The Most Dangerous Scene
This was the most dangerous scene in the entire one-act drama shoot. No matter how much a playground was meant for children, dangerous accidents could happen anytime if the equipment wasn't used the way it was intended.
PD Chu Won-woo had installed air mats beneath the playground equipment for safety and prepared a fall-prevention safety harness for Lee Su-a to wear.
But an unexpected person stepped forward in opposition.
“This doesn’t seem right.”
“Actor Kwon? Is there a problem?”
Kwon Du-il, who had meticulously examined the slide and safety mat, pulled Chu Won-woo aside.
“Does Su-a really have to climb all the way up there? A bust shot should be plenty.”
“Excuse me? Plenty? We need the full shot to capture the tension. You know exactly how important this scene is.”
“Is it more important than the actor’s safety?”
Chu Won-woo was so stunned he couldn’t speak. He wasn’t asking for some high-flying action sequence without stunt doubles. Everything was fully secured; they were simply positioning her up high for a moment.
They certainly weren’t going to make ‘Da-hee’ actually jump. That would cross the line into censorship territory—it could be seen as encouraging dangerous behavior in children.
How long had it even been since Kwon Du-il met Lee Su-a, and here he was interfering with the PD’s directorial authority? Chu Won-woo’s mood soured.
Yet he couldn’t push back.
“I know I’m overstepping, PD.”
Because Kwon Du-il had smiled at him with a truly terrifying face…….
Chu Won-woo swallowed hard. It was the kind of smile that made your blood run cold even when you knew the man was simply feeling awkward.
“Still, it would have been better if you’d asked first—whether she’s afraid of heights, whether she can handle playing for a long time, whether she has any foods she can’t eat.”
“Does… Su-a have a fear of heights?”
“No. She told me she’s fine. Whether that’s true or not, we’ll find out once she’s up there.”
“Then there’s no prob—”
When Kwon Du-il fixed him with that steady gaze, Chu Won-woo changed course.
“—lem. We should prepare alternatives. If she gets scared once she’s up there, we can adjust the angle…”
“You’re really okay with that?”
“It’s a shame, but if the child can’t perform, that’s an even bigger problem.”
“Hahaha! Exactly. With Su-a’s acting ability, even a bust shot would create more than enough tension.”
Kwon Du-il let out a booming laugh and clapped Chu Won-woo on the back with one massive hand. Chu Won-woo twisted away and forced a smile.
Why does this man insist on playing manager?
The way he praised Su-a’s acting made him look exactly like a proud manager bragging about his own actor.
Chu Won-woo thought that if someone like Kwon Du-il actually became a manager, he would be phenomenal in every sense. Though of course, with his money and steadily growing career, there was no chance of that happening.
Before Su-a climbed the slide, while the staff bustled about installing the air mats, Kwon Du-il and Chu Won-woo whispered together in a corner before returning.
I had no idea what they’d discussed, but Kwon Du-il wore an extremely satisfied expression while Chu Won-woo approached me with a slightly pale face.
“Su-a, you’re not scared of high places, are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“I see… Still, if you feel scared once you’re up there, tell me right away. We can shoot it after you come down.”
That exhausted look on the director’s face… I had seen it several times before my regression.
I glanced at Kwon Du-il. The moment our eyes met, he grinned and waved.
Even when he approaches politely, that intimidating presence still overwhelms people.
And he uses it quite effectively. Top-tier talent for a manager.
The fact that PD Chu came straight to me after their conversation suggested they had talked about me. Had he grown interested in manager work? Surely it wasn’t because I reminded him of his son?
“Standby!”
“Yes!”
You won’t find an actor like me anywhere else, so please take good care of me, mister. This time I’ll show you plenty of the acting you love so much.
Da-hee stood motionless atop the high structure, quietly looking down at Yu-seok and Mi-seon. Her hair and clothes fluttered in the wind, making her appear precarious, yet her eyes remained perfectly calm.
As if no danger could ever touch her. Or perhaps as if it wouldn’t matter even if it did.
“Da-hee! Uncle’s coming up! Stay still and don’t move!”
“Da-hee, don’t look anywhere else—just look at Mom! Only at Mom!”
Yu-seok climbed carefully so his massive frame wouldn’t shake the slide, while Mi-seon stood below with her arms spread wide, ready to catch the child if she fell.
