Come To Me | A Park Hyungsik Fanfiction ✔️

Caution

(Late June 2017)  

(Hyungsik's Narrative)

In less than four weeks, Ghost The Musical will finally be opened for the world to see.

As I let the heat of the Americano drown my senses, a certain tightness gathered around my shoulders. I closed my eyes and moved my shoulder blades on a backward rotation, hoping to release the tension that was slowly building up.

"Are the nerves finally getting to you?"

A sharp female voice startled my rest, and my eyes flew open. Rising from the couch of the photo studio, I greeted her with delight, welcoming her with open arms. She gladly accepted it, patting me in her usual noona (elder sister) fashion. Although a sunbaenim in the industry, in many ways, she felt like my older sister of three years.

"Mi-Ha sunbaenim!" I called out to her, loud enough for her to hear, but soft enough to not distract the rest of the cast and crew who were working on solo profile shots of the main cast for the musical's promotion materials.

"Ya! Stop calling me that. I've heard enough people calling me sunbaenim around here," she remarked with a shake of her head, "I'm your noona, and you're my dongsaeng (younger sibling). We're just three years apart. Must you really call me that?"

"Well, it is true that you are my sunbaenim. In fact, one that I greatly look up to," I gave her my bow, only to hear her thunderous laughter.

As we both sat on the couch, she picked up the conversation, "Since you love to call me sunbaenim so much, tell me then, what's with the tensed shoulders?"

Although this was not my first musical stage, this being the very first musical where I was leading the cast ensemble, my heart gradually grew weary, practice after practice. The elements of a musical differed greatly from that of a drama production, and concerns clouded my mind, if I was ever doing enough with my role in the musical, on and off stage. Was I setting a good example? Was I taking care of my team members? Was I meeting their expectations – the director, the screenplay writer, the production house, the choreographer, the vocal trainer? The tensed shoulders, were merely an outward product of the burden within.

"Was I too obvious with it?" I looked at my senior, who had a comforting gaze beneath the thick makeup and flamboyant costume of Oda Mae Brown.

"I'd be worried if you weren't worried at all," she chuckled, surprising me with her answer. Crossing her legs, she continued, "Everyone goes through the same emotions as you do, Hyungsik-ah. Pressure is good, it keeps you going, it keeps you grounded. A word of caution though, don't dwell in that state for too long. You just got to keep the show going, no matter what. From what I see, you'll be able to pull through."

"I'll take your words of wisdom, sunbaenim," I breathed in relief, "But I'm curious nonetheless about your last sentence. What makes you so sure that I'll be able to pull this through?"

"Hyungsik-ah, look at those young people, won't you?"

I followed her gaze, and soon found myself focusing on the ongoing individual photoshoots of the three 'Molly's; Hyeyeon included. Wearing a simple blue tank top and a pair of straight cut blue jeans, the three of them could pass off as identical triplets. Even the perm of their hair was styled the same way, with light frizzly curls at the end of their hair length adorning their young and fresh faces.

As the camera flashed before them, one after another, I couldn't help but notice the energy that came from them. So-hee sshi being the more experienced one, she offered guidance and ideas to Hyeyeon and Na-young as they posed for the camera. Hyeyeon and Na-young's interpretation of Molly were subsequently translated into the shoot, and catching a glimpse of Hyeyeon hard at work, and being good at it, I couldn't help but to smile.