Kim Jeong-hyun is a girl who longs for freedom.
The meaning and form of freedom in the early parts and the later parts are different. However, the determination to spare no means or methods to obtain freedom remains unchanged until the end.
“Did I empathize? Or, was I envious…?”
It was in a way consistent with Ha Eun from her previous life that what Kim Jeong-hyun wanted most was freedom. Just as Kim Jeong-hyun wished to be free from everything that restrained her, Ha Eun from her previous life also dreamed of escaping the pristine hospital room.
Objectively looking at it, having a wealthy family background was also true. However, it was similar to the previous life of Ha Eun in that she lived a life that was not comfortable despite such wealth.
However, the proactive ability to act without caring for the means and methods is the complete opposite of Ha Eun from her previous life. Unlike Kim Jeong-hyun, who could ultimately translate her thoughts into actions, Ha Eun from her previous life was not allowed to use any means or methods.
In the face of the constraints and abuse that overwhelmed her, she simply crumbled without strength, unable to even think of breaking free.
“Ugh, ahhh… I was wrong, I was wrong…”
“…I’m still far from it.”
After trying and trying her whole life to show only the figure that those people wanted, she ultimately could not obtain what she desired and put a period to her life.
“If I had resisted, would it have been different?”
Though both faced “unfreedom” at the starting point of life, the processes and results in handling it were vastly different. That is why the drama <The Sunshine> may have left a deeper impression.
In other words, regret. Or perhaps, lingering attachment.
Even though every moment in Ha Eun’s memory was already passed, she repeatedly pondered hypothetical situations.
“Hmm, you look troubled. Did you not like the acting?”
“Just for a moment… it reminded me of the past. I think the acting was good.”
It was a bit regrettable that she could only do well now. The words she swallowed back, not being able to share with Baek Tae-hoon, had lingered in her throat for a long time.
However, she could not remain forever entangled in the memories of the past.
-Swift.
She shifted her gaze from the faded memory to the script in front of her. For the sake of the one who would watch Ha Eun’s <The Sunshine> in the near future, she aimed to perform her best.
What had already passed was beyond Ha Eun’s reach. Thus, she desired to faithfully embody the figure that her previous life Ha Eun longed for, capturing it herself on camera.
“Let’s work hard.”
Through Ha Eun’s acting transmitted across the TV, she unconsciously hoped that the Ha Eun from her past, still trapped in the hospital room, would come to realize something. She sincerely wished that this time, the process and result of that frail life would be different.
Preparation began for the filming of the scene where Kim Jeong-hyun acts for the new freedom of the nation.
“Okay, we’ll start filming precisely at 5 o’clock.”
At the voice of Director Kwon Jae-hyuk filling the vast set of <The Sunshine>, Ha Eun’s dedicated writer came looking for her. Ha Eun then smoothly moved to join her writer and headed straight to the dressing room.
What followed was makeup and costume changes for Kim Jeong-hyun’s other persona. The beautiful hanbok Ha Eun was wearing was taken off in turn, replaced by a black suit and a thick coat.
The elegantly tied hair also was entirely undone and tied back again in a relatively simple style. Immediately after, the back of her hair was slightly lifted and fixed, topped with a black fedora.
Lastly, a thin mask was placed over her face, revealing an unmistakable assassin’s appearance. The appearance of a lady, once cherished by everyone, could not be found anywhere.
“Hmm, in a way, this could also be seen as cross-dressing.”
The image of Ha Eun in the wide mirror before her was, in every way, androgynous. Perhaps because most of her face was covered by the mask, Ha Eun’s characteristic sharp-eyed gaze began to stand out even more.
Thus, she changed entirely from head to toe into a look that was entirely different from before, making her way back to the set.
Shortly thereafter, she faced Director Kwon Jae-hyuk’s exclamation.
“I really can’t tell who you are from afar. The atmosphere has completely changed.”
A few minutes later, explanations about the action scene Ha Eun would have to perform followed. Immediately after, she went around the spacious set with Kwon Jae-hyuk, checking her movement path.
“Be careful not to run too fast, as you might stumble. For the final fall scene, we’ll cut once, so just hold for a moment.”
“Yes.”
The scene about to be filmed was where Kim Jeong-hyun, as a volunteer soldier, finishes her first assassination and escapes. The scene overall involved the Japanese army trying to capture Kim Jeong-hyun and the chase to evade them.
The escape route that Kim Jeong-hyun chose to shake off the relentless pursuit of the Japanese army was the rooftops. She was to leap among the clustered tile roofs and escape toward a safe house.
Of course, it wasn’t about actually running across real tiles. It was about running on flat blocks cleverly hidden in that location.
Anyway, after finishing the final checks, it was almost time to start filming Kim Jeong-hyun’s first action scene.
“So, everyone, get ready! Then… let’s begin!”
In time with Director Kwon Jae-hyuk’s call to start, she began to run slowly along the long roof. Almost simultaneously, the Japanese army extras below began chasing after Ha Eun.
-Bang! Bang bang!
The loud gunshots erupted from the toy guns aimed at Ha Eun. Every time that loud noise echoed through the set, Ha Eun shuddered in response.
“The eye contact is clean.”
The two uneasy eyes continued to flick back and forth between the visible safe house in the distance and the Japanese soldiers below. She seemed to grasp that the current Kim Jeong-hyun could die if she made a mistake, and her acting was smooth.
As the process of running on the rooftops continued, parkour acting began to be added to her performance. A scene of Ha Eun, desperately jumping between roofs spaced at a distance, trying to evade pursuit, soon followed.
