If It Wasn't Ryu Haoran, Then Who?
If it wasn't Ryu Haoran, the Chinese national singer everyone knew, then who was it... In Korea, someone on the level of senior Jo Pil-hyun...
"That's right. But oppa, do you have a performance visa? Without it, filming like this could really cause a big mess."
As Kang Min-ji said.
Performing on TV or in concerts without a performance visa could lead to serious trouble.
It wasn't easy to get a performance visa either.
As the Korean Wave swept through China, the government was reluctant to issue tourist visas, claiming it needed to protect its own culture.
But Deok-su and Hui-yeong had it easy.
"So this was why you asked me to prepare the documents?"
"You mentioned there would be a big job coming up soon, right?"
While listening to their conversation, Kang Min-ji blinked her eyes.
Turnshine, which was popular in both Korea and North America, had struggled to obtain performance visas as well.
Especially during the visa issuance period, when relations between China and Japan deteriorated sharply, Yuina's visa had been delayed endlessly.
"Sister, how exactly did you get that visa? What connections did you use?"
"Director-nim and Ryu Haoran... He helped a lot. He has good connections over there."
"Seven thousand must be a lot of money. It's enviable. The continent's money is so sweet. Oppa, you have to treat me next time you go!"
After Kang Min-ji left, Deok-su and Hui-yeong stepped outside for their schedule.
The schedule was quite tight, so they had to hurry.
-Hyung. That Lee Tae-ha guy is super picky. Today too...
"As soon as I call, you start gossiping about celebrities? Who told you to do that?"
Despite Deok-su's scolding, Park Hyun-woo's sobbing didn't stop.
-Oh my god, first time ordering a strawberry banana with mango added instead of strawberries. This is me getting screwed over...
"You meant mango banana, right?"
-Ah... I-I see. Still, hyung! I miss you.
Deok-su listened to Park Hyun-woo's crying for a while longer.
He set down the storyboard for a moment and focused on the story.
-...Mr. Hyun-woo. Are you coming?
-G-Going! Hyung, I'll call next time.
The phone call ended abruptly with a panicked voice.
Hui-yeong, gripping the steering wheel, shook her head with a sigh.
"Hyun-woo isn't like that, but he's whiny with oppa only. A guy who served in the military."
"Hui-yeong, you sound like a person who sometimes looks up lattes."
"Lattes? No way, you mean back when you were young?"
Hui-yeong's eyes sharpened upon understanding the double meaning, and Deok-su burst out laughing.
The schedule continued that day too.
After the morning YouTube ad filming, in the afternoon there was a signing event hosted by a famous department store.
"Kyaaahaaa!"
The moment Deok-su sat down, the people waiting in line shouted to move to the sides.
'All these people just want to see me...'
The line snaked through the department store, seemingly endless.
Plus, it was a time of day when it was hard for many people to gather on weekdays in the afternoon.
Deok-su felt a warm surge in his heart.
Following the host's lead, people came one by one to stand in front of Deok-su.
"What is your name?"
"Yoon Ju-hee! Oppa, your acting is so... so amazing!"
Starting with Yoon Ju-hee, dressed in a stylish uniform, people lined up one after another.
"Eoppa! You're so handsome!
"I won't wash my hands today."
"Your face is really small... but your body is really good...
While giving autographs, Deok-su also exchanged short conversations.
"Romi, I hope you're happy too."
"Use hand sanitizer and scrub thoroughly."
"Joo-min, you're pretty enough, right?"
His arms ached, but meeting the fans gave Deok-su renewed energy.
"Ye-ji. Whatever you do is going well, thank you... Ah, wait...
While finishing the last autograph, a female student in a school uniform suddenly hugged Deok-su.
Hui-yeong and the security guards were startled and rushed over to pull them apart.
But Deok-su raised his hand to stop them and gently patted the girl's back.
"Next time, ask for permission first. If you do this again, you'll get in trouble."
"Woo... Oppa, sob... Yes...
After the signing event, Deok-su got back into the car.
The night outside was already dark, and the evening traffic was as congested as arteries full of cholesterol.
"...Next time, don't accept every kid. Oppa, that could lead to a big problem."
Hui-yeong said with a dejected tone.
It had ended with just a strange incident involving a young girl, but it could have turned into something serious.
"They're just kids."
"There's a reason others don't accept them. No, oppa's not at fault. I was wrong today. I should have stopped it somehow..."
The fact that she couldn't stop it beforehand had been bothering her all along.
Deok-su looked blankly out the window.
"Let's do better. You and me. That'll be enough."
"...Anyway, if all celebrities were like oppa, this job would be promising too."
Deok-su shrugged.
Late at night, the two arrived at the airport.
When Deok-su saw the Shanghai ticket Hui-yeong had given him, his eyes sharpened.
