Chapter 97: Under Any Sky
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: Under Any Sky
The director shouted, "Cut!"
The father-daughter duo, Lee Yu-jin and Tommy, who had been glaring fiercely at each other just a second ago, instantly relaxed their expressions and exchanged words of encouragement.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Asher, the US Air Force Public Affairs Director who had been watching quietly from a distance, fell into thought.
‘Perhaps… the Cold Program really can be revived.’
The acting of Tommy Cross and Lee Yu-jin.
He could only hope that the precious heart of Jang Ji-hye, who pitied Cold, would touch the hearts of the audience and eventually reach the halls of Congress.
“One must ignite the afterburners when the jet stream blows from behind,” Brigadier General Asher mused.
He felt certain that Lee Yu-jin would need to pilot Cold once more.
*
For a moment, I was actually a little intimidated by Father Tommy’s intensity.
‘Is this the charisma of a Hollywood top star who flies around in a private jet?’
I realized that one needs this level of presence to justify owning a private plane.
I might be high-priced now and making a lot of money as a Hermès Ambassador, but honestly, my income isn't exactly based on my acting skills or career longevity yet.
‘I hate to admit it, but it’s all thanks to God’s mistake.’
“Father, isn’t that a bit much? How can you tell your living child to go on alone because of the one who died?”
“Because the fighter jet can fly faster if I step out. I’m quite the heavy cargo, you know.”
“I’m confident I could give you a piggyback ride and sprint a hundred meters in under ten seconds.”
In truth, I’m the unofficial world record holder (by male standards). I’ve smashed records in various fields besides track and field, but I’m keeping it a secret from the world. Only my brother knows a little.
Anyway, we finished the rest of the shoot safely and bumped fists with Father Tommy to celebrate the end of the workday.
“It’s tomorrow, right?”
“Tomorrow it is.”
Tomorrow, we’re filming the scene I’ve been waiting for: the one where I seriously discuss my discharge from the Air Force with Father Tommy at a Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi restaurant.
The filming will take place on a set, but the food is being brought in from Yoon Se-rang’s mother’s shop.
Instead of returning to the aircraft carrier, I headed to a hotel near tomorrow’s filming location.
I spent some time lounging with my legs stretched out, scrolling through my phone while watching my brother and Jang Ji-hye unpack several suitcases.
Yoon Se-rang, who had arrived at the hotel earlier, came to visit our room.
“Oh, Se-rang Unnie. You’re here?”
“Yeah. Thanks to you, Ji-hye, I’m finally making my Hollywood debut. Thank you.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not your first time abroad.”
“It’s my first military aviation blockbuster. I never thought the day would come when I’d appear in a production like this. Thank you again.”
In the movie, the Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi restaurant is where Father Tommy and I share memories of my late mother and my brother, Kael.
Yoon Se-rang appears as the owner of that restaurant. Her role is to ease the tension of the drama.
There were various opinions on what the menu should be, but Jang Ji-hye chose Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi. The production company readily agreed.
“Senior, is your mother coming as well?”
“My mom isn’t coming; a shop employee will be there. Mom’s busy.”
I heard that thanks to the Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi mukbang scene in Hwan’s Torch, the dish has been gaining global popularity lately. Even though the price of pork has gone up, I feel great.
The whole world is finally recognizing the greatness of Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi.
“Yu-jin, Yu-jin, now you understand how that lady felt, being so proud that the world finally recognizes you, right?”
“No, that and this are different.”
I hung out with Yoon Se-rang for a reasonable amount of time before heading to bed early.
Before sleeping, I briefly turned on a surprise Vlog live stream with the night sea as my backdrop.
“Hello, this is actress Lee Yu. I’m currently at a local hotel for tomorrow’s shoot. Isn’t the night sea view incredible?”
└ (Northern Grand Duke's Eldest Son) It’s a truly wonderful night sea. I’d love to visit there someday.
└ Where did the brother manager go??
└ Lee Yu, Lee Yu, please show us your face! I live in Yeosu, I’m sick of the night sea ㅠㅠ
“I’m sorry. I’m not wearing any makeup right now, so I don’t look human. Let’s just enjoy this beautiful night sea together.”
└ You never wear makeup anyway! You always go bare-faced!
└ I really, really want to see what Lee Yu looks like when she ‘doesn’t look human’ ㅠㅠㅠ
└ By Elf standards, ‘not looking human’ = ‘looking like a legendary goddess.’
I stubbornly continued to communicate with the fans while showing them the beautiful night sea scenery.
└ What kind of communication is this! ㅠㅠㅠ
└ Boo! We oppose the Elf Dictatorship!
*
The next day.
