Chapter 190: Chatter
“Didn’t you say the two of you just met today?”
Kim Uri asked, clutching a rolled-up script. No matter how she looked at it, they didn’t seem like they’d just met. At least, not for the first time. They seemed more like colleagues who’d been in the same troupe for at least a few years.
“Yes! That’s right!”
“…….”
While Muyoung answered with a sparkle in his eyes, Chusuan laughed awkwardly and fell silent, wondering how to respond to the lavish praise.
Meanwhile, Kim Uri playfully complained to Kim San.
“Director. What am I supposed to do when they’re like this?”
“We all know Uri’s skills.”
“Oh ho—rhyme—”
Kim San and Kim Uri winked at each other and laughed. Meanwhile, the director’s hands were busy setting up the camera.
“Oh. About the character’s name. I was thinking of keeping Kim Uri as is.”
The name written in the script was more ordinary.
Among the many victims, this character was the one leading the drama, but there wasn’t much impact.
“The name is pretty, and more than anything, it suits Uri so well. I think it’ll blend in well in the drama too. Is that okay?”
It’s becoming more common to use the actor’s name in the work.
It can be seen as the directors’ device and attempt to break the boundary between reality and drama.
“Yes. I like it.”
“Good. Then, let’s move on to Scene 98.”
At the director’s words, Muyoung quickly skimmed through the script again. This time, it was the scene before the murder. Since it was a camera test, they seemed to be skipping parts that required action.
“Hmm.”
Kim Uri also scrutinized the words with a sharp gaze. Then, she smiled at Muyoung and asked,
“Ready to kill me?”
Kim Uri was a beautiful person. As an auctioneer, she was always neat and maintained a dignified demeanor.
She was someone that numerous political and business figures, whether they realized it or not, would take notice of at least once. So, it was only natural for Dokyeong, with his keen aesthetic sense, to take an interest in her.
Swoosh—
Dokyeong continued painting with a serious expression.
Cherry blossom pink and lavender blended softly, then were drawn in a long line along Kim Uri’s jawline. At the cold, slippery sensation, Kim Uri shivered.
“Stop it……”
There was no way to resist other than shaking her head lightly.
As the brushstroke became distorted, Dokyeong put down the palette, as if his excitement had faded.
“I told you not to move when I’m working.”
“……Just stop it.”
At her sobbing, Dokyeong sat on a chair and crossed his legs, as if he had no idea what the problem was. His innocent smile was chilling.
“Are you tied up?”
She wasn’t bound anywhere.
“Or is the door locked?”
The door was half-open behind the man.
The shoulders of two bodyguards were visible, but that wasn’t it either.
“Anyone watching would think I’m forcing you to stay.”
There was a hint of mockery in Dokyeong’s words. Sensing it, Kim Uri muttered a curse through clenched teeth.
She recalled the evening from two weeks ago.
While having dinner at Dokyeong’s mansion, he suddenly said he had something to show Kim Uri and handed her an envelope.
It contained a pardon and a photo of her parents.
“You can leave if you want. Shall I have the car ready?”
Kim Uri instinctively knew. The moment she left the mansion, her parents would be slaughtered by this madman. Unable to hold back, Kim Uri swept everything off the table.
Whoosh—! Thud!
“Why! Why! Just why!”
She couldn’t understand why he was doing this to her. Crazy psycho bastard. She muttered all sorts of curses in her mind and rubbed the paint off her jawline.
Dokyeong watched her outburst without batting an eye, as if there were a thick glass wall between them, calm and composed.
“Are you done?”
It was exasperating. For over a week, she had to be Dokyeong’s canvas. That was all. She couldn’t fathom what this man was thinking.
“Do you, by any chance, like me?”
Kim Uri, glaring and huffing. Dokyeong blinked, then burst into laughter, as if he’d just witnessed the best comedy.
“Wow. Hahahaha! Amazing!”
He even clapped, sending a miraculous cheer. Kim, the secretary, peeked through the door crack. He, too, seemed to have been listening, with a smile on his face.
“This is funny. Really. Ah. So Kim Uri is a funny person?”
Perfect denial, coupled with a wave of humiliation.
Kim Uri glared at Dokyeong, her face bright red.
He picked up the brush again and carefully examined the woman’s face, as if wondering where to touch to create a perfect work of art.
“But nonsense is only funny once. More than twice is boring. You’d get tired of it. And if you get tired, you’re the only one who’ll lose out.”
Simultaneously, the brush was drawn from under her eyes to her chin. Kim Uri’s tears streamed down, smearing the paint.
“Ah. Nice.”
“……Please, just stop. I’m sorry.”
“Nice. Nice. Pretty.”
In front of Kim Uri, who was kneeling and begging, Dokyeong kept admiring. It was like begging a devil for her life. Dokyeong silently kept adding layers, then smiled in satisfaction.
“Please……”
Dokyeong squatted down and scrutinized Kim Uri’s appearance. Then, he turned back with a satisfied expression.
“That’s it for today.”
Slam—!
The door closed violently, leaving only Kim Uri in the studio. Hundreds of canvases depicted people. Though they were all different, their gazes seemed to be fixed on her, and it was unbearable.
“Heuk……”
She could tell from the rough brushstrokes on their faces. They, too, must have been in the same situation as Kim Uri. Dokyeong’s works, elevated into pieces of art.
But she didn’t know.
What had become of them afterward.
Kim Uri wept, her body trembling in small motions.
She cried so desperately that Kim San, without realizing it, shed a tear in sympathy. The sight of her begging, palms rubbing together, was the epitome of misery.
“Yes. It’s good.”
