✏️How to Write a K-Drama: Chapter Twenty-Two
Shenanigans on set. 🤪
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Da Young continued to watch, her frown deepening and eyes narrowing, as she suddenly realized how out of place she felt—how out of place she likely was. She turned away and headed back to her desk setup.
Maybe that was what Jae Woon had meant from the start.
Jae Woon was so busy memorizing lines and filming that he hadn’t seen much of Da Young the first few days to the consternation of their Fan Club, consisting of President Ha, Ms. So, and Jo Suk—not that he or Da Young even knew they were almost always on set.
Da Young likewise was throwing herself into the work as the premiere date was coming faster than she’d like. A semi-permanent wrinkle was forming between her eyebrows without her realizing it, but Jae Woon noticed when he saw her next, typing furiously away at her desk. His heart dropped.
She’s not used to being on set, he scolded himself. I should’ve paid more attention… Even though he had warned her things would be different once filming began, he was disappointed in himself for neglecting her. As much as he was avoiding everyone and isolating as usual, he should have at least tried to check up on her more often.
He gathered Yul Hee and, for some reason, Won Joo. Won Joo, much like a puppy, was just always kind of around. Even if he didn’t want to be around, he was quickly found by Yul Hee, who had endless energy and always wanted to play.
“How’s the writer been doing?” he asked Yul Hee. “Have you been checking in on her?”
“She’s fine,” she replied, flapping her hand. “I never disturb her when she’s writing.”
“But she’s never been on set before.” Jae Woon frowned.
“Oh, it’s been–” she froze, eying him warily. She had meant to say it had been a while, but to best keep her mouth shut about their past, she figured she shouldn’t say anything at all. “It’s been a few days,” she hurriedly continued when both men started looking at her strangely. “I’m sure she’s accustomed to it now.”
Yul Hee turned to look at her friend. “Hey, look,” she said. “Kyung Hwan makes sure to take care of her. She’s in good hands.”
Kyung Hwan was handing her an iced Americano. Yul Hee turned back to the men to see she was only facing one man now, Won Joo. She turned back again to see Jae Woon had gone over to the table to grab the iced Americano for himself.
“Thanks, Kyung Hwan,” he said cheerfully.
“Oh, that was for the writer,” Kyung Hwan replied.
“She only drinks lattes.”
“I don’t mind iced Americano,” Da Young replied drily, glaring at the man who had stolen her much-needed source of caffeine. While it was true she could never much get herself to like the bitter yet oddly watered down taste of an iced Americano, she could use any boost of energy she could get.
Jae Woon, still sucking up the iced Americano with gusto, gestured with one free finger towards the parking lot. Finally, he swallowed and said, “My fans sent me a coffee truck. I’ll grab you your latte. Be back in a sec!” and hurried off, Yul Hee and Won Joo quickly following him to grab their own drinks. Yul Hee was also bent on teasing him.
She opened her mouth when she saw him glance at a text on his phone before quickly shoving it back down his pocket, tensing up. She closed her mouth, frowning. This gesture, this tension…she remembered it. Something felt very familiar about it.
Yul Hee had an excellent memory. A coldness washed over her, making her initial desire to tease him disappear. His mother.
Jae Woon was about to order when he recognized the barista barking orders and working super diligently. “Hye Na,” he said, eyebrows raised.
His number one fan looked at him. “Oh, there you are!” the woman said. “I see you already got your iced Americano.”
He nodded, then noticed the other baristas who were hurrying around under Hye Na’s watchful eye. “Pyo Min Ah and Sung Yoo Min? I didn’t know your cafe did coffee trucks.”
“Hye Na organized it all,” Yoo Min said, as gentle as ever while Min Ah tossed him one “don’t bother me glare” as she served someone their coffee. She had time to throw him one more look that said “why are you worth this” before taking another order.
Jae Woon brushed it off, for some reason knowing Min Ah didn’t actually hate him, and asked Hye Na for a latte for the writer.
When she handed it over, Hye Na muttered under her breath, “The madame has been making a ruckus trying to get in here.”
“Ah, the micromanager that she is,” he replied breezily, gripping both cups in his hands despite his nonchalant smile.
“Has your phone been blowing up?”
“Yeah, but I’m busy so don’t have much time to look at it anyway.” He gave her a nod of thanks and left, Yul Hee watching after him.
