He could hear some native English speakers. He flinched and turned his head around only to see a blond foreigner speaking to students in English. Today was a Saturday, and it was currently 5 in the evening. Despite that, the heat of studying did not seem to die down in this prestigious independent school.

Apparently, that was an extracurricular activity. Here, even hobbies were studying-related. Maru clicked his tongue as he walked along the corridor. The shooting set was inside the furthest room on the 3rd floor. Outside the window, the sports field with green grass as well as the entire scenery of Seoul could be seen. As this was a school built mid way up the mountain, the scenery was really good.

The class motto and the national flag was hung up in front of the school. Succeeding Through Studying Is The Easiest Path. He agreed with that motto to a certain extent. The desks were lined up neatly. There was only enough space left for one camera to go in.

A staff member holding up a reflector got into position before the main characters went in. The minor roles took their places as well. Some of the students that were here to help had arrived as well. The liaising writer politely told them good luck. Since the location was their school, the staff looked extremely careful about confronting them.

The students moved according to the assistant director’s words. They switched seats around a couple of times. The assistant director moved back after deeming that the main actors were emphasized the most. During that time, one of the tall students left the set. It seemed that they weren’t planning to shoot someone who was taller than the main actors.

“Okay then. Let’s do a rehearsal first.”

Maru stood in front of Chaerim according to the instructions. Unlike when he saw her at the sports field, she had become quite pale. It was clear to him that she had become nervous.

“Let’s go slowly but surely. The writer will give hints about your lines behind the camera, so if you can’t remember, don’t panic and look there.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Everyone makes mistakes when growing up.”

“Okay.”

Director Lee sighed a little as he turned away from Chaerim. Maru was able to see that. Right now, the director was more tired out than the actor. He couldn’t begin to imagine how many NG scenes happened during the morning.

“We’re doing the same scene we did in the morning, so let’s get this done quickly and go home.”

The rehearsal proceeded a little too slowly. Director Lee slowly explained the scene to Chaerim as though teaching the alphabet to a toddler. Maru had a look at the faces of the staff members while listening to the explanation. They clearly looked tired and some people even sighed. It seemed that they were drained of their energy, since they were doing the same thing they did in the morning.

“Then let’s try.”

Director Lee sat down and was about to get ready for the cue sign when he stood back up again. It seemed that he was very wary. The camera started rolling, and the extras walked past Chaerim as they talked to each other. An ordinary break time scene was produced. Meanwhile, Maru waited while wearing the non-prescription glasses that the staff handed to him.

Chaerim chatted with another student before suddenly using her finger to push the back of the head of another girl who was just reading a book. It was the main heroine that Woomin protected in the sports field. Chaerim kept pushing on the heroine’s head before grabbing her long hair.

Along with a faint groan, the main heroine flinched. The students that were chatting until now all became silent. The writer told them the precise time to become silent with the sketchbook. The extra that were within the frame slowly walked away from Chaerim. Their gazes were all directed at the floor, and they looked submissive. Just from this alone, it was clear that Chaerim was the boss of this class.

Maru stood up from his seat. He did not mind the camera that was to the right of his face and quietly walked up to Chaerim. The character he was acting was not a provocative character. He was a shy and quiet boy that was pushed on the role of the class president by others. He gathered his hands in front of his stomach to portray himself as an awkward, shy boy. Since he was told that the camera would shoot his entire body, he had to be wary of his actions as well. He reduced the distance between each step to a minimum and stood upright.

He expressed with his smile and body that although he stood up to get justice for the heroine that was being bullied by Chaerim, he had no intentions of going against her in any way. Since they were minute movements, he didn’t know how much of it would be captured on camera, but he did his best.

“What is it?” Chaerim asked.

The correct line in the script was ‘who’re you?’. It was obvious that she tied the first knot wrong. Maru fixed his gaze on the tip of Chaerim’s indoor shoes.

“Uhm… I’m wondering if you’re going too far with your bullying,” while talking, he moved his eyes left and right.

“Did you just say that to me?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s not that, but… looks like I was mistaken. I didn’t say that to you.”

“Then what are you talking about? Are you kidding me?”

Chaerim abruptly stood up. Maru immediately raised his hands to cover his face. The following line was ‘hey, someone might think that I’m trying to hit you’. He was waiting for those words, but he couldn’t hear anything. He raised his head a little in order to find out what was happening. He saw Chaerim whose mouth was half-open. Maru could imagine the writer holding up the sketchbook with all her might behind him.

“Cut,” director Lee’s bland voice resounded out.

Chaerim sat back down on the chair as though collapsing into it. She kept staring at the floor as though she was in a panic. The students of the school that were brought in for this started whispering among themselves. The staff just shook their heads or just looked away from the scene.

“Ah god da….”

The insult that almost escaped director Lee’s mouth stopped. Director Lee shut his eyes and took off the cap he was wearing before clenching it tightly. The crumpled baseball cap seemed to speak for his mind.

“Can’t you do just a little better? Please? You were doing well until now, weren’t you? Just like a main actor,” director Lee forcefully smiled as he spoke.

At that moment, one man, who was quietly staying on the side approached Chaerim. It was director Choi. Director Lee clutched his head and took a step back.

“Chaerim. Don’t think about it too hard, yeah? You can do it. And you did good until now too.”

“Y-yes.”

Director Choi consoled Chaerim who looked pale. All of the staff took a break again. Maru sat down on his chair and opened the script. This scene didn’t have any difficult lines. It wasn’t that hard to imagine the emotions of the character either. Chaerim just had to be forceful and condescending the whole time. Perhaps she had gotten trauma thanks to the mistakes she committed in the morning. It seemed that any further shooting was not going to happen.