“Aigo. Heuk—”
As soon as the cut sign was given, Kim Uri snapped out of her immersion and searched for tissue. Muyoung handed her a couple of tissues, and she gratefully blew her nose.
“Was it okay?”
“Of course. Uri has a unique aura that really shines on screen. Of course, you’re amazing in person too, but there’s something about how you come across in a portrait.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Kim San clicked his tongue, unable to hold back his admiration.
“Today’s harvest is good. In many ways.”
Ha Muyoung. Chusuan. Kim Uri.
He’d confirmed that the chemistry between the three was naturally perfect. The actors seemed to feel it too, exchanging warm glances.
Especially Muyoung, who reflected on the meaning of the flower pollen anew.
‘I thought it was just about overcoming trauma……’
It was more than that.
With this work, Muyoung felt he could learn a deeper kind of acting.
Having met colleagues he liked so much for the first time, the synergy on set would be beyond imagination.
“When will filming start?”
At Kim Uri’s question, the director rolled his eyes, as if unfolding a schedule jumbled in his mind.
“If we finalize the casting this month, we can start right away. Early next month. At the latest, by the middle of the month.”
They planned to film grand cathedrals or mansions overseas. There weren’t many of those styles in Korea, after all.
“Overseas shoot? Wow!”
Muyoung’s eyes widened in excitement. Though he’d been an actor for almost three years, Muyoung had never been abroad.
The farthest he’d flown was to Jeju Island. Most of his work was in Korean period dramas or modern pieces, so he hadn’t felt the need.
“I’ll get my passport ready.”
“Haha. Okay. I’ll let you know the details through the company. I think that’s all for today.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
Kim San was firm. He seemed to think there was nothing more to see.
At his words, Kim Uri looked at Muyoung and Chusuan. It felt a bit disappointing to part ways right after meeting. The timing was awkward, but……
“Are you both free after this?”
“Yes. I have nothing planned!”
“……Nothing.”
“Then, how about a drink?”
Kim Uri pretended to tilt a glass of soju, making a gulp, gulp sound with her mouth.
They needed to get to know each other for the project! It was Kim Uri’s way. At that, Muyoung and Chusuan looked at each other and laughed awkwardly.
“I can’t drink alcohol.”
“……Me neither.”
“Really?”
“How about coffee instead? There’s a nice place on the way. Havana 11.”
“……Havana 11.”
“Oh! Right! You’ve been there too, senior?”
Muyoung and Chusuan turned to Kim Uri simultaneously.
Instead of a bar, let’s go to a café and chat. She shrugged and picked up her bag.
“Let’s go. I’ll have decaf.”
“Yay! Let’s go, let’s go!”
“……I’ll send my manager ahead……”
The three, in high spirits, left the production office. The managers, happy for an early finish, handed over the car keys. Since Muyoung didn’t have a license, he decided to take a taxi.
“So, do you know what I said back then?”
“No way. Really?”
“I’m telling the truth. You don’t believe me, noona?”
“Chusuan, would you believe that?”
“……I think it’s plausible.”
“Huh? What’s this?”
The three actors, sitting around three drinks, chatted away, forgetting the time. Most of the conversation was about things that had happened at work or analysis of < Pardoned>.
By now, Muyoung and Uri spoke casually, but Chusuan remained formal and shy.
“……Actually, I saw Muyoung once before, passing by.”
“Really? Where?”
“At the broadcast station…… You were playing the guitar and singing……”
“Wow! You’re talking about < You Are a Star, I Am a Star>. That was an audition! I was trying to appeal to the PD for a chance!”
And as they reminisced about the tangled threads of their connection, they grew closer. Their personalities meshed well, and they were charming in so many ways that time flew by.
Zziiing— Zziiing—
“Oh? Just a moment.”
Muyoung, noticing his suddenly ringing phone, stood up and took the call. It was Yuchan. What could it be all of a sudden?
“Helloong!”
While Muyoung took the call in the corner, he observed Kim Uri and Chusuan.
Mostly, Uri was talking, and Chusuan was shyly agreeing, but they seemed to be getting along well.
-Muyoung, are you busy?
“No, I’m fine. Go ahead.”
Unlike Muyoung’s casual response, Yuchan hesitated to speak. The silence brought an unusual atmosphere. Muyoung then turned toward the wall and asked,
“Yuchan?”
-Um, Muyoung, you know I’ve been going to auditions, right?
“Yeah, I know.”
One of the busiest people since Blade Edge ended. With his meteoric rise, everyone was urging him to audition.
-Today, at the M Company drama audition, the PD said something strange. I think I might be overreacting, but it’s better to be careful, right? I can’t let you get into trouble because of me……
“What is it?”
Yuchan took a long breath and confessed.
-They asked if Muyoung helped you a lot to get into Blade Edge.
“Yeah, that’s true.”
He did help with the audition.
As Muyoung answered, he suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!”
“Were they asking if I pulled strings for you?”
-That’s what it seemed like.
“Hmm. That’s not true.”
Even if the opportunity was provided, Yuchan was the one who set the table. Even the PD acknowledged that. Muyoung thought for a moment, then remembered that person.
“Is Kihyeonho spreading rumors?”
-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.
“No, no. It’s fine. No impact.”
Well, it wasn’t true, and the drama was already over. It had ended with tremendous viewership ratings. He was just about to note that when Muyoung changed his mind.
“I’ll look into it, just in case.”
-How?
At Yuchan’s question, Muyoung just laughed. Chusuan and Kim Uri kept giggling, wondering what was so funny. He wanted to join them quickly!
“I know Kihyeonho’s manager.”
After hanging up, he searched for Cha Eunseong’s number.