CHAPTER FIVE

Rejections

It wonders her how Soonyoung managed to convince Seungcheol that she is the most suited person to be standing during the meeting. The semi-formal presentation causes headaches and a lot of sighs. She stutters a bit too much and pointing wrongly at what supposed to be a neat arrangement of photos pasted on the whiteboard. It also does not help the fact that Wonwoo smirking at every single moment she messes up. Very uncharismatic of her to admit she tries not to waste her talent because of this.

“That could’ve been worse,” Shinyoung muttered with her close friend by her side once the Director called for a ten minutes break. Her back leans against the wall as Soonyoung gently hold onto her shoulders, wanting to showcase his support. It was his idea to drag her into this so there is no way he will let her face it alone. “No, don’t say that. It’s not like Seungcheol rejects your idea entirely.”

“Maybe he was being kind-”

“No, he wasn’t. Soonyoung is right, for once.” A new voice jumped into the conversation. Trying to seek comfort at the workshop is proven to be worse apparently. Letting go to face the fellow face to face, Soonyoung scowls, “What are you doing here, Wonwoo? Didn’t think you would even care about Shinyoung at this kind of time.”

“Oh, I don’t.” Wonwoo daringly spoke which drags along a tense atmosphere into the room. Not that it is needed, ever. Pain paints on Shinyoung’s face when her ears uneasily twitch and silently gulps. But he does not seem to end his sentence there. “I just happen to pass by and want to support our Soon-”

“There’s never ‘our’ in anything, Wonwoo. Just leave.” She retorted, maintaining eye contact with the grey cement flooring underneath her feet. Though unclear, she can pick up Soonyoung’s voice backing her up as always even with a single ‘yeah’. “I’m just going to…head back to the meeting room and talk to Seungcheol.”

Shinyoung brushes the tension off with much effort, her steps and Soonyoung’s are stopped when Wonwoo chooses to call for their attention. “I’m just going to remind you guys that I’m still the Playwright and Co-Director of this play. Seungcheol will reconsider stuff upon hearing my opinions regardless of the circumstances.”

Again, she hates to admit things yet she is repetitively repeating it. She does not want to acknowledge the fact the lad still has the power to reject her ideas through and through. She figures if this is what she has to face in order to gain a similar opportunity in the future, might as well push through in the same amount of force because two can play that game. And that has always been what he sees from way back.

“I still can’t believe he has the guts to constantly drag you down after all these years. To think he had grown out of this stupid hatred is just impossible at this state.” Soonyoung said whilst walking down the dimly lit hallway which leads towards the meeting room. “I’m sorry that you have a jerk hovering above you.”

“It’s fine. I figured this is only phase one of his plan to do his thing. He can’t reject all of the ideas, Soon. We’re living in a diplomatic country. Seungcheol will probably take account of all voices in the room before making any decision. Wonwoo doesn’t have the whole right to control him too. Unless something bad happens to Seungcheol which I hope be unlikely, we’ll be fine.”

“Sometimes I wonder how you’re able to get all this positivity pile on your head. If I were you, I’ll probably punch Wonwoo on the face with a chair or something. His nerve gets me all the time that it’s borderline childish and stupid.”

“Do I need to remind you that he was your friend?”

“The keyword in your sentence is was, Miss Kwon Shinyoung. I’ll never forgive him for all the nasty things he did to you. My dear, you don’t deserve this kind of treatment from anybody. Also, I’m still sorry for you for dragging you into this.” Soonyoung pats her shoulder before good-naturedly ruffles her hair, tangling her neatly combed hair to places seemingly strange to the eye. Laughing lightly at his sweet talk, she playfully rolls her eyes and pushes him away.

“Nah, that’s enough sorry for today. Your sweet words won my heart. I wonder why girls are not falling left and right for you.” Shinyoung jokingly pointed out which eases Soonyoung’s mind when he catches her smiling even after the drama as if it never took place beforehand.

She has zero ideas of her own statement, he quietly thought. He guesses he never planned to be obvious around her after all this time. They even stay under one roof, sharing the same passions. They occasionally toss around friendly bicker here and there. Nevertheless, they make up quick and in a hurry because it is difficult not to burst into a ton of laughter every time they open their respective bedroom doors in synchronise whenever a small fight erupts between them.

