Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 201

Just as I had immersed myself in the script, filming unfolded in much the same way.

The only real difference was that I wasn’t actually driving.

Since acting while driving was dangerous, the car was mounted on a trailer, and I only had to pretend to steer.

And as we continued filming—

Was Chisako always this good at acting?

The more we synced our performances, the more shocked I became.

She was bringing the exact same emotions I had experienced while reading the script.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much effort she had put in to reach this level.

"After we break up, can you promise not to bring another woman to this rest stop?"

And amidst my silent admiration, the scene continued to flow seamlessly.

"...What?"

"I want to linger. Like today isn’t really the last day."

At her words—no, her character’s words—my gaze naturally drifted to the rest stop sign.

It was a cruel request.

So this is the kind of childish selfishness you have.

I responded, my voice steady.

"You know that’s not possible."

"I know. But this is my selfish wish."

"I didn’t know it ran this deep."

"I never needed to before. I was happy."

"I don’t speak Japanese."

"And yet you just said that in Japanese."

A faint laugh.

This slow, unraveling conversation—

Today would be the last of it.

I felt my grip on the steering wheel tighten.

Wasting strength in the wrong places.

So my body reacts this way too, huh?

Vroooom.

The car quietly pulled into the rest stop.

A place to partially grant her selfish wish.

I deliberately parked as far from the entrance as possible.

Closest to the exit—where she’d have to walk the longest distance away.

"I love you."

The moment she realized the meaning behind my actions, she confessed.

But I had no intention of responding.

Because right now—that wasn’t the right thing to do.

Today was the day to cut the knot.

Yesterday was the last day to tighten it.

"You used to answer me before."

"Didn’t you say I don’t understand Japanese?"

"No, that was my last sentence in Korean. That’s it."

"Why?"

"Because you taught me. Your words are still inside me."

Three years together.

Six years of knowing each other.

Maybe we had actually been dating for six years.

Because even before we admitted it, we had always been in love.

But so many things had happened.

And it was only three years ago that we made it official.

"You know how to say things like that?"

"Guides sell romance for a living."

"I didn’t know that was part of the job."

"You always called yourself a fraud, so I never got the chance to explain."

"I was just stating facts."

"Anyone who read your book wouldn’t think so."

I knew that the longer this conversation lasted, the worse it would be for me.

Before, I would’ve just pulled her into a hug to shut her up.

But now, I only had one option left.

"...Enough. Get out."

"One last selfish request—unbuckle my seatbelt. And... open the door for me."

Her voice was calm.

She called it selfish, but there was nothing immature about it.

It was melancholy.

Like two people desperately trying to hold onto something that was already slipping away.

It was pitiful.

Click.

She stepped out of the car.

And in that moment—

For the first time in three years—

I did ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) something I had never done before.

And then—

Tightly.

The moment I unbuckled her seatbelt—

She suddenly pulled me into an embrace.

A force I didn’t expect.

A strength I didn’t know she had.

I didn’t resist.

Instead, I held her just as tightly.

When untying a knot—

Should you slowly unravel it?

Or sever it in one swift motion?

Without an answer—

We just stood there, holding onto each other for a fleeting moment.

And then—

"Cut!"

The illusion shattered.

From you and me, back to Chisako and Kim Donghu.

"Sniff."

Even after the OK sign, Chisako still couldn’t let go right away.

She was deep into method acting.

A level of emotional immersion that explained why she had acted so naturally.

"Sniff... Donghu-senpai."

"You okay?"

"Yeah... but... if they love each other this much... why do they break up?"

Her voice had steadied a little.

She slowly pulled away, her eyes still searching for an answer.

"Good question."

I hadn’t been given an answer either.

Not from the script, not from my own immersion.

The film only portrayed the process of their breakup—

Never why it began or how it ended.

Like a dream,

it had started in the middle of the story—

without a clear beginning or end.

"You’re not going to tell me, are you?"

"No. Not yet."

I had asked Director Lee Seong-deok directly.

And every time, his answer was always the same.

Not yet.

What wasn’t ready yet?

Only the director knew the answer to that.

"The rest stop is nearly empty right now... It’s the perfect time to shoot. Can we go ahead?"

"I’m good with it."

"Sniff... Me too! I just need to fix my makeup, and I’ll be ready!"

And so, without knowing where the beginning or the end truly lay,

we returned to filming.

Breaking the Knot

Three years—no, six years—of tightly bound knots.

A story about severing them.

We blew on steaming hot roasted potatoes dusted with sugar.