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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: A Story Like a Fairy Tale
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49.
Having finished all her scheduled appointments, Hae-yeong made her way to a small theater in Daehangno. She was visiting at the invitation of the actor Kim Myeong-hak, with whom she was quite close. Despite being well over seventy, Kim Myeong-hak’s passion for acting burned bright across all media, making him a true role model for his juniors.
Hae-yeong, who was particularly personable and competent, tended to stay busy even after her official work was done. She valued the connections she made, even those forged through work, and tried her best not to miss any invitations she received.
If she absolutely couldn't attend, she would send a flower basket, a thoughtful gesture that people deeply appreciated.
“Yu-seong, hello. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Before the play began, after meeting with Kim Myeong-hak to give him flowers and chat for a bit, Hae-yeong sought out another dressing room. The actor, Yu-seong, who was looking over his script after finishing his makeup, saw Hae-yeong’s reflection in the mirror and hurriedly stood up.
“Oh, Director Jin! Hello!”
“Have you been well? Congratulations on the show. Mr. Kim has been praising you so much, my expectations are quite high.”
As Hae-yeong spoke with a gentle smile, Yu-seong looked sheepish. Having cut his teeth in Daehangno, Yu-seong had seen Hae-yeong at various performances. She had never come specifically for him; they had simply exchanged greetings in passing when she came to see other actors, just like today.
“Is this for me?”
Yu-seong’s eyes widened as Hae-yeong handed him a bouquet. Wrapped in blue paper and tied with a peach ribbon, the bouquet was artfully arranged with light pink pasta gerberas.
Taking it in a daze, Yu-seong asked the question, and Hae-yeong nodded with a smile.
“I bought it when I was getting Mr. Kim’s bouquet. I wanted to congratulate you too, Yu-seong.”
“Wow, thank you. I wasn’t expecting this at all.”
“I’m planning to have dinner with Mr. Kim soon. You should come too, Yu-seong. I’d be so grateful if you could bring him along.”
“Ha… Director Jin, you’re really… ha…”
Yu-seong let out a small, admiring gasp at Hae-yeong’s words. To him, who drifted from one small theater to another without a single hit role to his name, Director Jin Hae-yeong was a superstar.
At a time when he had grown all too accustomed to a life out of the spotlight, the fact that someone was paying attention to him was a moving experience he wouldn't easily forget. And for it to be a congratulation from Director Jin Hae-yeong, no less. It was a moment worthy of being enshrined as a memorable scene in his life, one he would want to remember for a long time.
“Thank you for always looking out for me. I hope the day comes when I make it big and can officially ask you to be my stylist.”
“Your style is already great as it is. I don’t think there’s much for me to touch up, really.”
Hae-yeong smiled again. Yu-seong looked at the flowers, then glanced around. *Ah, I shouldn’t just stand here. I should offer her something.*
“Have you had coffee, Director?”
“Oh, if you have some, I’ll take a cup. My blood sugar is starting to drop.”
“I have some coffee I brewed at home, if you don’t mind. Coffee prices have gone up so much lately, I’ve started brewing it myself and bringing it with me.”
“Yes, that sounds great. Yu-seong’s handmade coffee? Even better.”
As she watched Yu-seong bustle about to get a thermos, Hae-yeong raised an eyebrow. The small dressing room was crowded with belongings, and the life of a theater actor who had to bring coffee in a thermos to save money felt just as cramped and stifling as the room itself.
Though Hae-yeong rubbed shoulders with the most brilliant, renowned actors, she didn’t mind spending time with nameless actors like these, who poured their all into their craft on small stages.
“By the way, you’re working with Eun-seong on this project, right?”
*Huh?* Hae-yeong turned her head. Yu-seong, who was looking for a paper cup to pour the coffee into, added that he had seen the news article.
“Eun-seong and I were in the same Theater and Film department class.”
“Ah… Oh, I see. Yes. We’re in the middle of filming a movie right now.”
“Is Eun-seong doing well?”
“Yes. Well, I don’t know for sure, but there haven’t been any issues. So he must be doing well, right?”
Having found a paper cup, Yu-seong opened the thermos. The distinct aroma of coffee beans quickly filled the small space.
“We all thought he’d be too busy conquering Hollywood. All his old classmates were surprised he decided to do a domestic film.”
“I guess you two don’t keep in touch.”
“Right. We used to contact each other a few times back in the day, but after he became such a megastar, a world-class celebrity, it felt awkward to reach out first. You need to be on a similar level to meet up, talk, and have a drink, but we’re just in completely different worlds.”
“Yes, yes. I know exactly what you mean.”
Yu-seong handed her the paper cup filled with coffee, and Hae-yeong accepted it with a word of thanks. After pouring some for himself in the inverted thermos cap, Yu-seong took a sip and continued.
“Still, it’s nice to have someone from our class who made it big. It’s amazing, really.”
“I’ll pass on your regards.”
“No, it’s fine. He probably won’t even remember me. Or maybe he will. We were pretty close back in college.”
Hae-yeong sipped her coffee, lost in thought for a moment.
*‘Eun-seong. You said you were reminded of someone while looking at the marshmallow. When did you meet them?’*
*‘A long time ago. It was back in college.’*
Back in college.
“Excuse me, Yu-seong.”
“Yes?”
