《Rebirth: King to Superstar》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    "Father, I knew you would be here. I was searching for you the entire time." A melodious voice could be heard with rapid footsteps.


    A clear garden with one tree and tombstone right under it. Enjoying the bright sun, next to the tombstone was an old man seemingly mixed into the nature around him, undisturbed. The scene looked like something right out of a beautiful painting.


    No one would dare disturb the peaceful moment except the beautiful youngdy running towards him. With long brown hair and big captivating eyes, she looked like a goddess who could trample kingdoms even though she wore a very in and simple dress. No one would believe she was in herte twenties if they saw her.


    As she got closer to the tree and the man who sat under it she noticed him still in a daze, she silently went next to him and waved her hand, making another chair appear out of thin air before gently cing it down and sitting on it.


    She looked at the tombstone before her in a daze and snapped out of it only after a while. Slowly wiping off the tears building up in her eyes and turned towards the old man sitting next to her who she called father.


    The man looked very simple despite his long grey hair which was tied up or his otherworldly handsome facial features which could justify his daughter''s looks. He continued to look into the distance despite his daughter''s appearance.


    As the wind continued to blow, both of them werepletely silent.


    "Tell me, little princess, why have youe here to see your old man. Are you missing me?" Slowly turning towards his daughter who was still looking at him. He had a small smile as he looked at her.


    "Ah, father, my training for today is done, so I came here to see you. How are you, father?" Snapping out of her daze, she finally replied to his question with a smile.


    "Hmm, as you can see princess, I am living peacefully in this ce without any disturbance and am nning to do so for the remainder of my life." Looking at the tombstone in front of them.


    "You tell me how your magic training is going so far. With your innate talent, I am sure you will be the strongest in our family''s lineage." Facing her.


    Hearing her father''s question, she immediately stood up, stretching out her hand she closed her eyes before a small ball of bone-chilling ice formed.


    "HA," she finally released it in the air. As soon as she did the small ball of ice raced to the sky at a speed that normal people would not be able to follow. The old man lifted his eyes and saw the ball going up before finally releasing the power inside it. As the ball sted, the temperature dropped a few degrees as small bits of ice fell.


    Seeing her father observing her power, she felt very proud of herself as she had a proud look waiting for praise like a small girl. The old man sat down on his chair after the magic released got dispersed and said, "Not bad,"


    Hearing his words, all her anticipation vanished as she fell down on her chair like a deted balloon.


    Seeing his daughter''s reaction he smiled and said, "Little princess, don''t be so down, you are already stronger than most of our generals in the army. If you continue you might be stronger than the great generals in a few years."


    Hearing hisment, she regained a portion of her confidence and asked with a pout on her face, "Then why?" She wanted to know why her father couldn''t give a betterment if she was that good as he says.


    "Hahaha don''t pout little princess. What I said is true." Patting her head.


    He turned towards the tombstone and continued, "But when I test your strength of innate talent, Ipare you with your mother. She was on a league of her own even when she was your age, even though her innate talent was lower. That is why thement."


    Hearing his reason, she also turned towards the tombstone with a sad smile. On the tombstone was the name ''Zen Quin''.


    "Royal mother was an unyielding warrior father."


    "That is true. She was the most hardworking person I ever saw and all her hard work paid off when she obtained the royal throne and led our kingdom to its strongest era making it the strongest in the whole." With a nostalgic look on his face and a small smile.


    The tombstone in front of them carried the body of his wife and the Royal Queen of the mighty Zen kingdom, Zen Quin. He was the Royal King of the previous generation Zen Su.


    "Father, why don''t youe back to the imperial pce. Brothers are eagerly waiting for you toe back. The first brother will also make a ce simr to this in our pce. Father, pleasee back." She pleaded.


    They knew their father was at his end and wanted him toe back to the imperial pce so they could take care of him better. The Eldest son, now king, also pleaded simrly wanting him toe back. All of them didn''t want to lose him like their mother.


    Zen Su, did not reply and continued to look at his wife''s tombstone, thinking about the past. He knew his children''s thoughts and knew how lucky he was to have them at times where old people are generally abandoned by their kids. But he didn''t want to go back to that ce.


    He shook his head and said, "No little princess. The only connection between me and that ce was your mother. With her gone, leaving me all alone in this world I don''t see a need to stay there. After her death, the only duty I had left was cing a better ruler after your mother. Luckily your elder brother took after her more than I thought and could take over."


    After a brief moment of silence, he turned towards the garden and continued, "This ce is rather very special for your mother and I. We used toe here to stay away from the duties of the pce and promised each other to stay here after one of you took over. But she instead left me all alone and died."


    Hearing him, the princess did not know what to say.


    "Father, do you regret marrying mother?"


    Facing her sudden question Zen Su remained silent. His marriage with Quin was rather very unique. He was a normal young and handsome youth who loved to act. His biggest dream as an orphan was to perform a drama in Infront of the royal family with his group.


    After performing in many ces they got fame and a chance to perform in front of the whole royal family. That was the first time he saw his future wife Zen Quin. She still had her practice armour on her and was sweating from all the practice she just did, making her looks not up to royal standard. She was the sole heir to the throne as the then queen caught a disease after their first daughter.


    This made Quin work very hard to meet the expectations of the kingdom. Quin did not have the best looks but she had an aura, unlike other beauties he had seen. But at that time Zen Su never had things like this in his eyes. He was only looking forward to acting and wanted to do the same for the rest of his life.


    After having a grand performance of their famous drama they even had the chance to eat lunch with the royal family. At that time Zen Su fulfilled his lifelong goal and wanted toy back and continue acting around the Kingdom.


    But it all changed when he got called to the pce alone the next day and was asked to marry Zen Quin. Facing the king, Zen su couldn''t say no and epted the proposal. After that day he never got the chance to act once again in his entire life. Making him hate Zen Quin to the core.


    But as time flowed and he saw the woman who wanted to marry him was like any other person facing her own problems and wanted her special person there for her to lean on.


    But by the time he wanted to make everything right his wife passed away. He could still remember thest sentence his wife said before she passed away, "Husband I am sorry to be the reason you could not live your life how you would have liked to. But I don''t regret my decision to marry you and would be happy to be your wife once again in my next life."


    She died due to the umtion of injuries and strain of wars over a long period of time. It has already been over 15 years since she passed away. But he still hears her words every day drowning him in grief.


    "Father, I am sure mother doesn''t me you for anything that happened. If she sees you far away like this. I''m sure she would feel sad."


    He shook his head and asked, " Little princess let us not talk about it anymore. Tell me what you n to do today afterwards."


    Seeing as to how he wasn''t willing to continue the topic, she quickly changed and answered with a smile, " Father, I am going to attend a new drama which became very famous recently. Do you also want toe with me?" Acting like a baby at the end.


    He shook his head and said, " No little princess. You continue with your work then. I''ll continue to take rest." Leaning back on the chair.


    Nodding her head, she stood up and excused herself. As she was walking out of the house, she heard a familiar voice, " Princess remember to live a life for yourself, not for others. Or else life will be full of regrets. Hope you have a happy life." She nodded with a smile before continuing forward.


    Meanwhile, Zen Su looked up towards the dark clouds and said, "Princess, hope you don''t live like your father. My time hase and I am moving forward to meet your mother." Closing his eyes only to never open them again.


    The previous generation King of the mighty Zen kingdom passed away.

 Chapter 2 - New Body?

    "Ah, such a small role. I hardly have half a page full of dialogues. This is also thest examination of the year. I need to try and get some recognition from the teachers during the drama. But how? God damnit." A young man in his early twenties could hold the anger in and threw the paper in his hand.


    As he did, he couldn''t help but suddenly clutch his chest from intense pain and fall to his knees while gasping for air. Falling on the ground he gripped his chest tighter as his face went pale.


    "Fu*k I''m dieing like this at the end. Not achieving anything in this shithole called earth." Cursing on hisst breath.


    Kim Joon-won, died in his t, due to a cardiac arrest from rage.


    From the now body came out a transparent soul. It was Joon-won. He desperately tried to stretch out his transparent hand towards the body but before he could touch it, the soul got dragged away.


    As one soul got dragged away leaving a cold body on the floor of a single bedroom rented room, a few minutester another white soul was gently ced into it. As the soul was integrating into the body, a small golden wisp rushed into the head burying itself deep inside.


    The pale face finally turned rosy signifying that the body was still living. The hand holding the script clenched tightly, crumbling the paper as the eyes fluttered as slowly opened.


    "Ugh, Where am I? I should be dead by now. Is this heaven? I should look for Quin if it is." A hoarse voice filled the silent house. It was Zen Su. The king, who died and hoped to reunite with his wife in the afterlife.


    Slowly rubbing both the eyes which were unclear and hazy, he finally got a good look at what he thought was heaven.


    "I thought heaven was above clouds and had a blue sky. But why is the sky brown in colour? Am in a special room and yet to go to heaven?" Pondering over the brown ceiling he saw.


    "Wait, what is this pain? Ugh." His hands immediately left the script in his hand before clutching his head tightly. He felt pain from a rush of information streaming inside his head.


    "Wait, what? This isn''t the Zen Kingdom? I am not Zen Su? I wasn''t a king? What are these new memories? Why does it seem like I am forgetting an important part of my life?" Clutching his head tighter he murmured fearfully.


    [Host memories going haywire. Initializing temporary protocol and keep mild restrictions for smooth flow of memories while maintaining the old ones] A small robotic sound resounded in his head, but Zen Su was panic-stricken to care about it.


    [Beep... Beep... Stable Network established for the flow of memories. Shutting down till Host fulfils necessary conditions for full activation]


    "I am Zen Su. Not someone else. Oh god almost forgot who I was immediately after I died. But where am I? Wait why do I slowly remember being someone else? These aren''t my memories. A kid named Kim Joon-won? But why do I know his name and memories?" Slowly releasing the tight hold he had on his hair.


    Taking a deep breath, closed his eyes and quickly calmed himself in the strange situation he was in, showing his self-control and the skills he picked up while being a King. Slowly, arranging his thoughts, Zhen Su analyzed his situation.


    "I somehow died yet I got reborn in another world? Inside another body? I have never even heard of such a thing even back in the kingdom."


    "ording to the memories, I am inside a 20 years old kid named Kim Joon-won? What a strange name." Finally opening his eyes.


    "I''m not in heaven, not hell. I''m alive again. Poor guy died very young, giving me this opportunity."


    Pulling himself up while still sitting on the ground, he looked around trying to analyse his surroundings. Seeing the medium-sized television his mouth went open.


    "What is this strange thing? Even as a king, I never saw this. Wait, this is called a television? T.V? Wish and ording to how I remember, we can see motion pictures in it?" Feeling curious at the new technology in front of him, he slowly understood what television was from Kim Joon-won''s memories.


    Looking around on the ground he finally found the remote and took it into his hands.


    "Hmm, to turn this thing, T.V on, I need to use this. Yeah, this button should be it." Finding the right button he turned it on.


    As soon as he did the T.V turned on and his eyes went wide. He could see people talking about the stuff inside and couldn''t utter a single word from the pure shock he was in.


    "Woah this is revolutionary. Such amazing things exist in this world. Even the magic we could use doesn''tpare to this. To even think of such a thing and make it, the human brains are much moreplex herepared to back home." Finally reacting to it.

 Chapter 3 - Curiosity

    He slowly stood up and made his way towards the T.V screen before touching it. He immediately pulled it back due to the static while looking at it warily. A couple of seconds passed by before he reached out his hand once again and this time it was fine.


    "Strange, So this T.V uses electricity? Like the rare thunder element back in the kingdom. But this is a very minor scale usage to run this devicepared to those destructive spells." Murmuring to himself.


    "This object is really awesome. I wish I can take this back to the kingdom. But, sigh I''m already dead. I wonder how little princess is keeping up." Getting nostalgic at the end.


    Removing the hand from the T.V after a few more minutes of watching the news program running, he finally looked around to get a good look at the ce he was in. Noticing the T.V he forgot everything else around him, only now did he get a clear view of everything.


    He first noticed the small sofa enough for two people to sitfortably right opposite to him. He continued to look around and saw many new gadgets he never saw as he slowly recollected all of their names and uses from Kim Joon-won''s memories.


    The house was very simple, one bedroom, one small living room with an equally small kitchen. The bedroom was just enough for a single bed and a wardrobe. The door led the people right into the living room and the kitchen was to the immediate right while the room was at the right top corner of the living room.


    "From a royal pce spanning vastly across thend to a small ce which is only a few feet around the whole house. I used to use horses to move around the royal garden. But now, sigh." Sighing to himself afterpletely analyzing theyout of the house.


    "But this isn''t bad either, my own small adobe without anyone disturbing me too much. I guess every ce has its own plus points too. Just need to find and ept them wholeheartedly." Cheering himself as he stood in the living room.


    He walked towards the small balcony at the end of the living room before opening the door. As he did, he suddenly coughed and closed the door. Looking outside there wasn''t anything to make him cough but Zen Su thought otherwise.


    "Oh my god. The air is so impure. It isparing a beautiful flower to cow dung. I guess my old world is way better in at least one aspectpared to this world. Sigh, I need to get used to this." Calming himself for a second he couldn''t help butment about the amount of impurities he felt due to the sudden change in environment.


    He opened the door once again and slowly took a few breaths to get used to the environment. Opening his eyes he looked out and saw the various buildings all around on the streets. He couldn''t help but marvel at everything he saw as Kim Joon-won memories slowly filled in the doubts he got seeing them.


    He looked down and saw numerous people walking by. But soon his eyes caught a car on the street and they instantly sparkled.


    "This car is way betterpared to the horses we use back at home. They are more efficient but seems like it has a huge disadvantage to it." Remembering that one of the main reasons for the impuritiese from the vehicles he couldn''t help but sigh once again, showing his old mentality in full disy.


    "Seems like my new world has so many things I''m yet to personally experience. This is indeed so much interestingpared to sitting on thatrge throne only to speak a few words when necessary and listen to endless praises. The world has so much yet to reveal and humans can discover so much more. A world without magic hope you don''t disappoint me." With a smile on his face as he continued to observe the outside world for a few more minutes.


    He went back inside after having his fill of the new world outside. Closing the door, Zen Su went right into the washroom and stood before the mirror to finally look at his new face.


    "Hahaha, seems like I don''t get the only thing I was proud of in my old life, my looks. I look so inpared to my old self." He couldn''t help but wrylyugh as hemented his bad look.


    Compared to the silky golden hair, good looks and chiselled body, his current look or rather Kim Joon-won''s looks were very in. Rather rough ck hair with an above-average face. The only aspect which stood out was the eyes. The eyes were very mesmerizing enough to capture people''s attention distracting it from his average face.


    "What, this is considered above average in this world. This world has such low standards. A few of my royal guards look better than this. This body is also too skinny. Did this kid even eat three times a day before he died? Now that I took over this body things need to change. Even though I can''t do anything about this face, the hair needs to be treated better, the body needs to gain weight." He felt shocked as he remembered a few more of Kim Joon-won''s memories about his looks. He immediately started to decide the next steps he needed to take to get better.


    He looked straight into his reflection and said to himself, "From this moment on Zen Su is dead. I am Kim Joon-won. Not a king but rather a student who studies how to act. How convenient is it that I came into a student who also wants to be an actor? I should take good care of this opportunity given to me." Making it resolute. He got a new life and wanted to make the best out of it. He needed to stopparing this world to his old one and live normally in the present.

 Chapter 4 - Clean Up

    Making his thoughts clear, he came back into the living room only to hear his stomach grumble because of hunger.


    "Looks like this guy did not even eat anything for breakfast yet. Let''s see if I can get anything to eat from what is in the kitchen." Shaking his head he made his way into the kitchen.


    As Joon-won stepped into the small kitchen, his feet froze and lips twitched. He was greeted with a disaster, it looked like the kitchen had been turned rather into a garbage dump. Used utensils from almost a week were dumped into the sink while giving out a nasty smell.


    There were various stic wrappers, empty noodles cups stuffed into the small trash can. Joon- won couldn''t help but hold his mouth as he stopped himself from gagging before quickly returning to the living room and opening the balcony door for some fresh air.


    "Oh god. That was a monstrosity. This guy has been living like a savage animal. No scope for hygiene at all. Even I didn''t live like this before I married Quin and became the King. This guy left a disaster for me to clean up."


    Even though he was never a clean freak in his previous life, he was used to the neatness maintained back at the pce. Seeing this made him think of how much he has yet to still adapt to the various living conditions even though he received memories about the world.


    "This going to be harder than fighting a war." Sighing to himself. He went inside the living room before grabbing the handkerchief on the coffee table and tied it around his mouth and nose as a makeshift mask.


    "I hope this helps at least a bit or I might die on the same day I got reborn in the middle of a bunch of trash." He bravely walked inside the kitchen once again.


    ''Now this is better, at least I don''t feel like gagging immediately. Let''s start with the utensils in the sink first then the trash.'' feeling relieved he thought and made his way towards the sink at the far right beside the small refrigerator through all the trash in the middle.


    Standing in front of the sink he saw something which made him gag once again, insects running through utensils.


    ''Oh god, it has been almost a whole week that the small insects were confident to roam around freely. Hmm, seems like this guy maintains a repellent somewhere around here.'' looking at the small cupboards on the top of the sink. He slowly opened them and found a can of repellent.


    Taking a deep breath he sprayed the repellent all over the utensils and the magic happened in seconds. All types of insects poured out, struggling before dying. After a whole minute when it felt like there were no more, he turned on the water and slowly reached out for some soap and brush before starting to clean up all of the utensils at least two times.


    It took him a whole hour before he leaned up all the utensils and cing them back inside the cupboards where they belong. He turned around and looked at the trash over the floor before starting his work by taking out arger trash bag and cing them all inside.


    Spending another 30 minutes on trash he ced it near the main door.


    ''Hmm, seems like we are responsible to take the trash down and drop it inside the bin outside the apartment. I''ll do thister then.'' he went back into the kitchen before taking out the mop and cleaning the floor free of stains.


    Afterpleting everything he looked at the clean kitchen before taking out the handkerchief and nodding to himself. If anyone saw him doing all these no one would believe he was the king of the strongest kingdom on a.


    "Finallypleted. Ugh, I forgot my hunger while cleaning this mess. Now it came back at double the strength. Looks like it''s already noon. Now I still need to cook lunch. Sigh." Clutching his stomach, he grumbled.


    He made his way towards the refrigerator and opened it to see what he could use to make some lunch for himself. After opening it, he couldn''t help but sigh in relief. There were a few ingredients to work with. Taking them out one by one, he spread them across the kitchen tform and started to think about what he wanted to eat.


    It didn''t take him long to decide and start preparing some curry with in rice. Taking out a rice packet from a cupboard, he rinced the rice and ced it inside a rice cooker.


    ''Sigh, this world is indeed much better. Even cooking rice is made easier here.''


    He continued and quickly made himself some curry with the vegetables he could find before the rice cooker gave out a signal. Taking out a te he scooped some rice and curry before taking a seat on the couch.


    "Finally after a hectic start in this new life I can finally eat some food. I have enough for even night time so I should be fine. Well It''s been so long since I cooked my own meal. Hope I didn''t lose the touch." Eximing he took a spoon full and shoved it right inside his mouth.


    "Hmm, seems like it''s not only the air around here, even the food grown isn''t that natural or rather without elements of impurities. Sigh the people of this world are blinded by the urge to develop and forgot the itself." As he continued to eat.


    Finishing up the whole te of food, he washed all the dishes and sat on the couch once again. As he stretched his back, thinking what he should do, at the corner of his eye he saw the crumbled script on the ground and grabbed it.

 Chapter 5 - Theatre? Movie?

    ''Hmm, this paper was in my hand when I came to this body. What was this guy reading before he died?'' Pulling the paper closer, he finally git a good look at the contents.


    "Ah, it''s a script. Let''s see how itpare to the ones I wrote back then. Hope we don''t lose out in this aspect." Feeling interested.


    He slowly read the script in his hands. The script Kim Joon-won had wasn''t theplete drama script, rather it was only his part of the drama. As he read, the anticipation and smile on his face faded away as a small frown formed on his face.


    "No wonder that guy died due to anger. This is really sh*t even the role this guy got is literally only one whole page, not even a whole paper worth of dialogues. Such a small role." He couldn''t help but lean back on the couch as he threw the paper to the side and closed his eyes.


    He remembered the reason the owner of the body died. It was this script. The role was so small that he didn''t have dialogues. He didn''t get to know what the entire script was about but had some guess. Based on what his role was, it was situated in a school and was also a romance orientated drama.


    "I felt happy about acting once again and this is what I get aftering here." He opened his eyes and sighed.


    "Well now that most of the things here are done. Let''s explore the outside world and see how advanced everything here is then." He sprung up from the couch as his eyes were filled with anticipation. He wanted to know more about this world and going out was the best way he could do that.


    He grabbed the keys to the main door and made his way out. But as he did, he noticed a mask hanging on a hook beside the door. Grabbing it, he wore it and made his way out, locking the door.


    There were only 5 simr houses for every floor in the three floors apartment. His house was on the second floor, so Kim Joon-won made his way down the hallway and then the stairs. Reaching the ground floor he walked out and saw the bustling streets.


    The streets, people and the vehicles were a lot to take in for him and only snapped out of it after a whole minute. He looked to his left and right before stretching out his finger, he felt the wind blow to the right and decided to go to the right.


    As he walked down the street, he saw different kinds of shops, Graffiti painted on walls, people riding on the skateboard and many more. He was so marvelled by everything around him that he didn''t want to close his eyes, scared that he might miss something.


    If anyone from his old world would see their calm, collected and old king like this they would stab themselves in the heart rather than believe their eyes.


    As Kim Joon-won slowly walked through the streets, he suddenly stopped. His eyes were on a billboard which was shing very brightly with a picture of a couple on it and a title next to it. It was a movie advertisement.


    "So, that''s a new movie. It seems to have released a few days ago. Let''s see what these movies are. If I can remember a movie theatre should be around that corner." He was excited to see something new. He only knew dramas but as he saw that billboard he remembered the experience of seeing movies of the original Kim Joon-won and wanted to try out.


    Slowly walking towards the theatre as he remembered, he finally reached it. Standing before therge theatre he felt excitement. This was going to be his first exposure to this world''s mainline drama or rather movies as they called them.


    He noticed that the theatre was about to y it''s noon show of the movie billboard he saw on his way and walked towards the counter.


    "One ticket for ''My love'', please." With a polite smile to thedy behind the counter, while taking out his purse. Paying the money he got the ticket and made his way inside with excitement.


    Going to the respective screen he already noticed that the movie had started and so he quietly made his way to his seat. As he sat he quickly noticed something very strange. Everyone around him or probably everyone in the entire theatre were couples.


    But that thought onlysted a minute as his eyes were glued to the screen. He didn''t turn his head even for a single second as he continued to watch the movie in istion. He didn''t hear the constant murmuring from the couple''s all around him and was fixed to the screen.


    The lights got back on after twoplete hours. All the couple''s and other people around him slowly got up one by one, exiting the screen but he remained there motionless. His eyes were still on therge nk screen in front.


    He snapped out when a worker gently shook him, telling him that the movie was already done and it was time for him to go out. Slowly nodding he quietly exited the theatre and stood in the busy streets once again.


    Stretching his stiff neck he sat on the nearby bench right in front of the theatre before sliding his eyes, cutting off all the noises from the busy streets, immersed in his own thoughts.


    "Movies are really awesome." He murmured with a slight smile, looking at the floating clouds.

 Chapter 6 - Goal

    "It''s way better than dramas. The viewers have so much better now experience and it also looks better than a drama. One mishap on a live drama by an actor can destroy the whole performance but movie? They can reshoot the same thing from different angles until they arepletely satisfied. Such high level performance." He continued to murmur to himself while closing his eyes on the bench, ignoring everything around him.


    After a few more minutes he slowly stood up and noticed it was already 4. Keeping both his hands inside his pockets, he walked back home, as he walked all his thoughts were still on the movie he watched. He thought the movie was not that good but was also not that bad. It was a one time watcher. What interested him was the way the movie was taken.


    Dramas could only be seen from one angle and everything depends on the actors. But in movies, the actors did at most only 60 percent of the total work. Even if an actor was bad at acting the movie crew could use other means to make it look good and this fascinated him.


    It didn''t take him long to reach his apartment. He quickly got inside removed the mask and hung it at the same spot as before. He got himself a quick ss of water before sitting on the couch.


    "Hmm, from the memories of that guy, we can watch movies even on T.V, using inte? Let''s try it out. I want to watch some of the famous ones rather than the small one I just saw."


    He quickly turned on the T.V before slowly connecting it to the inte in the house. It took him quite some time before he got it right. As he did he exhaled in relief and quickly watched the most popr movie which came out a few years back called ''Dominator''. It was the most widely acknowledged best movie of the country by the media and public


    Setting up everything right, he started the movie. The movie was about a fight between an alien who stumbled upon the and tried to overtake it with it''s massive power. The hero would then defeat it after a long fight. But what made the story good was the journey the hero went through to gain power enough to defeat the alien and die, sacrificing himself.


    Kim Joon-won was very impressed by this film. Compared to the movie he saw before, this film was better by a very long distance. Whether it came to the effects used or the story line or even the acting involved.


    "The hero, Dongbang Jae, is really a master at acting. Way better than even me. Seems like there are people who can act like this. There is so much that even I am yet to improve. Hmm, it seems like this guy is also called as the Heavenly king of the previous generation. He retiredst year from acting?" Remembering a few more things about the hero.


    Zen Su was never arrogant and could ept his weakness before trying to improve further on it. That was one of the reasons he became a good king. Seeing that Dongbang Jae was better than him in that film, he only wanted to improve his own skills to surpass that level.


    "Hmm, seems like heavenly king is rather a rank given to the most sessful and famous actor of every generation. All of them seem like great actors. In this generation it seems like there are only 3 of such people. I''ll prove myself to be the fourth." With a slight smirk on his face.


    He finally made his firstrge goal aftering into this world. Goals were important to be sessful as it gives him a clear goal. He decided on his ultimate goal long ago, it was to be the most famous actor in this world. Compared to his past life goal which was performing for the royal family, he decided to go bigger.


    Bing a Heavenly King was only a checkpoint to his goal because Heavenly kings were only famous within the country he was currently living. Out there were other actors and bigger countries.


    "Well it''s already 7 let''s finish dinner quickly and watch another good movie before sleeping. It seems like I need to go school tomorrow. A school for art? This is going to be interesting, my first time to a school in both my lives." Standing up he went into the kitchen and scoped up the rest of the food into a te before sitting on the couch once again.


    Zen Su never went to a proper school even back in his old world. Being an orphan and poor, he couldn''t afford such a luxury and had to work everyday before acting to get some food inside his body. The first thing he did after bg a King was to open free schools to poor people , it was one of the reasons people loved him the most.


    He never thought he would have a chance to go to a school like a normal person, now that he got the chance he wanted to experience it properly.


    After finishing the left over a food from lunch he cleaned up the dishes and sat on the couch with the remote in his hand once again, trying to find more good movies from his memories to watch.


    As he was, he found his phone vibrating in his pocket. Taking it out he finally saw the most used device by humans in the modern era.


    "Hmm, why is it vibrating. Wait, someone is calling? Dad?" Seeing the name and picture on the call he felt confused.

 Chapter 7 - Family

    Seeing the contact on the call, his hands became sweaty. He couldn''t pick up the call and respond, he could be found out. But if he doesn''t lift, then it would create more suspicions. Parents are probably the only people in this world who could easily identify their children''s problems without words.


    Even though he was in Kim Joon-won''s body and sounded like him, he was still essentially not him. He never had a parent in his old life now he needed to speak with the father of the dead person who he took over.


    He slowly closed his eyes and remembered everything he could from the original Kim Joon-won''s memories.


    Kim min-seok was his name. He was a simple man who supported his children with everything he has. That is also the reason he sent Kim Joon-won to a drama school and chase his dream even though his sry wasn''t much.


    Zen Su approved such a man who cared and loved his children and was willing to do anything for them. Such a man deserved respect. The more he went through Joon-won''s memories he understood more his family.


    After a few more seconds he finally took a deep breath and clicked on the answer button like an ape using technology.


    "Ah, Joon-won, what are you doing? Why did it take you so long to lift the phone? Are you out partying again? I''m telling you now you better. Be careful, it''s different in the big cities, unlike our small town. Joon-won are you listening? OI." Min-Seok''s voice sted through the speaker. He fired questions at him without any break.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but smile a little as he heard the rough voice from the other side. He could hear the concern in the man''s voice only because he lifted the phone a bitte. As an orphan, he couldn''t help but feel good.


    Turning the speaker off, he kept the phone against his ear and Slowly said, "I''m fine dad, I was eating just now and my phone was inside the bedroom. How are you?"


    As he finished, silence filled the room, Mom-Seok, did not reply and Joon-won was waiting for a reply. After a few seconds Joon-won couldn''t help but ask, "Dad, are you still there? Can you hear me? I''m asking how are you?" With some concern.


    Unknowingly his personality and thoughts slowly started to merge with that of the old Joon-won as he showed concern towards a stranger but felt familiar with him.


    "Ah, no I was rather surprised by your question. Are you ok, Joon-won? You don''t sound well?" Min-Seok finally responded with even more concern.


    Joon-won was shocked as he heard even more concerning from the other side. He closed his eyes once again trying to search his memories once again and finally found an answer.


    The problem was him, or rather the original Joon-won. He would never call his family back and was also rather avoiding them aftering to the city to study. This was all due to the sudden change in the culture he experienced aftering here.


    This all exined the sudden concern Min-Seok showed when he asked him a very simple question. He couldn''t help but shake his head at how immature the original Joon-won was. The family was the base for everything a man can achieve in his life. If it wasn''t for his hard-working father he would never havee to a big city to study something like acting.


    "Do you have a fever? Is it exhaustion? Do you have body pains? These are all the symptoms of the disease a few years back. Many people got it then. Even though you got vinated you still need to be very careful with this. Should Ie over there? Better why don''t youe over?" He continued to show concern. If it was anyone else, they would have been irritated but Zen Su didn''t think so as a small smile was on his face.


    "No, Dad. I''m ok it''s not that disease or anything like that. I am perfectly fine. Don''t react so violently for only a small change like this. There will be many more in the future. I just thought it was a time to change how things were going after I came here. So tell me how are you doing there?"


    "HAHAHAHAH, Yes yes, everything is well now that you made a very good decision in your life. I''m very happy that you are finally taking the right paths. I can finally sleep well tonight." Heughed so loud that Joon-won moved the phone away from his ears. But he had a smile on his face when he heard himugh.


    "Yes, Dae. Everything is going to be well. So are everything well over there?"


    "I just answered your question have you gone deaf? Don''t worry too much about us. I and your sister both are well. Just now she went into her room to study for her exams too. Do you want to talk with her?"


    "No, no it''s ok. Let her study. She is already in high school now. It''s important for her to study. Alright then Dad, go and sleep, you have work tomorrow don''t you?"


    "Yes, yes you should also sleep early. You have sses again tomorrow. Your final exam of the year is alsoing soon isn''t it, study well." He didn''t forget to remind Joon-won before finally cutting the call.


    cing the phone to the side, he leaned back before taking a deep breath and exhaling in relief. His heart was full of warmth when he talked with Min-Seok just now and he loved that feeling.


    "My father. In this life even though you didn''t give birth to me, I will take care of you as my own." He murmured his thoughts out as the idea cemented in his mind.

 Chapter 8 - Role And Acting

    After making a promise to himself to take care of Min-Seok as his father, better than his original son, his gazended on the script.


    ''I shouldn''t let that man down too much and waste time like this. Even though I only talked to him for a few minutes, it feels like I know him for a long time. It seems like I''m slowly getting influenced by the original Kin Joon-won''s memories. But this kind of influence is not that bad. Let''s prepare for this exam then. It seems like this is thest exam of the year, and the results matter. It should be this weekend, too.'' he reorganized his thoughts while noticing the slight influence on his mentality.


    Grabbing the paper once again, he stood up. He had a closer look at the script and his rolepared to before. The role was simply tiny. His role was of a jealous teenager who snitches on the protagonists for being lovers in a school which prohibits such things. He snitched because he hated the hero''s handsomeness.


    Joon-won stood there in silence. He couldn''t help but exhale and understood why the old Joon-won died in frustration after reading this. Most of his part was a narration by the narrator as they were inner thoughts of jealousy and his dialogues were mainly with the teacher character when he snitched on the protagonist''s love.


    "Even though I am not as handsome as the old me, it''s not that bad that I have to y the role of this jealous teenager. I should probably really try and give this director and the person who chose the roles a piece of my mind if I meet them tomorrow. Well, now that I decided, let''s practice these lines." Scratching the back of his head.


    He closed his eyes, trying to envision how a jealous teenager would generally be. He wasn''t a teenager, and instantly bing a jealous teenager would be tough. Thinking about it a several minutes, he slowly thought about all the noble family sons in his past life and their faces whenever they saw him besides his wife.


    This gave him something better to y with, and he slowly understood the teenager''s thoughts before opening his eyes and thinking about a handsome man, and all he could think of was his past looks. Getting the mood set, he slowly practiced a few expressions he coulde up with and then the dialogues imagining the teacher. All of it lookedical with no one around.


    After a few more minutes of practice, he finally sat down on the couch, cing the paper aside before running his hand through his hair.


    "It''s been a while since I acted, but it seems like I am still way off what I used to be. Everything seems a bit new after a few decades. I need to use this chance to get into my rhythm so that I can try acting. It looks like I need to audition for roles in this world. I''ll try one after this exam drama and see how it goes." He stood up and made his way towards the bathroom once again to take a nice bath.


    Taking a refreshing bath, he wore some fresh clothes he found in the drawer and went into the kitchen for some food. Taking out the food he cooked for lunch from the fridge, he ate a quick meal, washed the dishes, and sat on the couch.


    "I need to get this body into shape if I want some nice roles. Even though my looks are only above average, if I can get some muscles and shape, I can catch more eyes in those auditions I can try out."


    ''This exam should be this kid''s final exam for the first year and is at the end of this week. After that, it''s summer holidays for two months until his 2nd-year courses start. I should try and get good grades with this small role I got offered.'' going through his memories. He figured out the present situation of Kim Joon-won university.


    ''Those two months should be very useful for me to try out different auditions. This city should be famous for having many agencies and auditions. Maybe I will be lucky and get a role in a movie within these two months''


    Arios City, the most famous city within the country after the capital. It is also known as the nation''s entertainment capital, and this is because many famous artists, actors, and other people who work in simr industries live here. This is also why it houses the renowned drama university Kim Joon-won attends, called Arios Drama university, renamed after the city itself.


    "It''s been aplete year since this kid came to this so-called entertainment capital, and he has done nothing to improve his skills. He waspletely changed by the things here and didn''t have the initial enthusiasm, only wasting his parent''s money. Well, it looks like I can''t be too greedy and work with what I got, I guess."


    He took out his phone and opened the gallery app as he remembered something. Kim Joon-won practiced a bit thest few days for the final exam and used to record videos for analysis. He slowly went through them all before deleting all of them.


    "This guy is too mediocre. No wonder he didn''t get a bigger role, his acting is so in, and all his expressions couldn''t be more fake. Him getting this role was like destiny, and he probably only has himself to me." He sighed to himself.


    Noticing it was already veryte, he stood up, turned off the lights, and went into the room before falling asleep. He twisted and turned around for a long time before falling asleep.

 Chapter 9 - Cheo Jung-hwa

    Waking up the next day and eating a quick bowl of cereal, Joon-won grabbed the bag beside the couch and made his way out. This time he didn''t forget to take the huge trash cover he kept aside after cleaning the whole ce yesterday out. They needed to throw the trash in the huge bins in the alleyway next to the building.


    Closing the door, Joon-won took the huge ck trash bag down the stairs and out the building. Before turning to the side and going into the alleyway. He noticed the huge garbage dumpster and threw it inside. Completing the work, he finally patted his hands once and then started walking towards university.


    Even though he was a very old man on the inside, he couldn''t help but smile at the thought of going to university. He never went to any kind of educational institute in his previous life, as he mostly had to work to fill his stomach daily. But now he could go to a proper university and it was mainly for something he loved, acting.


    Following the memories, he stopped in front of a huge gate with students going in from all directions. He could see the enormous sign hanging on top of the gate, ''Arios Drama University''. He slowly recollected the memories about the campus and the way to his ss from old Joon-won, before stepping into the campus.


    But as he did, he felt a sharp pain from his back, making him hiss while he heard a woman''s voice by the side, "Joon-won, why are you walking like this is your first day at the university. Come on, it''s time for ss. Let''s go, quick." urging him.


    He finally turned to the side and saw a young girl with a smile on her face. Dark brown, straight hair which flowed until her waist, with big ck eyes which looked very cute. Her overall appearance gave out a cheerful and cozy vibe, making peoplefortable. Her name was Cheo Jung-hwa.


    Luckily he searched up most of the memories about the old Joon-won''s university life and could quickly recognize the cheerful girl who pped his back suddenly. The old Joon-won knew this girl pretty well and were on friendly terms. That was because both of them came from the same town and were also in the same high school. But both never talked to each other until recognizing each other in the university.


    Cheo Jung-hwa was theplete opposite of the old Kim Joon-won. After going through the memories, he knew what kind of girl she was and had a good first impression of her. Unlike the old Kim Joon-won, she did not change aftering into the big city and continued to work towards the reason she came to the university and that was to get better at acting.


    "Jung-hwa, I was on my way to ss. Why hit so hard?" trying to act as closely as the old Joo-won. He did not want to raise any doubts by acting weirdly.


    Jung-hwa stopped when she heard him and looked at him up and down, while slowly rubbing her chin as if she was wondering about something very important.


    "Something is really weird about you today. I can''t seem to put a finger on what that is."


    He could only rub the back of his head, feeling worried inside at this woman''s crazy instincts, and could only reply, "It''s all in your head. Don''t think too much about unnecessary stuff. How was your weekend?" changing the subject.


    Luckily it was very easy to distract her as she replied while they continued to walk towards their block in the enormous campus," Yeah, the weekend was nice. I was in the dorm the whole day, trying to get some extra sleep and rxation. What did you do?"


    Jung-hwa stayed in the university dorms unlike Joon-won, who took a room outside So that she could save some extra money for her parents. Joon-won could only sigh at the past before replying, "I did little as well. I saw a few movies online, then went to a theatre for a movie as well. It was nice to rx a little. I also practiced for the examing this weekend."


    Hearing hisst sentence, she became a bit shocked as she once again looked up and down before murmuring, "Something is really odd about you today, Joon-won. Do you even practice on the weekend? That is rather really surprising. Even regrly I have to be behind you like a tail to make you practice at least a little."


    "Come on, don''t be like that. It''s the final exams and doesn''t the score really matter for the next year''s cements? So, of course, I need to practice at least in the final stretch of the year." he shrugged at her suspicion. If he tried to hide it more, it would only make her more suspicious, so being more open was a better route for him to take.


    "Well, what you say is true. Based on these results, some people might get shifted to the ''Star Batch'' next year. Just imagine, the ''Star Batch'' is much better than the one we are in now."


    "Transfer?" he felt confused because he couldn''t remember much about this so-called transfer.


    "Did you not listen to what the teacher saidst month when he told us about our final exam? He specifically said that we are going to be strictly evaluated on our performance and if anyone does well, we might get the chance to rece anyone from the star batch. Come on, Joon-won, this is an important matter. You should pay more attention to the sses."


    "The Star Batch ha. Looks like you want to get into that batch." he simply stated the obvious.

 Chapter 10 - Mo Yang, Friend?

    ''Star batch'' was a fancy way of saying ''ss for students who are rich''. This was how Kim Joon-won understood after going through the memories. It was a ss filled with people who were rich having the best facilities and teachers. Most of the people in that ss use connections to get roles in movies, making the batch seem special.


    The Star Batch also had the best teachers assigned to them. They were all veteran actors who stopped and would mainly share their experiences and versions of acting. The Teachers in the normal sses were utmost only B-ss actors while there were a few A-ss actors in the Star batch. These were enough for the students in the normal ss to work very hard to earn a seat through chances like these.


    "Of Course I want to go to that batch. We get taught by better teachers, and the exposure we receive when we are in that batch is also way better. Wait, Don''t tell me you don''t want to shift to that batch." she answered rather quickly and looked at him with a questioning gaze.


    He simply shrugged at her and replied, "Well, I don''t really care about it that much to stress over it like you are. If I make it I make it, If I don''t I really won''t think about it too much. There really isn''t much of a chance for me to get into that batch, given how small my role actually is. So no high hopes."


    Hearing his words made her silent as both of them continued to walk towards their ss. Joon-won noticed the awkward atmosphere and said, "Well, don''t think too much about it. My skills are not that good to get a good role. Well, just work hard to get into that Star batch you are aiming for." she simply nodded.


    Reaching the entrance, both separated as she made her way towards her group of friends and he went to the back where he remembered the seat was. Going all the way back, he sat right next to the window. Looking outside, he saw the block entrance but couldn''t care less and leaned his head on the bench before closing his eyes.


    Being in his own world, he snapped back as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Slowly lifting his head, he saw a brown-haired boy sitting right next to him while tapping on his phone. He easily found who the boy was as he went through the memories. His name was Mo Yang.


    Mo Yang was the person Joon-won was closest to in the university and was also the first friend he made aftering here. As he slowly went through the memories, he got a clearer picture of the guy in front of him.


    "Bro, did you party without me yesterday? You should have called me." Mo Yang asked as his hands were still typing on the phone.


    As he got a clear understanding of Mo Yang in his mind based on the memories, Joon-won couldn''t help but roll his eyes and reply, "No, I am just tired. That''s all." Not wanting to go into further conversation with the guy.


    Mo Yang was the biggest reason the old Joon-won changed aftering to the big city. This guy used to drag the old Joon-won to multiple parties every week and was the major reason Joon-won went further and further away from the original reason he got into the university.


    "Bro, do you want toe to this party today? I just received a message and there will be girls from other departments too. Maybe we can get lucky and you know, spend the night with some of them." Mo Yang chuckled before finally looking down at Joon-won while waving his phone.


    He couldn''t help but take a deep breath while pushing himself off the desk and replying, "Come on, man. It''s exam week. The y at the end of the week is really important and you want to go out and party? You are lucky to get a non-acting role in the y, but I at least have a minor role, so let me work on it and try to score a few points." Sounding a little pissed at how Mo Yang was trying to distract him from the exams. Unlike himself, Mo Yang did not even have a role and was part of the production crew, but never really cared much about it and always liked to party around.


    If it was the old Joon-won, he would have agreed immediately, but it was different now and Zen Su was not the same. He needed to use this chance given to him properly, and this drama was his first step. Even though he doesn''t care about the marks like he just said, just acting again would give him that starting push he needs for the summer break after the exam.


    "Alright man chill. Don''t sound so pissed off, I wanted to invite you so that you can chill and rest a bit. I can see you are putting some work into this test. Alright, I''ll tell you about any party after the exams. I''m sure you will be free after that right?" As he smoothly tried to show he cared about him.


