12 March 2013 3:20 PM

SLOWLY.  The word reverberated in Joong Ki’s brain as he made his way through the SBS studios to the set where That Winter, The Wind Blows was in its final stages of production.  The cast and crew were filming the last episode, and Joong Ki knew from talking with In Sung that today’s shoot would be one of the most difficult scenes, where Hye Kyo’s character would confess her love to In Sung’s character and at the same time say her goodbye to him.   Joong Ki was in awe of the raw talent that both In Sung and Hye Kyo had when it came to emotional scenes, and he had asked the director for permission to come and watch and study.  So here he was, bringing afternoon snacks and coffee for the cast and crew and getting ready to take an acting lesson, or at least that was the excuse he told everyone.

SLOWLY.  That’s what Hye Kyo had replied when he had asked her where they stood at the Valentine’s Day ambush, as they both called that dinner.  She admitted that she didn’t know what she felt…but she wanted to find out.  She needed time to sort out her feelings.  Yes, it had been two years since her awful breakup with Hyun Bin, and she didn’t know if she was ready to start something new.  She had also sworn off relationships within the industry after Hyun Bin, but struggled to keep that promise to herself whenever she spent time with Joong Ki.  He made her feel alive again, made her feel young, gave her a sense of fun.  She didn’t want to lose that.  Her only request to him was to take things slowly.  

Joong Ki couldn’t help but smile as he remembered his reaction.  For a guy like him to hear those words coming out of Hye Kyo’s mouth, he had wanted to run out into the snow and do cartwheels.  Never in a million years could he have dreamed that someone like her, the most beautiful woman in the world in his eyes, would even remotely be interested in him.  That fire and yearning that he felt for her was always tempered by the knowledge that most men in Asia were also pining after her, and he was likely at the bottom of her attraction list.  And yet, there in his grandparents’ cabin, not only did she not reject him, but she had confessed that she also had feelings for him.  Hye Kyo had asked him for time, and that was something that he would readily give her.  His smile became a brilliant grin when he remembered how that night ended, with the two of them sitting in front of the roaring fire, snuggling under his grandmother’s quilt and sharing the briefest of soft and gentle kisses.  He still remembered the featherlike touch of her lips, the sweetly fragrant scent of her perfume, the caressing tickle of her fingers on his cheeks.

“What are you so happy about?” For the second time in a month, Kwang Soo yanked him back to reality.  There had been an uneasy tension between the two of them since that dinner with In Sung.  Joong Ki could not figure out what he did that was so wrong in Kwang Soo’s eyes.  Yes, there was an age difference…yes, there was a seniority difference…and yes, there was even a massive stature gap…but he never thought Kwang Soo was the type of person to let any of that matter.  There was something else, some other reason, for Kwang Soo’s opposition, but Joong Ki could not figure out what it was. 

“I’m going to get an acting lesson today….” Joong Ki answered lightly as they rounded the corner and walked onto the set.  They had picked the perfect time as the rehearsals had ended and the cast and crew were setting up for the filming.  The director smiled when he saw the two young men approach, telling everyone to take a 30-minute break to enjoy the goodies before they started filming.  Joong Ki and Kwang Soo greeted everyone as they gathered around the catering setup for the cakes and coffee.  They were a bit puzzled when they didn’t see In Sung anywhere.

“Hye Kyo sunbae,” Kwang Soo started.  “Where is hyung?”

“He went to his dressing room to get something,” one of the assistant directors answered before Hye Kyo could reply. 

“I’ll go get him,” Kwang Soo said as he dashed off the set, surprising both Joong Ki and Hye Kyo with his suddenness.  Kwang Soo didn’t care as he was more concerned for In Sung right now.  He had read the script, he knew the dialogue, he knew that In Sung could not do the scene and still be okay.  Knocking lightly and opening the door before getting any answer, Kwang Soo walked into the darkened dressing room to find In Sung flat on the couch, one elbow shielding his eyes as if he was trying to sleep.

“You can’t do this,” Kwang Soo said quietly.  “Ask the writer to change the scene.”

“I can do this…and I can’t ask…it would be too suspicious,” In Sung retorted, not moving from his position on the couch. 

“This is not acting,” Kwang Soo argued.  “This is too real for you.  She doesn’t remember, but you do.  You remember every second, every detail, every….”
 

