Chapter 77
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Preparations for the Film Festival
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After retrieving their luggage, a large car pulled up in front of Seojun as they waited at the airport entrance.
The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a flash of blonde hair. Seeing a familiar face after so long, Seojun greeted her with a bright smile.
“Hi, Richel!”
“Jun! It's been a while!”
Richel Hill warmly welcomed Seojun's group, who had just arrived in the United States.
As Richel Hill leaned out the window to chat briefly with Seojun, a voice was heard from somewhere nearby. "Didn't someone say Richel?" At that, Richel, wearing sunglasses, clicked her tongue and gestured for them to hurry.
“Get in, quick. If we get spotted, it'll be hard to leave!”
Without even time for proper greetings, Seojun, his parents, Seo Eunchan, and An Daho all piled into Richel Hill's car.
Once she confirmed everyone was in, Richel Hill drove away from the airport.
“Thank you. I'm not sure if we should be imposing like this.”
“It's no problem. Please make yourselves comfortable during your stay.”
Seo Eunhye and Richel Hill, who had introduced themselves over the phone, exchanged greetings with smiles.
Attending a film festival for the first time in their lives, Seojun and his parents knew very little about it. The information packet sent by the festival organizers wasn't very helpful either.
Fortunately, Seojun knew many people who were well-versed in film festivals. When he contacted Director Ryan Will, Richel Hill, and Evan Block, he learned that the three of them had already decided to walk the red carpet together.
They said they were just about to call him.
This year's WTV Film Festival was scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.
LA, the mecca of the film industry and home to Hollywood, was where many directors, actors, and other film industry professionals lived.
Richel Hill was one of those who owned a large mansion in LA.
Since things had turned out this way, Richel Hill suggested they stay at her house and attend the festival together, to which Seojun and his parents readily agreed.
“This is my home.”
Seojun, his parents, Seo Eunchan, and An Daho were left speechless at the sight of the large mansion with a sprawling garden. As expected of America with its vast land, the scale of the house was on a completely different level from what they were used to in Korea.
They all unloaded their luggage from the car and unpacked in the rooms Richel Hill showed them to.
“If you need anything, just let me know.”
Everyone smiled awkwardly and nodded at Richel Hill's words after she introduced them to her household staff. It made sense; a house this big would be impossible to manage without help.
The next day.
Having adjusted to the time difference, Seojun gathered with the adults in the dining room. Richel Hill, who had already prepared breakfast, greeted the five of them.
Everyone took a seat and began to eat. During their light conversation, the topic of the film festival came up.
“First, we need to pick out your clothes.”
Richel Hill spoke up as she sipped her warm tea. Seo Eunhye tilted her head.
“We brought a suit from Korea. Would that not be good enough?”
“That's fine, but there might be something even better, you know. Just a moment. I have something prepared in the living room.”
Richel Hill smiled and led Seojun and the adults to the living room. In the spacious room with plush sofas stood a mobile clothing rack and a staff member.
The rack was filled with clothes, but judging by their length and style, they clearly weren't Richel Hill's.
“What's all this, Richel?”
At Seojun's question, Richel Hill smiled and said.
“They're clothes for Jun.”
“For me?”
“Yep. They were sent to me with a request to pass them on to Jun. They all said they'd love for you to wear them at the film festival or other events.”
All of this?
The adults were at a loss for words. Richel Hill took a garment from the front of the rack and showed it to them. Like a home shopping host, she introduced the outfit, explaining the brand, the designer, and its features.
There were clothes from famous brands the adults had heard of, as well as from up-and-coming brands.
“This is from a brand that's getting popular for its children's wear. It's less famous because it's a children's brand, but they really know what kind of clothes fit children best. They're comfortable and durable, even for active kids.”
“This place is famous for women's suits, but I heard they're launching a new line of children's suits. If Jun wears this, he'd probably be their first model.”
She went on to describe more than ten different outfits.
“They'll need to be tailored to fit Jun, right? They said they'd come over whenever I call. Oh, don't feel burdened by it. During film festivals, brands send their own tailors. You never know when or where you might need an alteration.”
One thing Richel Hill never failed to mention was that every single outfit was made for ‘Seojun.’
She showed them the short letters that came with the clothes, from a designer who was inspired by William to another who felt like they'd been struck by lightning after seeing his performance as Jin Natra.
Unlike the off-the-rack department store suits they had bought for a high price, these were different from the design itself.
