Chapter 124: An Incident at the Korean Folk Village
Upon arriving at the Korean Folk Village theme park, the actors each wore different expressions.
Some looked amazed, as if it were all new to them.
Some appeared familiar with it.
Some seemed utterly confused about what was going on.
With their own thoughts in mind, the dozens of actors confidently strode inside.
“Hello. I’m Kim Si-woo, the one who contacted you.”
“Ah! Hello. I’m Kim Hyung-taek, in charge of managing the Folk Village. Please take good care of us today.”
“We’re the ones who should say that.”
“Then, this way, please.”
The group followed Kim Hyung-taek under security escort.
At their destination, all sorts of clothing were laid out.
“Alright, everyone change into outfits that match your roles.”
At Kim Si-woo’s words, the actors picked clothes that suited their characters.
From gonryongpo robes to court lady attire, and even ragged commoner clothes… nothing was missing.
The child actors were no exception.
Compared to the gorgeous, pristine outfit for the princess role worn by Park So-yul, the neighborhood kid and court servant roles played by Hong Soo-hyuk and Kim Da-on were dressed in relatively shabby clothes.
Fortunately, Hong Soo-hyuk and Kim Da-on didn’t seem to mind as much as expected.
In fact, they rather liked them.
“It’s warmer than I thought?”
“Right? Can I take this home?”
Having grown up in poor families and an underfunded orphanage, they were tougher than one might think.
When the female actors finished changing and came out, everyone stared in awe.
The noble lady, the wife of the grand prince, and the jimil nain were excessively beautiful.
“Is this a casting mistake?”
With a jimil nain that pretty, it felt like it could turn into an entirely different genre.
‘A trashy historical drama where he abandons his beautiful wife for an illicit affair with the jimil nain?’
While Kim Si-woo idly imagined a new drama, Lee Yoo-jin in plain clothes suddenly took a seat beside him.
“Yoo-jin, you’re not wearing hanbok?”
“Well… I’m not really acting, and it’s more for filming, so…”
“I see? That’s a shame. At least before we leave, let’s take one photo in hanbok.”
“Okay…”
Lee Yoo-jin’s ears lingered on Kim Si-woo’s words expressing regret.
The actors then moved under the guidance of the Korean Folk Village theme park staff.
To locations matching their roles.
Some to the palace, some to a restaurant, some to a blacksmith forge…
Following them were people with cameras, staff, and managers.
Today was a very special day.
For the actors, for the visitors who had come to enjoy the park, and for the staff.
Today, the actors were going to perform here.
The actors could adapt to the filming environment, practice, and deepen their immersion in their roles, while visitors could experience live interactions with real actors.
Thanks to this, they achieved the dual benefits of film promotion and acting practice.
The publicity for the Korean Folk Village and the boost in popularity for each actor were bonuses.
Once in their respective positions, the actors immediately began performing.
Though it was acting, it was closer to improvisation than scripted scenes.
Immersing in their characters and interacting with people quickly heightened their understanding of the roles.
In one area, a crowd had already gathered, buzzing with excitement.
“We welcome you to the palace of Joseon.”
Visitors entering the palace looked at Park Seung-hwan with surprised yet unfamiliar eyes at his dignified voice.
It was clearly acting, yet it didn’t feel like acting.
And the aura emanating from Park Jun-ho, the guard warrior protecting him, was anything but ordinary.
Like a sharp blade.
People couldn’t easily approach Park Jun-ho, who seemed ready to draw his sword and strike at the slightest provocation.
Of course, the sword was just a plastic replica with no edge.
While that was happening on one side, other actors continued their performances on the opposite end.
Some started real cooking by lighting fires in the hearth, while others trained, did business, or fully committed to their roles in every way.
For this one day, the place truly felt like—no, became—the Joseon era.
Meanwhile, Kim Da-on, Hong Soo-hyuk, and Park So-yul simply wandered around and played under the protection of Park So-yul’s mother.
“How’s everyone doing?”
“It’s beyond imagination. The leads are working that hard, so the supporting actors have caught fire too—everyone’s giving it their all.”
When Kim Si-woo approached Park Se-yong midway and spoke, he could see the spark in the director’s eyes.
