Chapter 67

67. Between Smoke and Song

"Ahh... It's a shame."

"It's such a shame. Ugh."

Do Min-woo and Kim Min-young sighed in disappointment at the finale of High School 2. Lee Young-jun, sitting beside them, was also feeling the disappointment, savoring the bittersweet moment.

The emotions of the main characters, Woo Jin-hyuk, Min Seo-yeon, and Yeon Se-ri, were different from those of the audience.

Se-ri was wiping away tears from her eyes with a dazed look, while Seo-yeon had buried her face in a sofa cushion, only showing her eyes.

"Jin-hyuk, aren't you disappointed? You bastard."

Do Min-woo playfully scolded Jin-hyuk, who was unusually calm. In truth, Jin-hyuk couldn't be completely unaffected.

After coming to this new world, starting a new life, and meeting new people, many unexpected things had happened.

Coincidentally, it was exactly a year ago, around this time, that he had opened his eyes in this world.

The finale of High School 2 felt like a summary of Jin-hyuk's past year.

Among the friends present, no one felt as much as Jin-hyuk did. Still,

"Rather than being disappointed..."

He was grateful. For everything.

"Rather than being disappointed, what?"

Before Do Min-woo could finish his question,

"Hey! Tropical Ice!"

Do Min-woo's attention was drawn to a TV commercial. After the drama ended, the screen was filled with a drink commercial featuring Jin-hyuk.

The tropical fruit drink 'Tropical Ice' was ambitiously launched by Bluecock, a beverage company, ahead of summer.

"That's pretty good. Young-jun! Didn't you say there's Tropical Ice in the fridge? Let's have some. I'm suddenly craving it after seeing the ad."

It was a hit among teenagers.

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

"Okay, I'll get them."

"Can I come with you?"

"No, it's fine. I'll bring them in a bag."

While Young-jun quickly went downstairs to get the drinks,

another commercial featuring Jin-hyuk started.

"Ha!"

Kim Min-young burst into laughter as soon as she saw it. Do Min-woo also laughed, and a smile appeared on Se-ri's face.

But Seo-yeon hid her eyes behind the cushion, and Jin-hyuk... remained calm.

It was a commercial for the fashion eyewear brand Sense Beast, which he shot with Min Seo-yeon.

In the commercial, Seo-yeon asked Jin-hyuk with a serious look,

"Why do you wear those useless glasses?"

"Because of... this."

"What? Because of what?"

Jin-hyuk delivered a line that didn't match his serious and sophisticated image.

"Fashion."

He smiled coolly and delivered the killer line.

"Glasses are fashion."

– Hot! Glasses are fashion! Sense Beast!

A slightly absurd concept, but it resonated with the younger generation, making Sense Beast a hot brand.

News reported that the sales of Sense Beast sunglasses skyrocketed as summer approached.

"Ha ha! Jin-hyuk, Seo-yeon, what were you thinking when you shot that commercial? It doesn't match your characters at all."

Jin-hyuk looked a bit embarrassed.

"Why, it's fun."

In fact, Jin-hyuk agreed to the commercial because he was shooting it with Seo-yeon.

"..."

Seo-yeon agreed because it was a commercial with Jin-hyuk.

A silent consideration for each other. To Jin-hyuk and Seo-yeon, it was a kind of tragedy born from their friendship, but to the advertisers, it was a product of their friendship worth celebrating.

"Here, drinks."

Just then, Young-jun returned with the Tropical Ice. Everyone took a drink and gulped it down as if they had made a pact.

"Ah. Although it's a shame, it was very satisfying to see Kang-hyuk and Kim Ah-rin finally confess their feelings to each other."

Kim Min-young smiled contentedly.

"Da-eun (Se-ri) also resolved her feelings for Hyuk and stood on her own, which was quite impressive. But."

Min-young asked curiously,

"What about Jin-hyuk (Se-jin) and Do-a (Seo-yeon)?"

Their relationship was left open-ended, leaving the audience curious.

Min-young's gaze, filled with curiosity, fell on Se-jin and Do-a, who were sitting side by side with a slight distance between them.

For a moment, Min-young's eyes darted back and forth between them, confusing reality and the drama.

The others also turned their gaze to the two.

"Right. What about you two?"

Do Min-woo, who didn't bother to distinguish between reality and the drama, asked.

