I Returned as a High School Girl

Chapter 288 - Reward (3)

While Ji Han-Seok and Yoo Ji-Hyun were focused on their script reading, Ji-Hyun’s smartphone suddenly rang.

“I’m sorry, sunbae. Could I take this call?”

“Yeah, sure. We have plenty of time.”

“Thank you very much.”

Han-Seok read through the script while Ji-Hyun went to take her call. The scene itself wasn’t that long. It consisted of Nam Yun-Seok confessing and kissing Kang Seo-Mi, who was in tears due to her internal conflict. The part with Ji-Hyun didn’t consist of any dialogue; Kang Ra-Eun would be doing the part involving dialogue, and the kiss scene would be shot with Ji-Hyun.

The thought of Ra-Eun kept swirling around Han-Seok’s mind. He had several kiss scenes with other actresses throughout the many dramas and films that he had been in. A kiss scene actually wasn’t that awkward for him in comparison to other kinds of performances. However, the kiss scene today was completely different from the others that he had done.

‘It’s a bit pressuring to do when Ra-Eun is watching.’

Although he knew that there was no way Ra-Eun would get jealous, he was still bothered by it.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Ra-Eun for a while now.’

Neither could he see Director Yoon Tae-Yoon anywhere. Director Yoon was always overlooking the studio before the start of scenes, but he was nowhere to be found now.

“Director,” Han-Seok called out to the camera director who just happened to be passing by. “Do you happen to know where Director Yoon is?”

“Director Yoon? He seemed to be having an important conversation with Ra-Eun earlier.”

“An important conversation? What was it about?”

“I’m not sure about the details either. Oh, there he is.”

Han-Seok turned his head to the direction that the camera director pointed. Like he had said, Director Yoon had returned to the studio.

“I’m going to ask him about it,” Han-Seok said as he got up from his seat.

Since Ji-Hyun had left to take a call, he decided to leave for a bit to go ask. Director Yoon saw Han-Seok approaching him and reacted as if Han-Seok had been just the person that he had wanted to see.

“Oh, Han-Seok. I had something to tell you. Perfect timing.”

“To me?”

“Yes. It seems... we’ll have to modify the script a little.”

“...?”

Script modifications on-the-spot were actually more common than one would think, since seeing the scene through text and through the performances of actors would obviously be different.

“It’s not a major modification. It’s just...”

Director Yoon was hesitant. Not knowing what he was about to say, Han-Seok was a bit uneasy.

“Is the entire scene itself going to be changed?”

A total modification would involve redoing everything, including the lines. Director Yoon shook his head.

“No. We’re just going to modify scene #24-3 a little. I think we’re going to have to delete Miss Yoo Ji-Hyun’s part altogether.”

“Pardon? What does that mean?”

Scene #24-3 was the scene where Han-Seok and Ji-Hyun kissed. Director Yoon’s next words shocked Han-Seok.

“Ra-Eun said that she would do the kiss scene herself without a body double.”

***

Ra-Eun had told Director Yoon that she would do the kiss scene with Han-Seok herself.

“...What the hell am I doing, goddamn idiot?”

As soon as Director Yoon left to tell the other staff members and Han-Seok, Ra-Eun criticized herself where no one could hear her. She had never thought that she would break her rule of no kiss scenes of her own accord, and by impulse, no less.

Ra-Eun did not know why. Her pride was hurt when she saw Han-Seok and Ji-Hyun practicing their kiss scene together, so she had told Director Yoon that she would do it herself. No, it might not be just about pride.

Jealousy.

Ra-Eun feigned a laugh as soon as that word popped up in her head.

‘That’s impossible.’

Ra-Eun had never used a body double for anything because it felt like she was running away from the scene out of fear if she ever used one. Hence, she even did dangerous stunts herself. She felt the same way for kiss scenes. She hated it more than anything, but she didn’t want to hand it to someone else and run away. She had made her choice not out of jealousy, but her competitive spirit... or that was what she decided to think.

‘Well... It's not like my partner is a complete stranger. And he also helped me last time.’

Ra-Eun admitted in her head that she thought that a kiss scene with Han-Seok was barely... just barely okay. She softly sighed and entered the studio, but covered her face with the paper fan that she was holding before she had realized it. Every single staff member had likely found out that Ra-Eun would be doing the kiss scene, not Ji-Hyun. The embarrassment from that fact belatedly swept over her.

While she was cooling down her reddened face with the fan, Han-Seok, the person she wanted to avoid the most at the moment, approached her.

“Ra-Eun. I heard the story from Director Yoon. I’m still dumbfounded from hearing something completely unexpected. Is what Director Yoon said true?”

Han-Seok wanted to confirm it directly from Ra-Eun. She held in her sigh and forcibly opened her mouth.

“Yes, it’s true.”

The tone of her voice was a bit lower than usual out of embarrassment and shame. Han-Seok laughed as naturally as he could to not embarrass Ra-Eun any more than she already was, but he couldn’t completely eliminate the embarrassment from his laugh.

