Chapter 13: Closer Than a Friend (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Closer Than a Friend (1)
Glancing back once more at Writer Jung Yoon-ah’s car parked in the lot, Yoon Se-rang muttered under her breath.
“She never once came to see me when I was filming.”
She ran into a few more staff members and fellow actors along the way, laughing it off with the excuse that she’d forgotten something last time and had come back to retrieve it.
Yoon Se-rang took a path that naturally brought Lee Yu-jin’s filming site into her line of sight. To any observer, it looked like she was just passing by chance, not intentionally trying to watch the shoot.
Slowing her pace as much as possible without being obvious, Se-rang watched Yu-jin out of the corner of her eye.
A dozen or so attackers charged in with bravado, only to be sent flying by a single handmaiden dressed in ornate palace ceremonial dress, her face hidden behind a veil.
It was intense action that Se-rang herself could never pull off—in fact, it was the kind of thing almost no other actress would even attempt.
She wondered if a stunt double had been used, but when the camera stopped and the veil was removed, Lee Yu-jin’s face was revealed.
Even from a distance, her visuals were noble and striking, forcibly commanding the attention of everyone around her. She looked so radiant it felt as if she belonged to a different species.
Yoon Se-rang unconsciously touched her own cheek.
Her skin was soft, supple, and free of any blemishes. She was still young and maintained herself so rigorously that there wasn't a single fine line.
Her face was the one thing in the world she was most confident in. While she might not be the absolute most beautiful woman on earth, she had lived her life with the certainty that no woman was more beautiful than her.
—Oh, no way. How could I ever stand in a two-shot with Yoon Se-rang?
—I’d just end up being the "humiliation shot." I’d rather just not do the show.
—Se-rang, you know I don’t say this because I hate you, right? I’m just doing this for my own survival.
—You probably don't know how we feel. At every press conference, the other actresses compete fiercely just to avoid standing next to you.
In the past, she would offer a subtle smile, wondering how an actress could ever improve with such a lack of confidence.
But now, Yoon Se-rang could poignantly feel exactly what those fellow actresses had felt.
[Caller: Yang Su-jin Unnie]
“Yeah, Unnie.”
—I heard a monster rookie just appeared in your drama?
“The rumors reached you already?”
—Ho-jin is apparently running over there to hang out even when it’s not his filming day. Didn’t you know?
Yoon Se-rang frowned.
Kim Ho-jin. The male lead and her character’s lover.
They were long-time colleagues who had been linked in various roles—lovers, spouses, siblings, enemies—but surprisingly, the two weren't close at all. They were "business friends" who continued to be cast together simply because their on-screen chemistry was uncannily good.
“How would I know that? It’s not like I’m glued to the set every day.”
—Kim Ho-jin said that in a two-shot, even you would be overshadowed, Se-rang. Is she really that good?
“That won’t happen.”
The words slipped out by habit, and though she regretted them a moment later, she quickly covered it up.
“She plays a warrior handmaiden, so she spends the whole time wearing a veil or a mask. There won’t be any two-shots to worry about.”
—Wow, the PD is being cruel. She’s a rookie, not a famous veteran, right? Is it right to seal her face like that?
Yoon Se-rang wanted to end the call quickly. If she ran into someone and they greeted her, they’d realize she was lingering at the set. Hiding her urge to hang up as much as possible, she tried to lead the conversation to a natural close.
—You know our company is hosting a charity event soon, right? Why don't you use that as an excuse to bring her along? That rookie.
“Unnie? You want to see her?”
—I’m curious. I want to see what she’s like to make a lazy, picky, woman-crazy flirt like Kim Ho-jin fall for her so hard. Oh, I have to go. Try to sweet-talk her and bring her over.
After hanging up, Yoon Se-rang bit her lip while staring at Lee Yu-jin in the distance.
Yu-jin herself was resting, seemingly indifferent to her surroundings, but the attention from all directions hovered around her like ghosts, seeking any gap to slip through.
Yoon Se-rang was an undisputed Hallyu star. She had a global reputation, having played significant roles in Hollywood several times (though not as the lead). She hadn't reached this position by screaming or trampling over others. She had simply been lucky, worked hard, and rose smoothly thanks to the support of those around her. The fact that not a single one of her works had failed to break even was her pride and joy.
Until now, Yoon Se-rang hadn't understood the feelings of her seniors, juniors, and peers who would jokingly say, "The kids coming up from below are so scary."
But now, her heart, which kept fluttering with a sense of resentment, was undoubtedly saying this:
She was conscious of Lee Yu-jin.