"You want me to fly business class alone? And you put me in economy?"
"The flight time isn't long. It's already arranged from that side anyway. I'm fine."
"...I'll work hard from now on."
Deok-su couldn't hide his guilt.
Late at night, the two arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
After completing immigration, a woman holding a sign was waiting for them.
"I'm Han Ran. I've been waiting for the two of you."
Han Ran was a Korean-Chinese attendant hired by Ryu Haoran's side.
[I am Kim Deok...]
"You can speak your native language. Just follow what we've prepared."
"...Ah... Han Ran. Your Korean is fluent."
"Thank you. Since we depart early tomorrow, go rest."
The hotel they booked from that side was quite famous even in Shanghai.
It wasn't a suite, but a room comparable to a suite.
They arrived in front of the hotel and were about to enter when Han Ran grabbed Hui-yeong.
"Manager, the hotel is this way."
A rundown inn was not far from the end of her finger.
It looked shabby, just the kind where the cook, Bae, would appear.
Unlike Hui-yeong, who calmly wheeled the luggage, Deok-su jumped.
"I'm grateful you arranged a room... but putting my manager in such a place is a bit...
"I do as instructed from above. If you have a problem, tell him yourself...
"I'll just use the room with you. I heard there's a sofa...
Hui-yeong's eyes wavered.
"O-Oppa. You can't mean we're sharing a room? Even though you're a manager and an idol, this...
"I'm more comfortable with you there. That aside, can you really sleep in a place that might have bugs?"
"T-That...
Though pretending to be calm, Hui-yeong also hated the bugs.
In the end, they canceled the inn, and Hui-yeong ended up sharing a room with Deok-su.
Hui-yeong took off her coat with a tense expression.
"L-Let me wash first... oppa?"
Despite her tension, Deok-su threw himself onto the bed and fell asleep.
"...The day was long."
Hui-yeong covered Deok-su with a blanket.
The next morning, Hui-yeong woke up to a rough shaking hand.
"Uum...
Get up. We need to get ready to leave.
When she opened her eyes, Deok-su, fully prepared for the outing, was looking down at her.
Hui-yeong startled and shot up, accidentally bumping her head into Deok-su.
"A-ack...
"S-Sorry... But what time is it now?! Did I make you late because of me...
"There's more than two hours. We can go slowly."
Only then did Hui-yeong let out a sigh of relief and gently rubbed her forehead.
Sitting on the chair, sipping coffee and looking at the storyboard, Deok-su was a sight to behold.
'...His stamina is good too.'
He had always trained, and it seemed he recovered quickly.
After preparing, when they went down to the lobby, Han Ran was waiting.
She loaded them into the car and navigated the traffic hell that was Shanghai.
"Ugh...
Deok-su's face turned pale yellow.
Hui-yeong's expression wasn't much better.
The first time experiencing Shanghai's traffic hell was beyond imagination.
The speed was barely over 30 km/h because of cars cutting in from all sides, and signals were basically decorative.
'Hui-yeong. Can you drive here?'
'I can just hire a driver.'
Han Ran skillfully navigated the traffic hell and got them to their destination in no time.
But after driving for a long time, the destination didn't appear.
Even opening the windows only brought in fine dust due to the frustration.
In the end, Deok-su, unable to endure, asked.
"...How long is it?"
"We're here. Just a little longer."
"I remember you said that even two hours ago...
Deok-su didn't know.
The concept of 'a little' differed between China and Korea.
After spending four hours in the car, Deok-su finally arrived at the filming location.
"Whoa, Mr. Deok-su!"
The first person to greet Deok-su was Director Han Seung-woo.
He was also one of the few Koreans at the filming site.
"Thank you for calling me, Director-nim."
"Since you're someone who can work, I called. Then let's do well today... Ah. Mr. Haoran."
While enjoying a warm reunion with the Koreans, a tall man approached.
Ryu Haoran, a man with a business-like face.
Director Han Seung-woo introduced Deok-su and Ryu Haoran to each other.
Ryu Haoran extended his hand to Deok-su.
As a national singer, Ryu Haoran had a relaxed air.
After briefly greeting the staff, Deok-su rushed into makeup.
'...I never thought I'd do this for the first time in China.'
While image training was underway, a presence was felt.
Looking up, a woman was staring down at him.
__Is this the actor who came from Korea?
Deok-su looked at the woman he would be filming with for the music video today, Heo Ja-chi.
Her large eyes and slender jawline made an impression.
She was an actress whose first lead drama exceeded 1% viewership and was currently rising rapidly.
"It's Heo Ja-chi. Kim Deok-su...
__Her face is like a boy, but her body... is so... thin... It's a shame.
Han Ran translated as he heard.
