NOVEL WEB Chapter 21
“Hey seniors, how’s it going!”
Nod, nod.
A tall boy appears in the distance, making his presence felt with a huge greeting.
Like a star atop a Christmas tree adorned with every kind of gem.
If the brilliance of the Milky Way were turned into a person, it might look like him.
The filming set of “High Dream” buzzed with excitement at Kim Donghu’s arrival.
“Did Donghu come?”
“Yeah, hyung, how have you been?”
“Me? Well…”
The first person to exchange greetings with Kim Donghu, Jin Su-hyuk, who plays the male lead Song Cheolsu, smiled awkwardly.
“…I’ve been okay.”
To tell the truth, he hadn’t been okay.
Ever since Kim Donghu showcased that talent on set, everyone’s expectations for acting skyrocketed.
Thanks to that, the rookie actors were feeling the heat.
Of course, nobody outright said,
– “Can’t you do it like Kim Donghu?”
But you could tell from their eyes.
Those eyes oddly seemed to expect something more.
They hoped to at least capture a shred of the vibe Kim Donghu brought.
As that vague tension hung around the filming location,
Kim Donghu reappeared, an undeniable presence that made everyone uneasy.
Plus, today was the day they were shooting the making film.
Which meant if things went wrong, it could go horribly awry.
‘But today should be okay.’
Jin Su-hyuk reassured himself thinking about the shooting schedule.
There were no scenes where they would directly clash today.
‘We’re just performing in our individual practice rooms.’
The competition that “High Dream” had to win, Midara.
Today’s filming involved a scene of their grueling practice for that competition,
For Kim Donghu, it was solo practice and a scheming scene with Principal Wang Ho.
“Is your singing practice really tough?”
“Yeah, but I’ll do my best not to be a burden to my seniors!”
Since “High Dream” is set in an arts high school,
Musical instruments or vocals were essential.
Over the past few months of shooting, the “High Dream” members improved significantly through their blood, sweat, and tears.
Now, they had reached a level that was catchy and pleasant to listen to.
For some reason, Jin Su-hyuk suddenly felt tension in his shoulders.
Confidence supporting him like armor.
“Yeah, hang in there.”
Honestly, he was convinced that in this part, he would win.
Coming from an idol background at ST Entertainment,
It made no sense for him to lose to a rookie in music.
‘And honestly, it doesn’t make sense for everyone to be that good.’
Even though Lee Jae-yi was set up as a genius,
Such setups could always be fabricated.
With the hundreds of ways to portray a tiny square TV screen,
Even a tone-deaf person could become a genius belting out like a cattle herder.
“That’s just how it goes.”
“It must be a case of being chosen after the audition.”
Jin Su-hyuk encouraged Kim Donghu, thinking, “You must have something you can’t do too.”
“Hang in there, Donghu!”
Tap, tap.
“Thank you!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Surely, you don’t expect him to do music well, right?
+++++
Lee Minha.
A writer working on “Hyde Dream,” known for never missing a deadline since her debut.
But right now, she was…
“Ughhh…”
Deep in crazy contemplation.
An absolute no-no under normal circumstances.
Yet it seemed like it would create incredible synergy if she did it.
“I want to go for it.”
Should I? No, I shouldn’t! Or should I? Ugh.
The dilemma of a lifetime.
Something she would have never even thought of before meeting Kim Donghu.
“Same-day script revision.”
That was taboo.
This wasn’t some early 2000s sitcom where you could change scripts last minute.
How could you revise the script on shooting day?
“PD, is the schedule flexible?”
But her mind and body were acting independently.
Her reason screamed “Absolutely not!” but her instincts slowly gravitated towards revising the script.
“Right? The making film response was great, and PPL and advertisements have been rolling in, so we’ve grown a lot.”
Kim Youngmo, the PD, responded with a hint of pride.
He was trying to convey that they made money through superb directing and editing—great appeal!
“But why is he asking that?”
Was he really the type for pointless chatter?
That thought sent waves of anxiety through her.
“…So, can I revise the script then?”
“Huh? Script revisions? Don’t you usually do that?”
Revisions happen naturally in the process of writing a script.
“If you just notify me in advance, we can adjust the schedule accordingly…”
But Kim Youngmo’s words suddenly froze.
He’d locked eyes with Lee Minha.
At that moment, the seasoned PD realized what Lee Minha was about to say.
“…Are you thinking what I think you are?”
“Yes.”
A same-day script revision.
An act that could send all the gathered actors and crew home in a whirlwind.
Lee Minha wanted that right now.
“Wait, hold on, can I at least hear how it’s going to change?”
