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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Bad Woman
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51.
Although it had been a while since the start of autumn, the air was only slightly cool in the mornings and evenings; by noon, the heat still lingered.
It was that awkward season for dressing, a time when you’d see a mix of everything from short sleeves to thin, lightweight padded jackets. The film shoot was progressing smoothly, right on its well-laid schedule.
Eun-seong arrived at the still-quiet studio parking lot in his personal car. He’d arranged to meet his manager, Dong-hwan, who wasn't a morning person, on set at nine, but he himself had gotten there at seven. Arriving earlier than the scheduled call time made bringing his manager along feel like a hassle, so Eun-seong had been driving himself more and more often.
Eun-seong opened the heavy driver's side door and stepped out. Dressed in a shirt for an easy costume change later, he closed the car door and glanced toward the entrance of the studio. In an hour, this parking lot would be packed with cars, and the day would begin to run like clockwork, making it nearly impossible to carve out any personal time.
He could feel the cool morning breeze slip past his cuffs. Eun-seong entered the building and walked down the familiar hallway, heading straight for his dressing room. The sound of his dress shoes echoed back at him. Walking with clean, long strides, he soon stopped in front of his door.
*Will you be there when I open this door? Will you be standing there?*
As if opening a treasure chest, he punched in the code and turned the handle. Just as he did, Yeon-joo, who was in the middle of taking off her jacket, turned her head to look at him.
In the space, still filled with cool, damp air from not having been ventilated yet, she stood frozen like a still-life painting, her gaze fixed on him.
Everything seemed to have stopped, making it difficult to step inside carelessly. Eun-seong stared at her, his hand still on the doorknob.
“You’re here?”
“You’re early.”
“And why are you here so early, Baeunim?”
“To see you.”
Eun-seong stepped inside and closed the door. The world started moving again. Yeon-joo finished taking off her jacket, put it away, and casually tied up her hair.
Eun-seong watched her, a faint smile on his lips, as she held a hair tie between her teeth and raised her hands to tie her hair. He remembered back in college, how he could never look away whenever she did that. Her lips, holding the elastic, looked so cute and lovely that he’d find himself harboring the silly wish that she would take a long time tying her hair.
“I’m going to air the room out. You’re not cold, are you?”
As if following an unwritten rule, Yeon-joo opened the window as soon as her hair was up. The stagnant air began to stir with the cool breeze. Only then did she turn to look for a broom.
Eun-seong watched her from the sofa. Yeon-joo, who had been reaching for the broom without a thought, flinched and turned her head.
“If you’re not reading your script, I’m going to clean up a bit.”
After confirming his hands were empty, Yeon-joo started to sweep, prompting Eun-seong to get up from his seat.
“What can I do to help?”
“Just stay put. That’s how you can help.”
“You haven’t seen me in days, and you won’t even let me see your face properly.”
As Eun-seong chided her, Yeon-joo gripped the broom handle tighter. She tried her best to act unfazed, but it was hard to explain away her already flushed face.
Sweeping with more force than usual, she turned her body. She bumped her elbow on a protruding corner, and at the same time, a stack of plastic boxes on a shelf came crashing down.
“Ah!”
Realizing she couldn't get out of the way, Yeon-joo squeezed her eyes shut. Eun-seong shot his arm out, just managing to knock a box falling toward the top of her head aside. The floor was a mess.
*Phew.* Yeon-joo cautiously opened her eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. Gosh, that scared me.”
Yeon-joo muttered, looking down at the floor. She set the plastic box, which held various small props, upright and began putting the spilled items back inside.
Eun-seong glanced at the back of his hand.
“Looks like the back of my hand is scraped.”
Crouching, Yeon-joo looked up.
“Really? I’m fine.”
“Of course you are. It’s my hand.”
Brushing off the back of his hand, Eun-seong bent his knees and crouched down. Seeing him carelessly tossing items into the box, Yeon-joo took his hand.
“Let me see. Is it bad?”
“It’s fine. As long as your face wasn’t hurt, that’s all that matters.”
“This is why you shouldn’t just jump in like that. It’d be a huge problem if you got hurt during filming.”
“You’re wearing perfume.”
As Eun-seong commented offhandedly while still cleaning up, Yeon-joo pressed her lips together. She felt a little embarrassed that he’d noticed the scent of the perfume she’d spritzed on a couple of times before leaving home.
“Is it strong? I only used a little.”
“Don’t wear it. I’m not a fan of perfume.”
“Well, it’s not like I wore it for you, Baeunim.”
“It’s just that I like your natural scent better.”
After placing the last prop in the box and closing the lid, Eun-seong glanced around. Then, he quickly pressed his lips against Yeon-joo’s as she stood there dumbfounded, blinking.
Caught off guard by the sudden kiss, Yeon-joo gasped, her eyes widening. His hands cupped her face, covering her ears, and the world went quiet. The air felt thick, amplifying the sensations inside her mouth. The touch was sweet and luscious, as if coated in honey, sending a faint shiver down her spine.
Eun-seong moved the tip of his tongue skillfully, as if claiming a debt, before pulling away a moment later.
“Not a single call or text all this time. Now that I think about it, I’m offended.”
“Well, of course, I knew you were busy… no, more importantly, we can’t do this here.”
“Where, then?”
She was at a loss for words. Yeon-joo forced her eyelids open and frowned.
“We have to be careful. Are you just going to do whatever you want?”
