Chapter 58

58. First Broadcast

"Please come in, Writer."

"Thank you for your hard work, PD."

Writer Han Yookyoung handed a warm cup of coffee to PD Jung Doil, who was welcoming her in the editing room.

"Ah, what's this? Haha, actually, I was in need of some caffeine right now."

PD Jung Doil sipped the hot coffee, cooling it down.

"How's it going?"

"Hehe, you can expect a lot."

PD's meaningful smile.

"If you say that, I really will start to expect a lot."

"Ah, then I'm telling you to really expect a lot. Wait a moment. Take a look at this."

PD Jung Doil played the final scene of Episode 1, where Woo Jinhyuk appears.

"Wow."

Writer Han Yookyoung's mouth hung open in amazement.

"Isn't it amazing? Not just Jinhyuk, but look at Yena's expression."

PD Jung Doil said with a very pleased look. Seizing the opportunity, Writer Han Yookyoung praised PD Jung Doil.

"How about the direction and editing? The atmosphere is really great."

A smile that couldn't be suppressed spread across PD's face.

"Haha, what can I say? But, how does the atmosphere on set look to you these days?"

"The kids are really on fire."

"Right? It seems that Jinhyuk, Seoyeon, and Serin's presence is having a big impact on the other actors."

Three people who were unheard of until now were shaking up the set.

Jinhyuk's genius goes without saying, but Seoyeon and Serin were no pushovers either.

Min Seoyeon was already known as a child actor with talent during the 'Jang Soon is Uncontrollable' era.

Woo Jinhyuk's striking appearance and talent overshadowed Seoyeon, who was beside him.

But when placed among other actors, she moved around the set like a fish in water.

There was no need to mention Serin's presence. Her appearance, which stood out even among sparkling idols, made her a top star alongside Woo Jinhyuk.

With her pure image added, a character that was expected to win the hearts of male fans was born.

"Especially, Lee Jun and Yena's eyes have changed recently."

Writer Han Yookyoung nodded at PD's words.

"Now, with the preparations complete... I'm really looking forward to how people will react."

Though PD Jung Doil's eyes were sunken from fatigue, they sparkled with anticipation.

***

"Ah, it's difficult. So difficult."

"Why? President, didn't it go well?"

A cautious employee asked, and the president of advertising agency W&C, Kang Hyunjoong, shook his head.

"They all got rejected."

"Wow, how many times now? Haven't you already covered most of the idol models suitable for a 10s and 20s target audience? What more is there?"

"Exactly."

"But famous ones aren't fresh, and their images overlap with other ads. Fresh ones lack buzz. What do you want us to do?"

Kang Hyunjoong smiled wryly.

"Exactly. We need a new, fresh newcomer who can grab attention and appeal to the 10s and 20s. That's the concept for the new drink we're launching, but how?"

"Ah, then should we delay the launch until such a newcomer appears?"

"Huh, should we just sit and wait until then?"

The president laughed bitterly.

"I wish we had fingers to suck until then. You know how important this is for us."

"Sigh, I know."

The president patted the employee's shoulder, who was sighing.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. How long can they keep rejecting models? We'll keep trying."

"President."

"Hmm?"

Another employee, who was searching something on the monitor, turned to the president.

"There's a script reading video for High School 2...?"

"High School 2? Ah, Yoon Euijun and An Yena have already been rejected, so what's the point?"

"No, I didn't pay much attention to it either. But..."

"But?"

"Wait, take a look at this screen."

The president moved closer to the employee's monitor.

"Her."

Yeon Serin walked by,

"Her, too."

Min Seoyeon.

"Her."

The screen stopped at Woo Jinhyuk.

"Wow, what visuals? Is this a newcomer?"

"Yes, a newcomer. Doesn't she have a great vibe?"

"She does, but..."

The employee said.

"I think we should keep an eye on her. The drama itself is already causing a lot of buzz."

"Hmm..."

President Kang Hyunjoong watched the script reading scene several times with a serious expression.

***

"Ah, my heart is pounding so much. My son is going to be on TV drama. I can't believe it."

"Hehe, dear, calm down. If you get nervous now, what will you do?"

But the father, Woo Bongsu, was also flushed with excitement.

"Today, he'll only appear for a moment at the end. From tomorrow, he'll be in it properly."

"Even a brief appearance will help me feel it's real."

