Chapter 48

48. Chaos erupted

“Wow--!”

“Amazing!”

The faces of the Myungseong High School students brightened as they came out of the opening ceremony. The area around the venue, which had been quiet before the event started, was now bustling with people.

The teams performing today were the busiest, but those performing tomorrow could enjoy the festival with a more relaxed mindset.

“Let’s take a look around the festival freely and then regroup. Sound good?”

“Yeah!”

The students cheered at Mr. Kim Jong-ho’s suggestion. The tension from the drama festival had already vanished.

“Hey, I’m hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“It hasn’t been that long since breakfast. How can you be hungry again?”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I am. Hehe.”

Hunger strikes the young. It was a beautiful time, walking with the beggar in one’s stomach.

Some students ran excitedly to the food stalls.

“Jin-hyuk, where are you going?”

“I’m just going to take a slow look around.”

Jin-hyuk liked the bustling atmosphere of the market. As he slowly walked, Do Min-woo, Min Seo-yeon, Kim Min-young, and Lee Young-jun naturally followed behind.

“...”

Jin-hyuk looked at the group, and the group looked back at him.

“Why aren’t you coming?”

“We are.”

Jin-hyuk smiled and took the lead. For some reason, memories of the school trip came to mind.

Near the venue, there were not only food stalls and game booths but also various busking performances.

“I believed you would come back~.”

Singers giving their all,

“Oh, Natasha. Your words are too cruel.”

A one-man actor giving a passionate performance,

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

And breakdancers showing off their flashy moves and techniques.

“Wow!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Before they knew it, it was lunchtime, as they enjoyed various attractions.

“What should we eat...”

As Jin-hyuk and his group happily pondered, they were moving around.

“Hey, let’s try that out.”

“What?”

“That. The punch machine.”

Do Min-woo pointed to a game booth.

“Get over 900 points, and you get a prize! Are you a man? Give it a good shot! Ah! If my sister hears, 600 points will do--.”

A friendly young man was trying to attract customers. Do Min-woo smiled confidently.

“Hey, 900 points is a piece of cake. I’ll get the prize.”

With Do Min-woo’s confident stride, the group approached the game booth.

There were already people in front of the punch machine. They seemed to be office workers who had come out for lunch.

“Go ahead, Kim Team Leader.”

“Ah, yes. Manager.”

Bang!

Ding ding ding--

The score was 790.

“Ah! Unfortunately, 790 points!”

The game booth staff made a fuss, and the manager chuckled.

“What’s so disappointing about 790 points? There’s no way to reach 900. Choi Team Leader, you try.”

Choi Team Leader stepped forward. He was more built than the manager.

Bang!

A much louder impact sound.

Ding ding ding--

840 points.

“Ah, so close!”

As people expressed their disappointment, the manager stepped forward this time. He looked older than the team leader but was much more robust.

“Young people, you’re so weak. Watch me.”

The manager confidently rolled up his sleeves.

“Manager, fighting!”

The female staff cheered, and the manager, with even more determination, stared at the punch machine.

Bang!

Ding ding ding ding--

“898 points! Ah, so close!”

The female staff sighed, and the manager, tilting his head, said,

“Hey, the machine is a bit off. They’re not giving the prize, stopping just below 900 points.”

“Ahh. No, no! We’re not cheating at all.”

The booth staff waved his hands. The manager said,

“Really? Then let me try one more time. I think I just missed it a bit.”

“Ah, yes, but the students are waiting. Let them go first, and then you can try.”

The manager looked at Jin-hyuk’s group and laughed heartily.

“Sure, sure. You guys go first.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Do Min-woo smiled and stepped forward. The manager, looking at Min-woo, Jin-hyuk, and Young-jun, laughed playfully.

“Wow. You guys are all so cute. You should do something gentle, like catching moles.”

“Haha.”

“Hey, be careful. You might hurt your wrist.”

The male staff agreed, but the female staff were silent, their gazes fixed on Jin-hyuk.

“Wow...”

As the female staff whispered in admiration,

“Huff.”

Do Min-woo took a deep breath and charged at the machine,

Bang--!

A sound like something exploding came from the punch machine. The eyes of the gathered people widened.

“Wow! 903 points! Over 900 points! Congratulations!”

“Wow!”

Do Min-woo cheered, holding the prize doll.

“Hmm. The student hit well. Maybe I did miss it a bit. Seeing a score over 900 points.”

