Chapter 60

However, the current episode of "Infinite Challenge," which is expected to air in three weeks, has already gathered a lot of popularity.

And Yoon Hyun finally joined the long-prepared "IRIS" production team, starting his journey in his second TV drama.

Just as the wave of "Not So Simple" stirred by Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae-hee had not yet subsided, t-ara's debut song "Lie" MV was officially released online.

Strangely, Yoon Hyun, who had never been involved in any scandal despite appearing closely with Kim Tae-hee, the so-called first natural beauty of Korea, and being photographed in various playful scenes, was hit by a scandal on the fourth day after the MV was released.

The cause was that a fan familiar with Yoon Hyun found four girls who had a particularly close relationship with him in this MV.

Then this news began to spread. In his fan café, the fans, who were used to joking with their idol, started to let their imaginations run wild, just like the stage kiss incident of Girls' Generation, with various CP stories, M stories, and even gender-bending yuri stories... flooding the internet.

Originally, this was nothing, but one fan got too excited and thought his writing was really good, so he posted a M fanfiction he wrote outside the café...

Then, this article was published by a small reporter under the name of "Special Report by Stalker Fans."

Then it exploded.

Although most people would smile and not take it seriously when they saw such things,

For a newly debuted girl group and their official debut stage, this was a matter of great concern.

Then, the girls, feeling a bit depressed, had a hearty meal of Korean barbecue with Yoon Hyun...

Yoon Hyun also thought of the fat guy who used to hide from women with him in the toilet many years ago...

But at the debut stage on the weekend, Yoon Hyun still took a special leave from the production team and appeared to cheer for them.

It must be said that this song "Lie," in terms of song quality and the dance choreography by Yoon Hyun's sister Yoon Ji-hye, although not as good as 2NE1's debut song "Fire," was not inferior to Girls' Generation's debut song "Into the New World," and even in terms of catchiness, it was slightly better. Plus, with the topics gathered from the previous "Cute Song" and the MV shot by Yoon Hyun, t-ara's debut could be considered quite successful.

Of course, if we don't consider their singing skills...

Then Yoon Hyun became even more concerned about IU's debut, what kind of song was that...

Although the little girl's official fan count had already far surpassed Yoon Hyun's...

No wonder LOEN, with such a good platform as Melon, still only had himself and IU as their main artists, it was justified!

At the debut celebration party that night, Lee Gwi-ri, who usually didn't express her emotions much, cried her eyes out, and the other members, Jeon Bo-ram and Park Soo-yeon, were not much better. Even the relatively younger Park Hyo-min was in tears. Only the carefree Park Ji-yoon, who had already drunk herself into a stupor... although minors were not allowed to drink, no one knew where she got the alcohol from...

On such a joyous day, let's not be too picky!

With the blessing of the six girls... well, sisters, Yoon Hyun returned to the "IRIS" production team.

In this production team, Yoon Hyun finally realized why so many people in Korea, especially singers, were eager to become actors.

Compared to the idol singers who lived a hard life every day, these actors, especially the big-name actors, lived a life that was like heaven!

In this production, except for TOP from Big Bang, who joined as an idol at the last moment, the other main actors were all truly big-name actors.

Not to mention the at least three cars and various staff that accompanied them to the set, there were even three dedicated makeup artists who would touch up the actors' makeup and styling during breaks...

In contrast, Yoon Hyun, who came to the production team with just a backpack, was really...

Although LOEN had communicated with Yoon Hyun several times about assigning him a manager to handle his personal schedule, Yoon Hyun only occasionally bothered the makeup artist Jeong Mi-sun, and rarely troubled anyone else at LOEN.

So, Yoon Hyun, who was alone, became the most unique existence in the "IRIS" production team.

Originally, his "unconventional" behavior had sparked some dissatisfaction from a few seniors, but after acting in a few scenes with him, these people, who usually evaluated other actors based on their acting skills, no longer had much to say about Yoon Hyun's approach.

In the eyes of these veteran actors, Yoon Hyun had already brought the character Chen Siyu, who had a heavy symbolic and mask-like nature, to life through a few scenes.

For such a young man with such talent, any senior would be very cautious about their attitude.

Moreover, apart from his somewhat different lifestyle, Yoon Hyun's always humble smile earned him good evaluations from everyone.

As the plot unfolded, Yoon Hyun's performance gradually improved.

Unlike the male protagonist Kim Hyun-joon played by Lee Byung-hun, the antagonist Chen Siyu played by Yoon Hyun did not have much emphasis in the script. He was positioned as the second male lead because of the many interactions with the male and female leads. In Yoon Hyun's words, he was a muddled troublemaker. Even the third male lead, Park Jeong-ryong played by Kim Sung-woo, had a more distinct personality and characteristics in the script.

But precisely because of this, the character had more room for development.

