chapter 16

Chapter 16. Yeonha University (2)

"Alright, that concludes our tour. Thank you all for joining us."

"Thank you."

"Thank you very much."

The tour guide handed out gift vouchers, explaining that they could be redeemed for souvenirs at the university's main office.

Kim Joon-soo, whose primary objective was to acquire the souvenirs, wanted to head straight to the main office. However, Woo Sung-sik, noticing the lively scene below the hill, became curious.

"Hey, Joon-soo, let's go down there and take a look. Maybe there's a celebrity filming."

"Sure, let's go."

Kim Joon-soo and Woo Sung-sik descended the hill. The closer they got, the larger the crowd seemed.

The east entrance of the College of Humanities was bustling with staff and filming equipment. A floor director held a sign that read, "Please refrain from shouting or looking at the camera," as they managed the crowd.

"Stand by!… Ready… Cue!" The director called out the cue, indicating they were starting a new scene.

The lighting and sound crew backed out of the building, followed by Han So-hyun, who walked out following the camera.

"Seriously, what's wrong with Kang Seo-joon? He's been so irritable with me lately." Yeo-reum paused, lost in thought.

"Did I do something wrong? Ugh, whatever." She shook her head and continued walking.

"Whatever what?" Cha Woo-joo appeared from behind a pillar.

"Oh my god! Cha Woo-joo? Why do you keep scaring me?"

"You're free, right? Let's go somewhere."

Yeo-reum wasn't the only one surprised.

"Oh my…!" Sung-sik, who had been watching from outside the set, yelled out in surprise at the sudden appearance of Yeon-woo.

Joon-soo quickly covered Sung-sik's mouth as nearby staff members turned to look.

"Be quiet! The sign says no shouting," Joon-soo whispered, removing his hand from Sung-sik's mouth.

"Aren't you surprised? That's Yeon-woo, over there."

"I know, I saw him. I figured it out when Han So-hyun came out. They're filming together."

Sung-sik looked at Joon-soo. "Oh… right. You're amazing. I was too distracted by how pretty she is."

"I know. Your jaw was on the floor. I thought you were going to drool."

"Hey! It wasn't that bad!" Sung-sik retorted, flustered.

Meanwhile, the scene being filmed involved Cha Woo-joo grabbing Yeo-reum's hand and dragging her away, suggesting they go somewhere to lift her spirits.

"Cut! Let's redo the last part. Ye-seul, please check the blocking."

"Woo-joo and Yeo-reum, you'll exit this way."

"Okay."

Yeon-woo and So-hyun rehearsed the adjusted blocking, ensuring they were within the camera frame.

"Okay. Cut! Prepare the props, and we'll move on to the next scene."

The next scene involved Woo-joo giving Yeo-reum a ride on his motorcycle.

"Actors, please take a break. Ye-seul, please bring hand warmers and blankets."

Although the scene was set during the transition from spring to summer, they were filming in the middle of winter, and Yeon-woo and So-hyun were freezing.

"Noona, are you cold?"

"I'm freezing!"

A staff member rushed over with a padded jacket covered in hand warmers and a blanket.

"Yeon-woo!"

Yeon-woo turned around at the familiar voice.

"…Huh?" He quickly stood up and turned towards the sound.

"Young-joon, wait a second. These are my friends."

"Oh, Yeon-woo's friends?" The staff member blocking the entrance made way for Sung-sik and Joon-soo, who rushed towards Yeon-woo.

Delighted by the unexpected reunion, Yeon-woo hugged them. "Guys! What are you doing here?"

"We're on a college tour, and we saw a film crew, so we came to watch."

"Wow, we never imagined we'd see you here, Yeon-woo." They were thrilled to see their friend outside of school, especially in a different city.

Just then, So-hyun approached them. "Yeon-woo's friends?"

"Whoa! It's Han So-hyun! Amazing!" Sung-sik's genuine reaction made So-hyun smile.

"Hey, you should say 'Actress Han So-hyun.' Is she your friend or something?" Joon-soo scolded Sung-sik.

So-hyun waved her hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. Just call me noona. Come over here, guys."

She led the starstruck boys to where she and Yeon-woo had been resting.

"Noona, I'm a huge fan! I watched all the behind the scenes videos for 'Flowers Falling on Hanyang'! It's my favorite!" Sung-sik gushed.

"Really? Thank you," So-hyun replied with a smile.

"Ah, my heart! Joon-soo!" Sung-sik clutched his chest dramatically, exaggerating his reaction to So-hyun's smile.

Joon-soo rolled his eyes. "You were making fun of me for drooling earlier."

"Hey! I never! I was totally drooling… I mean, not drooling, noona."

So-hyun laughed at their comical exchange. "Haha, you guys are so cute."

"He's being serious, though," Joon-soo said, hitting Sung-sik on the back.

Just then, the assistant director's voice echoed from afar, "We're ready. Let's resume filming."

Yeon-woo and So-hyun stood up.

"Guys, wait here. It's the last scene, so we'll be back soon."

"Okay! Fighting!"