“STOP.” In Sung said firmly.  “Just stop…please…I know you’re just trying to help, but can we not do this right now?  You can take me to drink until I pass out afterward, but just stop…please?”

Before the argument got any farther, an assistant knocked on the door saying that the director and crew were ready for In Sung back on the set.  Kwang Soo instinctively grabbed In Sung’s arm as they both headed for the door.  For a long second, the two friends looked into each other’s eyes.  Kwang Soo could see the pain and sadness that shown through those big brown eyes of his friend.  And In Sung could see the worry and concern on Kwang Soo’s face.

“Don’t worry…I’m an actor…I’ll act.” In Sung whispered before they walked out into the hallway.

SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK | SJK SHK |

12 March 2013 11:10 PM

‘Kwang Soo had been right.  He had been an idiot for thinking he could make it through the scene…that scene…those words…with her…and be fine.’ In Sung thought as he barreled through the streets of Seoul, having no idea where he was going.  He was so stupid…he should have listened.  For the first time in 15 years around her, he had lost complete control.  And now, he was in agony…he didn’t know what to do…what had he done…he just knew he had to get away from her as fast as possible before he did more damage. 

“Woo Sung…has In Sung hyung called you tonight?  Do you know where he is right now?” Kwang Soo urgently asked Jo Woo Sung about his older brother. 

“No…I haven’t spoken to him since this morning,” Woo Sung replied into his mobile, instantly alert as he heard the tone of Kwang Soo’s voice.  “What happened?”

“I’ll explain later.  Just try to find In Sung, okay?  He needs someone to be with him right now.” Kwang Soo replied as he drove through the streets of Gangnam, trying to find In Sung.  Quickly hanging up, Kwang Soo knew that there were very few people whom he could call without raising too much alarm, and there was one person whom he knew he could only call as a last resort, and he wasn’t at that stage just yet.  Even now, as that evening replayed in his mind, Kwang Soo was still too stunned to understand what had happened much less how to manage the situation come the dawn.

Because the scene carried such a heavy emotional toll that required both leads to slowly break down and collapse in tears, the director wanted to shoot everything in a single take, to catch all the raw emotion and to avoid putting his actors under the the emotional stress of multiple takes.  From previous scenes, he knew how both In Sung and Hye Kyo could become involved, too involved, in the conflicts and emotions of their characters to the point of being completely overwhelmed.  It has already happened a few times, and those were just precursors to this particular scene, this apex of the love story that was being told.  Thus, he spent another 45 minutes walking everyone through the scene…touching on every minute detail to ensure that they got through it in one take. 

In Sung thought he was in control, and so he was, at the beginning.  But when he felt Hye Kyo’s two hands grab his face and turn him to her…and when she asked him to tell the truth, something broke inside him.  The walls that he had built up, the strength of conviction, the resolute self-control, it all shattered in an instant.  He could barely recite his lines, and when he kissed her, it was not Oh Soo kissing Youngie, it was In Sung kissing Hye Kyo.  He kissed her the way he had kissed her 15 years prior, like she was the woman who owned his heart because she did, like they had a future together before Fate intervened.  And then he felt it…she was kissing him back. 

Hye Kyo was shocked at what she was doing, but she couldn’t seem to control it.  The minute she took his face into her hands, it was if something…a persistence of memory…had taken over.  And when his lips touched hers, she felt herself doing something she had never done before in her career…she returned the kiss with equal fervor.  The feel of his lips reminded her of another kiss…another time…but she couldn’t make sense of what it was.  She could taste his salty tears as she readily opened to accept his searching tongue.  His hands cupping her face as he gently pulled her to him felt…right.  She knew that the kiss was going on much longer than what was scripted, but she didn’t care.  And finally, when he broke the kiss and hugged her to him, saying his final lines, she melted into his embrace, not wanting to let go.

“CUT!!”  The director yelled, and yet no one moved a muscle.  The silence on the set was deafening, broken only by the continued sobbing of the two actors in the scene.  Everyone was in shock at what they had just witnessed.

In Sung knew he had to get out of there, to get away from her.  He mumbled a few incoherent words of apology as he bolted from the set.  That had been hours ago and he had been driving around ever since.  His mobile was ringing constantly, but he didn’t answer the calls.  He suddenly realized that he had stopped in front of a house.  He banged on the front gate, desperately hoping that the owner was home.  And when the gate did open, In Sung could do nothing more than collapse into the arms of Hye Kyo’s mother.