Chapter 56: Weakness (1)
The filming of the drama Reaper?was almost at its final stage. Kang Ra-Eun in a jet-black one-piece dress looked down at Je-Woon. She acted to exhibit concealment of her sorrow, which she also expressed in every movement that she made.
Ra-Eun slowly recited her line with a faint tremble in her voice.
“Our paths... won’t cross again. Another grim reaper will come to retrieve your abnormally strong spiritual powers soon enough.”
“Then does that mean I’ll never get to see you again?”
“I told you. Our paths won’t ever cross again.”
Jin Seo-Yu never thought that bidding farewell was such a heart-wrenching act. Grim reapers were not permitted to bear any sort of emotion toward a human. Despite that, she had broken that taboo. She could no longer violate the rules of the lower world and the afterlife. She did not care what happened to her, but she could not put the one that she loved in danger.
Hence, Jin Seo-Yu had no choice but to part ways with her loved one, all for his sake. Even if it was not put into words, Ra-Eun had to perform in a way that the audience across the screen could understand her emotions and thoughts. This was the role of an actor.
Ra-Eun had been performing the role that she had been given as best as she could until now, and as a result...
“Okay, perfect! Let’s wrap up the shoot here for today. Good work, everyone!” Director Park announced with a very satisfied expression.
The journey that was Reaper?would end in two more weeks of filming. Ra-Eun and Je-Woon headed to the next content on their schedule as soon as the shoot finished. The two lead roles were scheduled to appear in a program that covered entertainment industry news as well as an interview.
Ra-Eun and Je-Woon sat down for the interview. Before jumping straight into it, the female reporter congratulated the two.
“Congratulations! You said you didn’t have much more left to shoot, right?”
Je-Woon raised the mic to his face first.
“Yes. There are only around two more weeks left.”
“You must be well aware that the drama Reaper?has been receiving much love from the audience. How do you feel about that?”
Ra-Eun jumped in this time.
“I didn’t expect that the drama would receive so much attention and love when I went into filming for the first time. The drama has gotten so popular thanks to our loving audience, and I personally have gotten many casting offers. I think this was all possible thanks to the love that everyone has given us and the drama. I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
Ra-Eun could be considered a veteran from how well she was answering such questions.
The female reporter also asked about their personal ventures.
“Je-Woon, you said that you were going to focus on your music career after the drama shoots finished, right?”
“Yes, since we’re releasing a new album soon. I love acting, but I’d like everyone not to forget that my main job is a singer. Bex will be bringing our fans another great song, so please wait a little longer.”
Je-Woon had even advertised Bex’s new song, just like a veteran of the entertainment industry would.
The female reporter also asked a similar question to Ra-Eun.
“What about you, Ra-Eun? What will you be doing after the drama shoots are over?”
“I think I will be focusing on my studies until my SATs are over.”
“Oh, will you not be appearing in any shows at all?”
“No, I won’t be completely avoiding them. I’ll be appearing in variety shows or radio shows every now and then, but I’m thinking of putting production activities on hold until my SATs are over.”
To Ra-Eun, her studies were just as important as her activity in the entertainment industry. Her true goal was not to succeed as a celebrity, but to take her revenge against Kim Han-Gyo and Kim Chi-Yeol. To do so, she could not ignore the connections that she could gain through her academics.
‘Not only that, I have to prepare my business as well.’
Ra-Eun had a lot more to do than she looked. She could possibly be even busier than Je-Woon next to her.
***
As Ra-Eun, Shin Yu-Bin and her stylist left the waiting room together after finishing with the interview, Je-Woon called out to her from the hallway.
“Ra-Eun.”
He looked like he wanted a little of her time. Ra-Eun instructed Yu-Bin and the stylist to go ahead of her.
“What is it, sunbae?’
“We’re going to be shooting our music video soon, and I thought I’d tell you about it since you’ll probably get an appearance offer.”
“Oh, really? Will you be appearing in the music video as well?”
Je-Woon nodded. Since it was a music video of Bex, the boy group that he was in, it was obvious that he would be in it as well.
“Yeah, probably,” he replied.
Ra-Eun had gotten accustomed to performing with Je-Woon since they had been working together for the past half a year. A music video shoot was far shorter than a drama shoot. Also, since it was not Ra-Eun’s own music video, her part would be over after only a day or two of shooting.
However, it was a little ambiguous to give Je-Woon an answer here. She would have to discuss it with her agency. He also did not look like he wanted an answer right now either since he knew the steps that needed to be taken.