Indeed, adding appropriate CG and background music to Ha Eun’s seemingly genuine appearance of being chased would surely create a great scene. The sight of Kim Jeong-hyun performing the escape scene as a volunteer soldier added confidence to Director Kwon Jae-hyuk.
Thus, after Ha Eun reached the point where the chase scene ended, they cut.
They momentarily adjusted the positions of the cameras and lights, and the microphone capturing the overall sound in the set was also refined. The preparation to resume filming was completed around two minutes later.
However,
“Ha Eun! Aren’t you out of breath?”
For some reason, Ha Eun, who had just performed the lengthy action sequence, didn’t appear strained at all. She was standing perfectly still on the rooftop, waiting for the filming to resume, her calm appearance drawing attention.
“You need to show that you’re tired after rolling off the roof. You should be breathing heavily!”
“Oh, okay.”
They had to instruct her to appear exhausted from evading the Japanese soldiers. Some of the staff, who had kept a close watch on Ha Eun’s action acting, were astonished at her unique stamina.
About twenty seconds later, Action.
Finally, the filming of the scene where the long chase between Kim Jeong-hyun and the Japanese soldiers concludes began.
-Bang!!
“Argh!!”
A Japanese soldier in the distance had shot Kim Jeong-hyun, causing her body to sway violently. Thus, she fell helplessly into the alley below, clutching her bleeding left shoulder in pain.
-Crash!
-Hit!
Losing her balance, she collided solidly with a wooden cart that had been left in the corner of the alley. Kim Jeong-hyun could be seen powerless as she fell next to the cart, which could no longer withstand her fall and shattered completely.
“She’s fallen! Find her!!”
“Heh, heh….”
Hearing the fierce voices of the Japanese soldiers in the distance, Kim Jeong-hyun struggled to lift her head. If she remained lying there, she would surely be caught.
Thus, she had to somehow rise and escape from that place. Within just seconds, her dust-covered small body began to waver toward the depths of the alley.
However, just before she could completely hide from the enemy voices beyond.
-Clank.
The sound of a gun being loaded was heard right next to her.
Realizing that everything was about to end, Kim Jeong-hyun slowly turned her head to the side with a dark expression.
And at that moment, she faced.
“…What kind of courage do you have to engage in such acts? A woman who used to tremble at even a scratch.”
Park Ju-ho, whose expression was mixed with various emotions, came into view. After a moment of silently staring at Park Ju-ho, Kim Jeong-hyun finally spoke with some difficulty.
“If you’re going to shoot, shoot. If you’re going to let me go, then let me go. I’m busy.”
With a slowly blooming bitter smile, she urged Park Ju-ho to make a choice. She was then abruptly pulled toward the rear door where Park Ju-ho stood.
“Do you even know what path you’re walking right now?”
“I don’t really know. But I know that this path is mine.”
“Killing a traitor won’t change anything! Why take such risks?”
“If only I had known a bit earlier that you were so kind.”
Even while the two of them were engaged in conversation, blood continued to flow from the gunshot wound on Kim Jeong-hyun’s left shoulder. Consequently, her consciousness was gradually fading away.
Perhaps because of that.
“Could I entrust my fleeting life to you, even just for a moment?”
Kim Jeong-hyun, realizing that she was about to completely lose consciousness, made one last plea. Park Ju-ho’s face twisted even further.
However, since she did not hear the refusal, she gently collapsed, resting her head on Park Ju-ho’s chest.
“…Are you believing that I am yours? Or are you believing that I will be yours…”
With the instant whisper that followed, cut.
The contradictory relationship of two people bound by a fateful tie, unable to sever their connection, was vividly captured on camera.
However, as soon as Ha Eun, who had just succumbed helplessly in Baek Tae-hoon’s arms, heard Director Kwon Jae-hyuk’s cut sound, she suddenly—
-Jerked.
“…! Oh my.”
In the blink of an eye, she opened her eyelids and immediately sprang away from Baek Tae-hoon’s arms in surprise.
Baek Tae-hoon, momentarily startled by Ha Eun’s sudden movement, told her that she didn’t need to fall away so quickly.
“I almost fell.”
“Oh… I’ll be careful.”
*
Filming in the middle of <The Sunshine> continued smoothly even after Kim Jeong-hyun’s first action scene. However, Ha Eun was not solely occupied with <The Sunshine> filming.
“Are you free around lunchtime on Saturday? I need to discuss something with you.”
“Ah, yes. I’m free.”
Receiving such a call from Jee Hye-min, she was briefly summoned to the LUX headquarters, making her busy on days other than <The Sunshine>‘s filming.
Regardless, since everything included in her schedule was work that Ha Eun wanted to do, she decided not to think of it as overdoing it. It was true that she had gained some mental leeway compared to the past.
However, separate from Ha Eun’s mental ease.
“I’m planning to release the first goods of Hwanseong as soon as possible after the cover song is released.”
The details about the first goods of Hwanseong relayed by Jee Hye-min from LUX’s executive office were suggestions related to “voice packs” among Hwanseong’s goods.
“Heh, I got tricked again. Fool~.”
“Hahaha! You really can’t do it─!”
“Ugh! So ugly!”
“Why are there only lines like this?”
“There are other lines too, but I picked out only those that suit Diah.”
Everything from start to finish delivered a tremendous shock.
“How did it end up like this?”
Ha Eun fell into a state of confusion, shocked at when Diah’s image had changed in such a direction.
There were still many things left to discuss with Jee Hye-min, but her head was already spinning.
