Chapter 140
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: A Fluent Surprise
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From 0-Years-Old, a Superstar 140
-This episode was legendary. From finding the hidden Seojun, to the members' meltdown, and Seojun winning the 1 vs. 8 game in the end. A perfect finish!
-The part where Seojun made a heart behind Park Youngjin was the funniest for me.
-For me, it was ‘Kimchi’ lol. Never thought kimchi would pop up there.
-Seojun is a really good gamer. The missions were all tough, but he nailed them.
-I never imagined he'd lure them in. Walking Man was always about chasing or being chased, but luring them, lol.
-The final photo was perfect too. Everyone's shocked faces, and only Seojun is beaming, lol.
[SBC Walking Man?! The Lee Seojun Special! The real Lee Seojun appears!]
[Walking Man! 1 VS 8, Who is the Victor?!]
[Is Lee Seojun Cursed or Blessed! A Failure at Missions, A Success at Finding People!]
[Actor Lee Seojun, Hiding in Plain Sight! Why Couldn't the Walking Man Cast Recognize Him?]
-I need to watch the replay.
-Me too. I need to watch carefully from the opening. How did they not know it was Seojun?
=Someone I know said it's because he acted so well. They said everyone thought he was a real staff member. Even the production crew working there.
=Ah, is it like the busking incident? They didn't recognize him as Lee Seojun then either.
=Agreed. Seems so.
Park Youngjin
[I can't believe Seojun was right behind me. I had no idea. (Photo of Seojun making a heart behind Park Youngjin)]
#WalkingMan?! #LeeSeojun #Heart
Choi Sohee
[So he was at the meeting too. He was right in front of me, why didn't I recognize him? ㅠㅠ]
#WalkingMan?! #LeeSeojun #FailedDetectiveWork
Jung Hoon
[Luring them in, I never would've thought of that. Seojun, you're amazing! Let's play tag again sometime, Seojun!]
#WalkingMan?! #LeeSeojun #Tag #NeverKnewItWasALure
The Walking Man members’ social media posts went up. Just as the viewers had thought, it was clear they were all shocked after watching the broadcast. The members’ posts immediately became news articles.
***
“Seojun! Walking Man was awesome!”
“I didn't think you'd win! You were amazing!”
Seojun beamed at his friends’ words. Now in the sixth grade, Seojun was in the same class as his friends again this year.
“Filming was a lot of fun for me, too. Thanks for recommending it. You should recommend more things next time.”
Seojun’s words made his friends smile brightly. They could tell he had genuinely enjoyed the filming. The children chattered away as they sat in their seats.
“I didn’t know it was you at first either. It was incredible.”
“Well, ever since we were little, whenever we played hide-and-seek, Seojun would always find everyone, and when he hid, he was always the last one to be found.”
*Well, about that.*
Seojun scratched his cheek. His friends might not remember, but he remembered it clearly.
Jiyoon, hiding under a desk with her eyes covered. Mina, who hid behind a curtain but couldn't quite conceal her chubby feet. Jio, who hid in a dark place and burst into tears because he got scared. Jihu, who always hid with Jio and got caught along with him when he cried.
*There was no way I couldn't find them.*
They were friends whose hiding patterns were always the same, even if the locations changed. Seojun smiled as he recalled the fond memories.
“He was amazing at the end, too, right?”
“The way he lured them in was great. It felt like watching a movie!”
As the children chattered, the class bell rang. The homeroom teacher settled the students down and began the first period. The class seemed to drag on, while recess vanished in a flash. After four periods, it was finally lunchtime.
Jio spoke up.
“Seojun, want to go see Assemble 2 together when it comes out?”
“I’d love to, but are you okay with the bodyguards coming along?”
Whenever he went out without his parents, Daho or one of the bodyguards would accompany him.
The number of bodyguards had increased due to the heightened attention from the awards ceremony. The plan was to reduce the detail once the excitement died down, but with the impact of the Walking Man broadcast, it seemed they would remain for a while longer.
*And it'll probably continue when Assemble 2 is released.*
It didn’t bother him much, since they weren't the type to wear black suits and scan the surroundings with extreme vigilance, which would have been burdensome.
“Yeah, I don’t mind. When we hung out last time, I couldn’t even tell who the bodyguard was. Besides, my parents prefer it that way.”
“That’s right. They said they don’t have to worry about our safety.”
Jihu, Jiyoon, and Mina all nodded in agreement.
“Okay. Let’s go see it together.”
The children’s faces lit up at Seojun’s reply.