After examining the clothes up close and listening to Richel Hill's explanations, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun beamed and nodded.
“These are much nicer than the clothes we brought from Korea!”
“Let's have him try them on!”
The eyes of the couple and Richel Hill sparkled. Seo Eunchan and An Daho, who had witnessed them become exhausted while choosing outfits for the Brown Black awards ceremony, shook their heads.
Unaware of what was to come, Seojun bit into a delicious chocolate cookie.
And so, Seojun's little fashion show began. Seo Eunchan and An Daho helped him change, while Lee Minjun diligently took photos with his camera.
Seo Eunhye and Richel Hill alternated between looking at the photos and seeing him in person, earnestly sharing their opinions and critiques.
“It would be better to slick his hair back, right?”
“Or maybe sweeping it slightly to the side would look good too.”
This went on for ten outfits.
Seojun, who had initially enjoyed striking poses like a real fashion model, sighed and took off his shirt.
Seo Eunchan and An Daho smiled awkwardly and handed him the next outfit.
“Just three more to go.”
“You can do it, Seojun.”
“Okay!”
Right. Just three more times!
He thought as he came out energetically, only to be met by an unexpected obstacle. It was Evan Block, who had come to Richel Hill's house with his hands full of bags upon hearing that Seojun had arrived.
“Ah, perfect timing. I brought some too.”
Evan Block set down his bags. They were filled with clothes.
“They asked me to give these to Jun.”
It seemed that brands specializing in women's wear had reached out to Richel Hill, while those focused on menswear had gone through Evan Block.
Since they had no way of contacting Seojun directly, they had sent the clothes through the two actors.
Still, was it a relief that there were only six more outfits? Seojun stared at the well-packaged clothes with a weary look.
“Then let's go with this one.”
By the time he had tried on and taken off a total of twenty outfits, a significant amount of time had passed. With Evan Block joining in, Seojun's outfit and hairstyle were finally decided.
After having dinner together, Seo Eunchan and An Daho headed to their room. They still had work to do regarding Seojun's schedule after the film festival.
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun decided to meet up with some old friends in LA. Although they were worried about Seojun, they thought the actors might have things to discuss among themselves, so they left with peace of mind.
With everyone gone, Seojun, Richel Hill, and Evan Block decided to watch a movie in the small theater inside Richel Hill's mansion.
Richel Hill shook her head at the sight of Seojun and Evan Block engrossed in picking a movie from the shelf of DVDs.
“How is it that whenever you two get together, it's all about movies and acting?”
“What's wrong with that? It's fun.”
“For you, maybe. What about you, Jun?”
“I love it!”
At the two's immediate response, Richel Hill, who was practically lying down on the plush sofa, couldn't help but laugh in resignation.
They seemed to be having fun just looking at the DVD cases, and the time it took to choose a movie dragged on. "How long are you going to take?" Richel Hill, waiting boredly, suddenly remembered something.
“How about we watch that?”
“What?”
“That?”
At Richel Hill's words, Evan Block and Seojun turned their heads. Richel Hill remembered the news she had heard from Nara Kim.
“I don't know if it has English subtitles, but Jun, you were in a play in Korea, right?”
Evan Block remembered too. He had been so engrossed in the movie DVDs that he had momentarily forgotten.
A play. Seojun, who had debuted in films, had stood on a theater stage. According to Nara, only children were on stage.
To the two Hollywood actors, it would surely seem amateurish, but it was Seojun's acting. Seojun's acting that could send shivers down your spine.
If anything, they were disappointed they couldn't see it in person. If they had known, they would have flown to Korea immediately.
Fortunately, Seojun's play had been recorded. Their hearts pounded.
“Yes, I was!”
“Do you have a DVD of it?”
“Yes! I brought it with me. To give to you and Evan. It has English subtitles too!”
Seojun shot up and headed to his room. Richel and Evan followed behind him. Two DVDs emerged from Seojun's wolf-shaped bag. The two of them burst out laughing at the charmingly designed DVD cover that Seojun handed them.
“Alright, let's watch this.”
“Only child actors are in it. And we changed some of the lines and stuff.”
At Evan Block's words, Seojun explained about the play as they headed to the theater.
Nodding along as they listened, the two of them couldn't help but laugh when Seojun mentioned that only his voice was used.
The more they heard, the more curious they became about Seojun's performance.
“I'm really curious now.”
