Part 22

“Cut!”

“Great work everyone!”

The final shoot had ended.

Cheers erupted from all around at the director’s final call of “cut.” Everyone was busy greeting each other, saying thank you for a job well done.

“You worked hard.”

“So did you, Sung-hyun. You really worked hard.”

“Are you crying?”

“No?”

“You are.”

Sung-hyun teased her, and Seowoo glared back, denying she was crying.

Even this reaction was incredibly cute. In the drama, Seowoo and Sung-hyun resolve their misunderstandings and get back together, moving into the same house with their beloved daughter.

The moving scene was pre-filmed with Haewon, so today’s shooting with Seowoo and Sung-hyun wrapped everything up.

“Here.”

Though she denied it, tears eventually burst forth. Sung-hyun handed her a handkerchief.

She was always sensitive, but they seemed to flow more freely since her comeback.

The sadness of the final shoot, the relief of having finished it well, and the thought that it was the right decision to come back. All her worries and troubles tangled up together.

“You’ve done well.”

Director Choi approached and patted Seowoo on the back.

“Thank you, Director.”

“Both of you take a good rest. It’s been tough with the tight schedule at the end, hasn’t it?”

“Not at all! You’ve had it tougher, Director.”

Seowoo smiled through her tears. Sung-hyun, standing beside her, also smiled broadly.

“Let’s see each other at the dinner tonight.”

“Yes. See you in a bit!”

Director Choi waved his hand and left the set first. Then, a crowd of staff members rushed towards Sung-hyun and Seowoo.

“Seowoo, could we take a photo with you?”

“Of course.”

“Me too, me too!”

“I’ll take the picture for you.”

“What are you talking about? Mr. Sung-hyun, you should be in the photo too.”

The staff dragged Sung-hyun over and started taking pictures with him.

Seowoo’s face, looking into the camera, appeared more relaxed than ever.

***

“Are you okay?”

Seowoo looked up at the sound of the voice from behind.

She had stepped outside for a bit of fresh air after having quite a bit to drink, which left her face flushed with the warmth of alcohol.

“Yes.”

Sung-hyun sat down next to her.

The dinner gathering had been very lively. The drama had received quite good reactions, so the atmosphere during the shooting had been positive, and everyone was in high spirits having successfully completed the final shoot.

“It seems like you’ve been drinking a lot.”

“A little?”

Seowoo raised her hand and made a gesture with her thumb and forefinger indicating she had only had a little.

Her eyes, slightly slanted from the alcohol, looked adorably endearing. Sung-hyun quietly took in her appearance.

Though it wasn’t a long time, he felt a strong sense of regret more than with any other project now that it was finished.

“It’s such a shame.”

“What is?”

“It’s a shame that the drama shooting is over and that I won’t see you anymore, Seowoo.”

He revealed his true feelings. At the mention of her name, Seowoo glanced sideways at him.

“You’re suddenly calling my name so casually.”

“Shouldn’t I? What’s wrong with that? If you don’t drop the formalities, then I will.”

“Huh.”

“Maybe I should start calling you Seowoo-ya.”

(In Korean, “-ya” (Hangul: 야) is a casual title used at the end of names to refer to friendly names or nicknames.)

Seowoo didn’t drop the formalities until the very end.

Sung-hyun couldn’t help but feel that she was deliberately trying to draw a line.

Probably because of Kwon Jiwook. A bitter smile spread across Sung-hyun’s lips.

“If you feel wronged, you should drop the formalities too.”

“Are you very drunk?”

“Not at all.”

Oh, no.

Seowoo moved a bit closer, her eyes wide and staring intently at him. Then, Sunghyun slightly furrowed his brow, looking down at her.

“Sung-hyun, can you face me tomorrow like this? We have an interview tomorrow, and a photo shoot the day after.”

Thanks to the success of the drama, even after the shooting ended, she still had a full schedule with Sung-hyun.

There were at least five interviews just for the two of them, and two photo shoots were already arranged. Discussions were still ongoing for several variety show appearances that Seowoo was declining.

“I wonder if you don’t see me as a man because I’m too respectful to you as a senior.”

“I do see you as a man.”

“That’s a very dangerous thing to say. You do realize that, right?”

“…”

Seowoo slightly bit her lip and turned her gaze forward again.

She knew that even after he’d confessed to her, he’d kept a certain amount of distance between them. She knew he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. He was always thoughtful in his actions and words.

“I did think that after reading the article.”

“What did you think?”

“I wished the article was true. Really, just like the title of the article, I wish you were my woman, Seowoo. Something like that.”

The article dragged Sung-hyun into the narrative in an attempt to dissociate Seowoo from her former in-laws.

On one hand, he wished the contents of that article were true.

“I’m saying this now that we’re done filming.”

Sung-hyun’s direct gaze was fixed on her, more serious than usual, causing her heart to beat erratically.

“Let’s meet a few times.”

“…Uh, well.”

“Give me a chance, Yoon Seowoo, a chance to sway your heart.”

Seowoo’s face flushed with embarrassment. Now that the shooting was over, he seemed truly determined.

How to refuse him?

Seowoo pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment. She couldn’t count the number of times he had helped her since her comeback, approaching her without reservation and offering comfort.

Memories of Sung-hyun’s numerous acts of consideration flashed before her eyes.

“Sung-hyun-ssi.”

“We have a lot of schedules coming up, so just think about it until all those schedules are over. Don’t say no or apologize until then. You can at least do that much.”

The words ‘I’m sorry’ swirled around in her mouth.

His expression already seemed to anticipate her rejection. That’s why she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Seowoo remained silent for a while. An awkward silence flowed between them.

“Let’s go inside. Everyone must be waiting.”

Sung-hyun stood up first. They had been outside for quite some time, so it seemed right to go back in as he suggested.

Seowoo followed him without saying anything.

***

“I’m so sleepy.”

Seowoo yawned deeply and sank into the seat, and then Jung-ah draped a thin blanket over her.

Two seasons had already passed since her comeback. After finishing one drama, autumn quickly approached, cool enough not to need air conditioning.

Today, Seowoo had finished a photoshoot with Sung-hyun and was on her way to dinner.

“Take a nap for a bit. We still have some time before we get to the restaurant.”

“I’m tired.”

“Didn’t you sleep last night?”

“No, I went to sleep right after I got home.”

The interview with Sung-hyun ended around 6 PM yesterday. Unlike Sung-hyun, who had other schedules right after, Seowoo had no evening schedule.

She had wanted to rest, so everything not related to this project was on hold.

“So you slept around 8 PM?”

“Yeah.”

“And you didn’t wake up during the night?”

Seowoo nodded slowly, her eyes half-closed.

Even as she responded, sleep was overwhelming her. Her eyelids fluttered, and Jung-ah spoke up again.

“Then, have you not been taking your medication lately?”

“No.”

In fact, since being with Jiwook again, there had come a time when she could fall asleep without medication.

It was partly due to the exhaustion of filming, but also because she was so tired in bed.

Maybe it was because all the shooting was over and the tension had been released, but she felt incredibly tired.

“That’s good. You had trouble sleeping before.”

“Yeah. Yawn.”

Another yawn escaped her.