun-ha's manager, SAH Enter's Park Woo-seop, for contracts, but SAH wasn't his agency. They'd done one digital single, a one-off deal. SAH didn't share his contact freely.
Gong Ji-hyun didn't know this.
"PD will handle it."
Day three of filming 'Fate's Spear' on Namyangju outskirts.
Actors' faces glowed. Especially those who'd camped on set all three days.
One who'd been there from day one bragged to a newcomer.
"Yesterday and the day before had killer action. You should've seen it."
The newbie rubbed his hands excitedly.
"Hyung, I've heard rumors about the vibe these past two days. Raced here at dawn. Gonna nail some great shots today."
The veteran tilted his head.
"Not much action today? Your scenes are light on it too, no?"
"Today's just a teaser. Got real epic stuff next week."
"That teaser'll be sweet."
"Hey, hyung."
The newbie glanced around.
"Na Gang-in really plans movements live and sets every camera angle?"
"Hey! It's Martial Arts Director Na Gang-in. Who're you to call him by name?"
"That serious?"