Spring's Lover – Production Presentation
"Ah, Director. You've worked so hard. Congratulations."
"Haha. I didn't call just to fish for congratulations. We wrapped principal photography ages ago, but with all the VFX and color grading still left to do…"
Director Kim Han-su, whose affection for Ryu Yeon-woo had only deepened over the course of the production, poured out a stream of chatter.
Just as Yeon-woo was wondering whether the director had always been this talkative, Kim Han-su finally got to the point.
"Which is why I wanted to ask — I'd like you to attend the production presentation as well, Yeon-woo. You took on such an important role for us."
Cameo or not, Kim Han-su had funneled a substantial fee through the agency. Of course, it was something of an in-house arrangement — an LN Media film, an LN Entertainment actor — but the pay was generous enough that it might as well have been a full supporting cast rate.
"Of course, Director. It would be an honor to be invited."
"Oh, come now, no need for 'honor.' I heard Actor Ryu is going into Director Park's next project. Nothing's hit the papers yet, but among the directors in Chungmuro it's already quite the buzz."
"I got lucky. Director Park Chan-hong was kind enough to look on me favorably."
"I shot with you myself — I know perfectly well it wasn't luck. Hearing the news made me proud. Anyway, let's try to align the production presentation and the premiere screening with your schedule as much as possible, if nothing else is in the way."
"Yes, Director. I'll see you then."
Yeon-woo hung up thinking that, for all appearances, Kim Han-su was a genuinely warm man at heart. The truth, though, was that this reaction came only because Yeon-woo had thoroughly won him over. Had any of the countless actors who had passed through the director's famously cold, exacting standards overheard Yeon-woo's assessment, they would have tilted their heads in disbelief.
Meanwhile, the distributor's representative who received word of Yeon-woo's official appearance practically cheered.
"Yes! Things are finally falling into place."
Yeon-woo's participation was something the distributor wanted every bit as much as Kim Han-su did. Ryu Yeon-woo was already a hot name among the MZ generation, and his recent college entrance exam scores had made him the talk of the town all over again. For a romance film like Spring's Lover, aimed squarely at audiences from their teens through their thirties, the publicity lead was thrilled — Yeon-woo's presence could only help, never hurt.
The production presentation was locked in for January 3rd. As the year drew to a close, Yeon-woo submitted his regular-admission applications.
"So this is the final decision, then?"
"Yes, sir. Though even if I get in, I don't think I'll be able to do much of a normal campus life."
"I know. Still — our high school producing one more Hankuk University admittee. What an honor."
After careful deliberation between the school and Yeon-woo, the first-choice application — Group A — was Hankuk University's Department of Economics.
In his previous life, Yeon-woo had often entered countries under diplomatic cover for black ops, and the frequent contact with career diplomats had made him briefly consider Political Science and Diplomacy. But the school, reluctant to waste such outstanding scores, hoped he would apply to Economics first and, if that failed, put Political Science and Diplomacy in Group B. Yeon-woo agreed.
In this life he had no intention of immersing himself in university life; he planned to devote himself to entertainment work. What he wanted was something manageable rather than something he would have to study from scratch. The curriculum would differ somewhat from what he had learned twenty years ago, but having graduated from an economics department in his previous life, it would still be far easier than any other field.
If he got in, it would mean the Class of '98 version of himself re-enrolling in the same major as a member of the Class of 2019.
"When you think about it, that's pretty funny."
News of Yeon-woo's application flooded the media.
Browsing for articles worth posting to the group chat, Jun-su shook his head in disbelief.
"'Campus king'? When was the last time anyone even used that word?"
Even as he muttered, he screenshotted an article with a particularly flattering photo of Ryu Yeon-woo and dropped it into the group chat.
Jun-su himself had applied to Yonha University's Department of Korean Language and Literature. In truth he had simply matched his scores to the cutoff, but he had always had a genuine interest in writing. Choosing Yonha had been Jun-su's own decision; Seong-sik, surprisingly sharp, had scored even higher and applied to Business Administration, where admission was all but guaranteed.
"Yeon-woo's going to get in no matter what, so I just need to make it myself. Ugh."
The weight of love and friendship settled heavily on Jun-su's shoulders.
Meanwhile, Yeon-woo had been at the salon with Min-su since morning, getting polished to perfection before slipping into a sharp checkered suit. Min-su's van pulled up at a movie theater in Apgujeong — the venue for the Spring's Lover production presentation.
Riding the staff elevator up, Yeon-woo was shown to the waiting room.
"Ah, Yeon-woo. You're here."
Director Kim Han-su rose from his seat to greet him.
"Director, it's good to see you again."
Yeon-woo crossed the room quickly, clasped Kim Han-su's hand in both of his, and bowed.
Beside the director, the film's leads — Kang Ju-won and Han Ye-jin — stood as well.
"I saw the early footage you shot, junior. Thank you for elevating the quality of our film."
Kang Ju-won delivered his thanks in that distinctive cadence Yeon-woo had mimicked countless times while analyzing the role.
