Chapter 30 : The Role of a Lifetime

Taehwan was on his way to a restaurant for a brief meeting about Today’s Fruit Shop.

“How much longer, hyung?” he asked, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

Fresh off a packed schedule, his reflection in the car window revealed the flawless facade of an idol, but the vibrant energy he exuded on stage was nowhere to be found.

“Probably… about twenty minutes,” the manager replied, glancing at Taehwan through the rearview mirror.

Taehwan nodded curtly.

“Okay.”

The manager stole another look, sensing the weight on Taehwan’s shoulders.

Just days ago, contract renewals for the other group members had fallen through, sealing the group’s inevitable disbandment.

The headlines wouldn’t call it that, of course, but in truth, it was no different.

“Hyung, you’re sticking with me, right?”

Taehwan asked, his tone softer, almost vulnerable.

“Of course. I’m a company man. Where else would I go?”

Taehwan had long sensed the cracks in the group, fractured by constant bickering.

That’s why he’d started branching out—solo activities, even dipping his toes into acting—to secure his place before the group’s halo faded entirely.

“Me, acting?”

He let out a dry laugh.

“It’s kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?”

He’d been hailed as a genius idol, always insisting he’d stay one forever, that acting wasn’t in his plans.

Even he found the irony absurd.

“People change their minds,” the manager said gently.

“Your fans have been dying to see you act.”

Taehwan’s efforts to hold the group together single-handedly had always tugged at the manager’s heart.

If it weren’t for Taehwan’s resilience, they wouldn’t have made it this far.

“That’s not the kind of acting they wanted, though,” Taehwan muttered.

“Well, what can you do…”

In Korea, a male idol going solo without the safety net of a group faced slim odds of success.

Even with a loyal fanbase, the trajectory usually trended downward.

Acting was Taehwan’s only shot at staying relevant in the industry long-term.

“Those bastards,” Taehwan spat, his voice low with venom.

“I’ll show them I can make it.”

It was practically an idol rule: when a group breaks up, the fans scatter.

Only the clueless members, riding high on their debut popularity, failed to see it coming.

“Oh, by the way, you haven’t checked V today, have you?” the manager asked suddenly.

“Not yet. Why?”

Taehwan wasn’t in the habit of checking every day during an off period.

“Apparently some jerk was harassing our fans at the pop-up store today.”

“What?”

Taehwan’s eyes flared with indignation.

His love for his fans was unmatched.

“Yeah, but some passerby stepped in to help. Turns out he’s an actor.”

“An actor?”

“Yep, a rookie. Probably nobody you’d know. Anyway, we’re planning to show some appreciation on behalf of the company, and it’ll be in your name, so just be aware.”

Taehwan immediately opened V on his phone.

As soon as he logged in, a name he didn’t recognize—Jung Hyunjae—popped up everywhere on his burner account.

“Jung Hyunjae?”

It was a name he’d never heard before.

Then, a post with an insane number of views and likes caught his eye.

This must be it.

He tapped the video.

The shaky footage, likely filmed in secret, showed a man hurling insults at fans.

Taehwan’s brows furrowed, a curse nearly slipping from his lips, when someone new appeared.

“Hey, cut the nonsense and move along,” the stranger said coolly.

The video quality wasn’t great, zoomed in from a distance, but the man’s striking presence—his physique, his visuals—was undeniable.

“Worry about your own life instead of bothering others,” he added, his tone icy yet composed as he shielded the fans.

Even to Taehwan, another man, the guy looked undeniably cool.

And, unsurprisingly, the fans were showering him with praise in the comments.

Oh my god, he’s unreal 😭😭 Oppa…

He’s only 20?!

Handsome guys are all oppas, you know 😏

Yo, the person he helped posted a follow-up!

He came to return a lost plushie.

How sweet is that?

How does one guy have it all?

I was eyeing him since his audition promo video.

My taste is impeccable 😎

Why am I swooning just reading the follow-up?

Idol fans always get treated like pushovers.

That jerk ran off with his tail between his legs.

Total loser.

I don’t even know what he’s in, but I’m rooting for him!

“I watched the video too,” the manager said.

“No wonder it’s blowing up. Not just our fans—other idol fans are going wild over it.”

“Hyung, make sure we show our thanks properly,” Taehwan said firmly.

“Don’t worry. With your name attached, we’ll do it right.”

Taehwan posted a selfie from a recent photoshoot on StarStar, along with a heartfelt message comforting his fans.

The moment it went live, comments flooded in.

Reading through them, he didn’t notice they’d already arrived at the restaurant.

“Taehwan! So good to see you!”

“I’ve been a fan for ages. This is such a thrill!”

The director and writer were already waiting at the restaurant, greeting him warmly.

“We’re so honored to have you on board, Taehwan,” the director said.

“No, no, I’m the one who’s honored. I’m new to this, so please guide me well.”

Despite his youth, Taehwan’s fame gave him seniority in this room, and the director and writer were quick to flatter him.

“Your music video was incredible!”

“Exactly! You’re perfect for Today. The online buzz is already calling your casting 100% spot-on.”

“Really? I haven’t seen that yet,” Taehwan said, playing coy.

He knew the truth.

The original novel’s fans weren’t thrilled about his casting.

What?

They cast him as Today? 😭😭

Why Today of all characters?

Why not stick to idol web dramas instead of ruining my favorite story?

His visuals are fine, I guess?

Why do you think they call it “actor face”?

