‘Feeling a bit disappointed?’
Taeha couldn’t help but be flustered by Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri’s story. He had never imagined that the two of them would have any grievances with him.
‘What on earth is this?’
Just as Taeha was thinking this, Lee Man-nyeon, seemingly having the same thought, asked Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri.
“Oh, I’m curious about what it means to feel disappointed in Taeha. Could the two of you perhaps tell me what that is?”
It was Shin So-hee who answered first.
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. Actually, I was hoping to land the female lead role in Taeha’s new project. I’d hinted at it several times, and Taeha must have known, but he never gave me a chance. That’s what made me feel a bit let down.”
Everyone at the venue was shocked by Shin So-hee’s unexpected bombshell declaration. Normally, behind-the-scenes casting stories are only shared when the casting succeeds. When it fails, people rarely bring it up for the sake of their own reputation. But Shin So-hee had openly revealed the story of a failed casting attempt.
Startled, Lee Man-nyeon asked back, “You don’t mean… Taeha’s new project?”
“Yes, that’s right. The casting for Byeonghwa. Of course, when I approached Taeha, I didn’t know it was Byeonghwa. I would have gone for any project of Taeha’s, regardless of what it was.”
“Wow… so much…”
As Shin So-hee’s shocking admissions continued, Lee Man-nyeon was too stunned to speak. The ten thousand Cho in the audience reacted similarly, and so did Taeha.
‘I knew she was honest, but… I didn’t expect this much.’
He was too surprised to think clearly. It was truly unbelievable. Shin So-hee was one of the top actresses in the Republic of Korea, even if not quite at Song Ji-eun’s level. Yet she had confessed that she’d wanted the Byeonghwa casting and was disappointed it didn’t work out.
This was the kind of material that would make reporters come running with fire in their eyes. Taeha hurriedly opened his mouth to try to defuse the situation, but—
“Wow, that’s interesting. That’s exactly why I was disappointed too.”
Han Woo-ri spoke up one step ahead.
Startled out of her daze, Lee Man-nyeon recovered and responded to Han Woo-ri.
“Ah, did you also want the casting for Byeonghwa? The role of Kim Seong-wol?”
Han Woo-ri flinched at Lee Man-nyeon’s question and waved both hands.
“Oh, no, no. How could I dare to aim for Kim Seong-wol? That would be ridiculous. And like So-hee, I didn’t even know Taeha’s new project was Byeonghwa. I just asked to be cast in any role without knowing.”
Han Woo-ri’s story caused a stir comparable to Shin So-hee’s. Though not quite at Shin So-hee’s level, Han Woo-ri was also a well-established leading actress in the Republic of Korea. Yet she had asked for a role without even considering its importance, just because it was Taeha’s new project. That was shocking to hear.
By this point, Taeha couldn’t stay silent any longer. Just then, Lee Man-nyeon asked him with perfect timing.
“What do you think, Taeha? It seems like the two of them are a bit hurt over the casting issue with Byeonghwa. I’ll give you a chance to defend yourself.”
“Um… In this situation, no matter what I say, it’s going to sound like an excuse rather than a defense. Honestly, I had no idea they wanted to appear in my new project so much that they’d feel disappointed.”
“Oh, you didn’t know?”
“No, I really didn’t. In fact, I honestly don’t even remember when they appealed to me.”
“Oh, you don’t remember?”
“…No. If I had known their true feelings, I would never have ignored their wishes.”
“Oh, so if you had known, you would have done it differently?”
Feeling like the more he spoke, the worse it got, Taeha finally chose silence. The Cho, finding his reaction adorable, couldn’t hold back their laughter. He looked just like a deflated puppy. Even Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri, who were watching him, couldn’t suppress their smiles.
Thus, everyone except Taeha was in a warm and friendly atmosphere. In the midst of it, Shin So-hee cleared her throat near the microphone and began to defend Taeha.
“But in the end, I think Taeha’s choice was right. The fact that Byeonghwa achieved tvM’s highest viewership rating of all time and also became the top-rated simultaneous Netflix broadcast is proof of that.”
Lee Man-nyeon countered, “But wouldn’t it have been even better if you had achieved that record together as the female lead of Byeonghwa?”
Shin So-hee immediately shook her head. “Would I really have been able to achieve such records if I had been the female lead? Actually, every time Byeonghwa set a new record, my disappointment melted away like snow. I know from working with Taeha how much effort he puts into creating a single work. The casting was probably part of that effort. In other words, there was a reason I wasn’t the female lead of Byeonghwa.”
