Romance Dramas Are Like the Savanna Plains
Romance dramas are like the savanna plains. Episode 34. Romance dramas are like the savanna plains.
"I'm sorry~ Sorry for being late."
It was a full thirty minutes. Many people's schedules had halted and been delayed, throwing the next appointments into chaos. That was what being late did.
Among friends, lateness might be forgivable, but in the professional world, keeping time commitments was extremely important. Still, circumstances existed. A lead actor's tardiness often passed without much fuss.
Above all, who would dare confront someone apologizing so openly with his own mouth?
"My manager couldn't find the way~ I'm sorry."
However, forcing the blame onto the manager like that was a pitiful sight. A look of injustice. Yet the gazes directed at the road manager, who could only bow his head deeply without a word, were far from kind.
If the lead actor said so, who would dare call it a lie?
They wouldn't grill the manager outright, but reputation still mattered. "Ah, that E-Doon guy? He seemed a bit off." Once rumors like that accumulated and spread, they hardened into perception. And perception was not easily changed.
This was how Jang Seon-woo tormented his toys.
Anyway, after circling around, before the script reading officially began, the actors exchanged greetings.
Even if it felt awkward, he too had navigated social life long enough. Donning a mask and smiling was second nature.
"Hello. Senior. New actor Woo Dan-wol."
"Well… do your best."
"Thank you!"
He has his manners. That was Jang Seon-woo's impression of Woo Dan-wol.
From afar, Jang Geon-woo's hysterical demands echoed in his mind, but Jang Seon-woo decided to assess the newcomer first.
Regardless of his younger brother. His way of sizing people up was simple. Was this person useful to him?
If lucky, he might even pull him into his faction. Of course, Woo Dan-wol would have no desire to join.
Anyway. Jang Seon-woo's evaluation of Woo Dan-wol's abilities was not unfavorable. He had only heard rumors that his acting was good. He had never actually seen Forest of Flowers.
"Let's begin the reading!"
Once the formal greetings ended, Jang Seon-woo—who had finished wagging his tail at the beautiful duo—took his seat.
With his tall stature and striking mask, it was no wonder he was a popular male actor. The reading commenced.
The drama I Want to Stay for Just One More Minute was a high-teen romance. A growth story centered on four main characters at a sports high school, revolving around the theme of boxing.
Originally, fresh stories about students always had demand. Adding a heart-stirring tale of growth and love made failure nearly impossible.
'Huh…?'
Waiting for his turn, Woo Dan-wol was startled as he looked at the script. It was related to his ability. The color flowing from around the script had changed.
Normally, he wouldn't see the colors unless he actively tried. Because he read scripts every day, it would have been troublesome if colors constantly seeped out and created a haze. He might have gone mad.
So he kept the ability switched off like a toggle, yet the aura was flowing out on its own. Moreover, it was a mixture of blue and purple.
'Did it level up?'
He would need to check the grade to be sure, but blue ranked higher than green, and purple higher still than blue. In other words, the script's grade appeared to have risen. He didn't know the reason. Was it because he had joined the project? There seemed to be no other explanation.
Woo Dan-wol didn't dwell on it. More thinking wouldn't yield an answer. He refocused on the script reading.
Yet the atmosphere in the reading room felt slightly off.
"Let me try that once more."
Ju Ha-ryeong recited her lines. Her solid acting lived up to her reputation as a ten-million actor. Woo Dan-wol's eyes sparkled. She was truly mad about acting.
But looking at the situation itself, something felt awkward. The back-and-forth between the male and female leads. Ju Ha-ryeong seemed unable to fully immerse herself, as if something was bothering her.
It was the kind of habit that surfaced when she disliked her scene partner. Only possible because she was a ten-million actor.
That was why Jang Seon-woo wasn't openly showing his displeasure either. His acting… had many problems. Once filming began, Ju Ha-ryeong would perform as if nothing were wrong.
This was like an experiment. Would acting opposite this actor feel right? Some called it finding the zero point.
Jang Seon-woo's vocal delivery itself was decent. He was an actor specialized in everyday scenes. However, having solid fundamentals and failing to properly analyze the script were two different things.
As the reading continued, the sense that something was creaking grew impossible to ignore. Episode 1 hadn't even started, yet the atmosphere on set was steadily turning uneasy.
"Let's take a short break."
"Yes~ We'll break for thirty minutes."
"Hoo."
