Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 91

A few days later, a video was uploaded on YouTube.

[Title: I showed my foreign friend the drama The Royal Physician.]

“Hello, this is Jojo. Today, I showed my friend Emma, whom I met during my trip to England, the popular drama The Royal Physician. Of course, it was too long to watch it all, so I only showed her the most important parts!”

Cho Min-young and Emma waved their hands and greeted the viewers on the screen.

“I edited the scenes where Grand Prince Seongnyeong appears so that they are connected properly! Aren’t you curious about my friend’s reaction to the cute and lovely Grand Prince Seongnyeong! And Emma is a huge fan of Jin Natra, so she is very excited! She is also studying Korean hard to watch Lee Seo-jun’s Korean works!”

As Cho Min-young spoke, a caption appeared.

‘Emma can understand Korean, but she is still studying Korean history. She is only at the Goryeo period ;)’

“I’m so excited!”

Emma’s eyes sparkled at the thought of seeing the cute and lovely Seo-jun Lee. Her anticipation was so palpable that the people who watched the YouTube video shed tears. It was not a live broadcast, but a recorded video, so they must have already seen it, but they felt sorry for her.

-You devil! There’s a devil here!

-That cute and lovely Daegun Mama, Mama!ㅠ

Along with the images of Emma and Cho Min-young watching the video, the title of The RoyalPhysician appeared in the corner of the screen.

Dung-dung- The sound of drums rang out.

Heo Yu-seon entered Grand Prince Seongnyeong’s residence. And the camera slowly moved up from the yellow floor.

A wooden table, a covered book, a purple official robe with a giraffe badge, and Grand Prince Seongnyeong. Emma’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened involuntarily.

-Wow. The entrance scene is the best.

-The sound of drums fits so well.

-This is exactly the next king. He has such a presence.

The rest of the video was peaceful. As Cho Min-young said, it was full of cute, lovely, and lively Grand Prince Seongnyeong’s daily life.

Emma’s expression softened. The people who watched the video smiled faintly at Emma’s face and reminisced about the past.

-It’s just like me three weeks ago. I thought it was a fusion historical drama that would save him.

-No emotional involvement. No immersion. I’m watching with blurry eyes.

-The aftermath will be no joke.

-Now it’s ‘that’.

=Thatㅋㅋㅠ

[Smallpox is here!]

The voice of Uigwan Hong-dal echoed throughout the palace. Smallpox? Emma tilted her head, and Cho Min-young told her it was a disease. A disease? Min-young’s expression changed subtly.

The situation turned very quickly. People were running around and Grand Prince Seongnyeong was lying down. Anxiety overwhelmed Emma. Emma clasped her hands and watched the video. Episode 14 was almost entirely continuous. She couldn’t miss a single thing.

[Jong-ah!]

“Ah…”

Emma covered her mouth and couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.

The parents’ voices filled with grief stuck in her ears. Emma’s eyes widened.

The physician who had been smiling with Seo-jun knelt down and collapsed. Snow fell.

[Grand Prince Seongnyeong Lee Jong, Dead]

Cho Min-young kindly added a caption. Dead. That word pressed heavily on her chest.

“…Kuhng.”

As they watched the video together, cho Min-young felt sad and handed Emma a tissue.

The YouTube video ended with a scene of Emma and Cho Min-young, who had prepared a lot of tissues, watching The Royal Physician episode 1 affectionately.

-Ah, I have to watch it again.

-If I watch it from episode 1 again, I think I’ll be sad every time Seongnyeong appears.

-Tsk tsk. I’m already on my third rewatch.

=Are you okay with the aftermath?

=No no, so I took a half day off and went to Gwanghwamun. I came back after being treated by the living Grand Prince Seongnyeong.

There were many foreign reaction videos to Korean dramas and music videos, but Cho Min-young was the first to upload a video of The Royal Physician.

As the views rose at the speed of light, the foreign YouTubers who were obsessed with the views started to show interest one by one.

Some watched the edited version like Cho Min-young, and some watched it from episode 1 carefully.

Among them, unlike the Koreans who had been spoiled in advance, the foreigners did not understand why Grand Prince Seongnyeong, who had made a splendid appearance (some even saw a halo), died.

-Why did he die? Wasn’t this a story about him becoming a king?

-He looked like he would become a king.

=The little brother is King Sejong. He’s in the show too.

=Oh, I see.

=And the little one is Jin Natra 😉

=!!!

