Chapter 144: ...A Lie.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: ...A Lie.
"Ah... I'm sorry."
This was the first time an actor, not the director, had confronted me directly.
"I've heard that shoots drag on all day whenever you're involved, Taemin-ssi. Now I get it."
Her words, spoken as if she hadn't expected anything from me in the first place, stabbed painfully at my heart.
"Just memorize your lines properly, okay?"
"I'm sorry."
"Even if you're a rookie, you should at least have the basics down, don't you think?"
No other words came to mind besides 'I'm sorry'.
"Don't ruin the shoot for everyone else."
She clicked her tongue and sighed.
I want to run away.
I want to quit.
My hands, hidden beneath the table, were trembling uncontrollably.
There was no one there to defend me.
The director, who was looking our way with a cold expression, didn't scold me but simply stared as if he were looking at an insect.
"Let's go again. Action."
After that, I lost my focus completely and kept messing up my lines.
*
[Oppa. Are you going to be late again today?]
Oppa had been coming home so late recently.
On days he didn't have a shoot, it seemed like he was practicing until at least 10 PM before coming home.
The day before yesterday, I think he came home in the early hours of the morning.
Because of that, I felt a little hesitant sending him a text like this.
It felt like I was bothering someone who was busy.
Just like how Oppa doesn't contact me personally when I'm streaming, I thought I should be just as considerate.
Still, I couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of wanting to see him.
After holding back for as long as I could, I sent a short text, rationalizing to myself that I'd waited long enough.
A reply came back not long after.
[Yeah. Looks like it. Sorry.]
[Nothing to be sorry for~ Do a good job! Call me when you're done.]
[Okay. I'll call you later. Thanks.]
Putting my phone down, I felt all the energy drain from my body.
Ah... I was going to ask if we could see each other if he came home early...
I was jealous of Oppa, who had VODs of his girlfriend to watch.
I wish I could see how Oppa was doing when he was at work, too.
He says he watches my streams through clips or VODs even when he's busy.
It's not like I could ask for a recording of his work.
Wait a minute... Hmm... In that case...
Alright! I'll ask him later!
I started a mobile game on my phone and decided to wait for Oppa's call.
The call came an hour and a half later.
[Hello?]
[You worked hard.]
[It's nothing. I have to do at least this much to pull my weight on set.]
[Aren't you working too hard lately, Oppa? What are you going to do if you win the Best New Actor award~]
Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, I tried to sound extra cute and playful to cheer him up.
[That's not likely.]
His sheepish laugh echoed in my ear.
[You have a shoot tomorrow, right?]
[Yeah. In the morning.]
[What time?]
[It's at 11, but I have to leave around 7? Maybe 8 at the latest.]
[You just got home so late, and you have to leave that early?]
[I have to get my makeup done and then wait on standby.]
[Hmm... hmm...!]
After clearing my throat a couple of times, I brought up the real reason for my questions.
[Where's the shoot?]
[Where was it... I think it was somewhere in Hyoshin-dong.]
[Where exactly in Hyoshin-dong?]
[I only heard it's somewhere in the residential area behind the cafe street there. But why?]
Hyoshin-dong... behind the cafe street... residential area...
I finished typing a note on my phone with my thumb and hit the save button.
[Why? Can't I even ask where my boyfriend is and what he's doing?]
[No, that's not it. It's just that you usually didn't seem that interested.]
[Hey now. Why would you say that? That's hurtful.]
There was also the fact that I hadn't asked before because I figured it was confidential information.
[Ah. But I really am tired.]
I could hear the rustling of blankets from his end, as if he'd just laid down in bed.
[Get some rest.]
[I want to talk to you a little longer.]
[I'd like that.]
It felt like he was taking care of me even though he was drowning in fatigue.
I wanted to go over to his place right now and give him a kiss.
[Oh, Oppa, this is supposed to be a secret, but they're holding a music production contest for Closer after my solo concert!]
[Music production?]
[Yeah! So, people can submit music, and the company will pick a winner through a popularity vote and make a music video for it. Isn't that awesome?]
[I bet. A lot of people will probably apply.]
[Well... since we have so many fans, I'm sure some multi-talented people will show up, right?]
I shared all the Luka and Closer news I knew he'd love most, chattering for about 30 minutes before letting him go.
