Chapter 78: The Ultimate Idol Who Came to End the War (5)
Jung Se-yeon.
It had already been over ten years since she debuted as a singer in Korea, and with her charming vocal tone and outstanding songwriting and composing skills, she enjoyed immense popularity as both a solo idol and an artist.
People praised her as someone “born with it,” admiring how she managed to juggle both acting and singing without neglecting either.
But the truth was—she was an incredible hard worker.
Of course, she was talented, but compared to the amount of effort she put in, her talent merely shaved off a couple of steps from the endless staircase she climbed to achieve success.
That was how fiercely and stubbornly Jung Se-yeon had pushed herself. Money, fame, connections, honor—
She attained all of it without lacking a single thing.
Yet even she found herself quietly envying something others had:
Normalcy.
After becoming a star and living her dream as a singer, a normal life was no longer an option. Endless schedules, relentless anti-fans who tormented her day and night—her body and mind were slowly worn down.
Then, one day, through Shim Ji-young’s introduction, she met Kim Si-woo.
Ji-young had mentioned him countless times, saying he was a “funny guy,” every time they talked.
But the first word that popped into Se-yeon’s mind when she met him in person was:
“Slacker.”
Nothing more, nothing less.
He was slightly handsome for a regular guy, but far from the stunning actors or male idols she had seen all her life.
What shocked her wasn’t his looks—
It was his behavior.
A writer who doesn’t show up to script readings.
A writer who refuses to attend team dinners.
Unlike her, who put everything into her work, Si-woo seemed to find everything bothersome.
And yet, despite complaining, he still helped others whenever they asked.
He had no greed for money, popularity, or influence.
That carefree vibe he carried…
It bothered her in a way she couldn’t explain.
Later, hearing stories about how he jumped in to save Shim Ji-young when she fell into the water, or the incidents involving Kim Ji-hyun and Kim Min-ho—
She realized he was a complete mystery of a man.
Another interesting thing about him—
He didn’t seem the least bit fazed by celebrities or famous people.
Maybe that’s why, when talking to him, he felt like an old friend she’d known for years.
Over time, she began to understand why so many people looked after Kim Si-woo.
And yes—
He was popular among women too.
Even her close unnie, Shim Ji-young, seemed to have a little something in her heart for him.
So at first, Se-yeon genuinely thought of him as a good friend.
At first.
But as time passed, that “friendship” began to change.
The first time she sensed something strange was at the awards ceremony—
When Shim Ji-young and Kim Ji-hyun matched their dress codes with Si-woo.
She felt jealous.
And when Kim Ji-hyun mentioned Si-woo during her acceptance speech,
For some reason, Se-yeon felt like she had to mention him too.
Later on, she asked Si-woo for a script, just like Ji-young had done.
But unlike Ji-young, she felt a strange pang of disappointment when she had to ask him for something.
Then Si-woo asked her to write a song just for him.
And thinking she could give him something no one else could—
She happily agreed.
While writing that song with him in mind,
She realized something.
She didn’t like him as a friend.
She liked him as a man.
And that day, Jung Se-yeon made up her mind.
She would make him hers.
***
At the filming site, the subtle tension between the two women continued, until Kim Si-woo finally stood up and spoke seriously.
“Both of you—stop it and focus on the shoot.”
His stern tone brought their clash to an abrupt halt.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Sorry.”
They apologized immediately and returned to filming.
Later, during a short break, Se-yeon and Soo-yeon said they needed to talk privately and walked off together.
When they returned a few minutes later, they weren’t fighting anymore—
But there was a strange new atmosphere between them.
Si-woo decided not to get involved.
The next filming day, another person joined the chaos.
“Everyone, enjoy some coffee!”
It was none other than Shim Ji-young, arriving with a full coffee truck.
“Hm? Isn’t Ji-young’s shoot not today?”
Park Woong-deok blinked, momentarily worried he had mixed up the schedule.
But Ji-young simply said she came because she was bored.
“I got restless staying at home. Thought I’d drop by and see how the set’s doing.”
“Well, since you’re here, look around all you want.”
“Where’s Si-woo?”
“Oh, the writer? Over there.”
Park Woong-deok pointed toward a corner of the set.
There, Kim Si-woo sat with a woman on each side of him.
“…That brat. No way.”
“You planning to join the competition too?”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just watch and then head out.”
Park Woong-deok walked off toward the coffee truck, and Shim Ji-young—holding three coffees and one smoothie—walked straight to where Kim Si-woo was sitting.
“Hey! Kim Si-woo.”
“Oh? Noona.”
Si-woo’s face brightened the moment he saw her, and Ji-young was momentarily thrown off.
Usually, when she called him, he was either expressionless or looked annoyed.
“Unnie, you’re here?”
“Hello, sunbaenim.”
Hong Soo-yeon stood and greeted her politely, while Jung Se-yeon greeted her from her seat.
Ji-young, uneasy about Si-woo’s unusually cheerful expression, handed the coffees to the two women she suspected were the cause.
“So what exactly are you doing right now?”
“We were just talking about the script.”
