* * *
Then, I heard more shouting.
“I told you not to pull that there!”
“Hey, sparks are flying!”
“Get the crane right!”
They’re at it again.
The director sighed and yelled.
“Hey! There’s a kid here!”
“Sorry.”
“Ugh. I know you’re stressed with the tight schedule, but let’s do this right!”
The atmosphere is intense.
I subtly stepped back. Well, all sorts of fierce words flew around again.
“Not that I care, though.”
I looked at the pinwheel.
“On sets like this, things always seem to go wrong.”
The director was shouting his head off. It was so noisy that Deok-soo covered my ears again.
In a careful, low voice, he said,
“No one’s mad at you, my dear.”
Huh? Of course not.
“Of course it’s not because of me. Why is he saying that?”
I blinked and realized,
“Right, most kids think it’s their fault when adults shout around them.”
That’s why they say parental fights are bad.
I smiled brightly.
“I know!”
Deok-soo sighed deeply.
“Thank goodness. I don’t want to expose you to this kind of environment….”
I tugged on Deok-soo’s sleeve.
“It’s okay. I’m strong.”
Amidst the noisy people, I said,
“I’m more worried about you worrying about me.”
Please don’t worry about it, Deok-soo.
In an instant, his hand visibly flinched. When I looked slightly, I saw a tear running down his cheek.
“Don’t cry!”
He managed to hold back outside.
“You’re really kind, Kongja.”
Deok-soo pushed a handkerchief with a chick pattern under his sunglasses.
“To comfort me in such an uneducational situation.”
The yellow handkerchief was getting wet.
Stop crying. People are watching!
I patted him on the back.
The situation is a mess, and Deok-soo is crying.
I looked up at the sky. A refreshing breeze was blowing coolly.
Hmm, what a delightful chaos.
After a while, amidst the chaos, a staff member spoke.
“Child actor, please get ready.”
If they say go, you go.
I ran right over. Of course, even then, the shouts didn’t stop.
“Hey, the crane keeps shaking!”
“Hold it steady!”
Will that be okay?
“The best thing to do in chaos is to focus on what you need to do.”
I gauged the distance. Luckily, even in the chaos, the staff had marked the path I needed to run.
“Rolling!”
I got ready immediately.
“Ready! Action!”
I ran cheerfully, spinning a pinwheel and smiling kindly like a dove welcoming peace.
“Being able to act well even in chaos is what makes a professional.”
The director shouted.
“Cut! NG!”
Huh?
I tilted my head in confusion.
I did well though?
The reason became clear right away. A staff member was spraying insecticide around the camera.
“Ah, bugs.”
That’s the issue with outdoor shoots.
I turned around and walked back. A staff member followed and asked.
“You can run again, right?”
I smiled brightly and replied.
“Yes!”
“Oh, great. Let’s go again.”
After dealing with the bugs, the director shouted again.
“Rolling! Ready, action!”
I ran again, just like before. Honestly, the acting itself wasn’t difficult.
“Good thing I practiced running.”
Physical strength is fundamental for an actor. Even if you’re a child actor.
When I reached the marked spot, the director shouted.
“Cut! NG!”
Again?
I tilted my head again. The reason for the NG was clear this time too. The director shouted loudly.
“Hey, the crane is shaking!”
Oh no.
Maybe because of the wind, the crane was creaking wildly.
How is the crane shaking?
That’s a safety issue too.
“The wind is strong!”
Ah.
I looked up, feeling the wind ruffle my hair. The blue sky and clouds were as pretty as a fairy tale, but the wind was strong.
“In ten years, scenes like this will be shot with drones.”
For now, it’s still cranes.
The director shouted.
“Wait until the wind calms down!”
Hmm, should I go back to my original spot?
I turned around and walked back again. A staff member spoke.
“Isn’t it tough?”
“It’s okay.”
“You did well. It’s the situation that’s not good.”
I smiled brightly.
“I know!”
Seeing my bright expression, the staff member smiled too.
“It must be tough, but you don’t show it.”
Well, shooting a scene twice is common.
“This kind of thing happens all the time on set.”
Although kids might not know that.
“I heard you’re a famous kid actor. You’re really mature.”
I waited at my spot for the wind to die down.
“By the way, this is a national promotional CF, and there are so many unexpected situations.”
How ominous.
No way. This isn’t a sign that there will be problems for the country, right?
“Well, overcoming tough situations could lead to better things.”
The wind gradually calmed down. The staff adjusted my hair and costume again.
I waited quietly.
“Rolling. Ready! Action!”
This time too, I ran perfectly like a dove of peace.
“You have to do your best in any situation.”
This time it’ll be okay, right?
But my expectation was immediately dashed. The director shouted.
“Cut! NG!”
Again, why?
The director sighed deeply and then yelled at the staff.
“Can’t you do it properly?”
One of the props staff took my pinwheel away. Only then did I understand.
“One leg of the pinwheel is broken.”
Oh no.
I smiled awkwardly.
“Promoting the country is really tough.”
The director scolded the staff and then approached me quietly.
“Are you tired? The situation is like this. I’m sorry.”
I stared at this director.
He’s a good person.
To apologize to a child actor.
Honestly, if he had gotten annoyed with me, the atmosphere on set would have become exhausting.
But he comforted me.
With that, I should meet his expectations.
I smiled brightly.
“It’s okay!”
I really didn’t mind.
“Well, wow, you’re really pretty.”
Why the sudden dialect?
“You’re a good kid, with a good personality.”
Hmm, which dialect is this?
“Seems mixed…”
The director gently patted my shoulder.
“It must be tough, thanks for not showing it. Hey.”
I shook my head, smiling.
“Hang in there!”
“Uh… okay. You’re not just pretty, but kind-hearted too.”
The director looked tired. I took a deep breath.
The props team brought a new pinwheel. The next shoot was finally successful.
Honestly, I thought that would be the end of this ordeal.
I watched as the director’s face turned pale.
“This is what being stuck between a rock and a hard place feels like.”
Who would have thought this would happen during a national promotional CF shoot?
“Uh, uh, uh…”
Oh no.
I quietly turned my head. There was the cause of this situation.
“Who would have thought it would be the President?”
I watched the national leader walk in. Honestly, he looked just like on TV.
“The problem is his face.”
The President had dark circles under his eyes like a panda.
* * *
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Thanks for the chapter
It’s tough running the country 🤭
Thank youu
wow