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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Don't Get Hurt
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A few days later, Eun-seong arrived at the set and spotted Mr. Joo training a German Shepherd. He stopped in his tracks, and sensing his presence, Mr. Joo looked up at him.
They exchanged an awkward greeting. As Eun-seong approached, his manager unfolded a portable chair in a convenient spot, and Mr. Joo took the opportunity to wipe away his sweat.
“You’re working hard.”
Eun-seong added the brief greeting and sat down. The German Shepherd, its tail pressed to the ground and wagging gently from side to side, seemed to have already given its heart to Mr. Joo, its gaze fixed on him.
*To have such an intimidating appearance, yet look at Mr. Joo with such honey-sweet eyes.*
“Hey. You remember me, don’t you?”
Eun-seong greeted the shepherd, which responded with a pant. Mr. Joo let out a short laugh.
“You even greeted Rookie first today. You’ve overcome quite a bit.”
“I’m trying. They say he’s smart and can read emotions well, so I’m doing my best to stay relaxed.”
The shepherd’s name was Rookie. Eun-seong, unable to hide his slight tension, clenched and unclenched his fists as he watched the dog.
Mr. Joo plopped down on the ground. He then stroked Rookie repeatedly with a gentle smile.
“We were doing bite training with a doll.”
“Why do you do that kind of training?”
“So he doesn’t bite just anything. It teaches him that he needs permission to bite. He learns how to bite, stop, bite again, and stop.”
As Mr. Joo petted him, Rookie seemed pleased, opening his mouth and panting. All Eun-seong could see were sharp fangs.
He pretended not to see, his vision blurring as he swallowed dryly. Mr. Joo, who handled the terrifying creature as if it were a chick, suddenly seemed both amazing and like a man of great power.
“Oh, I saw the news today.”
As Mr. Joo brought it up, Eun-seong glanced at him. Still looking at Rookie, Mr. Joo continued.
“There were a lot of articles saying you were nominated for some film festival.”
“Ah. That.”
Eun-seong waved his hand as if it were nothing.
“I have a movie coming out soon, so the agency is doing some media play. It’s not a major awards ceremony, and I can’t attend anyway because of filming here in Korea.”
“Ah, I see. Media play. Still, shouldn’t you go to accept the award?”
“At this point, even if they give me an award, I can’t go to all the ceremonies. Unless I had a dozen bodies, that is.”
Mr. Joo nodded slowly. He wanted to dismiss him as a master of showing off, but there was no part of his statement that wasn’t true, making it hard to belittle him.
“How does it feel to have your name all over the major portal sites?”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t look at them. It’s been a while since I distanced myself from that sort of thing.”
“Aren’t you curious about what other people say about you? About how they see you as a person? I’d think you’d be very curious.”
“Well. How *my* people see me… that, I’m a little interested in.”
After a long hesitation, Eun-seong cautiously extended the back of his hand toward Rookie. He wasn’t trying to actively touch him, but rather to wait until Rookie showed interest.
As if the scent were familiar, Rookie quickly took an interest in the back of Eun-seong’s hand. As Rookie sniffed and brought his face closer, Eun-seong flinched repeatedly, biting his lip hard.
The wetness glistening on the tip of Rookie’s nose felt strange. *Is that snot?*
“Why is his nose so wet? Does he have a cold?”
“It means he’s healthy. Healthy dogs have moist noses.”
*He’s healthy? Congratulations.*
Eun-seong mustered a bit more courage and opened his palm. He was doing as Mr. Joo had taught him before.
Rookie then rubbed his face against it, as if asking to be petted. With a look of disgust, Eun-seong moved his hand diligently, scratching under Rookie’s chin. His upper body was completely tense, ready to spring up at a moment’s notice.
“Make your expression match your actions.”
“I’m trying.”
*Ughhh. Ughhhhhh.* Eun-seong made a strange noise as he continued to pet Rookie.
“That’s right. Just don’t show your teeth. Uh-uh, don’t show them. No, no, don’t do it.”
As Rookie, growing increasingly pleased, opened his mouth and panted, Eun-seong finally couldn’t take it anymore and pulled his hand back. To soothe Rookie’s disappointment, Mr. Joo gave him a treat from his pocket and petted him.
“There’s no rush, so don’t try too hard. The deeper the wound, the more detailed the healing process. If you skip steps out of impatience, it will create side effects in your heart, Mr. Im.”
“…”
“You could end up with even deeper scars and trauma than before.”
At the end of his sentence, Mr. Joo looked at Eun-seong.
“The reason I could become a trainer is because I was okay with the idea of getting hurt. Of course, you shouldn’t get hurt, but I wanted it enough that I was fine with the risk.”
“…”
“I’m okay with getting hurt. Because I love it. I love it so much, I’m ready to get hurt. That’s why I’m not afraid of anything.”
As Mr. Joo finished speaking, Eun-seong slowly closed and opened his eyes. The space was bustling with rehearsal preparations.
Eun-seong gave a small smile, said a final goodbye to Rookie, and stood up.
“If you love something, you shouldn’t get hurt. Why do you think about getting hurt first?”
“Well, accidents are inevitably…”
“Mr. Joo. There are many things I’m afraid of. I can’t get hurt, and I don’t want to. That’s why I’m prudent and cautious.”
