Chapter Text
“Huang Renjun, Huang Renjun. Please proceed to Room No. 5. Huang Renjun. Please proceed to Room No. 5.”
Renjun stands up as he hears his name being called over the intercom - the sound monotonous to his ears, empty with no hint of emotion that it makes his hands clammy, his heartbeat spikes up a little as he makes his way out of his seat in the back row. He excuses himself and his duffel bag as he passes several other applicants waiting on the benches, some seemingly trying to make the waiting time useful - a time to practice for the tests. Nobody knows what they are or how they go. Something about company confidentiality or at least that’s what Renjun’s heard.
He shows his identification card to the guard as he gets to the front of the directory and lead to a room. It follows the rest of the buildings interior - monochromatic, the furnitures sleek and most of them white, off-white and gray as the closest hues present. The door is white too except for the plaque, black with an engraved number 5 in silver on it. He’s ordered to leave his belongings by the low table at the side of the door. The guard knocks thrice and the door opens with a click. Renjun is led inside.
📽️
“Huang Renjun, 20 years old, here for the theatrics. Correct?” The examiner, a man who looks like he’s in his mid-20s and not far from his age, asks as he goes over the chart Renjun guesses is his.
He nods once, following the examiner as he leads him to sit on the big chair at the center of the all white room. The chair reminds him of dentist visits which isn’t exactly a comforting people. There’s an array of equipment set on the table across the seat, a polysomnography as he recognizes one of them wired up to a desktop where the examiner, Dr. Kim, as he finds from the guy’s little nameplate on his uniform, takes his seat.
“I believe you have read and understood all the terms and conditions upon signing up for this test. Everything that is to be taken from you and your dream experiences will be kept confidential and will only be used as part of analysis for your qualifications to your desired field of practice.” Dr. Kim says, reading off the words from the screen. Renjun only nods at him again.
Dr. Kim stands up from his seat and fixes Renjun’s position in the chair, inclines the seat to a more comfortable lying position.
“The first test will take at least an hour or so. We will try to go through one cycle of your NREM-REM sleep.” His voice is so monotonous that Renjun wonder if he was a robot. There’s plenty of them working in the city and with the company as big as this, he wouldn’t doubt it. “I will be talking to you throughout the experience and you will be evaluated according to your performance. A probing interview will be done afterwards to assess the experience. If you manage to pass this first test, additional screenings will follow shortly. All to be conducted on a different area. Do you have any questions before we start, Mr. Huang?” Dr. Kim continues, this time looking straight into his eyes after he’s attached the DC Mini to his head, his face blank and showing no signs of emotion.
Renjun’s only heard of the device and had not seen how it looks. Its name was quite the talk of the town for a good while, even up to now if he’s honest. The industry has been booming since its invention from its use in the medical field to entertainment and pure recreation. DC Mini’s premise of seeing one’s dreams real time through a screen and its capability to even let people share these dreams with another individual was something all once thought was impossible.
Renjun’s come here to be a part of the lucid dreamers - someone who is able to retain consciousness during a sleeping state and have some semblance of control over them in different levels; his ability to do so deeming as his chance to get a proper job in his field.
Renjun manages to see how it looks before Dr. Kim puts it on for him. The device is white with a touch of aqua blue color in the shards that Dr. Kim explains are to be connected to the scalp, non-invasively. Its structure is curved enough to wrap around the back of the head, one side dangling to one ear, the end extending to the temporal area. It’s light by the way it feels on Renjun’s head, almost as if it’s not there in the first place.
“I don’t have any.” He speaks once and Dr. Kim nods at him before he returns to his place by the computer. He continues to click and type through his keyboard. The only sound in the room comes from the machines and Renjun’s labored breathing. Anxiety coming as the silence stretches out.
“There is a pill to your right.” Dr. Kim motions to him after a beat, as a part of the arm of Renjun’s seat opens up to reveal the said pill - small, round and baby blue in color. “This will help induce sleep for the smooth sailing of this test. It has proven to have no side effects and will wear off exactly as soon as the test is done. You can take it as soon as you’re ready to begin.”
Renjun takes a glance at the pill, turning to look once to Dr. Kim who gives him a tight lipped barely there smile as he picks it up, swallowing it at once.
(It’s pitch dark.
It’s always how Renjun first finds his dreams before the scene breaks out in front of his eyes. He’s in the same building, the same room where he was being tested by a possible human bot. Only now, he’s alone, standing in the middle of the room with no Dr. Kim watching him through the screen of his computer, checking his vital stats and brain scans every second.
He stands from the big chair and steps out of the room to check the rest of the building. The whole building is silent in its empty state. Not quite scary, just a long stretch of quiet, like a new empty home welcoming his visit even if it has nothing quite to offer.
“Huang Renjun, Huang Renjun. Please proceed to Room Number 5. Huang Renjun. Please proceed to Room Number 5.” The voice over the intercom sounds like his mom this time, comforting and kind in ways that can calm him in an instant.
A quiet mid-tempo music begins to sound after, enveloping the rather empty place with such serenity. Renjun finds himself flowing through the sound. He closes his eyes once and feels as his feet slowly leaves the ground and he levitates in the air. Going an inch higher with every change of key.
He hears Dr. Kim as he’s suspended mid-air.
”Fly to Tokyo, Mr. Huang.”
So Renjun does, flying out of the building to the streets of Seoul, making twirls as he goes, flying through and through up in the air. He feels his hair being carried away by the velocity he’s going. He avoids every cloud he meets, flies lower once he sees an aircraft coming, like he’s part of an undercover mission. He stops when he’s figured he’s gone far enough to be in Tokyo.
Renjun’s never been in Tokyo, but he pictures it as a sea of city buildings from the top, most of them grey in colour, all of them tall, some even reaching up the clouds. He sees the street as busy down below, people walking through the intersections holding on to their system IUs, talking about meetings and deadlines and places they have to be. He lands on a corner street away from the intersection, close to a just opened coffee shop.
”Make it rain.”
Renjun takes an umbrella and manages to open it before the first pour begins from the rather bright and clear sky. He sees the people take off, covering themselves with their bags and coats and anything to try in vain to keep their bodies dry and warm. Everyone’s face is drawn with an ‘X’ mark on it but he knows they’re irritated. He’s never really liked rains either. Renjun didn’t like it when things cry.
He walks ahead, holding to his umbrella that changes color each time a raindrop falls onto it.
”Change locations.”
”Anywhere specific?”
”No.”
The tall walls of buildings start shattering down into pixels, dropping one by one only to disappear as soon as they hit the pavement. The rest of the city wraps itself to form a big giant swirl in the sky, the people being sucked into the makeshift wormhole as Renjun stands in the middle of it all. From his right, the writings on the sign boards rearranges themselves into Chinese characters. The sky turns more blue as the rest of the buildings fixes themselves up to build brick walled temples, molted roofs, the buildings shorter, wearing color across the horizon.
