Chapter 60
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60
The weekend flew by in an instant. Yeon-ju returned home on Saturday night, while Mrs. Na—who had gone to Pyeongtaek to visit her younger sister, Han-byeol's great-aunt—didn't get back until late Sunday evening.
With Han-byeol away, Yeon-ju took the opportunity to clean his room. Preparing for the increasingly chilly weather, she swapped his bedding for a thick winter duvet and placed a soft cotton cushion on his desk chair.
She sorted through his closet, a jumble of summer and autumn clothes, and refilled his dresser with the clean winter garments she had kept in storage. She wiped the dirt from his backpack and scrubbed his favorite sneakers until they looked brand new.
'Pride? Well, if making it this far without a single whisper of trouble is what he calls pride, then I suppose that's it.'
She kept her body in constant motion, but her mind refused to quiet down.
'I don't know how much longer I can work as an actor, but I'd like to leave while they're still applauding, if possible.'
The complicated feelings followed her all the way into Monday morning. On her way to work, Yeon-ju forced her heavy eyelids open, feeling utterly drained.
There had been so many good things, so many happy moments. Why, then, at the end of the trip, could she only remember the words she should have forgotten?
She cursed herself for asking a needless question, for creating a wound that didn't have to exist.
That Saturday morning. A sudden surge of happiness had been so overwhelming that she’d had to fight the urge to confess everything right then and there.
With him standing behind her as she gazed out the sun-drenched, floor-to-ceiling window, the sight of the autumn mountains had filled her heart with such abundance that it felt like anything was possible. Confessing the truth with her own lips was harder than dying, but in that moment… in that moment…
'If making it this far without a single whisper of trouble is pride, then I suppose that's it.'
His answer had snapped her back to reality. A wave of dizziness washed over her, a cold shiver running down her spine. Not only was she toying with his feelings, but she was also about to drag him down with her like a vengeful water ghost. A sudden, sharp self-loathing pierced her.
Han-byeol is my child.
Yeon-ju reminded herself, steeling her heart. She had never asked for his permission; the decision to have the child was hers and hers alone. She couldn't bring up his parental rights now. There was no reason to burden him with the anguish of a truth he could have gone his whole life without knowing, nor was there any need to saddle him with an unwanted obligation.
Yeon-ju picked up her phone and checked Han-byeol's schedule. Barring any issues, the child only had two shoots left. Once they were over, he and Eun-seong would go back to being strangers, never to see each other again.
Just as he wanted, so he could wrap up his brilliant acting career cleanly.
Without any accidents. Without any whispers of trouble.
She and her child would not become the accident, the trouble that disrupted his life.
"Just two more times. Just two more…"
If Han-byeol’s last two shoots went smoothly, nothing would happen. And when that time came, she would take her son’s hand and erase herself from Eun-seong’s life as well.
Since no choice could avoid leaving pain behind, the best she could do was choose the pain that would pass the quickest.
"I can do this. I know I can."
Arriving at the film set before she knew it, Yeon-ju forced strength into her steps. Yes, there was no time left. She would smile as much as she could and look at him as much as she could.
"Yeon-ju!"
Yeon-ju turned at the sound of Hae-young calling her name. Wondering what brought her here so early, she walked over with wide eyes.
"Director Jin, what are you doing here so early…?"
"Yeon-ju. I've been thinking."
Huh? Yeon-ju trailed off, her mouth closing. Hae-young, who looked as if she hadn't slept a wink, stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"Tell me honestly. Do you want revenge?"
"…What?"
She’d wondered what Hae-young could possibly want to ask with such a pale face, and it was this.
"No, you can tell me, you idiot. Be straight with me. Do you want revenge on that Im guy?"
"That Im guy?"
Im Eun-seong?
"Oh, Director Jin. No. It's nothing like that."
Yeon-ju waved her hands frantically, her face a mask of horror. But Hae-young, unconvinced, pressed on.
"You're here for revenge, aren't you? That's it, right? But you just don't know how. Should I help you?"
"I told you, it's not like that, Unni. What on earth are you talking about?"
"I'll help you, okay? Just say the word. I've been so furious lately I can't even sleep. How should we screw him over? Should I completely destroy him?"
Yeon-ju felt dizzy.
"It's so unfair I can't stand it! While you dedicated your whole life to raising the kid, he was living the high life all by himself. My blood is boiling so much I can’t…"
"Unni, Unni, Unni," Yeon-ju called out urgently. But one look at Hae-young's eyes, glinting with a faint, crazed anger, told her that nothing she said would get through right now.
"If we're going to screw him over, let's do it together. Actually, no. You stay out of it. This Unni will handle it for you. You know how I am, right?"
Ah, I know… I know all too well…
"And how are you going to get revenge, Unni? Are you going to beat him up?"
"Why would I use my fists? I can beat him to a pulp with my words."
Seeing Hae-young's fierce determination, Yeon-ju let out a dumbfounded laugh. She linked her arm with Hae-young's and gently told her to stop talking nonsense.
"Why would I get revenge? He doesn't know anything."
"That's what makes me the most furious! He doesn't know a damn thing, and he's just walking around completely clueless!"
Hae-young sighed, letting Yeon-ju lead her along. In the end, she knew Yeon-ju would never be able to tell Eun-seong.
"Yeon-ju. Are you really okay? How are you holding up?"
"I'm a bit overwhelmed, but… I just keep thinking, when else will I get to see Han-byeol and him together like this? I don't have the mental energy for anything else."
"Sigh, what a mess. Is Han-byeol Hong Gildong or something? Why can't he call his father 'father'?"
Hae-young sighed again. Yeon-ju's words about wanting to see Han-byeol and Eun-seong together pierced her heart, making the tip of her nose sting.
