The script specifically calls for Yeonjun to kiss Yeji, or more accurately put, Daniel to kiss Lucy. Yeonjun hates it just as much as his best friend, and it made his stomach queasy to see the obligation there even after the script was edited. It's not meant to mirror Joanne and Lucy's scripted kiss, nor what Yeji and Ryujin made the intimate interaction to be. It's supposed to be quick, something that catches Lucy off guard, but every time they get through the scene and find their faces that close, one or the other backs away out of disgust, which results in a fit of nervous laughter.
The best friends have gone through this about eight times now. They just can't seem to make it happen. They view each other as siblings, so it's no surprise the thought of a kiss grosses them out.
The ninth time this is filmed, Yeonjun finally musters the courage to follow through. The director appears to be concealing his frustration, and he doesn't want to give the man any underserved trouble. He's been very generous, kind, and understanding all throughout the production process to each and every one of his stars. So have the staff, who always looked after their needs and performed their tasks to the best of their ability. He doesn't want to keep anyone there stuck around while they continuously screw up. Thus, Yeonjun goes in for the kiss as scripted... and it would've caught Yeji "off guard" like it was supposed to had she not caught sight of a particular Shin arriving.
Her sights naturally fixed on the blonde who came, as promised, to sit by and observe, to watch them film. Yeji didn't remember that today's schedule called for this kiss when she asked Ryujin to drop by earlier this morning, not that she would change her mind even if she did due to recent events. She wants Ryujin close by to keep an eye on her, afraid of not being there to help during a mental breakdown like the other night. She hardly has any information regarding what it was.
Then again... it's not like she wants the latter to see her KISS anyone else!
Yeji could just imagine what it might be like if roles were reversed, if she had to watch Ryujin kiss Yeonjun, or quite literally anyone for that matter. It leaves her anxious, induces an uncomfortable feeling in her gut, her stomach twisting in knots, and the jealousy that surges through her at the thought makes her jaw clench tensely.
"Sir?" Yeji walks up to the director after their most recent and failed attempt to film the scene. No idea pertaining to how she can escape the obligation has graced her troubled mind, but she does want to make something clear on the chance that Ryujin feels the way her thoughts make herself feel. "Can we take ten?"
"Alright." The man sighs. He's trying to be understanding, and because the actress approached him with a grim expression, he gestures toward the necessary staff members to signal the break. "Ten minutes and then we film."
"Thank you. I promise we'll get it this take."
"Tenth time's the charm, I guess." Her director shrugs with a tired smile, then proceeds to talk with the scriptwriter. Yeji feels a bit bad about asking, but she's grateful. Without hesitation, she steps over to the blonde standing several feet away. Yeonjun stays out of it because he can sense the urgency in his best friend's footsteps, supposes something really went wrong, and he's curious as to what that something is.
"Ryujin, you're here. I'm glad." The redhead's fingers graze Ryujin's before interlacing them. Judging by her face, the younger woman seems to be feeling a little bit better than she has recently. It makes Yeji smile, happy to see that her sincere touch incited a curve on the latter's lips. "Did you get what you needed?"
Ryujin, almost forgetting that she told the little fib, nods quickly. "Y- yeah. It took a while, and then Rosie sort of made a surprise visit."
"Oh, really? How'd that go? Wasn't it kind of early?"
"I guess so, but she wanted to get some ideas on uh... oh! It was wedding preparations. Mhm. T- Their wedding."
The cat-eyed woman nods, finds the stammer a bit odd and peculiar. She assumes it has to do with what's been bothering Ryujin lately, hopes that she might get answers soon because not knowing makes helping a lot harder. Yeji supposes she understands how Ryujin felt trying to help in the beginning when she overheard her conversation with Mr. Park—
'Shit~ ' She blinks a few times, recalls how unsettling the messages she received earlier were. Through them, she couldn't tell what the threat was. There was no hint, no clue.
Yeji puts on a forced smile as she suddenly leads the young Shin elsewhere for the remainder of their time. Before she brings up the drama about her stepfather or continues this scene with Yeonjun, she wants to ask a question. According to the past week, the answer seems obvious, just unstated.
As they wander around to locate a spot, Yeji soon decides that inside the restroom is best for now. This isn't the most ideal, but no one is in there. Hence, there's a sense of privacy.
Ryujin's not sure why she was brought in here. So, as a joke, she stops Yeji the instant they enter and purposely asks a dumb question. "Potty break?"
