My House Has Become a Filming Set!

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༺ My House Has Become a Filming Set! – 27 ༻

 

  “Don’t play with that kid. He doesn’t even have parents, he just lives with his grandma!”

 

  Lee Yeonwoo. Seven years old. A little scrapper.

 

  “Whoaaa-! It’s the wild child!”

 

  “Yeonwoo! Didn’t we say violence was bad!”

 

  An innocent face that looks docile, but a temperament that was not. Lee Yeonwoo, from a young age, was prone to hitting people.

 

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  It’s not to say he was good at hitting. But there was always a reason for it.

 

  “He’s always throwing punches!? Who taught you that, Yonseok!”

 

  “Grandma.”

 

  “… Do you hate living with your grandma?”

 

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  “I like living with grandma. Very, very much. But he keeps teasing me about not having parents.”

 

  “…Even so, you can’t hit!”

 

  He lost his parents before he could even talk and lived with his grandma. His grandma fulfilled the role of his parents and he grew up well-loved, with nothing lacking.

 

  Lee Yeonwoo rummaged through his bright yellow bag and pulled something out with his small, fern-like hands. He unfolded the crumpled paper and proudly showed it to his grandma.

 

  “I drew this today. I drew it well, didn’t I?”

 

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  A squiggly line clumsily formed into a tiger was drawn on it.

 

  “A tiger?”

 

  “Yeah, because I’m a scary tiger!”

 

  “You’re born in the year of the Ox.”

 

  At his grandma’s words, Lee Yeonwoo’s small strides stiffened like a rock.

 

  In response to the teacher’s suggestion to draw their own zodiac signs, he was proud of his drawing of a tiger with sharp teeth and claws, unlike his friends who all drew cows.

 

  Lee Yeonwoo was counting the zodiac signs he learned in class today, folding his small fingers one by one.

 

“Ja…Juk…Ee…Mo…”

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“Ja, Chuk, In, Myo!”

 

“Ja…Chuk…In…Mo…”

 

  Chuk was the Ox, and In was the Tiger.

 

  With a sense of injustice, Lee Yeonwoo furrowed his brows and looked up at his grandma.

 

  “I’m a tiger.”

 

  “Do you know the difference between lunar and solar?”

 

  “…I’m going to ask the teacher tomorrow.”

 

  Earlier, when he had drawn the tiger, the teacher had come over and explained the same thing to him, but he had tilted his head, so the teacher said she would explain more during class tomorrow.

 

  He had a different level of pride from a young age. Lee Yeonwoo never admitted he didn’t know something. However, there was one thing he was curious about.

 

  “Grandma, grandma.”

 

  “Yes?”

 

  “Do you know what a prenatal dream is?”

 

  “There’s nothing I don’t know at my age.”

 

  “Tell me about my prenatal dream. I’m curious.”

 

  Looking at Lee Yeonwoo’s black eyes shining with curiosity, the grandmother said dismissively.

 

  “Do something cute.”

 

  “Something cute!”

 

  Quickly raising his hand, he poked his cheek, and tried hard to wink, although his eyes didn’t quite close properly on one side.

 

  “Oh my, how cute. Whose grandson is this?”

 

  “Grandson of Kim Oksoon. So what’s the prenatal dream?”

 

  Despite the exclamation, he insisted on knowing his prenatal dream and diligently responded to his grandmother. The grandmother avoided his gaze and rolled her eyes.

 

  “I don’t remember, I forgot.”

 

  “Why?”

 

  “Just think you’re a tiger.”

 

  “…Okay!”

 

  He didn’t know why she had forgotten, but he blushed and nodded his head, pleased that she had told him he was a tiger.

 

  If only he had realized then.

 

  The symptoms just kept getting worse.

 

  * * *

 

  Lee Yeonwoo. Seventeen years old. Nothing.

 

  In those days, he really had nothing.

 

  “Why are you so late? I told you I have a meeting!”

 

  “What can I do if the school just finished.”

 

  “Mom! Maa-. Where are youuu!”

 

  From inside the living room, his grandmother’s murmur could be heard.

