My House Has Become a Filming Set!

༺ My House Has Become a Filming Set! – 9 ༻

 

  It was the third day of Kang Do-jun’s 〈Country Occupation〉.

 

  He woke up early in the morning. However, if there was anyone who woke up even earlier than him, it was Yeonwoo. When he opened Yeonwoo’s door, there was no sign of him, probably gone out for a walk already.

 

  After attaching the microphone, provided by the staff, to his clothes and hearing today’s schedule from PD Han Taegu, he checked the time to find that it was just past 7 in the morning.

 

  After neatly folding Yeonwoo’s messed-up blanket, possibly from tossing and turning in sleep, he opened the wardrobe.

 

  “…Haa.”

 

  A sigh escaped involuntarily.

 

  Empty snack bags and crumbs, various clothes, and even dog food bags – apparently, he was even packing snacks for his dog when he went for a walk – were stashed in a corner of the wardrobe.

 

  Insect repellent tape? It can be understood as a tool used in beekeeping. However, he had no idea why a fishing rod was stored inside the wardrobe.

 

  There were many other items of various types, the likes of which he had never seen or heard of before, crammed inside.

 

  If only the trash and laundry were sorted… He fetched a laundry basket and a garbage bag and began to tidy up.

 

  The strong smell of alcohol wafted from the clothes Yeonwoo had discarded. As he rummaged through the heap of clothes, he found bottles of alcohol.

 

  ‘He does recycle… right?’

 

  A separate bag was added to collect the alcohol bottles. As he sorted the contents…or trash, of the wardrobe, the bottom of the wardrobe came into view.

 

  After wiping it clean with wet wipes, he opened the door to air out the strong alcohol smell and stepped out.

 

  After finishing the cleaning, he even replaced the bathroom light bulb as Yeonwoo had asked yesterday.

 

  Even though he had been moving energetically since morning, it was still only 8 o’clock when he checked the time. Yeonwoo had come back a little before 9 o’clock yesterday, so he guessed that he would come back around the same time today.

 

  In order to prepare breakfast, he went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He knew how to cook almost all common dishes. Looking at the ingredients he had bought from the market yesterday, he pondered on what to make.

 

  Yeonwoo had found the kimchi fried rice a bit spicy. It seemed like he didn’t handle spicy food well, so he decided to skip spicy dishes and carefully searched the refrigerator, discovering ingredients he hadn’t noticed before.

 

  An uncontrollable smile burst forth.

 

  “He was serious.”

 

  There were four eggs neatly arranged. Did he wake Grandma Soon-Yi early in the morning again today? Did he muster the courage to face the chicken? He found himself missing the sight of Yeonwoo, which he hadn’t witnessed in person.

 

  It seemed like an omelet rice would be suitable for this morning’s meal.

 

  While he was making the omelet rice, he heard the front door open.

 

  After rinsing his hands, he found Yeonwoo admirable for overcoming his fear of chickens to bring him eggs, so he went to greet him.

 

  “Are you back? …Oh, hello.”

 

  “Oh, aren’t you glad to see this old lady?”

 

  The person who had opened the front door and entered was not Yeonwoo, but Grandma Kyeongyi.

 

  “Hey, you don’t look so happy now. Your face turned cold.”

 

  His first encounter with Grandma Kyeongyi hadn’t gone well. He thought she was Yeonwoo’s grandmother, but she turned out to be just an elderly neighbor.

 

  He now knew that everyone in this village treated her like family, but there was something about first impressions.

 

  Kang Do-jun composed his expression and asked,

 

  “No, I’m glad. But why are you here….”

 

  “Oh, I think this cheeky boy Yeonwoo stole my eggs. I need to check.”

 

  The grandmother took off her shoes and strode in. Kang Do-jun followed her, defending Yeonwoo.

 

  “Well…, Yeonwoo is afraid of chickens. How could he have stolen eggs?”

 

  It was the ‘not my child’ defense – ‘My kid doesn’t do that’, ‘My kid doesn’t bite’, ‘My kid is nice.’

 

  Grandma Kyeongyi squinted her eyes and looked up at Kang Do-jun, much like the hands of a clock.

 

  “How did you know our Yeonwoo was scared of chickens?”

 

  “……”

 

  “I knew it without even looking! He must have been in cahoots with Soon-Yi.”

 

  Her speculation was sharp and precise, without a hint of error. With even more confidence, Grandma Kyeongyi strode into the kitchen.

 

  She saw the eggs that had been made into omelet rice and exclaimed,

 

  “Look at this, this! Are these my hens’ eggs!? Even though my vision is getting worse with age, I can still recognize my chickens’ eggs!”

