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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: How to Cry
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Filming on the outdoor set in Jeonju had concluded.
The staff, having earned a few days’ break, were busy preparing for the next shoot in their respective departments. The actors trained and practiced, while the filming crew dedicated themselves to planning and meetings.
Eun-seong focused on action practice, and Mr. Joo went to work at the hospital. Hae-yeong was busy with broadcasts and events, and Yeon-joo was running around sourcing outfits.
Time flowed by. The day of the shoot arrived again, and Yeon-joo reported to work at Changrok Entertainment.
“Alright, that's it for the meeting. We have a new face joining us today, so let's have a brief introduction first.”
Hae-yeong, having finished the meeting before they left for the set, clapped her hands lightly and continued. *A new face?* The staff looked at each other, their eyes widening.
A moment later, the door opened and a young woman entered. Hae-yeong had her stand in front of the staff.
“You all know Yeonildam, right? Im Eun-seong's agency.”
It was an employee sent by Tae-gon.
“She's joining us through a great opportunity. Her name is Jeong Ju-mi. She still has a lot to learn, so I hope you'll all help her out.”
“Hello. I'm Jeong Ju-mi. I look forward to working with you.”
As Ju-mi introduced herself, the staff applauded. She had a youthful face, and it was obvious without asking that she'd be the youngest. The staff nudged Yeon-joo's arm and smiled.
You're lucky, Yeon-joo. You already have a junior.
“Alright, introductions are over. Let's get going now. Hurry up.”
Hae-yeong waved her hand, urging them to leave. The staff followed Hae-yeong out of the conference room, while Yeon-joo stayed behind to arrange the chairs.
Ju-mi, who had been looking around the conference room, approached Yeon-joo when she saw she was alone.
“What's your name?”
“Oh, my name is Yeon-joo. Go Yeon-joo.”
“Aha. So you're Go Yeon-joo?”
Yeon-joo straightened her back at the reply, which carried a hint of defiance. Ju-mi, standing with her arms crossed and twirling a strand of hair with her finger, spoke.
“Seeing you cleaning up the chairs, you must be the youngest here, Go Yeon-joo? Is this your first time working on set?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Well, it's not my first time. We need to get things like this straight from the beginning. I wanted to let you know that, strictly speaking, I'm your senior in terms of experience.”
Wondering what she was talking about, Yeon-joo stared blankly at Ju-mi. Seeing the look of incomprehension on her face, Ju-mi smirked, lifting one corner of her mouth.
“No, I'm saying you're the youngest. You can just keep being the youngest. Don't even think about passing that role on to me.”
“What are you talking about, passing things on? We should just do our assigned jobs. This kind of talk is…”
“I'm telling you not to look down on me just because I'm younger than you. When it comes to on-set work, I'm your senior.”
Ju-mi cut her off, her eyes glaring resentfully, and Yeon-joo's lips parted slightly. She wondered what this was all about.
“I'm heading out first, so please finish cleaning up. Yeon-joo.”
Ju-mi, seeing people moving outside through the glass, hurried out the door and disappeared.
*...What in the world is with her?*
Yeon-joo was so flustered that she was at a loss for words.
*
As soon as they arrived on set, the wardrobe team got busy. There was much to check for each character, so they all moved in an orderly and efficient manner, getting the work done quickly.
Yeon-joo, in charge of fittings, also helped out by dressing the actors according to the shooting schedule. She checked everything meticulously to the last detail, her hands moving busily as she steamed the next outfit with an iron.
In the meantime, Eun-seong arrived. Yeon-joo, who was ironing, flinched at the sound of the staff greeting him.
Finding it difficult to face him, she turned her head and gave an awkward, silent nod. Eun-seong glanced at her before sitting down on the sofa.
“Eun-seong, did you get some rest? That handsome face of yours never takes a day off, does it?”
The head of makeup approached with a smile, and Eun-seong let out a small chuckle. The makeup artist, having implicitly confirmed his mood was good, smiled along with him.
“Shall we get started with your makeup right away, then?”
“Let's.”
Eun-seong stood up almost as soon as he had sat down. The makeup artist gestured toward where Eun-seong's outfit was prepared.
“Your top today is a black turtleneck. Let's have you change into that first before we proceed.”
Eun-seong nodded in agreement with the suggestion to change first, as it would be difficult after his hair and makeup were done. Yeon-joo was supposed to assist with the changing, so he thought he might finally get a look at her face, but…
“Our actor's outfit, please.”
As the makeup artist spoke, Yeon-joo, who had been waiting, reached for the hanger. But Ju-mi quickly snatched the outfit, as if cutting in line, and approached Eun-seong.
“Hello. I'm Jeong Ju-mi, and I've just joined the wardrobe team.”
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
Ju-mi greeted him sweetly, and Eun-seong, caught off guard, returned the greeting. As she removed the turtleneck from the hanger, Ju-mi added.
“I'm actually part of Team Leader Lee Hyung-mi's team. I'm from Yeonildam, you see.”
“Oh. So you're from my agency. What brings you here?”
“It seems Team Leader Lee Hyung-mi was concerned about your environment. I think she sent me because she was worried you weren't receiving proper care. The team leader trusts me quite a lot, you know.”
The head of makeup, who had been momentarily occupied with something else, looked back.
She couldn't believe her ears as Ju-mi casually made a remark that seemed to subtly criticize all of Hae-yeong's team.
