MJ (1)
The filming of the final episode of The College Player had come to an end. A journey of about a year—long to some, short to others—had finally drawn to a close.
Accompanied by a deafening roar of applause, the four lead actors held hands and bowed deeply. It was a curtain call straight out of theater. Soon, the other actors and key staff members waiting backstage joined them on set one by one, offering their gratitude to the studio audience.
Olga Asimov, who had walked out among them, also bowed, her heart swelling with a complex mix of emotions.
It was perfect.
It was a spectacular ending, one she couldn't have imagined back at the start of the season. The lead actors were beaming on stage. Yet, near the end of Season 2, they had looked nothing like this. Battered by excessive media scrutiny and overwhelming viewer expectations, they had been on the verge of collapse, using depression and stress to justify their reckless behavior.
Olga had realized things couldn't go on like that. And that was when she had brought in a firefighter to put out the flames.
Sion Lee.
When Sion—who had been playfully pushed offstage by Elena in her cheerleader outfit at the climax of the episode—stepped back onto the stage, the entire audience rose to their feet. The staff and cast turned to applaud him. Holding Elena's hand, Sion stepped forward and bowed deeply, sweeping one leg back like the leading man of a Broadway musical. Elena, offering a slightly shy bow, stepped aside, gracefully yielding the entire spotlight to Sion Lee.
"Great job!"
"You were the best!"
"Don't go, Sion!"
Sion responded with a confident grin, basking in the adoration as if it were only natural.
He's only twenty. He's barely out of his teens. How on earth does he possess this level of composure?
She had cast him based solely on the potential she caught a glimpse of in his film, but Sion had exceeded her expectations in every way. Watching him, Olga couldn't help but think that she might have been the one who benefited the most from this arrangement.
The ratings for The College Player had broken past the 30% mark. The atmosphere on set was infinitely brighter, and above all, clean. Even without Sion, this sitcom would now sail smoothly, guided by a cast that had found their drive and sense of duty.
Because they've experienced it now.
They finally understood what they were selling, and what it brought them in return.
Living as a celebrity in Hollywood is an incredibly grueling endeavor. Actors, singers, comedians—regardless of genre or field—are constantly chewed up and spat out by the media daily. And the public craved it. They derived pleasure from peering into the private lives of the figures they loved, and sometimes, loved to hate.
The four lead actors had been severely stressed by this reality. That was why they had gone astray, crying out to those around them that it wasn't fair. Having never experienced a proper, healthy transition into adulthood, they had taken their stress out on the staff—a toxic, destructive outlet.
But as everyone knows, human nature dictates that such outbursts only tighten the noose around one's own neck. People do not care about the pain of others. They only pretend to care when doing so benefits them. Unless one is a saint driven by profound convictions, this apathy is an inevitable trait of those living as mere cogs in the societal machine, lost in the crowd.
Sion had taught those four young leads exactly that. He showed them what kind of mindset a Hollywood superstar needed to survive in this industry.
To be sure, having one's face known and name gossiped about by strangers is psychologically suffocating. But regardless of how one ends up on that path, once you are on it, you must take responsibility. You either endure it to reap wealth unimaginable to ordinary people, or you quietly step off the tracks.
Olga felt a trace of genuine respect for Sion, who, at the tender age of twenty, grasped this reality perfectly. However, as a fellow human being, she had no intention of letting him off easy.
"Is everything ready?"
When she spoke toward the back, several staff members nodded, snickering like leprechauns summoned by a wicked witch.
Truth be told, Sion Lee's arrival hadn't been entirely sunshine and rainbows. His relentless professionalism had pushed the crew harder than expected, resulting in several unscheduled reshoots. Therefore, "revenge" was in order. Even Olga, despite having over twenty years of seniority over him, wanted to get back at him.
"Go."
The "leprechauns" cackled as they wheeled a cart past Olga, who had just given the order, rushing forward.
The crowd's cheers grew even louder. Hearing the commotion behind them, the cast and crew turned around one by one, gasping and quickly stepping aside. Finally, "it" arrived right behind Sion, revealing its magnificent, glittering form to celebrate the star of the day.
It was a massive, five-tier wrap party cake. At the very top, a gold-leafed chocolate plaque read: Thanks Sion Lee.
"Huh...?"
Sion turned around late, his face instantly flushing with bewilderment.
"Gotcha!"
