NOVEL WEB Episode 79 - 7th Floor
“Jin-yuk hyung, are you really okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. When I watched a movie yesterday and saw you and So-hyeon acting together, I thought about wanting to appear in a work with you. Besides, isn’t it quite a decent pay for a cameo?”
Director Lee Sang-hoon, who offered a considerable amount as pay to turn this crisis into an opportunity, even requesting additional production costs to overcome this crisis, was generous enough.
Although Son Jin-yuk was willing to help Yeon-woo even without pay to assist him, it’s always good to receive good compensation.
“Thank you so much. It was a crisis because of the sudden incident.”
“Did I appear like a hero? Haha.”
“Yeah, you really did.”
Yeon-woo nodded along with Jin-yuk’s joke.
Son Jin-yuk, who came to cheer but ended up getting makeup done.
“So, I’m the person who became a bodyguard for the envoy from Song Dynasty, right?”
“That’s right. It’s because of the friendly combat with Seo Hee and Lee Ji-back in the previous episodes that we developed a sense of camaraderie.”
Jin-yuk nodded in agreement.
“Is it difficult to synchronize this?”
“The martial arts director mentioned that he was in charge of your fight scenes in ‘Your Name,’ so it should be easier than back then.”
“Oh, Director Do? Then I know exactly what scene it is.”
Son Jin-yuk, whose makeup was done in no time, stood up.
“Yeon-woo. It was unexpected that we’d end up filming together, but isn’t it exciting? It brings back old memories.”
“Yeah, I’m really thankful.”
Yeon-woo smiled and laughed as he looked at Son Jin-yuk, who lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
“Oh, it’s been a while, Yu-han.”
“Hello, senior. Thank you so much for helping out willingly.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s already a well-made production, isn’t it? Plus, there are cute juniors.”
Son Jin-yuk, with Ryu Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han on either side, laughed shoulder to shoulder.
– Click. –
At that moment, a press photographer capturing stills of the filming scene didn’t miss the scene.
They say a photo captures a moment of art.
Nodding while looking at the photo of the three taken side by side through the camera screen, Son Jin-yuk remarked.
“Ha, I took this, but it turned out really well. This trio might become valuable material for some documentary in the future.”
Son Jin-yuk and Jin Yu-han, who had been rivals for the Male Excellence Award at the Korean Arts Awards, met again on set.
Jin Yu-han and Ryu Yeon-woo.
They are friends in this drama, but also rivals in love and political allies and rivals.
Ryu Yeon-woo and Son Jin-yuk.
They used to compete fiercely over a woman in Yeon-woo’s debut work, currently dominating both television and the big screen.
If this photo of the three brightly shoulder to shoulder were to be released online, it would surely stir up some talk.
The rest of the shooting went smoothly.
Although they just briefly synchronized today, Park Kyung-wan had already filmed the earlier parts with his face covered, so when Son Jin-yuk’s face appeared on the monitor without the mask, the set was in awe, as the screen looked exceptionally clear.
“Thank you for your help. But who are you?”
“Seeing me again, huh? I’m the envoy from the previous battle.”
“Okay, cut!”
The director, Lee Sang-hoon, who hadn’t given his okay sign all morning, gave a refreshing okay sign as Son Jin-yuk acted, and the staff marveled.
“Oh, indeed, the top is the top.”
“Wow, having Ryu Yeon-woo, Jin Yu-han, and even Son Jin-yuk in one frame.”
“Seriously. How many Korean Arts Awards are in this scene?”
Director Lee Sang-hoon’s mouth also widened, nodding his head.
“Well, this is exactly what they mean by turning crisis into opportunity.”
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As ‘The Star Beyond the River’ overcomes its crisis and ‘Master Plan’ sails smoothly, Ryu So-hyeon diligently captures articles about her brother and shares them in the family group chat.
[‘Master Plan’ first-week box office hits 3.14 million viewers. Will it surpass 10 million viewers?]
[[Why] Why is the movie ‘Master Plan’ causing such a sensation?]
[The advertising industry focuses on capturing Ryu Yeon-woo. ‘Master Plan’ and ‘The Star Beyond the River’ dominate the popularity.]
[Investigating the icon ‘Ryu Yeon-woo’ who conquers both television and the big screen simultaneously.]
Ryu Cheol-yung checked his daughter’s message while working at the office, his mouth hanging open in surprise.
“Chief, congratulations. Please let me see your son sometime.”
“Yeah, I want to see a top star too.”
“Haha, what top star? He’s just a rookie right now.”
He modestly accepted his colleagues’ congratulations and envy, but it’s hard to come down from cloud nine when you’re flying so high.
– Ding. –
His smartphone rang then, and Cheol-yung’s eyes widened as he looked at the screen.
“Oh, right. Our son.”
[Father, I think the historical drama filming will be done today. We might have a dinner gathering, and I’ll probably come home tomorrow.]
“Oh, really? Should I buy something delicious then?”
As she listened to Cheol-yung’s phone call, female employees approached.
“Chief Ryu. Can we hear your son’s voice too? I’ve watched that movie twice!”
“Haha, of course. Um, is it okay, son?”
[Yes, of course.]
Cheol-yung touched the speakerphone button.
[Hello. Thank you for always supporting my father.]
“Wow! What do we do? I’ve watched ‘Master Plan’ twice!”
“I always watch ‘The Star Beyond the River’.”
[Thank you very much. I’ll meet you when we gather for dinner later.]
Yeon-woo’s words caused a commotion among the staff and the environment.
“Amazing!”
“Son, I’m busy.”
