Chapter 45
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45
“One Star!”
Eun-seong called out to Han-byeol in a loud voice. Han-byeol came pattering over and stopped in front of him.
“Hey, son. How’ve you been?”
“So-so.”
“Why the half-hearted answer? You should say, ‘I’ve been doing great!’”
“I’ve been so busy with school and acting practice that I can barely breathe. It’s way too much for a second-grader.”
“Ah. That does sound tough. Fair enough, then.”
Eun-seong laughed, ruffling Han-byeol’s hair. Even when the “Filial Piety is Money” mister ruffled his hair, Han-byeol no longer scowled, instead offering a small smile of his own.
He liked the warm, gentle way Eun-seong stroked his hair. Whenever Yam, his pet at home, was being adorable, he couldn’t help but pet him. It felt like the “Filial Piety is Money” mister was petting him for the same reason, and he had to admit, it felt pretty good.
“You haven’t been giving your mom a hard time, have you?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a normal elementary schooler. It’s not like I can do everything perfectly, like an adult.”
“Adults don’t do everything perfectly, either. I don’t always listen to my mom, you know.”
“You should treat your mom better. You said you’d practice filial piety. Are you really trying to do it all with money?”
“Alright, alright. I’ll try.”
Eun-seong flashed a bright smile and took Han-byeol’s hand. Han-byeol tilted his head way back to look up at him.
“Did you miss me?”
“Ah, of course. Do you even have to ask?”
When Eun-seong clutched his chest with a dramatic, longing expression, Han-byeol just pouted. At that, Eun-seong let out a groan, clutching his heart even tighter.
“When you lay it on that thick, it sounds like a lie.”
“It’s true. I missed our One Star so much it nearly killed me.”
Embarrassed by Eun-seong’s continuous groaning and over-the-top reaction, Han-byeol fidgeted with his fingers.
“You said today is a reshoot, right?”
“Yes. I guess I did really badly that day. They said we have to shoot it again.”
“Don’t be too disappointed. You can’t expect to nail it on the first shot. Everything is a process.”
“A shot? But I’m a kid, I can’t drink shots!”
“I meant ‘shot’ as in a try, not a shot of alcohol. It’s just an expression.”
“Ah. Okay. I won’t forget.”
A towering height, broad shoulders, and large hands.
The sight of this perfect adult walking side-by-side with such a tiny child made them the stars of the film set. Feeling a tickle in his chest, Han-byeol looked up at Eun-seong again.
“Did you not nail it on your first shot either, Mister?”
“I think I had to do ten reshoots on my very first try. I was really terrible. So hang in there.”
Eun-seong looked down at Han-byeol, who was trotting along beside him.
“By the way, how long are you going to keep calling me ‘Mister’? You know what our relationship is, right?”
“I know, but since we’re not filming right now, the word just doesn’t come out easily.”
“I told you, you have to practice. You can’t expect to nail it on the first shot. Give it a try.”
“……Dad.”
“Yeah. Good job, son.”
Eun-seong ruffled Han-byeol’s hair again and walked hand-in-hand with him. At first, he had disliked the boy so much. He had sworn he never wanted to see Go Yeon-ju’s son.
Yet, strangely, he found his eyes drawn to the boy. He couldn't help but care. When they were apart, he missed him; when they were together, he wanted to hold his hand.
“Eun-seong!”
They were walking side-by-side when Tae-gon’s voice rang out. Eun-seong turned around. Tae-gon approached with his trademark grin, his gaze locking instantly onto Han-byeol.
“Well, well, look who it is. Han-byeol.”
At Tae-gon’s words, Han-byeol looked up with wide, round eyes.
To bring himself down to eye level, Tae-gon spread his legs wide and bent his knees into a squat. Aside from his flashy attire and thick, tattooed eyebrows, his hairline was messy and his eyes were murky and unfocused—the very picture of a man destined for a life of poverty.
“Wow, you look way better in person. You’re a handsome kid.”
Han-byeol shrank back, hiding behind Eun-seong to escape the man’s unfamiliar, harsh aura. Eun-seong looked down at the boy and spoke.
