Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 82

Lee Ji-seok walked with his manager, Yoon Seong-oh, to the conference room where the script reading for

The Royal Physician was taking place.

Seong-oh checked the time in the empty hallway.

“Hyung, aren’t we too early?”

“Well, I have nothing else to do, and Seo-jun said he would come early too. It’s my first reading, so it’s nice to have someone I know.”

Ji-seok’s words made Seong-oh laugh. He had never seen Ji-seok so excited before.

Ji-seok opened the door to the conference room with a bang.

“I’m the first one here, huh? Oh, Jong-ho hyung?”

The conference table was already prepared by the production team, with paper name tags indicating the roles and actors.

Kim Jong-ho, who was called by his name, flinched and turned around. He had two paper name tags in his hand.

[Heo Yuseon, Ji-seok Lee]

[Taejong, Kim Jong-ho]

Ji-seok tilted his head at the large letters. Ahem. Kim Jong-ho coughed and put the two name tags on the table. Then he sat down at his seat and opened the script.

“Hyung, aren’t you coming in?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Ji-seok, who was tilting his head at Seong-oh’s words, sat down at his seat.

What’s going on? Ji-seok crossed his arms and stared at Kim Jong-ho, who was greeting Seong-oh and taking out his script and barley tea from his bag.

“Jong-ho hyung, do you have something on your mind?”

“What, what? What do you mean?”

“Hyung, you’re not even in the first episode, but you’re reading the script.”

“Well, I can read it even if I’m not in it.”

Kim Jong-ho coughed and closed the script.

‘This kid came so early when there’s still time until the reading.’

A silent silence flowed between Kim Jong-ho and Ji-seok, when the conference room door opened.

“You’re already here?”

It was PD Choi Min-sung and writer So Eun-jin. And there was one more person behind them.

“Hello!”

It was Seo-jun. It was his first script reading, so he came early with Da Ho hyung.

He met the PD and the writer in front of the conference room and received some snacks. Then he came into the conference room with them.

Hehe. It was his first filming in a year, and even though it was just a script reading, he was very happy.

“Hi, seo-jun.”

“Long time no see.”

Ji-seok and Seong-oh greeted Seo-jun warmly. Seo-jun smiled brightly and waved his hand to them. PD Min-sung showed him his seat.

“There’s a name tag on each seat. Just sit there.”

“Okay!”

Seo-jun found his name tag and walked to his seat. It was next to Kim Jong-ho.

Seo-jun bowed to him. Seo-jun and Kim Jong-ho had a 30-year age difference.

“Hello! Kim Jong-ho teacher. I’m Seo-jun Lee.”

Kim Jong-ho, a middle-aged actor, was an indispensable actor for historical dramas. He looked like a nobleman from the Joseon era when he wore a durumagi and a beard.

His grim face and thick voice suited the villains who had power in their hands. He mostly played the role of a powerful person whenever he appeared.

Because of that, the public expected that Kim Jong-ho would be a villain nine out of ten times.

‘Is this your first time playing a king?’

Seo-jun, who read the script for The Royal Physician and learned about Taejong, thought that Kim Jong-ho suited the role of Taejong Yi Bangwon very well.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course! I watched the historical dramas you were in!”

“Really? Well, sit down.”

“Okay!”

Kim Jong-ho smiled at Seo-jun’s words and listened to him attentively. He looked like a cool ‘teacher’, so Seo-jun talked enthusiastically about the historical dramas and dramas that Kim Jong-ho was in.

Ji-seok felt left out, even though he was only on the other side of the table. He made a dissatisfied expression.

PD Min-sung and writer Eun-jin, who were looking for a cushion and snacks for Seo-jun, whispered to each other.

“Didn’t we tell you to put Seo-jun’s seat next to Ji-seok?”

“Yeah, I guess we forgot.”

“Huh?”

Ji-seok’s head spun when he heard the two’s words. Kim Jong-ho, who came unusually early, Kim Jong-ho, who had name tags in his hand, and the changed seat.

“Jong-ho hyung, don’t tell me that’s my seat?!”

“What, what. What are you talking about?”

He looked flustered, as if he had hit the mark. Seo-jun, who received citron tea from Da Ho, sipped it and watched Kim Jong-ho and Ji-seok argue.

The teacher-like appearance that Seo-jun had seen was gone, and his original personality came out.

“Hyung, sit in your own seat!”

“I want to talk to Seo-jun too. It’s too far over there! You’ve been in Evil Spirit and The Reinvestigation, and you’ve been in touch, so just give me a break today.”

Kim Jong-ho, who was about to yell, lowered his voice, conscious of Seo-jun.