“Look, let’s just talk to Seungcheol and the department heads before anything else happens. I’m sure they actually understood where you are standing in terms of the overall design. I swear I saw Mingyu smiling super bright when he saw your somewhat mediocre costume designs.” Soonyoung said with all honesty. When one said all, they literally meant it.

“What do you mean my drawings are mediocre?! That is far most the best high-quality sketch you can ever find!”

And with that Soonyoung continues his genuine laugh as the two re-enter the meeting room, where most of the crew are looking at them in a strange manner.

Rewinding time, precisely about ten to fifteen minutes back, the meeting room is clear from extra heads. By heads, it means that most of the leaders of respective departments opted to use the ten minutes break given by the Director and headed out to clear their minds and perhaps their bladder. He leans against the backrest in keen. Seungcheol’s eyes dart from one corner to another as he attempts to understand the sprawled presentation across the whiteboard. His lips tighten, head tilts sideways. It is not like he does not know what he is looking at.

“The longer you look at it, the more confusion will pile on your brain, Cheol.” His fellow Co-Director spoke, bringing him to face to face with the younger after a couple of seconds passed. “I’m not confused, Woo. I just don’t know how to say it aloud. The set design is good overall but I feel like something is…off?”

“Well…” Wonwoo steps up and stands closer to the schematic plans, various versions of them. It is no wonder Seungcheol has difficult time scanning them. After adjusting his glasses which he wears on certain times, he voices his opinion, “That’s because you’re probably looking from an audience point of view. Viewers tend to feel discomfort when they see something unsymmetrical. Assuming you are eyeing on this one.” The fellow immediately places his index finger on a piece of A4 paper with supposedly the finished sketch for the play.

Seeing that Wonwoo visions the stage to be particularly minimal set wise, Shinyoung does seem to be on the same book yet not on the same page. On the stage left stands a platform, labelled to be a quarter metre high. Mirroring a similar design on stage right is a handmade building, approximately three metres high above stage ground. He guessed it is there to literally visualise the only scenic setting of the entire play. At least there is no colour accompanying the plan yet, he quietly ponders.

“If I am her, I would scrap this small platform away and just have the building be painted on a large canvas instead of an actual build on set kind of set. Do you get that?”

“I do.” Seungcheol straightforwardly agreed. “But that will lower the ‘wow’ factor, you know? People like a good stage set. We’re not doing a school play.”

“We have Soonyoung to shine some light on the stage. He and his team are good in those. Lightings are enough to tell stories nowadays anyway. Why should we blow through our almost nonexistent budget for this?” Wonwoo expressed. “Not to mention this will mostly focus on Soonyoung’s expertise in choreographing the dance and fighting scenes.” The Director slowly adds an imaginary picture of the whole performance in his head.

“Shinyoung has an easy task, costume and make up wise as well since it’s a modern-day story. Clothes are easy to get and I’m sure Mingyu knows that. She doesn’t have to go through-”

“Do you have anything against her or something?” Seungcheol cuts in between Wonwoo’s sentence, changing the younger fellow’s expression instantaneously. He worked alongside with Wonwoo plentiful to recognise a strange vibe coming out for this particular production. It is also weird to him to see the Playwright on a Monday evening for a production meeting, let alone him stating a subject that is usually handled by the department heads. Not that he is opposing it or anything.

“Don’t give me that look, Wonwoo. You’ve been nothing but passively disagreeing most of her ideas. It doesn’t help the fact she seems to stutter a lot too. That is not what Soonyoung says when I asked him about her.”

“I’m going out for a quick breather.” The Assistant Director said as he instantly exits the room before the Director manages to make him stay.

Wonwoo lets out a long sigh, deep ones with eyes close once he is sure he is away from the meeting area. Seungcheol is very observant and at given times, assertive. He cannot give in easily to the question. Not when he too is unconscious of his own actions and choice of words. He is never good at hiding and he knows that. Want to know how he knows it?

