Chapter 159: An Unfortunate Girl and a Lucky Boy (2)
“Tonight we should all have a drink together, right?”
“Well… sure.”
“Okay.”
The three of them talked about the script reading that had taken place earlier.
“So everyone was clapping like crazy for Soo-yeon today, huh?”
“In the end, it looks like my help wasn’t really needed.”
“No, unnie. It’s because you were there that it ended up this good… If you hadn’t made sure I ate at home, I might’ve collapsed from malnutrition.”
Having regained some energy, Hong Soo-yeon eagerly ate the food they had ordered.
“Anyway, the real problem is the guy. How did she end up falling for someone like that…?”
“Yeah, seriously…”
The topic of conversation quickly shifted to criticizing Kim Si-woo.
After being scolded for a while, Kim Si-woo hurriedly changed the subject.
“So, have you finally gotten a real feel for the acting now?”
“Yeah… I think so.”
Curious about Hong Soo-yeon’s change as well, Arimura Noa asked.
“What was the secret? Seriously.”
“That’s…”
Hong Soo-yeon couldn’t answer right away.
It was far too embarrassing to admit that—whether she was acting out sadness or joy—she had kept thinking about the moments she shared with Kim Si-woo.
“It’s… a secret.”
“Ugh… come on.”
Arimura Noa let out a disappointed sigh at the word “secret.”
As the drinking session neared its end, Hong Soo-yeon finally asked the question she had been most curious about.
“So… after this movie wraps, you’ll give me an answer, right?”
Having experienced it herself, Hong Soo-yeon now understood Kim Si-woo’s heart.
That the beginning and end of a relationship needed to be clear…
“Yeah, I should. It’s only fair to everyone else too.”
“Exactly!”
“Didn’t you already get an answer from Noa-ssi?”
Hearing Kim Si-woo’s reply from the side, Arimura Noa answered on Hong Soo-yeon’s behalf.
Hong Soo-yeon, who had been listening, shot up from her seat in shock.
“What? Unnie, you confessed to oppa?!”
“Uh… back in Japan… I got rejected because of Hae-soo-ssi at the time… but now that they’ve broken up, doesn’t that mean there’s still a chance?”
“No way. Unnie, you’re super popular in Japan—go date a Japanese writer!”
“Maybe I just take after my dad and prefer Korean guys.”
“What does that even…”
Hong Soo-yeon stared at Arimura Noa in disbelief. In response, Arimura Noa linked arms with Kim Si-woo beside her.
Hong Soo-yeon immediately jumped in alarm and shouted.
“Don’t touch him!”
“Why not? It’s not your arm!”
“Then I’ll touch him too.”
Caught between the two women, Kim Si-woo grew tired and simply looked up at Danbi, who was watching him from the cat tower, waiting for them to eventually pass out from drinking.
***
The next evening.
Kim Si-woo headed to the orphanage where Kim Da-on was staying.
“Da-on-ah. How have you been?”
“Oppa!!!”
As soon as she saw him, Kim Da-on ran straight into his arms, clearly having missed him terribly.
“Did you practice hard?”
“Yeah! Do-hyun oppa taught me, so I worked really hard.”
“Good job. Any problems at school?”
“Hmm… I’ve gotten really popular!”
Thanks to the success of <Peerless Joseon>, Kim Da-on, along with Hong Soo-hyuk and Park So-yul, had all become famous.
At school, the kids were practically stars.
“If you get a boyfriend, you have to show him to oppa first.”
“Okay! But the boys are all so ugly… and so childish.”
In that moment, Kim Si-woo remembered that Kim Da-on had very high standards.
Even Choi Do-hyun—who was currently considered one of the most handsome men in Korea—hadn’t managed to win her over based on looks.
“Yeah. Alright, let’s go inside and see how much you’ve practiced.”
“Okay!”
Kim Si-woo entered the orphanage and prepared to watch Kim Da-on’s performance.
Present were Kim Si-woo, Lee Yoo-jin, a few staff members, Choi Do-hyun, Hong Soo-yeon—everyone important to the film’s production had gathered.
“Alright, we’ll begin. Da-on, whenever you’re ready, go ahead.”
“Yes!”
Even though she was surrounded by so many people, Kim Da-on showed no sign of nervousness. Instead, she answered energetically.