–
“If my son is on set, I’m on set,” declared Madame Do loftily to the assistant director of the shoot. “Who knows what strange outfits you’re going to put on him or whether you’ll even put your hands on him!”
The assistant director gasped.
Yul Hee’s dad nodded slowly, his thick arms crossed over his chest as always. Yul Hee nodded, too. That part was a legitimate concern that parents should have, but knowing Madame Do… She doesn’t really care about that, except it’d be a matter of disrespect to her pride, like someone dirtying her designer bag, she thought with a grimace.
Jae Woon finally walked over and talked soothingly to the assistant director. Their roles are completely reversed, Yul Hee thought once again. Finally, the assistant director sighed and stepped aside for Madame Do to watch her son pose after he warned her that her reputation may cost them jobs.
She was calm for a few minutes, solely due to the threat of losing jobs, before she started engaging again, telling him how to pose, demanding the photographer get his best angles, and criticizing his hairstyle.
I hate her, thought Yul Hee. She was surprised at the thought, which had insidiously embedded itself deep into her subconscious over time and had finally come up to the surface. She might get easily riled up, but she rarely felt personal hatred towards others.
Her eyes found Da Young, who stood in the shadows watching—alone, as always. She looked worried and sad. Worry about yourself, fumed Yul Hee. Her eyes darted to Jae Woon, showered by endless demands and negativity, then back to Da Young, who drowned in silence and neglect.
Which is better, I don’t even know. Yul Hee turned back to give her dad a look, which he was already giving back. To others, his face looked the same as always—stoic and expressionless. But in his eyes, he spoke to her. I understand. You got me. Let’s buy everyone ice cream after this. I’ll knock Madame Do out if I have to.
She grinned back. I’d love to see that…
–
Yul Hee and Jae Woon filmed another scene. When Kyung Hwan yelled cut, Yul Hee wandered over to the shade and peeked at Da Young, who happily sipped her latte while typing away. She wondered how Da Young was doing, especially with her writing as she hadn’t interacted with Jae Woon much since filming started.
Jae Woon joined her under the shade to survey the writer. “I haven’t seen her crack a smile in a long time,” he murmured. Yul Hee frowned. He was correct, she realized.
Won Joo joined them. “I think the writer’s working too hard.”
“Let’s see who can make her laugh first!” Jae Woon suddenly proclaimed, slamming the bottom of his fist into his hand with gusto.
The challenge was on.
First, Jae Woon approached, doubting himself now as he realized he wasn’t the funniest person. He gestured at the latte. “Good, huh?” he asked.
“Mhm,” she simply said. He left.
Won Joo tried next, relating to her a funny story about how he helped a guy confess his feelings to the woman they both liked, but he ended the story on a rather sad note and Da Young had to comfort him for a good few minutes instead.
Yul Hee squatted before her and kept making various funny facial expressions until her manager finally pulled her away, insisting her pretty face might get stuck on one or form wrinkles if she continued any further.
The three reconvened under the shade of the same tree as before, now looking as studious and serious as the writer they had been trying to amuse.
They barely noticed Kyung Hwan approach Da Young and throw her a casual remark. As if in slow motion, they saw her become aware of the director, absorb the words that he had said, and have her face open up gradually like a time lapse of a sunflower unfurling its petals to face the sun, the smile brightening up her face as her eyebrows rose up and her eyes widened in amusement.
Reflexively, Yul Hee and Won Joo snapped their heads to look at Jae Woon.
“Alright, back to work everyone,” he murmured, eyes narrowed. Realizing they couldn’t quite go to work just on their own, he shouted, loudly enough for the assistant director to hear, “BACK TO WORK! WE’RE ALL READY NOW, LET’S GO! THE PREMIERE DATE IS COMING UP! NO TIME TO WASTE.”
Da Young gave him a look for he was being loud. Kyung Hwan waved her goodbye and followed his actors back onto the set while farther off, Hye Na, still working at the coffee truck, shook her head like she did when her children misbehaved.
Next week on 🌟How to Write a K-Drama🌟
“Can’t you be more gentle?” Jae Woon murmured, eyebrows furrowing as he moved closer to Won Joo, who was on the verge of tears. Jae Woon gently lifted the ice pack, his bangs falling over his eyes as he stood over Won Joo and studied the red spot on the younger man’s cheek.