Chapter 289
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 289
Chapter Title: The Freshman Representative
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While Seojun and Jung Boram were filming, an art staff member, who was watching the set from a distance, spoke to a colleague next to him.
“You know, don’t you sometimes see kids like that?”
“Like what?”
“The kind who get so immersed in their acting that they mistake it for reality.”
Understanding his colleague, the other staff member nodded.
“It happens sometimes. Actors like that.”
The junior staff member, ears perked for any summons, looked at the two.
“Mistake acting for reality?”
“When their co-star is too good, or when they’re too deep into their own character, they get swept up in the emotions. They start to confuse things.”
“But it’s just acting, isn’t it?”
The two seasoned staff members, who had brought the naive junior along to run errands, chuckled.
“Well, for example, when actor Kim Jongho plays a villain, doesn’t he seem scary even after the cameras stop rolling?”
“Yes. He looks scary even on TV.”
If he ever met him in person, he’d probably back away without even realizing it. Seeing the junior staff member nod repeatedly, the art staff member continued.
“If negative emotions can linger like that, imagine how much positive ones can stick around.”
“Ah. Is that why actors who play lovers in a show often end up becoming a real couple?”
“Exactly.”
The art staff member nodded. His colleague tilted his head.
“But why bring this up all of a sudden?”
“Well, Lee Seojun is a great actor. Too great.”
The three of them turned their gazes toward the set.
Even with a large camera lens right in front of them, Seojun and Jung Boram’s portrayal of young love was so incredible that it didn’t even look like acting. Their sweet, affectionate interactions made one smile automatically. The junior staff member, who had been grinning, suddenly covered his mouth.
“...So you’re saying a dating rumor could break out?”
A dating rumor involving Lee Seojun.
Just thinking about it for a moment, the fallout seemed like it would be immense.
The art staff member, who somehow caught the junior’s barely audible whisper, shook his head.
“No. It’s the opposite.”
Producer Gong Heechan gave the okay sign.
The sweet, pink-hued atmosphere between the two actors, which had been so palpable just a moment ago, vanished in an instant. No matter how many times they saw it, it was a fascinating sight.
“I just don’t get how someone who acts that well can have no lingering emotions the second they hear ‘cut.’ It’s truly amazing.”
“You’ve got a point. Lee Seojun is famous for being able to switch on and off, but…”
The staff members’ gazes turned peculiar as they watched Jung Boram monitoring the scene with Seojun and Producer Gong Heechan, her face completely devoid of any personal feelings.
“...Is she an acting prodigy too?”
* * *
“See you, Boram.”
“You too, Seojun.”
The day’s shoot was over.
After bidding farewell to Seojun, Jung Boram got into her car. The manager in the driver’s seat turned around and spoke.
“Good work. You have no schedule tomorrow, so get some rest.”
“Okay.”
Jung Boram buckled her seatbelt and replied with a smile.
The manager watched as the car carrying Lee Seojun left the parking lot. He tapped the steering wheel a few times, then hesitated before speaking.
“...Are you okay, acting with Lee Seojun?”
“? What do you mean?”
“Well, you know. That is.”
His eyes darted around before he let out a sigh.
“...I mean, are you developing any romantic feelings?”
At her manager’s words, Jung Boram’s eyes widened before she burst out laughing. “Pfft!” Her laughter filled the car. The manager put a hand to his forehead.
“This is why I didn’t want to ask.”
Still laughing so hard she was almost in tears, Jung Boram said.
“Did the company ask you to check?”
“Yeah. I told them that if they saw you on set, they’d know you felt nothing of the sort, but they said you never know with matters of the heart and told me to ask you.”
“I have none. Not a single one. Not even 0.001 percent.”
“I knew it. Boram, please call the team leader and tell him yourself. He didn’t seem to believe a word I said.”
Recalling the team leader’s booming voice, the manager shook his head and started the engine. Jung Boram picked up her phone and called him.
“What! How can you not have even 0.001 percent of a crush?!”
It seemed her definitive denial only fueled his disbelief.
“I saw the script, and it’s on the level of his practical exam video! You’re seeing that right in front of your eyes and you don’t feel anything? Do you know how many people became Lee Seojun’s fans because of that video!”
