05. Flower Basket
Hyeong-seok had been keeping his mouth shut tightly for a while now to suppress his boiling frustration.
The shoot continued until evening, but considering the photographer’s notorious reputation, it had gone relatively smoothly.
Of course, that was because the results were good. The fact that a man who was rarely satisfied was now smiling from ear to ear, and that the advertising editor’s face was fully flushed with excitement, was entirely because Lee-yeon had done so well.
And although that was something to be extremely proud of as a manager, Hyeong-seok couldn’t bring himself to smile at all.
“Wow, this. It’s such a waste to just use this for an advertisement, you know? Whew…… Who shot this, hahaha.”
While Hyeong-seok was merely imagining striking the back of the photographer’s head with force, the main assistant slinked over to his side.
“I’m sorry. Please be understanding, Manager.”
“Yes. Well……”
“He isn’t that bad of a person. It’s just that he has an intense greed for his work…… He’s spent his whole life only taking photos, so his social skills are a bit lacking…… Yes……”
“Yes. Well……”
“Sigh…… I’ll apologize on his behalf. I’m truly, truly sorry.”
Finally letting out a heavy sigh, Hyeong-seok massaged the innocent assistant’s shoulders and managed a casual smile.
What else could he do? The person who had endured the photographer’s cruel directing throughout the entire shoot wasn’t him, but Lee-yeon. Checking the closed waiting room door, he wiped his stiff face with his large hand.
Watching his expression, the assistant started some small talk to break the heavy atmosphere.
“By the way, Manager. Is Lee-yeon only going to do print shoots? There are so many rumors about the movie industry keeping an eye on her. Aren’t you getting a ton of scripts?”
Rumors floating around the industry were usually accurate. After all, this wasn’t a field where smoke rose without a fire.
There was a rumor that a director who had risen to the ranks of world-renowned masters had sent a love call to Lee-yeon, and another rumor that a famous writer who held a tight grip on the drama industry had been writing a project with her in mind from the very beginning, which was now in its final stages. Therefore, it was about time for rumors to circulate that Lee-yeon would soon make her silver screen debut.
“It’s about time for her to cross over. Her mask is just too good; that moment earlier when her gaze shifted was seriously incredible……”
Hyeong-seok’s heart was already heavy due to the homework his agency’s CEO had saddled him with.
<Bring Got I’m No all and back for going her it? matter means once settle this to today. unconditionally. use! what you>
<CEO. It Lee-yeon acting. has intention like no of really seems>
<I So a about after and anything back bring don’t else have her okay? secret shoot, straight the think weapon.>
<Sigh…… I’ll best. my try>
He had been agonizing since morning about how to bring it up to Lee-yeon, but to make matters worse, the atmosphere of the shoot had been ruined, making it even more difficult to speak.
If I just let it slide today, the CEO won’t leave me alone……
Just then, a person wearing a quick-delivery vest walked into the set. He was cradling a flower basket so massive that it looked burdensome for an adult man to even carry.
“Delivery for Lee-yeon!”
Even amidst the chaotic atmosphere of packing up the filming equipment, the presence of the flower basket was immense enough to draw everyone’s attention. Not only was it huge, but the rich floral fragrance diffused as if taking over the entire space.
“Wow…… Flower prices are seriously expensive lately……”
“Just how many stems is that? Is it around 100 stems? Even more?”
While Hyeong-seok signed the invoice on her behalf, people gathered around the flower basket one by one. A moment later, having heard the news, Lee-yeon opened the waiting room door and stepped out.
“Oh my goodness. Who sent this? Heavens…… Is it even possible to buy this many peonies? My younger sibling runs a flower shop, so I know, but this is incredibly expensive. And at this volume, it’s hard to buy even if you have the money, you know?”
Lee-yeon’s eyes also widened in surprise the moment she saw the flower basket.
“Hyeong-seok. Who is this from……”
“It was sent anonymously. Did you happen to receive any separate contact?”
“No……”
“That’s strange. There isn’t even a message card.”
At Hyeong-seok’s muttering, Lee-yeon’s expression stiffened slightly, but it was only for a brief moment.
Though tilting her head in wonder, Lee-yeon approached the flower basket as if drawn by the fragrance. Just as he said, it was a mysterious gift with no message card and no business card.
“Who could have sent it……”
But flowers were flowers. Furthermore, they were peonies, which she loved.
Without realizing it, she buried her face in them and took a deep breath of the scent, but quickly becoming aware of her actions, she hesitated and stepped back. Her two cheeks flushed a pale pink, just like the color of the petals.
Seeing this, the makeup director laughed out loud and began to tease her.
“Oh, sweetie, are you dating? This is exactly the size a lover would send, you know?”
