Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Is It Really Okay?
Yu Eun-ho, who had come home early for the first time in a while, turned on the TV.
‘Was today the last episode…?’
Truthfully, he wasn’t the type to diligently watch every drama or movie his younger brother appeared in. It wasn’t so much that he felt secondhand embarrassment, but that his own brother’s terrible acting was so unbearable he couldn’t even focus.
Still, he did try to watch when he remembered. He just never made it to the end…
[Yeon-seo, that boy has no talent for acting. I don’t know why he keeps clinging to it… I should tell him to hurry up and help with the company.]
Hearing his grandfather say this, it seemed he had been diligently watching while pretending not to.
[Father, what’s wrong with our son’s acting? Just standing in front of dozens of cameras is a talent in itself. He even delivers his lines. It’s brilliant.]
[Honey, that’s a bit…]
His father, spouting logic so absurd that even his mother, who couldn’t bear to listen anymore, had to intervene, refused to back down. He even boasted, not that it was much of a boast, that he watched the original broadcast and then rewatched the reruns.
Honestly, his father was hopelessly blinded by his love for his son. Not just for his younger brother, but for him too. Whenever they met at the company, the stern Vice Chairman would vanish, and he’d turn into a doting father, calling out, “Son!” and clinging to him, which could be exhausting at times.
[Did you watch ‘Dreaming’?]
[I did! Wow, the acting was no joke.]
[It would be fun if we developed something like Utopia, right?]
[Shh, don’t say that in front of the Managing Director. He might actually try to develop it…]
[Managing Director, so is Chunbaek the villain? Could you ask your brother for us?]
Perhaps because the ratings were high, many people were watching, and the chatter among the employees also played a part in his decision to tune in. Just how much had he changed for everyone to be talking about him like this?
(Before I’m forced to throw you out.)
“He’s good.”
His brother, seen on screen for the first time in a long while, had a completely different look in his eyes. As if he had become a different person.
‘Did he really become a different person…?’
Of course, that was impossible, but given how his personality had changed after losing his memories in the accident, it was an understandable thought. Just look at the fact that his personal assistant and manager, whom he used to replace constantly, had been with him for a year now…
Until recently, Yu Eun-ho had been quite pleased with his brother’s transformation.
‘But that’s not a good thing for Yeon-seo.’
Yu Eun-ho touched his lower lip, lost in thought.
But lately, his opinion had started to change. His brother’s change had brought peace to the family. But the fact that this peace was obtained because one person lost his memory weighed heavily on his mind.
‘If it were me, I’d feel suffocated.’
He had thought it was just a temporary lapse, but his brother had no memory of his family or relatives at all, and the way he subtly asked his older brother about them seemed quite serious.
Suddenly remembering something, Yu Eun-ho furrowed his brow and sighed.
[Do you really think Mom committed suicide?]
Not long after Yu Yeon-seo had said that, he got into a car accident. At the time, Yu Eun-ho had deliberately cut him off, telling him not to talk nonsense. He remembered how the young Yu Yeon-seo used to have seizures whenever he thought of Lee Hui-seo.
But he also thought that his brother wouldn’t have said such a thing without a reason.
‘Should I have listened more carefully back then…?’
Just then, the scene where Chunbaek pushed Park Si-hwan into the backdoor played on the screen. Yu Eun-ho’s hand twitched.
(Go now. Live in your own reality, brother.)
His brother’s faint smile, a mixture of relief, joy, and other emotions, was identical to the unforgettable image of his younger brother from his memories, not the character Chunbaek.
‘Yu Yeon-seo, why on earth did you do that?’
In all that chaos, why did you have to look out for me… If we had seen it together, at least we could have shared the pain.
Yu Eun-ho fiddled with his phone, thinking he should call his brother after the drama ended.
‘Dreaming’ Ends with a Personal Best of 23.7% Viewership
‘Dreaming’ Chunbaek’s Identity Revealed as Jin Su-ho’s Brother… Jin Su-ho X Yu Yeon-seo, a Duo You Can Trust
Whirlwind Finale of ‘Dreaming’ Hits Highest Ratings… Season 2 in the Works?