“Really? For that, you two seem awfully glued to him…”
Neither Jung Se-yeon nor Hong Soo-yeon showed any intention of leaving Si-woo’s side.
Only when filming time came did they separate.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ji-young dragged Si-woo outside to ask what was going on.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know either.”
Hearing that the man himself didn’t know, Ji-young could only rub her forehead.
“…Anyway. I refused the cameo.”
“What?”
When Si-woo reacted in shock, she quickly clarified.
“Oh, the request came from Choi Do-hyun’s side. They asked if I could appear as a cameo. I turned it down immediately.”
“Oh… I thought you meant you refused my project.”
“Do I look like Kim Ji-hyun to you?”
“Come on, why bring Ji-hyun up again?”
“I don’t like her.”
“Aigoo… Noona, try to think kinder thoughts. And relax your expression a little.”
“What? Says the guy who hates Choi Do-hyun.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“Whatever. I still don’t like her.”
“Hahaha… Anyway, why did you really come today? Your shoot is soon, you could’ve just come on your actual filming day.”
When Si-woo asked why she was at the set, Ji-young fidgeted and raised her voice.
“I did come to see the filming site! What else!”
“I don’t think you’ve ever done that before…”
Thwack.
Si-woo let out a pained grunt as Ji-young punched him in the arm.
“Ugh…”
“Whatever! Think whatever you want. Anyway, I checked what I needed to check.”
Si-woo simply thought she meant she checked out the shooting environment.
But the thing Ji-young truly came to confirm…
Was how Si-woo was treating her.
Seeing that his attitude toward her hadn’t changed at all, Ji-young was relieved.
With her worries gone, she happily headed home.
Time passed, and the cameo shoots—including Shim Ji-young’s—were all completed.
Now, only the concert filming remained.
Naturally, the concert tickets sold out instantly.
The audience would include Se-yeon’s fanclub members who successfully bought tickets, celebrities she was close to, and staff/family members invited by the actors and crew.
Hearing this, Si-woo’s younger brother rushed up from Gangneung to the family home, and many staff members’ families waited eagerly for the concert day to arrive.
***
Concert Film Day
When Kim Si-woo arrived at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium, he admired the prepared venue.
“Yeah. This is what success should look like.”
Ironically, the real Jung Se-yeon was living an even more successful, almost unbelievable life—more dramatic than the film version of herself.
Soon, Se-yeon also arrived for rehearsal and began checking every detail with the staff and Park Woong-deok.
“As expected of a pro.”
Se-yeon meticulously checked equipment, monitored stage flow, and discussed details with the crew and director.
Just ahead of the stage sat the actors who came to support her—starting with Lee Ok-ja, who played her grandmother, and several senior actors from the senior center set.
“Our granddaughter is amazing!”
Their enthusiastic cheering was infectious, and Se-yeon waved back happily.
Not long after, today’s cameo actors began taking their seats: Shim Ji-young, Kim Ji-hyun, Ha Seung-woo, and others who’d appeared in Si-woo’s works.
When Se-yeon’s rehearsal finished, the sun began to set, and the once-empty stadium slowly filled—seat by seat—until the venue was packed.
The concert setlist consisted of twelve songs.
A little short for a solo concert, but given the drastically lowered ticket price, it was considered generous.
And the best part: no copyright complications.
Since she was singing her own songs, the production didn’t need to worry about licensing at all.
“Seriously incredible.”
Seeing it all at once made Si-woo truly feel the scale of her popularity.
A fandom on another level.
No actor in Korea could fill a stadium like this.
***
Concert Begins
When the showtime arrived, Jung Se-yeon walked onto the stage.
A massive roar erupted through the stadium.
Kyaaaaaaah!!!
Uwaaaaah!!!
The sound was so loud it felt like the entire stadium vibrated.
Accustomed to such reactions, Se-yeon calmly waited for the cheers to settle before speaking.
“Hello, I’m Jung Se-yeon. Thank you so much for coming today. I’ll do my very best so you won’t regret being here.”
With her greeting, the bass line rumbled through the stadium, starting the first song.
Fans swung their light sticks and let the music carry them.
—ONE! TWO! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!
Her powerful voice boomed through the speakers, igniting the crowd.
From funky rock, to dance tracks, to R&B, to ballads—she handled every genre effortlessly.
It was the performance of a born entertainer.
Park Woong-deok and the camera team, drenched in sweat, didn’t peel their eyes off the monitors for even a second, trying not to miss a single moment.
Watching her, Si-woo thought:
This is exactly the idol I imagined.
Onstage, she shone brighter than anyone.
A star—pure and unmistakable.
Every small gesture brought screams.
She sang as if she were speaking directly to each fan.
They made each other shine.
***
The Final Song
After eleven songs, the final number approached.
And, of course, the last song was “The Man of October”, the song she’d written for Kim Si-woo.
Sitting in the closest VIP seat right in front of her, Si-woo met her eyes.
Se-yeon held his gaze and began singing the last song.
This is… actually dangerous.
Si-woo’s heart pounded even harder than during the busking performance.
Compared to that day, Se-yeon was now practically glowing.
As the stunning concert scene came to an end—
The filming of Idol finally wrapped.