Chapter 74: Exam Period (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: Exam Period (5)
I arrived at Shin A-young’s apartment complex.
3… 4… 5…
The numbers on the elevator display climbed steadily.
As I stood directly in front of her door, reality finally started to sink in, and a question popped into my head. I remembered something she’d mentioned before.
“Wait, didn’t you say your parents weren't fond of guests?”
I recalled her saying that since her father was a famous actor, they found it burdensome to have strangers in the house.
“It’s fine. No one’s home right now,” A-young said, waving her hand dismissively.
“…?”
Her answer left me with a strange expression.
‘Isn’t that more of a problem…?’
Before I could follow that train of thought any further, A-young swung the front door wide open.
“Come on. Get in.”
I was practically pulled inside by her words. I kicked off my shoes and stepped into the living room.
“…Wow.”
The exclamation escaped my lips involuntarily.
It didn’t feel like a typical family home. A remarkably spacious living room greeted me, exuding an air of quiet luxury.
She moved with practiced ease.
“First, let’s go to my room—”
A-young, who had been leading the way, suddenly jerked to a halt. She froze mid-step.
— “Ah.”
She had been about to take me to her room when she remembered something, and her expression hardened.
Her Mini-Me was sweating buckets—practically a waterfall.
— “Wait… what does my room look like? Did I even clean it?”
I wondered why she’d stopped, but it turned out that was the reason.
The Mini-Me shot me a wary glance, clearly debating her next move.
“Could you wait here for a second? Just make yourself comfortable in the living room.”
A-young backpedaled smoothly. Then, she vanished into her room at lightning speed.
It looked like she was performing an emergency cleaning session. A wise decision.
“…”
I sat down on the living room sofa. While waiting, I took a look around.
‘This place is huge.’
The TV featured a massive screen, and every piece of furniture looked high-end. Since this was the home of one of the country’s most popular actors, I suppose this much was to be expected.
Of course, some actors live modestly, but it seemed A-young’s father wasn’t the type to go out of his way to be frugal.
‘It looks like something straight out of a drama.’
A large family portrait hung on one wall. Every single person in the photo was strikingly handsome or beautiful.
“Sorry for the wait!”
A-young stepped out of her room with a light gait. She had already changed into athletic wear—a white tank top, a cotton jacket, and shorts. It was a comfortable, casual look.
— “Ugh, that room is a lost cause.”
Her Mini-Me was shaking its head with a truly bitter expression.
‘I guess she gave up.’
She must have decided that cleaning the room right now was an impossible task.
“Um…”
Perhaps thinking she should play the host, A-young glanced toward the kitchen and asked, “Seung-ho, do you want a snack since you’re here?”
“Huh?”
“Is there anything you want to eat? We have plenty.”
“I’m okay. I just finished working out, anyway.”
“Then, how about some fruit? Do you like fruit?”
“I mean, I do, but…”
I felt a bit guilty being treated to food after showing up so suddenly.
“I’ll go cut some up. Keep looking around for a bit.”
A-young disappeared into the kitchen, then poked her head back out.
“You’re not allergic to peaches, are you?”
“No.”
“Got it~”
I nodded. I could feel her thoughtful consideration in that simple question.
After a short wait, A-young returned carrying a plate of sliced peaches. The pieces were a bit lumpy and uneven—she clearly wasn’t great with a knife—but I could see the effort she’d put in.
“Come in.”
The door she opened was at the end of the hallway. She said it was her father’s study.
“Is it okay to just go in like this?”
“He gave me permission to use it whenever I want. My dad doesn’t really use it much anyway.”
As I stepped inside, bookshelves lined up in perfect order greeted me. Most of the books were novels or scripts for dramas and movies. I also saw the occasional book on screenwriting.
“Oh.”
As I walked slowly, scanning the titles, my eyes locked onto one specific spine.
“Whoa, no way, this is…!”
I froze in shock.
I’d found the script for a movie I’d absolutely adored. It was an original production copy, still bearing the physical wear and tear of being handled on set.
‘Wow, I can’t believe this is here…’
Well, it made sense. It was a movie he’d starred in, so of course he’d have the script. I swallowed hard, dying to see what was inside.
“…?”
Sensing a gaze on me, I turned around.
“…”
A-young was watching me with a faint, knowing smile.
“…Ahem.”
I felt embarrassed for overreacting. I let out a fake cough and looked away.
“Do you want to take a look?” A-young asked with a glint in her eyes.
