Chapter 43

The red sunset covered the entire sky.

A long shadow stretched over the dirt ground.

The only atmosphere felt from the thatched-roof houses, which showed no signs of life, was a desolate one.

The silent landscape was filled only with an eerie stillness.

“Ha-eun… No, Yu-hwa So-jeo.”

The voice that finally reached me was as calm as could be.

At the same time, it was familiar.

I could tell who it was without even needing to meet their gaze.

“We need to run before the fake Park Do-jun appears. Come on, hurry.”

A hand was slowly extended towards me.

And fluttering under it was the mantle.

If it had been someone else, I might have followed without a second thought, especially if they were still somewhat awkward people I hadn’t met much before.

With just a fleeting glance, I wouldn’t have been able to tell they were lying.

But it wasn’t someone else.

It was a person whose trivial habit of wiggling their index finger when something felt secretive had already become familiar to me.

“…I think the fake Park Do-jun has already appeared.”

Instead of grabbing the hand offered to me, I stepped back a few more paces.

Almost simultaneously, came a light-hearted question spoken in the usual tone.

“Oh dear, did it show too much?”

And there stood Lee Geon-yeol, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, wearing a smile that could send chills down my spine.

After all, it was different when someone who naturally squinted took on the role of a villain.

“I’ll finish this painlessly, so just surrender quietly.”

“I don’t want it to be over yet.”

“Come on, what can you do now? Other people probably don’t even know where you are yet.”

With that, one step.

Then another step.

The shadow of Lee Geon-yeol, which had been long stretched over the dirt ground, began to loom closer to me.

Even if I tried to back off a little more, the earthen wall of the thatched house and the jars in front of it blocked my way.

I was truly surrounded.

If I were to tightly grip that wicked hand or even roll on the ground to resist, I might buy myself a little more time.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t believe I could hold out until someone else found me.

“At least can’t you let me pretend to escape?”

“Haha. Pretend to escape? I know how well you can run.”

“Do you think I could outpace you, old man?”

“I think it would be pretty close.”

For now, I tried to buy time with words.

After all, struggling at all seemed better than just getting eliminated quietly.

Thus, I continued to force a conversation with the fake Park Do-jun.

I kept pondering if there was any way out.

-Tuk.

‘…Huh?’

I belatedly realized that the jar stand right behind me wasn’t too high.

Though I felt uncomfortable wearing this hot hanbok, it wasn’t impossible to move around.

The earthen wall behind the jar stand was also low enough that I could easily get over it if I stepped onto the jars.

‘…I don’t think I’d break anything falling from this height.’

Of course, I had no idea what lay beyond the earthen wall.

But I thought it would be better to try something rather than stay trapped inside the thatched house and get eliminated.

After all, the name of the show was Donstop People.

Hiding quietly in a secluded place and getting eliminated like that wouldn’t reflect well on the show’s title.

“Uh, fake Park Do-jun. Do you really want to hurt me that badly?”

“What can I do about the situation?”

“Please, sir. I haven’t even had the chance to enjoy the spring flower festival or the autumn foliage festival yet.”

“Those can be enjoyed in your next life.”

Just as the fake Park Do-jun took another step closer to me,

My anxiety-filled eyes widened, and I turned my head slightly to the side.

“Oh, oh…! Jeon Dong-guk!”

“?!”

I shouted the name of the one person who could resolve this situation better than anyone else.

At the same time, a name that could deceive the fake Park Do-jun more effectively than any other.

Right after that, I jumped onto the jar stand behind me.

-Clunk.

The unfastened lid of the jar stand slightly wobbled beneath my foot.

Yet, without a moment to catch my breath, I grabbed the edge of the earthen wall and jumped over it.

“Ha, Ha-eun! Danger─!”

And for some reason,

-Soft.

‘…?’

I felt something soft and squishy instead of the hard dirt ground.

Moreover, my feet were still suspended in mid-air.

I inadvertently opened my eyes, which I had unknowingly closed.

And in that same moment, I was met with:

“I thought my heart was going to drop, Yu-hwa So-jeo. Why did you suddenly jump off the wall?”

It was Jeon Dong-guk, holding me in a classic “princess carry” pose.

“…Oh, it really is Jeon Dong-guk.”

“Then is there a fake Jeon Dong-guk too?”

Thus, both bewildered, neither knowing how this had happened.

“Wow, I really thought something big was about to happen….”

Only after seeing the fake Park Do-jun peeking over the earthen wall, his head barely showing, breathe a sigh of relief did I come to my senses.

With both arms spread wide open towards the ground, I quickly wrapped my arms around the thick neck of Jeon Dong-guk.

