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chapter 14
Postpartum Care Center (4)
The part I was about to film was from the opening of the drama.
The protagonist, actress Yeom Jeong-an, was playing a career woman who had given birth to a child in her early forties, relatively late in life.
She had spent her entire life working and knew absolutely nothing about childcare.
After spending three days recovering at the hospital following childbirth, she had just entered a premium postpartum care center. This was an important scene where she met the staff for the first time.
We had to leave a strong impression in this scene.
“Phew.”
I was waiting by the door with two other actresses, including actress Lee Yeong-im, who was playing the manager of the postpartum care center.
In my arms was Maengkkongi, neatly wrapped in a swaddling blanket.
On the other side of the door, actress Yeom Jeong-an was greeting the other mothers.
Actress Lee Yeong-im grinned.
“Here we go. Let’s do our best.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Just then, a staff member signaled us to go in.
Lee Yeong-im nodded, adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, and grabbed the doorknob.
“Let’s go in.”
Click.
It was really starting.
As I walked in, I repeated a self-suggestion mantra in my head.
‘I’m role-playing right now. I’m Lee Jang-nam, the most famous premium postpartum care center employee in Cheongdam-dong.’
I put on an expression appropriate for the situation.
The confident expression of someone proud of his profession and career.
Several cameras were filming us, but I deliberately didn’t pay them the slightest bit of attention.
‘Right. There are no cameras. This is role-playing, but it’s also reality.’
Lee Yeong-im called out in a firm voice.
“Welcome, Mrs. Kim Mo-a, to our postpartum care center. We sincerely welcome you.”
Kim Mo-a was actress Yeom Jeong-an’s character name.
Yeom Jeong-an bowed her head with a curious expression, then looked at me and feigned surprise.
“Oh, hello. But… do you have male postpartum care staff here, too?”
That line wasn’t in the original script. It had been hastily added.
Lee Yeong-im turned her eyes toward me and gave me a meaningful smile.
“Mothers who have just entered the center often find that rather surprising. But you’ll soon find out. Our male employee is more attentive than any of our other staff members.”
I met Lee Yeong-im’s eyes.
Then, reacting to her words, I flashed a brief smile for an instant before immediately wiping it away.
Lee Yeong-im gave a small nod and continued.
“If you ever need someone to handle anything requiring a bit of strength, you can call our male employee. Reassuring, isn’t it?”
It was amazing.
Even though the line had been improvised on the spot, Lee Yeong-im continued without hesitation, as though every word came straight from her heart.
On top of that, her expression, gestures, and tone were perfect.
How can she deliver her lines that perfectly?
But this wasn’t the time to be impressed.
It was my turn now.
Holding Maengkkongi, I slowly walked toward Yeom Jeong-an.
Yeom Jeong-an glanced at Maengkkongi and smiled brightly.
She reached out with both hands, took Maengkkongi, and held the baby in her arms.
The stage direction said that Kim Mo-a was supposed to awkwardly hold and rock the baby.
“Ahhh~ You’re so cute! Hello, my baby!”
At last, it was time for me to say my first line.
I looked at Yeom Jeong-an with a pitiful expression and said,
“You don’t shout while holding a newborn.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, teacher…”
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to the baby. How frightened do you think the baby must have been? And when you’re holding a baby, you must never, never shake them. Newborns can’t support their own heads.”
“Gosh. I didn’t know. The baby was just so cute… I’m sorry.”
I pointed at Maengkkongi.
“Hold the baby tightly against your chest. Right now.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Ahem!”
I took Maengkkongi from Yeom Jeong-an and held the baby against my chest.
Then I continued, almost mocking Yeom Jeong-an.
“Support the baby’s bottom with one hand. With the other, support the back and neck and hold the baby securely. You don’t pick up a baby. You hold them like this. With your heart.”
“Oh… I understand. I’m sorry. I’ll hold the baby like that from now on.”
I handed Maengkkongi back to Yeom Jeong-an and turned around without hesitation, returning to my original position.
I had delivered all the lines I had been given.
‘Is this really okay?’
I wanted to check everyone’s reactions, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
If I looked around, we’d get an NG.