Renjun takes in the sight with a smile.
“What’s the next one Dr. Kim?”
…)
“Welcome back, Mr. Huang.” He hears from his back as he stirs awake. Dr. Kim has completely removed the DC Mini from his head. Renjun blinks multiple times, squinting as he tries to get used to the bright lights again.
“How are you feeling?”
Renjun stretches, tries to move into a different position as he rubs the sleep away. “Like I just woke up.” He says more on impulse, forgetting he’s talking to a doctor and not his flatmates.
“Please expand on it, Mr. Huang. Are you perhaps feeling a little tired?” Dr. Kim asks again and Renjun takes his time to organize his current state. He’s done this over and over but never like this - with someone else’s supervision, someone’s eyes on his mind, his literal mind. He never needed to be this hyper aware of how it is after. If it’s any different than a normal lucid dreamless sleep.
“No. I feel refreshed actually.” Renjun has flown, travelled across countries, made it rain in a span of a single dream. Who wouldn’t feel so grand after that?
“No headaches?”
“None. I just feel a little dazed is all.” Dr. Kim takes these down on his chart, nodding at him a couple of times before he moves to look over at his desktop’s screen, face full-on concentrating.
“Okay. We’re going to do a little check on your history.” Renjun only nods again. “When did you become aware of your ability to be conscious while you’re dreaming?”
Renjun thinks of the first time he did recall about it. He was maybe 7, waking up with the sensation of fire on his mouth - tasting its burn on his tongue, the chemicals mingling together as he wakes up from a dream he wasn’t quite sure was a dream itself. He spends minutes, maybe an hour thinking, feeling so sure he took it upon him to grab the fire with his bare hands. The dream was from the carnival show happening in town that he missed seeing. Little Renjun was sad to not go, imagining all sorts of acts that he could’ve seen if he went right before sleep took over him. Renjun tried subjecting himself to another dream seconds before sleep, back to the carnival, willing himself to know that he’s dreaming all of it while it’s happening.
He spent days, weeks and months figuring out if he’s just thinking it, making himself have his own ability only to find out there’s a whole other loads of people out there who do. Lucid dreaming. That’s what it’s called. Becoming self-aware when in an unconscious state. He’s read accounts that date back to ancient times, some even comparing it to Tibetan Dream Yoga, a path to enlightenment for Buddhist monks.
“How did you know you were in a dream? Did you have cues?” Dr. Kim asks him next.
“There are parts of the dream that isn’t there in ‘real life’ or vice versa.” He says as an explanation. “The dream earlier, you weren’t there. No one was there. Sometimes it’s too easy to know that you just are.”
The test continues with other series of questions - how often does he lucid dream, how long on average do they last, how much control does he think he has over them rating it from 1 as little to no control to 10 of overall command with his dreams. Dr. Kim takes his answers down, not really responding to them. Renjun sees him scrunch his nose once, his eyes squinting for a second as he answers his inquiries and it’s as much emotion as the boy gets from him.
“The results of your first test are above the average of our gathered data.” Dr. Kim says after a while. “Your brain scans are clear, EEG results are normal. You seem to be a perfectly healthy lucid dreamer and candidate, Mr. Huang.”
Renjun is able to breathe through that, giving the other a warm smile that doesn’t get returned. Dr. Kim stands up with his chart and Renjun takes initiative to do the same, moving to get up from the big chair.
“You may proceed to the other screenings. I would have an assistant come with you to the next testing room. Goodluck.”
📽️
True to form, Renjun is led to another room, a little farther from the first room he was in. The hallways say ‘THEATRICS’ and the sight of it gives him butterflies from both nervousness and excitement. Dr. Kim’s assistant makes him wait by the door of one of the rooms before he enters with his chart, sending him a quick goodluck - more professional than personal. Renjun’s name is called over again after a minute.
The next set of tests are all leaning towards acting - Renjun’s chosen field as he filled it in his application form. With the invention of DC Mini, the entertainment industry led by City27 has taken it as their chance to venture in what is now called as lucid dreaming acting - making all sorts of entertainment from movies, one-time features and series by recording the actors’ lucid dreams. The dream are guided and directed with a screenplay and with a small team watching over the dream sequences through the monitor, reducing almost 70 percent of production costs by optimizing the power of one’s mind. In simplest terms as he recalled the company’s president speech when it was first introduced - “it’s the same all acting, just in dreams”.
It hasn’t been a full quarter yet since the very first film made all from lucid dream sequences was released and Renjun has watched it in awe in the cinemas. Nothing is quite as smooth and as clear as the images that he saw, far from the so awarded best cinematography and best computer graphic direction films ever looked like. Everything in the movie looked too real, too good that it hit blockbuster from the first 3 days of showing alone.
The second test was a setting analysation test. Renjun was given half an hour to read through five different well-described and very specific scene settings and a 90 minute time to build it up in his dream as the new doctor attaches the device on him and puts him to sleep. The test graded by how accurate and precise his dream depictions are. The third test was done with an acting bot - his partner named Jungwoo as what the robot introduced himself as he shook Renjun’s hand after they’re given the instructions. Hand warm, smile small and eyes shining. His hair orange and looking more human than Renjun remembers Dr. Kim being. He was to connect with the bots’ dreams, share its dream and exist and control it at the same time. It was tricky. Renjun has never done anything of the likes before. Maybe once when he and Chenle who swore by him he could lucid dream, tried to meet somewhere specific in their dreams - their flat’s rooftop wearing tux and ready to fight. It’s different from that. He was never sure if he made up Chenle in his dream before or if he really met him there. This one is him being inserted in someone else’s dream, going with Jungwoo as it shifts from different scenes and locations, teleporting, making it rain and shine. Connecting.
“This is the last one?” Renjun asks the assistant. This one seems kinder, smiling up to him as she offers him a cup of tea while he waits.
“Last one in here anyways. Once you get casted later if you’re lucky, there will be more.” She tells him.
“Casted immediately?” He asks before taking another sip of his Jasmine tea.
She nods at Renjun. “City27 acts like an entryway for newcomers. Once you get past the initial evaluations, anyone is free to cast you if your performance in this last test comes to their liking.” She leads him to the room and smiles as she points back to her monitor before sending him off. “Good luck. They’re all gonna be watching outside.”
The last test seems to be a combination of all previous tests he’s done. Renjun’s given a screenplay again to do later - a short one with him and another lead he was supposed to be building up in his dream alongside the settings and other minor details - the song playing, the passing vehicles, smoke in the sky among others. There’s a few lines he has to say too. Most of them not making that much sense but are included to test how he puts emotions in them like in acting, like what an actor is supposed to do. If it works well, he’d be doing all of this extensively someday.
