Chapter 99: The Price of Actions (6)
“Could it be… you two are dating? I’ll keep it a secret—just tell us.”
“N-no we’re not!”
At the suggestion they were dating, Arimura Noa shot up from her seat in outrage. Kirishima Sumire’s eyes curved into crescents, and she teased in a playful voice.
“Hmm… one-sided crush, then?”
“What? Me? No way. You’re the one who doesn’t know how amazing Writer Kim Si-woo is—that’s why you’re being so rude.”
“When was I ever rude?”
“Uh-oh…”
Just as the two were about to really clash, Honda Daisuke panicked and tried to intervene. But the timid Honda Daisuke had no chance of stopping the two fiery actresses, so Kim Si-woo had to step in.
“Sigh… both of you, enough.”
With Kim Si-woo’s weary sigh, the fight stopped.
“Yes, Writer-nim.”
“Sorry.”
They apologized and sat back down, but the glaring continued.
“By the way, what do you mean Writer-nim is amazing?”
Honda Daisuke, who had been trying to calm Kirishima Sumire, grew curious after hearing Arimura Noa and asked.
“Well, let me show you how incredible he is in Korea.”
Arimura Noa pulled out her phone, searched Kim Si-woo’s works, and showed them. Kirishima Sumire and Honda Daisuke’s eyes went wide.
“So… this writer wrote all these movies?”
“You never thought to search his name?”
“I just… figured he didn’t want his identity revealed, so I didn’t pry.”
Honda Daisuke had respected Kim Si-woo’s privacy and never dug deeper, but Kirishima Sumire now glared at Arimura Noa as if everything finally made sense.
“Ah… so that’s why…”
Any actor would covet good projects.
Rich or poor, famous or unknown—most start acting because they love it.
Even those chasing money or fame need great works to achieve their goals.
And here was a writer churning out hit after hit?
Any actor would be desperate to work with him.
“Haha… I really didn’t want to reveal it if possible… Let’s just keep it between us, okay?”
“Of course, Writer-nim.”
“Deal.”
Hearing their answers after learning his identity, Kim Si-woo scratched his head awkwardly.
Everyone suddenly fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, making the atmosphere awkward.
“How about a drink, then?”
To break the ice, Kim Si-woo raised his glass. Everyone clinked theirs against his and drank.
“Kyaah…”
Arimura Noa let out a satisfied sound at the sharp taste of the Japanese sake. Seizing the moment, Kirishima Sumire asked what had been on her mind.
“But if you’re that successful in Korea, why did you decide to work in Japan?”
“It’s a long story…”
Kim Si-woo explained how he ended up traveling to Japan and everything that happened after meeting Arimura Noa.
“So basically, Noa-senpai clung to your leg begging, and you got trapped here ‘on vacation’ writing the whole time?”
“I did NOT cling to his leg!”
“Well… something like that.”
“Writer-nim!”
Arimura Noa looked wronged at Kim Si-woo and Kirishima Sumire’s exchange, but Kirishima Sumire ignored her and continued.
“So what do you think will happen with this movie?”
“That’s actually why I wanted us all here tonight…”
The actors looked at him curiously.
“I’m sorry to Honda-san, but right now you’re the only one standing out—in a bad way.”
“Ah… yeah.”
Honda Daisuke answered as if he’d expected it.
“That’s why I thought it might help if the leads started practicing together from today to build chemistry. What do you think?”
“I’m in.”
Arimura Noa agreed with Kim Si-woo’s suggestion, and Kirishima Sumire, having her own curiosities, also approved.
Honda Daisuke hesitated for a moment, glanced at Kirishima Sumire, then cautiously nodded yes.
“Then let’s keep it light tonight and just talk over drinks.”
Kim Si-woo poured another round and asked Kirishima Sumire the same questions he’d once asked Arimura Noa.
Naturally, she shared her own thoughts on the character, and Arimura Noa watched with a frustrated expression.
“As expected from Writer-nim. You’re the one who spoon-fed Noa-senpai.”
“What?”
“So that’s why her acting improved beyond recognition in just three days… Is that why she’s so wrapped around your finger?”
“Well… it’s similar, but don’t say it like Noa-ssi didn’t put in any effort. Let’s get back to the discussion.”
Kim Si-woo continued guiding Honda Daisuke and Arimura Noa as well.
Starting with the big picture of their characters, he went into the tiniest details written in the script.
His thorough explanations enriched the actors’ understanding of their roles.
In the end, they only went to bed when morning came.
The next afternoon.
Kirishima Sumire clutched her aching head with one hand and tried to push herself up from the floor with the other—only to feel something soft and squishy.
Squish.
“Huh?”
She forced her heavy eyes open and looked at what she’d grabbed.
It was Arimura Noa’s breast.
“Why is Arimura Noa sleeping next to me?”
She tried hard to recall last night.
“We were definitely talking about the movie… and drinking more and more…”
Then the memory hit: she had called Arimura Noa “big sis,” hugged her, and giggled like an idiot.
Kirishima Sumire frantically ruffled her hair.
‘Me? I did that? To her? I’ve lost my mind. No more drinking—ever.’
She was the first to leave the room and spotted Kim Si-woo cooking in the kitchen.
“Writer-nim? Are you… cooking?”
“Oh? You’re up early. After how drunk you were last night, I thought you’d be the last one awake.”
“…You remember last night?”
“Yes.”
“Ah… please keep it a secret from everyone. Especially from Noa-senpai…”
“Got it. Food will take a little longer, so watch TV or something.”
