Chapter 27: When Veterans Just Look at Each Other
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: When Veterans Just Look at Each Other
‘Is she the daughter of a BBQ restaurant owner? She’s seriously good at grilling.’
A sense of mastery emanated from her deft, white hands.
Watching her nonchalantly toss, flip, and cut the meat before moving it to a plate or pushing it to the side of the grill, every single piece was perfectly browned and succulent.
When Kang Seok-won first had a piece of meat placed on his front plate, he almost misunderstood the gesture for a moment, but now he realized the truth.
‘She just hates it when other people clumsily burn the meat.’
He desperately fought the urge to keep staring at Lee Yu-jin’s face.
Every time his gaze brushed against her fair skin, his heart rate spiked so violently he felt like his lifespan was being clipped away.
‘She’s a minor. She’s a minor. She’s...’
Kang Seok-won repeated this like a mantra in his head, trying his best to maintain his composure.
He had never felt this nervous in front of a woman in his entire life, so the experience felt almost refreshing.
‘If it’s "refreshing" two more times, I’ll be hauled off with a ruptured heart.’
“But seriously, Sunbae-nim. You’re really, really handsome!”
“Huh? O-oh, really? Thanks.”
“Yu-jin Unnie, don’t you think Sunbae-nim is incredibly handsome?”
As the child actor Kim Yu-jung complimented him with a bright smile, Kang Seok-won found himself unconsciously glancing at Lee Yu-jin.
“Kim Yu-jung, I’m pretty sure I told you to call me by my name.”
“Aww, can’t I just call you Unnie?”
“No. I have no intention of changing my mind. Go back to how it was.”
“Hmph... You let Dong-hyun off the hook...”
“That’s proof that I haven’t given up on you yet, Yu-jung.”
“Oh, really?”
“Nu-nuna...? Am I... finished...?”
“Yeah, I’ve given up on Jang Dong-hyun.”
Even as she answered with an indifferent expression, her hands never stopped grilling and cutting the meat, placing the pieces mostly on the child actors' plates.
Kang Seok-won spoke, trying to sound as kind as possible.
“I’ve never really felt inferior to anyone when it comes to looks, but sitting in front of Lee Yu-jin-ssi makes me feel completely shriveled. I feel so plain.”
“Don’t say that. Have some confidence. You’re the most handsome person I’ve ever seen, Sunbae-nim.”
Kang Seok-won almost had a heart attack again.
‘I-is this flirting? No, no! Get a grip! Who would flirt with a face like that!’
Meanwhile, Kang Seok-won finally understood why the S-Grade Star Kim Ho-jin had fallen into the abyss.
Like a moth drawn to a brilliant, scorching flame, he must have plunged in blindly, unaware that his very body was being consumed.
“Aigo, I don’t drink, so I came over to grill some meat for our minors' table, but it looks like everyone’s doing just fine on their own.”
The veteran action actor Park Seong-gu pulled up a chair and sat down.
“Our junior here, was it Kang Seok-won?”
“Yes, that’s right, Sunbae-nim.”
“You’ll be clashing swords with Yu-jin quite often from now on. Be careful not to blow out your wrists.”
“Pardon?”
“Her physical strength is no joke. I got totally schooled, I tell you. Schooled.”
“...Sunbae-nim, please don’t say that.”
“Seriously, if she had gone into sports, she would’ve brought glory to the nation as a medal collector, no matter the event. The sports world lost a brilliant star to the entertainment industry.”
“Ah, I see. Lee Yu-jin-ssi is much stronger than she looks... I’ll be sure to remember that...”
Kang Seok-won wanted to use another table as an excuse to get up. He was afraid someone would hear his heart thumping toward a total rupture if he stayed any longer.
And yet, he didn’t want to leave.
If someone else took this limited seat while he was gone, he wouldn’t be able to sit at this table again.
“Do you know how loud a real rifle actually is?”
“I know, I know.”
Somehow, the topic had shifted to the military.
The kids under twenty didn't know how it had happened.
However, if they had known that the two people leading the conversation—Lee Yu-jin and Park Seong-gu—were both veterans, they would have realized this flow was inevitable.
“The sound of a real gunshot is incomparable to movies or dramas. At first, it feels like your eardrums are going to burst.”
“Exactly. Kids who only experience gunshots through media have no idea how loud they are. By the way, Jang Dong-hyun, when are you going to the army?”
“Do I have to go to the army too?”
“Haven’t you heard the saying? You can escape death, but you can’t escape taxes or conscription.”
“Ah... that’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
Yu-jin suddenly whipped her head toward Kang Seok-won, making his barely calmed heart pound once more.
“Come to think of it, Sunbae-nim, isn’t it about time you started planning your enlistment roadmap?”
“Uh, well, yeah. I was planning to push it back as much as possible and go later...”
