Women who brought the food laid out on the tables on both sides of the central table began kneeling and bringing the food in front of Geon and Chaeeun. As the food piled up on the table, Chaeeun's face filled with smiles. While Geon and Chaeeun's faces brightened, Yeongseok's face crumpled.
Geon, noticing Yeongseok's disgusted expression, said as if amused, "Brother, were you expecting us to starve? What now? It's rude not to eat what's given. Guess we have no choice but to eat."
Chaeeun, with a mischievous smile, chimed in, "Exactly. The village chief prepared all this for us, not eating would be really rude. Let's eat quickly!"
Chaeeun, holding a spoon and checking for Timo's cue, saw him signal with a smile to start eating. Chaeeun then brought her hands together, bowed her head slightly, and began eating. She laughed continuously, tasting this and that, and urged Geon to try the food as well.
"Geon, try this. Is this goat meat? It's really tender and tasty. Wow, this is the first time I'm eating something other than the bread given by the Sherpa uncle we met this morning. Maybe it's because I'm hungry, but it's really delicious!"
As Chaeeun fed Geon, she laughed. Geon, tasting the food offered by Chaeeun, eventually found himself burying his face in the bowl and scooping up the food to eat. Timo, seeing the two of them, continued to order more food to be brought out, then started instructing the staff to serve food as well. The first woman to approach Yeongseok with a plate of various foods offered it to him. After Yeongseok put his hands together and bowed to accept the plate, several women approached with the same plate, offering food to all the staff.
The staff, who had only been filming Geon and Chaeeun eating, began to eat voraciously, perhaps due to hunger, upon Yeongseok's cue.
"Eat, we're all starving here. Let's eat and then continue. Just make sure to handle the handheld camera well."
Once Yeongseok gave his permission, the staff began to devour the food as if possessed. However, being professionals, they continued to monitor the situation even while eating, especially checking the camera monitors whenever Chaeeun and Geon had a conversation.
After filling his stomach, Geon supported his body with his arms, leaned back, and looked satisfied though bloated, unlike Chaeeun. Despite her small stature, it was dubious how much food she could ingest, as she ate a lot and for a long time. Geon, watching Chaeeun with a smile, approached the musicians who had been playing throughout the meal.
The musicians, having been instructed by Timo beforehand, did not stop playing as Geon approached. Geon stood in front of them, listening to their performance, then turning to Timo, who had come up beside him, asked, "Could I see their sheet music?"
Timo nodded and replied, "Yes, you can."
Geon, with a bright smile, asked, "Could I borrow some paper and a pen?"
Timo immediately instructed a servant nearby, "Bring paper and a pen."
As soon as the words were uttered, a servant darted into the house and quickly returned, presenting Timo with a few sheets of paper and a pen. Timo courteously handed them to Geon, who received them with both hands politely. Geon then casually sat down on the carpet where the musicians were seated. The musicians glanced at him but did not stop their performance.
Seeing Geon start to write something, the camera director crammed the remaining rice into his mouth and ran over with the ENG camera. Seeing this, Yeongseok quickly brought a bowl to his mouth and started shoveling food in. The staff also quickened their pace of eating.
Geon, crouching down, began to write down the sheet music, then pondered deeply. Eventually, he lay on the carpet, writing down the music as everyone watched. The musicians, continuing to play, occasionally glanced curiously at the sheet music Geon was sketching. After a while, Geon, holding three sheets of music, asked Timo, "Could you ask if there are any notes on this sheet music that can't be played with a bansuri or a sarangi?"
Timo nodded and relayed to the musicians, "The Deva asks if there are notes that cannot be played on your instruments."
The musicians hastily stopped playing, kneeled, and after scrutinizing the sheet music while lying prostrate, shook their heads. Timo, after observing them, told Geon, "They say it can be played."
Geon, with a bright expression, handed the sheet music to the musicians, saying, "Could you please play this?"
The musicians, receiving the sheet music with respect, looked to Timo, who said, "The Deva requests you to play."
The musicians, touched, kneeled before Geon and quietly brought their hands together, bowing. They placed a sheet of music on the floor and began to memorize it. Seeing this, Geon went to get the J 200 he had left beside Chaeeun. Chaeeun, still greasy-lipped from eating, asked, "Why? Are you going to play? Do you know these instruments?"
