Life, Once Again

After Story 228

At first, he didn’t recognize him. It was about four days ago that he became aware. There was a scene where he went against the soldiers of Baekje’s army, and his eyes caught a minor actor who was practicing for it.

He felt like he saw that person somewhere, but he couldn’t remember right away. Only around the end of the shoot did he realize that it was Ahn Bangjoo.

In the previous life, Ahn Bangjoo was someone with a big voice. Someone so cheerful that he would smile even in the face of the hardest trials. Although he had met some Ahn Bangjoos of different personalities, the image from his previous life remained the strongest.

Having met Bangjoo again, he was someone who preferred silence over chatting and indifference over a smile. Just looking at him from a distance was enough to tell just how much of a quiet person he was.

Perhaps Bangjoo’s personality was originally like that. After all, in the previous life, he was someone who smiled subconsciously for the sake of his sister who had a hard time.

“Senior.” Maru wiped his sweat and approached Geunsoo, “Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“I was wondering if you knew senior Ahn Joohyun personally.”

“What about Joohyun-noona?”

“You see, I’m a fan of hers. I was wondering when she would start working again.”

“I guess more than half of the men in this country are her fans. It’s been more than two years since she took a break, huh? I’m not sure about the details, but I did hear that she would be making a comeback through a drama.”

“I’m looking forward to that.”

“Would you like to have a phone call with her?”

Maru waved his hand in the air in denial.

“It’d be rude to call her suddenly.”

“No, she actually likes meeting people a lot. How should I put this… she’s a bright woman. Among the actors I know, there is no one as cheerful as her,” Geunsoo said as he crossed his arms.

“If you spend a long enough time in the entertainment industry, there’s bound to be some rumors about you, but she had none of those. She’s such a consistent person on both private and public occasions that the journalists just gave up. She’s someone you can’t nitpick with.”

“Sounds like a cool person.”

“She is a cool person.”

Geunsoo stood up with the prop sword. It seemed that the preparations for the shoot were done.

“Good luck with the shoot.”

Geunsoo went in front of the camera after saying that they should talk later. With each step, he turned from Hong Geunsoo to lord big boss. His concentration made Maru marvel every time.

Maru watched the shoot for a while before turning around. There was no difference between what he knew about Ahn Joohyun through news articles and what Geunsoo told him. It seemed she hadn’t suffered the terrible event that happened in the previous life. He was glad about that.

He walked around the shooting location looking for team 1. One of the production staff members that he was close to came over and asked him if his shoot was done for the day.

“Yes, I’m done for the day. I’m just walking around because I’m bored.”

“I would’ve gone home immediately. It’s so hot out here. It’s like this even with the sun down.”

“I know. Watch out to not get heat stroke.”

“Yes.”

While he was saying goodbye to the staff, he saw team 1 in the distance. They were all sweaty as though they just finished shooting an action scene. Maru approached Bangjoo with a semi-frozen water bottle.

“The weather’s dreadful again today.”

He ignored the other members of team 1 who just stared at him from afar and said hello to Bangjoo. Bangjoo glanced at the water bottle.

“My arms are aching. Take it.”

“Why are you….”

“Aren’t you thirsty?”

“I am.”

“Then take it.” He waved the water bottle.

Bangjoo slowly reached his hand out and grabbed the water bottle.

“Thank you.”

“You won’t use informal speech with me?”

“I treat people with respect when they know respect. I’ve completed compulsory education too. I only use informal speech with people who can’t remember basic morals.”

“That’s quite direct of you.”

“That’s just how I am. If you don’t like it, then just don’t talk to me.”

“No, I quite like that actually. People like you, Mr. Bangjoo, are much more comfortable to me than people who try to use their sneaky heads.”

The faces of team 1, especially Gyungho, were quite a spectacle. Gyungho, who had been listening quietly, quickly left the place with a face of shame. The other members of the team pretended to not notice.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable to keep living in the same room as them?” Maru said as he sat down next to Bangjoo.