“Don’t do that. You should go while things are peaceful like they are now. If a major war suddenly breaks out in Europe or South America later, military life could get really rough, you know?”
“I-is that so?”
“And your skin will recover better if you go while you’re still young and firm.”
Park Seong-gu let out a hearty laugh.
“But the military has gotten a lot better these days. It’ll only get better as time goes by. I think waiting as long as possible isn't a bad strategy either.”
“Well, it’s certainly a lot better than the Middle Ages. When you think about the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades, or the Imjin War... ugh...”
“Yu-jin, you’re going a bit too far back in time there.”
Since Yu-jin was such a good listener, Park Seong-gu excitedly rambled on with military stories for a long time.
“Jang Dong-hyun, take Park Seong-gu Sunbae-nim’s words to heart. It’s something you’ll have to face eventually.”
“Yes! Nuna!”
Jang Ji-hye and Kim Yu-jung had long since retreated from the abyss and were whispering among themselves.
Kang Seok-won watched Yu-jin, who looked genuinely delighted to be listening to military stories, and thought:
‘Her very existence just bewitches people.’
In front of a stunning beauty who gives such an ego-boosting reaction to military stories, what man could possibly maintain his composure?
*
Meanwhile, Jung Yoon-ah was quietly observing the minors' table from a distance.
It was somewhat amusing to see Kang Seok-won’s shy demeanor as he stole glances at Lee Yu-jin while desperately trying to look calm.
‘At least he seems like the type who won’t drop a sudden confession attack. That’s a relief.’
PD Jang Hyun-soo had surely vetted him well before casting him.
Seeing it with her own eyes put her mind at ease.
‘Part of me wants to involve Yeon Si-ho and create a light love triangle vibe... but Yu-jin-ssi would hate that, so I’ll pass. I won’t even bring it up.’
The goal of the drama as a writer? Success, of course.
But Jung Yoon-ah had added a small, personal secondary goal.
It was to make Lee Yu-jin find joy in the life of an actress.
“Even if I let her experience only the most comfortable, best, and most fun things in this project, it still wouldn't be enough.”
Jung Yoon-ah watched Yu-jin, who was excited by Park Seong-gu’s storytelling, and Kang Seok-won, who was trying to hide his shyness, and quietly imagined various scenes.
Scenes where they pointed swords at each other and clashed for the sake of what they held dear, neither backing down an inch.
Kang Seok-won’s character, the male lead, was the lover of the female lead Yoon Se-rang, but at the same time, the greatest enemy of the Hwan Empire.
“If Kang Seok-won himself delivers the fatal blow that hastens the disappearance of the Sword Spirit Yeon Si-ho... would that make for a better picture?”
*
Mom came to pick us up as the dinner ended.
As soon as I buckled my seatbelt, drowsiness washed over me.
“Was the meat good? Did you have fun?”
“Nuna completely lost it during Actor Park Seong-gu’s military stories. Her inner mildeok exploded for the first time in a while. Ugh, Nuna, you really shouldn't do that. Men will get hooked.”
“Hey, Park Sunbae-nim is a married man. He’s old enough to be my dad. What are you talking about?”
“No, not him. The rookie was right next to you too. What if he’s already hooked?”
“What nonsense. He looked uncomfortable the whole time, like he wanted to move to another table.”
“Nuna, a man’s heart is...”
“I know it better than you do. That guy is safe.”
He was the type who wouldn't launch a "confession attack"—that act of mutual assured destruction.
“I’m going to sleep, so be quiet.”
“Got it, Nuna.”
“Sleep well, Yu-jin. Mom will drive safely.”
*
I intended to have a deep sleep, but I seemed to have gotten caught up in a bizarre pipe dream.
I had returned to the form of my most recent past life—the sergeant who died in a shooting accident, a life that hadn't left much of an impression on me.
—Oh dear, my apologies. You accumulated so much merit in your previous lives that I was supposed to grant your wish in this life, but it was overlooked. Tell me the destiny you wish to enjoy in your next life.
My consciousness was hazy, but the words tumbled out instinctively.
“I want to be born as the son of a prestigious, wealthy family.”
—That is not in the categories. Choose something else.
“Then I want to be born as an incredibly handsome man.”
—That is also missing. Choose something else.
“Then I want to be a world-class male sports star.”
—That is the same.
“Then a man with world-class intelligence...”
—That as well...
“Then...”
—That as well...
“Then...”
Even in my groggy state, I thought:
Wait, is nothing available?
“Then let me live happily for the rest of my life with the most incredibly, insanely beautiful woman in the world.”
—That... I think I can manage that somehow.
*
“Gasp!”
I woke up with a short scream.
Startled, Mom looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“Did you have a nightmare? You were moaning in your sleep.”
“Nuna, are you okay? You must have taken mental damage from Actor Park Seong-gu’s military stories after all, right?”
“...It was just a total pipe dream.”
If it wasn't a pipe dream, there was no way the wish I’d made could have been twisted like this.
