NOVEL FROG Chapter 47
“Oh, isn’t that actor Sim Cheong-seok?”
A bar in Daehangno, Seoul.
A voice called out to Sim Cheong-seok, who was leisurely having a drink with his fellow actor.
“I heard you went to put out the fire in the play, right? Let’s see, ‘Eyes Closed’, isn’t it?”
As he turned his head, there stood a well-groomed man.
“Ah, this guy.”
Sim Cheong-seok shook his head.
Someone from the renowned university acting department in Seoul, currently making a name for himself and filming dramas.
“His name was Kang Se-hyun, right?”
Just so you know, he had only worked with Sim Cheong-seok once in a play.
That was just about the extent of their relationship.
“If it’s the great Sim Cheong-seok, I’m sure you’ll do well. It’s a reenactment of ‘Eyes Closed’, right? The script is quite good…”
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
With a whack, Sim Cheong-seok’s words made his conversational partner frown.
“Ugh, that arrogant personality of yours hasn’t changed at all.”
“Ha, I want to ask who started the sarcasm first.”
Sim Cheong-seok chuckled, and Kang Se-hyun’s lips twitched.
“Since you asked, I’ll just cut to the chase.”
“Go ahead then.”
“When ‘Eyes Closed’ is about to be performed, our theater performance dates just happen to overlap.”
Wondering what that had to do with anything, Sim Cheong-seok looked at him.
“What? Didn’t you know? Have you not heard of ‘Under Snitch’?”
“What?”
He had heard of it.
Under Snitch.
A remake of a play that was popular overseas, performed in a large theater with over 800 seats.
By then, it was definitely categorized as a ‘high-profile play.’
“I’m sure you’ve heard of the participating actors too. Not only is actor Hong Tae-baek the lead, but actor Sung Si-ha is playing a major role too.”
Both actors were quite distinguished in the realm of theater.
Especially Sung Si-ha, who had transitioned over from being an idol, had been participating frequently of late, possibly thinking of doing musicals in the future.
Anyway, both were actors with remarkable audience draw in the theater scene.
“But.”
“Yeah?”
“Why are you telling me this? You came all this way just for that?”
At Sim Cheong-seok’s response, Kang Se-hyun leaned his arm on his shoulder.
“Honestly, just to cheer you up. I’m stepping in to help you, but it looks like you might flop.”
He said that, but his face looked awfully pleased.
From the previous play, Kang Se-hyun had been nitpicking at Sim Cheong-seok every step of the way.
He held a grudge because, despite having more experience, he had felt overshadowed by Sim Cheong-seok’s acting skills.
“Hang in there. If you need help, just let me know.”
As he patted Sim Cheong-seok’s shoulder and walked away, Sim Cheong-seok couldn’t help but chuckle.
Help, huh?
He wouldn’t even respond if he contacted him.
“What’s with people like this?”
“Don’t worry too much, Cheong-seok. Does a play succeed solely on the actor’s strength?”
The fellow actors sharing drinks tried to console him, but honestly, he didn’t care much.
‘Audience draw, huh.’
A girl popped into Sim Cheong-seok’s mind.
‘Speaking of which, didn’t they say there’s some filming at school?’
As he pondered this, Sim Cheong-seok poured some more liquor into his glass.
“Cheong-seok, are you okay?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine…”
The audience draw of an actor.
He had a feeling he would witness that in action very soon.
*
“Park Jung-woo!!”
“Please look over here just once!”
“OMG, look at his face! It’s as big as my fist, MY FIST!!!”
A scream echoed through Yeonhwa High School.
Park Jung-woo waved back with a smile in response to the cheering students.
‘…I’m already tired.’
Though he hated being bothered, Park Jung-woo was exceptionally good at fan service.
From a young age, his father had drilled it into him that without fans, there are no actors.
‘Always be grateful for the crowd’s cheers.’
That was his father’s teaching, and Park Jung-woo followed it faithfully.
As he figured, with such fan service, if even a single extra audience member visited the cinema, it would be a splendid deal.
“What about the staff?”
“They’re getting ready over there! Hey!”
As the manager shouted that, staff members rushed over to help Park Jung-woo get out of the van.
Teachers were out in droves, controlling the crowd to prevent students from rushing.
Even security was present, but they clearly struggled against the number of students.
Just when Park Jung-woo entered the filming set…
“The drama club, I heard there’s a teacher from the drama club…but…AH! This way!”
PD Jung Min-jae grinned widely as he saw teacher Song Da-yeon from the drama club hurrying over.
“You’re teacher Song Da-yeon from the drama club, right? Are all the students participating ready?”
“Of course. Oh, do you know Lee Ji-yeon? She’s currently appearing in a cable drama…”
Lee Ji-yeon.
Upon hearing that name, PD Jung Min-jae was slightly taken aback.
