Upon arriving at the set of *Your Brilliant Sparkle*, Taeha took a deep breath.
Having spent all his recent time on film sets, returning to a drama set felt like coming back to his hometown.
Of course, the atmosphere here was entirely different from when he was filming
*Crystal Point* or *Scattered People*.
After all, there was a significant genre gap between a thriller and a campus youth drama.
However, perhaps because the filming angles of a drama were so familiar to him, Taeha found it comfortable.
Everything felt well-known and easy. After soaking in the atmosphere of the drama set for a moment, Taeha began moving around to greet the staff.
No one would have complained now even if he didn’t go around introducing himself first.
As the male lead carrying the drama, such a status was expected.
In this particular project, he was also the writer.
But for Taeha, it was a routine to personally greet the staff and engage in light conversation whenever he arrived on set.
He felt that he couldn’t focus as well on filming if he didn’t do this.
‘I’ve never skipped a greeting.’
While he was busy saying his hellos, he spotted Director Im Kyung-ho, who had arrived early and seemed lost in thought.
“Director!”
When Taeha called out, Im Kyung-ho responded with a bright smile. He walked over to Taeha and spoke.
“What’s this? Taeha, you already look perfectly like Jung Si-hoo today.”
Jung Si-hoo was the name of the male lead in *Your Brilliant Sparkle*.
He was a regressor who repeatedly turned back time to ensure the happiness of the female lead, Lim Yu-jin.
As previously explained, Jung Si-hoo’s goal was to stay as far away as possible from Lim Yu-jin, as her misfortune seemed tied to her being with him.
The various methods Jung Si-hoo chose to distance himself from Lim Yu-jin were intended to be a major drawing point for the viewers.
It was designed to trigger their curiosity about whether his choices would truly lead to her happiness.
Of course, the real highlight of *Your Brilliant Sparkle* was the love that blossomed between the leads despite the repeating cycles of regression.
Taeha, receiving praise from Im Kyung-ho as soon as they met, replied with a beaming smile.
“Director, you’re the one who looks great today. Anyone would think you’d already finished today’s filming and were heading home.”
“Hahaha. There’s nothing more joyful than heading home, after all. But I’m in a good mood for a different reason today. I have a premonition that the start of the filming for *Your Brilliant Sparkle* will be excellent.”
“Ah, you and I are on the same page. I was having the exact same premonition.”
“So the premonitions of the writer and director have aligned? Hahaha.”
Im Kyung-ho cracked a dad joke perfectly suited for someone in his late 40s.
Even though they appeared this way, Taeha and Im Kyung-ho had become quite close.
Before filming even started, they had crossed two major mountains together, so they couldn’t help but bond.
Even setting that aside, Taeha had intended to build a strong rapport with Im Kyung-ho.
Since he was participating in *Your Brilliant Sparkle* as both an actor and a writer, he believed his relationship with the director was paramount.
In other words, since he had to fulfill two roles, he decided there was no reason to engage in a pointless power struggle with the director.
Fortunately, from their very first meeting, Im Kyung-ho had respected Taeha — who was much younger than him — as a fellow writer. It wasn’t just a simple sense of respect; he treated Taeha as if he were a veteran grand writer. Thanks to that, Taeha was able to comfortably get close to him. Since they respected each other, they grew close easily just by lightened the mood occasionally. That was the current state of their relationship.
While the two were in the middle of a blooming conversation, someone spoke up.
“What are you two discussing so animatedly?”
When they turned their heads, the person standing there was none other than Shin So-hee.
“Oh! Ms. Shin is here! Wow. Dressed like that, you really look like a college student.”
Shin So-hee had also finished her transformation into Lim Yu-jin. Perhaps because of that, an exclamation immediately burst from Im Kyung-ho’s mouth. Taeha also nodded, satisfied with Shin So-hee’s appearance. Shin So-hee smiled brightly, appearing relieved after seeing Taeha’s reaction.
“I’m Lim Yu-jin starting today, so of course I have to look like a student. So, when do we start filming?”
“Ah, I was just about to get things started. Now that Jung Si-hoo and Lim Yu-jin are both here, there’s no reason to wait.”
After saying that, Im Kyung-ho cleared his throat and shouted toward the staff.
“Alright, we are beginning the filming for the long-awaited *Your Brilliant Sparkle*! Everyone, standby!”
***
Like most dramas, the first episode of *Your Brilliant Sparkle* served as a general introduction to the work. The structure introduced the male lead Jung Si-hoo, the sub-male lead Kim Tae-yang (played by Han Woo-ri), and the sub-female lead Lee Soo-jung (played by Kim Se-mi) through the eyes of the female lead, Lim Yu-jin.
For that reason, Shin So-hee’s acting was incredibly important.
From the viewers’ perspective, if Lim Yu-jin wasn’t a character they wanted to empathize with, the first episode itself wouldn’t hold up.
This was why Taeha had met with Shin So-hee frequently before filming to help her find her tone and focused heavily on coaching her during the script reading.
Filming for the first episode proceeded for 15 days.
Fortunately, Shin So-hee performed brilliantly during those 15 days.