“I'm not receiving proper care? What care?”
“It makes a difference whether you have someone from your own agency here or not. With only other people's teams around, you must have been very uncomfortable.”
The makeup artist let out a small sigh, thinking that the peace in the waiting room, which had lasted for a while, was now over.
*Sigh.*
“From now on, I'll take meticulous care of you so you won't have any inconveniences. Don't you worry.”
*A troublesome one has arrived.*
The artist shook her head and went into the makeup room, while Ju-mi, holding the turtleneck, reached out. She boldly touched the buttons on Eun-seong's shirt, as if to unbutton it for him.
“Let me help you with that.”
At that, Eun-seong firmly grabbed Ju-mi's hand and pulled it away.
“I'll do it myself.”
*So Go Yeon-joo isn't doing the fittings anymore.* Eun-seong said nothing more and unbuttoned his shirt.
Yeon-joo, who had suddenly lost her task, picked up the steam iron again, and Eun-seong silently changed his shirt. He felt a headache coming on, thinking that his dedicated stylist, Hyung-mi, had once again stirred up unnecessary trouble.
Though no one had asked her to, Ju-mi appointed herself as Eun-seong's personal stylist.
All the while, constantly emphasizing that they were from the same agency.
*
After work, Yeon-joo sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
She didn't even know how the day had passed; she'd been handling one odd job after another, and before she knew it, the shoot was over.
She hadn't had a chance to exchange a single word with Eun-seong. *Ah, in a way, should I consider that a relief?*
Ju-mi, who had appeared for the first time today, had stuck to Eun-seong's side from beginning to end, handling his styling. She cleverly pretended not to see the menial tasks required for styling, and when she was alone with Yeon-joo, she acted high and mighty, trying to do jobs that Hae-yeong, the team lead, would normally do.
Yeon-joo silently cleaned up the tasks Ju-mi left behind.
She didn't want to get into a petty argument over such trivial matters with Ju-mi, who looked to be barely in her mid-twenties. She felt it would only prove that she was the same kind of person, and she was also worried that a fight might escalate and tarnish Hae-yeong's reputation.
In the world of freelancers, there were quite a few people who tried to puff themselves up to gain the upper hand. Hadn't she seen all sorts of people while drifting between various shopping malls?
People obsessed with trivial hierarchies. People desperate to stand out more than anyone else. Even people who would do anything to step on others to get ahead.
“Mom.”
She knew full well that you couldn't only work with people you got along with. And that since you can't change people, getting stressed out every time would only be her own loss.
“Mom?”
“Ah. Oh, Han-byeol, what is it?”
Yeon-joo, who had been spacing out, looked at Han-byeol sitting next to her. A drama that Madam Na enjoyed was playing on the TV, and the three of them were sitting side-by-side on the sofa.
“Mom. I was looking at my script and got curious about something.”
Han-byeol looked up from the script at his mother.
Yeon-joo's eyes widened at his sudden question, and Han-byeol showed her a page in his script.
“What is it? What are you curious about?”
“It says here, 'a great cry, bursting forth with sadness and grief all at once.'”
“Where? Ah, you're right.”
Yeon-joo confirmed the stage direction Han-byeol was pointing to and nodded. Madam Na, perhaps unable to hear the drama's dialogue over the mother and son's conversation, turned up the TV volume a little. Han-byeol furrowed his brow slightly and continued.
“This was really hard for me. My acting coach said it has to be a cry that empties everything you're holding in your heart.”
“Wow, that sounds difficult just hearing about it, Han-byeol.”
These days, Han-byeol had been stopping by Changrok Entertainment after school for acting lessons. It wasn't a role with many specific lines; it required expressions of fear and a crying face, so the acting coach was teaching him step-by-step how to build up emotions.
But it was a difficult challenge for Han-byeol to grasp right away.
“Mom. But why don't you cry?”
“Huh? Me? Your mom?”
“Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen you cry. My teacher said people have to cry to clean out their hearts.”
“Ah... I see.”
Just then, the sound of Madam Na, engrossed in the drama, sniffling and wiping away tears could be heard. Han-byeol looked at his grandmother, then turned his gaze back to his mother.
“See? Grandma cries all the time watching dramas, but you've never cried.”
Unsure how to answer, Yeon-joo hesitated before giving a small smile.
“Ah, well, I forgot.”
Unsure how a child would take the words 'I forgot how to cry,' Yeon-joo quickly tried to amend her statement.
“Because of you, Han-byeol, Mom only has happy things, so there's nothing to clean out from my heart. I think that's why I don't cry.”
“So I'm your cleaner?”
“Well, something like that?”
Yeon-joo stroked the boy's head with a warm hand. A wave of bitterness washed over her at the child's innocent question, and she let out a long, silent breath.
*...He's right. It is strange. How did I become such a dried-up person?*
My tears and emotions have dried up. All moisture, all humidity, evaporated.
“Then when was the last time you cried, Mom?”
“Hmm. I don't really remember that either.”
“You really don't cry, do you, Mom?”
“No. I guess not.”
Though now I may be the owner of a bleak and barren heart—
I, too, once had many dreams, shed many tears, and laughed a lot. My heart once pounded, overwhelmed by a love so passionate it felt like I would go crazy.
“Mom. I'm going to go back to my script now.”
“Okay, Han-byeol.”
I did.
It's just that, I had times like that, too.
