Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Filicide (5)
“But it turned out well, didn’t it?”
“Even so, it’s self-destructive.”
“It’s not something I can just stop doing. There’s a problem up here.”
Yu Yeon-seo tapped his temple with his index finger. Judging by their reactions, they seemed to have a rough idea of the reason, so he didn’t bother hiding it.
“It’ll resolve itself over time anyway.”
And once the culprit is caught… maybe? He couldn’t be sure. Just because of that one phrase, ‘help me’...
Park Seung-hwan whispered, asking if he was always this frustrating, and Im Seung-hyeon answered with a sigh.
“Hasn’t a lot of time passed already?”
“Anyway, it is what it is. Let’s start filming right away tomorrow, shall we?”
He ignored everyone’s suggestions to rest more and insisted on pushing forward with filming the next day.
“...Why the long face?”
“Well, ah… It’s nothing. Jae-ho and I will head out. Get some rest.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry about today.”
Delays in filming cost money, and that money came out of Yu Yeon-seo’s pocket. When the one footing the bill gives an order, you have to follow it, even if you’re unhappy. Park Seung-hwan and Director Kim Jae-ho left with dark expressions, leaving Im Seung-hyeon and Lee Tae-gyeom in the room.
“Are you alright, sir?”
“What’s there to not be alright about?”
Yu Yeon-seo clicked his tongue. He never imagined he would sync automatically without initiating it. Was it because the Beta was an older model? Finding memories quickly was fine, but having them pop up unexpectedly like this was a problem.
No, let’s not be impatient.
The more he rushed, the worse it was for his mental state. He gripped the blanket tightly.
After a day’s rest, Yu Yeon-seo returned to the set. Everyone who passed by asked how he was doing. It was fine the first couple of times, but as it continued, it just became annoying.
“What happened on set yesterday?”
Im Seung-hyeon, who was following behind him, answered.
“For now, I’ve made sure everyone keeps quiet about it.”
“Good.”
“...Still, we can’t stop it from spreading behind our backs.”
Knowing that, Yu Yeon-seo sighed. It was a small industry where all sorts of rumors circulated. During The Imperial Seal, he had managed to pass it off as being in poor condition, since he’d gone to the emergency room. But if it happened more than once, people would start to get suspicious.
(Mother) Yeon-seo, are you feeling okay?
Just like now. Having a mother with such significant influence in this industry meant he had to be careful about rumors spreading.
“It’s already spread.”
“Is that the Vice Chairman?”
Yu Yeon-seo nodded as he typed a reply. He told her it was nothing, though he didn’t know if Choi Yu-jin would just let it go.
My brother and grandmother are enough people to know about this condition.
The more people who knew, the more of a headache it would be. On top of that, his grandfather’s recent interest in him was unusual. The thought made his subsided headache feel like it was getting worse.
“Hey, I heard you collapsed. Are you okay?”
Just then, Kang Chan-hee, an actor he’d grown close to while filming, sat down next to him. They were supposed to have filmed a scene together yesterday, but it had been postponed because of him.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. Sorry for messing up the schedule.”
“It’s fine by me... I don’t have any other work besides this.”
Didn’t I hear him mention in passing that he had an audition today? Yu Yeon-seo stared at Kang Chan-hee.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
His acting wasn’t bad, and while he wasn’t exceptionally handsome, he had a distinct face that seemed like it would suit any role. Yu Yeon-seo made a mental note to find some work for him soon and opened his script.
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s run our lines.”
“Sure.”
“My grandpa has cancer.”
At Hwang Min-jae’s words, Park Ji-woo dropped the fish cake he was eating. The broth splashed, and he stomped his feet, seemingly from the heat.
“Damn it, you made me waste 700 won.”
“He needs money for treatment... Is there any way?”
“I’m telling you now, I don’t have any money.”
“I’m not asking to borrow from you. And even if I did, would you be able to lend me any?”
Hwang Min-jae gave Park Ji-woo a light kick on the shin. Park Ji-woo yelped exaggeratedly.
“...Do you think I can get compensation for something like this?”
“For what?”
Hwang Min-jae thought of his mother, who used to sigh about how hard her work was. She had lamented about being forced to work overtime without pay... Plus, there was the evidence left in her diary, and the company that was always talked about, both before and after his mother’s time there.
“Hey, that sounds shady as hell. You didn’t do anything? You should’ve squeezed some money out of them.”
“Wouldn’t it be too late to do it now?”
“It’s not too late.”
Back then, he hadn’t taken any action, lost in the grief and sense of loss from his mother’s death, but if he played his cards right...
“Then first... let’s start with a public opinion campaign.”
“How?”
With Park Ji-woo’s help, he posted a national petition and began a one-man protest.
Meanwhile, Hwang Dae-sik continued his routine of making meals for his grandson and collecting waste paper. He ignored his grandson’s pleas to go to the hospital.
Is it right to keep living like this?
A lingering attachment still remained in his heart.
That Min-jae... I should feed him something good.
His grandson had been busy lately. He didn’t show up at his usual part-time job, nor did he help with his own work sometimes. He wasn’t resentful that he didn’t help. He was just worried about what he was up to.
He stopped by a large supermarket he didn’t usually visit for his grandson’s sake and heard a familiar voice.
“Please sign our petition!”
A third-year in high school who should have been focused on his studies, his grandson who had boldly run off saying he could raise money for his grandfather’s treatment, was right there in front of him.
Why is he over there...?
Come to think of it, he had heard that Hwang Min-jae’s mother died in an unfortunate accident. Could it be... was he demanding compensation? Hwang Dae-sik hid behind a wall and secretly watched what his grandson was doing.
