Chapter 47

“Ah, isn’t that actor Cheong-seok Sim?”

At a bar in Daehak-ro, Seoul.

As Cheong-sek Sim was leisurely enjoying a drink with a fellow actor, a voice called out to him.

“I heard you just went off to put out a fire in a play that’s currently blazing, right? Let’s see… isn’t it ‘Close Your Eyes’?”

Turning his head, there was a man with a striking appearance.

‘Ah, this guy.’

Cheong-sek Sim shook his head.

A student from a renowned university theater department in Seoul and currently active as an actor.

Recently, he had been making a name for himself and there were even rumors of him starring in some drama.

‘His name, wasn’t it Kang Se-hyun?’

By the way, he was someone who had acted in exactly one play with Cheong-sek Sim.

That was the extent of their connection.

“If you’re talking about the great Sim Cheong-seok, I’m sure he can do it well. It’s ‘Close Your Eyes’ again, isn’t it? The script isn’t bad too…”

“If you have something to say, just say it already.”

At Cheong-sek Sim’s curt words, the other man frowned.

“Wow, nothing has changed about that arrogant attitude of his.”

“Hmm, I just wanted to ask who was the first one to talk down to the other.”

At Cheong-sek Sim’s sarcastic smile, a smirk appeared on Kang Se-hyun’s lips.

“If you want me to be that way, I’ll just tell you what I have to say.”

“Just do that then.”

“Our play happens to have the exact same dates for performances as ‘Close Your Eyes’.”

Cheong-sek Sim looked at him, wondering what this had to do with anything.

“What, didn’t you know? Haven’t you heard of ‘Under the Snitch’?”

“Huh?”

He had heard of it.

‘Under the Snitch’.

This was a remake of a popular foreign play, and it was going to be performed in a huge theater with more than 800 seats.

At that scale, it was definitely considered a production that was being heavily promoted.

“You must have heard of the actors involved, right? Actor Hong Tae-baek is starring, and Actor Seong Si-ha is playing a major role.”

Both were well-known in the theater world for their impressive ability to draw in audiences.

Seong Si-ha, in particular, had originally been an idol but seemed to have developed an interest in theater recently, frequently participating.

She might even enter the world of musicals someday.

In any case, both were rare actors in the theater world with incredible audience appeal.

“Well, then.”

“Uh.”

“Why are you telling me all this? Did you come all the way here to this drinking place just for this?”

In response, Kang Se-hyun leaned his arm on Cheong-sek Sim’s shoulder as he sat and said,

“Well, I just came to offer some comfort, since your big opportunity didn’t work out.”

He looked extremely pleased, despite saying that.

Previously, Kang Se-hyun had always been picking fights with Cheong-sek Sim in their plays.

Even though Kang had more experience, he harbored resentment after being overshadowed in terms of acting ability.

“Stay strong. Let me know if you need any help.”

With that, he patted Cheong-sek Sim on the shoulder and left.

Cheong-sek Sim let out a hollow laugh.

Help? Like he’d ever call this guy for help.

Even if he did, Kang would never pick up the phone.

“Tch, what kind of guy is that?”

“C’mon, Seok Cheong, don’t let it bother you. Do theater plays succeed because of actor’s popularity?”

The actors drinking with him tried to console him as much as they could, but frankly, Cheong-sek Sim didn’t care.

‘Box office appeal.’

A certain young girl popped into his mind.

‘That reminds me, they said something about filming at school, right?’

Thinking about that, Cheong-sek Sim poured himself another drink right away.

“Chae-seok, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Still…”

An actor’s ability to draw in audiences.

Somehow, he felt that this time he was about to see it in its purest form.

***

“PARK JUNG-WOO!!!”

“Take a look here!”

“Are you insane? Look at my face! It’s the size of my fist, MY FIST!!!”

A deafening roar swept through Yeonhwa High School.

Park Jung-woo smiled and waved to the cheering students but in his mind,

‘Already tired…’

Park Jung-woo, a man who disliked troublesome things, was actually a very good actor with fans.

He knew this because of his father’s education since childhood; without fans, there are no actors.

‘You should always be thankful for the crowd’s cheers.’

Those were his father’s teachings, and Park Jung-woo followed them faithfully.

After all, if this sort of fan service could bring even one more visitor to the theater, then it was pure profit, wasn’t it?

“What about the staff?”

“They’re preparing over there. Over here!”

When the manager shouted, the staff quickly came running to help Park Jung-woo get out of the van.

Teachers from the student supervision to the school administration were all present to control the line so students wouldn’t try to swarm him.

Though security personnel were also present, they were visibly struggling against the sheer number of students.

As Park Jung-woo entered the filming site, at this moment,

“The drama team, wasn’t it? I heard the drama teacher was here… Ah! It’s this way!”

PD Jeong Min-jae smiled brightly upon seeing the drama teacher, Song Da-yeon, who was rushing towards him.

“Are you Teacher Song Da-yeon of the drama club? Have the students who’ll appear on the broadcast prepared?”

