Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Airport Ambush
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So what are you going to do next?
"Soo... Soo-jeong, what... what do we do about this?"
"Mommy..."
A trembling voice from Manager Han Jeong-hwa as she asked the question,
and Seon-hwa pressing even closer to my side.
I'd always thought I was unflappable no matter the situation,
but even I couldn't help being gripped by thick bewilderment in this utterly unexpected circumstance.
Surrounded by what had to be at least dozens of reporters—not just one or two.
This was something I'd never experienced in my current life or my past twenty years as an actor.
To reporters, I'd always been like a weed by the roadside, not worth a shred of attention.
And in a situation like this, even I had no idea what to do.
'Uh... what now? Sh-should I get Seon-hwa out of here first? Ha... but even if she's just a kid, these people aren't gonna let her go that easily...'
I knew full well how nuisance-prone reporters could be, even without much experience with them.
My past self as Plea, and even my fellow actors I'd filmed with, had despised dealing with them.
In that extreme confusion
and tension, unable to decide what to do,
I could only hold my daughter's hand tightly to keep her from getting scared
and stay silent amid the barrage of questions pouring down like a storm.
That was when.
"Okay, make way, please."
"Soo-jeong, over here!"
"!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
A voice that felt so welcome in that moment.
At that savior-like sound, my stiff face broke into a wide smile.
First to catch my eye was our Yeo Hyo-min unnie, with her massive build a full shoulder wider than most.
Next came Ha Yu-ra heading this way beside her,
followed by Lee Sung-min and Park Chan-su.
The sudden appearance of top stars everyone recognized scattered the reporters' focus from me, and with my rattled emotions steadied, I immediately spoke to Manager Han Jeong-hwa at my side.
"Manager, take Seon-hwa and get out of here for now."
"Ah... yes. See you soon. Come on, Seon-hwa."
"Okay, Manager unnie. See you later, Mommy."
With Seon-hwa safely whisked away, I quickly headed to the group and blended in naturally.
"Alright, let's clear things up first. Standing around here blocks people coming through arrivals, so let's move over there."
"Line up first, and make sure no one crosses here carelessly."
Yeo Hyo-min and Lee Sung-min directed the arriving security personnel,
calming the rowdy reporters in an instant.
Relieved by how practiced they seemed at this,
I felt deep gratitude toward these colleagues who'd come all the way to help.
"Ma'am, come sit over here."
"Yes, thank you. Yu-ra."
As things normalized, the atmosphere eased a bit.
In that moment, I newly realized that I, Chae Soo-jeong, had gained a certain level of 'recognition'.
There were uncomfortable parts, like just now,
but on the other hand, it was what I'd always craved as an actor.
Feeling joy at achieving yet another small goal,
the reporters' interviews began in earnest.
10 minutes earlier.
Those watching the scene from inside their parked car wore troubled expressions.
"As expected..."
"Hmm... Feels like we're too late..."
"S-sorry. I should've noticed sooner and called..."
"Haha... Honestly, I forgot too. No matter how you slice it, Soo-jeong's still a rookie without this kind of experience."
The reporters clustered darkly in one corner of the airport.
Seeing them, the leads of Reply 1989—Ha Yu-ra, Yeo Hyo-min, Lee Sung-min, and Park Chan-su—frowned slightly.
Regular folks might not know, but these veterans of fame knew well:
Reporters lurked invisibly until they caught a whiff, then swarmed like sharks smelling blood.
Just like now.
"Breaking 30% ratings is huge. Especially these days."
"From a mid-tier station like ZTBC, no less."
"And word spread that Soo-jeong was filming in Japan..."
"We need her to sign with an agency quick and tighten info management. Schedules keep leaking because third parties are handling it without a proper manager."
30% ratings were top-tier in Korean broadcast history.
Of course, it had massive boosts from powerhouses like Lee Sung-min and Yeo Hyo-min,
and timing luck that couldn't be ignored.
If the drama Lee Sung-min was originally set for had filmed normally, Reply 1989 would've struggled to hit mid-teens in the same slot.
Plus, his agency SYPR—one of Korea's broadcast giants—had imploded for a while,
directly and indirectly hurting its actors and their projects.
Things had mostly normalized by now, thankfully,
but the vacuum propelled Reply 1989 to the stars.
Such great and small coincidences, a stellar plot and direction to build on,
and the cast's fiery performances birthed Reply 1989's massive success.
And that
drew eyes to the actress playing 'Choi Soo-jin'—treated as the true lead thanks to her striking portrayal of failed love,
Chae Soo-jeong, the most enigmatic among the leads.
Amid that, one rumor trickled in among the reporters:
Chae Soo-jeong was filming a tokusatsu in Japan.
The genre was niche enough,
but her dipping into Japan's notoriously insular industry lit a fire among reporters already eyeing her.
Result: Reporters staking out her arrival time.
Standard protocol: Request alternate entry in advance or hire security to slip out.
But rookie Chae Soo-jeong wouldn't know.
Ha Yu-ra called late upon realizing, but too late.
So, for the floundering Chae Soo-jeong surrounded by reporters,
three who'd come for promo groundwork (written as 'picking up') plus one purely to greet decided to step up.
"Then let's head out."
"Yeah."
Timing it with the security they'd called just in case, the four plunged in.
To rescue our 'queen' inside.
A stage in one corner of the airport.
Normally empty without events, now hosting an impromptu Reply 1989 interview.
"You said the mid-dance breaking scene was tough."
"Haha, yes. Honestly, didn't expect so many NGs there... Movements kept slipping into familiar dance steps, trickier than thought. But glad it turned out well."
"There's buzz about Chan-su with the 'Sunlight Praise' meme. Thoughts?"
"Haha... Well, Sunlight... great group for sure. But acting's acting. I'll prove it with our new song soon."
Park Chan-su led, fielding reporters smoothly.
His acting lagged behind the others, but as a top idol singer, he shone naturally and lively now.
Drawing aggro and steering flexibly, with others answering in turn in the settled vibe.
Among them, Chae Soo-jeong fielded notably many, beyond the cover for others.
"Second lead role already, always stellar acting. Any tough moments on set?"
"As a rookie, carrying the lead felt heavy, but everyone's care made it manageable."
Unlike the earlier chaos, now stable, Chae Soo-jeong answered comfortably.
Most about Reply 1989 filming, some personal.
"Heard you shot tokusatsu in Japan. Care to share details?"
"Can't say much, but it's a solid tokusatsu piece. Hope fans of the genre check it if they can."
Main audience in Korea being iffy, no hard promo,
but as lead, she gave polite words.
Then...
"Reply 1989's nearing end. Ms. Chae Soo-jeong, next schedule?"
"!"
"...Gulp."
One reporter's question brought sudden hush.
Instantly, thick tension settled on the three besides Chan-su and Soo-jeong.
'We asked about the movie over phone... but confirmation here?'
'If possible, Soccer Girl Waah Returns comeback...'
'Drama recruitment... texted to float it, but will it...'
Hearts pounding, the three fixed eyes on Chae Soo-jeong.
Unaware of their gazes,
Chae Soo-jeong pondered briefly, then slowly spoke.
"Next will probably be..."