An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 87

87. #18 – A More Suitable Person (2)

“Song Yoona…!”

“What, Jin Heesung… Why are you here, Heesung?”

Song Yoona trembled as if she had discovered a tiger, looking utterly startled.

I quickly reached out my hand to her.

“Let’s go over there and talk first. Can you get up?”

Song Yoona’s clothes were covered in grass and dirt.

Before even understanding the situation, I was worried about her condition and quickly helped her up.

A moment later, I sat down with Song Yoona in front of the tent.

She seemed lost in thought, wrapped in the blanket I had brought.

“Would you like some warm tea?”

“……”

She stared blankly at the rising flames, as if she couldn’t even hear me.

Without asking again, I poured warm water into a cup and steeped the last tea bag.

“Here, drink this and calm down…”

Growl.

It was her stomach growling.

“Right. You haven’t eaten yet.”

I was about to hand her the warm tea, but her stomach growl made me quickly get up.

“I already ate dinner, so I don’t have a full meal prepared. I have some meat left, would that be okay?”

At my words, Song Yoona opened her mouth with a sulky face.

“No, thanks.”

But unlike her words, her stomach was making loud noises, demanding food.

Growl!

“Ahem.”

Song Yoona cleared her throat and held her stomach with both hands.

Hiding a smile that was about to burst out, I silently took out the remaining meat and put it on the grill.

Sizzle.

As the meat cooked, the smell began to spread.

Song Yoona, who had been leaning against the chair, quickly moved closer to the fire.

“It’ll cook quickly because the fire is strong, so just wait a little bit.”

“Well, I’m not really hungry…”

Song Yoona said with a haughty face, licking her lips as if savoring the taste.

At her actions, I slightly raised the corners of my lips.

The cooked meat quickly disappeared from the grill.

By the time Song Yoona regained her senses after mindlessly devouring the meat,

I showed her a can of beer and asked.

“Want a drink?”

Song Yoona shook her head.

At her answer, I opened the beer can and took a big gulp.

The cold beer flowed down my throat.

At the sound of me gulping it down, Song Yoona smacked her lips.

Then, she quietly got up, grabbed a can of beer, and started chugging it down.

“Ah!”.

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at her loud exclamation.

After that, we blankly stared at the burning fire together.

Without turning my head, I asked her.

“But… can I ask how you ended up there?”

It had been well over an hour since I had been with Song Yoona.

I hadn’t asked her the reason.

She hadn’t told me anything either, and knowing that she usually doesn’t talk much,

I didn’t push her either.

However, I was so curious about how Song Yoona, especially a top actress, was alone in the mountains in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t just curiosity, but I was genuinely worried about her situation.

At my words, Song Yoona let out a short sigh and opened her mouth.

“I usually like hiking alone.”

And suddenly, an old memory came to mind.

I had heard it from Manager Kim before.

When she takes a break, people usually think she goes on overseas trips, visits pretty cafes, or stays in fancy hotels.

But she finds healing in remote rural villages or goes hiking.

I nodded at her words.

And she continued, still staring at the burning fire.

“Today, I really wanted to capture the sunset, so I didn’t come down from the mountain early and held out…”

Song Yoona took another sip of beer as if she was reminded of that time.

“I went a little further to take pictures and dropped my phone off a cliff.”

I was surprised by her words and turned to look at Song Yoona.

“So, you fell off the cliff trying to pick up your phone?”

“…Well, it wasn’t a very steep cliff. I was just trying to pick it up from a little below, but I lost my footing…”

I quickly scanned her body and asked.

“Are you hurt?”

She slowly nodded at my words.

“I just rolled a bit, but it got too dark as the sun set, and I couldn’t find my way.”

I couldn’t imagine how scary it must have been to get lost on a mountain path.

Even I would have been scared, and I felt sorry for Song Yoona, thinking about her trembling in that bush earlier.

I looked at her with worried eyes, and our eyes met.

She frowned, pulling her eyebrows together.

“What’s with that look?”

I quickly opened my mouth at her unexpected tone.

“I was just thinking you must have been scared, getting lost in the mountains alone. I’m really glad I found you right away.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Song Yoona turned her head back to the fire.

She didn’t say thank you or express her gratitude, or even reveal that she was scared.

Of course, I didn’t do it to hear her thanks.

I nodded, watching her raise her eyebrows as if it were natural and take a sip of beer.

Well, Song Yoona isn’t the type of person to say those things anyway.

The time was already well past 10 o’clock.

I looked at the only tent and said to her.

“Um… it’s late, so you won’t be able to go down the mountain today. Would you like to sleep in that tent?”

Song Yoona turned her head and looked at the tent.

I opened my mouth again towards her.

“Oh, of course, I’ll just sleep outside in a sleeping bag. I came camping alone, so I only brought things for one person…”

Soon, Song Yoona stared at me and opened her mouth.

“Wasn’t it obvious that I would sleep in the tent?”

“Ah…”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement at her arrogant tone.

The conversation ended like that.

We each silently sipped our beer.