“They say to keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer...”
Yoon Se-rang turned on her heel.
*
I tried to take one of the two suitcases, but Jang Ji-hye adamantly refused to give it to me.
“An actress can’t have calluses on her hands from pulling things like this. You just carry your bag.”
“If my hands were the type to get calluses just from pulling a suitcase, I would’ve had eczema a long time ago.”
I tried to put on my mask and baseball cap as usual, but Jang Ji-hye stopped me.
“A rookie shouldn't walk around like that on set. Even if people don't say anything, they’ll look at you with distaste.”
“Fine, fine. I get it.”
After loading the suitcases into the car, we sat on a nearby bench to catch some air and rest for a moment.
“Oh, there’s a coffee truck over there. Mom will go get some.”
“No, I’ll get it.”
“Ji-hye, you stay here and tell our Yu-jin what the entertainment industry is like. I’ll be right back.”
With that, Mom headed toward the coffee truck, and Jang Ji-hye and I sat side-by-side waiting.
“What does that banner mean? ‘Treats on behalf of Kim Ho-jin’?”
“It’s a coffee truck sent by Kim Ho-jin’s fans. Even though he only dropped by briefly today without any filming, his fans gathered info quickly and sent it over. Impressive, right?”
“They’re very passionate.”
“On the days Kim Ho-jin actually films, it’s total chaos. Steak trucks, tonkatsu trucks, sushi trucks... it’s basically a catered buffet. You can become an actress who receives that kind of love from fans later, too.”
I was planning to retire as soon as I debuted now that I had the hairpin from my past life...
Why is she suddenly acting like she has expectations for me? It’s a bit much.
Mom returned with three cups of coffee. As she sipped through her straw, Jang Ji-hye suddenly started giggling.
“Yu-jin, Yu-jin. You know Jang Dong-hyun? The boy child actor.”
“Yeah? What about him?”
“Did you know his eyes went totally wide after you finished your action scene? He had the face of someone completely smitten. And right in front of his own co-star, too!”
“...”
“The little girl playing opposite him was secretly glaring and pinching him. I almost died laughing watching them.”
“Oh my, Ji-hye. Is that true?”
“Even though he’s not even ten years old, he’s still a man with eyes, and he was totally enchanted by Yu-jin.”
“Actually, do you know what he said to our Yu-jin when we first came to sign the contract? He asked if she had a boyfriend.”
Jang Ji-hye clapped her hands loudly, and I felt like my face was going to explode from embarrassment.
“No way! Really? Wow, that’s true love.”
“Our Yu-jin attracts men just by breathing. I’m so worried about her.”
“Are you only worried? Really?”
“Actually, I’m much more proud than worried.”
The two of them were already hitting it off and laughing together. To an outsider, they looked more like mother and daughter than Mom and I did.
Just then, I felt a flash of something in the distance. Reflexively, I lowered my head.
What was that?
I don't know if it’s a perk from my active duty on a Panokseon in my past life, but my sixth sense is extremely sharp. That was how I noticed the wobbling light fixture before. Thanks to that, I’ve lived my life avoiding all sorts of minor accidents.
“Mom, let’s head back now.”
“Oh, shall we?”
“I’ll sit in the passenger seat. Yu-jin, you sit in the back from now on.”
From now on? Is she really planning to keep following me to the set? Wasn't this supposed to be a one or two-time thing out of curiosity?
*
An Si-yu, a fan of actor Kim Ho-jin, had followed him again today with her telephoto camera. She was there to track a rumor that had briefly circulated in the fan cafe before dying down.
[The PD personally recruited a rookie actress, and she’s so pretty that Kim Ho-jin is staying on set to watch her even when it’s not his filming day.]
A lazy, picky, woman-crazy flirt.
That was Kim Ho-jin’s nickname, one that even his fans couldn't bring themselves to deny.
Ho-jin Oppa, if you even think about hitting on that rookie, it’s over for all of us!
She had arrived with the heart of a detective catching an affair in progress, but Kim Ho-jin was simply laughing and chatting with the PD and the writer.
Is that rookie not here yet?
An Si-yu panned her telephoto camera around, widening her search. Then, as if the camera had a will of its own, it came to a sudden halt.
An Si-yu’s mouth fell open in shock at the visual reflected through the zoom lens.
How can a human face look like that?
She was so impossibly beautiful that the word "pretty" felt like an insult. Her features were perfectly symmetrical and harmoniously arranged, and her straight black hair flowed down like a waterfall, exuding a calm, innocent aura.