Bangjoo took off the leather outfit from his body. Heat radiated from his body.

“There’s nothing to be uncomfortable about. We just don’t talk to each other. It was quite annoying that they kept talking to me up until a few days ago, but starting yesterday, it became pretty quiet. I’m thankful to you for that.”

“I feel happy today, having you say thanks to me.”

Bangjoo drank from the water bottle. He squashed the water bottle and drank the whole bottle in one shot before letting out a big breath. He looked like he was feeling much better.

“Thanks for the drink.”

“Don’t mention it. How’s the shoot? Doable?”

“What kind of work is doable in this world? It’s hard, but you do it if it’s fun.”

“So it’s fun then?”

Bangjoo did not reply and just looked at him. He seemed to be asking for an explanation for this situation.

“Are you displeased with me asking questions like this?”

“No, not really, but I’m curious. Why does this person ask me all these things? – I can’t arrive at an answer no matter how much I think.”

“Is there a reason for curiosity? I just want to get to know the person known as Ahn Bangjoo. We’re going to be shooting a film together, so don’t you think it’s better to know each other a little rather than being total strangers?”

Bangjoo nodded. He looked stubborn, but he was actually quite quick to acknowledge. Maru could see a slightly airheaded part of him as well, and he was pleased because it felt like a part of Ahn Bangjoo from his previous life.

“It is fun, I guess. I like acting.”

“You seem to enjoy action acting?”

Bangjoo replied yes.

“You like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, right?”

“How did you…”

“Is there anyone who likes action but doesn’t like those two? I respect them too.”

“That’s true.”

The expressionless Bangjoo smiled for the first time.

“So you do smile, huh? I thought you were a Terminator.”

“I usually smile a lot. It’s just that people tend to look down on me if I keep smiling. Peculiar, isn’t it?”

“There are people like that, but there are just as many people who don’t do that. There should be more people who smile with you when you smile, you know?”

“Looks like I was quite unlucky then. The people around me all look down on me if I smile. Or, they try to take advantage of me.”

“Apparently, there’s a total sum of everything. Just like how if you add all the happy and sad things, it approaches zero, if you’ve only met shitty people until now, I’m sure you’ll only meet good people starting today.”

“Like you?”

“Do I look like a good person?”

“I don’t know. But at least you look better than that person.” Bangjoo pointed at Gyungho sitting down in the distance.

“That, I’m not sure if I can accept as a compliment.”

Maru dusted his pants and stood up.

“You won’t be so rejective when I say hello next time, right?”

“I’ll see how things go.”

Maru held his hand out to Bangjoo who smiled. He shook hands lightly when Bangjoo suddenly tightened his grip. Maru frowned and gripped back but soon gave up. He said as he waved his numb hand,

“Why don’t you go to Taeneung[1] instead of being an actor?”

“I did dream of it before, but that place is really full of physical geniuses. You really need something more than just effort in that place, so I gave up.”

“Well, that’s a place full of people born with both talent and effort. Anyway, let’s eat together sometime. I’ll say this beforehand: I don’t make empty promises.”

Maru asked Bangjoo for his phone number. After hesitating for a moment, Bangjoo told him his number.

He pressed the call button after entering the number. Classical music that he heard somewhere before came out as the ringtone.

“Did your phone come with that ringtone as default?”

“No, I changed it because I like it. It calms me down when I listen to it after working out.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Maru smiled and hung up.

“Pick up when I call you. We’ll have to make an appointment if we’re going to eat together.”

As he turned around to leave, Bangjoo stopped him.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Do you really not want anything from me?”

“Do I have to want something from you?”

Bangjoo looked at him without a word before shaking his head.

“Good luck with the rest of the shoot. See you tomorrow.”

Maru waved his hand.

* * *

Although he had fallen down with skill, he couldn’t avoid hurting his forearm.

