Chapter 67: Wrap-Up
It’s a sight I haven’t seen in a long time.
Muyoung smiled as he looked around the filming set of The Plague. Just being away for a short while made him feel so happy to be back!
The dust was still flying, and people were still suffering under the scorching sun.
“Oppa!”
“Yuna!”
A sweat-soaked kid spotted Muyoung and ran over to him. Surprisingly, she seemed to have grown taller since he last saw her—noticeably so.
“What’s this? Why did you grow so tall?”
“Your hands got really big too. Look.”
“Wow. That’s impressive.”
Time really flies for children.
Covered in fake blood, Yuna clung to Muyoung and rested her forehead on his, indifferent. She tried to smile brightly, but couldn’t completely hide the darkness in her emotions.
“Is today the last day?”
“Yeah. The very last.”
It was the wrap-up of filming, the final part of the movie.
According to the script, it was an open ending.
Amidst the chaos of people biting and killing each other, the child is left alone, and only after some time does the government open the gate.
The movie ends with a soldier hearing a rustling sound.
“Oppa, thanks for coming.”
Unlike Louis’s certain death, no one knows whether Jaeni is dead or alive. She might have hidden somewhere and survived against all odds. The child seemed to have made up her mind about that ambiguous part.
“I thought today might be a little scary.”
Yuna’s interpretation was that Jaeni would die.
Director Jin Gyeongmun’s direction, which encouraged her to think for herself, was cruel in a way. It made the child choose ‘death.’
Muyoung patted Yuna’s head.
“What are you talking about? I had to come.”
It’s a meaningful day.
Just as they had started the movie together, they would also end it together. And more than anything, just as Louis’s death had been witnessed and comforted by Jaeni, he intended to do the same.
“Muyoung! You’re here?”
“Hello. Long time no see.”
“I saw the news. What a strange thing happened. Are you okay?”
“Of course. It’s all over now.”
Muyoung greeted the familiar staff. The director, assistant director, and everyone else welcomed him warmly.
It had been a while since he’d seen Hyojung too. Although there were red marks on her face, they were naturally covered by makeup.
“Senior, hello. How’s your health?”
“Uh-huh. Thanks to you. I heard you had a hard time adjusting the filming schedule? Thanks.”
Hyojung greeted him while taking a sip of iced coffee.
Was it really that hard? Thanks to that, I got a good scene and an officetel. Muyoung just smiled.
“Are you here?”
Hijun just waved his hand from beside him. He had an ice pack on his eyes because of the heat and was bending his head. He looked like he would melt like ice cream at any moment.
“Oppa, you’ll stay here, right?”
“Yeah. They said filming won’t end until the afternoon.”
Time now pointed to lunch. He was supposed to go to Enbin’s dorm in the evening, so he had plenty of time. Yuna sighed in relief.
“Yuna! Over here!”
“Yes! Oppa, just a moment.”
“Please prepare the ND filter!”
“Do a final check on the movements. How many seconds does it take to run from A to B?”
“It’s 15 seconds in the cut. Too long, right?”
Muyoung stood behind the camera and watched them. A scene with a large crowd was about to unfold. How would what he had only read and imagined appear in reality?
“Oppa, you have to watch carefully.”
Before going on standby, Yuna held Muyoung’s hand and told him. Louis smiled reassuringly, as if saying not to worry. Jaeni muttered,
“Because, just as I was there at your end, you’ll be there at my end.”
The child said that and ran into the dirt field. The wind blew, and her back looked blurry. Yuna’s figure, standing alone under the bright sunlight, was heartbreakingly lonely.
‘We had the same thought.’
This is what it means to understand each other without words.
Muyoung smiled broadly and waved his hand. Since it was a crowd scene, the number of stuntmen and extras mobilized was unprecedented.
Tension filled the set, and everyone held their breath at the assistant director’s instructions.
“Okay, let’s go for the overhead shot.”
“Ready—!”
As soon as the director spoke, everyone took their places. Muyoung stood behind the viewfinder and looked at the screen. The crane went all the way up, and the people looked like grains of rice.
“Action!”
“Aaah!”
“Aaaah!”
At the same time, nearly a hundred people formed an arc and swung their knives at someone. Sounds of blood and pain erupted from all sides. Only in the center, Jaeni stood blankly, watching everything.
“Okay! Cut!”
“Next, I’ll just get Jaeni’s face!”
“Go back to your places and wait again!”
“Throw the blood-cleaned stuff over here. Take out that towel there!”
He thought of insects that follow the natural laws of nature. The black and red people moved in unison, each following their own path.
“Ready!”
After reorganizing once, the megaphone sounded again.
Jaeni twisted her body and looked at Muyoung, not at the lens. It didn’t matter that there were many staff and machines between them. What’s important is that they were making eye contact.
But there was something strange about Jaeni’s eyes.
“Action!”
“Aaah!”
Hijun, whose eyes were bloodshot, held a blade and ran toward Yuna. Madness had taken over, and his black eyes held nothing. The dolly quickly followed beside him.
Chaaaak!
The camera slowed down slightly and moved behind Hijun’s shoulder. He swung his hand roughly, and Jaeni calmly watched. A child who had lost everything and was now running toward the end. Yuna’s eyes were red.
Then came the sound of a gunshot.
Taang!
And the screen went black.
“Cut!”
Whether that bullet pierced Hijun’s head or if it was the commotion of some group fighting nearby, he didn’t know. Hijun, breathless from running, sat down on the floor.
“Good job!”
“That was good. You worked hard.”
“Wow. It’s really over! Good job! Thank you!”