The manager said, somewhat embarrassed. Meanwhile, Jin-hyuk stepped forward. The female staff’s eyes sparkled as they looked at him.

“Fighting!”

One of the female staff shouted “fighting” without thinking and then giggled with her colleague.

“Hmm.”

The team leader subtly glanced and gave a hint.

“Huff.”

Jin-hyuk took a short breath.

Perhaps due to Jin-hyuk’s aura, everyone held their breath and watched him.

Jin-hyuk loosened his shoulders slightly and moved his body. Suddenly, with a lightning-fast motion,

Bang--!

A sound like an explosion came from the machine.

“Mom!”

As the female staff nearby were startled, the machine’s score display started spinning wildly.

Ding ding ding ding--

The score display, which seemed to spin for an unusually long time, finally stopped.

The machine screen showed ‘000’ points.

“Hey, what’s this? It can’t be zero, right?”

The manager, still wide-eyed from the loud noise, asked.

The game booth staff, with his mouth agape, couldn’t even speak, just staring at Jin-hyuk.

“Hey, isn’t that over 999 points?”

Kim Min-young asked the surprised Do Min-woo. But the excited booth staff answered,

“Wow! I’ve never seen a score like this. It’s over 999 points. The highest score so far was 974. Wow.”

Jin-hyuk approached the amazed booth staff.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“The prize.”

“Yes? Ah! Just a moment!”

The staff hurried to the prize display and brought the doll sitting at the very top.

***

Bang!

“So close! 890 points!”

Bang!

“So close...”

While the manager, unable to believe Jin-hyuk’s score, spent his lunch break at the punch machine, Jin-hyuk’s group moved to the pre-arranged restaurant.

“Hey, Jin-hyuk. Why do I have to carry this?”

Min Seo-yeon, struggling with a doll as big as herself, asked Jin-hyuk.

Jin-hyuk replied calmly.

“Why not? It’s yours.”

“Ah, so why is it mine?”

“Min-young likes it, doesn’t she?”

Kim Min-young smiled, shaking the small doll Do Min-woo had given her.

“...”

“Why? Don’t you want it? If you don’t want it...”

Jin-hyuk reached for the bear doll hugging Seo-yeon, or rather, the bear doll being hugged by Seo-yeon. But Seo-yeon quickly turned away.

“Ah, who said I don’t want it?”

“Good. You made the right choice. It’s quite expensive.”

Jin-hyuk smiled and led the way. As Seo-yeon grumbled and adjusted the doll, Lee Young-jun approached.

“Hmm. Jin-hyuk, that guy is sometimes really cold to ladies. How can I help a bit?”

Seo-yeon glared at the joking Young-jun.

“It’s fine. I can carry it.”

Seo-yeon, unsure whether she was hugging the bear or being hugged, tightened her grip and followed Jin-hyuk.

Young-jun smiled as he watched Seo-yeon, who was struggling with the doll.

***

“Oh. It’s a disaster. Why did I mess up the most important line?”

“It’s okay. It couldn’t be helped. Let’s forget it. You worked really hard.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s enjoy some delicious chicken.”

After the first day’s performance, the Myungseong Arts High School students were having a post-show party at their accommodation.

As the students were pouring their unspent energy from the stage into chicken legs,

“Wow! Amazing!”

“What? What is it?”

“The casting for High School 2 has been announced.”

“Really?”

High School 2, a hot topic among teenagers, was especially significant for students at an arts high school.

“The male lead is Yoon Ji-joon, and the female lead is An Ye-na.”

“Well, that’s almost what we expected.”

“Yeah.”

The student, who had been looking at his phone for a while, tilted his head.

“Hey, isn’t that guy...?”

“Who, who?”

The student, who was looking at the phone together, narrowed his eyes.

“Wow!”

“Right! Right!”

“Wow! Amazing! Super amazing!”

The two students shouted to the others.

“Hey, you guys are crazy. Jin-hyuk and Seo-yeon from Myungseong High School have been cast in High School 2!”

The students, who were tearing into chicken legs with all their might, stopped.

“Who got what?”

“High School 2! Students from Myungseong High School have been cast!”

“What?!”

The students threw down their chicken legs and pulled out their phones.

“Amazing! It’s true!”

“No wonder. His aura was incredible.”

“Wow. Damn. I should take a photo with them tomorrow.”

A female student smiled confidently.