    But Joon-won wasn''t buying his stuff as he noticed the teacher walking in and said while shrugging, "Whatever you say, man. Be quiet now, the teacher came in." Trying to pay more attention to the middle-aged man in the ss center.

 Chapter 11 - Lunch

    Hearing how Joon-won shrugged it off, Mo Yang remained silent and turned towards his phone once again, typing off. Joon-won couldn''t care less what the guy beside him was doing as he focused on the middle-aged man standing at the front. After the man took everyone''s attendance, he started his ss.


    He started teaching about what a drama was and how there are different types of actors. From the memories, he found out the teacher taught these multiple times already. But this didn''t make him stop from listening. He never had any proper lessons when it came to acting and was always very natural at it.


    But now that he had a chance to build up some basics and not try to depend on raw talent, he was going to take upon it. He continued to listen as the teacher went over the mostmon methods of acting and how actors take up more roles.


    "Well, we were able to revise most of the things I taught you guys so many times over the past year. I''m sure you all are tired of listening to the same thing over and over again. You will have free time the whole day for the rest of the week for you guys to practice. Next year is going to be different, as most of the work would be more practically oriented. You''ll be sent to drama clubs throughout the city to gain more of that experience. So try to do your best in the exam at the end of the week." And walked out of the ss.


    Taking out his phone, Joon-won noticed it was time for their lunch break and stood up to go out and get something to eat. As he got up, Mo Yang sprang up and said while clutching his hand, " Come, let''s go and get something to eat. I''m very hungry. Let''s grab a burger at the store opposite the west entrance. I''ll pay, so let''s go." And walked in the front.


    Seeing how persistent this guy was, Joon-won sighed and followed him out of the block and towards the west entrance. But as they walked, Mo Yang couldn''t keep his mouth shut.


    "Bro, the party after this week is going to be a bomb. People from all over the universities wille for them. It''s going to be a st."


    "I think we should n a huge trip this summer with a few people and have some fun. What do you think?"


    "I can''t wait for the summer to start. I have so many things nned. It''s going to be lit."


    As he continued to talk, Joon-won couldn''t help but grunt at how annoying he was. He only hummed in response as Mo Yang''s mouth did not stop for a second until they reached the west gate and went into the burger ce opposite to the gate. There were already a few students eating their lunch, but there was some free ce for them to sit by a window.


    "Man, this ce really sells the best burger around here. No wonder there are students filling up this ce the whole day. Order what you want, as I said, I''m going to pay for it." Pushing the menu towards him.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow seeing how pushy this guy was. But he didn''t say anything, as it was not something new. Mo Yang was always very pushy and cared very much about his face in front of everyone. He nodded and randomly ordered a burger based on how the picture beside it looked.


    Pushing the menu back at the guy, he couldn''t help butment, "Man, why did you even join the university? Like its parties, all the time, and you don''t put in the effort to get better at the craft you came here for." Even though he couldn''t care any less about the dude, the old man mentality in him came out at that moment.


    Mo Yang looked up from his phone, surprised by his sudden question. He scratched the back of his head and said with the same idiotic smile, "I don''t know, I guess. This was something I dreamed of beforeing to the city, and now that I am here, it''s fun to go to all these parties. Don''t you think so?"


    Joon-won didn''t answer his question and simply shrugged. He felt like his shoulders would fall off by all the shrugging he was doing the whole day. He decided to distance himself from Mo Yang. The guy was beyond hope and the more time he would spend with him, the more he felt his brain cells would degrade.


    Luckily the food came quicker than expected and both of them got onto eating. Joon-won couldn''t help but nod a bit when he tasted the burger and felt it was not bad.


    ''It''s not bad, but I can''t eat this daily or this body would go into an even worse shape.''


    "Damn, it''s really him. I thought he was going to miss the entire day of ss. Joon-won, here''s the money man, I''m going out. Sorry, but you need to finish eating yourself." He felt the table shake as Mo Yang freaked out a little.


    By the time he looked up, he already saw Mo Yang cing the currency notes on the table while still looking out of the window and moving out of the store in a hurry.


    He understood what was the rush when he turned around towards the direction Mo Yang ran off to and saw someone walking into the university from the west gate while there was a group around him.

 Chapter 12 - Famous Group And Idiots

    Looking at the dazzling group in front of the west gate, Joon-won couldn''t help but sigh and shake his head. It was a typical famous person and the surrounding mob. He could see Mo yang reaching the group and trying to interact with a ttering expression on his face, making it a bit disgusting.


    But he didn''t show any of it on his face because he thought little about it. He has been on both sides in such a situation. When he was an orphan and needed roles in dramas around the cities in the kingdom, he ttered many people. He had the exact opposite situation when he was announced to be the bridegroom of the only princess of the kingdom, making him the next king.


    So he knew why people would try to tter others, especially people who were of lower status and needed some kind of help from them. Getting ttered was a nice feeling, too. Even though he enjoyed it he didn''t think much about it in his previous life after a few months as he got used to it and was trained to ignore suchments by the previous king.


    As he went through his memories, he found out who the center of the group was. It was the handsome guy with blonde hair walking in front of the group with a girl pushing herself onto him. His name was Hyeong Myung. He was in the same ss as him but was on a different level when it came to social hierarchy.


    He also knew from his memories that the old Joon-won used to tter him a few times in the past whenever he apanied Mo Yang to parties of that group. The old Joon-won was a typical sheep-brained man, where he would always follow the crowd and had no thoughts of his own.


    The main reason this Hyeong Myung was famous apart from his nice looks was that he had a few connections in the Star Batch. He knew a few people, or so he imed to the others in the ss, making many people want to be friends with him so that they can get to know the Star Batch people too.


    Every person in the Star Batch was either influential or very rich, making many people in the normal batch want to be friends with them. This made him instantly famous after the people noticed him around a few of the Star Batch members.


    Thinking of all this, Joon-won could only continue to eat the burger in front of him. After having a nice lunch, he stood up, full from the burger, and made his way out after paying at the counter with the money Mo Yang left. He noticed there were a few more minutes before he needed to be at the ss and decided to take a walk on the campus.


    They left the remaining day after lunch for the drama practice. But most people would not take it seriously and hang outside instead. He slowly went around the campus and saw various groups from other departments going out anding into the campus. The environment felt good and was very nice.


    But the walk couldn''tst forever as his break was almost over and he got back to the ss to see the entire group he saw earlier near the west gate in the ss making noise while chatting around. He couldn''t care less about the bunch and just went around them to his seat. He noticed Mo yang was still near the group trying to mingle into it and sighed.


    As he sat and looked at the group, he now had a better look at Hyeong Myung, who was in the middle of the entire group with a smile that couldn''t look any more fake. He continued to look around the group until his eyes fell on the girl who was the closest to Hyeong Myung, throwing her body all over him with thick make-up on her face, making her look more ugly than the original intention.


    She alwaysughed out loud for everything Hyeong Myung was talking about while getting closer and closer to his body as her hands were slowly moving around him. Joon-won didn''t watch this woman because he felt attracted to her or felt disgusted by her actions, it was because he knew who it was based on the memories and thought to talk with her yesterday after he looked at the script.


    Her name was Roh Ji, and she was the director and also the person who gave everyone the roles in the ss. She also was the person who changed the whole script, making it absolutely trashpared to the original script given by the scriptwriters in the ss because she wanted to give more attention to few roles more than others.


    This made the scriptpletely trash. Yesterday he had thoughts of going up to the director or the writer and ask if there could be changes, try to speak it out if it was a knowledgeable person but seeing Roh Ji, he threw that ideapletely out of the window.


    ''Roh Ji, it means wisdom and intelligence, this girl is theplete opposite to it. She looks like aplete idiot. I don''t know what her parents were thinking when they gave her the name, but this girl wentpletely against it.''


    ''I guess I just need to grit my teeth through this drama with such a bad script. Why does the first time I act after so many years have to be in such a bad drama and role.''menting on his bad luck.


    As he continued to think about it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his back and he could already tell who it was without even turning back.

 Chapter 13 - Practice With Cheo Jung-hwa

    "Don''t hit me like that every time you want to call me." He couldn''t help but grunt as he turned around to look at Cheo Jung-hwa as she had a grin on her face. Even though he had memories of the old Joon-won, he didn''t know this woman on a personal level, and before he did, he didn''t like people to act too close to him.


    "Don''t grumble like a kid for a small hit like that. You are just too weak. I waited 15 minutes for you already and sent you so many messages too. But you didn''t reply, so I had toe and fetch you. Now tell me why are you sitting here and staring at that idiotic group like an idiot, instead ofing to our practice room?" While cing her hands on her hips like a boss, she looked down on him.


    As soon as he heard her counter, he couldn''t help but remember theirmitment to practice together for the exam in an empty room she found. It was actually Cheo Jung-hwa who came to himst week and told him toe and practice with her so he could do better in the exam. Even though the present Joon-won didn''t need her help, he stood up, took out the script from his bag, and simply stretched out his hand for her to go front.


    As they walked out of the ss and towards the empty room. As he followed her, he remembered how much she forced the old Joon-won to practice more and helped him to get better the entirest week, taking out some of her own time. His impression of this girl became better as he thought about how she tried to help him.


    After walking a few more minutes, Cheo Jung-hwa finally stopped and stepped into a room. Following her, he saw a small room that looked more like a storage room, filled with few chairs and other boxes in the corner. There were two chairsid out normally opposite each other.


    Joon-won went and sat on the chair to the right after he saw Cheo Jung-hwa''s bag on the one to the left. He sat down and waited, as Cheo Jung-hwa went through her bag and finally took out a set of papers. She handed one set to him and sat down.


    "Joon-won, let''s go over my role today. I need your help with it. There are many characters I need to converse in the drama, but help me practice the conversation with the main heroine for now. That will be enough." She slowly exined. He knew by her tone that she didn''t want to hurt him with her words as they sounded a bit discouraging.


    He simply nodded, and she continued, "Alright then, let''s practice after an hour." And looked down at the script in her hand.


    Joon-won didn''t waste any time either as he looked down on the bunch of papers in his hand. It was the full script of the drama. He then remembered Jung-hwa''s role in the drama. It was one of the best friends of the heroine, so it was a major role with a lot of dialogues and screen time.


    He also remembered how Jung-hwa got an important role even after a director like Roh Ji who gave most of the important roles to her close friends. It was because of the vice-dean of their major and major luck on Jung-hwa''s side. The vice-dean noticed Jung-hwa had a few skills when it came to acting after seeing her practice her original role, which was not big and interfered. He helped to give her a bigger chance in the exam.


    But of course, his interference caused many problems for Jung-hwa too. Roh Ji didn''t like how the vice-dean interfered in her job but couldn''t do anything against him and took it out on Jung-hwa instead. She spread rumors that Jung-hwa only got the vice-dean to force her because she slept with him, causing her reputation to take a hit.


    Roh Ji did not stop there and even went after Joon-won after she noticed he practices with her. She called Joon-won once and abruptly changed his role to a much smaller one. Joon-won being a weak kid, couldn''t talk back to a person like Roh Ji, and also couldn''t me Jung-hwa who helped him practice. So he didn''t tell Jung-hwa that she was the reason his role changed into a smaller one and simply shrugged it off whenever she asked.


    ''This kid couldn''t even talk back to that idiot girl. He was a huge whip, no wonder he got easily swayed by an idiot like Mo Yang. If he spoke back even a little, I wouldn''t be stuck with this small idiotic role.''


    ''But this girl Jung-hwa, it seems like even though her looks aren''t a strong point, her skills aren''t something to scoff at if she got recognized by a big character in the university. No wonder she has the confidence to get into that ''Star Batch''. Well, let''s help her in this practice.''


    After having his own internal monologue, he seriously looked at theplete script in front of him and started to read it. As he read the script he understood more of the story and most of his assumptions were true, making his conclusion about it being a trashy scripte true.


    He slowly read all the characters which interacted with Jung-hwa''s as it was easy for him to remember because most of the dialogues were predictable as the script was like that too.


    An hour went by very quickly and Cheo Jung-hwa stood up before asking, "Are you ready or need some more time? If you do, I can wait."


    Seeing how cautious she was, he couldn''t help but giggle a little before shaking his head and saying while standing up, "No it''s ok."

 Chapter 14 - Practice With Cheo Jung-hwa (II)

    As both of them stood up, Joon-won looked at her and asked, "So, at which part should we start? I assume you only need to practice only certain parts of the interaction and not all of them." he wanted to help her, so asking this was important.


    She looked at him in surprise. She didn''t think he would ask her this question as what he said was true. She got most of themon interactions between the two characters down. She only needed help in the more emotional parts of the story.


    Seeing the confidence in his voice and the calm look on his face, she couldn''t help but reply, "I mainly need help in the more emotional sections of the story. It will be fine if you read out the dialogue normally and not put much effort if it''s tough." she hurriedly tried to exin after snapping back. She was so concerned that she was forcing him that she did not even know that what she just said came out a bit rude.


    Joon-won didn''t mind her words and simply turned around a few pages before stopping on a page that had many dialogues between the heroine and the character Jung-hwa was ying.


    "Alright then, let''s start at this scene. It''s the scene where you find out that the heroine is dating the hero and you want to advise her out of it. It carries a good emotion of concern you show on your friend, so let''s just start here."


    Cheo Jung-hwa just followed his words and turned the pages. She was simply following his words at this point, surprised by the level of confidence he carried. She looked at the dialogues for a second before looking up at him and giving a nod.


    "Why did you call me to the back of the school, Jung-hwa? Don''t tell me you are proposing?" The dialogues smoothly came out of Joon-won as he yed the heroine role while slowly reading out the dialogues in a teasing manner.


    The quick change in Joon-won''snguage and behavior caught Jung-hwapletely off guard. She never expected the sudden change and could not reply. She simply stared wide-eyed at him. She did not snap back until Joon-won shook her a little.


    She looked at him and stuttered, "What was that Joon-won? You suddenly turned into a yboy with that teasing voice. I couldn''t even react."


    Seeing the girl''s shocked face, he smiled and replied, "I was acting out the role you told me to. If I don''t act out the role as closely as possible, how will you be able to improve? Nowe on, we are wasting precious time by simply talking. I will read out the dialogue in the same manner once again, so you better react properly this time." making her nod absent-mindedly.


    Joon-won just took another deep breath and started with his dialogue once again, "Why did you call me to the back of the school, Jung-hwa? Don''t tell me you are proposing?" in the same teasing manner as before.


    Already seen and taken back once, Jung-hwa held herself before replying in a serious tone, "Don''t joke around. You probably know I figured it out, but let me be straightforward. I know you are dating Hyeong Myung. I am telling you, it''s a terrible idea to do that at this time. Do these when you get into University, when it''s freer. Now isn''t a good time, spend more time on your studies and get into that university you always talk about."


    As soon as shepleted her dialogue, Joon-won''s flirty expression immediately changed into a serious one too, and he replied as he saw the script, "So you know about it. I didn''t want anyone to know about it, even if it''s my best friend. Just try to stay out of this topic Jung-hwa, I''m not a kid anymore. I can handle my studies while still dating him. So don''t overly concern yourself about it." Sounding very detached as Joon-won properly got into the heroine role.


    The sudden change in his voice and behavior caught Jung-hwa off-guard once again. The girl couldn''t take in what was happening to her friend, who she always helped to practice his lines and expression and suddenly seemed like a professional.


    But she quickly snapped out of it to see Joon-won with a nk face waiting for her, making her face go slightly red. She coughed and continued, "Don''t be like this. Why are you so stubborn? I''m telling this for your own good. Listen to me this one time. If that guy really likes you then he will wait till high school is over. If anyone gets to know about this rtionship you guys are having, things can get really messy. You know how our school looks at these types of things." With aplete concern written all over her face as she took a step forward.


    Her acting slightly surprised Joon-won, he added a few points in his mind and continued with a rxed expression, "Oh, Jung-hwa. You''re always too concerned about so many things. Don''t be so pessimistic about things. Have confidence in me, I know I can study well and get into that university even while dating him. Now about the school knowing? I don''t think anyone knows about this except you. So everything will be perfectly fine if you just don''t talk about it and do things like this."


    "But-"


    "No buts, this is final. If you really are my friend, you will support me in this journey instead of going against it like you are now. Now if this conversation is over, let''s go back to the ss, lunch break is almost over too." He cut off and said in a slightlymanding tone before turning around.


    Jung-hwa stood there as the scene was finally over, not understanding how good Joon-won was suddenly when she snapped out of her role.

 Chapter 15 - Jung-hwas Thoughts

    Drop a few stones for this pitiful author. The book finally reached 15k words and can enter the new rankings, so please vote if you like the story. If the book gets into the top 10, I will try to release extra chapters at the end of this week.


    ***************************


    "How did you get better? Last week when we practiced, you were nowhere near this level of acting. You can easily be the lead role of the whole drama with the acting you just showed. This is better than anyone in our ss, you could easily get into the Stat Batch with it."


    Joon-won turned around to see the surprised girl who snapped out and started to fire at him. He couldn''t just tell her that the Joon-won she sawst week and the Joon-won now were two different people and that he had decades of experience in his past life to get this good.


    "Why would I want to get into that Star Batch you always talk about? I don''t see the point in going to that batch. It''s probably a ce filled with more distractions. I can only see more negatives than positives when ites to that ce. And the role? I don''t need others to know how good I am, it''s enough for me to know how good I am for now. I think my skills will shine better if I can act better with the minor role I am given." He shrugged and told his thoughts.


    Jung-hwa was taken back when he heard his reasoning. It soundedplete nonsense to her. They were aiming to be actors and getting recognition is something very important to them, but here Joon-won just said he didn''t need others to know how good he was at acting. She wanted to ask him, but Joon-won quickly cut her off by turning the script.


    "Alright, now let''s end this discussion here. There are many more scenes we need to practice as there are multiple dialogues. Come, let''s go to the scene where you guys fight now."


    Jung-hwa simply nodded and turned around the pages, and both of them started to practice once again. Joon-won started to act out the heroine role once again, showing appropriate expressions when needed, making Jung-hwafortably follow his lead and act out her role properly.


    After another two hours, both of thempleted practicing all the emotional dialogues between the two characters. Feeling a bit exhausted. Both of them sat down once again, taking a slight break. Jung-hwa went through her bag and took out some sandwiches she brought in the convenience store. She handed one of them to Joon-won before she ate it.


    Joon-won looked at the ready-made sandwich in his hand and slowly unwrapped the cover before taking a small bite.


    ''This isn''t bad for something brought in a store. Even though it''s not that fresh, it can be considered a snack, and it''s also very cheap. No wonder the old Joon-won preferred these types of things over, cooking or eating healthy meals. It''s more convenient.''


    He quickly finished the sandwich and took out a water bottle from the bag. Drinking some water, he closed his eyes, waiting for Jung-hwa to finish hers. After a few more minutes, Jung-hwa finally finished the sandwich and looked at Joon-won.


    "Joon-won if you aren''t aiming for the star batch, then what do you n to do? I mean isn''t there more exposure if you get into the star batch than remaining in this normal one." She had a few questions and just wanted to get them out.


    "Well, it depends on person to person. What you said might be true, that there is more exposure if a person gets into the batch, but there are other ways to improve skills and get opportunities to act. One such opportunity is the auditionspanies give for smaller rollers and need actors. You can get good experience and also learn by observing the better actors on the set."


    "Of course, we probably won''t get taken on our first audition and if we want to improve, we can try out the drama houses in this city. Arios City isn''tcking drama houses and we can always go there for a try-out where it is easier to get in and act, to sharpen our skills. There are many ways to improve, you just need to find them." finishing off what he thought. He was rtively very patient with Jung-hwa because of her hard-working nature and skills.


    Hearing what he had to say, Jung-hwa was shocked at how dumb she was and only thought of one way. Now she understood why Joon-won had no interest in the Star Batch, and now she was also slowly losing interest. She also heard many bad things about the Star Batch and how the rich kids were there. So, even though she was hesitant about going there, she had no choice.


    But now Joon-won opened a new world for her, with his way of thinking making her contemte on her n to strive for the Star Batch.


    ''Maybe I should also take this path. What he said isn''t wrong, and it''s also a better way to go. The Star Batch is filled with scum from rich families, and that is also why the opportunities are more there. This way would help me avoid that route. I should consider it this week before the summer vacation starts. Looks like Joon-won is going to use the summer to get a few auditions done.'' She slowly thought about it.


    "Alright, don''t think much about it. As I said, it depends from person to person. What I just said might not work for you, and the Star batch might be better. So put it aside and let''s continue practicing. I''ll y the hero role now. There are a few good ces you need to practice. So let''s get this done." Joon-won stood up and looked at Jung-hwa, who was deep in her thoughts.


    Jung-hwa nodded and stood up to continue practicing. It did not surprise her, how Joon-won said he would help her with another role after practicing with him for thest 2 hours.

 Chapter 16 - Art Student In A Library?

    By the time both of them stopped again, it was already 5 in the evening and the sun was setting. Deciding to just end it for the day, both of them packed their bags and got out of the room. Jung-hwa quickly locked the door and turned towards Joon-won.


    "Thank you a lot Joon-won for your work today. It was really helpful, and I understood the situation better than before. But I''m sorry that a session to help you turned into a session to help me. It''s kinda embarrassing now that I think about it. Your acting skills are way better than mine. You never needed any help." as she scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile.


    "No, it''s ok, my role is rtively very small and easy to actpared to your role. I only have mostly one emotion throughout my entire role while you have many to learn and act. So it''s ok to not train my role and don''t undermine your acting skills either. You are rtively better than most of the people in our ss. So just have a bit of confidence when you act and you''ll do better." He smiled at the awkward girl in front of him.


    "Ok, well then, I will see you tomorrow morning, we can practice the whole day tomorrow, and then from the day after tomorrow, it''s the full-length practice with everyone in it. So let''s try and squeeze the most out of it tomorrow. I need to go and drop these keys in the staff room too. So bye." Jiggling the keys in her hand, she turned around.


    But as she turned around, Joon-won stopped her once again and asked, "Wait Jung-hwa, do you know where the university library is at? I need to go there once." He wanted to do some research about this new world and a library is the best ce he could learn about it.


    "The Library? Why would you want to go there?" she paused and asked in apletely puzzled expression. Art students almost never go to ces like the library as it''s almost unnecessary, and it is more true for people in the acting course. Seeing Joon-won ask her about the library confused her.


    "I need to look upon something and the library is a good ce to start. So can you tell me the way?"


    "Isn''t searching on a phone a better way to look up the things you want to know. It will take you longer to search in the library."


    At this point, even though he has a good impression of Jung-hwa, he was getting irritated. But he can''tsh out at the young girl and simply sighed before asking once again, "Jung-hwa, I like to look up books rather than using the phone. So tell me the way."


    Jung-hwa finally understood what she was doing and started exining the route to the library. But as she did, due to the massive campus, Joon-won got more confused. Jung-hwa finally sighed and said, "Wait, I''ll show you the way after I drop these at the staff room." Joon-won just nodded and followed her.


    After she dropped them off at the staff room, she led Joon-won out of their block and made their way towards the library. The library supposedly had a building of its own with a few study rooms in them for students of normal courses. There wasplete silence as both of them did not speak a single word as Joon-won looked around the university taking everything he missed in his previous life and Jung-hwa simply didn''t know what to speak about, hence causing the super silent scene.


    "Ah, here we are. This building is the library every student of the university can use. You just need your ID card to get in. Alright, then hope you find what you are looking up. Bye." she stopped in front of a building and turned around.


    "Alright, thanks for showing me the way. Have a good day." and walked inside, while Jung-hwa walked towards her dorms.


    Just like Jung-hwa said, as soon as he entered, a middle-ageddy behind the counter asked for his ID card. Taking it out from his bag, she showed her his card while looking around to see rows and rows of bookshelves filled with books. It surprised the woman on the other hand when she saw Joon-won''s major before getting slightly suspicious of the ID card.


    "Can I ask why a student from the Arts major, and that too from the acting course, woulde to the library?" twirling the ID card in her hand.


    Joon-won sensed her suspicion and couldn''t help but think, ''Does it surprise everyone in this big university if anyone from the art major searches for the library?''


    "I wanted to look up a few books on world history. You know the general knowledge. It''s for the year-end exam which is this weekend." Lied at the end.


    She squinted her eyes a little before turning to theputer and searching up his ID-card number in the register. After finding his information, she rxed a little and opened a book.


    "Alright, write your details here and sign at the iing column." handing the book and his ID card to him.


    He sighed in relief seeing how quickly it was done and wrote down his details before signing. Passing the book back to her, he asked, "Can I know where I can find books on World History?"


    "Take a left and then go to the end, that is the history section. If you want books on world history, then it should be row number one there." waving her hands, she told him.


    He nodded and made way, before finally seeing a wood which said ''History Section'' hanging on the wall at the end. He saw rows of books and went to row one. He reached out for the nearest book and noticed it was a book on general knowledge of world history for beginners like him after flipping through a few pages.

 Chapter 17 - History And Geography

    Taking the book from the shelf, he found a quiet ce to sit nearby and started reading. He took his time to slowly read the book line-by-line, understanding all the major events which urred in the world, like the invention of vehicles, the first aerone, the invention of electricity, and many more events. As he read, he became more astonished at how vast the world''s history was.


    Time quickly passed away, and he finished the book as the sun went down and the library''s lights were turned on. He stood up after a long time and looked out a nearby window and saw it was already dark. He ced back the book and walked towards the entrance. It was already 7, and he wanted to go back home.


    The middle-aged woman was still behind the counter as she walked up to her. She looked up and asked, "Are you not taking out any book?"


    He shook his head, "No, I''m fine. Do you need me to sign anywhere?"


    She waved her hands and replied, "No, you need to sign only if you take a book out." He nodded and made his way out of the library.


    He looked up at the dark clouds and mumbled, "This world is so different. The turning point of both worlds goes way back to before humans even had a stronghold on this. It changed with the death of dinosaurs. Our world acquired the ability to produce its own magic particles for people to practice magic, but this world didn''t have anything like that."


    He started walking back towards his apartment and continued to mumble, "But people of this world are much stronger intellectually. They found out ways to do things like fly, even without magic. Compared to this world people from back there are much dumber and can be considered brutes."


    "This world also has a better ruling system. The people were able to overthrow the kingdoms in the past and even establish their own system called the government. This way the country is ruled by themselves indirectly by exercising their voting rights. No one was able to go against us and our kingdom back there. But we could be considered one of the better rulerspared to other ones in the past."


    "This world also only had 3 wars they termed as world wars. Thest world war was only a few decades ago against two countries, one from the east and one from the west. There are only 4 continents in this world, two on the west and two on the east. I am currently in a country in the east called Ulyss. One of the more powerful countries in the east under the continent Corlea. . The other continents were Yorisa in the east and in the west were Armihia and the other was Rainen Nation."


    "Now I have a basic understanding of this world. This is good enough for now." nodding his head, he looked around and saw he was already near his apartment.


    As he was about to continue, he heard his stomach rumble. Remembering that he only had a burger for lunch and a sandwich as a snack, he couldn''t help but look around for any stores to eat. He didn''t have any ingredients at home and didn''t have any energy to buy something and cook after he goes home. Luckily, there was one convenience store across the street.


    Crossing the street carefully, he got into the store and looked around to see rows of items. He made his way towards the food section and decided to eat something unhealthy and fulfilling. He went across the ramen section, not taking any risk with the weird vors he picked up the chicken and continued on. He picked a few rice balls and went to the counter.


    The guy at the counter looked at his items and asked, "Do you want to eat the ramen here?" pointing at the microwave behind him. Joon-won nodded and took out his wallet to give the guy money and noticed he only had a 100 kros note. Kros was the universally epted currency, and every country on all 4 continents uses them.


    "How much are the times?" he asked cautiously, hoping it''s below 100. The guy turned around and said, "Oh! It''s 60." making him sigh in relief.


    It wouldn''t look good if he took out anything with the few items he was trying to buy. He took out thest 100 note and gave it to him. The guy quickly poured some hot water into the ramen cup before closing the lid and passing it back to him with the remaining change.


    Joon-won went outside and sat on the bench right in front of the store to have his food. He kept the ramen cup to the side to let it do its work and whipped out his phone. He wanted to check how much money he had left. Looking through the old Joon-won''s memories, it seemed like the guy used up the money his father gave for two years in only half of its time.


    As he opened his bank app and went to see its bnce, it did not shock him to see the amount left. He had exactly 1000 kros left. It was nowhere enough to get him through the summer where he might have to travel around the city a lot.


    "This bastard left the body for me in the worst way possible. No proper role, not enough money, such a useless son. Now I can''t even ask his dad. I don''t know him properly and even though it was not me who spent it, I am ashamed to ask any amount of money." he couldn''t help but curse a dead man.


    "I need to get a job, at least until Ind a proper acting role. I need to get one this week." and started eating the noodles. He quickly went through the noodles and rice balls he brought before looking around for a trash can.


    He found one at the entrance and stood up to throw the waste. As he threw the waste, he looked up to see a flyer on the wall. All he saw on the flyer was ''Looking for employees''. That was enough to catch his attention.

 Chapter 18 - New Job

    He snatched the flyer off the wall and quickly read through it. As soon as he did, he noticed the flyer was actually for a job in the same convenience store. He felt this was a good opportunity, and the store was also very close to where he lived, making it easier for him to work.


    With the flyer in his hand, he went back into the store and towards the guy behind the counter. He kept the flyer on the counter and asked, "Does this store still need a job?" not trying to sound desperate.


    The worker was very slow as looked at the flyer for a few seconds and just as Joon-won was going to ask again, he lifted his head and replied, "Yes, we are still in need of workers. Do you want to work here?" making Joon-won nod.


    "Alright then. Let me get the manager for you, so you can speak with him. Stand here for a few seconds." and went towards the other end of the store. Joon-won remained silent as he took a better look at the store. If he was lucky, this might be his working ce for a while.


    After a while, the room to the back opened and the same guy came out, and this time he had a middle-aged man walking behind him. The middle-aged man looked normal, with neatlybed hair and casual clothes.


    "Boss, this is the guy who wanted to join after seeing our flyer, outdoor." pointing at him as they came near. The Boss only slightly nodded and continued to scan him.


    "So, you want to work here?" he asked straightforwardly when they were close enough.


    Joon-won nodded, and he continued, "Alright, then how many days can youe in for work?"


    Joon-won didn''t want to answer this recklessly and thought for a second before replying, "I cane on weekdays and it depends on whether or not I am free on the weekend." Because the summer was around the corner and he would need to go for auditions.


    "That''s good enough. Can youe from tomorrow?"


    Joon-won wanted to deny as he thought about the exam this weekend for a second, but quickly remembered his bank bnce and nodded.


    "That''s good. Finally, we have someone to fill that idiot''s spot for a while. I hope you don''t leave very quickly, at least until we find a permanent worker. Tell me more about yourself." He lost his calm face andughed a little, changing the atmosphere. He looked like apletely different person. Even the guy had a small smile on his stoic face.


    "Ah, being serious is very hard. So tell me more about yourself." He patted Joon-won''s shoulder.


    "My name is Kim Joon-won, I''m a first-year student at Arios University. I''m studying to be an actor." Giving a brief introduction about himself.


    "Ah, you study at Arios University that too, for acting, you''re pretty good. My name is Gim Da, the owner of this convenience store, and this is Seonu Hwan, he is a high school kid who works here at night." He introduced both of them.


    "So did I get the job?" Joon-won asked, puzzled how easy it was to get the job at the ce. He was only asked a few questions and most of it wasn''t even to be discussed before getting a job. He started to think this was all a joke.


    "Yeah, don''t be too puzzled. The boss believes in his intuition and guts rather than any person''s background." Seonu Hwan answered.


    "Well, alright some with me and we can talk about your sry for the work." Gim Da waved his hand and turned around towards the end door. Seonu Hwan stayed behind to look after the store while Joon-won followed him behind. There was a small corridor after the door and the boss''s room was at the end while other rooms like storage or the worker''s changing rooms were before that.


    Both of them talked for a while beforeing to a conclusion on Joon-won''s pay. He would be paid on a weekly basis and would get a bonus if he worked even on Weekends. He only had to work for 5 hours and that was from morning 8 until 1. This worked for Joon-won, and after talking with Gim Da for a while he learned more about the man.


    Both came back into the store and Gim Da said to Seonu Hwan, "Seonu, show him the locker rooms and give him 2 pairs of the uniform depending on his size. I''ll look over the store until then."


    Seonu Hwan led Joon-won back into the corridor, and this time they stopped in front of the first door. He opened the door and Joon-won saw a simple room with 4 lockers on both sides with a bench in the middle to sit on.


    "This is the male locker room, the female''s is right next to this one. We don''t have many workers working in this store. With you included, we have 4 male and 3 female. There is a minimum of two people working on every shift, but today my partner had work to do."


    He exined and then said as he pointed at the locker to the right end, "You can use that one. Wait a minute, I''ll get you your uniform and keys so that you can keep them inside it." Leaving Joon-won alone.


    Joon-won simply sat on the bench and waited for him toe back with the stuff. Seonu quickly came back and gave him the keys and 2 pairs of uniforms. Joon-won simply kept the uniform inside the locker and both of them got out.


    He told both of them goodbye and walked out of the store.

 Chapter 19 - Chat With Jung-Hwa

    Joon-won quickly reached his home after getting things done at the store, he continued on home. Reaching home, he dropped the bag on the couch and went inside the kitchen for a ss of water. He didn''t have water after eating the noodles and rice balls, making him feel a bit thirsty.


    He sat back on the couch and whipped out his phone. He couldn''t forget to inform Jung-hwa about his job and that he wouldn''t be able to practice with her the entire morning. He felt a bit bad because tomorrow was the only day they could practice individually and after that would be the whole drama practice.


    He opened up his texting app and sent a message to Jung-hwa, greeting her after seeing she was online. He didn''t need to wait long before Jung-hwa sent back a message greeting him and asking what''s up.


    Joon-won: {Jung-hwa, I might note to the university tomorrow morning and help you with your practice. I might be there by 1 max.}


    Jung-hwa: {Oh! What happened Joon-won?}


    Jung-hwa: {It''s ok if you don''t want to tell.}


    He couldn''t help but chuckle at how cautious she became after he showed her how good his acting was. He actually appreciated the girl''s carefree personality more.


    Joon-won: {Why are you so cautious while talking to all of a sudden. Where did the girl who pped my back for no reason, go? Don''t be too cautious, nothing really changed, and it just weirds me out.}


    Jung-hwa''s body couldn''t help but stiffen a little as she saw the message. She subconsciously started treating him with more respect after seeing how good he was and showed more respect. Awkwardlyughing, she couldn''t help but quickly respond.


    Jung-hwa: {Hahaha, I just wanted to show more respect after seeing how good your acting is. Don''t be too weirded out about it. I''ll be back to normal tomorrow now that you told me. You need to tell me your secret of good acting.}


    Joon-won: {There isn''t any need to be so respectful just because I can act a bit better than others. We all are the same and have the same starting point. The only thing that makes one different from another is the amount of hard work they put into it. Have a goal and put in some more hard work to reach that goal. I''m sure you will get better than your present situation.}


    This advice came from his heart as he knows that he did not have any talents. It was only his persistent attitude and hard work to act in bigger ces and reach his goal to perform in front of his majesty in his old life that he got better.


    Jung-hwa: {Hahaha, Joon-won. You sound just like my grandfather. But what you said is true. I''ll just have to work harder. I hope you provide pointers tomorrow so that I can get better.}


    ''I am probably way older than your grandfather too, young girl'' Joon-won smiled but corrected his way of thinking a bit. He wasn''t an old man any more and needed to act like how he looks.


    Joon-won: {Oh yah, Jung-hwa. The reason I called is rted to our practice tomorrow. I might note to the university until 1. So you might have to practice on your own until then.} not forgetting the real reason he started the chat with her.


    Jung-hwa: {Huh? You aren''ting to the university itself? Joon-won, don''t tell me you are going to parties with that idiot friend of yours tonight. Don''t waste your time, even though you are good at acting, those kinds of ces are not good for us.}


    ''This girl''s imagination always looks at the worst probable scenario. How can someone think so dak?'' shaking at how her responses always look for the bad in things.


    Joon-won: {What nonsense are you even thinking? No, I''m not going to any parties today. I''m at my apartment. It''s just that I got a job and am starting from tomorrow. My shift ends at 1 and that is when I cane to the university to practice with you. So until Ie just practice what we did yesterday and get better at it.}


    Jung-hwa: {What nonsense? You are always going to parties. So me guessing you going to parties is notpletely wrong at all. And a job? Are you low on cash? Where are you going to start working?}


    Joon-won: {Yes, I''m a bit low on cash and need to work a little. I can''t ask my dad for cash all the time. I''m going to work in a supermarket near my home.}


    Jung-hwa: {Oh!, A supermarket. That''s nice. I''ll drop by if I have time to see you in a uniform working. Tell me where it is.}


    Joon-won simply shared the location of the supermarket and told goodbye. It was tiring to talk with such energetic people as he was theplete opposite and liked to talk with calm people. But his daughter and even his wife were very energetic people, and he got used to it.


    He stood up and walked into the bedroom, changed clothes to get on the bed. It was alreadyte and his shift started at 8 and so he might need to wake up at 7 or 7:30 to get going.


    Looking at his ceiling he murmured, "After many decades it looks like I fell where I started, working for money, wherever I can. But this doesn''t seem bad." With a smile, he closed his eyes and slept.

 Chapter 20 - First Day At The Job

    The rm rang off in the silent apartment as Joon-won silently got up and stopped it. Getting up from the bed, he stretched his hands and made his way to the washroom. While brushing his teeth, he looked at the lean body in the mirror and couldn''t help but groan. The body looked too weak.


    ''It''s sad to say this but looks are also a major part of acting. Even though I might act well, it doesn''t guarantee me a role, I look ok, but not good. I can''t change my facial features much but this body, I need to gain some weight first.''


    He got out of the house with a bag on his back; he was nning to go straight to university after the job. As he walked towards the convenience store, he checked his watch and noticed there were still 15 minutes.


    Finally reaching the store, he noticed there were already a few students and men in business wear inside, buying breakfast or reading the newspaper. Going inside he noticed it was a different worker and wasn''t Seonu Hwan, it was someone who looked like he was in histe twenties.


    After waiting for some time and noticing the crowd thinning out, he walked up to the man and asked, "Ugh, is the boss Gim Da here?"


    He looked up and asked, "Why? Is there a problem?"


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No, no. I got the job to work here from 8st night. Boss Gim Da asked me toe in the morning."


    As Joon-won exined, the man had a look of realization and replied, "Oh, so you are the new kid the boss said yesterday in the group chat. Yes, you can go back and change your clothes. The boss asked me to teach you the basic stuff before I get down from the shift at 8:30. So hurry up."


    Joon-won nodded and quickly made his way back and into the men''s changing room. He opened his locker with the keys Seonu Hwan gave him and started changing clothes. He kept the clothes neatly back inside the bag and kept it inside the locker. Wearing his new work clothes he made his way out of the room and back into the store where there were lesser people.


    He walked up to the man and saw him sitting on the chair behind the counter with a magazine in his hands. He got up as Joon-won got nearer and kept the magazine aside.


    "Well, before we get to teaching you the basic things, let me introduce myself. My name is Eum Kyung. I work here from 3 till 8:30. So it''ll be me you will be seeing every day here."


    Joon-won nodded and introduced himself too.


    "Alright, in the morning there will generally be two people because there would be more rush. Your partner woulde by 8:30. Before then let me teach you the basics." And he proceeded to slowly teach Joon-won the basics.


    After teaching the basics, he looked at Joon-won and said, "Alright, these are the basics in the counter. Now, try to handle that customering on your own. Remember to have a smile on your face, no customer would like to see a stoic face like that."


    Joon-won nodded and saw a studenting his way with a few items in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he broke the stoic expression and had a slight smile. For him, it was almost like he was practicing his acting skills.


    "Can I get all of these?" The student dumped all the items in his hand on the counter. Joon-won nodded and slowly scanned through all the items.


    He noticed there was an instant noodles cup and asked, "Do you need me to heat this up?" Pointing at the instant noodles. The student nodded and Joon-won poured some hot water and heated it up for a few seconds before handing it back to the kid.


    "That would be 75." Checking the monitor, he told the amount. The student simply handed him a 100 note. Joon-won typed 100 and clicked enter, making the registere out of the drawer. He took out the change and handed it to him.


    "Thank you foring." Not forgetting to greet the student.


    As the student went out, he felt a pat on his back and Eum Kyung''s voice, "Not bad for your first time. Your smile looks so real. Well, not bad you can get by." Joon-won didn''t mind the sarcastic remark in the middle and simply nodded.


    "Well, alright, it''s almost time for me to get down from my shift. Your partner should being by now. I''ll go and change my clothes." He walked towards the back door.


    Seeing that there were no customers, he sat back on the chair and took out a magazine from the rack beside him. He slowly went through the magazine, not knowing what to do.


    A few customers came towards the counter and he performed simrly and looked at his phone and noticed it was already 8:45.


    ''This partner of mine iste. I hope he/shees. I don''t want to stay here alone not doing anything.'' he thought and sat back on the chair. He took out his phone and started reading world news to get more knowledge about the present situation of the world.


    As he went through the news, he heard the store door open and looked up to see a young girl panting while holding her knees.


    She stood up and looked around. She saw him and said, "Oh! So you are the new guy. Sorry, I''mte today. But I''m your partner and the name is Gah Soo."

 Chapter 21 - Partner Gah Soo

    Joon-won looked at the young woman standing in front of the counter, handling the customers in the line. He sat on the chair while looking around the store if any person wanted help. After telling him she was his partner, the girl quickly rushed in and changed into the uniform. After apologizing to him, she asked him to take a break and took over the counter.


    Gah Soo looked like someone in her early 20s, not much older than him. She had ck hair in a bob cut while her face was round with matching sses to that face. She looked very normal and probably wouldn''t stand out much in a crowd. But something which caught Joon-won''s attention was her pure smile, and his old man thinking kicked in as he felt the urge to protect it.


    He didn''t have much conversation with her as people came in and she got to work. He couldn''t help but clutch his stomach a little in hunger as the time was already 9, and he had no breakfast.


    The door then opened, and he turned to see it was his boss, Gim Da. He noticed Gah Soo and Joon-won. He nodded before greeting both and asked Joon-won to meet him in his office in five minutes. Joon-won also greeted him back and nodded in return. Gim Da went backdoor and Joon-won walked towards it after 5 minutes.


    He knocked on the door and went in after getting a confirmation. He walked in as Gah Soo kept the book in his hand down and said, "Sit down. Don''t be uptight. Everything here is calm and you can speak casually with everyone, even me."


    "I understand, boss. What did you want to talk about?" Joon-won asked with a much rxing expression on his face.