Geon, taking the J 200 out of its case, smiled, "No, I don't know much. Just what I heard them play earlier."
"And you drew a sheet music for them? What for? Is it an existing piece?"
"No, just something that came to mind while I was here, listening to the sounds of those instruments."
As Geon moved towards the musicians with the guitar, Chaeeun, holding a goat leg, muttered in a daze, "You came up with sheet music just by hearing those instruments for the first time today?"
Geon sat quietly on a low stone ledge, softly plucking the strings of his J-200 as the musicians memorized their scores. Observing Geon lost in thought with his eyes closed, Timo placed a finger to his lips amidst the bustling servants still serving food, instantly quieting the surroundings. Feeling the sudden shift in atmosphere, the camera directors rose to gather around Geon, beginning their shoot.
Yeongseok, looking down at Geon envisioning the scene, thought, "This show is going to be a hit. It's not going exactly as planned, but just the trailer will cause a stir. Geon, mistaken for a god in Nepal, will definitely please the boss."
Soon, the musicians stood, each taking their instrument to start rehearsing. As the first beautiful notes of the bansuri flute filled the air, the working women's eyes widened. Sarangi joined midway, as if sneaking into the performance, followed by the entrance of the dhamphu. After two practices, the skilled musicians looked towards Geon, awaiting his direction as if ready.
Geon, watching them, smiled and took off his shoes to sit in the middle of the carpet. Though they didn't speak the same language, their shared love for music united them, sharing smiles. When Geon gestured to the bansuri player to begin, a mournful yet beautiful melody flowed from the flute.
As the exquisite sound played, villagers, who had gathered one by one at Timo's house from the start of the rehearsal, began to close their eyes and feel the music. The bansuri's sound was as compassionate and gentle as Brahma's lamenting gaze over the Himalayas, witnessing the sorrows of the human world. The mournful melody felt like their deity shedding tears over them, prompting the villagers to sit and pray.
Then, the sarangi entered with a melody resembling a blend of violin and cello, evoking sadness. It soared over the calm beat of the dhamphu, sounding like Brahma's voice speaking to humanity. Timo, too, seemed intoxicated by the spiritual enlightenment of the music, standing still with his eyes closed and head tilted skyward.
A guitar's arpeggio then seamlessly joined over the traditional instruments, harmonizing with the bansuri's melody but in a chord three steps lower, echoing across the night sky. More villagers knelt at the front gate of Timo's house, their numbers growing as they prayed.
More people climbed the hill outside Timo's house, kneeling and praying together.
Yeongseok, startled, tapped the shoulders of two camera directors, directing them to film the people praying at the gate and on the hill. Chaeun dropped the food she was holding, her eyes wide and trembling slightly.
Geon, with his eyes closed, began to sing.
"From the village Deurali, atop the world's roof,
Thank you, God, for daily bread and a comfortable bed."
Geon's voice wasn't gentle as the morning; it resonated deeply, nearly reaching the lowest tones a human could produce, akin to a Tibetan monk's chant. The hands of those praying trembled, and Timo, still looking skyward, knelt to the ground, tears forming in his eyes.
"Deurali, Deurali, may blessings of love and courtesy converge in this village.
Deurali, Deurali, may blessings of love and courtesy converge in this village."
As Geon's voice echoed again, those kneeling bowed to touch their foreheads to the ground. Unseen by Geon, the last lyrics he sung were:
"May blessings come to this beautiful village, touching the sky."
Though the song ended, the performance continued. Suddenly, the villagers lying on the ground began to chant in a low tone, as if praying, harmoniously blending with the musicians. They murmured the same words throughout the ongoing performance.
Yeongseok, eyes wide in astonishment, turned to Simba, shaking slightly, and asked, "What are the people saying?"
Simba, gazing at Geon and then back at the people, replied in a trembling voice, "'May blessings come to this beautiful village, touching the sky.' They're repeating his words. Even those who don't speak English are following along. How is this possible..."
The deep prayerful voices of the villagers grew louder, spreading throughout the village. Even those far from the chief's house could hear the prayers. People passing through the village and those spending the evening at home with their families kneeled and joined in prayer upon hearing the sound, soon filling Deurali with a unified voice.