Face burning with embarrassment, Kirishima Sumire slumped onto the sofa and wallowed in regret for a while.
About thirty minutes later, Kim Si-woo went to wake Honda Daisuke. At his request, Kirishima Sumire entered the bedroom to wake Arimura Noa.
“Get up!”
“Mmm… five more minutes…”
“Sigh… I said get up!”
Rip!
She yanked the blanket off roughly.
Without the covers, the air-conditioning felt too cold, and Arimura Noa slowly sat up.
“What the heck… why are you waking me?”
“Writer-nim says breakfast is ready.”
“Oh? Hehe. Hangover cure time.”
Arimura Noa stumbled out looking completely refreshed, as if she hadn’t just been asleep. Kirishima Sumire followed, baffled.
“Why is she so happy… huh?”
She quickly understood why Arimura Noa had perked up so fast.
It was because of Kim Si-woo’s cooking.
Arimura Noa sat at the table like a puppy waiting for permission to eat.
“Shall we dig in?”
“Thank you for the food!”
The moment Kim Si-woo spoke, Arimura Noa scooped up a big spoonful of soup.
“This is why Writer-nim’s dried pollack soup is the best. It clears the hangover right up. Kyaah…”
She slurped noisily like a middle-aged man, gulping down the broth.
Kirishima Sumire stared in disbelief.
Arimura Noa hadn’t batted an eye at the expensive food they’d eaten yesterday.
Yet here she was, looking like she’d won the lottery over a simple dish made by a writer who wasn’t even a chef.
‘It smells good, sure… but is it that good?’
The moment she took a sip.
The warm broth slid down her throat, melting away the hangover like magic.
“It’s… delicious…”
Hangover soup after a night of heavy drinking.
It was the most delicious food she had ever tasted.
Just like how cup ramen eaten while playing in a valley tastes the best.
Honda Daisuke watched the two actresses eat and followed suit.
A little while later, once everyone finished, the actors leaned back, full and satisfied.
“Ah! I’ll do the dishes.”
As Kim Si-woo started to get up, Honda Daisuke hurriedly jumped in and took over.
“Ah, thank you.”
“No, no. You even cooked breakfast for us… By the way, yesterday you said we could drop formalities…”
“Ah… thanks.”
Honda Daisuke.
He had always envied the confident Kirishima Sumire.
He thought that if he started acting like her, he could become more assertive in front of people too. So he followed her to the same acting academy, studied Korean just like her—anything she did, he did too.
That’s why he could communicate with Kim Si-woo separately.
After drinking the night before, Kim Si-woo had whispered to him, asking if he liked Kirishima Sumire. Honda Daisuke’s reaction was spectacular.
He denied it vehemently and literally jumped out of his seat.
The others asked what on earth they’d talked about to make him freak out like that, but Kim Si-woo kept his mouth shut.
Whether it was love or admiration, only Honda Daisuke himself knew.
‘They’d actually make a good couple.’
A timid guy and a bold girl.
If the leads had been swapped, it might have fit even better.
‘Such a shame… really a shame.’
But filming had already started—it was too late to change anything.
The actors would struggle to re-memorize lines and re-immerse in different roles.
‘I need to be more careful with casting next time.’
Kim Si-woo’s regret was huge, but time flew by, and soon the next shoot arrived.
The three leads constantly practiced together at Kim Si-woo’s apartment.
Honda Daisuke’s growth was the fastest among them.
Perhaps because of his timid personality, he was incredibly sensitive to others’ emotions.
In pure emotional acting, he even surpassed the two actresses often called geniuses.
While practicing, Kirishima Sumire sometimes snapped at him.
“Daisuke, you idiot… why are you suddenly so good at acting?!”
“Eek… sorry.”
Of course, he had flaws too.
His weak personality meant his mental state shook easily.
The reason he’d seemed carefree before was literally because he wasn’t thinking at all.
It stemmed from his timid belief that he couldn’t contribute anything anyway.
“Anyway, I’m really looking forward to today… We practiced so hard for three days. I wonder how it’ll turn out…”
As filming began, just as Kim Si-woo expected, the director’s expression and the overall mood shifted.
‘Wonder what he’ll do…’
The better the shoot went, the worse the director’s face looked.
By lunchtime, the director suddenly rushed off somewhere.
“Where’s he going in such a hurry?”
While Kim Si-woo pondered, the three leads finished their scenes and gathered around him.
Naturally, everyone’s eyes turned to them.
Except for a few people, no one knew Kim Si-woo’s real identity, so they wondered why these proud lead actors were flocking to some unknown guy.
“Um… why are you all coming to my side? People are staring.”
“We’ll handle it, Writer-nim.”
“Sigh…”
Arimura Noa was stubborn, but Kirishima Sumire was no less so.
“By the way, the director looked really upset today. Do you know why, Writer-nim? The acting seemed good…”
While everyone else was puzzled, only Kim Si-woo could read the director’s mind.
“Who knows… maybe he’s thinking something over?”
“Like what?”
“Reshoots. Would you all be willing to reshoot if he asked?”
“Of course.”
“Me too.”
“Me three…”
The leads all expressed willingness to go through the hassle of reshoots for the sake of the film.
But the actors’ willingness wasn’t the only important factor.
Money was another big one.
The labor costs alone for filming were enormous.
“The problem is we’ve already finished two rounds of shooting, so reshoots would cost a lot more than expected.”
At the mention of extra costs, the two actors besides Arimura Noa turned to look at her.
“What? Why are you looking at me?”
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