“When have I ever done whatever I wanted? I’m dying from holding back. You think this is what I want to do?”
“…”
“You know full well it’s not *this*.”
As he spoke, Eun-seong’s gaze drifted down, tracing her collarbone. She felt a dense, heavy energy in his look and sprang up, putting distance between them.
“I’ll leave the door open. For ventilation. You need a good cross-breeze for proper ventilation, you know.”
“As you wish.”
Watching Yeon-joo bustle about again, Eun-seong stood up. As she was heading for the door, she suddenly spun around and walked back to stand in front of him. Eun-seong raised an eyebrow.
“Your lips… I have to wipe your lips…”
Stammering, Yeon-joo gently dabbed at his lips with her hand. Seeing the lipstick on her finger, she then grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned his lips again.
“What are you doing after we wrap today?”
“I have plans with Director Jin. She asked to see me today.”
“Ah. I see.”
“Let me finish wiping your lips. Don’t move.”
Finding her efforts to commit the perfect crime admirable and cute, Eun-seong stood perfectly still and let her.
***
*Bad Woman*
Around noon, Mr. Joo visited the set. Since the shepherd, Rookie, wasn't in this scene, Mr. Joo had no reason to be on standby, so it had been a while.
Eun-seong had already finished one scene and was waiting for the next. As he looked over his script amidst the staff resetting cameras and props, Mr. Joo approached him.
Eun-seong glanced over before returning his gaze to the script. They were past the point of exchanging greetings.
“Did you get your umbrella back?”
In response to Eun-seong’s question, Mr. Joo let out a heavy sigh. A dark shadow fell over his face, as if his calm, even-tempered nature had been completely overturned.
Even the smile that was usually fixed on his face was nowhere to be found today.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you, Mr. Im Eun-seong.”
“I hope it’s a question that possesses a level of decency and manners I can respond to.”
“Mr. Im Eun-seong, would you say you’re the type to live your life according to a plan?”
Eun-seong, who had been looking at his script with a disinterested gaze, lifted his head. He’d wondered what kind of question required such a serious setup, only to be asked about his personal values.
But he figured it would end with Go Yeon-joo no matter how it started, so he answered calmly.
“My life as an actor is relatively planned, but my personal life is somewhere in between. Life doesn’t always go according to plan.”
“Do you have any thoughts on marriage?”
“I suppose I will someday. Once my career settles down a bit. If not, so be it.”
“Are you a risk-taker?”
“Look, Mr. Joo. Even reporters don’t ask such a random assortment of questions. Give me some context. Stop beating around the bush.”
He wasn’t one to closely examine the faces of people he had no interest in, but he couldn’t help but notice the haggard look on Mr. Joo’s face.
Anyone who has suffered from a broken heart would know. They would know what the despair in Mr. Joo’s expression and eyes meant.
“To rush into something knowing it will end… isn’t that like a moth flying into a flame, knowing it will die?”
His dry voice was laced with emptiness. Eun-seong swallowed hard at Mr. Joo’s words. Over in the distance, his eyes caught sight of Yeon-joo, tending to the costumes of the supporting actors—
As if by agreement, both men fixed their gazes on her.
“Mr. Im Eun-seong. I like Ms. Go Yeon-joo.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“But, she said it’s not me.”
The outcome was devastating, his voice heavy with suppressed turmoil. At a loss for words, Eun-seong remained silent.
“I’ve been thinking about it for days. I have to accept that it’s not me, but that doesn’t mean I can stand by and watch Ms. Go Yeon-joo get hurt.”
“…”
“If there is an end, please make sure Ms. Go Yeon-joo doesn’t get hurt too badly. You are such a big star, a brilliant person, and if her sacrifice is necessary for you to continue that life, please don’t let it be too painful for her.”
Mr. Joo’s words, flowing like the monologue of an old man, stirred something in his chest. To show up looking so gaunt that even his shadow seemed pale, and to ask him not to hurt her. To love her less, so she would hurt less.
Even now, the image of Yeon-joo flickered in his vision. It had reached the point where he could see her even with his eyes closed. After a moment, Eun-seong opened his lips and spoke calmly.
“Did she say that our relationship has an end?”
“…”
“Well. If that’s how she described her relationship with me, I suspect it’s because Go Yeon-joo wanted to give you false hope.”
At Eun-seong’s words, Mr. Joo turned his head. His eyelids tensed as if to ask what he meant.
“False hope?”
“What else could it be? Go Yeon-joo is more cunning than you think. It seems she didn’t want to lose either of us. What else could it mean but for you to wait, since things with me will eventually end? You’re being played by her.”
“Mr. Im Eun-seong. You’ve gone too far.”
“She’s a bad woman to the bone, I tell you. Still has a knack for backstabbing. Don’t you think?”
“You’re a truly terrible person, Mr. Im Eun-seong. Leading someone on? Is that the only way you can describe her?”
“It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Because I have no intention of breaking up with Go Yeon-joo.”
“…”
“So don’t like her. She’s a wicked woman. We can’t have you getting played and hurt too, can we?”
Eun-seong closed his script and put on the sunglasses he’d be using for the scene.
“A terrible person like me will take care of the wicked woman. I’ll introduce you to a nice woman if I find one. We’ll be rolling in the mud, so you should go on living your beautiful life.”
Mr. Joo closed his mouth. He had done everything he could, and he now realized he had no authority here.
He had wanted to ruin things, but all he’d done was confirm their feelings for each other.
