Chapter 404 (1/2)

“I don’t want to suffocate overnight.”

The staff and the background actors giggled as they started to take off their socks. They were in a rental house near the shooting location. The people gathered here were either background actors or part-timers. Maru and the younger minor actors had to stay the night here as well. As for Bitna, she went off in her mother’s car after the shoot.

“It’s like we’re here on a field trip.”

“Hey, let’s go wash ourselves.”

“Aren’t you coming with us, hyung?”

Maru shook his head. Even if they went now, it was obvious that they would have to wait in front of the bathroom. He waved at the younger kids that left the room and unloaded his luggage in a corner. He took out a book, a change of clothes, and a chocolate bar.

“Where’s the lighting team that just came today?”

“Here!”

“Come out. Let’s drink.”

A man who sat quietly in one corner took his jacket and left. Following that, the main and camera teams visited in succession and took their part-timers.

“They have it good.”

“Isn’t there anything for us?”

“Nope. I saw that the lighting team had a good atmosphere. I should have joined them as well.”

“Don’t say that, and let’s drink together with just us. I saw a supermarket nearby.”

Six men left together to drink.

Although they were people who met for the first time today, they soon became close perhaps due to the fact that they went through a hot ordeal together. The group that tried to call some food delivery ended up sighing and giving up, and the people that laid out their blanket early thinking that sleep was the best medicine, were wrestling with the heat.

30 grown men with beards would crawl into this place throughout the night and end up sleeping in empty spots. It was just like the military barracks.

“You have to wake up at 6 tomorrow and finish breakfast by 6:30. The shoot begins at 7 so bear that in mind. Don’t be late, and tell the others who aren’t here right now.”

“Yes, I understand.”

A woman left with a smile along with words of encouragement. She seemed to be part of the main team, but Maru didn’t recognize her. Since there were so many staff members for this drama, he didn’t know the faces of most of the staff members, much less their names.

“She’s pretty.”

“You saw her face in that short time?”

The usual male banter started, but it soon died down. It was 11 p.m. Around five people left the room saying that they couldn’t get any sleep due to the heat. It seemed that they needed some alcohol to compensate for their hard work.

“Hyung, there aren’t any people now.”

After having a light shower, he returned to the room. The lights opposite the entrance were off, and below them were people who were sleeping without any blankets. Mosquitoes entered through the ripped portions of the mosquito net, but the windows were all wide open. The outdated air conditioner clearly wasn’t enough to cool down all the people here in this weather.

Smelling a faint fragrance of mosquito-repellent incense, Maru opened his book.

“What are you reading? A comic book?”

The younger actors approached him and showed interest, but they soon lost interest and went away.

“You should read some books.”

“I don’t want to.”

The five younger actors sat around in a circle before starting to play some games. They giggled as they hit each other’s hands, but they soon seemed to have gotten tired and lied down on the spot.

Maru smiled and threw the chocolate bars he brought at them. Even though they were yawning until moments ago, they rushed to grab the chocolate bars immediately. They were at an age where they were constantly hungry.

“Guys, quiet down a little.”

A man who seemed to be over fifty, who was getting ready to sleep, spoke. Maru apologized in everyone’s stead. The man yawned and lied down. The younger actors also stopped chatting.

The TV on the TV stand was talking by itself. It was an entertainment program, but he couldn’t understand a single thing it was saying. The man who was rolling around under the TV probed around in the dark and turned it off. Only the sound of breathing could be heard in the room.

“It’s hot.”

One of the younger actors spoke. It definitely was summer. The people that Maru thought were sleeping all sighed and stood up. It would be incredibly stifling once people who left came back. Maru seriously considered sleeping outside.

“Looks like everyone’s sleeping.”

Just then, the door opened and a voice could be heard. Giwoo was standing under the lights in front of the door. He seemed to have found Maru who was sitting in the corner and gave him glimpses.

“If it’s okay with you, would you like to eat some watermelons? It’s cold.”

People reacted to the word ‘cold’.

“Watermelon sounds good.”

“There’s sikhye as well. Can some of you come with me? I won’t be able to carry it by myself.”

Maru closed the book he was reading and slapped the backs of the younger actors who were next to him.

“If you think you should be the one to go, then you should go.”

He told the adults that he would do it as they were about to stand up and walk outside. There was a truck outside the house, which still had its engine on.

He unloaded some watermelons and sikhye from the back. They were cold as though they were just taken out of the refrigerator. He took the watermelons and the sikhye back to the room. Everyone had woken up and pushed the blankets to one side of the room.

“Wow, they’re big.”

A man, who tried tapping one of the watermelons with his palm then sliced down with the knife he was holding. The insides of the split watermelon were a ripe red.

“Hey, you kids should eat first.”

The adults let the kids eat first. Maru also picked up a slice. It was cool enough to blow away the heat of the summer in an instant, and it was also sweet.

“Who’s buying it? Did we get the budget for it?”

One of the men, who was drinking sikhye, asked Giwoo.

“It’s… me. I mean, the shoot was delayed because of me. Sorry about that. It was hard, wasn’t it? The weather is hot as well,” Giwoo spoke in a careful voice.

The people in the room started laughing as though it was nothing to worry about.

“Anything can happen while shooting.”

“He’s right.”

“But it definitely feels good. Thanks to you, we get to eat watermelons.”

Giwoo said ‘that’s good’ in a small voice before sighing slightly. Maru put down the watermelon peel and looked at Giwoo. He was such a good kid. There were two types of apologies: One where it was pleasant to listen to, and one where it made people frown, and Giwoo’s was the former. If he just dumped some food on them as though he would treat someone lower than him, he would have sworn at the guy, but there was no one who would blame him for anything when his attitude was like this.

“Keep that up in the future. Social life is nothing special. If you act like that in the future, you’ll be doted on by the adults.”

“Yes, please dote on me in the future as well.”

Giwoo poured some sikhye for the people with a smile.

“You too, Mr. Maru.”

“Thanks.”

“No, thank you for last time.”

“Nah, don’t keep bringing it up. You’re embarrassing me.”

“I received a big help, so I can’t really just forget about it after just saying thanks. Please take care of me in the remaining shoots as well.”

Maru nodded and drank his sikhye. Giwoo poured sikhye for one last person before sitting down next to him.

“Mr. Maru.”

“Yes?”

“How long has it been since you started acting?”

“I’m not sure. I guess I’m in my second year now.”

“Really? I thought you would’ve started much sooner. You’re amazing.”

“I’m not that great.”