— I wish I had a younger brother like that. He seems like he’d be such a source of strength.
— Me too!
— Every time that actor appears, it feels like a breath of fresh air ^^ He seems like a rookie, but I hope he does really well in the future~ You can do it!
*Struck Gold!* had a viewership rating of 18%, the highest among all currently airing weekend dramas.
Lee Young-bin smiled as he scrolled through the message board in the car on his way to work.
‘Honestly, it was tough at first…’
It was true that he had struggled to adapt because the role required more exaggerated gestures and expressions than his usual acting style. Every time he faltered, the acting advice Yeo-hoo gave—even while grumbling—had been a huge help.
[Did you text me just because you didn’t know that? Where are you now?]
[In the waiting room, Brother.]
[You’re not crying, are you?]
[It’s not that… *Sigh*, I really don’t think I’m cut out for weekend drama acting. No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know what’s wrong with my performance.]
[What did you do?]
[Well…]
[Then just try making your expressions bigger like the director said.]
[I thought you’d tell me to stick to my guns, Brother.]
[What even is ‘your acting’ in the first place? Is there some pre-ordained correct answer? Sticking to your guns is no different from bringing an answer key to an exam before you’ve even seen the paper. Look at the situation on set before you think about your own thing. Otherwise, your screen time will be cut by your character dying early or going abroad to study.]
‘If Brother Yeo-hoo hadn’t set me straight back then, my screen time would have decreased and my reputation might have suffered along with it. I really have no way to repay this debt. I’m going to stay right by his side for the rest of my life.’
Lee Young-bin opened his video app, vowing once again never to let go of Jeon Yeo-hoo.
His algorithm was filled with videos related to dramas, movies, and variety shows. A video of a talk show featuring the lead actors of *Sword of Revenge* popped up, so he clicked on it, wondering if Yeo-hoo or Yoon-woo might be mentioned.
The actors on the talk show were Seniors Joo Tae-kang and Han Se-rang.
It was a 30-minute video.
Joo Tae-kang wore a gray hoodie, a coat, and jeans, while Han Se-rang wore the same hoodie with a black leather jacket. They seemed to have coordinated comfortably to fit the talk show’s concept, but their handsome and beautiful faces couldn’t be hidden.
“They’re really good-looking.”
Feeling envious as a fellow actor, Lee Young-bin began watching.
Once the ice-breaking talk finished and the stories about the filming set began, Yeo-hoo was mentioned for the first time.
+
— “Alright, it’s time for our ‘Behind-the-Scenes Scoop’! We’ve gathered various rumors about Joo Tae-kang and Han Se-rang through staff members! First up! There’s a rumor that Joo Tae-kang dozes off unusually often on set… Is that true?”
— “What? Who said that?”
— “Oh, I can’t tell you that! It’s strictly anonymous.”
— “Was it Jeon Yeo-hoo? No, maybe it was Jung Yoon-woo? Either way, it’s one of those two.”
Han Se-rang asked a question at the mention of it being one of those two.
— “How do you know they said it?”
— “Why? Because those were the two who doodled on my face while I was sleeping on set before.”
— “Ah… I see.”
The MC of the talk show reacted to the new story.
— “Doodles? The atmosphere on set sounds wonderful.”
— “Those two were total mood makers. Jeon Yeo-hoo is quiet but funny, and Jung Yoon-woo talks a lot so he’s funny. There was a day I was waiting on set because we planned to have dinner together after my shoot, and I dozed off for just a moment.”
— “Yes, yes.”
— “They shook me awake saying the shoot was over, but the two of them kept laughing like this, their shoulders shaking. It was strange. Plus, Han Se-rang was also spiteful. When I asked her why they were acting like that, she just said, ‘I don’t know~’ and walked past.”
— “Wait, did you just do an impression of me?”
— “Yeah. Anyway, I got into the car with a suspicious look. I went all the way to the restaurant with that face full of doodles! Luckily, I was wearing a mask. If I hadn’t gone straight to the bathroom at the restaurant, those guys wouldn’t have told me until the very end.”
— “Oh my goodness! What kind of doodle was it?”
— “They drew a runny nose under my nostrils with a black marker. *Sigh*… Truly, at that time, ah.”
— “Well, let’s take a look at the footage!”
— “What? No, wait. You have footage?”
— “Oh my.”
+
This was crazy.
“Pfft.”
Lee Young-bin covered his mouth with his palm, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. The snot marks drawn right under Senior Joo Tae-kang’s nostrils as he slept with his mouth open in the footage were unbelievably funny.
‘They got along so well, yet those rumors still spread.’
Since Yeo-hoo only filmed at the very beginning and didn’t have to go back to the set, maybe the stories had been distorted. The viewers seemed to have similar thoughts, as the comment section was filled with praise for the atmosphere on set.
— 21:02 LOL this story is hilarious. Wow, was Joo Tae-kang that kind of character? And Han Se-rang too… I thought she’d be cold on set, but not at all.
â”” This interview was a great move.
â”” Right? I kept laughing too.
