Stalker (1)
Until that moment, I could never have imagined it.
Falling for someone. Becoming a fan. It was an experience so foreign to me that I barely recognized it for what it was.
So I denied it with everything I had.
"There's no way. I'm the senior and she's the junior, right?"
Yeah. No way.
Just shake the thought off.
"I'm Ryu Mi-so. Cute, pretty, charismatic next-generation actress Ryu Mi-so."
Her words said one thing. Her fingers said another — they were already opening a browser window and navigating straight into Giljabi.
And a short while later…
Hmm.
The charismatic Ryu Mi-so was nowhere to be found.
Heh heh.
In her place sat only a girl with a cute face, grinning at her phone.
.
.
.
HUH?!
"I—I'm insane! AAAAAAAAHHH!!"
Finally registering her own condition, Ryu Mi-so let out a scream. She unlocked her phone.
The wallpaper was a photo of herself smiling awkwardly beside Gil Ara, who was smiling beautifully.
"Wh-why would I… of a kid like this…!"
Sniff—
Tears or no tears, she was already completely gone on Ara.
"Tomorrow…"
Tomorrow was a shooting day for Stalker.
The location was Naepo, South Chungcheong — about two hours from Seoul. She'd heard it was a new city.
"Just go to sleep already."
They had a full day of filming lined up. She needed to get to sleep now, or tomorrow was going to be hell.
And so Ryu Mi-so forced her sleepless eyes shut.
Dawn. The sun had only just begun to rise.
Hongye Park in Naepo was today's shoot location. The scenery was surprisingly nice — a rocky mountain at the back, rows of apartment buildings out front. Even so, the well-kept park was quiet.
"Huh? Looks like they're filming something over there?"
"Right? Celebrities must be coming today! No way."
"It's probably someone we don't even know. Anyone who'd come all the way out here this early, we might not recognize them."
"Still, wanna stick around and watch for a bit?"
"Sure. We've got plenty of time before work anyway."
Of course, the park wasn't completely empty. Couples and friends out for a morning walk appeared here and there. A handful of them stopped mid-stride to watch the bustling staff.
"Rehearsal starting!! Actors, please come out!!"
At the staff member's shout, the onlookers' attention sharpened.
"Whoa! It's starting!!"
"Good, we might actually get to see a celebrity. Hope it's someone we know."
"There! Isn't that a celebrity?"
"Huh? I think so?? Who is that?"
The first silhouette to catch their eyes was a man's.
"Wait — is that Kim Jae-jun?"
"WHOA!! Holy crap!! It really is?! He's so hot! For real!! Wait — someone's else coming out!!"
This time a small-framed woman with a short bob appeared.
"That looks like Ryu Mi-so? Whoa!! She's even tinier than I thought?"
"Wow…. Why is she so cute? She's cute even from this far away??!"
One of them stayed relatively calm. The other kept losing it.
"Someone else is coming out. WHOA! Holy—!!"
This time it was the calm one who raised their voice.
"It's freaking Gil Ara!!! WHOA!!!"
"HUH!!!! WHOA!!!!"
Hit with one shock after another, they finally took the finishing blow and just started yelling.
"I'm sorry. Could you please keep your voices down a little? We'd really appreciate your understanding."
A production staff member bowed politely, asking the watching citizens for their patience.
.
.
.
"Good morning, sunbaenims."
"Ara-ssi, hi. You've been well?"
"Yes."
Kim Jae-jun greeted Ara with the same warm smile as last time, and—
"Ah, hi…."
"?"
"?"
Something was off about Ryu Mi-so.
Ah. She really didn't sleep properly. And…
Ryu Mi-so couldn't even look Gil Ara in the eye properly.
Damn it…. She looked fine on a screen, but…?
Swoosh—
!
Gil Ara lowered herself to match Ryu Mi-so's eye level.
"Sunbaenim, are you okay? You look exhausted. Would you like an energy drink?"
Ryu Mi-so met those yellow-glowing eyes.
Thump— thump— thump—!
The sound of her own heart grew louder and louder in her chest.
"M-m-m-mind your own business! A junior being… th-that cheeky!"
"Ah, yes. I'll still give you the energy drink, though. Take it later if you get tired."
"Hmph!"
Ryu Mi-so tried to make a hasty exit.
"Huh? Mi-so, where are you going? Rehearsal's about to start?"
"Bathroom!"
"Alright, hurry back."
And so Ryu Mi-so left.