    "Well, the main reason is I wanted to give you your advance. I forgot to give you it yesterday as it was gettingte. So tell me your bank ount and I''ll transfer two week''s sry in advance. The next time you''ll receive your sry again would be after two weeks. Of course, this doesn''t include the bonus you can get if you work on the weekends"


    Joon-won felt good after hearing him as he was low on money. He didn''t even eat in the morning because of that. Now if he gets two week''s sry in advance, he could at least get some minimum food inside him daily.


    Joon-won gave him his ount number and within a few seconds, he noticed a notification of his bank receiving 4000 Kros. ording to what they agreed yesterday, it would be 2000 Kros every week for 25 hours and an extra hour would get him 100 Kros. Given his present situation, Joon-won felt it was a good offer and agreed.


    "Well, now that is one thing off my chest. Well, give me your phone number too. We did yesterday everything in a hurry. I''ll add you to the store''s group chat too with all the employees in it. It will be easier to rte anything to you guys through that."


    Joon-won realized it as Gim Da said. He didn''t leave any contact information yesterday with him, This was an irresponsible move on both their parts. He quickly shared his phone number and saved Gim Da''s as Boss in his.


    "So did Eum Kyung teach you the basics about the work? I asked him to teach you yesterday as he would stay here until 8:30 and you can get the hang of other things as you work here."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, Eum Kyung taught me the basics today before he left. I got most of the things he showed me."


    "That''s good. I thought he will escape from it."


    Gim Da added Joon-won''s number to the group chat and told him he could go back to work. Joon-won nodded and walked out of the room. As he got back into the store, he saw Gah Soo sitting on the chair as there weren''t any customers to tend to.


    "Did the boss call you to ask your number?" she asked him, making him nod.


    "Well, let me introduce myself now that we are finally free. I am Gah Soo like I told you earlier. I''m 21 and am studying at a university in the town. My Major in Finance and Management. So if you need any help in the future about finance you can ask me." pointing at her she eximed.


    "I''ll sure to remember your word on that. I''m Joon-won and I also am a student studying at a university nearby. I major in acting." introducing himself. This girl reminded a little about his daughter, their personalities are a bit simr.


    "Oh, so am I looking at a future big actor. Should I get an autograph now that I can showcase it and tell everyone we worked together after you go big?"


    "Only, time will tell. I may or may not even get a chance to act in a single movie, it''s a long role if you do not have any kind of background and young like me." spitting out the truth.


    "Well, you say that but there is this confidence in your eyes which tells that youpletely believe that you will go big," she said with a smile.


    He couldn''t help but smile at how the girl was so observant, which was different from his daughter who was always aloof and straightforward. Both of them continued to talk until customers slowly started to pour in and both got busy.


    It was the lunch hour rush and people poured in a lot. By the time things settled down a little, it was already 1 and time for him to go. He went back door and changed his clothes, took his bag and came out. He picked up a few items to eat on the way as he was too hungry.


    He paid for the goods and waved bye to Gah Soo before walking towards the university.

 Chapter 22 - Joon-wons Role

    It didn''t take him long to stand before the ssroom door. He could hear various noises from the other side. It looked like some of the people were still not taking the exam as seriously as they should. He opened the door slowly and looked around to see all the students in different groups wasting away some resourceful time.


    Of course, he could also find a few serious students reading their scripts. He noticed the famous group once again chatting away. He stood there and looked around, trying to find Jung-hwa, but didn''t find her.


    He quickly closed the door, whipped out the phone, and sent her a text message. The reply came in an instant as she asked him toe to the same room for practice. Sending her a quick ok, he walked towards the room and knocked on it when he was there.


    "Come in." He heard Jung-hwa from the other side. Opening the door, he noticed Jung-hwa sitting on the chair eating her lunch.


    "Don''t bother greeting, just continue and finish that." He quickly pointed out her food. She nodded and quickly got to work. He always had a few important life rules he believed very deep in.


    Even though it sounded silly to others to have this, as a rule, he believed in having a nice and quiet meal, undisturbed. It was his way of showing respect to food, which was scarce when he was young. That was also why he asked her to continue.


    He took out the script and nced through it once again until shepleted her lunch. cing the script on hisp, he saw her gulping down a bottle of water. Keeping the bottle aside, he looked at him.


    "Well, now that it''s done. What part do you want to practice?" he asked.


    "Before going back to practicing my role, let''s practice yours. We didn''t have any time to practice yesterday too," she said with a grin. She wanted to see him practice his role.


    "My role isn''t that big. So it''s ok to not practice it. We only have this afternoon and evening for you to practice. I''m sure you need to practice a few parts again after yesterday." he shook his head and denied. It was a waste of time and he wanted her to get better at her role.


    "No, no. Let''s practice your role first. Your role is small anyway, so it won''t take up much time. I am sure we won''t need to re-practice any part twice with how good you are." she also denied his reasoning and persisted.


    Joon-won gave in and shrugged, "Alright if that is what you want. Don''t cry at the end of the day that you didn''t have enough time."


    "It''s ok."


    "Well then, look over these parts of the drama. My all dialogues aren''t even oneplete page, so it should be easy for you." He handed his copy of the script, which was only a single page with dialogues in it. His role had more inner monologues than dialogues, which are narrated in the drama.


    After 15 minutes, Jung-hwa looked up and nodded. Joon-won stood up to act. The first part of his script was him noticing the hero and heroine as they were having a date. This part didn''t have anyone other than him in the scene, and so Jung-hwa observed as Joon-won''s expression changed into shock.


    "Wait, what are they doing together. Happily talking, holding hands, it''s like they are on a date. Why him, he is nothing. Just because he is famous?" the shocked expression changed from shock to jealousy and finally anger. It looked like Joon-won was genuinely angry. Jung-hwa raised her eyebrows at seeing this.


    ''It really looks like Joon-won is angry and jealous at the rtion. There is also that slight craziness in his eyes. How is he doing that?''


    "Should I go and strip those two apart? Should I beat that guy up? No, not here and not like this. This is a betrayal. She showed hope and snatched it away. Ah! I can do that instead." Joon-won''s eyes grew crazier but became calm by the end. After this dialogue was another monologue on his character.


    The Heroine showed some kindness to him and his character mistook her going for him, making him have messed up thoughts and misunderstandings. His expressions darkened after seeing them together and hatch a n to expel them. Their school had strict policies and heavy punishments. If two students were caught to be dating, then both of them are expelled.


    So, to have proof, he took a picture of both of them and walked away. This was one part and the next was not until the end where heins to the vice-principal in charge of discipline in the school.


    This was where Jung-hwa needed to help him. Jung-hwa had a serious expression as she stood in front of him.


    "What is it that you need? I don''t have much time, so tell me and get lost." as sternly as she could. The vice-principal was portrayed as a demon-like person in the drama.


    Joon-won had an extremely fearful expression as he gulped and stuttered out immediately, "I-I caught two students having a date. It looked like they are a couple." He immediately closed his mouth after saying that as the vice principal''s expression should darken, which Jung-hwa was trying her best to do.


    "Why should I believe you?" making him quickly take out his phone and show the picture of the hero and heroine walking together while holding their hands.


    The vice-principal then just nods and dismisses him. After a few days in a general assembly, the vice-principal tells everyone about the hidden rtionship and conveys that they are expelled to make an example for everyone.


    Both of them aren''t seen buttere back to the school as the hero''s father buys the school and changes the rules. After the conversation with the vice-principal, Joon-won''s character is seen in the whole drama like he never cared about them.


    This is what made Joon-won hate the writer. The ending was horrible, without any sense, and there wasn''t any follow-up on his character. It was almost like he was forgotten.

 Chapter 23 - Meal

    "Well, that''s it for my role. It''s pretty small and most of it is narration. We wasted time practicing this role. So now tell me which part do you want to start from." He sat back on the chair and asked her.


    "It''s ok, I got you to act for real. It looked like you were really very angry at the two leads. How do you control and twist emotions like that? It was very expressive. I want to do that too. Give me a few hints." She asked excitedly. His acting was that good and the best out of all the students she saw.


    Even though his standards were still far off from the star actors in their country but were good enough to be ranked highly in the middle-ranked category like C and B. Actors were all categorized into different groups based on their poprity. It went from D to S and above S were the heavenly kings and queens.


    If anyone knew her evaluation of Joon-won, they would brush it off as she was crazy and inexperienced. But given what she saw, she believed he could do more.


    "It takes a lot of time and visualization. I told you this before and I''ll tell you this again, it''s practice and dedication which can either make or break a person''s life. If you have both of them, the sky''s the limit, but if you don''t then you''re destined to only look at the skies and dream."


    "Ah, you say that so easily. Do you really not believe in talents?"


    "I think talent is something we humans came up with as an excuse to prove ourselves that we are inferior. Of course, there might be people who are naturally better than us at something, but they won''t remain to be better if we put in the time."


    Joon-won meant it. He never had a knick when it came to acting and it was all the hours and dramas had he honed his skills for decades. Only after doing the same thing over and over again for a long time, it was natural for him to pull something off like that easily.


    "Well, it looks like I shouldn''t be wasting my time too much like thest year. Well, I feel it''s a pity that your role is just bad and small that it doesn''t even have an ending. I guess Roh Ji was just too busy making her dream lover Hyeong Myung look good to care about other characters." Shemented about his role.


    "Well, she has a brain of a chicken, only thinking about one thing. Leave it, it''s not like we will fail. Her writing is very bad and if she passes, then it''s either that this university''s quality is decreasing or she knows someone to pass her." He shrugged it off.


    "Ok, enough with this gossip talks. Let''s continue practicing your role. We only have a few hours left. So start turning pages and decide which part." He changed the subject.


    Both of them continued to practice all the parts Jung-hwa felt were difficult. Time passed by and the sun was already setting. Both decided to end their practice session, and Jung-hwa decided to treat him to some dinner for helping her.


    Joon-won didn''t reject her kind intentions and epted. Both of them walked out of the campus after Jung-hwa dropped the keys at the staff room. Joon-won just followed her behind as she took him inside a ramen stall near the university.


    "The ramen here is very good. I eat here at least once a week." Shemented as they sat down on the counter. She looked at the man preparing ramen for the other customers in the stall and ordered their food. Joon-won on the other hand was excited to have a new type of food.


    After his passion for acting the only other thing, he got into after leaving it was food. Back when he was a king, he had an urge to try out all the different types of cuisine. He went to such length in this new passion that he held a grand contest for cooks every year, and it was open to chefs from the whole world.


    So, aftering to this world, he also thought about the food other than his main goal acting. But he is dirt poor, unlike his previous life to buy himself good food every day. He followed Jung-hwa''s rmendations and looked at the food before him.


    ''This looks simr to one of the cuisines back in my world. But it smells so different. That cuisine mainly had sweets, but this is the exact opposite. I can smell the spiceing from it.'' He peeked at Jung-hwa to see how they eat it and followed her.


    He took the pair of chopsticks and the spoon in another hand. He followed her movements and slowly slurped some noodles along with the broth. He couldn''t help but let out a satisfied sigh when he swallowed it. It was really delicious.


    ''This ramen is really good. It has a good amount of spice and salt ratio. It is really savory. The soup goes well with the noodles. But I shouldn''t be having this daily mostly once a week, it''s too unhealthy.'' he evaluated the dish.


    Stopping his thoughts, he continued to eat the bowl of ramen in front of him. Jung-hwa paid for the food, and both of them walked back to the campus. He felt bad to take a meal from here only because of some advice and didn''t forget to promise her a meal after the exam was over.


    He walked back to his room with a satisfied stomach, noticed it was only 7 and he still had time to spare. After entering the apartment and thinking about what he should do, he decided to watch another movie on the television.

 Chapter 24 - Learning From Gah Soo

    Joon-won had a nice movie night and learned more about the standards of acting after seeing the movie. After the movie was over, he quickly jumped on the bed and fell asleep. He still had work tomorrow.


    Waking up the next day, he followed the same routine and got fresh before going to work. It was the same as yesterday, Eum Kyung was busy dealing with the morning rush of students and office workers. Before going to the back and changing clothes, he decided to have a light breakfast and so grabbed a few sandwiches to eat.


    He walked up to Eum Kyung and said, "Good morning. Looks like it is as busy as always."


    "Ah, Joon-won, you''re finally here. Come help me already, I''m very tired." As he scanned the sandwiches.


    Joon-won paid the money and said while grabbing the sandwiches, "Wait a minute. I''ll finish these ande out to help." Walking towards the back door. He could hear Eum Kyung''s tired sigh as he continued working.


    He didn''t waste much time and quickly started having his breakfast. Gobbling up the sandwiches, he drank some water from the water bottle he had and changed clothes.


    By the time he got out, he noticed Eum Kyung still working while there were customers around the store. He walked towards the counter quickly and took over as Eum Kyung tiredly fell on the chair, closing his eyes. Joon-won who just got on the job was much faster and quickly went through the customers.


    After another 20 minutes, the store was finally empty and he could also sit down. They both talked a little and Joon-won got to know more about Eum Kyung. He was actually an aspiring novelist. After going home and taking a nap, he would write his novel. Eum Kyung even published a bookst year even though it wasn''t a big hit, it was ok. He had to work in the store because he needed some cash and was doing it for thest 3 months.


    "It''s really hard to get inspiration. I try very hard, but I just can''t think of a good idea for a plot. Now the money I got from thest book is over and I am forced to do night shifts here." Eum Kyung eximed his problems.


    Joon-won shook his head and advised, "You know what, bring me your book tomorrow and I''ll read it when I have free time. I can give feedback."


    Eum Kyung nodded and got up to change his clothes. As he went through the back door, Gah Soo came into the store.


    "Oh, Joon-won good morning. Where is Eum Kyung?" She quickly greeted him.


    "Oh, you are here on time today. Well, he just went to change his clothes and leave." Pointing towards the back door. She nodded and walked away to get ready. After a bit both of them walked out and Eum Kyung went away.


    Their shift continued, and it was a smooth sailing as there were only a couple ofdies who walked in during that time, and both of them continued to talk. Gah Soo was the one to mainly talk as Joon-won just listened.


    "That teacher is so annoying. He is aplete pervert and also dumb. I mean, who doesn''t know about investments? Even a person walking outside with zero knowledge about finance knows what it is. He used that dumb question to try and get closer to a girl." She huffed angrily while ranting on about her university problems.


    "I don''t know about Investments. What is it?" Joon-won interjected before she could continue.


    "What? You don''t know about investing? Are you dumb?" She looked at him like an alien which in response only got a deadpanned response from him as he was only looking for an answer, not sarcastic remarks. He was curious because she eximed that everyone knew what it was.


    "Alright, gosh, don''t look at me like that. Ill tell you what it is." And proceeded to feed some basic knowledge about what investment really was, and she lookedpletely proud while she did it.


    ''We give others'' money in return we get something called shares? Andter we can sell shares to earn money?'' the topic fascinated him.


    "Don''t think it''s very easy to invest in apany. There were many cases where people lost all their wealth because of one bad investment decision. People should do so much research before they invest. It''s very hard as the market is highly unstable." She warned him when she noticed the look of fascination.


    He nodded at her warning. He also didn''tpletely believe it would be a walk in the park for people to gain money all the time.


    "Do you also invest?" He asked her curiously. He wanted to know more.


    She held her chin high once again and nodded she said, "Of course I did. But my investment is short term and a small amount of money. So my profit is also very small."


    ''Bigger the investment, Bigger the risk, hence Bigger the reward.'' he came to a conclusion.


    "Do you want to try investing?" She looked at him curiously.


    He shook his head and said, "No, I don''t have that much spare money to invest inpanies. Also, this is like gambling and it''s too risky for me. Probably in the future but not now." He was dirt poor. He can''t give other''s money.


    "That''s good, don''t invest when you don''t have much money. If you ever do then consult me once, I can help you choose a goodpany." She patted her chest with confidence.


    He nodded, and both continued on with their shift until Joon-won left at 1 with some food in his hands.

 Chapter 25 - Full Practice

    Joon-won stood in front of the ssroom door and opened it. He had to go inside as there was no practice with Jung-hwa from that day. He noticed there were more studentspared to before and that most of the people had their scripts in their hands.


    He walked inside and closed the door behind. He also noticed that the practice was already going on and could see Hyeong Myung acting with another girl. She was the female lead for the film and it was the first time he saw her.


    The girl wore make-up and her acting was also very bad. Not only her, but even Hyeong Myung himself also wasn''t that great from what he could see. They were worse than even Jung-hwa. He walked towards his seat at the end of his ss and saw Roh Ji talking big with the other students and ordering people around.


    He recognized at which part the practice was at and it was only through the halfway point. After the whole morning, the group could only get to the halfway point of a 2-hour drama. They had no proper nning. As he sat in his seat, he looked around for Jung-hwa and found her in her seat reading the script and going through her lines.


    Joon-won didn''t have anything to do and just sat there looking out the window. He knew by the time was over his role wouldn''t evene up with the speed the practice was currently going in.


    Not knowing what to do, he took out his phone and searched up about investing after remembering about it. He was very interested in the topic even though he was poor, learning new things was never a bad thing. He started to slowly learn about it as time went on.


    After a while, he looked up to see Jung-hwa doing a scene with the female lead. He could see her acting and knew she was not in sync with the lead. He could also hear Roh Ji''s furious words telling her she was no good and the girl couldn''t even say anything.


    Joon-won knew the reason for her sudden decrease in ability to act. It was because the people she was acting with weren''t up to her standard, and she got used to acting with him who was way better than the others. Now faced with bad acting, she was thrown off guard, making it hard for her to show her skills.


    Roh Ji decided to do the next scene, and everyone moved to get ready. Jung-hwa went back to her seat and held her head. Joon-won opened the messaging app and sent her a text message to look back. Jung-hwa didn''t react to her phone''s vibration immediately and looked up after a few minutes.


    She reached out for her phone and turned around after seeing the message. Joon-won simply waved his hand and pointed at the seat beside him, gesturing for her toe over. She nodded, took her script, and walked to the back of the ss.


    "When did youe? How was the shift today?" She bombarded him with questions like always and sat beside him.


    "I came here long ago, you didn''t notice cause you were too engrossed, and the shift was alright. So, I didn''t ask you to cover over for a chat. It seems like you are getting scolded by an idiot." He looked ahead at Roh Ji as she was giving out orders.


    "Ugh, don''t mention it. I feel so nauseated looking at her angry face. Looks like it''s not my day today. I can''t follow the flow and am constantly getting disrupted." She shook her head.


    "Well, you were out of flow, but it wasn''t really anyone''s mistake." He hummed and said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean what I said. It isn''t anyone''s mistake that you are doing bad. If there has to be a reason, it would be that girl''s bad acting."


    "How?"


    "You got too used to my acting that you aren''t able to adjust to someone else''s. You got used to my way of acting and speed that you aren''t able to read the flow of her''s." He pointed out the reason.


    "This generally happens when an actor is starting out. Everyone has a different style and pace of acting, and you need to constantly adjust yourself. Take a deep breath and try to remove how my acting was and you should be able to do it."


    Jung-hwa nodded, and before she could continue the discussion, she was called down for her next scene. She stood up and walked down.


    Her next scene was with a random student and she did as Joon-won suggested. Closed her eyes and removed Joon-won''s acting before opening them up again. This time she didn''t cause any problems and Roh Ji''s face was a bit red as she had no reason to shout at her again.


    The rest of the practice went smoothly and at the end of the day, as he expected, his role was still far off as after a while the students slowly lost their previous drive and started to idle around the ss not practicing. It looked like his role wouldn''te up until the next day afternoon.


    Joon-won walked back to the apartment with a few groceries he picked up from the shop he worked at and even greeted high schooler Seonu Hwan, who was at his shift. After exchanging a few words, he continued on.


    Reaching home, he stored all the groceries he brought into the fridge and cooked a healthy meal. He didn''t feel good eating the junk from the supermarket every day. Having dinner he slept early like always.

 Chapter 26 - Angering Roh Ji

    The next day morning was simple like always. Eum Kyung didn''t forget to bring a copy of his book so that Joon-won could have a look at it. Joon-won asked the guy to give him a week''s time to read and give him feedback. Eum Kyung nodded and was anticipating the feedback. He was in what people call writer''s block and needed to get out of it.


    After Eum Kyung left, Gah Soo entered and joined him in the shift. Joon-won read the book he got when he had free time in the shift and found out why it was only a mediocre book. The book did not have anything unique. It was a very in story. He read only a couple of pages out of the 300 pages book and could guess what the ending might be. Such predictable works, whether it was in a book, movie, or any other form would be boring.


    He had no time to read the whole book and closed it before he walked out of the store and headed towards the university. He sent a text to Jung-hwa and asked if his part was near and she immediately replied back saying it was. He sped up and reached the ss earlier.


    As he entered the ss, he heard Roh Ji''s voice, "Oh, you are finally here Mr.Superstar. Did you want theplete practice to pause just because you arete? If you do not want to act, then give up your role to someone else." directed towards him.


    He looked at her straight in the eye with his usual dead-pan face and said, "Am I not hear now? Or do you want to waste more time screaming at people?"


    Hearing his words Roh Ji who was raging immediately stopped and as she registered the words Joon-won said, her anger hit the roof. As she was about to blow up again, Hyeong Myung, who had the same fake smile on his face, stopped her.


    "Roh Ji, why are you blowing up again? Isn''t the man here now? We onlypleted the previous part just now." as he said that, Roh Ji''s expression turned 180 degrees as she shyly nodded while peeking at his hand on her shoulder.


    She didn''t forget to send a re towards Joon-won before turning around and ordering others. Joon-won walked up to his seat and saw Jung-hwa looking at her, mouth wide open. Tapping her lower jaw, he said, "Do you want to have a few flies for lunch?"


    She turned around to see him already sitting with the script in his hand and asked, "You went up against Roh Ji? Why did you do that? You usually just apologize to anyone from that group, even if it wasn''t your mistake."


    "I just spoke the truth. Don''t get too hung up on it. Did you act well today?" questioned her back to change the subject.


    She nodded and told him about the practice and that she was adjusting properly. After a while, another member of the production crew came up and asked Joon-won to go down for practice. It was his first scene where most of it was the narration.


    Jung-hwa wished him luck, even though she knew he probably wouldn''t be needing it. Joon-won walked down to the center as Roh Ji was giving out unnecessary orders to everyone again.


    "Oh you came. Go and do your part with that tiny role you got." She sneered at him and turned around. Joon-won started to think the girl was crazy. What she just said wasn''t even a proper insult. He shook his head and walked towards his spot.


    The scene started with both the leads walking away happilyughing while holding hands as Joon-won looked at them from behind while clenching his teeth and hands.


    With slight anger in his voice and face, he hissed, "Wait, what are they doing together. Happily talking, holding hands, it''s like they are on a date. Why him, he is nothing. Just because he is famous?"


    Looking at the two people, the others in the room were a bit surprised by Joon-won''s acting as he continued, "Should I go and strip those two apart? Should I beat that guy up? No, not here and not like this. This is a betrayal. She showed hope and snatched it away. Ah! I can do that instead." ending it with a smile.


    His face turned deadpan after the dialogue, as he didn''t have any more in that scene. He walked away as Roh Ji interrupted him, "Where are you going? You shoulde to me and wait for my review of that horrible thing you call acting."


    Joon-won''s patience was thinning as he listened to her irritating voice. Even his decades of practice to build up patience was now wearing out. He simply looked over his shoulder and said, "Why should I care whether you approve of it or not. The ones who should judge me are the evaluators at the end of this week. Don''t be on your high horse cause the higher you are, the harder you fall." And walked back to his seat.


    Roh Ji''s face was notpletely red. No one spoke to her in such an arrogant manner in the ss. She wanted to rip Joon-won to shreds, and if her stare could kill people, he would have died multiple times over. She felt his words are aplete p to her face.


    "Don''t bother too much about a nobody. It will hurt your image if you easily get caught up in these situations. Just leave him, he probably won''t pass." Hyeong Myung cooled her down once again, but as he stared at Joon-won''s back there was a strange glint in his eyes.


    Joon-won couldn''t care less about an idiotic girl and a hypocrite man''s thoughts. He got tired of the idiot''s words and talked back. He didn''t want to fight with someone who isn''t even a quarter of his age but she was just too unbearable in the end.

 Chapter 27 - Talk With Kim Min-seok

    As he sat on his seat once again, he noticed the frozen Jung-hwa, once again with her mouth open, sarong at the practice happening in the middle. He couldn''t help but shake his head and think, ''Does this girl really like to eat flies and insects? She gets shocked every single time for small things.''


    He once again knocked her chin up as she finally turned towards him and asked, "Did you know what you just did? Should we go to the hospital and get you checked?" As her frozen, face turned intoplete worry.


    He shook his head and didn''t bother exining to her. She noticed his calmness and reminded him, "You should be careful. She is fairly popr and her family is well offpared to ours. She is a very vengeful person." And stood up to do another part, as they called her.


    The day continued and Joon-won got called for the only other scene he had, which was with another student who looked more like a teacher with a thick beard. This time there weren''t any fights and surprisingly Roh Ji was able to control herself when he ignored her.


    Joon-won didn''t find a reason to stay any longer and so he packed the bag, texted Jung-hwa who was preparing for a part, and walked out of the ss. Checking the time, he noticed it was only 5 in the evening and took his time to reach home.


    After taking a bath as he had the time, he fell on the couch and took out Eum Kyung''s book once again to read. After an hour, he closed it and kept it aside. His phone was ringing and noticed it was his dad, Kim Min-seok.


    After hesitating once again, he picked up the phone. He decided to embrace Kim Joon-won''s life, and his family was a big part of it.


    "Ah! Joon-won, you picked up. I was hesitating to call you are not. Are your sses done for the day?" Kim Min-seok''s voice came from the other side Joon-won smiled hearing his voice. Something inside him felt good hearing someone care for him and he felt very familiar with this man, even thest time he was talking to him.


    "I am fine. You don''t need to hesitate to call me. I can answer it at all times. There are no sses this week, didn''t I tell you already my final exam is this weekend. It''s a drama from the entire ss and they will mark us on how we act in it." briefly exining it to him. His voice waspletely slow and normal, Jung-hwa would be shocked if she hears him nowpared to his usual detached voice.


    "Oh! You already told me? It seems like my old age is catching up to me. Well, do your best to pass your year. You wouldn''t want to stay with juniors, believe me. Anyway, are you low on money right now? I can send you some." Min-seok changed the topic.


    Joon-won could only shake his head at how low his dad had expectations of him. He didn''t bother to exin to him and replied, "No, don''t send any money. Isn''t Yun-hee in herst year of high school right now. If she decides to continue her studies, we would need money. I''m ok here so don''t send money."


    Kim Yun-hee was the third member of their small family and his younger sister. She was much more talented than the old Joon-won from what he could see in his memories. She is more intelligent and has top prospects. A person like that should not be held back.


    "Ah, don''t talk about Yun-hee. I don''t even know what that girl is doing these days. She is always outside andes homete. I don''t even know if she is studying well these days. I''m very concerned about her." expressing his worries to his son.


    Hearing his worried, Joon-won went silent for a second and replied, "Don''t worry too much about it. I am sure she has a reason, she is more intelligent and sensible than me. I''ll try to talk to her. Don''t be worried, she is destined for something good." trying to calm him down.


    The worst thing for a parent is when their child takes the wrong path in life and to seeter how they regret it. It''s heartbreaking, and he felt the same even when he was a king. He was so scared that he created a special force to follow his children around so he can know what they were doing. But luckily all his children turned out to be gems, making him sigh in relief.


    "I hope what you said is true Joon-won. I only have both of you and thest thing I want to see is anyone of you wasting your lives." as his voice quivered.


    "Don''t feel too much pressure about it. Now are you out of work?" he tried to change the topic.


    "Yes, I left early today and am at home"


    Kim Min-seok worked in a mid-tierpany and has enough sry to keep their family of three afloat by meeting ends every month. Even though his job was small and their family was the lower middle ss, he had high hopes for both his children as they were smarter than him.


    "How is your body keeping up? Is everything fine?"


    "Don''t look down on your father, kid. I still feel like I''m in my youth. So just continue doing what you are doing and try to achieve your dream of bing an actor." he scoffed.


    Joon-won knew he was only saying to calm him down. Min-seok was already in histe 40s and his body can''t handle any work. But their family was not in a position where he can advise him to stop working.

 Chapter 28 - Workout And Kim Yun-hee

    Joon-won knew he had to quicklynd a few roles so that he could help the family financially and take some burden off the old man. Both continued to talk for a while until Min-seok had to go out for groceries. Keeping the phone to the side, Joon-won leaned back and closed his eyes thinking about the conversation.


    He never had such a light-hearted talk with anyone. He now understood why children would talk and depend on their parents during their toughest times. Even though he doesn''t know him in person. From the memories he had, he got a sense offort.


    He noticed the sun was setting from the orange sky and got up. He went inside the room, took out a hoody, grabbed the phone, and walked out of the house. He wanted to go for a run after that conversation. The conversation and the feelings he got after it was a bit heavy for an orphan like him and exercise was the best way to let some steam out.


    He slowly got out of the apartment and looked left and right. He decided to go to the left as there was a park just up ahead. He started jogging to the park at a slow rate. The body was too weak for sudden fast jogs. His goal was to build up this body and add at least a few pounds of muscle.


    Slowly going through the street, he finally stopped before the park as his breathing was heavy. Keeping his hands on his waist, he slowly walked into the clean park and sat down on a bench in front of the water fountain inside.


    "This body, huff, huff, is so weak. That jog wasn''t even 2km long, and I''m out of breath. Here I thought I was weak back then. Looks like Zen Quin''s decision to make me strong by physical exercise was the right thing or else i would have been in the same situation even back then" thinking about all the work he had to put into when he became the princess''s fiancee.


    The first thing his wife, Zen Quin, made him do was to build his body. She was the strongest magician in the kingdom, but he didn''t even have a magical root that was necessary to perform magic. So she had him build his body so that he wouldn''t fall sick easily.


    He slowly did a small breathing exercise he learnt from her and it got him to calm down. Standing up once again, he did a few stretches and walked out of the park. He reached home jogging back once again and took off the hoodie to see his sweat-drenched shirt. He went straight into the bathroom and got another bath.


    Walking out with fresh clothes on, he took out his phone and opened the chatting app before clicking on Kim Yin-hee''s number. He looked at the nk chat and opened the keyboard but stopped. He didn''t know what to say. He can''t go straight to the topic, it would make her more closed out from him.


    After a few more minutes of contemting, he typed in: [Yun-hee, how are you?] And kept the phone back into his pockets. He walked into the kitchen and started to cook some healthy dinner for himself.


    As he cooked, he felt his phone vibrate and took it out to see it was a reply from Yun-hee.


    [I am ok. How are you doing there? Is the big city life good?]


    [I am good too. Yes, it''s been ok. Home is still better. How are your studies going on? Did you decide on which University you want to go to? Because depending on that you need to prepare for the national exam.]


    [Don''t nag me now. My studies are ok. I am still deciding where to go and what to study.]


    [Well, take your time. You still have a few weeks before you have your exam. Think about it slowly and you know both me and dad will support your decision. So think about it.] Trying to be as smooth as possible.


    [Don''t worry too much about it. Trust me, I''ll make the right decision. Was it dad who asked you to text me?] Taking him back. She figured it out.


    [Does it matter? You know the old man is worried about you. You know we are his everything right and the hard work he is putting in even when he is at an age where he should sit back and rest a little. To keep our family afloat. That''s why he is worried about you. Thest thing we can do is make it seem like we don''t see his hard work and affection.] And as soon as he clicked on send, he regretted it. Theplete message looked like he was lecturing her, and that isn''t something you should do on a teenager.


    There wasn''t a reply even after a few seconds, so he kept the phone aside and continued to cook. As he finished, his phone vibrated once again. He didn''t check it immediately and walked over to the couch with the te. Taking a seat and keeping the te on the tabletop, he took out the phone.


    [Joon-won don''t act hypocritically. After going to the big city you never came back and it''s almost a year now. You don''t call dad or me unless we do it. So don''te now and say all these words. It sickens me a little. I know what I am doing, so don''t try to school me.] The message was very straightforward. It looked like the little sister was theplete opposite of the big brother.


    She wasn''t wrong and he couldn''t say anything. He simply replied [Yun-hee, just remember what I said. I''m not telling you to listen and do what I say. I''m just asking you to be a bit considerate. I''lle back home if I have time this summer.] And kept the phone away.


    He slowly had his dinner, washed the dishes, and jumped onto the bed. A reply from Yun-hee never came, and he wasn''t waiting for it.

 Chapter 29 - Rich Students And Trouble?

    The next day started the same way as the past two-three days. Getting ready, Joon-won made his way to the store for his shift. It was thest day of the week and tomorrow he could have a day off. He couldn''t just rxpletely though because there was still the exam on Sunday.


    Reaching the store, he changed his clothes and took over Eum Kyung and he rested for the half an hour left in his shift. Joon-won didn''t forget to tell his thoughts on the book, at least until he read and Eum Kyung took it seriously.


    By the time they finished discussing, they noticed Gah Doo taking care of customers. Both thanked her as they didn''t notice any customers when they were discussing, and Gah Soo luckily came quicker than usual. Eum Kyung told Joon-won his thanks and walked away to change his clothes.


    The two continued to tend to customers and took rest when there were none. Sitting on the chairs, they talked about random things until Gim Da walked in. Both stood up and greeted their boss as he greeted them back.


    After a while, as the clock struck 10, they noticed Gim Da walking out into the store. As he did, they noticed two students walk into the store. Gim Da immediately went to them and spoke in a ttering tone. This caught Joon-won by surprise, as he didn''t think Gim Da was that type of person. But he got interested in the two students who walked in to make a man like Gim Da treat with respect.


    "Boss, we didn''t think you''d be in the store." One of the two students spoke as they walked inside. It was a man and beside him was a woman. The guy was giving shrewd vibes, which didn''t work with Joon-won.


    "Young Master, of course, I''ll be here every day. I need to take care of this store after all. I see that both you and the young miss are well." With the same smile.


    Hearing him, the man held his chest out as and peeked at the woman beside him. But she didn''t seem to care as she looked around the store and walked away to get a few things. As she did the man immediately followed her, leaving Gim Da.


    Joon-won could hear the boss exhaling in relief and slowly walk behind them. He looked at Gah Soo as he was confused about the whole ordeal. She only shook her head and whispered, "I don''t know who they are too. Theye once a week and the boss is respectful to them every day. My guess is they have a big background as I saw the cars they drive and it''s different each time and even if I work this entire life, I won''t be able to buy the cheapest one."


    Joon-won nodded, understanding the general situation. It is natural that the boss would be respectful to the two students even though they were younger. After all he is only an owner of a small supermarket in a big city.


    Joon-won didn''t think much about the two and simply sat back in the chair. He didn''t want to deal with those both as they gave off the vibe of bringing him trouble. Gah Soo noticed his action and stood in front of the counter.


    The woman caught his small actions as she stared right towards him. She raised an eyebrow before letting out a small smile. She turned towards the boss and asked, "Boss Gim, who is that new employee. I didn''t see him thest time we came here." Pointing at the seated Joon-won.


    "Oh, young miss, he is a new employee I hired at the beginning of the week. He also studies at the same university as a young miss and young master." Giving a brief introduction about the young kid. He didn''t mention the name on purpose, as he didn''t know why she asked about him.


    "Oh, he studies in the same university as us? What a coincidence."


    She nodded while still looking at Joon-won. Joon-won noticed an unmoving stare and moved his head towards the source to see the woman staring right at him. He had his usual deadpan face as he stared back. The woman chuckled, seeing him stare right back, and continued to shop.


    This of course caught the young master''s attention as he looked at the boss and asked in a pissed-off tone, "What''s his name and which year is he in? Which course is he studying?" Demanding an answer. His tone didn''t look friendly at all, and the boss felt sad for the youngster who caught the attention of the two.


    The young miss stopped as she paid attention to the boss''s answer.


    "His name is Kim Joon-won, and I remember he was telling me he was still in his first year and is also studying to be an actor." He immediately replied, while praying they both didn''t have any bad intentions towards the nice boy.


    "The first year? He should be in the normal batch if he works here. Dirt poor idiots in those batches." He scoffed in disdain. But the young miss didn''t have any reaction, and she continued to walk with a smile after hearing the answer.


    The young man didn''t like that the woman in front of him stopped and asked for his information. But seeing the young woman walk away, he followed after her after sending a re towards Joon-won.


    Joon-won was nowpletely confused. He couldn''t understand what just happened. But by the looks on all three of their faces, he could guess what is happening. He wanted to avoid this very same scenario. The woman didn''t give him good vibes either, and now there might be troubleing his way. He hated young, dumb boys who are head over heels for women.

 Chapter 30 - Intrested Young Miss

    Drop a few stones, if you liked the chapter for this author guys. Trymenting your thoughts too, so that I can know what your views are. Enjoy the chapter.


    *********************


    ''I do not want to face a few horny, arrogant and narcissistic teenagers who only think about their lower parts, like in my old world, here. I should not get involved with that pair at any cost.'' Joon-won made a few decisions after that short exchange. He was tired of such people.


    In his past life as Zen Su, he faced sons from almost all aristocratic families. Of course, it was not a fight as he was only as strong as a normal civilian; It was rather a test of intelligence which the King at that time made it fair. If anyone wanted to only fight, then his fiancee, the princess, would dly ept their challenge and if they win against her, they could take his ce.


    One was able to win against a monster like his fiancee, and hence each family sent their schr to face me in a test of wisdom and intelligence. But this was easy for someone like Zen Su who had ess to the royal library before the test and faced many problems throughout his life, making him wise. After a few battles, people even started to call him a monster.


    No one was able to defeat the monster duo, making their rule the strongest the kingdom ever experienced. Thinking of the struggles he went through for a post and status he had no interest in made him smile because, in the end, he liked it.


    He was rudely woken from his inner thoughts, and he heard the young master''s voice. Opening his eyes he looked at the idiotic face of the man as he demanded Gah Soo that he wanted Joon-won to take his orders. He noticed the boss giving him signals and stood up.


    "Gah Soo sit down. Since the customer is adamant about me taking his order let''s do that." He said, making her nod. She was also getting sick of the childish man in front of her.


    Joon-won stood in front of both the students and looked at the young master straight in his eyes with the usual deadpan face and asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"


    With a sneer, the man threw the things he and the young miss brought onto the counter and ordered Joon-won, "Get it done quick." Joon-won didn''t respond to his provocation and simply got to work. He went through all their items and told him the amount.


    "Only that much? Huh here, take this and keep the change, poor idiots." Handing him a bill big enough to buy twice the items he had now. Joon-won simply took the bill, got the change, and pushed it back towards him with the items.


    "You can keep your dirt money with yourself." With his usual detached voice, sounding like he was looking down on him. The young master''s face instantly went red, as he was insulted by nobody in front of someone he liked.


    Just as he was about to blow off, he heard the young miss voice from behind. "Don''t tell me you will go after someone beneath you just because you got offended a bit? Don''t fall too low." Reminding him. She looked Joon-won straight into his eyes with an amused smile.


    ''This boy is very interesting. Keeping the cold face, he doesn''t give even this idiot a bit of face. The boss said he is from the same major and in the normal ss. I want to y with this guy a bit.'' She slowly squinted her eyes.


    Joon-wonpletely ignored the crazy girl''s stare. He didn''t like her even more than the guy in front of him. This guy was an idiot with a short fuse who could be seen right through. But the girl behind is more intelligent and scheming. Even though he could guess what she might be thinking, he simply ignored it.


    "Humph, let''s go. I wouldn''t evene to this small run-down store if it wasn''t for you." He grabbed the change and his items from the counter before ring at Joon-won and walking away.


    The woman, on the other hand, didn''t immediately follow the guy as she looked at Joon-won and said, "Young brother, you are very interesting. This big sister would like to talk to you again some other time. I''ll meet you if I ever get bored."


    Joon-won didn''t give her a reply, and she walked away when she noticed she wasn''t getting one. As both of them walked out of the store, the boss looked out and rxed only when the car rolled away. He wiped off some sweat and walked to the beverages area to get himself a cool drink.


    "That was tense." Hemented on getting closer to Joon-won and Gah Soo.


    "Boss, who are they?" Gah Soo couldn''t hold her confusion in and asked him.


    "Even I don''t know, but all I know is that young Miss is a big shot. She just came into the store one day and said she liked it. After that, we started getting discounts on our orders and sellers started acting nice. We were able to keep the shop running even in a ce like this be because of those discounts and now we are in a better position."


    "So, I asked around, and they said it was precisely this young miss who was behind it. But when I asked her background or her name, no one told me. So she must be a big shot in the city."


    Joon-won and Gah Soo finally understood why the boss was respectful to the pair.


    "Then who is the big monkey behind her boss? He was so rude." Gah Soo sneered and asked.

 Chapter 31 - Meeting The Young Miss Again

    "He? I don''t know him. He suddenly starteding with the young miss a week and it seems like he is drooling over her. It''s none of our business what the rich people do. That''s why only when theye I try to tter them." The boss shrugged. He didn''t want to piss anyone influential off, so it was ok to act like that for some time.


    "That woman doesn''t give a shit about that guy. He looks like a dog, going after her all the time." Gah Sooughed.


    "Do you know their names, Boss?" Joon-won finally asked a question. He wanted to know more about the people who might bring trouble for him and stay away as far as possible from them.


    The boss shook his head. "No, Joon-won. They never told me their name and only said they were students of Arios Drama University and also in the same major as yours, Acting. They should be in their 2nd year now so your direct senior. Be careful Joon-won, I don''t know why that girl suddenly asked me about you but it doesn''t look like that guy will take the disrespect you should quietly." He was still worried about his worker.


    Joon-won nodded and got back to work as customers got into the store. The boss excused himself and everything returned to normal. After his shift waspleted, he reached his ss and got inside. He already noticed that the drama was much faster than thest two days, as they were already near his scene. He walked up and sat in his seat with Jung-hwa beside him, reading a script.


    "You don''t have work tomorrow, do you?" Jung-hwa lifted her head and asked.


    Joon-won shook his head as he went through his script. Jung-hwa went back to reading her own script. After a while, he was called up andpleted both his scenes quicker than yesterday as the actors are not as awkward as before. He noticed Jung-hwa was able to adapt to the changes and be in flow with the other actors in the scene.


    Before he went back home, Joon-won looked at her and asked, "Are you going to go back home this summer?"


    Jung-hwa looked up, surprised by the strange question, and nodded.


    "I n to go for the first 3 weeks of our 2 months'' holiday. My dad demanded, and I need to go back. Why? Did you change your ns and alsoing back?" Firing off questions once again.


    He shook his head and said, "No, No. I might need some help after you go there. That''s why I''m asking you." He couldn''t go back because of the ns he made, and the summer was an important time. So if things became more difficult with Yun-hee, he couldn''t ask her to check what she has been doingtely.


    "Oh, what kind of help are we talking about? I''ll be free for most of the time so it''ll be ok."


    "Not now, I''ll ask if needed." He had no intentions to reveal what things were happening in his house to others.


    After the small talk, he decided to not go home and went straight to the library. His body was sore from yesterday''s sudden workout session and he pushed it through work in the morning and practice in the afternoon. Now it was aching a little. So he went to the library to increase a bit of his knowledge of the world once again while resting a little.


