Chapter 81. Joining

"Bernard Penton?"

"Apparently, he first saw you when you attended the Korean Arts Awards and has been closely watching you ever since. Their casting process is a bit different from ours; they usually spend about four months conducting several auditions to see if a famous actor fits the role."

Yeonwoo nodded at Kim Joo-sung's words.

He had seen documentaries about overseas casting systems before, so he had a general idea of how they worked.

"Hmm, if I choose this project and end up filming it, it would be my first time making a name for myself overseas."

"‘Master Plan’ will also be exported to several countries after its release. Still, this will be your official launch. If you turn the page, you can see a rough outline of the details."

At Kim Joo-sung's words, Yeonwoo flipped the page to read the back.

- A noir action series where various characters from different countries come together to achieve a single goal.

"The information is really just a rough outline."

"Usually, that's how it is. If you decide to participate in the audition, they will provide more information. If you don't like it, you can withdraw at any time."

Kim Joo-sung, who had a relaxed expression, took a sip of water from the cup in front of him and continued.

"Of course, with Bernard Penton involved, it will be a blockbuster-level project and a good opportunity. However, given Yeonwoo's current status and momentum in Korea, there's no need to rush. Even if you accept, the project won't start immediately. They take their time, so the audition schedule will likely be set for early next year."

Yeonwoo nodded and pondered.

'Noir action... '

In his previous life, he didn't particularly like the noir action genre because his life was already like a noir action movie, but if he were to do it, it would be the genre he could perform best in.

'I can't avoid noir action forever, and reality and fiction are different.'

Yeonwoo nodded, having made up his mind.

"I'll give it a try. It sounds interesting."

Kim Joo-sung smiled, as if he had expected this response.

"Given Yeonwoo's language skills, I thought it would be a good opportunity. Let's proceed with that in mind."

Yeonwoo, looking at Kim Joo-sung, spoke again.

"By the way, I really appreciate your help with actress Jeong Su-yeon's situation. I wasn't sure if it was too much to ask for help with another agency's matter, even though she's not one of our agency's actors."

Yeonwoo was genuinely grateful and also hoped to get some information about Byun Hak-gyu from Kim Joo-sung.

Shaking his head, Kim Joo-sung replied, "Don't worry about it. Byun Hak-gyu, the CEO of Plus Ten, was a new recruit when I was still working in the field. The problem is his greed. He's been causing trouble since he was young... Ah, young people call this TMI, right? Haha."

Yeonwoo smiled and shook his head.

"No, it's not that."

"Regarding the Netflix project, I think it would be good for Yeonwoo to take a break and engage in other activities during the downtime, such as commercials or fan meetings. There are many things to do besides acting."

Yeonwoo nodded at his words.

"If I choose Netflix, it would be difficult to take on a large project during the preparation period. I understand, Mr. Kim."

Soon, an employee brought in the meal, and Yeonwoo finished the meeting with a friendly conversation about his recent projects.

***

The next day, after spending time with his family in Daejeon.

While exercising at home, Yeonwoo's smartphone rang.

Ding─.

- Woo Sung-shik: Yeonwoo, are you busy? Can we talk?

Seeing the message from Sung-shik, who had been busy preparing for midterms and hadn't contacted him in weeks, Yeonwoo replied.

- I can talk.

Immediately, Sung-shik called.

"Hey, Sung-shik."

- Yeonwoo, I saw the news. Congratulations on finishing filming. And good job catching that pervert.

Yeonwoo chuckled at Sung-shik's straightforward and unfiltered speech.

"You say the strangest things."

- Oh, and what are you doing this weekend?

"Weekend? I'm not sure, but I'll probably be monitoring episodes 11 and 12 of ‘Beyond the River.’ I'm at my family home now."

- Oh, then how about going to a villa with Jun-soo, Joo-hyung, and another college friend?

Yeonwoo tilted his head at Sung-shik's words.

"Joo-hyung, my college classmate?"

- We ran into each other at a joint university presentation and have become quite close since then.

"Sure, your social skills never fail, Sung-shik."

- Anyway, I failed my midterms because of you. I was watching ‘Beyond the River’ and ‘Master Plan’ and didn't have time to study.

Yeonwoo, who had taught Sung-shik during their school days, chuckled and nodded, looking at the calendar.

"You probably slacked off again. Anyway, I can go. What about Yoo-ri and Su-yeon?"

- This time, let's go as a group of guys. Yoo-ri is mad at Jun-soo for something.

"Got it. It'll be nice to hang out with friends after a long time."

- Oh, I'm already looking forward to it. Let's have a real friendship drink. Yeonwoo, melt my heart.

Click─.

"…Sung-shik, you jerk."

Yeonwoo shook his head, staring at his smartphone in disbelief, and resumed his workout.

***

Meanwhile, at the KBC1 drama department, they were checking the rerun ratings of ‘Beyond the River’ which started at 1 PM on Tuesdays.

"Ha-ha-ha. This is a huge success."