â”” This is the first time I’ve watched a 30-minute promotional interview all the way through.
â”” The set vibes are so good.
— Why does Han Se-rang look so pretty here? I knew she was pretty, but she’s sooooo pretty. The hoodie and leather jacket combo is gorgeous… What the…
— I’m a restaurant part-timer. He said he wiped it all off, but there was a little bit left on his forehead… T_T
â”” Joo Tae-kang: ???
â”” LOL Joo Tae-kang for real.
â”” Watch the video closely, it might still be there.
— I didn’t think Jeon Yeo-hoo would play pranks, but he does it well.
â”” Right?
â”” It’s because the senior is nice that the atmosphere is so good. Joo Tae-kang seems to have a good personality.
â”” Tae-kang, finally someone is praising your character. T_T Tae-kang…
— It doesn’t seem “strictly anonymous” at all. LOL this is the funniest interview I’ve seen lately.
└ It’s always funnier when everyone knows who it is.
— I’ll make sure to tune in on the premiere date! From the actors to the writer, *Sword of Revenge* is a must-watch. Let’s go!
Among hundreds of comments, Lee Young-bin secretly left one and closed the window.
— Sword of Revenge, let’s go!
After thoughtfully sending the link to the interview to Jeon Yeo-hoo along with a supportive message, Lee Young-bin opened his script again.
*****
[Brother, did you see this?]
[It’s so funny! Let’s go, Sword of Revenge!]
[Video Link]
What is this?
‘It’s not even my interview, so why send it? Is it because it’s the drama I’m in?’
Why send me an interview that only featured Joo Tae-kang and Han Se-rang in the first place?
I sent a generic response like “I’ll watch it when I have time” and turned off my phone. I needed to prepare for the meeting with Director So Si-in of *The Killing Recipe*. This was because we had decided to sign a formal contract after talking with the company one more time.
Well, even if I said “prepare,” it was just CEO Ma Eun-in reviewing the contract once more. Having acted for nearly 20 years, I could have handled the contract clauses myself, but I didn’t want to take away the opportunity for Ma Eun-in to grow as a CEO.
“Then, for the contract, this clause…”
Ma Eun-in was calmly talking to the lawyer, but his voice had cracked with surprise when he first heard the news from me.
— “So… the director was at the cooking academy you went to? I was surprised when we first signed you, Yeo-hoo, but this is even more shocking. To think you even finalized the casting talk there…”
— “Would it have been better if I had spoken with you first, CEO?”
— “No, no. I’ve already finished the audition side of things, so it doesn’t matter.”
— “The director said she wanted to stop by the office to talk more. Is that okay?”
— “Of course! It’s our actor Jeon Yeo-hoo’s first lead role in a movie. I have to prepare well for the contract. We also need to review it, so I’ll request the file be sent via email in advance. Then, for now…”
One week later, Friday.
Ma Eun-in finished the final review call and smiled broadly.
“The review is finished, so now we just need to have a good conversation and wrap it up.”
“That’s good. Thank you for handling it so well.”
“Thank you? I’m the one who should be more grateful to you, Yeo-hoo, for bringing in the role you wanted.”
“No, I didn’t really do much…”
“I’m just so happy that an actor like you joined our company. Even Lee Young-bin and Ha Je-ban joined because they trusted you. Our company still has… nothing…”
Ma Eun-in, who had been pouring out praise, suddenly hit the brakes on his excitement. Then he started to cry.
“C-CEO?”
“We have nothing, *hic*, nothing, *waaaaah*.”
“CEO, please don’t cry. What’s gotten into you?”
I had never comforted a middle-aged man before.
“Jeon Yeo-hoo, if our company ever, *hic*, treats you badly…”
“No. That won’t happen, CEO.”
That didn’t even happen before the regression, CEO.
While I went to get tissues to soothe the sobbing Ma Eun-in, So Si-in got off the elevator and greeted me with a bright smile. She was dressed neatly in a brown trench coat, a navy knit, and black slacks. She walked very fast and closed the distance in an instant, arriving right in front of me and the sobbing CEO.
She probably never imagined Ma Eun-in would be crying.
“Thank you for setting up this appoint…”
She seemed to realize it as she drew closer.
“*Sob*.”
So Si-in looked at my expression, seemingly startled by Ma Eun-in’s trembling shoulders and suspicious sobbing. She likely never imagined this man was the CEO.
“Excuse me, but who is this person…?”
To reassure her, I replied with a deadpan face as if this were a daily occurrence.
“He’s not a stranger; he’s the CEO.”
“Ah, oh? But why… I mean, the CEO? Why is he really…?”
“He’s just crying for a moment because he’s moved.”
“D-did he watch a sad movie or something?”
Why was he crying again? I thought for a moment. So Si-in wouldn’t want to know the reasons why Ha Je-ban or Lee Young-bin joined our company. After sifting through many words, I was able to summarize the situation in one sentence.
“It’s nothing special; he’s just very moved by me.”
“Ah—. Huh? What?”
“It’s really nothing, so could you wait in the reception room for a moment?”
“Yes…”
I think I summarized it well.
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