Chapter 27

On a chilly day in November, when the autumn wind scattered the fallen leaves.

At the same time, it was the first filming day of “You from the Stars.”

“Cut~! That was great~.”

Ha Eun, who was wearing what people commonly refer to as a ‘Tteokbokki coat’, was simply watching the scene at the filming location where the crew was busy shooting.

The reason being that her turn to shoot was not until later in the evening.

Of course, there was no need for Ha Eun to be at the cold outdoor filming location ahead of time, especially since it wasn’t a warm indoor set.

Aside from watching the two lead actors, Ha Yoon-seong and Yu Seong-a, there was nothing much for her to do on set.

In the first place, the decision to conduct shooting on the open outdoor set from the very first day was made to allow press coverage for the promotion of the drama.

A brief interview session with the two lead actors, which had little to do with Ha Eun, was also scheduled to start soon.

Thanks to this, not only the reporters but also passersby on the street became interested in the filming location, so from the broadcasting station’s perspective, there were no issues.

However, the staff and cast on site were in a state that could hardly be called comfortable.

This applied to both Ha Eun and her manager, Ju Jung-yun.

“Um, Ha Eun. It’s quite cold. Wouldn’t it be better to stay in the car instead?”

“…No.”

Despite Ju Jung-yun’s advice, Ha Eun wanted to remain at the chilly filming site.

This was because the scene Ha Eun was to shoot today featured a young Han Yu-hwa from the ‘modern’ timeline, not from the ‘Joseon era’.

The current scene being filmed on site was also set in modern times.

This meant it was an opportunity for Ha Eun to see Yu Seong-a performing as the modern Han Yu-hwa with her own eyes.

“Hey, don’t you really know me, mister? I’m that Han Yu-hwa, the box office guarantee, Han Yu-hwa.”

‘…So this is what they call celebrity syndrome.’

In just a few hours, Ha Eun would have to perform as the modern young Han Yu-hwa.

As Ju Jung-yun suggested, it was better for her to stay on site and observe Yu Seong-a than go to the car.

Unlike the young Han Yu-hwa from the Joseon era, whose speech and attire would naturally differ from the modern day, the modern young Han Yu-hwa would need to portray some level of resemblance to Yu Seong-a, even if not exact.

However, Ha Eun could not ignore the sight of Ju Jung-yun’s white breath next to her.

“Um, Jung-yun unnie. You don’t have to stay out here because of me; you should go to the car.”

She said in a hesitant voice.

In response, she received an ambiguous answer from Ju Jung-yun, whose eyes had narrowed slightly for some reason.

“How could I stay in the car leaving Ha Eun here? I’m not that selfish.”

‘…I really am fine though.’

Ultimately, regardless of Ha Eun’s true feelings, Ju Jung-yun’s white breath continued to linger around Ha Eun.

Although Ha Eun felt a bit sorry for her, she thought that what was most important at that moment was to observe Yu Seong-a.

She continued to stay on set, watching as Yu Seong-a acted in the role of Han Yu-hwa.

However, the portrayal of Han Yu-hwa by Yu Seong-a was, at first glance, brazen and a bit unruly.

It was a appearance enough to attract envy and dislike from people.

Like Yu Seong-a, who elevated it to a unique charm with her outstanding acting, Ha Eun felt she also needed to ensure that viewers wouldn’t feel discomfort towards the character of young Han Yu-hwa.

For today, the character Ha Eun was to portray was complex in many ways.

The confident demeanor stemming from Han Yu-hwa’s outstanding looks mixed with the clumsy aspects of her still being young presented a muddled picture.

Thus, while she intended to take a cue from Yu Seong-a for the confident side, when it came to portraying the clumsiness, Ha Eun decided to look to other characters rather than Yu Seong-a.

Later on, after quietly sitting in a corner of the filming location, it was already dark evening, with even the sunset disappearing.

Like the others who were just starting to get their meals from the catering truck, Ha Eun also sat at a makeshift table with a white bowl filled with her dishes—especially vegetables.

She was merely thinking of filling her stomach before her first shoot and nothing more.

However, unlike the other people she had become somewhat familiar with during her time at the filming location.

– Glance.

– Glance, glance.

‘…What’s going on?’

A stranger she had not encountered anywhere throughout the day sat down naturally in the seat opposite her, continuing to stare at her without touching the food he had just received.

“Um… who are you?”

Noticing something suspicious, Ju Jung-yun asked for Ha Eun instead.

Immediately, a business card was handed over by the woman in front of them.

“Is this Lee Ha-eun? If it’s alright, could we have a brief interview after the shooting?”

For Ha Eun, it was the first request for a one-on-one interview she had ever received.

The problem was that the reporters who had come to cover the filming had already finished their brief interviews with the two lead actors and had left.

Soon, the scene Ha Eun was going to shoot wasn’t one that could be pre-released to the media.

This meant that the reporter, Heo Ju-eun, shouldn’t be sitting across from Ha Eun right now.

Concerned about the possibility of something going wrong, Ha Eun was about to leave with Ju Jung-yun.

“Wait, just a moment! Just a moment, Ha Eun!”

However, in the end, Ha Eun ended up hearing a little more from Heo Ju-eun.

“What I’m focusing on for my coverage is not the drama You from the Stars, but the actress Lee Ha-eun. Of course, I’ll mention the drama somewhat in the article, but…”

She wanted to write an article that focused on Ha Eun rather than “You from the Stars.”

She also added that she had previously written an article about Ha Eun during a production announcement for a neighbor’s project.

