“Did you check the route from the building entrance to the bike parking?”
Assistant Director’s question, again confirming whether the actor was familiar with the route, received an affirmative response from Jihun with a nod. Even at that moment, the scorching sunlight mercilessly fell on Jihun’s face.
The actor and the staff completed their standby positions in their respective places. Through the camera, Jihun standing in the corridor inside the university building came into view. Everyone was silently waiting for Jun’s cue, the director.
“Three, two, one, go. Action!”
As soon as Jun’s cue ended, Jihun’s sprint began frighteningly. He descended the stairs inside the building, three steps at a time, without hesitation. The rhythmic sound of Jihun’s footsteps hitting the ground informed of his determined momentum.
The camera angle changed. Shortly after the thunderous sound of Jihun’s rough footsteps echoing through the building staircase, it soon transitioned into a dull sound hitting the ground.
“Cut!”
Only then did the halted time seem to resume, and the staff, each in their place, straightened their backs and moved their bodies in unison.
“Jihun, it’s not the building right in front of us; you have to go through that building and enter through the left building. You must have checked the route earlier. I’ll go again.”
“I’m sorry.”
Jihun’s undaunted voice reached far, even in the scorching sunlight that seemed to drip rather than shine.
Under the scorching summer sunlight, the film director holding the camera and boom microphone, the sound director too. Jihun, who had to keep running despite continuous retakes, and Jun, the director who had to lead the shoot by overseeing it all. From the staff and extras who stepped forward without distinguishing between small and large roles, they were all under the blazing summer sun.
For the sake of a scene that wouldn’t even last a minute in the movie, they endured hours under the hot sun. Yet, dazzling smiles sparkled on everyone’s faces.
In this brilliance of today, there was a moment when I felt moved by the thought that I was with them.
“Now, let’s move.”
It was time to move for the next scene, Jun riding a bicycle and leaving through the university gate.
Originally, we should have gone up the winding uphill path. However, due to safety reasons, shooting permission wasn’t granted because the road was touching the sidewalk.
With the cooperation of Nagasaki City, the shoot continued from the road facing the sea to the path lined with platanus trees leading to Jun’s house.
For this reason, they decided to shoot only the long shot on the path leading from the university gate to the uphill path.
Due to the large number of people, they decided to move in several cars. The crowd dispersed into their assigned cars. Jun gave his car to another staff member and moved with Jihun. It seemed that the discussion about the next scene had not yet concluded.
In fact, this scene featuring only twenty-year-old Jun was not in my memories. The first scene in my script began when Jun woke up from a nap at his house. So, I had no contribution to their discussion. Therefore, I quietly turned my footsteps in a different direction.
But how many steps did I take?
“Writer, where are you going?”
“Yes?”
The sudden question caused my foot to lift in one direction while my head turned in another. The two steps became tangled like entwined steps. After staggering, I barely regained my balance. Embarrassment rose before a sigh of relief.
“Writer, you seem so startled.”
Words directed to Jun beside me.
“Writer, come this way. Here.”
Jihun pointed to the car he was in, gesturing for me to come. No, it’s okay. I’ll just be a hindrance to your work. As I was about to turn away, a blunt remark followed.
“Writer, isn’t it hot? Just get in quickly. We need to close the door, turn on the air conditioner, and go comfortably.”
Jun urged me to get in quickly with an abrupt end to his words. Although I felt uncomfortable with his somewhat mocking tone, questioning why he had to suffer in the heat when only he needed to ride, I knew it was right for me to wait for everyone. The driver’s seat and the passenger seat were already occupied by other staff, and I was the only one left.
Jihun, who got in first, pulled himself deep into the left window so that Jun and I could sit comfortably. Jun sat in the middle seat, and I naturally sat next to him. Jun’s lips, not looking at me deliberately, curled up.
“Jihun, the road will be controlled. Please step on the pedal as much as possible. Like really, press the pedal as if you’re insane. Oh, it might be tough because it’s an uphill road, but…”
“It’s entirely okay. Even if it’s tough. Even if it’s tough, Jun at the age of twenty must have run like that.”
Perhaps because he was an actor, I felt Jihun’s sincerity not to miss even a single bit of Jun’s sincerity at the age of twenty in this one scene.
“…That’s right. Jun at that time must have had such feelings. Well, then, I’ll ask for a favor.”
“Yes, you can ask for any favor. However…”
In the midst of this, Jun, who had been reading the script, raised his head.
“Actually, Jun at the age of twenty was the director, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Jun’s simple tone seemed unwilling to delve into the topic that Jihun had just brought up.
“Then the director knows best. The feelings of Jun at that time.”
“Even so… I’m an actor, not Jun. Ah, it’s not that I’m suggesting the director to act or anything like that. I just got curious. Did the director at that time also run with such feelings, thinking only about that one day? That challenging uphill road, without resting even once, with the desire to fly to that person. Just like what you’ve written in the script, solely focused on that day.”
At the point where the conversation paused, an uncomfortable silence lingered for a moment.
“Well… I think there’s a bit of a difference between what I wrote in the script and Jihun’s expression just now. The desire to fly to that person in one breath… No.”
Unexpectedly, Jun’s firm words prompted me to turn my gaze outside the window, not knowing where to look. Suppressing the rising sense of sorrow, even though I knew it wasn’t the time to react like that.
My Ex-Girlfriend Is The Regent In The Female-dominant World (Male lead transmigrates to the matriarchal world)
Two years ago, Gu Sui picked up a homeless woman in ancient costume from the street.
Apart from occasionally claiming to be a princess from a female-dominant country due to illness, her figure, appearance, intelligence, and martial arts skills were impeccable.
Naturally evolving from roommates to girlfriends, as time went on, Gu Sui found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her queen syndrome.
“Mu Jiulu, can you stop controlling me inside and out? Let’s break up.”
Gu Sui made a breakup call, and since then, he couldn’t find any trace of her.
A year later, Gu Sui, who was planning to move, woke up the next day and found himself in a different place.
“Young Master, today is the day you choose your Wife-master through martial arts competition at Jade Dew Pavilion. Please get up quickly.”
Gu Sui: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
As the only son of a general’s mansion in a female-dominant dynasty, the young empress personally issued a decree allowing Gu Sui to select his Wife-master through martial arts competition. Whoever could defeat him could marry him.
Gu Sui: “……”
He didn’t inherit the original owner’s martial prowess, so anyone could defeat him! And what the hell is a Wife-master?
Forced to come to Jade Dew Pavilion, the densely packed women below made Gu Sui’s agoraphobia act up, and his face was full of resistance.
Until he saw the Regent sitting on the second floor, with a smile on the corner of her lips, her eyes wicked and nonchalant.
Hmm… she looked a little familiar.
It turned out that the Regent also found him a little familiar.
Mu Jiulu fiddled with her bone clasp, her deep gaze locked on the man who was out of place in this world.
“Finally, I found you.”
Male transmigrates into female-dominant world
One-sentence summary: What goes around comes around, taking turns in the crematorium