Silence filled the filming set.
I stood behind Lee Yeong-im, looking at Yeom Jeong-an with a stern expression.
Lee Yeong-im looked around at the mothers one by one and delivered her lines.
“The staff members here at Cheongdam Premium Postpartum Care Center will always provide our mothers with the very best service. When it comes to postpartum care, we are the absolute best professionals in Korea.”
All that remained was to bow to the mothers and leave, which would bring the scene to an end.
But suddenly, Lee Yeong-im looked at me with a grin and continued.
“Our male employee, for example, is the eldest son of a family of thirteen children and a professional in this field who holds all sorts of specialized qualifications. Haha.”
What is going on?
I stared into Lee Yeong-im’s smiling eyes, and before I knew it, I opened my mouth.
“I’ll take care of all of you with the same devotion I would show my own mother after giving birth to one of my younger siblings. I’ll do my best.”
I bowed deeply.
The other actors immediately bowed as well, as though they’d been waiting for their cue.
While I was looking at the floor, I heard Lee Yeong-im’s voice.
“We’ll see you in thirty minutes for breastfeeding time.”
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
As I stared at the floor, my heartbeat became so strong that I could practically feel every pulse.
It seemed the tension had finally released now that I thought the scene was over.
Then I heard Director Yoo Seong-jae shout.
“Cut!”
From that moment on, my heart started pounding like crazy.
What will everyone say when I look up?
I slowly raised my head.
Director Yoo Seong-jae approached me and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Good, very good. Why is a babysitter so good at acting? That projection—wow. While the cameras were rolling, I thought you were an actual actor.”
Lee Yeong-im placed a hand on my shoulder and grinned.
“Director. He acted with me, so he’s an actor now. Haha.”
“Hmm~ I suppose so.”
I lowered my head.
“Haah. Thank you.”
Lee Yeong-im smiled kindly.
“You were so natural that I decided to throw in an ad-lib, and you caught it perfectly, didn’t you?”
A shiver ran through my entire body at her praise.
Acting is really, really fun.
I thought we were done filming, but afterward, we shot the exact same scene several more times.
Each time, I had to repeat the same lines.
The other actors did the same.
Later, I learned that they filmed multiple shots from different angles on the same set and then edited them together to complete the scene.
The more I learned about it, the more complicated the world of dramas seemed.
Apparently, they didn’t even film scenes in the order they appeared in the script. They mixed up several scenes and filmed them all on the same day.
And every time, the actors had to bring out the appropriate emotional progression for that particular scene.
It made me realize all over again just how amazing actors were.
“Cut! Great work, everyone!”
“Good job!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
The actors and staff applauded.
Still dazed, I joined them and clapped along when Director Yoo Seong-jae walked over to me.
“Mr. Hyeok-chan. Have you acted before?”
“No. Today was my first time doing it properly.”
The apple-eating acting and the few short lines I’d delivered in Manager Yang’s car.
That was the entirety of my acting experience.
Director Yoo Seong-jae tilted his head.
“Then why are you so natural? Your expressions are good, and your body isn’t stiff at all. You even caught the ad-lib at the end. Hmm. It wasn’t merely natural—you seemed to completely understand the concept and perform accordingly. I really like the way you’ve interpreted the character, Mr. Hyeok-chan. We made the right decision forcing that role into the script.”
“That’s too much praise. It’s only because all the actors taught me so well.”
Director Yoo Seong-jae gave me a meaningful smile.
“I had the cut we filmed earlier separated out and sent it to the writer. We’ll get a response soon.”
“To the writer?”
“Of course. We need to revise the entire script with the upcoming filming in mind.”
“…What do you mean?”
Director Yoo Seong-jae looked at me as if he couldn’t believe I was asking.
“We have to keep filming from here on out. Surely you aren’t going to stop after acting that well, are you?”
When I thought back to the lines I’d been given as Lee Jang-nam, they clearly hinted that the character would continue appearing throughout the drama.
I’d been so nervous and immersed in the filming that I hadn’t even thought about that.
When I stood there blankly, Director Yoo Seong-jae continued.
“Manager Yang Soo-ho? I can talk to him, right?”
