Chapter 951. Crank Up 6

She got a number through Heewon. She went back and forth between her messenger and her call screen while muttering the number in an attempt to memorize it before she realized that she could just tap on the number to call. Perhaps she was too nervous and it made her dumb. She cleared her throat and put her finger on top of the call button. While she heard through Heewon that the director wanted to work with her, she couldn’t be entirely sure until she heard the answer from the director himself.

She got a call before her finger touched the call button. It was the number she has just been trying to memorize by saying it out loud.

“Hello?”

-Is this Miss Han Gaeul’s number?

“Yes, it is.”

-Hello there. I’m Park Joongjin. You’ve heard through Mr. Lee Heewon, yes?

“I have.”

-You said you’re fine with playing a non-significant role, but are you really okay with that?

“Yes. As long as I can do it, I don’t care what role it is. It can be a customer at a café, or just a passerby.”

-So you’re determined to do it. Why is that? What are you going to do if it’s just a minor character that you can’t even use as a way of promoting yourself?

“I don’t care. I’ll be satisfied as long as I can work on the same thing as him.”

-Alright then. I’ll talk about the details with your president. We already met once with regard to the matters involving Mr. Lee Heewon, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Thank you.”

Just as director Park Joongjin said that he was about to hang up, he continued on to say that he would like to ask one more question,

-I was told that you were close friends with Mr. Lee Heewon since you were students, right?

“I got to know him when I entered the agency.”

-Do you perhaps have any friendship with Mr. Han Maru?

“Yes.”

-If it’s not too rude of me to ask, may I ask who you were referring to when you said ‘him’ before?

Only after hearing Joongjin’s words did she realize that she had misspoken. She hesitated because of the direct question.

-That’s okay. Whether it’s a target of competition or a target of romance, it shouldn’t hinder the work. However, what I must tell you right now is that I don’t know a whole lot about you, MIss Gaeul. We won’t meet in advance, and if we meet, it will be at the shoot, but if you don’t meet my standards, you will not be able to join the camera. I hope you can remember this.

“I’m not pathetic enough to ask you to shoot with me when I lack the skills, so please don’t worry about that. As you say, if I don’t meet your standards, I’ll quietly step aside.”

-I like your answer. Well, then, see you at the shoot. You should be able to get a schedule through your manager.

Gaeul spat out a short breath before putting down her phone. She neither knew the genre nor the role, but she was uncontrollably excited. She got to work with Maru on the same work after all. It would be rather disappointing if their schedules didn’t cross each other and she never got to see him during the shoot, but what was important was that they were working together for one film. If possible, she wanted to be in the same scene as him. If she could breathe in the same air and even interact with him, it would be even better.

“Thanks, I’m doing it.”

She called Heewon and reported what happened. Heewon congratulated her and Maru for their joint appearance as husband and wife and said that they should meet at the shoot. She then immediately contacted her president as well. As soon as the first signal tone finished, President Ahyoung picked up the call.

-Did it work?

“Yes, I’m doing it. But it won’t be any significant role, so don’t hope too much.”

-The fact that you’re acting under an exceptional director is an invaluable experience in itself. You’re also incredibly lucky to have grabbed onto that opportunity at a stage where you should be growing up. I know that you’re always doing your best, but put your mind and soul into this one this time especially. If you’re a passerby, then walk so elegantly that you overshadow the main cast, and if you have to stay still, emit an aura with your entire body so that you can capture the camera.

“If I do something like that, I’ll have to pack up and come home on the same day.”

-It’s just a figure of speech. You haven’t heard when the shoot begins, have you?

“I heard that the agency will be notified of it. At most, it’ll be a single scene, so one day should be all I need.”

-I heard the words that the crank-in will be soon, so I guess I should empty your schedule for the time being. There’s only a short advertisement shoot, so it shouldn’t be a problem. But hey, I just have to get asked whether you’re available for a shoot at times like this. They want answers quickly too.

“Don’t try to make me uneasy. Also, anything you get now means that the shoot will be in a few months, so it won’t overlap anyway, will it?”

-Now you don’t get flustered and talk back right away, huh? Before, you were quite awkward when it came to things other than acting. You aren’t going to fly away to a different agency at this rate, are you?

“Is that what you want?”

-If that’s your intention, please tell me beforehand. I’ll slit your stomach and take out all the golden eggs before sending you away.

“I don’t have any golden eggs to give you. Anyway, tell me if the director contacts you with anything. I’ll be on my phone.”

-I’ll tell everything to Chanwoo, so you can go nag him. Enjoy the winter seas of Jeju island. There’s a cosmetics commercial shoot in two days.

“Now I want to stay on Jeju island my whole life.”

-I’ll fly over myself and drag you away if you do.

