Double Date (2)
A quiet weekend morning, in the parking lot of a secluded suburban supermarket.
Our family had arrived a full thirty minutes early.
“Honey, do I look weird? Did I dress too casually? But it’s camping—I can’t exactly dress up either…. What should I do? Should I at least tie my hair up?”
Mom kept fussing with her hair in the rearview mirror. She’d been like this ever since the Coconuttalk message arrived.
Dad, on the other hand, had one arm draped over the steering wheel and yawned widely, his face as unbothered as ever.
“Come on, it’s not like you’re going on a blind date with Baek Seo-jin. The kids are friends, so we’re just heading out to the countryside for some fresh air. Relax. Just be comfortable.”
“Easy for you to say! It’s Baek Seo-jin, you know—Baek Seo-jin!”
“It’s okay, Mom. I think you’re prettier.”
“Aww!! See? Da-young is the only one who gets me. Really!”
Watching my parents’ cute little squabble from the back seat, I simply turned my gaze out the window.
A little more time passed, and a large, heavy black imported SUV glided into the parking lot entrance. Even through the gleaming body and heavily tinted windows, an unmistakable aura radiated from it.
The door opened, and the first one to hop out was Kim Chae-eun in overalls.
“Ah. Da-young!”
The moment she stepped out, Chae-eun spotted me and came running.
“Oh my, Da-young’s mother, father. We’re a little late, aren’t we?”
Baek Seo-jin followed, lightly removing her sunglasses as she offered an elegant greeting.
Just a simple cotton tee, jeans, and a light windbreaker—yet the dusty asphalt of the parking lot suddenly felt like it had transformed into a red carpet at an awards ceremony.
We had decided on a same-day camping trip for the weekend. Before heading properly into the valley, we were to meet at the large supermarket parking lot near the entrance. Even Mount Geumgang waits for a full stomach, as they say—we needed to buy meat, drinks, snacks, and everything else for the camp.
And the moment we stepped into the supermarket, I felt firsthand just what the fame of a true top actress looked like.
Even with a hat pulled low and sunglasses on, the air around her began to buzz the second Baek Seo-jin took a cart and passed the fresh-food section.
“Hey. Isn’t that Baek Seo-jin?”
“Baek Seo-jin? For real? No way she’d be in a place like this.”
“No, look. That profile is pure Baek Seo-jin. Holy crap, it really is her. The real thing is insane…”
Aunties lingering in the snack aisle and staff at the sample counters all froze mid-push of their carts, sneaking glances at Baek Seo-jin.
But everyone seemed to realize this was a private family outing with young children and husbands in tow, so no one approached outright—they only murmured in wonder from a distance.
Then one bold man in a delivery-truck cap carefully stepped forward and offered a greeting.
“Um, are you by any chance Baek Seo-jin? I’ve been a huge fan for years.”
It was a sudden approach, yet Baek Seo-jin showed not a flicker of fluster. She simply lowered her sunglasses a fraction and offered that signature elegant, radiant smile.
“Ah, thank you. Have a wonderful weekend.”
“Yes! Yes! Thank you! Oh my, what an honor!”
Just a brief greeting and a single handshake, yet the fan of an uncle withdrew bowing repeatedly, looking as if he’d won the world.
Smooth, natural, flawless fan service.
My mom and dad, pushing the cart beside her, had frozen solid as a bonus.
So this was what a real actress looked like.
With fame like that, even daily life must be hard to live in peace. If I kept walking the path of an actress, would I end up like that someday too?
Once the fan left, we resumed pushing the cart and began shopping in earnest. We were just passing the confectionery aisle when it happened.
Chae-eun, walking ahead, glanced around furtively, then casually slipped a shiny package of snacks from the corner of the display into the cart. It was the kind currently popular among kids—snacks that came with Fairy Cure character stickers.
“Chae-eun, hand.”
“…Hiiing. Mom.”
“Put it back where it belongs. Last time you bought some, you just tore out the stickers and barely touched the snacks—then left them for me to finish.”
