* * *
Facing each other, we laughed again. The staff’s voices could be heard.
“Let’s go again!”
The filming restarted. It was the same as before, but this time it felt different.
The hand touching my cheek was more assertive. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel it just from the touch.
“Cut! Good! Yumi! Check it out!”
Yumi ran to check the monitor with a bright smile. I let out a small breath. Before I knew it, the manager approached.
“Good job.”
“It’s just the beginning.”
“What an odd fellow.”
The manager patted my shoulder.
“You look like someone who’s done this a lot. Very skilled.”
I chuckled. I had done a lot of filming before.
‘Though mostly as an extra or stuntman.’
Most of the time, only my back or body would be shown. I never got proper screen time.
‘But now it’s different.’
My face and body were clearly on screen.
My fingertips tingled again. I clenched and unclenched my fists as Yumi returned. The next scene was Yumi fixing the ribbon on my shirt.
I struck the pose as I remembered from the storyboard. Yumi smiled at me.
***
The filming went smoothly. Despite claiming she wasn’t feeling well, Yumi acted effortlessly as if nothing was wrong.
I watched the monitor beside her. It was a scene where she hugged me like a teddy bear on the sofa.
‘Maybe it would look better if I tilted my head more.’
It was a decent scene, but I thought it could be improved. Also, it might look good if Yumi slightly parted her lips when she placed her hand near my chest.
I spoke up immediately.
“Can I part my lips a bit?”
The director looked at me.
I demonstrated by slightly parting my lips.
“Looks good.”
“Should I tilt my head more? Since the camera is coming from above.”
I looked at Yumi. She brushed her hair back and said,
“Good idea.”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
I relaxed my shoulders and returned to the set. The director smiled warmly.
“He wasn’t kidding, he’s the real deal.”
What a generous director.
I hadn’t even started acting yet, and he was already praising me.
I struck the pose again.
Soon, I felt Yumi’s touch.
I adjusted my head angle and slightly parted my lips.
“Okay! Perfect!”
Hearing that it was perfect always felt good.
As I chuckled, Yumi said,
“You’re quite skilled. Were you a child actor?”
I shook my head.
“It’s my first shoot today.”
“Really? Hard to believe.”
“It’s true.”
Yumi tilted her head in curiosity.
“I heard you were a trainee. Kids these days are impressive.”
“There’s still a lot more to come.”
Yumi laughed and playfully tapped my shoulder.
“Making me laugh! You’ve got a knack for getting along with your seniors.”
I tilted my head.
“I wasn’t trying to.”
I whispered with a grin.
“I haven’t said anything to please you since earlier.”
Of course, it was a joke.
Yumi laughed even harder, covering her mouth.
I shrugged. It never hurt to get along well with a senior.
‘The truth doesn’t really matter.’
What mattered was that Yumi felt better.
“It was a gloomy day because of the rain, but thanks to you, I feel a bit better.”
I nodded slightly.
“It’s an honor.”
“You have a sister, don’t you?”
This surprised me a bit.
“How did you know?”
“Did she scold you a lot?”
Was this famous singer Yumi or my strict older sister from Seongnam, South Korea?
“She seems tough.”
I nodded.
‘Her hobby is kickboxing.’
My sister used to go to the gym to relieve stress from studying.
If I rebelled, I couldn’t escape unscathed.
‘That same sister became a nurse and withered away due to stress.’
Guilt lingered on the tip of my tongue. It still tasted bitter.
Contrary to my feelings, Yumi kept laughing, finding something amusing.
‘She’s bright.’
Seeing her being so cheerful was a bit strange, given her composed and charismatic image on TV.
“You know the next scene?”
“Yes. It’s where I lay my head on your lap.”
Yumi smiled and patted her lap. When I shook my head, she said,
“It’s raining.”
I looked around for a window. Unfortunately, it was a set, so I couldn’t see outside.
“I really dislike rainy days.”
How did she know it was raining when everything was closed off?
I considered asking but kept silent.
I had a feeling she wouldn’t answer.
“Starting the shoot again!”
I took a small breath and laid my head on Yumi’s lap.
As the stylist approached to adjust my hair, I closed my eyes.
When the standby signal was given, Yumi caressed my face.
Even before the shoot, I had noticed that she…
‘It hurts.’
Maybe because of the vampire concept, her nails were long, making my skin sting.
Then suddenly,
A flash of light and the lights went out. The surroundings became dark, and people started murmuring.
But it wasn’t completely dark.
Soon, the lights from smartphones began to appear one by one.
‘Was that lightning?’
I asked Yumi,
“Are you okay?”
“Oh? Um, that is… over there”
I held her hand.
“It seems to be a blackout. Huh?”
Suddenly, something pulled me strongly. I had no time to resist.
When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by something warm and fragrant.
‘Damn.’
I quickly understood the situation. Yumi must have hugged me because she hated the darkness. It could be something like a panic disorder.
That was fine.
‘But it hurts!’
The problem was Yumi suddenly scratching my back.
Why is she doing this, really?
I took a deep breath and barely endured the pain.
I couldn’t shout at a distressed person.
Soon, the lights came back on.
Yumi’s manager immediately shouted.
“Yumi!”
