#006
After returning from his walk, Lee Yeonwoo returned the portable camera he had received from Han Taegu to the staff.
When he came home, Kang Dojun was already preparing a meal.
“You’re back? Let’s eat.”
“Oh, I could have prepared it myself.”
“I saw kimchi and ham in the fridge, so I made kimchi fried rice. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s perfect.”
Though it had only been one day since staying here, Kang Dojun was living as if it were his own home, and Lee Yeonwoo was unknowingly taking it for granted. The two got along quite well.
“Oh right, hyung. Here. Ah, one of them broke.”
Yeonwoo rummaged through his jacket pocket and pulled out four eggs to hand over.
“What are these eggs for?”
“I secretly took them from Grandma Kyeong-i’s chicken coop.”
It seemed like stealing from each other was a daily occurrence in this rural neighborhood.
Yeonwoo made a disgusted expression because his hand was sticky from the egg that had broken in his pocket. Kang Dojun ruffled his hair and said,
“I’ll make you a fried egg, so go wash your hands. And give me your jacket.”
“My jacket?”
“Yeah, I’m running the washing machine right now. I’ll wash that too.”
“The washing machine? Then I’ll hang the laundry later.”
After saying this, Yeonwoo threw off his jacket and went to wash his hands.
After washing his hands thoroughly with cold water and returning to the living room, Kang Dojun had already set the table and was sitting there waiting for Yeonwoo.
“You should have eaten first. Were you waiting?”
“We should eat together.”
“Thank you.”
Yeonwoo quickly sat down and picked up his spoon. Kang Dojun looked at him intently and asked,
“Why are your hands so red?”
“Because I washed them with cold water.”
“But warm water comes out too.”
“Well… it’s not like I’ll freeze to death from washing with cold water.”
At Yeonwoo’s foolish words, Kang Dojun silently turned up the boiler temperature. After eating the kimchi fried rice, Yeonwoo drew in a breath, seeming to find it a bit spicy.
“Should I get you some water?”
“Thank you.”
As he naturally headed to the kitchen to get water, he found himself puzzled without realizing it. When he looked back, he had somehow been taking care of Yeonwoo.
Who was the homeowner here… it seemed like the roles had been reversed. When he handed over the water and cup, Yeonwoo said once again,
“Thank you.”
Whether it was his habit or what, he consistently expressed gratitude, so taking care of him wasn’t surprisingly unpleasant.
After gulping down the water, Yeonwoo glanced at Kang Dojun and said,
“Now that I think about it, I think I heard hyung’s name in the military.”
“In the military?”
“Yes, you were a stalker, right?”
“…What?”
Kang Dojun, who had been lifting his spoon, stopped and looked at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo also realized his words could be misunderstood and quickly added,
“Ah, no. I’m sorry. I meant the drama role.”
“Ah, ‘Your Shadow.'”
“That’s right. My fellow soldiers really enjoyed watching that.”
“Your Shadow” was a crime thriller drama that Kang Dojun appeared in, where he played a criminal who stalked the female lead out of love and brutally murdered the people around her.
It was quite a popular drama. At the time, public opinion was that while his actions were crazy, his face could be forgiven.
“I don’t really like dramas much so I didn’t watch it often, but even then I thought that actor was handsome. But to think it was hyung. This is fate too.”
“I guess so.”
“Hyung, but this kimchi fried rice is really delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s a bit spicy but just right.”
Whether he was swallowing the food through his mouth or nose, Yeonwoo chattered nonstop. Kang Dojun nodded along in response. Even if he stayed quietly silent, there was no time to be bored since someone was talking to him from the side.
“Hyung, what are you doing today?”
“Farming.”
“What? Farming?”
Yeonwoo was startled and spoke in a loud voice as if he had turned on a megaphone.
“Yeah.”
It was one of the schedules that PD Han Taegu had planned in advance.
“Wow, that’s going to be really hard.”