"It's an honor, senior."
Yeon-woo shook Ju-won's hand and felt a strange flicker of emotion. This was the star of so many films Yeon-woo had studied while building the character of Ji Woo-hyuk — a major actor with a glittering filmography. The same went for the actress Han Ye-jin beside him, and for the veteran actor Yu Hae-sik.
After greeting each of his seniors in turn, Yeon-woo took a seat — only for someone to tap him on the shoulder from behind.
"Yeon-woo."
He turned to find Jeong Su-yeon smiling awkwardly. They had messaged each other plenty on their phones, but this was the first time they had seen each other in person since the shoot.
"Ah, Su-yeon. It's been a while."
Yeon-woo smiled with a matching hint of awkwardness and moved to the seat beside hers.
"My, have the two of you gotten close?"
Han Ye-jin — who played the adult version of Ha Ye-ri, Su-yeon's character — looked back at them with open curiosity.
"Ah, we met on set last time and exchanged numbers. This is only the second time we've seen each other, actually."
At Yeon-woo's explanation, the director and actors — with nothing much else to do in the waiting room — all turned to look.
"Oho. Yeon-woo, you smooth operator."
Kim Han-su grinned playfully as he tossed out the joke. In truth, Su-yeon had been the one to ask for his number first, but Yeon-woo saw no need to clarify that particular detail and simply laughed it off with a sheepish smile.
"Still, Director Kim, you really do seem fond of Yeon-woo."
Kang Ju-won, seated beside Kim Han-su, needled the director with a mock-wounded tone.
"You should try working with him yourself someday if the chance comes up, Actor Kang. He's a remarkably compelling young man — both as a person and as an actor."
At such high praise from Kim Han-su, Han Ye-jin and veteran actor Yu Hae-sik both widened their eyes. Everyone in the room knew the director was not one to hand out generous evaluations lightly.
Just then a staff member opened the door and announced that it was time to enter. The director led the way, the actors filing out behind him. After a brief photo wall, they stepped into the presentation hall.
This production presentation was a closed briefing for press and industry personnel only — no general audience — so the venue had a clean, orderly atmosphere. Unlike the event for Summer's Closet, there was no online livestream either, leaving the room calm and subdued. Yeon-woo took in the distinctly different mood as he and Su-yeon settled into the end seats.
"Is it always this heavy?"
Su-yeon whispered beside him. She had only ever done web dramas; a commercial film production presentation was new territory for her. Then again, Yeon-woo had only done dramas himself.
On a staff cue, the host — a former comedian — opened the proceedings.
"Good afternoon, everyone. To all the journalists, industry guests, and actors who have joined us today—"
He let a beat of silence settle, then continued.
"I am Kim Yeong-hwan, and I'll be hosting the production briefing for Spring's Lover — the film set to set our hearts racing from the very start of this year. A pleasure to meet you all."
A round of applause rose from the staff and guests; the actors clapped quietly along.
"Before we introduce the director and cast, let's take a brief first look at our film."
At the host's words the lights dimmed, and a teaser trailer began to play on the screen behind them.
From the very first frame, Yeon-woo and Su-yeon appeared. Scenes of school life flickered past in reverse order from the sequence Yeon-woo had shot, cutting swiftly at last to the washbasin scene.
"Did I startle her that badly? Why isn't she saying anything? Are you okay?"
Yeon-woo's voice faded out — and Kang Ju-won appeared, clad in a firefighter's turnout gear, battling a wall of flame.
"Are you okay? I said, are you okay?!"
The voice of firefighter Ji Woo-hyuk — Kang Ju-won — snapping at a shell-shocked rookie on the fireground. The residual echo of young Ji Woo-hyuk's voice from the previous shot, delivered by Yeon-woo in the same cadence, linked the two moments with uncanny precision.
Wow. So that's how they edited it. Beautiful.
Yeon-woo nodded in quiet satisfaction, pleased that the editing had fully preserved the work he had put in.
Spring's Lover told the story of Ji Woo-hyuk, raised in a rural village, who leaves for the city to become a firefighter. Body and mind worn down by relentless work, he develops post-traumatic stress disorder. His older brother, who had moved to the city first, grows worried watching Woo-hyuk waste away — and so Ji Woo-hyuk returns for a while to his parents' home in the countryside, bringing his young nephew along for a period of rest. The heroine, Ha Ye-ri, works as a teacher at the kindergarten the nephew has just started attending. The two find each other again.
As the introductory reel ended, a staff cue brought host Kim Yeong-hwan back to the microphone.
"After watching that, I really do find myself wondering why my heart is racing like this. Hahaha. Perhaps it's the magic of Director Kim Han-su, who helms this project."
He paused a beat, then turned toward Kim Han-su.
"Director Kim Han-su. The character of Ji Woo-hyuk in this film feels distinctly different from what we've seen before. Could you give us a brief introduction to who he is?"
Kim Han-su lifted the microphone before him and smiled.