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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Tuna Gimbap
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23.

The schedule proceeded without a hitch.

A four-day, three-night shoot was scheduled in Jeonju, where the open set was located, and Yeon-joo finished packing for the trip. Han-byeol didn't have any scenes to film, so he didn't join them. Hae-yeong, the rest of the wardrobe team, and Mr. Joo were the members accompanying them.

The meeting time was seven in the morning. To depart on time, most had to leave their homes in the wee hours.

A perfectionist, and therefore punctual, who wanted to be a model for others.

"What time is it? Why isn't she here? We're running out of time."

No, to be precise, Eun-seong, who wanted to be a better role model for Go Yeon-joo than for anyone else, had come down the day before.

Having set up a chair early on, Eun-seong sat guarding the empty space and watched a tour bus approach in the distance. It was likely the bus that had picked up all the staff from Seoul.

Ah. Looks like they're finally here.

Eun-seong unconsciously straightened his posture. As the bus came to a stop, staff members began to disembark one by one. People poured out in a steady stream, but Go Yeon-joo was nowhere to be seen.

When the bus pulled away, seemingly empty of all its passengers, Eun-seong looked somewhat baffled. Where on earth was she and what was she doing?

"Good morning, Baeunim!"

"Yes. It was a long trip. Thank you for your hard work."

Eun-seong offered a gracious smile as people greeted him one after another. Then, a moment later, he couldn't help but let a look of disappointment show, though it wasn't intentional.

...Am I disappointed right now because Go Yeon-joo isn't here? Me?

Me?

"Ha. Unbelievable."

Eun-seong quickly tried to lift his sinking spirits. But soon after, his expression became as lifeless as a puppy with drooping ears.

Just then, Hae-yeong appeared, and walking behind her, he could see Yeon-joo.

A smile crept onto Eun-seong's face before he could stop it. But the moment he noticed Mr. Joo following behind Yeon-joo, his expression soured more than ever before.

Are those two a package deal or something?

The fact that they were always together whenever he saw them was starting to seriously get on his nerves. He hadn't managed to figure out the relationship between Mr. Joo and Go Yeon-joo, yet his insidious and impure suspicions only continued to pile up.

Watching them walk, it was clear that Go Yeon-joo was walking straight ahead while Mr. Joo alone was clinging to her side. The body naturally turns toward the person one's heart is set on. Watching this, Eun-seong scoffed.

...Is he her husband?

Damn it, the same question kept popping into his head, driving him absolutely insane.

Since he had only exchanged greetings with Mr. Joo, it would be possible to just walk up and ask if he was married. Among men, a question like that wasn't a major breach of etiquette in Korean society, so it wasn't entirely out of the question.

And yet, his desire not to know was just as strong as his curiosity.

He was afraid that Mr. Joo really was her husband. He didn't think he had the confidence to handle the awkwardness and the state of his own heart after hearing the answer.

"Oh? You're here early. You must be tired, Eun-seong-ssi."

As Hae-yeong approached and greeted him, Eun-seong gave a small wave and replied.

"I didn't see you get off the bus. Did you come separately?"

"Yes. We drove. We had some things to load, so I came with our maknae."

Aha. So those two traveled separately.

"You must be tired from the long drive."

"Not at all. Mr. Joo Geon-hee drove, so it was a comfortable ride."

"..."

"Well, I've got to go. See you later, Eun-seong-ssi."

"Take care."

As Hae-yeong hurried off, Eun-seong tilted his head back toward the sky and let out a groan.

"I really shot myself in the foot... I should have just let her quit when she said she wanted to..."

Ha... his worries only grew with time.

As he was sighing, feeling the phantom pain in his self-inflicted wound, he heard a commotion nearby.

He lowered his head and looked forward again to see staff members gathering around Yeon-joo. She seemed to be handing something out, and upon closer inspection, he saw it was gimbap.

He'd eaten so much gimbap during his acting career that now, even the mere thought of the word "gimbap" made him feel sick to his stomach.

Gimbap. That damned gimbap. He couldn't even stand the sight of it.

"Wow, you made this yourself, Yeon-joo-ssi?"

"I didn't do it all by myself. My mom helped."

But if it was homemade gimbap, that was a different story.

