Chapter 53: A Splendid Return (3)
Chapter 53: A Splendid Return (3)
"……Hello, Seo-hee. It’s been a long time."
"Yes, it’s…… good to see you, Sunbae."
A strange atmosphere flowed between the two.
Park Jung-woo and Jo Seo-hee.
They stood facing each other, their eyes filled with a considerable amount of wariness.
What on earth is she doing here?
Why is this man here?
Though they were looking at each other with smiling faces, a peculiar awkwardness lingered in the air. It was the kind of stiff acting one would never expect from young, highly-acclaimed actors known for their skill.
And then there was the person caught between them.
How…… did it come to this?
Ju Seo-yeon slowly retraced the events following the end of the play.
It was roughly an hour ago.
"Great work today, everyone!"
After a performance—especially a successful one—it was only natural for everyone to be unable to hide their excitement. They would reflect on their acting in front of a large audience and reminisce about those brilliant moments on stage.
"Seo-yeon, you were wonderful. You really, really saved the show."
The first to speak was Lee Hye-jin, played by Song Min-seo. It was only natural for her to say so, as the stage might have been ruined if not for Seo-yeon.
"It’s only because you responded so well to me, Hye-jin."
"Oh, listen to you. You have such a way with words."
"Did you see the audience's reaction today? Seriously, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a great response for an opening show. Truly."
Seo-yeon etched the day's performance into her mind over and over again. A stage that met the high expectations placed upon it. Just the fact that she had pulled it off gave her an indescribable sense of achievement.
"We have to have a celebratory dinner! It’s a bit early, but let’s go!"
The one speaking excitedly was Jo Do-yul. He was shouting loudly that the treat was on him when—
"But doesn't Seo-yeon have to go to school? And the director needs to stay behind."
"……."
Jo Do-yul fell silent at Shim Cheong-seok’s words, which, as usual, felt like throwing cold water on the mood. Regardless, he wasn't wrong.
Come to think of it.
Seo-yeon was a high school student. If alcohol were brought out at the dinner, it might cause a controversy. Yet, they couldn't go without her. Who was the superstar of this play? It was Ju Seo-yeon who had saved the production when it was faltering. There could be no celebration without her!
"Ah, don't worry about school. I already got permission."
"Really?"
"Yes, as long as I meet the minimum number of attendance days, it’s fine."
At Seo-yeon’s calm reply, everyone began moving busily, shouting, "Let’s go, let’s go!"
Seo-yeon, for her part, felt a bit smug.
I did pretty well today.
It was different from her days as a child actor. Back then, she could feel everyone being considerate of her. Because she knew her own shortcomings, she hadn't been satisfied with anything except her final performance.
However, today’s performance was very satisfying. She had added another clip to the 'Ju Seo-yeon Mad Movie' that she played in her head before going to sleep. She would likely sleep like a baby tonight.
Though it didn't show on her face, Seo-yeon was internally elated. As her mother, Sua, had said, Seo-yeon loved being praised by others. Today was the pinnacle of that. Her cheeks were even slightly flushed despite her expressionless face.
Yes, everything was fine up to that point.
"It’s a bit funny to ask now that we’re already here, but is a barbecue place okay?"
"Yes."
As Seo-yeon looked at the actors filling the seats of the barbecue restaurant so early in the day, she suddenly realized she hadn't washed her hands after the performance.
For the record, Jo Do-yul ended up staying behind for the next show. It seemed he had left the actors in Shim Cheong-seok’s care instead. Even though Shim Cheong-seok didn't have much experience or age on him, he had somehow ended up in the role of leading the other actors since the performance.
"Ah, would it be okay if I go wash my hands for a moment?"
"Of course. Go out and turn right, it’s right there," Shim Cheong-seok replied while taking orders from the other actors.
After glancing at the lively actors, Seo-yeon stepped out of the restaurant in a good mood.
And then.
"……."
She saw a man and a woman standing at the entrance of the restaurant.
Oh.
They were both familiar faces to Seo-yeon.
First, the man. He wore large sunglasses, a hat, and a black mask over his face, dressed in casual clothes. However, his handsome face and elegant features were very familiar to Seo-yeon.
Park Jung-woo. The person she had acted with on a variety show not long ago.
And then.
"Hmph."
The woman looking at the man with a hum. She was wearing the same school uniform as Seo-yeon. If Seo-yeon remembered correctly, it was the uniform of a famous arts high school in Seoul. A woman wearing a mask and glasses to hide her face.