“You’ll find out how the shoot will progress and such once the offer gets to your agency. There won’t be any skinship, kiss scenes or revealing attires that you hate, so I hope you consider it positively,” Je-Woon remarked.
“Okay, sunbae.”
Je-Woon knew Ra-Eun’s preferences very well. She was glad that he mentioned such things since she did not need to go through the hassle of making such demands.
‘Je-Woon sunbae is very considerate of others.’
He looked like a ‘tough guy’ who did not know how to be considerate of others on the outside, but he was considerably sweet on the inside. Such a gap rather added to his charms, which was likely why he was the most popular member of Bex.
Je-Woon said his goodbyes to Ra-Eun with a straightforward smile.
“I’ll see you next week, then.”
Ra-Eun sighed as she watched Je-Woon getting further away, and whispered so that no one could hear her.
“This goddamn popularity of mine...”
***
An end marked a new beginning. A new beginning came Ra-Eun’s way once the drama shoots were almost at an end. School had reopened after the long winter break.
Ra-Eun’s face stiffened once she put on her uniform after a long time.
“What’s going on? My chest area feels stuffier than usual.”
Did she have an upset stomach? No, that wasn’t it. She found out why once she stood in front of the full-length mirror.
Ra-Eun’s breasts had gotten bigger compared to last year. She was still a teenager, so she was still in her growing phase. Despite that, she did not look too thrilled.
‘No wonder I kept feeling uncomfortable during my morning jogs...’
Her chest area was too tight. She felt embarrassed by how only her chest was protruding out of her uniform. She could just cover them with outerwear during the winter, but...
‘What about summer?’
That was the problem. However, she couldn’t just buy a new uniform, and she was also too lazy to get a new one fitted.
‘I’ll just have to bear with it.’
Ra-Eun did not have to go around school wearing a uniform for much longer. Hence, she decided to be patient once again.
***
Ra-Eun checked her class allocation alongside Seo Yi-Seo who she came to school with.
“I’m in Year 3 Class 3,” she said.
Yi-Seo’s face brightened as soon as she heard that.
“Really? I’m in Class 3 too.”
Not only Yi-Seo, but Na Gyu-Rin and Choi Ro-Mi were put in the same class as her this year as well. Yi-Seo sighed in relief as she climbed the stairs with Ra-Eun.
“Thank God. I couldn’t get a wink of sleep last night while worrying about what I’d do if I was the only one in a different class.”
“It’s not really that big of a deal...”
Ra-Eun thought so, but Yi-Seo thought otherwise. Ra-Eun at least understood how Yi-Seo felt, since she would also feel more relieved if she was in the same class as her friends rather than being the only one apart from them.
She saw some more familiar faces once she opened the door to Class 3.
“Been a while, Ra-Eun.”
“Hey.”
Choi Sang-Woon and Kim Yeong-Gyo were also put in the same class as Ra-Eun. However, there was also one more person.
“Good morning, Ra-Eun!”
A boy greeted her with a booming voice. Ra-Eun’s face stiffened as soon as she saw him. Park Se-Woon had also been put in the same class.
“Weren’t you in the sciences?” Ra-Eun asked.
Class 3 was composed of students in the arts department, but Se-Woon, a student in the science department, had somehow ended up in this class.
“I decided to transfer to arts,” he stated.
“Why so out of the blue?”
“Obviously to spend more time with you, what else?”
Ra-Eun raised her middle finger at Se-Woon blatantly displaying his feelings for her.
***
Ra-Eun had suspicions that Se-Woon had bribed the school to be put in the same class as her. It was extremely unlikely that they could be put in the same class otherwise. She was never the type to believe in conspiracies, but there was no way that she could not believe it with how things had turned out.
Ra-Eun was satisfied with her new Class 3 classmates, but...
‘That son of a bitch Park Se-Woon is the problem.’
He was stealing glances at Ra-Eun even while the Korean Language teacher was in the middle of teaching.
‘Would you look at that bastard?’
Ra-Eun’s rage was triggered just from laying eyes on Se-Woon’s face. She wrote something on an exercise book, tore the page, crumpled it up and threw it at Se-Woon.
Tap!
He caught Ra-Eun’s note and opened it.
[I’ll kill you if you glance at me one more time.]
Se-Woon smiled awkwardly at Ra-Eun’s fierce words of warning. Ra-Eun never went back on her word. Because Se-Woon knew very well that her warning was not empty, he turned to fix his gaze toward the blackboard.
Ra-Eun had once again come to realize that threats and violence worked best on someone who couldn’t be reasoned with words.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l