She couldn't bring herself to offer any advice or tell her what to do. To be honest, looking at the cold, hard reality of the situation, it was difficult to imagine a better ending than the one they were heading for.
No one could predict how ruined all three of their lives might become if things went sideways.
"Unni, I'm fine. Why are you the one losing sleep over this?"
"How could I sleep? Ugh, my stomach is in knots."
Hae-young stopped walking and looked at Yeon-ju.
"And on top of all that, I saw he won an award early yesterday morning."
"Ah. Yes. The one he was nominated for a while back."
"He really does it all, doesn't he? Unbelievable. Ugh, my blood is boiling."
Hae-young grimaced, clearly disgusted by the news. Yeon-ju leaned her head against Hae-young's shoulder and walked close beside her.
Only when they reached the entrance to the set did Hae-young speak again, as if to remind her one last time.
"If you ever want to screw him over, don't hold back. Just tell me, okay? If you hit someone with your fists, they only get bruised. But if you beat them with words, you can grind their bones to dust."
"That's so reassuring."
Yeon-ju couldn't help but burst into laughter.
* * *
"Sunbae!"
A few days passed, and another shoot day arrived. Sitting in the waiting room, Eun-seong looked up at the sound of a booming voice.
It was Shin Ung-hyeon, an actor whose filming schedule was overlapping with his for the first time. He had dropped by Eun-seong's waiting room to say hello.
"Sunbae, it's been ages! This is the first time we've run into each other since the cast assembly, right?"
Before Eun-seong could even respond, Ung-hyeon pulled up a chair and sat down, chattering away. He was the quintessential indie actor type—scrawny, with sharp, intense eyes. Even without a word, his entire being radiated an aura that screamed he was no ordinary character.
Ung-hyeon had steadily built his filmography in the cutthroat world of Chungmuro. Starting as "Gangster #3," he had clawed his way up to major supporting roles. Along the way, he had mastered the art of psychological warfare on set, and an intimidating aura clung to him like cologne, ensuring he never backed down, whether in script readings or at after-parties.
"It's been a while," Eun-seong replied curtly, shifting slightly in his seat.
As Eun-seong moved aside, Ung-hyeon made himself comfortable, acting overly familiar.
"Oh, by the way, I heard you won an award, Sunbae! Congratulations! Man, that's insane. How long are you going to hog all the glory? Leave some for the rest of us."
The congratulatory remark was laced with a strange, pushy energy.
Were we ever that close? Eun-seong briefly searched his memory but found no basis for this level of familiarity. He quietly lowered his gaze.
Early the previous morning, Eun-seong had won the Best Actor Award at a film festival on the other side of the world. Since he couldn't attend every festival, he usually had someone accept the award on his behalf or sent a video message if his schedule was tight.
This time, too, his filming schedule had made it impossible to leave the country, so Tae-gon had attended as his proxy. Dressed in a custom tuxedo that cost him tens of thousands out of pocket, Tae-gon had delivered Eun-seong's acceptance speech. Since early morning, articles about the win had been plastering the news portals.
"Anyway, I'm fucking jealous. How do you do it, Sunbae? You never stumble, just keep riding the wave. Tell me your secret."
There wasn't a shred of sincerity in Ung-hyeon's voice. The lazy way he shook his foot as he ran his mouth made it obvious he was in a phase where he thought he was invincible.
A movie Ung-hyeon had recently starred in had done quite well. His value had skyrocketed overnight, and he was thoroughly enjoying his newfound popularity. In his mind, he probably thought he was now on equal footing with Im Eun-seong.
"Man, when am I gonna go global like you, Sunbae? I'm going to rot if I stay trapped in this tiny-ass Chungmuro forever."
He was a foul-mouthed actor, the type whose personality did a complete one-eighty the moment the cameras were off.
Eun-seong had seen it so often he was sick of it. It was nothing new, and certainly not worth a reaction.
However, the stench of cigarette smoke that wafted from Ung-hyeon every time he opened his mouth was turning Eun-seong's stomach. Having nothing to say, Eun-seong simply offered a faint smile, which only prompted Ung-hyeon to keep babbling.
"Sunbae, do you know this girl? She's blowing up in Chungmuro lately. Twenty-seven."
Ung-hyeon pulled up his social media and showed him a photo of a young woman. Eun-seong didn't recognize her at all, but according to Ung-hyeon, she was a hot rookie actress.
"So, out of nowhere, she starts getting all friendly with me. I liked a few of her posts, and then she slides into my DMs. You know how it is, right? Acting like she's not, but totally fucking hitting on me."
There were several staff members in the waiting room, but Ung-hyeon couldn't care less.
"She's throwing herself at me. Word on the street is she's an easy lay. Right? You can tell just by looking at her. You see it too, don't you, Sunbae?"
After rambling on, Ung-hyeon felt his throat go dry and looked up. He snapped his fingers at Yeon-ju.
"Hey, pretty girl over there. Babe."
Yeon-ju, who was pressing clothes with a steam iron, turned around.
"Yes? Me?"
Eun-seong, who was sitting with his legs crossed and his script open on his lap, slowly raised his eyes.
"Yeah, you. Go find me something to use as an ashtray."
"Pardon? Oh, yes."
Caught off guard, Yeon-ju nodded and set the steamer down.
The tip of Eun-seong's leather shoe began to tap a steady, rhythmic beat against the floor. It was a warning sign of his rising irritation, but there was no way Ung-hyeon would notice.
"Man, how should I eat her up to really make a statement? Oh, by the way, Sunbae, you can't drink because of your diet, right? We should totally grab a drink sometime…"
"Fuck," Eun-seong’s low voice reverberated through the waiting room. "I'm trying to read my script, and you're talking way too fucking much."
Yeon-ju, who was about to step out, froze in her tracks.