"Not exactly." Yeji giggles softly at the teasing tone before she faces her co-star, still hand in hand for a moment before Ryujin reaches up to rid of a stray hair. It reminds her of their days in high school when they first met, leaves her chest warm, motivates her to speak. "There's something I want to talk about."
"I'm all ears." Ryujin returns the smile. "Start whenever you're ready."
"R- right. Okay." The oldest breathes in and out, not sure how to word it without sounding direct... but she needs to know. In all honesty, she wishes she asked sooner because right now she's afraid of what her father is capable of. "What are we?"
"We? As in... " Ryujin motions her hand in the small space between them. "Us?"
"Yeah. Are we friends? Are we together— "
"Both."
"Huh?"
"We're both, aren't we?" Ryujin chuckles. It's this lightheartedness that she needs right now, a pleasant distraction from what she's been forced to remember. "Just because we kissed doesn't make us any less friends than we already were, even if one of us shot down that term... " She nudges Yeji playfully. "But I can understand how that might sound confusing."
"Mhm. Yup. Very confusing." Yeji pouts, doesn't know how to take in what's being said. "Could you explain?"
"Of course. I think in every working relationship there's a base of friendship. You and I, now that we understand each other, we get along. Us getting along led straight to this... " Ryujin gently takes both of Yeji's hands in hers. "Would it be wise to assume we want the same thing?"
"Very, very wise." Yeji tries not to jump up in place out of excitement. She's so so ready to have this. Whether her stepfather's threat is harsh or not, perhaps they can get through it together. "Please continue."
"In that case... will you, Hwang Yeji, be my girl— "
"YES!"
"But I didn't finish."
"You didn't have to, babe." She giggles adorably, and Ryujin's only response is to blush at the term of endearment.
"Babe, huh?"
"Is that allowed?"
Ryujin chuckles. Had you asked her long ago if this were possible, she would've laughed in your face. However, now that she's experiencing it, now that she's gotten to know Yeji for who she is rather than who she thought she was, everything seems to fit like a puzzle. Ryujin would never give up this opportunity to be with her co-star in a serious relationship. As a matter of fact, she'd fight for this. There's nothing the redhead could do to change her mind, and she only hopes Yeji might feel the same. She loves this feeling she gets around the oldest more than anything else in her life, and she's scared to lose it after all they've been through.
"Anything my girlfriend wants is allowed."
"Even Ryusungie?"
Ryujin playfully narrows her eyes. "Oh, so you're a jokester now?"
"Ahahah! My Ryuddaeng is so cute!" Yeji slinks her arms around Ryujin's neck and hugs her, maybe a bit too tight, maybe not. Yeji gives Ryujin a surprise peck on the cheek, but then something clicks. A much more pressing matter swarms her thoughts. "There's something serious I want to talk about with you later, though. I can drive to your place, or you can drive to mine? Or we meet up somewhere for dinner since we're currently in separate cars? I don't know. So long as we get to talk, it doesn't matter where."
"Sure." Ryujin feels uneasy, but it sounds critical. If it's important to Yeji, it's important to her. "What is it about?"
"My stepfather."
"What did he do??" The blonde's voice grows deeper all of a sudden, sounds threatening. Her expression shows she's serious, the happy glint in her eyes nearly gone, and her fist was already balled. Honestly, she's too anxious to wait for a talk that concerns Mr. Park.
"I- I'm not sure yet, but we have to talk about this after work since I should probably be back on set now. I'm sure the ten minutes is up."
"I guess... " Ryujin heaves a deep sigh. "Tonight, right? Can you promise me nothing will stop us from talking about it?"
"I promise~ Now let's get back." Yeji smiles to show everything's alright (for now), and she tugs her co-star along, feeling both happy and conflicted. On one hand, she has the woman of her dreams. On the other hand, her stepfather has threaten said woman whom she loves. It's more complicated than she'd like it to be.
.
.
.
"He said you promised to get it right this time." Yeonjun nudges his head toward the direction of their director, who is currently giving instructions to the camera crew.
"I did... but I have an idea."
"An idea?" He raises a brow, curious to learn the reason behind his best friend's bright and eager tone. Yeji appears much more confident than she was earlier, no longer disgust in her eyes. "Please tell me you've convinced him to cut the kiss part out??"
"I didn't."
"Oh— "
"But I read in between the lines and get this... " Yeji elbows him, giggling like a child because this plan is foolproof. "Nothing is specified. Any kind of kiss should suffice."
