7 - The Second is Proficient
“H-Hello, sunbae-nim.”
Im Se-ah greeted him without realizing it and bit her lip. They were standing as if embracing just now. Could a picture have been taken? Her pupils shook with anxiety. Geon-ha, whom she was seeing for the first time in a long while, was even more radiant than she remembered.
How many seconds had passed? Just as they were unable to take their eyes off each other, as if captivated, someone tapped Geon-ha’s shoulder and spoke to him.
“I thought you were filming a drama, man.”
Smiling cheerfully, he greeted her as well and introduced himself as Do Geon-ha’s manager.
“Since you guys have the looks, anything you do comes out like a movie or drama.”
“Nonsense.”
“You’re Im Se-ah, right? The one doing the documentary narration with him this time!”
Geon-ha’s manager, Jo Seung-yeop, was a very affable person. After introducing himself in a bright voice, he extended his hand to guide her and began to walk with them.
“Yes, that’s right. How did you recognize me?”
Se-ah wasn’t a well-known actress yet. One independent film and a few commercials were all she had in her portfolio, and her only regular schedule was the radio show. So she was surprised that someone recognized her.
“I saw the commercial you did recently. Your acting really caught my eye.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Unlike Seung-yeop, who was chatting away with a thumbs-up, Geon-ha was rather quiet. She preferred it that way.
She didn’t say anything more and just kept walking. Her eyes were busy looking around to see if anyone was taking pictures. In her hazy memory, she figured out where the picture that had appeared in the article had been taken.
It was a picture taken in a place like this hallway. If so, there was a high probability that the situation in front of the escalator, where she had been saved as if in an embrace, had also been captured.
She sighed and bit her lip.
“Okay, we’re here! This is the recording studio. Seok PD-nim!”
Seung-yeop knocked loudly and burst into the room. Se-ah’s shoulders flinched at the rough knock.
“Seok PD almost always has his headset on, so that’s why.”
Geon-ha, who had explained quietly, held the closing door open as if telling her to come in.
“I see.”
It was hard to look this man in the eye. Avoiding the gaze she had briefly met, she passed by as naturally as possible and entered. The recording studio had various equipment, along with a table and sofa for meetings. Beyond the transparent glass soundproof wall, she could see the recording equipment set up.
“Se-ah is here too? I’m PD Seok Hang-jin.”
“Hello. I’m Im Se-ah.”
Seok PD had a kind and pleasant impression. After telling her to sit on the sofa, Seok PD sat on a wheeled chair and rolled all the way to where Se-ah was sitting.
“Please take a look at this script first.”
The stack of papers he handed over was a mess, not properly organized. It didn’t seem to be in order according to the page numbers at the bottom. She paused, about to unconsciously organize them, and asked. This seemed to be the recording order from her past memories.
“Are you perhaps going to record in this order?”
A strange light flashed in Seok PD’s eyes for a moment.
“You have a good sense. I knew I was good at picking people. That’s right, Se-ah-ssi. We’re going to record as is, so don’t organize it.”
After praising her with a thumbs-up, Seok PD dragged his chair over to Geon-ha.
“Hey. You look at this.”
He threw the script at him roughly and focused on his own work, as if they already knew each other. Geon-ha frowned as he caught the script flying towards his face with one hand, but didn’t say anything in particular.
“They’re alumni.”
As if thinking she would be curious, the manager Seung-yeop whispered and left the recording studio, saying he was going to buy drinks.
“We’ll start recording in a bit.”
The documentary was about the daily lives of other people living on the opposite side of the world, just like them. Se-ah, who quietly familiarized herself with the script, entered the recording booth following Seok PD’s guidance.
There were several documentary staff members beyond the glass soundproof wall. Perhaps because of work, most of them had their phones in their hands. She was nervous, wondering if pictures would be taken here too. She bit her constantly drying lips and cleared her throat for no reason when a quiet voice rang in her ears.
“Just do it like you do on the radio.”
Did he think she was nervous? Se-ah’s eyes met Geon-ha’s, who was wearing earphones and looking at the script. He stared at people so intently that she wondered if he even blinked.
“Comfortably, like you always do.”
His eyes seemed to see right through her.
“Ah, yes.”
Se-ah, who barely managed to raise the corners of her lips into something resembling a smile, thanked him for the advice and lowered her gaze. For some reason, she felt his gaze stuck to her cheek, but she pretended not to notice and only looked at the script.
She quietly sighed, thinking that booking this schedule itself might have been a problem.
The recording itself wasn’t nerve-wracking since she had done it in the past.
“Okay, let’s start.”
Se-ah listened to Seok PD’s signal and decided to focus on the recording for now.
The narration recording was even smoother than she had expected. All she had to do was match the timing with the PD while watching the video and read the script.
Even though she had done it once before, it was eight years ago for her, so she had been a little worried. But it felt more like reading a radio story than acting. Se-ah finished the recording without difficulty, said goodbye to Seok PD, and left the recording studio.
“Where are you going now? I can give you a ride if you’re going to the company.”
The manager Seung-yeop asked her. She shook her head at his offer to give her a ride, as she didn’t seem to have a manager of her own.
“No. It’s okay.”
Se-ah passed by the escalator and pressed the button for the elevator she had just discovered. It had been right next to it like this, but it seemed to have been hidden by the escalator on the first floor.