It was truly fascinating.
Moments earlier she had been the top actress casually giving elegant autographs; now she was every bit the firm mother scolding her child, the kind you could find anywhere.
“But we’re going to play with Da-young today…. Can’t you just buy me one? Please?”
Undeterred by the scolding, Chae-eun made her eyes sparkle with lethal cuteness and launched her ultimate puppy-dog attack.
On set, Kim Chae-eun could act quite mature, but moments like this she was every inch a six-year-old brat.
Baek Seo-jin remained firm.
“No. Not until you finish every last snack you left last time.”
At the knife-sharp refusal, Chae-eun’s shoulders slumped in instant dejection.
Watching the standoff, I let out a light sigh and stepped closer.
“Auntie Baek Seo-jin, what if Chae-eun buys those snacks and I eat them with her? I really like those.”
“Huh…? Da-young?”
“Yes! And Chae-eun, I don’t collect those stickers. So you can have all of them, okay?”
Chae-eun’s ears perked up at my suggestion, and her face instantly bloomed bright.
“Really?! You don’t want the stickers?!”
“Mm-hm. I just want the snacks.”
“Waaah! Mom, did you hear? Da-young’s gonna eat them with me! And she’s giving me all the stickers!”
The girl who had looked like the world had ended moments ago now beamed as if nothing had happened and tightly clasped my hand.
Watching the scene, a deep look of admiration flickered briefly across Baek Seo-jin’s face. Then she walked over to my mom and dad with soft steps.
“Da-young’s mother, father.”
“Ah, yes! Actress!”
“Ah. Please, feel free to speak casually. More than that… I’ve felt it on set as well, but Da-young is remarkably mature.”
At the great actress’s high praise, Mom waved her hands in hurried denial.
“Not at all, Actress! If anything, Chae-eun looked so grown-up when she was acting in the waiting room and on set—I was really surprised.”
Mom tried to wrap things up warmly by praising Chae-eun’s clever acting.
But Baek Seo-jin kept her gaze fixed on me and gave a very small shake of her head.
“No…. Chae-eun is just a child except when she’s acting. But Da-young is truly mature even in everyday life.”
After a short shopping trip, we followed Baek Seo-jin’s car toward our real destination.
We wound up the twisting mountain road for quite a while, following the signs.
Then, as if the crowded entrance and its noise had been a lie, everything cut off, and a secluded valley entrance appeared—filled only with clear bird song and the cool sound of water.
Looking around, Mom let out a quiet exclamation of wonder.
“Wow…. Even on a weekend, this place is truly quiet. I heard the valleys around here are usually so packed this time of year you can barely find a spot, but there’s not even a trace of people. It’s so peaceful.”
Baek Seo-jin stepped out of the car, stretched lightly, and offered a faint smile.
“It would have to be. The land around this campsite was bought by my grandfather a long time ago. We never really planned to develop it, and there’s no particular use for it, so our family just comes here on weekends for quiet outings. Outsiders don’t know about it, so you should be able to rest comfortably.”
“Ah…. So it’s your grandfather’s land. No wonder it feels so private and lovely.”
Once settled, the two families began enjoying the camping in earnest.
Along the way we naturally exchanged greetings with Baek Seo-jin’s husband, Director Kim as well.
He was a famous director who had already swept several major awards in Chungmuro and made a name for himself in the film world, yet in private he was a man of few words and extremely taciturn. When Dad approached to greet him, he simply nodded silently and continued setting up the grill.
“I heard your husband is a programmer. You must work late every day—that’s hard.”
At Baek Seo-jin’s words, Dad scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“Ah, yes. It’s a job where I’m glued to a monitor all day…. Coming out to a place with such good air on the weekend feels really nice.”
While the adults pitched tents, grilled meat, and introduced themselves, Kim Chae-eun and I settled on one side of a large mat.
As if she’d been waiting, Kim Chae-eun pulled a thick binder book from her bag and plopped it down in front of me.
