Chapter 315
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: The Ripple Effect
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[SBC Documentary ‘Now, We Are’ Hits 24% Viewership!!]
[Highest viewership rating in documentary history!]
[Uri and Loki, a fantastic chemistry!]
-The documentary was fun. It was educational, moving, and funny.
=Loki was responsible for all the funny parts, lol.
=The serial escapee dolphin, lol.
=I thought the reason Loki got hurt was even funnier, lol. Injured while playing a prank on a boat full of people. That’s so Loki, haha.
=The chemistry between Loki and his handler was great too, haha.
-Seojun is popular with both people and animals.
=The baby turtles, lol. They were following him around everywhere, haha.
=The miracle of them calming down whenever Seojun is around.
=Well, people are animals too, haha.
=Ah, so that's why everyone gets so quiet at the airport!
=…! The mystery is solved!
[An early morning farewell, a scene like a painting!]
[Even an ordinary documentary becomes a scene from a movie!]
-Lee Seojun had such an aura on the last day.
=Was it because of the background?
=I agree. I can't quite describe it, but I was just staring blankly at that scene.
-Seems like a lot of people are capturing that scene and putting it in a frame.
=I printed it out too, haha. I like it because it looks like a movie poster.
[The narration for next week's second part of the documentary, 'In the Sea,' will be done by actor Lee Seojun!]
[A whale cloud, the very beginning of Moby Dick, the Sea Save Center?]
[What is the meaning of ‘Now, we are in the sea’?]
-It was so amazing how that whale cloud was right above Seojun's head.
=Right? How did it appear right there? Lee Seojun must have been born with incredible luck.
=Totally. He’s a natural center of attention, haha.
=For real. What would he have done if he hadn't become a celebrity?
=Somehow feels like he was a celebrity in his past life too, haha.
-I have to watch 'In the Sea' too. Seojun's voice is so good.
=Agreed. Maybe because he's an actor, but his pronunciation and vocalization are amazing.
-The documentary titles, ‘Now, We Are’ and ‘In the Sea,’ are well-chosen.
=I agree. The final narration really resonated with me for some reason.
=70% of the Earth is ocean. It’s true that we shouldn't ignore the marine environment.
-From now on, when I think of the sea, I'll probably think of Uri and Loki, haha.
=Me too. When I think of the sea, I'll probably look back once. I wonder if Uri and Loki will stick together?
=Who knows. They seem to get along, but they’re different species…
=Their lifespans are different too. A dolphin’s lifespan is 25 years T_T
=Our Loki T_T
[The clothes, shoes, and hat worn by Lee Seojun are all selling out!]
[Number 17 LEE LA Dodgers jersey for sale?]
-He actually wears this for real, so I had no choice but to buy it, haha.
=Right? No one knew Lee Seojun was filming a documentary, so there were no sponsorships.
-Someone even found all the clothes and the hat he wore when he rescued the whale, daaamn.
=It's all been compiled and posted (link).
-Whoa. They’re selling the jersey?
=Yep, as an event for one month only. You can buy it online, and all proceeds will be donated to Sea Save.
=Oh. I’ve gotta buy it!
[The Seojun effect? An increase in ceremonial first pitch events!]
[The leader of the idol group ‘Tail,’ “A pitch? No! I’m going for a home run!”]
-Oh… oh… please don’t…
-Having to watch that frustrating display even before the game started (sigh).
-I went to the game today. The leader of Tail struck out, lol.
=The whole stadium went silent.
=Well, he got some attention. The strikeout video is making the rounds.
=Wow… he sacrificed himself for the cause…
***
[Title: My thoughts on Part 1 of the documentary, ‘Now, We Are’]
First, it was great to see, even through video, the place that From the Sprout had donated to. Seeing everyone taking care of the animals so professionally made me feel like the donations were being put to good use. I could feel that everyone there loves and wants to protect the animals, so I sent a donation myself, haha.
