1RomanceEB Chapter 80 The Tacit Understanding During Filming
Chapter 80 The Tacit Understanding During Filming
Three weeks after filming began, Su Yu visited the set of "Goblin".
That day, they were filming a key scene from episode five—the Goblin rescues his bride in the rain, and the two have their first close-up eye contact. When Su Yu arrived, it was raining, but it wasn't real rain; it was artificial rain.
The set featured a small alleyway with water pipes running from the second floor, water gushing down. Yoon Shi-yoon and Chae Soo-bin stood in the rain, facing each other, two steps apart.
The director yelled "Action!" Yoon Shi-yoon held up an umbrella, a long black one, the rain pattering against its surface. He walked slowly toward Chae Soo-bin, his steps not fast, but each one seemed to be in rhythm.
Cai Xiubin stood in the rain, her hair soaked and plastered to her face, her school uniform wet, but she didn't move, just staring at him. Yin Shiyun walked up to her, held the umbrella over her head, and let half of his own body get soaked in the rain.
"You shouldn't have come here." His voice was low, muffled by the rain, but every word was clearly audible.
"I know." Cai Xiubin looked up into his eyes, "but I still came."
The two looked at each other. The rain was heavy, and the set was quiet. Yoon Shi-yoon's eyes held a weariness that seemed to have lasted nine hundred years, as well as a certain inexplicable stirring. Chae Soo-bin's eyes held a girl's stubbornness, and a determination beyond her years.
The director didn't call "cut." The camera zoomed in, giving a close-up of the two faces. Yoon Shi-yoon's chin was trembling, not from the cold, but from his emotions. Chae Soo-bin's eyes were red, but no tears fell.
"CUT!" the director shouted. "Okay! That's a wrap!"
Yoon Shi-yoon immediately held the umbrella over Chae Soo-bin's head, standing completely in the rain himself. "Are you cold? Go change your clothes."
Cai Xiubin smiled shakily, "Oppa, you should go change too."
The two jogged out of the rainy area, and the assistant handed them towels and hot water. Cai Xiubin, wrapped in a blanket, shivered, her teeth chattering. Su Yu stood behind the monitor, watching the playback on the screen, without saying a word.
Kim Go-eun was there too. She didn't have any scenes to film today, but said she wanted to come and see how the senior actors filmed. She stood next to Su Yu, also watching the monitor. "Soo-bin, this take really captures the right emotion," she said.
Su Yu hummed in agreement.
"Representative, aren't you going to praise her?" Kim Go-eun turned to look at him.
"She doesn't need my praise."
Kim Go-eun paused for a moment, then smiled. "That's true. Just standing here is a compliment."
Su Yu didn't reply.
Cai Xiubin changed into dry clothes, her hair still wet, and walked up to Su Yu wrapped in a blanket. "When did you get here?"
"When you get caught in the rain."
"How long did you watch?"
From beginning to end.
Cai Xiubin smiled and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "How is it?"
Su Yu looked at her. "Very good."
"Is that good?"
"very good."
Cai Xiubin pursed her lips, but her eyes were smiling. Kim Go-eun, watching from the side, couldn't help but interject, "Xiubin, when the CEO was watching the replay just now, she didn't even blink." Cai Xiubin blushed. Su Yu glanced at Kim Go-eun, who pretended not to know anything and turned to leave.
Shirley arrived during the lunch break.
She was wearing a white down jacket with the hood pulled up over her head, and carrying a large bag of coffee. She was there to visit the set, not to see Su Yu—that's what she told Cai Xiubin. "Unnie, you've worked hard. It's cold, have a cup of hot coffee." Shirley handed her the coffee, which Cai Xiubin took and warmed her hands with.
"Unnie, what brings you here?" Chae Soo-bin asked.
"I was just killing time at home anyway, so I came over to watch you guys filming." Shirley glanced at Su Yu not far away; he was talking to the director, a cigarette between his fingers, his brows slightly furrowed. "Has he been sleeping poorly again these past few days?"
Cai Xiubin followed her gaze. "Yes. The filming has just started, there's a lot going on."
"You don't even say anything about him."
"I told him, but he wouldn't listen."
Shirley paused for a moment, then smiled. "He doesn't listen to anyone." Cai Xiubin smiled too. "You are too."
The two women exchanged a glance and remained silent. Shirley distributed the remaining coffee to the staff and walked over to Kim Go-eun. "Go-eun unnie, this is for you." Kim Go-eun took the coffee, said thank you, and Shirley sat down next to her.
"Does Unnie play a ghost in the drama?"
"Hmm. Not much screen time."
"But it's very important. When I read the script, the ghost scenes were the best written."
Kim Go-eun glanced at Sulli. "You've read the script?"