“It’s nothing like that, Director.”
“Right, right, everyone always says it’s nothing like that.”
It became the catalyst that belatedly thawed the set’s atmosphere, which had been rigid because of the photographer.
Lee-yeon ended up facing a somewhat unfair misunderstanding, but since it was a common occurrence, Hyeong-seok didn’t particularly question the flower basket. He simply thought it was a relief that Lee-yeon’s mood seemed to have improved a bit.
Yet, even until he put Lee-yeon in the car along with the giant flower basket, Hyeong-seok couldn’t utter a single word about what he had promised the agency’s CEO.
However, a dilemma that was too burdensome had a way of showing on one’s face.
“Hyeong-seok. Did I perhaps make a mistake…… again?”
“No, no. Not at all! You did exceptionally well today. Everyone was singing your praises, haha.”
Lee-yeon, who hadn’t let it show at all, displayed a slightly exhausted look only after getting into the car.
Feeling sorry for her, proud of her, and also guilty…… Hyeong-seok, whose heart became complicated as various emotions tangled together, made up his mind that he would rather just take the scolding from the CEO.
“You’re tired, right? I’ll take you home quickly.”
However, the decision he had reached with such difficulty was quickly rendered pointless.
“The CEO is probably waiting, right?”
“Pardon? Ah…… That…… Did it show that much?”
Reflected in the rearview mirror, a smile appeared on Lee-yeon’s face as if she had already known everything.
“I’m fine, so let’s go.”
The next day. Lee-yeon greeted the morning without having slept a single wink all night.
It was because of the thinly bound book resting on the sofa where she had been sitting the entire time.
Inside the book, which had nothing written on its cover, there was simply a brief synopsis and a script for the first few episodes, with no title and no author’s name either.
It was something she had received directly from the company’s CEO yesterday.
<I But I Lee-yeon They absurd at confident, first found incredibly it just know know? needs once. read said sounded sounds strange. they to too. you>
When the CEO asked to meet, she had roughly anticipated what he would say.
He had told her every single time they met that she shouldn’t just stick to print shoots and should expand her field, that she should try other things just for the experience, so she figured it would be that same business this time as well.
That was why she hadn’t fully believed the story the CEO told her while handing over this book. Because she thought it was just a line he was throwing out while keeping an eye on any potential possibility.
However, she had accepted this book because the final remark he added stayed on her mind.
<They I Lee-yeon So That contains curiosity! definitely didn’t even know my mystery name. possibly reads reveal she said that their them. this, to want who will writer>
Whether it was the writer’s intention or not, hearing those words made her curious as well, so she ended up bringing it home.
<Just No Okay? can’t it once pressure. read sleep. when you>
Without fail, the night of insomnia was long, and since she had no intention of acting anyway, she figured she would read it with a truly light heart.
But to conclude, the writer’s words were no bluff.
If she were to state her impressions after staying up all night reading and re-reading the book that was barely ten pages long, it was simply that she absolutely had to meet the person who wrote this piece.
“Let’s…… pull myself together.”
Staring blankly at the dawning sky, Lee-yeon raised her body, which had grown as heavy as water-soaked cotton.
She splashed cold water on her face to wake up her hazy mind, and soothed her churning stomach with a warm cup of tea. After that, she picked up the book once more.
Wondering if it had been a dream. Wondering if she had seen an illusion because she was simply too desperate.
But just as she had verified throughout the night, the content remained the same upon reading it again.
#001. (The first meeting between Yeon and Geom)
The sky is clear and blue. Clouds resembling scattered pieces of cotton wool fill the sky. When the wind blows, the flowers blooming across the field sway simultaneously, and tiny grasshoppers leap here and there, occasionally becoming food for the birds. It is a peaceful and beautiful spring day.
(Behind the bell tower, a tense Geom stands at the entrance leading to the field. He bites his lip tightly, hesitates, and finally takes a step. Keeping his waist bent, he conceals his body in the thicket as he moves toward the middle of the field.)
(Yeon emerges from the chapel on the opposite side and gazes at the blooming field. After thinking for a moment, she steps onto the path she always takes.)
The two people have not discovered each other yet. Their gazes almost meet, but do not. Just then, a strong wind suddenly blows, causing Yeon to stagger.
Yeon: (Lets out a short scream.)
Geom: (Startled upon hearing the sound, he unconsciously turns his body to look toward where Yeon is.)
The two people discover each other. They scan one another in the midst of tension. Geom is spellbound by Yeon’s beautiful appearance. Yeon notices something upon seeing his attire.
Yeon: (Smiling kindly) Hello? Who are you?
Geom: (With his head deeply bowed, terrified) I, I am……
Lee-yeon was certain.
The person who wrote this text is San.