A perfectly reasonable question.
In response, Lee Minha revealed her long-bottled desires completely.
“You must have noticed at the public audition that Kim Donghu acts really well, and he’s great at singing too.”
“That’s right?”
“So, the role of Lee Jae-yi was originally just a vocalist, you know, in a situation where bands confront each other, like in Hyde Dream?”
“Yes, yes, I get that.”
A quick glance.
As he replied, Kim Youngmo shifted his attention to the band warming up behind the set.
The members of Hydream had to perform, but since Lee Jae-yi’s band didn’t need to, they had invited an external band.
A showdown between bands!
Wasn’t that exactly the kind of scene they envisioned from the start?
Kim Youngmo’s questioning gaze was immediately resolved by Lee Minha.
“…But that seems really weird, though.”
“Weird? How so?”
“Lee Jae-yi is a genius, right?”
“That’s true.”
“He’s a flower that blossomed amidst hatred, and he thinks everyone but himself is inferior.”
How could someone like him play in sync with others?
It’s like asking a wolf to eat with sheep.
Even as Lee Minha continued speaking, she knew how absurd her words sounded.
It was a stretch.
But…
‘But I saw it with my own eyes.’
I witnessed Lee Jae-yi living and breathing right before me.
There exists a Lee Jae-yi more perfect than the one I wrote.
And I can’t match that? Then can I really call myself a writer?
That was the pride of a lifetime that Lee Minha had built as an author.
“So… what do you want to do?”
Kim Youngmo, understanding her feelings, asked straightforwardly.
What on earth needed to change to warrant such a lengthy explanation?
To that question, Lee Minha lowered her head and answered.
“A piano.”
“…A piano?”
“Yes. If possible, I’d really prefer it to be a grand piano.”
The camaraderie-building Hydream band and
Lee Jae-yi singing alone at the grand piano.
It painted a perfect picture of conflict.
“There is a grand piano available, but…”
Since they had rented the entire space, equipment was not an issue.
However.
“It will take quite some time for actor Kim Donghu to master the piano.”
Just to synchronize hands, it would take at least a month.
This was normally a matter needing a lot of discussion.
Yet Lee Minha wanted to skip all those steps and say she wanted to modify it now.
“…First, let’s ask the most important actor’s opinion.”
“Yes, yes indeed. Where is actor Kim Donghu right now?”
“Ah, there he is.”
Kim Donghu came into view for Kim Youngmo and Lee Minha.
Due to his young age, he felt awkward blending in on set,
Yet, his presence alone captivated everyone’s attention.
Walking straight over to the actor, Lee Minha approached the one actor they could hardly imagine how far he would go.
“Actor Kim Donghu.”
“Yes, Writer! Oh, and you can speak comfortably!”
“Hey, writer! Oh right, feel free to speak casually.”
“So, uh, Donghu, do you play the piano? The grand piano…”
That question made me squint my eyes tight.
‘Is this even a question!’
Maybe for a regular piano, there’s a slight chance he learned when he was little.
But a grand piano? That was a whole different level.
There’s no way a fourteen-year-old middle school kid could have learned that.
If he did, he’d have to be attending some fancy arts school already.
But…
“Yeah, I can play.”
“Right, I knew you would… But you see, we need to revise the script, and maybe you could practice… Wait, what? Huh? Huh?”
Did I just mishear that? No way, I’m healthy!
“Can you say that again?”
“I can play, the grand piano.”
“Want me to show you?”
Kim Donghu’s confident reply made Lee Minha drop her jaw.
“Hey, writer! Director! Anyone! Writer, your jaw!”
Clank.
It just fell off.
+++++
Time rewinds back to the day I received the second script.
As I was immersing myself, I felt something was off.
‘Is it right for Jae-yi to form a band with other kids?’
That was a question only I, experiencing the characters directly, could feel.
Jae-yi, who despised being grouped with underperformers, would never hang out with kids below his level.
‘If he needs to stand out solo, wouldn’t piano or violin be better?’
Building a classy image with those instruments would suit Jae-yi way more.
And then.
As if cheering me on, a message from [Sims – The Real Life] popped up.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
-[Judging that the immersion and script don’t match your understanding]
-[Adding settings to breathe life into Jae-yi’s character]
-[Download the application ‘You’re Not Swinging At All Right Now’]
-[From now on, you’ll acquire talents related to instruments when immersing in characters]
The message was straightforward.
To become not just a simple acting genius, but a perfect one.
Recreate Jae-yi 100%.
‘Hah.’
My answer was already set.
“Immersion.”
Alright, I’ll show you.
The perfect Jae-yi.