 

  “Are you going? She keeps looking for you, why don’t you stay a bit longer.”

 

  “I told you I have a meeting!?”

 

  His aunt looked at Lee Yeonwoo irritably and picked up her handbag to leave.

 

  His grandmother, who used to be a diver, not only couldn’t swim freely in the sea anymore, but also needed a guardian to go out.

 

  Now he knew both the lunar and solar calendars and understood that he was born in the year of the Ox. And since he was advanced, he started school early. He was relieved that he could give his high school diploma to his grandmother a little earlier.

 

  “Where did mom go! Call mom! Ammaa!”

 

  His grandmother called his aunt ‘mom’ and sobbed, then approached Lee Yeonwoo and grabbed the hem of his uniform.

 

  “Mr. Tiger, have you seen… our mom?”

 

  Whether he was an ox or a tiger, it didn’t matter. He just loved that she remembered the word ‘tiger’ which he used to exclaim day and night when he was young.

 

  He nuzzled his cheek against his grandmother’s rough hand.

 

  “She will be back after a night’s sleep.”

 

  “Mom! Call mom. Uhuaaang! I want to see her now!”

 

  These were days of confusion, and he was too young to handle it all.

 

  * * *

 

  Lee Yeonwoo. Eighteen years old. Tiger.

 

 In the midst of those restless and confusing days, as day and night passed by, Yeonwoo learned how to draw a tranquil moon in his troubled heart.

 

  The moon in his mind was always floating, so there was no chance of getting flustered. It just so happened that it was a lunar eclipse that day.

 

  “Yeonwoo.”

 

  His grandmother, who always called him ‘Mr. Tiger,’ quietly called him late at night.

 

  “Grandma is congratulating you on your graduation in advance.”

 

  From then on, he hated the night. He despised the dark and desolate night when he sent her away without any preparation. The moon didn’t rise. There were many nights when he stayed awake with his eyes wide open.

 

  On a bitterly cold December night, while others were preparing to welcome a new January, he felt as if he was alone in welcoming a non-existent 13th month.

 

  He completely cut off ties with the relatives who were barely keeping in touch because of his grandmother’s existence.

 

  And his grandmother had been subtly connecting him with the world. After graduation, he lived in a world detached from others.

 

  He didn’t plan what to do, and once he had finished preparing this and that in a world left alone, he climbed onto a deep-sea fishing vessel without any regrets. It was a resolution to find something, however small, that he liked. Of course, he regretted it terribly afterwards.

 

  Though he had graduated from high school, due to his young age, he was legally unable to drink or smoke. He never thought about it, but on the first day of January, when he legally became an adult, he experienced his first drink in commemoration, urged by the crew.

 

  Hard work helped his insomnia, but the day after drinking was different. He felt unusually refreshed, and the day felt sweet.

 

  ‘So… this is what alcohol is like!’

 

  Lee Yeonwoo. Twenty years old. Realizing the taste of alcohol.

 

  * * *

 

  Lee Yeonwoo. Twenty-five years old. Drunkard.

 

  ‘I… want a drink.’

 

  It was the ninth day since he had stopped drinking, which he used to do almost every day. The issue with Han Taegu was resolved, and the contract was revised and rewritten.

 

  Han Taegu seemed to have been harshly scolded by his superiors. It was a peaceful day, except for the occasional death glares he gave Lee Yeonwoo and Kang Do-jun.

 

  And tomorrow he would leave. He had expected it, but now that the parting was imminent, he felt a bit lonely.

 

  Lee Yeonwoo carefully looked around the house. The only change was that it was cleaner than it was nine days ago. But the difference was big. After all, he had turned a pigsty into a human habitat.

 

  The fact that he hadn’t drunk alcohol for nine days was also surprising for him. It was the first time he didn’t think about alcohol to this extent. However, ten days were fast approaching, the day of parting.

 

  “Hyung.”

 

  Kang Do-jun, also lost in gloom thinking about tomorrow, was startled like a deer faced with a tiger at the sudden call.

 

  “Hmm? Did you call me?”

