Spring's Lover - Premiere (2)
Meanwhile, Hong Yu-ri waited at Sinchon Station with her heart pounding in her chest.
Of course, more than half that flutter came from getting to attend the premiere of a film starring Yeon-woo—but somehow, it didn't feel like that was the only reason.
What had begun as a mentor-mentee relationship, with her cheering on hardworking Jun-su, had lately begun to sprout something new inside her.
Though she herself had yet to notice.
Yeon-woo had stopped by the salon first thing that morning to get ready. His stylist Ye-eun had coordinated a suit with a striking navy-and-purple color scheme, which he paired casually with a white crew-neck tee.
"I styled it myself, but it's perfect. Truly."
Ye-eun gazed at Yeon-woo in his finished look with enraptured eyes.
"Oh my, you really outdid yourself, Ye-eun. That outfit is incredible."
Director Jeong Ha-neul, who had just finished Yeon-woo's makeup and was now working on stage makeup for another idol group, marveled at both Ye-eun's eye and Yeon-woo's ability to pull it off.
After Yeon-woo left for the premiere, the members of the idol group Exiz who were still getting their makeup done at the salon exchanged looks.
"That guy earlier—wasn't he the one from Summer's Closet?"
"Yeah, that's him. Actors really are different, huh. The aura's just on another level."
Exiz might have been the kind of group that drew throngs of girl fans, but today they somehow felt a little deflated.
Meanwhile, the van carrying Yeon-woo headed for the movie theater inside a large shopping mall in Yongsan.
From the parking garage onward, some citizens recognized him and cheered, and staff from the premiere appeared to escort him all the way to the waiting room.
Min-su stayed behind in the parking area to wait for Yeon-woo's family, then escorted them up to the waiting room once they arrived.
Having arrived a little earlier than scheduled, the only person already in the waiting room was the film's female lead, Han Ye-jin. Yeon-woo passed the time chatting easily and warmly with her.
Knock knock.
At the sound of the knock, Min-su opened the door, and Yeon-woo's family filed in after him.
"Oh my, my son."
"Haha. You made it."
Yeon-woo rose to greet his family and guided them further into the room.
Han Ye-jin, spotting Yeon-woo's family, hurriedly stood and offered a greeting.
"Oh my, you must be Yeon-woo's parents. Thank you so much. Thanks to your son, the quality of this film went up another level."
At the appearance of top star Han Ye-jin, the family's eyes went wide.
"Oh, what an honor, Ms. Han Ye-jin. My absolute favorite drama is Lovers."
Ryu Cheol-ung shook her hand, mentioning a hit of hers from more than a decade ago.
Somehow, looking at his father today, Yeon-woo could almost see his friend Woo Seong-sik.
Soon after, Min-su led the family to the premiere theater, while Yeon-woo waited, greeting the director and other actors as they arrived one after another at the waiting room.
Meanwhile, a red carpet had been laid at the entrance to the premiere theater. Invited members of the press and distribution partners filed in, and celebrities with personal connections to the cast arrived one after another, posing for photos as they entered.
With lead actors Kang Ju-won and Han Ye-jin being such major stars, many of the attending celebrities carried considerable name value of their own.
When the trio of Son Jin-uk, An Jun-ho, and Han So-hyun—attending thanks to their friendship with Director Kim Han-su and Ryu Yeon-woo—made their appearance, the citizens who had come to watch erupted in loud cheers.
Jun-su and Yu-ri also arrived in Yongsan and entered the premiere theater.
As ordinary university student Hong Yu-ri walked the red carpet—famous faces everywhere she looked—and stepped into the theater, her heart hammered so hard she thought it might burst.
Of course, Jun-su and Seong-sik felt the same.
Once inside and seated, Seong-sik looked around, his mouth hanging open, and gushed at Jun-su.
"Dude, look over there. That's Han Ji-won. Whoa! Jellyz is here too!"
He whispered, pointing out the actresses and girl group members nearby.
"Hey, tone it down a little. Yu-ri noona's right next to us—you're embarrassing."
But the twenty-one-year-old Hong Yu-ri was no different.
"Jun-su, the guy sitting behind us is Nam Woo-hyun, right? This is insane. What do I do."
Haa.
Jun-su sighed and hung his head.
As he shook his head, he spotted a somewhat familiar back of a head in the seat in front of him.
"Huh? Yeon-woo's mom, dad. Hello."
At the greeting from behind, Yeon-woo's parents turned around to find Seong-sik and Jun-su sitting there.
"Oh my, Seong-sik and Jun-su? You came all the way to Seoul to see Yeon-woo. And the young lady next to you—is she your girlfriend?"
Ahaha.
At Lee Seon-ok's words, Jun-su laughed it off awkwardly.
"Ah. Um, hello. I'm Hong Yu-ri, Yeon-woo's senior from high school."
The thought that she was meeting her favorite celebrity's parents made Yu-ri silently scream I'm losing it over and over as she offered a shy greeting.
"Oh my, is that so. You look just as pretty as your name, Yu-ri."
"Th-thank you."
Thud. Ow.
So tense she had completely forgotten she was already sitting, Yu-ri bowed at a full ninety degrees and smacked her forehead right into the back of the seat in front of her.
"Noona, you okay?"
"Hohoho. What a cute young lady."
"Hiiing..."
Yu-ri's face turned bright red as she rubbed her forehead, then found herself thinking the absurd thought that she would have to change the title of the experience post she planned to upload to the fan cafe once she got back to the dorm that night.