"Ara-ssi, sorry about that. Her mouth runs a little rough, but she's not a bad kid."
"It's fine. I don't mind at all."
Same as the first time I met her, really.
She didn't particularly dislike her.
The world's full of weird people.
Ara stepped away briefly and went back to the car she'd arrived in.
"Sunbaenim. Please take this."
"Oh? Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
What Ara held out was an energy drink.
"But why two? One for Mi-so?"
"Yes. Could you pass it along? If I give it to her myself, she might refuse on purpose."
"Got it. Will do."
"Thank you."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you. Anyway, I'll enjoy it."
Meanwhile, Ryu Mi-so was—
Just die. It'd be easier.
—alone in the bathroom, tearing herself apart.
Ugh, you trash! You idiot! You dumbass!!
Okay, dumbass is a bit much. Retract that.
I love myself, after all.
Focus. You came here to work today, right? I'm an actress. A cool, pretty, cute, charismatic actress!!!
Hooah— hooah—
Ryu Mi-so had a bit of a self-love problem.
Just get through today! After this we barely have to see each other! Just survive today….
Mind under control, Ryu Mi-so headed back to the waiting area.
"Here, Mi-so."
She took the energy drink Kim Jae-jun held out.
"Thanks, oppa. I'll drink it well."
Having barely slept, she was exhausted enough that whatever Kim Jae-jun had given her felt like an oasis in a dry desert.
"It was nothing. Ara-ssi gave me that for you."
"Uh. Uh?"
Ryu Mi-so's hand, about to twist the cap, froze.
"Tell her thanks yourself later."
"Sunbaenim, please drink it comfortably."
In the end, Ryu Mi-so never got to enjoy her oasis.
"Rehearsal starting!"
"Okay. That's good. Really good! That'll be it for rehearsal."
Director Bong Jun-seo called the rehearsal to a close.
"Ryu Mi-so-ssi."
"Yes, Director."
"You're doing well. Just — in the parts where you talk with Cheon Eun-bin, I'd like the voice a little louder."
"Understood, Director."
"Good. I trust you'll handle it."
"……"
"Alright! Take a short break, then we go into the actual shoot."
A brief rest settled over the set. Everyone sank into their own thoughts.
Ryu Mi-so, focus. Work first. Don't think about useless stuff.
That was Ryu Mi-so.
I felt it at the last reading, but facing her for real — she's no ordinary talent. I shouldn't have been worrying about Mi-so.
Kim Jae-jun steeled himself anew.
Come to think of it, this is my first lead role. I need to give it everything. For a bigger filmography going forward.
Ara firmed her resolve as well.
"Hmm…."
Bong Jun-seo, too, felt the moment freshly.
I never thought I'd be directing again.
The vague dread of what if I fail this time too? — he had already set that aside. He wasn't painting a picture of success, either.
Simply…
For the actors who had trusted him and followed him here.
For the old colleagues who had come running the moment they heard a film was being made.
And for the self who had spent so long shrinking into the shadows, avoiding every gaze….
Just do the work in front of you. Give everything to the task you've been given. That was all.
Clap!!
Bong Jun-seo clapped his hands and rose from his seat.
"Alright! Standby!!!!!"
Camera. Lights. Audio. Actors.
Every eye found him, and every body found its place.
Feeling the full weight of their attention, Bong Jun-seo called out.
"Action!!!!"
A couple in love.
Not the sticky-sweet kind — just two people who looked deeply at ease with each other. Matching each other's stride as they walked had already become completely natural.
"Ju-an oppa. Do you remember?"
"Huh? Eun-bin, remember what?"
"This park."
Eun-bin and Ju-an, out for a walk through the park.
"This is where you confessed to me three years ago."
"Of course I remember. Three years already. Time really flies, huh?"
"Heh heh. What was it you said back then~?"
Cheon Eun-bin cast her mind back.
"What? Something about wanting to be a star that shines in my heart the way it does in my eyes, or whatever? Pff — heh heh heh."
"Hey! You still remember that?!"
"Obviously~ It was so funny."
Kim Ju-an's face went red with embarrassment.
"What about after that, huh?! You made that rotten face and ran away! That still hurts, you know…."
"What was I supposed to do with a line that cringey? I'd rather die."
"You're the worst…. I thought about that for so long……."
"Bleh! Zero sense!"
"……."
Cheon Eun-bin kept teasing Kim Ju-an without mercy.
.