Ji-seok clenched his teeth and spoke, remembering that Kim Jong-ho had asked him how to vote for the WTV Film Festival.

He just said he would give a vote to a handsome child actor, but he must have been a fan of Seo-jun.

“Are you and Kim Jong-ho senior on bad terms?”

“No, not at all. We’re actually very close. We were in the same drama when Ji-seok debuted. We’re so close that we joke around comfortably. He even made a special appearance in The Investigation, like Seo-jun.”

“Oh, I saw that. He came because of Ji-seok hyung.”

Seo-jun nodded. Was he like Chan uncle and him? Ji-seok, who gave up his seat, grumbled at Kim Jong-ho.

“Then you sit here too!”

“I’m not as petty as you, hyung.”

Kim Jong-ho and Ji-seok’s second round was about to start, when the conference room door opened. It was a staff member who brought water bottles for the actors.

He looked at the clock and it was almost time for the reading. After that, the actors and managers came into the conference room.

They all had the same reaction.

They came into the conference room without thinking, and were surprised to see Kim Jong-ho and Ji-seok sitting there.

They greeted them and sat down at their seats, carefully feeling the atmosphere of the conference room.

They were shocked to see Kim Jong-ho talking kindly to Seo-jun.

“Didn’t Kim Jong-ho senior say he hated juniors? He didn’t even say a word to the actor he co-starred with in the last drama.”

“He hates the ones who can’t act. He was a parachute and his acting was terrible. He likes them if they can act well, even if they’re parachutes.”

“Still, this is the first time I’ve seen him so kind.”

They whispered to each other, while Kim Jong-ho and Seo-jun became closer.

“Is this your first drama reading?”

“Yes!”

“We don’t have any lines in the first episode, so ask me if you have any questions.”

“Thank you.”

Seo-jun’s eyes sparkled as he answered.

The promised time came. Fortunately, all the actors who said they would attend arrived on time.

Seo-jun looked around at the actors sitting at the table and the ones sitting behind them.

Taejong, Queen Wongyeong, Yangnyeong, hyoryeong, chungnyeong, and the royal physicians.

The script reading was supposed to be only for the first episode, but everyone who wanted to see each other’s faces, even those who had no lines, gathered.

Actors, managers, filming staff, and public relations staff. The conference room was bustling.

“Then, let’s start the script reading for The Royal Physician.”

Everyone took their seats and Director Choi Min-sung announced the start of the script reading.

It was Lee Ji-seok’s first historical drama, but he delivered his lines naturally, unlike a beginner.

Kim Jong-ho, known as an acting purist, was friendly enough with him, who was ten years younger, to get along well, despite his nagging. He had a great acting skill.

It was only a script reading in a conference room. But as if he was acting on the set, Lee Ji-seok didn’t just spit out his lines casually. His gestures and expressions changed.

If you closed your eyes and listened to his voice, it felt like you had come to the Joseon era.

Seo-jun blinked his eyes and compared the modern and historical speech. It was more fun because it was a speech that was not used now.

The script reading for The Royal Physician passed by in an instant.

The first episode was about Heo Yu-seon, the physician, entering the royal physician’s office and building his reputation as a physician.

There was no appearance of the royal physician’s office, which would be Heo Yu-seon’s workplace, responsible for the health of the royal family, let alone Taejong or the princes.

Because of that, taejong, Queen Won-gyeong, and the princes had to watch Lee Ji-seok and the actors recite their lines awkwardly.

No, they all had to bite their lips while watching Seo-jun scribble notes on the script and nod his head.

Director Choi Min-sung and writer So Eun-jin were already leaning their chins and looking at Seo-jun with honey dripping from their eyes. Kim Jong-ho peeked at what Seo-jun was writing next to him.

[Strongly? Weakly?]

[Take a break]

[As expected, Ji-seok hyung is good!]

Even though he was distracted, the reading continued thanks to Kim Jong-ho.

Kim Jong-ho was not so kind to actors who couldn’t act. He had even spat out harsh words to juniors who asked for advice.

Kim Jong-ho, who had a bad personality, was not thought badly by the actors who were close to him.

Contrary to the fact that Kim Jong-ho was known to like actors who could act well, the actors that Kim Jong-ho liked were actors who ‘liked’ acting.

Even if he didn’t do well because he hadn’t learned to act for a long time, Kim Jong-ho opened his heart if he liked acting.

Of course, it was when he knew his own skills and took on a role that suited him. Even if he liked acting, he turned his back on him as soon as he took on a role that was too much for him.

He couldn’t do a minor role. One or two lines of dialogue, he would gain experience little by little and improve. Kim Jong-ho also learned to act that way.