The fellow hears a short conversation feet from his spot. Eavesdropping is not his cup of tea but frankly speaking, he is an avid coffee fan so his instinct tells him to go closer to the source which he realises to be a special place for a certain someone.

“Maybe he was being kind-”

‘No, you’re wrong, Shinyoung. Soonyoung is right.’ Wonwoo talked in his mind whilst listening to the two friends exchanging words. He is not in the right place to jump yet judging from the silence slicing their talk, there is a sense informing him to slip in and he is more than ready for the outcome.

“I still can’t believe he has the guts to constantly drag you down after all these years. To think he had grown out of this stupid hatred is just-” Quietly wincing at the sentences distancing from the current room, Wonwoo helplessly eyes on the cold cement floor. He obviously cannot feel the physical temperature of the floor under his covered feet but he acknowledges the coldness to be on the same degree with the tension which always comes whenever it happens.

And it has been months since the chilly sensation is felt.

He often wonders, to be honest. Very often wonder upon the reasons why they are stuck in the same episode. When she started to actually make the attempt to keep a reasonable distance from him was the moment he realised the silent treatment was going on long and dreading. It is anything but coming to an end. And when they are face to face once again, they return to fire bullet by bullet to one another.

It hurts.

“So what you’re saying is I should do-over?”

The meeting recommences in a relatively calm and orderly manner. With Seungcheol throwing side glances at his friend by his side, he sees Wonwoo immediately cuts the eye contact made by the older fellow and bore a laser-like gaze on the whiteboard. After he considers everyone’s opinions (exactly as Shinyoung thought), the girl sees the entire team makes awkward movements and pushing lightly on the people beside them when they thought she is not looking.

“Actually,” The decibel in the room drops lower and lower as seconds ticks by and they begin to notice the deep voice used by the speaker. The ones who had been working by his side knows the few times which the fellow frequently uses the voice and in total serious mode is one of them. “I don’t want the building to physically be there. I don’t know how but you need to get rid of it.”

“May I ask your reasoning for that, Jeon Wonwoo?” Shinyoung purposely questioned, using his full name as a form of attack of some sort. He unsurprisingly counters it with a reasonable statement yet she cannot seem to agree on his perspective entirely. “I clearly recall a specific stage direction which you wrote, Wonwoo. You need the lead male character to jump from a high building. It already blinks the red light but with proper set up I can assure you it’ll be a safe land.”

“Without that part, this story will be nothing.” She confidently said her point when she catches his facial expression contort in dissatisfaction before curtly flipping on the original copy of script right in front of him only to witness what she points out is in fact true. The jumping off a high building part that is.

“Fine.”

A triumph smile is threatening to curve on her face before she has her eyes connect with Soonyoung, who shows a thumbs up over to her direction, secretly of course because unlike her, he can smile widely. Celebrating will be too early before Wonwoo continues to throw more and more additional ideas. It is mainly for the Lighting department, leaving Soonyoung scrunching his nose to show his unwillingness to listen.

“The lighting design cannot be done unless the team knows the acting path, Wonwoo. Once the practice sessions start, only then it is possible to visualise. Aside from that, the overall colour for time and weather can be toyed around once we get a hand on what equipments we actually have for the play.” Shinyoung stops standing and decides to take a seat on the empty chair by Seungcheol’s other side.

“You do know I’m not talking to you, right?” Wonwoo stated all of the sudden which brings the mood even worse than the previous minutes was. “You weren’t but I’m the Scenographer. Any design should pass me before my team. You should know that better than anyone else. Besides, Soonyoung has to do the choreography too so the Lighting department will be under my watch until Soonyoung finishes his bigger part in this production.”

“You’re not the boss of me, Kwon Shinyoung.”

“You’re not the boss of the entire play, Jeon Wonwoo. Do you need me to remind you that too? You would never direct a play if it isn’t for Seungcheol!”

And the mentioned Director slams his hands on the table, shocking the whole production team which are too focused on the unreeling tension created by the two. For first-timers, it might frighten them to see a fight happening on the first day of the official meeting. However, the ones in the room are not yet still shaken especially the ones who worked in the same production as them before. It is only then they realise the two never work under one roof before.

So this will probably not be the only rejections coming from them.

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