"Alright, you two! Get to your places!" The director calls out to them, and they happily oblige. Yeonjun caught onto the redhead's drift. Now he is just as comfortable as Yeji appears to be with the scene. "Aaaaand ACTION!"
—🎬 sᴛᴀʀᴛ 🎬—
"Lucy!"
By voice alone, Lucy knew in an instant who the young man was. She quickly wipes her tears, convinced he wouldn't notice. While Daniel was once her best friend, even back then, he wasn't observant enough to catch her little winces due to pain or any tear she would swiftly blink away when he looked elsewhere for a moment. Indeed, the only person who could see right through Lucy without trouble was the only individual ignoring her.
The redhead casually leans off the pier and turns to greet the familiar boy. She's not sure if she wants the company right now, but she won't shut him down so rudely. "Hey, Danny."
"Hey~ Fancy seeing you here, huh? Especially after running into you at the supermarket earlier this week."
He chuckles, but Lucy can't reciprocate the humor found in his comment. All she can remember is how that was the day everything went downhill for her because she waited too long to tell Joanne the truth.
"I know it hasn't been long, but how's it going?"
"It's, well... I don't know."
"You don't seem as cheery as you were when I last saw you." Daniel frowns. He may not have been perceptive towards her physical pains, but he was towards her emotional feelings. Besides, Lucy didn't seem to be trying to hide it, either. "Has something happened?"
"Jojo and I got into an argument."
"Oh." He nods softly, rests his arms against the railing. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"I, uhm." Lucy, arms folded over her chest, hugs herself tight because of the recollection. Her worst fears have come true. She wishes she had been honest the day of their graduation, the day she told Joanne not to run after her. "I kept the truth for too long."
"What truth? The one about your condition?"
"Yes."
"Did you apologize?"
"Of course, but a simple sorry isn't going to fix my problems."
"How about a gift?" He suggests. At this point, Daniel isn't certain what to say. He just wants to help, and even if the conversation ends up pointless, at least he's managed to take her mind off of her issue for a while because, to him, the world doesn't deserve someone like Lucy.
"Material things won't work, either. They aren't meaningful."
"I think they are if you make them." The boy sighs, a gust of wind whooshing through and ruffling his hair. "If she won't listen long enough to hear how sorry you are, then show her how sorry you are. Or, at the very least, remind her of what you two have. You can't always count on time."
"I don't want to come off as pushy, though. I messed up, and I'm almost convinced what I did is not redeemable."
"Sounds like an excuse to me."
Her brows furrow, finds this very direct trait of Daniel pretty rare and new. It's almost like he's a tad frustrated with her already. "It might be."
"Do you know how long you have? Is there a time frame?" He stares at the water in front of them, listens to the sound of the waves crashing along the concrete and nearly splashing their feet. He doesn't want to cry, not today, so he tunes in on this sound. He's already shed his fair share of tears knowing one of his loved ones will die.
"I don't know for sure, but... "
"But?"
Lucy clutches her chest, a surge of pain in her heart. She wants to assume it's due to her emotions, but she considers the possibility that it is more than she cares to admit. Heart attacks aren't the most uncommon for people like her, but she could be overthinking, so she ignores this. Instead, she temporarily closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, hopes the serenity of this atmosphere is enough to prevent her from crying. "But I can feel it."
"Feel it?"
"Yes. A gut feeling tells me that I have less than a month. Last week I had a few hard to control mood swings. Also, I had to pull over on my way here because I felt like I was dazing out, losing consciousness— "
"If you keep talking, I'll feel obligated to take you home myself. You shouldn't be driving. It's not safe."
"You're worried for no reason. As soon as I feel it, I pull over. I'm not reckless."
"Your emotions can make you reckless, Lucy. You know you're going to die, and the girl you love isn't talking to you. Does that not spark concern?"
"I get it. But trust me, you don't have to worry."
Lucy smiles despite his stern tone. She appreciates the concern more than he or anyone will ever know because she can feel that her body is giving up, that her brain has sentenced her to death at far too young of an age... yet that's not was she's unhappy about most. All she cares about is getting Joanne's forgiveness before she goes, and killing herself will only make things worse.
"A meaningful gift, you sa— " The redhead cuts her question short, and her eyes go wide as she takes a step back due to the unexpected kiss. She holds her cheek where the peck landed, knits her brows, confusion written all over her face.