“Da-young! Look at this! This is my Fairy Cure sticker collection book that I’ve been gathering all this time! These sparkly stickers are really hard to get, you know?”
Watching Kim Chae-eun proudly show off the stickers she treasured with sparkling eyes, I played along appropriately.
I decided I shouldn’t say that, to my eyes, Kim Chae-eun excitedly showing them off was cuter than the Fairy Cure stickers themselves.
With a sizzle, the savory smell of grilling meat spread through the valley.
As we shared perfectly cooked pork belly and drinks and the atmosphere was in full swing, Mom carefully brought up the real topic.
She seemed curious about Baek Seo-jin’s true reason for inviting our family today.
“Um, Actress. I’m truly grateful you invited us to such a precious gathering today…. But on the other hand, I was a little curious. I also worried whether Da-young might have made some mistake on set yesterday.”
Receiving the question, Baek Seo-jin set down her cup and regarded me for a moment. Then an honest answer flowed from her lips.
“I’ll be frank. I acknowledge that Da-young is a genius. Of course, I don’t think she surpasses my own daughter Chae-eun.”
Baek Seo-jin smiled faintly and continued.
“Still, I’d like Da-young and Chae-eun to stay close. If Da-young, who’s at a similar level to Chae-eun, is by her side, maybe she’ll feel stimulated and develop even a little passion for acting.”
With that, Baek Seo-jin began explaining about her daughter.
If I, living my second life, was an outlier and set aside, then in practical terms Kim Chae-eun’s talent was unmatched among child actors her age.
The problem was that she herself had no great passion for acting.
Kim Chae-eun simply felt strongly like she was reluctantly following along because her mother was a famous actress and told her to.
From Baek Seo-jin’s perspective, watching that overwhelming talent rot away must have been unbearably wasteful.
“If spending time with Da-young provides stimulation, that’s not a bad thing for Da-young either. The world of child acting is small. In that small world, the existence of a rival who can pull each other up is a precious asset you can never obtain through effort alone.”
But listening, Han Ari raised a question from a slightly different angle.
“But Actress…. If Chae-eun doesn’t like acting that much, couldn’t you just not make her do it? I wonder if there’s really a need to force a child into something she doesn’t even enjoy.”
At Mom’s pure question, Baek Seo-jin’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Isn’t that talent a waste? This isn’t just about our Chae-eun. In my eyes as an actress, Da-young’s talent is the real thing. That child, just like Chae-eun, has more than enough potential to grow into a great actress. As parents, isn’t it natural to open that path for them?”
“Still, I think letting the child do what they love comes first. Even if that path looks good and like the best one in our eyes as parents, it can be different from the child’s perspective.”
At Mom’s unwavering voice, Baek Seo-jin seemed momentarily at a loss for words and fell into thought.
After keeping silent, Baek Seo-jin eventually turned the question back.
“…Then, Da-young’s mother, if later on Da-young doesn’t want to act, could you make her give up that life as an actress? Even if she has genius talent that practically guarantees success as a superstar?”
It was a temptation that would shake any parent.
Yet Han Ari answered without a single second of hesitation, her eyes full of conviction.
“Yes, I could give it up. For me, Da-young’s own happiness comes first.”
At that answer, Baek Seo-jin looked dazed for a moment, then offered a bitter yet peculiar smile.
“I can’t agree…. But I understand what you mean. Separate from that, though, I’d still like Chae-eun and Da-young to stay close. A child as mature and deep as Da-young is rare, so I think she’ll be a truly good friend for Chae-eun. …Or does Da-young’s mother find even this too calculating?”
Baek Seo-jin looked at Han Ari as if provocatively.
But she only beamed with a bright, pure expression and waved her hand, rendering the provocation meaningless.
“Aigoo, not at all! If Da-young makes more friends, I’m only happy!”
A clear, pure smile that considered neither calculation nor benefit.
At that, Baek Seo-jin instead wore the expression of someone who had just been one-upped.
The barbecue party continued without any particular incident. After stuffing ourselves with perfectly browned meat, the adults’ paths oddly diverged.
