An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 217

217 #39 – Memories with Her (2)

The sky had already turned dark.

Normally, filming rarely ran late.

Hollywood was strict about working hours and days.

However, sometimes the weather would cause long breaks in the middle of shooting.

Or, if there were problems with the actors or filming equipment, the breaks would be extended, and we would have to work late to finish the day’s filming.

Of course, that didn’t happen often.

But of all days, it had to be today.

“Sigh… I think we need to reshoot the bust shots [close-up shots focusing on the head and shoulders] from the scene we filmed earlier,” Director Jeffrey sighed.

He spoke to the staff with a slightly annoyed tone and expression.

“Which scene are you referring to for the bust shots?” a staff member asked.

“All three scenes we shot a little while ago.”

At that, the staff’s eyes widened, and they asked again, “All of them?”

“Yeah, I was going to let it slide if possible, but I don’t think I can.”

I happened to overhear the conversation around Director Jeffrey.

And coincidentally, two of those three scenes were scenes I had filmed.

“It’s not that the acting was bad, but I don’t like the composition. If we continue shooting tomorrow, we’ll have to redo the actors’ emotional lines, hair, and costumes… so I think it’s better to reshoot today, right?”

The staff nodded at Director Jeffrey’s words.

“Then I’ll go tell them,” one of them said.

“Okay, tell them that filming will be delayed and that the actors who are finished can go home.”

“Yes.”

Soon, the staff approached me and explained the situation.

It was something I had already overheard.

And since it was an unavoidable situation, I replied, “I understand.”

Then I quickly moved away.

Of all days, filming had to run late on the day I brought Song Yuna here.

I had planned to bring her to the set, show her around Hollywood, and then go back to LA for dinner together.

More than the disappointment of not being able to have dinner with her, I felt more sorry towards Song Yuna.

And I couldn’t ask her to wait with me until filming was over and then have dinner together.

Because there was no telling when it would end, since it was acting.

Moreover, knowing that she usually didn’t watch other people’s filming, I felt sorry to keep her here any longer, since she had already been here all day.

Before going to Song Yuna, I called Kim, my manager.

“Hyung [an honorific term used to address an older brother or male friend],” I said.

He came out of the trailer at my call and approached me.

“I heard that our filming is going to end late. I was wondering if you had heard,” I said.

“No, I haven’t heard yet.”

“They’re about to tell you. I was next to the director and heard it first.”

Kim, my manager, looked up at the darkening sky and nodded.

“So, I was wondering if you could take Yuna to LA first?”

He glanced at Song Yuna, who was watching the filming from afar, and shook his head.

“Yeah, of course. But weren’t you supposed to have dinner with Yuna?”

“That’s right, but I think I’ll be too late. I think it’s better for her to go first today. I’m about to tell Yuna now.”

“Okay, do whatever is comfortable for you and let me know.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I smiled at Kim, my manager, and then headed to her in a hurry before filming started.

“Yuna.”

At my call, Song Yuna turned her head.

“Yes, is it over?”

“Ah, that’s….”

“You said the time is strict here. Let’s go quickly, I’m hungry.”

Song Yuna twitched her lips and rubbed her stomach.

I put my hands together and bowed my head slightly as I replied, “I’m sorry. Filming is going to run too long today, so I don’t think we can have dinner together.”

“What?”

It wasn’t an angry voice, but a surprised expression and tone.

“It seems like the bust shots we took earlier were all wrong. So if we reshoot that part… as Yuna knows, the ending time isn’t fixed.”

She knew this industry’s work all too well.

She replaced her answer with a short sigh.

“Then I’ll wait, I guess.”

An unexpected answer came back.

I thought she would be annoyed or sullenly complain, but I was surprised by her saying that she would wait and eat with me.

Nevertheless, I shook my head, feeling sorry for her.

“No. I feel too bad to do that. My manager will have the car ready over there. I’ll have him take you to the hotel.”

“Ah….”

“I feel too bad to do that.”

She bit her lip at my words and nodded.

I quickly smiled and said to her, “I feel too bad, so how about we go sightseeing in LA together tomorrow since I don’t have filming?”

Song Yuna put her index finger to her chin and seemed to be thinking.

“Then tonight….”

At that moment.

“Hee-sung, we’re going to start filming now!”

The staff shouted at me.

At that sound, I turned to the staff and shouted, “Yes, I’ll be right there!”

Then, I looked at Song Yuna, put my hands together, and bowed my head slightly.

“I’m really sorry. Instead, I’ll be your LA tour guide for a day tomorrow. I’ve already told my manager, so go over there.”

“…Okay.”

“Yuna, go carefully. I’ll contact you tomorrow morning!”

I left her behind and hurried to the set.

Song Yuna’s gaze followed Jin Hee-sung’s running back.

She let out a long sigh at that sight.

“Haa… I was just going to say let’s drink instead of eating after it’s over….”

Watching Jin Hee-sung getting further away, she wrinkled her nose with a sullen face.

“Well… nothing can be done.”

***

Whirr, whirr-.

A strong wind whipped around, and heavy rain instantly soaked my whole body.

A situation where it was hard to even take care of my own body.

Even in this wind and heavy rain, I didn’t move.

Heavy raindrops continued to press down on me.

“Haa….”

All I could do was sigh and shed tears mixed with these raindrops.

This place isn’t reality, it’s my dream.

Swish-.

