By Zephyria 
The scene of Yoo Seon-ah and Seo Ji-hoon dating began filming. The fourth session of filming was set to shoot the same scene twice. Once from the perspective of Jung-on, played by Seo Ji-hoon, and then again from the perspective of Myung-eum, who was watching it.
The camera approached Seo Ji-hoon. From now on, this camera was the eye of Myung-eum, watching Jung-on.
The two men and women stroll along the lakeside, looking friendly. When the woman, wearing high heels, stumbles, Jung-on offers his arm and asks if she’s okay. The woman says she’s fine and takes Jung-on’s arm.
The wind blows, and the woman’s long hair flutters. Jung-on ties her hair up for her. An ordinary and affectionate young couple. The woman laughs out loud and is happy.
“Let’s flip it and go again!”
The cameraman shouted. The camera moved to the opposite side. Now it was Jung-on’s perspective.
When they flipped the camera and started filming, a slightly different scene emerged. The woman in heels stumbles. It was the third time already. Jung-on, unable to watch any longer, asks if she’s okay, and the woman says she’s fine and clings to Jung-on’s arm. Jung-on sighs.
The two climb to the observation deck. The woman’s hair flutters and wraps around Jung-on’s face. Jung-on, annoyed, brushes the hair away. When the woman doesn’t think to tie her hair up, he ends up tying it up himself. The woman awkwardly smiles, watching Jung-on’s expression.
“Cut. Okay.”
Director Lim lifted his face from the monitor. The sun was setting. The actors and staff were all exhausted from running the 3rd and 4th sessions in a row. They decided to stop filming there for the day.
It rained on the 5th session.
“I was worried about the drought, but why today of all days?”
Director Lim despaired.
Today’s filming location was Haebangchon. It was the day they were filming the scene where the two people run and tumble in the narrow alleys and steep hills.
“The look might not be bad even if it rains.”
“The look isn’t bad. It’s our camera that’s the problem.”
My precious borrowed camera. Director Lim hugged the camera tightly.
“Then how about we postpone it until tomorrow?”
“It’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow too. And there’s a 60 percent chance of rain the day after.”
All the staff sighed. There was no choice. They had to proceed with filming in the rain.
“Let’s put on raincoats.”
“And hold umbrellas.”
“What about waterproof covers?”
“How about wrapping it in plastic wrap?”
After racking their brains together, they decided to put on raincoats and cover it with waterproof covers. Still anxious, they put an umbrella over it.
“Carefully, carefully.”
Director Lim’s eyes shook every time the camera moved.
“Be careful. I said be careful! Get more gaffer tape. No, there’s a space there!”
Hae-jun saw Director Lim looking so charismatic for the first time since he met him. Director Lim, who he always thought just smiled, was shouting like a lion and tearing off gaffer tape to stick on the waterproof cover that was covering the camera, and the bare arms revealed under his short sleeves were rippling with thin muscles.
As the filming continued late into the afternoon, Hae-jun saw the boom operator looking tearful. The hand holding the boom pole was trembling. The boom pole was extended as high as possible to survey the entire alley. With the fur cover and waterproof cover on top, it was incredibly heavy.
“I’ll hold it for you.”
“T, thank you.”
The operator who handed over the boom pole massaged his shoulder. It was the fifth day of filming. Hae-jun was no longer just Lee A-gon’s manager. He was helping with everything he could, like the youngest director of this film.
“I don’t know how we would have filmed this movie without you, manager.”
During the break, Director Lim said in a cute voice and handed over a canned coffee. Hae-jun was the only person working here without pay. Knowing that he was saying it out of guilt, Hae-jun also played along.
“You would have done well without me.”
“No. Really, we wouldn’t have gotten this far without you, manager. In that sense, please take care of us tomorrow too?”
“……”
Hae-jun just smiled.
That evening, Hae-jun looked for a part-time job.
“A part-time job?”
Lee A-gon looked as if the sky was falling when Hae-jun said he couldn’t go to the filming location tomorrow.
“Why? Why are you trying to go to a part-time job?”
“Why else? Because I need to earn money.”
Hae-jun looked at Lee A-gon with an expression that said, ‘Are you seriously asking that?’ But Lee A-gon really didn’t understand.
“I mean, why do you have to? I’m the one who’s earning money. You’re supposed to get 700,000 won after filming the movie.”
“That’s only after the filming is over. And you have to use that for your allowance too.”
“I don’t need it. I’ll give it all to you. So don’t go. Please?”
“……A-gon.”
Hae-jun barely calmed Lee A-gon down and made him sit on a chair.
“That’s nowhere near enough.”
The management fee alone was 600,000 won. They couldn’t make a living with the 700,000 won that Lee A-gon would earn.
Lee A-gon bit his lip and closed his eyes. His tightly clenched fist trembled.
“I’m sorry.”
Just as Hae-jun was about to get worried because he was just trembling silently in that position, Lee A-gon suddenly spoke.
