5th November 2024

Hwajae is reading his script while sprawled on the couch, the script having streaks of offending highlighter running across the page as well as scribbling in the margin. He mouths the lines, messes up, and then repeats the lines more carefully.

“Move your ,” Dongbi orders as he pushes Hwajae’s legs away for some couch space.

Hwajae reluctantly sits upright in the couch and continues poring over his script.

“Haven’t you looked over that script enough times?”

“Tomorrow’s an important filming.”

“Every day is an important filming,” Dongbi mimics.

“But all his shows are flops,” Hyunsoo is not shy in diving headfirst into the not-too-friendly conversation.

“I can’t control whether a show is successful or not. I can only do my best in my role,” Hwajae retorts, giving Hyunsoo a face which was at complete odds with his spoken words, before going back to his script.

“But you know that Hyunsoo’s happy for you, right?”

“How can I not be happy for Hwajae when he has schedules. Not only does he have schedules, these schedules are in line with his interests and strengths.”

“You’re forgiven for saying that,” Hwajae coldly declares.

“Though if I were to be honest, that cold guy image cannot be more different from who you are,” Hyunsoo flip flops between encouraging and putting Hwajae down.

“That’s why it’s a challenge. That’s why I have to practice my lines.”

-

“Noona, can you help me with this?” N requests as he passes her his workbook across the dining table.

“You know if it’s just memory work, I won’t be of any use at all.”

“It’s math,” N answers.

“Hang on, let me try and teach this concept to Ilsoo first,” Sujeong answers as she continues drawing simple diagrams and thinking of examples to help Ilsoo understand what comes naturally to her.

“You go think about it first, Ilsoo, let me help N with his math first.”

Ilsoo nods and ponders over the paper scrawled with words and diagrams.

Sujeong examines his scratched out workings first, before crossing out one number and writing another one down. She amends his workings and arrives at the stipulated answer.

“N, careless mistake. Can’t multiply properly,” Sujeong answers as she passes the workbook back to N.

“Oh! Stupid me. Thanks noona.”

“Noona, what does this word mean?” Kimyung raises his paper for Sujeong to see.
“Which word?”

“Oh, superfluous?”

“Uh, yeah!”

“More than enough? Unnecessary?”

“Yeah it makes sense, thanks noona!”

“Unnie, I still don’t get it. Why is it like that? Why can’t I look at it my way?” Ilsoo protests as she shoves the paper back in Sujeong’s direction.

-

Soon after, another album joins the first one on Sujeong’s shelf for small trinkets.

“Sujeong noona, thank you for writing such nice lyrics for ‘Truth’! We look forward to working with you again,” was what the small personalized message on the album read.

One of her first few triumphs in getting her handiwork into an actual song.

-

“I’m tired,” Hwajae breathes to Sujeong who’s sitting on the other end of the bench overlooking the playground, where the five children are having a ball of a time.

“Seeing that you only accompanied them on the swings, I don’t think you’re tired from playing with the kids.”

“But this is still better than no schedules at all.”

“You’re getting a break now though, aren’t you?”

“Before it goes all crazy busy again, and it’s more time in the practice room.”

Sujeong shrugs, “at least there’s money to be earned.”

“But it means that I can’t come to visit you’ll that often again.”

“Do you really like to come that much? I find it difficult to believe.”

Hwajae gestures around in as discreet a manner as he can manage, “I’ve come here often enough for me to be part of the landscape here, just as much as the children are part of the landscape. They don’t even give