Life is Easier If You’re Handsome - Chapter 29

{Dong-hoo’s POV}

“S-Su-jin?!”  

What was she doing here?

Hearing my shocked and confused exclamation, Su-jin chuckled.  

“Why, am I not allowed to be here? I can come to the set with my mom, can’t I?”  

“Y-Yeah. I guess that’s true.”  

I was just surprised because she hadn’t shown up all this time and suddenly appeared now.  

I kept the rest of my thoughts to myself. 

I was too shocked to speak properly.  

“It’s really been a long time. We haven’t seen each other since we were kids, almost ten years now, right?”  

“Yeah. That’s true.”  

“You’re still as handsome as ever. Actually, even more so than before.”  

Su-jin smiled shyly as she playfully lifted the hem of her skirt.  

“And I’m prettier now, right? Prettier than before?”  

With her baby fat fading, Su-jin indeed looked pretty.  

She clearly inherited her mother’s strong genes. Her bright yet striking features naturally drew attention.  

The way her deep eyes caught the sunset made her look like a vampire.  

But… Why was she dressed like that?  

“Yeah. You’re prettier than before. But your outfit is pretty unique.”  

“Oh, this? It’s called ‘Menhera’ fashion. I’m, like, pretty famous for it.”  

Come to think of it, this style had started gaining popularity around this time, hadn’t it?  

Maybe a little later.

Being in the entertainment industry, she was probably up to date on trends.  

But why was she wearing it?  

Just as that question formed, the answer hit me.  

‘Ah.’

I realized why.  

Kim Su-jin was fourteen years old.  

‘I get it.’

She was right in the middle of her eighth-grade syndrome.

———

{Third POV}

Thump. Thump.

Her heart was racing.  

—”Mom, is Dong-hoo’s final shoot tomorrow?”  

—”Yeah, why? Are you curious? Want to go?”  

—”W-What?! Really?!”  

A golden opportunity came her way with just one question the night before.  

—”Yes! I want to go!”  

Su-jin had immediately opened her closet that evening.  

She didn’t want to just wear anything.  

Even though they had video chatted once, that was only through a screen.  

This would be the first time they’d see each other in person again.  

Su-jin picked the most special outfit she could find in her closet.  

She wanted to leave a strong impression after so many years.  

‘How many girls will start hanging around him?’

Kim Dong-hoo’s good looks were beyond belief, almost unreal, but it wasn’t just that.  

His personality was equally unique.  

Usually, someone that handsome would come off as arrogant, but there wasn’t a trace of that in him.  

In fact, he had a strange kind of warmth.  

Even if his words sometimes seemed harsh, there was a sweetness behind them that drove people crazy.  

If other girls got to experience this, how could they not fall for him?  

‘I am the first one to know how handsome he was!’

‘I am the first to hold his hand!’

Su-jin had planned everything carefully.  

She had even asked her mom to help create a chance for them to be alone,  

Turning on the heater, turning off the lights, she waited for Kim Dong-hoo in the classroom.  

But the moment Dong-hoo turned on the lights and they locked eyes, all of her thoughts vanished.  

She just started smiling.  

She was so happy to see him after all this time.  

Thump. Thump.

Her heart was pounding like crazy.  

“You know we’re having dinner together on Christmas, right?”  

“Oh, I know!”  

Su-jin nodded eagerly at Dong-hoo’s words.  

Of course she knew. She had begged her mom to make it happen.  

“That’s great. I’ll be alone that day, so it works out perfectly.”  

She knew this too.  

‘Dong-hoo’s mom’s condition has improved a lot, and his dad has gone to the U.S. to prepare for their return.’

This was the information Su-jin had gotten through the connection between her mother, Kim Yoo-ryun, and Dong-hoo’s mom, Lee Yoo-hyun.

“What’s this? Are you nervous just because it’s been a while? You were laughing just fine a moment ago, but now you can’t seem to say a word.”  

Kim Dong-hoo teased playfully, stepping closer. 

One step, then another.

His unbelievably handsome face drew nearer, right in front of her.  

“Come to think of it, didn’t you used to ask me to hold your hand back in the day? Do you remember that?”  

“…”  

Su-jin’a face flushed bright red. She was unable to utter a single word.  

All the conversation topics she had prepared since last night were wiped from her mind, one by one.  

The fact that she was an early enrollee and started school a year early, how she was going to tease him by making him call her ‘noona,’ or how she wanted to tell him to attend an arts high school with her.

All those thoughts disappeared.  

Softly, Dong-hoo’s hand moved closer.  

Three centimeters away from touching her fingertips.  

Su-jin’s attention was entirely on that distance when Dong-hoo spoke again.  

“We used to hold hands a lot back then. Brings back memories.”  

Slowly, the gap closed.

It was just one centimeter away now.  

It was the hand she had often held as a child. 

The one she had cried, begging him to hold. 

The hand she intertwined her fingers with, promising never to let go.  