“Was Eun-seong that handsome back in college too?”
Yu-seong chuckled, as if finding Hae-yeong’s question a bit random.
“Of course. He shined even in the Theater and Film department, where all the good-looking people gathered.”
“So the plastic surgery rumors must be false, then?”
“Yes. Everyone who knows him knows that. If you compare his face now to his face in college, he looks exactly the same. Director, you should help shut down those rumors.”
“He must have been popular. Did he have a girlfriend?”
*Did he have a girlfriend?* At Hae-yeong’s question, Yu-seong hesitated for the first time. Reading the mood instantly, Hae-yeong waved her hand dismissively.
“It’s just that not long ago, Eun-seong mentioned that roasting marshmallows reminded him of a girlfriend he had in college.”
“Ah. He must be talking about Yeon-joo.”
…Hae-yeong swallowed her coffee slowly.
“Well, yeah, he had one. She was his girlfriend before he suddenly blew up. From what I know, they broke up after he got famous.”
“Ah… I see. That’s how it usually goes.”
“Tell me about it. The girlfriend sacrificed a lot. She completely disappeared because of Eun-seong. Even dropped out of school. I wonder how she’s doing. Is she well?”
“…”
“Gosh. It’s an old story now. It was college, so it was just child’s play, a story like a fairy tale.”
As Yu-seong trailed off, shaking off the nostalgic mood, Hae-yeong set down her empty paper cup.
“You’re right. Child’s play, a story like a fairy tale.”
*It wasn’t child’s play.*
*And it certainly wasn’t a fairy tale.*
“I think I’ve taken up too much of your time. I’ll go wait in the audience, Yu-seong.”
“Thank you so much for the flowers, Director.”
“Of course. And thank you for the coffee.”
Hae-yeong quickly rose from her seat. She didn’t want Yu-seong to see her trembling fingertips.
*
It was a reunion after a whole ten years. No, to be more precise, it had been eleven.
In a moment that seemed to contain all the hot, sweet air of that twenty-eight-square-meter college apartment, Eun-seong found it impossible to stop.
When his lips touched the inside of her thighs, her back twisted and arched. When her breathless moans clung to his ear, he consumed her lips as if to swallow even the sound, refusing to let go.
He kissed her relentlessly, pulling her soft back against him. Yeon-joo’s expression crumbled, her senses coming undone. Wanting to conquer her to the very end, he moved his hips more roughly between their tangled legs.
He wanted to fill the void, if only it were possible. He wanted to erase the time they had spent apart, to make it as if it had never happened.
But they both knew all too well that it was impossible—
And the fear was already setting in that this desperate struggle to get closer would ultimately prove meaningless.
Each time Eun-seong pushed inside her, her body moved naturally with his. Passion-fevered blossoms bloomed everywhere his lips touched, as if they would never fade. She found herself wishing for him to devour her, to set her ablaze, and for a brief moment, she yearned for her everything to become his.
As the stimulation intensified, so did her moans. She clung to his back, writhing in passion, and when she could no longer continue, she surrendered herself completely to his touch. This was not the coupling of their youth, driven by shallow, clumsy knowledge and sheer desire, but a movement that blended explosion with restraint.
As his gaze, hazy with heat, fell upon her, Yeon-joo forced her eyelids open to meet it. Her two legs, slick with sweat, had lost their strength, and she couldn't hold on, letting out ragged breaths.
Eun-seong looked down at her quietly and brushed her hair from her face. It was the same gentle gaze that had once watched over her long ago, and a strange, overwhelming feeling surged within her.
“It feels like time has gone backward.”
“…”
“It’s not just me, right?”
He vividly recalled a time when saying “I love you” was as natural as breathing, a time when the word “marriage” would pop into their heads the moment their eyes met. They once had a time like that.
A silence fell once the friction of their skin ceased. It was a silence so profound that the sound of their ragged breathing felt loud, yet there was no needless awkwardness. She didn’t want to return to reality just yet, and she wanted to think about the future even less.
“What have you been doing to look exactly the same? You haven’t changed one bit.”
He couldn't find a single trace of time on her face, which was still as sweet and smooth as ever. Eun-seong pressed his lips to her chest as if to soothe the last lingering sensation, then lay down on his side. Yeon-joo shifted as well, turning to lie on her side.
Eun-seong pulled the blanket over her exposed shoulder and smiled warmly. He looked almost as if he couldn't believe it.
“Do you have to go home? I don’t want to let you go.”
“I have to. Staying out all night is difficult.”
“Ah. Right. You have to go. Yes, you should go.”
Having held her again, the woman he had longed for day and night, Eun-seong felt as if he had the entire world. It was that kind of moment. If only he had known how much anguish she had endured to come to him, perhaps he would have been a little less happy.
Watching his face, now free of worry, Yeon-joo offered a small smile. She held his gaze for a long time, wanting to cherish his peaceful eyes and his smile forever.
“Even if you have to go, just stay a little longer. I won’t keep you for long.”
“Okay, just a little. I’ll stay just a little longer before I go.”
*We could be the past, or we could be the present.*
*One thing is certain—*
*We are not in the future.*
“I wish time would stop right now. Even for a moment.”
“…”
“Even for a moment, I wish it would.”
That there was an end. That in the end, he wouldn't ask me to stay.
For that alone, I was grateful.