“Sir, please take me to the escape location quickly. At this rate, that wicked scoundrel will hurt me.”

“A, scoundrel? Where on earth did you learn that?”

“That’s not important right now! Hurry!”

Thus, Jeon Dong-guk, still looking confused, took off running as I instructed.

Since he had gotten the most hints about the final mission today, he soon found the final location.

Finally, as we climbed onto the UFO-shaped platform,

-Bang!

-Pababang!

Brilliant fireworks and paper confetti scattered everywhere.

We had won.

***

“Ha, Ha-eun… How could you think of jumping over the wall like that?”

“What are you talking about now, Geon-yeol? Thanks to you, we got the highlight of the day.”

“I’m just worried, okay? I’m worried.”

“Are you feeling regretful about missing the chance to win right in front of you?”

“…What do you think of me?”

It was after the recording of [Donstop People: You From the Stars Special] had somewhat come to an end.

The members of Donstop People, waiting for their respective managers in the waiting room, were bustling about discussing the various aspects they had witnessed from Ha-eun throughout the day.

The guest, Ha-eun, was also sitting quietly on the couch right next to Lee Geon-yeol.

However, since Lee Geon-yeol had been giving her side-eye ever since seeing Ha-eun perform the dangerous wall jump, unlike during the recording when she had not hesitated to deliver lines in the style of a historical drama.

She was nearly silent, akin to a person who had bitten into a lemon.

However, the main reason Ha-eun was silent was different.

‘…I have to arrive by 9 at the latest.’

That was because of a huge event that would occur just a few hours later.

At the same time, it was an event that she had been concerned about ever since meeting Daulby for the first time.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this moment was the most tense in Ha-eun’s 12-year life.

Unlike movies or dramas where one could just reshoot if there was an NG, if she failed to prevent that event, there would be no turning back.

The reason she got into the same car as Lee Geon-yeol this morning was exactly because of this.

Only by doing so could she get in Lee Geon-yeol’s car again after the recording of Donstop People.

About ten minutes later, at last, Lee Geon-yeol’s manager arrived.

After sitting next to him just like this morning,

“Uh, Ha-eun. Did I make you upset earlier? Why have you been quiet since then?”

Seeing Ha-eun, who had maintained a solemn expression for a while, Lee Geon-yeol cautiously spoke up.

-Whir.

With a dramatically exaggerated gesture, she crossed her arms and replied.

“Hmph. I’m not upset because of you.”

She put on a clear display for anyone to see that she was angry, in front of Lee Geon-yeol and his manager, Baek Eun-hyeok.

This was a side of Ha-eun that Lee Geon-yeol had never seen in the five years they had known each other.

Thus, it was inevitable for Lee Geon-yeol to feel slightly flustered by Ha-eun’s uncharacteristic behavior and ask her what was going on.

“If it’s not because of me… then who is it because of?”

“Lee Jun, uncle. He definitely promised that if we won Donstop People, he would treat us to a delicious dinner, but no matter how much I call, he doesn’t answer.”

Most of what Ha-eun just said was a straight-up lie.

Except for the part about him not answering her calls, there was no truth in it.

However, since she needed to get in touch with Lee Jun to verify if Ha-eun was lying, she had no choice but to believe her for now.

“…Oh? He really isn’t answering.”

Lee Geon-yeol realized that his own call was also not being answered, and at that moment, he had no option but to believe what Ha-eun said.

At some point, Ha-eun, who had been showing a noticeably sulky expression, suggested that they look for Lee Jun.

“Uh? Really? Anyway, tomorrow is singing class day, so can’t we just meet then?”

“I hate it when people break promises the most. I will definitely get dinner from Uncle Lee Jun today.”

Ha-eun made it clear that it was a demand that was more than just stubbornness.

However, since Ha-eun usually had shown nothing but maturity far beyond her years.

And if we think about it, it was Lee Jun who went silent on her for no reason, so she wasn’t in the wrong.

“What… alright. A man should keep his promises.”

For now, he decided to go along with Ha-eun’s words.

After all, it wasn’t such a difficult demand.

So, as Baek Eun-hyeok, who had been driving, directed the car toward Daulby’s studio rather than Ha-eun’s house.

While continuously calling Lee Jun’s manager with the contact information obtained long ago, Ha-eun finally managed to find Lee Jun’s location thanks to his manager.

“…Ha. He completely forgot the promise and is drinking with his friends, huh…”

Even if Lee Geon-yeol and Baek Eun-hyeok tried their best to act as if they hadn’t heard, they couldn’t help but show it eventually.

However, the voice was so low and sharp that.

