Chapter 87: The Yeyo War

"No way! That's a disaster waiting to happen!"

Yeonwoo had planned to attend casually, but thanks to stylist Lee Ye-eun's firm opposition, she ended up getting her makeup done and changing clothes in the car on the way to the wrap party.

"Yeonwoo, it's a meat restaurant. Your clothes will smell."

"Aww, Yeonwoo. Sponsors would line up to thank you even if you burned your clothes to ashes?"

As Ye-eun pulled out different outfits, looking at Yeonwoo, who didn't seem to fully grasp her current status in Korea, she said, "Here, let's go with this one."

Yeonwoo chuckled as Ye-eun quickly stripped off her T-shirt and handed her another shirt.

"I still remember the first time I saw you change clothes in the car, your face turned red and you turned away."

"Wh-what? When did I ever do that?!"

Then, Min-soo's voice came from the front seat, accompanied by laughter.

"I remember it clearly too. Your face was as red as a tomato."

"Bro Min-soo, that's not true. Don't look back while driving."

"But it's a red light?"

Seeing the two bickering playfully, a smile spread across Yeonwoo's face.

"You two look good together."

"Huh?"

"What, what are you talking about?!"

As Yeonwoo watched the two awkwardly flustered by her comment, she thought it felt like spring had come before winter even arrived.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant in Yeouido, which had been booked for the wrap party, the parking lot was crowded with fans and reporters.

The crowd seemed twice as large as it was for the wrap party of "Summer's Closet."

"Seems like you were right, Ye-eun. I'm glad we styled her."

"Ye-eun, you stay in the car. I'll go out first, open the door, and guide you to the entrance."

As Min-soo got out of the car, the crowd of reporters and fans raised their cameras, ready to capture the moment.

The tension was palpable, like athletes at the starting line of a 100-meter dash.

Zing—

The car door opened, and as Yeonwoo stepped out, a flurry of camera flashes erupted.

Wow!

"Look this way, please."

"Look over here, please!"

Yeonwoo walked to the makeshift photo zone marked with blue tape on the parking lot floor, smiling and waving to the surrounding reporters and fans.

"Wow, this is incredible. It's like the screen can't capture the real thing. This is huge."

"Is there an entertainer hotter than Ryu Yeonwoo this year? Her movie and drama are both huge hits."

Amid the cheers, reporters chatted while taking photos of Ryu Yeonwoo.

"Miss, let's go inside now."

"Sure, Bro Min-soo."

After bowing to the fans and reporters who had waited, Yeonwoo followed Min-soo into the restaurant.

"Ah, the star has arrived."

It seemed they had arrived later than expected, as many people were already inside the restaurant.

The camera director, who had run around in the scorching summer heat, drenched in sweat. The lighting team, who had endured countless bugs flying towards the lights. And many other staff members.

Yeonwoo bowed to the familiar faces.

"Thank you all for your hard work. I appreciate everyone's efforts in making this a great project."

"Hey, are you giving a toast already? We haven't even filled our glasses yet."

Director Lee Sang-hoon's joke made the staff laugh.

"Yeonwoo! Over here!"

Seo Ji-eun, sitting in a corner, waved, and Jin Yohan, sitting opposite her, smiled at Yeonwoo.

"Everyone came so early? I thought I had plenty of time."

As Yeonwoo sat down, Jin Yohan chuckled.

"Everyone's free and just wanted to chat early."

Then, Seo Ji-eun, who had been fidgeting, pulled out a wrapped gift box from her bag and handed it to Yeonwoo.

"Here, take this!"

After saving her twice, Seo Ji-eun had spent a long time thinking about what to get as a gift.

"Is this for me?"

Yeonwoo took the gift and unwrapped it right there.

Inside was a brown, sleekly designed luxury leather wallet.

"I thought a lot about it. I saw your old wallet at the set and it was worn out..."

Yeonwoo, who had been using the same wallet since her student days, laughed and immediately transferred her cards and ID to the new wallet.

"Thank you. I'll use it for a long time."

"Hehe, do you like the design?"

"Yeah, it's simple and just my style."

At that moment, Jin Yohan looked at Seo Ji-eun with a playful smile.

"What about me?"

"Huh?"

"Do I not get a gift?"

Of course, everyone knew about the stalker incident, and Seo Ji-eun knew Jin Yohan was joking.

But his playful behavior, which was out of character, left her speechless.

"Um, maybe later when the opportunity comes..."

"It's a joke."

Yeonwoo chuckled at Jin Yohan's playful demeanor. It seemed he had changed a bit since their trip with friends.

"Ji-eun and Yohan, what are you planning to do after the wrap party? Any new schedules?"

