Who Was the Best? (1)
[Media Today Entertainment: Haegeuk, Can It Break the Unprecedented Cable 40% Wall?]
VilLab fandom has dissected every single Haegeuk-related breadcrumb without missing a thing.
Some fans even compiled and posted all the Haegeuk breadcrumbs in chronological order separately.
[Jeong Seo-hoon & Cha Do-jin at the Gym]
"My lord... Must you truly do this?"
"I have no choice if I want to live."
"Please find another way."
"Is it truly just the desire to live?"
"......"
"In my eyes, I see nothing now but your ambition, my lord. Am I wrong?"
The mature Grand Prince consort, nestled in his arms, looked up with teary eyes.
Beneath the neatly acted emotional tone, a girl-like thrill trembled faintly.
The subtle emotion he would never have noticed before was now all too easy to read.
Just as his body strengthened, so too was his gaze that peered into people sharpening.
The Grand Prince covered her lips with his without hesitation.
Her trembling ragged breath was drawn in, her soft shoulders quivering faintly.
The long, endless kiss stretched on eternally, yet the lens stage enclosing them remained unbroken.
The PD still hadn't called cut.
The Grand Prince caressed his wife's body tenderly with affectionate hands.
In the midst of the lingering tender kiss, he felt the soft tip of her tongue tentatively encroaching.
A shy knock hidden between their paired lip curtains; the Grand Prince parted his breath gently to accept it.
A private conversation between husband and wife, unseen by the camera.
"Cut!"
The PD's cry, piercing the invisible veil with difficulty, shattered their enclosed stage in an instant.
Jeong Seo-hoon returned from the past spacetime to the modern set in a flash.
The lingering sensation of lips faded, and Lee Seo-hyeon flashed a bright eye smile.
She pulled a handkerchief from her robe and first wiped Jeong Seo-hoon's lips, then gently her own.
"The PD took so long to call cut, I got totally immersed."
"He watched for 9 minutes 57 seconds. Didn't know PD Jang had such a mischievous side."
"Oh, you were counting inside? Were you bored, hoping it'd end quick?"
Her casual tone hid a subtle disappointment.
"Bored? Nah, it was more like 'just 10 more seconds, just 10 more,' counting away."
"......Liar."
She shot him a slight glare, but pride replaced the disappointment in her voice.
The two actors returned to Jang Seung-won, who was staring intently at the monitor.
Sensing them, Jang Seung-won finally looked up and scratched his head.
"Ah, sorry. Since we're shooting a kiss scene anyway, I got greedy wanting more angles, expressions, eye contact... it dragged on."
"I thought my lips would swell."
"Not a scene to insert twice, so I wanted max angles. Truth is, I'm not great at kiss scenes myself, so I aimed for tons of footage..."
"Why not a scene to insert twice?"
"This isn't a historical romance."
"The PD shot so fervently, I mistook it for heading into historical romance."
Lee Seo-hyeon masked her regret with calm sophistication.
Jang Seung-won smiled awkwardly.
"But you two looked so lovingly like a real couple. Like a painting. If the network allowed, I'd air that full kiss uncut, but no dice, right?"
A joke, knowing full well it wouldn't fly.
The kiss would be edited to mere seconds of the best angles.
Kim Sang-hee chimed in playfully from the side.
"Why not drift hard into trendy historical romance now?"
"Viewers just waiting for a revolt plot twist would burn the boards. History buffs would riot over beautifying Sejo with romance."
"Even for our slave ancestor's sake who used Kim Jong-seo's yard."
"Few viewers buy that. Your credibility's kinda low among them."
"Where's a writer as consistent from start to end, surface to core, as me?"
With makeup and costume sorted, Jeong Seo-hoon stepped out to the outdoor garden.
Sitting at the table, leisurely basking in the sun, he heard clicking high heels.
Lee Seo-hyeon sat diagonally across.
"No more shooting today, right? Why not head home instead of lounging here?"
"Sun's just right, so sunbathing a bit."
"Sunbathing's lying on a beach in a swimsuit all relaxed. What's this clothed version?"
Her natural chin-rest pose exuded top-star aura that thrilled many male fans.
Well deserving of her spot in the top actress trio with Yoo Jeong-ah and Chae Ji-hyeon.
Examining closely, each had distinct traits.
Yoo Jeong-ah with her slender frame and cool, haughty visuals.
Chae Ji-hyeon slim yet glamorous, with innocent sunny expressions mismatched to her figure.
Lee Seo-hyeon, at 173cm model height with refreshingly sharp features, had a comfortable, steady vibe like a same-sex friend.
"So, between us three, who was best?"
"Pardon?"
"Jeong-ah bragged hard. Said she was your real-life first kiss?"
"It just happened that way."
"No way, for real? Then I'm third in your life? Ji-hyeon second?"
"That's how it shakes out."
"Who was best? It's fine, we do this rivalry often among friends."
Behind the hearty laugh, subtle anticipation lurked.
She'd built her casual, easygoing actress image hiding her true self this way.
"With Yoo Jeong-ah, it was more lip-biting than kiss. With Chae Ji-hyeon, closer to stealing a forced on-screen kiss."
"So I was best?"
"A kiss scene acted with warm affection—this is your first, Lee Seo-hyeon."
"Dodging well. Got it. Won't brag to Jeong-ah or Ji-hyeon about the scene, don't worry."
If Yoo Jeong-ah slipped subtle affection occasionally, Lee Seo-hyeon suppressed rational fondness beneath nonchalant words.
A question that could seem intellectual seduction flowed like light banter among close friends.
"Overheard—right after Haegeuk ends, jumping into new project?"
"Yes."
"Something like taking director at new agency too, starring in their drama?"
"Rumors spread that fast?"
"You know how quick industry gossip flies. If I know, probably everyone does."
Lee Seo-hyeon recrossed her legs, arms folded, leaning back.
"Heard you personally scouted Cha Do-jin. True?"
"Mm, true."
"Youth drama, so probably triangle with a girl between you two. Not Jeong-ah then—she can't handle romance with Do-jin."
"Do-jin mentioned that. Said don't put Jeong-ah in the triangle. But I'm no screenwriter, what power do I have?"
"Director yet too humble? Anyway, show me the script when it drops."
"Got it."
Mid-conversation, Ha Tae-soo messaged.
"Manager's here, gotta go."
"Okay. Head out. I'll chill in the breeze a bit longer."
Lee Seo-hyeon waved big from her seat farewell.
As Jeong Seo-hoon walked away, he clearly heard her quiet sigh.
"If only two years later born... Lee Seo-hyeon, why so hasty?"
The heavy barbell thudded down.
Combining bars for a total 120kg, he'd deadlifted over 50 reps nonstop.
No sweat. No shortness of breath.
Jeong Seo-hoon stared into the full-body mirror.
Normally, 50+ reps at that weight would redden the face and rack the breath.
But his reflection was serene as reading a book.
It wasn't feather-light; the hefty weight was solidly felt.
No sense of lacking strength or it giving out.
As he grabbed the barbell to add more plates, the door burst open.
It was Jeong Su-ryeon.
"What? Here? Hey, newbie, how many plates you stack so fearlessly? Tsk tsk, can't lift so removing weights."
Jeong Seo-hoon smirked, then loaded multiple plates in succession.
"Hey, ramping like that you'll hurt... Nah, can't lift anyway so no... Fuck, what?!"
Jeong Su-ryeon shrieked.
"How'd you lift that?!"
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