“Go on over to the director. You need to get ready to shoot.”
At Eun-seong’s gentle tone, Han-byeol hesitated for a moment, gave Tae-gon a quick bow, and then ran off. Watching Han-byeol scurry away, Tae-gon let out a smirk.
“It’s not like I’m going to eat him. If you’re going to greet someone, you should say hello properly. That kid’s got a habit of running away.”
When Tae-gon’s eyes remained glued to Han-byeol, Eun-seong took a step forward, gesturing in another direction with his chin.
“Let’s go to the waiting room.”
“Ah, right. Sure.”
Eun-seong turned on his heel quickly, as if determined not to give him another second.
* * *
“The atmosphere on set isn’t bad. Lots of familiar faces, too. That’s what I love about working in Korea. Everyone is just one degree of separation away.”
Entering Eun-seong’s waiting room, Tae-gon made himself at home on the sofa. Tossing his sunglasses onto the table, he crossed his legs and nodded at Eun-seong, gesturing for him to sit.
“What brings you all the way out to the set?”
Eun-seong asked as he sat down, prompting a chuckle from Tae-gon.
“I’ve been so busy with business trips lately, my head’s been spinning. I usually make sure to tag along to any set you’re on, but I just didn’t have the time. Cut me some slack, will you?”
“I don’t know how long ago that was. When an agency CEO starts hovering around, it just stresses out the crew.”
“Who cares if they get stressed? My job is to make sure my actor is well taken care of.”
“And that’s exactly what stresses me out more than anyone.”
When Eun-seong drew a firm line, Tae-gon burst into a hearty laugh. He stared at Eun-seong with a satisfied look, as if watching someone do something admirable, before speaking.
“So, how is it? Manageable?”
“It’s work. I just do it.”
“Isn’t it awkward, having to see Go Yeon-ju’s kid every day?”
At the mention of Yeon-ju, Eun-seong slowly raised his eyes to meet Tae-gon’s.
“Work is work. You of all people should know that I don’t let personal feelings interfere with my work, CEO Min.”
“But Eun-seong. No matter how much I think about it, that’s not the real issue here. What were Director Jin and Go Yeon-ju thinking, dragging her son into this? It shows how little they think of you, don’t you agree?”
As Tae-gon put on a worried expression, Eun-seong leaned back comfortably against the sofa. Draping an arm over the backrest, he replied as if reading the man’s mind.
“Listening to you, it sounds like you’re the one who’s uncomfortable, not me.”
“Me? Of course I’m uncomfortable. Those leeches are trying to cling to you and suck you dry. How could I possibly be happy about that?”
“Cling to me and suck me dry?”
Eun-seong chuckled softly. Sensing the distinct sarcasm in the way Eun-seong repeated his words, Tae-gon’s smile vanished.
“CEO Min. I told you before. Leave Go Yeon-ju alone. She has nothing to do with me, so just leave her be.”
“……”
“I don’t understand why you keep poking at someone who doesn’t matter and making things awkward. Do I really look so desperate that I’d be pining after a married woman with a child?”
As Eun-seong’s voice dropped, thoroughly displeased by the crude phrasing, Tae-gon raised his hands in a placating gesture.
“I’m not worried about what you might do to Go Yeon-ju. I’m worried about what she might do to you. You know how I am. I can’t stand seeing pests buzzing around you. Cleaning them up is my job.”
“It sounds like you’ve already tried to ‘clean things up’ yourself.”
“……”
“Is that why you sent Jeong Ju-mi to the set? To clean up Go Yeon-ju?”
Eun-seong seized on the momentary silence. Tae-gon’s face froze, and a heavy silence stretched for three or four seconds.
A few days ago, Tae-gon had ultimately failed to obtain Han-byeol’s detailed profile. When Chang-rok replied that there was no further information on Han-byeol to share, Tae-gon became convinced they were intentionally hiding something.
What on earth was Go Yeon-ju trying to hide? A detailed profile only consisted of basic personal information like a full name, date of birth, and address. What among those details could possibly be so sensitive that it couldn't be made public?