-I told you there’d be a twist.
-But didn’t they give way too much backstory to Chunbaek?
└What are you talking about? Park Si-hwan got all the backstory.
└└For real. Jin Su-ho had more screentime, but just because they gave the other guy a little something in the finale, you start crying about screentime lol.
└Anyway, isn’t Jin Su-ho the overwhelming lead? No reason to get so worked up.
-Breakdown of the Chunbaek = Park Si-u clues (spoilers).
-If you compare the first and last episodes, the way the Echo lights up is a little different.
In episode 1, it’s three blue lights. In the finale, it’s two blue and one white. And Chunbaek’s hair is silver.
I thought it was just product placement, but they showed it for so long I figured it was because it’s a Juseong Electronics product.
└OMG
└So Chunbaek lived and went to find his brother?
As soon as the drama ended, articles that read like viewing reports appeared alongside various speculative posts.
‘Jin Su-ho is a really good actor.’
Yu Yeon-seo looked over the script for the final episode. The only direction written for the last scene was ‘cries while smiling.’ To convey such complex emotions in a short time.
Yu Yeon-seo had filmed a similar scene, but it took him several takes to get the expression right. Jin Su-ho had nailed it in one.
(Director Lee Su-ji) Everyone, we hit our highest ratings!
(Jin Su-ho) Great work, everyone.
(Jo Yu-mi) Really? Our drama is the best lol.
(Lee Seon-ja) See you all at the wrap party.
Just then, the ‘Dreaming’ group chat started buzzing noisily. It was his second group chat after One Seven. Yu Yeon-seo still wasn’t used to this kind of lively atmosphere.
Meanwhile, writer Jeong Da-hee, who was always quick to reply, was silent. She was probably too busy crying her eyes out…
-But what’s up with Yu Yeon-seo’s acting?
Is he on drugs or something? He’s like a different person;
└FR
└Heard his personality changed too, and the atmosphere on set was great.
-So what happened to Chunbaek?
He wanted to die so badly, but he’s alive again?
└Yang Ju-hui said she couldn’t restore him, so didn’t he restore himself and go find his brother?
└└This this this this
└So he’s alive? It’s kind of sad if he’s just stuck living in there.
└Could be a hint for S2.
└└Is S2 confirmed?
└└└Nah, just my wishful thinking lol.
└I think he used the Echo to leave a final message and then died. Look at Chunbaek’s expression in episode 9 during the scene where they deliver the message from the brain-dead patient.
└└Whoa, I thought Yu Yeon-seo just wasn’t acting well, but now that you mention it, his expression does look sad.
Yu Yeon-seo had heard from writer Jeong Da-hee in advance that Chunbaek’s true identity was Park Si-u. So, even on days he wasn’t filming, he went to the set to observe Han Do-yul, the child actor playing the young Park Si-u.
[The kid got hit by a ball and was injured right before filming… Because of that, he has a habit of blinking his right eye. We need to fix it…]
[No, it’s fine. Is there a need to fix it now? It’ll probably go away on its own later.]
Yu Yeon-seo noticed Han Do-yul’s minor habit and incorporated it into Chunbaek’s character. The director was so impressed by his attention to detail that he gave him a thumbs-up.
Yu Yeon-seo turned off the notifications for the noisy group chat. Then he stared blankly as the screen suddenly changed.
“As I thought…”
I knew he would call.
“Hey, brother.”
(Yeon-seo. I enjoyed the drama.)
“You watch dramas as they air?”
(Only when I have time, and only your scenes.)
Ah, so that means he saw all my terrible acting from before. That’s a little embarrassing.
Yu Yeon-seo leaned the back of his head against the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
“What’s up? Why’d you call?”
(Just wondering if you’re free now that filming is over.)
“I’ll probably rest until the next project. What, you want to grab a meal or something?”
(That would be even better.)
His brother’s voice sounded the same as usual, yet somehow, it felt melancholic. Yu Yeon-seo smiled faintly. He could guess why Yu Eun-ho had called.
It was when Yu Yeon-seo was filming his last scene for ‘Dreaming.’ The scene where Chunbaek opens the backdoor and pushes Park Si-hwan inside.
“I can’t let you get trapped in here too, brother.”
The corners of his mouth had lifted on their own, naturally forming a faint smile. A few of the staff members watching had let out sounds of admiration, but it wasn’t an expression he had intentionally made. It just… happened.
‘What was that…?’
The acting was easier than usual.
It was the same sensation he’d felt while filming ‘White Tiger,’ when he had drawn on Kang Jin-hu’s experiences for his performance. As if he were possessed, his body seemed to know instinctively what expression to make, what action to take.
Chunbaek sacrificed himself for his brother. Kang Jin-hu didn’t have any siblings, so that left only one possibility.
‘Are the original body’s memories still lingering?’
It seemed there were remnants left in the body even without synchronization.
‘So is this immersion based on the real Yu Yeon-seo’s experience…?’
Based on the memory of young Yu Yeon-seo seeing Lee Hui-seo’s final moments and telling his brother outside the door not to look…
And when Yu Yeon-seo synchronized his memories after the 15th episode of ‘Dreaming’ aired, he understood why that scene had been so easy to act.
During the memory synchronization, a rare occurrence, he had recalled a memory from when he was seven.
[Auntie, I’m holding on… but Mom, Mom’s acting strange…]
It was the memory of witnessing Lee Hui-seo’s accident, of clutching his mother’s leg with his tiny hands. Yu Yeon-seo, who had fainted afterward, woke up in a hospital.
[He’s awake?]
[My son…!]
Upon hearing that Yu Yeon-seo, who had been unconscious for days, had woken up, his grandfather, grandmother, father, and aunt all rushed to fill the hospital room.
[Yeon-seo.]
Seeing Yu Eun-ho being carried in by his younger aunt, Yu Yeon-seo smiled faintly. With his memory synchronization over 25%, he could feel Yu Yeon-seo’s thoughts and emotions from that time quite clearly. He thought to himself:
‘I’m glad my brother didn’t see it.’
Yu Eun-ho must have also thought of Yu Yeon-seo during that scene where Chunbaek pushed Park Si-hwan through the backdoor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have called so quickly.
‘Is this what family is like?’
Yu Yeon-seo grinned. Being cared for wasn’t so bad.
“Should I come to the office?”
(Yeon-seo.)
“Yeah?”
(Are you still…?)
Yu Eun-ho, about to ask if he was still suspicious about their mother’s death, let out a small sigh. It was still too sensitive a topic. It wouldn’t be too late to ask when Yu Yeon-seo had recovered all his memories.
(…Never mind.)
“What? You’re making me curious. What is it!”
(Have you ever thought about recording your voice?)
Where did that come from? Yu Yeon-seo pulled the phone away from his ear, looked at the screen, then put it back.
“All of a sudden?”
(The ‘Ego’ appeared in the last scene of the drama. If we update it with a special Chunbaek version voice, I think sales would be pretty good…)
“Wow, you found a business idea in that…?”
It was a touching scene where the corrupted data of Chunbaek went to find his brother one last time, and here his brother was, thinking about company business.
“It’ll probably work.”
Juseong Electronics was ‘Dreaming’s’ biggest sponsor. The production company was JSENM, so it would likely go through without a problem. And Yu Yeon-seo had plenty of time now that the drama was over.
“Do what you want. Just pay me well.”
(Hey, you…)
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Eun-ho spoke.
(You’re all okay now, right?)
I’ve heard that question somewhere before… Yu Yeon-seo chuckled.
“And what if I’m not? I’m hanging up. I’m fine.”
Just as he was about to end the call, Yu Yeon-seo’s head suddenly dropped. His heart was pounding unpleasantly loud. Something had been off with his body lately. Usually, after memory synchronization, he would cough up some blood, feel sick for a day, and that would be it. But recently, aftereffects would hit him later.
‘Am I really okay?’
He mustered the courage to lift his head. He thought he had seen something, but there was nothing before his eyes.