"Thank you, I'll enjoy it. The sesame oil smells amazing."

"Someone my mom knows pressed it and sent it to her. It's real sesame oil, so it's incredibly fragrant."

Watching Yeon-joo hand out the gimbap she had made at home, Eun-seong pressed his brow. He sighed, wondering when on earth she had slept if she was up all night rolling gimbap, and why she would do something so pointless.

"Try some. The gimbap is really delicious. You'll be surprised."

When Mr. Joo chimed in from the side, Eun-seong's eyes narrowed as he watched him.

Oh-ho. So, you're saying you've already had some?

Mr. Joo's voice, boasting as if he were the first to eat the gimbap, sounded pathetic, and Eun-seong pressed his lips together. Even though quite a few people had taken some, gimbap kept emerging from the shopping bag, as if she were performing the miracle of the five loaves and two fish.

"Hyeongnim. Would you like a roll of gimbap?"

His manager, Dong-hwan, who had managed to acquire a roll amidst the crowd, offered him one wrapped in foil.

"Yeon-joo-ssi made this herself. You should try one, Hyeongnim."

"Tell her to bring it herself."

"Wow, it looks so delicious... Huh?"

When Dong-hwan asked for clarification, Eun-seong lifted his chin. He had no desire to accept Go Yeon-joo's gimbap from him; it was an order for the owner to come in person.

"I have to at least say hello, don't I? If you give it to me, I can't do that."

*Then you can just go get it from her yourself...?*

It was then that Dong-hwan swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of his tongue and scratched his head. As if on cue, Yeon-joo walked over.

"Um, Baeunim. Would you like some gimbap?"

"I need some water."

"Yes, Hyeongnim."

After shooing Dong-hwan far away, Eun-seong looked down at the gimbap Yeon-joo offered. He took it with a nonchalant hand and opened his mouth.

"Why go to all this trouble? There are food and snack trucks here once we arrive."

"I know, right? But my mom had prepared a ton of gimbap ingredients for my first work trip, so I had no choice but to roll them all night."

"..."

He was at a loss for words and just stared at the gimbap. Then, Yeon-joo took out a pair of chopsticks from her shopping bag and handed them to him.

"Eating gimbap on the way here felt like going on a picnic. I know it's probably an impossible experience for you, Baeunim, but the weather is nice, so just think of it as a little outing and have a light meal."

"What outing?"

*I'll enjoy it. It looks delicious. You worked hard.*

The words he actually wanted to say just spun in his head, and after his needless nagging, he couldn't follow up with anything else.

Yeon-joo looked down at him, then glanced around cautiously before continuing in a small voice.

"It's special tuna gimbap. Enjoy."

Yeon-joo bowed neatly and turned away, leaving Eun-seong's lips slightly parted.

"Ah, hey."

Yeon-joo didn't hear him and disappeared back into the crowd.

With gimbap in one hand and chopsticks in the other, Eun-seong slowly closed and opened his eyes. As his heart began to race, he muttered to himself as if to calm it down.

"Hey, I don't eat this anymore. How long has it been since I graduated from this menu, and now you bring it to me."

Tuna gimbap.

It was his favorite snack back in college.

***

Before the shoot, Eun-seong met with Mr. Joo.

Whenever the villain appeared, he was to be accompanied by a large working dog, a German Shepherd. It was Germany's esteemed national dog, a welcome addition that would punctuate the villain's unique aura.

The breed was known for being inherently brave and not aggressive.

Their loyalty to their owners was a strength, but no one knew how that intense loyalty might become a variable during filming.

Though well-trained, it was a large dog, and a serious accident could happen, making a professional trainer essential. Furthermore, there was a scene where Eun-seong and the German Shepherd would clash, which also required countless rehearsals.

That was why Mr. Joo was stationed at this film set.

They had exchanged brief greetings and had been sitting opposite each other for a little while, but no conversation had yet passed between them. Feeling uncomfortable under Eun-seong's somewhat suspicious gaze, Mr. Joo spoke first.

"Do you like pets, Im Eun-seong-ssi?"

At the question, Eun-seong replied in a measured tone.

"To be honest, I don't. I was bitten by a dog when I was young."