From "I Went to Our Yeon-woo's Premiere" to "I Did Physical Comedy in Front of Our Yeon-woo's Parents."
Soon, following the host's introductory remarks, the director and actors stepped onto the stage set up in front of the screen.
Waaaaah!
Wheeee!
The attendees roared their support loud enough to shake the theater.
Director Kim Han-su took the mic first, offered his greetings, then passed it to lead actor Kang Ju-won.
Kang Ju-won spoke in a solemn voice.
"Hello. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your valuable schedules to come watch today. I hope our film stays long in your memories, and I'll pass the mic to our senior, the great actor Yu Hae-sik."
Yu Hae-sik took the mic and opened his mouth.
He was a mid-career actor known for his outstanding supporting roles, someone Yeon-woo had exchanged brief greetings with in the waiting room at the production presentation.
"Hello. I'm Yu Hae-sik."
"You're so handsome!"
Hahaha.
A full-throated shout of "You're so handsome!" from the audience seats turned the place into a sea of laughter.
Yu Hae-sik, the distinctive character actor and master of supporting roles, took the mic and bantered.
"Hahaha, wait—who are you talking to?"
His sly question set the audience laughing again.
"I mean, you're holding a placard that clearly says Ryu Yeon-woo and telling me I'm handsome..."
Yu Hae-sik's joking words kept the audience laughing without end.
The shout of "handsome" had actually come from the press seats in the back, but Son Jin-uk and Han So-hyun, who really were holding Ryu Yeon-woo placards in the front row, turned bright red and ducked their heads.
"Hahaha, just kidding. Our film's release is right around the corner. I dare say you'll all be thinking you made the right call coming to see it early. Thank you for coming."
Next, Han Ye-jin and Jeong Su-yeon took the mic in turn and offered their thanks, and finally the mic reached Ryu Yeon-woo, who had been standing at the very end.
Waaaaah!
A roar erupted from the side where the press were gathered.
Having secured a large following of older sister fans through Summer's Closet, Yeon-woo was popular these days even among the female reporters in the entertainment beat.
The cheer was almost as loud as when lead actor Kang Ju-won had taken the mic, and Yeon-woo's family and friends found their shoulders lifting with pride of their own accord.
"Hello. I'm Ryu Yeon-woo. Getting to stand up here for a stage greeting when I only did a cameo is both an honor and a little surreal."
At his words, the director and actors beside him looked at him with grateful eyes and smiled softly.
"Our film features passionate performances from senior actors who are universally trusted to deliver, so it's truly a great movie—please watch it with confidence. Thank you."
Waaaaah!
Cheers rose again as the host's guidance came over the speakers and the actors left the stage.
Moments later the lights went down and the film began.
With the opening, the cast names appeared one after another as subtitles at the bottom of the screen, and Yeon-woo's name came fourth.
Director Kim Han-su had listed it as a proper cast credit rather than a "special appearance" or "cameo."
Soon the film started, and the two leads appeared in their school days.
Short scenes of a sports day, a festival, and more, all in warm pastel tones, showcased a beautiful visual quality that felt almost like a video photobook of Ryu Yeon-woo and Jeong Su-yeon.
It was the warm color palette of "the greenness of youth" that Director Kim Han-su was famous for capturing so well.
Then came the scene shot at the water fountain.
"Ohhh!"
The soccer ball, captured in a single unedited full-shot take, bounced off the face of female lead Ha Ye-ri and came flying—the audience gasped in shared shock, fully immersed.
A scene rendered far too realistically.
Or rather, it hadn't been "rendered" realistically at all—it had simply been real. Only those who had been on set that day knew that fact.
Then, with Yeon-woo's line delivered as if Kang Ju-won himself had possessed him, the scene transitioned naturally into one of the adult firefighter role, like a teaser trailer.
It was a scene Director Kim Han-su had changed after watching Yeon-woo's performance and finding inspiration, different from the original early script.
Thanks to that, what had originally been a youth sequence that didn't leave much of an impression had been reborn as a memorable highlight scene.
As a result, the audience could dive straight into immersion without any sense of a break when the film moved into the adult role.
The film settled into its main track and moved into the main story featuring the passionate performances of Kang Ju-won and Han Ye-jin.
"Woo-hyuk? Ji Woo-hyuk, right? Oh my, how long has it been? It's me, Ha Ye-ri."
"Huh? Woo-hyuk isn't a dad?"
"The moment I close my eyes, I can feel burning hands grabbing me from every direction. Why didn't you save me, why did you come so late!"
The main story began with a reunion with his fresh first love, now his nephew's kindergarten teacher.
Then came the comedic misunderstandings that arose when Ji Woo-hyuk was mistaken for being married because of his nephew.
Before long, the story built tension through Kang Ju-won's raw portrayal of the pain of a firefighter whose spirit had been worn down.
After weathering various incidents even in his hometown village, and gradually finding stability under Ha Ye-ri's care, Ji Woo-hyuk's story reached a happy ending as the credits rolled.
As it was a premiere attended by industry people and acquaintances, a standing ovation rose immediately.
The actors took the stage once more to offer their greetings, and the premiere came to a close.
In the waiting room, Yeon-woo exchanged greetings with the Summer's Closet cast who had come to support the premiere.
Meanwhile, Min-su had reserved a nearby restaurant to treat the family and friends who had come up to Seoul, and guided them there.