“Of course. Ah, do you know about Jiyeon Yi? She’s currently acting in the cable drama…”

“Jiyeon Yi?”

PD Jeong Min-jae was slightly shocked by that.

That must be the girl playing the role of Min-chae Lee in a currently popular cable drama.

She was an easily memorable kid, with decent acting skills and a pretty face.

A talented youngster likely to appear on major networks or even in films later.

“Ah, so is that girl playing Yeonhwa Princess?”

“Yes, she’s getting ready right now. About the script?”

“Here it is. The drama rerun will happen four hours from now, but we’ll start shooting right away. Is that okay?”

“What? She hasn’t memorized the lines yet?”

“Four hours will be enough.”

Actually, she hadn’t memorized the script either because this wasn’t ‘drama shooting’. This was, after all, a variety show.

The sight of students cramming their heads to practice would also be part of the content.

‘Really…’

While listening to Teacher Song Da-yeon’s and PD Jeong Min-jae’s conversation, a male high school student was filming on his smartphone.

By the way, this wasn’t just taking photos or recording videos as mementos.

– Oh, they’re really filming.

– You’re clueless, aren’t you? You didn’t even raise the camera?

– If I raise it, I’ll get caught. If I do, it gets confiscated?

They were talking about internet broadcasting.

This boy, Song Yong-ho, occasionally streamed games as a hobby to earn some pocket money, but today was different.

Since the school’s variety show filming was happening, how could he just sit idly by?

– Just play games already.

Even with such chats popping up, the viewers were more than usual – double the number. There were as many as 200.

Though it was modest, it was an encouraging number for a high school streamer like him.

“It’s fine even if it’s slightly captured since they said it’s okay to film. And today’s guest on the set is actor Park Jung-woo. Rumor has it that actress Jiyeon Yi will play the role of Yeonhwa Princess.”

– Jiyeon Yi? Who is she?

– You really need to watch TV once in a while…

– She’s like a real actress playing hako in cable dramas. She’s pretty.

– Pretty is good enough.

While such chats were going on, the main filming for the variety show began.

It wasn’t just Song Yong-ho who was streaming live on the internet; many others were actively trying to capture the scene too.

“Okay, I’ll help guide your acting for the next four hours.”

Among the many cameras set up, Park Jung-woo said this in the drama club’s practice room.

The boys had their mouths agape, and the girls were shivering as if in convulsions.

Somebody had said, beauty is the ultimate power.

“Uh, uhhh… Actor Park Jung-woo, do you not need any separate training?”

“I’ve already memorized them.”

“Ah! Incredible!”

A girl blushed as she exclaimed, and Park Jung-woo calmly smiled.

Of course, it was an act.

They were mere fifteen-year-old girls after all.

He was quietly going along with their fuss.

‘The acting level doesn’t seem too bad, though.’

Still, it’s only a high school drama club; they were far from real actors.

“Speaking of which, teacher, where is the actress who is supposed to play Yeonhwa Princess?”

“Ah, Jiyeon?”

This actress, Jiyeon Yi, who was supposed to take on the role of Yeonhwa Princess, wasn’t just any drama club member—it was said she was a proper actress who was currently appearing in a cable drama.

‘Briefly watching the video, her skills were certainly decent.’

However, apart from that,

“Why isn’t she here?”

“Uh, well… Jiyeon said that she would prepare separately.”

Since all of this conversation was being recorded by the camera, Song Da-yeon had to be cautious about her words.

If she said it wrong, her student might get blamed.

“I understand. Occasionally, some actors prefer to be alone to cultivate their emotions. They like having their own time.”

“Exactly! Jiyeon seems to be preparing thoroughly since Actor Park Jung-woo will be here.”

“I see.”

Again, he nodded with a smile, though honestly, Park Jung-woo didn’t like this Jiyeon Yi girl.

“Not a typical drama shooting but variety television. Can’t she tell the difference?”

And what could she possibly prepare on her own?

It’s not like it’s audition or anything; it would be more advantageous to practice here together with him in front of the camera and generate content.

Or did she mean to say she didn’t want to act with these drama club students?

‘There is something about her that doesn’t sit well with me.’

With a slight sigh, Park Jung-woo brushed off his thoughts and began coaching the other students.

Though the lead role of Yeonhwa Princess was taken by Jiyeon Yi, each of the other students had their roles.

“Teacher Song Da-yeon, this isn’t right. You should fetch Jiyeon Yi as soon as possible.”

PD Jeong Min-jae pulled Teacher Song Da-yeon aside and whispered.

While teaching the students their lines was undoubtedly good content,

It certainly tasted better seeing a trained actor teach them than just students learning among themselves.

However,

“Ultimately, the key is the synergy between Jiyeon Yi and Actor Park Jung-woo.”

Re-enactment of “The Moon That Hid the Sun,” Episode 8.

Most importantly, the crucial scene between Yoon Seoil and Lee Hye-wol cannot fail without prior chemistry.