Pretty boys like him in dramas always flop visually lol.

His makeup carries him.

Without it, he’s just average.

Today was my favorite character, and now it’s ruined.

I was excited for the adaptation, but this smells like a disaster.

Adapting a beloved novel into a drama almost always invited criticism, but Taehwan’s casting was taking an especially harsh beating.

“With such a popular source material, the anticipation is through the roof!” the director said, forcing a laugh.

“Even the original author said the casting is perfect,” the writer added.

Their relentless praise wasn’t just courtesy—it had a purpose.

In an era dominated by genre-heavy dramas, a quiet, healing story like Today’s Fruit Shop struggled to secure funding.

Taehwan’s decision to join the project had finally greenlit it after years of delays.

The director and writer were determined to keep him happy to ensure the project’s success.

“Thank you,” Taehwan said. “Oh, have the other roles been cast?”

“Yep, finalized just yesterday. Dohwan will be played by Kang Yongseok, Minwoo by Park Jiwon, and Junghyun by Kim Hyungcheol.”

“Dohwan’s who again?”

All four friend roles were crucial, but Dohwan’s casting was especially significant.

In the novel, the chemistry between Today and Dohwan was a fan favorite, so it was only natural Taehwan was curious.

“Kang Yongseok. He’s led a few web dramas and recently played Kang Hana’s brother in Replay.”

“Oh… really?”

Taehwan’s face fell, a flicker of disappointment crossing his features.

He’d braced himself for lesser-known actors in supporting roles, but this was underwhelming even by those standards.

“We considered Kang Yongseok, Kim Hajun, and Jung Hyunjae,” the director explained, sensing Taehwan’s unease.

“Yongseok has the most experience, so we went with the safest choice…”

“Hold on. Jung Hyunjae?”

The name rang a bell. Isn’t that the guy who helped my fans?

Taehwan’s mind raced.

He hadn’t held high hopes for this project from the start.

The script had been passed around for ages, and he’d only chosen it to avoid some cliched teen idol drama.

If it wasn’t going to be a masterpiece, it could at least generate buzz.

“He’s a total rookie, no projects out yet, but his cosmetics ad got some decent attention,” the director said.

“Do you know him?”

“Not personally, but we’re… connected, you could say. I didn’t know he was in the running.”

“He’s got great visuals and shows promise, but he’s just too green…”

The director trailed off.

Taehwan was a rookie actor too, so adding another untested newcomer felt risky.

“I’m a rookie too,” Taehwan said with a faint smile.

“Haha, true! These days, it’s not about experience—it’s about talent, right?”

“Exactly. Plenty of veterans are terrible actors. Ugh, don’t get me started.”

“I only mentioned him because of the connection,” Taehwan said smoothly.

“Casting’s up to you, Director, Writer.”

But the director and writer caught the hint immediately.

Taehwan wanted Jung Hyunjae.

“Just, you know, my fans seem to really like him…”

“Oh, now that I think about it, you two would look great together visually!”

“Right? That’s the trend these days—pairing puppy types with cat types. What do they call it?”

“Dog-cat chemistry?”

“Yes, that’s it!”

The room buzzed with mutual understanding, the meeting taking on a lively, conspiratorial air.

“Let’s set up a get-together with the whole friend group next time,” the director suggested.

“Sounds good. Getting to know each other before filming will help.”

“Then we’re counting on you for Today!”

“No, I’m the one counting on you.”

As soon as Taehwan left the room, the director dialed the assistant director.

“Dohwan’s going to Jung Hyunjae.”

***

“Hmm, that was good.”

In a quiet corner of the company office, Hyungyu closed the novel he’d just finished.

He’d picked up Today’s Fruit Shop along with a few similar books from the bookstore, and it was clear why it was so beloved—it read like a breeze.

“Such a shame,” he murmured.

Finishing the book only deepened his regret that someone else had been cast in the role.

He’d already envisioned how he’d bring the character to life.

At least I hope they do it justice.

From what Hyungyu had heard, the chosen actor wasn’t exactly stellar.

“Done reading?”

Minhee, a marketing staff member, called out as she noticed him set the book down.

“Yeah.”

“I’m done too. Alright, let’s get to work.”

There was a reason Hyungyu had been called to the office on a day with no filming.

Two days ago, he’d helped return a lost plushie and chased off some creep harassing fans.

Unbeknownst to him, the incident had been filmed, and his rarely-used StarStar account had exploded with followers.

Seizing the moment, the company decided to capitalize on the buzz and build his presence.

“They say this place is trending right now,” Minhee said.

“Let’s go there and snag… maybe three good shots.”

Her tone carried an unspoken resolve: No going home until we get those three shots.

“Three?” Hyungyu asked.

“Gotta have enough to spruce up your feed.”

His StarStar was mostly cosmetics ad photos, the only remnants after the company had scrubbed his earlier posts of flowers and dogs.

“Got it.”

“I’m gonna channel some MZ-generation vibes and create a masterpiece. Be right back!”

“Fighting!”

“I’m counting on you.”

With only three staff members, the office had a cozy, family-like atmosphere that Hyungyu appreciated.

As Minhee grabbed her bag and stood, her phone rang.

“Hold on a sec.”

She answered mid-step.

“Hello, this is Kingdom Entertainment. Yes? Where? Oh… really?”

Her voice rose, her eyes widening with every word, and the other staff members in the office turned their attention to her call, curiosity piqued.