✏️How to Write a K-Drama: Chapter 24
The other woman. 👠
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Jae Woon did not hear any of that. Something about Da Young’s round eyes staring back at him in challenge struck Jae Woon weirdly, like a hit of nostalgia, of a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling he couldn’t quite grasp. He couldn’t quite understand this feeling or why it struck him so hard, but something felt heavy and ached in his chest, like there was something he was missing.
Ha Na entered the large, luxurious hotel lobby and made her way to the cafe area tucked away in the far corner. Her loose white skirt went straight down and boasted a soft, silky texture that felt great against her slim legs. The silk top was a creamier shade, the long pieces by the neck stylishly let loose to hang down rather than be tied into a stuffy bow.
Her shoes were simple (but expensive) white pumps that made subtle, brisk clicking noises with her confident stride. Her hair was of medium length, styled to effortlessly frame her oval-shaped face with her high cheekbones. Ha Na was in general relatively plain yet pleasant on the eyes, her makeup lending her face some elegance with its natural and neat style.
A high-end magazine editor, she was looking for the subject of her interview, someone who was quite up there in fashion but also a pretty good acquaintance. It was to be a more casual interview than most for which she was glad as work had been busy. It should be slowing down soon… She should probably start thinking of some sort of exclusive or special series to start on next.
Ha Na looked around. She heard some loud talking in one corner, so her eyes naturally followed. At the sight of Madame Do, her first instinct was to jump behind a plant and hide—but she was much too elegant for that. Her version of fleeing was turning around and slowly walking away like an important person, too busy to be stopped.
She saw her acquaintance, Na Joo, entering the area, likewise looking for her, and quickly waved at her to sit at a table a good distance away from Madame Do but not too close to the entrance, where they could be easily distracted or overheard. A small paper divider with pale wood paneling kept them mostly hidden from Madame Do’s view.
They both ordered tea before Ha Na opened her notepad. They chatted politely for a bit, and then her acquaintance glanced over and noticed Madame Do when the older woman got particularly loud. Jae Woon’s mother was dressed as outrageously as ever.
“Oh, isn’t that the mother of…what’s his name? He returned from America recently…” Na Joo murmured, racking her brain while Ha Na kept her gaze down on the notepad. “That’s right, Do Jae Woon.”
Ha Na pretended to glance over her shoulder at the general area of the loud woman, who just then name-dropped her son as if she had some supernatural sense for her own relevance. “Hm? Hard to say…”
“Come on,” Na Joo insisted. “Didn’t you work with them on exclusives before?”
“That was so many years ago…” Ha Na hesitated and frowned. “Come to think of it, yes, I believe you’re right. She’s a hard woman to forget. I wonder how I missed her.” She chuckled, an elegant, bell-like laugh that was both gentle and resonant.
Na Joo leaned in conspiratorially right then. “I hear his new drama is doing great. It’s a successful comeback so far. Quite the sensation.”
Ha Na raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really?” she asked, feigning interest.
“Mhm. That’s why our fashion director is considering nabbing him before all the other deals and designers and whatnot get in. He’s probably going to get busy as soon as filming slows down. I haven’t tried the drama yet—no time—but I think it’s already about to break 10%! So we have to make a move ASAP.”
Now Ha Na’s interest was definitely genuine. “Oh, really…”
The two went back to business. When they wrapped up, Na Joo left for a meeting while Ha Na decided she would enjoy her lunch time there at the hotel. First, she sat there for a few minutes, looking through her phone.
Trending search words. Drama viewership ratings. Popular celebrities at the moment. Brand name rankings.
Wordlessly, Ha Na gathered her things and walked over to Madame Do, who was fully wearing out the person she was talking to.
“Oh my, is that you, Madame Do?” Ha Na asked, sounding pleasantly surprised. She bowed politely to the woman, who looked happy to see her.
“Ha Na! It’s been so long!”
The poor man who had been roped into listening to Madame Do’s complaints and boasts took this opportunity immediately. “Oh, you should sit here,” he told Ha Na, practically jumping up from his seat. “I have to go now, actually, Madame Do, but it was a pleasure,” and before she could even respond, he fled, practically leaving behind a trail of smoke as if he was in a cartoon.
Ha Na kept her polite smile pasted on her face, but for a brief second it deepened into a smirk of amusement for herself. She raised her eyebrows at Madame Do and, gesturing at the seat, asked, “May I?”
“Why, of course!”
“How have you been?”
“Good, good, and of course you must have heard but…” and as Ha Na had predicted, Madame Do went on about what her son was currently up to.
Once Madame Do had to stop to take a breath, she shot Ha Na a sly look. She rested one second more before she was fully recharged enough to continue talking. “You lost a good one, you know.”
