Chapter 12: When You End Up in the Trash Can (1)

“Starting the shoot!”

“Oh, it’s starting. Hyung, let’s go quickly!”

“Yeah. Where’s Woon-yul—?”

While Lee Young-bin was being considerate, Kim Woon-yul’s seat was already empty.

She must have headed to the set ahead of us.

Young-bin and I hurried over to the park where we were filming.

Today was the day to film the park confession scene, the second day of our two-day shoot.

Because it was a short commercial, the classroom and campus date scenes were all scheduled for tomorrow.

The park confession was to be the final shot of the commercial.

The director checked the script one last time.

*****

A park where you can see the night view at a glance.

There is no one except the two of them.

The woman quietly enjoys the park’s night view while holding the railing.

The man gazes at her in silence.

Man (staring at the woman’s profile, as if entranced): Pretty.

The woman mistakes the man’s words for a compliment toward the night view.

Woman (smiling lightly): Yeah, it’s really pretty. Thanks for bringing me.

After replying, the woman quickly turns her head toward the man.
Then, upon seeing his expression, she looks flustered as well.

Man (the embarrassed man’s face turns bright red): Oh, no. I mean, it’s not the night view, but…

Woman: Huh?

Man (glancing away, mumbling behind his arm): I, I wanted to say that you’re pretty… I. Uh. Sorry, I… Shouldn’t have said that?

Woman (bursting into laughter, clutching her stomach)

Man: Hey, what’s so funny! I, I’m awkward with this sort of thing too.

The woman, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, grabs the railing again. She faces the man.

Woman (leaning on the railing, holding her phone): You can say it. It feels good.

The man bends his waist to meet the woman’s eye level.

Man (gently touching the fingers of the woman holding her phone): Okay. Then. From now on… Can I be the only one to say it…?

Camera slowly F.O

The man’s voice and the woman’s reply gradually fade out.

Their faces draw closer, and as their shadowed figures linger, the camera pulls up to the sky.

*****

Maybe it was because the lines were a bit childish and the scene itself was a typical moment from a youth drama, but the acting of the two leads was especially important.

On top of that, it was late evening.

It would be best to finish shooting before it got completely dark.

The night view was at its most beautiful, just in time.

“Alright, let’s start filming!”

Kim Woon-yul stood in front of the railing.

She turned her head slightly to check Jeon Yeo-hoo’s face.

Even his profile was perfect.

‘Handsome. If I stand next to him, I might get compared. Well, at least my head’s smaller, right?’

Matching chemistry is important in couple acting.

If one side acts terribly, it immediately drags the other person down.

I’d looked into Jeon Yeo-hoo a bit—he basically had no acting experience. No agency either.

Maybe he got this commercial just for his face.

I also knew that his account had suddenly gone viral.

‘How will he act, this person?’

Filming began, and Kim Woon-yul naturally started her lines.

A cool breeze blew.

It felt good, and she smiled without thinking.

[Pretty.]

A low voice.

Feeling Jeon Yeo-hoo’s gaze, Kim Woon-yul spoke her next line and turned her eyes away.

Next is the scene where she gets flustered and stammers, right?

As Kim Woon-yul slowly turned her head and met Jeon Yeo-hoo’s eyes, her face burned red in an instant.

……What the?

[Oh, no. I mean, it’s not the night view, but……]

Just moments ago, he’d seemed so aloof—

He hadn’t spared her a single glance in the waiting room, only chatting with the other actors.

‘He can act like this?’

The wavering gaze, the trembling lashes.

The large hand awkwardly covering his face.

It didn’t feel like acting at all.

Jeon Yeo-hoo—or rather, this person—had, at some point, become someone utterly immersed in her.

Kim Woon-yul was so startled by her racing heartbeat that she nearly hiccuped.

[Huh?]

Without even thinking about the script, Kim Woon-yul spoke her next line like a reflex.

The eyes peeking from behind his arm tickled her face.

Jeon Yeo-hoo’s next line, his nervousness barely suppressed.

He glanced at Kim Woon-yul.

[I wanted to say that you’re pretty… I.]

He quickly looked away again.

[Uh. Sorry, I… Shouldn’t have said that?]

At Jeon Yeo-hoo’s words, Kim Woon-yul burst out laughing—so naturally it surprised even herself.

For the first time during an acting scene, Kim Woon-yul laughed freely.

She was more focused on the actor before her than the camera itself.

She’d never felt this free in her acting.

As her laughter spilled out, Jeon Yeo-hoo lowered the hand covering his face.

[Hey, what’s so funny! I, I’m awkward with this sort of thing too.]

She didn’t even know the other actor, but right now he was as lovable as a first love.

Kim Woon-yul gripped the railing tightly and naturally leaned closer, looking up at Jeon Yeo-hoo.

In one hand, she held a TAM phone.

[You can say it. It feels good.]

Jeon Yeo-hoo gently took Kim Woon-yul’s fingers that held the phone and leaned in.

Kim Woon-yul’s heart began to race faster than ever.

