Chapter 28: Ready to Soar (5)
Fear is a powerful force. It can paralyze even those capable of action.
Shim Ji-young knew how to swim, but when she suddenly plunged into the water, fear overtook her. Her mind froze, and her body thrashed instinctively to survive. The closer she felt to death, the harder she fought, yet it only deepened the illusion of sinking.
That’s what fear does.
And now, Kim Si-woo was afraid of the sobbing Shim Ji-young beside him, her eyes wide and unsettling.
‘Why is she staring like that?’
***
Three hours earlier
After hospital checkups confirmed everyone was fine, the group faced a new issue.
“Looks like we can’t get back to the island until tomorrow,”
Park Woong-deok said. The sun had set, making boat travel tricky.
They decided to stay at a nearby lodge and resume in the morning. Dinner was suggested by Park Woong-deok, the foodie, not the director.
“I’ll make the call. Let’s eat—everyone’s hungry, right?” he said.
“Yup,” Kim Si-woo replied promptly.
They followed Park to a quaint, old-school restaurant tucked away by the shore. Despite flashier options nearby, Park didn’t spare them a glance.
“Auntie, assorted sashimi for ten, and spicy fish stew, please,” he ordered.
“Got it! Sit wherever you like.”
The restaurant owner replied, her hair streaked with gray.
“Great job today, everyone. Eat up and recharge,” Park encouraged.
The mood remained heavy. Nearly drowning doesn’t lend itself to quick cheer, and Park knew it, unbothered by the subdued vibe.
Huge platters of sashimi arrived, piled high.
“Drinks?” the owner offered.
“Cold soju and beer, mixed,” Park said without hesitation.
“Coming right up!”
Park grabbed a handful of sashimi, scanning the room like a predator. His eyes landed on Kim Si-woo, who looked exhausted.
“I was gonna drink with the sound and lighting directors, but… looks like Kim Si-woo’s joining me tonight,” Park teased.
“…”
Having seen Park’s drinking capacity before, Kim Si-woo’s stomach churned.
“Director, I swallowed seawater earlier, and my stomach’s off…”
“Then alcohol’s the perfect disinfectant. Seawater’s dirtier than you think.”
“What does that even—”
“Don’t worry, it’s on me,” Park insisted.
‘He’s trying to kill me with booze.’
‘Why me?’
‘Am I that easy a target?’
‘Am I a punching bag?’
“You just cursed me out in your head, didn’t you?” Park said suddenly.
“Huh?”
Kim Si-woo froze, startled.
“Haha, why would I? Let’s drink!”
As he reached for the soju, Shim Ji-young cut in.
“Director, stop picking on Si-woo.”
“Oh, protecting the young guy, huh? This old director’s feeling left out,” Park teased.
“Ugh!” Shim Ji-young’s face flushed as she roughly opened a soju bottle. “Fine, let’s drink. Here!”
“Bring it on,” Park said, downing a full glass in one go, clearly pleased.
“Now you,” he said, pouring for her.
Determined not to lose, she matched him, chugging her glass. “Haa… what am I doing?”
Kim Si-woo shook his head at their antics when someone tugged his sleeve—Shim Ji-young’s manager.
“Manager?”
“Thanks for earlier. I was so scared for Ji-young unnie… I didn’t even thank you properly,” she said.
“No big deal. She’s not a stranger—I had to help,” he replied.
“Still…”
Her eyes welled up, the shock finally settling.
“Hey, don’t cry. Have some sashimi.”
Kim Si-woo said, popping a piece into her mouth.
“Thanks.”
She mumbled, chewing and repeating her gratitude.
As Park, Shim Ji-young, her manager, and Kim Si-woo ate and drank, the mood gradually lightened. The near-drowning victims opened up, and others joined in, easing the tension.
‘Finally, things are looking up.’ Kim Si-woo thought.
Then a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
“Kim Si-woo, you were pretty cool back there.”
Shim Ji-young slurred, her face red, clearly drunk.
“Uh… Manager!” he called, but her manager was just as tipsy, her speech garbled. “Yesh, Writer Kim! You called?”
“…”
“Writer-nim!”
“Kim Si-woo!”
“Writer-nim!”
“Kim Si-woo!”
Shim Ji-young and her manager took turns shouting his name, clinging to him.
“I just want to go home,” he muttered.
“Huh? You’re leaving?” Shim Ji-young asked.
“No, I didn’t mean—”
His slip of the tongue left him flustered, caught off guard by his own words spilling out.
“Kim Si-woo, we’ve still got shooting to do! Where are you going?” Shim Ji-young slurred.
