The Changing Tune

Prologue

The dawn sea was dark and serene. Small waves surged gently at the shore, producing a faint and soothing sound. It went back in and out bringing the white bubble and leaving small animals crawling back inside the wet sand.

A few feet from the line where waves kissed the shore, people gathered in a silent crowd. Big camera jib, lightning kit and other shooting equipment could be seen around. In the middle of it was a girl in a long white dress. Her hair flaunted from the cold spring breeze.

A man in his dark blue shirt stood by the edge of the crowd, silently monitoring the activity. He kept watching as the girl moved slowly toward the sea and finally turned around with a gentle and shy smile. At that, the director shouted the cue to stop the filming, and some staffs ran to the girl.

The man smiled satisfyingly, turning to his subordinates standing beside him.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you for the rest of the filming.”

The taller man nodded firmly, two hands clasped tight in front of his lower body.

“Yes, Gwanjang-nim. I will work hard to finish everything well. We will report to you as soon as we wrap it up.”

 “Do well! I’m sorry I get to leave first,” he said, taking a look at his subordinates. Exhaustion was evident on their faces. The black shadow hanging under their eyes and their shirts that had looked crumpled were just one of few signs.

“It’s alright, Gwanjang-nim. We are the one who is thankful you even stayed until this hour. It’s your day off and your mother’s birthday though.”

“That’s right, Gwanjang-nim. Thank you for coming down here,” one of the female staffs chimed in.

It was making him laughed.

“What are you saying, this is my job. You guys really, doing the sweet talk to me won’t make a change in your bonus. Do that to the chairman.”

They burst laughing along.

“Then, I’ll get going.”

He gave every one of them a pat on the back before he bid them goodbye.

"Ne, Gwanjangnim, see you in the office tomorrow."

And off he went looking for a cab.

.

“Be careful on your way,” the older woman said, patting the younger one on the upper arm.

“Yes, Mom, you can go inside now. It’s cold out here.”

She nodded, rushing her daughter inside the waiting cab.

“I get it. Also, Chaewon-ah, don’t forget your appointment for the next Sunday, okay? You won’t make me lose my face in front of my colleague, will you?”

The reflection in her eyes change for a second, but as soon as she felt the emotion creeping up, she blinked quickly.

“I’ll call you later. I’m going.”

She purposely didn’t give the answer that the older woman wanted. There was no use telling an empty promise she would never keep, both of them were aware of that. So, with a smile she tried so hard to draw, she told the driver to start moving.

The woman left smiled eerily. She knew she would never have a ‘no’ as an answer, especially not from her daughter.

.

The man was running through the lengthy platforms of the railway station. The shirt he wore started to get sticky in the back from his sweat. He took a peek at the watch in his left wrist and cursed silently as he got to see where the hour hands rested on.