Chapter 49: Surprise
A few days later. The sunlight was so warm it became hot. The noon sky was blue without a single cloud. Other people would have thought it was just nice, but on the set, grumbling was inevitable.
“Are you crazy? It’s already this hot?”
“Should we like this or not? Today is especially clear. The weather forecast said there would be a lot of fine dust.”
“Director, are we going to shoot the sky today?”
“I don’t think so. Hehe.”
Since it was a dystopian world, a hazy sky was the default background. Even though they planned to adjust the colors and do some post-processing, today was too bright.
“Long shot, no. Let’s cut out the setting shots.”
After a long shot (which includes a lot of background), a setting shot that only shows the background is heavily influenced by nature because it reveals the background as it is. Those scenes would probably have to be filmed on a different day.
“By the way, what about Hyojung? When will she be available?”
“I don’t know. I last heard from her two days ago. She said she was having some tests done and such. KonArt said they’d decide whether to terminate the contract based on how things go.”
“Okay. Let’s keep the atmosphere nice until then, okay?”
“How many extras do we have today?”
“Sixty-seven!”
While the leaders were making new filming plans, the extras were sitting on the ground waiting. All the shade belonged to the filming equipment and staff.
“Oppa, is studying fun?”
And among those few seats, Muyoung was sitting and reading a book. Yuna, who had finished her makeup, slowly approached and poked her head in. Jaeni was dirty again.
“Not at all. Yuna, you should definitely go to a department you’re interested in later.”
The final exams were literally just around the corner.
The semester will probably end next week. The exams are a problem right now, but finding a place to live during the vacation is also a problem. All sorts of things are happening at once, and it’s driving me crazy.
Seriously, it’s not an excuse I’m making because I don’t want to study.
“Then I should go to the acting department.”
“Good. I don’t know how they do the exams there, but Oppa’s friends went there and said it was really fun.”
Oh, right. Speaking of which, Yuchan.
I haven’t been able to contact him since he went to college. Maybe it’s because he’s not actively working like Bora. Muyoung put down his book and looked for his phone.
And next to him, Yuna was chattering, sticking close to him.
“But Oppa, remember those snacks we ate last time?”
“Huh? Snacks?”
“Why? The Kong Kong Chips. They seem to be really popular. Someone even contacted the company to ask about them? The still cuts haven’t been released yet, so I don’t know how they knew. Was it one of the extras who were there that day? They must have really missed what we were eating.”
Muyoung glanced at the child while texting Yuchan. It must be Dr. Martel. They must be taking action after getting the information that day.
“Hey! What are you doing over there? You can’t lean on that!”
Then, suddenly, a loud noise was heard.
One of the extras couldn’t stand the heat and had burrowed into the shade. The problem was that expensive filming equipment, such as cameras and microphones, was set up there.
“I’m sorry. But it’s too hot.”
“There’s nothing we can do. Go over there and rest.”
“They tell me to go over there, and over there they tell me to come back here. What am I supposed to do?”
“Why are you telling me this? Foreman!”
The staff member ostentatiously looked for the site foreman, the person who directly supervised and hired the extras.
“Foreman, where are you? No matter how much we’re waiting, you can’t just let them loose, can you? Foreman!”
But the words were a bit harsh. Let them loose? As if they were someone’s dogs. The man gulped, bit his lower lip for a moment, and finally gave up.
“Fine. The foreman’s in the bathroom. I’ll move them. I’m sorry.”
And then, startled, he jumped up! Not a single shot had been filmed yet, but his shirt was already soaked with sweat. He picked up his warm water bottle and trudged into the pile of dirt.
“Mister!”
Muyoung called out to him.
“Come over here. There’s a seat here.”
He patted the seat next to him, and Yuna also stuck close to Muyoung to make room. The man hesitated, turned around, and pointed to himself with his hand.
“Me?”
“Yes, mister. Come here. Everyone seems a bit sensitive because it’s so hot, right?”
The man cautiously approached, charmed by the friendly smile. Other extras glanced over but, exhausted from the long wait, no one said a word.
“I’m Ha Muyoung. Sit down.”
“I know. The role of Louis. I’m, uh, Unjeong-gil.”
He was an ordinary man in his mid-forties.
“Nice to meet you. The wait is especially long today.”
“Compared to drama shoots, this is okay. There, I’ve waited 19 hours and filmed for ten minutes. But I heard there are a lot of scenes allocated for today.”
“Are you originally a drama specialist?”
“I’ve been doing it for a long time. It’s been ten years already. The works I’ve been in so far include
“Wow. Amazing. You’re a veteran.”
They were works that had achieved huge ratings. Unlike Muyoung, who was impressed, Yuna was indifferent. After all, the beneficiaries were different people. Who would recognize anyone other than the director, the staff, and the main cast?
“If you’re directly exposed to the sun when it’s this hot, you’ll collapse. I have something I need to do, so I’ll read a book. Mister, please rest comfortably.”
“Oh, thank you so much. This handsome young man is so polite and kind-hearted. I wish my son were like this.”
“You’re too kind.”
Muyoung smiled and then focused his attention back on the book. Now, it’s time to really hit the books! Attendance has been low, so this could end up being a C-grade semester if I’m not careful.
“I’m here!”
And a few minutes later, the set, which had been quietly settling down, became noisy again. Lee Hijun arrived with his manager. He was carrying large paper bags in both hands.
“It’s really hot, isn’t it? Everyone, have a cool cup of coffee! I’ve also prepared some small snacks.”
“Wow. What’s this? Is Hijun treating us?”
“Of course. Everyone’s working hard, so I had to do this much.”
“What’s the sudden occasion? Is the sun rising in the west?”