Her performance felt almost flawless. It was clear why she had caught Baek Seung-chul’s eye and earned a sub-role back then.
In fact, many people evaluated Shin So-hee as someone with the potential to grow into a top-tier actress in the Republic of Korea, following in the footsteps of Kang Sojeong.
Shin So-hee, who was monitoring the footage with Taeha, also seemed satisfied with her performance as a smile played on her lips.
“I think it’s good, but what do you think?”
While Taeha nodded in agreement, Im Kyung-ho replied.
“It’s perfect. Excellent. I think that covers all of Lim Yu-jin’s screen time for Episode 1. Is the only thing left for today the final scene of the episode?”
Naturally, Shin So-hee wasn’t the only one filming for those 15 days.
Taeha also participated, though his screen time was significantly less than hers.
Of course, compared to Shin So-hee, his scenes were of much lower difficulty. As mentioned, the first episode was told from Lim Yu-jin’s perspective, and Jung Si-hoo’s role for the episode consisted mostly of appearing at the right moments within that gaze.
Even for a male lead, Jung Si-hoo had surprisingly little screen time. He had so few lines that he barely had a reason to open his mouth compared to the sub-leads Han Woo-ri or Kim Se-mi.
It wasn’t for nothing that CEO Choi had initially thought Taeha had failed in building the male lead’s character after reading the script.
However, all of this was a calculated move for the final scene. The impact of that last scene was that vital. In fact, what set *Your Brilliant Sparkle* apart from other dramas that shared a similar introductory nature in their first episodes was that very final scene.
Knowing this, Im Kyung-ho couldn’t help but be cautious. Recalling the importance of the final scene, Im Kyung-ho shouted.
“We will begin filming the final scene of Episode 1 in 30 minutes! This is a crucial scene, so everyone, please prepare thoroughly!”
As soon as Im Kyung-ho finished speaking, the staff began moving busily. Im Kyung-ho couldn’t stay still either and stood up. He then approached the director of photography to discuss additional camera placement.
In the meantime, Han Woo-ri and Kim Se-mi, who had been waiting in their vehicles, came to the set to watch the final scene. People were gradually gathering. Eyes were beginning to focus. It was a situation that would be burdensome for anyone.
***
Shin So-hee watched the staff moving busily to film the final scene and thought to herself.
‘There are a lot of eyes watching. Even Taeha might be a bit nervous.’
Since the start of filming for *Your Brilliant Sparkle*, this was the largest crowd that had gathered. it was a clear indication of how high the interest in this scene was. However…
“He’ll do well.”
Shin So-hee didn’t doubt for a second that Taeha would be able to handle the final scene. It was a natural conclusion, given that she had seen his acting several times through television and on the silver screen. She had even experienced his acting prowess firsthand during the script reading and on set.
And the acting skills she had confirmed were beyond her expectations. In terms of pure acting ability, he was already at a level that didn’t pale in comparison to her own, which she took great pride in.
‘He writes the script that well and acts just as well… he really is a monster.’
Shin So-hee marveled at Taeha’s talent once again as she waited for the final scene of Episode 1 to begin. After some time had passed…
“Ready! Action!”
Preparation was finally complete, and the cue was given by Im Kyung-ho.
‘So it’s finally starting.’
Shin So-hee unconsciously clenched her fists as she watched Taeha act. And then…
*Fwoosh!*
She suddenly felt as if her body was momentarily heating up. She had occasionally felt something similar while on the set of *Your Brilliant Sparkle*. Every time, she had received the impressive sensation that her dormant potential was being awakened.
But now, the intensity was on a different level entirely. If measured by temperature, the feelings Shin So-hee had experienced until now were merely like a candle flame. In contrast, the current sensation was closer to a furnace. An immense heat that felt as if it could melt anything it touched was consuming the entire set.
Because of that, Shin So-hee…
‘It’s too hot.’
She couldn’t help but have this thought. However, what was truly amazing was that even in this situation, Taeha was performing exactly according to the script directions.
[Scene #41. In front of the campus theater (Day)
The red glow of the sunset reaches its peak. Si-hoo, who seemed absent from the spot, appears with the wind and leans his back quietly against the wall.
At the same time, Si-hoo’s face — which had never properly appeared — is shown in a close-up. He follows Yu-jin’s figure as she moves down the hill with his eyes, then narrows them.]
Within that immense heat, Taeha’s line was finally uttered.
“Sister… you must forget me. Otherwise, we can never be happy.”
At that line, Shin So-hee felt as if her breath had suddenly been knocked out of her. It was inevitable. Taeha’s acting contained a power far beyond anything she had seen or experienced with her own eyes until now.
A delicate expression of emotion that made him truly look like Jung Si-hoo. The deep sorrow contained within it. And the longing. All of it swallowed Shin So-hee like a heatwave.
At the same time, she realized.
‘Taeha’s acting… it wasn’t at the same level as mine.’
He was one… no, several steps ahead of her. His acting ability left her with no choice but to think that way. And everyone else on set was looking at Taeha with the same expression as Shin So-hee.
It was the moment the filming for the first episode of *Your Brilliant Sparkle* finally came to a close.