Chapter 16: Their Little Secret (1)

Today was the day that scene #29, which Kang Ra-Eun appeared in, would be shot. She arrived on set early with Shin Yu-Bin, and Chief Jung showed up while she was getting her make-up done. He repeatedly nodded with a smile on his face, looking at Ra-Eun with her make-up and hair almost finished.

“How do you get prettier and prettier with each time that I see you, Ra-Eun?” he asked.

Ra-Eun was dumbfounded by Chief Jung’s compliment.

“Chief Jung, why don’t you change your complimenting pattern a little? Isn’t it boring, saying the same thing every single time?”

In other words, Ra-Eun was telling him to give it a rest. However, Chief Jung didn’t look like he had any intention of backing down.

“I only told the truth, you know. It’s not like I’m wrong, am I?”

Ra-Eun was lost for words. She lightly sighed and changed locations after the staff let her know that the shoot will begin soon.

Her partner was Ji Han-Seok from the same agency as her, the man who had captured the hearts of many female fans with his good looks. He was dressed to look like a model university student. Before heading into the shoot, he spoke to Ra-Eun.

“L-Let’s do our best, Ra-Eun.”

“I’ll be in your care, sunbae.”

It seemed as if the senior actor Han-Seok was more nervous than his junior Ra-Eun, but it wasn’t because of the shooting. Although he was still a rookie actor, Han-Seok had already appeared in many dramas and movies. He had gotten accustomed to standing in front of a camera, but Ra-Eun was the biggest reason why he was so nervous that he started stuttering.

Han-Seok had met many beautiful women while he was working in the entertainment industry, but he had never seen a woman as charming as Ra-Eun. Her smile especially, was a weapon that was perfect for charming men.

As the two of them went through their lines again, Program Director Son Han-Woo was marveled at the sight of the two.

“What a perfect two-shot.”

He couldn’t help but admire the view. He made a rectangular frame with the thumb and index finger of both his hands and put them into the frame to record the two-shot with his eyes.

Chief Jung, who was watching that silently, felt great.

***

“Scene #29! Roll cameras! Ready... Action!”

Ra-Eun walked to the library at the clap of the slate. She checked the seat number that she had reserved with her student ID card. As she passed through people to reach her seat near the window, she made a troubled face as per the script.

“Excuse me.”

Han-Seok barely managed to wake up from Ra-Eun’s call.

“This is my seat,” Ra-Eun said.

As soon as Ra-Eun showed him her seat number, Han-Seok scrambled to wipe his drool, as if he really had fallen asleep.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I fell asleep without realizing it.”

To make the scene more real, Han-Seok laid his head down on the desk in the same position for twenty minutes before they started shooting the scene. Thanks to that, there were red marks on his handsome face.

Ra-Eun lightly sighed from Han-Seok’s response.

“It’s fine, forget it. I’ll go to a different seat. Please check the seat number next time.”

“I’m sorry...”

After the short conversation, the camera filmed Ra-Eun getting further and further away.

Director Son’s bellow echoed throughout the studio.

“Okay, cut! Fantastic! You’re great at acting, Ra-Eun!”

“Thank you, director.”

Ra-Eun had recited her lines in front of a camera for the first time, but her acting was very natural despite that.

“Good job to you too, Han-Seok. You two have great chemistry together!” Director Son complimented.

Ra-Eun gave all of the credit to Han-Seok.

“I think it’s because sunbae matched my acting very well,” she remarked.

“N-No, I didn’t do anything,” Han-Seok protested.

Han-Seok smiled in embarrassment. Ra-Eun smiled at him with her eyes. It was coy acting that she had polished in acting school.

If Kang Ra-Hyuk had seen her right now, he may have run to the bathroom from being sick to his stomach. Chief Jung also felt a similar way because he knew what Ra-Eun was normally like, but his feeling of pride toward her was greater since it meant that she was just that good at acting.

Ra-Eun was able to head home early since the shoot was finished without any NG cuts from the meticulous Director Son. Before leaving the set, Ra-Eun decided to once again leave a strong impression on Han-Seok.

“I’ll see you in the next shoot, sunbae. I’ll be cheering for you, do your best!” Ra-Eun said.

“Thanks, take care on your way home,” Han-Seok replied.

“Okay!”

Han-Seok was feeling empowered thanks to his cute junior’s cheer.

***

Ra-Eun’s expression changed as soon as she got in the car.

“Ahh... This is so exhausting.”

The corners of her lips had almost cramped because she had to maintain a smile to act like a good person. Shin Yu-Bin got in the driver’s seat and lightly laughed at the drooped Ra-Eun.