“Me too. I can't even imagine what kind of acting he did.”
Seojun and the two actors took their seats. The stage unfolded on the large screen before the three of them.
First performance.
Second performance.
Third performance.
Evan Block and Richel Hill, who had been enjoying the play, grew more and more serious as time passed. The two actors stared at the screen without even blinking.
Seojun, who had seen the play countless times, blinked his heavy eyelids a few times before falling asleep on the plush sofa.
In the meantime, his parents returned from their outing. Guided by a staff member, they found the two actors completely engrossed in the stage and Seojun fast asleep in the theater.
The two actors didn't even notice the door opening. So, Lee Minjun quietly picked up Seojun and carried him out, while Seo Eunhye gently closed the theater door behind them.
And then,
The eighth performance.
Evan Block and Richel Hill couldn't take their eyes off the screen for a moment.
The Blue Dragon's deep voice, coupled with the high-quality speakers, boomed like a heartbeat against their chests.
The 'real Blue Dragon' that some of the audience in Korea had claimed to see now appeared before the two of them.
Waving whiskers, sharp eyes, gleaming claws, yet a benevolent voice and a warm gaze.
It was a strange thought, but somehow, they felt as if the Blue Dragon was Seojun himself.
* * *
The next day.
Richel Hill's mansion was bustling from early in the morning. Everyone was rushing to get ready for the WTV Film Festival.
The makeup artist Richel Hill had called for did makeup for Seojun and Evan Block before quickly moving on to Richel Hill.
Seojun, dressed in a black suit tailored to his frame, a bow tie, and his bangs swept back, got into the car.
“Seojun, you need to take this.”
“Okay!”
Seo Eunhye carefully folded a handkerchief and placed it in Seojun's suit pocket. The white handkerchief stood out against the black suit.
The handkerchief, embroidered with a winged horse, Pegasus, was a gift from Seo Eunchan to celebrate his nomination at the film festival.
After one last adjustment to Seojun's hair and suit, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun said with a smile.
“Mom and Dad will be watching! Do great!”
“Go, Seojun!”
“Okay! I'll do my best!”
Seojun hugged his mom and dad. He could feel their hearts pounding with nervousness.
After saying goodbye to Seojun, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun got into another car. Seojun watched from the window as the car carrying his parents departed. His parents, along with Uncle Chan and Daho-hyung, were going to head to their seats at the festival first.
‘It would be nice if we could go together…’
He felt a little disappointed, but thinking of his parents breaking into a cold sweat amidst the constant camera flashes and shouting crowds, it was better for them to go separately.
His parents were certainly different from Seojun, who quite enjoyed being the center of attention.
“That play was really well done.”
Evan Block, sitting next to Seojun, spoke up. Seojun smiled brightly and said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I stayed up all night watching it and barely slept. The makeup's hiding it, but I've got dark circles down to here.”
Evan pointed to the tip of his chin, and Seojun burst out laughing.
“What's this? Having a fun conversation without me?”
Then, Richel Hill got into the car. She looked so beautiful in a striking red dress with her blonde hair neatly styled up that Seojun's eyes widened.
“You're beautiful, Richel!”
“Thank you!”
Richel Hill smiled brightly and took her seat.
“What were you guys talking about?”
“About the play. Evan said he stayed up all night watching it.”
“Ah. I watched it with him. I completely lost track of time. I'm so tired now, I might fall asleep during the awards ceremony later.”
Everyone burst out laughing at Richel Hill's words. Richel Hill laughed along and continued.
“Let's give that DVD to Director Ryan later. If we tell him how amazing Jun's acting was, he won't be able to resist watching it.”
“He should at least watch the film festival first. Give it to him after it's over.”
Fearing he might actually leave in the middle of the festival, Seojun nodded in agreement with Evan's words. As the three actors chatted, the car started moving.
Along the way, they picked up Director Ryan Will, who would be walking the red carpet with them, completing the Shadowman team.
Somehow, the topic of the DVD came up during their various conversations.
When Seojun mentioned that he had left the DVD at Richel Hill's house because of the film festival, Director Ryan Will fidgeted anxiously for the rest of the ride. Seojun caught Evan's "I told you so" look and couldn't help but smile.
‘Director Ryan really looks like he might leave in the middle.’
The sound of a bustling crowd grew louder, and the car came to a stop.
The WTV Film Festival.
It was about to begin.
#