The first day at the Taebaek set was drawing to a close.
Today, there was no night shooting, so I returned to the accommodations right away.
The lodging prepared by the production company for the shooting team was a motel named ‘Eunseongjang’, not far from the set.
For the actors, a separate motel called ‘Geumseongjang’ was booked next door.
It was quite surprising that two motels of similar size were neatly placed side by side, and they were even cleaner than expected, earning praise from everyone.
“Exactly how did they find a place like this? It wasn’t particularly famous anywhere.”
Phoenix, the drama production company, was truly meticulous in handling even the smallest of details, just as they were reputed to be.
Whether it was a drama or a movie, when the shooting team and actors lived together in a dormitory, a drinking party was inevitable.
While it’s common for the drama side to lack the leisure for such events, in the film industry, it’s practically 100%.
There was hardly a person in this industry who didn’t enjoy a drinking party.
Especially in a shooting site full of middle-aged actors or older, drinking nights were almost guaranteed.
However, our drama mainly featured young actors, and since the actors and the production crew were staying in separate accommodations, the building for the actors was surprisingly quiet.
I bet there was chaos over there?
Given the relatively relaxed schedule for a drama, I was sure the director and filming staff were all having a pleasant time.
As a newcomer, building rapport with the production staff was an important aspect, so normally, I should have joined them, but I decided not to today.
I had some things to think about.
I also needed to consider how I should act going forward and perhaps control my mindset.
“Siwoo, why are you out here moping all alone?”
“Ah, Su-yeon sunbae.”
I was in the middle of organizing my thoughts on a bench, a little away from the building, when Moon Suyeon sat beside me holding two mugs of coffee.
Well, at least she could’ve asked before sitting down.
Though, honestly, her arrival was welcome because I was just thinking about coffee. But her proximity felt a little awkward.
Why did she have to sit right next to me on this wide bench?
But I decided to let it slide for now.
I wanted to say something, but the atmosphere felt off somehow.
It was best to just observe in such situations.
“I wasn’t normal.”
“Then you thought you were?”
“Hey, you know what I mean… Anyway, yeah, I did. I thought I was fine too, but later I realized something was wrong. That’s why I went to the hospital without any argument.”
After joining Flame, Moon Suyeon’s first schedule was a psychiatric consultation.
Let’s be honest, that was a bit expected.
With gaslighting, memories, and how precious they are, working like an ox without any settlement, well, that’s not normal by any standard.
She probably realized something was off, so she followed the company’s recommendation without any fuss, and the diagnosis confirmed an anomaly.
The details are personal to her, and all we did was suggest diligent treatment, but now she’s bringing it up by herself.
“They say I have severe attachment issues, especially regarding family.”
“Ah, so that’s what it is?”
Cases like Moon Suyeon’s where the individual received no protection in childhood typically result in one of two attitudes towards family—either completely negative or overly attached.
She fell into the second category. Moon Enter probably felt like her only family.
“Did President Moon Yeong-woo treat you well?”
“Hmm… He was, perhaps, the first real adult I met? Maybe I even thought of him as a father, although I’ve never had a real father.”
“Is that so?”
“But why was he what he was in the end? He wasn’t like that when he was alive.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
This was becoming quite a personal conversation.
While I could overlook her reminiscing about Moon Enter, the diagnosis is too personal, something the company chooses not to intervene in.
But interrupting her now would’ve been awkward.
All I could offer were general and supportive words.
“In any case, try to get along well with the people at the company. Flame might be better than you anticipated.”
“It does seem that way. It’s completely different from Moon Enter. The seniors all seem satisfied.”
“True? Even though there might be something strange, they’re fundamentally good people.”
“Except for that woman who everyone says is a servant…”
The last remark was so soft I couldn’t quite catch it, but judging by the atmosphere, she seemed okay with things overall.
After all, there’s nowhere else like our company.
The only problem is that what we do feels oddly cult-like, but that’s just my perception. It probably wouldn’t seem strange to Moon Suyeon.
If she’s satisfied like this, I can finally feel that bringing her in was worthwhile.
“Do you know what I did today?”
“Hmm… You seemed to keep hanging out with Miju.”
“Yeah, that’s true. That Miju is really something.”
“Is that so?”
Between every break after filming, I noticed Moon Suyeon was almost always with Miju.
Not that I was looking specifically, but their duo was hard not to notice.
Since their first meeting, Moon Suyeon showed immense interest in Miju, sticking by her side and never leaving.
Anyone might think she joined the set just for Miju.
Well, maybe it was close to the truth since she herself mentioned something similar.
