Chapter 40
Chapter 40
The Complete Opposite
- (Breaking) Yeon-seo-god paid for the entire business school kick-off party before leaving
└ Wow
└ I heard he has a bad personalityㅇㅇ What was he like?
└└ He just drank quietly with the professors and left early?
└└└ FR he was nicer than I expected
└ Even graduated seniors showed up because they heard Yu Yeon-seo was coming
└ Is he really that good-looking in person?
└└ He was standing near the professor, but I couldn’t even see the prof. The man just glows.
JSTV’s highly anticipated ‘Dreaming’ casts Jin Su-ho in leading role··· to star alongside Yu Yeon-seo
Omnibus action-fantasy drama ‘Dreaming’ casts Jin Su-ho and Yu Yeon-seo
‘Jin Su-ho?’
He was an actor often mentioned alongside Yu Yeon-seo in various online communities. Just as I was about to search for Jin Su-ho on a search engine out of curiosity, someone called out to me cautiously.
“Um… senior.”
“Just call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Okay, we made a group chat…”
Ah, right. This wasn’t a regular class, so I was being too relaxed.
Yu Yeon-seo looked over the four group members, phone still in hand. They fidgeted, glancing nervously at him before talking amongst themselves.
“Who should be the group leader?”
“What should our topic be?”
Yu Yeon-seo furrowed his brow. Once filming starts, I probably won’t be able to make any appointments…
“Sorry, but…”
His single phrase chilled the atmosphere. Yu Yeon-seo’s gaze was still fixed on his phone, his fingers tapping the screen. His indifferent attitude made the group members suppress a sigh.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to make it often because of filming.”
The student who had just become the group leader squeezed his eyes shut.
I knew it. He’s been scowling and half-assing it from the start. But taking his name off the project was a problem, considering Yu Yeon-seo’s background. Juseong was a conglomerate everyone wanted to work for after graduation.
Just as everyone was mentally preparing to carry a free-rider and thinking the remaining four would have to work hard, Yu Yeon-seo, who had been tapping away at his phone, put it down and crossed his arms.
“Everyone, check your messages.”
“Huh?”
The group members looked bewildered, not understanding what was happening, when their phones, sitting on the table, buzzed with notifications.
Ding!
Receive 1,000,000 won.
“I don’t care what grade we get, but could you just not take my name off?”
Yu Yeon-seo had already searched for rumors about group projects and knew the deal. It ranked high on the list of things college students hated most, and they would apparently avoid any class with many group projects during course registration.
Well, since money is all I have, I should use it to make up for my absence. But the group members stared at their screens in silence.
Uh… did I give them too little?
“I’ll also cover all expenses for when you meet up.”
At Yu Yeon-seo’s follow-up, everyone snapped to their senses and looked up.
“Of course, hyung. It can’t be helped if you’re busy.”
“We’ll do our best on our own!”
“We’ll make sure to get an A or higher!”
“You’re busy, you should head out first, oppa!”
This wasn’t just a paid ride; it was like he’d bought them a limousine bus. The driver? Of course, they’d do it. They were confident they could dedicate their very beings to the task.
“Thanks. I’ll get going now.”
“Have a safe trip!”
The group members saw Yu Yeon-seo off with beaming smiles.
‘Seems like that’s settled nicely…’
So, who is this Jin Su-ho?
“Jin Su-ho? Why him?”
“We’re going to be in a drama together, so it’s good to know who he is beforehand.”
Occupying the CEO’s chair while the CEO himself was present, Yu Yeon-seo spun around, minding his own business. CEO Han paid him no mind and sat in another chair.
“Our Yeon-seo is all grown up. Even caring about his co-stars.”
“What, are you going senile already? I’m not your son.”
The CEO of Halo Media, Han Jun-o, watched Yu Yeon-seo with a pleased smile. Nothing he said could upset him right now. Lately, rumors of Yu Yeon-seo turning over a new leaf had spread, and many people were seeking out CEO Han.
Manager Park Sang-tae, who brought in drinks, shook his head as if he couldn’t believe the sight of the CEO’s office, where the roles had been completely reversed.
“Jin Su-ho, Jin Su-ho… He’s the complete opposite of you.”
