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A red dragonfly gently alighted on the water jar. As if heralding the beginning of early summer, the gardenia started to bloom. The wind chime hanging under the eaves made a clear sound, and cicadas, already awakened from their long slumber, held to the lush old pine tree, spreading their calls.
“Mom, what are all these dishes?”
It’d be fitting to say the table legs were about to break. From seafood with the scent of Namhang to mountain herbs that seemed to have just been picked. The table was filled with a feast that wouldn’t be out of place even on a holiday celebration.
“All I can do for you is cook, Guk. With a teacher in the house and another grown-up living here, I can’t imagine how much the food costs. And today, one more guest is coming besides Teacher, right?”
“Half the week, he has breakfast with my uncle. But you prepared too much, Mom. You should have told me before I went to exercise. Today is the day when the housekeeper doesn’t come
”
“Don’t worry about it. I almost finished preparing everything, so I only had to transfer and reheat the dishes. But what about this uncle? Does Teacher have a younger sibling?”
The affection that felt like family was evident. Grandpa (Director Baek Janghun) had a wide smile on his face. Uncle (actor Ahn Junghyeon) also had bright eyes, full of anticipation. After all, Mom’s cooking skills were no exaggeration to say were the best in Namhang. However, Mom had an unusual expression on her face.
“Mom, is your stomach not feeling well?”
“No, it’s fine. But was the uncle you mentioned earlier Ahn Junghyeon?”
“Why?”
“Guk, I’ve been a fan of his since long ago.”
Although Mom spoke in a small, embarrassed voice, it was impossible that Uncle, with his keen hearing, didn’t hear her.
“Really?! Yeongguk’s mom!”
“Oh my! It seems you heard me. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been a fan of Ahn Junghyeon since my maiden days.”
“Wow! Listen to this, Yeongguk! Your uncle was so popular back in the day. He even got such delicious food served to him. If it’s alright with you, I’ll send you all the movie tapes I’ve appeared in so far!”
“Really? Then, could you also give me an autograph?”
“Of course! Not only an autograph but let’s also take a picture together today! Hahaha! You saw, right, hyung? Ahn Junghyeon is still alive!”
Mom looked as happy as a high school girl at Uncle’s reaction. I never would have dreamed that Mom was Uncle’s fan. In fact, it might have been obvious. It wasn’t for nothing that they called him the National Actor Ahn Junghyeon.
As for the man who always barged into the bathroom without shame and casually hung around, such familiarity had numbed me to his manly features and generous personality. I’ve forgotten how he was as popular among middle-aged women as the trot singer Na Huna.
“Yeongguk, are you going to the filming site with your mom today?”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
“Alright, enjoy the visit, and take good care of your mom. And Yeongguk’s mom, don’t feel too uncomfortable. Having this empty house filled with so many people feels so good. Instead, I’m sorry that all I can do for you after you’ve prepared such a lovely breakfast is to lend you a room.”
“Don’t say that! I’m the one who’s sorry for my child being in your care. Still, as a parent, my heart is at ease knowing he’s living in such a good house with good people. Thank you very much, Teacher.”
Grandpa showed his warmhearted smile. We passed through the main hall, and Grandpa and Uncle came to see us off. Mom was dressed in a beautiful Western-style dress she had never worn before. She must have thought of maintaining my dignity and ironed it nicely before bringing it. I complimented Mom, who looked as beautiful as a blooming gardenia.
“Mom, you look pretty.”
***
I had never visited a shooting site with my mother in my previous life, so the excitement and tension of last night had kept me awake. My heart raced relentlessly as if I were a student going on a school trip.
“Hello, I’m Lee Bongchun!”
The one holding the steering wheel was none other than my manager, Lee Bongchun. His impressive form bending his waist at a ninety-degree angle for a greeting could be mistaken for someone from another world if a stranger saw him.
“You said your name was Bongchun, right? Our child is still young and doesn’t know much, so please take good care of her.”
“Yes. Youngguk has such great social skills. Sometimes he’s more like a boss than me, and I’ve learned much from him.”
“Bongchun-hyung, is your hometown Busan by any chance?”
“Oh dear, my hometown dialect slipped out. My hometown is actually Nampo-dong in Busan. I’ve been speaking the Seoul dialect since I moved here, but hearing the dialect after such a long time makes it slip out unknowingly. Hahaha.”
Somehow, I had felt a subtle Gyeongsang Province accent when we talked at the agency. At first, I thought it was just his speech pattern, but it turned out we were from the same region. I felt even closer to him for some reason. Then my mother asked him a question as he continued to face the driver’s seat.
“Does Bongchun have family in Seoul?”
“No, my family is all in Jagalchi, selling hagfish. Actually, even I was selling hagfish in Jagalchi until three years ago.”
“Then why did you come to Seoul?”
Manager Lee Bongchun hesitated and mumbled. What could he be trying to say with such hesitation? My mother and I, curious, perked up our ears.
“Well, three years ago, I saw a drama being filmed in Jagalchi. The merchants were upset because the road was blocked, and they were all scolding the filming crew when a small child suddenly shouted at them. The child’s voice was so strong and clear that the Jagalchi merchants all came together! That’s when I felt it. Ah, I want to work with passion like that, too.”
No way.
