Superstar From Age 0

[Working Title: Travel] The Busan filming site was bustling from the early dawn before the sun rose.

Jung Ga-ram and Kwon Yoon-chan had to meet at the beach around the time the sun rose and walk to Kwon Yoon-chan's house, so the time had to be connected to show that the beach and Kwon Yoon-chan's house were close.

That's why the filming was scheduled to start around the early morning when it was quieter and colder than the morning, even though the sun had risen.

“Lights! They’re in the frame!”

“Clean up this line!”

Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok, who came out wearing the same clothes as the first filming, looked at the noisy filming site.

“It's a relief that there's no one living next door.”

It wasn't loud enough to shout, but the sound of footsteps, moving filming equipment, and conversations seemed louder in the quiet early morning.

“I agree.”

Kim Han-seok, who answered Seo-jun's words, yawned loudly.

“Couldn't you sleep?”

“I was a bit nervous.”

Kim Han-seok smiled sheepishly at Seo-jun's question.

“I practiced a lot with you for the beach scene, but today I only read through the rest briefly. I couldn't let go of the script.”

“Just relax. It's okay to make NGs. There's only two of us, so we can do it again right away if we make NGs.”

The hospital scene with Kim Ha-woon had a lot of extras, so there was a lot of pressure on the actors who made NGs every time they filmed again, but there were only two actors now.

“But it would be nice if we got an OK in one go. The staff would suffer less too.”

Seo-jun smiled brightly at Kim Han-seok's words.

“Actors! Come over here!”

Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok headed to the next house at the staff's call.

“Let's start with Kim Han-seok.”

Kim Han-seok went into the next house's bathroom, which was clean unlike Kwon Yoon-chan's bathroom.

There were makeup and costume staff inside.

The costume staff circled around Kim Han-seok with a shower head. Kim Han-seok was soaked in warm water from the shower head.

When Kim Han-seok came out of the bathroom, the staff handed him a towel.

He wiped off the water while Seo-jun went inside and came out with his shoes soaked.

The staff handed Seo-jun a towel and checked Kim Han-seok's appearance.

“That should do it.”

It looked as wet as the beach scene. And they made Seo-jun look as similar as possible to the previous beach scene, then started filming.

“Ready, action!”

Jung Ga-ram, who wiped off his body roughly with a wet towel, followed Kwon Yoon-chan closely. They passed through alleys and a steep uphill road appeared in front of them.

“…Do we have to go up here?”

“Yeah.”

Kwon Yoon-chan started climbing up the steep hill and Jung Ga-ram followed him.

They climbed up the stone stairs, passed through alleys, and climbed up again until they saw houses.

Kwon Yoon-chan stopped in front of one of them.

They must have arrived already.

It was hard to climb up the hill, but it was very close to the beach.

‘That was fast…’

“Achoo!”

Kwon Yoon-chan, who was about to open the rusty gate, turned around at Jung Ga-ram's sneeze.

He was going to give him bus fare and send him away, but he would catch a cold if he went back like that.

Creak.

The rusty gate opened and Kwon Yoon-chan went inside. Jung Ga-ram, who was shivering in the cold dawn wind, also stepped inside.

An old blue slate roof and a house that seemed unmanaged.

Jung Ga-ram rolled his eyes at the unfamiliar sight.

Kwon Yoon-chan snatched two dry towels hanging on the clothesline, holding one himself and giving the other one to Jung Ga-ram.

Then he pointed to the door at the end.

“Here's the bathroom, so you can wash up if you want.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Jung Ga-ram nodded his head without refusing. He looked relieved as he shivered visibly.

“Wait for a bit. I’ll boil some water for you.”

“Hmm.”

Clatter.

Kwon Yoon-chan opened and entered the kitchen sliding door and filled a pot with water.

He turned on the gas and took off his socks soaked in seawater as he looked back.

Jung Ga-ram was standing blankly with a dry towel in his hand.

“Come in. It's cold outside.”

“I'm wet.”

Drops of water fell from Jung Ga-ram's feet.

He had the nerve to ask for bus fare, but he cared about small things. Kwon Yoon-chan was speechless.

“Just wipe it off.”

At Kwon Yoon-chan's words, Jung Ga-ram reluctantly took off his wet shoes and entered the kitchen.