“…”
“If I may offer a piece of advice, don’t get hurt. You only live once, and there are fewer things than you think that are worth risking injury for. Live safely.”
Eun-seong said he had to go and turned his body.
“Then please let go peacefully, Mr. Im. So that no one gets hurt.”
The gentle tone in his voice vanished, replaced by a heavy atmosphere. Eun-seong mulled over Mr. Joo’s words again and again before turning back.
Mr. Joo looked up at him and spoke again.
“If you, Mr. Im, who doesn’t want to get hurt and is afraid of so many things, were to back away, then no one would get hurt. Wouldn’t that be for the best? What do you think?”
“My dear Mr. Joo, I dared to offer you advice for the sake of your precious life, and now you’re trying to rob me. That’s an exception, isn’t it, Seonsaengnim?”
“…”
Eun-seong let out a scoff, as if to say, *don’t be ridiculous*. The two then stared at each other for a while, engaged in a battle of wills. After a moment of Eun-seong looking down at him with a rather arrogant gaze, Mr. Joo gripped Rookie’s leash and moved his lips slightly.
“Rookie. Go get him.”
“Hey, this guy is unbelievable!”
Eun-seong recoiled in fright. Only Rookie, oblivious, panted and flopped onto his back.
*
*‘Eun-seong. That person you said you thought of when you saw the marshmallow. When did you meet them?’*
*‘A long time ago. It was in college.’*
Hae-yeong’s expression hardened for a moment as she was lost in thought. She tapped her fingers slowly on her desk before taking out her phone.
「Im Eun-seong」
When she searched for Eun-seong’s name, his photo and profile appeared. She briefly scanned his dazzling resume before focusing on his basic information.
She saw the name of a familiar university and looked up. It was the same one Yeon-joo had attended.
Unable to shake the strange feeling, she was lost in thought once more. The year Eun-seong won his first award—that is, the year the actor Im Eun-seong got his start.
“Han-byeol is ten now, so if I count back…”
If she ignored the official information that he was in second grade, Han-byeol was actually ten. At Yeon-joo’s request, she had erased all his personal information, leaving only his grade level, but when she traced back Han-byeol’s date of birth…
“If I go back ten months from Han-byeol’s birthday…”
She closed her eyes, counting on her fingers, then snapped them open. The year Yeon-joo had gotten pregnant coincided with the year Eun-seong debuted.
Hae-yeong’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. Before Yeon-joo dropped out, when Eun-seong was still a student, the time she got pregnant, the time Eun-seong debuted.
The time Yeon-joo dropped out. The time Han-byeol was born.
“Ah…”
Her lips, which had been pressed together, parted with a sigh. Hae-yeong continued to follow the train of thought.
She wondered if it was even possible, then wondered why it wouldn’t be, her thoughts clashing with the belief that something so unbelievable couldn’t be real.
*It can’t be. No way. This is ridiculous. This is truly unbelievable…*
*A long time ago. It was in college.*
“No. It can’t be. It shouldn’t be. Ugh, this is absurd. With an imagination like this, I should be writing dramas, Jin Hae-yeong.”
Hae-yeong put down her phone as if to erase the thought. But then Han-byeol’s face came to mind, and the idea that he bore a slight resemblance to Eun-seong began to run wild.
Just as she was blinking, unable to get her bearings, the door opened and Yeon-joo walked in.
“Isanim, you were here?”
“Ah, Yeon-joo, you’re here?”
Quickly composing her expression, Hae-yeong shoved her phone into her pocket. Then she swiveled her chair around and smiled at Yeon-joo.
“You must be busy since Ju-mi quit so suddenly, right?”
“It’s what I always do.”
“Hey, Yeon-joo.”
“Yes?”
Meeting Yeon-joo’s eyes, Director Jin swallowed dryly. Her heart was pounding so strangely that she found it hard to look at Yeon-joo’s face.
“Oh, it’s nothing, but I heard Mr. Im Eun-seong was nominated for an overseas awards ceremony today.”
“Really? I didn’t see that.”
“It’s good news. If you see him later, congratulate him.”
“Me?”
“There’s really no reason for Eun-seong to take such good care of Han-byeol. He’s famous for looking after the staff, but he’s not the type to look after other actors. He’s more of a ‘fend for yourself’ type. In that sense, you must be grateful too.”
“…Yes.”
At Hae-yeong’s explanation, Yeon-joo nodded slowly. Just as she’d said, Eun-seong had been keeping Han-byeol close and looking after him frequently these days. While she wished the child and Eun-seong weren’t so close, whenever the boy looked up at him, she would find herself stopping in her tracks and watching them for a long time.
It was a scene that left her thirsty no matter how many times she saw it. She didn’t want to tarnish that beautiful picture in any way, and for a moment, she fell into the delusion that having such an opportunity in her life was a blessing.
“If I get the chance, I’ll tell Baeunim congratulations.”
Yeon-joo started moving again, silently going about her work. An increasingly strange feeling washed over Hae-yeong, and she could only let out a dry breath.
At the same time, a car pulled up to the film set, and Tae-gon got out. He removed his sunglasses and stared intently at the entrance to the set.