Thump, thump, thump.

They were close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Worried that he might hear her heartbeat, she tensed up.

[Okay. Then. From now on… Can I be the only one to say it…?]

*****

“Cut! Ah, that was really good! Let’s shoot two more takes from different angles and we can wrap up! Props, get the petals ready!”

While the prop team bustled around to reshoot the scene, Kim Woon-yul, fixing her makeup, glanced sideways at Jeon Yeo-hoo.

‘He’s actually really good at acting.’

Right then, her eyes met Jeon Yeo-hoo’s.

He strode over and spoke up.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“I…”

“……”

Is he going to ask for my number or something?

Not a chance. I won’t fall for that.

At that moment, Jeon Yeo-hoo suddenly turned his head left and right.

“Right side, left side.”

“…?”

“Which looks better? Personally, I think my left is better.”

“Huh? Uh… They look the same to me. Your features are really symmetrical.”

“Really? Yeah. That’s true. Thank you.”

“…?”

Jeon Yeo-hoo walked away without hesitation, leaving Kim Woon-yul’s face flushed red.

‘What was that? Seriously?’

*****

The park shoot wrapped up in just three hours.

The reason was simple.

I acted well, and the others did, too. Thankfully, Lee Young-bin didn’t mess up his lines nearly as much as he did at the reading.

Not nearly as much.

That’s real progress.

It’s not something that can be fixed in a day.

“Cut! Good job, everyone!”

“Great work!”

On the way back to return my costume after the final scene,

I clenched my fist as hard as I could.

My hand hadn’t stopped trembling for a while.

How long has it been since I’ve shared this kind of back-and-forth acting?

All the minor roles I’d had before hardly ever involved real chemistry. For the first time in this life, it wasn’t an audition, but real acting with someone in front of the camera.

How much more of this will I get to experience from now on?

Being able to act makes me feel alive. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Back then, I thought I’d sell my soul to the devil if it meant I could keep acting.

And I did sell it, and I acted.

But now, I’d gotten another chance.

This time, I could keep acting without selling my soul to the devil.

‘By the way, when is the System going to show up again?’

*****

On my way to the station to head home, I ran into Kim Woon-yul.

She was walking with her manager to where the van was parked.

“See you tomorrow.”

I was going to just say a quick goodbye, but Kim Woon-yul marched right over.

Then she bowed her head.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

…Sorry about what?

“Did I do something wrong? I don’t think you owe me an apology.”

Kim Woon-yul shook her head.

She had such a solemn expression, like she’d made some kind of grave decision. People with that face usually end up saying things I never expect…

I want to avoid this.

“No… Actually, I badmouthed you in my head, thinking Jeon Yeo-hoo only got the part because of his looks. I’m crazy!! I can’t believe someone like me, who can’t even act, thought that way.”

She clenched her fists and shook her head wildly.

She even pounded her chest.

“I’m really the worst kind of person!”

She… She’s having a normal conversation like a musical actor.

Was she always like this?

“You don’t need to beat yourself up that much. You were great, Kim Woon-yul. Besides, it’s normal to think that about a rookie with no agency who’s this good-looking.”

Honestly, it was a natural misunderstanding.

And she never criticized or picked a fight with me about it—so she was actually on the polite side.

Before my regression, there were people who’d talk behind my back and got busted for it.

Kim Woon-yul said,

“No!!! That’s not it!! I’ll practice harder for tomorrow!! Next time, I won’t get swept up—I’ll show you my real acting.”

“…Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

“Thank you! I won’t lose next time!”

Not that acting’s about winning or losing…

But if it was, I’d win.

‘She’s got ambition, at least.’

*****

The second day of filming arrived.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

As promised, Kim Woon-yul showed even better acting the next day.

She said she’d practice, and in just a day, her expressions were richer, making it easier to act with her.

Despite her efforts, the university scenes, which started in the early morning, only finished by dusk.

“Great job, everyone! Let’s clean up and go home!”

After shooting wrapped up, Kim Woon-yul came over to thank me again.

Today, Lee Young-bin wasn’t bad either.

He kept practicing with Kim Woon-yul in the waiting room, and during the actual shoot, he barely made any mistakes.

I heard that once shooting is done, it takes about one to two months for the commercial to be edited and released on the platform.

It could take longer, but that depends on the editor’s satisfaction.

Thinking back to before my regression, this commercial was the most talked-about audition I could apply for at this time, so I was looking forward to it.

As soon as Lee Young-bin returned his costume, he ran over to me, makeup still on.

“Hyung!”

Come to think of it, at some point, I’d officially become Lee Young-bin’s ‘hyung.’

He said he owed fixing his pronunciation entirely to me, and suggested we eat dinner together. Of course, Kim Woon-yul was invited, too.

“Me, too?”

“Of course! We’re all colleagues. Hahaha!”

“I’d love to!”

Well, the more people I know, the better.

I never imagined that at this dinner, I’d end up in the trash can.

For real.

I really did. In a trash can.