Second, I’ve grown so fond of Loki and Uri that I think I’ll be reminded of them whenever I see the ocean from now on. Uri is adorable because he’s a baby despite his huge size, and Loki is adorable because he’s a troublemaker, haha. I never thought I’d get so attached watching a documentary, lol.
Anyway, it made me think that I should protect the environment for Uri and Loki’s sake too.
Third, a review filled with personal bias, lol.
Seojun was so cute and cool! He did it all by himself, T_T.
Wasn’t his first appearance so cool?
Running in first to the rescue, then disappearing without a word. Is he a real-life hero? Lol.
When filming the documentary, he was like a doting guardian for ‘Uri,’ and when he was feeding the other animals and smiling, he was so cute, haha. I was floored by his wistful expression when he was parting with Uri and Loki, lol. (I was bawling my eyes out).
Haha, I just loved seeing those sides of him.
It felt like I got to know a lot about the person ‘Lee Seojun,’ not a character he was playing. Whenever he’s in a project, it feels like his own self disappears because his acting is just that good, right? Of course, that’s a testament to his skill. I love that kind of acting from him, haha.
But since I also like ‘Lee Seojun,’ it was great to be able to see ‘Lee Seojun’ for so long like this.
Conclusion: It was a great documentary that was both educational and filled my fan heart to the brim!
-T_T I completely agree T_T
-I hope the replay gets uploaded soon T_T
-Seojun's English pronunciation is good, but… I want to hear the Korean narration.
-I hope they upload the full, unedited version too T_T
-!! A behind-the-scenes video has been uploaded to the ABS N-tube channel! (link)
***
One week later.
As the second semester began at Mirinae Arts High School, the documentary ‘In the Sea’ was broadcast.
[SBC Documentary Part 2 ‘In the Sea’ achieves 11% viewership!]
With Seojun not appearing in Part 2, ‘In the Sea,’ and its more serious tone, the viewership rating was much lower than Part 1, but it was still a much better result than the average documentary.
School had started, and Seojun had returned to his daily routine.
An Daho, who had stopped by Seojun’s house with a box of synopses and scripts as usual, said with a smile.
“Still, it’s better than the ratings for most dramas, so SBC is happy. Oh, SBC was asking what you think about adding a Korean narration. What do you say?”
“I’m fine with it. Korean would be better for kids to watch.”
Korean narration would be better for Subin, who had just started first grade, and six-year-old Eunsu.
At Seojun’s ready agreement, An Daho nodded.
“I’ll schedule it then.”
“Okay. Oh, Daho-hyung. I’ll let you know the date for my health check-up reservation.”
At Seojun’s words, An Daho took out his phone.
“Right. I should avoid that day.”
“Yes. It’s two weeks from now. The 16th at 3 PM.”
After adding the health check-up to Seojun’s schedule, which he managed with an app, An Daho asked him.
“Is it the same as the one you did in middle school?”
“It’s similar, but they said the school is adding something extra.”
“Extra?”
As An Daho tilted his head, Seojun explained with a smile.
“They’re doing a psychological evaluation too. Since we’re high school students now, there’s stress about college entrance exams. They said it’s especially necessary for the kids at our school, since we’ve been walking a single path in our majors since we were young. They said we’d be anxious about whether continuing what we’re doing is the right thing.”
“That makes sense. Everyone must have a lot on their minds.”
He had spent his first semester at Mirinae Arts High, where the most talented kids in Korea gathered. Taking classes together, they would have been able to clearly see the skill gap between themselves and others.
‘Though it might be different for someone like Seojun, who’s in a league of his own…’
When a peer who was at a similar level suddenly had a breakthrough in their skills, it would be easy to feel left behind, leading to stress and anxiety.
‘It’s good to have counseling early on.’
Being in the entertainment industry, one heard all sorts of rumors. An Daho, who knew how many trainees fell into despair, nodded with a serious expression.
“And they’re also checking for symptoms of things like depression or panic disorder.”
It seemed the school conducted these psychological evaluations because arts students were prone to falling into slumps and might have to perform in front of large crowds.