Wasn’t she the girl playing ‘Lee Min-chae’ in the currently popular cable drama?
Her acting skills were pretty decent, and her pretty face had left an impression.
She was a talent likely to be seen later on public channels or films.
“Oh, so that girl is playing Yeonhwa?”
“Yes, she’s getting ready now. What about the script?”
“Here it is. The reenactment drama will take place in four hours, but filming will start right now. Is that okay?”
“Huh? But I haven’t memorized the script…”
“Four hours is plenty of time.”
Moreover, technically, she hadn’t memorized the script yet.
This was more of a variety show than a ‘drama shoot.’
The students practicing earnestly would also be part of the content.
‘This is real.’
While listening to the conversation between teacher Song Da-yeon and PD Jung Min-jae, a male student was filming with his smartphone.
By the way, he wasn’t just taking random pictures or recording for memories.
– Oh, they’re really filming.
– No sense, isn’t the camera too low?
– If I raise it, won’t I get caught? If this gets caught, I’m in trouble.
In short, it was an internet broadcast.
A male student, Song Yong-ho, occasionally streamed games as a hobby to earn some pocket money.
But today was different.
How could he just stand by while they were filming a variety show at school?
– Just play games instead.
Some chat messages like that were flying, but he still had many more viewers than usual.
That number was a whopping 200!
While modest, that was an incredibly encouraging figure for a high school streamer.
“They said it’s fine to film, so a little obstruction is okay. Plus, for today’s shoot, Park Jung-woo will be participating as a guest, and Lee Ji-yeon will be taking on the role of Yeonhwa….”
– Lee Ji-yeon? Who’s that?
– Go watch some TV sometimes…
– Real talk: if someone I know shows up, I’ll freak out.
– There’s a pretty actress appearing in a cable drama, she’s cute.
– As long as she’s pretty, that’s all that matters!
Amidst the chatting, the actual filming of the variety show began.
Not just Song Yong-ho, others were eagerly trying to capture the situation as well.
“First, I’ll provide acting guidance for the next four hours.”
With several cameras set up around, Park Jung-woo said this from the drama club’s office.
The male students looked awestruck while the female students trembled as if having a seizure.
Someone remarked.
Being handsome is the best.
“Uh, does Park Jung-woo need to practice separately?”
“I’ve memorized everything.”
“Ah! As expected!”
As one female student blushed in admiration, Park Jung-woo merely smiled quietly.
Of course, it was all acting.
After all, these were girls three years younger than him.
He was just responding to their hype, going with the flow.
‘Their acting level doesn’t seem too bad.’
But that was still just a high school drama club.
It couldn’t even compare to real actors.
“Speaking of which, teacher, where’s the actor cast as Yeonhwa?”
“Ah, Ji-yeon?”
The actor, Lee Ji-yeon, who was supposed to play Yeonhwa.
Not your typical drama club member, but a proper actress appearing in a cable drama.
‘I briefly glanced at the videos, and her skills were indeed decent.’
But aside from that.
“Why isn’t she here?”
“Well, um…she said she wanted to prepare separately.”
By the way, this conversation was being recorded by all the cameras, so teacher Song Da-yeon had to be cautious with her words.
She didn’t want to say something that would get her student in trouble.
“Understood. That’s common among actors sometimes. Some like to take time alone to gather their emotions.”
“Right? Oh, it seems Ji-yeon wants to prepare thoroughly since Park Jung-woo is coming.”
“Ah, I see.”
She smiled softly in reply, but honestly, Park Jung-woo didn’t particularly care for that Lee Ji-yeon.
‘Not just a simple drama shoot, but a variety show. Can’t she tell the difference?’
And what did she mean by preparing separately?
Wasn’t it more beneficial to practice here, work on the broadcast, and build chemistry together?
Or perhaps, she just didn’t want to act alongside these drama club kids?
‘Either way, it’s not sitting well with me.’
Park Jung-woo clicked his tongue and proceeded to guide the other students’ acting.
Though the lead role of Yeonhwa technically belonged to Lee Ji-yeon, the other students had roles to fulfill as well.
“Teacher Song Da-yeon, this isn’t looking good. It’d be best to bring Ji-yeon over.”
PD Jung Min-jae quietly whispered to teacher Song Da-yeon.
The scenes with Park Jung-woo directing the students’ acting were definitely something to watch.
Having a proper actor teaching was much more interesting than when the students fumbled through it.
“But in the end, the important thing is Ji-yeon and Park Jung-woo being in sync together.”
The reenactment of the eighth episode of The Moon That Hid the Sun.
Ultimately, the most crucial scene was the reunion of Yoon Seoil and Lee Hye-wol.
But starting without having practiced together could lead to errors…?
Though they could surely catch great NG moments, the overall picture wouldn’t look good.
If Park Jung-woo was involved, shouldn’t there be a scene to spur an “Oh!” reaction?