‘Wow! Boys’ hands are really this big.’

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heart pounded wildly.  

Whirr. Whirr.

Her mind was spinning.  

Tap.

Their fingertips touched.  

Then their hands intertwined, smoothly and gently. 

Dong-hoo smiled softly, just like before, as if everything was still the same.  

But now, Su-jin’s hand fit perfectly in Dong-hoo’s much larger one.  

Instead of simply linking their fingers, it felt like his hand was embracing hers.  

Slowly, their intertwined hands lifted between their faces.  

“How is it? Just like old times, right?”  

“H-Hic!”  

With that final word from Dong-hoo—  

Poof!

Su-jin’s emotions exploded. 

She was overwhelmed with embarrassment.  

———

After Dong-hoo’s break, the shooting resumed. 

By the third time they filmed the scene of Lee Jae’s performance,  

“Cut! Great work, everyone!”  

Director Jangmin shouted, signaling the end of the day’s filming.  

“Thank you for your hard work!”  

“Kim Dong-hoo, you were amazing today!”  

“It’s so sad that this was your last shoot!”  

The final scene for Kim Dong-hoo’s role as Lee Jae in Dream High was wrapped.  

The staff knew the significance of this moment. 

They all gathered to thank Dong-hoo in unison.  

On this cold winter day, he had reminded everyone why they worked so hard, even in harsh weather.  

“Your performance was incredible, truly.”  

“Enjoying a classical performance while eating warm ‘eomuk’ on a cold winter’s day? Only we could experience that.”  

“Yeah. That’s not something money can buy.”  

To hear the performance of a maestro in a setting like this.

It was truly a blessing.

Although everyone was celebrating Kim Dong-hoo’s final scene, there were three people who couldn’t fully join in the excitement.

“Send me the edited version as soon as it’s done. I’m sure there will be script revisions needed.”  

“Writer, do you even have to ask? I’ll edit it to perfection. The material is great to begin with.”  

“Can’t argue with that. I can’t remember the last time I filmed something and felt this happy about it.”  

For writer Lee Minha, director Kim Young-mo, and cinematographer Ji Jangmin, the celebration was bittersweet. 

Lee Jae’s role had officially ended, and there was no reason for him to appear again. 

The rest of the series would focus on the light romance and comedy of the Dream High members.  

But when do things ever go exactly as planned in life? 

Perhaps because they could already see what the future would bring, Lee Minha stared at her dust-covered script with a bitter smile.  

Kim Dong-hoo.

She vowed to herself, ‘I will make sure you’re the lead in my next project.’

As her determination burned fiercely, the day’s shoot came to an end.  

———

Mid-December.  

The streets were lined with Christmas trees, and bakeries were busy preparing Christmas party cakes. 

But over in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, a different atmosphere reigned as countless staff members were sweating profusely.  

“Not that side, the other side! How many times do I have to say it?!”  

“Sorry!”  

“Get it right! You know what happens if the realism or historical accuracy in a war movie is off, right? You’ll ruin the whole movie!”  

“My apologies!”  

The art director’s sharp instructions had the staff running around busily, and rightfully so.  

Endless Frontline.

Set during the final days of the Korean War, right before the ceasefire, it depicted a bloody battle to claim a strategic hill. 

Every detail, especially regarding historical accuracy and weaponry, had to be top-notch.  

Watching this scene with satisfaction was director Kang Sang-hoon.

The long beard gave him a look reminiscent of Guan Yu from Chinese history.  

“The foundation has to be solid for the film to come out well.”  

He reflected on the effort it took to secure this filming location.  

“And all the actors are here.”  

The cast was stellar, starting with Han Taegun, who was currently regarded as Korea’s top male actor, alongside legendary supporting actors like Go Changshik and Seo Myungwoo. 

In Kang’s eyes, the cast was as close to perfect as one could get.  

And finally…  

His gaze shifted to a young boy sitting quietly in the corner of the set.  

Kim Dong-hoo.

A newcomer who had flawlessly portrayed the role of a student soldier during the script reading. 

His performance was so haunting that calling him a rookie seemed absurd.  

“He really is ridiculously good-looking.”  

Though the staff didn’t seem to notice, Kang knew why the other actors, after warmly greeting Kim Dong-hoo at first, were now keeping their distance.  

They were likely avoiding standing next to him in a shot, fearing that anyone beside him would pale in comparison.  

“With a face like that, he wouldn’t need to put in much effort. But he’s working so hard.”  

Despite all the commotion around him, Dong-hoo was fully absorbed in his script. 

Kang found it endearing. 

Even during the script reading, he had sensed that Dong-hoo was likely the type to stay up all night studying his lines. 

To show such dedication at such a young age.

He wished the other actors would learn from him.  

Unaware of these assumptions, Kim Dong-hoo was deep into his usual routine.  

‘Immersion.’

Click.

He entered the world of the script.