Today’s scene to be filmed is Wolhee’s final one—meaning, the scene where Wolhee dies.
Of course, for me and Luna as well, it’s a scene where emotions will be running high.
It’s one that stirs up old memories of her—memories I’d rather not relive.
Truthfully, after acting out this scene, I do have the thought that pursuing her is the best course of action.
“But there are times when you have to do what you don’t want to do.”
Looking around the filming location, I see stuntmen dressed in ninja gear.
Beside them, Director Bang, whose face is slightly flushed, and martial arts director Jang Soohong are reviewing action choreography.
Even though it’s steampunk, the Japanese spies inevitably have to be ninjas.
Even if they use pistols instead of throwing stars or spears, they still have to be ninjas, after all.
Surprisingly, this particular trope plays well in North America.
In any case, since this scene involves a fair bit of action, I need to pay attention as well.
“Mr. Siwoo, don’t be nervous. Just follow the blocking, and that’ll be fine.”
“Yes, sure.”
“If it gets too intense, we’ll cut and edit it out, so don’t feel too pressured.”
“I understand.”
“It’d be better to film this scene straight through if possible, but if issues arise, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“…”
Are you telling me to feel burdened or not?
If you think about it, this gentleman is a bit amusing. He’s definitely normal most of the time, but when it comes to action scenes, he changes completely.
This scene is actually quite challenging to shoot properly.
Even though he wants to avoid taking too long, his eyes gleam with the desire for a long continuous take.
Contrary to what he says about not being burdened, he’s clearly aiming for that long take.
Directors always seem to think that the more they reshoot and refine, the better the masterpiece will turn out.
I’d normally cooperate fully with his vision, but today’s focus is on the emotional scene, so I’ll keep the action portion moderate.
With that in mind, after adjusting my emotions accordingly, filming began.
“Alright. Scene 6-1-21, the raid on the Japanese spies’ hideout begins with Lee Myung.”
Lee Myung, upon hearing that Wolhee had been captured, storms the hideout, acting with great shock.
Acting quickly, she eliminates the spies before they can use Wolhee as a hostage.
Even amidst the chaos of bullets and thrown spears, Lee Myung’s fan-sword continues to shine brilliantly.
In the end, after an intense battle, Lee Myung clears out all the spies and breaches their stronghold where Wolhee had been tied up.
“Wolhee!!”
“Y-Young master?”
But this was all a trap.
Even now, Wolhee, with a hidden dagger in her sleeve covered in poison, hesitated between whether or not to stab Lee Myung.
Unaware of Wolhee’s inner conflict, Lee Myung pulls her into an unprotected embrace.
Wolhee’s trembling hand, gripping the dagger, shakes uncontrollably.
Suddenly.
A supposedly dead spy, trembling, aims a gun at Lee Myung’s back.
Under normal circumstances, Lee Myung would notice a gun pointed at her back, but the relief of rescuing Wolhee causes her to drop her guard completely.
“BANG!!”
“Ugh…”
“WO-Wohee!!!”
Wolhee, who noticed from Lee Myung’s embrace that someone was aiming at her back, pushes Lee Myung away and takes the bullet herself, almost instinctively.
Without realizing it, she had chosen to protect him.
“OK. Next scene, keep going.”
Inside a small cabin scattered with the corpses of the spies.
Wolhee, nearing the end of her life, leans into Lee Myung’s arms, gazing up at the night sky.
In this secluded spot deep in the mountain roads, all Lee Myung could do was share whatever warmth he could in her last moments.
Even as she herself fades away, Wolhee seems oddly peaceful.
Free from all her inner turmoil, Wolhee’s trembling fingers reach out to stroke Lee Myung’s chest, while Lee Myung, in despair over the loss of her lover, holds her increasingly cold body even tighter.
In this moment, Wolhee is not a Japanese spy but Geum Wol, Lee Myung’s woman.
“Master…”
“Yes…”
“Is the moon shining tonight?”
“Indeed, tonight the moon… is breathtaking.”
“Is that so? Truly… that is fortunate.”
Her vision now failing, Wolhee could no longer see the distant sky.
Even though the moon was hidden behind thick clouds, invisible to the naked eye, Lee Myung called it beautiful because the moon hanging in front of him was sorrowful and beautiful, and thus, he dared to call it splendid.
“Master, please forget me.”
“…Wolhee…”
“Like the moon in the sky, I shall always watch over you. Since I will remember you forever, please Master… forget me.”
“…”
“Please, forget me and be happy. My… dear Master…”
“WO-Wolhee! Wolhee!!”
“OK! Great job!”
The New Religion needed information from the Central Plains, and they chose Hao Moon as their cooperative partner.
I was responsible for negotiating with Hao Moon back then.
Through our dealings, I met the head of the Hao Moon family, Wolyeon, and fell in love with her.
The problem began when the disciples of the Orthodoxy started recruiting the elders of Hao Moon.