“Looks like the director’s fired up too.”
“Gathering this many actors in one place is no easy feat.”
“We’re all just grateful.”
After chatting with Park Se-yong, Kim Si-woo continued wandering around the Folk Village.
“What’s that over there…?”
As Kim Si-woo passed the palace area and arrived at a spot where delicious smells wafted through the air, he found actors and visitors engaged in a cooking showdown.
“No matter how skilled you are, you cannot surpass me, the sanggung of this royal kitchen.”
Lee Hyun-sook, the middle-aged actress playing the royal kitchen sanggung, continued her flashy knife work with flair.
Lee Hyun-sook was an actress who held a Korean cuisine industrial engineer certification.
Her hobby was cooking.
She prepared traditional Korean dishes as if truly possessed by a royal sanggung.
“Good. Just in time, a judge is passing by over there. You there, Bang-ja!”
Bang-ja was the term used in the Joseon era to call an errand runner in the palace or government offices.
In simple terms, a gofer.
Spotting Kim Si-woo watching as he passed by, she called him “Bang-ja” and summoned him as a judge.
Kim Si-woo played along and stepped forward, standing between the actress and the visitor.
“Did you call for me, Sanggung-nim?”
“Yes, you shall serve as the judge for this cooking contest.”
“As you wish.”
Lee Hyun-sook then looked at the visitor competing against her and shouted loudly.
“If you win this contest, I will give you my autograph and take a photo with you. And I’ll gift you currency that can be used here.”
“As you wish.”
The opposing visitor also responded in historical drama style to match the actress.
“Excellent. Bang-ja, taste the dishes at once.”
“Yes, Sanggung-nim.”
At Lee Hyun-sook’s words, Kim Si-woo sequentially tasted the foods placed in front of him.
One was donggeurangttaeng (Korean meat patties), the other was seasoned spinach.
“Hmm…”
After trying both, Kim Si-woo quietly spoke.
Everyone held their breath to hear his verdict.
“I find this seasoned spinach more delicious.”
“Kahaha! As expected, you know a thing or two.”
Lee Hyun-sook promptly gave the visitor her autograph and took a photo before calling the next challenger.
In the meantime, Kim Si-woo slipped away and headed to a new area.
This time, he arrived at a spot filled with cheers from the crowd, where actors were putting on a performance.
“What the… Huh?”
Seeing the performing actors reminded him of their majors listed in their profiles.
They were actors who had majored in modern dance and traditional Korean music.
They played various traditional instruments like the janggu and buk drums, sang, and danced.
‘No way…’
When Kim Si-woo’s eyes momentarily met those of the actor singing, a bad feeling crept over him.
“You there!”
As his uneasy premonition proved correct, Kim Si-woo fled the scene at full speed.
“Huff… huff… Good, they didn’t chase me.”
Having escaped safely, Kim Si-woo sat on a nearby bench, breathing heavily to catch his breath.
“Phew… That was tiring. No, more importantly, why do they keep calling me in?”
While Kim Si-woo grumbled, a shadow suddenly fell over his head.
“You rascal. What are you doing here? Come over at once and attend to me.”
“Uh…”
Looking up at the familiar voice, he saw Kim Ji-hyun standing there in gorgeous hanbok.
Kim Ji-hyun had been wandering the Folk Village leading a group of court ladies when she spotted Kim Si-woo and immediately rushed over.
“Yes, Daebuin.”
Since he was the one who had them acting at the Folk Village, Kim Si-woo couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
After that, Kim Si-woo accompanied Kim Ji-hyun, attending to her alongside the court ladies.
‘But this feels less like attending and more like a date?’
Neither the court ladies nor Kim Ji-hyun were immersing too deeply.
They only performed when a crowd gathered, chatting briefly with people, taking photos, and giving autographs.
Otherwise, they simply conversed with Kim Si-woo or shared snacks while passing the time.
At 1 p.m., lunchtime arrived, and the actors along with everyone else gathered in one spot to eat.
Some looked delighted, while others appeared utterly exhausted.
“Everyone, you’ve all worked hard. If anyone is tired, feel free to wander separately and enjoy yourselves—just manage your condition.”