But there was no need for words. Her face was currently plastered on the billboard right behind her.
Jo Seo-hee. The girl Seo-yeon had met during the audition for The Moon That Hides the Sun when they were children.
"……Hm?"
"Huh?"
The two of them finally noticed Seo-yeon and turned their heads. Simultaneously, they both flinched. It seemed they had finally realized how they must look.
A strange silence followed. A void of time where no one could speak first, each gauging the other's reaction.
"It’s a misunderstanding."
Jo Seo-hee was the first to speak.
"I just watched the play today and wanted to have a little chat."
Jo Seo-hee spoke with an incredibly serious face. It didn't seem like she was joking.
"……A chat?"
"Yes."
Seo-yeon looked at Seo-hee. It had been a very long time since she had seen her in person after their childhood encounter. Honestly, she was inwardly impressed by Jo Seo-hee’s face, which had grown up without any 'awkward phase.'
She’s pretty.
She had the overall look of a cat. She was similar to Seo-yeon, yet different. If Seo-yeon was a lethargic cat, this girl was a sharp one—claws out, fur standing on end. At any rate, she was a cat that didn't look like she had a very good personality. It felt like if you said one wrong thing, you’d get smacked.
Of course, Seo-yeon’s own fists would be stronger, so she was fine with whatever the girl threw at her.
"But," Seo-yeon asked curiously, "we aren't exactly……"
We aren't exactly close enough to have that kind of conversation, are we?
The words reached the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say them. After all, it was true.
'Oh, the parachute?'
That had been the only real communication between Jo Seo-hee and Seo-yeon. Although she felt a sense of internal familiarity because she had seen so many of her commercials, she never expected her to seek her out like this. No, rather, she wanted to ask Jo Seo-hee: why did you really come?
"Ah."
Seo-yeon hadn't finished her sentence, but it was easy enough to guess what she was going to say. As Jo Seo-hee froze, having lost her words, Park Jung-woo let out a chuckle and uncrossed his arms.
"Seo-hee, this is awkward. You can't just barge in on someone just because you're a celebrity when you aren't even close."
"……."
"Hmm, as for me, I’ve appeared in a drama with her, and we were on a variety show together recently, so I came out of courtesy and because of our friendship."
"……."
At Park Jung-woo’s words, Jo Seo-hee gritted her teeth and glared at him. But Park Jung-woo merely shrugged. Jo Seo-hee, who was small in stature and three years younger than him, was no match for him.
Is that so?
Seo-yeon wondered since when she and Jung-woo had been that close. Well, I guess they were closer than she was with Jo Seo-hee. They had done a variety show together recently…… though she never imagined he would come all the way to see the play in person.
"……H-Hmph."
Jo Seo-hee soon regained her composure and gave a bright smile.
"Still, as your junior, I’d advise you to be a little careful. If a male actor contacts a female actor recklessly…… you know what happens, right?"
"……."
"And to me, Seo-yeon is someone I’m very grateful to, so I came to say hello. Yes, that’s how it is."
At Seo-hee’s words, Seo-yeon became even more curious. She could roughly understand Park Jung-woo, but Jo Seo-hee was truly unexpected.
"Someone you're grateful to?"
"Yes. Ten years ago, at the audition for The Moon That Hides the Sun."
Seo-hee spoke as she recalled the events of that time.
"Losing the role of 'Princess Yeonhwa' to you back then…… it served as good medicine for me."
She meant it. Jo Seo-hee believed she had been arrogant at that young age. Of course, she was still full of confidence now, but being arrogant and being confident were two different things.
"That’s why I really wanted to meet you. I wanted to say thank you once you returned."
"Is that…… so?"
"Yes. Oh, and this time, I……"
As Jo Seo-hee naturally continued her sentence, Park Jung-woo’s eyebrows twitched. He could guess roughly what she was about to say.
"Wait—"
Just as Park Jung-woo tried to urgently stop her.
"You said you were going to wash your hands, why are you taking so long? ……Huh?"
Shim Cheong-seok, who had come out to find the missing Seo-yeon, saw Park Jung-woo and Jo Seo-hee. With half-closed eyes and a bored expression, he looked back and forth between the two.
"What is this? Is it a hidden camera prank?"
The combination of people was enough to make him think so.