The filming, which began before the dawn had even lifted, lasted all day—from when the sun was directly overhead, past the sunset, until the night was pitch black.
‘We actually managed to film all of this in one day.’
To think they built this coastal Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi restaurant set with such care just for this one day of filming.
“Today, I realized why movies eat up so much production budget.”
“Yu-jin, you hit the nail on the head. You’re thinking like a film producer now.”
“Maybe I should make a movie later? Of course, I’ll just provide the funds and do nothing else. I’ll just sit back and gobble up the box office profits.”
“How can you do nothing? You’d have to star in it and carry the whole thing. You wouldn’t just watch your money vanish into thin air, would you?”
Of course, the talk of making a movie was just a joke.
It’s more efficient to join a project like this one—accepting a casting offer, putting in some of my own money, and converting my appearance fee into production shares.
“Actually, I’m just thinking about providing a bit of production funding for small-scale works like independent films. If I water the sprouts of the film industry now, won’t there be many great producers and directors later? In the long run, wouldn’t that make my income as an actress even more abundant?”
“That’s a good idea. But what if those film sprouts turn into confession sprouts?”
“The Soy Sauce Punch has the answer.”
Yoon Se-rang gave a great performance today.
She played her role perfectly as a neutral character who mediated between Father Tommy and me without standing out too much.
“Senior, your English was excellent. Honestly, I was surprised.”
“When you say that, it feels like you’re teasing me.”
“No, what did I even do?”
I was starting to feel a bit anxious, but Yoon Se-rang just looked at me and grinned.
“Your English pronunciation is so sophisticated; you sound like you’re from some ancient European noble family. Ji-hye, don’t you think so?”
“You’re right. Yu-jin’s pronunciation is a bit unique, so it really sticks in your ear. It’s kind of addictive.”
“Noona, I guarantee it. Once this movie comes out, the trend of imitating your pronunciation will sweep through English-speaking countries.”
I was relieved that it was a genuine compliment about my pronunciation.
Inwardly, I offered my thanks to my mentor from hundreds of years ago who had prepared me for this.
‘Cardinal Mentor, thanks to the Classical Latin you engraved into this rower’s soul, I’m living and eating well like this. Thank you.’
It was a bit of a shame that Yoon Se-rang’s mother didn’t come to the set today, but the Boiled Pork with Fresh Kimchi was still delicious.
Jang Ji-hye muttered quietly to herself.
“Should I invest in some pork-related stocks before the movie is released…?”
I was momentarily tempted as well, but I held firm.
‘I’m sticking only with Envidium.’
*
Filming proceeded at a frantic pace, and before I knew it, it was April.
As other actors joined one after another, the speed of filming accelerated.
‘I haven’t been able to go to school even once.’
Jang Ji-hye and I hired a private tutor to keep up with our general subjects.
“Yu-jin, why is Yu-seok the only one who doesn’t have to study? Why are we the only ones suffering?”
“It can’t be helped. He’s already finished the curriculum to the point where he should be in grad school.”
Jang Ji-hye’s eyes shook as if she were in shock.
“Is that… for real?”
“I told you, he’s the guy who ditched gifted schools and science high schools just to make me a celebrity.”
“Ah, so that’s why you tease him, saying if he hadn’t played LoL, he would’ve gotten into Hankuk University and won a Nobel Prize in Physics.”
“Now you see why I get annoyed? The moment I saw a calculus graph, I realized math was not my path.”
“Ji-hye Noona, I’m not teasing her. I truly believe that if my sister hadn’t played LoL and had gone all-in on her studies, she would have definitely won a Nobel Pri—Aack! Save me! That hurts!”
*
My heart has been pounding since this morning.
It’s not because I’m riding in the Cullinan, but because I’m riding in the Cullinan on my way to Osan Air Base.
Today, there’s a flight scheduled in the fighter jet, Cold. I won’t be flying alone; Father Tommy will be joining me.
Of course, we’ll be in different aircraft. A US Air Force pilot has to hold the control stick, after all.
“Kid, are there any precautions this Daddy should know before boarding our son?”
The Navy still doesn’t know that I actually piloted Cold and flew it myself.
However, since I’ve undergone grueling simulator training, Father Tommy was asking me that question.
“There’s a Forward Shared View (FSV) option. Make sure to turn that on.”
“Hmm? Kid, what’s that?”
“It’s the reason there’s a control stick in the back seat. If you turn this on, whenever your helmet points forward, the cockpit view appears on your helmet display.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. Got it, I’ll definitely try it.”
“The resolution is insane. You’ll find it really amazing.”
“Thanks. It’s truly fitting for my son’s final masterpiece.”
We each boarded a Cold and took off.