Han Woo-ri nodded in agreement. “I think the same way. Watching up close how difficult it is to be both the writer and an actor in a work makes it even clearer. The sense of responsibility Taeha carries regarding his work is beyond that of an average main writer or average male lead. So Taeha can’t afford to overlook even the smallest detail. And since he made Byeonghwa a success, it turns out he was right this time too.”
Listening to Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri, the Cho present could indirectly experience the effort Taeha puts into completing a single work. At the same time, they realized how much trust and respect he received from his colleagues as both a writer and actor. Perhaps that’s why Lee Man-nyeon couldn’t hide her admiration at this point either.
Taeha also felt his heart warm listening to Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri. Their words carried such earnest sincerity.
But amazingly, their stories didn’t end there. Han Woo-ri adjusted her microphone and spoke again.
“As for how amazing Taeha is… This is a story from the filming of Scattered People. At that time, my acting would fall apart whenever I delivered my lines…”
Han Woo-ri began to explain what advice Taeha had given her during Scattered People, how that advice had helped her break through a wall, and how happy she was when she was cast in Your Brilliant Sparkle.
As she spoke, the Cho’s eyes grew wider with astonishment.
***
It wasn’t just Han Woo-ri. Shin So-hee also revealed the hidden story of how she got cast in Your Brilliant Sparkle, including the involvement of Kang Sojeong.
For the Cho, the more they heard, the more incredible it was, and the atmosphere of the fan meeting grew even hotter. Such behind-the-scenes stories were like a huge treat for the Cho who deeply loved Taeha. Moreover, it was a decisive reason to like Taeha not just as a celebrity but as a human being.
With the mood set, as soon as the first act, which had run longer than expected, ended, Taeha proceeded with the prepared performances. The performance began with a cover of Loop Love, followed by a band version of Waves, and peaked with Taeha’s dance cover of Liberty. It was only natural, as he perfectly pulled off the Liberty dance, which had more difficult moves than in the first fan meeting.
To catch his breath, he held a brief lucky draw for personal items, which hadn’t been in the first fan meeting, and then the second act finally began.
As previously announced, the guests for the second act were Han Seul-gi, who had worked with him on Fight School, and Song Ji-eun, who had recently finished filming Byeonghwa with him. However, these two didn’t have the same kind of connection with Taeha as Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri.
In fact, this was the part Taeha was most worried about while preparing this fan meeting. Due to circumstances, he had no choice but to group the two together as the second act guests, but he was concerned about whether the dynamic would turn out well.
Fortunately, both were professionals, so they didn’t show any awkwardness and answered the prepared questions sincerely. However, if asked whether the second act’s atmosphere was as good as the first, the answer would be no. It was just a moderately fun fan meeting with some meaning to it.
At least that was possible because Lee Man-nyeon threw in a witty, unscripted question: “Earlier in the first act, So-hee and Woo-ri said they felt a bit disappointed with Taeha. Do either of you have something like that?”
But regrettably, even Lee Man-nyeon’s efforts didn’t help much.
“Huh? Did they really say they were disappointed? Wow, that’s huge.”
“I don’t have anything like that. Thanks to Taeha, I got to appear in a great work like Byeonghwa, so there’s no way I’d be disappointed.”
That’s how the answers came back plain. In truth, it wasn’t that strange. Shin So-hee and Han Woo-ri were just exceptionally honest. Lee Man-nyeon looked clearly disappointed that she couldn’t get the desired answer to boost the atmosphere, but Taeha didn’t think the situation was all that bad.
‘Anyway, it ended well, but I was really sweating bullets earlier.’
Instead, he felt relieved to have a moment to catch his breath before unveiling the new prequel songs prepared as a triple title track.
For the Cho, the second act’s atmosphere wasn’t bad either. Han Seul-gi shared behind-the-scenes stories about how diligently Taeha took care of the young actors on Fight School and guided their acting. Song Ji-eun talked about how, in a tense situation where the food truck didn’t show up, Taeha handled it wisely with a clever solution. In fact, that alone made the second act of the fan meeting quite colorful.
Thus, the second act flowed more smoothly than the first, and finally, Lee Man-nyeon asked Han Seul-gi and Song Ji-eun the final question.
“Oh, would either of you like to take this opportunity to say something you’ve always wanted to say to Taeha?”
A brief silence fell. The first to speak was Song Ji-eun. She clutched the microphone tightly, suddenly closed her eyes, and opened her mouth.
“Actually, I’m also a Cho!”
Song Ji-eun’s unexpected declaration. But something even more surprising happened.
“Huh? You too, Ji-eun?”
Han Seul-gi answered involuntarily. Then, realizing her mistake too late, she covered her mouth with both hands, gasping.
At the same time, the atmosphere of the second act, which had seemed ordinary, suddenly changed.