Life is Easier If You’re Handsome

“Su-Sujin?!”

How did you get here?

Sujin giggled at the surprised and confused call.

“What’s wrong with me coming to a place I’m not supposed to? I can visit the filming set with my mom, you know.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true…”

It’s just surprising that you suddenly appear out of nowhere after all this time.

He swallowed the rest of his words. No, they were swallowed.

He was too shocked to talk properly.

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

“Isn’t it?”

“You look even better than back then.”

Sujin smiled brightly and slightly lifted her dress hem.

“I’m pretty too, right? Even more than before?”

Kim Sujin, who visibly lost her baby fat, was indeed pretty.

You could see she strongly inherited her mom’s genes,

with a bright yet rich face that naturally drew your gaze.

Her deep eyes catching the reddish sunset looked like a vampire’s.

But why is she dressed like that?

“Yeah, you’re prettier than before. But your outfit is pretty unique?”

“Oh, this? It’s, um, a ‘menhera’ outfit. I’m, like, semi-famous for it.”

Come to think of it, did this trend start around this time?

‘It must have been a bit later.’

It makes sense that someone in the entertainment industry would be quick on the uptake about these things.

But why wear it? Just as the question popped into his mind,

the question disappeared just like that.

‘Ah.’

He realized why.

Kim Sujin is just fourteen.

‘Oh, right.’

It was peak middle school syndrome time.

+++++

Thump thump.

Her heart raced.

-Mom, is Donghu’s final shoot today?

-Yeah, why? Curious? Wanna go?

-Um, um?!

The chance came suddenly after a casual question thrown last night.

-Yep! Let’s go!

That evening, Kim Sujin immediately opened her closet.

She didn’t want to just throw on anything.

Sure, they had video-called once, but that was all just through a screen.

Seeing him in person would be a first.

So, Sujin picked the most special outfit she could find in her closet.

To leave a good first impression after all this time.

‘How many girls are going to show up now?’

Kim Donghu was absurdly, unbelievably handsome, no doubt about it.

But his accompanying personality was also very special.

Usually, good-looking guys might seem a bit aloof.

But there was an unusual warmth about him.

It might sound like a bad thing at first, but hidden within was a sweetness that drove people crazy.

Would others be able to resist it?

‘I was the first one to know how handsome Kim Donghu is!’

I’m also the first one to hold his hand!
“I was the first to hold your hand!”

So, I had prepared quite a bit of plans.

I even asked my mom just so we could be alone, and

turned on the heater, turned off the lights, and waited for Kim Donghu.

But then.

As soon as Kim Donghu turned the lights on and our eyes met, all those thoughts vanished.

I couldn’t help but smile.

I was just so happy to see Kim Donghu after such a long time.

Thump thump.

My heart was racing like crazy.

“Did you know we’re having dinner together on Christmas?”

“Oh, I know!”

Su-Jin nodded enthusiastically at Kim Donghu’s words.

How could I not? I begged my mom to ask for it, after all.

“Great! I’ll be alone then.”

I knew that too.

‘Donghu’s mom is doing much better, and I heard from his dad that he’s preparing to return home from the States.’

This information came through the connection between Su-Jin’s mom, Kim Yu-ryun, and Kim Donghu’s mom, Lee Yoo-hyun.

“What’s up? Are you nervous seeing me after so long? You were all smiles earlier, why can’t you talk now?”

Kim Donghu playfully laughed and stepped closer.

One step, two steps.

That ridiculous good looks were getting closer and closer.

“By the way, didn’t we used to hold hands a lot back in the day? Remember?”

“…”

Su-Jin’s face turned bright red, leaving her speechless.

All the conversation topics she had thought of since last night vanished one by one from her mind.

In reality, the fact that she was a year older and had started school earlier,

That she should tease him by telling him to call her ‘older sis’,

And even the idea of going to high school together—none of it could be said.

Kim Donghu’s hand gently approached, slowly moving down.

Just 3 centimeters away from their fingertips touching.

As all of Su-Jin’s nerves focused there, Kim Donghu continued speaking.

“We used to hold hands a lot back in the day, such memories.”

Swish.

Now just 1 centimeter from touching his hand.

It was the hand they used to hold when they were kids.

The hand that cried and pleaded to be held,

And the one that intertwined fingers and vowed never to let go.

‘Wow, so this is how big a boy’s hand is.’

Thump thump thump thump.

Her heart was racing wildly.

Whooooosh.

Something was whirring ferociously in her head.

Tap.

As their fingertips touched,

The moment they connected, their hands intertwined.

