CRANK 30

Screech—the car came to a careful stop. Looking around, I saw it was filled with vans similar to the one I was in. It seemed we had arrived at the park, our filming location, before I knew it.

“We’re here, Hyung.”

“…Uh, yeah.”

I shook my head roughly. Whether Woo Dobin had a pitiful past or a wealthy one, as I had imagined, that wasn’t what mattered right now. It was the crank-in; I had to film. To focus, I tapped my cheeks lightly.

“There are a lot of minor actors today, so don’t forget to watch what you say,” Youngjun cautioned me, clutching a handful of vitamin drinks to his chest. He kept at it, acting as if he thought I was an idiot.

“Will vitamin drinks be enough? Shouldn’t we have a coffee truck or something?”

“Usually, people don’t do that from the first day, Hajin. We’ll do it later as things progress. There are group scenes later, too.”

“True.”

With that, Youngjun hopped out of the driver’s seat as if he’d been ejected and immediately charged toward the staff.

“Hello! Hello!”

He didn’t forget to hand out the drinks, introducing himself as my manager and asking them to take good care of the shoot. I followed him out, and taking advantage of the atmosphere Youngjun had cultivated, I slipped over to Director Bae.

“Director.”

“Oh, Hoyoon-ssi.”

Director Bae, who had been talking to the cinematographer, hurriedly pulled out a chair for me. It was a chair with my name stuck to the backrest.

“Thank you.”

“You’re here early?”

“It’s the first shoot, after all. It’s good to get familiar with faces.”

The director, who had been patting my shoulder with a satisfied look, turned somber.

“By the way, how is Dobin-ssi doing? Have you heard anything?”

“I think he just needs to rest for about a week. I’ll pick up the slack in the meantime. Is the schedule okay?”

“Since Hoyoon-ssi is willing to go through the trouble, I think we can manage it somehow. Thank you.”

Haha, I laughed awkwardly and averted my gaze. Truth be told, I couldn’t exactly tell him that the injury was my fault. Director Bae shook his head with a clouded expression.

“Anyway, between the drunk driving and the accident… what on earth is going on…”

“Maybe the movie is going to be a huge hit. Think of it as warding off bad luck.”

“I suppose. Which is why—the order is a bit odd, but after we finish today’s scene, I’m planning to hold a small gosa (ritual).”

Holding a gosa to prevent accidents on a movie set was common. He had said earlier we wouldn’t hold one due to scheduling and budget constraints, so he must be truly worried. Losing a lead actor, an injury… I was worried too, so imagine how Director Bae must feel.

“That sounds good. Don’t worry too much.”

“You too, Hoyoon-ssi. Get some rest then.”

After patting my shoulder a couple more times, Director Bae disappeared with the assistant director, saying he had a meeting. Left alone, I sat blankly in the chair, occasionally exchanging greetings with the camera crew as they passed by.

“Oppa!”

I hadn’t been sitting there long when my stylist, Mi-yeon, came running toward me in a hurry. She had said she would take a separate car because she had another schedule, but she seemed to have arrived earlier than expected. Since there was still time until my scene, it was fine.

“Take your time, you’re not late.”

“What about Youngjun-oppa? He’s going to nag me again.”

“I told you, you’re not late. He’s just busy greeting people here and there. I’ll tell him I got here even earlier.”

“Oki, thanks.”

I headed to the van with Mi-yeon, who breathed a sigh of relief. The van was so full of clothes it was closer to a dress room than a car. I tried on a few outfits with Mi-yeon before changing quickly.

“I’ll pull out the chair.”

With a folding chair, table, mirror, and makeup box—Mi-yeon created a vanity in an instant and sat me down. Getting makeup done without a proper waiting room made it feel real that the movie filming had truly started.

“I think there’s about thirty minutes left, and though it’ll be delayed anyway, I’ll do it in advance just in case.”

“Okay.”

Mi-yeon began to expertly lift my hair and fix it with pins.

“Oppa, did you use that face pack I gave you yesterday?”

“Pack? Ah… No?”

I remembered the pack Mi-yeon had given me some time ago, which she said I should mix with powder and water. I had shoved it somewhere.