For example, whether the character's personality was gentle or strong, whether his attitude was positive or negative, and whether he was friendly or cold to others... none of these would have any substantial impact on the script's direction or the story's development.

Such a character would be a nightmare for a new actor.

From the script, you couldn't find any information that would guide your performance. It only told you that this was a pitiful person who carried out his superior's orders and was tied to the traitor's ship, and in the end, he sacrificed his life for friendship or perhaps love.

You could perform this character in any way, and it would logically make sense, as long as you maintained a consistent understanding of the character throughout, you would have a qualified, and even a standout performance.

But to bring this character to life was really difficult. Because to enrich all the details of the character, the actor had to think and grasp them on their own.

However, this was exactly what Yoon Hyun liked.

After the training from "Chaser," Yoon Hyun actually had some insights into film and TV acting.

Especially for characters like Chen Siyu, who had a destiny but no clear outline, and could be performed in any way as long as the logic was consistent.

Maintaining logical consistency and reasonableness was precisely what Yoon Hyun, a lecturer in philosophy at Seoul University, was best at.

After analyzing the character, Yoon Hyun keenly grasped the scriptwriter's mindset in positioning this character, a mindset that permeated the entire drama, all the way to the end.

It was a recognition of a tragic hero's fate, or a transformation of fatalism.

Such a drama, no matter how joyful, would inevitably carry a hint of melancholy.

Especially since this was a TV drama involving sensitive topics such as politics and national security.

Steady and grand. It had to convey positive energy in the big picture, while also having a critical and reflective gaze in the details and parts. Even in lively and warm moments, there had to be a touch of melancholy.

In simple terms, it was a Koreanized American TV drama.

With Chen Siyu's role in the drama as a connecting and bridging character, Yoon Hyun's performance deeply influenced the overall atmosphere of the drama.

Kim Tae-hee, who was often criticized for her acting being too superficial and relying on her looks, played with 200% of her strength in this drama, no longer just a pretty girl telling a warm love story. Kim Soo-yeon, on the other hand, completely transformed into a cool and melancholic female assassin, with a vibe similar to Tony Leung.

The only ones not influenced by Yoon Hyun were Lee Byung-hun and Kim Sung-woo.

Unlike Yoon Hyun, who brought a steady and melancholic atmosphere to the production team, Lee Byung-hun's performance was very sincere, and in contrast, it highlighted the characteristics of the main characters in American superhero dramas: ordinary people, great heroes.

Kim Sung-woo, on the other hand, was thoroughly cold, without any hint of melancholy.

This contrast and conflict brought unparalleled effects to the TV drama.

Most directly, before the shooting was halfway through, Lee Byung-hun had already had a very intense acting scene with the other two. The performance was so impressive that the entire set applauded, and the scriptwriter, who found that it deviated from the original plan, decided to modify the script to accommodate the performance...

The meaningful interaction between Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae-hee was also incorporated into the drama.

The director, after a scene between Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae-hee, remarked that if he didn't know their 10-year age difference, he would have suspected they were long-time lovers...

Inspired by this, the scriptwriter, who had already made so many changes, added a kissing scene for the two... which had to be shot using a substitute method because the scene took too long to shoot. They laughed off the scene nearly 40 times...

Especially Kim Tae-hee, who didn't improve even after drinking. She explained that it always felt like a conflict of interest, and Yoon Hyun explained it more clearly: "Rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows."

Regardless, after a year and a half, Yoon Hyun once again tasted the joy of acting.

While Yoon Hyun was shooting "IRIS," many other things happened.

First, riding the wave of the "Infinite Challenge" music festival, Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae-hee appeared together on MBC's Music Center special stage, performing a live version of "Not So Simple." Their performance, where they seemed like intimate friends confiding in each other, was well-received by the audience. Compared to the increasingly lavish and lively stages, this performance brought the audience back to the essence of music and earned many tears.

Second, KBS, seeing Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae-hee's performance, for the purpose of promoting the new drama "IRIS" or for other reasons, also arranged a stage for them on their music program, Music Bank.

This stage coincided with the release and return of Girls' Generation's new album "GENIS," which had swept the charts in the first half of the year.

Then, Yoon Hyun truly faced off against his former idols, now his younger sisters.

In the end, the girls, who were determined to avenge their "Yoon Hyun OPPA" after being depressed by his senior attitude backstage, tried their best to charm the audience with "Tell me your wish!" but still lost to the stage performance by Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae-hee.

Yoon Hyun once again mysteriously won the first place...

Although the girls pouted and congratulated Yoon Hyun afterward, they harbored a grudge for many years...

During this period, Yoon Hyun also participated in several "Infinite Challenge" specials, which added many different flavors to his life.

Time passed, and it was now October.

As the shooting progressed halfway, "IRIS" was finally set to air on KBS.