“Ah… Geon-ha, wait for me. I left my phone.”
Seung-yeop, who was rummaging through his pockets, hurriedly ran back into the recording studio. Se-ah was left alone with Geon-ha, feeling extremely awkward.
She hoped the elevator would come quickly, but it didn’t seem to be coming up for a long time, as if something was happening in the underground parking lot. Should she just take the escalator? She turned her body.
“I’ll just go first. Thank you for today.”
She greeted him and was about to leave when a low voice stopped her.
“I gift myself to myself.”
“Pardon?”
She didn’t understand the sudden words right away. Se-ah raised her head sharply and met his gaze.
“I enjoyed it.”
Only then did her mind catch up at the following words. ‘I gift myself to myself’ was the title of the independent film she had starred in. It was a movie that told people who compulsively lived for others rather than themselves to look back at themselves a little more.
She hadn’t brought up these words in the past. But why was he mentioning her previous work and even saying he enjoyed it in this life?
“Ah… Thank you.”
She replied unconsciously and took a step back with a subtle expression. Se-ah, who hurriedly avoided his gaze, looked around. There were people here and there in the broadcasting station, which had been deserted just before the recording.
She felt suffocated by the pressure of not knowing when a picture might be taken. She didn’t want to suffer again in this life.
Contrary to her desire to escape this place, her body, stiffened by tension, wouldn’t move. Her vision seemed to turn white. She couldn’t just stay still like this…
“Are you okay?”
She was startled by the worried voice and the light touch on her shoulder.
Slap-!
Without realizing it, she slapped Geon-ha’s hand away and became flustered. Se-ah, who couldn’t even bring herself to meet his eyes, looked at his hand that she had pushed away and sighed, washing her face with her hands.
She had been foolish. Pictures were not something she could do anything about. It would be wiser to seize Ji-man’s weaknesses first. Se-ah knew a lot about him.
Things she didn’t know in the past, but knew now. The confused pupils gradually regained their composure.
“I’m sorry.”
Se-ah looked at him and apologized. Geon-ha’s expression seemed to want to ask if she was okay, but he didn’t open his mouth.
“I’ll go first.”
She bowed her head and was about to turn towards the escalator when.
“Im Se-ah-ssi.”
She didn’t want to be with this man for long. Seeing that subtle differences from the past were starting to appear, it was possible that pictures hadn’t been taken yet.
“See you next time.”
Se-ah sighed at Geon-ha’s words and made a troubled expression.
“No. I’m not interested.”
She didn’t want to do that if possible. In the past, they had repeatedly been photographed together, causing a scandal. She had admired Geon-ha and hadn’t refused when the opportunity to work with him arose. It was a great pity that she wouldn’t be able to act with him in the future, but she couldn’t cause Geon-ha any more harm.
“Oh my. Se-ah-ssi might misunderstand if you say that.”
Seung-yeop, who had brought his phone from the recording studio, patted Geon-ha’s shoulder and burst into a hearty laugh.
“This guy isn’t trying to pick you up. Don’t misunderstand.”
Seung-yeop added that he didn’t mean it as a romantic advance, but rather that he hoped to see her in a project next time.
“I know.”
Seung-yeop was flustered and scratched his head at her calm reply.
“Ah… Is that so?”
Then he realized that she had rejected him, meaning she didn’t want to work with him, and closed his mouth as if embarrassed. Geon-ha was looking at her with an unreadable expression.
Se-ah took a half step back, bowed her head, and coldly left the scene.
“Hmm.”
Seung-yeop narrowed his eyes as if gauging something. In the meantime, the elevator they had been waiting for arrived and the doors opened.
“You don’t even have any interest in working with you. Is she going to quit acting?”
As he stepped inside, he glanced at Geon-ha, but he only shrugged. Seung-yeop asked teasingly, as if he was indifferent and cold.
“Weren’t you interested in Se-ah-ssi?”
“Se-ah might misunderstand if you say that.”
“Aish! She said she understood! You understood too!”
Seung-yeop shouted in exasperation, but he didn’t react. Seeing that he didn’t answer even after arriving at the underground parking lot, it seemed like he was trying to get his attention.
“Ugh. Such cold people. It’s cold, cold.”
Seung-yeop, who got into the driver’s seat, grumbled and started the engine.
Se-ah, who arrived at the company, met CEO Heo Jun-seong on her way to CEO Song Yun-mi’s office.
“Hello, CEO.”
“Oh. Se-ah. How have you been?”
“Yes, of course.”
He didn’t seem to know that she had a falling out with his daughter, Yu-ri. Even though he was her friend’s father, he was the CEO of the agency, so she wasn’t that close to him. She greeted him plainly and was about to pass by when CEO Heo spoke to her.
“I heard you got an audition offer.”
“Yes. I’m going to look at it now.”
An audition offer had come in for an actress in his agency, but rather than being happy or congratulating her, he had a look in his eyes as if he was sizing her up. That look was exactly like Yu-ri’s. Like father, like daughter.
‘I’ll take care of the scandal.’
Those were the words CEO Heo Jun-seong had said to her in the past. Behind her back, he had joined hands with Ji-man and told her that.
Since when had he been in contact with Ji-man?
Se-ah stared intently at CEO Heo.