“Since that day, I packed my things and hurried to the agency where that child was. I did odd jobs for three years and repeatedly begged the CEO to let me be that child’s manager.”
“Bongchun-hyung, don’t tell me that child was
”
“Yes, it was you. I was too embarrassed to say it. I even asked the CEO to keep it a secret, but my lips are too loose.”
He glanced at the rearview mirror with a bear-like gaze, full of embarrassment. My mother, after hearing his story, happily clapped her hands.
“This is truly fate!”
Fate was truly amazing. There’s a saying that even brushing against someone’s clothes creates a connection. Three years ago when a little child shouted his ambitions to the Jagalchi merchants and a young merchant who happened to be there. The fate of these two continued now that they were both in Seoul.
I met his gaze in the rearview mirror. Was this what luck was like? People who liked and cared for me gathering around me like magic? The warm sunshine, as gentle as his story, shined on my shoulder beyond the car window.
* * *
The sky was so bright it was blinding. The shooting site overflowed with refreshing energy, like water pouring from a waterfall. My mother exchanged greetings with the filming crew, including PD Kim Jin. Dressed in her finest clothes and bowing her head, she looked like a parent meeting her child’s homeroom teacher.
“I hope I’m not causing any trouble by coming here.”
“Mom, it’s fine! It’s not like you’re coming every time. Often, the director’s family or friends visit the shooting site like this. Don’t worry. Look at how lively the shooting set is already, thanks to Yeongguk. Relax and enjoy the sight, and watch your child act today. Let’s try to finish in one take without any NGs since you’re here, too.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“Being so serious about everything. That’s Yeongguk’s charm. But, what is this?”
“Oh, I made some rice cakes for the staff to eat on the shooting site. It’s a steamed rice cake made with glutinous rice called songpyeon. It’s a good outdoor snack because it doesn’t spoil easily in hot weather. I’m worried it might not be to your taste, though.”
“No way! It looks absolutely delicious, doesn’t it?”
PD Kim Jin exaggeratedly clapped his hands, and his sharp mouth never ceased, easing my mother’s tension. Thanks to him, my mother seemed to have adapted a bit. Soon, we heard the AD shouting that the standby was complete, and everyone headed to the shooting site. My mother held my hand tightly and said,
“Yeongguk, I’ll be watching you from over there.”
My heart raced, just like the first time I stepped onto the stage of a play in my past life. Facing the audience was a nonstop thrill. Not to mention, it was my mother’s first time visiting the filming site. She was like an eternal audience to me.
“Scene number 61, Dojin and Jisu at the valley!”
Like crayfish scurrying around in the crevices of rocks, youth gathered beneath the cascading waterfall at the mountain base. Watermelons floated in the water, serving as impromptu refrigerators, and the male students splashed around without a care in the world. Among them, one boy stood out.
“It’s a catch!”
The boy, who had been swimming underwater, emerged with a fish in hand. His tall figure was accentuated by his sleeveless shirt. Beneath his wet hair, a smile full of summer blossomed. The female students sitting by the water smiled as they watched him, all except one.
“Tsk, what kind of catch is that?”
“It’s a catch nonetheless. Open your eyes and look. There’s nothing like it.”
Dojin (Jang Yeongguk) nonchalantly laughed and returned to swimming underwater. Crayfish hid among the rocks, and the fish swam around his feet playfully. The underwater camera captured his image. His drenched hair defied gravity, and his sleeveless shirt fluttered like a butterfly in the water.
Between his slightly closed eyes, his long eyelashes held a refreshing sensation. Like a painter admiring their subject, the young man captivated the underwater camera.
At that moment, his calf-like eyes slowly opened underwater. One of the mischievous male students quickly dived and yanked off Dojin’s outer shirt. The soaked sleeveless shirt flew towards the female students sitting by the water.
“Hey, Choi Cheolho!”
Seeing the boy embarrassed and mad at the same, the other male students burst into laughter. The overflowing refreshing stream portrayed youth, while the purple azaleas growing on the mountain slopes wept. Then, it happened.
“Ah!”
A scream rang out from the water’s edge. One of the female students who had come on the trip shouted that Jisu (Seo Minhye) had been bitten by a snake. At that sound, Dojin rushed out of the water, forgetting he wasn’t wearing any shirts.
His emotional portrayal is amazing.
The young man who had been playing in the valley with his friends just moments ago was now utterly changed. His joyful expression while swimming underwater was gone, and his face gradually twisted.
PD Kim Jin, watching the recorded scene on the monitor, swallowed his admiration. He boasted of filming numerous actors until now, and there were many kinds of emotional scenes. However, breaking down such subtle emotions frame by frame was a truly challenging expression. Even veteran actors struggled with it. There was no need to cut the scene for editing since it had become unnecessary.
“Where? Where were you bitten?”
At Dojin’s frantic shout, Jisu slowly opened her eyes and laughed mischievously. It was a lie. At that moment, Dojin’s expression returned to normal. However, Jisu could not smile as the natural scenery that shone through the dense foliage cast a shadow on Dojin’s wet shoulder.
In one corner of the filming site, his mother watched him.
Her child, who once sold fish with her at Namhang Market, was now pursuing his dream with people just like him. How could she not be proud of him? Her wrinkled gaze was directed at her son.
“My son, you’re really amazing.”