Kim Da-on’s acting was remarkably similar to Choi Do-hyun’s.
Before she began acting, the way Kim Da-on immersed herself in the role—her gestures and mannerisms—were virtually identical to Choi Do-hyun’s, proving just how much she had learned from him.
“Kyaaaah!”
With a piercing scream, Kim Da-on’s performance began.
She was currently acting as a child enduring domestic violence.
Tears streaming down her face, she cried out for him to stop hitting her—her appearance made everyone watching furrow their brows in distress.
Trembling violently, curling her body as though the struck areas were in unbearable pain, she looked utterly pitiful.
A moment later, the performance ended, and Kim Da-on stood up.
Clap clap clap clap.
Everyone applauded her acting.
“As expected of my disciple.”
“As expected of my little sister.”
Choi Do-hyun and Kim Si-woo praised her at the same time.
“Hyung-nim!”
“What?!”
The two glared at each other as if neither liked what the other had said.
Meanwhile, Hong Soo-yeon and the staff—who were paying no attention to their squabble—were left in shock.
“She’s so young… How can she act like that…?”
“Right…?”
Hong Soo-yeon even began to wonder if true talent existed, then perhaps this was what real talent looked like.
“Soo-yeon-ah?”
Lost in thought, Hong Soo-yeon snapped out of it when Kim Si-woo placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Ah! Yes.”
“It’s over. Let’s go.”
By now, the others had already left, leaving Hong Soo-yeon alone in her seat.
“How was it?”
“She was amazing… Isn’t that real talent?”
“Yeah… Even the great Choi Do-hyun admitted her talent surpasses his.”
“That actually made me lose some confidence.”
Seeing Hong Soo-yeon’s confidence waver, Kim Si-woo gently took her hand.
Startled, Hong Soo-yeon stammered as she called his name.
“O-Oppa?”
“Don’t worry. You’re one of the most talented actors in Korea. Let’s go eat.”
“Okay.”
When they arrived at the restaurant, people involved in the movie and the orphanage children were already receiving their meals together.
“Hurry up and come over!”
Seeing Kim Si-woo and Hong Soo-yeon arrive late, everyone greeted them warmly and called them over.
After finishing lunch, while everyone was leaving with satisfied expressions, Choi Do-hyun showed no sign of leaving and waved people off with a grin.
“You’re not going?”
“I still have to teach Da-on some more, so I’ll be staying here for a while. I don’t have any theater schedules either.”
“Alright, take good care of her. Da-on-ah, call me if anything happens.”
“Okay, oppa.”
“…”
Choi Do-hyun pouted, clearly upset that Kim Da-on only called Kim Si-woo “oppa.”
“Da-on-ah, what about me?”
“Hm?”
“I mean, you’re not going to call me oppa?”
“Do-hyun samchon is samchon.”
[TL Note: “Samchon” (삼촌) is the Korean term for “uncle”]
“I’m younger than Si-woo hyung-nim?”
“Da-on is still young, so she doesn’t know those things well.”
“But you know everything!”
“Don’t get mad at a kid. I’m leaving.”
After saying goodbye to Kim Da-on, Kim Si-woo got into the car to head home. In the passenger seat sat Hong Soo-yeon.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
Hong Soo-yeon, who had been waiting for him, called out in a serious tone.
“Oppa… Do you think I can do well?”
“Of course. Who do you think brought you here?”
At Kim Si-woo’s confident reply, Hong Soo-yeon clenched both fists tightly.
***
Time passed quickly, and everyone spent their days busily.
Shocked by Kim Da-on’s talent, Hong Soo-yeon devoted even more time than usual to acting and script interpretation.
Likewise, Jung Pil-gyu—moved by the performances of Hong Soo-yeon and Choi Do-hyun—began melting the role even deeper into his body and mind.
“Is today the last day?”
Before long, Peerless Joseon’s screening period was nearing its end, and its performance had exceeded even Kim Si-woo’s expectations.
Even though one more day remained, the audience count had already surpassed 20 million.
Of course, this movie had one very special event.
The special event was that tickets were given out for free to independence activists, their descendants, war veterans, and others who had devoted themselves to the country.
Thanks to the noble cause, a variety of positive effects emerged—children bringing their parents to see the film, and so on.
“A 20 million celebration party, huh…”
Because of that, a party to commemorate surpassing 20 million viewers had been prepared.