"Su Yu showed it to me. He wanted me to study it."
Kim Go-eun nodded. "He has a good eye for talent. You're a good actress too."
Shirley smiled. "Don't flatter me, unnie, I'll get cocky."
The two chatted for a while, then Shirley stood up and walked over to Su Yu. He had just finished speaking with the director, put out his cigarette, and was flipping through the script in his hand.
"Su Yu".
"Um."
"I'm leaving."
"Be careful on the road."
Shirley looked at him, hesitated, then simply smiled, turned, and walked away. As she reached the parking lot, she glanced back towards the film set; the lights were bright, and shadows flickered. She stood there for a few seconds, then got into her car.
Filming continued in the afternoon. Chae Soo-bin and Kim Go-eun had a scene together—not a direct confrontation, but rather a ghost watching the goblin's bride from a distance. Kim Go-eun didn't need to say any lines; she only needed to stand there and convey emotions through her eyes. The director let her improvise, so she walked to a corner of the set, stood quietly, and focused her gaze on Chae Soo-bin.
On the monitor, Kim Go-eun's eyes were complex. It wasn't jealousy, nor resentment, but a very faint sadness—the sadness of a ghost who had been dead for a long time, watching a living person love another living person. That sadness was that of an observer, not intense, but very persistent.
The director didn't call "cut," letting her stand there. Kim Go-eun stood there for a full two minutes, motionless, her gaze never wavering.
"CUT!" The director stood up. "Kim Go-eun, that was a great take."
Kim Go-eun snapped out of her daze, a little embarrassed. "Thank you, director."
Cai Xiubin walked over and hugged her. "Unnie, the look in your eyes just now gave me goosebumps."
Kim Go-eun laughed and patted Chae Soo-bin on the back. "You're the female lead, don't let me outshine you."
Cai Xiubin smiled and hugged her even tighter.
It was already 9 p.m. when they finished work. Su Yu drove, and Cai Xiubin sat in the passenger seat, reclining the seat and closing her eyes.
"Tired?" Su Yu asked.
"It's alright. It was just the rain that took a toll on my energy." She opened her eyes and looked at Su Yu. "What did you talk to Go Eun unnie about today? I saw her smiling the whole time."
"He didn't say anything."
"You must have said something."
Su Yu thought for a moment. "I said she will achieve great things in the future."
Cai Xiubin looked at him. "And then?"
She said, "Thank you for your kind words."
Cai Xiubin laughed. "She's such a humble person. Even though her acting is so good, she always says she's not good enough."
"That's good," Su Yu said. "Only those who know they're not good enough will keep running forward."
Cai Xiubin looked at him and remained silent for a moment. "You're that kind of person too."
Su Yu didn't speak.
When the car pulled up to her apartment building, Cai Xiubin didn't get out. She turned her head to look at Su Yu.
"Su Yu".
"Um."
"I saw you standing behind the monitor watching me today."
How did you see it while you were filming?
"I saw it," Cai Xiubin said softly. "I could feel it just by you standing there."
Su Yu looked at her without saying anything.
"Please come visit the set more often in the future," Cai Xiubin smiled. "With you here, I can act even better."
Su Yu's lips twitched slightly. "This is kidnapping."
"Kidnapping it is then." Cai Xiubin unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Let's go, let's go home."
The two got out of the car and walked hand in hand into the apartment building. They were the only two in the elevator. Cai Xiubin leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Su Yu looked down at her without saying a word. The elevator doors opened, and he gently patted her shoulder. She opened her eyes and walked out, still groggy.
"What time is the shoot tomorrow?" Su Yu asked.
"Six in the morning. Filming starts at seven after makeup." Cai Xiubin yawned. "Are you coming again tomorrow?"
"Come."
Cai Xiubin smiled, opened the door, and went inside.
The night view of the Han River outside the window was as quiet as ever. Su Yu stood on the balcony and lit a cigarette. He thought of Kim Go-eun's eyes in front of the monitor earlier that day, of the look Sulli gave him when she visited him on set, and of Cai Xiubin in the rain. These women, each one was wonderful, but only one of them was his.
He stubbed out his cigarette, turned around, and went back inside.
Cai Xiubin had already showered and was curled up on the sofa reading a script, her hair still wet. Su Yu went over, took a towel, and helped her dry her hair.
"Tell Kim Go-eun for me tomorrow that I watched her drama and it was very good," Su Yu said.
"Can't you say it yourself?"
"You speak for me."
Cai Xiubin laughed. "You're just shy."
Su Yu did not deny it.
Cai Xiubin nestled into his arms and closed her eyes. "Su Yu."
"Um."
"It's so good to have you."
Su Yu lowered his head and kissed her forehead. The Seoul night outside the window was very quiet.