The staff hugged each other and clapped, celebrating the final finale. No words could describe how hard everyone had worked. Night after night of filming, covered in dirt, and the weather was a bit hot……
“Yuna?”
But Yuna just stood still, deep in thought about something. Muyoung approached the child and met her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is something the matter?”
Director Jin Gyeongmun felt the same.
Yuna held Muyoung’s hand tightly and murmured. Her voice was slightly trembling with tears.
“Until just before I went into filming, I thought Jaeni would die.”
“Yeah. But?”
“But when I saw Muyoung oppa—no, Louis—I felt like it wouldn’t happen. If she died like this, Louis would be too sad.”
She was worried about leaving him alone, but she wanted him to be happy. Thinking about that, she just couldn’t die.
“I’m sorry, Director.”
The footage was perfect, but since her attitude was different, she wanted to film it again. But the staff were celebrating so much that she felt awkward.
“Hmm……”
The director looked at the viewfinder and tilted his head. Since it was an open ending, there wasn’t really a big problem.
As an actor, find your direction and act in any way you want. The interpretation is ultimately up to the audience.
“But the expression looks so good that I like it this way.”
“Uhm. But—”
Yuna mumbled, as if suffering inside. Muyoung met the child’s eyes again and smiled. So that was the strange look she had shown earlier. She was conflicted inside.
“But Yuna, do you know this?”
“What?”
“Life doesn’t go as planned. Even if you thought Jaeni would die, no one knows what would happen after that. And you changed your mind after the ready sign, right?”
“How did you know?”
Yuna asked in surprise. Jin Gyeongmun was equally surprised. Even he, who had been watching the screen the whole time, hadn’t caught it.
“Jaeni’s eyes changed. I realized it later myself, but when I looked at it, her mindset had already changed at that point. So the Jaeni in the video has already decided to live.”
At Muyoung’s words, Yuna’s eyes widened.
And she pondered, savoring his words. Now that she thought about it, it seemed that way? Jin Gyeongmun also patiently waited for the child to understand. After some time passed,
“That’s right, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”
Yuna looked up at Muyoung and smiled bashfully. It’s really over now! Jin Gyeongmun clapped for Yuna and thanked her.
“Our lead actress. You’ve worked hard.”
“Thank you, Director.”
“Everyone, clap!”
“You’ve worked hard! Yuna, good job!”
“Director, thank you!”
Yuna’s face turned red at the thunderous applause from the staff. At the same time, realizing it was really over, she started to cry.
“Ugh……”
“She’s crying! Hey! Are you crying?”
“Uncle, be quiet!”
At Hijun’s teasing, Yuna burst into tears. Eventually, she wailed loudly. She cried miserably in Muyoung’s arms. How difficult and burdensome it must have been for a child to be the lead in a production.
“Oh dear. Why are you crying on a good day?”
Muyoung patted the child and smiled. When they first held the ritual, the situation felt completely unreal, but now it’s really over. Hyejun, who had no schedule, also appeared with coffee.
“Is it all over? Muyoung, long time no see?”
“Hello, senior.”
“Then, let’s take a commemorative photo.”
“Extras, please gather too.”
“Take it from far away, even farther away!”
The blood-soaked people all gathered together and raised their fists. The ‘Plague Blockbuster Success!’ banner prepared by the production team hung in a row at the front.
“When I say one, two, three, shout ‘Plague Fighting!’”
The still team was the busiest.
They were taking pictures from here and there! Even while positioning themselves, Yuna cried and sobbed, marking a perfect ending.
“One, two, three!”
“The Plague fighting!”
Click! Click—!
Everyone smiled broadly as they commemorated the wrap-up of the movie.
Of course, this isn’t the end. Now comes editing, post-production, and CG work. And then there’s the promotional team to work with on the release schedule and promotions. But for now, it’s over!
“You worked hard, Yuna.”
The last shoot took a little longer, but Muyoung’s persuasion made everything go smoothly. Yuna held his hands tightly and greeted him.
“Oppa, thank you. For being Louis.”
The two hugged tightly and shared the lingering emotions. Jin Gyeongmun spoke to the people through a megaphone.
“Thank you for trusting me and following me all this time. I want to go drink right away, but unfortunately, now it’s the editing team’s turn to work hard.”
“Boo! Director! That’s too much!”
“Once things settle down a bit, I’ll arrange a dinner party for everyone and adjust the schedule. Thank you!”
Clap clap clap—!
Jin Gyeongmun took off his hat and bowed deeply to the people.
“Oppa, where are you going now?”
“Me? I’m going to meet a friend.”
“Which friend?”
“Enbin.”
At the mention of Enbin, Hyojung turned her head sharply. It was a very instinctive reaction, like an action that came out without her realizing it.
“Hyojung didn’t get to drink the coffee that time, right? It was sent by Enbin.”
“Uh, why did Enbin send it?”
“I heard Muyoung and Enbin are friends. They became close while filming MeTube.”
She opened her mouth slightly in admiration.
I heard the industry was small, but I didn’t realize it was this small.
A zero-term fan, especially a big fan of Enbin, she was publicly pretending to be a regular person. Actors have their pride and age to consider!
“Oh, I see.”
Muyoung looked different to her now. She glanced at Muyoung and perked up her ears.
What are you going to do when you meet Enbin today?
At the director’s question, Muyoung gave a vague answer.
“I’m going to visit his dorm. He said he’d introduce me to the members. We have things to discuss with each other.”
Instead of saying he was going to learn singing. In fact, he was going for an equivalent exchange. Acting and singing. Things they both needed.