After that, reaction videos with the title ‘feat. Jin Natra’ were made, and the video streaming sites that were interested in ‘The Royal Physician’ started to take action.

***

On August 11th, 1418, the year of Sejong’s accession, 22-year-old Chungnyeong Daegun ascended the throne.

The splendid coronation ceremony was somber with Chungnyeong Daegun’s reminiscence of the dead Grand Prince Seongnyeong.

[KBC The Royal Physician, ratings! 34%!]

[The two actors who have to carry The Royal Physician! Park Dohoon, Lee Ji-seok!]

-I didn’t know. Grand Prince Seongnyeong’s death had such an impact. He died in February, became the crown prince in June, and ascended the throne in August. It was a tumultuous year of 1418.

-34%ㅋㅋ Are they the ratings gangstersㅋ

=The other broadcasting stations were completely ruined at that time slot.

The sad events did not end.

“Sangwibok!”

Two years after Wonkyung Queen Consort died, taejong closed his eyes. A eunuch took the king’s upper garment and climbed up to the east roof eaves and shouted northward. Sejong looked at his father’s face with a blank expression.

“Sangwibok!”

In the king’s head, the death of Gyeongan Princess and Grand Prince Seongnyeong, whom he had spent affectionately with, flashed by. His mother and father’s memories and death flashed by.

“Sangwibok!”

Sejong buried his face in his palm without a word.

The news of Taejong’s death reached Heo Yuseon’s ears. Heo Yu-seon, who had come out for a moment after researching, looked up at the sky.

The blue sky without a single cloud was too clean and he hated it.

“Daegun Mama. Are you well with Jungjeon Mama? I heard the news that Sangwang Jeonha passed away. Sangwang Jeonha committed many sins, so I don’t know if he can meet Mama.”

He saw a man running from the end of the street. He was carrying an old man on his back. Seeing that, heo Yu-seon smiled faintly.

“I think I have to do good deeds to go to where Mama is, so I have to do more good deeds.”

“Physician Naeuri! Physician Naeuri!”

[KBC The Royal Physician, ratings stay in the 30% range!]

[Already the third funeral!]

-Wow. How long has it been since Grand Prince Seongnyeong died, and Wonkyung Queen Consort and Taejong died too.

-Already the third funeralㅠ Is Sejong mentally okay?

-Seongnyeong-2 years later Queen Consort-2 years later Taejong… Who will die in 2 years?

-Heo Yu-seon dissing in the meantimeㅋㅋ He said Taejong committed a lot of sinsㅋㅋ He can’t go to heavenㅋㅋ

***

“Hello!”

As Seo-jun appeared with a bright smile, the staff who were preparing for the shooting greeted him.

The assistant director guided Seo-jun to the makeup artist. Seo-jun sat on the chair and sang a song happily.

The makeup artist’s brush brushed Seo-jun’s cheek and passed by.

I thought the last shooting was the final one, but a few days ago, I got a call from PD Choi Min-sung. He asked me if I would play a different role. I tilted my head at his words, but soon nodded.

‘I liked the changed scene, but it was a bit disappointing that it was deleted since it was the last shooting. And the shooting ended abruptly.’

I was disappointed that I didn’t hear the ‘Cut, oK!’ sound at the last shooting.

I opened the script. It was a different role, but I had a feeling why PD Choi called me.

I read the script again and laughed. Lee Ji-seok, who stopped by the dressing room after hearing the news of my arrival, smiled at me.

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes!”

“Seo-jun, you’re really a born actor.”

“Hehehe.”

“Seo-jun, let’s get dressed.”

“Okay!”

I ran to Ahn Da Ho’s call. PD Choi Minsung, who was looking around the set, smiled and watched me change into a dirt-covered hanbok. The assistant director rubbed his neck and said.

“Will it be okay?”

“Well, I guess we’ll hear some nonsense.”

“Do you know that?”

“But this makes it easier for the viewers to focus. I thought it would be fine to use someone of the same age when I read the script, but the more I shot, the more Grand Prince Seongnyeong stuck out, so I decided it wouldn’t work if it was just similar. Fortunately or unfortunately, I couldn’t find an actor because of that, so I decided to cast him himself.”

The assistant director nodded in agreement at PD Choi’s words.

“Well, I like the change too. But I can understand Heo Yu-seon’s feelings better.”

“Right? Then shall we start shooting?”

“Yes! Let’s start shooting!”