Bangjoo stood up and returned to his original position. He was starting to get tired. It would be good if they got an okay this time.

“Okay, we’re done.”

Bangjoo put down the long spear. This prop was quite heavy as it was made of wood. His palms felt numb after carrying it around all day.

“Good work today, everyone, and we’re taking a break tomorrow. But hold onto your phones. We might reach out if someone’s unable to continue.”

The lead and supporting roles moved according to schedule, but the minor actors didn’t have any of that. If one team lacked a person and needed a substitute, that person would be picked from another team.

The production company was still on the good side so they would get paid as well.

It wasn’t a loss since they would get paid as much as they worked. While they would cover up their faces with a mask, they would appear on screen as well.

Gyungho walked past him. They hadn’t made any eye contact since the drinking session last night. Gyungho would turn his head away like he had been touched by something scalding hot whenever they made eye contact. It would’ve been a pain if he used his age to his advantage and picked a fight, so this was a good thing.

The other members were in a similar situation. Thanks to that, he could have some quiet at the lodging. When he came out of the bathroom after getting washed, he saw a watermelon in the middle of the room. It seemed to be from the production crew.

They weren’t willing to increase the pay, and this was the substitute? Well, at least it was better than nothing.

Bangjoo cut up the watermelon. The team members leaning against the wall were all staying away from him. They sure lived a tiresome life.

He put a slice in his mouth and picked up his phone. He had a call from his sister.

He slid the screen to the left to reject the call. He got a call again 3 seconds later.

He rejected, rejected, and rejected again. After 10 rounds of that, Bangjoo sighed and left the room with his phone.

“What is it?”

-Why not reject again?

“I picked up.”

-Your great sister is calling you. What were you doing, not picking it up immedi…

Bangjoo hung up. He soon got a call again.

-I’ll kill you.

“Tell me what you want.”

-There’s nothing for me to tell you, you should be the one telling me. How’s the shoot? Are they treating you well? Do they treat you harshly?

“Shoots are just shoots.”

-You should obtain your own rights in that place.

“That’s only possible for a successful actor. A minor actor like me has to do what I’m told so that I don’t get fired.”

-Should I go and say a word or two?

“Don’t say something so terrible.”

-How about money?

“The money you gave me last time is still there, untouched. Take it later.”

-Use it.

“I don’t have a use for it. I earn my own money too.”

-Other people like to benefit off of their family if someone’s doing well, so why are you like this?

“Because that’s your money, not mine.”

-Arguing with you seems like a pain.

After grumbling, his sister asked in a small voice,

-You’re not hurt, are you?

“I’m not. Do you think this is a dangerous place? I’m just shooting a movie.”

-Still, though. You should watch out. The news says there are dozens of people getting heat stroke every day.

“Okay, anything else?”

-You know that mom’s birthday is coming up, right? We have to celebrate so don’t forget to come.

“Okay.”

-Work hard. Call me if you find it too hard.

“That’s not happening.”

Bangjoo was about to hang up, but Maru’s face came to his mind.

“Noona.”

-What?

“Do you know Han Maru?”

-I do. He’s an actor.

“Do you know him personally? I mean, does he know that I’m your brother?”

-I haven’t even met him before. Why?

“Because he acts kindly to me.”

His sister fell silent. Bangjoo realized his mistake. He quickly followed up,

“He looks like a good person, but having someone treat me kindly in this field made me suspicious. It’s not like I have a great personality too.”

-Bangjoo, the people working there aren’t all bad people. Not everyone wants to take advantage of you.

“I know. Sorry for saying something weird.”

-If you’re sorry, should we go see a movie together?

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Bangjoo hung up. He then thought back to Maru who gave him a bottle of water during the day, as well as his smile that made him seem like he didn’t have any ulterior motives.

“Is he a decent guy?” he muttered as he returned to the room.

[1] The place where most Olympic athletes are trained. Maru is suggesting to Bangjoo that he should aim to be an Olympic athlete.