By Zephyria “I know! F-O-U-R! FOUR! It’s a typo, a typo! Ah… damn, why did a typo happen there?”
It was a comment he left for fun, laughing at Han Joo-young’s buttery pronunciation. But it was a typo… Did I really drink too much yesterday?
Song Hyun-soo, his face flushed, typed out a string of defensive comments only to delete them. Damn it, what’s the difference between ‘four’ and ‘for’? The fact that I’m illiterate in English is true.
Most of the commenters were people whose IDs were familiar, long-time fans. It felt awkward to call them fans, as they hadn’t done anything substantial.
They were grateful beings who came to see his plays, which had less than 10 minutes of screen time, and even went to the theater to watch movies he appeared in as an extra. The comments weren’t left to mock Song Hyun-soo anyway. He interacted with them on SNS like friends.
song.h.soooo Do the kids’ names sound that bad? Then what should I call them? I’m taking recommendations for the mother cat and her four kittens’ names lol.
After leaving only a reply, Song Hyun-soo typed another account into the SNS search bar. He didn’t follow them, but he could easily find the account because it was always at the top of recent searches. He also had the account address memorized, even if it wasn’t in the search results.
The black and white profile picture showed a side profile.
An unrealistically clean jawline.
Yoon Joo-ho’s account, with 42 million followers.
Except for posts attending fashion shows and events for brands he was an ambassador for, the account hadn’t been updated for about 10 months. Yet, during that period, his followers increased by five million. Even if Yoon Joo-ho didn’t update his SNS or film new projects, the dozens of dramas he had appeared in were still being broadcast continuously around the world.
Yoon Joo-ho.
I’m really working on a project with Yoon Joo-ho.
I, appearing in Director Jung Joon-hee’s movie, with Yoon Joo-ho. What would the fans say if they knew? When the news comes out next week, won’t my followers skyrocket? Ah, my mouth is itching so much.
Song Hyun-soo, who had been grinning, slipped his hands into his pockets along with his phone. His hands were so cold they felt like they might burst. With a cigarette between his lips, he looked up at the sky.
The same old scenery awaited him. The outskirts of Daehangno. Shabby signs for PC bangs, billiard halls, pubs, and the like. Looking up from the narrow alley, even the sky felt cramped.
Standing in a deserted back alley, smoking a cigarette in a worn jumper over his uniform, yesterday felt like a distant dream. It must have been how Cinderella felt the day after riding in a pumpkin carriage to the prince’s party.
Being cast in Director Jung Joon-hee’s movie. Acting with Yoon Joo-ho, drinking, being scolded, having a conversation… or something like it. It felt like nothing remained as evidence in the world. To shake off the groundless anxiety, he decided to retrace yesterday’s events one by one.
Jung-ho had asked. How was the script reading?
In a word, it was a mess.
Even though it didn’t require great acting, his voice trembled so much while reading the script that people burst into laughter. Fortunately, the director and PD seemed to find it cute, but it was obvious they wouldn’t continue to find it cute if it persisted. Once he signed the contract and received the deposit, it was the professional world.
Whether it was fortunate or tragic.
Song Hyun-soo wasn’t the only actor who messed up the reading.
■■■
They said the purpose was just to lightly match their breathing. The first reading took a full four hours. By the time Director Jung Joon-hee closed the script, saying, “Shall we stop here for today?” everyone was exhausted.
“This is the first time I’ve concentrated for this long since my major classes in college.”
Someone said that in a tired voice, and there was a general consensus.
So what about someone like me, who hasn’t even been to college? Song Hyun-soo desperately wanted to chug a cold beer.
“Are we all still attending the after-party? I’ve made a reservation at ‘Honey’s Place,’ so please head over there.”
Song Hyun-soo pretended to pack up his script, watching Yoon Joo-ho across from him. He was standing and talking with his manager, Director Jeong, and PD Kim. When he’s like that, he doesn’t just seem fine; he seems like a great person.
But would Yoon Joo-ho really attend the after-party for the script reading? A top star like him?
It seemed Song Hyun-soo wasn’t the only one thinking that. Even though the location had been announced, everyone was lingering, glancing at one person in particular.
“Hyo-jin, you’re coming to the after-party, right?”
Han Joo-young, who had been sitting next to Yoon Joo-ho, practically fled to Shin Hyo-jin, speaking to her familiarly. Shin Hyo-jin was sitting next to Song Hyun-soo.