Woo Bongsu, who had been telling his wife to calm down, quietly got up and headed to the bathroom. Seeing this, Kim Sunhwa smiled.

"You told me not to be nervous, but you were more nervous."

At that moment, the commercial ended, and the drama opening began.

"Dear, dear! It's starting! Hurry up!"

Kim Sunhwa called out to her husband, who was glued to the screen. There was a commotion from the bathroom, and Woo Bongsu rushed out.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The lively opening OST played as the main characters appeared one by one.

The male lead swinging a baseball bat with style, with the large subtitle 'Yoon Euijun' appearing.

This was Yoon Euijun, the ace of the Donghwa High School baseball team.

Next, the active and lovely broadcasting club president An Yena appeared with her name.

The broadcasting club writer and Donghwa High School goddess Yeon Serin walked through the schoolyard with a pure look.

The girl-crush Min Seoyeon, grabbing a boy's collar, with a charmingly twisted smile filled the screen.

And then.

As the camera panned from behind, capturing Jinhyuk's sad expression gazing at the distant sky, his name appeared as a subtitle.

Woo Jinhyuk.

"Wow!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Mom Kim Sunhwa clapped her hands excitedly.

"Wow! My son is so handsome. So handsome."

Kim Sunhwa's mouth was wide open. Woo Bongsu also watched the screen with a pleased look.

Finally, the drama began.

A refreshing morning. Warm sunlight shone into a student's room. The camera, accompanied by lively music, started from the desk, moved to the neatly hung school uniform, and then to the bed.

The sleeping female lead, Kim Arin (played by An Yena).

Arin scratched her cheek gently, tickled by the sunlight. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she sat up abruptly.

"Aaaah!"

Arin's scream echoed through the house.

"Mom, mom, I think I'm going crazy. Just five more minutes."

The female lead, Kim Arin (played by An Yena), was about to be late on the first day of the new semester. She hurriedly changed into her school uniform and grabbed her bag.

"Arin, Arin, you should eat breakfast!"

"Ah, mom, I'm really late."

Woo Bongsu tried to stop the rushing Kim Arin.

"Daughter, at least eat three spoonfuls."

"Ah, really, mom..."

Mom's spoon already blocked Arin's mouth.

"Mom, I really..."

Mom forced three spoonfuls into Arin's mouth, making her cheeks puff up.

"#$%^"

With a puffed mouth, Arin left a muffled "I'm going" and rushed out.

"Uncle! Good morning!"

"Hey! Arin! You're as energetic as always. Hehe."

As Arin greeted the security guard at the apartment entrance, someone called out to her.

"Hey! Kim Arin!"

The voice belonged to actor Yoo Geonwoo, playing the character Lee Dongjae, who loves to play the most.

Using a tone from a movie or drama, he called out to Arin, but she ignored him and ran out of the apartment gate.

"Huh, what's the rush?"

Lee Dongjae (Yoo Geonwoo) took a bite of his bread and walked slowly.

Kim Arin (An Yena), running with all her might, saw a familiar back walking slowly. It was the male lead, Kang Hyuk (Yoon Euijun).

"Hey! Kang Hyuk! You're late! Run!"

Kim Arin zipped past Kang Hyuk.

"Hey! Arin!"

Kang Hyuk smiled at the running Kim Arin.

"Kim Arin, that, that, again."

Kang Hyuk adjusted his bag and started running towards Kim Arin.

With the speed of a baseball ace, Kang Hyuk caught up to Arin.

"Arin."

"..."

"Kim Arin?"

"..."

"Arin—"

While running alongside Arin's full-speed sprint, Kang Hyuk continued to call her with a relaxed smile.

"Ah, damn! Huh... Huh..."

Just as Arin reached her limit, she stopped and looked at Kang Hyuk.

"Today, it's 8:30."

"What?"

"8:30, not 8:00."

"Really?"

Arin seemed to think for a moment, then slapped her forehead.

"Ah, damn..."

"Ha ha ha."

"What are you laughing at!"

"I like how consistent you are, Arin."

"Are you teasing me?"

"Arin."

Kang Hyuk pointed to Arin's lips.

"You have rice stuck to your lips."

"Huh?"

Arin touched her lips and picked off the rice, then put it in her mouth.

"Ugh, why did you eat that?"

Kang Hyuk frowned, and Arin raised an eyebrow.

"What? Did you plan it? I won't give up my rice."

"Ah, I'm done. Eat a lot."

