Within the spaces

Episode 8

Yoko woke up with annoyance etched across her face. The blaring alarm clock was the last thing she wanted to hear this early. It was 5 a.m., and she could already feel the weight of exhaustion hanging over her. She had stayed up too late scrolling through her phone, trying to distract herself from her thoughts, and now she was paying for it.

She pulled herself out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she tried to shake off the grogginess. Today was another shooting day, and while most people would be thrilled about a scene at the beach, Yoko wasn't. The idea of getting sand everywhere and potentially being drenched in cold water wasn't exactly her idea of fun.

With a sigh, she started packing her bag. It was a scene between Aneung and Neung, one that was supposed to be sweet and playful. Cute, even. Normally, Yoko would enjoy the chance to work on something lighthearted, but today? She wasn't feeling it.

The clock blinked, reminding her it was only 5 a.m., and she had to be out the door soon. They were leaving early to avoid the worst of the traffic and the midday heat. She frowned at the thought. Even if it was just a few hours, waking up at this ungodly hour was never easy for her.

Coffee. That was the only thing that might save her this morning. Yoko made a mental note to pick some up on the way.

As she threw her essentials into her bag, she received a text from P'Wan: I'm outside.

Yoko sighed again, louder this time, the thought of facing another long day making her mood even worse. The idea of having to smile and be cheerful on set, when all she really wanted to do was curl back into bed, felt like a monumental task.

Before heading out, she waved a quick goodbye to her mom, who had woken up early just to see her off. Her mother's concerned look was almost enough to soften Yoko's bad mood, but not quite. With a grunt, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

Outside, P'Wan's car was waiting. Yoko spotted it immediately and walked over, her face set in a frown. She opened the passenger door and slid into the seat, casting a sideways glance at P'Wan, who, oddly enough, was in a good mood. Not the usual frown, no sighs of stress or impatience—just calm. Her cat must have kissed her back.

P'Wan's cheeriness only seemed to irritate Yoko more. Meanwhile, Yoko was determined to maintain her bad mood, frowning as if it were her only defense against the early hour.

"Good morning," P'Wan greeted her with a half-smile.

Yoko didn't bother replying, only muttering something incoherent as P'Wan drove off. The car had barely been moving for five minutes, and Yoko had already sighed dramatically, feeling like it was going to be a long, long day.

The streets were mostly empty, and Yoko could only stare out the window, her annoyance settling in deeper. The last thing she wanted was to shoot a playful beach scene while feeling this grumpy. Every bump in the road, every car they passed, seemed to add to her irritation.

It wasn't just the early start or the idea of being at the beach. Something else was gnawing at her. Maybe it was the weird tension she had been feeling around Faye lately. Or maybe it was the fact that she wasn't ready to face the day's inevitable teasing, splashing around in water, and pretending like everything was light and easy.

I'm not in the mood for this, Yoko thought.

With a sigh that felt like her fiftieth of the morning, Yoko slumped against the seat. The caffeine hadn't hit yet, and her brain was still foggy. She needed something to shake her out of this funk.

Just then, P'Wan stopped the car near a coffee shop. "What do you want?" she asked.

Yoko blinked, surprised. "Huh?"