“Acting should be done only before cameras; why are you doing that off the cameras too?” Yu-Bin asked.

“I wonder.”

It wasn’t like she could scowl and curse in front of Han-Seok. Ra-Eun had to brainwash Han-Seok into thinking that she was a good girl and a kind junior until she made a connection with Chairman Ji Seong-Geum.

“Be honest with me, Ra-Eun. You actually like Han-Seok, don’t you?” Yu-Bin questioned.

“I told you, I don’t.”

Ra-Eun couldn’t tell Yu-Bin the real reason even if she wanted to.

***

Ra-Eun had safely finished her shoot of scene #41-2 as well. There just happened to be a dinner party celebrating the end of season 1 of The Devil’s Touch on the day that her shoot was finished. She would have headed home after filming was over under normal circumstances, but she was obliged to join the dinner party because she had an objective today.

That objective was Ji Han-Seok himself. Chief Jung, after going outside to smoke a cigarette with Han-Seok, went back into the dinner venue and proceeded toward a certain table together. Han-Seok was confused by Chief Jung’s actions.

“Chief Jung, my table is over there.”

“There’s someone who wants to speak with you,” Chief Jung expressed.

“With me?”

“Yeah, she’s over there.”

Ra-Eun, who was sitting alone at a table, smiled at Han-Seok. His heart started beating rapidly from seeing her smile.

Chief Jung whispered to Han-Seok, “She’s your fan, apparently. Go talk with her for a bit.”

“Oh, really?”

Their own little fan meeting was established thanks to Chief Jung. Han-Seok coughed and did his best to stay calm.

“I heard from Chief Jung. You’re a fan of mine?” he asked.

“Yes, sunbae,” Ra-Eun answered.

“You should’ve just told me.”

“It was a bit embarrassing to tell you myself.”

Han-Seok’s heart started beating rapidly again from the slightly-blushing Ra-Eun. For this day, Ra-Eun had gone through every single one of Han-Seok’s works that she couldn’t care less about.

“I watched all your works, starting from your debut work, Captive of Aspiration, all the way to The Devil’s Touch. I love your acting,” Ra-Eun expressed.

“R-Really? There are so many senior actors who are far better than me at acting. You’re embarrassing me.”

As Han-Seok scratched his head, Ra-Eun was waiting for the right time. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘It’s about time I get to the main point.’

“But sunbae...” Ra-Eun spoke again.

“What is it?”

“This is something that I happened to hear, but...” Ra-Eun lowered her voice. “Do you have some sort of relation with Do-Dam Group?”

Han-Seok’s shoulders flinched. He was good at acting in front of a camera, but he couldn’t keep his cool against such a sudden attack in a private setting.

Ra-Eun held in her smile.

‘Bingo.’

It was just as she expected.

Han-Seok's voice slightly fluttered.

“Where did you hear that from...?”

The fact that Han-Seok was Chairman Ji’s grandson was a closely guarded secret that only a select few members of GNF Entertainment knew about. Not even Chief Jung knew, so he was bound to be flustered since Ra-Eun knew.

“I’m not sure. I don’t fully remember, but I think I saw a comment about it as I was watching videos of your works on the internet,” Ra-Eun said.

“Is that comment still on that video?” Han-Seok asked.

“No. I couldn’t find it, so it must have been deleted.”

Han-Seok sighed in relief, but there was something that he needed to resolve. Ra-Eun had seen that comment. Now that it had come to this, he decided to reveal his secret to her.

“I do have a relationship with them, but... You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Okay, you have my word,” Ra-Eun declared while bringing her index finger to her pink lips.

It was their own little secret.

“Chairman Ji Seong-Geum of Do-Dam Group is actually my grandfather.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Shh!”

Ra-Eun pretended to be surprised and covered her mouth with both of her hands.

“I’m sorry, sunbae.”

“It’s fine. Anyway, you can never tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Okay. But sunbae, why are you keeping it a secret?”

It was going to be exposed sooner or later, but Han-Seok still did his best to hide the fact that he was a 3rd generation chaebol, and Ra-Eun wanted to know why.

“I didn’t want to hear that I succeeded in the entertainment industry thanks to my grandfather, so I’m hiding it on purpose.”

Han-Seok was hiding his identity to be acknowledged solely for his acting skills.

Ra-Eun momentarily narrowed her eyes.

‘Not bad.’

She didn’t like him at first because he looked like a gigolo, but...

‘I like his mindset, if nothing else.’

It was best to acknowledge what should be.

1. Chaebol refers to a large industrial South Korean conglomerate, or the one who runs it. 3rd generation means that the individual is third in the family generation, or in layman’s terms, a grandson/granddaughter of the chairman who built the conglomerate.