Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Translator: Penny
Chapter 9
White snowflakes were slowly scattering.
It was also one day in December, the first day of filming the ｢Matches｣ music video.
From the moment Ha-eun stepped out of the house early in the morning, to when she arrived at the music video set instead of her usual kindergarten.
Ha-eun's small hand was holding tightly onto her mother Na-yeon's hand.
"Are you nervous?"
At Na-yeon's naturally asked question, Ha-eun shook her head slightly.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous at all, but more than that, she didn't want to receive her mother's worried gaze.
One way or another, Ha-eun had already memorized most of what she had to act as the 'Little Match Girl' today.
Over the past few days, she had met with the Deobeulli members and heard what they wanted in an ideal Little Match Girl.
She had also been encouraged countless times that, since she wasn't a professional actor, she didn't need to feel intimidated even if she made a few NGs.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't even her first time standing in front of so many cameras.
She had done all the preparation she could.
Even so, the reason Ha-eun's face lacked composure was.
"Ah, actress Ha-eun. You're here early."
"...Hello."
It was because this was her first time doing proper acting to the point of being called an actress by someone else.
In the previous children's nutritional supplement CF, the only acting Ha-eun was asked to do was to run as if jogging.
She had added a falling scene on her own because she thought she had to be as noticeable as Kim Min-joon, the national track and field athlete.
But the aspects Ha-eun had to show in this Matches music video were much more detailed and profound than that.
Because the filming had clear answers for everything from facial expressions to atmosphere to even the smallest gestures.
She had a duty to try not to deviate as much as possible from the Little Match Girl that Lee Jun and Lee Gun-yeol wanted.
It wasn't that she lacked confidence.
It was just that the Deobeulli members' expectations for Ha-eun didn't feel light.
They were people who had faith and conviction in Ha-eun after seeing just one CF.
If so, shouldn't she at least do her best?
"Ha-eun, over here."
Turning her head at the familiar voice from afar, she saw Lee Jun waving his hand at Ha-eun.
And, right next to him, Lee Gun-yeol was standing and re-examining the storyboard with a serious expression.
"Hello."
"Oh, you're here. Then let's go to the dressing room first."
With that, Lee Gun-yeol, who had briefly closed the storyboard he was looking at, led her to the dressing room.
There, she reunited with the Little Match Girl costume that had been evaluated as the most suitable for Ha-eun in the process of trying on several versions of costumes a few days ago.
Soon, with Na-yeon's help, Ha-eun was reborn as the Little Match Girl from head to toe.
Even though it was a costume she had worn several times before, it felt slightly different on the actual day of filming.
"Wow…. You really look like the Little Match Girl, Ha-eun. So, so pretty."
Apart from Ha-eun's more complicated inner self than usual, Ha-eun's appearance was the epitome of elegance.
She received compliments that it suited her well not only from Na-yeon, who always adored Ha-eun, but also from the makeup artists waiting in the dressing room.
The red costume, which looked even more vivid in contrast to Ha-eun's white skin.
The small and cute basket prop.
Her originally beautiful appearance harmonized all of this and captivated the attention of others.
However, the preparations to be made for filming were not completely finished yet.
"Okay, now let's do your hair and put on a little makeup."
Receiving the touch of the makeup artist with a gentle impression, Ha-eun closed her eyes.
The feeling of the brush touching her face was ticklish, but she tried to endure it somehow because she was told that she would have to start over from the beginning if she moved.
-Click.
-Click, click.
The sound of the camera shutter that came from time to time could be recognized without having to open her eyes.
To be honest, it was a bit burdensome, but it wasn't to the point where she could tell them not to take pictures with a straight face.
"All done, Ha-eun. You can open your eyes."
Ha-eun's mouth remained closed until she became the perfect Little Match Girl by a skilled makeup artist.
"How is it, Ha-eun? Do you like it?"
"...Yes."
Honestly, she was surprised herself.
To the extent that she understood why Na-yeon's camera shutter hadn't stopped.
Was it because this was her first time facing herself properly made up?
She silently stared into the mirror for a while, slowly scanning even the smallest details.
It was about 10 minutes later that she heard the news that she should start preparing for filming.
And then, once again holding Na-yeon's hand tightly.
"Are you going to be watching me film…?"
"Hmm, Mom wants to see our Ha-eun act, but I think you'll get nervous if Mom is watching."
She lowered her gaze slightly and walked towards the filming location, chatting softly.
Before long, she finally faced the place that would be Ha-eun's stage for the day.
Huge cameras were placed here and there, and countless lights were hanging from mobile stands in between.
The staff were busily moving around the filming location, doing their respective jobs.
"The light from light 3 is weak. Can't you increase the light intensity a little more?"
"Everyone, take a hot pack~. Don't get frostbite~."
Someone was adjusting the camera, and another was adjusting the angle of the lights.
Ha-eun, who was momentarily overwhelmed by the sight, stopped in her place.
It wasn't the first time she had faced such a sight, but it was difficult to call it a familiar sight.