"I'm sorry. I know your heart belongs to her. It's just... something tells me the next time I see you it won't be like this." Daniel grits his teeth, and he fights back his tears. It's hard to ignore all of the memories he has with this particular girl standing right in front of him. He temporarily places a hand on her shoulder, wishes he had the courage to stay, but he doesn't. He needs to go before he breaks, doesn't want Lucy to worry about him too. "Fight for her forgiveness, Lucy. You deserve to be happy. I know she'll forgive you."
Lucy smiles painfully, bites the inside of her cheeks as she feels her eyes watering the same as his. They share a tight, warm hug, both refusing to shed their tears so soon. A sniffle of his doesn't go unheard, but the moment she tries to check on him, he backs away and insists he must go.
Daniel's prediction was correct because, to neither of their surprise, this was the last time she'll ever see him before she disappears forever.
—🎬 ᴇɴᴅ 🎬—
"CUT!"
Ryujin doesn't look particularly happy with the scene, not because of the way it played out—she actually finds it bitter sweet—but rather because she can't stand the simple peck, doesn't want to imagine if it was an actual kiss. She wonders if it's really necessary, deems the act wasn't crucial to the plot, unless that's just an excuse to stop it from happening.
Yeah. It's definitely just jealousy.
When Yeji turns around at the end of the scene and meets eyes with her co-star, she notices that Ryujin doesn't look as annoyed as she originally did. It's a win, essentially. Without stalling, she pats Yeonjun on his back and thanks him for accepting her idea, then walks straight toward Ryujin.
"What did you think about the scene?"
Ryujin doesn't answer. On the contrary, all Yeji hears in return is the sound of loud crinkling from a pack of wet wipes as she watches the other woman rip one out. In a matter of seconds, Ryujin responds to the question by huffing and wiping her girlfriend's cheek in the exact spot the woman's best friend had kissed her.
"Never, EVER again. No more romantic movies after this one."
"Did you come prepared??" Yeji bursts into laughter, which makes it hard for Ryujin to continue what she's doing. In one swift motion, Yeji grabs the girl's wrist, holds it away from her face before the woman accidentally rubs her skin out of existence. "Somebody sounds jealous~ "
"No, I don't."
"Then why are you wiping my face, hm?"
"Because you're my Yeddeong, not his. I just got you, and I don't share." Ryujin huffs once more, but Yeji merely laughs again. The oldest sets down the wipe, rubs the wetness off her face, and offers her cheek to the younger woman. Ryujin catches on and leans in—
"Ladiessss!"
"Oh?" Yeji turns her head, and in an instant, the blonde takes advantage of this moment to steal a kiss on her lips instead, leaving Yeji to blush crazily in front of the scriptwriter who called for their attention.
"The director wants to know if you two don't mind filming a brief scene since Ryujin happens to be here."
"Brief?" Ryujin questions since Yeji looks a bit disoriented. She hopes it doesn't take long because they planned to talk later and a deep discussion is done best when they have the energy to speak, not when they're warped from working.
"Which scene?"
.
.
.
"We just had to audition for a sad movie, huh?" Ryujin sighs. Now that she's closer to her co-star, the scenes hurt beyond compare. She doesn't want to imagine Yeji ever getting sick or ending up hurt or in the hospital. The very thought is enough to scare her. "It's so heartbreaking."
"Yes, but I think our newfound chemistry makes it even better."
"Better is an insensitive term towards our characters, don't you think?" The blonde chuckles softly while she sits on the sofa. It correlates to the scene, but she honestly wishes she could have Yeji sit with her so they can cuddle and she can sleep off her worries. Rosé helped her vent earlier, but there's still some emotions pent up. "You're supposed to—actually, no. I don't want to say that word."
"I'm not dying anytime soon, Ryujin. At least, not in real life." Yeji, currently standing behind the couch, bends over, wraps her arms around Ryujin's neck. They haven't had a chance to talk about the blonde's well-being in depth, but she hopes they get to soon, perhaps before or after they talk about her stepfather.
"Let's not speak the possibility into existence."
"I didn't take you for the superstitious type."
"More like paranoid." Ryujin leans her cheek into her girlfriend's touch, wonders if Yeji would still do this knowing the big secret of her past. "I don't want to lose you— "
"Oh, looks like we're starting. I'll see you in a bit." Yeji withdraws her hold, eager to get this emotional scene over with so they can talk. However, because of her rush, she unintentionally ignores what her girlfriend mumbled.