Yeongseok, with a dazed expression, listened to the sounds outside and asked Simba, who seemed lost in thought, "Is that the lyrics Geon said in English, translated into Nepali? How can people who don't understand English know the meaning and follow along?"
Simba, looking down at his trembling hands, said, "I... I don't know. How could this...?"
Geon opened his eyes to the robust voices of the people. He continued to play the guitar, but as he looked around with wide eyes, he questioned Yeongseok with his gaze, who could only shrug in response. As the prolonged performance came to an end, the musicians, who had been deeply engrossed in their play, placed their instruments down and turned to sit facing Geon in the center, bowing their heads to the ground. Geon, with a bewildered expression, kneeled and looked to Timo for help, but Timo, still praying on the ground, hadn't opened his eyes yet. Geon spoke to him.
"Um, Chief Timo. Why are they doing this? Please, could you stop them?"
Timo, hearing Geon calling him, quietly opened his eyes and looked at him. After a long stare, Timo finally spoke.
"Go back (돌아가라)."
Only then did the musicians begin to rise and gather their instruments, though they dared not make eye contact with Geon. Geon, noticing the musicians cautiously handling their instruments to avoid making noise, asked Timo, "But what are the villagers still shouting? I can still hear them even though the music has stopped."
Timo turned his head to look at the hill visible outside the house. Geon, following Timo's gaze to the hill, exclaimed in surprise, "What, how can there be so many people...?"
The hill was crowded with many people; at least a thousand were praying with their foreheads to the ground. Timo turned his gaze back to Geon, who was frantically looking between the people on the hill and outside the front gate. After a moment, Timo stood up and said, "You must be tired; let me show you to your room."
"A room? Oh, yes. You mean to let me sleep here? Thank you very much, Chief."
Geon momentarily looked perplexed but then responded cheerfully, which made Chaeun, standing a bit away, shout, "What? A room? We can sleep here?"
As Geon nodded with a bright expression, Chaeun burst into laughter, "Hahaha! This is awesome! We're so lucky!"
Yeongseok, seemingly resigned, covered his face and asked the assistant director (AD), "When do we send the tapes for the preview and the first episode?"
The AD, after checking the schedule, replied, "The first dispatch is tomorrow morning. We decided to send it via a correspondent returning from Deurali to Korea. Producer Kim will handle the production in Korea."
"Cut the first episode right before we arrived in Deurali, including the scene where villagers were waiting at the village entrance. But include this scene in the trailer."
"Yes, Chief Producer."
"When's the first broadcast?"
"In 13 days. Saturday night at 11 PM."
"Good, send it out first thing tomorrow and broadcast the trailer as soon as editing is done. I'll call the boss separately."
"Yes, Chief Producer."
"Now, let's get the actors to their rooms! Directors, please set up the cameras in the actors' rooms."
Following Yeongseok's instructions, the camera directors rushed into the rooms with their equipment. Timo, watching the staff bustling about, turned to Geon and Chaeun, "Let's have some tea while you wait; it's good for digestion."
"Oh, yes, Chief. Thank you."
Geon led Chaeun into Timo's room. Despite its modest appearance, the room was fairly large, with a red sofa under the window where Timo sat them down before leaving to make tea. Chaeun asked Geon, "What were the people saying earlier? It seemed like all the villagers were saying the same thing."
"I don't know; it was in Nepali. I asked Chief Timo, but he didn't answer."
Yeongseok passed by the open door of Timo's room and saw Geon and Chaeun, saying, "Ah, you should be wearing cameras. What if you two wander off? Director, there are two people here!"
Soon, a camera director with ENG and a sound director entered, and a lighting director set up portable
lights. Watching them, Yeongseok said to Geon, "Geon, haha. Our program's going to hit big because of you. Just had a satellite call with the boss, and they're thrilled."
Geon smiled, "Really? I'm glad to be of help. But I think I'm the lucky one. I'm so glad I came here. The people are so bright and kind. If I had traveled alone and stayed in a Kathmandu hotel, visiting tourist spots, I would never have had these experiences. I'm thankful to you."
Yeongseok crossed his arms and laughed, "Well, if you're grateful, work hard."
"What's our destination tomorrow?"
"Oh, right. I'll explain when we have time. AD, bring the map. Geon, you too, look at the map."