.
.
"Eun-bin-ah!!!"
"Seung-a-ya!!!"
Two women on the street, squealing and throwing their arms around each other in a joyful reunion. Anyone could tell they were close. It happened often enough that Kim Ju-an barely reacted.
"Huh? Ju-an oppa? How long have you been there? Hi?"
"Hey. Seung-a, you too today? I've been here the whole time."
"? Eun-bin, what's wrong with your boyfriend?"
"Who knows? Want to go eat? Ju-an oppa's buying!"
"Wait, really? Then of course we're going! What are we getting?"
"Meat, obviously! Let's go! Meat!"
"Yes! Ju-an oppa, thanks in advance!"
"Sigh— Fine, let's go, go."
"Alright! Permission granted! Shall we?"
"Yes!"
Eun-bin and Seung-a linked arms and walked off ahead, leaving Kim Ju-an behind.
Pfft—
Watching their backs, Kim Ju-an followed them at an unhurried pace.
Yeah, this isn't easy.
That was Kim Jae-jun's thought.
Uuuuugh.
Walking arm-in-arm with Gil Ara, Ryu Mi-so was one second from blacking out.
"Okay!! That's good! Moving on to the next!!"
Fortunately, the director's call came down just before Ryu Mi-so died.
Whoosh—
?
Ryu Mi-so yanked her arm free at once. Ara didn't think much of it either way.
"We're moving locations!"
They relocated. It was also a scene transition.
"Action!!"
At Director Bong Jun-seo's call, filming started again.
"Oppa. That was good."
"Ju-an oppa. Thanks for the meal!"
Cheon Eun-bin and Park Seung-a offered their thanks to Kim Ju-an, looking thoroughly satisfied.
"Yeah…. As long as you ate well…."
Kim Ju-an had shaken his wallet dry.
"Ju-an oppa. Here."
Cheon Eun-bin slipped money into Ju-an's pocket without Seung-a noticing.
"Huh? No! It's fine!"
"Just take it. You paid for Seung-a too for no reason."
"What are you two doing? Something going on?"
Park Seung-a came over to the two who were lagging behind.
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
"Hmm. Really? Don't bully Ju-an oppa too much, Eun-bin. He's pitiful. Heh heh heh."
"We'll see? Heh heh heh."
As if nothing had happened, Cheon Eun-bin went right back to teasing Kim Ju-an alongside Park Seung-a.
"Ah! I'll head out first, then. Time for my part-time job. See you later, Ju-an oppa. Thanks for the food!!"
Park Seung-a left the two of them behind and went on her way.
"Shall we go too."
"Yeah. Oppa."
The two of them started walking side by side again.
They didn't say much. Even so, they were happy.
They sat down on the same bench.
"Ahh~ I'm getting sleepy. Right?"
"Yeah. Want to rest a little before we go."
"Yeah."
They leaned their heads against each other.
A full stomach brought on the post-meal drowsiness, and both pairs of eyes slowly closed.
"……."
"……."
.
.
.
A short while later.
When Cheon Eun-bin opened her eyes again—
Honk! Hoooooonk!!
—she was standing on a pedestrian crossing.
"Huh? Where…?"
A familiar place. The neighborhood where Eun-bin lived.
Across the crosswalk, she could see Kim Ju-an. He was waving hard at her from the other side.
Cheon Eun-bin waved back and called out.
"Oppa? When did you get over there!!?"
At last the crosswalk light turned green, and the moment Kim Ju-an started to cross toward her—
Screeeeeech!!! Crash!!!! Thud—
"Huh?"
A car that couldn't stop in time slammed straight into Kim Ju-an and kept going.
"O-oppaaaaaa!!!!!"
……!
……ah!
…bin-ah!
"Eun-bin-ah! Cheon Eun-bin!"
"Huh?"
The location changed.
Cheon Eun-bin was back on the park bench where she'd been.
"You okay? You were talking in your sleep pretty hard."
"Oppa…?"
"Hm? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
"A dream? You're saying it was a dream?"
"What's going on with you?"
Kim Ju-an looked at her with concern.
"N-no. I'm fine. Yeah, you're right…. I had a bit of a nightmare. Sorry for worrying you."
.
.
.
It was the house of a famous shaman.
After parting from Kim Ju-an, Cheon Eun-bin had come here alone.
"Hello, Teacher."
The woman shaman sitting alone inside recognized her at a glance.
"You…. How are you still alive?"