A chase plane for filming followed us. An officer who was a former pilot working in the Air Force Public Affairs office was on board as the cameraman.
In the front seat of my jet, Lieutenant Colonel Brad, the Air Force ace who had once handed the controls over to me, was holding the stick.
“Brad, I’m glad you’re safe. Honestly, I was a bit worried.”
“Disciplining me would be like killing Cold. Why else do you think I followed those orders?”
Conscious of the numerous cameras installed in the cockpit, I diligently finished my self-filming.
Just as we were about to finish today’s filming portion, Lieutenant Colonel Brad suddenly brought up something unexpected.
“Shall we do it? That?”
“Pardon? Is it okay for me to do it?”
“Now you’re starting to sound like a real Air Force member, High Elf. Catching my meaning right away.”
“My heart has always been with the Air Force. From the day I briefly held the control stick… No, no, even before I was born in this life.”
The current me is a proper Air Force pilot.
I no longer drag things out with useless worries or hesitation.
“My aircraft.”
“Your aircraft.”
After today, I won’t have another chance to board Cold. This is the last time.
‘I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to pilot again. This really is the end.’
Even if the movie becomes a massive hit and a sequel is made, I probably won’t be able to pilot a fighter jet again.
I intend to fully enjoy this opportunity that returned just when I thought it was over.
I freely performed all the flashy maneuvers I had practiced so hard in the simulator.
The first Cold unit, with Father Tommy in the back, joined me as if in sync, putting on a spectacular air show.
‘The pilot over there is an ace too. Well, it’s an important event like a film shoot, so they must have assigned the most skilled person.’
I truly had a blast, venting all my pent-up desire to fly to my heart’s content.
Only after I had piloted until I felt a bit dizzy did Lieutenant Colonel Brad finally speak.
“High Elf, I’m sorry, but it’s time to end the flight.”
“Copy. Your aircraft.”
“My aircraft.”
And so, I completed what was almost certainly the final fighter jet flight of my life and landed on the runway.
I opened the cockpit and lightly jumped down from the jet without using the ladder, landing gracefully. I even added a mid-air flip for good measure.
Lieutenant Colonel Brad whistled and clapped.
“Oh, shit. As expected, High Elf’s athleticism is incredible.”
“Come on, join me.”
“Nope. My joints creak now. If I jumped from this height, I’d get injured.”
Father Tommy, who had disembarked from the first jet, also had a very flushed expression.
He looked deeply moved by the spectacular high-maneuver air show he hadn’t expected.
‘He probably doesn’t know I was the one flying.’
Is there any chance a staff member in the Public Affairs office, double-armed with madness and eccentricity, might secretly leak the fact that I was piloting and release the flight footage?
‘The movie would be a massive hit then.’
Actually, rather than the box office success, I just felt it was a waste that no one except a few people in the Air Force knew I had performed such incredible maneuvers.
It was just a secret delusion of my own. If it’s the Air Force, they should keep it professional.
“Kid, that was a truly magnificent flight. I think it was a very special experience for both of us.”
“Father, I feel the same way.”
We smiled and bumped fists, congratulating each other on the truly final flight of this shoot.
‘It really feels like the filming is coming to an end.’
As I was busy capturing Osan Air Base in my eyes and on my camera as if today were the last…
Brigadier General Asher, the Public Affairs Director, approached me with a few officers and non-commissioned officers.
In his hands was a US Air Force dress uniform. My heart raced the moment I saw it.
“Pilot Lee Yu, congratulations. This is a token of our Air Force’s appreciation, so please accept it.”
“Thank you!”
I quickly took the new uniform. I’m going to go home, rip off the plastic, and try it on immediately.
‘Sweet! I just scored some content for my SNS!’
“And this is from the heart of our Air Force. Please, accept this as well.”
Brigadier General Asher showed me two additional items.
One was a thick, ivory-colored certificate with the following words inscribed:
[Honorary Air Force Discharge Certificate]
As I accepted it in a daze, Brigadier General Asher held out the second item.
A Pilot Wing Badge.
An item given only to those who have completed the pilot training course.
“Wherever you are, under any sky, we will always be looking down from above, cheering for your bright future.”
Brigadier General Asher, to my great honor, personally pinned that precious item onto the chest of my flight suit.
“Congratulations on your discharge, Pilot Lee Yu-jin.”
My head spun, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears; I couldn’t say a word.
I never dreamed I would receive a gift like this at the very end.
Father Tommy was the first to clap heartily, and others joined in with enthusiastic applause, celebrating this touching moment together.
Jang Ji-hye’s laughing words momentarily stuck in my ear like a thorn.
“Yu-jin, Yu-jin, so does this mean you’re a military-discharged high school girl now?”