Gaeul smiled and ended the call. Everything happened within just 30 minutes. Regardless of the form, she liked that she could work together with Maru on one work. She drank the cooled tea before fidgeting with her phone. Tell Maru about this or not? After a long time of consideration, she decided to hide it. If she was lucky enough to see Maru during the shoot, she thought that she should greet him nicely there. If she couldn’t, then, well, that was that and she would have to tell him about it.

“Mijoo, I’m going back now.”

The matters with the costumes team seemed to have been sorted out as Mijoo replied cheerfully. Gaeul left the café and walked to the hotel.

* * *

When he returned from grocery shopping, the first thing he saw was Gaeul unpacking in the living room. She came home two hours earlier than his estimate.

“Didn’t you say you were eating lunch before you came?”

“I was going to, but everyone seemed tired, so we just separated at the airport. Well, it’s better for me that way.”

“I guess it was a good thing that I went grocery shopping. The fridge is totally empty. You’re eating, right?”

“Yeah. I’m hungry.”

He put the grocery bags on the table and opened the fridge. While he was organizing the food ingredients he bought, Gaeul seemed to have finished unpacking and came over.

“I’ll help you.”

“You must be tired. Get some rest.”

“I’ve been resting since yesterday afternoon. The shoot ended early. I want to eat something spicy. What do we have?”

“Should I cook some kimchi-jjigae? I have some frozen kimchi in the fridge.”

“Sounds good.”

He took out some kimchi that he had stored in small chunks before putting it in water. It wasn’t a lot, so it looked like it would melt soon. Meanwhile, Gaeul took out some pork and ham and started cutting it.

“Are you sure you want all that?”

“Calculating calories is unnecessary during resting. It is only then that you can clench your teeth and go on a diet while working. If I can’t eat even at a time like this because of my weight, then I won’t be able to last.”

“I can already see you sighing because of your weight before your next shoot.”

“I’ll worry about it when the time comes. But do we have any broth?”

“Open the top cupboard. There’s a pack of bone broth. That one should do.”

With the two of them cooking, it took a short time to set up the table. They had already finished setting up the side dishes, and all that was left was to wait for the jjigae to boil. Gaeul, who left the kitchen, lay down on the sofa with the two dogs. The dogs seemed to be overjoyed from seeing their owner whom they hadn’t seen for days as they latched onto Gaeul like cicadas on a tree. It was much more comfortable with them being obedient when they would usually roam around him whenever it was time for food.

He put the boiling jjigae on the table. He had also prepared food for the dogs, so he just had to call them over.

“Something good happen?” Maru said to Gaeul who was staring at him.

Her eyes twitched. She looked like she was hesitating whether to speak or not, but she eventually shook her head.

“Something good did happen, but I don’t want to talk about it now.”

“That makes me curious. Can’t you give me a hint?”

“You’ll get it right if I give you a hint, so no.”

“Is it perhaps the lottery?”

“That’s the only thing you can think of, huh.”

Gaeul told him to forget about it and sat down. While setting the cutlery, he asked her again, but her tightly-sealed lips didn’t budge. At a time like this, he would have no choice but to wait. Perhaps she met an old friend on Jeju island or got a role she always wanted to do.

“You won’t get an answer even if you stare at me like that, so just eat.”

“When are you going to tell me?”

“Soon. It won’t take long.”

“If it’s something I have to be surprised about, please tell me beforehand. I’ll have to take calming pills.”

They ate while listening to her stories about what happened on Jeju island: the charming winter sea, the restaurant with the awesome scenery, as well as coffee that couldn’t be tasted in Seoul, and finally, the serene silence that made her calm.

“Although people say it’s gotten a lot more bustling than before, there are still many places where it’s quiet. The shooting location was one such place too. I can see why many of the seniors build a house on Jeju island and go spend their time there whenever they’re on a break.”

“Maybe I should have a look too. Is there anywhere that the two of us can live?”

“I already found a place I quite liked, and I even seriously considered if I should go to an estate agent. Let’s go together in Spring. If it isn’t sold by then, we’ll take it.”

“We’re looking for a house before we even stamp the marriage papers?”

“Aren’t we practically married even now?”

Gaeul lifted up Woofie who was wagging her tail beneath the chair. Maru said that she was right.

“You didn’t forget that we’re greeting each other’s parents before the end of the year, right?”

“It’s been haunting me. I can only imagine what mother-in-law will say to me once I see her.”

“You’re a bad guy who made her daughter cry, so you deserve some nagging.”

“Yes, of course. I’ve committed a grave sin.”

He smiled and picked up his spoon when Gaeul’s hand came over. Grabbing his wrist, she spoke in a soft voice,

“Maybe it’s too early to talk about this, but we should hold a small wedding, right?”

“Do as you wish. I’m okay with a grand-scale wedding or a small wedding.”

“Sounds like you’re making me prepare everything.”

“There you have it. I’ll just put on a tuxedo and stand next to you.”

Gaeul’s hand pinched his skin. Maru groaned softly before pulling his hand back. Gaeul glared at him before chuckling.