“It’s a good school. Is the hospital a designated one?”
“Yes. It’s being done at a hospital affiliated with Mirinae Arts High. In order of student number.”
“Got it. I’ll schedule things around that day then.”
“Okay.”
“Well, go ahead and start reading.”
At An Daho’s words, Seojun grinned and quickly pulled out a synopsis. For Seojun, just looking at a script was enough to melt away any stress.
***
“Seojun. What are you looking at?”
Before class had started, Jiho asked Seojun, who was looking at his phone.
“The news. There’s an interesting article.”
“What is it? Is it about a movie?”
Jookyung, sitting in the front seat, turned around. It seemed the formula ‘Seojun = acting’ had already been established in his friends’ minds.
Seojun chuckled softly and read the article’s headline.
[Atmospheric Conditions Return to the Past! We Must Cherish and Protect It Going Forward!]
[Unexplained Weather Phenomenon! But a Good Thing!]
The number of people who could feel the change in the weather, which had started at some point, had increased, and scholars studying the sudden changes began to voice their opinions one by one.
Jiho and Jookyung nodded along as Seojun read the article.
“No wonder. At the beginning of summer, there was a lot of talk about a record-breaking heatwave, but at some point, I stopped hearing about it.”
“Right. I was really worried because I had a shoot during summer break, but it wasn’t as hot as I thought.”
“Oh. A shoot? What did you film?”
At Han Jiho’s question, Kim Jookyung shrugged her shoulders and said.
“Nothing major, just an independent film. The role wasn’t that big either.”
“An independent film… That must have been tough.”
“It was definitely different from when we filmed *Escape*. There were fewer staff members, and even the director was carrying equipment. The filming also progressed really quickly, so we finished in three weeks.”
Ooh.
Seojun, who had never filmed an independent movie, had his eyes light up at Kim Jookyung’s words. Noticing his expression, Jiho and Jookyung burst into laughter.
“You want to shoot an indie film, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I’ve never done one, so I’m curious what it’s like.”
Seojun’s eyes sparkled with interest in a filming experience he had never had before.
‘I should ask Daho-hyung to send me scripts focusing on independent films.’
However, Seojun’s plan to film an independent movie was postponed indefinitely.
A project that flew in from the United States had completely captured his heart.
***
USA, in a conference room at the film production and distribution company ‘Bearround.’
Two men were waiting for someone.
A man in a suit, the head of Bearround’s film planning team, flipped through a script and spoke.
“The most important thing in a commercial film is box office success.”
“…Ye-es. That’s right.”
The small man, who seemed uncomfortable in his sharp suit and was fiddling with the collar of his shirt, quickly nodded.
“Your script is good, Director. If it meets good actors and a good production company, it will definitely be a hit.”
At the planning team leader’s words, Director Jeffrey Rodux nodded once more.
The planning team leader swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape at the director’s weak demeanor and continued, his tone almost threatening.
“Although, I never imagined this particular actor would be among those ‘good actors.’ Hmm. It’s a good thing for us, but… Director Jeffrey. You’ll have to be prepared in many ways if you don’t want your film to be taken from you.”
At the planning team leader’s words, Director Jeffrey gulped.
‘…Should I change the actor, even now?’
But it was too great a loss to do so, considering the actor’s side had already responded.
He didn’t know when he would ever get to meet such a great actor again if not now. However, he couldn’t completely ignore the stories he had heard here and there about the actor, so Director Jeffrey nervously tapped his foot.
The planning team leader let out a light sigh at the timid appearance of the director who was supposed to be leading the shoot.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
“Yes, come in.”
At the planning team leader’s words, the firmly closed conference room door opened.
He had thought it was a Bearround employee, but it wasn’t. At the appearance of the man they had been waiting for, the seated Bearround planning team leader and Director Jeffrey shot up from their chairs.
The planning team leader extended his hand to the man.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Garrett.”
The man who shook the planning team leader’s hand was everyone’s eternal hero, Davis Garrett of *Redborn*.
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