“If you’re done, you should head out. I have to go in for rehearsals now.”
“Ah, right. I’ve taken up too much of your time again. Let’s get going.”
Tae-gon stood up with Eun-seong. After staring at the floor for a brief moment, Eun-seong looked up and spoke to him.
“The kid’s father is here on set, too. Did you know that?”
“Huh? Really? The kid’s dad is here? Why?”
“Apparently, he’s a veterinarian. He’s staying on set as the Shepherd’s trainer.”
“Ah… I see. A veterinarian.”
Tae-gon rubbed his chin. The information aligned with what Hae-young had told him. The realization that the entire family was on set sent his thoughts spinning again.
For a moment, he felt foolish. Maybe he’d been stressing over nothing.
“It’s time. Let’s go.”
“Since I’m already here, I’ll go say a quick hello to Go Yeon-ju. It’s not like we’re strangers, so just a quick greeting…”
“Just leave, CEO Min.”
Meeting Eun-seong’s gaze, which had instantly turned ice-cold, Tae-gon slowly blinked.
“Alright. I suppose meeting would only make things awkward for both of us anyway. I’ll just head out.”
…There’s something. There is definitely something going on.
“Eun-seong.”
When Tae-gon called out, Eun-seong turned back.
“What is it you want to protect most in this world?”
“Myself, of course.”
“Right?”
A secret that Jin Hae-young and Im Eun-seong shared, one he was being kept in the dark about.
“For me, that’s you.”
* * *
One Step
“Sigh… To think I’d admit that with my own mouth.”
Preparing for the shoot after a few rehearsals, Eun-seong let out a groan.
‘The kid’s father is here on set, too. Did you know that?’
He had sold out Dr. Ju just to block Tae-gon’s misplaced concern and meddling. If Tae-gon ever found out that Yeon-ju didn’t actually have a husband, there was no way he would leave her alone.
‘Apparently, he’s a veterinarian. He’s staying on set as the Shepherd’s trainer.’
He wanted to keep her in Tae-gon’s blind spot by any means necessary. He couldn’t let her become the target of baseless distrust and useless suspicion. He was deeply annoyed with himself for essentially acknowledging Dr. Ju as her husband, but he consoled himself with the thought that if it kept Tae-gon indifferent, it was a thousand times better.
Eun-seong had never had any major complaints while working with Tae-gon for so long. Tae-gon’s ruthless, unstoppable personality wasn’t a bad trait in a business partner. But now, there was no escaping the fact that the very traits he once considered strengths felt like a massive obstacle.
…Sigh.
Since he was trying to perform as many of the difficult action scenes as possible without a stunt double, he felt drained before filming even began. Only after his makeup and hair received their final touches did Yeon-ju step closer.
Crouching down as soon as she arrived, Yeon-ju wiped his shoes and adjusted his pant cuffs before slowly standing back up. The protagonist Eun-seong played was a flawless character, so every tiny detail had to be perfectly managed. It was no exaggeration to say that filmmaking was a battle of details; nothing could be overlooked.
After meticulously adjusting his cuffs, Yeon-ju suddenly spoke.
“Will the shoot take a long time?”
“Well, I’ll have to get in there to know. Why do you ask?”
“You said we should spend time together.”
Eun-seong looked down at Yeon-ju with a startled expression. Keeping her eyes fixed on his jacket, Yeon-ju continued.
“If you’ve changed your mind, I can just head home later…”
“It won’t take long. No, it’ll be over in a flash.”
“……”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
He knew very well that he couldn’t speed up the filming schedule on his own. But when Eun-seong said he would try, Yeon-ju lowered her gaze and murmured.
“But it’ll be hard for you to go anywhere with so many people around.”
“Of course it will.”
“Then where…”
“We’ll just have to meet somewhere with no one else around.”
His fitting now complete, Eun-seong lifted his chin. He tugged down the hem of his jacket to smooth it out and adjusted his wristwatch.
“See you after the shoot. Somewhere with no one else around.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than he turned and walked away.