Chapter 163
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Graduation Day
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[Actor Lee Seojun, During the Filming of Yeok (Reverse)!]
[Lee Seojun in a Royal Dragon Robe, Posing with a Food Truck Sent by Fans!]
Unaware that reporters monitoring his fan cafe were already publishing articles, Seojun sat down at a table.
Park Unyeol and Kim Hoyoung, who were already seated, greeted him.
“This is delicious, isn’t it, sir?”
“It is. The seasoned vegetables are simple but tasty.”
Seojun and Park Unyeol ate the seasoned greens with relaxed expressions. Only Kim Hoyoung, sitting at the same table, looked a bit awkward, but he slowly joined the conversation.
“What’s it like filming in Hollywood?”
“The sets are incredible. When we filmed *Shadowman*, they built a part of Central Park from scratch.”
“Oh, my.”
Both Park Unyeol and Kim Hoyoung’s eyes widened at the scale of it. Excited, Seojun continued.
“They also built the entire Over the Rainbow park.”
“That’s a different place from where you busked, right?”
“Yes. The busking was at a park next to the LA College of Music. The park we filmed in was a set.”
Just then, a phone rang. It was Kim Hoyoung’s. Startled, he took out his phone. He had only turned it on for a moment during lunch, but somehow, the timing was perfect.
Seeing Kim Hoyoung hesitate, wondering what to do, Park Unyeol spoke up.
“Go ahead and take it. It might be urgent.”
“Yes, you should get it.”
Seojun nodded as well.
“Excuse me for a moment, then.”
Kim Hoyoung stood up and moved away from the table to answer the call. With his sharp hearing, Seojun smiled as he heard a little girl’s voice shouting from the other end of the line.
-Dad, you’re really filming with Lee Seojun!
“Yes, I told you I was.”
-Can you send me a picture? My friends don’t believe me.
“Dad’s working right now…”
Besides, this was only their second time meeting, and if he made such a request, others would surely ask for favors too. He shouldn’t be a burden, if not a help. Hearing the trouble in his voice, Kim Hoyoung’s daughter understood.
-Hmm. Well, if you can’t, you can’t.
Still, she couldn’t completely hide her disappointment. As he listened to his daughter’s crestfallen voice, Kim Hoyoung’s eyes, which had been darting around, landed on the food truck.
“Should I send you a picture of the food truck?”
-The food truck?
“Yeah. It’s from actor Lee Seojun’s fans. They took pictures and posted them on the fan cafe. If it’s the same one, that should be proof, right?”
He could hear his daughter, Jisoo, excitedly telling her friends something. A clamor of “Wow!” erupted. Kim Jisoo’s voice was filled with joy.
-They said that’s okay! Hurry up and send it!
“Alright.”
-Good luck with filming, Dad! I love you!
“I love you too, sweetie.”
A wide grin spread across Kim Hoyoung’s face at his daughter’s words. He diligently took pictures of the food truck. He checked the news articles with Seojun’s photos, trying to capture the same angles, then took more from different perspectives. The staff and Park Unyeol tilted their heads in confusion at the sight.
Only Seojun, with his sharp hearing, knew the reason and chuckled to himself.
Returning to the table with a smile, Kim Hoyoung explained the situation.
“My daughter asked for a picture of where I’m working…”
He rubbed the back of his neck, feigning embarrassment. Seojun, who knew the truth, smiled. He decided he should take a picture with Jisoo later, for being so understanding of her father.
Park Unyeol nodded.
“I see. How old is your daughter?”
“She just started fourth grade.”
Kim Hoyoung smiled gently as he thought of his daughter.
“That must make your acting all the more poignant.”
As Park Unyeol nodded, Kim Hoyoung scratched his head and chuckled.
“As I researched King Danjong, I couldn’t help but think about how difficult it must have been for someone so young. It really helped my acting to imagine my own daughter in his place.”
“That’s a good method.”