The weight of the rain increased more and more.

The gray sky was pressing me into darkness as if representing my heart.

I could only resent the sky and shout.

“This is… impossible….”

A stream of water that soaked my cheeks, whether it was tears or rainwater.

Before I knew it, I felt frustrated and sat down on the muddy ground.

Bang, bang-.

I slammed the ground as if expressing my anger with all my heart.

But nothing changed.

“This is hell, hell isn’t somewhere else….”

I shed tears.

I struggled with all my might—no, to die.

But there was nothing I could do with my own body.

I screamed at the sky until my throat was torn.

“Just kill me. Get rid of me from this hellish place…!”

Crash-.

Thunder and lightning struck as if answering my words.

Still, my body was perfectly fine.

Only the mental pain was doubled.

So, with my fingers and toes swollen, I resented the world and screamed until my voice was hoarse in this gray rain.

Flash-!

As soon as I opened my eyes, I checked the ceiling and took a rough breath.

“Haa… Haa….”

My whole body was soaked with sweat.

Because of that, the bed sheets were also soaked with sweat.

Not only that, but because I had cried so much in my dream that my eyes hurt, my face was covered in tears.

“What the hell is this….”

With a hazy mind, I barely raised my body and leaned against the bed frame.

“Agh.”

I grabbed my throbbing head and squeezed my eyes shut.

And the memories swirled.

All the scenes I had just seen in my dream, and all the scenes I had experienced at that time, were quite clearly etched in my mind.

I lost someone who was like a precious part of my life.

After losing her, I let go of everything.

All of that was a hellish moment for me.

“Living for 10,000 years is itself a hellish thing, but….”

I shook my head and tried to shake off my thoughts.

But the memory was not easily erased.

Rising, difficult and painful memories.

Everything that was so hard that I called it hell came from my present life.

In other words, it means that these are things I have directly experienced.

Living for 10,000 years, there may be happy moments, but it was a series of hellish experiences.

In the first place, the god who gave me the punishment of 10,000 years would not have given me happiness.

And one memory keeps coming to mind.

It was ‘her.’

A memory of a woman suddenly comes to mind.

I don’t have a clear picture of who she is, or even a small clue about her.

What is clear is that the woman was so precious to me, and that she was someone I loved with all my heart.

And the reason I’m suffering like this is also the sadness and anger that came from losing her.

“Who the hell is that person….”

I bit my lip and sighed.

“The person I loved so much that I would be willing to lose my life….”

I closed my eyes to remember her.

***

I had promised to meet Song Yuna, so I didn’t have time to stay in the past and lie in bed.

I quickly finished getting ready and left the hotel.

But the memory of the dream, and the pain of this memory that remains with me, has not disappeared.

Too tired body and mind.

The longing heart and the memory of trying to remember her keep coming to mind.

The collision between the present life and the past continues to make my head throb.

I don’t want to do anything now.

But I didn’t think it would be easy to lie in the hotel, and I felt sorry for Song Yuna for what happened the day before.

I couldn’t cancel the appointment again today.

“Haa… but I’ll be okay if I get some fresh air.”

I hurried to Song Yuna.

She waved her hand as she looked at me.

“Hee-sung, over here!”

“Yes, Yuna. I’m sorry about yesterday.”

At my words, she frowned and replied, “Ugh, please stop saying you’re sorry.”

“Haha, sorry… no, I understand.”

I pressed my throbbing head with my hands and said, “Are you hungry? Do you want to have lunch first?”

“Okay.”

Song Yuna and I started walking towards a restaurant in LA.

She glanced at me and suddenly stopped walking.

“Hee-sung.”

At her call, I also stopped in my place.

Song Yuna took a step towards me and looked at me as she asked, “What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t look too good?”

At her words, I forced a smile and replied, “Ah, I tossed and turned a bit last night… I couldn’t sleep. That’s why I look like that.”

As soon as I finished speaking, she raised her voice with a sulky face.

“What is it? I was going to give you a one-day LA tour and run around really hard!”

Her worried, yet grumpy tone.

She looked up at my face and continued, “Huh? But how can you come out like this without getting enough sleep! I was going to see all of LA…!”

It was her usual attitude.

But I was too different from usual.

I lowered my head and murmured to her, “I’m really sorry.”

As soon as I finished speaking, she looked very embarrassed.

“Ah, if you apologize like that, I feel like I’ve become a bad person. And I told you to stop saying you’re sorry….”

“Ah….”

Song Yuna then asked me in a slightly softened voice, “So, is it just that you couldn’t sleep? Or, are you not feeling well?”

I pressed my head with my palm because of the constant throbbing and replied, “It’s not serious, I just have a slight headache.”

“Then do you want to just go in and rest today?”

Before I felt even more sorry for her, I shook my head vigorously.

“It’s okay. We made the effort to meet, so we can’t just go in like this. Let’s go eat quickly.”

“Um….”

Song Yuna raised and lowered her shoulders and let out a long breath.

Then she stared at me and said, “Do you perhaps have a fever?”

Song Yuna raised both hands, one hand on her forehead, and the other hand on my forehead.

At that moment, as soon as Song Yuna’s hand touched my forehead, all the memories suddenly came to mind.

…Wait a minute.

Memories flooding in.

The one memory I was desperately looking for.

I had been repeating it in my dreams several times… the person I had lost…!

At Song Yuna’s touch, all my memories came back.