TFIU 46

Chapter – 46

“….”

At the members’ intense reactions, Doha made a very displeased expression.

He hadn’t expected an overwhelming cheer, but he thought they would at least be happy.

Instead, they were looking at him with suspicious eyes from the very beginning.

“If you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to. Like always, I’ll just handle it myself—”

“No!!!! Hey!! No backing out! No, wait, this is not the time!! Yewon, bring some paper!! Make him stamp his fingerprint on it!! Let’s leave this in writing so he can’t talk nonsense later!!”

“What kind of fingerprinting is that in the 21st century? What are you going to do with your phone? Hey, Lee Doha. I turned the camera on, so say it again. I’ll record it as a video. Upload it on Sparkle so fans can all see it. Then this guy won’t be able to deny it. He can lie to us all he wants, but not to the fans.”

“….”

Doha glared at the two annoying members before shifting his gaze toward Yewon.

It was a look that seemed to say, ‘Do I really have to work on an album with these useless people?’

And then.

Yewon smiled brightly with all her effort.

It was a smile that said, ‘Of course. Endure it. Blessings come to those who endure.’

“…If we want to release an album within this year as I said on the broadcast, I judged that I can’t do it with my own strength alone. And… you guys are already 7-year members. I concluded it would be unreasonable to exclude you from the work process on my own.”

“That’s honestly the most stubborn thing I’ve heard from you, you bastard.”

“Exactly. We kept telling you that so many times our ears were ringing, and you didn’t listen at all. Suddenly, what wind blew in? Could it be…?”

Uyeon said that and glanced at Yewon.

And then—

“It was you!!! Our lucky little baby bird!!! As expected!!! I trusted you!!!”

…Baby bird?

At the rather embarrassing choice of words, Yewon’s eyes wavered.

But before she could even be embarrassed—

Uyeon suddenly lifted Yewon up and kissed the back of Yewon’s hand repeatedly.

“!!!!!!!!!”

Wh-what, what, what was this…!!!

Yewon, flustered by her first hand-kiss in her life, struggled in surprise.

“Hanuyeon, you…!”

Doha immediately kicked Uyeon in the solar plexus and snatched Yewon away.

“Have you lost your mind?”

Un rolled a headlock around Uyeon’s neck as punishment.

Thanks to the cooperation of the two men, Yewon safely escaped.

“…?!”

Still being held safely in Doha’s arms, Yewon looked at Un and Doha with bewildered eyes.

Well.

She was surprised, but there was no need for such a violent reaction… It was just a hand kiss, after all?

“Hey!!! No, seriously, I can kiss my niece’s hand if I want!!! You guys! Is it okay to beat someone up over a hand kiss, huh?!”

“Who gave you permission?”

“Just die.”

“Wow!!!! Seriously!! That’s too much!!!”

Uyeon complained but still put his hands together in apology toward Yewon.

“Sorry, Yewon. Were you surprised? Uncle just thought you were unbelievably admirable and pretty and… you just looked like the light and salt and truth of this world… yeah…”

“Ah, you don’t have to be sorry…?!”

“You have to be sorry.”

“You should apologize with your life. If this were the UK, you’d be going to prison.”

At Doha’s firm words and Un’s agreeing nod, Yewon broke into a cold sweat.

Hmm. This is…

When I grow a little older and film things like kiss scenes…

Aren’t my uncles going to go crazy?

Yewon had a bad feeling (probably 100% accurate).

On the long-awaited first filming day of <Strange Family>, at an old playground on the outskirts of Seoul.

Glit and Yewon arrived at the filming site in the van of <Glittering Baby House>.

They were going to film Yewon’s first scene and also record it in Glittering Baby House.

“Wow, it really feels like a filming set. The air is different.”

“Yewon, tighten your scarf a little more. You’ll catch a cold if you’re not careful.”

Doha almost clung to Yewon as he got out of the car.

Yewon was buried in the outer coat Doha had hastily put on her, with only her eyes peeking out.

‘…Seriously, overprotective….’

She hadn’t expected him to be like this.

In many ways, it was unexpected… Yewon peeked at Doha through the scarf.

Doha seemed unsatisfied and kept adjusting Yewon’s clothes, giving her a hot pack and fussing anxiously.