    Reaching the library, he noticed the same middle-aged woman behind the counter and walked up to her. He handed in his ID and signed his name on the register. Walking up to the same world history, he took out another book which looked better than the previous one and started reading it slowly.


    Time flew as the sun was going down. He closed the book and stood up once again. The current book was more detailed than the previous one, which gave him more information about the world.


    Walking out of the library, he went out of the university and saw the young miss he saw in the store as she stood beside a good-looking car. He didn''t want anything to do with her and slowly walked away. The young miss obviously caught Joon-won''s figure as he walked away and remembered him from the store, as a smile formed on her face.


    She got inside the car and slowly drove towards him. Getting closer to him, she rolled down the window, took off the sunsses she had on, and said, "Get in. I''ll give you a ride home." With a charming smile on her face.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but curse his luck. He never thought in a million years that his luck would be so bad for the woman to identify him, even when his back was facing her.


    He looked at her and said, "No, need. I''m fine by walking home. Please carry on with your work and not get involved with someone like me." And walked faster.


    He finally noticed her looks when he turned towards her. She was definitely the most beautiful woman he saw after getting to that world. She had long blonde hair with alluring blue eyes and a face that can catch anyone''s attention.


    But all of that didn''t matter to him, as he just wanted to not have any contact with her.


    "Hahahahah, what a cocky boy. Do you know that you''re the first man I invited into my car?" She raised her eyebrows, looking at him. She found this man more amusing. He gave off a different feeling back in the store, which caught her attention, but she forgot about him after that. But now he seemed very different, and she wanted to know more about him.


    "Why would I know if any man got into your car? That''s none of my business, and today''s the first time I saw you. Also, don''t think every man is the same because if you did, some things can be shocking. Getting confident only because you look good. Now don''t follow me or I''ll call the police," He sneered and tried to threaten her. He knew the police won''t be of any help but it wouldn''t be bad for him to try.

 Chapter 32 - A Normal Morning And Disrupted Practice

    Hearing his harsh words at her, the young miss''s smile immediately disappeared as she stared at him while slowly going ahead. But suddenly she startedughing, unrestricted.


    "Oh. It''s been a long time since Iughed like this while talking with a boy. You know what little Joon-won, you are right. I shouldn''t tell others to not get cocky when I am cocky myself. I hope we can talk a lot more in the future because I am very interested in you." and stepped on the gas as she drove off into the distance.


    Joon-won frowned when he heard her words. Even though he didn''t know the girl much, he did not like how she barges into a person''s personal space. He didn''t like it when she called him little Joon-won. He didn''t know her enough for her to call him that.


    He shrugged it off in the end and only hope that she does nothing crazy. He reached home, changed clothes, and sat on the couch. He massaged his muscles to ease the pain before standing and walking out for another run. He couldn''t stop just because the muscles pained. If he continued, they wouldn''t pain.


    He went through the same route again, went to the park once again, and ran back after doing a few exercises there. Eating some dinner, he turned the television on to watch some movies once again. But before that, he cooked himself a nice bowl of healthy sd and sat to watch.


    After watching another movie, he went right to bed. He had no job the next day and could sleep all he wanted. He didn''t keep any rm and went into a nice sleep.


    The next day, he woke up, and it was already 9. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went out for another jog. As he had the time, why wait till the evening. This time he went a long distance as his body was slowly getting used to it and by the time he got back, he was sweatingpletely.


    As he was about to enter the bathroom for a bath, he noticed the pile of worn clothes in a bin and took them all before dumping them into the washing machine. He couldn''t wear dirty clothes and so he had to clean them and throw them to dry before leaving the house.


    After getting all of them into the washing machine and turning it on, he finally went into his bath. As he got out after quite a while, steam poured out because of the hot water and he looked to the side and saw there were still a few minutes for the clothes to get done.


    Wearing some fresh clothes, he cooked up some quick breakfast with bread, eggs, and fruit. After having the meal, he picked up all the clothes and spread them on a stand he had for them to dry out on the balcony in the sun.


    He checked the time and noticed it was already 12. He texted Jung-hwa and immediately got a reply. He asked where was the practice because he heard that thest rehearsal would be in the auditorium where they can to perform the next day.


    Jung-hwa confirmed his thoughts and said it was in the auditorium. Joon-won, who had no idea where the auditorium was, could only ask her to pick him up at the gate, to which she agreed. Walking out of the house, he reached the university gates quickly and saw Jung-hwa waiting for him.


    "You really arete aren''t you," Jung-hwamented as she led him through the campus.


    "I stayed up and watched a moviest night and I also didn''t have work today so, it all went together. Anyway, how is practice at the auditorium, and at which part is the drama at now?"


    "It is morefortable in the auditoriumpared to our ss, as it has more space and a big stage to move around and act. The drama is still a few scenes away from your scene today. So don''t worry."


    "What, it still hasn''t reached my scene? Howte did you guys start?" it confused him because they generally start the practice at 9 and if they do it without interruptions it should have been his scene by then.


    "Oh, yeah, now that you mention it, Ipletely forgot. Why didn''t you turn on the sound on your phone? I tried calling you a few times." she stared at him.


    Joon-won remembered that it was the case. He saw those missed calls after taking a bath and ignored them, thinking it probably wasn''t important because they were from Jung-hwa. But now, hearing her, it seemed like it was pretty important.


    "Alright, tell me. How are you calling and the practice dying interlinked? It''s not Roh Ji waits for even a small role like mine toe before starting the practice."


    "Ah, we reached. Let''s go inside. You''ll know the reason once we enter, anyway. I was quite surprised by today''s events though." as they entered the huge auditorium. Joon-won followed her as they made their way to backstage.


    People noticed hime in and started whispering among themselves while covering their mouths with their hands. He wanted to ask Jung-hwa once again but saw her pointing at something at the seats in the auditorium in front of the stage.


    As he peeked towards the seats, he finally saw the reason and as he did, it almost made him curse out loud. It was the same Young miss and master who came to the store yesterday. They were sitting in the seats watching the practice while Roh Ji was beside them with a ttering expression.


    "They came this morning as we were about to start the practice and that senior asked for you. I tried calling because the young master there didn''t allow us to start practice. But the young miss agreed for us to start as they sat there watching the practice, waiting for you. What did you do Joon-won? Those are Star batch seniors from 2nd year." as she pointed at the young miss who asked for him and Jung-hwa now had apletely worrying expression.

 Chapter 33 - Another Confrontation With The Young Miss

    Joon-won''s face was ugly as he saw the young miss. He never liked persistent people. Seeing her sitting there even after he insulted her like that yesterday, he hated her. He could also notice the hate in the young master''s eyes as he looked at the practice. It was like he was looking at a few low-born.


    "Leave it. Nothing to be concerned about. Those two are two persistent idiots. Let''s just continue to practice and go home after we are done. Did you have lunch?" he asked Jung-hwa. He decided to ignore the two and simply go back home afterpleting the practice.


    It shocked Jung-hwa at how easily he brushed off the two seniors. She saw how courteous Hyeong Myung was when they both entered and asked for Joon-won. The same Hyeong Myung who acts like he is the king of their ss just because she knows a few people in the Star Batch of the first year.


    "Are you going to ignore them just like that? We both came to this city from a small town and with no background. We shouldn''t cross paths with them Joon-won." she cried out more worried. She was concerned at how nonchnt he was about the situation.


    Looking at her concerned face, he shook his head with a wry smile. He then heard people calling him for his part and said to her, "Alright, they are calling me for my scene. Don''t worry too much about it. I got it covers and think about where we should eat lunch at." and walked away without giving her another chance to reply.


    He went to the edge of the stage and watched as his scene was about to start. He already noticed two intense gazes on him. One was fierce with hate and jealousy in them, and the other was an irritating gaze. It was easy to find out which one was whose, as he saw Roh Ji point at him from the corner of the eye.


    He ignored the two as his scene started. Walking on the stage once again, he forgot about everything and felt he was back at his home. He felt like the first time he was on a stage all those years back. Taking a deep breath, he started acting and his face changed to that of hate and jealousy as he spewed out the dialogues in hate, watching the two leads in the distance.


    Finishing his part, he walked back and noticed the seats were now empty and he didn''t need to guess where the two went, as he saw them when he exited the stage. The young miss had the same teasing smile even after what happened the evening on the day before, while the young master was looking at them with hate.


    "I didn''t think you can act so well, little boy. Very interesting. Come, let''s go ad have some lunch this young miss is feeling a little hungry." she said as he got inside. Now everyone''s eyes were on him and he noticed the surprise in Hyeong Myung and Roh Ji''s eyes.


    He nced at her and replied, "I need to decline your offer, young miss. I already have arrangements to eat with someone and my part in the drama is not done yet." as he sat beside Jung-hwa.


    He could feel Jung-hwa''s body stiffen as he sat beside her. The young miss stared right down at both of them and said, "Oh, is this girl your girlfriend? She can join us too, little boy." she nced at Jung-hwa a little before turning back to him.


    ''Why is she so goddamn persistent? I wish I can kick this woman to the ground.'' he cursed.


    "Young miss, please leave us alone. What she is to me doesn''t matter, especially to you. I am sure the man beside you would love to take you out for an extraordinary lunch and I would not like to get in between both of you. Please stop these antics and continue on with your day." he didn''t hold back as he nced at the young master behind her. He noticed the idiot''s gaze became less fierce after he said that.


    "Yes,e let''s go and have lunch at Nine-pce. I heard the head chief would cook your favorite dish today. Why waste our time with these poor idiots here?" the young master didn''t miss the chance and immediately asked her.


    She didn''t respond to his words as she continued to stare down at Joon-won with the same smile. She nced towards Jung-hwa, making her body stiffen a little once again, and said, "Very good, little brother. I know this girl right here is not your girlfriend. Look how scared she is. Well, it looks like you are really fun to be around. I''ll leave for now after seeing you acting in the other part but expect me toe to your exam tomorrow. I want to see you act more." and walked out. The young master followed behind her like a dog and both of them left backstage.


    Just as she said, she didn''t leave entirely and sat in the same seats, waiting for the drama to continue. The backstage was stillpletely silent as all looked at Joon-won in shock.


    "Hey, bastards. How long should we wait for your shitty drama? Continue quickly." they heard the young master''s roar from outside, waking them all up and scramble to continue acting.


    Joon-won noticed Jung-hwa was still stiff and shook her a little.


    "Ah! Joon-won, I finally know who those both are. They are really famous on the campus and both their families are very influential in the city." waking up from her stupor.


    Joon-won raised an eyebrow at hearing her and asked, "Who are they?" he knew nothing about those two, yet they know quite a lot about him.

 Chapter 34 - Seo Hea-Jung

    "That girl who spoke to you is known as the most beautiful woman in the 2nd year. Her name should be Seo Hea-Jung. She is almost like a queen in the whole university. I heard her family is very powerful in this city and that they control a famous business which deals with supermarkets. But not only that her mother is the famous singer Un Sook, so she knows people in the industry too." She exined about the young miss, Seo Hea-Jung.


    He finally understood why this woman was very arrogant everywhere she went and why the shop boss was very respectful to her. She probably helped his shop during difficult times easily because their family owns the supermarket business in town.


    "That boy who follows her everywhere like a dog?" and as he said that, Jung-Hwa covered his mouth as she looked around if anyone heard him.


    She spoke in a lower tone and replied, "Don''t talk like that. What dog? I told you we shouldn''t speak bad about these people and if they get to know our future can be in jeopardy. So don''tment like that here." staring right into his eyes. He nodded, and she let her hands go as she answered her question.


    "That senior should be Hae Yongsun. I heard his father is a pretty good and respected director with a few hits under his belt. He directed a few films with A-listed actors. So people in the university all try to make friends with him. He is also going after Senior Seo Hea-Jung. That is why he is always around her."


    ''The dog has a famous father, and he thinks he is the king of the university just for that?'' Joon-won was amused at Hea Yongsun''s idiotic actions and arrogant persona.


    "Now tell me. Why is Senior Seo Hea-Jung, against you?" she insisted on learning the matter even after Joon-won shrugged it off earlier. He sighed this time and gave a brief run-down of what happened leaving out yesterday''s conversation with Seo Hea-Jung.


    "What? How can she be so unreasonable? Even after you told her to go away, she is stilling to meet you." She huffed after hearing the story. This time Joon-won had to look around if anyone heard her outburst and pat her hands.


    "Jung-hwa, don''t shout. What if anyone hears you talking about her like this? And why are you framing it like that? You are saying as if we both had something between us."


    Waking up to his warning, she looked around to see if anyone really heard her. She saw the indifferent gaze of Seo Hea-Jung when it fell on her before, and knew she doesn''t have the same privilege of speaking.


    "Anyway, you should go ahead. Your part ising soon." He reminded her and pointed at the stage where one member was waving to call her. She nodded and walked away in a hurry to act.


    Joon-won sat in the same seat and looked out to see the two seniors watching the rehearsal. One had an indifferent gaze while the other had an irritated expression. Even after confronting the irritating woman yesterday, he never got a look at her. Why? Cause he didn''t care about how she looked and always had eyes on her face.


    Now seeing herpletely, he could really tell she was an absolute beauty, even apart from her face. Her body was in exact proportions, enough to make men salivate a little as her two hills seem to almost burst out from the top she was wearing. The most charming feature was obviously her eyes. The blue eyes were very charming with her blonde hair.


    He then turned to her side and saw the fiery Senior, who was visibly irritated at the practice. Hae Yongsun really looked like a dog, as he took deep breaths to hide his irritation a little, which seemed to fail miserably.


    Hae Yongsun looked like a punk trying to put on a gentlemanly front. He had red hair which was clearly forced down after using much water and gel. He obviously couldn''t hide the tattoos he had on his arms while wearing a half-sleeve shirt. His eyes looked fierce all the time. It was painful to agree that his body was much fitter than his own.


    He shook his head and remained silent as the rehearsal continued. After a while, he was called up once again and had to go out to perform hisst part, the scene, with the teacher. Walking out, he noticed Seo Hea-Jung''s indifferent face immediately restore its signature sly smile as she paid closer attention and Hae Yongsun. looked more irritated.


    He didn''t waste time and performed well once again and as he was about to head back inside; he noticed Seo Hea-Jung whispering something to Hae Yongsun and him walking away. She stood up and walked to backstage once again.


    As he sat and Jung-hwa went up to perform her part, he noticed hering his way once again and exhaled. He felt tired only after a few hours of waking up because of her.


    He looked up and noticed she didn''t stop until she took the seat next to him. She turned around with her elbow on her knee while supporting her face and looking at him with the same smile. He distanced himself a little from her and looked at her blue eyes.


    "It pains me to see you move further when I sit next to you little brother."


    He didn''t respond and continued to look at her with the same expression.


    "Well, little brother, I never would have thought that there would be a gem like you in acting in this normal ss. Even though some idiot who had no eyes gave you a minor role with only two scenes, you still manage to perform better than anyone else in this set."

 Chapter 35 - End Of Last Practice

    Looking at how she indirectly called Roh Ji an idiot, Joon-won couldn''t help but shake his head. ''This girl''s words are really going to make problems for me. Even though what she said is true. Luckily that idiot isn''t here and is overlooking the practice. I should first send this girl away, she only brings problems.''


    "It''s just bad luck and I am fine with this role. Young miss, don''t you have to go and rat lunch with that friend of yours. I am sure he is waiting for you." Not hiding his desire to send her away.


    She smiled and replied, "It''s ok. That idiot can wait. I''m more willing to spend my time chatting with you than eating an irritating lunch with him. So anyway, I have to say once again, if it wasn''t for this nonsense if a story your ss writer wrote and the small role, you could get better marks and get into the Star Batch."


    He turned around, closed his eyes, and said, "I am fine the way it is. I don''t see any need of getting into the Star Batch. It''s only a bunch of wannabes with a handful of people who can get the job done. I am willing to take the harder route if I can avoid stupid people there." Dissing her in the process.


    After a moment of silence, she startedughing and stood up. While patting his shoulder, she bended down next to his ear andwhispered, "I feel like you and I can be best of friends. Our thoughts are too simr and you are very interesting. Well, I''ll be going for now or the bull outside will go on a rampage. I''lle back tomorrow to watch your acting and bring a gift for you like the older sister." With the same smile, she leaned back and walked out of the room.


    Everyone simply watched her walk out and then turned towards him. He couldn''t care less about what they think and simply closed his eyes. After a while, the practice finally finished and everyone was in the backstage with Roh Ji at the front, making an announcement.


    "Alright guys, let''s break for lunch ande back for one more practice. We still have to tweak a few things here and there." pping her hands like a boss.


    Joon-won and Jung-hwa walked to a nearby stall and had a quick yet tasty lunch. Both continued to talk about their ns for the summer and the exam tomorrow.


    "Don''t worry too much. If the judges are impartial and have even a bit of knowledge of acting, I''m sure you''ll win the prize money for our drama. You are after all better than both the lead idiots." He said simply. He had confidence in her and his teaching.


    Jung-hwa could only wryly smile at how confident he was. She was nowhere near that confident in her own acting skills and was always worrying about it. She decided to change over the course of summer and be a better person by the staff of the new semester.


    She nodded, and both of them walked back to the auditorium for another final rehearsal. This time without any disturbance, the rehearsal went smoothly with him, wasting most of his time sitting idly, not doing anything except scrolling through his phone for anything interesting.


    The rehearsalpleted and everyone once again met backstage for onest time. Joon-won noticed Roh Ji standing with Hyeong Myung and the drama''s female lead with a few boxes beside them at the front of the group.


    "Alright guys, now this is the end of ourst and final practice for our finals. Let''s p for all the hard work we put in and hope we do our best tomorrow in front of the examiners and judges." She started pping, followed by everyone. Joon-won almost coughed up blood when she shamelessly talked about ''hard work''.


    "Ok, now before we go back home and get some rest, I need to give out these costumes for the students in the drama. The order we ced finally arrived and the people with student roles please don''t forget to take one pair. You can change your dress aftering here. Our drama Joon-won.would be after the Star Batch one, so let''s do our best. Alright everyone except the people who y as students can leave." And the majority of the people left except 10-15 people including


    Everyone took out their uniforms, acting like monkeys. He stood there waiting for them to finish with Jung-hwa. There were names on the covers and there wasn''t any reason for them to rush. After everyone took their costume, Joon-won grabbed thest two on the table and handed Jung-hwa hers.


    "I heard you are bad-mouthing me in front of Senior today, Joon-won." He heard a noisy sound behind him as he was about to leave. He didn''t want to deal with the nonsense and continued to head out.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you, idiot. Are you not only poor but also deaf?" She kept shouting and insulting him.


    Joon-won looked over his shoulder to see her face twisted with jealousy and anger. He sighed and said, "And why should I do that? Even if I have a gun on my forehead, I won''t waste my breath at people like you. You are just not worth it and I don''t even know the seniors." And walked out.


    He went to the store and saw Seonu at the counter. He waved his hand and walked inside to get a few things for dinner. He wanted to cook some meat and grabbed a few. As he walked to the counter, the boss came out of the back door.


    "Oh, Joon-won. How are you? Isn''t your exam tomorrow?"

 Chapter 36 - Before The Exam

    Joon-won turned around and noticed the boss, Gim Da, walking out. He nodded and answered the question. "Yes, boss. The exam is tomorrow."


    "Do your best. Are you going back home for holidays after it?"


    Joon-won shook his head, and Gim Da sighed in relief. He didn''t want to have any more vacancies in shifts, especially when he hired him only a week ago. He looked at Seonu and asked, "Seonu, how is your preparation for the national exam going on and which university are you going to apply to?"


    Seonu''s exams were also over and he was out of high school. Every high schooler had to give a national wide exam for entrance into a good university at the end of their third year. Seonu was one of the better studying kids he saw and wanted to know what his future n was. The exam was also only a few weeks away and they had to submit preferred universities.


    "I kept the Arios city of science as my first preference. I want to continue studying science, while also being here at home and hopefully bing a scientist." his answer shocked Gim Da a little. Arios science university isn''t the best university for the subject and there were a handful of better universities out there in the country. He just nodded and went back after wishing Joon-won good luck in his exams.


    Joon-won talked with Seonu for a while and continued towards his house. Entering the house, he kept the costume they gave on his bed and started to cook some food for himself. He was very hungry and ate nothing after lunch. Cooking himself a nice cut of meat, he enjoyed the tasty dinner before sitting on the couch.


    His phone rang, and it was Kim Min-Seok. Picking up the phone, he heard his father on the other side asking if he shoulde over for the final exam. Kim Joon-won quickly denied it. He was not ready to meet his ''father'' and didn''t want to make him travel for a small thing.


    He said that he will send a video clip of his parts for them to see. He asked about Yun-hee and the answer was the same. She was stilling backte from her school and the national exam was only a few weeks away. If she didn''t start studying seriously, then her results would be terrible.


    Reassuring Min-Seok, Joon-won, cut the call and threw it on the couch. He didn''t know what to do. Ge couldn''t talk to a teenager who was didn''t want to hear from him because of things done by the original Joon-won. After thinking for a while, he decided to ask Jung-hwa to have a look at his sister and what she was up to.


    He didn''t want to ask but as things were not bing normal, he had to take an outsider''s help. This summer was important, and he didn''t want to go back early. He decided to ask her after she goes to the town next week.


    Deciding on the course of action, he went to his room and jumped on the bed. Keeping an rm for 6 in the morning for his daily jog, he went to sleep.


    As the sunrise and sunlight fell on his face from the window, he stopped the noisy rm and woke up. Going to the bathroom for a quick freshen up and changing clothes, he wore headphones he found in a drawer. Connecting the wireless headphones to the phone, he searched for his favorite type of music. Thus was the first time aftering to the world he is listening to music


    As he walked down the stairs, he finally decided on some pop music and started to jog through the streets. He liked the music and bobbed his head in rhythm, unconsciously. This type of music was not there back in the kingdom, and listening to something new and energetic was awesome, making him instantly fall in love.


    He jogged longer with the music apanying him as he enjoyed the slightly cold weather as his body generated heat from the exercise. He could feel his body slowly taking a better shape, and the daily workout was working out.


    After a nice 45 minute jog, he came back home and did a quick 30 minutes exercise to build a few muscles. Completing his daily dose of jog and workout, he jumped into a hot bath and rxed a little. His body was not in pain as it did at the beginning because of the workout.


    After wearing some nice clothes, he went right into the kitchen and cooked himself a nice breakfast with the leftover meat he had fromst night. After washing the dishes, he noticed it was only 8 and sat on the couch with the phone. Their exam would start at 10:30 and it was enough if he would be there by 9:30 or 10. He didn''t forget to remove the clothes he hanged up the day before and fold them into the closets.


    Time flew by and as it was about time for him to start moving. He didn''t want to change into a costume and walk to the university in a high school uniform like an idiot as there were changing rooms backstage. Packing the costume into a bag, he walked out of the house and towards the university.


    He still had the headphones on him as he walked with the music in his ears. He was addicted to music and felt detached from the outside world. After reaching the university entrance, he texted Jung-hwa and got an immediate reply that she was already inside watching the Star Batch drama.


    He didn''t want to go in and watch the drama, so he simply asked to text him when everyone would meet backstage. After getting her approval, he sat on a nearby bench, enjoying the sun and music in peace, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

 Chapter 37 - Slap To Hae Yongsuns Face

    Joon-won shrugged it off and continued to listen to his music, waiting for the message from Jung-hwa. But his shoulder was tapped once again, and this time harder. He turned around and noticed the devil of his life for the past 3 days.


    ''Why the hell am Iing across this woman so many times only in 3 days?'' he cursed as he looked at Seo Hea-Jung, who had the same sly grin on her face and also Hae Yongsun behind her, with veins poking out of his forehead.


    He stood up and said with a smile which couldn''t be faker, "Oh, Seniors. Please have the seat. I won''t disturb you both and go somewhere else." and tried to walk away but his hand got caught immediately. He turned around and saw Hea-Jung walking to the front of the seat and patting the free space with her free hand.


    "Oh, Junior. This must be destiny. I came early and noticed it was the Star Batch drama. But it was so boring and no one was acting as well as you, so I came out. To only see my lonely junior sitting alone. So, how could I not great you as a good Senior? Nowe and sit, your drama won''t be starting anytime soon."


    Looking at his hand, which got caught, and then at the fuming Hae Yongsun, he sighed. He didn''t understand why this girl was so determined. He knew she was only doing it for fun, but her fun wasn''t fun for him.


    "Senior, let me go. It''s almost like you are following me around. Have some quality time with your friend here who is always around you. I am sure he would be very happy to apany you."


    He took her hand off his and pointed at the fuming man behind her.


    As soon as he was done, Hae Yongsun cut in before Hea-Jung could reply, "Yes, Hea-Jung. Let''s go out and enjoy today. It''s a waste of time to even see these dramas which look worse than cartoon series yed on the tv. This guy doesn''t even appreciate the amount of attention you give him. Leave the poor beggar ande with me." She reached out and touched her hand.


    Hearing his words she turned towards the hand he touched and said in the most detached and cold voice Joon-won heard, "Leave it." And Hae Yongsun''s face went red from shame and left her hand.


    She turned towards Joon-won as her expression went 180 degrees from before and said, "You don''t need to worry, little brother. There are only a handful of people who can even advise me to do something. When I do something, it means I have thought through it. Soe and sit, let me hear that music you were listening to earlier."


    Joon-won sighed at how persistent this woman was. First, he felt a bit of hate at how annoying she was, but that slowly changed. He was more curious about her. Why is she like that? He could clearly see she holds herself in his regards and wouldn''t let anyone shame her. But when he did it, she would alwaysugh it off.


    Just because he was curious didn''t mean she did not irritate him. He sighed and sat next to her as her sly smile became brighter. She directly took out an earbud from him and used it without his permission.


    As they both sat on the same bench sharing the same headphones. Hae Yongsan waspletely fuming when he saw the scene. He didn''t understand why she insisted on talking to a nobody in the university instead of hanging out with him. He simply stood still and watched with hate towards Joon-won.


    Joon-won, who felt his gaze, sighed and turned towards the reason beside him. He whispered in a low voice, "You are bringing me too many problems. I don''t like it, so stay away from me." Making things clear.


    Hea-Jung who heard him stretched her body and turned around to see Hae Yongsun''s distorted face. Her face turned normal and she said, "Yongsun, why don''t you go and do something else instead of standing there like a statue staring at both of us. It''s making me ufortable. So go away, I''ll call you when their drama is done." Waving her hand.


    Hae Yongsun''s face turned red from shame seeing how disrespectful she was in front of a junior, not giving him even a bit of a face. He grits his teeth and said, "But madam told me.."


    "I know what she said. She only told you to bring me back home safely. So you can go back. It''s not like my little brother can do anything to me, see how skinny he is. So go away before my mood worsens." She grabbed Joon-won''s hand and showed his skinny arms.


    He grits his teeth and turned around only after throwing a hateful re at Joon-won. Joon-won sighed and said with irritation, "Why did you just poke the bear? He was already angry, and you just made him angrier. Do you not even think before you say?"


    She nced at him sideways and said, "Why are you scared of that idiot? He is the dumbest person I ever saw in my 21 years of living."


    He nced at her and said, "He might be nothing to you, but not to me. Just because he can''t do anything to you doesn''t mean he can''t do anything to me. Not everyone is as rich and privileged as you. So think before you do anything."


    Hearing his annoyance, she said, "Oh, don''t be angry. If he does anything to my little brother, won''t I tear off his skin? So don''t worry."


    "So something should happen to me? I don''t like to take my luck too far." And she ignored itpletely as she closed her eyes.

 Chapter 38 - Dogs And Gifts

    After another half an hour, he finally received the text he was waiting for. He finally got a message from Jung-hwa. The Star Batch''s drama was finallyplete and their ssmates were meeting at backstage. He took off the earbud he had and kept his hand out, asking Hea-Jung for the other.


    "What the time is already up?" She asked with a smile. He just nodded and took the earbud from her. Picking up the bag he brought with his costume inside, he started walking towards the auditorium, with Hea-Jung following closely behind.


    As they reached the auditorium entrance, they noticed a batch of studentsing out. All of them looked stylish and were allughing like they already passed the exam. Joon-won instantly knew this was the Star Batch students whopleted the exam. They were not even staying back for their results.


    The institute was giving the results after their Batch exam waspleted and if they wanted to know about their score, then the Star Batch had to sit through their drama too. But it looked like they didn''t care about them. Ignoring them, he continued towards the auditorium until he heard someone shout.


    "Senior Hea-Jung, is that you?" A male voice called out to them. Joon-won smiled a little as he heard the footsteps behind him stop. He continued towards the auditorium, not looking back.


    "Oh, little doggy. It''s you. Yes, I''m going to watch the next drama." She responded.


    "Oh, Senior, our drama is already over. You missed it. Next is the poor bastard''s drama. Where is Senior Hae Yongsun? Is he not with you?" As the Star Batch students got closer to her and a female asked.


    "Oh, I know your drama is over. I saw a bit of it and left immediately. It was a nasty drama. No one acted even a bit good, and it wasn''t worth my time. I came here to watch the drama which is happening now. So you guys continue and enjoy, I''ll be on my way." Joon-won couldn''t help but chuckle a little as he heard her indifferent remarks.


    Itpletely shocked the group when they heard her remarks about their drama. They thought the Senior was there for their group and wanted to tell her it was already done. But it seemed like she knew and didn''te for their drama at all.


    The man in the middle who originally called her out gritted his teeth and said, "Senior, what in that low-grade dramaing next made you think it was worth more time than ours?"


    Hea-Jung, at this point, was getting very irritated as she noticed Joon-won was already making his way inside the auditorium. Her face became cold, and she said, "Hey little doggy, know your ce. I responded just now because you know the big doggy, Hae Yongsun. I don''t need to exin myself when I say it''s shit. If it wasn''t for your family, you wouldn''t even pass the exam. Do you think I don''t know that script was written by none of you and you hired someone else to do it for you? Even if the next drama is shit, they have at least one person who acts better than all of youbined. That''s enough for me to attend the drama. So now go away before I make your group regret your life."


    She turned around and shouted towards Joon-won who reached the auditorium entrance, "Little brother, wait for me. Your Senior got stopped by a few dogs on the road. I still need to tell you something before you go in." And ran towards him leaving a pale group of students.


    Everyone one of them watched as the Senior they greetedpletely disregarded them and humiliated them before teaching them their ce. They never thought she would suddenly react in such a way, especially the youth she called Little doggy. He was someone who knew Hae Yongsun and hence got to know her. But when she responded like that and humiliated him he could only look down and grit his teeth.


    Joon-won sighed when he heard her shout just as he thought he escaped from her. He heard all she said and he only shook his head at how blunt she was. She didn''t seem to care about the after-effects of her words.


    He went inside and waited for her, not turning back. He wanted to hear what she had to say. After a few seconds, she rushed in panting and looked around to find him. She saw him standing to the side and said, "Little brother, you are the only one who made me run like this after a very long time. How could you do this?"


    He nced at her panting face and said, "Then you should have just stayed with that group instead of running here. It looked like they respect you a lot,"


    "Stay with those dogs? I would rather go back home. All of them know nothing but lick my feet." she hissed at them. Joon-won didn''t respond to herment and continued to look at her.


    "Well, anyway, I asked you to stop for a reason. Didn''t I tell you I''ll get you a gift yesterday? The gift came, but it depends on you whether you would get the gift or not. So act your best and not like yesterday. If you do then you will get a satisfactory gift. I promise." she held her already bountiful chest out and said proudly.


    He looked at her and said, "Alright, I''ll try to do my best then. But it better be a good gift, or else you will not follow and disturb me like these past few days"


    Hea-Jung didn''t respond but only grinned showing her confidence making him raise an eyebrow Without saying anything else both went the opposite directions in the auditorium.

 Chapter 39 - Exam

    Joon-won didn''t go straight to backstage, rather went to the washroom on the way and got changed into his costume. Keeping his normal clothes back inside the bag, he continued towards backstage. He finally reached the backstage and noticed the scrambling students and also a very demanding Roh Ji.


    He noticed Jung-hwa in her school uniform, sitting in the corner, going through her lines in a panic, and sighed. This was verymon for people who go onto the stage for the first time. They panic and go through their lines, thinking they might have forgotten any of them.


    He walked straight towards her and sat beside her. She was panicking so much that she didn''t even notice him sitting. He tapped her arm, but shepletely shrugged it off. Taking a deep breath, he shook her and Jung-hwa snapped her head with an irritated expression. But it changed immediately when she saw his face.


    "Joon-won, you are finally here. What should I do? There are so many people out there and I also heard there was a sudden judge who will criticize our drama and that he is a producer." She hurried her words and sounded more panicked.


    He looked at her and said, "Don''t think too much. Do you really think it makes a difference if there is a producer or director in the judging panel? It''s not like he is going to hire any of us for a movie? He probably is some rtive of the Star Batch kids. So just don''t think about it and expect too much from him. Just do what you did the past week, don''t waste the time I kept teaching you how to act."


    Hearing his words, she nodded and closed her eyes. What he said was true. There was almost no way that a producer would pop up suddenly to see the first-year exam where most students were still new to acting. She nodded and went over her script once again before closing it and taking a deep breath.


    "Yeah, you are right. I guess I was just overthinking everything. I''ll just do my best and get a good score." she said while opening her eyes. Joon-won noticed a few changes in her from the first day they met. She was not hung up on getting into the Star Batch that much nowpared to before.


    The time was finally here as Roh Ji called up all the actors for the first scene in which Jung-hwa was there to the front and asked them to go ahead. The Drama started off, and Joon-won looked at Jung-hwa on stage and could see she was nervous but slowly was getting the hang of it. Her acting also got morefortable as she continued to stay on stage, bing more normal.


    She came back after another scene, and he could see the sweat on her forehead. He handed out a handkerchief he had on him and said, "That was not bad for your first time on stage. Even though you were shaking in the beginning, you got slowly used to it. So not bad."


    She nodded and said, "Yeah, it was too overwhelming with so many parents out there. The judges were also at the front with arge desk in front of them, like those talent shows you see on TV. It was so scary." Taking a few deep breaths, she slowed down the adrenaline.


    Joon-won nodded and the drama continued as Jung-hwa kept going on and off stage with several scenes and the more she went, the more she seemed normal and in tune. Looking at her acting, Joon-won felt like a proud teacher watching his pupil spread out her wings on a bug stage.


    Not before long was his turn and walked to the edge of the stage to go in. One of the ssmates was fixing his mic on his cor and meanwhile took a deep breath as he got a nce at the audience, even though it was not full, there were still people sitting most of them were parents. He also quickly caught the devil, Hea-Jung, sitting in the first row looking with anticipation. He also noticed the strict-looking man on the judging table in the middle.


    It was finally his turn, and he walked on stage, taking a deep breath. Going behind a prop wall, he looked at the two lead actors and brought out the best acting skills he nurtured through decades out changing his face to anger and jealousy.


    "Wait, what are they doing together. Happily talking, holding hands, it''s like they are on a date. Why him, he is nothing. Why is she going out with him? Just because he is famous?" he growled out in anger. Changing the dialogue a bit. This came out naturally, and he didn''t intend to change it.


    "Should I go and strip those two apart? Should I beat that guy up? No, not here and not like this. This is a betrayal. She showed hope and snatched it away. Ah! I can do that instead." he continued as his face gained a crazy smile on his face with his eyes depicting his mental state.


    The scene slowly ended with the narrator continuing with his character''s past, and he slowly walked backstage. As he did, he noticed Hae-Jung''s surprised and excited expression towards him, while sending a thumbs up towards him.


    He also noticed the special Judge raising his eyebrow towards him and then turning back towards Hae-Jung while giving her a nod, making her more excited. He just shook his head and sat beside Jung-hwa, who kept looking at him like she saw a ghost.


    "You are a madman. This should be your first time on stage too and your waspletely natural. How did you do that? And you weren''t even acting your best in our private teaching sessions and thebined practice. How much are you hiding?" She snapped out and fired questions at him.

 Chapter 40 - End Of Drama And Reality

    He looked at her with a small smile and said while pointing at the edge of the stage, "You should get going. Your scene ising up again. Don''t waste time here thinking unnecessary stuff." Her eyes widened as she stood up.


    She turned around and said, "Don''t think you will get away from me before answering that question. I''ll be back." And then made her way towards the edge.


    The drama continued as he walked back on stage one more time for his next part with the teacher''s character. Acting the same way again, he noticed Hea-Jung''s and the special judge''s gaze fixed on him as if he was their favorite toy. He couldn''t stand their gazes and walked back after his part was done.


    The drama continued and finally ended. All the actors walked onto the stage with the ''director and screenwriter'' Roh Ji in the middle and the main actors beside her. He stood at the end, where it was almost impossible to see. All of them were waiting for remarks from the Judges. Most of the audience had already exited except a few parents who were eager to hear the remarks and crazy people who had too much time in their hands like Hea-jung.


    Needless to say, all of them had an expectant look on their faces while waiting for praise from the producers in the middle as they looked at the judging table. There were three judges. Apart from the producer, the Vice-dean and the teacher who taught them the basics of acting when he first arrived in the world.


    The Vice-dean was the same man who identified and gave Jung0hwa her role. While all three of them were looking at the stage, he noticed the general dissatisfaction on all of their faces. The Vice-dean gave a nod of approval to Jung-hwa before his face went nk.


    "Now, I''ll start first then and then your teacher followed by our special guest Mr.Hwan." The Vice-dean was the first to break the silence as he looked at the other judges and both of them agreed to his suggestion.


    "Let me be blunt. The drama is bad. The story writing is bad and seeing here it seems like the writer is actually Roh Ji? Don''t ever try to write a story for a movie ever again. It''s bad." He was as blunt as he could be. Joon-won was surprised a little when he remembered something Jung-hwa told him during their private sessions.


    "Joon-won, the Vice-dean is really a nice guy. I asked about him and heard he is hated by many professors and the other Vice-dean too. I head he is very sincere when ites to acting and you know isn''t like the teachers and other Vice-dean here." She murmured, even though they were in a closed room.


    He looked at the Vice-dean and thought what she said was true. It was no secret around the university that the students could bribe their way through their life there. The teachers and even the other vice-dean were corrupt. No one saw the dean, and so most of the powers were in the hands of the two deans.


    He noticed Roh Ji''s pale face and her trembling body. She was one of the people who boasted the most about getting into the Star Batch, and she looked down on many people because of that. Now that the Vice-dean was straightforward with the story writing and how bad it was, she hated him. She bribed all the teachers and got top scores.


    She would have gotten top scores even in this exam if it was the other Vice-dean instead of the old man before them.


    The Vice-deanpletely disregarded her feelings and continued, "Now the actors," making everyone a little stiff, including famous Hyeong Myung.


    "Most of your acting skills need improvement but it''s on the right track. I wouldn''t say it''s up to the standard of where it should originally be at your age, so I''m disappointed in that. Now the main leads, both were good but I don''t understand why did you both get the part of the lead even when there are better actors in this group. Overall, the drama is barely qualified to pass." Ending hisments.


    Now, most of the actor''s faces were pale along with Roh Ji''s, especially the two main actors. It looked like the proud Hyeong Myung. He looked like he was about to spit out blood from thement he just got. He bloated and acted as the king of the ss thinking how good-looking he was and was above the rest cause his family was richer than the rest. So he naturally believed he had the best acting skills.


    Luckily there weren''t many people left to gear those harshmentsing out the vice dean''s mouth. Joon-won could clearly see that the one who was having the most fun was Hea-jung with a popcorn bucket in her hand holding in herughter. He got puzzled seeing the bucket of popcorn and wondered where the crazy girl got it from.


    Next was their teacher. The middle-aged man looked at all of them with a smile and said, "All of you did better than I expected. Of course, you all are still experienced and could improve further. Roh Ji your story writing was ok but it could do better. The actors you guys outdid yourself and I''m impressed. That''s all from me."


    Hisments were clearly partial, and everyone in the ss knew people bribed him. So hisments were rather far from the actual truth. The special guest who didn''t know this raised an eyebrow but kept silent meanwhile Vice-dean still had his neutral face going, ignoring him.


    Now everyone''s eyes were on the man in the middle of the table, wearing a suit. He had a clean-cut and a shaved face. Pushing up his sses, he opened his mouth for his remark.


    "The whole drama was so bad I wanted to puke."

 Chapter 41 - Do Hwans Remarks

    "The whole drama was so bad I wanted to puke."


    The single sentence from his mouth made the temperature in the auditorium drop by tens of degrees. Everyone was silent at how blunt the ban was as his eyes swept through each person on the stage. His eyes briefly stopped at only two ces. One was on Jung-hwa and the other was on Joon-won.


    "You call this acting? It''s garbage. You call this a drama? It''s an insult to all the dramas out there. Do you call that a story? You better die than write another story." He kept hammering one nail after another as some of the students'' bodies went weak and had to take the support of their friends.


    The Vice-dean turned his head and looked at the young man beside him with a tinge of appreciation. He was telling words he couldn''t tell because of his position as the Vice-dean. He couldn''t demoralize the students directly and hoped these words would be a wake-up call for them.


    "When I came here, I didn''t have high expectations because of your age and this being many of your first time on stage, performing. But after seeing this horror it seems like even the normal standard I was expecting was too much to ask from you guys."


    As he talked, they all heard a giggle in the silent auditorium. The people on the stage didn''t need to turn their heads to know who wasughing at their misery. Joon-won looked at Hea-jung, holding her stomach with one hand and mouth with the other, trying to stop herself.


    ''This idiot must find this part of the whole thing funnier and more entertaining than the actual drama she was supposed to enjoy. She really doesn''t care about what others think.'' he thought and let out a sigh.


    He noticed the Vice-dean sigh as sheughed and the producer''s mouth twitched. But he still maintained a straight face and continued, "Now the story was very bad. It had the worst ending ever. Youpletely forgot about the viin which suddenly popped up when you needed a convenient way to bring the hero and heroine together, but he never came back after two scenes. You gave the viin two scenes? The viin was better than the hero himself. His acting was better than this idiot."


    "It looks like you never really cared about the whole exam and the drama while writing the story. You only cared about that guy and how good you wanted to make him look good as the hero." He spits out every thought he had, and everything was the truth. Roh Ji made the drama to maximize Hyeong Myung''s role even though he was the hero, making the whole drama aplete mess.


    Roh Ji was slowly wobbling as almost every single drop of blood vanished from her face. The drama she was confident it waspletely disregarded as trash.


    "I will tell you this at the end. Do not write another story in your entire life. If possible, do not step into the industry itself. If you ever write a story, I can guarantee you that any human who values his or her money wouldn''t ever produce it. Even if you somehow find an idiot or self-produce a movie. No actor who wants to keep his career would agree to act in it. No audience with their right mind would buy a ticket with their hard-earned cash for the film. So end your dreams here and go do work for your parents who probably are already rich." With that, she took the support of her friend who was standing back of her to continue standing.


