Reality and Drama's Graduate School (5)
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye found it strange seeing Oh Tae-woo appearing on screen alongside star actors.
"Hey, what role did Tae-woo oppa say he had again?"
"Yoo Jeong-ah's real older brother, I think."
"Good thing it's not the elite brainiac role. I was worried he'd play some temperamental genius professor."
"That was the PD-writer crossing the line. A grizzly bear like him as a professor? Ugh."
Oh Tae-woo's role was that of an ordinary university staffer.
It was a stretch to call him ordinary given his massive build...
"Professor Hwang seems loaded. Why not get cozy with him? I've scored a hot brother-in-law; time to level up from university staff to foundation board member, right?"
"Oppa, are you crazy?"
"Smart people like that? No harm in getting friendly. That's the wisdom I've gained from living long."
"If you're gonna say that, go ahead. Go!"
Kim Seok-hwang (Oh Tae-woo), who had a big age gap with his younger sister, faithfully played the role of the all-purpose fixer.
His dignified, laid-back character helped naturally refresh the drama's tension.
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye felt a strong sense of familiarity watching him.
"That's totally Tae-woo oppa's real-life vibe. Wow, how did the PD spot that and slot him right in?"
"It's just Grizzly Bear in his natural state. Ugh, what acting is that? He's just being himself."
"It's the control group effect, right? Pack the screen with nothing but shiny goldfish, and you can't tell if it's pretty or not. Slip in one goofy carp, and suddenly you go, 'Ah, now these are beauties.'"
"Hey, even so, our Grizzly holds his own in front of the professor and Yoo Jeong-ah, chatting away without flinching. He's a full-on celebrity now."
"Really? Damn, I should've tagged along last time no matter what. Of course, family drama hit right then."
"I thought he'd been in the industry 10, 20 years. Not a whiff of rookie."
"The professor's the same. That's why they vibe so well together."
"Honestly, seeing Yoo Jeong-ah up close at the dinner table? She's so stunning it kills any jealousy."
"Say that one more time and it's 100 strikes."
"Not even close."
The oppa who played a fierce young chaebol bodyguard like a savage male lion in The Hunter was now a cheekily endearing salaryman brother who occasionally poked at his talented professor sister's nerves.
He felt like a different person in The Hunter, but here he screamed "real big bro." Probably because it matched his everyday character so perfectly.
"Professor Cha Young-woo, don't come at me—go to the president. I'm just following procedure. Lowly order-taker here."
"No way, you're no lowly anything, Manager Kim. And how am I supposed to pitch a new robot vacuum to the president?"
"Robot vacuum? Not the new Boston Dynamics module?"
"Just a regular vacuum. A vacuum cleaner."
"They nixed it for security 'cause of the camera. Pick another model and resubmit."
"But the camera's what lets it tell cleaned from uncleaned..."
Amid actors boasting stellar skills and looks, he blended in seamlessly—almost too smoothly, casually. It felt a bit off.
"Oppa really became an actor."
"Yeah. Not lead material, but as supporting? A-list sidekick for sure. How much do A-listers get paid these days? Should I butter him up and marry in now?"
"You're insane. Total bullshit."
Soon came the scene where fellow professors marveled at Hwang Geon-wook's Science paper.
"This guy dabbled in fusion too? What hasn't he touched? Most struggle with one field a lifetime."
"Not dabbled—bundled others to dig deep into fusion properly. Now I see: four PhDs."
"Big name at Caltech. Why our school? And tenured?"
A mid-drama reevaluation of Hwang Geon-wook, the rich, smart, but insufferably arrogant guy.
Not just smart—unreasonably smart.
"There it is. Nailed the crush angle. See Yoo Jeong-ah's eyes flickering?"
"As a 15-year drama vet, that's the look when you deny budding feelings and lash out in fake rage instead."
"Nah, Yoo Jeong-ah pulls off that subtle emotion acting?"
"She's great at emotions. Face debuff just makes her seem less so."
"Since when are you such a Yoo Jeong-ah stan?"
