chapter 13

Chapter 13. Cha Woo-joo's Emotions

"Why did you do that? Why didn't you abandon me after you found out?"

"What are you talking about?" Chairman Cha looked up at Woo-joo, who was standing before him.

"Why didn't you abandon me after you learned that I wasn't your son? That I was the illegitimate child of your unfaithful wife? My blood isn't your blood!"

"…" Chairman Cha remained silent, looking out the window.

"You assigned Jae-il hyung to watch over me because you were worried about me after I left home, right? Why?! Why don't you hate me?"

"Why would I hate you? You said my blood doesn't flow through you." Cha Woo-joo fell silent at his father's words.

"Just because my blood doesn't flow through you doesn't mean the you who rode the bicycle I pushed, laughing brightly, disappears. The day your mother died, when you cried your heart out, it broke my heart, and I realized… it doesn't matter whose blood flows through you. You're my son."

Chairman Cha's words stirred a whirlwind of emotions in Cha Woo-joo's heart.

Love for Yeo-reum.

Longing and anger for his mother.

Resentment and pity for his father.

Yeon-woo's face reflected each emotion, shifting and contorting before tears welled up and overflowed.

Then, the outburst:

"Why didn't you tell me?! When I was rebelling, acting out! If you had, I wouldn't have… I wouldn't feel so… so incredibly guilty now!"

Yeon-woo's powerful performance, his cries and tears pouring out every emotion, moved even Lee Sang-joong, his co-star, to tears.

Chairman Cha stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back, and embraced Cha Woo-joo, patting his back. "…No father wants to hurt his child."

Cha Woo-joo sobbed in his father's arms.

"I wanted to give you everything before the truth came out and your relatives started vying for the inheritance, threatening your position. That's why I opposed your dreams. I always knew about your modeling, about you selling clothes with your friends, laughing and having fun. Jae-il kept me informed, and I was happy for you."

Ah!!!

Despite being taller than his father, Cha Woo-joo cried in his embrace like a child who had fallen off his bicycle. His father simply patted his back.

"Okay! Cut!"

Cheers and applause

The crew erupted in cheers and applause, blown away by Yeon-woo's intense performance.

"Wow, did you see Yeon-woo's facial expressions changing every second? I could feel every single complex emotion." The camera director, who had been filming, was filled with admiration.

"Man, I suddenly miss my son."

"You're not even married."

"That's why I miss him." Yeon-woo's performance was so moving that it even evoked paternal feelings in those who didn't have children.

"He's a monster. Good at studying, that face, and that acting talent." Han So-hyun shook her head, watching Yeon-woo, who was still trying to compose himself.

"Doesn't he seem taller than when we started filming? Like he's grown an inch or so." Son Jin-wook compared his own height, 184 centimeters, to Yeon-woo's.

"I want to learn acting from him." Ahn Joon-ho shook his head, wondering if he could ever portray such rapidly shifting emotions with the same intensity.

"That's a wrap for the morning shoot. We finished in one take. Great work, everyone."

"Good work."

The morning shoot ended, and Yeon-woo, having calmed down, headed back to the accommodations provided by LN Entertainment.

Back in his room, he searched for the production presentation and teasers on YouTube. It felt surreal to see himself appear in online searches, reinforcing the feeling that he was living a new life.

"I hope there aren't any malicious comments yet." He felt a nervous flutter in his stomach as he scrolled through the comments. His emotions were more readily accessible now, and his personality had become brighter than in his past life, but it seemed his heart had also become more sensitive.

– I bet he's had plastic surgery. Just saying.

└ No way! Our Ryu-nim is all natural!

– What's with "Ryu-nim"? He's not Yoo Jae-suk.

– I don't think he's had surgery. His face looks natural in the video, even though it's short.

– Watch the production presentation. Yeon-woo appears for much longer than in the teaser. [Link]

– Young. People. Who. Type. Like. This. Are. The. Reason. Society. Is. Sick.

While there wasn't much public interest yet due to the limited footage available, the few malicious comments that popped up were quickly buried.

He had heard that celebrities search their names dozens of times a day. He hadn't thought he would be like that, but he resolved to refrain for the sake of his long-term career.

After resting for a while, Yeon-woo decided to visit the afternoon set to show his appreciation for his seniors who had come to support him in the morning shoot.

"Hmm, I don't have any scenes scheduled. It's better to go alone."

Not wanting to impose on LN Entertainment, with whom he hadn't officially signed yet, he decided to take the subway.