“Of course. I haven’t scheduled any other work because I want to focus on this project. I have plenty of time.”
“That’s Shin Hyo-jin for you! That’s why directors want to cast you. Focus and dedication!”
The two seemed to have a pre-existing friendship. Despite Han Joo-young being three years older, they interacted with a comfortable ease.
“But, the manager who was at the meeting last time, I don’t see him?”
Shin Hyo-jin suddenly lowered her voice and asked subtly.
“Huh?”
“Yoon Joo-ho Senior’s manager. The one with the round glasses and cute impression.”
“Ah… he was more like a road manager? Like a driver. Maybe he got fired?”
Han Joo-young made a slicing motion across her neck with the edge of her hand. She seemed like a child who didn’t quite grasp the subtle nuances of gestures and used them indiscriminately.
“Why? He seemed so friendly and nice.”
Han Joo-young shrugged. It was an exaggerated gesture, like someone foreign.
“Well. From what I heard, he changes managers quite often.”
Their conversation ended there. But one could read the unspoken thoughts in their eyes as they looked at Yoon Joo-ho. It must be that the manager couldn’t stand his temper anymore and quit. Or, Yoon Joo-ho fired the manager over something trivial. Their expressions seemed to convey thoughts along those lines.
“Hyun-soo, you’re coming to the after-party too, right?”
Shin Hyo-jin, with her bag slung over her shoulder, turned and asked Song Hyun-soo with a smile. Song Hyun-soo nodded with a grin.
“I’m the youngest, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to skip it.”
“Do you drink well?”
“You won’t be disappointed, Senior.”
“My brother, Sani, I like him already. Introduce me to your manager later. We’ll be seeing each other often for the next few months.”
Ah… well, I don’t really have a manager to introduce…
Before he could explain further, Shin Hyo-jin left the conference room with her manager. In the meantime, Yoon Joo-ho had also disappeared. It was only for a moment, but where did he go so quickly?
Flustered, Song Hyun-soo hastily grabbed his bag. As he descended the stairs and stepped outside the building’s main entrance, he finally spotted Yoon Joo-ho. Yoon Joo-ho was just getting into the back seat of a large SUV, shaped like a humpback whale, and immediately closed the door. So, is he coming to the after-party or not?
Slung his backpack onto his back, Song Hyun-soo quickened his pace. Unlike the other actors who were being driven by their managers, Song Hyun-soo had neither a manager nor a car.
Fortunately, the after-party venue, ‘Honey’s Place,’ was a five-minute walk from the production company’s office. It was a typical neighborhood restaurant specializing in pork, with large menus for samgyeopsal, gopchang, hangjeongsal, and galmaegisal written on the walls, and a floor slick with pork fat, dotted with round stainless steel tables.
By the time Song Hyun-soo arrived at the restaurant, panting, quite a few people were already seated. Including the actors’ managers and the production crew, the number was considerable. Director Jung Joon-hee’s films usually didn’t have a large cast, and since it was a reading for only the lead actors, not a full cast reading, it was on the smaller side, yet the attendance was still significant. That’s how movies are. Even student films made by college students require dozens of people.
“Actor Song! Over here!”
PD Kim waved his arms enthusiastically from a table inside, calling out to Song Hyun-soo.
“Why are you so late? Hyun-soo, soju? Beer?”
Before Song Hyun-soo could even sit down, PD Kim was already getting him drinks. Glancing around the table, he saw that everyone indeed had soju glasses in front of them. Song Hyun-soo pulled up a backless chair and sat down, grinning.
“Soju, of course, PD-nim.”
“Director, did I tell you?”
After Song Hyun-soo’s reply, PD Kim unexpectedly called out to Director Jeong, who was seated at the head of the table.
“Hm? Tell me what?”
“That we cast Sani really well.”
It was fortunate that she liked to drink. Song Hyun-soo was confident when it came to alcohol. He was even more confident about befriending people who liked to drink.
Shin Hyo-jin and Han Joo-young sat side-by-side across from him. At the head of the table was, of course, Director Jung Joon-hee, with the production company CEO on one side and Choi Do-hoon on the other. Next to the CEO was PD Kim Yoo-kyung. No matter how he looked around, Yoon Joo-ho was nowhere to be seen.