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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A Fitting and a Promise
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12.
“Hyeong. You seem busy these days. Did you start filming?”
Dr. Joo Geon-hee, the director of Iroun Animal Hospital, answered a call he hadn't received in a while. It was from an acquaintance he’d worked with at an animal rescue organization.
─ I'm always swamped. You doing okay?
“Same as always. We should see each other sometime, Hyeong.”
As Dr. Joo replied while checking on a newly admitted puppy, his friend asked if he was free to meet tomorrow.
Dr. Joo’s expression soured.
“Tomorrow?”
─ Actually, I have a favor to ask you.
Dr. Joo’s acquaintance, Yang Mun-sik, was a prop director who worked on various film sets. He explained that a large dog was appearing in his current project, and they needed an expert on-site for safety.
─ You're the only person I could think of. Please, spare some time.
“Come on, Hyeong. How much help could I be?”
─ What are you talking about? I've seen dogs baring their teeth and drooling start wagging their tails the moment they see you.
Dr. Joo chuckled at Director Yang’s flattery. He wanted to grant the favor for a close friend, but as the sole veterinarian at his clinic, it was difficult to get away.
“I’m sorry, Hyeong. As you know, I’m the only one here to see patients, so it’s hard for me to leave.”
─ I won’t take up much of your time. We can be flexible. Can’t you just think about it?
“I’m sorry. I have a lot of little ones who need frequent check-ups these days.”
─ Right. Can’t be helped. But we still have time, so please give it some thought. Huh? You can check out the film set, it’ll be fun. Actor Im Eun-seong is there, too.
“Actor Im Eun-seong? Ah, he’s the lead?”
When Director Yang mentioned Im Eun-seong, refusing to back down easily, Dr. Joo’s eyes widened.
For some reason, the words of the little boy whose mother was a stylist came to mind.
─ Ah. Not interested because he’s a male actor?
“It’s not that. Anyway, I’ll think about it.”
─ Great. Don’t just think about it, come visit the set sometime. When are you free?
They ended the call with a promise to meet soon, even if not for work. Dr. Joo carefully checked inside the cage before straightening his knees and standing up.
Dr. Joo had completed a specialist course in canine behavior and psychology. He had studied it thinking it would be a great help in his rescue work.
“That’s the first time he’s ever asked me for a favor. Was I too harsh? Hmm.”
He felt a bit bad for turning him down so coldly, but he figured a capable man like Director Yang would easily find another expert.
*I’ll just have to settle for visiting the set for fun,* Dr. Joo thought, putting his mind at ease.
*
Eun-seong, who was in the middle of getting his makeup done, took off his clothes. It was a scene he had to film shirtless, and it took a long time to apply the wound effects to his back and chest.
In between, Eun-seong never stopped working out. The trainer who accompanied him checked his body, not giving him a moment's rest.
While it was uncertain how much of the footage would make it into the final cut, it wouldn't be wrong to say he'd gotten his body fat down to 7% just for this scene.
They planned to film his enraged muscles in detail, so Eun-seong diligently followed his trainer's lead, bulking up until the very last minute.
The way his back muscles split perfectly down the middle, clinging to and separating from his spine, was a marvel to behold.
With every movement, the shape of his broad back and even the serrated muscles along his sides was laid bare. Sweat clung to his skin—not too pale, not too dark—making it difficult to look away.
While his makeup was being applied, a group of staff members gathered in a corner, staring at him in a daze. As Eun-seong pushed through his final set, one of them flinched and opened her mouth.
“My goodness… Am I allowed to see this for free?”
“I was just thinking the same thing. I feel like I should pay for a ticket in advance….”
As the staff, completely mesmerized by Eun-seong’s form, muttered amongst themselves, Yeon-joo, who was busy ironing, subtly averted her gaze.
Seeing a drop of sweat fall from the tip of his chin, Yeon-joo squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.
Eun-seong’s body had never not been in its prime, but he was particularly sculpted at the moment. Not many people could remain composed while witnessing it in person, and she was no exception.
“Clothes.”
Eun-seong’s voice cut through as she continued ironing, her face looking as if her soul had been sucked out. The staff members quickly nudged her side, signaling for her to go.
Yeon-joo stopped ironing and brought the pants over, the staff watching her every move.
“I should have gotten a job on the wardrobe team.”
“I’d have gone for the makeup team.”
“Isn’t he basically the nation’s walking temptation? Phew, he’s going to be in my dreams.”