Renjun finishes in a little less than an hour and a half. The assistant sends him a quick smile and tells him he worked hard and he flashes her a small smile, feeling a little drained but also content. He’s never ventured that much when he’s dreaming, never had to follow other people’s script and let himself just go with it without thinking much of personal decisions. Everything feels brand new, like he’s starting to just lucid dream again. It’s exciting. It makes Renjun’s insides tingle with new found fire.
Renjun steps out of the testing room with his duffel bag on his shoulder, grabbing his bottle of water inside and a snack bar he’s kept in case he gets hungry. He follows the guard out to another area, feeling like they’re on the opposite side now from where he started hours ago - waiting before his name was called out over the intercom. Renjun bids the guard a short bye and thanks him before he hears his name being called over again in the distance by voices he hasn’t heard before.
“Renjun!” “Mr. Huang!!” The two shout in unison, loud in the almost empty room. He takes the place in. This part of the building seemingly decorated more with color, with television screens lined up from almost every wall showing a side by side viewing of one of the theatrics testing room - the one from the last. It’s showing different view angles of the dream sequences of an applicant - the DC Mini’s doing. The dream sequences were the ones based on the screenplays provided to them beforehand as Renjun identifies similarities in them. There are couches of every color scattered around, poufs and ottomans where a couple of young adults sit, most of them in suits, dressed up and looking all presentable waiting and calling people from left to right.
He sees the two males who were shouting out for him walk close to where he is, trying to get to him faster. The younger looking one even pushes the other guy so he can have an advantage. Renjun squints, tries to identify who they are, one of them looking familiar.
“Is -- that Ten?” He murmurs as the younger looking one gets in front of him, turning his back to what he thinks is Ten, the casting director of the last hit lucid dream film ‘Another World’. Renjun is a huge fan of the movie.
The other guy returns back to him after sending a mocking face to Ten. “Not important.” he begins, extending a hand, “I’m Lee Donghyuck and I know talent when I see one.” Pauses. “And you, Renjun, you’re THE one.” More dramatic than what Renjun thinks is needed. Maybe he was also one of the applicants, he thinks to himself. Lee Donghyuck, he’s never heard of him before.
Renjun stares at the hand before the Donghyuck guy snaps his fingers in front of his face. “Hello? Are you listening? I said I’m from the Lee Productions and we’re interested in casting you for our next film.”
“Me?”
Donghyuck guy almost rolls his eyes at him but stops himself to. He’s the one who needs Renjun and Renjun realizes this but can hardly believe. “Yes, you Renjun. Who else?”
He just gapes at him, the offer still not sinking in. Donghyuck just waits for a few seconds, but soon turns impatient. “We’re inviting you over if you’d like to see what we have to offer you. Mark has already rang me up 20 times since I told him about you.”
Mark. Lee Productions. Renjun tries to make things click in his head. Mark. Lee. Mark Lee, he’s heard of that name before.
“My First and Last?” He asks, as a light bulb just clicked and opened up inside his brain.
Donghyuck nods. “Yeah. My First and Last.”
📽️
Donghyuck, as Renjun finds out on their way to the Lee Movie Lab was also a part of the team who created My First and Last - a coming of age film of 7 young boys going through a series of adventures using different forms of transportation from old age hoverboards to mini cooper cars to actual flying.
Most of them were due to product placements, as what the team shared on the interviews after the film was shown, advertisements needed to be there because they helped fund the film. No one really paid a big attention to the idea of lucid dream acting but My First and Last changed the game. The team had made so much more story despite all the products they had to use. They made a film that touched every viewer’s hearts. A movie that had stayed in Renjun’s mind up until now. Mark was an assistant director at the ripe age of 21 to Johnny Seo, the film’s director who had mentioned that they couldn’t have made it without Mark and the rest of the team but specifically Mark. Mark’s vision who had but pieced together the images of the full length feature.
Renjun has kept an eye on Mark since, hearing he’s finally been given the chance to produce one of his own, his own full film. That’s where Renjun hopes he’s heading, following Donghyuck as they march away from City27’s enormous building.
📽️
“We’re offering you the role.”
Mark’s first words to him were those 5 words. Renjun can only gulp.
It took them one short ride to reach the Lee Movie Lab. It’s a three story building that anyone could’ve mistaken as a mini hostel weirdly placed in the middle of tech district. Donghyuck has briefed him a little about the film, the genre falling into futuristic, sort of post-apocalyptic, action and romance. Donghyuck said it’s totally mind-blowing. Renjun really didn’t get what to make of it though.
Mark smiles up to him as he waits for Renjun’s reply to the offer. Donghyuck is sitting by the edge of Mark’s table, smirking at him as well. “We’re sending you a copy of the final draft of the screenplay and you can come back here in 3 days to see if you would want to take it. 3 days. We’re trying to keep a schedule, Renjun-ah.” Mark follows up when he doesn’t speak.
He nods, tries to hide away the blush forming from being called as that. They talk some more about movie and things about pre-production that Renjun still can’t wrap his head around with. They might have talked about which part he’s playing or when will filming start but it’s all fuzzy noise in his brain. Renjun keeps nodding to whatever he’s been told.
“We hope to see you in 3 days.” That’s much as he understands before he’s sent out by the two. 3 days to decide if he’ll take it. Not that he needs that much time to decide, Renjun thinks. It’s his first full feature offer and with the company that changed the movie game too. He’d be an idiot to miss the chance.
Renjun lingers at the door of Mark’s office as he closes it, grabbing the handle tightly. He can faintly hear Mark and Donghyuck’s conversation against the door.
’I trust you on this, Hyuck.’ / ‘Hmmm.’ / ‘What about Jaemin? We have to make sure we’ll get him.’ / ‘Don’t worry, bighead. I’ll get him for you.’ / ‘Okay.’ / ‘Okay.’ /
📽️
As Renjun predicted, it only took him a day to decide that he’s doing it, walking to the movie lab’s building with his own printed copy of the screenplay that he’s read 5 times over and over on hand. He was sure when he first stepped in the building and he’s more than sure now that he’s taking the role and hopes to god that he’ll give it justice.
“You sure about this? You still have two days.” says Mark as soon as he tells him the yes after knocking in his office’s door. They have moved to a conference room, now with Donghyuck standing on Mark’s right and another boy, Jisung, who Mark introduces as his assistant.
“I’m sure.” With confidence, staring right into Mark’s eyes before he gets too self-conscious. Donghyuck smirks at him again as he says “Don’t make me regret choosing you then.”, patting his shoulder a little too hard before he pushes him into a seat. Mark and the assistant following after.
“We have a lot to cover now that you agreed.” Donghyuck walks to the center of the table, clicking a remote to turn on the screen before them. Donghyuck was about to start when Renjun interrupts him with a question.