Da-hee stayed still as her mother asked, then offered a small smile. It wasn’t the mischievous or sullen smile she had worn throughout the deliberation, but a relieved one that felt strangely out of place. A soft, bittersweet warmth melted within it, and for some reason Mi-seon felt tears rising.
Yu-seok scooped the child into his arms.
Once Da-hee was safely on the ground, Mi-seon exploded with fury.
“Why would you do that! It was so dangerous! What would Mom do if something happened to you!”
Mi-seon slapped Da-hee’s back and arms. The girl, who had been pouting ever since Yu-seok caught her, began to whimper and cry.
“Th-that was the most important condition.”
“None of that matters! Compared to you staying safe, none of it matters at all!”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter! It’s about protecting our family!”
Da-hee, who had been shrinking from Mi-seon’s tears, couldn’t accept those words and shouted back.
“I have to protect both the baby and Mom so Mom won’t be lonely! If it’s someone who would leave Mom behind and go first, it’s better not to marry at all!”
The zeroth condition for a good father: to truly love Mom and never leave her alone and lonely.
Da-hee’s real father had passed away before she was born. Da-hee knew how deeply her mother had missed him. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, there was no way not to know.
“The person who makes Mom lonely and sad is the worst kind of father. People get married so they won’t be lonely—what if it happens again?”
“Da-hee…”
“Accidents happen in the blink of an eye. There are goodbyes you can’t stop. What if Mom has to go through that again?”
Guilt washed over Da-hee’s face and spilled over. Mi-seon held the sobbing child, unable to find words. She had never imagined Da-hee carried such thoughts.
Yu-seok gently wrapped his arms around the tearful mother and daughter. Stroking Da-hee’s head, he spoke in a warm voice.
“Now I understand what you’ve been worrying about, Da-hee. You’re afraid of Mom being left alone, aren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Truth is, Uncle has lost someone he loved too. So while I understand your fear, I probably can’t fully grasp it.”
Yu-seok had also lost his previous wife and lived alone for a long time. Having been the one left behind rather than the one who left, he stood in a position closer to Mi-seon than to Da-hee.
Yet he declared with a steadfast expression.
“Even so, this much I can promise. Uncle will do everything in his power so Mi-seon never experiences that same sadness again. I’ll stand by her with the resolve to bear all that grief and loneliness myself.”
It was Mi-seon’s own resolution as well. Losing a loved one had been painful, but the courage to love again came from knowing the happiness love could bring.
And one of the people who had shown her that happiness was Da-hee.
Mi-seon gently wiped the tears from Da-hee’s face.
“Da-hee, Mom… even if I end up lonely far in the future, I’ve come to want to be with this man. That’s how much Mr. Yu-seok makes Mom happy.”
“…”
“Would it be all right if Mom marries Mr. Yu-seok? Is it okay for us to be happy together?”
Da-hee pouted. What a cheap question. There was no way she could say no now!
Slipping from Yu-seok’s arms, Da-hee reached out to him.
“You pass.”
Yu-seok beamed and took the small hand. But before he could fully feel its warmth, Da-hee snatched it back.
“If you ever make Mom cry, I’ll come back to scold you!”
“That will never happen. I promise.”
“Hmph!”
Da-hee threw a childish tantrum before hugging Mi-seon tightly. She buried her face in her mother’s chest so her expression was hidden, but the tips of her ears burned red.
As Mi-seon smiled and stroked her daughter’s hair, the child whispered something against her stomach.
“Da-hee, what did you say?”
“It’s a secret!”
After patting Mi-seon’s belly once, Da-hee slipped from her arms. Behind the girl as she gazed at the couple standing side by side, the sunset spilled its light.
The backlighting made it hard to see clearly, but Da-hee was smiling.
“Uncle will be a good husband and a good father. Mom won’t be lonely anymore.”
“Da-hee?”
“Now that I’m relieved, I’ll be going.”
“Da-hee! Where are you going?”
Da-hee turned and walked toward the sunset. The light was so intensely bright that her small retreating figure blurred.
Mi-seon wanted to grab her, but her body refused to move.
“Da-hee! Don’t go!”
“Since Mom is okay now, I’m okay too!”
“Da-hee!”
At her mother’s cry, Da-hee paused. Though the glare hid her face, it seemed she turned and waved.
“You have to be happy with Uncle!”
With those final words, Da-hee vanished completely.