Chapter 37. Spring Lovers - Press Preview (1)

"Yes, in this film, Ji Woo Hyuk is a young man suffering from PTSD who wants to heal his worn-out heart while working as a firefighter."

The moderator, as if prepared, chimed in in response to Director Kim Han Soo's answer.

"That's right. Recently, foreign content has been addressing the PTSD of deployed soldiers, and this work deals with the heroes around us, the firefighters. I'm looking forward to it."

The moderator turned his gaze back to Ryu Yeon Woo and spoke.

"The hot actor everyone's talking about, Mr. Ryu Yeon Woo. It's really nice to meet you like this."

"Hehe. Nice to meet you."

Today's schedule was a gathering of veteran actors who usually give dry, uninteresting interviews, so Kim Young Hwan's eyes lit up as he looked at Yeon Woo.

"It's impossible not to talk about the recent college entrance exam, but before that, after watching the movie introduction video, I had a different question that came to mind first."

"Yes, I'll answer with all my heart."

Yeon Woo, smiling, looked at Kim Young Hwan.

"Hehehe. It feels like a hearing. After watching the video, I felt that the chemistry between Mr. Ryu Yeon Woo and Mr. Kang Joo Won was seamless. What kind of effort or expertise did you put into it?"

As a veteran who has conducted countless press conferences, Kim Young Hwan pinpointed the core of the introduction video.

"Yes, for this part, I followed the advice of my acting mentor, actor Jeong Chul Min, and put in a lot of effort."

Yeon Woo, mentioning Jeong Chul Min, expressed his gratitude.

"I binge-watched Mr. Kang Joo Won's filmography and tried to emulate his characteristics."

Kang Joo Won's eyes lit up at Yeon Woo's answer.

The moderator, Kim Young Hwan, who had found a topic to discuss, also had a gleam in his eye.

"Mr. Kang Joo Won, do you usually help Mr. Ryu Yeon Woo on set?"

"No, actually, I met him for the first time in the waiting room today. The student role and the adult role playing the same character rarely meet."

The moderator turned back to Yeon Woo and asked.

"So, you really analyzed and practiced just by watching the screen."

Kim Young Hwan, having found a good angle, smiled and continued.

"Then, could we see Mr. Ryu Yeon Woo mimic Mr. Kang Joo Won's acting?"

Yeon Woo, looking a bit awkward at the sudden request, smiled and then stood up.

Wow!

The actors and directors sitting next to him responded with small cheers, impressed by Yeon Woo's initiative.

"I'm not sure if I can do justice to Mr. Kang Joo Won's acting, but I'll give it a try. 'Spring Lovers,' let's do our best!"

Ha ha ha.

The journalists and attendees laughed at Yeon Woo's spirited cheer.

"Then, I'll try a scene from Mr. Kang Joo Won's 'Joseon Manipulation Team.'"

Yeon Woo bowed to Joo Won, who was sitting behind him.

Joo Won also smiled and nodded at Yeon Woo.

"How can a woman be so full of sorrow? The unfulfilled bond from a past life is making you fall into the poison of sorrow."

Yeon Woo, as if possessed by Kang Joo Won, recited the lines in a poetic rhythm, perfectly recreating the scene from the movie.

Then, with a sly smile, he delivered the final line in Kang Joo Won's characteristic slow tone.

"How... can I relieve your sorrow just once?"

Kang Joo Won's role in 'Joseon Manipulation Team' was Lee Hyun, a handsome playboy who charmed the women of the capital.

Clap, clap, clap.

The audience and Kang Joo Won applauded at the perfect reenactment, and Han Ye Jin, sitting next to him, let out a small scream and repeatedly hit Kang Joo Won's arm.

"Oh my, it's exactly like Mr. Kang!"

Han Ye Jin, hitting Kang Joo Won, pointed at Yeon Woo.

"It hurts. Ye Jin."

Kang Joo Won, feeling a strange sensation at being imitated, smiled awkwardly.

The moderator, praising Yeon Woo's impeccable acting, then asked questions to the other actors.

After asking questions to Kang Joo Won and Han Ye Jin, he turned to Jung Su Yeon.

Earlier, Han Ye Jin had mentioned her friendship with Yeon Woo and Su Yeon, leading to a natural question about how they first became friends.

"Actually, this is only the second time we've met. We occasionally text, but I'm not sure if Yeon Woo considers us close. Oh, I do consider us close..."

Su Yeon, suddenly faced with the question, spoke with a trembling voice, somewhat rambling.

At her age, Su Yeon, who lacks social experience, was understandably nervous.

Director Kim Han Soo, seeing Su Yeon's discomfort, came to her aid.

"Su Yeon is shy, so Yeon Woo must have put in a lot of effort to become friends."

Su Yeon, her face turning red, bowed her head and spoke in a small voice into the microphone.

"No, I... I got his number first."

Ha ha ha!

The stage and audience erupted in laughter at Su Yeon's cute response.