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
She gestured for me to do as I pleased. I was tempted. I really did want to see it. I thought about looking at it for just a second…
“…No. Let’s do the assignment first.”
I shook my head. The work had to come first. I could always look at the script later.
“Shall we?”
— “Hmm, we could have taken our time…”
The Mini-Me looked somewhat disappointed.
“Let me see what you’ve written.”
“Hold on.”
At my words, A-young opened the laptop she’d brought. She pulled up the document and turned the screen toward me, pushing the laptop forward hesitantly.
— “Ugh… I’m so nervous…”
Showing her writing to someone else was clearly a burden for her. The Mini-Me paced back and forth around me, unable to sit still.
“It’s a romance?”
Looking at the proposal, it was a love story centered around a male and female lead.
“Is it… not good?”
A-young’s speech slowed down. She was constantly checking my reaction. Seeing that, I shook my head.
“No, it’s not that. I was just wondering if there was a specific reason for the genre.”
“Well… since it’s a short film, I thought it would be a good fit. And we happen to have two actors, a guy and a girl.”
“I see.”
I proceeded to read through the script calmly.
“…What do you think?” A-young asked cautiously.
I tapped the desk, contemplating the feedback.
“It’s good. It’s not just a typical romance.”
It wasn’t a standard love story. It was about a cohabitating couple going through the process of breaking up after they’d already decided to end things.
“I like that it’s not just a simple love story.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“But…”
“But…?”
A-young leaned forward, her eyes filled with anxiety.
“When people break up, it usually doesn’t end on such good terms. I think it could be a bit more intense.”
“Hmm? You think so?”
“Plus, I think that would make the process of packing up their things in the house they shared more interesting to watch.”
“Hmm…”
A-young tilted her head in thought, then nodded as if convinced.
“Okay. I’ll try revising that part.”
*
An hour had passed since we started working.
At some point, quiet music had begun playing in the study to fill the silence.
“…”
A-young quietly revised the script, the rhythmic clicking of the keyboard echoing through the room.
Beside her, I worked on a storyboard while waiting. I was mapping out how to shoot each scene and how to direct the actors.
— “Hum-hum-hum~♪”
A-young’s Mini-Me was humming along to the song.
— “If your heart starts to flutter, it’s you~♪”
She thought she was being quiet, but I couldn’t help but hear the song she was murmuring in her head.
“…Ugh.”
A-young pouted and tapped her forehead, seemingly stuck on a detail.
— “Tsk… should I look for some reference material…?”
A-young brought over a ladder from the corner. The ceiling was high, and she needed it to reach the books on the top shelves.
— “I thought I put all the organized scripts here last time…”
She rummaged through the bookshelf.
— “It’s not here…”
The Mini-Me crossed its arms, lost in thought. It closed its eyes and stroked its chin. It seemed she couldn’t remember where she’d put the materials.
“…”
I watched her out of the corner of my eye.
— “Did I put it somewhere else?”
The Mini-Me whipped its head to the side, scanning the adjacent section of the bookshelf.
I watched her with a growing sense of unease. I slowly stood up from my seat.
‘I have a bad feel—’
Whoosh!
As A-young tried to climb down in a hurry, her body tilted to the side.
“!”
Without a moment to think, I lunged and caught her by the waist.
Thud!
I managed to catch her just in time, but I couldn’t withstand the momentum. I slipped, and we both tumbled to the floor.
“Ugh…”
I winced and blinked. Fortunately, nothing hurt too badly—just a dull, stinging sensation on my back.
“…Hey, are you okay?”
I had a feeling this would happen. My bad premonitions are always right.
“…”
A-young, who was lying on my chest as if it were a mattress, turned her head. She looked incredibly startled, her eyes wide like a rabbit’s.
— Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
— Click!
Just then, the sound of the front door passcode being entered echoed through the house.
“Hey?”
I called out to her urgently, but there was no response.
— “---------”
Static noise flared up. Within that noise, the Mini-Me stared down at me. Those small eyes quietly took in my face.
“Shin A-young?!”
“…Ah.”
As if finally snapping out of it, she jumped up in surprise, but…
“…”
A man was already standing in the doorway of the study.
A man who looked like A-young—or rather, the man A-young took after.
“…Ah, hello…”
I offered a clumsy greeting from the floor.
I could tell at a glance that he was A-young’s father.
— “---------”
Accompanied by a wall of mental noise, he looked down at me without saying a word.
I knew for certain right then: the first impression was a total disaster.