Jinx ~ Rewritten

Chapter 29

Fade in. DAN lays in bed, sleeping. His phone rings from beside him. DAN wakes up, jolted, and takes it in his hand. The phone presses to his ear sheepishly.

DAN: Hello...?
POTATO [Phone-call]: Doc Dan! Doc Dan!

POTATO's voice loudly bursts from the phone. DAN shakes himself awake.

DAN: Hrn... Yoon-gu?
POTATO [Phone-call]: Thanks to you, I get to spar with Hyung tomorrow! Ahh! I'm so excited, so excited! Can you remind him about that, please?
DAN: Oh, sure. Yeah. [Yawns]

Shot cuts to POTATO's perspective as he stands in the gym, on his phone.

DAN [Phone-call]: Tomorrow, I'll go do that...
POTATO: Are you...? [Gasps] Did I wake you?!

Cuts back to a chibi DAN, drooling as he sits up in bed.

DAN: No... I'm wide awake.
POTATO [Phone-call]: Oh. Great! See you tomorrow then!

Cuts back to POTATO.

POTATO: Oh and uh, since I'll be training you, can I call you Hoobae?

Cuts back to DAN.

DAN: Ah... sure.
POTATO [Phone-call]: R-really?!
DAN [Smiles]: Sure.
DAN [Internal]: I never thought I'd have a Sunbae ten years younger than me... pfft.
DAN: See you tomorrow, Sunbae.
POTATO [Phone-call]: Get good sleep!!

DAN hangs up. He exhales slowly.

JAEKYUNG: Who was that?

DAN looks up. JAEKYUNG is in the doorway wearing a robe and glasses.

JAEKYUNG: 'Sunbae'?
DAN [Scowls]: Hi. That was just Yoon-gu.
JAEKYUNG: What...? You're going to let a twenty-year-old call you Hoobae? If he did that with me, I'd-
DAN [Standing up]: Beat him up, like you will be tomorrow.
JAEKYUNG: That's right, I've got to do that now.

DAN rolls his eyes at him.

DAN: What were you doing awake?
JAEKYUNG: Watching a film. Come join me, it will knock you out.

They enter the living room where a black and white film is playing. JAEKYUNG sits on the couch. DAN follows. They sit in silence as the film plays. Two CHARACTERS are on screen. As they speak, a butchered Korean translation appears on screen.

CHARACTER 1: We're partners in this, aren't we?
CHARACTER 2: Don't say it like that!
CHARACTER 1: Not a fan of the word?
CHARACTER 2: Takes out the passion, don't it?
CHARACTER 1: For you, maybe.

Shot focuses on DAN's confused expression.

DAN: ...What are they saying?
JAEKYUNG: Eh, the translation is a little off. The two are arguing about what to call their relationship.
DAN: Oh. Are you bilingual?
JAEKYUNG: Mhm. [Turns back to the film]

DAN stares at him aimlessly.

DAN [Internal]: I thought living with Joo Jaekyung would be frustrating because of his personality. As it turns out, the most irritating part is how little he shares with me. I thrive off of the smallest details because it's all I have... but it's a trap...

DAN's knuckles clench.

DAN [Internal]: Now I want to know more.
DAN: How much sleep do you get?
JAEKYUNG: One to three hours per night. It's a lot of time to spend on films.
DAN: Haven't you tried sleeping pills?
JAEKYUNG: They mess up the drug tests before my matches. Movies and sex help me sleep the best.
DAN: I see. So, you're pretty exhausted usually?
JAEKYUNG: You could say that. [Shrugs] But I can go on despite it.
DAN: Why do you push yourself like that?
JAEKYUNG: If I don't, I lose the champion title. New challengers are always nipping at my heels like a pack of hyenas. I have to go all-in if I want to keep my title.
DAN: Right...
JAEKYUNG [Internal]: Was he... worried about me?
DAN: I just wanted to know as your doctor.
JAEKYUNG [Internal]: Oh.