“I-I see. I thought Director Yoon was making a super-late April Fool's joke. It really surprised me.”

Han-Seok had also considered that it could be a prank, but considering Director Yoon’s personality, there was no way he would do anything that could negatively affect the shoot. He was about to ask why Ra-Eun, who hated kiss scenes above anything else, had made such a decision, but Ra-Eun beat him to it.

“It’s a reward... for your help last time.”

Ra-Eun covered her small face with the paper fan again and speed walked to her waiting room. Han-Seok, who was now left all alone, chuckled after coming back to his senses.

“I don’t think I deserve a reward this great.”

***

The production team apologized to Ji-Hyun and modified the script. Director Yoon decided that it was better for Ra-Eun to do Scene #24-3 herself than to use Ji-Hyun as a body double, since the character Kang Seo-Mi had been inspired by Ra-Eun. There was no one else who could portray her.

“Ready... Action!”

Ra-Eun pulled up the necessary emotions as soon as the cameras rolled. Since this scene required tears, she pulled up a sad memory that she had experienced in her life.

There was only one saddening and enraging memory that she could think of: when she found out that Kim Han-Gyo had betrayed her. She had found herself far too pathetic and pitiful to die without having realized Han-Gyo’s true self sooner. Recalling what she had felt back then, tears welled up naturally.

Drip, drip.

Small tears formed on Ra-Eun’s large eyes and trickled down her cheeks.

“Yun-Seok... What should I do?”

Han-Seok gulped as he saw Ra-Eun asking him with a trembling voice. It would be impossible to see Ra-Eun in such a delicate and frail state in any instance other than acting. Han-Seok embraced Ra-Eun with all his might.

“It’s okay. It’ll all be okay. Trust me.”

“Yun-Seok...”

Han-Seok slightly moved away from Ra-Eun and grabbed her shoulders. It was now time for the long-awaited kiss scene. The camera zoomed in on Han Seok and Ra-Eun’s faces. Han-Seok gulped again and approached Ra-Eun while trying his best to calm down his beating heart. Since it was supposed to be a surprise kiss, he couldn’t approach too slowly; Yun-Seok needed to kiss Seo-Mi so that she could not react.

Han-Seok’s face approached before Ra-Eun even had time to think. She unwittingly closed her eyes slightly.

“Cut!” Director Yoon exclaimed as their lips were only 1 mm apart. “You can’t close your eyes, Ra-Eun. The audience might think that your character was expecting to be kissed.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ra-Eun had caused an NG cut unlike her. The scene resumed with Take 2. Han-Seok resolved himself while looking at Ra-Eun, whose charm he could never escape from. He apologized to her in his mind, and their lips touched.

Han-Seok felt as if the sensation of her soft and warm lips was spreading throughout his body. He had never felt like this in kiss scenes with any other actress. He could only feel this way because his partner had been Ra-Eun.

Meanwhile, Seo-Mi, played by Ra-Eun, widened her eyes as she was suddenly kissed by Yun-Seok, played by Han-Seok.

Director Yoon exclaimed, “Okay! That was great!”

The two actors pulled their lips away. Han-Seok apologized repeatedly to Ra-Eun as soon as the cameras were off.

“I’m so sorry, Ra-Eun.”

“It’s okay, sunbae. Don’t apologize.”

Ra-Eun thought that it would be extremely unpleasant to kiss a man, but it wasn’t as bad as she had thought. She honestly felt at ease because she just considered it to be acting.

And with that, the shoot for today had ended. Unlike Ra-Eun, who had gone back to her waiting room after saying farewell to the staff members, Han-Seok sat down in a chair. He was frantically cooling down his hot head due to him still being able to feel the sensation of the kiss.

His manager looked around to see if there were staff members in the area and then asked while snickering, “Did you like kissing Ra-Eun that much?”

He had more or less an idea that Han-Seok had some feelings of affection for Ra-Eun.

“...Shut up, hyung.”

Han-Seok resented having such a quick-witted manager.

***

“...”

In the evening of the day that Ra-Eun had her first kiss scene, she touched her lips with her fingertips while sitting in her Levanche office. She couldn’t get her kiss with Han-Seok out of her mind.

“The next one is with Je-Woon sunbae.”

Ra-Eun had not expected to have kiss scenes with two men in one film.

‘They say a woman's heart is as fickle as a reed. I don’t understand my own heart.’

As she sighed again for who knows how many times, Ma Yeong-Jun came to her office.

“Sorry I’m late. I was busy with something.”

“It’s fine,” Ra-Eun said. She then got serious and remarked, “If my expectations are correct, Kim Han-Gyo is going to make one final move against me soon.”

“The probability must be very high if you’re so sure.”

“He tried to kidnap me on a film set, after all. He must be desperate. So, I’m going to make my own preparations for it.”

Ra-Eun’s eyes sharpened. The time to put an end to this revenge had finally come.