The voice of the divine being I heard every time I died in a past life.
This was the first time in all my lives that it had appeared in a dream when it wasn't my time to go.
At one point, I had suspected that the voice, and even my past lives themselves, might be hallucinations of my memory.
But they definitely weren't.
‘Eonnyeoni...’
I fumbled for the hairpin and gripped it tight.
The precious sensation in my hand reassured me that my memories of past lives were not hallucinations.
My phone buzzed.
[Yoon Se-rang]: Was the dinner fun?
[Yoon Se-rang]: How was the replacement male lead?
Yoon Se-rang hadn't attended the dinner today.
Apparently, that was normal for her, and everyone took it in stride.
[Me]: He seems polite and like he’ll do his part well.
[Yoon Se-rang]: Any confession attacks?
[Yoon Se-rang]: Think you’ll get one?
I quietly left her on read and put my phone on silent.
*
Dad’s departure is being delayed. He definitely said it would be a week.
Not that I want him to hurry off to America.
This is the first time I’ve met truly good parents.
“Yu-jin, you know there’s a relative gathering at your grandfather’s house this weekend, right? How’s your filming schedule?”
“I can clear it. Weekend filming isn't mandatory; it’s done by prior agreement.”
“Really? I heard drama filming runs seven days a week.”
“They say you get in big trouble for that nowadays. Especially since it’s a Netscreen production.”
Dad tilted his head.
“The world has really improved. But then why is Guk-shin always complaining about how hard it is?”
“What’s wrong with Uncle Guk-shin? Don’t tell me he works in dramas too?”
I flinched instinctively, wondering if my uncle was in the same industry.
He was an uncle I only heard about once in a blue moon, and I couldn't even remember the last time I saw him.
“No, he said he was in movies. But I’ve never heard of anything he’s actually screened.”
“Oh, really? Is he a director?”
“I haven’t heard that either, so he’s probably just learning the ropes doing grunt work on set.”
My younger brother suddenly chimed in.
“Dad, that uncle isn't coming this time either, right?”
“He won’t. I can’t even remember the last time he came to a family gathering.”
“It’ll be awkward if he runs into Nuna. What if he begs her to star in a movie he’s making?”
Dad laughed at that.
“Eh, if Guk-shin was going to do that, he would’ve done it long ago. He’s never made such a burdensome request, even if she is his niece.”
“Uncle doesn't know what Nuna looks like now.”
“What do you mean he doesn't know? When Yu-jin was in second grade, she was already fully grown like she is now...”
“The last time we saw Uncle was when I was in kindergarten. Then Uncle only knows what Nuna looked like as a kid. It’s not like you use Nuna’s photo as your profile picture, Dad.”
“Wait, has it really been that long?”
Mom expressed a needless worry from the side.
“Yu-seok is right. I bet Young Master Guk-shin has never seen Yu-jin as she is now.”
“Our Nuna is the masterpiece beauty of the Lee family, the one PD Jang Hyun-soo—who makes broadcasting stations tremble and Netscreen beg—fell for at first sight and begged to be in his show. What if Uncle does the same?”
“Hey, stop with the cringey praise already...”
Dad scratched his head and spoke.
“But he’s always buried in work and never comes to family gatherings, so there’s no need to worry.”
“If, and I mean if, Uncle really acts like that, what are you going to do, Nuna? We have to decide this in advance.”
I gave my brother a flick on the forehead.
The crisp sound of his yelp was as pleasant as ever.
“You’re really making a fuss over something that hasn't even happened. And what would I do? I’d just say you don’t do business with relatives.”
Dad added to my answer.
“Yu-seok, I told you, your uncle isn't coming. Don’t worry. And the other relatives have seen your sister all along, so they must know she’s pretty.”
“But they haven't seen her in photos or in person recently... As her road manager, I’m just worried...”
“Hey, knock it off.”
I gave his back a solid smack.
*
Saturday, we arrived at Grandfather’s house.
Every time I come here and look at the house, there’s an unsolved mystery.
‘Grandfather seems really rich, so why does our house still have an apartment loan?’
I braced myself for a total energy drain, took a deep breath, and entered with my family.
Thump, thump, thump. I heard the sound of kids running.
“Ah! It’s Yu-jin Nuna!”
“Yu-jin Nuna!”
“Yu-jin Unnie!”
“It’s Unnie! Unnie!”
Being a large family, there were quite a few cousins.
During the gathering, I’d have to look after all these kids.
No one told me to; the kids just wouldn't leave my side once they saw me.
‘Well, I get that much more pocket money, so whatever.’
I was walking toward the adults with the kids trailing behind me when I paused.
There was a face I didn't recognize.
‘Who is that? Is he someone one of my aunts brought as a potential husband?’
Then, I heard Dad’s surprised voice.
“Oh, what? Guk-shin, what are you doing here?”