"Ah. I see. Do you have a bit of a phobia then?"

"I haven't been near one since, so I'm not sure. I suppose I'll find out this time."

A traumatic memory from childhood would make interacting with dogs difficult.

Even a small, cute-looking puppy would be a challenge, let alone physical contact with a large dog, which would be a trial for someone with trauma.

"If you have trauma, the shoot could be quite difficult for you."

"No shoot is ever easy. I'll have to try."

"I'll do my best to help, but your own will is the most important thing. German Shepherds, in particular, are very smart. They're good at reading the other party's emotions."

"I will be faithful to my emotional acting so it can't read me. Don't worry."

The unusual reply made Mr. Joo raise an eyebrow.

*Is this what it means to be an actor?* The actor's confidence in being able to control even his own innate emotions felt unfamiliar.

Eun-seong answered with a dry expression and an even drier voice, but Mr. Joo thought he was fortunate that his tone didn't sound so harsh, as his attention was captivated by that handsome face.

He wondered if he could even get angry if a face like that yelled at him. It was the first time he had seen someone so handsome in person.

The conversation, which had been less than pleasant and strangely charged, ended anticlimactically.

Mr. Joo's gaze followed Eun-seong's, which was fixed somewhere in the distance. Ah, there was Yeon-joo, adjusting another actor's clothes.

On the outdoor set, where the autumn afternoon sun blazed down, Eun-seong quietly watched the bright, intense light beat down on the nape of her neck and muttered to himself.

"It must be hot. There's not a speck of shade."

It was unclear whether his concern was for her or the other actor, but somehow, Eun-seong's gaze seemed to be fixed on Yeon-joo.

Mr. Joo glanced at Eun-seong watching Yeon-joo, then shifted his gaze back to her. Once the actor, whose fitting was complete, left, Yeon-joo picked up a steam iron, seemingly to organize the remaining clothes.

She moved busily, as if she had a lot to do, then suddenly flinched with a large movement and clutched her hand.

It looked like she had burned her hand on the steam iron.

Ah. At her short, sharp cry, Eun-seong shot up from his seat as if spring-loaded. Before Mr. Joo could even react, he strode toward her.

"What's wrong? Did you get burned?"

"Ah, no."

"What do you mean, no? Let me see."

When Eun-seong grabbed her hand and lifted it, a startled Yeon-joo tried to pull away. The more she struggled, the tighter he held on, examining her reddened finger.

"You are burned."

"Ah, no. No, Baeunim. You have to let go..."

Staring at the white blister forming on her index finger, Eun-seong looked at Yeon-joo.

She stared back at him with a horrified expression, as if to say, *What do you think you're doing? What if someone sees?*

"Ah, um, it's fine. It's really fine."

*Please let go. Please let go of my hand,* she seemed to plead with her words, and Eun-seong let out a long sigh that started from the tips of his toes.

As if granting her deepest wish, he dropped her hand. The blister, which was swelling even more, was still vivid in his mind, but there was nothing else he could do.

"Wait here. I'll get you some ointment."

"I'll just accept the thought. Thank you, thank you."

"Why would you accept the thought? Get real. I'm not giving you my thoughts."

...He should have known when his heart dropped over a single roll of tuna gimbap.

No, he should have known from the moment he met her again.

That this feeling of motion sickness—partially familiar, partially forgotten—was starting all over again. That his own daily life was becoming trivial, while hers was beginning to take precedence.

"I'll have my manager bring it, so put it on. There should be a first-aid kit in the car."

"...Okay."

"Take good care of your hands. They have to be okay for you to make tuna gimbap again. Don't get hurt."

That his heart was no longer his own.

Eun-seong left her with those brief words and turned away. He was supposedly walking to find his manager, but his mind was already reeling.

He walked like that. Walked without even noticing who he was brushing past. But with his vision blurred, he couldn't go on and came to a stop.

His eyes squeezed shut on their own, and he clenched his dry fists with all his might.

"Wow... I'm going crazy..."

A single cry from her had snapped the thread of his reason.

To think he'd lose his mind over a wound not even the size of a fingertip.

"This is insane... What am I supposed to do now...?"

Ah. Hadn't I forgotten you?

Wasn't that... what had happened?