Chapter 8
“Baek Ga-yoon, that’s enough.”
Lee Jeong-han stepped in front of Baek Ga-yoon and reprimanded her sternly.
And then—
“Ms. Jeong Ga-yoon. You both gave as good as you got, so let’s just forget this ever happened. We have to finish filming safely, don’t we?”
You both gave as good as you got?
At Lee Jeong-han’s words, Min-ji turned toward Jeong Ga-yoon with a puzzled expression.
Ga-yoon rubbed her neck and took Min-ji by the wrist, signaling that she would explain later.
“What do you mean, forget it ever happened? She scratched my face up like this! Huh?”
“Ah! Stop it, seriously!”
Baek Ga-yoon thrashed around as though having a fit, and Lee Jeong-han glanced nervously at Jeong Ga-yoon before dragging Baek Ga-yoon into the waiting room.
Click.
Once Baek Ga-yoon disappeared inside, the hallway became quiet.
Of course, a voice presumed to be Baek Ga-yoon’s could still be heard booming aggressively from inside the waiting room.
“What? Is that true? No…”
Min-ji was hurriedly questioning her when she noticed a staff member nearby and lowered her voice.
She then gestured for Ga-yoon to go into the waiting room.
“It’s true.”
However, Jeong Ga-yoon didn’t enter the waiting room.
She simply remained standing in the hallway and spoke.
“Hey…”
Min-ji gave her a warning look, but Ga-yoon didn’t care.
If she left things like this, the story could spread as though everything had been her fault.
That couldn’t happen.
“On the day of filming the day before yesterday, Senior Baek Ga-yoon strangled me on the rooftop of the studio.”
“What…?”
It was a shocking statement.
“You saw it just now, too. She grabbed my neck without hesitation.”
“Is that really true?”
Since the staff member hadn’t been secretly passing by, he had been standing awkwardly nearby, unsure what to do.
His eyes widened as he cautiously approached.
“Yes.”
Ga-yoon answered calmly.
Beside her, So-hee, who had been quietly listening, sucked in a breath that almost sounded like a scream.
“No wonder…! That day, there was something like sand stuck in your hair.”
She explained that while touching up Ga-yoon’s makeup and brushing her disheveled hair, she had noticed grains of sand and bits of concrete stuck in it and found it strange.
She had forgotten about it because they had immediately started filming.
“Did you two get into a physical fight?”
“What? Besides being strangled, did she hurt you anywhere else?”
At So-hee’s question, Min-ji anxiously examined Ga-yoon.
The staff member also looked at her with concern.
Ga-yoon smiled faintly before answering.
“She pushed me while strangling me, so I hit my head on the ground. It was swollen at the time, but I’m fine now.”
“Oh, dear…”
The staff member’s eyes drooped sympathetically.
If someone strangled you, of course you’d instinctively push them away.
The scratches on Baek Ga-yoon’s face must have happened during that struggle as well.
Besides, he had clearly heard it.
Baek Ga-yoon had looked at Jeong Ga-yoon and muttered menacingly, You’re really alive?
“Hey, rookie! What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to bring the cable?”
The audio director had come looking for the youngest staff member, who still hadn’t returned despite being told to bring it quite some time ago.
“Gah! Yes, I’m coming!”
“Geez. Hurry up and bring it!”
The audio director shouted, and the youngest staff member hurried away.
The hallway fell quiet again.
“Good grief. Hey, you! If something like that happened, you should’ve told me right away! Are you okay? Do you want to take a break before going out?”
Min-ji cautiously suggested it.
After all, Baek Ga-yoon had just treated her terribly again.
The way she had grabbed Ga-yoon’s neck without hesitation wasn’t something that looked like a first-time occurrence.
“I’m fine. Filming is about to start anyway.”
She really was fine.
Ga-yoon shrugged and headed toward the set.
Thinking about Baek Ga-yoon’s expression.
Baek Ga-yoon had probably figured out that she hadn’t died while gathering information about what had happened at the filming location before coming here.
And yet, that look of utter shock when she saw Ga-yoon—
That was worth seeing.
Ga-yoon subtly lifted the corners of her lips and smiled to herself.
It was only a shame she hadn’t been able to see Baek Ga-yoon’s expression when she first discovered that Ga-yoon was alive.
When they passed through the hallway outside the waiting rooms and entered the set, Min-ji exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow, it feels like we’ve come to an awards ceremony!”
The set had been transformed into a lavish party hosted by the male lead’s company.
And the first scene they would film today was a confrontation between Baek Ga-yoon and Jeong Ga-yoon.
The hotel seminar room had been transformed into a party scene straight out of the drama.
Catering, champagne, and supporting actors dressed in elegant dresses and suits filled the venue.
“Is everything ready?”
After shooting several background shots to be inserted into the scene, Director Kang headed toward the balcony where they would film the scene in which the villain attempted to hurt the heroine.
“Yes. Everything’s ready.”