“Chief! We want to see it too!”
As the staff shot laser beams from their eyes at Cheol-yung, trying to dissuade him from being busy, he relented.
“Ah, well. Let’s boost father’s dignity through our son later.”
[Yes, father. See you tomorrow then.]
After ending the call, Yeon-woo looked around the set.
The shooting of this drama concluded with a scene where where Seo Ji-eun and Jin Yu-han, dressed as older people, see off old Ryu Yeon-woo as he leaves for the enemy camp.
“It always feels strange when it ends.”
With his makeup removed, Yeon-woo sat down next to Seo Ji-eun with a plain face.
Looking at Seo Ji-eun, Yeon-woo chuckled.
“Yeah, it’s over now.”
“But I still haven’t seen the racing scene you did when you first started the drama. I’m really looking forward to it. You know, it’s like a husband going off to war, and I only saw the send-off, but I don’t know what happens next.”
“I actually haven’t seen the edited scenes I shot. We should also watch it live.”
“Yeah. We should watch it live.”
From afar, the assistant director shouted.
“Come on, let’s have a lively dinner gathering today!”
“Yay!”
Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun stood up from their seats and brushed off their bottoms.
“Okay, let’s go. Where’s Yu-han?”
“Yu-han had a schedule, so he left right away.”
They took a car to a nearby barbecue restaurant and the staff enjoyed the meat and got excited, dancing and singing.
As the dinner ended, Seo Ji-eun’s anxious expression caught Yeon-woo’s eye.
“Why the long face? What’s worrying you?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that there’s no manager available to pick me up…”
Since it’s a small company, both cars and managers were lacking, so they couldn’t afford to wait for shooting schedules other than filming and waiting for unpredictable dinner gatherings to end.
“Oh, really? Then let’s go in my car. It’s a similar direction. I’ll drop you off near your place.”
“…Really? I’m sorry. Then I’ll owe you one!”
Normally, with her spirited and straightforward personality, Seo Ji-eun would have just worn a mask and taken a taxi in Korea, where safety is guaranteed. However, since the stalking incident she experienced last time, Seo Ji-eun has been much more subdued and found comfort in Yeon-woo’s words.
“…Actually, there was a big incident where someone followed me to our apartment stairs last time. As time passed, I realized it was probably just a fellow apartment resident, but I was alone and panicked.”
Seo Ji-eun confided in Yeon-woo about her recent worries over a drink. Yeon-woo listened quietly and reassured her that everything would be okay.
After the dinner, Min-soo’s car entered the parking lot.
– Thunk. –
“Min-soo hyung, today, I’ll drop off Ji-eun Noona first and then go home.”
“Oh, hello.”
“Hello! Today, I’ll owe you one!”
Min-soo chuckled at the cheerful greeting.
“It’s an honor to drive an actress.”
“Min-soo hyung, did you always wish to chauffeur actresses instead of me?”
“Well, not a lot, just once or twice a month.”
Seo Ji-eun laughed as she teased Min-soo back.
“Well then, let’s get going. Seo Hee, Ui-yeon.”
Min-soo’s car headed towards the address Seo Ji-eun provided.
After driving for a while, Min-soo’s car arrived at Seo Ji-eun’s apartment.
“Here we are. Thank you for the ride today, Yeon-woo.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Take care going in. Noona, you’ve worked hard. Let’s meet at the wrap-up party.”
– Click. –
As the car door closed, Seo Ji-eun headed towards the entrance of her apartment.
The neighborhood seemed brighter than she expected, with streetlights and even a convenience store on the first floor of the complex, so it didn’t seem too dangerous.
“Oh, Yeon-woo, I’ll just use the restroom in that shopping complex.”
Min-soo, who had hesitated because there was an actress in the car, said as he patted his stomach.
“Yes, I’ll wait in the car.”
Min-soo opened the driver’s seat door and hurriedly got out, while Yeon-woo stared out the window, lost in thought.
Then, a man walking towards the entrance of the apartment caught Yeon-woo’s eye.
“Huh?”
He seemed to be holding something shiny like metal in his hand.
Of course, it could be an e-cigarette or a car key, but something didn’t feel right.
The man seemed overly conscious of the camera, pressing his hat down too hard and walking in a hunched posture.
Without hesitation, Yeon-woo got out of the car immediately.
“Ji-eun Noona! Seo Ji-eun!”
He shouted loudly, but Seo Ji-eun and the man had already entered the entrance when he got out of the car.
Yeon-woo quickly ran towards the entrance of the apartment complex.
Contrary to appearances, there was no separate security door at the entrance to the elevator, which seemed to be quite old.
Rushing over, Yeon-woo found that both of the elevators, of which there were two, had just left. One went to the 3rd floor, and the other to the 2nd floor.
It was unclear whether Yeon-woo and the man who followed had taken the same elevator or separate ones, but Yeon-woo decided to take the stairs for now.
‘Just in case, it’s better to confirm than to regret later.’
He sprinted up the stairs with all his might. Yeon-woo ascended two or three steps at a time, pushing himself even faster, not bothering to slow down even when he felt tired.
‘Hmm, but which floor is Seo Ji-eun’s apartment on?’
Arriving at the 5th floor, Yeon-woo quickly opened the gray emergency staircase door and checked. Both elevators were stopped on the 7th floor.
At that moment, he heard the creaking sound of shoes dragging and what sounded like someone rummaging around on the floor above.
Yeon-woo continued to sprint up the stairs with all his might, as if flying, and opened the stairwell door on the 7th floor where Seo Ji-eun had been holding onto him and crying in the past.