First Filming (2)
Jung Yu-na had become a high school sophomore.
At first, even opening the classroom door felt awkward, but now she had friends to eat lunch with, and people to chat with by leaning against the window during breaks.
There were more moments when laughter spread through the classroom.
The joy from familiarity wasn't flashy, which made it all the more special.
Yet a corner of her heart still wasn't fully fortified. She got excited easily over little things and felt hurt just as quickly.
It was like dough that would dent under a fingertip—soft and pliable.
Strangely, that fragility didn't embarrass her.
The word youth still felt a bit exaggerated, awkward to say aloud, but no other term wrapped this time so perfectly.
Jung Yu-na's eighteenth year was flowing by more ordinarily—and more vividly—than she'd expected.
And when talking about the ordinary, one thing couldn't be left out.
Romance.
Jung Yu-na had no clear dating experience yet. But romance didn't feel distant from her.
She could say she hadn't fallen in love, but she was definitely lingering near that threshold.
And she didn't mind the change.
Even after the bell rang for class, Jung Yu-na was still in the hallway. Her homeroom teacher had asked her to deliver papers to the office, and she was on her way back.
Most students had already gone inside, leaving the corridor quiet.
For some reason, she liked the stillness and slowed her steps.
Then a slightly open door caught her eye. The swing door set it apart from regular classrooms—it was a club room.
The sign above read Art Club.
She meant to pass by, but something felt off, so she turned her head.
Huh? ...Someone's in there?
Classes had started. It was odd for anyone to be in a club room instead of a classroom.
She peeked through the gap and spotted him: a guy in a school uniform with a black canvas apron, painting intently.
His focused hands looked oddly calloused, but her gaze traveled up to his face.
She knew who he was. Not close, but his name rang bells even without trying.
Kim Yul. Handsome, kind, popular with girls.
The rumors didn't do justice. His sharp nose, slightly downturned eyes from concentration, clean face contrasting his charcoal-stained hands.
Anyone would call him handsome, and there he was, painting.
"You don't have to sneak a peek. If you hate class, wanna watch instead?"
The voice startled her out of her daze.
She'd thought he was absorbed in his work, but he was tilting his head, looking right at her...
"Cut! Cut!"
The director's voice sliced through the silence, and Jung Yu-na—no, Ji Eun-seol—snapped her head around.
The hushed hallway vanished, replaced by cameras, lights, and bustling staff.
"Eun-seol, anything wrong? Need a break?"
She came to, mouth agape, and stammered.
"Ah, s-sorry. No, I'm good. We can go again."
"It's your first shoot, plenty of time—take it easy."
"Y-Yes...!"
That meant: First time, so we expected some rookie mistakes. Shake it off and retry.
And she was the rookie who'd blown it.
Not literally, but she read failure into her slip-up and returned to position.
Her feelings: flustered, embarrassed... and a twinge of betrayal.
The culprit? Lee Min-woo. She'd frozen sharing their first lines.
He's trained!
Expressions, eye contact, breathing, projection.
He oozed pro vibes. A damn good pro.
Just from the lines: fluid, immersive acting.
No matter how much you rehearse, live sets expose flaws. That's the game.
And Ji Eun-seol knew it best, with her experience.
Which made her freeze harder. Her old assumptions flashed by.
- Huh? Seventeen? No acting? Sigh... Guess I gotta lead as the senior. (She hadn't, but her brain rewrote it.)
She'd thought that, yet crumbled to his acting on take one.
...But this doesn't add up.
Hard to admit, but... seventeen?
Training makes you good? At that age?
This was... a born actor. Her childhood dream incarnate.
She shook her head vigorously.
Snap out of it! I'm Jung Yu-na now! Freaking out at a seventeen-year-old's acting? That's pathetic.
Too late for that. But this was live. No excuses like "underestimated him" or "didn't know he was trained."
This wasn't school festival.
She took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks hard.
"Uh... E-Eun-seol? You okay?"
"Yep! Sorry. I'm focused now—let's go again."
Her cheeks stung, but her head cleared.
The director called soon after.
"Action!"
"You don't have to sneak a peek. If you hate class, wanna watch instead?"
The voice startled her out of her daze.
She'd thought he was absorbed in his work, but he was tilting his head, looking right at her.
Their eyes met.
...He noticed?