 

  The proverb goes, ‘If the tail is long, it will be stepped on.’ The issue should have ended yesterday. There was also his fault for essentially leading Yeonwoo on.

 

  “Ma’am, it’s my fault. I’ll somehow manage with the eggs, so please don’t scold Yeonwoo too much…”

 

  “What’s there to scold? That lad’s got thick ears. Scolding him won’t make him listen.”

 

  Kang Do-jun held his throbbing head.

 

  The first to cause a problem with her uncouth words was Grandma Kyeongyi, who had completely cleared out Yeonwoo’s house of alcohol. Kang Do-jun very carefully began to speak, so as not to upset the grandmother.

 

  “But ma’am, you also took all of Yeonwoo’s alcohol.”

 

  At his words, Grandma Kyeongyi’s eyes seemed as though they might pop out any moment. Following that, an ear-piercing roar was heard.

 

  “That rascal took our house’s vacuum cleaner!?”

 

  “…I beg your pardon?”

 

  Upon hearing about Yeonwoo’s incredible record of pilfering, Kang Do-jun’s heart sank. The origin of the vacuum cleaner he had just used was unintentionally revealed.

 

  “I don’t know. He said he was borrowing it and never returned it. At least he comes over to clean my house. If he didn’t, he’d be beyond saving.”

 

  With the situation turned out like this, Kang Do-jun was at a loss for words. He just shut his mouth tight and watched what the grandmother was doing.

 

  “I’ll return the vacuum cleaner.”

 

  “Nah, no need. The house is so filthy, what would I do without the vacuum cleaner? But it looks clean today. Did he clean it up because he had a guest? Our child isn’t completely useless.”

 

  “…Yes.”

 

  Kang Do-jun couldn’t bring himself to say that he was the one who had cleaned, even in front of Grandma Kyeongyi, who was smiling contentedly.

 

  “And about the pilfering, it’s a part of daily life. It’s the charm of the countryside, so don’t take it to heart too much.”

 

  After saying that, Grandma Kyeongyi grumbled and opened the refrigerator door, looking inside with sparkling eyes.

 

  “My, why is the refrigerator so full?”

 

  “…Yes.”

 

  * * *

 

  “I’m here.”

 

  Along with the sound of the front door opening, a voice that was unmistakably Yeonwoo’s could be heard.

 

  “You’re here?”

 

  Kang Do-jun went out to meet him again. The greeting he gave finally reached the person he had been waiting for.

 

  “Yes.”

 

  Yeonwoo took off his shoes and came in, asking with a hopeful look in his eyes.

 

  “Hyung, did you see the eggs in the fridge? You said you wanted to eat some, so I specially brought them early this morning. What do you think? Are you pleased?”

 

  “…Yes. I made omelet rice with them. Wash your hands first, then let’s eat.”

  

  Yeonwoo blinked his black eyes at Kang Do-jun’s more lukewarm reaction than expected. Then, his lips pouted out like a duck’s beak.

 

  “You didn’t feel like having eggs today? Didn’t you want to eat them?”

 

  “Uh…no, I wanted them. Thank you.”

 

  Yeonwoo finally went to wash his hands with a giggle after hearing the word ‘thank you.’

 

  In the meantime, Kang Do-jun started setting the table. Yeonwoo, after washing his hands, showed a bright, flower-like smile at the sight of the omelet rice.

 

  “Wow, did you make this, Hyung? With the eggs I brought?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  “It looks just like what they sell at restaurants.”

 

  He praised it without hesitation, then took a big bite. Yeonwoo’s eyes gradually widened.

 

  “It tastes just like what they sell too! You cut hair well, you cook well, there’s nothing you can’t do, Hyung.”

 

  There was, however, one thing that even Kang Do-jun couldn’t do. He was unable to eat the omelet rice he made himself, and kept calculating the timing to speak.

 

  He had to tell Yeonwoo to return the vacuum cleaner to Grandma Kyeongyi, and also to stop stealing eggs in the future.

 

  “Hyung? Why aren’t you eating?”

 

  “Ah, I should eat. Do you want some water?”

 

  “Thank you.”

 

  Kang Do-jun cast fleeting glances at Yeonwoo until the moment he got up from his seat.

 

  ‘When should I tell him….’

 

  He worried whether it would be a problem if he said it while they were eating. Yeonwoo, oblivious to Kang Do-jun’s concerns, kept chattering.

 

  “There’s a dog in the neighborhood named Ggami. I saw her today after a long time and her belly was so swollen. It turned out she’s pregnant. No wonder these days…”

 

  “Here, drink and talk.”