Jung Boram held the phone away from her ear, and her manager, listening from the driver’s seat, shook his head.
“Well, if I hadn’t seen it for myself, I’d probably think the same thing.”
“That’s true.”
“What’s the reason? Is Lee Seojun different from his image in person?”
At the team leader’s question, Jung Boram replied with a smile.
“No, he’s exactly like his image. A kind, handsome guy who loves acting. So... it’d be a lie to say my heart never flutters, but that’s only during filming.”
“...What?”
“Seojun is such a good actor that the line between the character and the actor is so! Incredibly! Perfectly! Clear.”
The manager, who was driving, nodded in agreement at Boram’s emphatic explanation.
“There’s a certain look in Yoo Sungjin’s eyes when he sees Kim Seoyeon. It’s all sparkly and incredibly happy. You’ll see what I mean when you watch the drama, Team Leader. The director said it was captured perfectly.”
Honestly, it would be a lie to say her heart didn’t pound after seeing the yellow umbrella scene.
‘Who wouldn’t fall for that?’
But during the very next day of filming, Jung Boram knew for sure. Even if she wanted to delude herself, the change in his eyes right in front of her made it impossible.
The look of someone in love and the look of someone who isn’t.
The difference was as stark as black and white, impossible to mistake.
“So, once you know that look, you can clearly see the difference in Seojun’s eyes after the scene is over. He’s still smiling, but it’s completely different.”
The way Seojun’s gaze changed in a split second was shocking.
To be honest, it even made ‘Yoo Sungjin’ and ‘Lee Seojun’ feel like entirely different people. If she were to develop a crush, it would be on ‘Yoo Sungjin,’ not ‘Lee Seojun.’
* * *
“Really?”
“You have no idea how much they stressed about it.”
Seojun burst out laughing at Jung Boram’s story.
He had a feeling his parents were curious about something, and he suspected this was it. It was only natural for them to be curious, seeing him act in a romance with a girl his age.
‘Daho-hyung sees us on set, so he knows there’s nothing going on, but Mom and Dad wouldn’t know.’
He decided he would tell them tonight that there was nothing to worry about.
Seojun couldn’t help but smile, imagining his parents’ disappointed faces.
“Looks like it’s time for us to worry about dating rumors. We never cared about that stuff when we were younger.”
“I know, right? Once we’re in high school, we’re practically adults.”
“Speaking of which, the entrance ceremony is next week. Time flies.”
Jung Boram nodded at Seojun’s words.
As they were chatting about Mirinae Arts High School, the assistant director’s voice rang out.
“We’re starting the shoot!”
At the call from Assistant Director Choi Hyunwoo, Seojun and Jung Boram stood up from their seats.
* * *
The filming of ‘Spring Has Returned’ continued smoothly.
And then came the blooming month of March.
March 2nd.
Entrance ceremonies were held at elementary, middle, and high schools across the country.
Mirinae Arts High School, where Seojun would be attending, was also holding its entrance ceremony today.
The school staff directed parents from the entrance straight to Mirinae Hall, where the ceremony would take place, allowing only students to enter the school grounds.
“Alright, Mom and Dad will go on ahead.”
Seojun waved to his parents as they headed for Mirinae Hall, then examined the paper posted on the bulletin board near the main gate.
‘Department of Art, Department of Music, Department of Acting…’
After finding the acting department on the board, Seojun was about to lower his gaze when an arm draped over his shoulder.
“You’re in my class. Year 1, Class 1.”
It was Han Jiho.
“Really?”
“Jookyung and Siyoung are in our class too.”
A string of other familiar names followed.
After all, with 21 out of 40 students coming from Yeoul Arts Middle School, a simple calculation meant about 10 of them would be acquaintances.
“Looking at the list, it seems they split us evenly, 10 and 9.”
Seojun nodded at Han Jiho’s words.
The teachers had likely distributed the Yeoul Arts Middle School graduates evenly to avoid them clumping together in one class.
“It’ll be fun with new people.”
“Tell me about it. Their reactions on the way here were priceless.”
