1.0 – Prologue

Destiny is not a coincidence, but a choice.

It is not something to wait for, but something to achieve.

— William J. Bryan

*

Jeong Ji-in, whose drama has ended, says, “My real first love is still to come.”

Actor Jeong Ji-in’s temperament is closer to water than fire. He is a person who flows calmly rather than burning passionately. However, until I actually met him, I had a prejudice against him.

Was it because of his flawless features that could intimidate any lead actor, or his appearance that looked as if every single strand of his eyebrows had been sculpted with aesthetic harmony in mind? To me, he reminded me of a haughty, aristocratic, high-end French antique teacup. In short, he gave the impression of someone who would be difficult to work with.

Then, two years ago, I faced him for the first time at a photo shoot for Beginning. My expectations were completely wrong.

The actor Jeong Ji-in I met in person was like a piece of Joseon white porcelain.

A wide and deep river does not hurry, does not create rough waves, and flows leisurely and slowly. Looking at such a river naturally brings peace to anyone’s heart. It is probably for the same reason that a pleasant, calm atmosphere always lingers at his photo shoots.

I had a meeting with him at a studio in Yongsan, following the successful conclusion of his recent drama . This was my third interview with him.

Beginning (hereafter B): This was your fourth project since your debut work, , right?

Ji-in: Yes, that’s right.

B: It seems like you haven’t had any break since your debut. Knowing you, Ji-in, I assume you’ll be jumping straight into your next project again?

Ji-in: (Laughs) You know me too well. Yes, I think I’ll start the next project after resting for a week or two.

B: Actually, I’m a fan of yours personally. I already knew the news that you’d be appearing in with actor Yoon Ju-ho. Since you’re working with Actor Yoon again after , it’s already become a hot topic among drama fans.

Ji-in: I’ll be showing a relationship where Actor Yoon Ju-ho and I are friends and rivals.

B: In , which just ended, you had your love stolen by the male lead. Surely not in the new project as well…?

Ji-in: I’ve only received the script up to episode 2, so I don’t know the ending, but it would be strange for a supporting actor and the female lead to end up together, wouldn’t it? Besides, I don’t have the confidence to win in a head-on battle against Actor Yoon Ju-ho, the most popular man in Korea.

B: In , there were many viewers who rooted for Choi Seung-hyun, played by you, more than the male lead. You know that, right?

Ji-in: Choi Seung-hyun was a man who was passive in the face of love. A man who hid his feelings for the woman he loved, forced a smile as a friend, and just watched her endlessly from behind… So I thought many would find him frustrating, and to put it bluntly, I was prepared to be hated. But surprisingly, so many people loved Choi Seung-hyun that the writer, the director, and I… were bewildered until the very end. Of course, I was grateful.

B: In reality, it’s hard for us to act courageously in the face of love. That’s why I think people empathized with Choi Seung-hyun and felt sorry for him even more.

Ji-in: I don’t know how to put this, but since Choi Seung-hyun’s personality is similar to mine in real life, I think it was easier to immerse myself while acting.

B: Does the seemingly perfect Ji-in also tend to be a coward in the face of love?

Ji-in: I’d like to say I’m not a coward, but thinking about it, I think that’s true. I don’t think I’m the proactive type either.

B: As expected, I had a question about love prepared. Since your most recent work was , we can’t move on without talking about first loves, right?

Ji-in: Um… well, my first love was around the age of eight…

B: Ah, let’s skip the childhood friends from kindergarten or the desk mate from 4th grade and move on to a proper, real first love.

Ji-in: (Laughs) You’re not letting me off easy. Given my age, if I say this, you probably won’t believe me and think I’m playing coy… but I don’t think I’ve had a ‘proper, real first love’ yet.

B: Now, no matter how much of a fan I am, this is really hard to believe. Just as you described, you’re being too coy.

Ji-in: But it’s really true…

B: Is it that you’re so handsome that it was actually harder to find true love? Like poverty amidst plenty? You’re starting to sound more annoying.

Ji-in: I think the standard or definition of a first love differs from person to person… but if I had to pick the experience that came closest…

B: See, you do have one. Why were you trying to hide it when you have one?

Ji-in: (Laughs) It’s not like we dated or anything; we just spent a few days together. We probably met three times? Four? I wasn’t sure if it fit the ‘proper, real first love’ you mentioned earlier.

B: To think it ended after just a few days. Did one of you move away or go study abroad?

Ji-in: Something like that. That friend had just come to where I live for a short trip…

B: A love story between a traveler and a local. That sounds quite romantic. Were you passive toward that person, just like Choi Seung-hyun?

Ji-in: Because that person was someone who had to leave in a few days. So I think I tried hard not to give my heart away.

B: Since they were leaving in a few days, you could have thought about just enjoying it passionately.

Ji-in: (Laughs) I’m not that kind of bold personality.

B: In , the male and female leads, who were each other’s first loves, constantly long for one another. Do you also long for your first love?

Ji-in: Rather than longing, it’s more like I think of them occasionally. I tend to give up quickly on things that have no possibility. Because longing for them doesn’t change anything. In the beginning, I think there was a part of me that tried to forget quickly.

B: I think I know that feeling. Because remembering it vividly only makes it more painful.

Ji-in: Exactly. I’m a coward, just like Choi Seung-hyun. Since it was so long ago, it’s become very blurred now even without trying. Still, the emotions of that time remain vivid. In the end, I think that’s what’s important.

B: What kind of person do you think that partner has become now?

Ji-in: I wonder. Probably still a person of few words, shy… and someone who blushes in front of the person they like, remaining pure just as they were? They were a friend who couldn’t even make proper eye contact with me.

B: Fresh and tingling—that sounds like a proper, real first love to me. What meaning does first love hold for you now?

Ji-in: Not all time that has passed becomes a memory. Some things are regrettable enough that you want to forget them, and some things get buried without even remaining in your memory. Only the good things among the past can be distinguished as memories, so I think the fact that it became a memory in itself is special. So, for me, what happened then is probably a memory.

B: I empathize, but… it’s also a bit lonely to limit it to a memory, as something from the past.

Ji-in: (Laughs) I want to get rid of this attitude too, but it’s not easy.

B: No, actually, it’s because it’s such an extremely realistic attitude that I empathize more. Now then, let’s change the mood a bit… shall we move on to some more interesting questions? As soon as it was announced that your photo shoot schedule was set, the fans on the Beginning board posted so many questions… (omitted)…

From an interview between magazine Beginning and actor Jeong Ji-in, Month XX, 20XX.