Although he currently lived in Daejeon, Yeon-woo had been a Seoul native for over forty years in his past life, so he headed out with a light heart.

The set in Sangam wasn't too far from his accommodations, so he expected to arrive quickly. However, he encountered a problem as soon as he reached the subway platform.

"Hey, isn't that him? You know, from the teaser Yeon-jae sent us? The one she said looked interesting."

"Really? A face like that isn't common. I think you're right."

He hadn't expected to be recognized so soon, just from the teaser. He regretted not wearing a hat or a mask.

As the small crowd murmured, a girl in a school uniform approached him and asked for his autograph.

"Oppa, are you Ryu Yeon-woo?"

"Ah, hello." Flustered but grateful, he signed his name on the girl's phone.

'So this is how autographs are done these days.'

After the first girl got his autograph, a few more hesitant fans approached him. He hadn't even debuted yet, but thanks to these girls, he ended up holding an impromptu mini fan signing event, taking photos and signing autographs. He missed two trains in the process.

He was glad he had followed Jung Chul-min's advice and prepared an autograph beforehand. Otherwise, he would have had to use the clunky signature he used in his past life for official documents.

After the unexpected encounter, Yeon-woo finally boarded the subway, feeling the curious glances of other passengers, and arrived at Sangam Station.

Just then, Jung Chul-min called.

"Yes, sir. Ah, we filmed that scene. Haha. It was nothing." The morning scene was one he had practiced repeatedly with Jung Chul-min since receiving the latter half of the script. While he couldn't practice the emotional outbursts beforehand, the training he had received in portraying complex emotions had allowed him to deliver a powerful performance. Jung Chul-min deserved most of the credit.

"Yes, I'm on my way to the set now. My seniors came to support me this morning, even though they didn't have any scenes. Yes, I'll call you later."

Yeon-woo hung up and entered the set.

A staff member immediately recognized him. "Oh! Yeon-woo, you're back?"

"Yes, Director Jung. I was bored at the accommodations." He had become close with the sound director, as well as most of the crew, including the other directors.

"Everyone, Yeon-woo is back!"

Cheers and applause followed.

The staff on set applauded, turning to look at him.

"We didn't say much earlier because you were trying to compose yourself, but you were amazing, Yeon-woo!"

"That's right! You were the best!"

Several staff members, who had been discussing the morning shoot, showered Yeon-woo with praise. They had underestimated him because of his youthful appearance, so his powerful performance in the emotional scene was even more impactful.

Embarrassed by the praise, Yeon-woo scratched the back of his head and bowed in all directions. "Thank you!"

'I can't just stand here.'

"I'll be back!"

He went to a nearby cafe, bought coffee for everyone, and distributed it on set. He wasn't worried about the expense, as his father, Ryu Cheol-woong, had deposited half of his earnings into his account.

His parents had said they would hold onto the other half and give it to him when he became an adult, but Yeon-woo had insisted that they keep it, promising to always give them half of his future earnings. He had told them to live comfortably without worrying about money and to accept his filial piety.

His parents, who had been so worried about their rebellious, bullied son, were now teary-eyed, marveling at how much he had grown.

He even gave some allowance to So-hyun, who had been shaking him by the arms, demanding her share. She was happy, saying she would buy a trendy backpack.

Yeon-woo was happy about his growth as an actor, but he was even more grateful for these small moments of happiness with his family.

Shaking off his thoughts, he finished distributing the coffee, waited on set, and then approached the actors and director when they signaled for him.

"Oh, Woo-joo, what are you doing back here? Did you come to see noona?"

"Of course, haha."

"Hey, don't smile like that. I can't lose my heart to a minor." Despite knowing the ten-year age gap, So-hyun felt a flutter in her heart at his gentle smile and twinkling eyes.

"Yeon-woo, don't turn So-hyun into a criminal. Thanks for the coffee."

"Yes, hyung," Yeon-woo replied to Son Jin-wook, who was shaking his coffee with a smile.

"Thank you, Yeon-woo. How's acting? Are you enjoying it?" Director Kim Han-soo, as always, addressed Yeon-woo, who was young enough to be his son, respectfully.

"Yes, Director, I'm really enjoying it. The atmosphere on our set is great, right? I feel lucky to have debuted in such a positive environment."

"Well, everyone has great chemistry, so it's more pleasant than usual, haha." Director Kim Han-soo nodded and looked at the lead actors. "Since you're all here, there's something I need to tell you."