There was even more to prepare because they had to film with wires.
“What about the stuntwoman?”
They had decided that Baek Ga-yoon wouldn’t perform the falling scene herself and would use a stunt double.
“She’s ready.”
After checking the stuntwoman, who had already been practicing in advance, Director Kang looked at Jeong Ga-yoon, who was already waiting, and smiled.
“Ms. Jeong! Today’s the final shoot, right? Let’s do our best.”
Then—
“Hey! Go get Ms. Baek!”
It was time to start filming.
One of the staff members ran toward the waiting room to call Baek Ga-yoon.
Jeong Ga-yoon picked up the script and checked the scene they were about to film.
The villain, who had been talking with the heroine, lost control of her anger, strangled the heroine, and pushed her over the balcony.
It was ironic.
The day before yesterday, Baek Ga-yoon had strangled her.
And today, she would be the one strangling Baek Ga-yoon.
Jeong Ga-yoon looked down at her hands.
It was only acting, but she was confident she could put plenty of genuine emotion into it.
It was another opportunity to increase her remaining lifespan.
She subtly touched the area around her neck.
The more she watched the time ticking away in real time, the more anxious she became.
How many days will I gain after today’s filming is over?
It would be nice if I got a fairly long extension.
At the very least, she needed enough time to decide on her next project.
This was because this scene would be her final shoot.
Thanks to Baek Ga-yoon repeatedly failing to show up for filming on schedule, all of Ga-yoon’s remaining scenes had already been completed.
“……”
After checking all the scenes they would film today, she looked around.
At that moment, the staff member who had gone to call Baek Ga-yoon returned alone and approached Director Kang.
He looked troubled.
“Ms. Baek says she needs some time.”
At the staff member’s words, Director Kang’s face crumpled.
“Ha… Damn it. I’ll go talk to her.”
Director Kang left the set, and the staff member followed him.
The dozens of supporting actors remaining on the set looked around at the staff in confusion.
“Please don’t leave the set. We’ll wait here for a little while.”
At the assistant director’s words, the supporting actors gathered in small groups and sat down to rest.
“Seriously. This is too much.”
Beside Jeong Ga-yoon, Min-ji shook her head in disbelief.
Ga-yoon secretly agreed as she glanced toward the waiting-room area.
After checking today’s scene, she had somewhat anticipated that Baek Ga-yoon might behave like this.
After all, being strangled by her, even if it was only acting, would be frightening.
“Let’s prepare for filming.”
At that moment, the staff member who had followed Director Kang entered the set and spoke.
Director Kang appeared behind him, accompanied by Baek Ga-yoon.
The supporting actors who had been resting in small groups immediately stood up and moved to their predetermined positions.
The staff members also took their places at their assigned stations.
“Let’s film!”
“No, Director! I told you I can’t act with her!”
Although Baek Ga-yoon had somehow made it all the way onto the set, she didn’t seem to have any intention of actually filming.
Director Kang, sitting at the monitoring table, spoke coldly.
“What is this, school? Do you expect me to settle a fight between the two of you? If you can’t distinguish between work and personal matters, then you should stay home!”
Director Kang let out a deep sigh, remembering all the people who had tried to stop him when they heard he would be working with Baek Ga-yoon.
He had heard all about Baek Ga-yoon’s notorious reputation.
But he had been blinded by her financial backing and popularity and had underestimated the problem.
“Ah, then at least get me a stand-in!”
Baek Ga-yoon began throwing an absurd tantrum.
Apparently Jeong Ga-yoon had scratched her face or something.
Honestly, it was hard to believe.
A perpetually supporting actress from a small agency with no powerful connections had scratched Baek Ga-yoon’s face?
Unless she dreamed of disappearing from the industry without a trace, it made no sense.
“Director!”
As Baek Ga-yoon’s behavior dragged on and on, the waiting staff rubbed their faces in exhaustion, while the supporting actors sighed wearily.
“Sunbae.”
This was becoming impossible to watch.
Jeong Ga-yoon, who had been observing the situation, stepped forward.
When they had run into each other in front of the waiting rooms earlier, Baek Ga-yoon had grabbed her by the throat and raised the corners of her eyes while asking if she really was alive.
Ga-yoon had thought that meant she wouldn’t back out of filming.
But now she was refusing to film as though she were afraid.
That was strange.
“Are you afraid of me?”
Jeong Ga-yoon approached Baek Ga-yoon and whispered so quietly that no one except Baek Ga-yoon could hear.
Why is she suddenly acting like this?
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll really strangle you?”
“Just like you did to me, sunbae?”
Well, that might have been part of it.
But somehow, Ga-yoon didn’t think that was the only reason.
“……”
The two women met each other’s gazes with only a hand’s breadth between them.
Baek Ga-yoon’s eyes weren’t frightened in the slightest.
Instead, they were filled with venom.
Ah.
I understand now.
A thought suddenly flashed through Jeong Ga-yoon’s mind.