Even on the walk over, the Yeoul students and their parents had greeted Seojun casually, while students from other middle schools and their parents stared at him with wide, surprised eyes.
Han Jiho burst out laughing at Seojun’s comment. He could imagine it perfectly.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yeah.”
As they walked toward Year 1, Class 1, Jiho spoke up.
“Have you seen Mirinae Hall?”
Seojun shook his head with a look of disappointment.
“No. It was closed when I took the practical exam.”
Mirinae Arts High School had two performance halls: Mir Hall, a venue similar in size to Yeoul Hall for student use only, and Mirinae Hall, a larger auditorium that was sometimes rented out to the public.
“I just came from there. It’s bigger than Yeoul Hall. The facilities are great, too.”
“Really?”
Seojun’s eyes lit up. He had seen the exterior when he visited Mirinae Arts High School, but not the inside. Though he hadn’t been to Mirinae Hall, he had watched performances from the school on N-tube, so he already knew how good it was.
“I saw some videos on N-tube. It looked like it would be really fun to perform a play there.”
“Mirinae Hall is great, but don’t you want to try the Eunhasu Center too?”
“It’d be great to do both.”
Han Jiho nodded and smiled at Seojun’s reply.
“By the way, when does the promotion for your drama start? Doesn’t it air the first week of April?”
“The TV commercials start in two weeks.”
Chatting with Han Jiho, Seojun glanced around at Mirinae Arts High School, which was larger than Yeoul. He had been worried about its size during the entrance exams, but the Upper-Grade Library had opened earlier this year, giving him a chance to find better abilities.
‘But since there are so many people I know…’
He knew a lot of people not only in the first year but also among the second and third years. They wouldn’t be too surprised to see him, so a Mid-Grade Ability would probably be enough.
It wasn’t like he was saying that just because finding one was proving difficult.
“Oh, Seojun! Hi!”
“Jiho’s here too!”
When they entered the Year 1, Class 1 classroom, Kim Jookyung and their friends greeted Seojun and Han Jiho.
“Hey.”
As Seojun smiled and greeted them, two distinct reactions occurred.
He could instantly tell who had come from Yeoul Arts Middle School. Half the students greeted him normally, while the other half looked completely stunned.
The students experiencing Seojun’s aura for the first time stared at him with blank expressions.
Seojun gave them a warm smile. Though they hadn’t been formally introduced, he had watched all their practical exam videos on N-tube and already knew all their names and faces.
As Seojun was chatting with his new classmates in Year 1, Class 1 about their N-tube videos, the classroom door opened. It was a second or third-year student. The upperclassman spoke with a nervous expression.
“Is... Is Lee Seojun here?”
“Yes.”
When Seojun raised his hand, the upperclassman flinched in surprise.
Watching this, Kim Jookyung blinked. Huh. This scene felt familiar.
“Lee Seojun is the freshman representative... you need to come with me now...”
“Okay, I understand.”
As Seojun followed the upperclassman out, Kim Jookyung and the other Yeoul graduates looked on in admiration.
“Being the freshman representative for both middle school and high school… that’s amazing.”
At those words, the other students’ eyes sparkled.
They had realized they were about to witness, in person, the legendary Yeoul Arts Middle School entrance ceremony that they had only read about in online posts.
* * *
“I wonder if Seojun will be the representative this time too.”
“I bet he will be.”
Sitting in the parents’ section of Mirinae Hall, Lee Minjun and Seo Eunhye’s eyes gleamed as they held up their cameras. They had brought their best ones to ensure they could get a clear shot of Seojun no matter where he was.
After a short wait, the doors to Mirinae Hall opened, and the third and second-year students filed in. Finally, the newly admitted first-year students entered by department and lined up in the open space in front of the audience seats.
Lee Minjun scanned the students for familiar faces.
Seojun was nowhere to be seen near Han Jiho and Kim Jookyung in Class 1, nor near Kang Jaehan and Yang Joohee in Class 2.
“As expected, Seojun isn’t there.”
“It looks like Seojun is the freshman representative this time too.”
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun couldn’t hide their proud smiles as they waited for the entrance ceremony to begin.