“Talk about what, exactly?”
“Your actor contract. Normally, an actor’s contract has to be finalized before entering a production, but we couldn’t finish it because of Hee-soo’s nephew. We’ll proceed with your contract at the same time as we handle the baby’s contract.”
Apparently, babies who only appeared briefly in dramas were easy enough to cast.
But when a baby had a significant role in the story, casting became difficult.
Especially with newborns, who grew so quickly from day to day, it was impossible to sign them long before filming began.
That’s why Maengkkongi had been hastily cast just before filming.
My mind was complicated, but I couldn’t exactly say I couldn’t do it after things had already come this far.
“Yes, Director. I understand. I’ll do my best.”
“Mr. Hyeok-chan, you just have to do what you did today. Honestly, I had absolutely no expectations, but now I’m looking forward to it. Haha.”
“Phew. Thank you for the compliment.”
“You’re going to HB Entertainment, right?”
“What??”
I immediately went looking for Ahn Hee-soo and Manager Yang Soo-ho.
As I wandered around the set, I heard Ahn Hee-soo’s voice from far away.
“Maengkkong~! Look at Auntie. Come on, rrrrrr~ Maengkkong, smile like you did a little while ago!”
“Waaaah~”
“Oh? You saw that, right? He smiled! He smiled~!! Hahaha.”
She was showing Maengkkongi off to the actors gathered in front of her.
I sighed as I approached and asked Ahn Hee-soo,
“Hee-soo, the director says I need to sign an official actor contract. What do I do?”
“Really~? Teacher, you’re seriously amazing. So you’re joining the drama? Wow, that’s great!”
“Should I tell Manager Yang?”
“No, no! Wait. I’ll tell the agency CEO myself. Directly, haha.”
I took Maengkkongi from her.
Ahn Hee-soo pulled out her phone and called someone.
Soon, she began talking energetically.
“Boss~! We have a new rookie actor! Ah, oppa. Listen to me for a second. You know that drama Yeom Unni is appearing in? The one JBC is producing. What was it called? Postpartum Care Center! Yeah. Yeah, that one. There’s a babysitter who’s been taking care of my nephew. No, he’s a man. A male babysitter. Why would I make something like that up? I’m serious!”
Ahn Hee-soo talked for more than five minutes.
After hanging up, she smiled brightly.
“Teacher! The CEO says we can register you as a temporary actor and sign a contract.”
“Really?”
“I asked him to just put you down as an actor under the company, but he said he can’t just accept someone he’s never even seen. Anyway, after I explained the whole situation, he said, ‘The story is interesting.’ He said it’d be nice to see your face in person sometime, haha.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you taking care of this.”
“This is an opportunity! Teacher, from what I saw earlier, I think this drama is going to be a hit. It was really fun. Prepare well and give it your best.”
I hesitated before answering.
“But I take care of Maengkkongi on weekdays. Will I have time to film?”
“Haha, what are you talking about? Maengkkongi is filming too.”
“Huh?”
“When there’s no filming, you take care of Maengkkongi at home. On filming days, you take care of the baby here.”
It was an incredibly sudden turn of events for me, but I didn’t dislike it.
No.
If anything, I was excited.
I was actually going to appear in a drama—not as an extra, but as a supporting actor.
That was when I heard the assistant director calling me from far away.
“Actor Lee Hyeok-chan~?! Actor Lee Hyeok-chan~?!”
“Ah! I’m right here!!”
The assistant director hurried over to me, panting.
“Haaah—The director called for you. Haaah—”
“I’ll go right away.”
When I reached Director Yoo Seong-jae, he waved his phone.
“Mr. Hyeok-chan. We got a response from the writer.”
“…What did they say?”
“Exactly four Korean characters. ‘Bursting out laughing.’ Haha.”
“Whew.”
“When I called her, she said you seemed like an interesting actor. She said she’s going to add a bunch of lines for you to the script. Let’s do our best from here on out.”
“Thank you, Director!”
According to the director, the writer of Postpartum Care Center was a notoriously difficult woman who had earned a reputation for being a tiger.
