The Beauty of What Could Have Been

Chapter 1 - Filming in Switzerland

"Ugghh", she muttered softly to herself. Son Ye Jin wasn't feeling well while the crew was preparing to start the shoot. It was the beginning of the production of Crash Landing on You and the team was in Switzerland for location shooting of the Swiss scenes in the series, and this early morning's shoot was the very first production shoot, for the ending scene of Episode 16, set on a hill where Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok were to meet for a picnic. Director Lee Jeong-hyo decided to start production by filming in Switzerland as he had anticipated time and logistics constraints further down the road and it would be easier to manage them if they were filming back in Seoul where they have more control, something that he learned through the years from the previous ten or so films that he directed. "Kudos to the writers for meticulously preparing a complete and well written plot and script for all 16 Episodes. It allowed for such an optimized filming schedule, filming every which way we want from a chronological perspective", he thought.

The shoot was located in the picturesque Lake Lungern in Obwalden, about an hour's drive from Zurich. The crew and stars were billeted in a hotel in town while a nearby chalet was rented out to serve as staging area for the production, dining space for the crew during the shoot, and a location for one scene in the last episode. Two of the bedrooms were converted into dressing rooms for Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin. A narrow dirt trail snaked from the rear balcony of the chalet which led to a grass covered clearing on a hill where the scene was to be filmed. The morning was a mix of bright sunshine, clear sky, and a bit of chilly wind, normal for spring. With not a cloud in sight, the morning sun nicely illuminated everything, adding to the impressively serene lake view surroundings that made it perfect for the shoot.

Ye Jin was wearing a flowing, floral light salmon-coloured dress that exposed her legs to the gentle but cold wind while Bin was wearing a white crew neck cardigan and black trousers. Ye Jin and Bin were standing in front of each other, rehearsing their lines when Bin noted a bit of twitching in Ye Jin's eyes, indicating discomfort. "Are you feeling okay?" he whispered, his eyes wide with concern. "I think so. I just feel a bit weird right now", she said. "This shoot will be short. We don't have lines to say so it should be quick", he said, trying to comfort her. Minutes later, with everything set, Director Lee gave a thumbs up to everyone on set, walked over to stand near Bin and Ye Jin, and then yelled "Action!" As the cameras started rolling, Ye Jin immediately felt nauseous. She raised her right hand to the director, asking for a five minute break, then respectfully excused herself and started running in the direction of the chalet. Bin followed and caught up behind her as she was about to reach the stairs that led to the backyard balcony. "What's wrong?" Not stopping her brisk walk, Ye Jin hollered to Bin "I desperately need to go to the restroom", and then dashed faster.

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Ye Jin and Bin had been secretly dating for some months by then, having started their relationship in the middle of filming their project The Negotiation. A very private person, Ye Jin was adamant to keep their relationship a secret, something she had done with her past romances, and Bin could only agree and respect her decision. "I will do whatever you want, babe", he told her. He had likewise realized the benefits of keeping things secret, after having gone through a couple of high profile romances. He wasn't sure whether the publicity of his failed romances helped or negatively impacted his and his ex-partners' careers, and he wasn't keen to take the risk this time and also have Son Ye Jin share the risk with him. They were booked in different rooms on different floors at the hotel, which made it necessary for Bin to sneak out late in the evenings to join Ye Jin in her room and sneak out at dawn. It was an inconvenient situation but they had to be creative to have some private time.

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Bin reached the restroom just as Ye Jin was closing the door. He stood by the door for a couple of minutes, trying to listen for hints on Ye Jin's condition. "Are you okay babe? Let me in please", he whispered through the crack while knocking gently, his voice full of love and concern. He then heard a flush followed by a rush of water from the faucet and then the door opened, revealing a red faced and frowning Ye Jin who was wiping her mouth with a towel with one hand and her other hand gently rubbing her tummy. Bin's heart jumped with an eagerness to help. Bin gently put one arm on Ye Jin's shoulder and clasping her hand with his other hand he guided her to his empty dressing room, supporting her as they walked and locking the door behind them. Thinking that he may know what's happening, Bin embraced her. "Bin, I'm not sure I can continue with the shoot. I just threw up my breakfast. I think it's starting." Bin sat her on a chair and pulled one to sit in front of her, holding both her hands. "You know I'm very happy that we are expecting. It was a surprise that this happened at this time, but this baby is a precious gift from our love and I am very, very happy." His comment put a smile on Ye Jin's face. "Yes, there may be challenges ahead but we will go through them together." He started to gently rub her hands. "Don't worry dear. I will talk to Director Lee. There should be ways for us to continue the project", Bin exclaimed confidently. Jin was so distraught that tears started streaming down her cheeks. Bin wiped the tears with the pad of his thumb and kissed her on the forehead. "Everything will be all right".