慈禧太后的秘密

Maru looked into the distance as he listened to the shutter sounds.

He changed his posture slightly according to the rhythm of the shutter. He also changed up his expression. He added the spice of a smile on top of an indifferent expression base.

“Please wear this one this time.”

“That looks vintage,” Maru said as he received the glasses. The glasses had thick rectangular frames.

He was subconsciously reminded of pop artists from the 80s holding acoustic guitars.

“Whether it’s music or trends, they go round and round.”

Maru took off the horn-rimmed glasses he was wearing and put on the golden ones.

“Does a classic suit go well with these glasses?”

“I think rather than classic, we should go with one that’s slightly roomy on the chest and looks lackadaisical as a whole. Miss Chayeon, do we have one in inventory?”

“Wait a second.”

Maru went to the back of the studio along with Chaeyeon. The employee, who was browsing through clothes seemingly at random, gave him a suit.

“I think this would be a good match.”

The photographer and the glasses seller followed them in and had a look at the clothes as well.

“What are your opinions as the model and the photographer? I was told to respect the opinions of the people on set as much as possible,” said the person from the glasses shop.

“I think it suits me quite well.”

Hearing Maru’s answer, the photographer nodded as well.

“Then let’s go with this one. I guess this should be the feel for a similar lineup of products.”

Maru changed clothes and stood in front of the lights. He put on the glasses that were adjusted to his head shape and posed.

“Your hands look rather empty. Shall we use some props?” said the photographer.

The person from the glasses shop gave Maru a glasses case and a wipe.

Maru grabbed the glasses by the temples and slowly started cleaning the lens.

“I like your current expression. Let’s shoot a few more like that.”

* * *

“Auntie, two extra-large gukbaps and a bowl of head meat.”

The auntie who received his order told him to wait and poked her head inside the kitchen. Two XL gukbap, one meat — Maru poured a cup of water as he listened.

“You always come to this place when go anywhere nearby,” Yeonjin said as he set the spoons and chopsticks.

“The taste is just that good.”

“I have to admit that you’re right, but let’s eat other things too from time to time. The company provides a whole lot of money for meals.”

“Then let’s go to the place you want next time, hyung. Today, hang out with me here.”

“Do you know what I hate the most when I come here? It’s that I can’t drink. I have to drive after all.”

“That’s why I drink your share too. It’s a super close-range mukbang.”

Maru poured some rice wine into a bowl and drank it in one go. Yeonjin looked at the empty bowl in yearning before dipping his chopstick into the ssamjang and eating it.

“There’s no other form of torture quite like this.”

“Then you should just drink too and call a chauffeur service.”

“Your schedule might be over, but mine isn’t. You know that. How spiteful.”

While they laughed and chatted, the food was served. Maru added a little bit of salted shrimp to get the taste right. The delicious savoriness had not changed from before.

When he thought about it, it was quite curious. During his numerous lives, uncountably many things had changed, but this restaurant’s taste had not changed even once.

Maybe this was god’s blessing?

“It’s something you eat all the time. Do you like it that much?” Yeonjin asked when he started eating with a smile.

“The taste you’re used to is the most scary taste.”

He put some ssamjang on the head meat and ate it. After he appreciated the flavor of the fat and swallowed it, Yeonjin spoke,

“Looks like Miss Haneul will become busy soon too.”

Yeonjin was looking at his phone. Maru stopped his chopsticks and spoke,

“Did something happen?”

“You know the play they finished a little while ago? The responses were pretty good. Assessment of Miss Haneul has changed considerably in the two months after she signed a contract with the company. Well, with her appearance and acting skills, it was only a matter of time before people got to know her. If I think about it now, it’s curious how she managed to stay buried until now.”

“No matter how big the sail is, a boat will not move forward without the right wind.”

“As you say, it looks like she managed to get some proper wind this time. You said you were close to her, right? I haven’t heard the specifics, but I heard the president met her through you.”

“Something like that.”

“If you knew someone like her, then you should’ve told this big brother about it first. If I managed to cast her, I would’ve gotten two promotions at least.”

“Are you going to make me feel bad like that?”

Yeonjin shrugged before taking a large soondae from Maru’s gukbap.

“Let’s make do with this.”

“Hey, I was saving that for later.”

“I don’t know about anything else, but I’ll give you some advice as a senior in life. If there’s something good, you have to eat it quickly before anything else.”

Seeing him eat the soondae while teasing him, Maru let out a chuckle.

“The agency that let go of Miss Haneul, I’m sure they’re gonna be real jealous right now.”

“It’s the price for not giving her support for three years. They practically abandoned her after that movie slip-up.”

“After I heard that we signed a contract with Miss Haneul, I looked for that movie. I paid a whopping 3,000 won to download it.”

“How was it?”

“I learned once again that no matter how great the actors are, it’ll be doomed if the production and the story are bad. Miss Haneul’s acting was good there too. Heck, I even felt hurt when she was tortured. But after that, I don’t remember anything. I don’t even know what the movie was trying to say, and I’m fed up with soap operas and nationalism.”

“It was quite decent when it was still a script. It wasn’t without context like the movie either, and the characters were fresh. So I guess that happened after they shot everything and edited it.”

Yeonjin, who nodded, suddenly stared at him.

“You looked at the script for that movie?”

Maru looked away slightly.

“Yes, well.”

“Looks like you two are closer than friends.”

“We are very close.”

“Are you sure there isn’t something between the two of you that I don’t know of?”

“Maybe.”