Although the question was about the two of them, strangely, everyone's gaze was on Jin-hyuk.

Oh well.

Jin-hyuk smiled and replied,

"What do you mean? We all lived happily ever after with our friends."

****

– Se-jin, don't be sick anymore and live happily ever after♡

– I'm already missing Se-jin 😭

– I feel like he's living somewhere out there 😭

– It's already the finale of High School? 😭 I can't believe it...

– Can't we have a third season with this cast? 😭

– Wasn't Jin-hyuk's song in the OST yesterday?

– 😭 I'm on an infinite loop of the full version live video.

– TV producers! Release the audio!

– Did he really play the guitar himself?

– Yes, he really played the chords. The strumming was accurate.

– It's in the news that the guitar and vocals were live recorded.

– Wow. Amazing.

– Jin-hyuk should debut as a singer♡

– He should. Definitely. WP Entertainment, work on it!

– Definitely!

The fans' disappointment at the finale of High School 2 was immense. At the same time, the explosive interest in Jin-hyuk's song in the final scene flooded the comment section.

"Director. Let's release a single album as soon as possible and start activities."

Producer Joo Hee-tae said to the head of WP Entertainment.

However, before the head could respond, Lee Kwang-soo, who oversees Jin-hyuk's acting career, spoke first.

"He just debuted as an actor. We're getting a lot of offers for his next project, so I think it's more important to establish him as an actor first."

"No, I'm not saying to stop his acting career."

Joo Hee-tae continued,

"It might be a bit challenging, but as they say, 'strike while the iron is hot.' We should prepare the album while working on the next project."

"He's still a second-year high school student and a newcomer. Let's take it slow and establish him as an actor first."

Lee Kwang-soo's negative response made Joo Hee-tae suppress his frustration and speak calmly.

"Frankly, I think Jin-hyuk has as much potential to succeed as a singer as he does as an actor. You can only challenge being an idol singer now, but you can always become an actor later, right?"

"Director Joo. Jin-hyuk originally came to us as an actor."

Lee Kwang-soo's face turned slightly red, but Joo Hee-tae didn't back down.

"Is there such a thing as 'originally'? Honestly, what roles can an 18-year-old actor take on? There aren't many high school dramas or movies like High School. There are clear limits until he becomes an adult."

Joo Hee-tae emphasized,

"But there are no such limits for a singer. If you have the ability, you can surpass established singers and become a top star. I strongly believe we should focus on his singing career for the next 2-3 years."

"No, that's not... "

Seeing the two's opinions becoming more intense, the head of the company stepped in.

"Come on, directors. Let's calm down. The most important thing is the actor's own opinion, right?"

"But, Director, he's a high school student. His opinion should come second to the company's direction... "

"Ha ha ha."

The head's sudden laugh made the two directors look at him.

"Director Lee, have you talked to Jin-hyuk about this?"

"What? Well, I've seen him a few times. But?"

The head smiled.

"He's not the type to just follow the company's direction."

A kid even the great Lee Seung-soo acknowledged.

That was Jin-hyuk.

The head was also curious about what choice Jin-hyuk would make in this situation.

***

Hot.

A hot wind rushed in through the open window, making Jin-hyuk's face flush.

Manager Kim Yong-soo asked,

"Why? Should I turn off the air conditioner for a moment?"

"No, that would make you hot. Leave it on. I'll just ventilate for a bit."

It was mid-July, and the 20-episode journey of the drama that started in spring had come to an end.

It was well past the usual quitting time, but the long day was just settling into its routine.

As the car slowly drove through the busy road, Jin-hyuk saw a large billboard by the roadside.

Against a background of a refreshing sea and cool CG, Jin-hyuk was holding a drink.

Manager Kim Yong-soo, looking out the window, took a sip of the same drink Jin-hyuk was holding in the commercial.

"Tropical Ice, it's pretty good. The carbonation is just right."

Jin-hyuk nodded.

"Still, I don't think it would sell this much. It's thanks to Jin-hyuk's commercial. Heh heh."

Kim Yong-soo said with a pleased tone.

"The beverage company people were over the moon, according to a W&C ad agency employee."

As Kim Yong-soo was excitedly talking, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha."

Seeing Jin-hyuk's puzzled expression, Kim Yong-soo explained,

"Hey. To be honest, I was surprised when you agreed to the eyewear commercial."