***
Late March.
Ahead of the release of Assemble 2, the heroes that Marine fans had been waiting for appeared in Korea. The arrival gate doors opened, and three heroes emerged. A massive cheer erupted throughout the airport.
“Richel Hill! Bel Natra!”
“Look this way, please! Evan Block!”
“Redbone! It’s Redbone!!”
Richel Hill, Evan Block, and Davis Garrett smiled brightly, waving to the Korean fans who had come to welcome them.
[Assemble 2! In Celebration of the Release, the Heroes Visit Korea!]
[Crowds Flock to the Airport to Catch a Glimpse of the Heroes!]
[Richel Hill: “Thank you to the fans for the warm welcome.”]
[Evan Block, Shadowman: “I came to see Jin Natra.”]
[Davis Garrett: “I’m looking forward to the events in Korea.”]
[They will rest tomorrow and begin their schedule the day after!]
-All the main members of Assemble 2 are here!
-You think they'll meet up with Lee Seojun?
=Maybe? Judging from the awards ceremony party live stream, they seemed pretty close.
-Ah, I failed to get tickets for the Assemble 2 event…
=They’re doing a live broadcast on N-tube!
***
The ticket officer at Gyeongbok Palace did a light stretch and sat down. Just as she was wondering how many people would visit today, a customer appeared.
It was a foreigner wearing a navy durumagi.
“/Welcome./”
The officer greeted him in the English she had mastered while working at the ticket booth.
“Hello. Four adults and one child, please.”
The Gyeongbok Palace ticket officer blinked blankly. She had expected to hear English, but the Korean that came out didn't register in her brain.
“Uh, pardon?”
“Four adults, one child. How much is it?”
“Ah, since you’re wearing hanbok, it’s free.”
“Ah. I see. Thank you.”
The foreigner, who had spoken fluent Korean, casually walked back to his group. He spoke in English to a woman, two men, and a young boy, all also dressed in hanbok, and they headed towards the palace entrance together.
“His Korean is really good.”
“Right? But don’t you think that foreigner looks like Shadowman?”
She nodded at her colleague's comment and asked.
“Shadowman? I don’t know. Would a Hollywood actor speak Korean that fluently?”
“I guess not, right? Yes, welcome.”
Her contemplation was brief as the ticket officer greeted the next customer.
“Evan, your Korean is amazing.”
Seojun’s eyes sparkled. Evan Block smiled and shrugged. The three actors, Seojun, and An Daho, all dressed in hanbok, headed into Gyeongbok Palace. Their bodyguards were likely somewhere nearby.
“How could you learn it all by yourself!”
“You should learn it too.”
“I will!”
Richel Hill, wearing the sky-blue hanbok Seojun had gifted her, huffed.
“Learning Korean just so you can better appreciate Jun’s acting! I never would have thought of it.”
As the foreigner in hanbok spoke rapid English, the people around them gradually drifted away. Seojun knew that look well. It was the same pale-faced expression his classmates got during English class—English anxiety.
“I want to talk to Jun in Korean too!”
At Richel's words, Evan Block recalled the moment he decided to learn Korean.
It was when he watched the children’s play ‘Spring’ from the DVD Seojun had given him.
Only Seojun’s voice could be heard, but he had to rely on subtitles because he didn’t understand the words. Even so, he could recognize Seojun’s acting talent, but it felt like a shame.
*There will be more instances like this in the future.* His conviction to study Korean solidified as he watched the N-tube upload of *Naeuiwon*, understanding about half of it in Korean.
*I might not be as good as a native Korean speaker, but…*
He enjoyed being able to feel the atmosphere of the work and Seojun's presence more intimately than when he had watched with subtitles.
“Not only can I converse with Jun in Korean, but I might even get to star in a Korean movie with him. /If there are any good scripts, will you introduce me to them, Jun?/”
“/To afford Evan’s appearance fee… I think they’d go bankrupt?/”
“/I think Jun’s fee, as an Oscar winner, would be higher than mine?/”
“Speak English!”
“Yeah, let me in on the conversation too.”
Evan and Seojun burst out laughing at Richel and Davis’s comments.
The three actors, Seojun, and An Daho explored Gyeongbok Palace, taking photos and videos.
Occasionally, someone would seem to recognize the three actors, but as soon as Evan Block spoke fluent Korean, their eyes would widen in confusion, and they would turn away, thinking, *Ah, it’s not them!*
“His Korean is amazing! He can’t be Evan Block!”
Hearing a tourist say this to their friend, Evan Block rubbed the back of his neck.