“Why are you talking about Jin Su-ho? Oh, because you’re in the new drama together?”
CEO Han nodded. Manager Park looked at Yu Yeon-seo, surprised.
“Jin Su-ho… his debut was around the same time as yours, excluding your idol days. But he’s a top star now.”
“Oh…”
Yu Yeon-seo debuted as an idol in 2011 and re-debuted as an actor in the latter half of 2015. So he rose to top-tier status in about three years? Impressive.
“He’s one of the few celebrities who can compete with you in terms of looks. He has a good eye for projects, just like you, and they even called him Jin the Ox because he works like one.”
“His family background is solid too, right? A family of educators for generations, and his maternal side are descendants of independence activists… That’s why you two were often linked as rivals when you were a rookie. Good family, handsome, similar age, and also an actor.”
“That’s why we had high hopes for you too…”
CEO Han trailed off.
Back when Yu Yeon-seo’s poor acting was being excused as ‘he’s still a rookie, it’s just because he’s new,’ Jin Su-ho was gaining attention for his acting skills right from his first project.
He also had a similar eye for projects as Yu Yeon-seo; his debut film as a supporting actor drew in a staggering 12 million viewers, which is why he skipped the rising star phase and shot straight to the top, reportedly receiving love calls from renowned veteran directors.
“He didn’t get there by coasting on his family’s influence like you; he climbed up with real skill. Amazing, right?”
“Manager Park. Be quiet.”
CEO Han smacked Manager Park’s arm with a loud thwack.
I’m not bothered, since it’s true. Yu Yeon-seo habitually propped his feet up on the CEO’s desk. CEO Han’s eyes darted around, gauging his reaction.
“From what I see, the writer and director for ‘Dreaming’ are both rookies, or close to it… so getting Jin Su-ho is a huge win.”
“Of course, it’s an even bigger win because our Yeon-seo is participating.”
CEO Han didn’t forget to flatter Yu Yeon-seo.
Is he still worried I’ll actually move to JSENM? Yu Yeon-seo swallowed a laugh. Even though he was teasing him, he had no intention of changing agencies.
JSENM was tied to his mother’s workplace, so he’d have to be polite, right? He couldn’t be this comfortable with anyone but CEO Han.
“Setting me aside, he must have joined because the script is good.”
“Ooh.”
“Now that’s unexpected.”
CEO Han and Manager Park simultaneously covered their mouths with their hands. That narcissist, who used to boast that projects succeeded because of his investment, was acknowledging someone else? Amnesia really was a wonderful thing.
“What’s his personality like?”
“That’s the complete opposite of you, too.”
“Really?”
Handsome, from a good family, talented, and a good personality to boot? Does such a unicorn exist?
“He’s a perfectionist, but he’s kind, nice, and never complains. He’s famous for never touching the script and not interfering with filming.”
“He’ll probably get along well with you, too.”
“Though I’m not so sure if it were the old you.”
“That’s true.”
Even the good-natured Jin Su-ho might have lost his temper if he’d met the old, ill-tempered Yu Yeon-seo. And deservedly so, of course.
“Hmm… is that so?”
Seeing Jin Su-ho’s picture gave me the same sense of déjà vu as when I first saw Park Min-woo. He seemed like someone who would become a great actor in the future. Though he was already at the top.
‘Dreaming’ was a rare two-top male lead drama, featuring Jin Su-ho and Yu Yeon-seo. The female lead’s role was almost non-existent, which was why he needed information on his co-star, with whom he’d be sharing the screen so much.
‘It would be great if we could become friends.’
The more connections, the better. The original owner of this body had very few people from the industry in his contacts.
The world of ‘Dreaming’ was set in a virtual reality introduced to treat coma patients.
However, people became so enthralled by the fantasies unfolding in virtual reality that they no longer wanted to return to the real world. A side effect emerged as people intentionally chose not to wake up.
To solve this, a virtual reality troubleshooter appears—the protagonist Park Si-hwan, played by Jin Su-ho. He was the illegitimate son of the company’s CEO who introduced the virtual reality system, a character shrouded in secrets.