Once it was time for the actor to change, everyone except the wardrobe team’s junior member cleared out. As they left, Eun-seong took the pants Yeon-joo handed him.
“Please call me when you’re dressed.”
Her heart felt like it would leap out of her mouth, and she wanted to escape. As Yeon-joo turned to leave, Eun-seong spoke, his voice dripping with mockery.
“Where do you think you’re going? Not going to do the fitting?”
“Ah, whe-whe-when you’re dressed.”
“What’s the big deal that you have to be called in and out? Are you going to be like this every time?”
Yeon-joo, who had turned away, squeezed her eyes shut then opened them. It was as if she had admitted to being flustered by his naked body, and the thought suddenly snapped her to her senses.
Not wanting to reveal anything, she spun around to face Eun-seong. He had his hand on the buckle of the pants he was wearing. He tilted his head and threw the new pair back at her.
“Hold these. They’re in the way.”
Caught off guard, Yeon-joo took the pants back and took a deep breath. She watched as Eun-seong shucked off his trousers, then squeezed her eyes shut again.
She thought she might have inadvertently seen his black boxer briefs, but she clenched her jaw, trying to erase the image from her memory.
After waiting for a while with no word, Yeon-joo cautiously opened her eyes. She saw Eun-seong, standing there in his underwear, holding out his hand.
“I can’t put the pants on if you don’t give them to me. Are you just going to stand there like a pervert?”
“Ah, sorry, I’m so sorry!”
She quickly handed over the pants she had been clutching. Noticing a slight wrinkle on the trousers she had so carefully ironed, Yeon-joo’s brow furrowed.
“I think the pants need to be ironed again…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the pants came flying back at her. Yeon-joo caught them again. Eun-seong stood ramrod straight, his chin lifted.
“Do it again.”
For a moment, Yeon-joo didn’t know where to look, her large eyes darting around the room.
Her gaze kept seeming to land on his black boxer briefs, and her lips went dry.
“What are you doing? Can’t you see someone’s waiting?”
“Yes. Please wait just a moment.”
*Haaa…* With an exasperated expression, Yeon-joo clutched the pants and turned toward the steam iron.
She knew that actors changed clothes countless times on set and weren’t particularly self-conscious about it, but she was bewildered as to why he had to stand there so rigidly.
He was overflowing with pride.
“Please have a seat for a moment.”
“No.”
*He’s so infuriating…*
Yeon-joo pressed her lips together and quickly began ironing. The only way to avoid looking at him was to get the pants ironed and back to him as fast as possible.
This time, she brought them back without a single wrinkle. As she held them out, Eun-seong glanced down before snatching them away and putting them on with a grand motion.
As his black boxer briefs disappeared inside the pants, a sense of peace washed over Yeon-joo, and her breathing steadied. Noticing that she seemed to be staring intently at his fly, Eun-seong unconsciously flinched.
“Wh-where are you looking?”
“Nowhere. I wasn’t looking anywhere. Should I do the buckle for you?”
“No!”
He had wanted to make things difficult for Yeon-joo to pay her back for her impertinence, but he ended up losing more than he gained.
Eun-seong turned his back to fasten the buckle. Then, Yeon-joo began the fitting, smoothing his hips, his butt, and his inner thighs.
She had spent years handling men's clothing while browsing various shopping malls, so this was nothing to her. Her hands moved over his body without hesitation, making Eun-seong flinch from time to time.
He wanted to find some fault, but her touch was so professional that it was difficult to pick a fight.
Kneeling to check his ankles, Yeon-joo suddenly looked up and asked.
“Is anything uncomfortable?”
“Are you done yet?”
“All done.”
The tightly tailored pants fit him perfectly. As Yeon-joo dusted off her hands and stood up, Eun-seong let out a long breath.
Not wanting to reveal his embarrassment, Eun-seong’s lips moved on their own.
“You’re quite handsy, aren’t you? Like you’re letting out some pent-up frustration.”
Yeon-joo looked up.
“Frustration? What frustration?”
“I’m saying, go easy on the groping. From what I can see, there’s no need to be that thorough.”
*Ha,* Yeon-joo let out a sigh. She had worked so hard to get rid of every single wrinkle, and he called it groping?
Yeon-joo shot him a displeased look, and Eun-seong met it with a challenging *What? Why?* expression. With a disgruntled face, Yeon-joo quickly scanned him up and down.
