Chapter: 48
Three hours before the reenactment of The Sun Hidden by the Moon Episode 8.
Park Jung-woo had just arrived while the staff was busy setting up for the shoot.
“Joo Seoyeon.”
Lee Ji-yeon handed a hanbok to Seoyeon.
This was the hanbok of Princess Yeonhwa, provided by the staff that morning.
“Put it on.”
Seoyeon looked at the hanbok with an expression of mild discomfort. She had several complex reasons for this.
Back in middle school, she had gotten into some sticky situations while known as Princess Yeonhwa.
Plus, this role was assigned to Lee Ji-yeon, not her.
She worried it might affect the play negatively.
All these reasons made Seoyeon hesitate.
“Ji-yeon, I…”
“I know what you’re thinking.”
Lee Ji-yeon spoke confidently, having been close friends for a decade.
Once upon a time, Seoyeon‘s expression had been hard to read, but not anymore.
Sure, sometimes it was unclear, but in situations like this, everything was crystal clear.
“You have your reasons. But above all, this is an amazing opportunity for you.”
An opportunity to film with a rising star like Park Jung-woo, who was practically at the top of his game.
If it were any actor of her age, they’d probably jump at the chance to grab such an opportunity.
Low ratings?
Park Jung-woo would surely raise them.
Even without the show grabbing massive attention, just the internet buzz alone would boost recognition considerably.
She knew it all.
“All of it.”
“I understand you want to create something meaningful with the play.”
There was likely a plan hatching in her mind.
However, Seoyeon didn’t like the idea of her comeback stage being an ordinary play.
After all, this was her one premium shot at a first impression.
“You were going to be a top actor, right?”
Ji-yeon thought to herself.
If she wasn’t satisfied with a regular stage, she could make it special.
This variety show was a perfect chance for that.
“This is an opportunity. You know that.”
From the moment she received the role of Princess Yeonhwa, Ji-yeon had replayed the scenario in her mind several times.
The role of Princess Yeonhwa was Seoyeon’s.
It had been hers ever since she first saw her on television.
Since that moment of starry admiration, her feelings had never wavered.
“……”
Seoyeon silently surveyed Ji-yeon.
Calmly.
And quietly.
After a brief moment, Seoyeon slowly nodded her head.
“Got it.”
She made up her mind.
Ji-yeon’s words were right.
Participating in Eyes Closed was a stepping stone to her next endeavor.
But there was no harm in making that stepping stone even more special.
Hesitation would be an insult to Ji-yeon, who had pushed her towards this opportunity.
“I’ll do it.”
With Seoyeon’s firm answer, the dress-up process commenced.
Ji-yeon had called in a makeup artist, and her manager pitched in to help.
Everything proceeded in a flash, thanks to Ji-yeon’s meticulous preparation.
The makeup artist.
The manager assisting in the dress-up.
With their help, Seoyeon surrendered herself to the transformation.
Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.
To become her, after ten years.
“Alright, please lift your arms.”
Draped in layers of vivid skirts.
Putting on the top garment.
“Seoyeon, lift your head a bit.”
Tying her long, black hair neatly.
As she glanced into the mirror, she delicately applied her makeup.
In the mirror stood Princess Yeonhwa.
The beautiful visage of Hye-wol, the child, had blossomed into stunning beauty.
“Lee Ji-yeon? What brings you here…?”
Just then, the PD, Jeong Min-jae, arrived, having been called by Ji-yeon.
As soon as he stepped in, his face turned sour, and he stood there dumbfounded.
‘Lee Ji-yeon?’
He rubbed his eyes.
He had seen Ji-yeon’s photos multiple times before today’s filming.
But who was this woman standing before him?
Long black hair, delicately arched eyes.
A graceful demeanor and a serene aura.
She was a literal embodiment of Princess Yeonhwa.
If Hye-wol had grown up, this was exactly what she would look like…
“Uh?”
Jeong Min-jae frantically pulled out his phone and searched for the child actress who played Princess Yeonhwa ten years ago.
Joo Seoyeon.
Yes, that was undeniably her name.