    "Now the hero of the drama. That was your acting skills? With how you are now, people wouldn''t look at your face one more time. Did you think you could cover your bad acting with your looks? No matter how much you try to cover it, it will always be visible and the smell would be obvious for people who have at least a bit of experience in the industry."


    Hyeong Myung was now gritting his teeth at the humiliation he was receiving. He never felt so shameful to show his face in his entire life. He couldn''t look into the guy''s eyes anymore and just looked down like most of the students.


    "There was obviously a better actor than you in this group who could take that role but it seems like the director was that bad and conceited." This made people raise an eyebrow. Especially Hyeong Myung, who was shocked and wanted to know who acted better than him in this shitty ss full of idiots.


    "Now even though the so-called Star Batch of this ce was also bad, at least their drama was ok. Now this one was worse and the only reason I didn''t stand up from this seat and walk out if it wasn''t because of two people in this group. Even in a ce where there was no good acting from both groups, two people stood out."


    He nced at the Vice-dean and said, "Vice-dean, I heard you are giving a mary prize for the student who acts the best in this group. Can I pick who will receive it?" Now everyone''s eyes were on the Vice-dean. Most of the people did not care about the money, but receiving it meant that the person was the best actor among all of them.


    The Vice-dean looked at all the students and said, "I think both you and I have the same person in mind. So go ahead Mr.Hwan." permitting him.


    Do Hwan nodded and pointed out at Jung-hwa and said, "Hey you. Come forward. Only you deserve this mary prize. You were one of the two reasons this drama is even getting evaluated. Even though you are still rough around the edges, if you continue like this and improve in your 2nd year, I can tell that you will be able tond a few roles by the end of 2nd year. So do a good job."

 Chapter 42 - End Of Review Session

    Jung-hwa was stunned hearing the man who trashed their entire drama in a matter of minutes. Everyone, including the ss leaders Roh Ji and Hyeong Myung, were cruelly ripped apart, and she was sweating from the pressure he gave out for thest few minutes. So thest thing she expected from him was to call her out for acting the best and receiving praise from a guy like him.


    She couldn''t react fast enough and seeing her frozen, the Vice-dean smiled and said, "Don''t stand there like a statue,e forward. What Mr.Hwan said is not wrong. Your acting was the best one today and you deserve the praise along with the prize money. Introduce yourself to Mr.Hwan." making her finallye back and slowly step forward.


    As she did, she nced at Joon-won and saw his smile. She felt he should get the prize money, as his acting was on apletely different level and hers wouldn''t have been that good if it weren''t for his help.


    Joon-won already guessed it would be her. No matter how good he acted, it was only for 2 scenes. He didn''t even get 10 minutes to be on stage. So, it would be irresponsible on their part to give it to him. But after him the next best actor was Jung-hwa, and she was there from start to finish having a big role. So she was worthy of gettingpliments from them.


    He noticed her ncing towards him with slight hesitation and knew what she was thinking about. He shook his head and gestured for her to look forward. She turned her head around and looked at the judges. The Vice-dean had the same smile, their teacher''s face didn''t look the best, but he had a fake smile and Mr.Hwan had the same deadpan face since the beginning.


    "My name is Cheo Jung-hwa," she told her name and didn''t know what to say next.


    Do Hwan looked at the nervous girl in front of them and said, "That''s a good name you got there Miss.Cheo. As I said before, you are one of the two reasons I didn''t walk out of the hideous drama today. Your acting was on point from the start to the end even though you stammered a little at the beginning it''s given for any new actors."


    "As a producer, I can see myself hiring you for a role in a movie if you can continue to improve. Even though you do not have the best looks, your acting was good enough to cover for it. So do not think about anything else and just continue to improve."


    Jung-hwa once again became a statue from hisments on her acting. She nodded and thanked him while bowing a little. "Thank you for your advice. I will remember and continue to get better."


    "Now, even though you are one of the reasons I didn''t get up and your acting was better than most of the people, there is one more person in this drama who acted even better. But he can''t get this prize because his role was just too small," he said, making everyone taken back.


    Everyone heard his words and were stunned. After all, they heard him praise Jung-hwa in front of them as the best actor on stage, but then he changed his words and said there was someone better who had a smaller role.


    "The only reason you are getting this prize instead of him is that your acting was consistent for a long period while he only had a small role and his amazing acting did not shine brightly because of that. You acting for a long time was the reason I decided to stay while his acting gave me satisfaction."


    Jung-hwa nodded, hearing him. She knew about whom the man was talking about. It was only Joon-won who was on another levelpared to everyone in the drama. While she heard him, she also decided to give the prize money she relieved to him because it should be his in the beginning.


    Joon-won noticed Do Hwan ncing at him and then Hea-Jung, also having a sly grin. He didn''t want to get called out in front of everyone. So he looked at Hea-Jung in the eye while raising an eyebrow and he shook his head. He knew she could tell the producer to not call him out. It would only bring problems, and he didn''t want to be well known.


    Hea-Jung noticed him shaking his head and decided toply to his request this time. She could see him getting irritated if she didn''t agree. So, she quickly got up and walked towards the Judging table before whispering something to Do Hwan''s ear. Do Hwan raised an eyebrow but nodded.


    "Well, that''s the end of my review for the drama. If you want everything, I just said in one sentence, ''Never make a drama or act like this again, if you do not want your viewers to start throwing stuff at your faces.'' because I can see that happening." Abruptly ending his review. As Hea-Jung asked him to not call Joon-won out for a good performance, he didn''t have anything to say.


    The Vice-dean didn''t take his abrupt ending to heart and said, "Well that is the end of the review part of your exam. You will get your results in the next 2-3 hours so you can view the notice board outside your ssroom for that. Cheo Jung-hwa, you cane and get your prize money right now." Ending their exam and dismissing thempletely.


    Jung-hwa nodded and went towards the Vice-dean to receive a check of 50,000 Kros which is a lot for a university student. She thanked the Dean for the opportunity he gave her. If it wasn''t for him giving her a better role she wouldn''t have gotten this money.


    After getting the check, she went backstage and saw the gloomy atmosphere. She walked up to Joon-won and both of them slowly walked out from there.

 Chapter 43 - Surprise (I)

    Both of them walked down the corridor as they made their way into the washrooms to change out of the school uniform they were still in. Quickly changing out of the costume and wearing their usual clothes, they walked out of the auditorium.


    Joon-won looked at Jung-hwa and said, "You did well. When are you going back?"


    "It''s all thanks to you that I was able to perform well. If it wasn''t for your pointers and help the first few days, I would have been like the others getting chewed out in front of everyone. Even this prize money should be yours. Here you go. Take the cheque, your acting was better than mine too." She took out the cheque and tried to shove it into his hands.


    Joon-won stepped back, pushed her hand back, and said, "It''s like you said. I only gave you some pointers to fix your already stable acting skills. It was your own hard work and talent that made it possible to bring out today''s performance. So you don''t owe me anything, especially that prize money you got as a prize. You deserve it."


    Jung-hwa seemed to expect his actions as she pushed back harder and shook her head. Looking straight into his eyes, she said, "No, you have to take the money. It doesn''t matter what you think. Think of this as my appreciation."


    Seeing her be stubborn, he sighed and said, "Alright, but I don''t need theplete money. You can transfer half the moneyter on. Only half, got it?" And Jung-hwa finally nodded.


    "Now tell me. When are you leaving?" He repeated his initial question once again.


    "Tomorrow morning. Now, let''s go and get something to eat. I didn''t even have anything in the morning cause of my nervousness. I''m hungry." She clutched her stomach in hunger.


    He nodded and continued to walk, but stopped when they heard a shout from behind. "Little brother, wait. Don''t leave yet. Did you forget, I said I''ll give you a surprise. You are leaving without even receiving it. I searched the whole auditorium for you, only to see you flirting here."


    Joon-won knew who it was without even turning back. He didn''t forget about the surprise she promised him but didn''t care about it. So he decided to just ignore it at the end and now she caught up again.


    He turned around to see Hea-Jung panting once again, a few feet away from him. She looked at him andined, "Little brother, why are you doing this to me? I am not that fit and you made me run two times today. Couldn''t you just wait for a few minutes so that I could call you? Ugh."


    He shook his head hearing her and asked, "Alright now that you see me. Where is the surprise?" Looking around.


    "It''s not here. Let''s go back to the auditorium it''s waiting for you there. Come." She walked towards them and pulled his hand.


    He looked back at Jung-hwa and said, "It seems like we can''t have a meal together. Let''s meet after youe back."


    Just as he said that Hea-Jung cut in and said, "You know what, you should alsoe with us. Come, follow me." Waving her hand, she walked ahead of both of them. Jung-hwa was hesitant after hearing her and looked at Joon-won. He simply nodded, and both followed her back into the auditorium.


    As they walked, Hea-Jung turned around while continuing to walk backward. She said, "You both were really good today. I didn''t expect you to be hiding so much from this poor sister. How could you, little brother." As she kept an expression of a wronged housewife.


    Joon-won looked at her with a deadpan expression and didn''t reply. If he did, she would only add on to that with more nonsense, and he didn''t want to hear it. He was waiting to get this done quickly so he could go home and get some good rest.


    Hea-Jung seemed to expect the silent treatment from him as she shifted her target to Jung-hwa, who was already nervous in her presence. She looked her up and down before saying, "You know,st time I watched you guys perform it looked like I didn''t pay much attention. You are pretty good. So was it your little brother who taught you? Don''t be surprised, you peeked at him every time you got praised back there. So how well does he teach?" She exined after seeing Jung-hwa''s surprised expression and Joon-won''s raised eyebrow.


    Jung-hwa got nervous and replied, "He teaches well. It''s because of him I was able to act that well today."


    "Woah, looks like he really does teach well. Little brother, you need to take some time in these uing holidays to teach me too. You can''t just ignore me and teach others." She turned towards Joon-won and had a pleading expression.


    "Alright, look ahead now. It''s dangerous to walk like that and you don''t need me to teach you anything. I am sure many experienced actors are willing to teach you." He reminded her. Jung,


    Hea-Jung turned around and said as they entered the auditorium, "Yeah, yeah. It''s boring to hear from those old geezers. The way they teach does not apply to the present. So you should teach me."


    This time Joon-won didn''t even bother to reply to that statement. They followed her through the corridors. The rest of the ss noticed the three as they were walking in the corridor. All of them hung their heads low and walked past Hea-Jung, as shepletely ignored them.

 Chapter 44 - Surprise (II)

    The three finally stopped before an office in the auditorium. Hea-Jung turned back and said, "Alright, my gift is inside this room. Now do not get surprised and don''t forget to thank me for this." she puffed her chest high and turned around.


    She opened the door and Joon-won could immediately see the Vice-Dean song with the special judge Do Hwan sitting on a couch, waiting. He guessed what the surprise was after the interaction between Do Hwan and Hea-Jung during the drama, and it looks like he was on point.


    Joon-won stepped into the room with a calm expression, but the same could not be said to Jung-hwa. She was fidgeting when she saw two big shots in the room and did not know what was happening. Do Hwan''s harsh remarks were still in her mind and seeing him again made her nervous.


    Joon-won noticed her nervousness and patted the back of her hand for some assurance. Hea-Jung giggled seeing the nervous Jung-hwa and joined Do Hwan on the couch. The Vice Dean was behind a huge desk, sitting on the chair while the remaining two were on the couch. Joon-won and Jung-hwa stood before the Vice-Dean, waiting for what he had to say.


    "See uncle, you made the girl more nervous than she was with me." the cold face Do Hwan vanished as he showed a wry smile hearing her.


    "Hea-Jung, if it wasn''t for your request yesterday, I wouldn''t even be here and it was even your request to be hard on the 2nd batch of students. Who knew the potential you wanted to show me was in the 2nd batch." and he turned towards Joon-won. Joon-won didn''t even bother looking at him as he stared at Vice-dean, waiting for an exnation.


    The Vice-Dean coughed and looked at the two students in front of him with a hint of pride as he exined, "I am sure it confused you both why student Seo Hea-Jung called for you and why today''s special Judge Do Hwan is here. To tell both of you the truth, there was no special Judge nned for today''s exam. After all, you guys are only in your first year."


    He turned towards Hea-Jung, who held her head high and said, "But your senior, Seo Hea-Jung, invited Mr. Hwan here yesterday and informed the university this morning. So it was a surprise. Now Mr. Hwan here is a producer, I''m sure both of you figured it out but he worked with many A-listed actors in the present industry and has some notable achievements under his belt." introducing Do Hwan.


    "Vice-Dean,e on. I would havee if even you invited me. I learned quite a lot from the present Dean back when I was still new to this business and he told me a lot about you." Do Hwan immediately interrupted. His voice was normal and wasn''t cold as earlier today. He seemed to be a different person than earlier that day and was easy to talk to.


    "Well, anyway, I called both of you here because Mr. Hwan wanted to talk to you after the exam." he looked at Joon-won, sizing him up. The first time he saw this student was today when he caught his attention with an amazing performance. So he was curious about this kid who didn''t stand out in any way until the end of the year.


    Joon-won turned around and saw Do Hwan clearly. He couldn''t see properly before on the stage as he was too far and now he didn''tnce at the dude when he walked in. Do Hwan looked like a typical mid-aged man if you take out the fancy suit he was in and the judging eyes when he stares at you.


    "Uncle Hwan, this is my beloved junior brother. Even though we met only 2 days back, this little brother is really special and always fun to hand around with. His name is Joon-won. So what do you think? What I said yesterday isn''t wrong, right? You told me you will pay for my next purchase if this was worth your money. So get ready it won''t be long before you pay up." Hea-Jund excitedly introduced Joon-won, while having a sly smile on her face at the end.


    Joon-won raised his eyebrow a little when he heard there was a bet. Do Hwan coughed when he heard her and said, "Alright let''s not talk about yesterday''s bet now? Well, you are not wrong, this kid is really special. Seems like you finally met some talented people instead of having people like Hae Yongsun always around."


    Thest sentence seemed to light a fuse under her as she blew off. "Uncle, how could you say that? It''s not me having him around, it''s him being around me. That dog is shameless and doesn''t learn even after I scold and humiliate him." as soon as she said that, the Vice-Dean coughed.


    "Alright, let''s not talk about other people like that now. Let''s continue with the business in hand." he didn''t want her to talk about Hae Yongsun like that as a teacher, even though he knew that was the truth from what he saw and heard.


    With him interfering the strange conversion between the two people on the couch did not continue as Hea-Jung just turned around and Do Hwan looked at Joon-won.


    "Well, I will get to you in a minute. Let''s talk about you. I didn''t expect you to be near him when Hea-Jung went out to call. But it''s good that you came in. I wanted to talk to you if there was a chance too." he turned towards Jung-hwa after asking Joon-won to wait a little longer.


    Jung-hwa''s body was like a pole, as she was never that nervous in her whole life. She unconsciously strengthened her mental fortitude to prepare for anyments toe.

 Chapter 45 - Oppurtunity To Jung-hwa

    "Honestly, I didn''t expect a good performance from you. I mean, when you first entered the stage, instead of being in your role from the get-go, your eyes were darting around the crowd while looking down a lot. Signs of an amateur and it was easy to figure it out. Of Course, this changed as the drama continued but there were signs of it until the middle of the drama where you were more natural." He analyzed her skills and performance she put up earlier. Jung-hwa nodded, hearing him as what he said was true.


    Joon-won''s evaluation of the guy went up a little when he heard that. He was pointing out themon mistakes calmly instead of barking as he did earlier. He was direct with it so that Jung-hwa could work out the problems easily. Most of her problems came with theck of experience and with more experience her acting bes more refined.


    "Now, I have a good impression of your acting. Like I said before, you need more practice and honing your skills. Earlier I thought of leaving it at that. But now that fate has allowed us to meet once again, I''ll give you a better suggestion which might make you a better actor without waiting for a whole year. That is Drama houses." giving her a suggestion. Joon-won expected this answer. This was the same suggestion he gave her earlier this week. She could gain valuable experience and learn more skills from drama houses.


    "Arios city does notck drama houses, and they are found practically everywhere. With your present skills, you might not get epted into any of the well-established ces in the city. So I will rmend your name to one of the moderate or lesser-known houses so that you can start from there. Now it depends on how you will use this chance and get better." he stretched out an olive branch to Jung-hwa who was in need of one.


    Jung-hwa was stunned hearing all he had to say, especially hisst offer to help. She was still contemting on whether she should try to act in ces like those after hearing what Joon-won had to say and now she was getting an opportunity to learn in those ces. Everything felt surreal for her, and she needed a moment to digest everything.


    She clenched her hands and asked with a tone full of excitement and nervousness, "Is what you are saying true? Can you really rmend me to a drama house to learn this summer? What do you get out of this?" she was making sure everything is real. Joon-won was slightly surprised by how she asked thest question after all. It was Jung-hwa who is an airhead and didn''t think about things or overly thought about things.


    This time instead of Do Hwan it was Hea-Jung who did, "What? You think he is going to scam you both?" In an assertive tone.


    Her burst made Jung-hwa step back and stutter her reply, "No, no, nothing like that. Don''t misunderstand senior."


    As soon as she said that, Hea-Jung startedughing while clutching her stomach. She said as she tried to stop herugh. "Don''t be so nervous. Look at you. You look so pale only for a joke. Here, drink some water. Don''t be nervous." Seeing her do this made both Do Hwan and the Vice-dean sigh in resignation. They couldn''t do anything about this girl who did whatever she wanted. Joon-won on the other hand shook his head and patted Jung-hwa''s back, which had a bit of sweat.


    Jung-hwa took the water ss Hea-Jung offered and took a quick sip before cing it back on the table. The girl was too timid and scared of the high-ss society, and rightfully so. There are many stories about how the people with authority exploit new actors, especially women and so she had to be careful.


    "Well, everything is an investment for us producers. Especially young actors like you. If we are right and can nurture you guys into good actors in the future, then we get a lot of credit and other actors would be willing to work with us." Do Hwan was very honest as he shrugged and exined it to us. Everything was business, and what he was doing was investing in the future.


    "You see, most of us producers have agencypanies where we groom talented actors. Even I have one myself, it''s called ''st Agency.'' So if I think you are worth it after this summer and maybe a year at most, I will be willing to give you a contract and be an actor under our agency. This way you will get more roles easily. My agency right now has a handful of A-listed actors and some good potential." He exined.


    "I gave it the name ''st Agency''." Hea-Jung proudly said, which was ignored by everyone in the room.


    Joon-won knew about agencies. Each of the heavenly kings also had their own agencies. He learned about them the past few days. Many actors try to get into an agency because they could build their career faster and it is also easier to get more roles from an agency. This offer from Do Hwan was not bad for Jung-hwa. She could prove herself and get a contract, which would give her a smooth start for her career.


    Jung-hwa was once more shocked to hear the reason and the chance that she might get a chance to sign in with an agency at this early stage in her life. She never thought she will get an opportunity to sign with an agency before this week. Now she got an opportunity to sign with one if she improved and showed her worth.


    She bowed a little and said, "Thank you for giving me this offer. I will prove my worth this next year and get you to sign me into your agency." With confidence in her voice. Do Hwan nodded before turning towards Joon-won.

 Chapter 46 - Chance

    Leaving Jung-hwa who was in her own world after getting a boost of confidence from the deal offered to her, Do Hwan looked at Joon-won who, in contrast to that, had the same emotionless face. It would fill normal students with anticipation and hope that they would get a simr deal, but he didn''t have any of that.


    Hea-Jung looked a little dispirited when she saw him remain the same andined, "Little brother, how could you remain the same even after hearing your friend got a deal like that. I thought this surprise would get some emotions out of the emotionless face of yours. Now I''m starting to think if I made a cyborg as my brother." sulking on the couch.


    Joon-won looked at her and shook his head at how childish she acts. He was expecting something like this after seeing the people in the room and he also believed if not then Jung-hwa would get an opportunity worthy of her talents in some or other way. People who were hardworking and talented couldn''t be contained in a university like this, especially after how she acted in the drama earlier.


    Do Hwan, on the other hand, acted as he didn''t hear herment and said, "You know, at first I was very apprehensive about evening to this exam today. I mean, as I said earlier, you guys are first year and on top of that in the regr batch. So how talented might one person be for Hea-Jung to call me in the middle of the day and pester me for the remaining of the day that she wanted me to attend this exam?"


    "This was the first time I saw her pester anyone for someone else in her whole 21 years of life. So color me surprised. I originally nned to enjoy my rare day-off but due to this monster, I came. If there wasn''t any good actor like she promised, I would have tied her in ropes and delivered her to her mother."


    "WAIT, WHAT? How could you do this to me, Uncle? You were scheming so many cruel things in your mind." Hea-Jung shouted and interrupted him.


    Of course, once again her rant was ignored as he continued, "But color me surprised. My dumb niece was really true this time. Such a talent you have. That small role with only two parts really show-cased what you have."


    Joon-won looked at Do Hwan in the eye, before nodding and replying, "Thanks for thepliment."


    "Well, after looking at how you act and carry yourself on stage, it almost feels like you are a veteran. Have you acted before?"


    ''Yes, my acting experience is more than your whole life.'' but he couldn''t say that, after all, he looked like a 20-year-old boy.


    So, he shook his head and said, "No. This is the first time I acted on stage. I started acting only aftering to the university, prior to that I had no experience or knowledge." making it clear.


    "Woah, Little brother. You didn''t act before you joined the university? That means the acting skills you show are your learning in one year. Wow, now I can tell everybody I have a super talented brother." Hea-Jung gasped after hearing that while showing a proud expression as if she was his mother. He felt his neck might break at how many times he shook his head at her actions.


    "Yes, it really is surprising to see such a talent these days. Now I am more sure that you will have a bright future. Now, what do you think about the offer I gave to your friend earlier? Of course, there are some changes in terms. I want you to practice in drama houses this entire summer and I will rmend you to the more famous ones in the city. By the end of this month, you will get a chance to join my agency."


    This was a very enticing offer. The man was only asking him to get more experience and then he could directly enter an agency. No first-year university student would get such a good offer if they did not have a nice background. So for people like them who don''t have a background, it was like striking gold.


    But Joon-won had other ns. He didn''t want to join a drama house. He has abundant experience in drama. What he wanted now was a chance to act in a movie as soon as possible. This showed the confidence he had in his decades of experience and skills.


    He shook his head and said, "Although your offer is enticing, especially for a person with no background like me. What I want now is a chance to act in a movie. So, I n to give auditions thising summer and try my luck. Drama houses are great but it''s not a stop I need right now."


    His response shocked everyone in the room. He actually rejected a good offer and just as Hea-Jung was about to convince him, Do Hwan cut in and said, "Boy, you have too much confidence in yourself. The entertainment industry is a jungle and if you can''t back up that confidence you showed, you will drown and never get back up."


    "But, I like your confidence. Your skills are good but that small role you just showed isn''t enough tond you a role in a movie. How about this, I am producing a new film this summer. The casting is almost over but there is still one role left and we are still thinking about it. Do you want to try?"


    **********


    Special thanks to lesewurm for the gift, really appreciate it.

 Chapter 47 - End Of Meeting And System?

    As soon as he said that, it seemed like the surrounding atmosphere froze. Everyone, including Joon-won, was shocked to the core at how easily Do Hwan mentioned giving him a chance in an audition for a new movie that quickly. Joon-won himself was taken back at how quickly he got an opportunity.


    "Wah-wait What? Uncle, what do you mean? I just asked you to look at the talent and give him a small opportunity so he can start. What do you mean by giving an opportunity to audition for that uing movie which has been casting for over two months? Aren''t the staff being very picky about the actors? Don''t push yourself for this opportunity."


    Hea-Jung asked him only to help out Joon-won a little. But this was a big deal, as she knew the movie he was talking about. It was the new 20 million budget movie he was a producer of. As a producer, he has some power, and now he is using that power to give Joon-won an audition. She heard there were multiple A-list actors in the movie and thepany was going big with it.


    Joon-won was also shocked. He didn''t expect the man in front of him to take another step for him and give out such an offer to him. He wanted to act in movies and as a man who had decades of experience on stage; he was confident. As he heard from Hea-Jung''s sudden exmation, it was not a small movie too.


    Even though he was in the world only for a week, he knew the value of 20 million meant in the movie industry. It was rather a big film and getting to act in it would be a great opportunity for himself. He turned towards the man responsible for all these shocks to see him with a smile on his face, still looking at him.


    "What? Shocked? I''m one of the main producers of that movie, so I can suggest an actor or two. Now if I met you 2 months ago, I could have gotten you a role but now all the roles are taken including the small ones, except one. Don''t think you will get that role because yourpetition is an A-listed actor. We are holding the role because he is too demanding. So, do you want to try?"


    Joon-won was excited about this sudden chance and took a deep breath before nodding. Do Hwanughed and said, "Don''t be too nervous. I don''t expect you to beat the A-listed actor, only giving you a chance to see for yourself that you are not yetpletely ready for the big screen. So, well this is the end of this discussion, took a lot of changes from what I originally expected. Let''s go for some lunch. I don''t think you guys had lunch yet, right?" He stood up and straightened his dress before asking everyone in the room.


    "Vice-dean, do you want to go and have lunch with us?" He turned towards the old vice-dean.


    "No, but thank you for asking, Mr. Hwan. I have to still go back and grade the student''s performances as we promised to reveal the scores in only a few hours. You four can continue." Standing up he shook his hands with Do Hwan.


    Joon-won wanted to refuse and was about to speak up, but Hea-Jung was faster as she grabbed his arm and whispered, "Do not be hasty to reject little brother. This is your opportunity to know more about the industry from my uncle. So be quiet." And Joon-won looked at Jung-hwa beside him, making sure she was ok with this before nodding.


    "Well, shall we get going?" Do Hwan asked and all of them made their way out of the room.


    Just as Joon-won stepped out of the room, he heard a sound in his head that stopped him in his tracks.


    *Ding*


    [System, finally activated. Pre-conditions for activation achieved. The Guidance system is ready to guide the host to his stardom.]


    "What?" Joon-won spoke out loud as he looked around. Jung-hwa and Hea-Jung, who were ahead of him, turned around, feeling confused.


    [I suggest the host to not look around like a fool. No one can hear me and we can converse more when you are free. So go ahead and enjoy this lunch.]


    Joon-won waspletely confused as he followed her suggestion and just continued walking with a confused face.


    "What happened, little brother? Are you feeling sick?" Hea-Jung asked as she followed him through the auditorium towards the exit.


    He shook his head and replied, "No. I''m alright. Nothing to worry about, let''s go and have this lunch, I have some important stuff to do after this lunch."


    ''Hey, who are you? Why can only I hear you? Is this some ck magic? I thought there was no ck magic? Hey, can you hear me? Respond. Damn it.'' he thought to himself, hoping the so-called ''Guidance System'' could hear him. But no one responded, and he just continued with the three people out of the auditorium.


    "Well then, both of you cane in Hea-Jung''s car while I''lle on my own. Hea-Jung, let''s go to the Royal Blue. I''m sure your father has a few seats open for us to eat there." Do Hwan said before turning around and walking towards another exit.


    "Wait? Did he just say Royal Blue? But isn''t that an exclusive-only restaurant and if normal people wanted to dine there, there is a reservation line for months away? Why does your father get to have a few seats there?" Jung-hwa''s shock and curiosity overcame her inferior personality, and she asked Hea-Jung.


    "Wow, you really are opening up now. That''s nice. But yeah, it''s mostly an exclusive-only restaurant. But not for the owner''s daughter. My dad owns that one." Feeling proud.


    "But I thought your family owns only a supermarket chain?" Joon-won intervened.

 Chapter 48 - The Drive

    "Oh! Yes, it does. That''s the main business of our family that my father runs. Royal Blue was more of a side project he started because my mom was bored after her retirement from the entertainment industry. So to keep her busy and notze around he started the Royal Blue. That is also why there is only one branch of that hotel even after so many years." She shrugged and said casually, making both their mouths drop a little. Especially Joon-won because he knew the importance of money in the world after he started working for it again.


    "Your parents casually started a world-ss restaurant cause one of them waszing around? I don''t think I will understand the rich mentality in this lifetime." Jung-hwa shook her head. Hea-Jungughed but didn''t respond to that statement. Her family was very rich, and she knew the things people of their status do aren''t particrly normal in the eyes of others.


    They reached the car and both of them sat in the back seat. Hea-Jung noticed this and jokingly said, "Why did you both jump into the backseat so quickly? Am I your driver?" To which Jung-hwa''s timid personality showed itself as she moved to the front.


    Joon-won didn''t move as he simply continued to look outside while feeling the car. It was his first time sitting in one and he thought it was veryfortablepared to the horse-pulled carriages he was used to. It was the same good looking red car he saw her driving a few days ago.


    Hea-Jung started the car and drove out of the campus. She took out her sunsses and wore them before looking at Joon-won through the mirror and asking, "Little brother, why are you so silent? What do you think about these sses I bought recently? Do they suit me?"


    Joon-won was about to think about the system once again but got interrupted before he could. He looked at the mirror reflection and said inly, "Look at the road, not the mirror."


    Sheughed and continued without minding his reply, "You should treat this big sister of yours to a meal. You got a big chance today. Don''t be so petty."


    "I only got an opportunity to audition, not the role itself to give a party. Let''s talk about that after I get a role in a movie and why do you need a party from me? I''m working in a supermarket to earn some small amounts of money. I can''t throw a party you desire."


    "Don''t be like that, little brother. You should enjoy and celebrate all the little steps like this first audition you are taking towards your ultimate goal. And when did I ever say I want a big party? It''s not like I don''t know where you work. Just treat me to a small meal and that will be ok. Big sister isn''t much of a picky eater, so you are lucky."


    "Alright, I''ll give you one before the end of the summer vacation." He finally relented. He started to feel like Hea-Jung was a spoiled child who wouldn''t leave until she got what she wanted.


    "Now, give me your number, little brother. I''ll save it." She whipped out her phone while still driving.


    "Don''t drive with one hand. See how tense Jung-hwa is with your driving. Just give me the phone, I''ll save it for you. Keep both your hands on the steering wheel." He held his hand through the front seats and noticed the quiet Jung-hwa.


    Hea-Jungughed and gave him the phone. Joon-won quickly saved his phone number and gave it back. She took it and dialed his number before saying, "Save mine too."


    It didn''t take them long before they reached the high-ss area of the city. As he looked out, he noticed the high-rises which went into the sky and all the fancy-looking cars driving around. He couldn''t even guess the price tags of each car. He noticed Jung-hwa had her mouth wide open as she also looked out the car.


    As both of them continued to look outside, Hea-Jung shook her head. She was expecting this kind of response from both of them. So she could only shake her head and leave both of them be.


    This scenery was a drastic differencepared to see the area he lived where cars were not as exotic and were very in. Most of the people drove two-wheelers which cost less. He sighed, seeing how the differences in society remain, even in different worlds.


    The poor and rich live worlds apart and there isn''t much anyone can do about it. As a King, he did his utmost best to merge these two contrast worlds as he experienced the pain of being poor and the joy of being rich. But he couldn''t aplish it in his lifetime as he gave up. Some problems were never meant to be dissolved, and that was just how the world was.


    The car came to a stop and both of them snapped out. They were already in front of a fancy building. Joon-won could see a few women wearing the hotel uniform outside.


    Hea-Jung looked at both of them and said, "Alright, let''s get going. Uncle is already inside waiting for us." And got down. Both of them followed and saw her throw the keys at one of the men to park the car.


    Joon-won caught a glimpse of the interior and saw the huge chandelier in the middle of the reception with everyone inside dressed properly. Compared to them, they looked in and out of ce.


    One of the women walked towards Hea-Jung and respectfully said, "Young miss, Mr.Hwan is waiting for your group in the private dining area your father reserved."


    "Alright, let''s get going. Little brother, Jung-hwa stop staring like that. Let''s go." She beckoned them over and walked inside with the female employee, showing them the way.

 Chapter 49 - Lunch

    Joon-won and Jung-hwa followed her as the employee showed them the way towards the elevator. The building was enormous for a restaurant. From what he noticed, it was over 5 floors. The lobby was grand and Jung-hwa stuck close to him after seeing all the rich people there. The scene overwhelmed her. But he wasn''t. He saw grander things, so this was a baby ride for him.


    As they got into the elevator, he finally knew the building was 8 floors and it seemed like they were going to the 7th floor. Joon-won looked at Hea-Jung and asked, "Is Mr. Hwan your mother''s brother?"


    Hea-Jung seemed surprised as she answered, "No, he isn''t. He worked under my mother back when she was still working in the industry. So he learned a lot from her and she treats him like a younger brother. That is why I call him uncle. Hispany''s initial finance also came from my mother because he didn''t have enough at that time." Joon-won nodded hearing her and remained silent.


    The elevator stopped, and they walked into a hallway. It seemed like they were private rooms on both sides for people to eat. They walked till the end and the employee stopped in front of their room.


    "Maam, Mr.Hwan is waiting for you inside." opening the door for them. Hea-Jung dismissed her and the three went inside. It was a simple room with an open view of the outside. Mr. Hwan was already in his seat and asked them to the same.


    Everyone took a seat. Do Hwan was sitting at the head of the small dining table meant for six. Joon-won and Jung-hwa sat on the same side, while Hea-Jung sat opposite Joon-won.


    "Well, I ordered the food for you guys while I was waiting. If you guys want to order something just go ahead." And a butler from behind handed one menu book for each. Joon-won and Jung-hwa didn''t bother touching it, as they didn''t know what was good and what was not. On the other hand, Hea-Jung didn''t hold back as she ordered her favorite dishes.


    Joon-won was excited to try new food. It was one of his hobbies, after all. Eating new food was always pleasurable for him. Jung-hwa kept looking down the whole time. Her inner timid personality was out.


    "Well, as we wait for the food toe, tell me a bit more about yourselves. Like where do you guyse from and such." Do Hwan was the first to break the silence as he looked at the two young talents on the side.


    "There isn''t much to know. We bothe from the same town to study, acting like many people. I am more interested in how your agency works. Do you produce every movie for the actors under yourpany?" Joon-won answered briefly before asking his own question. He wanted to know more about how the agency system works.


    "No, of course not. I won''t be able to produce every film of all the actors in thepany. That''s absurd. Both thepanies are different. My Productionpany is called Glorious Productions and the agencypany is called Star Agency."


    "The Agency is rather simple. We have scouts who keep an eye out for any new actors and give them an offer to train and potentially get a role in a movie through the agency. The new actors who get a chance to train give auditions through thepany''swork and get roles if they are good enough. Now I would have asked you to be a trainee too, but both of you are going to one of the best drama schools and your acting is good. That is why my suggestion was different for both of you."


    "Many producers look for agencies to contact the actors and fill roles in movies. It''s easier that way. So the agency is a good pathway for producers to meet actors. This is also why many neers try to get into an agency. They can get roles easier this way." Do Hwan finished exining as the food finally arrived.


    "Finally, the food is here. Both of you stop talking about acting and start eating." Hea-Jung eximed as people came in with trays of food in their hands. Joon-won could smell the fragrance from each te and felt his stomach rumble a bit.


    All three of them started eating and Joon-won loved the various dishes. He started to love the world''s cuisine more after having a good meal. He made his goal to get richer and eat that kind of food often.


    As they finished eating the food and people took away the tes, he waspletely satisfied and the same could be said to Jung-hwa, who had an infatuated expression. Do Hwan took out a card from his pocket and gave it to Joon-won.


    "Here, this is my productionpany card, and it also has my phone number on it. I already discussed with the Director and he agreed to take one audition for me on Thursday evening at 3. So you can go to thepany tomorrow and ask for my secretary at the reception desk. He will give you a sample script for you to practice."


    Joon-won nodded and took the card from him before cing it in his pocket. Do Hwan turned towards Jung-hwa and continued, "I called up a drama house as I promised you and gave your information. They epted to give you a chance this summer to train with them. This is their name and address. You can go there after 10 days to start working on your skills. Don''t waste the opportunity." He took out another piece of paper and slid it towards Jung-hwa, who caught it and held it tightly.


    She hurriedly bowed and thanked him once again for the opportunity.


    "Alright, that''s the end of lunch. I still have some work to do. Are you guys nning something to do after this?" he turned towards Hea-Jung.


    She shook her head and replied, "No, I''ll drop these both back at the university before going back home."

 Chapter 50 - The Result

    As the three walked out of the restaurant, Hea-Jung received her keys and stepped into the car, along with the other two. They made their way through the city, and the car stopped before the university gates. Joon-won and Jung-hwa quickly got off and Hea-Jung drove off.


    Joon-won looked at the time and said to Jung-hwa, "Let''s go, the results might be out. Let''s leave after checking those." To which she agreed, and both made their way towards their ss. The results would be posted on the ss notice board.


    As both of them walked, Joon-won noticed Jung-hwa beingpletely silent, which was very weird. He turned and noticed her thoughtful expression. He waved his hands in front of her, but got no response.


    Shaking her a bit, he asked, "What are you thinking so hard about?"


    "You know what. Hit me. Listen to me and hit.." before she stopped and gripped her head from the pain.


    "You don''t need to tell me twice. Now, why did you want to be hit?" As he rubbed his hand. He chopped her head before she couldplete her sentence as she asked for it.


    "Ugh, you have no feelings. How could you hit a girl like that? You didn''t even ask me what was wrong. You should be a robot." She groaned and rubbed her head a little more. She thought the guy would at least be a bit thoughtful and ask why she asked him to hit her but he didn''t care and didn''t even allow herself toplete her sentence, she was regretting asking him.


    Joon-won looked at her like an idiot. It was she who asked him to hit her and now she wasining that he did. He couldn''t help but think that he would never understand girls properly even after experiencing one whole life.


    "Alright, I didn''t even hit that hard. The pain will go away. Now tell me, what were you thinking so hard about, that you wanted to be hit." He quickly changed the subject.


    And Jung-hwa fell for it as she forgot the pain and said, "I thought this was all a dream. This past week was so magical and things turned out to be so different. My original aim was to get into the Star Batch and that was what I was aiming at the whole year, but now I have an offer to join an agency in my hands. It''s so surreal. I would never have thought that this chance woulde to me." As she rubbed her pocket, in which was the paper Do Hwan gave her.


    "Well, you are not hallucinating at all. It''s all real, and you got this chance with your own hard work. So just try to keep improving so that you will prove your worth and get into that agency." Making her nod.


    They finally reached the ssroom and opened the door to see everyone standing in front of the notice board. All of them seemed shocked and murmuring to each other until one of them noticed theme in.


    "Cheo Jung-hwa is here." Pointing at her. Joon-won silently went to the side when he saw her friends rushing towards her. He didn''t know what was going on and didn''t want to get too involved in it.


    "Jung-hwa you got the first rank in the test."


    "Give us a party tonight."


    "How did you do it, Jung-hwa?"


    As her friends bombarded her with questions, she got more confused. She asked them what was going on and it seemed like she got the first rank in the final exam, even above Hyeong Myung. Her eyes went wide, as she wasn''t expecting that result.


    Joon-won slowly went to the notice board and checked for his own ranking. He found it right in the middle. He was 20th and after taking a look he turned around, not caring about it much. The rank didn''t matter to him. The drama was important because it was his first after being reborn into the new body and it was after a very long time.


    He quickly noticed both Hyeong Myung and Roh Ji didn''t have nice expressions and that Roh Ji was almost about to blow off. He didn''t want to deal with it, so he quietly walked out before texting Jung-hwa that it would be better if she did the same. As he walked out of the building, he heard footsteps behind and noticed it was Jung-hwa running.


    She stopped next to him and said while gasping for more air, "You should have told me there instead of texting me. That Roh Ji was almost about to start her rant before I came out here. If I didn''t see your text I would have been caught in her anger again."


    He nodded and continued to walk again before asking, "So, are you going back tomorrow?"


    She nodded and replied, "Yes, I will be going back tomorrow and you still didn''t tell me what you want me to do?"


    "I''ll tell you when I need your help. So when are you going toe back now that you have the chance to work in the drama house"


    "Well, originally my n was to stay at home for two weeks ande back here before trying out some auditions like you are going to. But now Mr. Dwan gave me this chance, and he also told me that I might need to report there next Monday, so I''lle back by Sunday."


    The university gave everyone 2 months'' holidays and had them report back by the 1st of June for their next year. So everyone had many ns on how to spend the summer, unlike them.


    "Oh, are you still going to the Star Batch? You did get the first rank, after all, they will give you a chance for sure."


    She shook her head and said, "No, I''ll remain in the normal batch and improve through the drama house and the various drama assignments they will give next year. The Star batch doesn''t seem that appealing anymore."


    He nodded, and both of them went their separate ways. He reached home quickly and sat on the sofa before calling out for the system once again.

 Chapter 51 - Guidance System

    [Why are you in a hurry? I''m not going anywhere. I mean, after all, I am in you.]


    As soon as he called out the system a slightly irritated voice resonated in his mind. Joon-won wondered where this system got its attitude from after hearing it.


    [What? Do you have a problem if I have an attitude? I''m not like those cheap prototype systems which are mechanical ves to their owners and only have basic functions to make their owners stupidly strong. I got none of the stupid features. And don''t think you can hide anything from me. I can even read your thoughts.]


    Hearing a sneer from the system and its dissing other systems was weird for Joon-won. He didn''t even know what this so-called system was and now it was talking about other systems.


    "Well then tell me about yourself. What are you? And why are you inside my head? Is this ck magic?" He thought it was ck and forbidden magic from his old world and was concerned but also puzzled because he thought magic couldn''t exist in this world.


    [Well, my name is Guidance System. My primary task or you could say my feature is to guide my user which is you. I give out suggestions and show you the path you can take when you are puzzled. I''m mainly here for you to reach your goal which is obviously bing a famous actor by your memories.]


    Joon-won finally understood what it was after its basic introduction. This system was there inside him to guide him towards his goal by giving suggestions. This was something valuable once he thought about it. He was in a new world and knew nothing about it. Something like the guidance system was good and helpful in his journey, which was bound to be shaky for him.


    "Well now for the rest of my questions, How did you get inside my brain? And what do you mean by other systems? Does that mean there are other people out there with systems too?"


    [How did I get inside your brain? Hmm, it might have been a god who granted that soul''s wish to give you a good life after you died. Yeah, it was that woman''s soul. When God asked her if she wanted to reincarnate she chose to give you a system and a chance to live the life you always wanted instead of herself living another life.]


    "Woman? What woman?"


    [Your wife. What was her name again? Zen..]


    "Zen Quin. She did that? But why?" Joon-won sat in a daze as he heard the system tell him how he got the system. It was his wife. She chose to give him this power and life instead of using it to live another life.


    [Hey, what are you getting so emotional about? Knowing God, he might have reincarnated anyway. So who knows, she might be in this world?]


    "What? Where? How can I find her?" He instantly woke up with hope in his eyes. He wanted to meet his wife, the wife he understood and loved toote. He if had a chance he would give everything he had to her.


    [Woah! Don''t get too hyped. I only said there was a chance, it''s not certain. Who knows if your wife even knows all her past memories to remember you? So leave it up to fate and who knows if you are lucky you might meet her.]


    This instantly popped all the energy he had as heid on the couch.