In fact, the atmosphere had been hinting that Yeon Woo had approached Su Yeon first, which made Su Yeon feel a bit uncomfortable.

Moreover, since the press conference would be seen by Yeon Woo's fans, Su Yeon was worried that they might misunderstand and dislike Yeon Woo.

Flustered by the laughter, she continued in a rapid-fire manner.

"No, no, that's not it. He's the same age as me, and his aura on set is so cool, I wanted to be like him..."

The moderator, Kim Young Hwan, a seasoned professional, deftly changed the subject to help the flustered young actress.

"Ha ha ha. After seeing Mr. Ryu Yeon Woo's brilliant acting, I understand what Ms. Jung Su Yeon means. Let's look at the three questions selected by the audience who are looking forward to 'Spring Lovers.'"

Kim Young Hwan lifted the prepared panel as he spoke.

The latter part of the conference focused mainly on the lead actors, Kang Joo Won and Han Ye Jin.

The press conference, smoothly conducted by the moderator, ended without a hitch. Yeon Woo said goodbye to the director and actors, promising to see them at the preview, and returned to his apartment.

That evening, the press conference video and teaser were uploaded to the internet and shared with the fans through the agency, including the fan cafe Woo's.

- Wow. What? When did our actor film this movie?

- Studying and filming a movie in between, what a cheat.

- Amazing. I just watched it. The synchronization between Yeon Woo and Kang Joo Won is insane.

The reactions on the fan cafe and the comments on the publicly released press conference video were similar.

While there was a lot of content about Kang Joo Won and Han Ye Jin, given their star status, the comments about Ryu Yeon Woo were also numerous.

- Ryu Yeon Woo really speaks well and his acting is amazing.

- The check suit is insane... Perfect physique and outfit! Looking forward to the release next month.

- Why are the comments so artificial? Did they already hire shills?

└ Sir, watch the video. This is a normal reaction. You're the one who's abnormal.

- 34:59 ~ Ryu Yeon Woo imitating Kang Joo Won's voice

└ Thanks for the timestamp.

After browsing the comments, Yeon Woo called his father.

- Oh, our son, Mr. Ryu. What brings you to call?

Yeon Woo, thinking he should contact his father more often, began to speak.

"Ha ha ha, what are you doing, Dad?"

- I just got off work and was thinking of having a drink with some friends. What about you, Mr. Ryu?

Ryu Chul Woong, wanting to boast about his son to his friends, deliberately called him "Mr. Ryu."

"I finished the press conference today and came back to my accommodation. I was wondering, are you free on the 13th? It's a Sunday. I want to invite our family to the preview."

- Hmm? A preview? Of course, we'll go, Mr. Ryu.

Yeon Woo, finding his father's deliberate emphasis on "preview" cute, continued.

"Father, I'll call Mother and So Hyun separately."

- Okay, take care of yourself and eat on time.

"Sure, don't drink too much and come home early."

After hanging up with his father, Yeon Woo called his mother and younger sister So Hyun in turn. He recalled the organizer's words that they could invite about ten friends each for the press and VIP preview.

"Hmm..."

Yeon Woo stroked his chin for a moment and then picked up his smartphone.

"Hey, Jun Su."

***

On the morning of the 13th, Yeon Woo's family dressed in their best clothes and got into Chul Woong's car, heading to Seoul.

"Hehe, even though my part is small as a cameo, it feels different going to a preview to see my son."

"Our Mr. Ryu is in Director Park Chan Hong's movie, and he's the lead. Let's think of this as a rehearsal. Hehe."

Hearing the continuous laughter from the front seats, So Hyun, sitting in the back, smiled.

"Our parents' mouths are so wide they won't close."

Not only Yeon Woo's family, but Jun Su, sitting on the KTX heading to Seoul, was even more excited.

"Man, are you that happy?"

"We're adults now, do you understand the heart of a man going to win love?"

Although the year had changed, Jun Su and Sung Sik, who had not yet had their high school graduation ceremony, were now 20 years old and adults.

Sung Sik, looking at Jun Su, shook his head.

"You don't understand love yet. Kid."

"What? Do you?"

Having had quite a few relationships during his school days, Woo Sung Sik shrugged at Jun Su's talk about true love.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?"

Jun Su, who had only had a one-sided crush on Hong Yoo Ri since high school, had never kissed anyone.

Seeing Jun Su's silence, Sung Sik gloated.

"Yes, you're a kid. You can't say anything. King of the losers..."

"Shut up."

Sung Sik, seeing Jun Su's clenched teeth, took a step back.

The KTX arrived at Seoul Station.

"Sung Sik, let's meet at the cinema. I'm going to catch some love."

"Sure, man. Good luck. Bow to Yeon Woo later."

Yeon Woo had given two of the remaining tickets to Jun Su, encouraging him to do his best.

The remaining ticket, of course, was for Hong Yoo Ri.

Although Yeon Woo's help was 100% responsible, it was Jun Su's first date, and he felt both elated and nervous as he walked towards the subway entrance.