But these days, people who couldn’t even do the basics took the roles of lead and supporting actors too easily with the word ticket power.

‘Seo-jun is one of the few actors who can do well from the start.’

Kim Jong-ho smiled as he watched Seo-jun diligently taking notes.

He felt that he liked acting even though he was still young, as Lee Ji-seok said. He liked his attitude of trying hard even though he was good.

Lee Ji-seok was proud of the affectionate Seo-jun and Kim Jong-ho.

Kim Jong-ho, who liked acting and liked actors who liked acting, had a talent for teaching.

He taught good juniors and they became stars.

But the end was not so good.

The juniors who loved acting became actors who enjoyed fame and neglected acting.

As such experiences accumulated, Kim Jong-ho’s personality, which was already dirty, became dirtier, and it became very rare for him to teach someone. Lee Ji-seok was able to hear short advice only after a few years.

But an unexpected thing happened.

When Seo-jun tilted his head in doubt at someone’s line, Kim Jong-ho opened his mouth softly. His eyes were still on Seo-jun.

“You have to speak faster and more desperately there. You came to find a physician to save your dying mother, didn’t you?”

“Yes, yes!”

When the actor recited his line again, seo-jun nodded his head and wrote down Kim Jong-ho’s advice on the script.

[Faster and more desperate]

Kim Jong-ho smiled at that. He had no intention of giving advice to other actors. He just hoped that this handsome kid would learn a lot indirectly.

The actors who appeared in the first episode, who would ever hear advice from an actor like Kim Jong-ho, continued to read the script diligently to hear more.

Lee Ji-seok was momentarily goosebumps by Kim Jong-ho’s soft voice, which was different from usual, and almost stuttered his line.

The actor Seo-jun, who was fidgeting, Kim Jong-ho, who was teaching his junior, and the actors who were participating diligently.

As topics of conversation sprang up here and there, the public relations staff smiled and diligently pointed the camera lens.

“Good job, everyone!”

The script reading for the first episode was over. When Seo-jun closed the script, everyone closed their own script with a regretful face.

The managers took care of their actors’ luggage, and Ahn Da Ho, who was behind Seo-jun, also started to take care of Seo-jun’s luggage one by one.

Kim Jong-ho was sad in the atmosphere of tidying up. He was an actor who liked acting and was very good at it, whom he met after a long time. He wanted to talk to him a little longer.

Kim Jong-ho wondered what elementary school students liked these days and what to talk about, but Lee Ji-seok intervened.

“Seo-jun, Jong-ho hyung said. He likes you a lot. He even voted for you in the film festival. It’s a bit awkward to call him hyung, so call him uncle.”

“Uh… Can I call you ‘Jong-ho uncle’?”

“Of course! Anytime!”

“Hehehehe.”

One person had the courage to join the friendly conversation of the three actors. Queen Won-gyeong, Lee Ji-hye, smiled and said.

“Seo-jun. Can you give me a sign? My name is Lee Ji-hye.”

“I know! I saw the movie. You were with Da-jin hyung, right?”

Seo-jun signed the white paper that Lee Ji-hye gave him. Lee Ji-hye smiled as she received the signed paper.

“Da-jin also said you were really good.”

“Hehe.”

As Seo-jun smiled, people gathered one by one with papers in their hands. They sneaked their eyes away from Ahn Da Ho’s cold gaze and stood in a line in front of Seo-jun.

Kim Jong-ho didn’t show it, but he wanted Seo-jun’s signature. Lee Ji-seok teased him as he noticed the sign.

“Seo-jun, can you give Jong-ho hyung a sign? He really wants it.”

“Yes!”

It would have been nice if he hadn’t said the back. Kim Jong-ho and Seo-jun thought the same.

A small signing event was held in the conference room. There were too many people to do it all, so they decided to get it later from Seo-jun and those who had the same filming.

Kim Jong-ho was also in it. Seo-jun gave Kim Jong-ho his phone number, who was sorry.

***

KBC’s new drama, the Royal Physician’s script reading video was uploaded on the internet.

KBC divided the video into reading version, seo-jun version, and actors version.

Especially, seo-jun version had yellow and cute subtitles and cute music, making it look like watching a variety show.

-So cuteㅋ He’s fidgetingㅠ

-Honey dripping from Kim Jong-ho’s eyes. But it’s a bit scary to see him like that with that faceㅋ

-Every time Seo-jun pauses, Kim Jong-ho teaches himㅋ

=And if he does well, he nods

-Seo-jun doesn’t know he’s only looking at the scriptㅋㅋ