“Hey, Lee Doha. The kid is going to suffocate and die. Stop it already.”

“…It’s the first filming. For us, it’s like a debut stage. It’s only natural to be this dramatic.”

To Yewon, however, she looked so calm that she was almost like a stone Buddha, but in Doha’s eyes, she was the most pitiful seven-year-old trembling in the world.

‘…I memorized all my lines as soon as I got the script.’

In fact, there weren’t many scenes where Yewon appeared.

‘Besides, this drama is also a two-episode single-arc special.’

It had been a long time since she did a single-episode drama.

Yewon took out the script from the bag Doha had bought her and flipped through it.

The script was filled with dense writing not only for Yewon’s scenes but overall.

The handwriting was a little crooked because her hands were small, but one could easily tell how much effort was put into it.

‘…It’s been so long since I studied a script this comfortably…’

In her previous life, Yewon had practiced under pressure from Je-yeon and the fake uncle.

The two didn’t interfere when Yewon practiced acting, but they didn’t understand why she studied lines other than her own role.

They would hint that she should rather do housework during that time.

So, for Yewon, who genuinely loved acting itself, those days were painful.

But now.

No one pressured her or gave her disapproving looks. Her uncles sometimes worried if she was pushing herself too hard, but that didn’t feel burdensome at all.

Rather, she was more excited at the thought of becoming a rookie again with much more to show.

So excited that Yewon ended up memorizing all the lines in the play.

‘…I want to live like this forever.’

With good uncles, just immersed in acting….

While thinking that, Yewon flinched.

How much time had passed since she entered this body that she was already starting to forget about quests and her previous life?

‘…No. Let’s stay focused.’

Yewon took a deep breath.

“Ms. Lee Yewon! We’re getting ready for rehearsal! Please come this way!”

At the assistant director’s call, Doha’s shoulder jerked slightly.

“You have to go. Yewon, are you ready?”

She had been ready since yesterday, actually.

Yewon smiled brightly.

“Yes!”

“Good. Don’t be nervous. The uncles will keep watching from behind the monitor over there.”

“Okay, Uncle. I’ll go and come back!”

Yewon answered bravely and followed the staff while walking.

Watching that small back grow distant, Doha’s expression was solemn like a parent sending a child to the battlefield.

“Why are you looking so solemn? Seriously?! She’s going to cry at this rate. Why don’t you just do the crying acting for her?!”

Un clicked his tongue and pushed Doha’s back.

The four of them took seats behind the monitor booth where the director and staff were gathered. The Glittering Baby House production team was also busily moving behind them.

“….”

Doha looked at Yewon with a strange feeling.

Standing in the middle of the playground, Yewon looked very small. She was already small, but now she looked even smaller.

Thinking that such a small child would act in front of the camera among so many adults made him feel strange.

‘…Is this how parents feel?’

Or am I the strange one?

Doha let out a short sigh in confusion.

Soon, the actual filming began.

“Okay, Yewon. You know what scene this is, right? This scene has no lines, so you need to express emotions better. Through your facial expression. Got it? It’s a crying scene, so it might be difficult. Do you think you can succeed in one take?”

“Yes!”

“Wow, such a spirited answer?”

The director said that but had a slightly indifferent expression.

He didn’t really expect Yewon to succeed in one take. Whether child actor or adult actor, it was very rare to succeed in a crying scene on the first try.

“Then let’s go right in. Since this is rehearsal, don’t feel pressured.”

At the director’s words, Yewon nodded.

“Yes, Director! I’m ready!”

Holding her tiny hands tightly, she answered loudly, and the heavy atmosphere on the set softened a little. Small laughter of “cute” could be heard among the staff.

But Doha couldn’t laugh. He swallowed hard and stared only at Yewon in the monitor.

His heart was beating harder than right before a debut stage. He felt it would be better if he stood there and sang himself.

“Now, we begin filming!”

At the assistant director’s shout, the set became instantly silent. Doha held his breath too.

“Ready— action!”

The director’s signal fell.

And at that moment, Doha’s eyes widened.

The bright child Yewon who had been sitting on the playground swing and playing with her feet was gone.

In her place sat Bora, biting her lip tightly while looking down at the tip of her old sneakers.