I dismissed it without much thought, thinking:
‘No way that tiger is actually going to come to the set, right?’
After that, I continued walking around the set and helping with the filming.
I watched the scene where actress Yeom Jeong-an first encountered Maengkkongi, soothing the baby whenever Maengkkongi cried or fussed.
Especially during scenes where Maengkkongi needed to smile or suddenly stop crying, I had to demonstrate my special skill.
After six hours, we finally finished all of our filming.
Of course, the other actors said they would remain and continue filming.
When I went down to the parking lot with Ahn Hee-soo, Manager Yang was waiting with the car already running.
Manager Yang gave me a broad smile.
“Mr. Hyeok-chan. You really worked hard today. Everyone on the set was praising you!”
“It’s all thanks to your help, Manager. Haha.”
Ahn Hee-soo frowned.
“What about me? What are you two doing? Didn’t I work hard too? Why are you leaving me out?”
“Yeah, Hee-soo worked hard too. Kind of.”
“You should’ve said that from the start. I feel better now.”
Maengkkongi had been nestled in my arms, slowly blinking for a while before eventually drifting off to sleep.
I carefully placed Maengkkongi into the basket car seat and fastened the belt.
I whispered,
“Manager, you can leave now.”
“Yes.”
The car was quiet because Maengkkongi was asleep.
I stared at the baby’s peacefully sleeping face for a long while before turning my gaze toward the window.
The scenery rushed past us.
It was just like today.
‘It felt like a dream.’
It had been acting I’d stumbled into by chance, but for the first time in my life, my heart had raced with excitement.
I was smiling as I looked out the window when I sensed something from the passenger seat.
I turned my head and saw Ahn Hee-soo smiling as she held out a white envelope.
I mouthed,
“What is this?”
Ahn Hee-soo mouthed back,
“Extra pay.”
“No, it’s fine.”
She used hand gestures as well as her lips to say,
“If you don’t take it, I’ll spend it on something I like?”
“Then I’ll take it.”
It was a thick white envelope.
I didn’t open it. I simply slipped it into my pocket.
After driving for thirty minutes, we arrived at Dogok-dong Town Palace.
Screeeech.
The moment the car stopped, Maengkkongi opened his eyes and burst into tears.
“Waaaaah~”
“Oh, poor Maengkkong~! You’re awake? We’re home now. You worked hard today, so let’s have a bath and get some good rest, okay?”
“Whiiine.”
After saying goodbye to Manager Yang, I went straight inside the house.
Ahn Hee-soo waved at me.
“Teacher~ It’s quitting time! You can go home. From now on, I’ll wrestle with Maengkkong.”
“Hee-soo, you worked hard today. Thanks to you, I even got to act, and you gave me extra pay on top of that.”
“I’m counting on you from now on. Teacher, you like working with me, right? Good things are only going to happen from now on. Once the drama starts, you’ll be getting acting fees too~ Wow, Teacher, you’re going to be rich! Haha.”
She gave me a mischievous grin, and I waved back.
“I’m heading home. Take care.”
“Teacher! You worked hard today, so let’s take it easy tomorrow.”
“Unfortunately, I’m going to be incredibly busy tomorrow.”
“Huh? Why?”
I answered with a grin.
“It’s the day we sterilize all of Maengkkong’s baby supplies in boiling water.”
“??”
6:30 p.m.
When I stepped outside, the sun was preparing to set.
I looked up at the sky and grinned.
It had been a satisfying, fulfilling, and happy day.
“Oh, right. The money envelope.”
I took the envelope out of my pocket and blew lightly into it.
“Huh? Good heavens.”
When I counted the money, there were forty 50,000-won bills inside.
“Two million won. And it’s not even my salary.”
I was about to get on the bus when I changed direction and headed toward Shinsegae Department Store.
Now that I had some extra money, I planned to buy presents for my parents and younger siblings.
“I wonder how happy they’ll be. Haha.”
It was the first dream I’d ever had.
And this was the first meaningful income I’d earned while chasing that dream.
I happily wondered what gifts I should buy with my first earnings.
Somehow, I could almost hear the lively laughter of my family somewhere nearby, and I found myself smiling.