Jung Yu-na's face flushed. She must look like a caught peeper.
Well, she was.
"Uh, um..."
As she fumbled, Kim Yul turned fully toward her, a soft smile on his lips—like greeting an old friend.
"I'll tell the teacher for you."
"......Is this okay?"
"Got permission. Prepping for next week's contest."
Her feet edged inside.
"Sh-should I...?"
Standing awkwardly then bailing felt weird. Sneaking off worse.
Plus, skipping class like this? Thrilling. Like playing hooky.
It was hooky.
Once inside, Kim Yul chuckled amusedly, stood, fetched a chair, and set it beside his.
He patted it.
"Sit."
No awkwardness? Inviting a stranger to watch up close?
Outgoing and bold. He assumed she'd say yes.
And that boldness was hard to refuse.
She shuffled over shyly.
Why am I moving like a robot? I didn't do anything wrong.
She cringed at her stiffness and switched: strode confidently, sat, stared at his painting.
Right. Let's see. Hooky art—how good is it?
...Huh. Pretty good.
She didn't know art, so "good" was all she had.
A light laugh from beside her. Kim Yul grinned mischievously.
"Something to fix?"
"Huh? No? Looks good..."
Her voice trailed off. Why was she critiquing?
Self-awareness hit; her bravado deflated.
He suppressed a laugh.
"I'm Kim Yul."
"Oh? Right. Jung Yu-na."
"I know you."
"H-how?"
He pointed to her name tag.
She deflated more.
"Well, I knew you too."
"Kidding... Friends with Se-ho?"
Se-ho was a guy from middle school cram school.
They'd barely talked in high school.
He told Kim Yul about me? What'd he say?
"Acquaintances, yeah... but not close."
"Not buddies, huh?"
"Yeah... B-but don't blab to him."
"Hurt feelings? Got it, lips sealed."
He nodded casually.
She hesitated, then asked.
"...What'd he say about me?"
"Nothing bad. 'Fun girl,' that's it."
Fun?
Her face stiffened subtly.
That didn't sound good.
What the hell did Lee Se-ho blab? To someone he barely knows?
As she narrowed her eyes, he waved it off.
"Just offhand. Swear."
"...Why's he gossiping?"
"I'll tell him to quit."
"What...?"
She laughed in disbelief.
Not blaming him, she pivoted.
"So... what're you painting?"
"This?"
He explained.
Awkwardness faded—vanished like it never was.
They clicked fast.
Half the class period flew by.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on her.
She straightened awkwardly.
"...Wh-what?"
"Nah, something on your face."
He raised a hand, paused.
"Hands are dirty..."
Charcoal-stained fingers. Obvious.
"What is it? I can get it..."
"Hold on."
His face leaned in abruptly.
She gasped.
Closer than thought. His sweet breath—manly sweet.
His face brushed past, blowing gently above her ear.
"There. Just some dust."
"..."
Tingling spread down her neck.
She bolted up.
That's how he is. No wonder the rumors.
"Gotta go."
"You can watch more."
"Next time."
Her tone cooled unconsciously.
"...See ya."
His calm farewell followed as she turned.
She waved vaguely and left.
Stopped short outside.
"Idiot."
Clueless? Calculated? Knows girls melt for it?
Not that she was above it, deluding herself like a drama heroine...
Okay, embarrassing, but yeah.
Couldn't help it. He made her think that.
Leaning in that close? Weird. Not just her.
She marched back to class.
After the first shoot wrapped, the set buzzed excitedly.
Ji Eun-seol knew why. It went too well.
She started toward Lee Min-woo, then paused.
He was bowing and thanking each staffer. She hurriedly did the same.
Then approached him briskly. Words to say.
"Your acting's amazing."
"Ah, no. Good work, noona."
She bowed with him, then blurted.
"Yeah... Um, did you train acting since you were little?"
Not prying. Just shocked by the senior actor aura from this kid four years younger.
Seventeen or not, gotta learn from the best.
"Ah... Not filming, but theater..."
"Knew it! Theater kid?"
"..."
His face turned awkwardly troubled.
"...Watched a lot of plays."
He'd done theater in his past life, but couldn't claim it as this Min-woo.
"...Huh? Joking, right?"
No way that breath control from spectating...
Gen Z humor?
"Haha..."
She forced a laugh, lamenting her outdated social skills.