How could I keep him on the phone when he had a morning shoot?
Instead, since I couldn't see him today, I'll just have to go see him in person tomorrow~
I'll just take a quick peek, so quick he won't even know I was there.
He said there was a cafe street, so it didn't seem like a bad idea to bring my laptop and get some work done there for a bit.
Still, just in case he might recognize me, I planned to wear a mask and a hat.
Besides, if he knew I was there, it might break his concentration.
Having prepared my little spy outfit, I fell asleep with a fluttering heart.
Completely unaware of what I was about to witness.
*
Hyoshin-dong was a neighborhood with notoriously high property values.
The flat area was home to a cafe street, while the residential area was filled with luxury housing complexes and homes that looked like celebrities would live there.
After getting off the subway and transferring to a bus, I arrived and looked around as if I were in a foreign country.
So, where do I go from here?
Should I just follow this uphill road?
I'd come to see the film set, but I didn't know the exact location, so I started by walking into an alley I saw in front of me.
"These houses are huge..."
After passing a row of houses that made me wonder just how much they cost, another hill was waiting for me.
Hmm... should I go up further?
To be honest, I didn't want to walk for too long since I was carrying my laptop.
I stopped under a streetlight to check the map on my phone and decided I would only go up this one hill before turning back.
Right. If I can't find it, whatever. I'll just tell myself I came to check out the cafes.
I'd have to keep it a secret from Oppa, too.
Because if I told him I failed at my little spy mission, he would definitely laugh at me.
I was almost at the top of the hill but hadn't spotted a single camera. Then, I saw a large production vehicle parked up ahead and a smile spread across my face.
There it is!
Trying to look like a local resident and not someone who'd come to gawk, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and walked very slowly.
Wow. There are so many people.
As I got closer to the house, I could see staff members gathered in small groups.
I saw cameras, and celebrities...
Oh! A real celebrity!
I could see the face of the actor Oppa had mentioned, and someone who looked like a manager was standing next to them.
I'm so glad I came.
When else would I get to see something like this?
As I was trying to sneak past along the very edge of the area, a loud noise startled me, and I couldn't help but turn my head.
-Screeeeeech
The distinct sound of speaker feedback pierced my eardrums.
At the same time, the name that was called was none other than my boyfriend's.
"Han Taemin-ssi!"
A megaphone was thrown to the ground.
A man who I assumed was the director strode forward angrily.
"You can't do this?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Is this difficult?"
The director, his face bright red, swept his bangs back with one hand.
"Is it really that hard?! When did I ever ask you to do something amazing, Taemin-ssi? Have things gotten so bad that I have to demonstrate it for you myself?"
The director's words were one thing, but what truly captured my attention was the look on Oppa's face.
His already pale face had turned an even whiter shade.
Even from a fair distance away, I could clearly see his body trembling.
"Here! Like this! You just kick the wall once!"
Looking extremely frustrated, the director was now using his whole body to demonstrate.
"Haa... forget it... Let's just wrap for today."
He stopped mid-sentence, and as if hit by a wave of disillusionment, the director started walking straight towards me, where I stood on the outskirts.
The other staff members rushed to stop him.
Oppa stood alone with his head bowed, shivering.
Aah... what do I do...
A pain like my heart was being torn apart made it hard to breathe.
I wanted to run to him right now, to that trembling figure, and pull him into a hug.
But I knew I couldn't do that.
If I suddenly appeared and tried to defend him, it wouldn't make things any better for him.
If anything, rumors might spread that he was a rookie who was too busy with his love life.
Biting my lip, I forced my feet, which felt rooted to the spot, to move.
I turned and went back the way I came.
Cafes, work—nothing else entered my mind.
The only thing playing on an endless loop in my head was the image of Oppa, trembling.
I'd heard him say it was difficult, but had he been treated like this the whole time?
The memory of his face when he told me he still had to work hard overlapped with the scene, and my eyes started to burn with tears.
If it's that hard, you should just say you can't do it.
Why are you suffering like that?
I couldn't understand.
And I couldn't understand why he'd hidden it from me.
After returning home, I sat there blankly for a while before sending Oppa a text.
[Are you doing okay?]
-Bzzzzzt
A reply arrived about 20 minutes later.
[Ah. Of course~]
...A lie.