He was planning to tell Yeonjin about it soon anyway. His wife said that they should hide their relationship but not adamantly deny it.

If some unknown internet journalist wrote about their relationship, then they would probably respond that they had a good relationship.

“Miss Haneul is wasted on you.”

“Hyung, how can you say that to the actor you’re in charge of?”

“What’s a waste is a waste. Just don’t forget to introduce me to her later. You know it’s hard to see other people’s faces even in the same company, right?”

“That won’t be easy since she’s wasted on me.”

“You’re smiling even though you’re pretending to be mad. You seem to like her a lot?”

They continued eating while chatting. Around the time they were about done, Maru told the auntie to pack 3 portions for takeout.

While he bought some vending machine coffee, the packaged soondae came out.

“I’ll pay for the soondae,” Maru said.

“Why? I can pay for it with the company card.”

“No matter how convenient company cards are, this is separate.”

“You’re worried about unnecessary things.”

After paying, they left the store. Maru gave Yeonjin the plastic bag with 2 portions that he was holding.

“You’re giving them to me?”

“Don’t eat them by yourself and send some of them to your mother. You said last time that she likes soondae.”

“Did I?”

Yeonjin tilted his head in confusion before thanking him and accepting the plastic bag.

“I have an appointment. You can go in first.”

“Where is it? I’ll give you a lift before going back to the company.”

“It’s a college right nearby, so I’m okay. Also, if you have time to give me a ride, then you should deliver the soondae first. You know the taste isn’t as good once it cools off, right?”

“Don’t keep giving me stuff like this. It makes me feel like I have to do better.”

“You’re doing plenty well.”

Yeonjin smiled and got in the car. He rolled down the window on the passenger side and spoke up,

“Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

“I know it’s April, but it’s still pretty chilly, so don’t dress too thin. If you encounter health problems, I’ll get into trouble with the president.”

“Okay. But are you going to keep nagging me? Even my mom doesn’t look out for me this much.”

“It’s my job to look out for you, what can I do? Anyway, thanks for the soondae. I’m sure my mom will like it if I tell her that it’s a gift from a famous actor.”

Yeonjin drove off. Maru took out his phone and made a call.

“I’m planning to go there now. Are you at school?”

-Yeah. But you’re coming? Really?

“I told you that we should meet up. You told me that your work was somewhat done as well. You didn’t stay in the military like an idiot for two years, right?”

-You’re too cruel to someone who just got discharged less than two weeks ago.

“Anyway, you can’t make time?”

-I can. All I have is time. But it feels somewhat weird to hear that you’re coming over all of a sudden.

“How is it weird?”

-You’re a famous actor now. During the Short Film Festival, I thought we were pretty even in pace, but during my time in the military, the gap became insurmountably wider. I can’t even believe that you’re willing to work with me again.

“So you don’t like it? Tell me if you don’t want to.”

-Who said…! Who said I don’t like it?

Yoonseok raised his voice before toning it down. There seemed to be people around him.

“I don’t feel bad doing work with a director I trust.”

-I’m grateful that you say that, but…

“What then, is the thing you wrote in the military that bad? That you don’t want to show it to others?”

-That’s not it. I felt a lot of things in the military, and I made use of them in my writing, so I like the script better than when we did the Short Film Festival.

“That’s good enough. Let’s meet up for now. We can talk as we go over it.”

Yoonseok didn’t reply for a while before speaking,

-Uhm, but, hyung.

“What?”

-Can I tell the others that you’re coming? I want to boast a little. I mean, they won’t believe me. They’re telling me that we lost contact after the Short Film Festival and that I was abandoned or whatnot.

“Looks like I’ll have to let director Lee feel proud for a bit.”

-Really?

“But if the scenario is terrible, I’m going to swear right at your face, so the choice is yours. Being shamed in front of your friends will be quite an experience.”

-Now I feel nervous.

“Anyway, I’m going to your school now, so come out and meet me. Let’s meet at the gates.”

-Okay. The toast store we went to a lot while we shot the film is still there, so let’s meet up there.

“Alright.”

He hung up. It was just 10 minutes to the college on foot, so he decided to take a walk.

“He could see plants sprouting from the broken gaps in the pavement. Winter, which he thought wouldn’t end, was now going away.”

Maru took out his phone from his pocket. He got a message from Yeonjin.

-You haven’t forgotten about the pre-production meeting for the drama next week, right?

Maru replied yes before starting to walk. He put on the glasses given to him by the glasses shop and looked at his reflection in the window of a parked car. He looked pretty decent. He was just about fed up with the horn-rimmed ones, so he liked the new circular golden frames.

He turned right at a convenience store. He could see a road that led up the hill to the front gates of the college. He looked at the students heading towards the restaurants nearby for lunch.

Maru waited in front of the toast store that Yoonseok mentioned. A man who just received his toast and was about to eat it looked at him before turning around.

After taking a few steps, the man turned around to look at him again.

Maru pretended to be oblivious. The man tilted his head before walking towards a PC bang.

“Hyung!”

He saw Yoonseok rushing over from the gate. A young man who had been burned black in the military was standing in front of him.

Maru smiled and gave him some soondae.

“Did you not apply sunscreen when you did your service?”

“A man doesn’t need something like that.”

“You should’ve taken care in your later years at least. The sun doesn’t differentiate between men and women.”

“With my appearance, it doesn’t matter if I’m burnt or not. Also, what’s this?”

“Some soondae. Let’s sit down somewhere.”

Yoonseok nodded and received the soondae.