She scratched my back for a while, then blinked.
I whispered softly.
“The lights are back on.”
Yumi’s eyes widened.
She slowly realized her situation and suddenly let go of her grip.
“Ah! I’m so sorry!”
Thank goodness. She’s back to normal. I sighed in relief.
My back was really sore.
“I’m really sorry, truly. I have panic attacks in the dark! But this has never happened before. What do I do?”
“It’s okay. I thought it was… okay, but it wasn’t.”
I clicked my tongue, looking at my torn clothes from Yumi’s nails. There were blood stains on my white shirt.
“Oh no! There’s blood! I’m so sorry!”
Yumi was genuinely at a loss. I was worried she’d have another panic attack.
Soon, people started approaching us.
“Yumi, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, but I scratched his back!”
“Oh my!”
Yumi’s manager checked my back and clicked her tongue.
Soon, my manager came over too.
“Dowon. Are you okay? Huh?”
There was a strong smell of kimchi from his breath.
“Your back looks like a mess.”
I frowned.
“Sorry! What do we do?”
I sighed involuntarily and looked around. The crew was all staring at us.
I asked the director.
“How’s the filming?”
“Huh? Guys! How is it?”
A staff member answered.
“Looks like we’ll have to replace a few lights!”
“Damn it!”
I shouted immediately.
“Then, I’ll take a break.”
The director took off his hat and said.
“Sure. You and Yumi take a break for now. Hey, assistant director! Which lights are out?”
I shook my head. Yumi still looked anxious and couldn’t keep her hands still.
Poor thing.
“Let’s take a break.”
Yumi nodded.
“Ambitious, I mean, Dowon, are you okay?”
When will they stop calling me ambitious one?
“I’m fine. What should I do about my clothes?”
“Let’s go to the stylist first. Oh, it’s torn.”
I got up from my seat. Yumi whispered to her manager, glancing at me, then mouthed another apology.
I smiled to show it was okay, and Yumi’s expression brightened a bit.
‘Pain is nothing.’
But it would be a problem if it left a scar.
‘Maybe I can fix it with a cheat. Ah, would that work?’
I sighed involuntarily. The stylist screamed when she saw my shirt and promptly took it off. My back was a mess of scratches and blood.
My manager applied ointment to my back.
“Didn’t it hurt?”
“It did.”
“But you didn’t scream once?”
It stung a bit as the wound was touched. I flinched, but my manager’s hands were rough.
“With someone having a panic attack next to me, how could I cause a scene?”
“If it suddenly went dark, that’s understandable.”
“Do you know why?”
“Huh? It’s well-known. Yumi had a car accident on a rainy day when she was in a girl group. She wasn’t seriously injured, but she has some scars. One member even left the group.”
Ah, that’s right.
Yumi’s group was quite popular. But their prime ended with that accident.
‘I forgot since Yumi made such a great comeback.’
Does she still have aftereffects?
“Since we’re at it, let’s eat.”
My manager handed me a lunchbox and water. I glanced at Yumi while looking at the lunchbox.
“Yumi isn’t eating.”
“Dowon, you might not know, but female singers before a comeback can’t eat anything. It’s lucky if they nibble on a few almonds.”
For weight control?
‘Living like that is amazing.’
I respected that.
I looked at the stylist. She was silently cleaning the bloodstains.
“How is it, okay?”
“I have twelve glue guns and tape.”
“Actually, we will finished the scenes with just the shirt.”
The stylist’s face brightened.
“Really?”
“Yes. I need to change for the next scene.”
“How did you know? Did you memorize the board?”
I nodded with a smile. The stylist blew me a kiss and stood to find the next outfit.
My manager shook his head watching this.
“You’re popular with women?”
“Of course.”
I handed the untouched lunchbox to my manager.
“I’m handsome.”
“Annoying brat.”
I smiled brightly. Both my manager and I knew it was a joke.
“I’ll go to Yumi.”
“Why?”
“She still seems sorry. I should tell her I’m changing costumes too.”
“Yumi seems aloof, but she’s actually clumsy. She’s considerate and kind.”
“She seems like it.”
I stood and walked to Yumi. Her road manager tried to stop me, but Yumi gestured for me to come over.
“Oppa, just five minutes.”
“Yumi, he’s a guy too. You never know what might happen.”
Yumi laughed, covering her mouth.
“How old are you?”
“Fifteen.”
Yumi laughed brightly, tossing her hair back.
“There’s an eight-year difference between us.”
The road manager looked at me suspiciously but stepped back. I sat next to Yumi. She apologized again.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize anymore. You’ve done it enough.”
“You know why I’m like this, right?”
Yumi lifted the blanket on her lap. It was full of holes.
“When I have a panic attack, I hug and scratch something. It’s because I was trapped during the accident.”
Yumi tapped the holes with the back of her hand.
“Once something breaks, it can’t come back.”
I shook my head.
“Should I borrow the stylist’s twelve glue guns and tape? We can fix it.”
Yumi laughed again, covering her mouth.
“You really have a talent for making people feel good.”
“It’s an honor.”
“I wish I had a little brother like you. I’d buy you lots of tasty food.”
Yumi pulled the holey blanket closer.
* * *
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