Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 146

I decided to use Na Jin as my stage name. Theres no script change, and the child actors names will be their real names

-Ill use Na Jin too.

Seo-juns words made Anh Da Ho laugh.

You can use Lee Seo-jun if you want.

-I already applied as Na Jin, so Ill stick with that.

Okay, then. And they said you should get used to acting before the shooting. The audition will be at the Baekho Fire Safety Experience Center.

-Baekho Fire Safety Experience Center?

Seo-juns voice was full of curiosity. Anh Da Ho explained.

Its a safety experience center made by the fire department. You can experience earthquakes, typhoons, and smoke evacuation there.

Come to think of it, he remembered going to such a place with his classmates and homeroom teacher.

The earthquake experience where he was shaken violently on a machine, the typhoon experience where the wind blew fiercely, and the smoke evacuation experience where he walked through a dark corridor filled with smoky air and headed for the emergency exit.

Seo-jun nodded his head as he talked on his phone.

-I went there when I was in third grade. It had a different name though.

It must be an old one. They said this is a new place they made.

-I told them I was used to school evacuation drills, but the smoke evacuation room was different and I was surprised. The kids too. But theyre going to do the audition there?

Usually they would do it in an office Wouldnt it be hard to act in a dark and smoky place?

Anh Da Ho answered Seo-juns question.

Theyre looking at acting skills too, but they dont want anyone to panic on the set, so theyre giving extra points to calm child actors.

• • That makes sense.

If he got scared by the fake smoke and cried, or felt trapped and couldnt move, it would be hard to continue shooting.

Anh Da Ho continued.

So Im thinking of going to the Baekho Experience Center when I have time. What do you think?

-Sure. I want to go too.

Seo-jun nodded his head repeatedly.

His parents, Seo Eun Hye and Lee Min Joon, laughed as they watched their son nodding his head earnestly while talking on the phone.

***

The advertising agency Cloud became busy.

They finished the audition at the Baekho Fire Safety Experience Center with Park Jong Woo, the director of this ad, and sent the scripts to the selected child actors.

The production team made the set for shooting the ad, and the planning team arranged a nearby fire station to cooperate with them.

Even in the midst of their busy schedule, the smiles never left their faces. 

It was because an unexpected actor had agreed to appear in their ad.

Ah, dont we have to tell the fire department that Lee Seo-jun is appearing?

Yeah, shouldnt we tell them soon?

Everyone looked at their team leader. 

The team leader shook his head.

We cant tell them.

You mean we cant tell them that Lee Seo-jun is appearing? Why not?

Thats right. The budget will increase a lot, wont it?

And higher-ups will come too.

The team leaders words made everyone nod their heads. They understood.

We get it.

You convinced everyone with one sentence. Team leader, youre good at summarizing.

If we say Lee Seo-jun is coming, all the higher-ups will show up.

Maybe even beyond the fire department.

The employees shuddered as they imagined Lee Seo-jun being harassed by them.

They wouldnt have any excuse to butt in if it was a movie or a drama shoot, but a public service ad? 

What a perfect excuse.

They could come from city councilors to congressmen, from here and there, to take pictures for publicity or election campaigns.

They sighed as they imagined Lee Seo-jun being surprised by the fake smoke and crying, or feeling trapped and unable to move.

So everyone keep your mouths shut until the shooting is over.

Yes!

Lets start telling the actors when the shooting date is.

Yes!

But dont we have to tell the director? That Lee Seo-jun is appearing.

Kim Ji Hyuns words made the team leader pause.

Did we not tell him yet?

No.

Lets tell him right away.

Yes!

Kim Ji Hyun quickly sent a banana talk message.

***

I those bastards I knew they would do this

Jong Woo hyung. Eat this while you drink. You havent eaten anything all day.

Park Jong Woo, who had been grumbling, started to sob. 

Kim Soo Han, who had been drinking with him since noon, sighed.

He knew that Jong Woo hyung, who was good at drinking, wouldnt get drunk by this much alcohol. 

He was just using the slight buzz to let out the feelings he had been suppressing.

He understood how unfair and frustrated Park Jong Woo felt. 

He had bought a good script that seemed promising among many others, and had secured the investment by running around everywhere, only to have the production company change the director without any notice.

They didnt even listen to Park Jong Woos protest. 

All he got was the script fee that the production company threw at him as if they were doing him a favor.

We did everything We did everything from start to finish And those bastards

He repeated the same words and whimpered until he lay down on the floor and quieted down. 

It was lucky that it was Jong Woo hyungs house. 

Kim Soo Han sighed.

But what do we do now

He felt bitter. 

He had helped Jong Woo hyung, who was his junior in college, at a student film festival.

As a return, Kim Soo Han also helped with Park Jong Woos work. 

He had worked hard for months, waiting for the day his name would appear in the ending credits, and it all turned out to be nothing.

I thought I could do one work before going to the army

He felt sick.

He drank another beer to ease his stomach.

Bark!

Park Jong Woos phone rang. Kim Soo Han shook Park Jong Woo.

Hyung. You got a banana talk.

Huh?

A banana talk.

Huh Give me my phone

Kim Soo Han put the phone in Park Jong Woos hand that was waving in the air. 

Park Jong Woo read the banana talk message with his blurry vision.

Director. This is Cloud, the advertising agency.

We have decided on the actor for role A.

Advertising agency.

Those words made Park Jong Woo sober up.

Who is it?

The ad company.

Oh, them.