Kim Donghu smiled softly, just like before, as they gently clasped their fingers.

It seemed similar to back then.

Now, however, she could see her hand snugly fitting into Kim Donghu’s.

It felt less like interlocking fingers and more like being enveloped by his hand.
A feeling of being covered.

Swish.

The hands clasped together slowly rise between faces.

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

“Hee, hiccup!”

At Kim Donghu’s words,

Bang!

Su-Jin’s emotions overflowed with embarrassment and burst.

+++++

After Kim Donghu’s break, filming resumed.

Around the third performance from Lee Jae-yi.

“Kerwhh! Thank you for your hard work!”

Under the words of Director Ji Jang-min, all filming schedules for the day came to an end.

“Great work, everyone!”

“Actor Kim Donghu! You worked so hard!”

“It’s so disappointing that this is the last shoot!”

[Hydream] Lee Jae-yi’s last filming is complete.

Knowing the significance, the staff all expressed their gratitude to Kim Donghu with one heart.

On a cold winter day.

Should I say it made me realize why I have to come out and work hard on days like this?

“It was an incredible performance, really.”

“Listening to classical music while enjoying hot fish cakes on a cold winter day, we would never experience this anywhere else.”

“Right? You can’t buy this.”

To think we could hear a master’s performance in a place like this, how blessed we are.

While everyone united to celebrate Kim Donghu’s last filming,

there were three who couldn’t genuinely rejoice.

“When the edited version comes out, send it to me right away; there will definitely be things to fix in the script.”

“Writer, who do you think I am? I’ll edit it perfectly. The material is already good.”

“I can’t argue with that; I don’t even know how many times I’ve filmed and been this happy.”

That was the case for writer Lee Minha, PD Kim Youngmo, and director Ji Jang-min.

Due to length, Lee Jae-yi’s role had ended, and there would be no more appearances.

From now on, [Hydream] would be filled with the gentle romance comedy of its members.

But is there ever a world where things flow just as one wishes?

Perhaps because they could already see the future approaching.

Writer Lee Minha looked at her script, covered in dust, with a bittersweet expression.

“Kim Donghu.”

Next time, I will definitely make you my lead.

With Lee Minha’s determination burning bright,

the filming for the day came to a close.

+++++

Mid-December.

Christmas trees line the streets,

and it’s the week when bakeries are hard at work preparing Christmas party cakes.
The week of house construction.

As if forgetting such romance.

In Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, countless staff were sweating profusely.

“Not that way, over there! I said to place it over there! How many times do I have to say it?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Get it right! Don’t you know that if the reality or authenticity drops in a war movie, it’s all over? You want to ruin the movie?!”

“No, I don’t!”

Under the sharp criticism of the art director, the staff hurriedly scurried about.

Not a single word was wrong.

[Endless Front]

The later period of the Korean War.

Just before the ceasefire, the last moment.

A bloody battle for a hill the moment peace is declared.

The groundwork for the film that portrays this had to be of the highest level.

When it comes to depicting history, especially things like guns, if the authenticity is sloppy, there will be a lot of complaints.

And there was someone watching this scene with great satisfaction,

the film director Kang Sang-hun, with his long beard like Guan Yu.

“Surely, the groundwork has to be good for the movie to turn out well.”

How much effort had been put into securing this location?

“All the actors are gathered.”

Starting with Han Tae-geon, who is not exaggerating to be called Korea’s top male actor,

Ko Chang-sik, a brilliant supporting actor, and Seo Myung-woo, among others.

Perfect actors, almost flawless in his eyes, had gathered in one place.

And lastly,

Swipe.

Director Kang’s gaze landed on a boy in the corner of the filming site.

“Kim Donghu.”

A rookie who perfectly embodied a student soldier during the script reading.

The name rookie doesn’t do justice, as his acting was truly spine-chilling.

“Seriously, he looks absurd.”

The staff might not know, but Director Kang understood.

He knew why the other actors were friendly with Kim Donghu only initially, then left him alone.

They were avoiding him just in case they’d end up in a two-shot.

Standing next to that face would definitely make anyone look like a squid.

“If he looks like that, he shouldn’t need to work hard, yet he’s putting in so much effort.”

Even with all this noise around, he was still focused on the script.

It was incredibly commendable.

He sensed it during script readings too; he must have studied the script without even sleeping.

At such a young age, to be this dedicated, was an attitude other actors should emulate.

Meanwhile, Kim Donghu, receiving such misunderstandings, was now.

“Empathizing.”

Click.

He was fully immersed in the script.

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