“What for?”
“I’m making you suffer because I’m not capable. I’m really sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. People are supposed to earn money to live.”
“No. You shouldn’t have to.”
Tears fell at the end of his words. He repeated the same words while crying like a stubborn child.
“You’re not that kind of person. You shouldn’t have to do that. You’re……”
Even his voice trembled because he was so upset. Hae-jun wiped Lee A-gon’s eyes. Lee A-gon, who kept saying ‘You are, you are,’ finally sobbed and buried his face in his hands.
What’s so upsetting? Hae-jun couldn’t understand, but he stroked his back and gently comforted him. Don’t cry, Lee A-gon.
“It’s because I’m incompetent that you’re suffering. It’s all because I’m so useless.”
“No, it’s not.”
“You’re a really precious person. You deserve to be treated preciously. It’s because I’m useless. Because I’m such an incompetent head of the household.”
Who’s the head of the household?
If he left him alone, how far would he go?
“A-gon, don’t go too far. I’m okay. I’m just going to work a day job at the logistics center tomorrow. Hey, it’s not a weird place. They’ll pick me up and drop me off by bus, and I just have to carry some heavy luggage and it’ll be over.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Lee A-gon suddenly raised his head.
“I’ll earn money. Then it’ll be okay, right?”
“How can you go there? You have to film tomorrow.”
“Then how can you go there? Why do you have to earn money?”
“Hey.”
“I don’t want you to. You can’t go. I, the head of the household, will earn money.”
Tears burst out again at the end of his words. Lee A-gon cried sadly. He was the one who was going to earn money. You shouldn’t do things like that. He was going to earn a lot of money and make you live in luxury. He repeated those words obsessively.
He couldn’t delay any longer. If he got caught up in this, he would definitely not be able to go to the part-time job.
Hae-jun decided to be firm. He looked down at Lee A-gon and scolded him in a resolute tone.
“Then what should I do? We don’t have any money to use right now. You can only get the money you earn after we finish filming the movie. What do you want me to do?”
Lee A-gon, who was lying down and crying, raised his wet eyes. Seeing his trembling eyes as if he was flustered, Hae-jun continued.
“Or are you going to give me money?”
“……”
“Do you have the ability to borrow money from somewhere?”
“……”
“If you can’t, don’t stop me. I have to go earn money tomorrow.”
Lee A-gon’s lips parted slightly, and a thin groan flowed out from the gap. Tears flowed down without a chance to well up, making a sound like raindrops falling on the floor.
Brother… Lee A-gon said. Or maybe it was just a groaning sound. He bit his red lips with his front teeth until they turned white with a pained expression, and then let out a faint groan.
I’m sorry.
After a long while, Lee A-gon whispered. It was such a small voice that you had to strain to hear it. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry.”
Before he knew it, Lee A-gon was tearing at his fingertips. His heart ached so much. It was all because of his incompetence. Because he was incompetent, his Hae-jun was suffering like this.
“Stop it.”
Hae-jun grabbed Lee A-gon’s hand. Blood was visible on the fingertips that had been torn too severely. Hae-jun sternly rebuked Lee A-gon.
“Why are you acting like a baby?” Do you hate me going to work that much?”
‘Yes, I do,’ Lee A-gon thought inwardly. He wanted to answer that, but he couldn’t. He had no money. This incompetent and poor head of household couldn’t afford to pamper his partner. He was too pathetic and too poor. Too incompetent. He hated that version of himself so much that he wanted to kill it.
He loved him. He loved him so much that he wanted to give him the world, but he had nothing to give. That made him feel so wronged and heartbroken that he couldn’t stop crying.
“Lee A-gon. Why does your face look like that…”
Hae-jun said, bewildered, and let go of Lee A-gon’s hand. My face? What kind of face am I making right now? Lee A-gon didn’t even think about wiping away his tears anymore and staggered to his feet. His ribs, shrunken like fingers, seemed to be constricting his heart.
Lee A-gon opened the closet door. He rummaged through the pockets of the coat he had worn in winter and hung up, and found three thousand-won bills and one ten-thousand-won bill. And a few coins.
Lee A-gon took them and returned, prostrating himself on the floor. He laid out those meager things in front of Hae-jun and bowed his head.
“Plea…se.”
His words were lost in his sobs. I’ll give you this. I’ll give you this… Lee A-gon gasped for breath and barely managed to continue.
“Don’t… don’t go to earn money, Hae-jun.”
Please.
Don’t leave me.
And Lee A-gon bowed his head and wept.
“…”
Hae-jun couldn’t say anything. He was too bewildered. Lee A-gon was sobbing so bitterly that he seemed to be on the verge of exhaustion and death. He cried so much that every spot on the floor he touched was stained with tears.
‘I was just going to do a day’s work…’
Is that something to cry about this much?
Anyone would think Hae-jun had told him to go out and earn money. To sob about not wanting him to go to work. But why?