And when the images popped up on his phone…
“Uh, uh? Huh? Wait, hold on, Ji-yeon? No, that can’t be, right?”
In his flustered state, Jeong Min-jae didn’t even notice that Ji-yeon was standing right next to Princess Yeonhwa.
He realized someone was there, but he was fixated on Seoyeon’s face.
“Yes, PD-nim.”
Seoyeon said, smiling calmly.
“I’m Joo Seoyeon.”
Thud!
At the sound of that name, Jeong Min-jae dropped his smartphone onto the floor.
*
In that instant, everyone in the auditorium was too stunned to understand what was happening.
At first, they thought it was just acting.
The high school streamer, Song Yong-ho, filming with his phone and zooming in shared a similar view.
Initially, it felt like a regular play.
Yeah, it felt more like a theater piece than a drama.
But really, there was nothing spectacular happening.
Especially since the narrative centered on students at the beginning, making it all the more dull.
– Haha, now I see why this flopped.
– I’ve been sleep-deprived lately, but watching this makes me drowsy already…
– Honestly, I’d find playing video games at home a hundred times more fun.
As expected, the chat echoed Yong-ho’s sentiments.
Of course, it’s likely that watching a raw variety show without edits felt more tedious.
And that initial feeling flipped dramatically once Park Jung-woo made his entrance.
When he stepped in, clad in hanbok, the room erupted with screams of delight.
– Is that a dragon hairstyle???
– I was about to fall asleep, but dude, now I’m wide awake!
– Please, two inches down, can we get two inches down?
Upon Park Jung-woo‘s entrance, the chat started to race up the screen.
The viewership soared from around 200 to 500 in seconds.
Song Yong-ho, grinning ear to ear, turned his gaze to the variety show he was filming.
“Absolutely, this guy’s an actor to behold.”
That’s how it felt.
Just his mere presence made the boundary between “student” and “actor” sharply defined.
Park Jung-woo’s performance was worth watching.
But that was that.
Viewers didn’t tune in just to see an actor shine solo, did they?
– Wake me up when this ends…
– Not even Park Jung-woo could save this.
– Hmm…
As the mood turned rather dull, a throng of students suddenly burst forth, creating a scene.
Perhaps in an attempt to depict a market, each student was pitching their wares.
Amidst this flurry, Park Jung-woo strolled quietly.
‘Well, we’re almost done.’
At this point, they’d covered about two-thirds of the material.
Song Yong-ho gazed wistfully at the shrinking viewer count when…
“Huh?”
“What’s that?”
Park Jung-woo quickened his pace.
Was this acting?
If so, it was some seriously immersive acting.
Like he was hypnotized, Park Jung-woo chased after someone.
At the end of his line of sight stood a woman cloaked in a long coat.
Princess Yeonhwa.
That’s what everyone thought.
But then.
“Seo-il!”
The clear, bright voice rang through the speakers, sending chills down Yong-ho’s spine.
As the girl slowly lowered her coat, she smiled ever so gently.
– ??????
– What the heck?
– That’s not Lee Ji-yeon, is it?
– Who’s the actress playing Princess Yeonhwa??? Her looks are off the charts!!!!!
– Something feels familiar… Is that the child version of Princess Yeonhwa?
– C’mon, get real…
– That’s totally Joo Seoyeon, the child actress from back then, no doubt!
– Is this for real???
– How can this be happening????
Song Yong-ho couldn’t even dare gaze at the chat, filled with a flurry of comments.
“Crazy…”
In that moment, he was utterly absorbed in this performance.
‘That’s definitely Joo Seoyeon from my class, right?’
‘Was she in the drama club?’
‘More importantly…’
The Sun Hidden by the Moon is an incredibly unfamiliar drama for today’s students.
After all, it had aired ten years ago.
They had barely been seven-years-old when it first aired.
No matter how famous the drama was, remembering a child actor’s name, even if they generated buzz, was a tough feat.
What lingered in their minds was…
“Seoyeon was that Joo Seoyeon?”
“I thought she looked similar, but…”
“Hold up! This isn’t confirmed yet!”
It was the teachers.
They distinctly remembered the young Princess Yeonhwa.