After much deliberation, the elders of Hao Moon eventually decided to side with the Martial Forest Alliance instead of the New Religion and even intended to offer me as part of the agreement.
Wolyeon, the Hao Moon head, drank the poison that was meant for me to save the organization that had raised her, sacrificing her own life in the process.
When Wolhee’s final moments overlapped with Wolyeon’s death, it became difficult for me to control my emotions, as she too left me after requesting to be forgotten.
Despite being emotionally charged, Director Bang was pleased with the scene, believing it to be even better.
He said the action parts didn’t need any cutting, and that the current version was sufficient.
Though neither side fully satisfied me, I decided to leave the scene as it was.
The most important thing for me now is not to make Luna into another Wolyeon.
Equally emotional, she sits in front of me after the filming.
At the waiting room corner of the set.
This place is used by actors to calm down after intense scenes.
After finishing the filming, both of us naturally found ourselves here, calming our emotions.
“Senior, do you understand her feelings?”
“What feelings?”
“Wolhee’s. She could have been saved if she had been honest with Lee Myung, right?”
“To be honest… I do understand her, to some extent.”
“Is that so?”
Wolyeon from Hao Moon and Wolhee, the Japanese spy, both could have survived if they’d been honest about their situation.
Whether it be Lee Myung from the royal family or myself from the New Religion’s Bimakakchu, there would have been no problem saving each other.
But both of them chose not to.
At the time, I didn’t understand why Wolyeon acted the way she did, but after some time passed, I now understand her actions vaguely.
She had something more important than her own life.
“Are you serious, senior?”
“What?”
“Do you also stay with Moon Enter because it’s important?”
“…”
Both Wolyeon and Wolhee chose not to confess their true feelings out of loyalty, but maybe staying with the organization has similar reasoning.
There’s something more important to me than Moon Enter. The legacy that Moon Young-Woo left behind, the memories and trails of growth that I shared with the company.
Perhaps Luna feels the same way.
Even if Moon Enter ties her down now, it was once the only place she could truly rely on, perhaps more than her real parents.
It’s too precious for her to let go.
“But, senior, isn’t it time for you to make the right choice?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is what’s precious to you the name of Moon Enter, the people within the company, or perhaps the dream of President Moon Young-Woo?”
“…”
“Are the people who once worked with President Moon Young-Woo still around?”
“…Yes, they are. If I earn money, they can continue to make a living.”
Most of the original members from Moon Enter remain.
The acquaintances who worked on Luna’s album with President Moon Young-Woo—they’re still around, too.
Even though the current president pushes strange songs on us, the mixing engineers, composers, and producers who turn them into human-like music are still here.
They endure despite Moon Young-Joo’s attempts to dismantle the old structures.
Without them, Luna wouldn’t have become such a recognized singer today.
“Still, I think they’d prefer you leave Moon Enter rather than stay.”
In my opinion, they might share similar thoughts with Luna.
Though they want to escape this terrible company, they’re worried about how Luna would manage on her own if they left.
It’s a situation where each holds the other hostage, so to speak.
For instance, looking at Heavenly Yuah’s report, many of them have received offers from several other companies.
Yet they remain in this place, enduring.
“The company’s name really means nothing. If you were to see President Moon Young-Woo now, what would he say seeing you so bound to it?”
“…”
“Let’s give up the name to keep the people. You and everyone from your company should join us. Since our company doesn’t have a sound team, we’d need to hire new people anyway. Why don’t you come over and make the music you all truly desire, and perhaps it would be fitting to dedicate it to President Moon Young-Woo.”
“It’s not that simple. There are complications, messy politics to deal with.”
“Handling messy situations is our specialty.”
Yes, it will definitely be messy.
After four years of activity under the current president, I have accumulated some weaknesses that could be exploited.
The opposition will undoubtedly pull all sorts of stunts to damage her credibility.
But when dealing with such situations, CEO Joo has more expertise than this mere four-year president of ours, Moon Young-Joo.
“Senior, just ask me for help right now.”
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“Today, I’m Lee Myung, and you are Wolhee. Say the words you couldn’t in the past. Ask for help, Senior. Let’s ensure your drama doesn’t end with a sad conclusion.”
“…If I ask for help, will this really work out? Can we all—me and the other employees—smoothly leave?”
“Absolutely. Hurry up.”
The words I longed to hear from Yeon-I.
The words I ultimately never received.
I’d like to hear them from Luna, who reminds me so much of her.
Perhaps it’s because I can’t fully let go of the past incident.
Or maybe it’s the nostalgia stirred by today’s acting.
“Then… help me, if not for me, then for their sake.”
“If you leave, the others will follow. I’ve accepted it. From now on, you’re part of Flame.”
And just like that, I finally heard the words that haunted me with endless regret.
Whether spoken across the tides of time by a changed soul or not, words once spoken cannot be unheard.
All that remains now is to move forward with Flame.
Thus, I finally heard those words that I once could not.