*
With Shim Cheong-seok’s appearance, Park Jung-woo and Jo Seo-hee were startled and immediately took flight. I thought they would naturally join in given their personalities, but apparently not.
Shim Cheong-seok, who was staring blankly at the two of them, asked me.
"Are they your friends?"
"……Yes, well."
"Hmm."
Should I call them friends? Park Jung-woo aside, Jo Seo-hee was a surprise. I didn't know she had been keeping me in mind that much. I never imagined that her becoming much more successful than in the past was due to such a reason.
While feeling a strange sensation from that realization……
Is that all he has to say after seeing those two?
Even after seeing two top-tier actors, that was his only reaction. Seeing Shim Cheong-seok scratching his head as he walked back inside, I felt like I had seen a glimpse of why he was later subjected to harsh treatment during a drama shoot.
"Great work, everyone!"
"Let’s do our best for the remaining performances!"
The celebratory dinner concluded successfully. The next day at school, when I told Lee Ji-yeon about it.
"For the record, I saw the play too."
"Really?"
Then we should have eaten together. As I looked at her with that thought in mind—
"It’s a nuisance for an outsider to butt in on a gathering like that. They probably knew that, which is why they ran off."
"Is that so?"
Were they really that considerate? I wasn't sure, but if Ji-yeon said so, then it must be true.
By the way.
I was on the bench where I always spent lunch with Ji-yeon. However, I felt that the atmosphere was strangely different from before. Was it because I hadn't been to school for a while because of the variety show and the play? It was the first time I was truly feeling this atmosphere.
"It’s absolute chaos," Ji-yeon said, as if reading my thoughts. "Everyone’s asking me why I kept it a secret. Did I keep it a secret? They’re the ones who didn't recognize you."
"Hmm, is it that big of a deal?"
"What do you mean, 'is it that big of a deal,' Ju Seo-yeon? Are you going to start copying your dad?" Ji-yeon said, sounding exasperated.
For the record, the 'ahjussi' Ji-yeon was referring to was my dad. She then pointed her finger at each of the gazes fixed on us.
"There, there, and there."
Above the school building. Out of the classroom windows. People glancing over while using the vending machine. Every time Ji-yeon’s finger pointed their way, the students would jump and run away, which was a bit funny. It seemed that filming the variety show at school had a significant impact.
I still haven't made any friends, though.
Then couldn't they come a bit closer and talk to me? Even today, the only person I talked to after arriving at school was Bixby on my smartphone. Ah, excluding Lee Ji-yeon, of course.
"And," Ji-yeon said after clearing away the gazes. "You should start looking for an agency. What are you going to do?"
"What do you mean, what am I going to do?"
"You said there was a place you wanted to go to since a long time ago."
There was a place I had in mind. The agency that Kim Jung-ha, the actress I had filmed a commercial with in the past, belonged to. Originally, it was the place I had recommended to Lee Ji-yeon. It was around the time Kim Jung-ha was about to take off, and since the agency currently had a mediocre reputation, I could probably get in without much trouble.
But.
"……Is there a spot left at your agency?"
"Why are you asking something so obvious? If you say you're coming, they’ll make a spot even if there isn't one."
Nova Entertainment, the agency Ji-yeon belonged to. It was the agency Ji-yeon had moved to after Eunha Entertainment. Back then, it was a mid-sized company, but now it had grown quite a bit. Of course, it was still lacking in many ways to be called a major agency, and its influence was weak. However, it had survived for a long time, had a wide network, and was a place that would definitely grow into a 'major agency' in the future.
I’ve seen their faces a lot, so they’re familiar.
I had spent a long time with Ji-yeon, so I was familiar with the people there. Considering everything, there was no place like Nova Entertainment.
Yeah, let’s do that.
Just as Seo-yeon made her decision.
Vrrr!
Suddenly, her smartphone vibrated.
"Who is it?"
"Ah, it’s……"
When she checked the screen, the caller's name was displayed.
Jo Do-yul. The director of Close Your Eyes.
Seo-yeon stared at it for a moment before calmly answering the call.
"Hello. This is Ju Seo-yeon."
—Ah, Seo-yeon. It’s lunch time, right? Sorry for the sudden call.
"No, it’s fine. What’s the matter?"
Seo-yeon had some free time today since her performance was in the evening. She only had to be there by four o'clock.
—It’s nothing else, but there’s a director I know.
When he said that much, Seo-yeon realized.
—By any chance, are you interested in appearing in a movie?
It’s finally here, she thought.