 

  “Thank you.”

 

  Whether Yeonwoo’s throat was dry or not, he gulped down the water that Kang Do-jun handed him, and then continued speaking.

 

  “No wonder I hadn’t seen her lately, she must have been carrying puppies. I thought Ggami was male all this time, but she’s actually female.”

 

  “Really?”

 

  “Yes, Grandma Soon Yi said that she’ll probably give birth tomorrow or the day after. She will stay at Grandma Soon Yi’s place for a while.”

 

  Kang Do-jun wasn’t really hearing what Yeonwoo was saying. He was simply busy calculating the timing of when to say what he needed to.

 

  Seeing that Kang Do-jun wasn’t responding, Yeonwoo pulled at his sleeve to urge him.

 

  “Hyung. Ggami is about to give birth.”

 

  “Ah… yeah, that’s interesting.”

 

  “Right? It’s interesting, isn’t it?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  It was an unenthusiastic response, but the word ‘interesting’ was firmly planted in Yeonwoo’s excited ears.

 

  “So, I asked Grandma Soon Yi to let me know when Ggami is about to give birth.”

 

  “I see.”

 

  “Yes, I said I would go to see it with you. You’ll go, right?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  Having heard Kang Do-jun’s response that came out without passing through his brain, since his mind was elsewhere, Yeonwoo informed him of the precautions.

 

  “But we need to be very careful when she is giving birth, as she may be sensitive. We can’t be loud or noisy.”

 

  It seemed that everything would go smoothly as long as Yeonwoo remained quiet.

 

  “Hyung. What are you doing today?”

 

  “Today?”

 

  “Yes, your schedule for today.”

 

  Kang Do-jun relayed the schedule he had heard from Han Taegu that morning.

  

  “The shop.”

 

  “The shop?”

 

  “Yeah, I have to look after the shop.”

 

  It was a parade of short words, but Yeonwoo caught on quickly.

 

  “Ah, Grandpa Beom was happy to take a break from the shop, so you’re taking his place.”

 

  “Grandpa Beom?”

 

  “Yes, if you go down the lower road, you’ll see it. It’s an old hole-in-the-wall shop, so it should be much easier than the farming work we did yesterday.”

 

  Old hole-in-the-wall shop. If Grandpa Beom heard Yeonwoo describe it like that, he probably would have been furious.

 

  Yeonwoo turned his head and looked at Han Taegu, who was waiting in front of him, with wide-eyed curiosity.

 

  “Do I work there too?”

 

  Han Taegu gathered his hands lightly, with an apologetic expression on his face.

 

  “I only need your help for today.”

 

  Yeonwoo didn’t mind, as long as his appearance fee came in generously. But then, he felt something off about his words.

 

  “Only for today?”

 

  “Yes. The filming schedule for Do-jun looking after the shop is for two days. Please be with us just for today. Tomorrow is…. um, it’s okay.”

 

  Han Taegu fumbled his words. Yeonwoo’s expression stiffened slightly.

 

  ‘Does he not want to pay me?’

 

  Strictly speaking, for Yeonwoo, filming was akin to a sweet part-time job. And the feeling of being cut from such a gig was not exactly pleasant.

 

  In a slightly offended state, he nodded his head.

 

  “Understood.”

 

  Kang Do-jun was also a bit puzzled as to why Han Taegu had said that. It was never planned for Yeonwoo to work with him, and it wasn’t written in the schedule he had received from the production team.

 

  He knew that since they had farmed together, they were going to work at the shop together as well. But why only until today?

 

Just as his curiosity was peaking, Yeonwoo, who had quickly regained his energy, asked him.

 

  “Hyung, what’s for dinner tonight? No, is there anything you want to eat? This time, I’ll make it for you.”

 

  Since Kang Do-jun came here, Yeonwoo had always eaten the meals that he prepared. Although not without a conscience, he thought that he might exert some effort and cook for today at least.

 

  However, that thought was utterly shattered by Kang Do-jun’s response.

 

  “…There’s no dinner.”

 

  “…What? Why? We brought plenty from the market yesterday.”

 

  At Yeonwoo’s naive question, Kang Do-jun licked his lips. He pondered on what to say so that Yeonwoo would understand instantly, and then bluntly spat out a word.

 

  “…We got robbed.”

 

  “Pardon?”

 

  Yeonwoo asked back, slightly startled. Kang Do-jun affirmed his question.

 

  “By Grandma Kyeongyi.”

 

  Along with his following words, the sound of a spoon dropping rang out. Caught on camera was Yeonwoo’s devastated expression, as if the world had crumbled, which was a bonus.

 

 

 

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