“Excuse me, uh - can I know who I’m playing first?” As far as Renjun knows about lucid dream movie productions, only main characters are casted for filming as the minor ones can be well, ‘lucid dreamt’ according to the descriptions set out. The script stars two male leads. Maybe he’s being too carefree by accepting without being sure who he’s playing, but he’s read the script and he’d play any of the two if he were honest. “Is it Inseong?” Inseong is a man in his early 20s, smaller than Byul, the other main character, more reserved and only does what is expected of him.
Donghyuck nods. “Yeah, you’re Inseong.” Looking like he’s annoyed by the fact that he got interrupted but keeps it in.
“May I know who’s playing Byul?” Renjun asks again. He has an idea from the conversation he overheard from yesterday but no one needs to know he heard any of it.
“Ah, we still -” “It’s Na Jaemin.” Mark and Donghyuck answers at the same time. Mark looks at Donghyuck, scrunching his forehead, talking in stares until he gives in like he’s lost against the other. Renjun doesn’t know what to make of that dynamic. Donghyuck turns to look back at him.
“It’s Na Jaemin. He’s kind of still busy at the moment you know with all the offers after ‘My First and Last’ but it’s him.”
Right.Renjun is going to be working with Na Jaemin, a big star, one who is considered of the best among new actors and lucid dreamers. One that got his interests piqued up from the moment he’s seen him on screen during the opening scene of ‘My First and Last’; talk about first impressions. If that’s not enough pressure, Renjun thinks as Donghyuck begins his presentation, he doesn’t know what it is, but he also thinks of it as exciting, thrilling, something to look forward to. He’s going to be the lead star for a full length feature with Na Jaemin as his co-lead. He thinks of acting as something that’s always been made up of contradicting things and at present, with him working with the bests in this field, everything feels too good to be true.
Donghyuck makes a run through of the script again for him, highlighting the main points. The movie is going to be called ‘Walk You Home’ and it follows a story of two of the government’s best agents - Inseong and Byul, partners and lovers, hence the romance from Donghyuck’s earlier categorization. They are sent out on a mission in one of the war zones, war zone 58, one they haven’t been into before, where Inseong dies tragically in front of Byul’s eyes. Byul eventually returns to camp, devastated and feeling the loss of his partner all too painfully that it affects his job as an agent. The government, ever so considerate and concerned that they’ll be losing two of their agents instead of one, ‘revives’ Inseong through the new technology offered in the city, producing an exact copy, a ‘clone’ of Inseong with his stored consciousness and data. Byul gets his memory of the accident back in the war zone repressed and wakes up with Inseong at his side like he never died at all. Renjun kind of thinks it’s funny that he’s playing a clone for his first film when he spent much of his time during his first test doubting if Dr. Kim, the doctor, is a robot. Robots and clones are close to one another, he thinks. Maybe that’s how foreshadowing works in real life.
Movies made out of lucid dreams fall on these action and sci-fi genres as these dangerous, unrealistic and heavily computer graphic based movie scenes are easier and more believable to build in one's mind than in actual real life sets. Renjun didn’t think he’d take this path when it came to acting, looking back at his portfolio with his past short acting jobs in the more drama inclined genres with no superficial elements included in them, but he takes it as a welcome challenge.
“Okay, now time to brief you on how the filming goes for our production.” Donghyuck says as he exits one of the presentations opened on the screen.
“We have to start with a lot of scene tests first.” Mark speaks this time from across the table. “We have to make sure that the setting of your dreams will match accordingly with the ones described in the script. The actors’ vision - your vision is vital to the success of lucid dream films.” Mark tells Renjun, looking straight into his eyes seriously, deep and with intention.
“We’ll go over yours and the other lead’s dream sequences once we go into testing to see what we’ll be using for each scene. You’re familiar with the concept of dream sharing right?”
Renjun thinks he’s referring to the one he did with the dream actor bot, Jungwoo, back in City27 so he nods. “Yes.” Voice little and unsure.
“It’s your first time right? So know there’s gonna be a lot of that for the duration of filming.” Mark says at last before he turns to the boy, Jisung who passes along a message for him.
“Scene tests will start first thing Monday next week and all you have to do is be here at 8. If there’s any more questions, you can ask them now.”
It wasn’t really his intention to ask but with all the talk about the filming process, Renjun can’t help but blurt out: “When can I meet Jaemin?” Curiosity eating him up and brain to mouth filter losing its function at the moment.
“I’d just like to get a headstart for the film. The leads have a very deep connection and I figured we’d have to work with that to make it convincing on screen. I’m sorry if that sounded demanding.” He says as an excuse, glad his brain could come up with a realistic reason. Script readings usually go first before camera tests but then again, this is his first time with this kind of production so he wouldn’t know how it goes.
Mark turns to stare at Donghyuck who answers him with a smile. “Soon. You’ll meet him soon.”
📽️
Donghyuck’s “Soon” is enough to keep Renjun in good spirit all throughout his remaining shift at Chenle’s family owned restaurant.
“Na Jaemin? Weren’t you in love with him after we saw that film?” Chenle questions him as he finishes wiping the last table.
“I wasn’t. He was just really good, you know, but yeah, it’s him. Donghyuck said I’ll see him soon.”
Chenle just continues to stare, not really pushing the in love thing on, drops it before Renjun fumes. They finish cleaning up the tables when Chenle pops up a question again. “Wait who’s Donghyuck?”
Come Monday though, Renjun enters the Movie Lab again and sees no Jaemin in sight.
“Where’s Jaemin?” He asks Jisung who is sitting next to him as they wait for Mark and Donghyuck. It seems like they’ll only be the ones that will look over the whole process and Renjun actually feels relieved at that.
Jisung only gives him a shrug, continuing with his game until they hear the door open to reveal Mark and Donghyuck with cups of coffee on hand.
He repeats the question after greeting them and it’s returned with a long stare, Donghyuck waving his hand up in the air as Mark explains it to him “His schedule can’t do on times you’re actually free this week.” Jaemin is currently working on a series too at the same time and Mark said they’re lucky he’s even agreed to do his film despite that. Renjun tries not to frown at that although he’s prepared himself to ask about reading scripts together for practice.
“We have to work on weird schedules but I’m sure you two can figure it out later.” Mark reaffirms him before he’s asked to lie down in the bed, Donghyuck attaching the DC Mini to his head. Jisung seems to be the one monitoring his health state as he moves over by the one of the desktops’ screens. He didn’t have to wonder for long how a kid who seems to be much younger than him despite the height can be trusted with such as Donghyuck tells him before Renjun even gets a chance to ask. “Jisung’s a bot so you’re safe if you’re worried no one will look out for you here.”
The testing is similar to the 2nd test he went through in City27 only this time he’s shown an image of the scene first, one that’s taken from Mark’s lucid dream. He’s guided too by both Mark and Donghyuck until they deem it accurate enough.