Above all, her skin was smooth and porcelain white. Seeing that the skin tone of her face, neck, and hands was identical, it wasn't like she had just applied a white-toned makeup base.
The two women next to her—who looked like her manager and mother—provided such a stark contrast that she stood out even more. For a moment, the other two’s skin tones almost looked like those of tropical natives by comparison.
After staring in a daze for a long time, An Si-yu finally remembered her shutter.
Oh, right. The shutter, the shutter.
Just as she adjusted the composition and was about to press the button, the girl suddenly lowered her head and moved completely out of the lens's field of vision.
An Si-yu quickly tried to track her. However, because the distance was so great, it was difficult to match the focal length to the girl’s quick pace. Even a slight tremor caused the lens to miss her entirely.
In the meantime, the car pulled away. An Si-yu could only watch despondently through her lens as the car disappeared.
She picked up her phone and logged into the fan community.
[Kim Ho-jin’s new drama "Hwan’s Torch"—a legendary rookie actress is about to blow up, so everyone hold on tight.]
└ Damn, I felt relieved because Yoon Se-rang was the lead, but there’s a hidden landmine?
└ This is ridiculous. You guys believe this? lol
└└ Why don't you check the author's level before talking crap? ^^
└└ The author is a well-known "named" user, you idiot. lol
[Author] I was so distracted looking at her face that I forgot to press the shutter, but I’m saying this on my account. Kim Ho-jin’s woman-crazy radar is definitely at 400% capacity right now.
└ It’s been a while since we’ve had to build a human wall at Kim Ho-jin’s filming site.
└ Let’s go, let’s go.
└ Our Ho-jin Oppa is bad at everything, but he’s the worst at making moves when he works with pretty women.
└ I was relieved because Yoon Se-rang is an iron wall, but he really doesn't give us a moment to breathe.
In a place Lee Yu-jin didn't know about, the wariness of another fandom was building against her.
*
“Every time the weekend comes, where are you two going every day? Take me too!”
“A mother and daughter are enjoying a refined, feminine cultural life. Why would a grown son want to tag along so creepily?”
Second week of filming.
My younger brother was starting to get suspicious, but so far, there were no issues. Jang Ji-hye was taking care of all the filming-related items. There were a few filming schedules during the week as well, but since they were after school, I managed them without a problem.
Since the first day, I hadn't had much of a chance to show off any big action scenes. Mostly, I just followed the child actor Kim Yu-jung like a shadow, occasionally drawing my sword once or twice before sheathing it again.
They’re paying me 2 million won per episode for just this? Is this drama going to go bankrupt?
PD Jang Hyun-soo treated me strictly as an actress, not his daughter’s friend, using formal language. Because of that, many of the actors and staff still didn't know I was the PD’s daughter’s friend.
“Good work today.”
“Good work.”
I changed out of my costume to head home, but I couldn't see Mom or Jang Ji-hye.
Are they already at the parking lot getting things ready?
As I headed toward the parking lot myself...
“Ah, are you heading home now?”
At the sound of a pleasant baritone voice, I turned around to see the male lead, Kim Ho-jin, standing there with a sociable smile.
He was the person I envied most on this set, the being who possessed everything I wanted...
“Yes, I’m heading out now, Senior.”
“By the way, did you hear? They’re considering a script revision to add a slight romantic vibe between Prince On and Yeon Si-ho.”
“Ah, I believe that idea was scrapped.”
“Really? That’s strange. It’s a bit different from what I heard.”
“You must have been misinformed, Senior. It was definitely scrapped.”
“Then, do you want to make a bet with me?”
In any other situation, I would have judged this as "this guy is making a move again," but the person in front of me was a world star who had nothing to gain. He might just be being kind to a young rookie with no connections, so I had to tune my radar carefully. Otherwise, I’d just be a delusional narcissist.
I was racking my brain to come up with a polite and firm parting remark when...
“Oppa, I’m going to borrow Yu-jin for a bit.”
“Se-rang?”
“The PD was looking for you just now. Hurry up and go.”
“Really? Well, if you say so.”
Kim Ho-jin shrugged and turned away without any lingering attachment. Seeing that, I felt my judgment to be cautious was correct...
“Yu-jin, listen carefully. If you see Kim Ho-jin from a distance, avoid him immediately. If he suddenly talks to you, pretend you didn't hear him as much as possible and move away quickly.”
“Pardon?”
“That man has achieved the 'dating scandal' feat with his female co-stars in every single project he’s done, except for one.”
“Except for... one?”
“That one project was with me.”