Chapter: 47
“Oh, isn’t that Shim Cheong-seok?”
In a bar in Daehangno, Seoul.
A voice called out to Shim Cheong-seok, who was leisurely enjoying a drink with fellow actors.
“I heard you went to put out the fire on that hot play? Let’s see, ‘Eyes Closed,’ right?”
Turning his head, he saw a well-built man.
‘Ah, this guy.’
Shim Cheong-seok shook his head.
This guy had come out from the distinguished University of Acting and was now active as an actor. Recently, he had been making headlines, saying he was filming dramas and whatnot.
‘His name is probably Kang Se-hyun.’
Just to note, this guy had only worked with Shim Cheong-seok one time in a play.
That was about the extent of their connection.
“Oh, with someone as great as Shim Cheong-seok, it should be a piece of cake, right? It’s a reenactment of ‘Eyes Closed,’ after all. The script is pretty good…”
“If you have something to say, just get to the point.”
With a blunt remark from Shim Cheong-seok, Kang Se-hyun narrowed his eyes.
“Geez, that arrogant personality of yours hasn’t gone anywhere.”
“Ha, I wonder who started with the sarcasm.”
Shim Cheong-seok smirked, making Kang Se-hyun’s lips twitch.
“Since you asked so kindly, I’ll just cut to the chase.”
“Go ahead.”
“When ‘Eyes Closed’ performs, our play dates happen to overlap.”
Because of that, Shim Cheong-seok looked at him, puzzled.
“What’s that got to do with me? You came all this way just to tell me that?”
At this, Kang Se-hyun leaned on Shim Cheong-seok’s shoulder casually.
“Well, just thought I’d comfort you. You know, you went out of your way to help out, and now you might be facing a flop.”
Though he said that, Kang Se-hyun looked incredibly pleased.
From the last play, he had been nitpicking Shim Cheong-seok at every chance, fueled by the resentment of being overshadowed despite having more experience.
“Stay strong. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Shim Cheong-seok gave a dry laugh as he watched Kang Se-hyun walk away, patting his own shoulder.
Help? As if he’d actually respond to that.
“Seriously, what kind of person does that?”
“Don’t stress too much, Cheong-seok. Is a play really all about the star power?”
His fellow actors, sipping their drinks, tried to yeet some encouragement his way, but honestly, he couldn’t care less.
‘Star power, huh?’
A girl suddenly popped into Shim Cheong-seok’s mind.
‘Come to think of it, didn’t they say there’s some shoot happening at the school?’
With those thoughts distracting him, he poured another drink.
“Cheong-seok, you okay?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. It’s just…”
The star power of an actor.
This time, it felt like he was going to see it in full swing.
*
“Park Jung-woo!!”
“Please, just look this way once!”
“Crazy, look at his face! It’s as big as my fist!”
A chorus of screams echoed through Yeonhwa High School.
Park Jung-woo waved back to the cheering students with a smile, but…
‘…I’m already tired.’
Park Jung-woo, who despised any hassle, was nonetheless excellent at fan service.
Thanks to his father’s teachings when he was young, he understood well that without fans, there’s no actor.
‘Always be grateful for the crowd’s enthusiasm.’
This was his father’s wisdom and something Park Jung-woo followed closely.
After all, with such fan service, surely one or two more viewers would fill the cinema seats, right?
“Where are the staff?”
“They’re over there getting ready. Hey, you guys!”
His manager shouted, and staff members rushed to assist Park Jung-woo, making sure some students didn’t get too excited.
Although security was present, they struggled against the sheer number of students.
When Park Jung-woo finally stepped into the shooting area…
“Isn’t there supposed to be a teacher from the drama club…? Ah! This way!”
Jeong Min-jae the PD grinned widely as he spotted Song Da-yeon, the drama club’s mentor, hurrying over.
“Song Da-yeon! Are all the students prepared for today’s broadcast?”
“Of course! By the way, do you know Lee Ji-yeon? She’s been in that cable drama…”
Lee Ji-yeon.
The mention of her name surprised Jeong Min-jae.
Wasn’t that the girl playing Lee Min-chae in the currently popular drama?
Her acting wasn’t bad, and she was cute, so she stayed in his mind.
A star in the making, definitely someone to watch out for later on public TV or in movies.
“Oh, so she’s playing Princess Yeonhwa?”
“Yes, she’s getting ready. Here’s the script.”
“The reenactment drama is in four hours, but we’ll start filming right now, is that alright?”
“Uh? I haven’t memorized the script yet!”
“Four hours is plenty of time.”