Cloud, the advertising agency that Park Jong Woo and Kim Soo Han had contracted with to make some money for their movie.

They had done other things too to raise funds for their movie. 

But what was the point of having money when they lost their movie? 

It was hard to cancel since they had already signed a contract, and neither of them had the personality to drop their work without a good reason.

I guess Ill have to work hard on this instead of a movie.

Soo Han ah, give me some cold water.

Okay.

Park Jong Woo drank the cold water that Kim Soo Han handed him and regained his senses. He sent a reply.

<Oh, the role you said you had an actor for.

Park Jong Woo sighed. Kim Soo Han, who was chewing on chicken, tilted his head.

Whats wrong?

No, I just realized how dark the actor side is too.

What do you mean?

Theyre doing a public service ad, but they have a parachute.

A parachute?

Yeah. They didnt even audition. I dont know who it is, but Im really looking forward to their acting. Really looking forward to it.

Kim Soo Han pushed chicken and beer quietly in front of Park Jong Woo, who was being sarcastic. 

The director who took Park Jong Woos work was the nephew of the production companys president. 

He understood why Park Jong Woo clenched his teeth at the word parachute.

Bark-

Park Jong Woos phone rang again.

He kept drinking beer without checking the banana talk notification.

Arent you going to check?

Well, its probably just telling me who the actor is.

You should check anyway. You need to know who it is to prepare.

Fine.

Park Jong Woo drank his beer with a displeased expression and checked the text. 

His eyes grew bigger as he read the banana talk message, and then,

Pfft-!

He spat out his beer.

Ah, hyung!

Kim Soo Han got up from his seat with an annoyed look. 

The chicken that received the beer baptism was coldly dying.

I havent even eaten much yet!

Kim Soo Han quickly removed the chicken on top and checked on the chicken underneath. 

Fortunately, the chicken at the bottom was safe.

Soo Han ah

Look at this mess! Clean it up!

Kim Soo Han

Kim Soo Han looked up from wiping the floor with tissue paper at Park Jong Woos trembling voice. 

Park Jong Woos face was pale as he held out his phone with his shaking hand.

Yes?

Read this for me. I think Im really bad at drinking. Im seeing things.

? Okay.

Kim Soo Han took Park Jong Woos phone and said,

You do look really bad at drinking. Youre so pale, hyung.

Just read it.

Kim Soohan shrugged his shoulders at Park Jongwoos urging and read the Banana Talk message.

Director. This is Cloud, the ad production company.

We have decided on the actor for role A.

<Oh, the role you said the actor was decided.

Yes. Sorry for telling you late.

Role A will be played by actor Na Jin. Lee Seo-jun, that is.

Well see you on the shooting day.

Kim Soohan narrowed his eyes. I dont think I drank much, but why am I seeing things? 

He rubbed his eyes and checked the Banana Talk message again.

Hyung, I think Im seeing things too.

Right? Why does the actors name look like Lee Seo-jun?

You see that too, hyung?

Park Jongwoo and Kim Soohan, who had pale faces, looked at each other. 

The pupils of the two people who met shook greatly.

Lets, lets calm down for a moment.

Park Jongwoo grabbed his phone with trembling hands. 

He contacted someone with his shaking hands. 

It was Cloud, the ad production company.

Kim Soohan also stared at Park Jongwoo without breathing, remembering the name of his favorite actor he met unexpectedly.

The connection sound that felt like 10 years in one second was cut off and someone answered the phone.

Yes. Team leader. I saw your Bato message The actor for role A?

Park Jongwoos face changed in various ways as he held his phone to his ear. 

A face full of doubt, a face of shock as he listened to the story, and finally a face flushed with excitement as he hung up the phone.

Kim Soohan saw such an expression on Park Jongwoos face for the first time. He didnt look this happy and moved when he found this scenario or when he got the investment.

Jongwoo hyung, really? Is it really Lee Seo-jun?

Yes!

Wow! Really?

They said they finished the contract! I cant believe Im shooting with Lee Seo-jun!

Park Jongwoos eyes welled up with tears. He cheered and rejoiced with Kim Soohan, who suddenly remembered something and smiled.

Well, I guess the actor side is also very dark, huh?

Huh.

Park Jongwoo, who was wondering what he meant by that, stopped breathing. Then he remembered what he had said while drinking. And very vividly.

A parachute? Who said it was a parachute? Seo-jun would be disappointed if he heard that. Hyung.

No, hey! How did I know this would happen!?

Im looking forward to Seo-juns acting so much, I want to tell him. Oh right, Im also shooting with him, right? I might just blurt it out.

I was wrong!

Kim Soohan burst into laughter at Park Jongwoos words.

Kim Soohan demanded two chickens on the condition of keeping his mouth shut. 

Park Jongwoo quickly ordered one seasoned and one fried chicken.

While waiting for the chicken delivery, Park Jongwoo and Kim Soohan kept looking at the Banana Talk message.

This isnt a dream, right?

No matter how many times they looked at it, the message didnt change.

When Park Jongwoo was overjoyed, Kim Soohan thought of Na Jin. He thought of Lee Seo-jun.

Acting skills that reached beyond the screen. 

They had to shoot the acting of that great actor who was recognized by the whole world. 

When he realized that, his heart that was trembling with joy started to beat with pressure and fear.

Jongwoo hyung. Can we do well?

Huh?

Can we capture Lee Seo-juns acting fully?

At Kim Soohans trembling voice, Park Jongwoo finally realized that he had to shoot Lee Seo-juns acting for real.