Baek Seo-jin’s husband, Director Kim, and Da-young’s father, Seo Hyun-woo, seemed surprisingly well-matched. The two men moved to a shady rock crevice in one corner of the campsite the moment the meat was done. Then, as if by prior agreement, they pulled out handheld game consoles and started playing side by side.
“Honestly, men never change no matter how old they get. Coming all the way out here just to game that hard?”
“I know, right. At home he’s glued to the monitor whenever he has a free moment, and now he’s doing the same thing here.”
Baek Seo-jin and Han Ari sat side by side and sighed in disbelief.
But Seo Da-young, fiddling with the sticker collection book on the mat, felt intense sympathy for the two men’s hearts. Having memories of a past life, Da-young knew all too well just how uniquely charming it was to enjoy games in nature, with the fresh breeze and the sound of water as background music.
Ah, I really want to join them over there.
Da-young sincerely wanted to join that group and her mouth itched for it, but she held back, thinking a six-year-old brat barging into the dads’ bonding time would only be a nuisance.
More than anything, she still had to keep Kim Chae-eun company as the girl sparkled beside her showing off stickers, so Da-young simply swallowed the rising regret and offered a bitter smile.
As that peaceful time flowed on, Baek Seo-jin suddenly set down her teacup and spoke to Han Ari in a serious voice.
“Da-young’s mother. Filming for episode one wrapped very successfully…. But the truly important part is the episode two shoot next week.”
At Baek Seo-jin’s sudden warning, Han Ari’s eyes turned to her.
In the Enflix blockbuster drama Flower of Blood, planned for a total of sixteen episodes, the portion led by the child actors was only the first two episodes.
“Episode one mainly focused on the protagonist’s family inside the Hwalhwapa, right? So the set atmosphere was relatively well-controlled. But from episode two, the background expands in earnest. The number of characters appearing increases a lot too.”
At Baek Seo-jin’s serious tone, Han Ari swallowed dryly and carefully asked.
“Is there… by any chance an actor Da-young needs to be careful of, or someone with a bad reputation?”
Looking at Han Ari’s face, eyes wide with full-on nerves, Baek Seo-jin suddenly let out a soft laugh.
Han Ari’s cute reactions, where every emotion showed transparently, had a strange way of dismantling walls around the heart.
In truth, Baek Seo-jin had only planned a light meal today and hadn’t intended to share this kind of information.
After all, this was the child who had taken her daughter’s role—she’d even thought it would be fine if the girl got into a little trouble once.
But as they talked, her heart had loosened without her realizing it, and the advice had slipped out. Baek Seo-jin toyed with her teacup and spoke in a gentle, soothing voice.
“No, don’t be so nervous. As far as I know, all the adult actors appearing in this drama are good people.”
“Th-then what exactly should we be careful of?”
When Han Ari still looked frightened and asked again in confusion, Baek Seo-jin turned her gaze toward the mat. More precisely, she fixed her eyes on Seo Da-young sitting quietly beside Kim Chae-eun.
“The side you really need to watch out for isn’t the adult actors—it’s the ‘child actors’ who will join from episode two.”
Baek Seo-jin’s sharp eyes settled.
“From episode two, two children appear in earnest: Kang Si-woo, the child actor playing Min Do-hyun, son of the police commissioner in the story, and Yoon Ha-eun, the child actor playing Choi Ji-soo, daughter of the Heukryongpa—the Hwalhwapa’s bitter rival organization. These two kids aren’t like our Chae-eun with no ambition for acting, and their personalities aren’t quiet either.”
Baek Seo-jin paused briefly, then drove the point home as if giving Han Ari a firm answer.
“I know very well that Da-young has a surprisingly mature personality for a six-year-old. But…. Those kids might be quite a handful even for Da-young.”
At Baek Seo-jin’s warning, delivered with a bitter smile, came the sound of Han Ari sucking in a sharp breath.
And Seo Da-young’s eyes, sitting on the mat and listening to every word of that conversation, flashed.