The scene test go on for the next days too. Renjun hears from Jisung that Jaemin had been around late last night for his scene tests and the news spike his energy up to know that Jaemin really is doing the film and it’s not some bait for him to not back out. Not that he would if Jaemin isn’t the lead. This was his goal, having a big star next to him is a bonus.
Talking to Jisung before they start work has been Renjun’s kind of thing too. Jisung always seem to be the first one to be in the test room with Mark and Donghyuck coming in together a little later with their supply of morning coffee.
“Are they dating?” Renjun asks on the second morning. Jisung pauses his game to look at him in question, staring with innocent eyes that are too emotive to be a robot’s.
“Donghyuck and Mark?” Renjun clears himself.
Jisung turns his head away from him to stare at the wall on the other side of the room. “They wouldn’t appreciate you being nosy.”
“Not nosy. Just curious.” He protests before the subjects of their topic enter the room. That’s much of what his and Jisung’s conversations go normally before scene tests and in between them, but it’s better than nothing at least. Plus, Renjun’s taking notes on how robot Jisung acts around for character study as per Mark’s approval. Not that it would be much needed, as Mark tells him each time they discuss. The clones in the movie act human like, there’s almost no direct way to identify who’s human or not.
Renjun follows Mark and Donghyuck to the tables. “Hey Donghyuck, can I see how Jaemin’s scene tests go?” He greets Donghyuck with that one day instead of his usual good morning.
Donghyuck just takes a sip of his coffee, placing it back on the table before he clicks play on the video that was on the desktop screen without any reply: JM_SC_1. Renjun thinks he’s warming up to Donghyuck better. The other seem to glare at him less these days so he takes that as positive progress. Renjun takes the swivel chair beside him, probably Mark’s, and watches as the video unfolds.
This goes on for the next couple of days - Renjun coming for the scene tests during the day and Jaemin coming around at night. Never crossing each other’s paths so far. Renjun doesn’t want to say he’s disappointed but he’s gone maybe a little impatient about it.
📽️
The first time Renjun meets Jaemin comes unannounced. Renjun walks into Mark’s office expecting what’s hopefully his last day of scene testing when he sees the three - Mark, Donghyuck and Jisung already huddled up at the desktops like they’re going through a dream sequence recorded by the DC Mini.
Jisung is the first and only one to notice him as he closes the door. “He’s here.” Jisung announces and from the speaker, he hears someone ask “Who? Oh. Is it Renjun?” The voice going up a litte, too cheery to be either Mark or Donghyuck at 8 am and sounds so much like Jaemin. The Na Jaemin.
Renjun walks over to where the desktops are. The testing room is just across, visible through the glass wall, where he sees Jaemin, lying down on the chair bed with a DC Mini attached to his head, looking peaceful as he sleeps.
Renjun looks at the screen this time and sees Jaemin, the one from the lucid dream, waving his hand up, although not really knowing where to look or if he’s waving to where Renjun is. Renjun waves back awkwardly.
Donghyuck finally turns to him at once and says “Let’s get you hooked up.” first thing to him, walking towards the chair beds.
So Renjun’s first meeting with Jaemin happens inside his dream. In Jaemin’s dream to be specific. Not his this time. The amount of times he’s dreamt Jaemin the past week was something that no one needed to know. Especially not Chenle. Renjun’s also doing it for practice, throwing the lines at Jaemin for the real deal which he guesses is soon to come, with him now inside Jaemin’s dream for the scene tests.
(Renjun enters the scene of Jaemin’s dream. It looks like it’s one of the first scenes of the film. It’s the scene before they were sent out to warzone 58 at the headquarters’ locker area, gearing up for their trip.
He sees Jaemin in front of him, smiling big up to him as he holds out his hand. Jaemin’s dressed in sweats and a white shirt, hair unstyled and looking good even without make-up. Renjun has to take his time to stare until he realizes he should take the other’s hand and say something to introduce himself properly.
“Hi! I’m Renjun. I hope we have a good time working together.” Renjun says, trying his best to not stutter with his words.
“Hi Renjun! I hope for the same thing.” Jaemin’s voice sound low, a little deeper than from the first time he’s rolled Renjun’s name on his tongue.
”Okay. Let’s get back to work.” Mark’s voice sound through the dream as they let go of each other’s hands.
”Since you two are here, let’s try out some scenes.” says Mark. Scene 24? Before departure? Remember this is the last time before the incident that Byul and Inseong spend time together. Like some unspoken goodbye. ”
Jaemin turns to look and gives him a small smile, warm and bright, before giving a nod to Mark. Renjun takes it as his turn to nod too. “Okay.” He sees Jaemin take a deep breath from his periphery and within seconds, feels a difference in his aura. Like he’s transformed into someone else. There’s no longer unstyled hair and sweats. Jaemin feels bigger, stronger in his agent uniform but still radiating warmth much like Byul. Now that Renjun sees it with his own eyes, there really is no doubt that Jaemin is the perfect actor for him.
”Whenever you’re ready.” They hear Mark through the dream again.
Renjun takes some seconds, already transforming himself into his own agent uniform. The scene starts with them fixing themselves up, preparing their microchips that will help them communicate when they’re on the ground. Byul comes up to help Inseong attach his properly.
”ACTION!”
They start the scene. In Renjun’s periphery, he sees Jaemin finishing up with his microchip, taking one last sweep on his hair through the mirror before he notices Renjun struggling with his. Renjun feels him move even before he sees Jaemin do it, grabbing one of his hands to do the work instead.
“Best agent but still don’t know how to put this huh, Inseongie.” Jaemin throws out his first line, curling the words as what the script told him to do so - something that still makes Inseong a little flustered, covering it up with annoyance even though he enjoys the treatment.
Renjun rolls his eyes but lets Jaemin continue as per script. He watches as Jaemin attaches his microchip, turning his head a little to get a better view of Jaemin’s face, observing his features.
Jaemin finishes with a little soft rub on the chip attached to the back of Renjun’s ear and a soft blow to his ear, causing Renjun to wince, glaring at Jaemin for doing that - something that Byul does to ease out Inseong’s nerves every time before battle. Inseong usually takes revenge by tickling Byul’s side but for once, in this scene, he doesn’t. Like Inseong’s gut feeling that this will be their last time actually seeing each other kicks in, as per Renjun’s understanding of the scene.
Renjun stares at Jaemin again, Jaemin still with a warm smile on his face, his stance ready to defend himself from the tickles that don’t come. “You don’t look like you ever age.”
....)
The scene tests end well. Mark asked them to practice some more scenes after they’re done with Scene 24 even though it wasn’t part of the schedule. Might as well, he said. They still have some time left.