She still seemed to have a keen interest in Miju, perhaps considering her as a potential successor.
Perhaps Miju reminded her of her own past self.
An interesting detail is that Miju also likes Moon Suyeon a great deal.
What did that precocious kid say again?
-Suyeon sunbae is amazing. There’s so much to learn from her. She built the Moon Enter building, didn’t she? Billions of profits in three years—she’s really impressive.
-Learning what not to be is also valuable. She started from nothing, right? …Like a cautionary tale? I’ll never be like that.
She used the word “cautionary tale,” a term beyond a child’s usual vocabulary, so I asked where she learned it. She proudly took out her “Children’s Sijo Idioms” book.
Already working on expanding her vocabulary.
Such a child was bound to succeed, wasn’t she?
Acknowledged for her acting talent and possessing great potential in dancing and singing, it would be interesting to see the synergy she could create with Moon Suyeon.
Of course, this prodigy would still have about ten years before shining on the front lines.
In this way, I had a fairly long conversation with Moon Suyeon.
Most of it was trivial but had some useful content.
For example, the OST.
“Qilhyeongeum?”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about this for a while. For this drama’s OST, something a little heavy might work well. Adding qilhyeongeum as a highlight could enrich the melody.”
“Hmm…”
“Of course, I also considered inviting other experts, but if an actor played the qilhyeongeum, wouldn’t it help promote the drama?”
“That’s true. It would be fine.”
I had already thought of an OST melody, and the idea to add my qilhyeongeum playing wasn’t a bad productive conversation.
Of course, the fact that someone came to the filming site under the pretense of seeking musical inspiration but already had a composition in mind was evidence of deception.
What could I do? If someone wants to come, let them come.
“Then, what exactly were you trying to talk about?”
Moon Suyeon chattered for about half an hour by my side before heading back to her room.
Was all this just to tell me that story?
It was a bit confusing.
“Siwoo.”
About five minutes after Moon Suyeon left, as I was pondering why she acted that way, Heavenly Yuah appeared and sat next to me.
Coincidentally, just where Moon Suyeon had sat.
It was weird, but it didn’t confuse me.
If Heavenly Yuah came around this time, it would naturally lead to a discussion about today’s filming.
Even she likely noticed some deficiencies in my performance today.
Feedback on acting is always a regular task, and hearing something valuable now would be beneficial.
So, I greeted her casually, expecting a meaningful conversation.
“Um, just curious, but…”
“Yes, Sunbae.”
“Do you have… any special feelings for Moon Suyeon?”
What kind of strange remark was this?
It wasn’t me looking at Moon Suyeon, it was the combination of Moon Suyeon and Yang Miju that just naturally drew attention.
As I wondered what this was about and tried to respond, Heavenly Yuah continued.
“No, it’s not interference or anything… it’s just…”
“…”
“I’m worried. You’re still a newbie, and scandals are troublesome. The company has also noticed that Moon Suyeon often approaches you.”
“…”
“And… I don’t know how to put it, but when acting, sometimes you get too immersed in your role. The distinction between the drama’s story and reality gets blurred. I noticed that Siwoo sometimes viewed Moon Suyeon through the eyes of your character, Lee Myung.”
“…Hmm.”
“Let’s just leave it at this.”
But that’s all?
What about feedback on today’s performance? What? Is she really leaving?
She said her piece and disappeared.
“…What was that all about?”
Heavenly Yuah’s words were, in fact, quite reasonable.
But was it really appropriate for her to say such things?
Honestly, if a scandal were to occur, wouldn’t it involve her first?
Before Moon Suyeon joined the company, Heavenly Yuah and I spent almost 10 hours a day together during acting practice.
How could we have even played soccer video games together if things were suspicious?
The company premises must be considered a safe zone, and the fact that she knows this yet still brought it up is somewhat amusing.
The part about being overly immersed in a role confusing reality with fiction was closer to a general warning. However, even that warning was fundamentally based on misunderstanding.
Because the eyes of Lee Myung weren’t looking at Moon Suyeon, but rather at Hao Moonzhu Wolyeon.
But the most absurd thing was that Heavenly Yuah seemed to closely follow my actions and gazes.
Even while I was busy with acting, somehow I managed to glance at Moon Suyeon and the kid. How did she interpret that?
Considering the acting I delivered today, despite being distracted by such trivial matters, it was alarming.
I couldn’t help but think what kind of creature she was.
“I’m confused. What was that even about? Could it be… a warning?”
No, why?
I can’t make any sense of why this happened.