“Hey, is it going well?”
“No.”
“I heard the kids from the class next door are helping tomorrow.”
“Really?”
And his grandson was surrounded by many friends. Was he, with his illness, holding back his grandson who had such a bright future ahead of him?
Jun-ho...
Hwang Dae-sik saw the face of the son he had lost in Hwang Min-jae’s smiling face.
He had given up on his son in the end, but his grandson hadn’t given up on him. And that was something an adult, a guardian, should have done.
I sent Jun-ho away like that just to lessen my own burden.
It wasn’t because our situation was difficult, but because life was hard for me and I didn’t want to go alone.
When he had woken up in the emergency room in the past, he had felt relieved to have survived. He had vowed never to make such a choice again.
Back then, he hadn’t thought of his son lying next to him. Only his own life had mattered. The thought made him sick with guilt. The sound of his son’s coughing grew louder in his ears.
(Cough... Father...)
Hwang Dae-sik clenched his fists as if he had made a decision and turned away.
He cautiously asked his grandson, who had returned from his one-man protest.
“Is... is your work going well?”
“Yes! I think I’ll be able to get the treatment money soon!”
“Isn’t that money your mother worked hard for? You should use it for yourself...”
“This is for me.”
Hwang Min-jae’s expression immediately hardened. Afraid he would get angry again if he pressed further, Hwang Dae-sik silently scooped rice and placed it in front of his grandson.
“But, did you know?”
“Of course I know. Who wouldn’t, with you making such a racket?”
“Anyway, the response is good right now, so you should go to the hospital first, Grandpa.”
Seeing his grandson’s bright expression, it seemed things were going quite well. Hwang Dae-sik felt a heavy pressure weighing down on him.
(Your grandson’s grades are excellent. Even without attending any academies...)
(He is?)
(Yes, with these grades, he could aim for a top university in Seoul... but Min-jae says he’s going to work right after graduation...)
(...)
(I’m looking into various ways to support him... but it’s not easy.)
The words of the homeroom teacher from the parent-teacher conference lingered in his mind. Was he, an old, sick grandfather, holding him back?
“Alright... I understand.”
At Hwang Dae-sik’s calm reply, Hwang Min-jae beamed. It seemed that holding on back then had worked; his stubborn grandfather was quiet now.
Meanwhile, watching his grandson stuff his mouth full of rice, Hwang Dae-sik solidified his resolve.
His grandson would surely be sad if he just left like that. But, thinking of the future, this was the right thing to do.
Hwang Min-jae would soon be an adult. A young man with a bright future. Unlike him and his son, who had no one by their side, his grandson had reliable friends and a caring teacher.
Hwang Dae-sik was born into a poor family and had lived a tenacious life. He had lost his wife early. His body was unwell, so he couldn’t hold a proper job. His daughter ran away, and his son was so ill that even hospitals wouldn’t take him. There were so many restrictions that it was difficult to receive any government benefits.
He had lived his life carrying numerous burdens, too many for one person to bear.
At the very least, I shouldn’t be a burden to you...
“Where did this leak from...”
The assistant director frowned in annoyance at the gathering crowd. The fact that Yu Yeon-seo was filming a movie in this neighborhood had been documented in several photos recently, so it was only natural that people who saw the news would flock here.
“It’s a good thing this neighborhood is scheduled for redevelopment... Otherwise, they would have kept coming.”
Of course, that was also why they had started filming early. Yu Yeon-seo looked at Cha Yun-ho, who was chattering away beside him.
“But Secretary Cha, why are you here? You’re making the director uncomfortable.”
“It’s true that I serve you, sir, but when the Vice Chairman gives an order, I have to obey.”
“Haa...”
Yu Yeon-seo put a hand to his forehead and sighed.
“It was nothing, so why...”
“That’s just how parents are. They act fast when it comes to their children.”
She was making as much of a fuss as Yu Geon-min. But it was strange for her to be so devoted when he wasn’t even her biological son. Come to think of it, he had only investigated his uncles so far... No, it couldn’t be. Yu Yeon-seo shook his head forcefully.
“So, why do you think the Vice Chairman dispatched me here?”
“You don’t know, Secretary Cha?”
“I know that you collapsed while acting, sir.”
“So you know everything.”
Sensing the unusual atmosphere from his superior, Cha Yun-ho hastily added, “I’ll just say it was because you were too immersed in your acting.”
“How am I supposed to get immersed in this situation?”
“You, hyung?”
“What, you think I’m some kind of acting god?”
Yu Yeon-seo looked at Park Seung-hwan, who had finished his makeup. It was true that his level of immersion changed depending on his co-star.
The acting chemistry he felt here was something he hadn’t experienced much in White Tiger or Demon. He’d felt some synergy with Jin Su-ho in Dreaming and Shin Ye-won in The Imperial Seal, but Park Seung-hwan was on another level. Whether the cameras were rolling or not, he always maintained the aura of ‘Hwang Dae-sik’.
This makes me feel bad for my previous co-stars...
He naturally recalled the past.
“But you are an acting god, aren’t you?”
“Hey, don’t overdo it.”
Seeing Park Seung-hwan feigning modesty, Yu Yeon-seo let out a small laugh. Anyway... there were a lot of people. But he was used to sets crowded like this.
It’s going to take a while to get into character.
Yu Yeon-seo looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.
“...You going to be okay today?”
“Yes, I can run for a long time without getting tired. I have good stamina.”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“What is it you’re talking about, then?”
This punk, playing dumb when he knows exactly what I mean. Park Seung-hwan finally threw his hands up in surrender.
“Let’s do a good job on the last scene.”
“Yes.”