Paparazzi
"A snack truck? So there’ll actually be snacks?"
"Yeah. I heard from another manager that the staff love them. Winter’s coming, so tteokbokki and fish cakes would probably go over better than coffee."
Yeon-woo nodded.
"True. That would definitely be popular."
"I’ll look into it, then."
Jeong Cheol-min smiled as he poured beer into their glasses.
"Our Yeon-woo’s all grown up—even sending support to other actors now. Come on, enough work talk. Let’s just drink. Cheers!"
"What are we toasting to?"
Jeong Cheol-min stroked his chin at Yeon-woo’s question.
"Hmm, Manager Kim Min-su’s debut?"
"Excuse me? Me?"
"You debuted as an extra today, didn’t you?"
Everyone laughed at Jeong Cheol-min’s words.
"That’s right. Min-su hyung debuted."
"Haha, I guess so."
The drinking session that followed stretched a little past midnight before wrapping up.
"Is this information solid?"
"Yes, the intel is confirmed. I double-checked it."
The middle-aged man with the thinning hair stroked his chin as he looked over the report in his hands.
"It’s not something LN Media invested in? Ryu Yeon-woo is under them, after all."
"Chief Editor. Even so, there would be traces. I’ve been in this business for fifteen years."
The man giving the report also had a furrowed brow.
Last night, a bit-part actor had contacted them claiming to have the hottest scoop on Ryu Yeon-woo’s next project. They had paid a hefty sum for the exclusive tip, but it was like a ghost story—nothing checked out.
"But why isn’t any information coming out? No investors, no distributors, not even casting news, and the staff don’t know anything either?"
At the editor’s words, the reporting man let out a deep sigh.
"Exactly. They’ve already started filming, so how is there zero information?"
"For now, put people on Ryu Yeon-woo and Park Chan-hong. If we tail them, something’s bound to turn up."
"And if nothing comes of it, when do we drop the article? The other guys will definitely catch the scent."
The editor crumpled the report as he pondered, then spoke.
"Two days. Stick with them for just two days, and if nothing comes up, we run the article anyway. At least the fact that Ryu Yeon-woo was filming with Director Park Chan-hong at the airport is solid."
"Sigh, yes, sir. I’ll set it up that way."
"Hurry. Other papers might already have people on them. In this business, exclusive scoops don’t wait more than a day."
Meanwhile, at that very moment, Yeon-woo was driving Jeong Cheol-min to Yongsan Station after they had finished shooting the indie festival scene together. Jeong Cheol-min was heading down to Daejeon.
The scene they had filmed today was the one where Jay Miller went to an indie festival with Mr. Jeong and first encountered Nari, played by Seo Ji-eun. Or rather than meeting her, Jay simply watched from the audience as Nari, the vocalist of the indie band, took the stage.
It was the scene of Jay watching with interest as Nari, under the name “Mocha Band,” stood alone on stage without the rest of the band. But in reality, Yeon-woo was currently in the car, turning his head to stare intently not at Nari but through the rear window.
"What’s wrong, Yeon-woo?"
"That black SUV behind us. It’s been following us all the way from the set."
"Really? I didn’t notice."
Habits from his past life lingered like an occupational disease, so Yeon-woo habitually scanned the surrounding cars and passersby even in everyday life.
"Teacher, do we have some time before your train?"
"Yeah, we finished shooting early today, so even if we arrive as the nav says, I’ll have about forty minutes left."
"Min-su hyung. At the next intersection, make a right and loop around the block back to this spot? I’m pretty sure they’re tailing us."
At Yeon-woo’s words, Min-su checked the rearview mirror and nodded.
"Yes, sir. Got it."
To head to Yongsan Station normally they needed to turn left, so Min-su’s car, which had been in the first lane, switched to the fourth. The car behind followed suit, changing lanes as well.
"Huh? It’s real. They’re following."
"Turning right."