Both looked at Yeonwoo.

Jin Yohan spoke first.

"I have a musical I've been preparing for, so I'll probably be doing that."

"Musical? That's surprising. I love musicals and plays. Invite me to the premiere."

Jin Yohan nodded and asked Yeonwoo.

"Or, do you want to do a musical together sometime?"

"Uh?"

A musical, it would be great if she could, but...

If this conversation had happened during their trip to the villa, friends like Woo Sung-sik and Kim Jun-soo would have rolled on the ground laughing, knowing Yeonwoo's singing skills.

"Hmm, I'll just enjoy watching. Ji-eun?"

"Um, I haven't decided yet. I have a variety show offer, but I'm still considering it."

Seeing Seo Ji-eun's resilient, candy-like personality, Yeonwoo thought she might actually be a good fit for variety shows. However, thinking about the recent incident and the small size of her agency, Yeonwoo was concerned about how they would handle potential future issues.

"Ji-eun, do you have a strong relationship with your agency?"

"Huh? Not really. I just accepted the contract offer when I got cast for my first project. It's time for a re-signing soon."

Initially, she had signed a five-year contract, but after her debut at eighteen and a failed second project, she had been on a two-year hiatus, so there wasn't much of a relationship with the agency.

Watching Seo Ji-eun, Yeonwoo stroked her chin in thought.

'Maybe I should suggest something to the agency. I felt it while acting together, but she's definitely an actor with potential for growth.'

She was grateful to Kim Joo-sung, who had provided her with many opportunities, and believed that with proper support, Seo Ji-eun had a lot of potential to grow.

However, she didn't want to overstep, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

At that moment, a staff member pointed to the TV and raised their voice.

"Our drama's final episode is starting now."

Wow!

Historical dramas are inherently more challenging than modern dramas, and the staff and cast who had overcome these challenges together felt a sense of camaraderie as they cheered for the grand finale.

"Finally, we can see the end of our drama."

Yeonwoo recalled the first scene she had shot, where she had raced alone on a sandy beach under the scorching sun.

Only Director Lee Sang-hoon, a few staff members, and Yeonwoo herself knew how the final scene had been shot.

In fact, Yeonwoo was curious about how it would look, having only seen the raw footage before editing.

The drama began.

"Your Majesty, I humbly suggest that we cede the land north of Seogyeong (西京) and seek peace. Please consider the ongoing turmoil and the suffering of our people."

Seo Hee, now with wrinkles, shook his head at the court officials advocating for surrender.

"Your Majesty, this is Seo Hee speaking."

"Go ahead, Seo Hee."

The 6th King of Goryeo, King Seongjong, nodded for Seo Hee to speak.

"General Sosun-nyeong, who commands the enemy forces, has been idle after attacking Bongsan. This is clearly a bluff."

King Seongjong pondered the two sides' arguments.

Then, other officials spoke up, opposing Seo Hee's stance.

"Your Excellency, if the enemy truly has an army of 800,000, how can you suggest such a thing?"

Seo Hee looked straight at the opposing officials with a firm gaze.

"Taking one step back will eventually lead to taking a thousand steps back. Based on the intelligence, it is impossible for the enemy to have 800,000 troops in the south."

"How can you be so certain?"

At that moment, a eunuch announced the arrival of another official.

"Minister of Justice, Yi Jibae, has arrived."

Yi Jibae, who had been sent as an envoy to Song for several years, had returned to Kaesong upon hearing of the turmoil and entered the palace.

Appearing at the perfect moment to save Seo Hee, who had been surrounded by officials advocating for surrender, Yi Jibae's entrance was met with cheers in the meat restaurant.

"Wow."

Yi Jibae, hearing the cheers, smiled and stopped grilling meat.

"Your Majesty, this is Yi Jibae speaking."

"Oh, it's you. Minister of Justice."

Yi Jibae raised his voice, addressing the court officials.

"The cries for surrender to the enemy are so loud they can be heard outside the palace. Since the founding of our kingdom by Taejo, we have never given our land to the enemy. It is heartbreaking to see such a suggestion. I fully support Seo Hee's stance."

The passionate speech left the restaurant in silence.

"Writer, is this based on historical events?"

Seo Ji-eun asked the writer, Kim Jin-ju, who was sitting next to her. Everyone was curious and focused on the answer.

"No, Ji-eun. In historical records, Yi Jibae is only mentioned as the only person who supported Seo Hee's stance against surrender."

There is little information about his relationship with Seo Hee or his life. Yi Jibae is a fictional character created to support Seo Hee, but he is based on the only historical figure who supported Seo Hee.

The staff nodded and turned their attention back to the TV, listening to the writer's explanation.