I lay down on the blanket and took a deep breath. I was so nervous that I forgot how excited I was when I came to the set. Lee Ji-seok asked me.

“Seo-jun, what’s wrong? You were so excited earlier.”

“Um. I’m a bit nervous.”

“Seo-jun is nervous and that’s something.”

I turned my head and looked at Lee Ji-seok, who was sitting next to me.

I opened my mouth hesitantly. I felt the [(Good) Red Slime Core] in my body rolling around.

“Ji-seok hyung. How much should I act sick?”

I still hadn’t set a standard. I remembered the surprised face of Kim Jong-ho and the worried face of Lee Ji-hye, who held my hot hand. Hmm. Lee Ji-seok pondered.

“I don’t know either. Some people like the acting that others don’t. When they are very sad, some people cry loudly and some people cry silently. People have different ways of expressing themselves, so they empathize with different acting.”

“I see.”

“You have to shoot a lot of works and see the people’s reactions and find out for yourself what’s enough.”

“Then what about before I gain experience?”

What should I do now? I looked at Lee Ji-seok. Lee Ji-seok seemed to know the feelings of Jong-ho hyung, who cherished the actors who loved acting.

“You have no choice but to rely on someone else’s help.”

“Someone else?”

“Like the last shooting. If Seo-jun’s acting is too much, PD Choi will stop you. It’s not often that a scene is deleted, so usually it’s NG. If NG happens, PD Choi will tell you what’s wrong and you can act again.”

“Again…”

“That’s how you adjust.”

“I see.”

I nodded. I hardly ever made NG, but there was one time when I was scolded for months.

‘That’s right. I got feedback from Director Ryan for eight months. Of course, I shouldn’t make that much during shooting. But a few NGs wouldn’t hurt, right?’

I felt better when I remembered that time. PD Choi Min-sung, who was waiting for the two actors’ conversation, smiled and announced the start of the shooting. The other staff also started shooting with a happy expression.

“Ready, action!”

[(Good) Red Slime Core is activated.]

My body temperature started to rise. I breathed heavily and adjusted my temperature.

‘Weaker than last time. Weaker.’

Lee Ji-seok checked my pulse with a serious face. My breath flowed out in colors. He remembered my acting clearly and bit his tongue.

“Cut, nG!”

I was surprised by Director Choi Min-sung’s voice. NG. NG! My eyes widened. I turned my head and looked at PD Choi.

“Uh, did I do something wrong?”

“No, seo-jun. You acted well, but in this scene, you have to act exactly like Grand Prince Seongnyeong when he was sick. But this time it was a bit weak.”

“Oh, oh. I see.”

I nodded awkwardly at PD Choi’s words. I guess I acted too weak because I was afraid everyone would be surprised. Lee Ji-seok patted my shoulder.

“Just relax. Relax. Seo-jun, you’re a great actor.”

“Uh. Yes. Acting is hard.”

Sigh. The people who watched the works that this young actor acted in laughed at his words.

***

[Yang Hong-dal and Heo Yu-seon returned from exile!]

[KBC The Royal Physician, how many episodes?]

[The Royal Physician is heading towards the end! What will be the ending?!]

-Just don’t be a dragon’s head!

-So how many episodes is The Royal Physician?

=24 episodes. Today is episode 22, so next week is the last.

-Wow…it’s over already?

-It felt like I waited for two years, but it’s going so fast!

Yang Hong-dal and Heo Yu-seon, who returned from exile, resumed their original duties.

Heo Yu-seon continued his research after finishing his work. Sometimes, or rather, often, he wandered around Grand Prince Seongnyeong’s old residence and indulged in memories.

Sejong and Heo Yu-seon felt a peacefulness, as if a corner of their hearts was empty.

An urgent report came.

Sejong sensed something from the pale face of the messenger.

A cold wind blew, as if when his brother, mother, and father passed away.

The messenger shouted loudly, very loudly.

“Smallpox is here!”

[The Royal Physician episode 22! Smallpox outbreak in Gyeonggi-do!]

[Stop the epidemic Smallpox!]

[Sejong and Heo Yu-seon! Can they cure it this time!?]

-Wow shit. I got goosebumps when he said Smallpox is here!

-Heo Yu-seon will stop it! Cure it this time!!

=But Grand Prince Seongnyeong is gone nowㅠ

The Royal Physician, which was nearing the end, flared up again.

After Grand Prince Seongnyeong’s death, the people who tried to forget his death had a new goal.