Yeonwoo, who had helped Grandpa Jongsu with farming last year, comforted Kang Dojun as if he felt sorry for him.
“I’ll bring you a snack and come visit later.”
“What are you talking about? You have to do it together too.”
“…What?”
At Kang Dojun’s matter-of-fact response, Yeonwoo blinked his eyes. Then he made an expression that he didn’t understand and asked again,
“Me? Why?”
It was rather Kang Dojun who didn’t understand.
“Didn’t the PD tell you?”
“What… did he say?”
Yeonwoo’s head slowly turned and stopped on Han Taegu, who was positioned in front of him looking through the camera. His eyes were as cold as ice.
“Ah… well, Yeonwoo-ssi. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”
Eventually, Han Taegu gestured to the filming crew to take a break and called Yeonwoo outside.
“What is this?”
Yeonwoo, who had been dragged outside, glared at Han Taegu with an displeased look.
Again. Han Taegu was again the cause of making his life difficult. What did he mean by farming, it wasn’t even someone’s dog’s name.
“Whatever it is, I don’t like it. I won’t do it.”
“Yeonwoo-ssi, don’t be like that and think about it for a moment. It’s because you and Dojun-ssi have good chemistry. I’ll give you more appearance fee…”
“Appearance fee?”
Han Taegu, who read a bit of curiosity in Yeonwoo’s eyes, spoke to entice him.
“Of course! If the screen time increases, I have to give you more appearance fee!”
‘If the screen time increases… the appearance fee also…’
* * *
“Hyung, a hat and sunscreen are essential for farming.”
“Okay.”
“You should at least wear a straw hat to get in the mood. Would you like to wear mine?”
“It’s okay.”
Kang Dojun said with his eyes widening roundly. Yeonwoo stared at him intently and then grumbled,
“I’m helping because it seems like it would be hard for hyung to farm alone.”
Although he instantly grasped that Yeonwoo’s purpose was the appearance fee, Kang Dojun just nodded his head.
The first day had passed by in a daze before he knew it. But no matter how much it was a healing variety show, it was still a variety show, and Kang Dojun wasn’t confident he could be funny by himself.
But since Yeonwoo was chattering beside him, he didn’t have to say much himself, which was comfortable, and it was killing two birds with one stone since Yeonwoo would help with the farming too.
It was a proposal with nothing bad for Kang Dojun.
“You know that, right? I have other things piled up to do, but I’m specially…”
“Yeonwoo.”
“Yes?”
Yeonwoo, who had finished preparing and was about to open the front door as the last step, flinched and asked back. Even though it was just a simple call by name, when he called his name, his mind went blank for a moment.
Kang Dojun pointed to the front door and said,
“You need to lock the door.”
“Ah…”
He fumbled around without realizing it. He clearly remembered Kang Dojun giving him the keys in the morning, but he had completely forgotten where he put them.
“Front pants pocket.”
As Kang Dojun said, the keys were in his front pants pocket. Yeonwoo glanced at him sideways and was locking the front door when he suddenly came to his senses.
‘Why am I… locking the door?’
Strange emotions welled up. As if to block such thoughts, Kang Dojun said to the hesitant Yeonwoo,
“Did you lock everything?”
“Mm, yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Well, it didn’t matter anyway. Yeonwoo simply thought this way and pulled his straw hat down low before following behind Kang Dojun.
“Hyung, do you know how to operate a cultivator?”
“No, do you?”
“Of course.”
Yeonwoo shrugged his shoulders as he answered. Looking closely, he seemed to have a bit of a bragging tendency. But it wasn’t unlikeable—it was a very cute kind of bragging.
Kang Dojun decided to play along a little.
“At this time of year, we’ll probably be doing field leveling work…”
“Field leveling?”
“Yes, it’s called land preparation work.”
“You don’t know anything.”
At his praise, the corners of Yeonwoo’s mouth kept twitching upward.
“Well, since it’s hyung’s first time, I’ll teach you from the side.”