In addition, she felt gazes from here and there every time Ha-eun took a step.
People who looked like extras, staff holding cameras, everyone turned their gaze towards Ha-eun.
The tension that came naturally made the weight of her breath gradually heavier.
Even so, she somehow calmed her mind and slowly opened her tightly closed mouth.
"Hello."
She politely greeted everyone she met.
In most cases, a child with good manners tends to give a good impression.
After that, she continued to greet politely and moved her steps, and before she knew it, she reached the middle of the filming location.
The call from the filming director, Cha Seon-jae, was heard immediately after that.
"Ha-eun, can you come here for a second?"
A thick voice that suggested he had something to say.
So, she approached Cha Seon-jae with Na-yeon, and a mat with a paving stone pattern appeared in front of Ha-eun's eyes.
Afterwards, she was told to take a look, so she lowered her head and looked closely.
Thanks to the elaborate pattern on the side of the mat, it was indistinguishable from the actual street.
"When you shoot the falling scene, fall on this mat."
He added a confident guarantee that it was a pretty soft mat, so she could rest assured.
It was after that that she heard compliments that the costume suited her well.
So, she briefly lowered her head and gave her thanks.
Then, she let go of Na-yeon's hand, which she had been holding until this moment, and moved her steps towards the place where she should be.
Soon, the filming location began to get busy with the sound of 'standby'.
The extras moved to their respective positions, and the people in charge of the lights adjusted the angle of the lights for the last time.
"Hoo…."
In front of the sight of everyone preparing one by one, she took a deep breath once again.
Now, all that remained was to bring the Little Match Girl in the storyboard to the filming location.
After that, Ha-eun's eyes blinked a few times, and the gazes of Lee Jun and Lee Gun-yeol, who were standing far away, moved to the camera screen containing Ha-eun, not Ha-eun herself, at that moment.
"Okay, everyone get ready…. …Action!"
With the shout of director Cha Seon-jae that was finally heard, Ha-eun's first music video filming began.
\\
-Rustle.
The streets of a snowy city.
People were moving busily towards their respective destinations.
Among the people who were constantly walking somewhere like this.
Only one small shadow was standing still alone.
In her hands, chapped from the cold, she held an old matchbox.
Clothes that seemed to have been altered and added to from adult clothes.
It looked somewhat crude to withstand the cold of winter.
"Buy matches…."
The girl's voice was so small that it would not be heard at all unless one paid attention.
Perhaps that was why, or perhaps it was because they didn't try to listen in the first place.
The people passing by on the street didn't seem to notice the girl's existence.
Or, they ignored her even though they noticed.
-Thud.
"Ah…."
Because she was pushed by someone's elbow, the girl's small body staggered for a moment, and finally fell to the ground with a thud.
The small wooden basket that the girl was holding in her arm also fell haphazardly on the street.
However, no apology returned from the person who continued to walk forward without looking back.
Soon, the girl, who was raising herself up without saying a word.
A youthful smile bloomed again on her face, which had been frozen for a moment, and she showed the matches in the basket to the people on the street along with her white breath.
Like that, time flowed and flowed again.
The matches in the girl's basket didn't decrease at all.
Only the snow piled on the girl's hair and shoulders increased little by little.
Not long after that, laughter was heard from afar.
Turning her head without realizing it, her eyes met the people drinking warm coffee and chatting inside the cafe for a moment.
However, to the gazes that were immediately taken away from the girl.
She was just looking at the people who had shifted their gazes back to each other.
At the same time, she was just looking at her own reflection in the cafe window.
-Hoo.
Her breath rose up white.
In the end, the girl, unable to endure it, took out a match from her pocket.
-Fwoosh.
A small flame arose.
The girl's face brightened for a moment.
However, the flame went out in an instant because the wind blew from somewhere.
It was difficult to read what kind of expression the girl's expression, which was submerged in darkness again, was.
Again, once more, fwoosh.
And, perhaps because even the white smoke that was rising from the extinguished match was completely gone before a few seconds had passed.
The girl's head was gradually lowering downwards before she knew it.
"Buy matches…."
The gaze that was no longer meeting the people on the street.
Even so, she somehow pulled up the corners of her trembling lips, showing a smile instead of tears.
-Fwoosh.
She cast a faint light once again on the street covered with white snow.
At the same time, a drop of warmth flowed down with a pop.
The girl's eyes, which were reflected in a fleeting moment, were somehow reddened.
Even though the corners of her mouth were faintly smiling.
Like that, the gaze that was slowly descending towards the floor in the end.
The small body crouching down to avoid losing even a trace of warmth was truly insignificant.
Afterwards, the very last moment finally came.
At that time, when there were not many people left passing by on the street.
"...I missed you."
The youthful gaze that was slowly raised towards the empty air contained an expression other than a faint smile.
With that, it was over.
The night grew deep.
The snow also continued to fall without stopping.
Like that, when morning came again.
The girl's figure was nowhere to be found.
Only an empty matchbox remained in one corner of the snow-covered street.
Other than that, nothing remained.**
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny