Chapter 49: The One Who Shook the Empire (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: The One Who Shook the Empire (1)
It was tragic. I couldn't escape the sight of my own embarrassing face plastered everywhere.
‘I purposely didn't watch the drama, and I painstakingly avoided every single GIF bomb on the internet.’
I had dodged every post that gave me even the slightest inkling of containing a Yeon Si-ho clip. I viewed any post with an image attachment with immediate suspicion, yet the images had managed to chase me all the way to the filming set.
‘But the meat is delicious. I think it tastes even better because it’s an outdoor steak.’
It was so good that I shamelessly polished off three steaks. Naturally, I made sure to take a mouth-watering photo before I started eating.
“This looks delicious. I’ll enjoy the meal, Yu-jin.”
“Actor Lee Yu-jin, thank you for the food.”
“We’ll eat well, thank you.”
The other actors and staff members also came to pick up their steaks and desserts, but for some reason, they all thanked me.
“I’m just a guest at this meal too, so why is everyone thanking me?”
“That’s because it’s a tribute offered by your fans, Yu-jin. That’s just how it works.”
In the midst of this, my younger brother was busy snapping photos of me eating.
Since I’d decided to be an actress anyway, I’d given him unlimited permission to film me on set, and now he’d completely lost all restraint.
“Hey, stop taking pictures and eat your own food.”
“Sis, shouldn't you post a photo of yourself eating on SNS as a way of thanking your fans?”
“Yu-jin, when did you open an SNS account? Why didn't you tell me?”
“I didn't. I don't do that kind of thing.”
“Sis, you need to open an account now and manage your fandom thoroughly. Just open it and leave it to me. I’ll provide total 'peace-of-mind' management based on statistical analysis.”
“But the owner of Manchester City said SNS is a waste of life.”
“Sis, that wasn't the Man City owner, it was Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Man Utd...”
I decided to think about the SNS account a bit more.
Instead, I decided to go onto my fan cafe and post a thank-you message for the tribute.
I attached the photos, wrote the post, and asked Jang Ji-hye and my brother to proofread it.
“Yu-jin-yu-jin... are you really going to post this photo?”
“Sis, is this a strategy to drive the fans crazy and boost your brand value? I’m impressed. I didn't think you’d come up with such a tactic.”
“It’s a thank-you for the tribute, isn't it? The food looks delicious in the photo, so what’s the problem?”
Looking at it again, the steak and dessert looked great. Even though I’d given the dessert to Jang Ji-hye, they were both in the shot.
“Your face needs to be in it! A selfie! A selfie!”
“No, selfies are a bit much.”
“Do you think the fans want to see this food or your face? Huh? Well?”
“Ji-hye, I think it’s a good strategy. We use the concept of a 'Baby Elf' who doesn't understand human hearts to drive the fans wild.”
“No, I’m telling you, it’s not a strategy.”
“As expected of my sister, who filmed the 'Challenger of Challengers' using nothing but her beast-like instincts. You’re the best.”
While we were clashing, PD Jang Hyun-soo approached us. He had made a sort of hamburger by sandwiching steak and vegetables between two slices of bread.
“So, what does 'Dad' think?”
“Hmm, I’m leaning toward Yu-seok’s opinion. A star should know how to drive their fans crazy.”
PD Jang Hyun-soo gave me a bright smile and a thumbs-up.
“To calculate that based on unconscious instinct... it’s amazing. You have the qualities of a superstar.”
“...”
“You have to keep the fans on edge and make them desperate to keep their loyalty long-term. To be honest, being a fan is something you can't do unless you have a bit of a masochistic streak. The fans will actually enjoy being 'beaten' like this.”
Writer Jung Yoon-ah, who had appeared out of nowhere, chimed in while munching on cake.
“There’s a famous saying: you have to beat a fan once a day to get a tribute. Why do they give tributes? Because they like being beaten.”
“...”
“It’s not a scandal or a dating rumor; making the fans go frantic like this is a good strategy.”
“...I just thought this was the most delicious-looking photo, and I wanted to post it with a sincere heart.”
PD Jang Hyun-soo let out a hearty laugh.
“What does it matter? As long as you get to Seoul, it doesn't matter which road you take.”
“I’m telling you, our darling has a natural talent for enchanting and driving people crazy. She does it as naturally as breathing, without even realizing it. That’s what really makes the fans lose it. In a good way, of course.”
“Exactly. My sister has this way of making everyone around her go crazy without even intending to.”
“Sometimes you have this easygoing vibe, like a teenage boy rather than a girl? It creates a sort of heart-fluttering vulnerability. Maybe that’s why.”
Jang Ji-hye, who had been staring blankly at the three of them getting along so well, asked me quietly.
“What do you want to do?”
“Jang Ji-hye, I’ll follow your lead.”
“Good choice. Those people have a deep abyss inside them. You shouldn't look into it. You’ll get swallowed up.”
I felt too embarrassed to take a selfie, so I asked Jang Ji-hye to take it for me, but she insisted it would only be meaningful to the fans if I took it myself.
‘Ugh, I’m really bad at selfies.’
Still, I tried my best, maintaining the most serious and solemn expression possible. I felt like I was taking a photo for a student ID or a passport.
“Yu-jin-yu-jin, wow... you really are bad at selfies.”
“I’ve never had to take them before.”
“But seriously, even when you just snap them haphazardly, they come out as masterpieces. It’s almost unfair.”
And so, using a brand-new account created today, I posted a thank-you message on the fan cafe’s free board.
[Subject: This is Yu. Thank you deeply for the tribute.]
[Author: Yu]
(An incredibly awkward-looking selfie.jpg)
(A photo of food that looks insanely delicious.jpg)
(A long, 5,700-character thank-you message filled with a serious, formal vibe)
I logged out of the fan cafe as if I were running away. I didn't want to check the view count or the comments.
“Whoa, Yu-jin. This is huge. There are already over a hundred comments.”
“What is everyone doing at this hour instead of working?”
“It’s Sunday.”
“They should be spending the weekend with their families.”
“The comments are going wild. Want me to read them to you?”
“No, thanks. I’ll pass.”
“I really want to let you hear the praise the fans are giving your beauty...”
“I’m not looking, I’m not looking.”
“Well, I suppose a goddess doesn't need to listen to every single word of worship from her followers.”
Aaaargh! Jang Ji-hye’s teasing had leveled up.
*
The Lee Yu-jin fan cafe was in an uproar.
The thank-you post, verified with an actual selfie, was instantly pinned as a top notice. Fans who had been starving for content rushed in.
└ LOL, looking at the angle, it’s clear Yu is terrible at selfies. But her elf-power covers for everything ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ ???: How to take a good selfie? Isn't that a survival skill for people who aren't good-looking? Why would I need to learn that?
└ Truth bomb, highly recommended.
└ I mean, if you look that pretty even when you take a bad photo, why bother studying how to take a good one? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Only one selfie! This is the Elf scolding us for our meager tribute! Why should I go on living!
└ If the return-gift selfie is lacking, we just need to offer an even more abundant tribute.
└ The calm before the storm. The results will tell us whether we win or the Elf wins.
[Subject: Seriously, we need to push for a law to make Lee Yu-jin open an SNS account]
(Photo of Yeon Si-ho comforting the Princess before closing her eyes.jpg)
- A star needs to be beaten with tributes once a day to produce a selfie. Then what on earth do we have to offer to get an SNS account?
└ Actor Lee Yu-jin, please ignore that nonsense and just open an SNS account. Please. I think I’m going to die.
└ Baby, your unnie checks every single day to see if you’ve opened an account, okay? Please just make one ㅠㅠ
└ Noona, I’m dying. I’m starving to death from a lack of content.
Jang Ji-hye giggled as she carefully screenshotted every single comment.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on Lee Yu-jin, who was filming with the male lead, Kang Seok-won.
A face that simply radiated light.
Since that face had been hidden for almost the entire 16 episodes, only to be revealed briefly at the end before her exit, it was no wonder the fans were so resentful.
“My dad is so wicked. And Writer Jung Yoon-ah too...”
Jang Ji-hye bit her lip.
“But I guess that’s what I need to learn if I want to become a good drama writer.”
In the 120-minute runtime of Part 2, Yeon Si-ho’s face would be shown throughout.
Whether that would be a requiem to soothe the fans' anger or a fuse that would ignite even more fury remained to be seen.
“I can't let my guard down until the end. That’s just the kind of people Dad and the writer are.”
*
Today, I once again successfully deflected the greasy gazes of the male lead, Kang Seok-won.
‘It’s acting, but it’s seriously cringeworthy.’
It was a relief that my role was to ignore him with total indifference.
There was a silver lining, though. I’d gathered enough data to know that I should never, ever take a role as a rom-com lead.
‘It’s amazing how twisting just one turning point can make the entire work feel like something completely different.’
“Good job, Sunbae-nim.”
“Good job, Yu-jin.”
I returned to my seat and was resting while my brother massaged my feet and calves when Yoon Se-rang sat down next to me.
“Filming for Part 2 is finally winding down.”
“Yes, it was hard because of the heat, so I’m glad.”
“I heard you got into an arts high school? Majoring in timpani.”
“Yes.”
“So, are you cured of that disease where you feel like you’ll die if you don't run away after filming one or two projects?”
“...I’ve caught a new disease where I feel like I’ll die if I don't make as much money as possible while I can and retire early.”
Yoon Se-rang burst out laughing and patted my shoulder, but I felt strange. It was because the memory of that boiled pork flavor came back to me.
‘How did Yoon Se-rang’s mother perfectly replicate that taste?’
I wanted to ask.
But I was even more afraid that if the answer wasn't what I hoped for, my expectations would come crashing down. That was why I kept hesitating, stalling, and putting it off.
“I heard Part 1 starts airing on MBS today.”
“Oh, really?”
“You really have no interest in the dramas you’re in, do you?”
“I admit it. I’m a bad person who’s only focused on the high appearance fees.”
I continued chatting with Yoon Se-rang while enjoying the refreshing sensation of my brother kneading my calves.
“Will Part 2 also air on MBS?”
“Well, from what I’ve heard, they’re considering a theatrical release. Since the runtime is 120 minutes, a theater might be appropriate.”
“A theater? People can just watch it if they subscribe to Netscreen, so would they really pay to go see it in a theater?”
“Netscreen thinks there’s potential. For now, it’ll likely only be released in Korea.”
A staff member approached and spoke politely.
“Actor Yoon Se-rang, it’s time for your scene.”
“It’s already my turn. I’ll be back.”
“Yes, have a good shoot.”
I watched blankly as Yoon Se-rang rehearsed her scene with Kang Seok-won.
‘Could Yoon Se-rang’s mother be the reincarnation of Eonnyeoni?’
Yoon Se-rang looked nothing like the Eonnyeoni in my memories.
But what if her mother really was Eonnyeoni’s reincarnation, or had some similar connection?
‘Right. Once filming is over and I have some free time, I’ll visit that shop. I’ll know for sure once I taste the boiled pork.’
If the lunchbox pork was that good, how much better would it be freshly prepared? I was already looking forward to it.
*
These days, I usually just blow off some stress during my afternoon practical music classes and leave early to go to the set. Since it was an arts high school, they recognized my entertainment activities as 100% attendance.
While alternating between school and the set, we finally moved into the Hannam-dong villa that Grandfather had bought for us.
Mom decided to stay in the apartment with Dad but would come by every morning and evening to take care of us. Me, my brother, and Jang Ji-hye would live together.
“Yu-jin-yu-jin... what’s with all this furniture?”
“I just bought what we needed right away.”
“It’s not that, it’s just that the furniture seems too cheap compared to the house. It’s unbalanced.”
“Even the super-rich in America wear ten-dollar digital watches. We should learn that kind of 'flex' too.”
“But this makes the furniture my mom bought for me to use feel embarrassed...”
In the meantime, filming finally finished, and the dates for the domestic theatrical release and the online upload were confirmed.
My face was now plastered on bus stops, buses, and outdoor billboards everywhere, making it very difficult to walk around the streets.
‘Before I knew it, I’d ended up living the life of a full-time actress.’
*
Daniel Choe, the hair designer who had become a die-hard fan of Lee Yu-jin, visited an IMAX theater with his brother.
“Damn it, all the really good seats are gone. Why is the competition so fierce?”
“Tell me about it. You can watch it comfortably on TV, so why would people insist on paying 20,000 won to see it in a theater?”
“But I bet other people are thinking the same thing about us, right?”
They could have watched it comfortably at home on TV. They could have saved money. But the two brothers had boldly chosen IMAX.
“They said Yeon Si-ho’s face is shown the whole time, so the first viewing has to be on an IMAX screen.”
“Bro, am I shaking right now? I’m scared that I might not be shaking.”
The two brothers bought popcorn and soda and found their seats. Even though there weren't that many screenings, the theater was packed to capacity.
They waited for Hwan's Torch to begin with pounding hearts.
After the tedious commercials and the pedantic opening ended, the moment Yeon Si-ho’s face finally appeared on the giant screen...
Curses erupted from all directions.
“Fuck! You son of a bitch PD!”
“The veil again! Again?!”
“Are you kidding me? Did we get tricked again?”
The hundreds of audience members became one in heart and mind as they cursed the PD, cursed the world, and drafted 5,700-character complaints for the protest boards.
“Wait? She’s taking off the veil?”
“Quiet, quiet!”
The furious audience instantly transformed into a flock of gentle, well-behaved sheep.
Fortunately, it had only been a starting trick to satisfy the PD and writer’s desire for emotional manipulation.
—Young Master, why do you stare at me so?
A blunt, beautiful voice.
The young On Ji-wook stared at Yeon Si-ho’s unveiled face as if possessed, then stammered.
—Do you... really not know why?
Even though he was a child actor, his emotional delivery pierced straight through to the audience's hearts.
—I do not know.
A cold, emotionless expression.
The look in On Ji-wook’s eyes showed his confusion as his resolve for revenge wavered for the first time.
With just the ripple of emotion on the young actor’s face, the audience could already sense how the story would unfold.
That the love of a boy growing toward destruction was about to begin.