    [Well, now that this all is out of the way, let''s continue with your questions. There are other ''systems'' but are mostly prototypes that were made for god''s amusement. All of them were a failure not giving god any entertainment because their users would be too powerful and dumb. So I am aplete product. Those were simple brainless systems, while I am different. I learn from your surroundings and improve myself. That''s also why I have these emotions. I was waiting for you toplete the hidden mission and got bored. So I observed and learned more about humans.] It responded with some pride.


    [Now about other system users. Hmm, there shouldn''t be any other users in this world. It''s a pretty basic world with no power in it. So it wouldn''t handle another system user. There are limits to worlds,- after all. If it was your old world, there would have been many because its limit is more.]


    Joon-won felt a bit relieved when he heard that and digested all the information he just received from the system. The system seemed like a human living inside of him, it has characteristics of human feelings like irritation and pride too.


    "Now the main question, do you really read my thoughts and stuff? Because if you can, I might like to turn off that feature." He felt really ufortable that this system could read his thoughts, too. He didn''t like someone else even if it was the system to know what he is even thinking about.


    [Hahaha, of course not. I can not believe you actually thought I could. Of Course, I can not. I only predicted what your reaction and thoughts might be and answered them. I mean I did see a lot of reactions when the prototypes were used. So it''s easy to guess. God didn''t make me be a stalker and creep you out.]


    Joon-won instantly felt relieved when he heard its answer. He felt as if he was free again. He leaned back and didn''t talk for a while. He was thinking about how the past week was, from being reborn to getting to act again to gaining a system. It was a rollercoaster ride.


    He grinned slightly and asked, "So now, system, what next? Do you have any suggestions for me?"

 Chapter 52 - Party

    [Well let''s first start with the audition you haveing up then. Based on the movies you saw and the acting of that Heavenly king Dongbang Jea, you are far from being the best at acting even after your past life. Especially now, because you haven''t even regained your former touch in acting and you were only able to shine in that drama today because of the small role and the rest of the actors being horrible.]


    Hearing its suggestion, he couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow because most of it was true. He was only able to shine because of the small role and the rest of the students being terrible at acting. But he felt like his acting was normal again, but this system is telling it isn''t.


    "Well, so you are saying that this audition is going to be tough for me?"


    [Yes, I do think there is more of a chance of them rejecting you. I mean think about it. You have only ever acted in dramas or live ys and never ever heard of movies till recently. So even if you were able to bring out your best in that audition, they might not choose you over an A-listed actor in a 20 million dor movie. It will be tough.]


    [But I don''t think you need to be let down because of my spection. My predictions aren''t yet that urate. I mean, humans are very weird, so who knows you might get selected. But this is also a nice measurement scale for you at the present moment. You will get a grasp of the industry standards and can improve from there.]


    Joon-won kept nodding as he heard its exnation. Even though he was extremely confident in his own acting, it didn''t mean others would find his acting good enough, especially when he is up against an already established movie star.


    "Well, for now, let''s do our best and see how things roll out." Coming to a conclusion after a long talk with the system, he felt hungry.


    As he stood up, his phone rang, and it was the supermarket''s owner. Taking the call, he heard Gim Da on the other side.


    "Joon-won, your acting was fantastic today. You are really good at it. Did you pass the test?"


    "Yes, manager, I did pass the exam. And how do you know about my acting? Did you guyse to the exam?"


    "Yes, we dide to the exam, me, Seonu, Gah Soo, and even Eum Kyung came cause he wanted to see how good you are. We all are surprised by your acting. Anyway, now that you passed let''s have a party, don''t worry, I''m going to give it. Soe to the store in 10 minutes." And the call got cut. Joon-won looked at the phone before going to his room and changing his clothes.


    After 2 minutes he came out of the house wearing a hoodie and pair of shorts. He quickly made his way towards the supermarket and saw a few people already waiting for him before the shop. It was Gim Da and the rest. Seonu was the first to notice him and started waving his hand. The high school kid couldn''t wait to go out and eat.


    "Ah, you are finally here. We were getting bored waiting for you."


    "Your acting was fun, I enjoyed it."


    "Senior, your University is so big. Too bad I''m not into arts."


    The first to speak was Gah Soo, followed by Eum Kyung and Seonu Hwan. He nodded and gave a short reply to all three of them before turning towards Gim Da, who was going to give the party.


    "Well, then now that you are here let''s go and have dinner. There is a good barbecue ce nearby, we can have some beer and meat. No beer for you, Seonu." He turned around and started walking after shutting down the high schooler''s sudden enthusiasm.


    As the rest followed him on the street, Joon-won received a text and took out his phone. It was about his bank ount getting credited with 25000 Kros. Seeing the message he knew it was from Jung-hwa, he expected to receive it after she goes back to town tomorrow, but the girl just had toplete it.


    He sent her a quick text thanking her before keeping the phone back inside the pocket and turned to Gim Da.


    "Boss, why don''t I give the party tonight. I have money on me tonight." He didn''t want to be a burden and now that he got the money from Jung-hwa, he could pay for it.


    Gim Da didn''t even bother to turn his head around when he heard him and waved his hand before replying, "Don''t talk about it. I already decided to give a party to celebrate your acting. Save yourself some money, you are still young. You can give us a party when yound a role."


    Joon-won could only give up after gettingpletely ignored a couple more tries. They finally reached a small restaurant, and Gim Da turned around.


    "This is the ce I have been talking about. Don''t judge it by how it looks now. I ate here even in middle school and high school. It''s a family-run business, and it''s been going on for 3 generations. Right now the owner is my friend who I used to go to school with." and went in.


    The rest looked at each other before shrugging and following the man in. The boss was paying and he said this ce was good, so they had o trust him at least a little bit.


    The shop was rtively small, with a few tables and chairs. The boss was already at the counter ordering some beef while chatting with another middle-aged man who was wearing an apron.

 Chapter 53 - End Of A Busy Day

    "The guy I was talking to earlier is my friend who runs this ce along with his wife now." Gim Da exined as they sat at a table. Joon-won looked around and saw the small ce was quickly filled with people eating meat over some drinks. Most of them looked like office workers who just got out.


    It didn''t take long for the food toe. The owner set the grill which was in the middle of their table, and then provided them with cuts of meat to eat. Gim Da, who was the most experienced among them all took the initiative to grill the meat while they waited.


    As Gim Da was cooking the meat, Joon-won asked Seonu who sat beside him, "Who is taking care of the store if you and the boss are here?" It was generally Seonu who worked at this timing and the boss would be there most of the day.


    "Oh, I didn''t go to work today. I generally don''t go on weekends too like you, because I go to a prep school to prepare for exams which are this summer. I came here right after my prep ss waspleted. So the store has another employee and the Boss''s wife is looking over the ce in his ce now."


    Joon-won nodded and thought about his sister when he heard Seonu say about exams. Both were of the same age and need to attend a national exam for University spots. One of them was going to prep school, while the other doesn''t go home and brings worry to her parents. He decided to ask Jung-hwa tomorrow if she can check on her after she reaches the town.


    Even though he really doesn''t know them, he feels responsible for her. This was Joon-won''s memories and feelings slowly mixing with the ones of Zen Su. He didn''t even notice that his decisions and thinking is slowly changing as both memories are stabilizing.


    The dinner went smoothly as he talked with Eum Kyung about his book as he finished it and gave him some feedback as a reader. They all separated after a full meal as he walked back home, but stopped in front of the building. He didn''t go in and just started to walk towards the park. He wanted to digest some of that meat.


    He took a slow walk towards the park while looking around. There were quite some people on the streets as it was a Sunday. A few high schoolers were with their skateboards and in gangs. A few couples here and there. The street was not as deserted as it was normally was. The area he lived in wasn''t the best ce, as he could see a few hooligans selling drugs here and there.


    He finally reached the park and sat down after searching for a bench a long time because of all of the sudden couples. His phone started ringing, and he checked to see it was Kim Min-seok, probably about his exams result.


    He picked it up and heard an anxious voice on the other side. "How did the exam go, Joon-won? It''s ok if you fail, I won''t be angry." And assured him before he could even respond.


    "Dad, calm down a bit. Take a few breaths. Why do you think I will fail? I did well and passed. I was in the middle ranks of the ss. Everything went well." He assured him.


    Min-Seok was instantly energized when he heard he passed and said, "hahaha, that is wonderful Joon-won. It''s great that you passed. Dad is proud of you. Now, where are you? You should go out and have a party with your friends to celebrate the moment. Should I transfer some money to you?"


    Joon-won sighed at how the man was always worried about how much money he had. This could only be because the speed at which the old Joon-won spent was that quick, making the old man worried.


    "No, it''s alright. I already had a little party, I''m in a park right now resting. What are you doing? Is Yun-hee home?"


    "Ugh, don''t remind me about that child. She came back verytest night, didn''t even bother telling me where she was all that time. Today she woke up at 11 and went out rushing and didn''te until now. I am very concerned about her after all the exams are only 3 weeks away. I don''t know what to do about her." His voice instantly fell after mentioning Yun-hee. His voice was full of helplessness.


    Joon-won felt bad for him as he heard his worries. He was a father, after all, and could feel his helplessness. He encountered something simr to his 2nd son, who lived life leisurely because his brother was the crown prince. That made him worried about how he would turn out.


    But it was solved when his wife gave him a harsh beating in front of everyone one day because his activities were going too far. After that day, he slowly changed and studied martial arts better to be a warrior like his mother. It was also he who cried and grieved the most when she died.


    "Don''t worry about it, dad. She is in her teenage years. Teenagers are generally more secretive and rebellious about things. I''m sure she will fix herself in these uing days." Heforted Min-seok.


    ''If she doesn''t, even after asking Jung-hwa''s help, I''ll have to go there and fix her.''


    "Hahaha, it''s reassuring hearing it from you even though you are also still 19 and in your teenage years. It looks like you matured a bit after going there. Let''s hope what you said was true and she will get her life together."


    Joon-won was only a year older than his sister and was still 19, but was very old inside. They continued to talk for a bit before Joon-won made his way back and jumped on the bed after a busy day as he still had work the next day.


    [He doesn''t even notice how his personality is changing because of the old owner''s memories. He isn''t someone who thinks much about others, but today he is concerned about his ''sister and father''. Well, everything is for the better.] The system murmured to itself and no one heard it.

 Chapter 54 - Morning Routine

    The next day went smoothly as Joon-won woke up and went for his jog before taking a quick bath. He slowly ate some cereal with milk while thinking about the things he had to do. After the shift, he needed to go to Do Hwan''s productionpany and get his audition script. Do Hwan mentioned he needed to learn a two-page script from which they could ask any part for him to perform.


    The script they would give him wasn''t part of the original movie script but a random practice script they made for auditions.


    After getting the script, he woulde back and start preparing for it. It was Monday and Do Hwan told him that he needed to give an audition on Wednesday itself because they were only free at that time. So he had only 2 days at max to prepare for the audition.


    Thinking of all that, he noticed it was almost time and quickly washed the bowl before making his way out of the house. As he made his way towards the store while listening to some music, he heard his phone notification sound. He checked and saw it was a text from Hea-Jung.


    [When are you going to thepany for the script?]


    He looked at the message for a few seconds before deciding to ignore it. He didn''t have the energy to deal with her. He could guess why she asked that question. She might want toe along with him for amusement, and he didn''t want that to happen. As he ignored it a few messages kepting, but he didn''t even bother to check them and turned the notification soundpletely.


    He reached the store and saw Eum Kyung sitting on the counter, scrolling through his phone. Greeting him, he made his way back and changed into the uniform.


    As he sat beside him, he could see the tiredness in his eyes and knew he was tired from the party the previous night and the drinks he had with the owner. His shift was very early, so he probably didn''t have enough time to get over it.


    He didn''t have many drinks. He never liked the taste of alcohol and would only drink wine at most if he was in the mood for it. But there was only beer yesterday, and he only drank a few sips because Gim Da forced him to.


    Both of them continued to work in silence as Joon-won didn''t want to disturb the poor man, who probably wanted some sleep. The 30 minutes went quickly as Gah Soo walked in, and Eum Kyung quickly took his leave.


    Time quickly passed by as both of them continued to work while having some small chat. Gah Soo still had her sses, as the Financial Management course was longer than acting. Her sses would still go on for another 2 weeks before they had to go for an internship thest year to earn experience.


    In the quiet store, both were having some small talk to pass the time when the door opened and Hea-Jung marched in like a demoness. She noticed Joon-won behind the counter and said, "Why didn''t you reply after the first message? You do know that I can see if you saw my message or not right? You didn''t even bother to look at the other messages."


    The way she told her thoughts could be easily misunderstood, and Gah Soo misunderstood. She wanted to quietly walk away and give both of them some space as she thought it was something personal.


    Joon-won noticed this and said to Hea-Jung who doesn''t have any awareness, "Quiet down and once think before you talk. The way you told now could cause many misunderstandings."


    Hea-Jung paused for a second when he heard him and thought back to what she said before replying, "Don''t have the brain of a monkey. Do boys always have such an idiotic brain?"


    Joon-won raised an eyebrow after hearing her but didn''t bother to correct her that it wasn''t he who misunderstood. He sighed and asked, "Anyway, why are you here? About the message this morning?"


    Hea-Jung didn''t bother replying as she just nodded while folding her arms and look down on him. Joon-won didn''t bother standing up from the chair and said, "I know what you would ask if I told you when I will be going there. So I didn''t bother replying. I want to go alone and if youe with me it''s too much attention towards us."


    "Well, you clearly forgot I know where you work. Now that I am here I''ll wait till you go there." And took a seat behind the counter.


    "Why do you even want toe? It won''t be any fun for you, anyway. Don''t you have any other work to do? If you don''t then go give some auditions or improve your acting, after all, you are still majoring in acting."


    She looked at him with her head held high and said, "What audition? I don''t need to audition, I am in a film and the shooting will also start soon." Revealing a secret without noticing.


    This took Joon-won back. He never saw her acting and even though people shouldn''t be judged by looks, it was still surprising for him. He never thought that she already had a film to act in.


    "Wait. You are in a film?"


    As he asked her, it dawned on her what she just spoke, and loomed around to see if anyone else was there. Gah Soo was far away from them, fixing a few shelves, and she whispered to Joon-won, "Little brother do not tell anyone about this. I wasn''t supposed to tell anyone that I am in a movie."


    This took him back once again, and he looked her up and down. He wondered which maniac took a chance with her in a film.


    "Alright, I won''t tell anyone. Now tell me which movie you are going to act in?"

 Chapter 55 - Hea-Jungs Movie And Script

    "Oh, it''s a small movie, and I managed to snatch one of the major roles in it. The Leads are both only B-listed actors. My schedule will start in about 2 weeks and I might be busy for the next 3-4 months." Her tone was full of pride. She was really proud of this opportunity.


    Joon-won''s eyes went wide upon hearing her. He only knew her for a few days and from what he saw her so far, she wasn''t the type to lie. So this must be true. She was really acting in a movie.


    "How did you get the role?"


    "Oh that. I participated in an open audition, I didn''t tell anyone that I was doing it and just did it cause I was bored. But the director liked what he saw when I did the part and immediately hired me. I even signed the contractst week. This would be my debut in the industry. Be sure to watch the movie."


    He nodded and went silent. It seemed like this girl really had talent even though she ispletely aloof the entire time and has a very stubborn and irritating personality.


    "So, until my shooting starts in 2 weeks, I am mostly free. That is why I''m hanging out with you. I''m not just some busybody you know." She huffed and exined to him. She was really bored in the morning and had no ns that got her excited. Then she remembered he will be going to thepany and decided to tag along.


    "Don''t you have some other friends in your circle? I''m sure all of them will be doing something good, especially now that it''s mostly holidays. And do you not have to practice for the role you got? You shouldn''t waste time on your debut film." As he immediately went into a lecturing tone as his old age showed itself.


    Hearing him, Hea-Jung couldn''t take it and closed her ears before humming. After a few seconds, she looked at him and said, "Why are you nagging me like my dad? Sometimes you really act out of your age mentality. And what friends? Let me tell you every single 2nd generation child is an idiot. They only care about how they look in front of others. Too fake for my taste."


    He shook his head and ignored her as he continued to do his work. Time quickly went by and it was already almost time for his shift to end. Hea-Jung really stayed there the whole time. Gim Da was shocked and almost passed out to see her sitting behind the counter when he came.


    After the time was up, he quickly changed back into his regr clothes and walked out with Hea-Jung. He noticed the red car outside and Hea-Jung waved her hand, asking him to hop in. He agreed as he didn''t even know where thispany was. If she wasn''t there, he would have to go around asking where it was, and that was a big task.


    "Do you want to go and eat first or after we get that script?" As she turned on the car.


    "Let''s get the script first and we will talk about the foodter." He wanted to get that script in his hands as quickly as possible.


    "Alright then, hold on tight." She wore her sunsses with a grin and stepped on the elerator.


    A red car zoomed through the city and didn''t stop until it reached its destination. Joon-won looked at her with a weird look. Throughout the journey, they didn''t encounter even one red traffic light. Both got down before thepany''s entrance and a person quickly came out after noticing the car.


    Hea-Jung passed the keys to him to park and went inside with Joon-won. They went straight to the reception desk. Joon-won noticed the huge sign ''Glorious Production'' behind the reception desk. The lobby room itself looked very fancy. Many people were sitting at the side, some with anxious expressions while others looked like they had all the confidence in the world.


    "I came to meet Uncle Hwan. My name is Seo Hea-Jung. Is he in?" as she leaned over the desk, Hea-Jung asked the receptionist.


    The receptionist took thendline on her desk and dialed a number before asking about Hea-Jung. Her expression changed a little during the call before she ended the call and looked at Hea-Jung, a bit nervously.


    "Miss Seo, the president isn''t avable today. But his secretary is avable and ising down to receive you right now."


    Hea-Jung nodded before leaning back and waiting for the secretary toe down. Joon-won looked at her and asked in a low voice, " Did you nevere here?" after seeing how she introduced herself and how the receptionist didn''t know who she was.


    Hea-Jung shook her and replied, "Not really. I didn''t have any work in this productionpany of Uncle Hwan. I go to the agencypany more to y with a few actresses I know there." she shrugged. She didn''t have any business here because she was still not an actor and if she was, she would probablye to talk business.


    They only had to wait a few minutes before they saw a figure rushing out of the elevator towards them. The man was thin, looked young, but his hairline receded quite a lot and there were already a few gray hairs too. He looked exhausted but had a smile when he came up to Hea-Jung.


    "Miss Seo, you should have called and I would have told the president you wereing today. Is there anything I could do for you?"


    "Yes, I forgot to call uncle Hwan beforeing. Well, it''s alright even if he wasn''t here. This is Joon-won. Yesterday my uncle told him toe and take a script for an audition. Do you have it by any chance?"

 Chapter 56 - Getting The Script And Shady Lunch

    The Secretary finally noticed the man standing beside Hea-Jung and eximed, "Oh, so it''s this young man who the president told me about this morning before he went out. Right, he did tell me to provide you with a script for the audition. Let me make a call and ask for it." He turned around and made a call for the script.


    "See, it''s this easy. If I wasn''t here, you would probably have to wait for a long time." She turned around and threw a cheeky smile towards Joon-won. He simply nodded and didn''t respond to her gloating.


    The guy turned around as the call ended and said, "The script will be here soon. Miss. Seo, you should have given me a call instead ofing here. I would have sent someone to bring you guys the script." He tried to tter her. Hea-Jung came from a big family with a lot of connections. So Joon-won found it understandable that he would try to tter her.


    Hea-Jung, on the other hand, didn''t even bother to respond to the guy''s ttery. She had an expressionless face and simply stayed silent. The guy didn''t seem to mind as he continued to tter her.


    It didn''t take long for another young man toe out running from the elevator with some papers in his hands. He went to the secretary and handed him the papers. The secretary took it and passed it to Joon-won with a smile.


    "Here is your script, young man. Looks like the president caught a new talent. I can see you will go very far in this industry. You can contact me if you have any problems."


    Joon-won grimaced as he felt the man changed his target to him. The guy didn''t even give him a business card, but he told him to contact him. He couldn''t be more fake about his intentions than that.


    "Now that the script is here, let''s get going. I''m hungry." Hea-Nung turned and said before walking towards the exit. Joon-won gave a nod to the secretary before following behind her.


    As the two walked away, the young man beside the secretary asked, "Boss, who were those people that you came all the way down in a hurry?" The receptionist also leaned towards them a little, as she was also curious.


    When she called him earlier to inform him that people were asking for the president, she heard a loud, surprised voice from the other side before him speaking very anxiously. He never heard him like that, as he was a very proud man.


    "She is someone even the president shows a level of respect to. The president was able to establish thispany only because of her parent''s help. Don''t go around talking about this stuff with anyone and forget about what happened today." He warned the young man at the end before walking back towards the elevator.


    Meanwhile, Joon-won was ready in the car about to open the script. The first page only had two words ''For Audition'' in bold letters. As he was about to turn over the page, it was snatched away from his hand. He turned to the side and saw Hea-Jung driving with one hand while putting the script away with the other.


    "Don''t read the script in the car. How can you have your eyes on that paper when there is such a beautiful girl next to you? You can read it after going home. Now tell me where shall we have lunch?"


    Joon-won was bbergasted when he heard her narcissistic remarks. He didn''t even ask her for the script back, because that would only make her more stubborn. He just looked out of the window and said, "I don''t care where, but not in a fancy restaurant. Let''s go somewhere less sophisticated."


    Even though he loved the food in the fancy restaurant the day before, he hated how sophisticated it was, with many people around him and peopleing and going out with dishes in their hands. He liked a simple restaurant better than that. There were too many options there, and he was the kind of person who preferred fewer options, which makes it simpler to order food, especially when he doesn''t know most of the food on the menu.


    "Alright then, I know just the ce. I go there now and then, it''s small but the old grandma there cooks some of the best food I ate. The ce is also quiet, and not sophisticated." And continued driving after determining the destination.


    The car stopped after a few minutes at the end of a street. Hea-Jung stopped it to the side and got down. Joon-won looked around and noticed there weren''t any restaurants around.


    "Come, let''s go. The ce is in this alleyway." He saw her waving her hand and going inside an alleyway.


    Seeing her asking him to go inside an alleyway made the situation very weird, and he was alert. He slowly followed her, and she stopped at the end of the alleyway before a small restaurant. There wasn''t even a proper signboard for the shop, and this made him doubt how she found this ce.


    Hea-Jung opened the door and went inside while shouting, "Hey Grandma, I''m here again. I brought a friend with me this time. Get us both two fried rice with a few sides."


    Joon-won noticed most of the shop was empty, only a few people were present, having their food in silence. The whole shop only had 3 tables with 4 chairs for each table.


    "Oh, youngdy, you are here this week, too. You brought a friend too. Nice,e in, I''ll quickly get you your food. Go ahead and sit." An old voice came from the other side of the cooking station and Joon-won finally noticed the old woman.


    Hea-Jung nodded and sat at a table while waving her hand towards Joon-won. Joon-won sat and asked, "How did you even find this ce?"

 Chapter 57 - Old Lady

    "Well, it all started when my car almost ran over the poor grandma. Then we¡­" She started exining but was quickly cut off by Joon-won who had a shocked expression after hearing her first sentence.


    "Wait, a minute. Don''t just continue after saying you almost ran over the olddy there. What do you mean by almost running your car over? It''s a miracle that you aren''t in jail right now and why are you making it sound as if it''s something simple?" He was shocked at how casual she was when she told him that. That wasn''t something to be casual about.


    "Well, it''s really nothing. Nothing happened except me hitting my brakes when thatdy jumped in front of my car to die. If I didn''t m my breaks in time, I would have been in jail. That old woman wanted to die, and she found my car for it out of all the ones at that time. I was so angry at that moment."


    Joon-won was taken back at the sudden revtion of things. He thought of another scenario that made Hea-Jung look like a viin. He looked at the old woman who had a small smile on her face as she was holding a wok and cooking their food and would have never thought that the same woman wanted to jump in front of a vehicle to die.


    "What''s with that look on your face? Did you think of something else in that head of yours when I said I almost ran over a woman? Hmph! You look at me like an idiot but who is one now." As if she could read his thoughts, he caught him by a rope.


    Before he could respond to her sarcasticments and try to redeem himself, she continued, "Anyway, I almostshed out at the woman for her actions, but when I got down, the poordy fainted. I panicked, thinking she was dead, and brought her to a nearby hospital. After a few tests, the doctor just told her she was tired, and she didn''t eat for quite a while."


    "So after she woke up from the hospital, I asked her why she did something like that and she told me her story. At that time she lost her son and daughter-inw in a car crash. The insurancepany at that time didn''t give her the money by stating non-sense reasons and fooling her."


    "Life didn''t stop posing more problems to her after that. The loan their family took for opening their restaurant came knocking at the door. She was about to lose the restaurant her husband, who passed away already, and her son set up. She couldn''t see it being taken and decided to take her life."


    Joon-won couldn''t help but shake his head a little as he heard what the old woman had to go through. People at their age deserved rest and happiness, after all, they go through, but to face problems at times like that was not fair.


    He couldn''t help but look at Hea-Jung in a new light. The girl was a narcissistic irritating idiot, but she had something many people these days didn''t have. That was the willingness to help others. He can''t deny the fact that she helped him by introducing her uncle. Now he heard she helped the olddy.


    ''If only she could be less cheeky and more mature for her age. She would be a nice person to be around.''


    "Then? What happened after that?"


    "Nothing happened after that. I wanted to help out the olddy, so I paid off her loan and asked my dad to provide supplies for this restaurant at lower rates. After that, the olddy started running the shop by herself. I tried her cooking once, and her fried rice is very good. So Ie here once a week or so to eat it. Today it happened to be with you. That''s the end of my fabulous story. Now praise me." Holding her head up high, waiting for some praises from her little junior.


    Joon-won couldn''t care less about her thoughts as he waited for the food and he didn''t have to wait long as it arrived quickly. The old woman ced the food on the table and said, "Well, have some food, youngdy. You were talking all this while. Hope you like the food, child." She turned to him at the end with a smile and walked back to attend to the other customers.


    He couldn''t help but smile when he heard her call him a child. He was anything but a child inside. He epted the te and slowly ate some chicken fried rice along with the few sides they got. The food was really good and he could understand why someone like Hea-Jung woulde to eat here.


    Both of them slowly had the fried rice before Joon-won walked up to the old woman and took out his purse to pay. He didn''t want Hea-Jung to pay.


    "Little brother let me pay. I brought you here." As she took out her own purse to pay. Joon-won just pushed her purse back and asked the old woman, "How much was it?"


    "Oh, both of you don''t need to pay." She hurriedly denied him.


    "No we both ate, so tell how much?" He insisted.


    "Grandma, I already told you, this is a business. You need to make money when you provide food. No matter who it is." Hea-Jung stepped up and reminded her.


    The olddy nodded before telling Joon-won the cost. He paid her and both of them walked out. They got in the car and Hea-Jung dropped Joon-won near the supermarket.


    Before she drove off, she pushed her sunsses and asked him, "Do you want a practice partner for that script? I can help you. After all I did go through an audition too, so I can give you pointers."


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "I''m ok. You should practice your own lines for that movie. You don''t want to be bad in your first movie." And walked away. Hea-Jung shrugged and drove away.

 Chapter 58 - Script

    [You should have epted her advice.] the system that didn''t speak the entire day came alive.


    Joon-won paused a few seconds before shaking his head and ignored the suggestion. He still didn''t fully trust the system''s so-called suggestions. He decided to go with what he felt, and he didn''t see the need to get help from her. He already regarded that role as his and looked at the script in his hands.


    After reaching home, he sat down and sent a text to Jung-hwa if she reached her house. Her bus was early in the morning and she would have reached home by then. He didn''t have to wait long as he received a reply that she was at home and was going to have an afternoon nap.


    He kept the phone aside after that and finally opened the script. It was only 2 papers long, and he saw how detailed it was. For each part in the script, there was an exnation of the scenario the character was in for the actor to understand the character''s mentality a little to help in the acting.


    This script was more detailed and better than the amateur script their ss wrote for their y. That script was all over the ce and the actors had to do much more work to understand a character''s mental state. It was hard especially for scenes that Joon-won had because of the number of emotions he had to show, like rage and jealousy at once.


    Joon-won slowly read through the entire script and kept it aside for a second. His character was actually very simple in it. He was a college student and mental support for the main character who goes through many problems. So most of his scenes were there to shine the main character in a better way.


    There were parts of the script where he had to show different emotions. There was one where he was angry at the 2nd female lead because she cheated and broke the main character. He had to show a tinge of jealousy when the female lead asked about the lead instead of him.


    Overall, ording to him, this audition script was taken out of some romantic drama. His confidence was the same even after he saw the script. He felt he could perform well and get the attention of the people judging him.


    He picked up the script and started to slowly go through each line, memorizing them while at the same time vocally trying which tone was better for each part. He was slowly organizing his skills and output. Time passed by and he checked his phone to see it was already 6 in the evening.


    He closed the script and kept it aside. Taking out his phone, he saw a message from Mo Yang, asking him toe out for a party. This guy was always out partying, trying to mix into the more popr and rich people in ss and university. He dragged the old Joon-won into it too. Thinking for a second, he epted the invite and texted back that he will be there.


    He still knew little about the culture, and the best way to find out was a social gathering like this one. He took a bath, changed into better clothes before walking out of the building. Mo Yang lived in the dorms and so they decided to meet up at the University gates. He didn''t forget to bring his headphones as he listened to more music. He quickly reached the gates and waited for Mo Yang.


    He sent a message and started to wait for the man toe out. It didn''t take him long toe out as Mo Yang came out and both of them made their way towards a pub.


    "Man, it''s good to go to a party with you again. You didn''te to any of the partiesst week. But it looks like your hard work paid off and finally got a better ranking." Mo Yang joked as he slings his arm around Joon-won.


    Joon-won stared at the hand for a sec but didn''t shake it off as he replied, "Yeah, I needed to get better marks to show back home. Right, how did you do? Got any better marks?"


    "Nah, man. Still the same old. But it''s alright, I mean you live only once and University should be the time of your life. You shoulde out and make memories every opportunity you have. If you go out of this student life into the real world, it''s the dog fight. So just lean back a little and rx." Acting as a philosopher.


    ''Yeah, you should rx and enjoy a little, but not like you. If you continue to be like that, they will eat you in the dog fight out there.'' Joon-won said to himself.


    "So, where is the party tonight?" Changing the topic as he couldn''t hear any more philosophies from the guy''s mouth.


    "Oh, it''s a nice ce. You probably do not know any of the people there as most of them are from other departments. So try to blend in like me, make some friends and you will be good."


    Joon-won nodded, but he had no intention to make friends. He just wanted to sit back and see how things are. They also had pubs back in the kingdom, but most of it was only warriors and magicians sitting with a drink in their hands and chatting off about their long journeys and achievements.


    It didn''t take them long to reach the pub. Joon-won looked at the shing signboard which said ''Rosemary'' and noticed the long line. Pubs near Universities had long lines irrespective of the date and if they had sses, the next day as many had the same mentality as Mo Yang.


    As he was about to walk towards the end of the line, Mo Yang stopped him and said with a cheeky smile, "We don''t need to be in the line this time. Just watch." As he walked up to the huge security at the door.


    He whispered a few words, shoved some money, and called Joon-won over.

 Chapter 59 - Pub And A Drunk Lady

    "You paid money for that guy to get us in quicker?" As they walked into a dark hallway and lights at the end of it. Joon-won could hear cheers and screams from the other end. It seemed rowdier than his past life.


    "What, of course not. He won''t allow for simple money, if that''s the case, many people would just throw a few cash in his face to get in quicker and the whole thing will be a bidding war. The people we are partying with tonight have a special person. His dad runs this pub as its manager, so I told him I came for his party and he agreed. These things are important, Joon-won. You have so many things to learn, but don''t worry I''ll teach them all." He patted Joon-won''s shoulder.


    Joon-won shrugged it off and looked ahead as they almost reached the end of the hallway, as the lights became brighter and the sound became louder. As he stepped onto the floor, he saw so many people in the tiny, confined space. With lights everywhere and loud music sting from the speakers by the DJ at the front. He looked to the side and saw the bar with people drinking crazily before joining the dance floor in the center.


    "Are all these people from our university?" He asked Mo Yang. But got no reply. He turned around and saw Mo Yang already joining a group at the bar, drinking andughing. He stood there, not knowing what to do. This atmosphere was very weird for a silence-loving guy like him.


    He finally noticed a few couches at the side of the dance floor and slowly made his way there. Most of the couches were empty because of the swarm of people on the dance floor, jumping around like crazy monkeys.


    He had to go through several drunk people to make it to his destination. He looked at the other couches and saw a few people taking in drugs and jumping back onto the floor to dance. He shook his head at how wild the definition of enjoyment was. He was such a boomer. As he continued to look around, he saw a server.


    "Can I get a ss of water and another ss of juice?" He yelled towards the server. The server reacted and looked at him like he was an alien. Coming towards him he asked, "Sir, you asked for a ss of water and a ss of juice?" Trying to confirm the weird order he just received.


    Joon-won nodded and asked, "Is there a problem?"


    "I don''t know if we have some juice, sir. I''ll ask and if there is some, I''ll bring it to you." And excused himself. Joon-won didn''t expect that response.


    ''No Juice? So these guys have only alcohol here? How much is the juice ignored and not ordered for them to not have it?'' he didn''t want alcohol as he had it the earlier day. He just came out to check things out, not to get drunk.


    He leaned back and continued to look around the whole pub. He noticed Mo Yang was already drunk and on the floor dancing with some women. It didn''t take long for the server toe back and give him his ss of water and another ss of orange juice.


    He slowly enjoyed his drink in peace until a woman stumbled out of the floor onto the couch he was sitting on. Luckily the couch was in a U shape and big enough to fit 5 people. He looked at the drunkendy as she slowly pushed herself up and sat properly. She looked around and picked up the ss of water he didn''t touch and leaned back.


    "Damn it, I shouldn''t havee." She stretched her body and looked at the dance floor while mumbling. The girl didn''t even notice him sitting and drinking on the couch. She looked pretty beautiful and was probably a university student. Along with her long brown hair, her blue eyes made her attractive.


    He ced the ss down, making some sound and catching the girl''s attention. The sound seemed to spook her as she looked around and finally spotted him sitting in the middle of the couch.


    "Wha- Where did youe from? I thought I was sitting here alone and what''s that? Juice? You are drinking juice? Go back home and drink milk." It surprised her at first but started dissing him, aplete stranger in her mental state.


    He decided to ignore her and just took out his phone. He went through some news headlines, minding his own business until he smelled strong alcohol near him. He looked up and saw thedy was now beside him.


    "What are you looking at? News? You are looking at the news in a bar? Man, that''s why nerds shouldn''te out of their rooms and go to pubs like this."


    He raised an eyebrow at her statement and moved aside. He wanted nothing to do with a drunkendy. That was just asking for trouble that he didn''t want any. As he moved, that woman also slightly moved towards him.


    He looked at her and said, "Don''te and stick your body towards me. I want nothing to do with you. You should probably go home already. Look how drunk you are."


    "I''m not drunk. I''m perfectly fine. It''s you who is drunk. You are pushing away a beautifuldy like me. Wait, are you into men? Now I understand, it''s ok buddy, the society is changing and people will ept you." She drew her own conclusions, making him bbergasted.


    He shook his head and stood up to move away. The girl reminded him a bit of Hea-Jung, but Hea-Jung wasn''t drunk by the time they met, even though she was equally irritable. As he stood up, he felt his hand was grabbed and looked behind to see she caught his hand while almost falling asleep.


    He looked at the sleeping girl for a second and removed her hand before sitting on the opposite side. He couldn''t leave a sleeping girl in a pub. That was dangerous.

 Chapter 60 - Jung-hwas Help

    He continued to sit on the seat until a group of women came to the couch and started to wake up the women who fell asleep opposite to him. They shook her until she was awake and talked to her for a few seconds before helping her out of the pub. Through the entire process, just like thedy before, they didn''t notice Joon-won sitting there.


    Seeing the group make their way out of the pub, he leaned back on the couch and continued to drink the juice. The pub atmosphere was the same, people still jumping around, and he was getting bored with it. He drank the whole thing and stood up.


    He looked around for Mo Yang but couldn''t find the man in the swarm of people on the dance floor. He didn''t want to get flooded in that crowd and simply sent the man a text before walking out.


    As soon as he came out, he took a deep breath, the air inside was mixed with all kinds of smells like sweat, drinks, cigarettes, and drugs. It was suffocating. He looked to the side and saw the same group of girls again, patting thedy''s back as she vomited everything she had in her stomach.


    He turned around as he was about to walk off, he heard someone calling for him from behind, "Excuse me." Making him turn around. It was one of the girls in the group. She was pretty short and had long ck hair.


    She pushed her sses up and thanked him. "Thank you for looking out for my friend back inside. We couldn''t thank you inside because of all the noise and her state. I guess luck is on our side as you came out quickly." She spokepletely normally, and it didn''t look like she drank any alcohol.


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "It''s alright. Your friend was pretty drunk and spoke a lot of nonsense. Take her back home." And turned around to go back.


    "Ah, Can I know your name and where I can find you? My friend wouldn''t let me live if she didn''t know the person who took care of her when she was drunk. She is the type of person who likes to pay people back. So please try to understand."


    He looked over his shoulder, raised his eyebrow, and replied, "It''s alright. She doesn''t need to pay anything back to me. I''m perfectly ok with it. I didn''t take care of her or anything, she and I sat on the same couch. That''s all." He wore his headphones and walked away, ignoring anymore calls from behind.


    As he reached home, he took off the earphones and got inside the kitchen to cook himself some quick dinner before going to sleep. He was exhausted and so took out an instant noodle packet to cook and eat. After having dinner, he sat on the couch and took out the script for a while. Having some more reads before sleep, he jumped on the bed.


    The next day back in the supermarket, Joon-won sat down on his chair for some rest as Gah Soo attended the customers in his ce. He took out his phone and sent a text to Jung-hwa. It was time to know what was going on with his sister to worry Min-Seok so much.


    He received a reply as soon as he sent a text and he slowly started to exin the situation to her. He wanted her to know where she was going every night anding back home sote. Her exams were only a few weeks away, and it was time for her to concentrate on them. She was smart and could get into a good university if needed.


    Jung-hwa immediately agreed to his request, and he asked her to go to Yun-hee''s high school at 5 which was the time the sses end for the final year students. She sent her a picture of Yun-hee so she could recognize her. She agreed to find out what Yun-hee would be up to as a payback for his help the past week. He thanked her once again before closing the phone and continuing his work.


    Afterpleting his work, he went back home, cooked some lunch, and started his practice. The exam was the next day, and he got most of the emotions in lines down and the next was practice. He shut himself in the house and continued to practice his lines over and over again until he felt it was good enough. He used his phone to record each section to review and do it again if there were notable mistakes.


    As he was practicing, he received a message from Do Hwan and told him his appointment was at 2 the next day and also told him to be on time. After sending him a thank you, he continued to practice once again.


    As time passed by he finally received a call and he checked to see it was from Jung-hwa. His heart started to beat quicker than his thoughts turned dark about the situation.


    He picked up the phone and heard Jung-hwa from the other side, "Joon-won, your sister is working in an underground bar."


    "What kind of work?"


    "She is acting as a waitress for the bar. But this ce isn''t good to act as a waitress at all. All types of gangsters and drug addicts are lying around. I asked another waitress and she told me that your sister came here for work a month ago."


    ''A month ago?'' that was way back before he entered this body. It looked like his sister was working in a bad ce, filled with misfits everywhere. That was dangerous for a teenage girl and he hoped nothing happened to her.


    "Can you hand over the phone to her for me? I''ll talk." And Jung-hwa agreed and he heard her footsteps along with the music in the background.


    "Yun-hee? This phone call is for you." He heard Jung-hwa on the other side shouting through the sting music.


    "Ah! What? Hello, who is this?" He finally heard his sister''s voice for the first time.

 Chapter 61 - Detective Jung-Hwa

    *Few Hours Back In Loshin Town*


    Jung-hwa was helping out her mom back at home, shopping at the local grocery store. As she was going through the shelf filled with ice creams and contemting over which ice cream she should go for, her phone received a notification.


    She moved her eyes away from the shelf after a long time and took out her phone. She noticed it was from Joon-won and opened the chat to see what it was about. Joon-won rarely sent her texts and so she knew this might be about the help he asked beforeing.


    Just like he expected, Joon-won''s message was straight to the point, asking her if she had a free evening. After replying she was, he exined what he needed from her, and hearing what he had to say she immediately understood what he was worried about and agreed to check out what his sister Yun-hee was doing.


    She received the girl''s school address along with a picture and decided to go at 4:45 just to be on the safe side. She also felt slightly worried about things. It was human nature to think about bad oues and she was thinking the same as Joon-won.


    The day went by and she went by the school he informed and waited from a distance, checking the gate for Yun-hee. After waiting for 20 more minutes, he finally saw a girling out of the school with a few of her friends. After talking for a few more minutes at the gate, she waved her hand at her friends and walked the opposite way.


    Jung-hwa quickly followed her from a distance, not trying to lose sight of her. She felt like a detective from the movies, following the criminal to find their den. She shook her head and removed all the unnecessary thoughts, and continued to follow her. After walking a few streets, she finally saw her walking into a shady alleyway.


    She quickly followed her and saw her going into a store while looking around to check if anyone was there. Jung-hwa hid for a second and went into the alleyway before entering the store. The store was a pub, an illegal pub. She looked around and saw only a few people, as it was still early for people toe in. Taking a seat, she looked around and couldn''t find Yun-hee anymore. She panicked a little.


    A waitress came by after seeing her taking a seat and asked what she wanted. Jung-hwa went for a beer and got it within a few seconds as she was thinking about Yun-hee.


    She was contemting whether to ask one of the people working for the girl but knew the only thing she would get from ces like that was denial. It was illegal to hire high schoolers in the country and on top of hiring one; it was an illegal business. They will deny itpletely and it was risky for her as the people weren''t exactly friendly to people they didn''t like.


    Luckily she didn''t need to take any risks as she saw Yun-heee out into the bar once again, but this time she wasn''t in her school uniform but rather in a waitress dress. The dress was very revealing with the short skirt. The girl went around the bar, talking with people with the best smile she could muster, taking orders.


    Jung-hwa could easily see through the facade the young girl was keeping up with. The girl was extremely ufortable and did not like what she did one bit, but something was forcing her to do it. She wanted to go there, grab the girl by her shoulders and scream what is making her do this, find out her problems and try to help her the best she could do.


    But she couldn''t do any of that, especially looking at how scary the people in the bar were. She saw a few guns in the men''s pockets and on the table like they were showcasing trophies. It was illegal to own guns without a license and getting one is easy if they don''t have any criminal history and take some courses issued by the government.


    She pondered over whether or not to call Joon-won but decided to do it after knowing a little more about the situation. She didn''t want to jump the gun and make any misunderstandings. She looked around and found another waitress. She waved her hand and called her over before taking out a few notes from her bag.