"Haha! How do you like that?! Got you good, didn't we?!"
As everyone snickered at his dumbfounded expression, Sion briefly looked up at the ceiling. Finally! Are we finally going to see this brat shed tears of gratitude? While everyone watched in anticipation, Elena glanced at Olga and decided to act as Sion's relief pitcher, nudging Chelsea Cartwright forward. Chelsea stepped up, debating whether to watch him cry or help him out. After a brief hesitation, she decided to help, given how much he had supported them. She scooped up a dollop of whipped cream from the cake and smeared it on Sion's face. Instantly snapping out of his daze, Sion's eyes flashed.
"Oho..."
"...Uh?"
"Chelsea, I didn't know you were planning this kind of revenge."
"N-No... I just thought, since there's a cake? To celebrate?"
Chelsea stammered, but she had already awakened the demon of showmanship.
"Kyaah?!"
Sion scooped up a handful of whipped cream and slathered it evenly across Chelsea's entire face.
"Pfft, hahaha! Cake smash!"
Laughter erupted, and the set instantly descended into chaos. The four lead actors, the director, the writers—everyone joined in. This "show" of smearing cake on each other's faces was a special event reserved exclusively for the studio audience who had come to watch the final taping of Season 3.
"Hey...!"
"Damn it, me too!"
And so, the cast and crew of The College Player dove into the cake smash one by one. As usual, Sion, having set the stage, deftly sliced off the very top tier of the cake and slipped away. Elena, who had anticipated his slippery move, sidled up next to him.
"You worked hard. Just looking at this atmosphere, I can tell how much effort you put in."
"The gold-leafed piece on top was a special order. Eat it before it melts."
Before they knew it, Olga had also approached. The two women—sharing the same hair color, one long and one short—smiled warmly as they watched the chaotic, joyful scene unfold.
“……”
Looking at the mother and daughter, Sion snapped off the chocolate decoration and asked,
"This was your plan, wasn't it, Olga?"
"Well, the others suggested it..."
Before Olga could finish her smooth reply, a chunk of cake slammed directly into her face.
“…………………….”
“………….”
“…….”
"...M-Mother."
Everyone froze in place like characters in a cartoon. A legendary Hollywood actress. A powerhouse at NBC and Paramount Studios. And the undisputed dictator of this sitcom, Olga Asimov. Watching Sion slam a cake right into her face without a shred of hesitation, everyone thought:
His steps are on a whole different level.
H-He's insane.
That guy is a certified lunatic.
How on earth is he going to deal with the aftermath...?
But Sion's bratty antics didn't stop there. Seeing Olga frozen, her face completely covered in cake, Elena panicked and reached out to wipe it off. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Whirling around reflexively, Elena caught a generous dollop of white cream right on her cheek.
"Now we're even."
"Why, you...?!"
Sion snickered, and Elena, her cheeks flushing a bright pink, lunged at his shameless face to retaliate with a cake smash of her own.
Oho...
Now that is a heart-fluttering sight.
Everyone watched the two of them with warm, fond smiles.
“………….”
Except for Olga, whose face was still buried in whipped cream.
May 3, 1993.
The moment Elena Asimov appeared on screen with a bright shout, countless viewers across the nation leaped to their feet and cheered.
"Yeeeeeeeeeaaaahhh!"
"It's Elena! It's really Elena!"
"Oh! My Noah!"
"Wow, how long has it been?!"
With the canned laughter and cheers of the studio audience blending in, the viewers at home enjoyed the show as if the events unfolding on screen were happening to them in real-time.
A touching finale fitting for the end of the season, complete with the highly anticipated cameo. The final episode of Season 3, which concluded by showing that although Ryan was leaving The College Player, he would be surrounded by many loved ones as he grew, received overwhelming critical acclaim.
The final ratings peaked at a staggering 33.2%. It was a monumental record, cementing the show as a true cultural phenomenon.
A few weeks later, Olga Asimov was taking a call at her home.
"I saw Sion Lee in a movie."
"A movie?" Olga asked.
"He was in Jurassic Park. It was very brief, but highly memorable."
"Isn't that movie not released yet?"
"I was lucky enough to attend a pre-screening. Haha, I might have just spoiled it for you."
"Not at all. Working in this industry, I'm used to hearing spoilers like that..."
Olga picked up a pen from her desk and spun it around her fingers, cutting straight to the point in her usual manner. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Ah, I was curious about what it was like working with Sion Lee."