Even after ten years.
Yet, they hadn’t considered that beautiful female student could be Actress Joo Seoyeon.
‘But there was no mention of anything like that in her student records…??’
Seoyeon had stopped acting before entering elementary school.
Naturally, there was no record of her acting career.
But the questions in their minds were all cleared up by Park Jung-woo’s reaction.
The frozen figure before them was proof of Seoyeon being that child actress.
“……”
With wide eyes, Park Jung-woo stood motionless.
Slowly, he approached Seoyeon, almost forgetting to breathe as he did.
His mouth moved, but nothing coherent came out.
In his memories, she had been a little girl.
But here stood a beautifully grown woman.
With playful crimson eyes and softly curved lips.
That expression was even more inviting than before and dazzling.
“Seo-il?”
He found himself unable to act.
“You, you!!”
Grabbing Seoyeon’s arms in a panic, he saw the puzzlement etched in her eyes.
“That line is wrong, you know?”
“Is this really the time to say that? You’re really Joo Seoyeon. Are you really Seoyeon? What are you doing here?”
No, where had the Lee Ji-yeon he knew vanished to?
Park Jung-woo was about to blurt out why Seoyeon was here while inadvertently squeezing her arms.
“…Ah.”
Sensing the auditorium had grown eerily quiet, he realized his predicament.
What did he look like right now?
Park Jung-woo squeezed his eyes shut.
*
He was a bit startled.
Never in his wildest dreams did he think Park Jung-woo would suddenly grab his arm and shake it like that.
Was there even a scene like that?
He thought to himself, but of course, there hadn’t been.
“Wait, let’s take a quick break before we continue!”
As the filming entered a lull, the camera zoomed in on Seoyeon and Park Jung-woo.
Looks like they intended to capture all of this on film.
Seoyeon thought about it and opened her mouth.
“I flubbed the line.”
“You…”
Park Jung-woo scratched his head.
His head was pounding.
The fatigue he’d felt just seconds ago disappeared in an instant.
“…What are you doing here?”
“Well, I’m obviously studying at this high school.”
“Seriously, how is this even possible?”
His heart was racing with excitement.
He cast a brief glance at Seoyeon before turning away.
He couldn’t take it all in.
It felt awkward, to say the least.
In so many ways, this was bizarre.
“…Are you making a comeback?”
Park Jung-woo asked quietly.
The camera captured his voice.
Naturally, all eyes in the auditorium turned to them.
And all the students shooting at that moment, as well as the observing teachers, fixated their gazes on them.
Seoyeon sensed it.
This was her moment.
“Yes.”
“Do you have a play lined up? If not, I can…”
“I already found one. It’s a play.”
“A play?”
That sounded like an unexpected reply to Park Jung-woo.
Why on earth had Seoyeon chosen a stage play for her comeback?
“What’s the title?”
“Well…”
Seoyeon’s lips fluttered.
And as if on cue, it echoed in everyone’s ears.
The name of Joo Seoyeon, the child star who had stirred up headlines ten years ago by playing Princess Yeonhwa, made its way back into the spotlight.
“But right now, this performance is most important, isn’t it?”
The eyes of all the students in the auditorium gathered on her.
Seoyeon gazed around before settling her eyes back on Park Jung-woo.
And then…
The atmosphere shifted.
Seoyeon’s previously calm demeanor transformed into the playful essence of Hye-wol.
Yet her grace and poise radiated as Princess Yeonhwa.
Ignoring the trivial fact that this was merely a TV variety show, everyone became enraptured in the unfolding drama.
“Did you wait long?”
Upon hearing her words, Park Jung-woo broke into a smile.
“Yes, your Highness.”
And thus, the reenactment of Episode 8 was set to resume after ten years.
The unprecedented ratings skyrocketed.
“Child star Joo Seoyeon returns after a decade!”
“Dramatic twists in Past, Looking Back at Memories! Ratings soaring to new heights?!”
“What play did the child star choose? Eyes Closed*?”
“Sells out tickets in 30 minutes. An extraordinary result!”
A massive wave of excitement was unleashed.
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