"Since eating with her and the professor?"
True drama fans multitask: scan web communities for real-time fandom reactions.
"Whoa, now even international desks are covering Hwang Geon-wook."
"Hilarious. Scrape the barrel so hard they hit drama plots."
"Guess the professor's paper really is a big deal."
The two mistakenly equated the drama's paper with one by "Jeong Seo-hoon."
An easy cognitive slip from skimming titles and stitched memes.
Such fans still dominated.
"Oh, says here he did paper experiments alongside filming."
"For real? Impressive. Actually juggling grad school and acting."
"Reporters mistook his side-project paper for the Science one and went wild."
"Aigoo, do proper research before writing. Even if his side gig's science, mix up drama feats with reality?"
"Exactly."
Lee Se-jong leaned back leisurely in his chair, on an English-language call.
"KSTAR runs fusion with deuterium and tritium. No helium since inception. So where'd the final helium products come from?"
"A government lab colluding in a master's first-year unrelated fraud? Under physics giants' watch?"
Sharp point.
No reason for the Korean Fusion Energy Research Institute to aid "Jeong Seo-hoon's paper fraud" from A to Z.
Unless they faked it themselves.
The voice softened.
The paper vaguely stated: "Irregular, fragmented voltage loads on particles attenuate or ignore electrostatic repulsion without high energy input." Scientists were losing it.
"Editor Claude, suppose Goryeo era, we prove Pluto's existence with New Horizons photos. But can't prove 'how drawn'? What then?"
"What fits room-temp fusion in this era?"
Not his intent to silence him.
After gently deflating, Lee Se-jong got to the point.
"That 'load manipulation' is room-temp fusion's core. Bluntly, publicize it and anyone gets the tech. You publish 100% as-is?"
"My disciple says ad-hoc computation patched infinitely via brute repetition. Cleaning into neat equations now; debating disclosure extent."
"Naturally. No commercial know-how, just science sharing and tech protection."
Claude's tone warmed.
"But my disciple's swamped..."
"Equation cleanup and load method won't finish this year. And I want publication this year. Get it?"
Despite mobilizing scholar networks for live demos and raw data shares.
Science, burned by Korea before, stayed guarded.
"Then let's do this."
"Science preps replication stage. Jeong gets one laptop."
"One condition: fusion reactor KSTAR-level. Science handles full setup and oversight. Any verifiers welcome. He'll replicate there."
"Offered Nature same. If Science rejects, we go there. Nature agreed instantly."
Delightful grinding teeth massaged his eardrums over the line.
"Remember: publication this year? Time's short. Jeong wants no scientific glory, but I do. Must see my disciple take Nobel next year."
The long-overdue visit to the Nonhyeon-dong family home felt different.
His mother greeted Jeong Seo-hoon with eyes brimming unspeakably.
"Seo-hoon-ah. That Science paper—wasn't drama fiction? Heard from Su-ryeon."
"Submitted in drama and reality. Drama published; reality under review."
"Checked articles: no proper replication methods, so unrecognizable? And 'paper fraud' mentions..."
Her voice cautious with worry—fearing dishonor for her son.
"Fraud's absurd. Implies entire KFE faked for me alone. Sensible?"
"Right? My honest boy, paper fraud? Heart dropped reading that."
"Professor and Dad verified my room-temp feasibility. No worries."
Jeong Su-ryeon couldn't hold back, prancing beside.
"Hey! Nobel for real? In your 20s? No master's yet?"
"Probably."
"Damn, Mom. How? Genes rich-get-richer, but this nepotism's extreme!"
"My brains from your dad. Complain to him."
Amusing her jealous whining, Lee Se-jong called.
Jeong Seo-hoon turned from the shrieks, answering.
"Yes, Professor."
Lee Se-jong's voice warmer than before.
"Stage ready, I see."
"Round trip: three days minimum."
"Japan?"
Unexpected. Assumed U.S.
"Location, attendees—irrelevant."
Steady resolve weighted his voice.
"With these hands and eyes, results identical."