    She ced the notes folded on the table as the waitress came over and asked, "This money is yours if you answer a few questions. Don''t worry, I ain''t with the police." Assuring the girl in front of her. The girl looked at the money on the table for a few seconds before looking at Jung-hwa, then back to the table, and nodded.


    "You don''t look smart enough to be a police anyway, so shoot." Shemented before snatching the money and counted on how much it was.


    Jung-hwa''s face twitched when she heard the girl''s diss but didn''t flip and asked, "I want to know about the girl over there. Tell me what you know about her." She held the beer ss and pointed at Yun-hee, who was tending to a customer before taking a sip and making a regretful faceter.


    "Oh, that high school girl. Yeah, she came over here a month ago, I think. She got rmended by another high school girl who works in the restricted section. She begged for a job and the boss took a bit of pity on her and gave it to her."


    Jung-hwa frowned when she heard ''restricted section''. She understood what the waitress meant by the restricted section. Her face was covered by disgust and asked slowly, "Does that girl work in the restricted section?"


    The waitress smiled as if she anticipated that question and replied, "The money you gave isn''t worth that answer. Even if you give more, I won''t tell. I don''t want my head separated from my body because of a stranger. So, see ya." And walked away before Jung-hwa could stop her.

 Chapter 62 - Yun-hees Surprise

    Yun-hee looked at the woman in front of her with a slightly stunned expression before handing her the phone over and walking back. She just had a talk with her brother and the talk froze her thinking process. It was like she talked to a new personpletely and now she is forced to stop working.


    She went into the boss''s room and tried to not show disgust on her face due to all kinds of foul smells in that ce. She bowed and thanked him for giving her the job thest month before asking permission to leave for good.


    The boss looked at her lightly and asked, "Youe here suddenly, want a job, and want to leave when you want? You know that isn''t how things normally go in the underworld, right?" taking a deep puff of the cigarette in his hand. His arms were full of tattoos and the bald head made him intimidating.


    Yun-hee shuddered a little as she heard his intimidating tone and panicked a little as she stuttered to reply, "Boss, please try to understand. My circumstances are different and I need to leave. My university exams are only a few weeks away. Give me some leeway this one time." practically begging him."


    Silence filled the room as Yun-hee started regretting her life choices more and more. She knew how dangerous the underworld could be but joined, despite knowing that. Now she was in a difficult position to even leave. She felt like crying, but if she broke down, her chances to leave would also decrease.


    The boss took a deep breath and said, "I allowed you to get a job in the first ce because of your friend. You can leave. Never show your face in these parts of town, if you do you''ll never leave again." His words shocked Yun-hee a little, but she quickly bowed once again and walked out.


    She exhaled in relief as she got out and clenched her fists. She was betting on Joon-won''s words and left this job. She hopes he holds up his end of the bargain. She quickly changed out of her clothes and walked out into the pub in her school uniform once again. She didn''t notice Jung-hwa and continued on out.


    As she walked into the alleyway, she noticed a few people trying to make their way into the pub, so she slowly went to the side and shrunk herself as she continued out. She didn''t want to get noticed by any of the people, and luckily they were too busy to do so.


    She breathed out in relief as she finally made out into the streets and noticed Jung-hwa waving her hand a few feet away from her. She looked at the lively sister and wondered what her rtionship was with her brother to make here into a dangerous pub for her.


    She walked towards her and Jung-hwa asked, "Did you leave the job permanently? Are they giving you any kinds of problems? Tell me if they are, I''ll try to think of a solution." She returned to her usual self as she spits out questions once again.


    Yun-hee was taken back at the barrage of questions and instantly wondered how her brother managed to control this gun. She shook her head and held her thoughts in as she replied, "Everything is fine. The boss told me to leave. He warned me to never show my face on this side of the city once again. That''s all."


    "That''s good. At least that guy has some morality to leave a girl when she wants to leave." Jung-hwa nodded to herself.


    Yun-hee stared at the woman for a while and blurted out, "Are you my brother''s girlfriend?" And released immediately after she asked for it.


    Jung-hwa was shocked for a second after hearing her andughed out loud. She shook her head and replied, "No way. It''s not easy to even talk to your brother normally, much less date him. I''m just a friend who is returning a huge favor. I owe him. That''s all. Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Cheo Jung-hwa, you can call me sister Jung-hwa."


    "Yee, nice to meet you. My name is Kim Yun-hee. What do you mean by favour? You owe my brother a favour?" She questioned her once again.


    Jung-hwa looked at her for a second beforeughing once again. "You remind me of your brother a bit. Well, I don''t think he will get angry if I tell you why I owe him a favour. Well, it startedst week. Your brother helped me improve my acting skills and made me better than I ever was. So I''m grateful."


    Yun-hee paused for a second when she heard her. She looked at Jung-hwa inplete confusion and asked, "My brother is good enough to teach others about acting? Much less help them get better? When did this happen?"


    She was so confused because she knew how bad her brother was. She observed him when he was back in high school at home, trying to act as he saw in movies, secretly inside his room. But she saw how bad he was and thought he was making a big mistake. She knew he was doing a big mistake especially after he went to university in another town. He never attended sses and always partied out there. She thought he would be wasted like many in society.


    "Oh! You don''t know? Your brother is very good at acting. The best in ss and even got high praises from the judges. He would have won first prize and also the prize money if he got a better role but he never cared. That''s why I got both of them and am indebted for his help. If he didn''t help, I would also be a mediocre actor in that ss." She exined.


    Yun-hee nodded before both of them went their separate ways. Yun-hee walked back home, thinking about the phone call she had with her brother. Her brother sure sounded very different and mature.

 Chapter 63 - Brother-Sister Talk

    *A few Minutes Earlier*


    Yun-hee stared at the strange woman in front of her and then the phone she shoved into her hand. She wanted to shout back what she was doing but stopped at her stare.


    She kept the phone at her ear and tried to sound intimidating. "Ah! What? Hello, who is this?" She was a little scared seeing the woman in front of her stare down at her.


    "Yun-hee, it''s me. Now start exining yourself. Why the hell are you in a ce like that working? You bettere up with a good exnation." She heard his brother speaking in a low but very intimidating voice on the phone. She felt her body tremble to hear him. She was never scared of him, but now she felt like she had to submit.


    "What do you mean by exnation? And who is thisdy in front of me? Are you making people follow me? You know that is a crime, right. And what right do you think you have to talk to me like that?" She took a deep breath, suppressed her fear, and tried to show a strong front.


    "Don''t you dare talk to me like that, Yun-hee. Just because I made a few mistakes this past year does not mean you can start raising your voice in situations like this. So you better move away from that ce and start exining why you are in that ce working. Dad is very worried about your future. You are the smartest person in our family and if your exnation is idiotic, I wille down there and deal with this myself." His voice turnedpletely cold, and she felt the urge to cry. She never thought her brother, who was aloof and easy-going, had a side like that.


    She looked around before moving to a silent corner and started to slowly cry while exining.


    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry to talk like that. I shouldn''t have started working without telling you and dad. Please do not be angry." She started bawling at the end. The sudden change caught the little girl off guard, and she couldn''t keep the strong front anymore. She was a very smart yet soft girl and in front of Joon-won, she couldn''t hold on.


    She could hear Joon-won take a deep breath on the other side as his voice returned to normal and his reply came, "Do not cry, Yun-hee. You are a strong girl. Brother was just angry. Why are you working there? What made you do that? Are you in any problems? Tell me. I''ll understand." As she wiped her tears away, she started to exin.


    "For money. I started working for money. Dad started to stress out more after you went to university. The financial situation became tighter and tighter because of more expenses on your side and he couldn''t say no when you asked for money. I knew my university might be online if this continued."


    "So I tried to find jobs. No one would hire me because of thews and be scared to get caught hiring a high schooler. So I asked around in school and a girl reached out. She told me about this ce and that they would hire high school girls. I came here and then understood that the boss would be willing to hire because it was an illegal pub maintained by the underground."


    "I got scared, but I couldn''t back away. The boss looked at me and gave me a waitress position after contemting for a while. It''s been about a month since I started." She finished exining the whole situation. She was calmer than before but still held the phone tightly as the other side went silent.


    She couldn''t help but call out, "Brother?"


    She heard him sigh and reply, "Yes, I''m still here. I never thought my actions would drive the situation back at home like this. The city changed me immediately when I came here. Everything is so much better and it took me a while to snap out of it."


    "If the situation is this bad, why did you not call or text me about it? We both know dad would not talk about things like this with both of us. You should have just called me and tried exining that my actions were having an inverse situation back at home. I would have snapped out of this city''s colorful life sooner."


    "What can I talk to you about? You are always on your own. Stopped lifting dad''s calls or my messages the past year. Do you still think I''ll find you reliable after that? It was like you detached yourself from us and didn''t want people to even know you have a family. There was no way I could talk to you about stuff like this. You weren''t there to understand."


    Joon-won sighed again and replied, "Well, let''s leave this here. Leave that job and don''t go there ever again. Dad has more hopes for your intelligence and smarts than my passion for acting. Just start studying harder for the exams. There is only a month away. Do well and try to get into a good university."


    "What about the money? Our family doesn''t have enough money to send both of us to university at the same time."


    "Do not worry about the money. That should not be your concern when you are still at high school. Just study harder and leave the money issues to me. It''s mostly because of me that we are in this situation. I''ll get enough money to make you get into a university of your liking as long as you have the marks to get in."


    "Now don''t tell dad about any of this. He will me himself for this. Just go home from school and study, try to spend more time with him, and get good marks. That will make him happy." And cut the call. She looked at the phone before going back and giving it to Jung-hwa with a stunned expression.


    ''Maybe he really changed.'' she thought as she woke up from her stupor while looking up before running towards home to start studying for exams.

 Chapter 64 - Thoughts

    Joon-won looked at the phone in his hand before sighing to himself. He feared what happened to the little girl in his memories he received to make her work in a ce like that. He felt angry towards the girl after he heard she has been working for nearly a month. Those kinds of ces were dangerous, especially for women, who get trapped and can not escapeter on.


    He sighed a couple of times throughout the conversation, knowing how dumb the original Joon-won was. He couldn''t appreciate the good family god gave him, which many out there didn''t have the privilege to have, including him. He learned about the problems the house was facing and it was pretty serious if even a high schooler who has the most important examsing up could not help but panic and take things into her own hand.


    He can''t talk about this with Min-Seok as the man will try to deny it and bear theplete burden on his two shoulders like how has been doing it for as long as he remembers, Min-Seok worked his ass off as a single father to keep the family afloat and provide education for both of them.


    Now the family didn''t have enough money for both of them. Yun-hee was far more talented and smart and it would be the most horrible mistake they can do if they don''t send that girl to university. He can''t mention this to Min-Seok and has to provide money for her studies.


    One year of university tuition was generally about 100k and can be paid in portions throughout the year. Now his bank ount had only around 25k and that is nowhere enough. Along with tuition, they also need to take care of her living conditions, which are dorm rooms. Those take some more out of their pockets.


    Joon-won felt a huge headacheing, thinking about all this financial stuff. He never faced this problem. Before bing a king, he only had to take care of himself and he would do odd jobs to live and after bing the king he forgot about the existence of money.


    He looked at the script on the table and knew this audition might be the solution for all his problems. Even a minor role would get him 50k and that''s enough for lessening the burden for them. He clutched the script and started to take it more seriously. The audition was tomorrow, and he needed to bepletely prepared to take it on.


    He went through the entire script a few times and as he did; he received a message from Jung-hwa. He saw it was about how she parted ways with her sister and that the boss of the store left her after giving a small warning, making him sigh in relief.


    He thanked her and told her he will give her a party after she returns as thanks. After chatting with her for a few seconds, he returned to the script. He was almost done with it and practiced harder to nail the role.


    The day went by and he slept early after eating some dinner, which he cooked up.


    The next day started normally as he went out for his normal jog in the morning. He could feel his body was getting more energetic and fit, as he could push himself further. He wondered if he should join a gym to build a few muscles. Even though he was fit, his body was still lean, and that needed to change. He checked his weight and noticed he only went up by a few grams.


    He shook his head and decided he could do all that after getting some money and solving the current problems at hand.


    Returning home, he took a quick bath before eating breakfast and walking out of the apartment, listening to music. He reached the shop, changed his clothes, and got to work. He asked Eum Kyung about a few books to read. Eum Kyung was quick to respond when it came to books and told a few of his favorite books.


    Joon-won wanted books to relieve some of the stress he is slowly umting. Books were the perfect way for him as they provide some peace. Both of them talked for a few seconds about books and movies before Eum Kyung got off his shift and Joon-won became busy with the customers.


    After Gah Soo got behind the counter, he took a rest and simply listened to some music while looking out if any customer needed help. After the rush hour was done and Gah Soo sat beside him, he handed her a bottle of water.


    Drinking a few mouthfuls of water, she turned towards him and asked, "So today is the big day, huh. Do your best and get that role. Oh, if you get it tell me which actor you beat for it."


    He knew she was talking about the audition and replied while giving a nod, "Thanks, but it''s not like it''s fixed that I''ll get a role. I might not get it too." Shrugging his shoulders while decreasing her expectations.


    "Well, don''t be so negative about it. Who knows, you might get it. So go and give the audition with full confidence." Patting his shoulder. He just nodded and changed the topic to something more neutral. He learned a lot about the finance side of the world from her and was d that he did.


    ording to her, there were many opportunities for him to earn money, but he needed money to earn money. Investing needed money and he didn''t have that at the present. The more he talked with her, the more he realizes she was very good at what she learned and knew many things about the market. She also did her own investing in small amounts and earned some money from it.


    They continued to talk till his shift ended and he quickly changed his clothes before walking out of the building and stopped at the door outside when he saw a red sports car with a woman in the driving seat.


    Hea-Jung took off her sses and said while waving her hands, "Little brother, it''s been a day since thest time I saw you. Did you practice your script perfectly? I hope you did because if you didn''t as you didn''t even want me to help you with it. Anyway,e in, I don''t want to hold the traffic because of you."


    ''Hold the traffic?'' He thought, stunned by herst sentence. He looked to the left and then to the left and saw a deserted road. This side of the city had almost no cars and this youngdy is telling about holding the traffic because of him.


    He shook his head and replied, "Yes, yes. Anyway, are you nning toe with me to the audition?" he didn''t n to ask how she got to know the timings because he knew it was easy for her to find out from her uncle. But she was going toe with him to audition, too. Why?


    "Yeah, I am going toe. That''s why I''m here, to pick you up. Let''s quickly go eat and go there. The clock is ticking. Your audition is at 2." waving her hand to get in. He nodded and got in the car as she drove away from the supermarket.


    As they drove away, they didn''t notice Gah Soo listening to them from the inside, with her eyes and mouth wide open. She looked at them driving away and thought, ''The two are really close. The rich miss also came to pick him up even after how he is. Is Joon-won a rich scion who works in normal jobs like in the movies?''


    Her thoughts started to go wild as she thought, ''Should I ask him if he really is a wealthy man who is working a normal job to know about things so he could take over a massive business empire in the future? Is it dangerous of me to know all this?''


    If Joon-won heard her thoughts, he would have rolled his eyes until his eyes would fall off. Gah Soo loved online dramas and the concept of secret and cool CEO ones especially. She thought Joon-won was also one of them who is living a normal life as a trial period.


    ''Wait, no-no. My obsession with dramas is clouding my judgment. Hahaha, how can he be one of those scions in the movies? He already told her she was the one who got him the audition opportunity in a way. So it''s natural for the young miss to take care of him. I''m just thinking too much. Well, let''s get back to work'' As she realized and snapped out of her endless thoughts. She pped her cheeks and continued working.


    As Gah Soo finally concentrated on work again, the red sports car stopped in front of a restaurant for a quick eat before it makes its way towards ''Glorious Production''.

 Chapter 65 - Director And Main Lead

    Joon-won and Hea-Jung were now in the car on their way to thepany after having some small lunch. Joon-won kept his eyes closed as he tried to calm down his nerves a little. Even after the huge amount of experience and confidence he has, it feels like his first audition when he begged a group to allow him to join back when he was poor.


    Today gave him the same feeling and so he closed his eyes and thought about all the different moments in his life that he overcame and how important this one audition was for the future. This would be his first step but also the biggest and longest step into the movie industry.


    The car stopped in front of thepany and Joon-won checked the time. There were still 20 minutes to 2 and walked in with Hea-Jung. Both of them reached the front desk and saw the same receptionist. The receptionist noticed them and this time it seemed like she knew what they were there for.


    "Miss. Seo, the president informed us that both of you can go to the fourth floor and wait in front of audition room 3."


    Hea-Jung nodded and led Joon-won to the elevator and went up to the fourth floor. They went towards audition room 3 and sat on the chairs ced in front of the room.


    "So, on the scale of one to ten, how nervous are you right now?" Hea-Jung asked him seriously.


    Joon-won thought for a second before answering honestly, "I would say around 6 or 7."


    Hea-Jung was a bit surprised by the answer. She only asked it casually and didn''t expect a confident person like himself to be nervous. She giggled a little and replied, "And here I thought you were a robot, with no emotions. Well, it''s ok to be nervous. Just don''t think about it much even if you fail it and leave it all on the floor before youe out. I still remember failing many auditions beforending this one." Patting his shoulders.


    Joon-won nodded and went over his script once again for thest time until he heard a few footstepsing their way. He looked up and saw Do Hwaning with two other people. He couldn''t see their eyes, as both of them wearing sunsses. The one right beside Do Hwan and in the middle of the three looked like he was in his mid-forties and the other seemed he wasparatively very young, only in histe 20s. He couldn''t identify both of them, but Hea-Jung seemed to identify them as she stood up and he followed her.


    "Director Sun and senior Cho, it''s good to see both of you." She greeted both of them with a smile. All three of them smiled in return and stopped in front of her.


    First, it was the guy in the middle who replied, "Miss. Seo, just call me Uncle Sun. Your father really helped me out to start my career. How are you doing?" He was the director, Sun Shik. A rtively known director in the industry with a few movies that became popr under his belt. He was also the director of the movie he was auditioning for right now.


    "Sister Hea-Jung, you can just call me brother. I see you are still very cheerful. That''s good to see." The handsome man replied with a slight smile on his face while taking off his sunsses. But as he spoke Joon-won could hear some reluctance in his voice.


    "I''m doing really well, Director Sun. And ''Brother'' Cho, you seem to be very busytely and whenever I contacted you when I was bored and wanted to y, you didn''t respond to the calls and messages." She replied to both of them while being sarcastic with the man surnamed Cho.


    Joon-won noticed the handsome man and identified him. He was an A-listed actor and a pretty famous one at that, especially with females. His name was Cho Deasham. He was more famous for his looks than his acting ability. After hearing her sarcastic remarks, he knew this guy was her y toy whenever she got bored. He felt a bit of pity for the guy.


    Cho Deasham was caught off by her sarcastic remarks and slightly sweated. He was trying to find the right words to reply, but before he could, Do Hwan stepped in and took control over the situation. "Alright Hea-Jung, do not bully Cho Deasham. He is still your senior, especially now that you are entering the industry. So show some respect to him."


    Hea-Jung pouted and turned her head,pletely ignoring him. Do Hwan shook his head seeing her ignore his advice and turned towards Joon-won who stood there watching their antics, "Ah, Joon-won you''re here early. That''s good, we won''t have any dys in the schedule then. Anyway, these both are Director Sun and Actor Cho Deasham as you might already know their importance in the film, both of them are here to see your acting skills." Introducing the two men.


    "So you must be Joon-won. Picked by Miss. Seo and impressed Do Hwan. Let''s hope you are up to par and pass our standards." The director observed him andmented.


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "I''ll do my best and show what I got."


    "Oh, you are my junior. Sister Hea-Jung picked you up, so you must be good. Let''s hope you pass and we both can work together in the film." Cho Deashammented and Joon-won replied the same as earlier. He felt strange when he heard Hea-Jung picked him up like a small dog, but didn''t mind it much.


    "Alright Joon-won, wait here for five minutes ande in when we call for you." Do Hwan nodded at their introductions and asked Joon-won. Joon-won nodded and all three of them made their way inside, leaving Hea-Jung and him alone once again.


    Both of them sat in their seats and Hea-Jung said, "Tch, that Director Sun is very good at boot licking, you know. I don''t even know that guy and he wants me to call him uncle." She was a little annoyed by the pest.


    "But Cho Deasham is pretty good even though the only reason he is as famous is because of looks. Well, looks are also a part of being a famous actor so it worked out I guess." She shrugged at the end. Joon-won shook his head and continued to look down on his script.


    She turned towards him and said, "You know it will be pretty good for you if you pass this audition." Making Joon-won look at her as if she was an idiot.


    ''What do you mean by pretty good? Of course, it will be good to pass an audition and get a role to act. Isn''t that everyone''s goal when theye to an audition? Has she lost her thinking skills because she got too bored and now it''s finally affecting her.'' he thought while shaking his head.


    Hea-Jung caught him shaking his head and said, "It''s not like what you think. I said it''s good for you because of the movie. If you pass this audition and get to act in this movie, you will have a good start. There are some other movies you could audition and get in to but you will have a harder start because of how bad that movie is. This movie is a guaranteed blockbuster, I mean look at the cast and even the story is pretty good from what I heard. So if you act in a blockbuster movie your value is uniquepared to you acting in a terrible movie. Get what I mean?"


    Hearing her, he understood what she meant by telling him it would be good if he got into this movie. It''s because of the probable sess this movie still gets making him shine in a different lightpared to dirty movies.


    He nodded and continued to review his script until they heard the door open. Looking up, they noticed it was a female, and she asked both of them toe in. Taking a deep breath, Joon-won stood up and walked towards the door, along with Hea-Jung. Hea-Jung went before him and as he went in, the door behind him closed and saw that it was a mini stage and judges booth, along with lights and speakers.


    "Ah,e to Joon-won. Go ahead and get onto the stage over there. Once you feel ready, we can start. We will ask you to perform scenes from the script we gave you and judge based on that. Does everything sound good?" Do Hwan exined from the judges'' table where all three of them sat and now Hea-Jung dragged a chair and joined them.


    Joon-won nodded, and he went towards the stage and got to the center. He could feel the shing lights and saw all four people in front of him looking straight at him. He felt a bit of pressure, unlike the university exam drama. That was a jokepared to now.


    Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath he smiled and said, "I''m ready."

 Chapter 66 - Audition

    "Well, alright then, let''s start with something slow. Perform Act-3." The director flipped the script in his hand with a smile and told him which act he could start with. Joon-won nodded, closed his eyes for a second, and recollected everything he had on the act the director just asked.


    The Act was really slow; it had no conversations as the MC was only sitting alone in a park thinking aloud about the things in his life. On the surface, this was the easiest, but there were deeper feelings the MC kept inside which he didn''t show and Joon-won needed to do the same.


    Joon-won found a chair a few feet away from him, grabbed it, and ced it in the center before sitting on it. He looked towards the judges, no he looked past the judges with a reminiscent look in his eyes, as if he was remembering things from the past he buried deep inside.


    "How did ite to this point? Everything was going well, a nice job, a beautiful and caring girlfriend, and good friends. I thought I had it all. How did I lose everything one by one? Was god bored and decided to y with me?" His voice turned hoarse and spoke out his lines.


    The people in the room could hear and feel the sadness and self-pity Joon-won carried out when he delivered his lines. Director Sun and Cho Deasham raised their eyebrows seeing him. Both of them nced at each other, finding the same expression, while Do Hwan remained silent and had the same expression.


    "Things were supposed to be alright. We were supposed to go on a week-long vacation to enjoy and rx. I was supposed to get a promotion and shares in thepany. Why? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?" Joon-won slowly muttered and started shouting at the end while gripping his hair and looking down.


    After a moment of silence, he startedughing and said, "This must be karma. All the things I did in the past caught up and took everything away in one big swoop. Hahahaha, I deserve it." And continued tough for a few seconds with a maniacal expression before returning to normal.


    He stood up and looked at the judges, waiting for their response. Do Hwan had a small smile on his face while the others too were dazed with their mouths slightly open.


    "That was pretty good, Joon-won. As I expected, you are good at acting." Do Hwan was the first topliment and woke the other two with it. Director Sun and Cho Deasham looked at each other awkwardly and a bit ashamed.


    Especially Director Sun, who was called in by the producer wanting him to check out an audition for the still empty role. He didn''t think about it much and came in because he should Do Hwan some face. But right now he awkwardly stared at the student in front of him with surprise.


    Coughing a little, Do Hwan nodded and said, "Yeah, that was good. So let''s do another one. Let''s go with Act-7." And had an expressionless face. This time he didn''t want to embarrass himself like earlier and became serious about the audition.


    Joon-won nodded once again and remembered the act. This one had high emotions, but it was more clear and not inner feelings. This was due to the anger and frustration of the character.


    "Fuck. Why did you do this to me? I thought we were partners in this. You sold me out for 200k? We could have gotten way more if we went through this and seeded." His eyes became slightly red and they could see veins as he clenched his hands tightly.


    "No no, I shouldn''t get caught and my life shouldn''t end like this because of a guy like you. My life was supposed to be peaceful and new after today, but now there is nothing in it. Why should I have nothing while you have everything? Come to hell with me." And acted out as if he whipped out a knife and plunged it into a gut. His eyes were crazy and heughed like a crazy man.


    He suddenly went silent after theugh and looked down before snickering at something and murmuring, "Hey, you wanted a happy life after selling me out? Let''s meet in hell." And swiped his hand across his neck as if he was shing it.


    The Scene ended, and he stood there once again looking at the silent judges. Unlike before, Director Sun had an expressionless face and his hands before his face while thinking about something. Cho Deasham had an eyebrow raised and also was contemting something while closing his eyes.


    Do Hwan had a smile while Hea-Jung looked very excited. She was the first to speak up, "Little brother, you were so good just now. Even better than the first one." While pping her hands. Joon-won nodded at her enthusiasm and looked at the people who would decide if he gets a role or not.


    As usual, the first to criticize was Do Hwan while the other two seemed to be thinking. With the same smile, he nodded andmented, "That was good. Better than the previous one." Joon-won nodded back at him and looked over to the other two.


    The other two remained silent. One looking at him with his hands in front of him while the other closes his eyes thinking. The silence persisted for a whole 5 minutes until Director Sun ced his hands down and Cho Deasham opened his eyes.


    Both looked at each other as ifmunicating their thoughts mentally with magic and Cho Deasham said, "I think we both have the same thoughts about this director. So you can go ahead and address it." Director Sun nodded and looked at Joon-won.


    "You did really well that I was a bit taken back on your first act and didn''t see properly. You are better than many of the newbies in the industry and probably even better than the C-rated actors out there." Joon-won nodded and got ready for the uing parts.


    "On Sunday I was actually surprised when a producer called me and it turned out to be Do Hwan. He said he might have a solution for that one role that is keeping us from starting our production for so long already. I was highly skeptical. But I had to agree, after all, it was the movie''s biggest producer and the request wasn''t that big."


    "So, I agreed and dragged Cho Deasham with me as he is after all our main lead in the film and the role you are auditioning for is pretty important. So I had to take his input, and he showed up with much reluctance."


    "But I''m d that I came today to see a talent like you. It looks like Do Hwan was finally able to catch the right fish after many errors in thest few years."


    He continued to praise Joon-won while building up more and more tension in the room. Even Hea-Jung, who hated things being dyed, did not snap at him and instead just waited for his prologue to get done and to give the final result. This was like he was building up for something big and he hoped that something big was an approval for the role.


    "But you aren''t ready yet." He shook his head, and the room went silent. The tension vanished and everyone except Cho Deasham looked at the director in silence for a reason. Hea-Jung and Do Hwan were slightly shocked, but both looked like they expected the result.


    "Even though your skills and the way you present the role and yourself is fantastic, you are still not ready for the movie stage. As of now, you are still only fit for dramas and not movies. As I watched you act the character the second time, I confirmed my spection."


    "As you are now, you would thrive and make it big on a drama stage. But not in a movie, especially not in the role which is avable. Most of your skills looked like they were honed solely to act in some drama houses and not movies."


    As his exnation went through, everyone in the room, even Hea-Jung, slightly nodded. Joon-won was shocked for a second after hearing his rejection and reason. He failed because he had so much pride and confidence in his experience on a drama stage. The same experience and method of acting led to his rejection and not being eligible for a movie yet.


    "The director is right. Many people struggle when ites to acting in movies. Most of them are due to not being able to transfer their skills on the stage to a movie and that is you right now." Cho Deasham voiced out after the director was done. He felt the same thing. Many of Joon-won''s actions felt perfect for a theatre than a movie.


    *********


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 Chapter 67 - Result

    Joon-won stood there inplete silence as he took in the criticism and rejection from the two. He didn''t expect this result due to the confidence he had in his skills. But he was t out rejected and told his skills wouldn''t fit that of a film and only theatre. As he heard Director Sun mention about him practicing to act in dramas, he found itpletely true. After all, there were no movies back in his world and he didn''t watch many movies to find the difference between the two.


    The Director signed as he looked at Joon-won''s nk face and knew this might be a little surprising for the young man who carried himself with so much confidence rightfully given his good acting skills. But he couldn''t ept him as a director knowing how important the role was for the movie. There wasn''t much time for the young man to learn and change his acting to get ready for the role.


    "Look, it might be hard to gear this, but I don''t think that you are ready to act in movies and we do not have the time to teach you the way. If it was two months prior and you came into an audition, I would have taken you in for another smaller role which could be your starting point to change your ways." Director Sun sighed. It wasn''t easy to just randomly change actors after they signed a contract. There were too many obligations and would dy the shooting further.


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "It''s alright. As you said I hoped to get this role but looks like I couldn''t in the end. I''ll just treat this as a learning experience and move on." In a low voice.


    "You know what, give me your phone number. If I ever need an actor and find a role that is perfect for you, I''ll give you a call." The Director offered his service. He really liked Joon-won''s acting and knew the guy can make it big if can adapt to the problem he had now. The industry was full of people with connections and he wanted to make one with Joon-won who he had a high evaluation of.


    Joon-won nodded and passed him the phone number. The Director nodded and all of them stood up. The decision was made that they couldn''t hire him for the role. Cho Deasham came up to Joon-won and patted his shoulder while trying to encourage him, "It''s alright. I can see this is your first audition ever and it was pretty good. Just make some minor changes and you will be ready to st off."


    Joon-won nodded and the two judges walked out, with Do Hwan behind them. Do Hwan turned towards him while exiting and said, "If you don''t have any work now, go up to my office, let''s have a talk about what''s next." Before going out to send the two away.


    Now it was only Hea-Jung with him in the room. He sighed and sat on the chair he used before closing his eyes. The first try was a failure, and he didn''t know what to do next. He researched the past week, before getting this chance for auditions like normal people. But he didn''t find many and the ones he found were low-budget movies and had only small roles open, like a passerby who would speak one or two lines. Roles like that wouldn''t get him enough exposure, and he was unwilling to try them out.


    Hea-Jung looked at the silent Joon-won and didn''t know what to say. She knew the young man before her was an exceptional talent and wanted to help him out. She also noticed the same points the director and Cho Deasham pointed out but on a smaller scale when he was acting in the exam drama. She offered her help the day before to try and fix these problems, but Joon-won denied it. Now he didn''t get the role and had to look for other opportunities.


    Joon-won''s mind was now empty. He wasn''t thinking about acting, his family, or even the role he wanted. He was just not thinking. This was a setback, not the biggest setback he had, but the first one aftering here. It was a necessary setback for him to improve based on thements he received a few minutes back.


    He knew he might not get a good role in a good movie until he fixes this problem. Now he was thinking if he needs to go after the smaller roles which he denied earlier or do something else.


    [Don''t go after the smaller roles. They are just a waste of time.] The system''s expressionless voice ringed in his ears once again after it went silent a few days back. He ignored its earlier suggestion and it didn''t make one from then on.


    "Why?" He slowly murmured and even Hea-Jung heard it due to the silent room.


    She was a little worried about Joon-won when she heard that and thought he was feeling very depressed about the setback. She opened her mouth and said, "Little brother it''s ok. It''s normal for people to get rejected at auditions. Even i got rejected many times before Inded the present one. It''s a long process and you are only starting. So don''t feel down." She stood up and gently tried to make her way towards him.


    Joon-won heard her and opened his eyes while turning towards her. He saw her concerned expression as she made his way towards him and he shook his head and replied, "I''m alright. It came as a little shock to me. That''s all. Nothing to worry about. I''ll try tond a role before the summer ends. That''s the deal. If not this, then another one."


    Hea-Jung nodded and remained silent. She knew he was contemting things and needed some time before he would spring back up.


    [I told you earlier that day when this woman asked if you needed help in practice to ept. If you did ept, then you would have gotten this insight from her earlier. You underestimate this woman too much. How can a king like you underestimate based on what you saw only for a few days? This woman would have provided you the same conclusion as the people earlier and the end result of this interview could have been different.]


    Joon-won looked at Hea-Jung for a second and asked, "Did youe to the same conclusion as the judges before this? Don''t hesitate and tell me."


    Hea-Jung hesitated when she heard the first question but nodded and replied, "Yes, a little. I noticed it. I wasn''tpletely sure of it and if that''s the problem. That''s why I wanted to help you out a little earlier." Her voice turned extremely small at the end. She felt she was ming him for not epting her help.


    Joon-won nodded and finally understood how stupid he really was. He hated people underestimating him in his past life when he had nothing, but now he was the one underestimating people because of how they carried themselves out. The girl was a bit aloof and stupid but that didn''t mean she had no talent. It looked like his confidence and pride came to his head and messed up his thinking.


    [That girl experienced many audition failures, so she knows what is needed to pass one.]


    Joon-won stood up and said to Hea-Jung, "Well, shall we make our way towards Mr. Hwan''s office?" Hea-Jung nodded and made her way towards the exit with Joon-won following her behind.


    "So what next then?" He asked the system in a low voice. He didn''t want people to think he was crazy, talking out loud to no one.


    [We need to maximize this summer. There are two months left and we need to get this huge obstacle in your acting out if we want to get a few roles in notable movies.]


    Joon-won nodded. He also thought the two months they had in their hand were crucial. It was only the 3rd of May, and the next semester would not start until July. So May and June would be the two biggest and crucial months of his life.


    [Let''s talk about thister and not now. Have a discussion with Do Hwan now about what''s next. That guy is pretty wise and he might have noticed your problem earlier itself. So listen to what he says and tell you will get back to whatever he offers by night.]


    Joon-won nodded once again and decided to take the discussion seriously, unlike the previous one they had back at university.


    Both Joon-won and Hea-Jung were in the elevator and it waspletely silent as Hea-Jung, who generally was very talkative, didn''t know what to say and Joon-won was having his own discussion with the system.


    The elevator door opened, and they reached the top floor. Both of them walked out and Joon-won looked around to see there was only one room on the entire floor.

 Chapter 68 - Talk With Do Hwan And Future

    Both of them walked up to the assistant who was sitting on her desk outside the door to the side. She seemed to be busy as she was going through files on her desk and checking records on herputer and so didn''t notice the two people in front of her.


    Hea-Jung noticed on her desk and finally caught her attention as she stood up. She hurriedly apologized, "I''m sorry Ms. Seo. I was busy going through the records and didn''t notice you." With a worried expression, as if she had done a huge crime.


    Hea-Jung waved her hand, trying to stop the girl from apologizing, and sighed when she was done before replying, "You don''t need to apologize about something like this. It''s good to see you focused on your work but keep an ear out for the elevator sound. Anyway, uncle told me to bring this guy to his office and wait for him.," while pointing at Joon-won behind her.


    Thedy finally noticed him and nodded beforeing out of her desk. She opened the door to Do Hwan''s office and said, "Yes, the president sent me a text a few minutes ago that you both might arrive and asked me to help you sit in the room. Come inside." Hea-Jung nodded before beckoning Joon-won to follow her as she walked inside.


    They entered the enormous room with a sight of the city on the other side through the ss walls. Do Hwan''s desk was directly ahead while there were sofas to the right for people to sit. Both of them sat while Joon-won looked around for a bit before looking at the assistant.


    "Do both of you need something? Coffee? Tea?"


    Joon-won shook his head and asked for a ss of water while Hea-Jung asked for aplicated coffee which he couldn''t catch onto. The assistant nodded before going to another side of the room where there was almost a mini kitchen with a fridge and a coffee machine. She started preparing a coffee for Hea-Jung while getting water for Joon-won.


    After a while, she took both two sses and handed them over to them. He took a sip of water before keeping it on the coffee table before them. He noticed a few magazines on the table when he sat down and each of the magazine''s covers was an influential person. One of the magazines also had a cover of the Heavenly king Dongbang Jea, the first movie he saw aftering into the world. He really liked the person''s acting in the movie.


    He reached out and took the magazine in his hands. As he did, Hea-Jung noticed the cover and eximed, "Wow, finally there is a movie worth watching. It looks like the rumors are true that the Heavenly King Dongbang Jea was shooting a new movie. The country will go crazy when the movie releases."


    The assistant, who was still standing to the side nodded and said, "Yes, Ms. Seo. There were too many rumors, and it was toote to stop, so I heard that their productionpany just had to release the news way earlier than expected. Many people asked what the movie was about but the production crew was tight and didn''t let any news about it out. So many people are eagerly waiting for at least a movie name."


    Hea-Jung nodded while drinking her coffee and replied, "Well of course many people will wait. This guy could probably run for the president and win with andslide. That''s the number of people who would die for him. Whatever film he is doing, other productionpanies and crews will be on the lookout as they wouldn''t want to sh with a behemoth like that and rather dy their movie releases."


    The assistant nodded and remained silent. Joon-won turned the magazine over to the page with the interview and slowly read it. Most of the interview was about the movie and who was involved in it but Dongbang Jea answered the questions cleverly and escaped. He talked more about his daily life and other stuff non rted to the movie.


    Dongbang Jea was a very charismatic middle-aged guy and he could see why there would be many people willing to die for him and ce him so high in their hearts. He seemed like a very interesting guy but Joon-won didn''t have any other thoughts about it and ced the magazine back on the table.


    The three continued to wait for a few more minutes before the door opened and Do Hwan walked in. Hea-Jung and the assistant who were talking stopped while Joon-won stood up. Do Hwan waved his hand and signaled him to sit down before asking the assistant to leave them alone.


    After the assistant left, Do Hwan made himself a coffee before taking a seat on the couch with them. He took a sip of coffee before groaning a little. He seemed very tired from the busy day.


    "Today was hell. So much work." Heined.


    Hea-Jungughed and said, "Won''t it be like this until the actual production of the film starts." Making him nod. The room was silent for a few more minutes until Do Hwan pulled himself together and looked at Joon-won.


    "So what next?" He asked Joon-won. Joon-won himself was confused so he replied, "I was hoping to find an answer for that from you. You''re the expert at this stuff. I don''t know anything about the industry."


    Do Hwan shrugged and said, "I can''t tell you anything. Today you understood your problem clearly after failing that audition. If you do not pass this hurdle, it will be difficult for you to make it into the big screen."


    Joon-won nodded and asked, "So what do you suggest I do to cross this big hurdle."


    "Get more experience. That is something youck a little in movies. You are very good at the theatre but not for the movie. So you need to practice how to change the style."


    Joon-won nodded, but it confused him. How he can change his own style he had been honing for decades. It will take him a long time to destroy and rebuild everything he had for this new world and its standards.


    "Do you know anyone who can help me change my style and point out the differences between the two? Right now I have no clue. I practiced my whole life just to act on a stage and now I want to act in a movie." He looked at Do Hwan for answers. This was the only man who had enough connections to help him out.


    Do Hwan downed the entire coffee he had and said, "MY first suggestion. Follow that. That drama club is special, and it fits people like you. You can learn from the people thereby observing and skiing around on how to improve. It will be a wonderful learning experience. If you are lucky enough, you might get a role before your summer ends.


    Joon-won nodded and thought for a second. Everything he just heard madepletely sensible and there was no reason to reject the suggestion now, especially now when he was a bit desperate to learn and change so he could act in some good movies.


    Seeing him nod, Do Hwan also nodded before getting up and walking towards his desk. He leaned over and took out a business card from a drawer and gave it to Joon-won as he sat down.


    "This is that drama club''s business card. Call the number on it and ask when you cane in as I already informed them about you. So you can call this evening. Do not forget to learn when you are there Joon-won. It''s a wonderful experience, and it''s sad to see a person like your talent not getting roles." He repeatedly said to call them.


    Joon-won nodded and kept the card inside his pocket. It was important for him as he could tweak the problems on his acting over there.


    "If your acting gets better before the end of this summer, then let''s try to send you to another audition. There will be many movies and dramas in this town that are constantly in need of actors. So try hard, kid." He tried to encourage Joon-won. Joon-won nodded, and they continued to talk for a few minutes before Joon-won stood up to go back home.


    Hea-Jung also stood up to drop him but he rejected her kindness and said he will take the bus. He wanted some more time to clear his head. She agrees and Joon-won tells goodbye to both of them and exits the room. He enters the elevator and goes down before exiting the building.


    Looking at the bright sun, he looked down and saw the time on his phone. It was already 4, his audition and talk were over in 2 hours. He sighed before walking along the busy sidewalk towards the nearest bus stop. Reaching the bus stop, he looked at the huge map of the city and understood which bus number he had to take to go back to his university.

 Chapter 69 - Relaxing Evening

    After knowing which bus to take, he stood there among all the busy people of the city as they waited for their bus. Joon-won looked around and saw most of the people were in suits and professional attire. All of them were on their phones, either talking or scrolling through the news feed. He just stood there, thinking about the next step. He decided to call the number after going back home and knowing when he had to be in the drama house so he could start learning.


    It didn''t take long for a bus to arrive and he got in, along with a few passengers, and took a seat by a window. He looked out at the busy city, his head filled with thoughts about the present situation. Joon-won felt confident he would get the role and enough money for Yun-hee''s education.


    Now he didn''t get the role needs money. He would now have to arrange money before the summer ends, and that was in two months. Joon-won couldn''t turn his back after giving a promise to the young girl and hoped that the drama house would give him enough money to act there. He asked about Do Hwan earlier about this and Do Hwan said the drama house would give around 15000 Kros for a new actor for every drama they perform in.


    Drama houses performed once a week as thepetition was tough, unlike the old days where it was once a month. He calcted the amount of money he could make if he performs in dramas starting next week as 4 days already passed on the current one. That would mean he could make up to 105 thousand before the summer ends.


    105 thousand was a lot and coupled with the 25k he had in his bank, it would be 130k. That would barely enough to cover her turion fees and, if lucky, her dorm costs. He sighed in relief after knowing could barely make the cut and leaned back on the seat as he looked out with a more rxed mind.


    After half an hour of riding the bus, it finally stopped before the university and he got off. He looked around and saw a few students who still had sses walking out and walked away towards his house.


    Reaching his house, he took a shower and wore some cleaner clothes before sitting on the couch and taking out the card he got from Do Hwan. On the card, he saw the name of the drama house ''Roses Drama''. He flipped the card and saw the phone number of the person who runs the drama house on its back and dialed the number.