“Sigh…”
Kim Si-woo groaned. It was a complete mess.
“Whatever, let’s just drink.”
He said, downing a glass of soju in frustration. The two drunk women clapped and cheered.
“Cool! Writer-nim!” Shim Ji-young’s manager exclaimed.
“Awesome, Kim Si-woo!” Shim Ji-young added.
Park Woong-deok, watching with a smirk, tossed a grenade into the mix.
“So, Kim Si-woo, no girlfriend?”
“What?”
Kim Si-woo blinked, caught off guard.
The question drew every eye in the room, even from those who’d ignored him earlier. A staff member across the table piled on.
“Yeah, Writer-nim, you got a girlfriend?”
The ripple spread to Shim Ji-young and her manager.
“Kim Si-woo! You got a girlfriend?” Shim Ji-young demanded.
“Writer-nim! Got a girlfwiend?” her manager slurred.
“Nope,” Kim Si-woo said flatly.
“Why not?”
Shim Ji-young’s manager leaned in uncomfortably close, her face inches from his.
“Whoa, too close,” he said, leaning back.
“Hic… You don’t like me?” she pouted.
“No, it’s not that—ugh…” he sighed.
“Don’t bully my manager!”
Shim Ji-young snapped, punching his shoulder.
Whack.
“What are you people doing?”
Kim Si-woo groaned.
“Director, shouldn’t we get these drunks home?”
“Good idea. You take them,” Park said.
“Thanks for the permission,” Kim Si-woo replied, relieved.
“And come back for me after,” Park added.
“Sigh… fine,” Kim Si-woo agreed.
Leaving the restaurant, Kim Si-woo trudged to the lodge with Shim Ji-young on one arm and her manager on the other. At their room, he laid them down. The manager passed out instantly, but Shim Ji-young stared at him with an odd look.
“Noona, why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
“I’m bummed,” she mumbled.
“Huh?”
“If I were ten—no, five years younger, I could’ve charmed you blindfolded. But I’m too old now…”
Her words sent his mind reeling. ‘What the hell? She’s not falling for me because I saved her, is she?’
“Just go to sleep. Don’t kick your blankets tomorrow,” he said, brushing it off.
“Tch, so mean,” she muttered, turning over to sleep.
Kim Si-woo trudged back to fetch the final boss, Park Woong-deok. “Will I survive tomorrow…?”
***
While Kim Si-woo drank with Park, another actor was agonizing over her phone, typing and deleting messages.
“Sigh… Should I send an apology text? No, we parted on such bad terms—why would I reach out first?” Kim Ji-hyun muttered.
Since their fallout, Kim Si-woo’s advice had hit home. The day after she’d asked the CEO to replace her manager, a new one was assigned. Unlike the old one, this manager was attentive—bringing warm water, coffee, blankets, and checking her condition. It made her realize she’d essentially been without a manager before. But the old manager, knowing he’d been replaced, treated her differently, creating an awkward tension.
With no stylist yet, she shopped for shoot outfits with her new manager. “Sorry, I’m clueless about fashion,” the manager said.
“It’s fine. Just tell me what you think,” Kim Ji-hyun replied.
They picked clothes at a department store, but the choices backfired. The outfits looked unnatural, further clashing with her character. “Sigh…”
The more she filmed, the worse the online hate grew. While acting critiques lessened, comments about her looking out of place or “trying too hard” surged.
“I need a stylist soon…”
She murmured, scouring her phone and computer for character-appropriate outfits. Unfamiliar with the style, she struggled. Finally, she made a bold move.
“I can’t just sit here.”
She visited a job site for fashion coordinators and posted: [Looking for a fashion coordinator. Pay is…]
After signing up, messages flooded in almost instantly. “Whoa… too many!” Overwhelmed, she had to sift through them, checking each sender’s credentials.
She stayed up all night, eyes bloodshot by morning.
“Ji-hyun, what happened? Your eyes are red,” her manager noticed.
“Had some stuff to do,” she said.
“Why’d you call me today? There’s no schedule, and why just me?”
“Well…”
Kim Ji-hyun poured out her worries—online hate, the need for a stylist, and discomfort with her old manager. The new manager nodded understandingly.
“So, I’m holding stylist interviews today,” she said.
“Interviews?” the manager asked, surprised. “Didn’t the company say they’re handling it?”
“It’s taking too long. I need one now. I’ll tell the CEO myself.”
“Got it.”
Kim Ji-hyun didn’t realize the storm this decision would unleash—or how much further she’d fall.
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