“I promise I won’t expose any of Ha Eun’s shooting scenes to the outside. I didn’t even bring a camera for coverage.”

Immediately after, Heo Ju-eun exaggeratedly showed her empty pant pockets.

Following that, with a desperate tone, she said that she would only need about 30 minutes to talk after all of Ha Eun’s shooting was complete.

After seeing Heo Ju-eun’s earnestness, Ha Eun hesitated and glanced at Ju Jung-yun.

“Um, Jung-yun unnie. Would I get into trouble if I did an interview…?”

This was a cautious question, implying that if it wouldn’t cause any issues, she wanted to give it a try.

“Then, while you’re filming, I’ll look into it separately. For now, Ha Eun can just focus on filming.”

As she always had, Ju Jung-yun made sure to prioritize Ha Eun’s wishes this time as well.

Preparations for the scene Ha Eun was set to film began shortly afterward.

“Um, Ha Eun. Just to check, had you been here on the filming site since greeting me earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Oh dear, you didn’t have to come early. Thank you for waiting in the cold.”

Shortly after that brief conversation with Director Hwang Min-soo ended, Ha Eun tightened her brown coat against the chill.

– The atmosphere really feels like Yu Seong-a’s childhood.

– I saw the audition footage; it left me speechless.

– I watched it during the meeting. I truly thought they brought a young lady from the Joseon era.

Various voices heard from different corners of the filming site.

At the same time, various gazes were exclusively directed toward Ha Eun.

This made Ha Eun acutely aware that she had returned to stand in front of the camera.

Now, all that remained was to present the young Han Yu-hwa before the cameras.

“Alright, S#11. We will start shooting the first meeting scene. Everyone standby, 3, 2, 1… Action!”

And with the deep voice of Song Tae-gwon, the director of “You from the Stars”, ringing out through the white megaphone, Ha Eun’s first drama shoot finally began.

***

Small points flickering softly made their presence known.

At the center of the starry sky, a massive gray light shone with a single hue.

Somehow, the night sky, which she hadn’t seen in a while, looked as beautiful as ever.

However, the awkward situation of being clumsily held in the arms of a man she had never seen before now was something else entirely.

“Um, I’d like you to let go now…”

It felt rather perplexing.

Ha Eun was aware that the man who had just pulled her arm back had saved her from being hit by a blind truck.

– Thud.

For now, she shook off the strange man’s arm.

“Aren’t you being a bit harsh on your lifesaver?”

“Sorry, but despite how this looks, I’m not someone who will let just anyone touch my body like this.”

Inquiring if he couldn’t recognize her, she asked the man in front of her.

Since she was Han Yu-hwa, who was just starting to gain attention in the entertainment industry, it was a valid question.

Yet the only response she received was a dry “Who knows?”

Ha Eun felt her face begin to flush slightly, and without realizing it, her cheeks puffed out a bit.

“How could anyone from South Korea not know me? Are you a spy or something?”

Instead, she turned the fact that he didn’t recognize her into something odd about him.

At the same time, her small phone in her pocket started buzzing.

She pulled out the cute sticker-covered phone and checked the sender of the messages that had just arrived. Her expression darkened slightly.

In fact, if one considered it, being out this late without returning home was enough reason to get in trouble.

However, perhaps it was the fault of the person who made her not want to go home at this late hour.

If they wanted a good daughter who obeys, then they should not have gone around cheating in the first place.

“Ah, I’m done with this now~.”

Ha Eun removed the battery from her phone and threw it into the nearby trash can.

At that, the sigh that came from the man watching her made her perplexed.

“What’s with you? Why are you sighing while looking at me?”

“…I just thought, if I’d known this would happen, I should have ignored you 500 years ago.”

“Oh, so you’re a quack. I thank you for rescuing me, but I’ll pass on the good advice~.”

She showed her usual lighthearted smile.

Then she staggered backward, keeping her distance from the man.

– Stumble.

“Eh, wait…?!”

She tripped on a small stone she hadn’t seen and lost her balance completely.

And at almost the same moment, it was the man’s arm that had supported Ha Eun’s back again.

“Please, I’m asking you to stop bothering me.”

“Who, who asked you to save me?!”

This was a blatant act of making excuses in reverse.

Once again, Ha Eun roughly shook off the man’s arm.

“Well, okay. You’ve saved me not just once but twice. I’ll at least compensate you.”

She said that she would reward him financially for his acts.

Thus, she firmly declared that there would be no debts left between them once she compensated him.

However, when the man asked why she was so averse to being in someone’s debt, she replied.

“Well, I absolutely hate living caught in someone’s weakness. I want to live doing everything I want.”

She expressed her philosophy on life with slightly exaggerated gestures.

Not long after, she sincerely revealed again to the man.

“Do you know, mister? I will become a star. A star so high that no one can look down upon me.”

Her gaze, which had gradually been directed toward the sky, now fully contained the vast night sky within.

Underneath, her white neck glowed devilishly in the soft moonlight.

Ha Eun realized that the man was silently observing her again.

Thus, a tiny chuckle slipped out from her lips.

– Swish.

Before a second passed after her beautiful hair brushed against her ear, she tilted her head slightly at such a delicate angle.

“Would someone destined to be such an incredible star be caught by just a man they’ve just met?”

She only offered the man her gentle smile.

Her grace, more enchanting than any charming creature, was almost from a fairy tale.

“…I told you to stop bothering me.”

To Park Do-jun, it was a sight he had already seen 500 years ago.

Yet even so, he felt he could easily fall under her spell again.

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