He closed the door and the cold wind stopped coming in.

There was a huge difference between having and not having a door.

Jung Ga-ram relaxed his face a little and took off his socks.

It was satisfying to get out of the damp socks.

He looked around the kitchen with his socks in his hand.

There was a sink and a refrigerator on one side, and a table on the other.

The kitchen had enough space for two people to sit and eat.

“Open the door for me.”

“Okay!”

When the water in the pot boiled, Kwon Yoon-chan lifted the pot and said.

Jung Ga-ram quickly opened the kitchen sliding door.

Kwon Yoon-chan headed to the bathroom and Jung Ga-ram followed him.

The bathroom, which was dirty with water stains and mold, had a large plastic tub, a basin, and a washbowl instead of a sink and a shower.

Jung Ga-ram's eyes twitched at the dirty bathroom that looked like it had never been cleaned, but Kwon Yoon-chan, who was pouring hot water into the plastic tub, didn't notice.

Steam rose from the plastic tub filled with hot water halfway.

“Adjust the temperature with cold water.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

While Jung Ga-ram was washing up, Kwon Yoon-chan went into the room to get bus fare for him.

He opened the drawer and took out an envelope with money in it, then he realized something.

“…He doesn't have any clothes to wear.”

It would be useless to wash up and wear clothes soaked in seawater.

He sighed and picked out some of his cleanest clothes and put them in front of the bathroom.

“There are clothes in front of the door.”

“Ah, thank you.”

He heard a relieved voice from Jung Ga-ram behind the door.

He must have been worried too.

Kwon Yoon-chan returned to the kitchen and boiled some more water.

Bubbles formed on top of the water in the pot.

Clang.

The bathroom door opened and Jung Ga-ram came out wearing different clothes. It felt a bit awkward to see someone else wearing his old clothes.

A moment later.

Kwon Yoon-chan also washed up and came out.

Jung Ga-ram, who was tapping on his phone in the kitchen looking for a bus to go to his accommodation, lifted his head.

Kwon Yoon-chan, who was shaking his head with a towel, went to the room and gave Jung Ga-ram two thousand won bills.

“Here's your bus fare.”

“Thank you. I’ll go to my accommodation right away and bring you the money! I’ll be back soon!”

Jung Ga-ram smiled widely and got up from his seat, grabbing his phone and selfie stick.

Seeing him about to leave, Kwon Yoon-chan pointed at Jung Ga-ram's clothes on the floor in front of the bathroom.

“Aren't you taking your clothes?”

“I’ll take them later. Dry them for me!”

Jung Ga-ram waved his arms and left the house with a bright face.

After Jung Ga-ram left, Kwon Yoon-chan, who had a towel around his neck, started to hang his own clothes and Jung Ga-ram's on the laundry line.

“Well, I guess he doesn't have to come back.”

It was better to have designer clothes than two thousand won and old clothes.

He was hanging the last pair of pants when he heard a squeak.

Kwon Yoon-chan moved the pants aside and looked at the door.

Someone showed their face between the open door.

It was Jung Ga-ram.

Jung Ga-ram smiled awkwardly at Kwon Yoon-chan's questioning gaze and said.

“Um… where do I go for the bus stop?”

Kwon Yoon-chan sighed and headed for the door.

***

Jung Ga-ram returned to his lodging and changed his clothes right away.

He put Kwon Yoon-chan's clothes in a bag and called his parents on his phone.

“I must have lost it then.”

“Don't worry, I’ll cancel it right away.”

“Okay.”

“Your clothes must have been soaked… How did you get to your lodging?”

“Someone lent me some. I'm going to return them soon.”

“Okay.”

A bit of heavy silence hung in the air.

“…Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I'm fine.”

Jung Ga-ram answered casually to his mother's cautious question.

Ever since that day, he felt like a big wall had been built between him and his parents.

He knew they were worried, he understood, but still.

“…Ga-ram… Now…”

“Mom.”

“…Okay.”

“I’ll stay here for a few more days and then go back.”

Jung Ga-ram wanted to go somewhere where no one knew him.

**

Lunchtime.

The staff gathered at the makeshift restaurant next to Kwon Yoon-chan's house.

It was a place prepared because they couldn't bring a food truck.