He and Jaemin tried out the lines from scene 47 where Byul prepares breakfast for him and Inseong the morning the clone Inseong comes home. Byul messes up their eggs by putting too much salt on it, which he blames on his excitement. ‘It’s like I haven’t seen you in weeks.’ Clone Inseong just nodding to agree, and still eats Byul’s food to make him happy, letting him share what he’d missed while he was gone. It goes well on the first take and they hear Donghyuck clapping from where he is, Mark shouting ‘CUT!’ after.
“Your chemistry! Impeccable!” Renjun hears Donghyuck say once they’re woken up from the dream. “We could even use that for the actual film. Right Mark?”
Mark agrees, a big grin on his face that makes Renjun feel relieved. “You two figured it out faster than we expected.” Even Jisung looks as if he agrees, clapping his hands again.
Renjun thanks them and tells them he’s glad it turned out that way. He hears Jaemin say thanks as well but before Renjun could ask what he personally thinks about the scenes, Jaemin seems to be leaving.
“I have to go to another filming now, sorry.” Jaemin tells them as he stretches his arms from sleep, grabbing a cup of coffee as he walks away from the bed. He turns to look at Renjun, shaking his hand in a non-dream state this time, before he completely goes saying only three words to them: ‘see you soon’. Mark and Donghyuck bidding him a quick goodbye and goodluck. Renjun’s proposal for them to do more rounds of rehearsal for the other scenes left hanging at the tip of his tongue.
📽️
The first day of filming comes with no other combined rehearsals. Renjun has tried asking Donghyuck a few times, but unfortunately Jaemin’s busy wrapping up the filming for his new series to do them. Renjun has to do them on his own.
He arrives half an hour early than the usual time to the Movie Lab greeting Jisung as he takes a seat next to him.
“You’re early today.” says Jisung more as an observation.
Renjun gives him a forced smile, feeling jabs in his stomach that he gets from anxiety. “First day jitters, I guess.” He woke up earlier than usual today too, barely getting sleep but he figured it’ll be fine since he’s gonna be asleep the whole day for filming anyways.
Jisung gives him a short nod, acknowledging his reply before he continues his game play, today a soccer game. Being earlier than usual gives him more waiting time before Mark and Donghyuck arrive for the day’s schedule, so Renjun tries to gauge more from Jisung, tries to use it to distract him from his nerves. “Do you know Jaemin?”
Jisung pauses his game again, removing his earphones before he takes a look at Renjun. His stare is distant, like he’s looking past Renjun even though they’re eye to eye. “Who doesn’t?” Jisung answers simply but not turning to go back to his game like he usually does when he thinks Renjun is being too nosy.
Renjun takes this as his chance to continue. “I mean beyond what everyone knows. I figured you worked with him before.” He pauses, tries to formulate his next question better, more professional, but he doesn’t think it got better. “What is he like off-camera?” The Jaemin he knows from the interviews and the videos of him frame him as a sweet, nice guy, easy to be friends with and works hard on his craft. He doesn’t have any social accounts to keep track on what he does out of work but all the headlines go with a sweet prince persona.
Jisung just keeps his stare, face blank as he points out. “You’ve met him off-camera.” Stating facts.
“Yeah, barely.”
Jisung hums short. “That’s him you met.”
“As what I said barely. You’ve met him longer.” Renjun says as best as he can without making him sound frustrated. Jisung seems to be unnerved by the little change in his tone. They hear a click as the door opens with Jaemin walking in, a cup of coffee on his hand.
“He’s exactly just how you met him.” Jisung says, moving his eyes to Jaemin before he picks his phone again to continue his paused soccer game.
📽️
(”Okay. Everything is set now. You two ready?”
Renjun nods shortly as he hears Mark’s words. From his periphery, he sees Jaemin do the same, smiling. They’re in Jaemin’s dream for the first scene, in their agent suits again - a black bodysuit lined with white thick lines along the arm sleeves and the inseams of the pants, covering their whole body except the neck up and their hands, a logo of their agency on the upper right of their chest, finished with a magnetic belt around the waist and another on their left thigh to hold their additional guns.
Renjun tries his best to stay focused, turning to face Jaemin as they get ready to film the first scene. They’ve done this last week during the scene test, he reminds himself. His face fully determined, manning himself to act as Inseong, one of the best agents in the world.
”Camera rolling… 1, 2, ACTION!”
Jaemin turns to face Renjun, looking straight into his eyes. They talk with their eyes as the script says. Renjun (Inseong) nods to signal he’s ready. Jaemin (Byul) opens up his hand, clasping onto Renjun’s smaller one, placing his right hand on top of Renjun’s, moving to intertwine their fingers then back to a clasp like their own form of handshake. Jaemin grins, letting Renjun’s hand go as they look far ahead to that day’s mission - war zone 44.
They run into two different directions, killing the enemies and hitting them with accuracy. The scene rolls on for five minutes tops, retaking it for two more times after the first one before they hear Mark say his final ‘CUT’ for the scene.)
They move to the next scene as soon as the first is done. For the first half of the first day of filming, they’re doing scenes from Jaemin’s vision, the second half from Renjun’s as decided after the results of the scene tests they’ve done the week prior. Everything has been going smoothly as what both Mark and Donghyuck told them, followed by a ‘well, most of what’s filmed so far isn’t that challenging so it’s just right that you two are doing good’ that Renjun can’t quite relax during the break.
Jaemin quickly left the room as soon as they finish their lunch. Donghyuck explains it to Renjun as “It’s just his thing. He needs to go out every break during filming.” Renjun doesn’t dare ask more.
Since it’s the first day of filming and they only had to do 3 takes at most for each scene so far, saving them time, Mark and Donghyuck gave them a little extended break. Renjun decided he’d go out for a little stretch and some air before they start filming again. It’s his turn for vision manning later after the break, he figured he’ll need some zen time for that.
Renjun climbs up to the building’s rooftop for the first time and sees Jaemin already there, with another cup of coffee in his hand. He considers leaving him be but decides he wants to talk to Jaemin, still on the actor-actor bonding agenda. Renjun needs this film to go as smoothly as it did earlier and he knows it won’t happen if there’s no connection. At least a little, between them to make it work. Work like magic. Like what ‘My First and Last’ did or even better.
Jaemin notices him as he walks closer to him, giving him a blinding smile as he covers his eyes from the sun. “What are you doing up here? Are they asking for me?”
Renjun shakes his head. “No, we’re still on break. I just needed some air.” He takes a seat in the shade beside Jaemin, but not too close. The space is enough to fit at least Jisung in between them comfortably.
“It isn’t easy right? Some people think we just dream and have it easy when we film.” Jaemin shares, a little bounce in his words that Renjun can’t help but smile. Too embarrassed to admit that he was once a part of those who didn’t think this whole lucid dreaming acting wasn’t what he thought it was pre getting casted by Donghyuck back in City27. Wasn’t this challenging. Wasn’t this all fun either.
“It’s your first time right? What do you think?” Jaemin asks him, turning to look at him.