Lee Yoo-jin quickly read the group’s expressions and wrapped things up.
‘As expected from Siwoo Film’s capable director.’
Lee Yoo-jin, the ever-capable director, took a seat next to the admiring Kim Si-woo.
“Writer-nim, did you enjoy yourself?”
“No way. The actors keep calling me over the moment they spot me—it’s driving me crazy…”
“Really? I’m planning to change into hanbok and walk around this afternoon… Aren’t you going to wear one, Writer-nim?”
“Huh? I’m a bit tired…”
“I’m only wearing one because someone told me to. Sigh…”
At Lee Yoo-jin’s sigh, Kim Si-woo eventually raised the white flag.
“Let’s go change together later.”
“Yes!”
After finishing their meal, Kim Si-woo and Lee Yoo-jin changed into hanbok and began strolling around the Korean Folk Village theme park.
They occasionally ran into other actors, but they only exchanged light greetings before moving on.
Kim Si-woo thought of Kim Da-on from time to time, but since she wasn’t looking for him and was wandering with Park So-yul’s mother, he didn’t worry too much.
Perhaps catching him daydreaming, Lee Yoo-jin beside him spoke up right away.
“Oh, Writer-nim. Have you seen this? ‘Peerless Joseon’ is blowing up on all the major internet portals right now.”
“Already?”
“People are posting photos they took together as proof, and some are saying they’re heading to the Folk Village now. Others are complaining about why we didn’t announce it in advance.”
“The promotional effect is definitely working.”
“The supporting actors’ recognition is going up too. Posts are saying how kind they are, or that they look much prettier or more handsome in real life.”
Lee Yoo-jin searched for the Korean Folk Village on SNS and showed it to Kim Si-woo—there were photos of familiar faces.
“Look at this.”
“I’m looking… Wait, that’s me?”
“Huh?”
Lee Yoo-jin took back her smartphone at Kim Si-woo’s words and checked again.
“When did someone take this?”
“I told you earlier… The actors call me over whenever they see me.”
“It wasn’t for work?”
“Nope.”
Lee Yoo-jin immediately started glaring at Kim Si-woo.
“You must have had fun with Actress Kim Ji-hyun?”
“Huh? No… It was an order from the Daebuin…”
“Then what about me?”
“Uh?”
“What am I?”
“Hmm… A daughter from a high-ranking noble family?”
Kim Si-woo quickly racked his brain for a role that would please Lee Yoo-jin.
“Really? Then what about you, Writer-nim?”
“Me? I’d probably be the neighborhood bum. Or a playboy if I had money.”
“Then why don’t you try escorting this noble lady? I’ll pay you handsomely.”
“As you wish, my lady. This way. There’s a shop I’ve had my eye on over there.”
Smiling, Kim Si-woo played along with Lee Yoo-jin as they walked the streets together.
They took photos for each other along the way and snapped some together.
As the sun began to set, people started gathering at the palace.
“Alright, everyone, before we wrap up, let’s at least take a group photo.”
“Sounds good!”
Everyone gathered in front of the palace and found their spots.
From the leads to the supporting roles and even the staff—all came together in one place.
Since a Korean Folk Village theme park staff member was handling the camera, no one was left out.
“Ready… Here we go?”
“Yes!”
Click.
The shutter sound rang out, and just as everyone was about to disperse, someone grabbed Kim Si-woo’s arm.
“Kim Si-woo! Take a photo with me too!”
“Huh? Ah… sure.”
“I’m next!”
“Ah… okay.”
Shim Ji-young and Kim Ji-hyun requested photos one after another, and soon Kim Da-on, Hong Soo-hyuk, and other actors joined in.
“Slowly… one at a time.”
In the end, it took Kim Si-woo a full hour after the group shot to finally leave the palace area.
**************
TL Note:
This novel is now translated and finished at Chapter 176
If you’d like to continue right away, the remaining 52 chapters are available on My Patreon Premium tier, along with extra chapters from my other 5 ongoing translated novels.
There’s also a Plus tier with 48 advance chapters, updated at 7 chapters per week.
Link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls
For this novel specifically, check the collection under “Genius Writer”
**************