Chapter 66

On September 1st, the day Busan Gyeongnam Middle School opened, the crew of the movie "Friend" was also taking advantage of this perfect opportunity to film on location.

Lee Jung-hee was also at the scene, surrounded by over twenty enthusiastic fans of "My Sassy Girl."

Over the course of a week, through constant bombardment with stills, side stories, and interactive quizzes, the fans of "My Sassy Girl" finally unleashed a tremendous amount of energy. They swept through the entire internet as if they were on a high, and this wasn't just in Korea but also across Asia, the United States, and other places, causing a stir.

This was something even Lee Jung-hee himself hadn't expected, but considering the later popularity of "My Sassy Girl" in Asia, it wasn't too surprising.

As for the appearance of these twenty-plus fans, it was something he had suddenly thought of before coming to Busan the day before, and he casually asked about it.

Unexpectedly, there were two girls from Gyeongnam Middle School, Kim Eun-ju and Park Sun-ae, who were now pulling Lee Jung-hee around, pointing out various spots on the campus.

"That's the cafeteria, and next to it is the lab building. And this is where we have our classes," Kim Eun-ju pointed to the teaching building in front of them, then pointed to the adjacent building, pouting and whispering, "This is where those annoying teachers stay...!" which made everyone laugh.

Kim Eun-ju was tall and had a pretty face, while Park Sun-ae was a chubby, rather cute girl. She was particularly excited to meet Lee Jung-hee and hadn't calmed down yet, still looking at him and saying, "You're only two years older than me, and you've already finished your Ph.D.! Oh my God, I can't believe it!"

The others all had a similar feeling, while the dance major beauty, Lee So-e, who had come from Seoul, was looking at the distance where Jang Dong-gun was talking to the director, her eyes sparkling. She then suddenly tugged at Lee Jung-hee's sleeve, "Hey, oppa, can you get me Jang Dong-gun's autograph?"

At this, many of the girls around her eyes lit up, including Kim Eun-ju.

Seeing their expectant faces, Lee Jung-hee smiled and said with a feigned sigh, "Please, you say you came to see me, but now you want me to get autographs for you from others. That's really hurting my pride!"

"Exactly, I can't stand this!" Lee Geon-min, who had come from Incheon, looked indignant, but he was clearly teasing Lee Jung-hee, so everyone laughed again.

After they had their fill of laughter, Lee Jung-hee turned serious and said, "Not now, during filming, the crew is not allowed to ask for autographs or take photos with the stars." Seeing a few disappointed faces, he smiled and added, "But I can try to help you privately, though I can't guarantee success!"

"Yay!" Lee So-e was the first to jump up excitedly, then grabbed Lee Jung-hee's hand and said with a grin, "Don't worry, oppa, you'll always be my favorite...!"

"Tsk!" Park Sun-ae and the others gave her a look of extreme disdain, and everyone laughed again, the atmosphere very warm and relaxed.

At this moment, Lee Jung-hee saw Guo Jingze waving at him, so he waved back, "I'll go talk to the director first, wait for me a moment..."

The filming of "Friend" started on August 20th, and by now, they had finished all the scenes of the four main characters as children. The current scene being filmed was from their middle school days, the first appearance of the adult characters, including Jang Dong-gun.

This scene wasn't difficult, just a bit crowded, and all that was needed was to arrange the students so they didn't wander around. Therefore, Guo Jingze was quite relaxed. When Lee Jung-hee approached, he smiled and said, "I heard you're doing well as an actor. If I had known, I would have let you play a role in our movie, even the lead...!"

"Really!" Lee Jung-hee laughed and joked, "It's not too late. If you want, I can kick Liu Wuxing out and take his place!"

Guo Jingze laughed heartily, then patted his shoulder and shrugged, "Well, I'm really surprised by your acting skills," then lowered his voice and said in his ear, "After all, you have your own company and are a boss..."

Yes, how many bosses would be willing to put themselves out there and be judged by others!

Lee Jung-hee smiled at Guo Jingze, understanding his meaning but not saying more. Seeing him curiously looking at Kim Eun-ju and the others, he changed the subject, "What, are you interested in them?"

Guo Jingze laughed and shook his head, "No, I'm just curious who they are and what you're doing with them."

There was no need to hide it, so Lee Jung-hee smiled and said, "You know 'My Sassy Girl,' right? These are the fans of the serialized story. Today is our first meeting!"

Then he had a sudden idea and added, "Well, I have an idea. The first scene needs extras, so why don't they do it?"

Using familiar people as extras is best because they are obedient and easy to manage, and won't cause any trouble. Guo Jingze understood his meaning and immediately nodded, "Of course, that's great!" Then he went to call the assistant director, while Lee Jung-hee waved to Park Sun-ae and the others.

Lee So-e was the first to run up, then said with a grin, "Oppa, what good news? Can we take photos with Jang Dong-gun?"