“I’m not sure how this will sound, but. It’s not exactly, well, so incredibly amazing that, well, it’s not a body I’d feel the urge to grope.”
“Wha-what did you say?”
“There wasn’t even much to touch.”
*Ha. Haaa.* Eun-seong’s eyes widened at the personal attack, the likes of which he’d never even received from an internet troll. It was a truly unbearable humiliation.
“What do you mean, nothing to touch? No matter where you touch—up, down, left, right—it's overflowing with solid muscle.”
“Aha. Solid. Overflowing. Right, right.”
“Wh-what’s with that reaction? Do you know how much I suffered—how I busted my ass—to build this body?”
“Yes, yes. Good for you.”
*Haaa…* Eun-seong was speechless from the extreme shock. She had touched him everywhere, and now what? Nothing to touch? Did she think his muscles were like dandelion seeds that would just blow away if you flicked them?
As Eun-seong’s eyes flashed, suffering from an internal injury that would surely take a week to heal, Yeon-joo clicked her tongue softly.
“When I think of it as just dressing my son, there’s nothing I can’t do. So please stop trying to find fault for no reason.”
“Dressing my son? Son? My son’s clothes?”
It was a three-hit combo.
Having said her piece, Yeon-joo opened the door, and the waiting staff poured in. Only Eun-seong, the grown-up son whose entire body had just been thoroughly handled, remained standing there, completely stunned.
*
“Mother! I’m here!”
While filming was in full swing, Hae-yeong visited Yeon-joo’s house. Hae-yeong, who had a lot of outside work, had been passing by and made sure to stop in.
“Auntie!”
Hae-yeong, who knew the passcode, opened the door, and Han-byeol was the first to greet her. Seeing Yami follow him out, tail wagging, Hae-yeong smiled brightly.
“Byeol, you’re home? Did you have a good day at school?”
“I did! Grandma’s at the supermarket right now!”
“Ah. Grandma went to the market. So you’re home alone?”
“I was with Yami. He’s better than most people, you know. We can even communicate.”
Hae-yeong burst out laughing at Han-byeol’s quip.
“You know, Han-byeol, sometimes I think you’re more of an adult than your mom.”
“I think so too. I worry about my mom, she’s such a pushover. I’m scared to let her out of the house in case she gets taken advantage of like an idiot.”
Han-byeol’s deep concern for his mother, spoken in a tone that was a perfect imitation of his grandmother, made Hae-yeong stroke his head.
Hae-yeong also worried that Yeon-joo, who rarely said no, would live her life being taken advantage of. But contrary to everyone's concerns, Yeon-joo surprisingly managed to hold her own wherever she went.
“A mom’s a mom, Han-byeol. Your mom is incredibly capable when she’s out there.”
“I wouldn’t worry if my mom was more like you, Auntie. Anyway, you keep a good eye on her. Watch out and see if anyone’s bullying my mom.”
Hae-yeong laughed again at Han-byeol’s words and entered his room. Han-byeol, who had been studying online, paused his lecture and sat on the edge of his bed. He offered his desk chair to Hae-yeong and handed Yami to her.
“Want something to drink, Auntie? Coffee?”
“No, I already had some. I’m fine. But why is there a script in your room?”
Hae-yeong’s eyes widened as she spotted a familiar script lying on Han-byeol’s bed.
Han-byeol glanced at the script and shrugged.
“Oh, that? I read it sometimes before bed.”
“Do you understand what it’s about?”
“Yeah. It’s fun.”
Hae-yeong nodded a few times, intrigued that he was reading the script because he found it entertaining.
She knew that Han-byeol had been completely absorbed in cartoons and dramas since he was little.
“Han-byeol, do you like movies?”
“Well, they’re fun. I want to see a film set, but Mom said no.”
“Your mom said no? Really?”
“I think she’s worried about what people will think. She said no, so I couldn’t do anything about it.”
*Hmm.* Hae-yeong tilted her head and looked at Han-byeol. Then she realized that her moment had finally come.
“That’s what your auntie is an expert in. I’ll take you. Don’t worry.”
“Really? You will, Auntie?”
“Unlike your mom, I don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks. I’m the boss over there.”
“Woooow! Auntie, you’re the best!”
Han-byeol shot up from the bed and started jumping up and down. A startled Yami began to bark, and Hae-yeong burst out laughing.
In moments like these, he was every bit a second-grader.