And Yu Yeon-seo would appear as an AI who helps Park Si-hwan. It was a role that would occasionally appear to assist Park Si-hwan, so it wouldn’t interfere with his studies, and it was a prime character that would get screen time in key scenes. The action wasn’t a problem, and since he was already working with an AI named Beta, the acting would be fine too.
‘Still, I should go home and read the script some more, just in case.’
“Oppa, have you ever worked with Yu Yeon-seo before?”
Jin Su-ho looked up at the question from his stylist, Im Min-ji.
“Never. Maybe a brief encounter at an awards ceremony?”
“Oh, really? They say his personality is so awful. What if he picks a fight with you, oppa?”
The manager, who was driving, chimed in.
“Hey, I doubt it. He did something good recently, didn’t he? There are rumors that he’s become nicer.”
“Even if he’s changed, that personality won’t just disappear.”
“That’s true. I heard he bails on filming if he doesn’t like the set?”
“Ugh, so annoying.”
Jin Su-ho shook his head. It was fine now since it was just us in the van, but it would be trouble if this kind of talk got out elsewhere.
“Don’t gossip so much.”
“Okay.”
The manager, Lee Jong-su, immediately shut his mouth. The celebrity he managed was a kind soul who didn’t even like hearing others bad-mouthed.
‘I feel sorry for Yu Yeon-seo’s manager.’
Lee Jong-su felt a pang of pity for Yu Yeon-seo’s manager, whom he hadn’t even met.
Jin Su-ho fiddled with his script, lost in thought. Thanks to his upright character, he got along well with the actors he worked with.
It was always good to get friendly with co-stars beforehand, as they might work together on future projects. He was even still close with a bit-part actor from his debut film.
‘Still, since we’re co-leads, should I try to get close to him?’
But that awful personality of his was a major hang-up.
Jin Su-ho didn’t have any particular grudge against Yu Yeon-seo. You had to have feelings to either like or dislike someone. He simply felt nothing.
But if he had to choose, it would be on the side of dislike. As a perfectionist with high professional pride, he couldn’t look favorably upon Yu Yeon-seo’s reported mistreatment of the staff and actors who were all working together to create a production.
‘I don’t really want to… this is tiring.’
Jin Su-ho closed his eyes.
When he arrived at the conference room for the script reading, Jin Su-ho had expected to be the first one there. He was surprised to see Yu Yeon-seo already seated, and his eyes twinkled with curiosity.
“Hello.”
“Yeah, hello.”
Yu Yeon-seo gave a cursory nod in greeting. This was his habitual way of greeting people, but Jin Su-ho, unaware of the context, gave an awkward smile and turned to greet the other actors who were just arriving.
Meanwhile, Jin Su-ho’s manager was meticulously wiping down the spot where Jin Su-ho would sit.
[Ah, and the perfect Jin Su-ho has a flaw too.]
[What is it?]
[He supposedly has a bit of mysophobia.]
Mysophobia, what a tiring personality trait. His manager must have it tough. Yu Yeon-seo held out the coffee in his hand to the side.
“Hey, Lee Tae-gyeom. This coffee is lukewarm.”
“I gave it to you the second I saw you. You’re the one who didn’t drink it.”
“I wasn’t in the mood for coffee then. You should have considered my mood and brought it accordingly. Couldn’t you even think to use an insulated tumbler?”
“Aish.”
Lee Tae-gyeom ground his teeth. Wasn’t he holding a grudge for way too long just because he called him an idiot on New Year’s?
Yu Yeon-seo smirked at Lee Tae-gyeom, who was fuming behind him. He thought his eyes met Jin Su-ho’s manager’s for a second, but he must have been mistaken.
‘What else did Lee Tae-gyeom do now.’
Im Seung-hyeon, who was watching the scene, let out a small laugh. Dressed in a well-tailored suit, Im Seung-hyeon also looked out of place, drawing a few glances, but he paid them no mind.
“Hello!”
A few minutes later, Jeong Da-hee entered the reading room and bowed briskly. All eyes turned to her, but she was unfazed. She was thrilled about her first-ever script reading.
Jeong Da-hee spotted Yu Yeon-seo sitting right in front of the writer’s seat and waved.
“Yeon-seo! Seung-hyeon!”
“We meet again.”
Yu Yeon-seo smiled gently and nodded. This time, they were truly meeting as writer and actor.