“So we meet again,” it was Woojoo.

Maru smiled seeing the familiar face.

“Didn’t know you were still here.”

“Things turned out this way. Rather than that, you had the character who fell over, and here you are, with a similar role.”

“I can’t argue with that. But was she like that since morning?” Maru asked as he pointed at Chaerim.

Woojoo made a mixed expression as he nodded.

“There were a lot of words about her until now too. I mean, she did cause quite a lot of NG scenes. But she was never this bad. Perhaps she is feeling complicated because of the guy that just ran out.”

Woojoo told Maru that the atmosphere on the set was extremely fragile since morning. When one of the minor roles left the scene after getting insulted by director Lee, it was bad to the point that most people had the notion to give up the shoot there. Woojoo also told him that they continued to shoot because there would be problems in airing the episode since it would be a long time until the main characters could gather on set again.

“And yet, here we are.”

“That sounds chaotic.”

“Well, for us, we just get more pay if things get delayed, but the staff members aren’t like that. It must be hard for them.”

The staff members that had to hold heavy equipment were staring holes into Chaerim. They were practically begging her at this point.

“Rather than that, you were good back there. What happened? Didn’t you just arrive?”

“I memorized the lines after I got here. Well, I do have a ‘wronged’ face, so I’m good with acting roles like that.”

“Like hell you have a ‘wronged’ face. But wait, you memorized all that in such a short time? You’re quite smart.”

Maru shrugged once. At that moment, director Choi finished consoling Chaerim. She looked a little calmer now.

Director Lee gave the cue sign with a mixed expression. The exact same occurrence unfolded out on the set covered in heavy silence. Maru also repeated the same thing he did before. He said his line in front of Chaerim. He just had to wait for Chaerim’s line, but she froze up again this time.

Director Lee did not get angry. It seemed that he had no energy to become angry at this point. Maru heard the staff member holding the reflector swear in a small voice. It wasn’t that surprising. The lights turned off again. It seemed that they were planning to take a longer break this time.

“Uhm, director. We have a schedule to attend.”

“Us too.”

The managers spoke apologetically to director Lee. Director Lee frowned. The man that seemed to be Chaerim’s manager was standing in front of director Lee with his face looking down.

“Sorry about that. I’ll finish as soon as possible, so please endure for now. Please, I’m saying this because there will be problems if we don’t finish this shoot today.”

“Yes, I know that. Please tell us if you need anything. I’ll try to help out.”

The managers stepped away and director Lee started speaking with the camera director. The producers gathered around as well. Perhaps they were getting ready to change the scene, or remove the scene entirely.

“Writer Park isn’t here today, right?”

“Yes. Should I make a call?”

“Yes, ask if we can change this scene. If writer Park gives permission, well, the rest of the writers will come up with something.”

Maru was able to hear their conversation since he was standing close to them. So the scene was going to be changed after all? After a call, the writer’s expression as she held the phone slowly darkened.

“Uhm, director. I don’t think we can do that. Writer Park said it can’t be fixed.”

“Urgh, a no means a no from that person.”

Seeing director Lee in a tough spot, Maru thought that the writer must be a stubborn person. Both the staff and the actors fell into a panic. Maru had a look at Chaerim, who was sitting at the back of the class. Even other idols did not approach her. They probably didn’t want to be hated along with her. Chaerim looked like a lonely island within the class. Even director Choi seemed to have given up as he couldn’t be seen anywhere.

At that moment, his eyes met Chaerim’s when she just raised her head up. Her eyes were wandering everywhere. It was clear to Maru that she would make a mistake if they started shooting again. He didn’t want to waste his time here. Maru walked up to Chaerim, who was isolated from the others. The murky eyes looked up at him.

“Hey.”

Maru looked into Chaerim’s eyes. For a while, nothing happened, then a speech bubble popped up above Chaerim’s head.

-Is this boy interested in me?

It wasn’t an ability that could read other people’s minds, so it wasn’t omnipotent, but he could deduce her psychological state with what he saw. He usually didn’t use it since it wasn’t that useful normally, but it was quite useful when talking to a complete stranger. Though, most of the time the speech bubble would say ‘who the heck is he’.

After looking at the speech bubble, Maru spoke in a small voice.

“If you want others to be interested in you, then do your job properly.”

“...What?”

“Choose one. Either you do this properly and receive everyone’s love, or you can become tragic. You see the people around you right? They’re not looking at you with good will at all.”

Chaerim looked around.

“Not a single person here likes you. You’re inconveniencing them after all. So, are you going to end it like this? Unable to do anything?”

Chaerim bit her lower lip. Maru extended his hand out.

“Give me your hand.”

“...What are you doing?”

“I’ll tell you a good trick, so just give me your hand.”

Chaerim unwillingly held out her hand. Maru pressed on the soft part between the thumb and the index finger very strongly. Chaerim frowned and pulled her hand away.

“What are you doing!”

“It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“You can’t think of anything, right? It hurts like hell, so you’re not thinking about anything else, right?”

“....”

“Also, you are annoyed because of me as well, aren’t you? Pile that up and release it. If you still can’t do that, then just go back to being a singer, and don’t inconvenience others in a place you don’t belong.”

“Are you finished?”

“No, I’m not. I have lines to do here. If you’re so frustrated, then pay back with acting. You know, there’s a scene where you push me over, right? Why don’t you push me like you mean it?”

Maru curled up his lips before leaving. He returned to his waiting seat before giving a glance to Chaerim. For now, she wasn’t dazing out like she was last time, and looked like she was back to her usual self. She was glaring at him though, probably out of frustration. He hoped that she would continue that all the way until the end of the shoot.

“Let’s do this one last time,” director Lee spoke.