The staff sat at the plastic tables in the yard or went inside to eat lunch.

“Seo-jun hyung. Is that all you’re eating?”

Kim Han-seok, who had a plate full of bulgogi, asked Seo-jun, looking at the food in front of him.

Crunch crunch.

Seo-jun picked up some cabbage with his chopsticks and ate it, nodding his head.

It was a diet plan prepared by Ahn Da Ho.

“That's like a grass field. Didn't you eat little last night too?”

“I have to lose weight now.”

Kim Han-seok nodded his head as if he understood Seo-jun's words.

‘Well, yeah. He's not the type to act poorly.’

Especially if it was an acting that clearly showed his terminal illness, he thought.

“How much are you going to lose?”

“Just enough?”

Kim Han-seok thought that Seo-jun's ‘just enough’ was more scary than anything else.

He almost forgot what he was going to say as he looked at Seo-jun's face with no expression.

He saw the bulgogi piled up on his plate.

“Oh, then should I eat somewhere else?”

It seemed wrong to eat something delicious by himself in front of someone who was dieting.

He thought it would be really hard if he were in Seo-jun's situation.

Seo-jun smiled and waved his hand at Kim Han-seok's words.

“No, it's okay. You can eat. I like vegetables too.”

He liked meat more, but he also liked vegetables.

‘Is it because of Escape?’

He had eaten well before, but after using the elf's ability, he also liked the taste of vegetables.

Ahn Da Ho seemed to remember that time too, as he didn't seem to worry too much about Seo-jun's diet.

It might have been harder for both Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho if he hated vegetables.

“Really?”

Kim Han-seok sat down, thinking ‘how can he like vegetables?’ He felt like he could taste the vegetables in his mouth just by looking at the green vegetables filling Seo-jun's plate.

“There's chicken breast here too. Do you want some?”

“No, thanks. I can't take away your only meat.”

Seo-jun laughed at Kim Han-seok's firm words.

***

Lunch was over and afternoon shooting began.

They moved the lights according to the changed direction of the sun and captured the angle they had thought of beforehand on the camera.

A microphone stood up to record the sound.

Seo-jun's face appeared on the monitor set up on the makeshift table.

The costume team checked Seo-jun's outfit for the last time and disappeared from the screen.

Then, director Min Hee-kyung shouted.

“Ready, action!”

Squeak.

The rusty door sounded like a doorbell, announcing that someone had arrived.

Kwon Yoon-chan, who was in his room, opened the door. Jung Ga-ram was standing in front of the peeling door.

“I'm here! I came as soon as I could, but the village bus was so late!”

As Kwon Yoon-chan came out, Jung Ga-ram smiled and handed him a bag with his clothes and two thousand won bills.

“Here. The clothes and the bus fare! Thank you so much!”

“Okay.”

Kwon Yoon-chan took the bus fare and the clothes from Jung Ga-ram and looked at the suitcase next to him.

He seemed to be going back.

For a moment, Kwon Yoon-chan remembered what had happened at the sea.

He remembered Jung Ga-ram, who had jumped into the water without hesitation.

Before he could open his mouth, he heard Jung Ga-ram's voice.

“Can I stay here?”

“What?”

It was such a sudden question that he forgot what he was going to say.

Jung Ga-ram smiled brightly at Kwon Yoon-chan's puzzled expression and said.

“I want to stay here while I'm in Busan. I haven't seen the sunrise properly yet. It's close to the sea here.”

Kwon Yoon-chan frowned at Jung Ga-ram's words.

It was hard enough to live alone, let alone with another person.

“What are you talking about? Of course not.”

“I’ll pay for the lodging.”

Kwon Yoon-chan flinched as if he was about to swear.

Seeing that, Jung Ga-ram grinned and showed two fingers. It looked like a V sign.

“Twenty thousand won per day.”

“…”

“Food not included.”

There was a brief silence.

He clenched his mouth and looked at him. Jung Ga-ram rolled his eyes.

‘Doesn't it work?’

Well, it was sudden to ask a stranger to let him stay.

‘Come to think of it, I don't even know his name.’

Jung Ga-ram just rolled his eyes and looked around when Kwon Yoon-chan's mouth opened.

“…How long are you going to stay?”