So, Song Da-yeon hurriedly called Ji-yeon.
If things continued like this, something bad might happen.
“Uh-huh, Ji-yeon. Uh?”
As teacher Song Da-yeon was on the phone, she reacted strangely.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, oh no. Uh, PD Jung Min-jae.”
“Yes?”
“Ji-yeon is asking if she could see you separately for a moment.”
See her separately?
That should be no problem, but was it something to mention to the PD?
I heard today’s young actors talk about MG or MZ or whatever, is that what this is?
“Um…she thinks it might not be good if she gets spotted while moving separately.”
“Oh please.”
What on earth was she talking about?
“Understood. Let’s go now.”
PD Jung Min-jae nodded, his mind already made up.
If it turned out to be nothing serious, he would definitely have to give her a proper warning.
*
It was an outfit he hadn’t worn in a long time.
Park Jung-woo sighed as he looked down at the hanbok draped over his figure.
A historical drama.
In fact, Park Jung-woo’s last participation in a historical drama was in The Moon That Hid the Sun.
After that, he hadn’t found anything that piqued his interest and just didn’t participate.
‘Is it Yoon Seoil now grown up?’
Looking in the mirror, he thought he saw a younger Yoon Seoil.
After mumbling the lines in his head for a moment, he slowly stepped outside.
“Wow, it’s exactly like the Yoon Seoil I imagined!”
As soon as he emerged, he was met with a staff member giving a thumbs up, and Park Jung-woo smirked.
“It’s been ten years. Do you really remember that?”
“Of course! It’s my life’s drama!”
His life’s drama, huh.
In a way, perhaps it was similar for Park Jung-woo too.
He had worked on many projects, but none stuck in his mind quite like this one.
“What about PD Jung?”
“Oh, he’s with the girl playing Yeonhwa. He told us to continue without him.”
It seemed the youngest PD had been left to take care of everything while his superior skedaddled off.
He had a rough idea of why this variety shoot had become such a mess.
“Wow! The hanbok really suits you!”
As Park Jung-woo arrived at the makeshift set made from paper boards propped up in the auditorium, he could hear whispers among the crowd.
The noisy chatter filled the auditorium.
Students packed the room.
Voices of staff members.
‘This is tiring.’
Muttering under his breath countless times, the filming began.
“Sir, come over here!”
“Are you going to the palace again today?”
The students’ acting had a certain flair, but it was still leagues away from what real ‘actors’ could do.
An acting style that was merely passable.
Yet it was probably the best they had offered throughout [Past, Looking at Memories] thus far.
The staff seemed to agree.
“Yeonhwa should be making her entrance soon…”
“Is she still not here? What in the world is the PD doing?”
As those words circulated, the drama club students rushed out into the crowd, trying to create a scene.
Not really acting, more like recreating a ‘market street’ scenario.
Yoon Seoil walked calmly through the crowd, lost in thought.
‘Ten years ago, the market streets I strolled through with Yeonhwa.’
Yeonhwa’s astonishment at the small snacks.
Little Joo Seo-yeon.
That image flickered briefly in Park Jung-woo’s mind before fading away.
‘Now, she should definitely be here as Yeonhwa.’
Couldn’t she be absent?
Otherwise, it was undoubtedly an NG.
The thought of a reshoot already exhausted him.
Just then, the unfavorable image of Lee Ji-yeon resurfaced in his mind.
But then he spotted an enchanting figure among the crowd.
Her silhouette was obscured by a long outer garment clasped over her head, but no one could mistake it; it was the Yeonhwa princess.
‘There it is…’
Relieved, Park Jung-woo decided to follow the ‘Yeonhwa’ figure.
The students were each fulfilling their scripted roles rapidly and noisily.
Standing in the midst of that chaos was the Yeonhwa princess.
Even though she wore a cloak over her head, there was something different about her.
Her stance, her aura.
She was undeniably different from an ordinary student.
The moment Park Jung-woo realized that fact, he instinctively quickened his pace.
Maybe.
This wasn’t acting.
Park Jung-woo, and Yoon Seoil, reflexively moved his feet.
Pushing through the crowd.
Knowing she wouldn’t run away, he reached out hastily.
As he grabbed her small shoulder, a soft giggle floated into his ears.
Familiar and exceedingly sweet.
“Seoil.”
A woman’s hand moved, slowly pulling down the cloak draped over her head.
That scene appeared in slow motion.
The first thing that caught his eye was her neatly tied long black hair.
Her fair skin.
“Ugh, I’m late.”
The cute face he had seen in childhood blossomed into beautiful maturity.
Yeonhwa princess, Lee Hye-wol.
“…I’m late, but…”
Her star-like description was carved deeply into the eyes of Park Jung-woo.
“Look, I’m back.”
With her red-tinged irises.
The playful smile that danced on her lips.
Park Jung-woo’s mind went blank.