“Hehe. I already took a photo with them~.”

“Really? Show me. Let me see.”

The female student, who had taken a photo with Jin-hyuk, showed a V sign to her friends.

As the excited female student was about to post a sighting report on the High School fan cafe,

“Hey. You can’t just post a photo without permission.”

“Hehe. I got permission. Jin-hyuk said it’s fine to post on SNS.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

A female student, who had been listening, frowned.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Why are you suddenly calling him Jin-hyuk? Since when? Did you already become friends?”

“Taking a photo together makes us friends. Our Jin-hyuk.”

The female student, now humming, played with her phone.

The female student left a comment with the photo she had taken with Jin-hyuk.

– Wow, amazing! I’m at the Busan Youth Drama Festival, and one of the participants is Jin-hyuk. He’s really handsome in person, and everyone here is amazed that a regular high school has such a student. I asked for a photo, and he kindly took it. I’m really looking forward to High School 2!

– Wow, really! I live in Busan!

– I’m really curious. They’re complete newcomers, right?

– If you go to the drama festival now, can you see them?

The High School fan cafe was in an uproar.

***

“I’m sorry, but the venue is full. We can’t accommodate more audience members.”

“Hey, teacher, can we at least stand and watch?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”

Each performance could only accommodate 200 people. Those who couldn’t get tickets were pacing outside the theater.

The power of the High School fan cafe was immense. Fans from Busan gathered quickly, and even people from other regions rushed over.

Some passionate fans were even holding signs to get tickets.

– I need a ticket. It’s more important than blood.

– I want to see the play. I’m a third-year high school student. Don’t you feel sorry for me?

– I came from Seoul. Warm Busan citizens, can you spare a ticket?

The staff around the venue were amazed.

“What’s going on here? I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Is this team famous?”

“They’re Myungseong High School, the first team to reach the finals almost ever.”

“But, is it really this chaotic?”

A staff member whispered.

“I heard the lead actor in this play has something special.”

“Really?”

“The VIP tickets were sold out quickly, and many people came from Seoul.”

“Wow. That’s why. I noticed many students from other regions trying to get tickets.”

Just then,

“Squeal-!”

A scream erupted among the students.

“What, what is it?”

As the staff were confused, two people approached the desk, parting the students. One of the staff, who was looking closely at the man with a cap, said,

“Hey! Isn’t that actor Jeong Ji-an?”

“Yes, hello.”

Jeong Ji-an greeted with his usual slow manner.

“No way! How did actor Jeong Ji-an come here!”

The desk staff, excited, greeted him, but the manager, who was in a hurry, quickly interrupted. The lobby was about to get too noisy.

“Excuse me, it’s very crowded here. Can we go inside the theater quickly?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

The desk staff, understanding, confirmed their seats.

The two quickly moved to their seats inside the theater. The manager, sighing, said,

“Phew. Why are there so many people? This isn’t a red carpet event at a film festival. Was it like this last year, Ji-an?”

“No, not to this extent.”

As Jeong Ji-an’s manager looked around the theater, his gaze suddenly stopped.

“Hey? That person?”

“Do you know them?”

Two men were moving to their seats a few rows ahead in the VIP section. One of them was someone he recognized.

“That’s Mr. Park Sung-woo, the director of HC Entertainment... Hmm?”

The manager’s eyes widened.

“What’s the matter?”

“The person greeting Mr. Park Sung-woo.”

“Who is it?”

“Mr. Jang Dong-soo, the director of NTN. You know B.O.B? The main producer of the team.”

“Producer? Why is a music producer here in Busan to watch a play?”

“Exactly. What’s going on here?”

As Jeong Ji-an’s manager was puzzled,

In the front row, Mr. Park Sung-woo and Mr. Jang Dong-soo, who had found their seats, glanced at each other.

‘What’s this? Could it be for Jin-hyuk?’

‘No, why would a producer be here?’

Behind their smiles, suspicion and caution. A strange atmosphere hung in the air.

Just then, the MC slowly walked to the front of the stage.

“Good evening. Thank you for waiting. Now, the final performance of the Youth Drama Festival is about to begin. The Seoul Myungseong High School drama team, ‘Byeonsatotjeon,’ has a unique team name. The title of the play they will present is...”

The MC paused for a moment and then shouted with a more intense voice,

“‘Hyde Was There’! Please give them a big round of applause!”

“Wow-!”

Clap