Kim Hoyoung beamed at Park Unyeol’s words. Park Unyeol added one more piece of advice.
“But don’t get too immersed in the role. The character is the character, and the actor is the actor. You have to maintain enough distance.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
Kim Hoyoung nodded, but he didn’t seem to fully grasp it. This was something better learned through experience than words. With a gentle smile, Park Unyeol turned to look at Seojun. This boy, with his unbelievably brilliant acting skills, surely already knew.
“Seojun, you’re in sixth grade, right?”
“My graduation is this week, so I’ll be a middle schooler. The entrance ceremony is still a ways off, though.”
“Graduation?”
“Yes. We have the end-of-break ceremony and the sixth-grade graduation at the same time.”
“I see. Congratulations on your graduation.”
“Thank you.”
Seojun smiled brightly. Everyone watching the actors’ warm interaction smiled contentedly.
Lunchtime ended, and preparations for the next scene began.
“We’ll start the next shoot.”
The assistant director’s voice rang out. The actors moved to their positions.
Seojun sat on the royal cushion, Kim Hoyoung stood in his spot, and Park Unyeol settled into place. Stroking the fake beard on his chin, Park Unyeol asked.
“Are you warm enough?”
“I have a heat pack here. How about you, sir?”
“The set is warm, so I’m fine.”
Seojun slightly lifted the cushion he was sitting on. Seeing the heat packs on the floor beneath it, Park Unyeol nodded. The atmosphere still felt like a grandfather and grandson, prompting the staff to glance at their scripts.
“This scene isn’t supposed to be this heartwarming…”
“I know, right? Usually, they get into character even before filming starts.”
The director Woo Junghan’s voice drowned out the murmuring staff.
“Ready—”
The two actors, who had been chatting with smiles on their faces, instantly changed their expressions at the director's call. The shift was so sudden that Kim Hoyoung, standing on the side of the set, couldn’t keep up.
As the two actors immersed themselves in their roles, a heavy silence fell over the set. No one dared to even swallow.
Director Woo Junghan, checking the monitor, shouted.
“Action!”
Lee Hongwi sat and unfurled the scroll that Kim Jongseo had handed him. A description of an official position and three names were written vertically. Lee Hongwi slowly read each character.
Kim Jongseo spoke in a heavy voice. Even at over seventy, he was still hale and hearty.
“Please choose the official who will become the Third Minister, Your Majesty.”
Lee Hongwi’s gaze, fixed on the scroll, did not waver from one spot.
*Splash.*
Lee Hongwi’s toes recoiled as if they had touched a cold wave. But as if it were a mere illusion, the cold droplet soon vanished.
Wiggling his toes, hidden from everyone’s view, Lee Hongwi opened his mouth.
“Left State Councilor. What is this yellow dot?”
Kim Jongseo sat stiffly and spoke. His demeanor once again brought the sound of splashing water. An inscrutable atmosphere descended.
“He is the talent I recommend to Your Majesty. He is skilled and has an upstanding character, and he will be of great help to you.”
Lee Hongwi looked at Kim Jongseo. He was a minister who had served his royal grandfather. A minister his father had trusted. Blinking, Lee Hongwi nodded.
“Very well. Then, I will choose this man.”
*Splash.*
The jet-black water once again lapped at Lee Hongwi’s toes before receding.
“Cut! Okay!”
And just like that, the two actors’ demeanors changed back. Tossing aside their serious faces, Lee Seojun and Park Unyeol resumed their friendly conversation. Kim Hoyoung and the staff stared at them, unknowingly astonished. The shift in atmosphere seemed faster than a lightning strike.
A thought suddenly struck Kim Hoyoung.
‘Is this what he meant by distance from the role?’
The two actors were free in their immersion, from beginning to end. Even if they were smiling brightly, they could get angry or cry at a moment’s notice once filming began.
‘Can I immerse myself and break out of it that quickly?’
No, he couldn’t.