High School 2 had just ended, but Jin-hyuk's commercials for drinks, eyewear, and more were already frequently appearing on TV.

While talking with Kim Yong-soo, the car had already reached Yeouido.

The High School 2 finale party.

At the dinner party where they were grilling pork belly, the wish for beef at the finale came true, and it was a beef party.

The sidewalk near the restaurant was crowded with fans who had come to see the actors.

As the car stopped in front of the restaurant and Jin-hyuk got out,

"“Squeal—!”"

Fans screamed, and the cameras of the reporters at the entrance flashed.

"Oh my god!"

"Completely insane. Is this real?"

"Wow... wow..."

Amid the chaos, Jin-hyuk bowed to the fans and waved to a girl he made eye contact with.

"Squeal!"

The girl fan, who was at a loss, burst into tears, and her friends comforted her.

As Jin-hyuk posed for a photo, the flashbulbs went off again.

As he entered the restaurant, the cheers of the people behind him echoed.

"Wow!"

Jin-hyuk turned to look at the entrance.

Yeon Se-ri, who looked like she had just jumped out of the High School 2 screen, was greeting the fans with a bright smile.

After finishing the photo session, Yeon Se-ri entered the restaurant and saw Jin-hyuk, bouncing over happily.

"Jin-hyuk!"

Jin-hyuk greeted her with a warm smile.

"Wow, how did you time it so perfectly? Hehe."

Se-ri, who seemed to be in high spirits, couldn't contain her excitement and whispered to Jin-hyuk,

"Jin-hyuk, I decided to work on an album."

Jin-hyuk's eyes widened.

No wonder. Se-ri's album was Jin-hyuk's long-held project. A significant project for Jin-hyuk to hear Se-ri's songs as a singer in this life.

With the added friendship with Se-ri, Jin-hyuk couldn't help but be genuinely happy.

"Congratulations. That's great."

"Thanks. It's all thanks to you, Jin-hyuk."

Se-ri smiled brightly at Jin-hyuk.

"I talked to the company just before coming here. My dad doesn't know yet. I wanted to tell you first. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have even dreamed of it."

Jin-hyuk responded with a bright smile.

***

"Jin-hyuk! Se-ri!"

Writer Han Yu-kyung, who was already at the restaurant, greeted them warmly.

"Writer Han!"

"Hello."

Se-ri ran up to Han Yu-kyung and hugged her, while Jin-hyuk greeted her with a smile.

Han Yu-kyung, who seemed to have been waiting for them, approached as if she had something to say.

"Jin-hyuk, can we talk for a moment? We have a bit of time."

Leaving the curious Se-ri behind, Jin-hyuk and Han Yu-kyung went to a private room.

Han Yu-kyung, who seemed eager, immediately spoke once they were seated.

"Before coming here, I met with the KBC director and PD Jung Doo-il."

"Ah, yes."

Jin-hyuk knew that KBC's drama department was in a celebratory mood due to the success of High School 2.

"Next year is KBC's 50th anniversary. So... "

Han Yu-kyung smiled and continued,

"They're producing a Hong Gil-dong series. A blockbuster mini-series."

The Hong Gil-dong series.

An action drama that has been a part of KBC's history, consistently produced every few years. It could be called the 007 series of Korean dramas. The first Hong Gil-dong was played by veteran actor Won Sang-ki, and the 8th Hong Gil-dong, from the series that aired five years ago, was Min Seo-yeon's 6th cousin, No Hyun-woo.

"The director wants to make it appeal to the younger generation this time."

The first three series were traditional period dramas that closely followed the original novel "The Story of Hong Gil-dong."

From the fourth series, attempts were made to deviate from the original, and by the eighth series, it had become a fusion period drama that only used the character.

However, despite these attempts, the series struggled to reflect the trends of each new era due to the nature of the material.

The last series managed to maintain its reputation thanks to No Hyun-woo's performance, but it was a disappointing result compared to the past status of the Hong Gil-dong series.

"So, the director asked PD Jung Doo-il and me to take charge of the direction and script."

Until now, the series had been handled by period drama specialists. This was the first time a non-specialist PD and writer were given the task.

This indicated that it was a bold move to innovate the series to appeal to the younger generation.

It also revealed the level of KBC's desire to revive the Hong Gil-d