Guo Jingze laughed, and Lee Jung-hee playfully tapped her head, then introduced Guo Jingze to them, "This is Director Guo," and then explained, "I told Director Guo that I'll let you make a cameo in the movie!"

As they cheered, he made a shushing gesture, and they were quite obedient, which pleased him. Then he continued, "It's just a cameo, so don't go chatting with Jang Dong-gun. Remember to listen to the director on set. If you get scolded or hit, I won't be responsible. So, if you don't want to, you can opt out. Got it?"

"Got it, got it!" they all cheered.

They're just kids! Lee Jung-hee thought to himself, then had them go to the costume designer to change into 1970s Korean high school uniforms, while he waved to Zhang Dongguo, who was walking over.

Zhang Dongguo had brought Song Ji-hyo to the shoot, but Song Ji-hyo wasn't playing the most outstanding supporting role, Jin-sook, in "Friend." Instead, she was a minor character with one line in the Rainbow band.

This was because her acting skills weren't good enough, but she was already very satisfied to be in the movie.

However, she still had a sour expression towards Lee Jung-hee, even ignoring him when he greeted her again.

Therefore, Zhang Dongguo still teased the somewhat helpless Lee Jung-hee, "I really suspect you did something unhealthy to her...!"

Lee Jung-hee was speechless. He only learned the reason from Zhang Dongguo, and when he heard it, he could only laugh bitterly, but this incident taught him a lesson—women's stubbornness and prejudice can be terrifying.

Soon, Park Sun-ae and the others came out in the 1970s Korean high school uniforms. Kim Eun-ju playfully ran to Lee Jung-hee and said in a sweet voice, "How do I look, oppa? Pretty, right!"

She then twirled around, pulling up her skirt to her thighs, and winked at him, "See, my legs are so long, that's what I'm most proud of. Do you like them?"

Before Lee Jung-hee could respond, Lee So-e pouted, "Tsk, my legs are much prettier than yours!" and then did the same action, pulling up her skirt. As a dance major, her legs weren't as long as Kim Eun-ju's, but the lines were definitely better.

"Stop it!" Lee Jung-hee was both amused and exasperated, "I'm not trying to discourage you, but I've seen legs that are much prettier than yours!" This was true, as Alice's legs were simply the best of the best.

But Kim Eun-ju immediately asked, "Really? Is it Min-hee-sshi? Wow, her legs are so long!"

While Lee So-e stared at Lee Jung-hee and touched her chin, "Wait, is Min-hee your older sister? Otherwise, I should call her my younger sister!"

Enough! Lee Jung-hee was about to go crazy, so he quickly waved to the others who were about to join in, "Alright, this isn't a leg contest. If you want to be in the movie, follow me!"

With that, he managed to calm them down, but only temporarily. During the filming, they eventually showed their true colors.

The first scene of the four main characters as adults in "Friend" was a simple shot of them walking to school at the school gate. In this scene, only Jung Yun-jae had a few lines, while the most important part was the positioning of the students.

Therefore, after careful arrangements and instructions by Guo Jingze, Lee Jung-hee, and the on-set director, the first scene began with Guo Jingze's command.

In the shot, the interplay of light and shadow, Jang Dong-gun and the others walked through the crowd of students. Under the rising sun, their shadows were particularly long, and Jung Yun-jae said, "Man, I feel like a big fool...!"

This scene, which should have been full of youthful joy, was made to feel somewhat oppressive and dark by Jung Yun-jae's lines and the camera angles used.

This was the tone of the entire film, with the interplay of light and shadow from the beginning. For example, the sunlight shining through the clouds on the road, the sunlight outside and the dimness inside the house where the main character, Won-rye, was eating, and the opening day of school, where the sky was bright but the shadows in the shot were particularly long, such as the shadows of trees and people.

All of this was even more evident in the black and white film, representing the good and evil, the right and wrong, that the film aimed to convey.

"Cut!" As Jang Dong-gun and the others walked to the front, Guo Jingze suddenly called a stop.

Before he could speak, Lee Jung-hee said to Park Sun-ae, "I told you not to look at the camera, just walk," and then to Lee So-e, "And you, why are you always staring at Jang Dong-gun? Haven't you seen enough today?"

This made everyone laugh, including Jang Dong-gun himself, and the atmosphere on set became more relaxed. The subsequent filming went smoothly.

After finishing this scene, the next one was in the school auditorium, where the Rainbow band performed. However, this scene was no longer related to Lee Jung-hee. He took the satisfied Kim Eun-ju and the others, who had already gotten Jang Dong-gun's autograph, out of Gyeongnam Middle School to have lunch.

"Yay, today was amazing! When I get home, I'll post everything that happened today and all the photos on our club!" Lee So-e said, then grinned and added, "And I'll tell everyone that the牵牛 (cowherd) is really as silly as Min-hee-sshi said!"

"Right, we'll help you prove it...!" Kim Eun-ju was the first to cheer, and everyone laughed.

PS: A gentle request for support!

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