Woo Dan-wol exhaled deeply. As expected, the acting world was frightening and rugged. Even so, Woo Dan-wol never lost sight of his core principle. Acting. Acting. Only acting.
Nothing in this world went exactly as one wished. The right thing was to protect his beliefs, do what he could, and keep moving forward.
To get some air, Woo Dan-wol stepped outside the set for a moment and wandered around.
"Ah, ha, ha..."
Behind the vending machine, Seo Se-ah—a rookie in society and road manager—squatted and let out a hollow laugh.
Yet the emotion behind it was dangerous. Unfairness and frustration churned inside her. Seo Se-ah recalled the gazes she had felt on set.
Her chest tightened as if constricted. Breathing grew harder. Her breaths turned ragged, and her empty hands trembled with anxiety.
"Sniff..."
She mustn't cry. What right did a woman have to shed tears? From the moment she took her first steps. Through school. Even after entering society. She had always heard that if a woman cried, what had she done so well to deserve tears? So Seo Se-ah tried to hold them back.
No matter how hard or painful it was. She tried to endure. Biting her lips tightly so the tears welling in her eyes wouldn't fall.
At that moment, a voice spoke to her.
"You can cry."
"Hic!"
How startled she must have been. A hiccup escaped Seo Se-ah's mouth. The person who had approached and crouched beside her was none other than Woo Dan-wol.
He had been concerned since the set and followed her, but hadn't expected to find her like this. Since she wasn't his person, he hadn't intended to meddle.
Still, wasn't helping someone who was struggling simply the decent thing to do?
"Hic, ah, sorry, I'm sorry..."
"What's there to be sorry about? You didn't do anything wrong."
"......"
Seo Se-ah's heart ached. Working under Jang Seon-woo, "sorry" had become a reflex. Even when she had done nothing wrong. Even when she bore no guilt, she felt pathetic for apologizing first.
"Here."
"Ah… hic."
"Some people can't drink coffee. Water should be fine, right?"
A grin. Woo Dan-wol smiling. Same man, same actor—how could they be so different? Tears began to well more heavily in Seo Se-ah's eyes.
Why? Just handing her water and a single casual word—why did it stir her heart so deeply?
In the past, Jang Seon-woo's voice overlapped in her mind.
[You were the one who messed up. Drink it all.]
After that, her stomach had burned so badly she lived on medicine. An iced americano with five extra shots. Seo Se-ah hadn't touched coffee since.
Yet actor Woo Dan-wol had shown kindness to Seo Se-ah, a mere road manager most people wouldn't even glance at.
"Sniff… sob. Hwaaang… thank, thank you."
"Sorry for making you cry."
"Sob, hic, ah, nooo… sniff..."
Seo Se-ah wiped her eyes with her sleeve. What should he say? Woo Dan-wol, feeling awkward, simply began to speak his thoughts as if letting them flow.
"Everyone goes through hard times in life, they say. Naturally."
"Sniff, sob, hic… yes…"
"No, well… I'm not trying to lecture you. What I want to say is…"
The more he spoke, the more tears flowed and the louder the sobbing grew, making Dan-wol's cheeks twitch. Still, he had to finish what he started.
"When it's hard, it's okay to just say it's hard. No matter what anyone else says. If you're the one feeling it, don't you think?"
"Hwaaaang...!"
"Uh, uh uh..."
With her eyes swollen, Seo Se-ah continued to cry. She felt as though she stood at the edge of a cliff. Both mind and body at their limit, she had been wondering if she should simply quit.
Yet hearing Woo Dan-wol's words—reciting the simple truths of the world—brought her immense comfort.
As many bad people existed, so did good people. As there were those who hurt others, there were also those who cared and helped. Woo Dan-wol was living proof.
"Mi, I'm sorry. For crying. I'll go first."
"Sniff..."
She needed to stop crying. She needed to at least thank him. But Seo Se-ah's tears wouldn't cease. They were the result of emotions she had been holding back for so long with nowhere to release them.
"Ah..."
Had she calmed down a little? Seo Se-ah looked around. After wailing so loudly, her face must have been a complete mess.
At that moment, something caught her eye. Portable tissues and wet wipes from the convenience store. It felt as though he had brought both because he didn't know which she would prefer. Woo Dan-wol's consideration wrapped around the wounded Seo Se-ah.
"Hwaaaang...!!"
The barely calmed tear ducts burst open once more.