‘They say it’s scary when someone who normally doesn’t get angry suddenly gets mad. Guess it’s true….’

Lee Geon-yeol, who had been glancing at Ha-eun from the side, felt goosebumps all of a sudden.

Ultimately, the final destination for today was a pub located on a main street.

However, no matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t appropriate for an elementary school student like Ha-eun to enter a pub openly.

“Wait here, Ha-eun. As soon as I find Lee Jun, I will bring him out.”

As an adult, Lee Geon-yeol said he would come back with Lee Jun instead of Ha-eun.

However, just then, Ha-eun unexpectedly grabbed him and stopped him.

“Look, Lee Jun’s car is over there. I’ll hide in here, and once he gets in the car, then I’ll judge him.”

“J-judge him?”

“Anyone who does wrong must be judged.”

She said she would wait until Lee Jun appears on his own.

Though Lee Geon-yeol was skeptical about whether it was necessary to go that far.

But due to the intimidating expression on Ha-eun’s face, he couldn’t push back.

-Beep.

Using a spare key that was in Lee Geon-yeol’s car drawer, they eventually sneaked into the backseat of Lee Jun’s car together.

So as the tense moments continued to flow by.

“…He’s coming out.”

Ha-eun, who finally saw Lee Jun revealing himself outside the pub, signaled to Lee Geon-yeol to be quiet.

Then, with a beep sound, the front door of the car opened, and the sound of someone settling into the driver’s seat followed.

Sure enough, a strong smell of beer began to fill the car.

The issue was that Lee Jun, who didn’t notice Ha-eun and Lee Geon-yeol were inside, was buckling his seatbelt while shifting the gear from parking mode to drive mode.

At that moment, Ha-eun’s hand, which had been forcibly covering Lee Geon-yeol’s mouth, slipped away.

Almost simultaneously, Lee Geon-yeol, with a firm grip, shifted the gear back to parking mode.

“…Hey.”

“What?! Why are you here?!”

Just before that, Lee Geon-yeol had only been keeping an eye on Ha-eun, but now his expression had completely changed.

That was reasonable because the scene Lee Geon-yeol had just witnessed was of a nature that was unacceptable from any point of view.

Then quietly lowering his waist, he opened the back door and quietly slipped out of the car.

Moments afterward, Lee Jun’s white five-seater sedan began shaking violently.

“Miss Ha-eun… can I ask what’s going on right now?”

“Oh, not yet. But you’ll find out in a few days, so for now, just leave it to us, uncle.”

With that said, Ha-eun pulled Baek Eun-hyeok’s hand and led him somewhere, saying they should hang out at a convenience store for a while.

In turn, Baek Eun-hyeok reluctantly followed Ha-eun to a nearby convenience store, and just in time, they shared some triangular kimbap that was on a 1+1 deal.

It had been a truly complicated day.

For better or worse.

***

“So, this is the trophy we received for winning Donstop People?”

“Yep.”

“…Wait, let me see it.”

Not even a few seconds later, she bit it.

And then there was a crunch.

“Ouch! This isn’t real gold!”

“I never said it was gold…”

“If it’s plated, you should’ve told me beforehand!”

To be precise, it was Da-yeon who snatched Ha-eun’s trophy before even saying anything.

But this didn’t really matter since Da-yeon had always behaved like this anyway.

And thus, for a while, Da-yeon unleashed a storm of complaints at Ha-eun.

As usual, Ha-eun listened to it all with one ear and let it all out with the other, and then turned her attention to the coffee table.

More specifically, to the thick script lying on the table.

“So, why did you bring that <Busan> script?”

She asked why Da-yeon, who hadn’t arranged any plans, had suddenly dropped by at her house.

After pondering for a moment, Da-yeon took a deep breath and declared.

“Let’s have another round of rock-paper-scissors, Lee Ha-eun.”

She challenged Ha-eun to a rematch.

The event would once again be acting.

However, unexpectedly for Da-yeon,

The answer that came sliding out from Ha-eun was far closer to a refusal than an acceptance.

“Hmm, can’t we just do it for another audition later?”

“Wha, what…? Why?”

She gripped Ha-eun’s shoulders tightly and shook her roughly.

Nonetheless, Ha-eun’s response didn’t really change.

“I don’t want to act sick. That’s a movie about infectious diseases.”

“You’ve already played dying roles multiple times!”

“Those are different!”

“What’s different about it?!”

“Anyway, it’s different.”

For Da-yeon, Ha-eun’s behavior was something she could not even dare to imagine.

How could the person who had said that they could keep playing until they won, now try to avoid a duel?

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