"...Oho, sounds like you have an interesting project on your hands?"
"It's a bigger deal than you think. Though it's not a movie shoot."
"Then it must be hard to tell me?"
"We want to keep it under wraps for now. We're looking for an actor to join a superstar's tour and shoot a documentary with a cinematic feel. We plan to broadcast the footage on MTV to capture the raw atmosphere of the venue and sell it nationwide. Visually, Sion Lee seems like the perfect fit."
The man on the other end paused for a brief moment before continuing.
"I was really surprised to see him 'kiss' at our awards ceremony last time. We're still using that clip in the openings of several shows and getting good mileage out of it. Just like that scene, we need someone who can capture the energy and vitality of young foreign fans visiting the concerts, and I think Sion Lee is the right man for the job. But given the nature of this work... wouldn't you be worried?"
The job required staying abroad for at least a month, constantly traveling together. In such a situation, the most critical issue to address was the actor's cooperativeness.
"After all, you're the person who has worked with him most recently, and above all, I trust your judgment."
With rumors still circulating in secret that Sion was the ultimate brat, Tom Preston, the president of MTV, wanted to know exactly how Sion Lee behaved when he worked. He asked seriously,
"So, what kind of guy is he?"
Olga let out a soft chuckle and replied, "It would be faster to meet him in person. He's not the kind of guy you can describe with mere nuance."
"Nuance?"
"I mean he's hard to define in just a few words," Olga said.
The Olga that Tom knew was someone who, when discussing business, clearly laid out the positives and negatives with razor-sharp precision. While she might be a terrifying figure to actors, she was the type of person who was easy to work with when networking. Yet, when it came to evaluating Sion Lee, she showed a completely different attitude. Don't just take my word for it, meet him yourself. To dismiss it as mere evasion would be wrong; it was an uncharacteristically positive answer from her.
"...Hmm."
At Olga's words, Tom nodded, his interest thoroughly piqued.
June 11, 1993.
Jurassic Park, a film destined to become a monumental milestone in the history of cinematic technology, was released. Sweeping through American theaters, this blockbuster instantly drew massive crowds, demonstrating the true power of a Hollywood mega-production.
Audiences who flocked to theaters after hearing rumors that real, living dinosaurs were moving on screen had their eyes wide open from the very first scene. Among the minor actors wearing red hard hats, one man stood out instantly due to his exceptionally handsome face.
Wait, is that...?
It's Sion!
With the massive success of The College Player, countless people now viewed him with far greater affection than before. Most of the audience recognized Sion Lee's face and felt a wave of delight. However, he only flashed his presence for a brief moment before melting seamlessly into the scene.
The raptor cage moved, and a worker fell beneath it.
The team leader screamed desperately as he held onto the worker being dragged in by the raptor. Sion, who had rushed in to help, dropped his taser, his legs instantly giving out as he fell to his knees. In this way, Sion made his presence known to the massive audiences flocking to see Jurassic Park, further cementing his face in the public consciousness.
Meanwhile, in the CK Agency office in downtown Hollywood.
While the on-screen Sion in Jurassic Park had fallen to his knees, the real-life Sion sat perfectly upright in his high-backed chair. Sitting across from him, Charlie Kang spoke.
"Hey, Yi-siony... I have something I absolutely must say to you."
"Go ahead, Charlie."
"What are you planning to do for your next schedule?"
"I was thinking of taking a short break. It's great that I've managed to shift my public image, but I've heard that overexposure can wear it out."
"I don't believe a word of that!"
Charlie spoke in an exaggerated tone, looking like a character straight out of a sitcom. "You say that, but then you'll go behind my back, strike up some deal with a production company or a director, and casually announce, 'I think this movie is a good idea!' But not this time! This time, you are going to listen to me!"
"...I'm listening."
After all, Charlie was his agent and always had Sion's best interests at heart. Even setting aside my bratty past, I did build up my filmography after regressing without consulting him much for the sake of my image strategy. My bad. Reflecting on his past actions, Sion found Charlie's firm attitude entirely understandable, so he quietly listened. But a moment later, his eyes widened in sheer shock and delight.
"You've been invited to Michael Jackson's tour. It's for a documentary shoot."
An opportunity to work with the King of Pop had arrived. But at the same time... it meant he had to preemptively block a catastrophic "problem" from occurring.