As they spread out the map on the sofa, Timo returned with tea. Seeing the crowded room, he momentarily placed the tray down before leaving to make more tea. As Geon and Chaeun sat close on the sofa, Yeongseok began to explain.
"I'll use formal language since we're filming. Thank you all for your hard work today. Our destination tomorrow is Bamboo, a city similar in size to Deurali. You should arrive by tomorrow night."
Chaeun suddenly remembered and asked, "But we completed today's mission, why haven't we received a reward?"
Yeongseok looked embarrassedly at the AD, who handed something over. Yeongseok pushed the item across the floor to them, saying, "Here you go."
"The reward for mission success was actually... a tent. We prepared it thinking you'd be camping outdoors, but now that you'll be sleeping in such a nice house, it seems unnecessary. Still, keep it for future use."
As Chaeun received the tent with a bewildered expression, Geon said, "We were lucky today, normally we should have slept in the tent. But since we don't need it now, can we have a backpack instead? Something to carry it in."
"Alright. I can do that for you. AD, give them a backpack."
When the AD handed over a red hiking backpack, Geon took it, put the tent inside, along with a map and two flashlights he had in his pocket.
"I'll carry this around then."
Chaeun objected, saying, "You have to carry the guitar too. It's not that heavy, let me carry it, give it here."
"Hey, how can a man make a woman carry his load? My sister will watch this broadcast, I'd be dead."
"Ho ho, scared of your sister, huh?"
Suddenly, Geon stopped and looked at Chaeun with a serious expression, saying, "The most in the world."
"What? Hahahahaha"
While they were chatting, Timo came into the room with tea. He placed the tea on the table and first offered a cup to Geon.
"This is Nepali black tea. It's a First Flush, so it has a smooth and light aroma."
Timo poured the tea for everyone in turn, and lastly for himself, before sitting down. After taking a sip of the tea in a proper posture, Timo asked, "Do you like the tea?"
After tasting the steamy tea, Geon smiled and said, "Yes, I thought black tea might be a bit heavy, but this is refreshing."
"Yes, there are four types of Nepali black tea. The one you're drinking is the First Flush, the first to be brewed. The Second Flush is also smooth but has a bit stronger aroma. The Monsoon Flush is the third brewing, with a stronger flavor and darker color, and the Autumnal Flush has a very strong taste, similar to Darjeeling teas."
Geon nodded appreciatively and translated for Chaeun, who then took another sip of the tea with a surprised look. The staff also savored the tea while listening to Geon's explanation. Timo smiled contentedly and asked, "When do you plan to leave?"
"We have to leave tomorrow. We need to get to our destination within the set time for the shoot."
"Where is your next destination?"
"It's Bamboo."
"A good city. It's rich in crops because of the many terraced fields."
"Terraced fields?"
"Yes, fields shaped like stairs for farming on mountains."
"Oh, those. We have them in our country too."
"It's a common method in high-altitude areas around the world, hehe."
Yeongseok, who had been quietly listening, said, "Just a heads up, if someone offers to give you a ride, refuse. If you want to take a bus, you have to work for it and earn the fare. We need to stick to the minimum rules. Otherwise, they're ready to carry you in a palanquin, just so you know."
Chaeun, looking disappointed, said, "Aww, I thought we could get a comfortable ride!"
Laughing, Geon turned to Timo and asked, "Chief Timo, is there any work here we can do to earn some wages?"
Timo, surprised, set down his tea and said, "Do you need money? Shall I give you some?"
Geon waved his hands and pointed at Yeongseok, "No, the devil PD won't allow that, haha. It seems we have to work for our money, whether it's for bus fare or food."
"Ah, I see. Well, there's a wedding in the village that needs help for about a week. Shall I introduce you?"
"Wow! That's perfect. Do you know how much the bus fare is to Bamboo?"
"It's about 300 rupees per person."
"And how much can we earn working at the wedding?"
"If you work from the morning until three in the afternoon, you can earn about 2,500 rupees per person."
Geon turned to Chaeun with a happy expression and said, "Sister, if we work at the wedding house tomorrow, we can earn about 2,500 rupees each, and the bus fare to Bamboo is only 300 rupees per person."
Chaeun clapped her hands in joy, "Really? That's fantastic. We won't have to walk tomorrow!"