“I never doubted that,” Ha Na said, her smile tightening ever so slightly. “Sometimes, things just don’t work out.”
“Maybe not the first time around…”
Ha Na’s smile widened, but she stayed silent, lowering her gaze to look modest.
Madame Do continued, “It’s been a while since his last rom-com, but look at him! He hadn’t lost his touch. Truly a genius in the field. I don’t know what the industry was thinking, not offering him every rom-com in existence in the last, what, five years?”
“We’ve all been missing out, for sure.”
“And what about you? What have you been up to lately? How’s the magazine doing?”
“I’m good, thank you. I’m still working as an editor. The magazine is thankfully doing just fine.” A pause. “I am looking to do a special exclusive soon, however.”
A light gleamed in Madame Do’s eyes. “A special exclusive, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Any ideas?”
“Now that you mention it and we’re on the topic of successful dramas at the moment…” Ha Na expertly dropped off at the end as if she was deep in thought, a small frown on her dark lips. “Hm, your son’s drama…It’s currently filming while the show is airing? That’s quite old-fashioned. It’s been a while since that’s happened.”
It was almost too easy. Without hesitation, Madame Do jumped in with, “You should talk to my son.”
Ha Na smiled indulgently now. “It has been so long since we last talked.”
“Oh, it’s only been what, five years?”
“Yes, five years already… Wow.”
“That’s all in the past and you’re both grown adults. I’m sure he’d be delighted to see you again. Old friends, and all that.” Madame Do smiled in a way she thought was discreet, but she was too easy to read, especially for someone as perceptive as Ha Na.
“Then as old friends, perhaps he can do me a favor,” Ha Na said.
–
Things were different on set again. Da Young thought they’d all be closer after the fun boxing session they had together, but since that day, for some reason, Jae Woon had been avoiding her once more. He wouldn’t look her in the eye and would turn away from her if she neared him. At the same time, she had this weird feeling that he was watching her from afar…
She didn’t have much time to dwell on this, however. Something else was happening.
One day, Da Young came on set to general cheeriness. The mood was great lately because the third episode had surpassed 10%, which was a huge feat for a cable drama series, especially so early on. There was a huge following online as well, with many trending keywords and positive feedback.
Perhaps it was all owing to the success of the drama, but Da Young arrived to see a new face. There was a small crowd by Kyung Hwan, whom she wanted to talk to regarding a scene she was working on. When he saw her, he introduced her to the woman who stood in the center of the tiny group.
“Oh, Joo Ni, this is Ha Na, Senior Editor of Essential magazine. She will be showing up at times to do a series of special exclusives on the drama. Ha Na, this is our star writer, Eun Joo Ni. If you need her for an interview, I’m sure she can set aside some time to answer a few questions.” Kyung Hwan gave her a questioning look with raised eyebrows to make sure this was okay with Da Young. She returned a small smile and nod, although the idea made her slightly uncomfortable.
Ha Na had eyes that peered right at others without any shame or bashfulness. Her lips were thin and painted in red, and when she lifted the corners in a polite smile, she emphasized her high cheekbones. Overall, she was the epitome of sophistication.
So this really is what a Senior Editor of a magazine looks like, thought Da Young in awe, slightly blinded by Ha Na’s self-assuredness and impeccable style.
“Oh, Jae Woon!” called out Kyung Hwan, looking over Da Young’s head.
Da Young froze. She turned slowly.
Kyung Hwan continued, “Meet this magazine editor. She’ll be on set with us here and there from now on and she wants to ask you a few questions.”
He need not have mentioned her name for Da Young saw on Jae Woon’s face that he knew her. For a brief second, his face froze, panic settled in his eyes, and he looked like he couldn’t breathe. Had Da Young imagined it? It happened so fast. But a familiar mask replaced whatever she thought she had seen.
“Her name is Ha Na. Ha Na, this is Do Jae Woon.”
Da Young, on autopilot, turned back to look at Ha Na, who was smiling at Jae Woon, almost with a self-satisfied glint in her eye. Her gaze was magnetic, as if she knew he’d try to pull away but she wouldn’t let him. She said in her sweet voice, “Hello. It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I hope we work well together.”
And all Jae Woon could do was bow his head and walk away.
Next week on 🌟How to Write a K-Drama🌟
Da Young realized just then and there that Jae Woon was not like her. They had entered this agreement due to her own lack of romantic experiences, but he certainly must have had his fair share of them…
**Author’s Note**
I’ve changed the format of the titles (written out→numerical) as I realized they were getting too long and generating unpredictable links. Shouldn’t be a huge change, but wanted to let you know! If there are any broken links, I hope to rectify them soon.