In fact, she hadn’t committed it to memory at all.
This was not a ‘drama shoot’ but rather a variety show.
The students practicing hard would be part of the content.
‘This is real.’
While listening to Song Da-yeon and Jeong Min-jae’s conversation, a male student was filming it with his smartphone.
And just to clarify, he wasn’t just taking random pictures or videos as mementos.
– Oh, they’re really filming
– Is the camera too low, huh?
– If I lift it, will I get caught? If I do, will they take it away?
This was internet broadcasting.
Song Yong-ho, a male student who sometimes dabbled in game streaming for pocket money, wasn’t going to just stand aside while a variety show was filmed at school.
– I could just play games instead.
Though that kind of chat popped up, his number of viewers was double that of usual today.
A staggering 200 viewers!
It may sound modest, but for a high school streamer, that was an impressive figure.
“Since they said it’s okay to film, a little filming isn’t an issue. Plus, Park Jung-woo is joining us as a guest, and they say Lee Ji-yeon will be playing the role of Princess Yeonhwa…”
– Lee Ji-yeon? Who’s that?
– You should watch some TV once in a while…
– Real talk: when someone you know pops up, you can’t help but freak out
– There’s a cute actress from a cable drama with a pretty face
– If she’s pretty, that’s all that matters
As the chatter bounced back and forth…
The filming for the variety show kicked off in earnest.
It wasn’t just Song Yong-ho streaming live; others were trying their best to capture the moment too.
“I’ll assist with acting guidance for four hours.”
With several cameras positioned around, Park Jung-woo declared from the drama club room.
The male students’ jaws dropped while the female students practically trembled with excitement.
Someone mused that being handsome was the best.
“Erm, Park Jung-woo, don’t you need to practice separately?”
“I’ve got it all memorized.”
“Ah! Of course!”
As a girl blushed in admiration, Park Jung-woo merely smiled in response.
Sure, it was acting.
After all, he was merely dealing with girls who were three years younger than him.
He accepted their over-the-top adulation with no issue.
‘Their acting isn’t terrible…’
But at the end of the day, these were just high school drama club students.
It couldn’t compare to a real actor.
“Oh, by the way, teacher. Where’s the actress playing Princess Yeonhwa?”
“Ah, Ji-yeon?”
The girl who was going to play Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Ji-yeon, wasn’t just from the drama club; she was a fully-fledged actress currently appearing in a cable drama.
‘When I casually scanned through the video, her skills seemed alright.’
However, aside from that…
“Why isn’t she here?”
“Uh, well… Ji-yeon said she wanted to prepare separately.”
Just as a note, this conversation was all being filmed, so Song Da-yeon had to tread carefully with her words.
She couldn’t have her student getting flamed on the internet.
“Understood. That’s kind of common among actors. Some need time alone to find their emotions.”
“Right? Ah, Ji-yeon probably wants to prepare well since you’re here, Park Jung-woo.”
“Is that so?”
He answered with a smile, but honestly, Park Jung-woo felt a bit irked by this Lee Ji-yeon.
‘This isn’t just a simple drama shoot; it’s a variety show. Can she not tell the difference?’
And how much preparation could she really do by herself?
This wasn’t an audition; she would have benefited more from practicing with him right here on-site.
Or did she just not want to act alongside these drama club kids?
‘Regardless, I’m not impressed.’
Park Jung-woo clicked his tongue, shifting his focus back to directing the students.
Even though the lead role of Princess Yeonhwa was taken by Lee Ji-yeon, the other students all had their respective roles too.
“Song Da-yeon, this isn’t looking good. We should probably get Lee Ji-yeon over here.”
Jeong Min-jae whispered to Song Da-yeon, his expression serious.
Watching Park Jung-woo teach the students was definitely interesting.
Seeing a legitimate actor guide them added a certain spice to the event compared to them acting out on their own.
“But ultimately, what matters is the chemistry between Lee Ji-yeon and Park Jung-woo.”
The reenactment of the eighth episode of The Sun Hidden by the Moon.
The most crucial scene was the reunion of Yoon Seo-il and Lee Hye-wol.
But starting the shoot without any kind of rehearsal could spell disaster…
Though they surely would get bloopers, it wouldn’t leave a good impression.
When Park Jung-woo was involved, there should be some ‘wow!’ moments.
Song Da-yeon hurriedly placed a call to Ji-yeon.
At this rate, she felt like something bad might happen.
“Hey, Ji-yeon? Uh?”
And during her phone conversation, Song Da-yeon reacted unusually.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Just that Jeong Min-jae PD is wondering if you could meet briefly?”