 

  “Since it’s our last day, should we have a drink?”

 

  To Lee Yeonwoo now, Kang Do-jun was not simply an actor acquaintance but a good and affectionate person as a human being. He was a person who would leave tomorrow, and whether he could contact him again was unknown, but one thing was clear: he didn’t like such a light-hearted farewell.

 

  ‘Indeed, alcohol is for partings!’

 

  It was an excuse attached anyhow.

 

  Because there were cameras installed inside the house, late at night after all the production staff had withdrawn, they came out to the yard, sat leaning against the wall, and opened canned beer. The few they had put in the shopping basket when grocery shopping yesterday came in handy.

 

  He gulped down in one breath and looked at Kang Do-jun next to him, who was only tapping the mouth of the canned beer.

 

  The momentary coolness that quenched his thirst quickly faded in the face of Kang Do-jun’s dispirited appearance.

 

  He couldn’t understand why, but his actions kept scratching at Lee Yeonwoo’s nerves. On one hand, it was reassuring that he too didn’t want to part.

 

  “Hyung.”

 

  He roughly grabbed his arm and redirected his gaze from the void to himself. Yeonwoo’s reflection was clearly visible in his surprised eyes as the contents of the can trembled, and the carbonation wet their hands.

 

  “Will we not see each other anymore?”

 

  “…Huh?”

 

  “Should I really contact you only once a year?”

 

  This was what he had said the last time, when they first exchanged numbers.

 

  “Or should we just not contact each other?”

 

  “What do you mean by that?”

 

  Kang Do-jun’s face hardened a bit. Lee Yeonwoo crumpled his empty can and put it down, then snatched his can and took a sip.

 

  “Drink slowly.”

 

  “I don’t get drunk with just this much.”

 

  He crumpled the second can, rested his head on Kang Do-jun’s arm, and muttered his true feelings.

 

  “It feels like you keep acting as if it’s the end.”

 

  “…Me?”

 

  “You’re depressed as if we won’t see each other after tomorrow.”

 

  He was such a warm and affectionate person.

 

  It was hard not to like such a person. The favorability was already high, and he wanted to become closer. He thought he was on his way to that, but the time of parting came very quickly.

 

  He had never felt this lonely when friends came to visit his countryside home and then left. He wondered if it was because a large group came at once and then left like the ebbing tide, making the vacancy seem larger.

 

  He could understand Kang Dojoon’s melancholy. However, as the one who would be left behind, was it not okay to part with a somewhat happy and bright face?

 

  “Should I prepare more honey for you? Then will you smile?”

 

  Not knowing what to do, he mumbled these words and continuously bumped his head against Kang Do-jun’s arm as he bowed his upper body.

 

  Kang Do-jun gently stroked Lee Yeonwoo’s head.

 

  ‘Is he drunk?’

 

  Lee Yeonwoo was repeating his actions. It didn’t seem like he’d be drunk after two cans of beer, but just in case, Kang Do-jun moved his hand from Lee Yeonwoo’s head to his nape.

 

  Whether it was from the alcohol, his neck did feel a little warm. Around the time he was thinking that, Lee Yeonwoo suddenly lifted his upper body.

 

  “…Why? Are you drunk?”

 

  At Lee Yeonwoo’s sudden reaction, Kang Do-jun pulled back his lost hand.

 

  Without replying, Lee Yeonwoo, seemingly flustered, stared at him and raised his hand to touch his own nape. When the cool and firm touch met his skin, goosebumps sprouted in an instant.

 

  “What’s wrong?”

 

  Exactly, why indeed. Is it because of the alcohol? But he knew best that he wouldn’t get drunk from just two cans of beer.

 

  There had been times when he was joking around with friends and there was deep contact, but it didn’t bother him. But Kang Do-jun’s touch was different somehow.

 

  Lee Yeonwoo’s black pupils trembled minutely.

 

  ‘What is it, what is it, what is it?’

 

  It was a very strange and prickling feeling.

 

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TL/N: Yeonwoo’s gradnma prolly had Dementia

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