Min-su smoothly turned the wheel, and as they made the right turn, the car behind began to turn right after them. Then another right at the next intersection, and another. Four right turns would take them in a square around the block and back to the original spot. No normal vehicle would circle around like that just to end up in the same place.
"Actor-nim. Looks like it really is a tail."
"Hey, Yeon-woo, that must be it. Paparazzi."
When it came to tails, the first keywords that sprang to Yeon-woo’s mind were only the extreme categories of pursuit, assassination, and kidnapping, so Jeong Cheol-min’s words made him go, “Ah!”
"Ah… paparazzi."
"Actor-nim. Should I shake them?"
As someone whose job was driving year-round, Min-su looked more than capable of losing them with aggressive driving through the alleys.
"No. Just head to Yongsan Station. If their goal is taking pictures, it doesn’t really matter."
The sharp edge that had instinctively risen in Yeon-woo’s nerves from his past-life experiences at the sight of the tail softened once more. Min-su’s car arrived in front of Yongsan Station.
"Yeon-woo, don’t get out. That car from earlier just pulled up behind us."
"Yes, Teacher. Take care on the way down."
"Alright. Call me when you get to Daejeon."
Jeong Cheol-min got out of the car, and Min-su’s vehicle headed for the recording studio where Yeon-woo went every evening to practice. As Min-su’s car entered the underground parking, the black SUV, unable to follow, drove past the entrance. Yeon-woo got out and went up to the recording studio.
"Oh, Jay’s here."
"Yeon-woo~ Did the shoot go well today?"
Chrissy and Seo Ji-eun, who had been practicing something while looking at sheet music, smiled at the entering Yeon-woo.
Hmm, she really does sound like a little Han So-hyun.
Yeon-woo chuckled at Seo Ji-eun’s speech, which reminded him of Han So-hyun, and sat down.
"The stage shoot was all you, noona. I was just watching."
"Come on, we shot the after-party scene after that too."
"Yeah, that wrapped up quick. I was a bit late because I dropped Teacher Jeong Cheol-min off at the train station."
Yeon-woo looked at Chrissy and continued.
"Director, we were going to jam with the guitar today, right?"
"Aw, what’s with ‘Director’? Just call me Chrissy. The second song was pretty hard—you haven’t memorized it all yet, have you?"
"No. The song was fun, so I learned it quickly."
Yeon-woo stood and brought over the guitar from the corner.
"Shall we try it right away?"
Chrissy looked half-doubtful, while Seo Ji-eun nodded with a bright, sunny smile. Yeon-woo started playing the guitar from the first song, and Seo Ji-eun sang along. From the easy first melody to the fairly difficult second and third songs, Yeon-woo performed them perfectly. It was Seo Ji-eun who still wasn’t fully familiar with the third song and stumbled in the middle.
"Wow, you’re really good. Have you played guitar before?"
"Ah, I learned a long time ago. About ten years back?"
At Yeon-woo’s words, music director Chrissy tilted her head.
"Hmm? Then Jay’s been playing guitar since he was nine?"
"…Hmm? Ah. Yeah… that’s right?"
"Wow! Yeon-woo, you were a prodigy!"
Flustered by Chrissy’s question, he mumbled through it. By international age, ten years ago would make him nine. Having picked up the guitar after a long time and spoken without thinking based on his past life’s standards, he had suddenly become a guitar prodigy. The practice that followed picked up speed and went smoothly.
"Ugh, I’m hungry."
At Chrissy’s words, Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun turned their heads.
"Oh, then should we order something?"
"Is there that thing around here? The triangular food and instant ramen."
At Chrissy’s words, Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun looked at each other.
"You mean triangle kimbap and cup ramen, right?"
"There’s one right out front. In Seoul, there’s one within a hundred meters wherever you go!"
At Seo Ji-eun’s words, Chrissy’s eyes sparkled.
"I’ve always wanted to try them whenever I watched K-dramas back home."
"Chrissy. It’s past nine now—if you eat that, your face will be all puffy tomorrow."