Kim Si-woo already felt a headache coming on at the thought of drinking again.
But he couldn’t exactly skip the party.
Park Se-yong, the director of <Peerless Joseon>, had been texting him every day, practically begging him to come.
Only after Kim Si-woo finally promised to attend did the messages stop.
“Renting out an entire building, though…”
The party was being held by renting out an entire building in Gangnam.
It was an event attended by famous actors, models, influencers, film industry figures, and businesspeople.
Most of the people Kim Si-woo knew were also participating.
On the day of the party, Kim Si-woo put on a luxury suit and watch from the dressing room and stepped out into the living room.
“Oppa! Are you ready?”
“Yeah. All set. You?”
“I’m done too.”
“Noa-ssi, are you ready?”
“Yes~.”
The three of them left the house, got their makeup done at the reserved Suji Shop, and headed to the party venue.
As soon as they arrived, loud music echoed from the entrance.
“I really don’t want to go in…”
Kim Si-woo—who hated unnecessary noise—grimaced. Arimura Noa immediately linked arms with him.
“Please escort me, Writer-nim.”
“…”
“Hey! Wait a second.”
Seeing that, Hong Soo-yeon hurriedly linked arms with Kim Si-woo’s other arm.
“Now we can go in.”
“Sigh… Let’s go.”
The moment Kim Si-woo stepped inside the building, all eyes turned to him.
The man who had written a new myth in Korean cinema—entering with two beautiful actresses on each arm—was impossible to ignore.
Though he felt the weight of their stares, fortunately the loud music kept blaring.
“If it weren’t for the music, this would’ve been way more awkward…”
Thinking that the noise was actually helping for once, Kim Si-woo headed toward where the main figures of the party were gathered. Arimura Noa and Hong Soo-yeon briefly moved off to greet people they knew.
As he went further inside, he saw director Park Se-yong, lead actor Choi Seung-yong, and Jung Pil-gyu chatting while drinking champagne.
“Director-nim. Congratulations.”
“Aigoo! Writer Kim~ Now I understand why Director Woong-deok cherished you so much.”
“You’re too kind.”
After greeting Park Se-yong, Kim Si-woo also exchanged greetings with Choi Seung-yong and Jung Pil-gyu.
“You’ve lost a lot of weight, Choi-ssi.”
“Yeah. Thanks to you, Writer-nim, I’ve been so busy. Hahaha.”
“Jung-ssi, you look like a full-fledged star now.”
“M-Me? S-Sorry… I got a little excited today… I even stopped by the shop to get all dressed up.”
“…”
At Jung Pil-gyu’s response, both Choi Seung-yong and Kim Si-woo gave him irritated looks.
“Choi-ssi, can’t you do something about your junior?”
“Sigh… Sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
“Sunbae-nim? Writer-nim?”
Confused, Jung Pil-gyu anxiously looked back and forth between them.
“It’s not that Kim Writer-nim said anything bad—he’s congratulating you.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“Jung-ssi, you’re going to need to get even more famous from now on.”
“Pil-gyu-ya, did you hear? Writer-nim says he’ll make you even bigger. Go grab some champagne quick.”
“Yes, sunbae-nim.”
While Jung Pil-gyu went to get champagne, Choi Seung-yong asked about the movie Jung Pil-gyu was joining next.
“You’re working together on the next one too, right?”
“Yeah. Well… there just happened to be a perfect role for him.”
“What kind of role…?”
“A piece of trash who commits child abuse and domestic violence. With his size and scary face, it’s even more threatening.”
“He’s the complete opposite in real life.”
“Exactly. Sometimes being too good at acting is a problem, you know? After the movie wraps, I’ll have to do some volunteering and donations.”
While Kim Si-woo and Choi Seung-yong were talking, Jung Pil-gyu returned with champagne, grinning ear to ear.
“If you ever need a cameo, just say the word, Writer-nim. One call from you and I’ll be there anytime.”
“Don’t forget that promise. Hahaha.”
After finishing his conversation with Choi Seung-yong, Kim Si-woo moved to a quieter area to take a break. That’s when Kim Ji-hyun—wearing a sponsored dress—approached him.
“Writer-nim!”
“Hup?”
Kim Si-woo smelled the alcohol on her as she got closer and immediately looked at her face.
‘She’s already drunk?’
**************
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