Meet briefly?
That wasn’t hard to do, but wasn’t that something she should say to the PD?
Lately, it seemed like the younger actors were full of surprises. Was this one of their trends?
“Well, she said it might not be good if she gets caught while moving alone.”
“Oh come on.”
Just what on earth was she thinking?
“Alright, I’ll head over now.”
Jeong Min-jae nodded.
If it was nothing, he’d need to give her a solid talking-to.
*
This outfit hasn’t seen the light of day in a long while.
Park Jung-woo looked down at his hanbok and sighed.
A historical drama.
In truth, Park Jung-woo‘s last historical drama was The Sun Hidden by the Moon.
Since then, nothing had drawn his interest.
‘So I’m supposed to play the grown-up Yoon Seo-il, huh?’
Looking in the mirror, he felt as if he saw the child version of Yoon Seo-il staring back at him.
With that, he recited some lines in his head before stepping outside slowly.
“Wow, it really looks just like Yoon Seo-il from my imagination.”
Upon stepping out, he saw a staff member giving a thumbs-up, making Park Jung-woo grin.
“After ten years, you remember all that?”
“Of course! It’s my life’s drama.”
His life’s drama, indeed.
In some sense, Park Jung-woo could relate to that too.
He’s done many works, but none had left such an impact.
“So, who’s that student taking on the role of Princess Yeonhwa?”
“Oh, she’s with Ji-yeon. They said to just go ahead and keep things moving for now.”
Clearly, it appeared Jeong Min-jae had dumped the running around on the young PD.
Park Jung-woo now had an inkling of why this variety show was in the current state it was.
“Wow! You look great in that hanbok!”
In the auditorium, which had been semi-converted into a set with some cardboard partitions, whispers buzzed about Park Jung-woo.
The noise was chaotic.
Students filled the auditorium completely.
Voices of the staff echoed.
‘This is tiring.’
Park Jung-woo muttered, regardless of how many times he had said it today.
And so filming began.
“Noble sir, over here!”
“Will you be going to the palace again today?”
The students’ performances had their merit but still paled in comparison to what an actual ‘actor’ could present.
Their acting was fair enough, but without being spectacular.
Still, this was the best episode of Past, Looking Back at Memories so far.
The staff thought so too.
“It’s about time for Princess Yeonhwa to show up…”
“She’s still not here? What on earth is the PD doing?”
As murmurs echoed, students from the drama club filed out, creating a scene of rural marketplace chaos.
It wasn’t really acting; it was more like ‘recreating a marketplace.’
Yoon Seo-il strolled calmly through the bustling crowd, lost in thought.
‘Ten years ago, the humble market where I walked with Princess Yeonhwa.’
Gasps from the little Princess Yeonhwa as she marveled at the snacks.
Little Joo Su-yeon.
That scene lingered in Park Jung-woo’s mind before fading away.
‘She should definitely be here.’
Surely, right?
If she weren’t, that would spell disaster, bro.
The thought of reshooting made him exhausted already.
His negative perception of Lee Ji-yeon was about to resurface when…
A graceful figure mixed within the marketplace crowd captured his attention.
A long outer garment cleverly concealed the identity, but anyone could tell it was Princess Yeonhwa.
‘There she is…’
Park Jung-woo was relieved as he set his sights on ‘Princess Yeonhwa’.
The students were gleefully carrying out their roles in their lively chatter.
Yet amidst the bustling chaos stood the Princess Yeonhwa.
Even with her shawl covering her head, something about her demeanor was different.
The way she stood, her presence – it set her apart from regular students.
The moment Park Jung-woo realized this…
His pace began to quicken.
Perhaps…
This was no act.
In a reflexive move, Park Jung-woo’s feet sprang into action.
Though he knew she wouldn’t escape, he desperately reached out.
As he grabbed the delicate shoulder, a light laugh reached his ears.
So familiar.
So crystal-clear.
“Seo-il.”
A woman’s hand shifted, and she slowly peeled the outer garment from her head.
That breathtaking moment unfolded in slow motion before his eyes.
First came the sight of beautifully tied long black hair.
Then, her pristine skin.
“Sorry I’m late.”
That adorable face from his childhood had blossomed into stunning beauty.
Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.
“I’m late, but…”
Like a star, her presence was branded in Park Jung-woo’s – all right, Yoon Seo-il’s – eyes.
“I’m back.”
Those crimson-tinged eyes.
The playful smile lingering on her lips.
Park Jung-woo’s mind blanked, lighting up in a rush.
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