Feeling a thirst as if his throat was parched, Kim Hoyoung watched the two actors. The performance he was witnessing was the kind of acting he should strive for.
Kim Hoyoung reproached himself. What he would gain from this movie wasn’t just fame. He felt foolish for only realizing it now.
‘Watch and learn.’
Kim Hoyoung’s gaze fell upon the actor who had moved the entire world.
* * *
On the day of Maesil Elementary School’s graduation.
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun headed to the school with fluttering hearts.
“I can’t believe he’s already graduating…”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?”
The couple looked on, deeply moved, at the parents gathering one by one in the auditorium. The other parents also seemed excited about their children’s graduation.
“You made the reservation at the Chinese restaurant, right?”
Seo Eunhye smiled at Lee Minjun’s words. It reminded her of the day she had eaten jajangmyeon with her brother, Seo Eunchan, and their mother after her own graduation long ago.
“Yeah. Mom and Eunchan should be on time.”
“My parents are coming too. Has it been a while since we all ate out together?”
The couple chatted while waiting for their son.
* * *
“It’s graduation day. This feels a lot different from kindergarten.”
“That’s because we have to go to middle school now. We’ll wear uniforms and take exams.”
At Jihu’s words, the children’s faces turned grim. Becoming an adult was nice, but they hated exams.
“Looks like Seojun isn’t getting a perfect attendance award.”
“I wasn’t expecting one. I’m just glad I didn’t have to repeat a grade.”
The kids laughed at Seojun’s comment.
On each child’s desk lay a diploma and certificates. There were common awards like perfect attendance and awards for students who excelled in specific subjects. There was also a small certificate from their homeroom teacher.
“The Excellent Doctor Award.”
Jihu said.
“It says, ‘I hope you become an excellent doctor.’”
Jihu, who dreamed of being a doctor, beamed.
The children who hadn't decided on their future careers learned about their strengths through the certificates.
Energetic Jio, diligent Jiyoon, mature Mina. The homeroom teacher had clearly paid close attention to each student over the year.
“I got this one.”
Seojun showed them the award he had received.
“The Awesome Actor Award.”
[Awesome Actor Award]
Maesil Elementary School, 6th Grade, Class 2, Lee Seojun
I look forward to your wonderful activities in the future.
From your Homeroom Teacher.
He might not have received the perfect attendance award, but he got something even better.
Seojun packed his certificate, graduation album, and other things into his bag. While the children were packing up their last belongings, the homeroom teacher called them up one by one for a final farewell. Tears welled up in the children’s eyes as they listened to their teacher.
Then it was Seojun’s turn.
“The kids will probably want to take pictures with you after the ceremony. What do you want to do? If you don’t want to, I can make an exit for you.”
Seojun blinked, then smiled.
“It’s the last day. It’s okay. Of course, I can’t take pictures with every single one.”
“Right. How about we do two fifth-grade classes at a time, and then two sixth-grade classes at a time?”
“Yes, that should be fine.”
After all, the classes were small, and there weren’t many students. Seojun and his teacher smiled.
“Thank you for everything.”
Seojun really liked his teacher, who had treated him as just another student without any special treatment.
“Me too. Thank you for working so hard in school.”
She was incredibly grateful that he hadn’t looked down on his classmates just because he was famous and had been friends with everyone. The teacher smiled and said.
“Do well in middle school, too.”
“I will!”
After confirming that all the children had packed their things, the homeroom teacher spoke.
“Alright, shall we go now?”
The students of 6th Grade, Class 2 followed their teacher. They walked down the hallway where they used to run during recess and used the stairs in front of the library where they had evacuation drills.
Past the third-grade classrooms, the second-grade classrooms, and the first-grade classrooms.
Seojun, who remembered things more vividly than the other kids, saw an illusion of his friends running down the hall, laughing gleefully. He had spent six years at this school. There wasn’t a single place without a memory.
