First Day (2)
I was anxious and felt as if my heart was about to sink as the call returned only static noises.
But thankfully, the call finally connected on the fifth attempt.
"Hello, is this the principal? Yes. I'm Miso's auntie. Um, the reason I called is because…well…"
-Ah, yes. Miso's auntie! Oh, yes. Don't worry. I'll take care of Miso until 5 PM. Don't mention it! Haha. Miso is such a good child.
It turned out that the reason the principal hadn't picked up the call right away was because she was busy hosting the Christmas party for the kids, as she was the only one running the small kindergarten.
'But when is Yoo-Jin gonna hang up the phone?'
The two showed no sign of wrapping up the conversation and continued chatting.
Having waited for three minutes, I felt the need to end their conversation and subtly hinted at Yoo-JIn who got my message and started wrapping up the conversation.
"Yes, principal. I'll stop by later."
-Oh, my. Kids are going to be so excited to see you come. You are a celebrity, after all.
"Celebrity? No way. I've only just started my career…"
-Haha. Let's talk more and have some warm red bean soup when you come to the kindergarten. By the way, I love Actor Jo Min-Sung from your company.
"Yes, yes. Let's talk more when we meet later."
Yoo-Jin hung up the phone and licked her lips, disappointed that the conversation had to end.
'Was there more to talk about? They'd been talking for so long.'
Anyway, I felt relieved knowing the accident would no longer happen since Miso didn't go home alone.
'It's done. Miso is safe now. I'll rush to her as soon as the on-site shoot is over.'
My heart began to flutter as I thought of Miso's cheerful face.
"Miso will be so happy. She always told me she wanted to visit the broadcasting station. La la la~"
I couldn't help but smile without realizing it when I saw Yoo-Jin's face filled with motherly affection for Miso.
Yoo-Jin stopped humming and tilted her head in wonder when she saw me smile.
"Why are you smiling? Is there anything on my face?"
"No. It's just that…you look really happy."
Yoo-Jin smiled.
"Of course I'm happy. It was Miso's wish to visit the broadcasting station. I really appreciate it, oppa."
Watching Yoo-Jin hum and return her gaze to the script, I thought I should be the one thanking her.
Anyway, it was already in my plans to ensure Yoo-Jin and Miso did not return to their home today.
'By the way, how much does it cost to book a hotel room these days?'
Then I shook my head.
'Nevermind. I'll have to book a motel instead. As far as I can remember, I only had 5 million won in my bank account around this time.'
The reminder of being financially strapped again made the fact that I had returned to the past much more real than ever.
'Nonetheless, I'll make sure to get them the cleanest motel room.'
***
Writer Lee Ji-Yeon, often dubbed the Godmother of Dramas, had a habit of frequently visiting the shooting sets to oversee the progress of her work. She was also famous for screaming at actors if they made even the smallest mistakes.
As a result, her set visits always led to chaotic situations. Actors would shed tears as talent agents offered their consolation while assistant directors had to clean up the mess. The producer directors would even plead and apologize to her even if they didn't know what they had done wrong.
However, as she was a top-tier writer who had written several works with good ratings exceeding thirty percent, there was no one who could stop her irrational attitude.
Yoo-Jin was soon about to act in front of this very writer, Lee Ji-Yeon.
While Yoo-Jin was preparing for the shoot and reading the script, I informed her of what was about to happen.
"The writer…is coming?"
"Yes. I would say in about thirty minutes."
The heavily underlined script seemed to reflect Yoo-Jin's nervousness.
"What should I do, oppa? I'm not sure if I can do this."
While Yoo-Jin was typically confident and resilient, she appeared slightly intimidated, perhaps because it was her first shoot.
"Don't worry. I've been watching you practice and you're doing fine. I think everything would be perfect if you fixed just one part."
"Which part?"
I pointed to the section where Yoo-Jin would make twenty-three mistakes.
"This fourth word in the third sentence. Oh, and keep in mind that Ms. Lee places a lot of emphasis on diction. It's especially easy to make mistakes in complex lines, so just repeat this part until you're perfectly familiar with it."
"Okay."
Yoo-Jin listened to my explanation and continued to practice reading the script until she got used to the pronunciation.
As she was still a rookie actress, she was receptive to the talent agent's advice and did not find it off-putting. While I was at it, I started to analyze the descriptions and lines in the script with her since having a good understanding of the character would help in her acting.
Yoo-Jin seemed amazed after hearing my analysis of the script.
"Wow, you're really good, oppa. How are you so good at analyzing the script? I think you're even better than the acting coach."
Looking at Yoo-Jin's sparkling eyes, I thought to myself:
'You have no idea how many times I dined and drank with Lee Ji-Yeon while discussing her scripts.'
I had memorized all of Lee Ji-Yeon's scripts in my first life.
"Hey, come on now. Let's not waste time and focus on the script. We don't have much time before she arrives."
"Yes, teacher!"
After regaining her confidence, Yoo-Jin continued to practice her lines by going over the script repeatedly for a long time.
The more Yoo-Jin practiced, the more progress she made, possibly due to my accurate advice.
***
"Alright, that's good enough. Let's go now."
"Where to?"
"To meet Ms. Lee. It's better to get it over with now than later."
Lee Ji-Yeon had a tendency to test actors regardless of time and place whenever she met them.
Hence, I figured it would be better to show Yoo-Jin's acting directly in front of Lee Ji-Yeon than on the set far away filled with cameras and staff.
However, Yoo-Jin shook her head in hesitance.
"Oppa, I'm scared. Can I meet her later?"
I was sympathetic to her fear, but some things had to be done.
"Ms. Lee is not as scary as you think. Why are you so scared?"
"Because I've heard many rumors and they seem to suggest otherwise."
Yoo-Jin gave me a doubtful gaze, but I shook my head as if I had no idea what she was talking about.
"You must have heard wrong. Come on, let's go."
'Well, she'll be fine as long as she doesn't mess up.'
I hurriedly grabbed the script and clothes, and headed to the parking lot with Yoo-Jin.
"There she comes."
A giant pink Rose-Rise, resembling a small bus, pulled into the parking lot.
Crack! Crack!
The gravel under the tires scattered in all directions and made a loud noise.
When the car came to a stop, a young woman with her hair tied tightly got out of the driver's seat with a heavy-looking suitcase.
She seemed familiar for some reason.
'Writer Kim Soll-Ip?'
Come to think of it, she had been an assistant to Lee Ji-Yeon around this time.
Kim Soll-Ip would soon become a renowned writer in ten years, rivaling Lee Ji-Yeon.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
'It was around this time when Kim Soll-Ip's work became a huge success after she went independent. I thought I wrote down the name of her work and ratings somewhere…was it 'Blue Sky?''