Yeon-woo helped his friends find seats, took off his padded jacket, and returned to the set.

"Ready… Cue!"

Woo-joo led Yeo-reum to his parked motorcycle and handed her a mint-colored helmet.

Yeo-reum accepted the helmet with an expression that said, "Fine, whatever, let's just have some fun."

"Okay, cut! Let's get a tight shot and a bust shot of them getting on the motorcycle."

After discussing the blocking with the staff, they rehearsed a few times.

"Ready… Cue!"

Woo-joo put on his black helmet after giving Yeo-reum the mint one. Then, he got on the motorcycle.

Director Kim Han-soo, watching the monitor, tilted his head slightly and gave Yeon-woo further instructions.

"Cut. Hmm, Yeon-woo, can you get on the motorcycle more dynamically? The shot looks a bit awkward."

"Yes, I can."

At Yeon-woo's nod, the cue sign was given again. This time, he mounted the motorcycle with a more fluid motion.

"Ooh, Yeon-woo is so cool," Sung-sik and Joon-soo whispered to each other, watching in awe. Seeing their friend actually filming a scene evoked a sense of reverence.

Woo-joo looked at Yeo-reum, who was still hesitating.

"What are you doing? Get on."

Yeo-reum put on her helmet and carefully sat behind him.

"If you sit like that, you'll fall off as soon as we start moving." He pulled her hands, which were timidly placed on his waist, forward.

"What the… what kind of drama is this? So cheesy, Cha Woo-joo." Yeo-reum, feeling shy, tried to deflect the awkwardness. Woo-joo started the motorcycle.

Director Kim Han-soo watched them on the field monitor with a satisfied smile. 'With his visuals, even just getting on a motorcycle looks cinematic.'

"Cut! Nice! Perfect!" Applause erupted from the cheerful set.

"Alright, let's film Yeo-reum's scene with the stuntman and wrap up. There's no sound recording, so you can scream if you're scared."

Although Yeon-woo, as a former special agent, was skilled at handling all sorts of vehicles, in this life, he was still a high school student without a driver's license. Since he couldn't film the driving scene himself, he walked over to his friends. A stuntman, dressed identically to Yeon-woo, got on the motorcycle, and they filmed a wide shot of him riding away.

"Aaaack! It's so cold!" So-hyun screamed, but for a different reason.

"Okay, that's a wrap for So-hyun."

So-hyun quickly left the set after filming, as she had to prepare for the awards ceremony. She took a quick selfie with Sung-sik and Joon-soo before leaving.

Just then, a commotion arose from the crowd of onlookers.

Son Jin-wook emerged from the crowd and approached Yeon-woo.

"Are you done filming?"

"Yes, hyung, just finished."

"Whoa! Son Jin-wook! I mean, Actor!" Sung-sik exclaimed, then quickly corrected himself as Joon-soo nudged him.

Jin-wook mouthed "Who?" to Yeon-woo, looking at Sung-sik and Joon-soo.

"These are my best friends from school. We met by chance while they were on a college tour."

"Oh, really? Yeon-woo's friends? Nice to meet you, guys."

Sung-sik and Joon-soo eagerly shook Jin-wook's outstretched hand.

"It's an honor, hyung! 'Your Name' is my favorite drama!"

"Weren't you just gushing about 'Flowers Falling on Hanyang'?" Joon-soo called out Sung-sik's blatant flattery.

"Shh! Be quiet, comrade!" Sung-sik glared at Joon-soo and then, imitating the scene-stealing North Korean spy from "Your Name," one of Jin-wook's hit dramas, said, "Silence!"

Woo Sung-sik's cheerful antics made Jin-wook and Yeon-woo laugh.

"So-hyun noona just left."

"Yeah, she'll be busy getting ready for the awards ceremony." Jin-wook nodded.

"And our Hwang Jae-il has a photoshoot that's going to run late."

"He won't be able to make it." Jin-wook had texted Ahn Joon-ho, who played Hwang Jae-il, earlier but had received a reply saying he had a scheduling conflict.

Jin-wook nodded silently at Yeon-woo's response, then suddenly looked at his friends. "Hey, do you guys want to come over to my place? With Yeon-woo?"

"What?!" The unexpected invitation surprised them.

"Are you serious?" Woo Sung-sik asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Why not? So-hyun is nominated for an award tonight. We can watch it together and cheer her on."

Sung-sik and Joon-soo quickly called their families for permission.

-"What? You're sleeping where? What are you talking about?"

"Noona, I'm serious!"

-"Stop lying. Are you sneaking off to a PC room to play games all night?"

Watching Joon-soo struggle to convince his sister, Son Jin-wook intervened. "Hmm, why don't you put me on video call with your sister?"

Joon-soo told his sister to hold on and ended the call.

-"Why a video call? I don't want to see your face in the middle of the day, Kim Joon-soo. And where are you? Why are there so many people?"

"Noona, wait a second." Joon-soo handed his phone to Jin-wook.

"Hello, I'm Son Jin-wook."

"…"

Ahhhhhh! A delayed scream erupted from the other end as Joon-soo's sister processed what was happening.