“I never thought my Korean would be used like this.”
“Who would ever think Evan could speak Korean so well?”
“I’m planning to do the interview in Korean at the event. The fans will like that, right?”
“Definitely! Everyone will be so surprised!”
Seojun and the three actors burst into laughter, imagining the astonished Marine fans. An Daho captured the moment, taking a picture of the actors.
***
[Live - Assemble 2: A Meeting with the Heroes]
On stage, Davis Garrett, who played Redbone, and Richel Hill, who played Bel Natra, appeared one by one, greeting the audience amidst cheers and applause.
Next, it was time for Evan Block, who played Shadowman, to make his entrance.
One of the audience members, waving the light stick distributed by the Assemble team and cheering for the two actors, spoke to a friend.
“You know, I saw a foreigner at Gyeongbok Palace yesterday who looked just like Evan Block.”
“Wasn’t it actually Evan Block?”
“But he spoke Korean incredibly well. He even gave me directions.”
“Ah, then it probably wasn’t him.”
A Hollywood actor learning Korean was an unimaginable thought.
“English is the global language. There’s no reason for him to learn Korean.”
“I know, right? Oh, here comes Evan Block!”
The audience member, who had been nodding in agreement, turned her gaze to the stage.
With the MC’s introduction, Evan Block appeared on stage. Holding a microphone, he looked out at the Korean fans filling the audience.
Richel Hill and Davis Garrett held back their laughter, anticipating the scene that was about to unfold.
“Hello. I’m Evan Block.”
?
The audience, who had been about to erupt in cheers and applause at Shadowman’s appearance, froze. Not only the audience, but the event staff, officials, and even the MC all stopped moving.
In the silent space, only the Assemble light sticks in the audience's hands twinkled.
Evan Block smiled, having expected this reaction.
“Thank you for coming to the event today. I hope everyone has a wonderful time.”
*Am I so good at English that I can understand him this naturally?* The audience members, who had been listening in a daze, gasped and let out silent screams as Evan Block continued to speak in Korean.
Richel Hill and Davis Garrett, who had anticipated this situation, burst into gleeful laughter, and George Roberts, the director of Assemble, gestured to the interpreter.
The stunned interpreter quickly translated his words into English.
Snapping back to reality at the sound of the interpreter's voice, the MC flusteredly asked.
“Uh, did actor Lee Seojun teach you that?”
It was the most plausible explanation. Just as the interpreter was about to relay the question in English, Evan Block shrugged and replied.
“No. I studied Korean. I’m pretty good, right?”
!
Aaaaaaah!
Evan Block understood the MC's Korean and even answered in Korean. His fluent delivery sent the audience in the venue and the viewers watching the N-tube live stream into a frenzy of cheers.
[Shadowman's Fluent Korean. The Reason is Lee Seojun!]
[Evan Block: “I wanted to see and hear Lee Seojun’s acting without subtitles.”]
[The Assemble Team: “We watched Walking Man?! It was fun.”]
-Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
-…I’m speechless.
-I’ve never seen a Hollywood star learn Korean before?
-I heard a lot of Lee Seojun’s international fans were learning Korean… but a Hollywood actor too…
-Seojun’s influence is incredible.
And in just a few minutes, the news that Seojun and the three actors had visited Gyeongbok Palace spread. It was because photos taken by people at the palace were uploaded to social media.
They hadn't taken the pictures directly; rather, they found and posted photos where the actors had accidentally been captured in the background of their own pictures. As a result, the image quality was poor.
[Title: I saw the Assemble cast at Gyeongbok Palace yesterday!]
(photo)(photo)
It’s blurry, but the person in the navy clothes in the back is Evan Block, sky-blue is Richel Hill, green is Davis Garrett, and blue is Lee Seojun!
I kind of thought so at the time… but Evan Block’s Korean was so good I figured it wasn’t them lol. His pronunciation sounded like he’d lived in Korea for 10 years.
-I saw them too, he was so good lol. He was like a Korean local guiding his foreign friends on a tour lol.
-They all look great in hanbok. I want to see a high-quality version!
=I know, right? Isn't this too pixelated? lol
As if in answer to the fans’ wishes, photos and videos taken at Gyeongbok Palace and Changdeok Palace were soon uploaded to the three actors’ social media accounts and the N-tube channel [JUN].
There were photos from Gyeongbok Palace, a video from Changdeok Palace, and the final video showed Seojun and the Hollywood stars grilling and eating samgyeopsal, laughing cheerfully.
#