"Haha. Why should I care about that? My husband’s in America anyway."
Hearing Chrissy, Seo Ji-eun stood up.
"Yeon-woo. Then want to all go out for a bit?"
"Sure. Let’s put on masks and hats and get some air while we’re at it."
Yeon-woo and Chrissy stood and followed Seo Ji-eun. They took the elevator down and entered the convenience store right in front of the practice building.
Ding-a-ling—.
"Welcome."
Chrissy went to the fridge with the fresh foods and spoke excitedly.
"Wow. There’s a convenience store on the first floor of the hotel I’m staying at too, but there are so many foreigners that by the time I finish practice and go back, nothing’s left. They’re popular with foreigners."
At Chrissy’s thoroughly excited reaction, Seo Ji-eun approached with a smile.
"Chrissy. Try this one. This is the most delicious. It tastes like bibimbap. Ah, and this too!"
Seo Ji-eun recommended various things, teaching her the convenience store power combos. They picked out enough for a light meal at the convenience store, paid, and went back up to the practice room.
"I’ll put water on in the coffee pot! Yeon-woo, what are you going to eat?"
"Hmm, I’ll just have one sandwich."
"Hiiing. Then do I have to diet too?"
Seo Ji-eun, who had been heading brightly to the pantry with the spicy cup ramen, made a pouty face at Yeon-woo’s words and started fretting.
"Nah, no need. I just ate some leftover kimbap in the car earlier after the shoot."
"Reeeally?"
Seo Ji-eun headed to the pantry with a bright expression again.
"Jay, want to take a look at this?"
Chrissy came over and showed him a video on her smartphone.
"This is the reference video I showed ‘Director Chan-hong Park.’ In the middle, for the busking scene…"
Chrissy explained the scene she had in mind while watching the video. Thinking about the scene that would go into the movie while watching the video, it seemed pretty cool and eye-catching.
"Looks good."
"Right?"
Just then, the pantry door opened and Seo Ji-eun returned holding a cup ramen in each hand.
"Tada! Chrissy. Just wait two more minutes. You haven’t eaten the triangle kimbap yet, right? It’s better when you eat them together."
"Wow. I’ve really wanted to eat this while watching dramas."
Then Seo Ji-eun sat down and asked Chrissy.
"Chrissy, what K-dramas have you watched? Have you seen ours? Star Beyond the River."
"Oh, I wanted to watch it, but the subtitles aren’t out yet so I’m waiting. Even if I watch it now, I wouldn’t understand anyway."
Yeon-woo nodded. From what he’d heard at the wrap party, it would probably launch overseas as early as next month.
Beep-beep-beep—.
Vrrr—.
Just then, Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun’s smartphones started ringing at the same time.
"Oh? I’ll take this call for a sec!"
"Hmm, I’ve got a call too. Who is it at this hour?"
Seo Ji-eun stood up as she answered the phone, and Yeon-woo looked at his screen.
Yoon Mi-yeon, Team Leader
Hmm? Why is Team Leader Yoon calling at this hour?
Team Leader Yoon Mi-yeon, who handled planning and publicity, had last spoken with him at the beginning of the year when Yeon-woo got into Hankuk University. Most things went through Manager Kim Min-su, and important matters came via Representative Kim Ju-seong or Team Leader Jeong Hyeok, so Yeon-woo tilted his head wondering what it could be as he answered.
"Yes, Team Leader Yoon?"
"Yeon-woo. Have you checked the internet by any chance?"
Internet? Yeon-woo tilted his head.
"No. I was practicing. Is something wrong?"
"I know Yeon-woo has been in a recent project, and I know it’s not true either, but…"
Team Leader Yoon spoke carefully, trailing off.
"Right now on the internet, a dating rumor has broken out with Seo Ji-eun."
"What? With who?"
"With you, Yeon-woo."
"……."
After a brief silence, Yeon-woo opened his mouth again.
"Me?"