The Day Doom Knocked on Our Doors

Chapter 3: The Inevitable Encounter

If anyone would ask Bo Young how her sleep has been after last night's weird encounter, there's no need for her to respond for that person to get an answer. The dark circles under her eyes are already telling. It didn't help her case that she was also finding herself waking up in the middle of eating her breakfast.

Of course, In Guk knew, if someone was to ask her how she is, he should be the last person to do so. It's not like he's having a great morning himself. He's barely keeping himself awake. What with last night's news about his and his co-star's apparent death in the near future. He wasn't even sure if he's going to believe that yet even if the fact that the bearer of the news literally shape-shifted in front of him.

How exactly can I function properly knowing I'm going to die soon?

"You just have to." He heard his co-star say.

He looked up from his plate to her who sat across from him. She was looking at her own plate too, blinking at it a couple of times. He can tell she was struggling with her fight against sleepiness that she had to talk to herself to motivate her to continue shooting.

In Guk was so deep in thought as he looked at her that he was surprised when she snapped her fingers in front of him. "You're worse than I am." she said giving him a soft smile.

He wondered how she can even muster to pull up one when he knows that she was told she's going to die soon. Has she decided just right now she wasn't going to believe it? And is she ever aware they're actually going to die the same day?

"No sleep?" She asked making small talk. "Uhu. You?" He asked back. She just nodded in response.

"I seriously can't do this. Should we bail out?" She suggested as she leaned a bit towards him to whisper.

"I had a weird dream last night, or maybe it was a nightmare?" She added leaning back on her chair. "Either way, I can barely memorize my lines."

She wouldn't tell him that weird dream involved him though. Not even after her death. Great! Now it made her remember she only had 100 days left to live. She wasn't even sure she's believing that. She's perfectly healthy. There was no way she would die soon.

"So?" She pressed on. She almost wanted to pat herself on the back for managing to speak casually with him. After her encounter with him in her dream, she knew she'd feel awkward about this inevitable meeting. They are after all the main leads of the series.

There was no way she is shooting a scene with someone who just broke the news to her that she will die soon. Even if that person claimed he's not her co-star, it's impossible not to associate them to each other. She'll have to really convince herself first that she believes it's a dream in order for her to function properly today.

Exhaling uncharacteristically, he looked at her and finally responded. "I don't think we can bail out the whole day. But maybe we can negotiate to finish it earlier?"

"Sounds like a plan." Bo Young nodded in agreement. "Go you!" She added standing up and patting him on the shoulder with a big smile. And then she left him.

In Guk couldn't help but chuckle. She just passed him the task of negotiating.

None of them realized, that in those few seconds, the idea of their nearing death was not in their minds.

----

Cut!

Oh good! I can finally rest.

Nodding at the staff, the director, and all of the crew, Bo Young headed to her van where her manager waited.

"Park Bo Young-shi!"

That was the last thing she heard. The next, she found herself in her co-star's arms. In a state of trance, she wasn't sure if she was hearing his heart beating madly or it was hers.

They stood glued to each other like that until a voice broke the ice.

"Yah! We should have caught that in film!"

It was the director who spoke. He was clapping as he walked to where they were. "That was truly fantastic!" he added when he reached them.

That was In Guk's cue to let her go.

He slowly released her and put his hands in his coat pockets. "You should be careful." He said in an even voice. At least that was what he was aiming for. Hopefully she didn't notice how it cracked.

"Bo Young-ah! Are you okay!?"

Still unsure about what's going on, Bo Young looked at her manager funny. She was being checked from head to foot and she almost laughed at the look of worry on her manager's face.

"She should be. In Guk managed to get to her quickly." The director supplied to lessen the anxiety Bo Young's manager was obviously subjected to. "But, just for good measure, Bo Young-ah, are you okay? I'm sorry I talked about wanting to have caught it in film first. I wasn't trying to be insensitive."

"Don't scare us like that! You almost gave me a heart attack! Why would you cross a street when it's showing you red?"

"I don't think she had enough sleep. She might not have noticed it. It's a good thing that we were able to push filming the scenes much earlier today." In Guk chipped in. 

Before the first take, he talked to the director and asked if they could push the other scenes to be filmed in the evening at an earlier time, especially if it's an indoor scene. While he really also couldn't find it in himself to work until late hours, he just didn't want to disappoint her either. She after all gave him the task to negotiate about filming.

He can understand why she's probably very uneasy today. It hasn't been easy for him too. So he was really glad to have made the negotiation work.

"Park Bo Young-shi, get some good sleep." In Guk said, his fists in mid air to give her cheer. He then nodded to both the director and Bo Young's manager before he took his leave.

The truth is, he's been bothered the whole time on set. While he was telling himself he's not believing what happened last night, he has subconsciously accepted it, hasn't he? Especially if he's thinking the reason why Bo Young wasn't herself today was because of the fact that she too was visited by Myul Mang.

What are the odds of them dreaming of the same thing? He supposed if she called it nightmare, then what Myul Mang said about telling her she would die in the next 100 days wasn't a lie or a part of his dream either. They both met Myul Mang for real and none of them wanted to acknowledge it was true.