✏️How to Write a K-Drama: Chapter Fourteen
Reunion. 🖇️
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Just then, they heard a muffled voice shouting to somebody else outside. The door opened, someone gasped, a bag of food fell onto the floor, and they both turned their heads to look at the person who had barged onto the scene.
Han Yul Hee stood there with her eyes about to pop out of her head, having just witnessed something she should not have seen (and never wanted to).
She quickly shut the door behind her, kicking the bag of food into the room in the process—all in one fluid movement. She pulled Jae Woon’s arms off, yanked Da Young off him, and looked from one to the other so quickly her hair could’ve given her whiplash.
“Da-Joo Ni! I knew it was dangerous to be single for so long! Did you jump the guy?” she half-whispered, half-exclaimed. She hissed, “And with your parents out there? What is this? Teenagers gone wild?” The speed in which Yul Hee’s mind worked was like a torpedo as, before anyone could respond, she immediately moved onto, “How was it, though? I’m gonna have to kiss those lips. Were they moisturized? How was his breath?”
At this point, Jae Woon felt like he was also getting whiplash. He grew tomato red as the realization dawned on him that he and the writer had kissed (well, smashed each other on the lips) twice and they’d been caught by another woman—one he was interested in. Then, he realized Yul Hee wasn’t like what he had imagined at all. Her words and actions were brusque; her physical features were soft but her expression was rather thuggish as she studied him. All that was missing was some gum in her mouth, but for some reason, he felt like he should offer up his wallet and maybe his homework.
“It was an accident,” Da Young said emotionlessly, already inching towards her laptop. This was a great development for her story—the accidental second kiss made it all the more innovative and juicy. My editor wants intimacy? Well, she’s going to get it! she thought to herself, then realized it sounded like a weird threat. She shook her head as if to clear the Etch a Sketch in her head.
“Don’t worry about it. That’s just how she works,” Yul Hee said to Jae Woon, resting her elbow on his shoulder like they were good friends—or she really was about to ask for his lunch money.
He nodded awkwardly, then said, “It’s–it’s very nice to meet you. I’m a fan.”
“Oh, yeah?” she said, studying him. “I heard. What do you think of me now?”
“You-you’re very charismatic!” he said, nodding furiously.
“Aw, thanks! Wish I could do some dramas that showcase that, but oh wells! Maybe Da Young can write me into a female rage movie someday.” She grabbed the bag of food and plopped down on the bed.
She was definitely not what he had expected. I must have questionable taste in women…he thought with a frown, tentatively joining her on the bed. She offered him a roll of kimbap from the bag, and he took it.
He looked at Yul Hee with uncertainty. Did he still want to get to know this woman more? He glanced at Da Young and saw how focused her face was, a little wrinkle between her eyebrows. She had seemed uncomfortable writing when it was just him, but once they had their accidental moment and Yul Hee arrived, inspiration seemed to have struck.
He nodded firmly to himself. This was good for them and the production. He’d continue on, but as for the wingwoman element…he glanced at Yul Hee again. At this point, she was biting each piece of kimbap off, ignoring how they were cut into slices, like an animal. Yul Hee caught him looking and smiled, her eyes turning into cute winks. His heart melted.
“By the way,” she said, not looking at him but her food, “you’re bleeding.”
“What?”
She gestured at her mouth. He put a hand up to his lip and realized that he was indeed bleeding. The impact of the kiss must have caused his teeth to crack his lip open. It stung.
Suddenly, Da Young was there with a small first-aid kit. She pulled out the antibiotic and handed it to Yul Hee, who grimaced and turned to Jae Woon. Yul Hee gently started applying the antibiotic to his lip with a soft, focused gaze. He stared down at her. She smelled nice.
He snapped back to reality when she looked at the writer and asked curtly, “Like this?” Da Young nodded and returned to her laptop to write an excerpt on the female lead walking in on another woman applying antibiotic ointment on her man. Yul Hee slapped a bandaid on his lip, rather harshly, and snapped the kit closed before happily returning to her kimbap. Jae Woon started nibbling on his own carefully so as not to split his lip further.
Da Young glanced at them both and couldn’t help smiling but also feeling a little weird inside.
All three of them together again…
Even back then, they would huddle together and share snacks, back when they were young with fast metabolism and less bloating. Now that they were older, Yul Hee and Jae Woon would likely start their diets before filming commenced. Da Young didn’t miss modeling in general, but whenever she thought of having to diet, she was extra pleased that she could stay behind the scenes as a writer. She never even had to be on set, especially with how things worked nowadays. Slowly, she looked around her room and took in the bare walls and undecorated shelves of books. She then turned back to her writing when an alert popped up. She had gotten a new message.