Surprised by the sudden evaluation, Deok-su didn't panic and replied.
"I'm sorry too."
__Sorry? What do you mean?
"I don't think it's easy to immerse myself in the kiss scene...
__Eek...!
Heo Ja-chi's face turned bright red.
The staff guarding the set murmured about the lead actors' conflict.
Hui-yeong even whispered worriedly.
__'A bit of competition is unavoidable, but here in China, it might be better to compromise a little.'
It was a reasonable statement.
Deok-su nodded.
Heo Ja-chi, who had blushed and left, returned just before filming started.
Ryu Haoran, arms crossed, watched Deok-su rehearsing with concern.
__'Is that actor really good?'
__'I didn't recommend just anyone, Mr. Haoran.'
Ryu Haoran let out a small groan at Director Han Seung-woo's awkward Chinese.
Korean directors and writers were exceptional, but whether he had to bring in an actor was still questionable.
There were good actors in China too.
If possible, he wanted to give opportunities to his own country people.
__'If not, I'll have to send him away.'
After the rehearsal ended, filming began.
The title song with a pleasant voice flowed as Deok-su held Heo Ja-chi's hand.
Heo Ja-chi also smiled and stepped closer to Deok-su.
__'Good.'
As filming continued, Director Han Seung-woo smiled.
Their chemistry was quite good.
Deok-su's acting went without saying, and Heo Ja-chi followed the director's instructions well, as expected.
Ryu Haoran watched their acting in silence.
Then, the problematic scene appeared.
__What kind of kiss scene is this bread and something!?__
During a break, while looking at the storyboard, Heo Ja-chi complained to her manager.
The reason she had been fussing at Deok-su during makeup was here.
Deok-su's face was impeccable, but it wasn't the ideal type she wanted.
She sharpened her eyes and whispered to her manager.
"Oppa. You're doing too much gagging, aren't you?"
Hui-yeong sighed.
The floor was already soaked with Deok-su's gagging, and more than half of the tissues she had provided were empty.
"If there's even a smell while filming, it's rude."
"It doesn't come out, it doesn't. Absolutely not. Maybe... tie a cherry on her tongue...
"If I use a skill, it might get caught in the music video review?"
"What are you saying!"
Hui-yeong's face turned bright red, and Deok-su laughed loudly.
After checking the lineup, filming resumed.
Deok-su, exchanging desperate eye contact, brought his face close to Heo Ja-chi's.
__'Ugh...! What, what is this? What's that rotten smell?'
Suddenly, a strong unpleasant odor began emanating from around her.
It was the smell of fermented tofu, which was considered one of the three major bad smells.
Noticing Deok-su's changing expression, Heo Ja-chi raised her eyes and kissed his lips.
'...She did this on purpose to make me suffer.'
"Cut. Let's go again."
Director Han Seung-woo's words came out casually, as if he didn't understand the situation.
Heo Ja-chi was smiling to herself while looking at him.
A sudden rage rose, but Deok-su stayed calm.
__'If I get angry here, I'll only make her like it. Then...
This time, the two actors stayed close as filming resumed.
The fermented tofu smell hit Deok-su's nose.
But Deok-su didn't show it and pressed his lips to hers.
__'Eh, what, what? No smell? Ugh... Mmm...
Deok-su kept his lips pressed to hers for a long time.
Pretending to be sweet, enduring the odor.
"...Cut. Did you practice the kiss scene, Deok-su? Why is your expression so good?"
"Thank you. Thanks to who?"
"Really? Heo Ja-chi. Focus a little. Fill up with the feeling of a woman who receives love in her eyes."
Heo Ja-chi felt like going crazy.
Actually, she didn't like fermented tofu either. She hated it.
She had only put a small amount in her mouth to make that bread guy suffer, but he hadn't moved and she was the one suffering.
'What, what? Is his nose blocked? Ack...
Unlike her, who was suffering, Deok-su seamlessly handled the kiss scene.
Especially in the final shot when the camera came close, he showed the detail of lightly biting her upper lip.
"Cut! It's a great picture! Thank you for your hard work!"
Even Ryu Haoran, who had been watching expressionlessly, clapped and approached Deok-su.
The suspicions he had initially had had long since vanished.
__We saw it. Your acting is amazing...
"Uweek-!"
Before Ryu Haoran could reach out, Deok-su turned and retched.
__Why? Are you sick somewhere?
While Hui-yeong was patting his back, Deok-su pointed at Heo Ja-chi.
Ryu Haoran approached Heo Ja-chi with a puzzled face...
"Uweeek-!"
The strong odor from her made Ryu Haoran face the same fate as Deok-su.
He too hated fermented tofu.
'Uuu...
Heo Ja-chi disappeared from the set with her red face.