“The old woman just entrusted her stall to you?” Yujin asked, slightly suspicious.
Zeno nodded. “Yeah, I asked her a favor, and she agreed.”
Shelly was still a little bit skeptical. “You didn’t threaten her, did you? She went away so quickly when we arrived.”
Zeno sighed and sat on the small chair, placing on the gloves the old woman left on the small table next to her fish assortment. The basins were filled to the brim, contrary to her competitors. On the table was a suspicious notepad that Young merely looked at but didn’t bother asking about.
“Is it really alright?” Young asked once more.
“Yes,” Zeno answered. “Her son, who usually runs the stall, had a general health check-up. She didn’t want to close their stall for the day, so she took up the role despite her old age. She said it wouldn’t hurt having someone help.”
“She’s been here since early in the morning, so I directed her to rest in the shade to rest.”
Young was once again impressed by his idol. A small smile appeared on his lips. He thought he would have to scrap one of his favorite scenes on the show, but Zeno came in and saved the day.
With that, the staff took their positions, trying to take as little space as possible in the busy market. Meanwhile, Zeno stretched his limbs, ready to act his part.
Luckily for him, he had already done this before—in his 23rd mission, where he became a doctor on Jeju Island. His mother was a fish vendor, and he helped from time to time to make ends meet.
Ultimately, he was used to it. He could clear out his mom’s harvest within a few hours, allowing them to go home early.
So, when the cameras started rolling, and Young called to start, Zeno went into character right away, wanting to get it over with.
Jimin adjusted the apron around his waist and pushed up his sleeves. Usually, he was the silent student who only spoke when necessary. However, during weekends, he was the hardworking, street-smart grandson of a mute fish vendor.
He looked through the crowd and took in the restless morning shoppers. Then, with the ease of someone who had done this his whole life, he leaned forward, slapped a fresh mackerel onto the wooden counter, and called out.
“Fresh catch! Best in the market! You won’t find fish this good anywhere else!”
At that moment, the crew was shocked by the volume and warmth in Zeno’s voice. The cherry on top was that he handled fish like a true vendor. He flipped them expertly to show their glistening scales, checked their gills with a quick press of his fingers, and even cut them effortlessly!
“Why is he so good at this?” Yujin muttered as they watched the scene. Shelly, who was watching on the side, waiting for her turn to film, also watched with wide eyes.
“He didn’t even practice,” Young absent-mindedly said.
Naturally, real customers started pouring in, curious about the handsome, new guy who had a loud voice and great skills.
“Who is that?”
“He looks handsome. Do we have such a handsome fish vendor in this market?”
“He’s in Grandma Lulu’s stall. Is he her grandson?”
“I don’t think her grandson is even in high school yet. I think they’re filming something.”
“Who cares? Those fish look really fresh. Let’s go!”
Young originally wrote this scene just to show Jimin’s hardworking character. A few staff members were assigned to buy from him, but they didn’t even need to do that anymore.
Before they knew it, the stall was flocked by customers, all enticed by Zeno’s marketing skills.
“Auntie, you’re looking for something for lunch, right?” He pulled up a plump red snapper. “This one’s perfect for steaming. The meat is soft, and if you add some ginger and soy sauce—” he kissed his fingers like a chef, “—chef’s kiss, guaranteed!”
The woman blinked, taken aback by his enthusiasm.
“Or maybe you’re grilling?” He smoothly switched to another fish. “This one’s got firmer meat; it won’t fall apart on the fire. Trust me, I wouldn’t sell you something I wouldn’t eat myself.”
She hesitated, and Zeno could tell she was the bargaining type.
He softened his expression, adjusting his tone as if he were speaking to his own grandmother. “You remind me of my own grandma. Tell you what, I’ll give you a discount. But only because I can tell you know good fish when you see it.”
The woman chuckled. “Alright, alright. Give me both.”
Jimin grinned and expertly wrapped the fish. “Auntie, you won’t regret it.”
One sale down.
More customers approached the stall, drawn to his energy. Some he charmed with humor, others with sincerity. He adjusted to each person, knowing exactly when to be playful and when to be serious.
Zeno already felt exhausted, but Young hadn’t called ‘cut’ just yet, and the customers were still pouring in.
With that, he decided to finish as soon as possible, still considering the values Young had written for Jimin. He was loveable, had a hidden sense of humor, and only showed this side when he was helping his grandma.
The staff watched from the side, feeling like they were watching a documentary of a genius fish vendor rather than an actor who was only pretending to be one.
Jordie, Sammy, and Jaehyun peered out of the van, wondering why so many people had flocked to their cameras. Somehow, Jordie wanted to go out and see for himself, but he initially said he was going to stay in the van, and his pride didn’t allow him to do so.
After a while, when the customers had significantly reduced, Young called ‘cut!’ They had the content they needed. No—it was much more than they needed.
“I’ll sell you more later,” Zeno chimed. “We just need to film another scene,” he said to the young woman, who nodded at every word he said.
With that, he turned to the crew, who looked at him with amazement. Zeno quickly turned to the side, not wanting to garner any positive attention. Then, he turned to Young, who still appeared dazed.
“Let’s go to the next scene right away,” he said, looking around the place. “It’s a dead hour, so we should film it as quickly as possible.”