“Oh!” she said in surprise. The two on the bed looked at her, chewing thoughtfully. “The agent and production team like my script so far. They think we can start casting the rest of the actors and begin filming in a month…”
Yul Hee frowned. “In a month? Will your script be done by then?”
Da Young shrugged. “It’ll have to be. I can probably tweak it as we go…”
“Still…you only have two episodes out of sixteen.”
Da Young shrugged again. “It might take longer for them to finish casting everyone. I wonder who else will join.”
“Is there a secondary couple?” asked Yul Hee. Jae Woon’s ears perked up. He could learn more about the drama. So far, Da Young had been pretty secretive about it, something about how it was still in its most vulnerable baby stage.
“Not a secondary couple,” mused Da Young, “but there will be a secondary male lead, of course.”
Jae Woon and Yul Hee both nodded and chimed, “Of course.”
“Since we’re apparently letting actors cast whoever they want now, Yul Hee, any picks?” Da Young asked teasingly. Jae Woon stared at Yul Hee, wondering what type of men she liked.
She just shrugged. “No one lecherous or creepy,” she said, throwing a look at Jae Woon that read, “Whatchu lookin’ at?” His eyes found something interesting on the blank wall to focus on.
A light rap on the door had all three of them whipping their heads that way and tensing up. Ms. Song’s voice yelled, “We’re going to the supermarket. Do you need anything?”
“Tell her to get yakgwa,” hissed Yul Hee.
“No, nothing!” yelled Da Young. Yul Hee pouted at her kimbap.
“Did you fill up the piggy bank?” her mother continued, referencing the place where they kept cash for groceries and other expenses.
“Yes!”
“Okay, remember to fill it up again before our next grocery run!”
Da Young paused for the briefest of seconds, earning a glance from Jae Woon, before replying with gritted teeth, “When do I not?”
Her mother had already stepped back from the door.
All three waited with bated breath as they heard the two parents gather their things and leave, closing the door behind them. They waited another minute or so as they heard the bookstore’s front door close. Da Young peeked out her window and saw her parents walking off.
“This is our chance!” she exclaimed, grabbing Jae Woon and dragging him off her bed. She looked at Yul Hee, who read her mind and nodded, grabbing Jae Woon’s other side so it looked like the two of them would drag him out by each arm like he was a criminal getting kicked out of a store. And that’s exactly what they did—or tried to do. He was too tall for them to effectively drag, but Yul Hee made sure he couldn’t look back at the living room and see pictures of themselves from their younger days.
“I can walk!” he murmured. The three of them made their way down the stairs and out of the bookstore. The two friends looked around, making sure Da Young’s parents were not in sight, then looked back at Jae Woon in satisfaction.
“Leave,” Yul Hee said. She pulled his mask over his face and then covered her own as she noticed some passersby in the distance. One older man neared them. It was late afternoon, but he had already started drinking.
“Oho,” he slurred, looking back and forth between Yul Hee and Da Young. He then glanced up at Jae Woon. All three stared back. “You don’t need two fine women all to yourself, do you? It’s good manners to share, young man.” He chuckled to himself.
Immediately, Yul Hee went off. “What a strange old man. Are you saying this guy owns us? We don’t even want him, so what makes you think we’d want you?”
“This is a discussion between men, young lady. You just be a good girl and wait while we sort things out,” said the old man in a condescending tone of voice that was Yul Hee’s particular pet peeve. She had no qualms about violence, even with elders, so she was ready to land a flying kick, which Da Young recognized and quickly stopped by pulling her back by the elbows.
The old man huffed and gestured toward Da Young. “That one’s clearly better trained.”
Jae Woon had no idea what was going on but supposed he should put a stop to this. Instead, Da Young said flatly, “Sir, you don’t want to see me when I’m not well behaved, so you better walk on.”
“Or I’ll make sure you don’t walk again!” Yul Hee shouted, kicking her foot furiously into the air.
Jae Woon sighed and squatted down, suddenly feeling very tired. He had his hands full with these two, for sure. Just then, Da Young’s grip on Yul Hee “slipped” and she—mainly her foot—went flying in the air toward the old man in slow motion.
Next week on 🌟How to Write a K-Drama🌟
I don’t want to be here anymore, thought Jae Woon in despair, still squatting on the ground with a hand over his face.