“Have I not bought anything in a long time? Haha!”
“A long time? It feels like almost never.”
Lee Hijun handed out canned coffee, joking around.
It was just a few days after Muyoung’s death scene, and he could feel the staff whispering even more intensely.
Clearly, Lee Hijun had been rejected by Muyoung.
“Okay! I’ll count on you all today as well!”
Whether it was true or not, it didn’t matter anymore.
The important thing is that everyone on set now knows the difference in skill between Muyoung and Hijun. If you can’t turn public opinion around with acting skills, you have to use external means.
Damn. What kind of hardship is this that I’ve brought upon myself!
“Thank you. Hijun-ssi. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Is it the years of experience? You’ve got the sense? Right? Haha!”
But the reaction was immediate and not bad.
Since it’s a work created together with other people, it’s not just about being good alone. The atmosphere has to be good for efficiency to improve.
“Uncle, give me some too.”
“There’s only coffee. You’ve got drinks over there.”
“Wow. That’s too much!”
“Have a cookie instead. Ha Muyoung, take one.”
Thwack!
Hijun threw a can of coffee at Muyoung. It was cool, but it had been in the car for a long time, so it was half lukewarm. Unjeong-gil, who was sitting awkwardly next to him, unnecessarily averted his gaze and coughed.
“Ahem.”
“Huh? Are you one of our staff? Nice to meet you.”
“Uh, I’m with Broadcast Story.”
“Oh. An extra?”
Lee Hijun withdrew his hand when he was about to offer another can of coffee. He had calculated the number of people and bought them, so he couldn’t run out. He smiled and turned around.
“Take care.”
Anyway, they were people he’d only see for a day. Lee Hijun left without hesitation to find other staff members. Muyoung, who was watching blankly, offered a can of coffee to Unjeong-gil.
“Mister, have this.”
“What? No. You drink it, student.”
“I don’t drink coffee.”
“I’m telling you, it’s really okay.”
“……I really don’t drink it, though?”
The offers and refusals went back and forth repeatedly. The man seemed to think Muyoung kept yielding. Seriously, I don’t drink coffee, but he doesn’t believe me.
“Maybe because you’re an actor, you’re very sly?”
“No…… I really don’t drink coffee.”
“Anyway, I’ll drink it well. There aren’t any convenience stores nearby, so I was about to die of thirst.”
“The set is quite big, isn’t it?”
It was made by remodeling a US military base, so the location itself is remote.
“But I feel a bit bad enjoying this luxury by myself.”
“You’ve all just met for the first time, haven’t you?”
“That’s true, but since I’ve been doing this for a long time, I often see the same people on set. I’ll keep this and savor it little by little. Haha. Thank you so much. You must be hot too.”
“No, I’m really fine.”
“It would be nice to see you on our drama set. Then I’ll take good care of you. Haha!”
It was a boast that carried ten years of experience, but Muyoung just laughed.
Yeah. This industry is surprisingly small. If you keep at it, you’ll meet again someday.
“Do you want me to tell you a funny story? The other day, when we were filming
“Uh, just a moment.”
Muyoung interrupted Unjeong-gil’s words and checked his phone. It was vibrating—a text message. Probably from Yuchan?
“Huh?”
Nope.
[Did you receive it? Not yet?]”
It was Enbin. A strange and unexpected message. Thinking it might have been sent by mistake, he was about to reply……
“Mr. Ha Muyoung! Is Mr. Ha Muyoung here?”
“Yes? Me?”
“Muyoung! What’s all this?”
A small pink truck with its two front doors wide open entered the set. It was adorned with colorful balloons and flowers. People sitting idly on the road jumped up in surprise.
“……Huh?”
[★☆The high schooler who cried at Late Night Pocha has become a college student☆★
It was a coffee truck. There were five different types of coffee! And there were cookies, snacks, and fruit desserts prepared as well. Muyoung blankly looked at the banner and burst out laughing.
“What is this!”
Normally, wouldn’t they send the coffee truck with the recipient’s face on it? Why did Enbin put his own face on it? The people who had been waiting listlessly started to gather one by one.
“This coffee truck was sent by Enbin. Everyone, come and have a cup!”
The barista inside the coffee truck shouted loudly.
“Wow. This is amazing.”
“Yeah. It’s hot, so this is perfect. I’ll have an iced Americano, please!”
“Muyoung, thank you. I’ll enjoy it!”
It’s no comparison to canned coffee. The staff members were happily crunching on ice, feeling blissful. Muyoung kept laughing, still unable to believe it.
“Uh. Is it okay to eat this?”
At that moment, an extra approached and asked. Muyoung gestured to everyone, especially the extras, as if to say, “What are you asking?” It’s not like I’m paying for it. Of course!
“Everyone, come and eat! Eat a lot! Get your money’s worth!”
“Oh, thank you.”
“I’ll have a cold iced tea! With lots of ice, please.”
Muyoung giggled and took a certification photo. Ko Gyeongmin, who was talking to the directors, rushed over and took the phone from him.
“I’ll take the picture. Go stand over there.”
“Yes! I’m going to post this on SNS. Wow! Enbin is amazing! What made him send something like this?”
“Okay. One, two, three!”
Click! Click!
It was a joy that came from the depths of the heart, pure and genuine. Muyoung smiled broadly and struck various funny poses.
Ko Gyeongmin, who was enthusiastically taking pictures.
“Before posting the certification photo, let’s post the Dr. Martel feed first.”
“The Dr. Martel one? But Hyojung senior is still-””
“I just got a call. Hyojung has an allergy. Dr. Martel’s side said they’ve resolved it well, so they asked us to post about it too. Their representative said to call them after filming ends for just one phone call?”