Chapter 2

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A fairy the size of a fingernail

“Phew!”

After the audition ended, I stepped out of the film company building and into the car parked nearby, letting out a sigh of regret.

How could all the applicants be so handsome and beautiful...

While Woo-hyuk is not lacking in physical appearance or build, he becomes ordinary when standing among the audition applicants.

They are not just handsome and beautiful.

They have acting skills, singing abilities that rival those of singers, and even voice mimicry and martial arts.

In today’s group, there was an applicant who demonstrated Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do quite impressively.

This applicant captured the full attention of the judges.

With excellent acting and martial arts skills, it was no wonder he caught everyone’s eye.

Having martial arts skills means an actor is well-disciplined, and it’s a plus for an actor, not a minus. Of course, acting skills are the most important.

‘Maybe I should go to a taekwondo school.’

The talents and virtues an actor should have are endless.

Suddenly, Woo-hyuk felt his meager talents were pitiful.

Through countless auditions, he could confirm that the competition was getting fiercer.

Confident, skilled, young, and handsome applicants are increasing, while Woo-hyuk is getting older year by year.

Though he looks young, at thirty-two, he is considered one of the older applicants.

He may be older, but he doesn’t have a glamorous acting career. Among the applicants, there were many who were younger than Woo-hyuk but had impressive acting careers and a wide range of acting skills.

At today’s audition, several rising supporting actors were also noticeable.

It has been two months since his last film wrapped up, and he is struggling to find his next project, which makes him feel heavy-hearted.

Cough, cough, cough!

The engine wouldn’t start. He tried a few more times, but it was no use. It seemed to be broken down.

He leaned back in the driver’s seat.

He felt a bit annoyed, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

There’s no point in getting annoyed. It won’t change anything.

‘What did the car do wrong? The problem is with the owner who has overused it.’

He called the insurance company to request emergency service. Initially, he thought the battery was dead, but it turned out there were many things that needed fixing, so he had to take it to a nearby car center.

It would be inconvenient without a car...

Although it’s an old clunker, it’s quite useful in many ways.

It’s suitable for moving to the filming location, and when the windows are closed, he can make loud noises without them being heard outside, making it a good place for acting practice. He can practice breathing, meditation, voice projection, singing, script reading, and monologue acting. He can also take a short rest.

If he had an agency, he would receive a vehicle, but Woo-hyuk is currently unaffiliated. He has been without an agency for six months.

Six years ago, he signed with an agency, but it went bankrupt after three years, so he moved to another agency. Unfortunately, that agency also went bankrupt after exactly three years.

The reality is that nine out of ten talent agencies don’t last five years.

Not only talent agencies, but actors and directors also find it difficult to last five years.

This time, he decided to be more cautious in choosing an agency.

Until he finds a new agency, he will have to drive himself, but with the car broken down, it’s a tricky situation.

Fatigue is setting in.

As always, he feels drained after an audition.

The sun has already set.

He decided to go home early, where his loving wife is waiting.

***

Someone is squatting in front of the house.

It’s his wife.

In front of her, a kitten is sitting at a distance, looking at her.

“Where’s your mommy? You shouldn’t wander alone. Have you eaten?”

His wife is talking to the kitten.

Woo-hyuk stopped in his tracks.

“Come to mommy. Mommy is worried. Come on!”

“Meow!”

The kitten meowed in a weak voice.

“Did you lose your mommy? Poor thing! Can I be your mommy? Do you want to live with me? Ah-choo!”

The kitten, startled by his wife’s sneeze, ran away.

“Sorry! Did you get scared? It was just a sneeze. Come here. It’s okay.”

His wife is allergic to cats.

She wanted to keep a cat but couldn’t due to her severe allergy.

When he suggested keeping a dog instead, she shook her head. She was afraid of dogs because she had been bitten by one during her time in an orphanage.

What she really wanted to keep was not a cat or a dog, but a baby.

But the baby left for another world before it could be born.

“Don’t be scared!”

His wife approached the kitten.

The kitten, still startled by the sneeze, remained on guard.

“A-choo!”

His wife sneezed again.

The kitten, startled by the sound, ran away.

“Baby, don’t go!”

His wife called out, but the kitten had already disappeared into the darkness.

His wife stared at the alley where the kitten had disappeared and then looked down at her belly.

She stroked her belly and sniffled.

“Baby...”

She waited silently until his wife went inside the house.

***

“Did you eat?”

His wife asked with a bright expression. There was no sign that she had been crying. She looked as if she hadn’t thought about the baby who had left the world.

Her appearance made him feel sad.

“Wait a moment. I’ll prepare it quickly.”

“Did you eat dinner?”

“Huh? Yes!”

Yeeun can’t lie.

When she lies, she blinks her eyes. Just like now.

Since the baby left, his wife has lost her appetite.

Her emaciated appearance is pitiful. He is also a bit angry.

He had specifically told her to eat dinner, but she didn’t and lied about it.

She probably didn’t eat lunch properly either.

If he pressed her about why she lied, it would only upset her more.

Knowing this, he had bought dumplings.

He handed the plastic bag to his wife.

“What is it?”

“Dumplings.”

“I’m full...”

His wife set the dinner table.

Woo-hyuk, though he had no appetite, ate the meal his wife had prepared out of respect for her effort.

His wife sat opposite him and ate the dumplings to make him happy.

She ate one.

And another.

“Delicious!”

His wife smiled.

Woo-hyuk smiled back, desperately.

***

He couldn’t fall asleep.

His wife snuggled into his armpit.

After tucking the blanket around her, he stared at the ceiling.

From outside the window, he could hear singing.

It was Mr. Kim from the neighboring house.

He seemed to have had a drink.

♬ Our cat is a crazy cat

When I come home from school, it goes woof woof woof

Even though it’s not a dog, it goes woof woof woof ♬

It’s a song his wife likes.

He doesn’t know why, but she always laughs when she hears it.

The lyrics are funny, but not that funny.

Looking at his wife, who was sound asleep, his heart ached.

He shifted his gaze back to the ceiling and closed his eyes.

At that moment, he heard a voice.

From somewhere very close.

Or from somewhere very far.

He opened his eyes and looked around.

He saw nothing.

Did he hear it wrong?

He closed his eyes again.

It was the same voice as before.

What is it?

Is it an auditory hallucination?

He tried to open his eyes again and saw something in front of him.

A fairy the size of a fingernail.

It had a perfectly clear smile.

He had never seen this fairy before, but it felt familiar. Where had he seen it?

Ah...

The fairy looked like a mix of Yeeun and Woo-hyuk.