Even as he joked, Kang Hyuk looked at Arin with warm eyes. He said with a somewhat reluctant but not unpleasant expression.

"Hey— How many times have we been in the same class since elementary school? Once, twice...?"

"So what? Do you dislike it?"

"Hehe, dislike? I like it. I really, really like it."

"Your 'like' doesn't sound like a 'like'."

"Hehe, Arin, you're all bad, but your suspicious nature is the worst."

"What?!"

"Meow."

Kang Hyuk joked and walked ahead quickly. Kim Arin looked at him with a bewildered expression.

"Ah, just let him."

Thus, the vibrant morning commute of the main characters marked the beginning of the highly anticipated 'High School 2'.

"Ah, she's beautiful. So beautiful. It's a good time, a good time."

Mom Kim Sunhwa's face lit up with a pleased smile.

"Exactly, that male student is just like me in high school. Just like me. Hehe."

Woo Bongsu burst into laughter, and Kim Sunhwa and Jinhyuk looked at him.

"Why, really. I was that charming when I was young."

"..."

"I get it, I get it. It must be my imagination."

Finally, Kim Sunhwa nodded.

The drama then depicted the first appearances and meetings of the main characters, and Jinhyuk's parents, who were deeply engrossed in the drama, laughed continuously.

"Hehe, he's so funny."

"Haha, that guy."

Then, the scene with Yeon Serin appeared.

Serin, sitting by the window in the classroom, was writing something in her notebook. A gentle spring breeze softly caressed her hair.

Her neatly arranged hair gently fluttered, and with the spring sunlight, it shimmered.

A poetic camera movement befitting the entrance of a goddess.

"Ah, how can she be so beautiful? Ah, too beautiful."

Mom Kim Sunhwa kept exclaiming in admiration.

"That's the director's daughter, Yeon Serin."

"Ah! The one Jinhyuk mentioned?"

Jinhyuk nodded.

"Ah, the director must be so proud. It's admirable that she's following in her father's footsteps as an actor, and she's so beautiful, it's like she's already full."

Kim Sunhwa glanced at her son Jinhyuk and put her arm around his shoulder.

"That's why I'm already full without eating."

Feeling a bit embarrassed in this situation, Jinhyuk smiled faintly at his mom.

"Lee Dongjae, don't mess around. You'll die."

The girl-crush Seoyeon appeared. For the drama, she had cut her hair short and wore a pants uniform. Her appearance on screen was very different from the feminine style at the script reading.

"Wow, Seoyeon is acting so well! It must have been hard for such a kind and sincere person to play such a tough role."

Woo Bongsu clapped, recalling the Seoyeon he had seen at a company lunch.

Dad, what you saw then was acting.

Jinhyuk swallowed the words he couldn't say and shook his head.

"Hehe."

"Haha."

"Ah!"

"Wow—"

For an hour, Jinhyuk's parents were completely engrossed in the first story woven by the diverse and unique characters.

Finally, the controversial scene began.

A rainy evening street. The female lead, Kim Arin (played by An Yena), came out of a convenience store with an umbrella. The scene where she met Jin Seojin (Woo Jinhyuk)'s eyes.

The face that had shocked An Yena on set appeared on screen, following her gaze.

His wet hair, pale face, and sharp features stood out even more.

His deep, sad eyes and lips that held that sadness.

His jawline, beautifully outlined by the rain, led down to his collarbone, slightly visible through his wet shirt.

The camera captured Jinhyuk's visuals perfectly, like a photographer capturing a moment of art.

Though it was just a few seconds, it was the most intense scene in Episode 1. The visual impact of Jinhyuk on screen was overwhelming.

And the cold line that fell from his lips was,

"Can you move a bit?"

Though short, it perfectly matched his visuals and accurately expressed Jin Seojin's frozen heart.

"Oh, oh, Jinhyuk! Is that you? Oh, oh, oh."

Jinhyuk's mom was in a frenzy. Woo Bongsu chimed in.

"Wow, son! Wow... As expected, our son! Just like me when I was young."

Mom and Jinhyuk looked at Woo Bongsu. This time, he didn't back down.

"Why? He's my son! Who else would he resemble?"

"Ah, Woo Bongsu! You're so silly. That's the funniest joke you've ever told. Hehe!"

Kim Sunhwa patted her husband's back and laughed.

And that night,

The internet forums were in an uproar.