The department head, Hwang, and the scheduling staff were checking the ratings, their mouths wide open in surprise.

The ratings, which were usually around 20% of the original broadcast during the afternoon rerun, had surprisingly surpassed 40%.

"Director, at this rate, we might hit 25% this weekend?"

"Ryu Yeonwoo is a real blessing. Oh, by the way, no one was hurt in yesterday's incident, right?"

Director Lee Sang-hoon, thinking 'he sure is quick to ask,' replied to the prying Hwang and the scheduling staff.

"Yes, fortunately, both are fine."

"That's a relief. From the movie to the recent issues, everything has been going well. Ha-ha-ha."

While Director Lee Sang-hoon was happy about the rising ratings, he felt heavy-hearted about the incident that had happened during filming, as he had grown fond of the actors.

Still, he was relieved that the situation was handled well and no one was hurt, and he sighed in relief.

Meanwhile, Seo Ji-eun was sitting on the living room sofa, lost in thought.

With a blank stare, she was deeply contemplating something.

Her mother, who had finished washing the dishes in the kitchen, approached her daughter, feeling sorry for her.

Hugging her daughter tightly, her mother's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Huh? Why?"

"Our daughter must have been really scared. Just staring into space."

"No, it's not that. I'm thinking about what gift to give Yeonwoo. A wallet might be too common, right?"

"Huh?"

Her mother, surprised by the unexpected bright tone, looked at her daughter.

Then, Seo Ji-eun clenched her fists and nodded.

"Now that the culprit is caught and the issue is resolved, there's no need to be sad! Let's cheer up! Anyway, what should I buy to make him happy?"

Seeing her daughter search for a gift on her smartphone, her mother felt relieved but also bewildered by her daughter's incredibly positive mindset.

***

"What a lot of messages."

The day before he was supposed to go to the villa with his friends, Yeonwoo had dinner with his family and returned to Seoul. During the drive, he found numerous messages waiting for him.

Reading through them, he learned that they had originally planned to bring one more college friend, but that friend had backed out at the last minute.

- Kim Jun-soo: Hey, didn't you say you reserved for five people? The numbers need to match with the other team.

- Woo Sung-shik: Yeah, what a surprise. Missing out on a chance to travel with a top star.

- Kim Jun-soo: It's just Jin-gyu's fate, I guess.

'Hmm? Did they reserve a 5-on-5 futsal match?'

Yeonwoo tilted his head at the mention of matching numbers and then thought of someone, sending a message.

- Ryu Yeonwoo: Should I ask a friend I know?

- Kim Jun-soo: Oh, who is it? We're not shy, so it's fine.

- Kim Joo-hyung: Welcome.

Yeonwoo, thinking it might work, called the person.

Ring─.

- Huh? Yeonwoo, what's up?

"Ah, do you have any plans this weekend? I'm going on a trip with some friends. Do you want to come? It's all guys."

- ...Hmm. Do these friends like movies?

The person on the other end was Jin Yohan.

Sure enough, the acting enthusiast Jin Yohan asked an unexpected question.

'Do these guys like movies? Well, Joo-hyung, my college classmate, is definitely a movie buff.'

Nodding, Yeonwoo continued.

"Yes, they do. One of them is a complete movie buff."

- Okay, I'll go.

Jin Yohan, who was described by Jeong Su-yeon as a hard-to-approach wall in the acting community, surprisingly agreed without hesitation.

"Great, I'll pick you up on Saturday morning. Yohan, send me your address."

Yeonwoo ended the call with Jin Yohan and typed a message in the group chat.

- Ryu Yeonwoo: I've found another friend to come. I'll bring him with me tomorrow. Who's driving, like last time, Sung-shik?

- Woo Sung-shik: Yeah, I'll pick you up at the office. Who is this friend? A guy, right?

- Ryu Yeonwoo: Yes, a guy. What was the number thing about? Futsal?

- Kim Jun-soo: It's not just futsal. It's much more exciting. Hehe.

What exactly did they reserve?

Yeonwoo, having surprised his friends with Jin Yohan as a special guest, and the friends, with an exciting leisure activity, looked forward to the next day.

"Ji-eun must have been really scared. I'm glad you're not hurt."

"I called her, and she seemed more resilient than I thought. She's fine."

Yeonwoo picked up Jin Yohan early in the morning and returned to the office.

"He'll be here soon. Let's wait downstairs."

As Yeonwoo and Jin Yohan stretched, a van arrived with the familiar sound of a diesel engine.

Vroom─.

"Hey, Yeonwoo man."

"Doesn't suit you?"

Seeing Sung-shik imitating rappers with exaggerated hand gestures, Yeonwoo shot a sharp comment, making Sung-shik look dejected.

Jin Yohan, intrigued by Yeonwoo's casual interaction with his friends, stood next to him.

"Let me introduce you. This is Jin Yohan, who's joining us today."

"Hello."

Yeonwoo introduced Jin Yohan, who removed his hat and mask to greet them.

"Wow, I thought it might be you..."

"…Oh, wow, it's really you."