“I forgot.”

“I guess those things are all just marketing gimmicks.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just a while ago, you used to wash your face with soap and didn’t even put on toner. But look at your skin today, it’s literally glowing.”

“That’s because I drank yesterday.”

“Yes?”

“My skin is usually better the day after I drink. Ah, not beer though.”

Mi-yeon shook her head with an incredulous expression. It was true, though. I believed that distilled spirits had the effect of reducing facial swelling.

“That’s why they say skin is something you’re born with.”

The way she patted my face became more forceful; it felt like she was putting personal feelings into it.

“We’re going to need quite a bit of makeup today to make you look messy. We need to add some wounds, too.”

“Got it.”

As soon as I nodded, Mi-yeon began the makeup quickly. All I had to do now was close my eyes when told and turn my head when asked. While I was blankly entrusting my face to her and reciting my lines in my head, I saw a group of minor actors dressed as homeless people filming intensely in the corner of the park.

My turn would come right after they finished that scene. In the actual movie, the two scenes were also scheduled to be connected.

I glanced over to see how it was progressing when, suddenly, the homeless actors began a fistfight. Most of it was acting done by stuntmen, but there were also actual minor actors among them. It meant there was a risk of getting hurt if they weren’t careful.

…Woo Dobin would have to be able to handle that much, too. My brows furrowed at the thought of his right shoulder, which had been in a brace. What if he can’t do it because of me? He looked like he was in so much pain, but then again, seeing him do chores at home made it seem like he was fine.

My train of thought drifted naturally to worry about Woo Dobin, who would be alone at home. I wonder if he’s waiting quietly without causing any trouble. I let out a soft laugh, feeling like I had adopted a dog that wouldn’t listen to a word I said.

“Cut! Okay!”

Director Bae’s ‘Okay’ sign rang out, followed by calls of “Good work, everyone!” from here and there.

“No delays. Good thing we did it in advance. All done.”

At the same time, the makeup was finished. My face was plastered with dark smears, and my hair was ruffled in every direction—I looked a wreck. I pouted, looking at myself in the mirror.

“I look just like a homeless person.”

“Ayy, where would you find a homeless person as handsome as you?”

Mi-yeon smiled with a proud face as she packed up the makeup box. Such a flatterer.

Whew—I closed my eyes slowly, opened them, and took a deep breath. Now it was time to become Yeo Hajin. Yeo Hajin, who has nothing going for him in life. Yeo Hajin, who dreams of suicide in a semi-basement room. Yeo Hajin, who is swayed back and forth by Seo Taehyeok, a man whose true identity is a mystery.

I went over the script I had already memorized. Since it was a scene that had to be shot quickly in that short window before sunset disappeared, even a single mistake would be fatal. I am Yeo Hajin, I want to die.

“…Hoyoon-ah?”

I was deep in character when suddenly, I heard a voice calling my name. Hoyoon—to my knowledge, there was no one on this set who would call me that so familiarly.

I turned my head with a frown, and I saw a group of homeless people—the minor actors—passing by, having just finished their fight earlier. One of them was approaching me. Wearing a bright smile that wasn’t hidden even by the dirt smeared all over him. Who is it?

“Hoyoon-ah, it’s me.”

Fair skin that stood out even from a distance, tall height, a slightly thin frame, corners of the mouth that stretched wide when smiling, and kind eyes. Could it be…

“…Hyung?”

No way, really? Meeting him here?

I jumped up from my seat. The script on my lap tumbled to the floor, and the situation and lines of Yeo Hajin that had dominated my mind a moment ago vanished instantly.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

The man who strode up grabbed me in a tight hug.

“…Leehyun-hyung.”

I muttered, dazed, inhaling his deep scent.

The man was none other than Kang Leehyun, the leader of ‘Sunset Beach Angel.’ After the group disbanded, he was the one other person besides me who had renewed his contract with the agency as an actor.

Kang Leehyun. Why on earth would Leehyun-hyung be here? And why did he look like this? My brain froze, unable to process it properly.

“It’s been a while.”

Kang Leehyun, who had pulled me from his embrace, smiled again, stretching his mouth wide to the side.