Of course, if there are takes to edit out, some shots can be used. However, with Park Jung-woo in the picture, wouldn’t there be a moment that makes the audience go “Wow”?

Song Da-yeon swiftly called Jiyeon Yi. She sensed that something might go awry if they left it as it is.

“Yup yup, Jiyeon? What? Hmm?”

Suddenly, Song Da-yeon seemed to respond in an odd manner while on her phone.

“Why the strange tone?”

“Uh, nothing. PD Jeong Min-jae?”

“Yup?”

“Jiyeon Yi asked if she could meet separately in private.”

“Meet separately?”

While not impossible, it struck Jeong Min-jae as an odd request for a young actor. Is this what today’s young talents, whether MZ or whatever they say, are like?

“It’s… she doesn’t want it to seem like sneaking around to be noticed, so…”

“Good grief.”

What could this possibly be about?

“Alright, I’ll go see her now.”

PD Jeong Min-jae nodded his head. While thinking that if it turned out to be something trivial, he would have to sternly reprimand her.

***

It’s been a while since he’s worn a costume like this.

Park Jung-woo sighed, looking down at the hanbok covering his body.

It’s a historical drama.

In fact, the last historical drama that Park Jung-woo appeared in was “The Moon That Hid the Sun.”

After that, there was nothing particularly appealing, so he hadn’t accepted any more roles.

‘Am I grown-up Yoon Seoil?’

Looking in the mirror, it felt like young Yoon Seoil was staring back at him.

After quietly reciting the lines in his mind, he slowly went outside.

“Wow, it’s exactly how I imagined Yoon Seoil!”

As soon as he stepped out, a staff member gave him a thumbs-up, and Park Jung-woo smirked.

“Has it really been ten years since you remember that?”

“Absolutely. It’s my life drama.”

A life drama.

Perhaps it’s the same for Park Jung-woo. Among all the works he’s done, none have left such a strong impression on him.

“Where is Jeong PD?”

“Oh, they said they’re with the actress playing Yeonhwa Princess. We’ve been instructed to proceed in the meantime.”

It seems like whatever happened, they have left it to the junior PD, disappearing themselves.

It’s starting to make sense why this variety show ended up like this.

“Wow, he really does look good in a hanbok.”

Impromptu set created by propping up panels of paper in the auditorium.

As Park Jung-woo arrived, whispers of admiration could be heard.

The chatter was overwhelming.

The auditorium was filled with students.

The voices of the crew mixed in.

“Tiring…”

Muttering the same word countless times today.

Thus, the filming began.

“Master, come this way!”

“Are you going to the palace again today?”

The acting delivered by the students was passable, though of course, it wasn’t at the level of a professional actor.

Watchable enough if you look at it kindly.

It was the best among “[Past, Memories Seen]” so far.

The crew thought the same.

“Seems like it’s about time the Yeonhwa Princess appears…”

“Still hasn’t shown up? What is PD even doing?”

While murmuring this, the drama club students scurried out, creating a scene of bustling crowds.

Not really acting, it was more like setting up the bustling streets of the marketplace.

Yoon Seoil slowly walks through the market, reminiscing about the past.

“Ten years ago, walking with Princess Yeonhwa through the commoners’ market.”

Young Princess Yeonhwa marveling at small snacks.

Little Soo-yeon.

Her image briefly crosses Park Jung-woo’s mind before fading away.

“Here, certainly Princess Yeonhwa should be appearing about now.”

Could she not be here?

An NG would be inevitable if that was the case.

Even just the thought of reshoots was tiresome.

As this notion was about to firmly embed in his mind about Jiyeon Yi,

A refined figure could be seen weaving through the crowd in the marketplace.

Her elegant demeanor, though hidden by a long overcoat on her head, was unmistakably Yeonhwa Princess.

‘There you are…’

Relieved, Park Jung-woo decided to follow the ‘Princess’ according to the given role.

Amid the boisterous chatter of students playing their designated parts,

Yeonhwa Princess was standing quietly in the commotion.

Even with her head covered by the overcoat, something felt different.

Her posture, her aura,

Nothing about her was like a typical high school student.

The moment Park Jung-woo realized this,

His steps began to quicken gradually.

Maybe,

He thought this was not acting.

Reacting instinctively, both Park Jung-woo and Yoon Seoil moved their feet.

Pushing through the crowd.

Reaching out for her, even knowing she wouldn’t run away.

With a soft chuckle, he grabbed her small shoulder.

A familiar,

Too clear and bright voice.

“Seoil”

Her hand slowly pulled down the overcoat covering her head.

The scene unfolded,

Like slow motion in his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was her long black hair tied neatly.

Her white skin.

“A little late, aren’t you?”

The adorable features he saw when she was young had transformed into a beautiful grown princess.

Yeonhwa Princess,

Lee Hye-wol.

“Although you’re late…”

Her eyes with a hint of red.

A mischievous smile lingering at the corners of her lips.

Park Jung-woo’s mind went blank.

“….I’ve come back.”

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