The other children, though they couldn’t remember everything, seemed to feel a lump in their throats too. With mixed feelings, the sixth graders headed to the auditorium where the graduation ceremony would be held.
The sixth graders of Maesil Elementary School appeared in the auditorium. The children’s gazes turned to the parents gathered at the back.
“Mom!”
The children who made eye contact with their parents waved. Seojun also spotted his mom and dad and waved with a bright smile. The couple waved back enthusiastically. In his mother’s arms was a bouquet of flowers in full bloom.
The auditorium held the sixth and fifth graders. The fifth graders applauded their graduating seniors. The students from other grades had already finished their end-of-year ceremonies and were heading home. Jio giggled at the bored expressions on the fifth graders’ faces.
“When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to go home early too.”
The fifth graders, who would be in this position next year, were attending to get a preview of the graduation ceremony. Perhaps because of that, a few of the more sentimental fifth graders looked at the sixth graders with mixed emotions.
The fifth-grade representative, who would become next year’s student council president, gave a farewell address, and the sixth-grade student council president gave a reply.
“If Seojun had run, he would have definitely been president.”
Seojun smiled at Jiyoon’s words.
“I was busy filming.”
They listened to the teacher’s speech and the reflections of the student council members who had worked hard all year. Slowly, the end of the graduation ceremony approached.
“This concludes the Maesil Elementary School graduation ceremony.”
At the principal’s final words, the children and parents applauded. The children who had made wonderful memories at the school burst into tears over parting with friends as they moved on, while others captured the moment with their phones.
“Let’s take a picture too.”
The kids, who had already cried their hearts out when they moved, smiled brightly and held up their cameras.
“One, two, three. Cheese!”
*Click.*
Kim Jiyoon, Mina Owen, Park Jihu, Park Jio.
He took a picture with his baby friends, whom he would never forget.
‘Well, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again.’
As Seojun was checking the photo and smiling, a vibrant bouquet of flowers appeared before his eyes. He looked up to see his smiling parents. Seojun’s face lit up like a flower.
“Mom, Dad!”
“Let’s take a picture with Mom and Dad too.”
“Okay!”
He took pictures with his parents, his classmates, and his teachers. He also took pictures with friends who had been in his class in fourth and fifth grade but were in different classes in sixth grade.
While the fifth and sixth graders who didn’t have a connection to Seojun watched with envious eyes, Seojun’s homeroom teacher took the microphone.
“Lee Seojun has agreed to give us a little of his time. We will take photos with two fifth-grade classes at a time, and then two sixth-grade classes at a time.”
A cheer erupted, shaking the auditorium at the unexpected photo time.
The homeroom teachers of each class sprang into action. The cheering students of 5th Grade, Class 1 and 2 quickly gathered as if for a group photo. Seojun sat in the center and made a V-sign with his fingers.
After taking all the photos and saying goodbye to his friends, Seojun stood on the school grounds with his parents, looking at the building.
The large school looked exactly the same as it had at the entrance ceremony six years ago. That made it even easier to remember. Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun looked at the school with wistful eyes.
“It feels like the entrance ceremony was just yesterday.”
“I know. Seojun was only this big when he started, and now he’s already graduating. Time goes by so fast.”
Seojun, holding the bouquet from his parents, said.
“The school felt so huge during the entrance ceremony, but it doesn’t seem as big now.”
“That’s because you’ve grown that much, Seojun.”
“I don’t know when he got so big.”
Lee Minjun ruffled Seojun’s hair. Seojun burst out laughing. The couple smiled brightly.
“Oh, we’ll be late for our reservation. Let’s hurry.”
“Okay!”
As he left the school gates with his parents, Seojun turned his head to look back at the school.
Maesil Elementary School.
Seojun bid a final farewell to the school he would no longer be coming to or leaving from.
[Actor Lee Seojun Graduates from Elementary School!]
[Fans Send Congratulatory Messages, “Seojun, Congratulations on Your Graduation!”]
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