Renjun tries to focus on his experience and not on Jaemin’s stare on him. There hasn’t been much on the acting part that he could talk about extensively but the process itself has been entirely renewing for him. “It’s cool.” His lack of descriptive phrasing failing him at best today. Jaemin snorts at him, looking fond or Renjun hopes he is. “I just haven’t done this much about lucid dreaming. It feels all new.”
Jaemin just hums as an affirmation. “If you still don’t get Mark and Donghyuck, they don’t mean any harm earlier. Just their way of saying we should keep it up. Don’t worry, you’re doing well as what they said.”
Renjun gets it. The past weeks he’s spent with the two kind of made him used to how they act when it comes to production. They’re professionals at a young age. Renjun really admires them for that. He and Jaemin keep mostly silent after that. For a while, he finds himself staring at Jaemin’s face, the boy’s eyes closed now, resting. He thinks about some more questions he wants to ask, but he figures he could save them for later.
After 10 minutes, they both feel their phones vibrate in their pockets, taking one look from each other to know that it’s most likely Donghyuck and Mark. Maybe they do have connection.
“I hope you keep having fun.” Jaemin says before standing up, offering his hand for Renjun that reminds him of their opening scene earlier that morning. They head back together to the filming lab for the rest of their schedule.
📽️
The filming continues. The schedule says there are 3 weeks of filming for the 120 scenes of the film, the length of filming bordering at how long indie films are usually done. ‘It’s tight.’ as Mark explains to him and Jaemin on separate occasions, but it’s workable, manageable. Everything has been going according to plan, they’re a bit quite ahead of the schedule, according to Donghyuck. Something that Renjun feels both ecstatic and regretful about.
He’s excited for the whole movie to be done quicker. That way he can see the whole thing soon, all he’s had so far are glimpses of their takes. ‘As good as we wished it would be.’ as Mark describes them, smiling more and more on the set as the days go by. Even Jisung complimented him a week into filming when he came in for that day’s schedule. The regret part just comes, although he would never fully admit it, with the fact that his days with Jaemin are numbered. A week and a half into filming now and the questions he saved for Jaemin still remains unspoken. Their conversations in between takes have been professional in nature, giving each other constructive advice on how to make the scenes better, sharing them with Mark who pitches in with his opinions. Their conversations off-cam have been more minimal, just casual and leaves no room for Renjun’s unanswered questions.
Renjun tried to go to the rooftop first, hoping that Jaemin would follow him soon after. His little hopeful mind going on and on about on-screen partners turned real life lovers, after that brief interaction during the first day, only to be let down after waiting half an hour and coming back to see Jaemin passed out on the couch back in the filming lab. He understands that the lucid dream acting can be draining and Jaemin deserves all the rest he can get. Maybe Renjun, in what Chenle calls his infatuated state, wishes they can rest together instead, side by side, in a dreamless sleep this time.
Renjun’s thoughts don’t help the fact that their first kiss scene is to be filmed later that day.
“Hey, do you think Jaemin hates me?” Renjun ends up confiding to Donghyuck. Not his first choice but Jisung kind of dismissed him with “Jaemin? Hating you?” and a snort that isn’t much helpful so he only has Donghyuck as his last resort. Mark not even considered as part of the choices. Renjun can’t risk asking his director.
“Is this about the kissing scene later?” Donghyuck inquires, squinting his eyes as if he’ll see through Renjun’s soul if he does.
Renjun shrugs. “Just answer the question or I’ll spill you and Mark.” Not that he’s anyone big to spill something. The most he can do is tell Chenle and even if Chenle’s got a big mouth, who will even believe him? Plus, it’s not like Renjun’s got evidences on the two, all he has is his hunches.
“How did you even come up with Jaemin hating you theory anyway?” Donghyuck asks taking a full look on him now.
He tries to rationalize his thoughts. Jaemin has been civil, has not raised his voice at him or even showed any kind of negative reaction towards him except some non-offensive chuckle at times when he and Jisung joke around and he replies with not-so-funny remarks. Jaemin has been nothing but kind. So why does he feel this way? He can’t even answer Donghyuck’s question.
Donghyuck smirks at him like he knew Renjun couldn’t say anything. “He’s busy enough okay. I’m pretty sure he likes you as a person and doesn’t hate you as you think so relax.”
📽️
(Renjun forces himself to relax.
”We’re filming Scene 45. Byul wakes up with the new Inseong on his bed after the government’s efforts. This scene has to be done with the correct emotional direction so how do you think it should go Renjun?” Mark asks before they start. He never fails to take into account if he and Jaemin are on the same page with him before they start filming, especially the more emotionally driven scenes.
“Byul hasn’t seen Inseong for a couple of weeks and while his memory of the incident has been repressed, I believe from the script that the emptiness Byul felt from losing Inseong still resurfaces albeit unexplained, not understood.” Renjun starts, treading his words carefully as he speaks. “This scene should be filled with such relief like it’s -” He pauses, not really finding the right words.
“Second life.” Jaemin finishes for him instead, giving him that same radiant smile that Renjun can’t decipher if it’s directed for him as Renjun or as Inseong. Or if it even matters.
”Okay, good. All we have to do now is to turn that into action.”
Renjun takes a huge breath. The kiss happens a little after the start of the scene where Byul tackles Inseong into a hug as soon as he realizes Inseong is there beside him in bed and kisses him full on the lips, long and sweet, with tears rolling down on his cheeks that Byul can’t explain the reasons behind himself. They move to the bed and settle on a comfortable positions. The scene is a little funny in Renjun’s head when he first read it. They were asleep outside of this dream and were about to lucid dream themselves sleeping in this scene. Now he just feels nervous, his heart thumping loud he doesn’t know if Jaemin could hear it from where he is lying close to him in bed.
”Camera roll…. ACTION!”
Renjun is on the bed, sitting straight and firm, waiting for Jaemin as Byul to wake up. An alarm goes off, loud, stirring Jaemin awake. Jaemin stretches, scoots a little closer to the bedside table where his alarm is, from the side where Renjun is seated. Renjun turns it off himself according to script. Jaemin brings his stretched out hand back down after hearing the alarm turn itself off, where his hand falls onto Renjun’s lap. Renjun tries to not shake from the contact, that isn’t part of the script and it isn’t time to improvise.
Jaemin takes a peek on where his hand landed, squinting his eyes that he has barely opened and gapes upon seeing Renjun’s face. Five seconds, as what the script says, five seconds before -
Jaemin jumps into Renjun’s arms, bringing him down in the bed as he does. Jaemin doesn’t feel that heavy against Renjun’s body despite the size difference and Renjun reminds himself to breathe, his heart thumping even more loudly with their proximity.