In just two days of being in the countryside, Kang Dojun had learned how to handle Yeonwoo.
While having a gentle conversation, they had arrived at their destination before they knew it. An elderly man was sitting on a cultivator, waiting for the filming crew.
“Hyung, this is Grandpa Jongsu who does the farming.”
“Hello.”
“Yes. But why did Yeonwoo come? To watch? You rascal, don’t interfere with these Seoul people’s work and go away quickly!”
“I came to work too!”
Yeonwoo shouted indignantly. Han Taegu gave additional explanation to Grandpa Jongsu and took Yeonwoo’s side.
“What? You’re going to do farming?”
Grandpa Jongsu opened his eyes narrowly and looked at Yeonwoo.
“Why not. I’m someone who can do it if I set my mind to it.”
At Yeonwoo’s confident words, Grandpa Jongsu sternly warned Kang Dojun,
“This kid runs away all the time, so watch him carefully.”
“What do you mean running away? You’re saying weird things again.”
Yeonwoo’s face disappeared under his straw hat. He was at a loss from embarrassment.
“Then, young man, I’ll teach you how to start the cultivator, so follow me.”
“Yes.”
Kang Dojun looked at Yeonwoo, swallowed his laughter, and followed behind Grandpa Jongsu.
“Even if that Yeonwoo kid slacks off, he’s got good work sense, so if there’s anything you don’t know, just ask the kid. Really, as long as he doesn’t run away.”
“Did something happen?”
“So that foolish kid…”
Last year, Yeonwoo had gotten some wild idea from somewhere and asked Grandpa Jongsu to lend him a small space in his field, saying he was going to grow corn.
He had promised to give him a small space if he helped with the field work.
‘Now that I think about it, corn was something you were supposed to buy and eat!’
‘Yeonwoo! That crazy kid. Hey! Aren’t you coming back!?’
Of course, that plan ended with Yeonwoo running away while helping with the field work.
“That’s what happened. So it would be good for you to keep a close watch too.”
Kang Dojun couldn’t help but laugh at actions that were exactly what Yeonwoo would do.
“What’s so funny?”
“Ah, pfft… ahem. I’m sorry.”
The more he knew him, the more spirited and funny the kid was. It was amazing how PD Han Taegu had discovered and cast such a gem of a kid like Yeonwoo.
At some point, Kang Dojun’s gaze was naturally looking for Yeonwoo. Sure enough, he seemed to be plotting some extraordinary mischief again.
While Kang Dojun went to learn how to start the cultivator, Yeonwoo was working hard to create evidence.
This time, to prove to Grandpa Jongsu that he didn’t run away and helped with the farming, he needed evidence photos comparing before and after farming.
Yeonwoo fumbled in his pocket and, remembering the phone he had left at home, called over a staff member.
“Noona.”
The staff member was startled and answered,
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
Usually, wouldn’t you say “excuse me”… The cute-looking innocent eyes were looking at him, calling him “noona” without hesitation as he approached.
“You know the portable camera I returned this morning?”
“Ah, the self-cam?”
“Yes. Can I use that for a moment?”
“Of course. Just a moment.”
The staff member immediately turned on the camera’s power, switched it to recording mode, and handed it to him. After receiving the camera, Yeonwoo seemed dissatisfied with something and fiddled with it several times before calling the staff member again.
“Noona, doesn’t this have other functions?”
“Other functions besides recording mode?”
“Yes, I left my phone at home, so I want to take some photos with this. Can’t I?”
When the staff member didn’t answer, Yeonwoo thought they might not have understood and kindly explained again,
“Photos. Selfies.”
In his black eyes, there was nothing but pure innocence, nothing more, nothing less. After examining the camera by himself, he added,
“Noona, does this have Bluetooth function too? I heard all cameras these days have it. So I can transfer the photos directly to my phone after taking them.”
In her career as a staff member, this was definitely the first person to want to take personal photos with a broadcasting station camera.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