“But, Yoona, are you still taking a break these days?”

Song Yoona had been resting for several months since her last project.

“I don’t have any work plans for the time being. I’m just trying to rest.”

“I see.”

When I asked a question, she answered immediately, but there were no questions coming back to me.

A fragmented conversation.

But strangely, it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable at all.

No, it even felt comfortable.

I would have tried to keep the conversation going normally.

Is it because I’ve only met Song Yoona a few times?

Or is it because of the special place, camping?

That’s how Song Yoona and I spent our unintentional first camping night.

***

Chirp chirp.

Because it was a campsite in the mountains, the bright sun and mountain birds bothered my eyes and ears.

Eventually, I woke up before the alarm even went off.

“Ugh.”

Even though it wasn’t winter and the weather wasn’t too cold,

Spending a night in the mountains was quite chilly.

Especially since I spent the night only in a sleeping bag, not in a tent.

I slowly moved my stiff body inside the sleeping bag and got up.

Opening the zipper, my body naturally stretched out as if I had hatched from an egg.

Sniff sniff.

Then, a spicy smell stimulated my nose.

I looked around, wondering.

I was sure there weren’t any other campers around yesterday….

Did new people come this morning?

Barely opening my swollen eyes, I looked ahead and saw Song Yoona standing there.

Startled by her appearance, she opened her mouth bluntly.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Ah… I thought you would be sleeping, but you’re already up?”

“Well, I just woke up.”

Song Yoona raised her eyebrows and pointed somewhere with her chin.

Following her gaze, my head also moved, and the place Song Yoona was pointing at was none other than a boiling pot.

Drawn by the smell, I got up and approached it.

Song Yoona had been busy since early morning making ramen [instant noodles].

She must have opened the food box, found the ramen, and cooked it.

I quickly grabbed chopsticks and sat down in front of the ramen.

“Yoona, have some too.”

I handed her chopsticks and a bowl, and Song Yoona took them and opened her mouth coldly.

“I cooked it, of course I’m going to eat it too.”

I burst into laughter at Song Yoona’s answer.

Her arrogant tone had become familiar to me.

Now, without being surprised, her cold answer felt natural.

We mindlessly devoured the ramen.

The hot ramen eaten in the green mountains and the cold morning air was truly fantastic.

Well, the amount of water wasn’t quite right, so it was a little bland.

But that was good in its own way.

“Wow, this is really delicious!”

At my words, she put the ramen in her mouth with a faint smile.

In an instant, two packs of ramen disappeared from the pot.

I started cleaning up the empty bowls and pot.

At that time, Song Yoona muttered while drinking water.

“For letting me sleep here yesterday and saving me…”

“Yes?”

I frowned and asked again because of her small voice, and she glanced at me and opened her mouth again.

“This is my way of repaying you for yesterday, the cost of the meal.”

I nodded involuntarily at her confident words.

“Ah… okay.”

I could tell that this level of words was enough for Song Yoona to express her gratitude to me.

Time passed, and it was time to leave the campsite.

“Yoona, I’m going to pack up and leave now. I’ll give you a ride.”

“No. Can you lend me your phone?”

At her words, I handed her my phone.

Song Yoona, who lost her phone in the mountains, wouldn’t be able to leave it easily.

So many celebrity contacts, personal photos, and company information must be in there.

After a short call, she handed me my phone.

I rolled up my sleeves and asked her.

“Is your manager coming?”

“He said he’s coming right away, so you can go first, Heesung.”

“Ah… then I’ll help you look for it too.”

She shook her head at my words.

“No. You go first. I can do it with my manager.”

“Still…”

“I don’t want to owe you any more favors.”

Song Yoona’s tone and expression didn’t seem like she was saying it out of courtesy.

I nodded at her attitude, which sincerely didn’t want me to stay.

“Then it’s dangerous, so I’ll leave as soon as your manager arrives.”

Song Yoona shrugged at my words and didn’t deny it.

***

Song Yoona’s manager arrived sooner than expected.

I was able to leave the campsite only after a short greeting with them.

My first solo camping trip, which had many unexpected events.

No, should I say it wasn’t a solo camping trip?

As I was driving, reminiscing about the previous day,

Beep beep.

[Sender: Manager Kim Jihun]

“Hello?”

-Heesung.

“What, I thought you told me to rest. You’re calling me first today, hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

Manager Kim burst into laughter at my words and opened his mouth urgently.

-That’s not important….

“What’s wrong?”

I perked up my ears at his voice.

Manager Kim took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

-Heesung, congratulations, seriously.

“Congratulations?”

I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head at his words.

Manager Kim raised his decibel and shouted.

-You got an advertisement!

At the same time as his words, I happened to stop at a signal [traffic light].

Grasping my suddenly racing heart, I asked him.

“Advertisement… what kind of advertisement?”

-We got an outdoor clothing advertisement.

My heart also felt like it was about to burst at Manager Kim’s voice, who couldn’t hide his excitement.

I took a deep breath and exclaimed.

“…An advertisement, daebak [jackpot/amazing]!”