Then the kiss happens. Renjun meets Jaemin’s eyes for a split second before it, before Jaemin leans in, careful not to put all his weight down onto Renjun’s small body. Renjun feels Jaemin’s lips on his before he feels their chests touching, feels it as Jaemin sighs into his mouth and into the kiss. Renjun moves his hand and wraps it around Jaemin, placing his palm on Jaemin’s nape as he angles to deepen the kiss, their mouths moving in tandem.
Renjun can’t help the soft mewl that comes out of his mouth as they continue to kiss, out of the script but it’s too late before he realizes that, before he can let it out. He feels Jaemin’s smile on his lips after and wishes it means he’s not the only one who seems to be enjoying it.
”The lines.” They hear Mark in the middle of the kiss reminding them of where they are and what they’re doing, causing for Jaemin to halt the kiss, not abruptly but as natural as he cans. Jaemin lifts his head up a little to look straight into Renjun’s eyes, his expression looking like he can’t believe Renjun is there. There are tears welling up on the sides of his eyes and Renjun gets reminded of how good of an actor Jaemin is.
“You’re here.” Jaemin says his line with such relief, before he dives back in and hides his face on the curve between Renjun’s neck and shoulder. Renjun could smell Jaemin’s cologne from their intimate position and he wonders if that could be a thing in lucid dreaming, if he made it up or Jaemin made it up in this dream even though it wasn’t part of the script at all. Jaemin smells of autumn, woody but not strong, just enough for it to linger like a melancholic memory.
“You smell nice.” Renjun says as an impulse, forgetting that isn’t a part of his lines. He was supposed to say ‘I’m here’, reassure Byul about his presence, but he doesn’t hear anything from Mark and instead hears a soft chuckle from Jaemin still buried deep down on his neck and shoulder line.
Jaemin lifts his head up after a while and they kiss for the second time.)
📽️
The remainder of the filming goes on without much problem. It amazes Renjun how there hasn’t been a big mishap in the duration of their filming despite having such a small team. He felt more relaxed after his first kiss scene with Jaemin too, that it has become easier to portray the intimate and deep connection between his character, Inseong and Jaemin as Byul.
A day doesn’t pass without Donghyuck telling the rest of the team how great he finds himself for knowing Renjun and Jaemin will match well as soon as he watched Renjun doing his screening tests back in City27. Mark doesn’t correct him for it and agrees. Renjun doesn’t disagree too nor Jaemin or Jisung for that matter.
The days of filming go fast that Renjun can’t quite believe they’re at their the last day until Jisung reminds him.
“It’s the last day.”
Renjun takes 5 seconds before he realizes that it is. “I can’t believe it’s the last day.”
Jisung isn’t playing a game on his phone today and indulges more conversation with Renjun. “Jaemin said you’re good.”
He hears Jisung say it but doubts he heard him right so Jisung repeats it for him. “Jaemin said you’re good. I guess you are.”
Renjun keeps silent, his mind going over the million implications of that, of what Jaemin’s words meant. “What does that even mean?”
Jisung picks up his phone as soon as Renjun asks him to expand on it as if on cue. Renjun nudges Jisung to go on and talk more but it’s just returned with a shake of his head. “It just means you’re good. You don’t have to look so much into it.” End of conversation, as Mark and Donghyuck enter the room for the day.
Renjun visits the rooftop again for the last time, more out of habit and less as in hoping that Jaemin will follow him there. He’s convinced himself there’s no use indulging these pent-up thoughts about getting an on-screen to off-screen lover. He’s convinced himself it’s every new actor’s thoughts on their first time being paired up for a full length feature. Nothing else, nothing to do with Jaemin being in the equation too.
When he reached the rooftop and his usual spot - the spot where he found Jaemin back during their first day of filming, he sees Jaemin there again, except he’s standing this time, looking at the view which isn’t much but more buildings.
“You’re here.” Renjun calls out when he gets to the spot.
“I am.” Jaemin simply says, smiling again like it’s his permanent gesture whenever he’s face to face with Renjun.
They stand in silence after that. Renjun still has his saved questions for next time stuck in his head but Jaemin beats him to it, before he can even ask one of them.
“What do you think of Walk You Home’s ending?”
Renjun gives himself some time before he answers that. Not that he hasn’t thought of the ending. He has, more times than he could remember, but putting his thoughts into actual words is a whole other thing.
A third of Walk You Home can be divided into 2 parts as Renjun sees it: the pre-clone Inseong and post-clone Inseong. There are other important points in it, but he thinks that’s the best way to look at the movie based on the script. Nothing really changes with the dynamics of Inseong and Byul’s relationship in both of these parts, they continue to be the best government’s agents and the best lovers at that despite their supposedly different nature - Inseong being a clone. The remaining quarter of the movie, however, gives the pivotal point of the movie. Byul overhears a conversation from the city’s general and a businessman about how the cloning system has greatly helped the government and the rest of the world and its inhabitants stay in their current pristine conditions. Byul tells Inseong about it. Not knowing that he’s a clone himself, Inseong helps Byul find more about it which they eventually do. At the end, Byul recovers the memory of Inseong dying in war zone 58 and finds out the Inseong he’s with now is a clone of the previous Inseong who lived. They discover more - they find out the same thing happened with Byul way before the incident in war zone 58. Byul died during one of their battles too and to help Inseong go on with his job as an agent, they made a clone of Byul - the very first successful clone of their time. Among the million others roaming around their world at the current time.
“It’s twisted.” Renjun finally says to Jaemin, short despite the time he’s spent thinking of what to say. Jaemin doesn’t snort at him this time but hums like he agrees.
“Who knows what went on in Mark and Donghyuck’s minds when they came up with it?” Jaemin says with a laugh. “It works though. It leaves you with a lot to think about. The city where Walk You Home is set isn’t much different from our world with all the robots around. It will make you think of the possibilities, doesn’t matter if that’s what Mark intended to do with this film.” He adds.
Renjun could only say “Yeah” as a reply, trying to think of what else he could say to keep the conversation going.
“You’re good, Renjun. Really good.” Jaemin beats him to it again and for once Renjun takes it as it is.
“Thanks. You are too.” In more aspects than one, Renjun thinks to himself, but saves telling Jaemin about that too some other time if he gets a chance.
📽️
(Renjun and Jaemin are looking over the files they found in the general’s office. On the screen before them presents a list of clones and their serial codes beside them moving along the screen as if a slideshow.
Jaemin holds Renjun’s hands and intertwines their fingers. The screen showing up the totals: 167,437, 121 clones outnumbering the living that remain to a population of not more than 2 million.
”Okay. CUT! Thank you for your hard work.” Mark shouts over the dream. Jaemin lets go of Renjun’s hand and they bow at each other for the last time.)
Renjun wakes up to Donghyuck removing the DC Mini from his head, Mark removing Jaemin’s on the other side. And just like that, Huang Renjun’s filming schedule for his first full length feature ends.