    After a few rings, the phone finally connected, and he heard a voice from the other side, "Hello, this is Roses Drama house, anything I could help you with?" It was a woman''s voice and sounded very pleasant.


    "Yee, this is Joon-won. Mr. Hwan asked me to contact you about working in the drama house."


    "Ah, yes. You''re that kid he mentioned a few days ago. Yes, he did tell me about it and I watched a video of the exam and saw your drama. You are very good, almost like you are born to act on a stage."


    Joon-won felt a little ttered when he heard herments and replied, "Thank you for thepliments but can I know when toe to the Drama house to learn?"


    "Ah, yes. Your problem. Do Hwan texted me about it an hour or two ago. Yes, I understand your problem. Tell me when you are free and cane to the house. I hear you also have another job you picked up."


    Joon-won sighed at how she knew hisplete information, including him working in the supermarket. He knew it must have been Hea-Jung who told Do Hwan, who told her. A long chain of people who couldn''t be quiet.


    "Yes, I am working in a supermarket. My shift is in the morning and will end by 1. So I can give myplete time to learn and practice after that."


    The other side went silent as he heard a tapping sound. He remained silent until the other side responded, "Alright then it''s ok. Most of the actors in our drama house alsoe inte and we don''t start practice until 10 or 11. So it should be ok if youe a few hourster than them. After all, you are here to act and learn and also not under a contract."


    Joon-won nodded as she continued, "Alright, we can talk the rest when you are here. Swing by the Drama house tomorrow after your part-time shift is done. I''ll message you the location and you can call me when you reach here."


    "Alright, nice talking to you." He responded and cut the call. As soon as he cut the call, he received a text and noticed it was from the Drama house owner. He saved her number and checked the location. It was quite far into the city from where he lived. The Arios Drama University was on the outskirts of the city to give the students a more rxed atmospherepared to the bustling of the city.


    Even Do Hwan''spany was notpletely inside the city and was only halfway through. He knew there were a few A-listed actors in hispany and so wondered what thepany''s in the inner part were like.


    The inner part of the city was where the juggernauts of the industry were. All famous productionpanies and talentpanies were there and you could see actors on the streets. The Rose Drama house was very famous as it was situated in the inner circle of the city and was widely known as one of the top three drama houses and also had a few A-listed actors who worked there before they got famous.


    Joon-won wondered how someone like Do Hwan, whosepany wasn''t that big and famous knew the owner of Rose Drama house. It was only a passing thought as he shook it out of his head and decided to take a cab there instead of a bus. The buses to the inner part of the city were generally packed and suffocating.


    After that, he walked into the kitchen and took out a few chips to eat as he was hungry. Sitting on the couch, not having anything to do, he turned on the television to watch a few movies. After sifting through a few channels, he found one interesting and kept the remote aside.


    As he watched the movie, he received a text and saw it was from Jung-hwa about his audition. He simply texted back that he failed and asked if she booked her tickets toe back. As soon as he sent the reply Jung-hwa sent a row of texts asking what happened and if he was ok and much other stuff. He shook his head and texted back that everything was ok and he will also be going to a drama house to fix his acting problems and try an audition by the end of summer if possible.


    After calming the overly worried Jung-hwa, she told him she will be back as originally nned and that she was excited to go to the Drama house to learn more about acting. She didn''t stop rambling until dinner time when her mother called her to eat. As soon as he received the text ''bye'' he sighed in relief. Sometimes Jung-hwa was too much to handle.


    He stood up and walked to the kitchen to make his own dinner. He took out some chicken he had and cooked some nice juicy chicken to go with rice before sitting in front of the television once again to watch a movie. The rest of the time was spent leisurely, as hepleted his dinner and continued to watch more movies.


    After a while, his phone rang, and he picked it up. It was his father who called.


    "Ah, Joon-won you picked up. What are you doing? Didn''t your holidays start a few days ago? How are you spending your holidays? Come home if you are not doing anything important."


    "I''m fine dad. The holidays are good. I''m not wasting my holidays so don''t worry. I joined a drama house in the city and will go there tomorrow to learn more and act a little for the rest of the holidays. So don''t worry."


    "That''s great. Acting in a drama house in Arios City is very good. I''m proud that you aren''t wasting off valuable days."


    "Yes, dad I''m fine. How are you and Yun-hee?"


    "Everything is great here. Yun-hee went back to her usual self yesterday and ising straight back home from school and studying very hard for the uing exams. The schedule came out and the exams start from the 20th so there are only 16 days left. She is nning to use them to the fullest."


    Joon-won felt relieved when he heard him and both talked for a while until they had to go to bed. Joon-won turned off the television before going to bed.

 Chapter 70 - Roses Drama House

    Joon-won scrolled down on his phone, reading and watching reviews and performance videos of the Roses Drama House the next while Gah Soo was taking care of the customers. The morning went by normally with his workout and job. As he took some rest, he used it to check out the drama house he had to go to and how their works were for their reputation to be so high.


    As he scrolled down and read the reviews, he thought the reviewers were exaggerating about their experience and even thought all these reviews were fake. But he quickly scratched that off when he heard Gah Soo behind him exim, "Oh, that''s the Roses Drama House. Are you going there to watch a performance? Let me tell you it''s worth the high price."


    He turned around and saw her excited face. Confused about her reaction he asked, "Do you know about this Drama house?"


    He immediately noticed Gah Soo looking at him strangely, as if he was an alien as she slowly asked, "Are you even studying acting in your university? How can you not know about the Roses drama house even after acting and learning how to act? It''s widely known as one of the top 3 drama houses in the city and one of the best in the entire world. Many people from different countriese to this city and won''t go back until they get to see at least one performance."


    After hearing her he immediately knew all the reviews were true and wanted to know what made this particr drama house so unique and famous.


    "What''s so good about this drama house to make it famous? Is it the acting? The story? Or anything else?"


    "It''s definitely the story. Even though the acting is really good it''s overshadowed by the story. Their stories are so real and rtable that other drama houses can''t mimic them." Joon-won was intrigued when he heard her confidence. Most of the drama houses were famous for their actors but it seemed like this particr one was famous for its stories.


    "So you watched one of their dramas? What kind of stories do they perform?"


    "Yeah, I watched one of their performances one year ago. The trail to get those tickets were so hard that I had to use a few friends to get me those."


    "Anyway, the performance I saw was so good that I can remember even now. It was a story about a girl. A girl who had dreams and would do anything to achieve them. They showed how cruel human nature can be when they want to achieve something. The girl who was supposed to be the heroine was more like a viin because of it but that was what made her very rtable."


    Intrigued by her description, he asked, "Can I find a recording of this drama you saw online?"


    Gah Soo nodded and took out her phone. She opened an app and gave the phone to him while exining, "Here this is the drama house''s app. You can book tickets from it but also watch their performances if you have a premium ount, which is lucky for you, I do."


    Joon-won nodded and looked through all the videos they uploaded. He noticed each video was about 2-3 hours long which constitutes an avg y. He scrolled down until he finally found the video of the performance Gah Soo saw and clicked on it.


    He took out his headphones and slowly watched the performance in the shop as Gah Soo took over the counter for the remaining time left to give him time to watch it. Joon-won was at first very leisurely about the performance but as he watched he clutched the phone with both his hands and watched very intently as if he could not see anything around him.


    The performance was luckily only 150 minutes or 2 and half hours long and so he gave the mobile back to Gah Soo while sitting in silence, thinking about the performance. He now understood why the drama house was famous from that one video. It was as Gah Soo said. The actors were good but not great to make the drama house stand out and it was the stories that made it stand out.


    He calmed the various emotions he felt while watching the performance. As he watched the main lead, he saw himself in that position and remembered many things from the past.


    The story was rtively very simple andmon. It was as Gah Soo said, it was about a woman with a dream and her journey on how she achieved her dream. But the journey was so real, raw, and close to being realistic that made his feelings erupt a little.


    The story started with an abandoned girl who grew up in the streets and waster picked up by a family to work in their house. She wanted to be rich and wanted to do anything for it. So she started studying while the people in the house were away and picked up many things quickly.


    The family found out that the girl was being out of control and studying, which made them angry. They wanted to punish her but before they did, she lit the house on fire and escaped while killing the family for her own survival and goal. Sheter uses that knowledge she gathered to create websites that allowed her to scam people easily making them believe it''s for god.


    After making enough money, she started her ownpany and slowly rose. Her business expanded and attracted the attention of manypetitors, which wanted her not to flourish. But before they took action, she attacked them and theirpany, destroying herpetitionpletely before it even started.


    She used every possible method to be rich, even if she knew it was cruel for the other end. But she didn''t care and reached her goal to be super-rich. After bing very rich and having enough money to live a few lives freely, she died of cancer.


    Even in herst breath, she didn''t care or feel guilty about all the things she did to reach where she was. Even though the main lead was an obvious viin who took out anyone in her way it was more rtable to the people who were desperate for their goals. The story was very good and made people realize how humans were better. Overall, the drama house did not hold back at all. Typically, these types of raw and realistic dramas were a double-edged sword. If their execution and story were not perfect then they could receive bacsh from the people and also potentially lose business.


    Even he never performed or even tried to perform these kinds of dramas in his past life because it was very hard to find one which wasn''t offensive and also understand what was offensive in the first ce. So it was a thin line which he didn''t dare to walk on.


    He looked at Gah Soo and handed her phone back, as it was almost time for his shift to end. As he gave the phone back, Gah Soo asked, "So, how was it?"


    He nodded and replied, "It was really good. The drama house deserves its fame if all the dramas are like this."


    "Yeah, it does. But why were you so curious about this drama house suddenly? Do you want tickets? If you do then you are probably will have to try for shows next month. The shows this month are probably all full."


    "No, I''m going to this drama house today to start working and learn there."


    "What? You are going to work there? You mean you are going to be one of the actors there? But what about the audition yesterday? How did that go?"


    "I don''t know if I will act in any dramas. My main aim is to learn and the boss there said toe after my shift ends here. And I failed the audition yesterday so this is my next route until the end of summer."


    "You failed? Even with how good you act? Don''t feel bad, man. I''m sure you will get another chance very quickly. I can just feel it." She started to assure him.


    Joon-won didn''t bother to correct her and just changed the topic until his shift was done. He changed his clothes and got out. He looked around for cabs and couldn''t find any. So he walked towards the university.


    And as he expected, there were many cabs for the students and so he walked up to one of them by the driver''s window. The window rolled down as he was about to knock and a middle-aged driver smiled at him.


    "Where do you want to go?"


    "The Roses drama house."


    "Sure, get in. I''ll take you there as quickly as I can."


    Joon-won nodded and got in the backseat as the driver drove towards their destination.

 Chapter 71 - San Min

    It didn''t take him long to reach his destination. He looked out and saw a huge dome outside. The driver turned back and said, "This is the Roses Drama House." Joon-won nodded and paid the guy before getting out. He looked at the huge dome and looked around. It was his first time in the inner part of the city and he could see every single car was a luxury car worth hundreds of thousands. Every person wore extremely fancy clothing, and he looked down at his own simple shirt and jeans.


    He shrugged it off and looked at the Roses drama house once again. The ticket counter was closed and the entrance was pretty deserted. He took out his phone and called the boss of the ce once again.


    "Yes, did you arrive?"


    "I''m right outside of the dome. How do I get in?"


    "Wait for a minute, I''ll send someone to bring you in." And cut the call.


    Joon-won waited for a few minutes before one of the doors opened and a young man around his age walked out. He came towards him and asked, "Are you Joon-won?"


    Joon-won nodded and the man turned around before walking back in while asking him to follow. Joon-won followed the guy as both entered the building. He looked around as they both walked into the long corridors which were obviously in a circle shape. They went through various doors leading to the seats and so he asked, "How many seats does this ce hold?"


    The guy in front of him looked back and replied, "Around 3000 people."


    Joon-won nodded and was amazed at how big this ce was. He would easily be lost if left alone. They finally reached the end of the circr corridor and the guy opened two big doors into another corridor, but this one was straight.


    There were many people in this corridor, roaming around different rooms while holding papers, costumes, props, and many other stuff. He knew seeing this that they were preparing for the performanceing Sunday. It was Thursday and the drama house needed to get things done quickly if they wanted a full rehearsal with all props and costumes on.


    He tried to peek into a few rooms and saw people either practicing or making stuff. Everything was organized and quick. This formed a good impression of the ce. After walking for another few minutes they went through another pair of doors and this time everything was silent. There were only a handful of rooms this time with no people in the corridor.


    The guy stopped before the door which had ''Manager'' on it and knocked. Joon-won heard the same voice he heard through the phone from the other side.


    "Who is it?"


    "Boss, it''s me. I brought the guy you asked me to pick up."


    "Alright, then you can leave and continue with your work. Joon-won,e in."


    The guy gave ast nod towards Joon-won and walked away. Joon-won twisted the doorknob and walked in. He walked into afy-looking room as he noticed a big couch on the side, a few stands filled with various awards and pictures of people. He then looked at the woman behind a desk filled with papers. The woman looked like she was in her early thirties and was diligently looking through the papers.


    She looked up and noticed him. Taking out her reading sses, she beckoned him to sit in front of her. Joon-won followed and sat across from her. He looked at the pretty woman who carried herself extremely well.


    "Hmm, you look very in than I thought." She blurted out ament. Joon-won raised his eyebrow at her choice of first words. Normal people would say hi and introduce themselves, but she told him he looked in. His face went deadpan as he responded, "I''m sorry that Imitted such a heinous crime by looking in."


    The woman noticed his sarcasticments but ignored them and introduced herself. "Well, my name is San Min. I''m the owner of Roses Drama house."


    "Kim Joon-won, a normal university student."


    San Min nodded and said, "Nice, I like straightforward people. Well, Do Hwan told me everything about you which you probably figured out yesterday, and told me to help you. He actually showed me a video they recorded of your audition and I can see why you didn''t get selected."


    Joon-won raised an eyebrow after hearing her. He didn''t know there was a recorded version of his audition. He wanted that recording. He decided to ask Hea-Jung for it after this talk was done.


    "The problems you are facing are rtivelymon among theatre actors. After all, not everyone can instantly shift from one medium to another even though the work is the same in both fields."


    "How can you help me solve my problems?" Joon-won asked before she could continue.


    San Minughed a little when she heard him and replied, "Don''t be in a hurry. It''s not a one-day process. It might take the entire 2 months you have in your hands to get through this hurdle. So don''t be in a hurry, I helped a few stars with this and I know my stuff." Making Joon-won nod. The person in front of him was an expert and known for running one of the biggest Drama houses, why would she try to trick a university kid who has nothing.


    "Alright, I''ll run you down on how this drama house works. We perform almost every Sunday unless somethinges up. We have around 30 actors working for us and also students like you whoe to gain some knowledge."


    "Every Tuesday or Wednesday we will perform an audition for the roles in the Sunday performance. No role is fixed for one person and anyone can try out. If they pass the director''s, which is my requirement, they get the role. That''s how it works here."


    "You missed this week''s audition and can''t perform so just observe our practice sessions and get to know the people here. Ask them doubts if you have any and they will do their best to answer them."


    "Now this isn''t a school where we will spill out the answer for your problem. It''s your job to find out the answer on your own. If you don''t then there is no meaning to it, you won''t progress and mature better if you can''t do even this."


    Joon-won nodded as he took in the information she gave in. He thought things would be simple, hees here, she tells the answer to his problem, he practices in the dramas for a while and goes to Do Hwan for an audition. But clearly, the other party didn''t have the same thoughts in mind.


    But this wasn''t that bad for him either, as what she said was right. It was better for him to learn on his own and make the changes himself. He could ask the other people in the ce to correct his mistakes if he did any. But the first thing he needed to do was figure out what his problems were by either getting his audition recording or asking other people what themon problems actors make when they change from theatre to movie.


    So he nodded and replied, "Got it."


    San Min smiled when she heard him and said, "That''s wonderful. Now let''s continue. The next thing is about your remuneration. We generally give the new actors or part-timers who want to learn and act the same amount, that is 18k if they are acting in a drama. But if they don''t


    act in the drama that weekend then it''s only 8k."


    "Your joining date is today and there are only 3 days left. So I''ll transfer you 4k if on Sunday if you work and learn these three days. Does that sound good?"


    Joon-won nodded and felt good about the pay. In his calctions, he only imagined 15k a week but here they gave 18k which was more than he originally nned out. But he wasn''t going toin about more money. He needed more to remain less stressed.


    "Fantastic, now even though this is veryte and I know a lot about your activities. Tell me about yourself and your acting." She ced both her hands on the table and asked.


    He rxed a little when she heard her question and replied, "Nothing much out of the ordinary except my acting. Ie from a non-acting or any kinds of entertainment background and so acting is my passion and I''m going to pursue it as long as I can."


    "I think highly of myself and my acting skills so you shouldn''t be surprised if you see me as arrogant." He exined briefly about his mentality.


    San Min smiled when she heard his confidence and how he carried himself. Sheughed a little and said, "That is great. Every actor needs to have pride and by the looks of it, you have way more than enough. Let''s hope you won''t have another setback than this one." And stretched her hand out for a handshake.

 Chapter 72 - Work

    Joon-won was now outside the room waiting for someone toe pick him up and show him around the ce. The meeting with San Min was done and everything was set for the next 2 months. He took out his phone and sent a text to Hea-Jung asking about the recording. As soon as he sent the message, he got a reply from her. As always, shepletely ignored his text and asked about how the drama house was and if he needed her to be there.


    He immediately denied her help and asked for the recording again. She agreed and sent the recording. He clicked on the video and saw him standing on the stage. It was only a 30 mins video and he decided to watch itter when he went back home. The timings of the drama house was only until 6 in the evening but San Min told him that the drama house would be open till 10 because people were practicing and doing other stuff.


    Hearing the door open he pocketed the phone and noticed it was the same guy who picked him up earlier. The guy waved his hand and Joon-won walked up to him.


    "The boss asked me to show you the ce, shall we get going?" And Joon-won nodded.


    The guy turned around and they were back into the busy corridor. The guy immediately started pointing at rooms and mentioning what their purpose was. There were a total of 5 rooms on both sides of the corridor. The first three rooms on the left were there for people to practice. All three of the doors were closed and Joon-won could hear people practicing lines from the other side.


    The other two rooms on the left were for changing and rest. One room for each gender. Both the rooms looked spacious when he peeked in with people either sleeping or using their phones.


    Then were the rooms on the right. The 2 rooms near the huge door they came out of were used for making props and costumes. The rooms were filled with various equipment like sewing machines and wood. He saw some people working on props for the performance and making clothes. He felt nostalgic seeing this and thought about the days he had to do these kinds of tasks for their performance.


    They filled the room next to those withputers and machines used during the performance. This was like the control center, where they could see the stage from different angles and turn on the spotlight with music at the correct times.


    Thest room had two doors and was actually backstage. It was big and had a huge mirror to check on the dress and make-up before they got up on stage. After checking that, the guy told that most of the crops were kept behind the building in a huge warehouse they managed.


    He then took him to the front where it was the main entrance for the audience and entered. Joon-won was surprised to see the stage and how the theatre looked. The theatre was massive and had a huge stage at the front. He looked back and saw stages above and looked like they had to climb stairs outside to get in those seats.


    Aftering out of the theatre he turned towards Joon-won and said, "Well, that''s the tour of the entire drama house. So what did the boss ask you to do after this?"


    "She asked me to help out any way I can. So you got any work which needs an extra pair of hands?" He asked back. He didn''t know anyone in this ce, even the guy in front of him did not introduce himself yet.


    The guy thought for a second and replied, "Well I heard the people in the costume room were short in hands. Do you know how to use a sewing machine and make costumes?"


    Joon-won didn''t know how to use the sewing machine but he knew how to sew. So he replied, "I don''t know how to use a sewing machine, but I do know how to sew using a regr thread and needle. I have some experience in making costumes."


    "Well, I guess that would be good enough. I''m sure they have needles and thread. Let''s go, I''ll introduce you to the person in charge there." He waved his hands and asked him to flow once again.


    They reached the costume room and got in. Joon-won immediately noticed 4 people rigorously working on costumes. No one turned to check who it was that walked in and the guy said, "Pak Shin, I heard you could use a few hands. Here is the new guy. The boss told him to help around till next week''s auditions and he said he knows how to make costumes using needle and thread."


    As soon as he called out everyone turned towards the door and looked at him. There were 2 men and 2 women in the room. The one who responded was a man who sat in front of a sewing machine to the far left of the room with various pieces of cloth next to him.


    "You know how to sew?" He directly asked Joon-won. Joon-won nodded, and the guy pointed at one of the drawers to his left side and said, "There should be needles and thread in the first drawer. Take them ande here."


    As soon as he gave orders, he turned back and continued to work. The others followed him and the guy who showed him around patted his shoulders before turning around and walking out of the room. Joon-won looked at the room once again and noticed a huge table spanning across the entire right wall with various dresses on it. The left side of the room had the tables the people worked on and right across from him were enormous wardrobes which contained various supplies needed to make costumes.


    Joon-won shrugged at how messy the room looked with various pieces of clothes on the ground and knew whoever cleaned the ce up were legends.


    Joon-won looked to the left and saw a smaller version of the table on the right side. He walked in front of the table and opened the first drawer to see various stuff like glue, threads, scissors, needles, etc. He picked up a needle and white thread before going towards Pak Shin to the left corner.


    As soon as he walked near Pak Shin turned around and said, "How much experience do you have with needle and thread? Have you ever made clothes before?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "I''m quite good and quick with a needle and thread. I have made quite a few clothes back at home during high school and middle school."


    Pak Shin nodded before pointing at therge table at the right side of the room and said, "See the clothes there, many of the shirts do not have pockets still stitched on to them. The pockets are cut and ced neatly on the ces they need to be stitched so just take a thread from the same drawer you got these from and get to work. After stitching one pocket, bring it to me so I can check it once." He turned around after giving orders and continued to work.


    Joon-won nodded and made his way to the massive table. As he stood in front of it he checked all the various clothes and saw most of them had an ancient Rome theme. He picked a shirt that was white and saw that the pocket was on the left side of the chest.


    Joon-won looked around and saw an empty desk beside one of the workers in the other corner from where Pak Shin sat. He took a seat and got to work.


    He quickly stitched the pocket up neatly within a minute. This was a very simple task for a person who used to make clothes from scratch because their drama group was too poor to buy aplete set of clothes or have them made by experts.


    Afterpleting it, he went to Pak Shin and showed him the shirt. Pak Shin was a bit surprised by how quickly Joon-wonpleted and grabbed the shirt to see if there were any errors. It was almost like he was hoping to find an error.


    After looking at the pocket carefully, he nodded and handed the shirt back to Joon-won before pointing at the huge wardrobe.


    "ce the shirt over there and continue to pick more clothes to stitch up pockets and stuff. After you are done, ce them all in the wardrobe."


    Joon-won nodded and ced the dress in the wardrobe before picking a couple of dresses that had pockets or cors that needed to be stitched on. He ced them on his workbench and walked to the smaller table and took out a few threads which match the clothes he took before getting to work. The room went silent with only the machine sound

 Chapter 73 - Break And Members

    As all of them were working in the room, Pak Shin stood up and said to everyone, "Alright, let''s take a break. We can continue after a while." While stretching his body a little. As soon as he said that the rest exhaled in relief and also started stretching their bodies. All of them sat in front of the sewing machines for hours. Their bodies were a bit sore.


    Joon-won also stopped working and heard the guy beside him, "Yo, what''s your name? We were too busy and forgot to even ask your name." He grinned a little and the others, including Pak Shin, looked at him.


    "My name is Kim Joon-won. I''m a university student at Arios Drama University. I came here to learn about acting and solve a few problems I am facing. Are you all also actors here?" He introduced himself and asked all four of them again.


    All of them shook their heads hearing his question and the same guy replied, "No we aren''t actors. We all majored in art and are quite good at movie settings and costumes. So we all work here for the drama house and sometimes get called for movie sets too. Oh! By the way, my name is Gim Tae. I''m also a university student but in myst year." Stretching out his hand, and Joon-won responded.


    The guy in front of him was 3 years older than him. He looked rather in and outgoing, seeing how he was the first to strike a conversation with him. He wore sses and had a normal haircut. Everything about him screamed normal.


    As soon as he introduced himself, the rest also followed.


    "Hello, my name is Do Ryung. I graduated from universityst year and am now working here." The one beside Gim Tae introduced himself. This one had more personalitypared to Gim Tae. He had ear piercings and also had more fashion sense. His hair was also a bit stylish but not too much to stand out among the crowd.


    "My name is Seok Yun. I''m also ast-year university student." The only girl in the room briefly introduced herself. She had short hair and a more gloomy feeling. She seemed like the quiet one in the group.


    "Nowst but not least, I''m Pak Shin. I''m kind of the leader of this group. So If you have any problems with anything here you cane to me." Pak Shin was a middle-aged man who looked around in histe 20s or early 30s. He clearly had more authority and experience than the others. He also had a nk expression when introducing himself.


    Joon-won nodded with a small smile on his face and nodded towards everyone. After the introductions were done, Gim Tae looked at him and said, "Do you want to go out and have something? I''m really hungry." Joon-won thought for a second before nodding. He wanted to know more about this drama house and it''s best to ask over having some food.


    Gim Tae turned around and asked everyone else, "Does anyone want toe with both of us? We are going to have some snacks across the street."


    Do Ryung nodded and replied, "Sure I''lle. It''s nice to move around a little."


    "I''ll go to the props room next door now so I can''te. If possible, get me a few dumplings, that''s enough. I''ll pay after you guyse back." Seok Yun responded by shaking her head.


    "You guys go, I''m too tired toe." Pak Shin waved his hand and sat in his seat before taking out a phone.


    "Alright then let''s go." Gim Tae stood up along with Joon-won and Do Ryung. All three of them made their way outside the room and saw the busy corridor once again. Many people were moving around different rooms and so they slowly made their way through and exited that area. After going through another pair of doors, the corridor was empty and silent.


    The three slowly walked out of the theatre and saw the sun started to set. Gim Tae looked back and asked, "So what do you guys want to eat? There is a market nearby which sells many fast food items."


    Joon-won shrugged and replied, "I have no preferences. So you guys can decide."


    As soon as he said that, Do Ryung said, "Alright then let''s have a few dumplings. I''m kinda craving for those." Gim Tae nodded, and they made their way down the street. Joon-won looked around and saw many shops and tall offices. He saw people walking out of buildings, tired and looking into their phones. There were many cabs on the road too for the office men to go home.


    After walking down a few blocks, Gim Tae stopped and looked to the side. It was a market and a crowded one at that. Joon-won saw many office men who came out like them to take some rest or were off work and just wanted to chill for a while.


    "Alright let''s go. It''s more crowded than usual." Making the other two nod.


    They followed Gim Tae''s lead and reached a dumpling store. The store was very busy, as many people were sitting and chatting. There wasn''t any ce for them, so Gim Tae decided to get a takeout and eat back at the theatre. After getting a few extra dumplings for the other two, they exited and came out.


    Joon-won sighed as he knew he wouldn''t be able to talk about the theatre like they originally nned. He decided to suggest getting a few drinks after the work wasplete. That was another good way to talk.


    They quickly made their way out of the street, and the three exhaled in relief. Gim Tae wiped some sweat off and eximed, "That was tough. So many people just keeping in and it''s really suffocating."


    Do Ryung shrugged and replied, "It''s the only market to get cheap snacks and drinks in an area like this. So of course it will be crowded."


    Gim Tae nodded, and the three started to make their way back. They quickly reached the theatre and went into their room. As they were walking through the corridor a few people who saw the bag in their hands also went out to get something to eat as if they remembered they were hungry.


    They entered their room and saw Seok Yun and Pak Shin on their phones. They looked up and nodded at the three of them. Gim Tae shook the bag in his hands and said, alright let''s all eat some quickly and get back to work. We couldn''t eat there cause it was just too crowded and busy today."


    The other two nodded and all three of them sat down in the middle of the room. Gim Tae took out the disposable chopsticks they got from the store and gave everyone one. Do Ryung took out the dox of food and opened it up. The food was still warm and the aroma filled the room.


    Everyone quicklypleted the dumplings in the box before throwing the box and chopsticks into the trash.


    Do Rung eximed as he sat in his seat, "Those were some good dumplings. We should get them more often. Those really hit the spot."


    Gim Tae and Seok Yun nodded and Pak Shin said, "Alright the break is over, and let''s stop talking about food. We need to get these clothes ready by tomorrow. The costume trail is tomorrow evening soe on let''s get going." He pped his hands and made Gim Tae groan.


    Everyone started working again as Joon-won''s work also changed from stitching pockets to checking the costumes for any default in them. There were bound to be a few defaults because of the speed they were churning out the costumes. He just needed to check them and correct them if possible or hand them over to one of the four who were on the machines.


    Joon-won worked quickly and the room went silent again like earlier. By the time they finished for the day, it was already 9, way past the actual closing time. Pak Shin stood up and said while pping, "Alright that''s it for today. We finished most of the costumes and let''s get the rest of the smaller ones tomorrow morning. Everything should be ready by tomorrow evening for the tryouts."


    As soon as he said that, the rest groaned and exhaled in relief. It was a long day for them and was exhausting because of the deadline.


    "Alright let''s get some drinks before going back." Gim Tae eximed as he pumped his fist up.


    "I need to go back to my dorm. It''s almost closing time. So not today." Seok Yun rejected as she finished packing her stuff.


    "I need to get home. My wife has been texting for the past 30 minutes. So you three continue." Pak Shin said as he was checking if everything was there as the leader of the group.


    Gim Tae looked at Do Ryung and Joon-won with a hopeful expression and became ted when both agreed. Joon-won was happy that he didn''t need to suggest as the outgoing Gim Tae did.

 Chapter 74 - Information Over Drinks

    Joon-won looked around the small bar they got into. There weren''t many people and unlike his previous experience, most of the people were middle-aged men who were drinking away as if it''s thest day of their life whileining about everything they could. There were only a few people on the dance floor with the DJ ying songs above on a small stage.


    He looked at the two youths in front of him, who were already done with one bottle of beer. Joon-won took things at a small pace and only had a few sips. Gim Tae looked at him, then his bottle, and said, "Bro, you need to drink more. Your bottle isn''t even halfway done."


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "I don''t drink much."


    Do Ryung looked at him and ask, "But why? You should enjoy your life more at this time. You are out of university you won''t get chances like this anymore." He spread his hands and eximed. Joon-won heard simr words from another friend and he shook his head.


    "It''s ok. I don''t like to drink alcohol that much. Oh by the way, when did you both start working in the drama house?" He asked his first question of the night.


    Gim Tae and Do Ryung looked at each other and shrugged before Do Ryung replied, "I have been working for 2 years now and Gim Tae here has been working there for a year." Making Joon-won nod.


    "Does the work always be this hectic? You guys had no time to even chill except for that break."


    This time it was Gim Da who replied, "No, it''s not always like this. Most of the time we are quite free and only have small tasks. But those are times when the drama has a more modern vibe to it. Because the theatre would rather buy the costume online than let us make it from scratch. It''s only because this week''s drama is rted to the Roman emperor times that we need to make costumes from scratch, making the workload more. So it''s just your bad luck that you came in today." Making Do Ryung nod.


    Joon-won nodded and heard Gim Tae ask, "Joon-won, why did you start in our department and not the others? You could have helped around in the crops and setting department instead."


    Joon-won shrugged and replied, "No particr reason. The guy who brought me to your room said you guys were short-handed and asked me if I was good at sewing so I just said ok. That''s all, nothing there to it." A simple coincidence.


    "Well, you are pretty good at using needles and thread. The way you stitch is so fast and clean too. You should learn how to use a machine too. It would be easier with the help of technology." Gim Tae who sat beside him the whole day nodded and suggested.


    Joon-won shrugged and replied, "Well, it''s not like I''ll be using the machine every day like you guys. So the needle and thread are enough for now." Making the other two nod.


    "Earlier today you told me that you guys get called into movie sets, how does that happen? What is it like in sets?" Joon-won asked another normal question.


    "Let me answer, I have been to more movie sets between both of us. Generally, movie production teamse to our drama house for actors to fill the not-important roles. When they do, they''ll ask for costume or set makers if they need any and because our drama house is famous, we get many offers." Do Ryung jumped in and replied.


    He continued, "Movie sets are pretty tense and organized. Every group has a leader and we need to follow the leader''s orders and get things done before the director or the main actors arrive on the set. If we aren''t done with that task then the director will shout at his assistant and that assistant will take out that frustration on our leader who takes it out on us." He shrugged helplessly. Joon-won nodded and understood how that feels.


    "Right, how is the drama house acting scene. Do all the actors in our drama house have experience in a movie set?"


    Gim Tae was the one to reply this time, "Well yeah but only for very small roles. Our Drama house isn''t particrly known for its actors so we don''t get many offers. Did youe to get exposure and offers? If you did, you should have tried the other two drama houses in the inner part of the city. They are more famous than ours for their actors."


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "No, I really didn''te here for those kinds of reasons. I have a few problems with my acting and need to solve them. So they sent me here to learn under the boss''s wing in the theatre. Only if I solve this problem of mine,mine,mine, will I get good roles in movies."


    "Oh! What is that problem of yours?" Gim Tae asked immediately and Do Ryung also leaned in to hear the answer.


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "It''s nothing very important. I''m a bit ufortable to say so." He trailed off and the other two understood.


    "It''s alright man. You don''t need to share anything with us. We only met today and of course, you will be ufortable sharing anything with us. Come, let''s continue drinking." Do Ryung said before raising the 2nd beer bottle and taking a sip.


    Joon-won nodded and asked, "Thanks for understanding. Right, how is the weekly audition for roles in our drama house? The boss told them that they are fair and all. But are they really fair?"


    Gim Tae nodded and said, "Yeah, they really are fair and also very strict. The boss will personally select for each role so she doesn''t allow any mishaps. There was this one time an actor bribed one of the boss''s assistants for a role. But that poor guy instantly got caught by the boss during practice sessions and she fired the assistant on the spot and made sure that guy won''t get any opportunities in films in the city. The boss is pretty influential so be careful in your auditions next week."


    Joon-won was surprised when he heard the story. He acted with a bit of doubt and mockery. But the reply he got was pretty serious. He didn''t doubt Gim Tae when he saw even Do Ryung nodding alongside him. He was also surprised by how decisive and influential San Min was. She actually fired her assistant without batting an eyelid in front of everyone and was also influential enough to stop the future of the guy who crossed the line.


    "So the boss is influential in the city?"


    Do Ryung nodded and said, "Yes, I heard there were many drama houses who wanted to take her down when Roses Drama houses was getting famous. But she fought and stepped on all those drama houses, making them vanish. Many people say she is from an influential background. But no one really knows her background."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Alright then, let''s continue drinking." He took a sip and changed the topic. He asked for the information he needed. He was curious about San Min.


    After another 1hr they stopped drinking and the two were pretty drunk but enough to tell the cab driver what their address was. Joon-won only drank another bottle in that one hour and waspletely sober. He checked the time, and it was almost half-past 10. He waved his hand for a cab and told the driver to get to the university.


    As he was in the cab his phone rang and noticed it was from Hea-Jung. He sighed and contemted a little before he picked up the call. If he didn''t then the girl would call him the whole night until he picked it up.


    "How was your first day at the drama house? Did you face any problems?" She was a little too excited to know about his problems.


    He shook his head and replied, "No, I''m pretty well. The drama house is pretty good. Everything is very professional."


    "Of course everything will be good and professional. What else did you think? That ce is a cherry on top of all the drama houses out there. Many people would get on their knees to beg to get into that ce." She scoffed on the other side.


    Joon-won nodded and asked, "Alright, you are right. Anyway, why did you call sote at night?"


    "Well, I called to inform you that I might not be in touch this frequently for the next 2 months or even more. My shooting is starting in 2 days and I''ll have to go to another city for the shoot. So I might not respond to your calls or messages and so I did you a favor by calling you and informing you of this. Now don''t cry that I''ll not be here to talk. You can send a text and I''ll reply when I see it." Shepletely unleashed her narcissistic side.

 Chapter 75 - Tiring Day

    "So your shooting starts from Sunday?" He checked the date and noticed it was already Thursday.


    "Yeah, I''ll be going on Sunday morning to the shooting site and get to know everything there. My first scene will probably not be on the first day but it would be good to show my presence there and leave a good first impression on everybody."


    Joon-won nodded and felt what she said was true. It''s mainly true for her quirky personality. So leaving a good first impression was good. Her rtionship with the other actors would also have a solid start, making her shoot more peaceful.


    "That''s good. Do not do anything which would tick off other people the wrong way. You have tendencies to get carried away during times. Just do your best and enjoy your first experience on a set. Also, take in the criticism you might get in a good way and improve. Don''t retaliate against the director when he tells something." He told her like the old man he was inside.


    "STOP. STOP. Stop right there. You sound like an old man once again. What''s with you and the sudden switch of personality. It is so irritating to hear someone younger than you speak like that. So stop. Ugh, I called to inform you of something good and I got lectured for it." She groaned and shouted at him.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but sigh at himself. He still didn''t remove that mentality of reminding people. He knew what she said was probably true, hearing the words you generally hear from an old man in the 70s or 80s from a young man in his early 20s.


    "Alright, that was my mistake. Just don''t do stupid things there and take care of yourself. This is after all, just your starting point in the industry. Go and outshine everyone on set." He tried to encourage her and was terrible at it.


    And as he expected, Hea-Jungughed on the other side and said, "Oh god do not try to encourage me. It sounds so fake, you reminding me was so much more natural. Well anyway, don''t worry, I''ll do my best. Believe your senior sister a little. I''m much more mature than you think, my little brother. Alright anyway, I gotta call a few others before they sleep. Bye for now." And she cut the call.


    Joon-won shook his head at seeing his phone and ced it back in his pocket. He knew he was already treating her as a friend and cared for her. She was always helpful and even irritating in some scenarios, but she always had a kind heart and knew it. So he didn''t want to be as mean as he was in the first few days of meeting her and at least treat her more human.


    [That is probably the best decision you took sinceing to this world. You should at least make better evaluations of people around you. This girl, Hea-Jung, is very helpful to you and also has a kind heart. Take my suggestion and be a better friend to her. Also, take my suggestions seriously, you ignored my suggestion about her before and suffered from the audition loss.] The system''s irritated voice sounded in his ears.


    Joon-won nodded and thought the same as the system. He should stop treating everyone around him as inferior and dumb people. It was a type of mechanism he automatically developed after crossing over to a new world. He developed a loner personality because he thought he didn''t fit in with society well. So he decided to stop these thoughts and just live normally like how he did in his past life before bing a king.


    "Was that girlfriend, young man? It looks like she is an actress. Take care of her properly. People tend to get blinded by the fame and money whiches with that job." The old driver in front of him advised as he looked at him through the mirror. Most of the cab drivers were old men who loved to talk.


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No, it''s just a friend. She got her first role. That''s all." The driver nodded and didn''t continue with that discussion. The car remained silent as it drove through the streets of Arios city, eventually making it to the university.


    Joon-won transferred the money and started walking home. Reaching home, he took a quick shower to remove the alcohol stench he had on him and jumped to bed. He was very tired and knew the rest of his holidays will also be tiring with the morning shift and learning in the afternoon. He exhaled in exhaustion and closed his eyes.


    The next day was pretty normal with him doing his usual stuff, early morning jog and workout, and the shift in the supermarket. He walked out of the supermarket, waved to Gah Soo, who was on the chair resting, and walked towards the university for a cab like a day before.


    It didn''t take him long to reach the drama house and after paying the driver; he walked into the theatre and made his way towards the costume room. As he entered, he heard Pak Shin''s voice, "Ah, Joon-won, you are finally here. We are short-handed. Kar Jung, go to that young man there. He can adjust your costume. His skills are pretty good." Pointing at him.


    Joon-won looked at the packed room and took a deep breath. Many people were wearing their costumes waiting for it to get fixed while there were only 4 people to fix them. He looked towards Pak shin and saw who he was talking to.


    It was a middle-aged man who was probably in histe 30s or early 49s. He looked calm and had a smile on his face as he nodded at Pak shin and walked towards him. The guy looked like a regr middle-aged man who minded his own business and was kind to everyone around him.


    As he got closer, he heard him speak, "Shall we go to another room? It''s packed here for you to check my costume." Joon-won nodded and quickly grabbed his needle and thread set before nodding towards him.


    Both walked out and went to another room. There weren''t many people in the room. The people in the room were busy on their phones or their scripts. Kar Jung looked at him and said, "Well, it''s better here than in there. Shall we get started?"


    Joon-won nodded, and Kar Jung asked him to check his pants once. His costume was a bit fancier and looked like his role was either royalty or nobility in the drama. Joon-won bent down as Kar Jung sat on a chair and looked around while Joon-won was making a few adjustments to the dress.


    "You a new kid? I didn''t see you around before." Kar Jung smiled and looked down as Joon-won continued to work.


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, I joined the theatre yesterday."


    "Oh, yesterday? I didn''te in yesterday. So that''s why I didn''t catch you around. You permanent in the costume area or temporary worker?"


    "I joined to act and learn more about acting. I camete for the auditions so the boss asked me to help around. I know how to make costumes so I''m helping around. That''s it, anywhere else that needs fixing?" He stood up after fixing the pants and making them fit perfectly.


    Kar Jung stood up and checked his pants before giving him a thumbs up. He took off a piece of his upper clothing, something like the vest, and handed it to Joon-won.


    "My shoulders feel a bit tight. Can you lose them up by an inch or two? You are really good. If you didn''t tell me that you came here to act I would have thought you were a genius in this field. Do you have experience making costumes before this?" Before sitting back on a chair.


    Joon-won took the vest, sat on another chair, and replied while getting to work, "You can say so."


    Kar Jung hummed and continued to look at Joon-won with an interesting gaze. Joon-won noticed it and asked, "What do you want? Don''t stare like that, it''s rude."


    Kar Jungughed and said, "You are a very weird young man. I saw many youthse into this drama club with many motives and I could see through those young ones pretty easily. But you, when I see you, it''s almost like I don''t see a young man in his early 20s who came to a drama club to learn. I see an old man who came here for fun."


    Heughed and continued, "I know it might sound crazy, but that''s what I felt. Now don''t get angry with me for that. It''s just a joke." He patted Joon-won''s back while joking around.


    Joon-won just nodded and gave the vest back and said, "I know, I get that a lot. Now check if it fits or not."

 Chapter 76 - Kar Jung

    Kar Jung took the vest from Joon-won and tried it on. He flexed his body a little and noticed it was good enough before sending another thumbs up towards him.


    He patted Joon-won and asked, "Alright then, that''s it from me. Tell me what''s your name? What are you studying?"


    Joon-won replied while packing the needle and thread set, "My name is Joon-won. I''m studying at Arios Drama University. I''m in my first year." and looked up at the man. He felt this man was also somehow special. He seemed very easygoing, making even him respond. This guy seemed awfully close to him in his previous life for some reason.


    "Well, my name is Kar Jung. I''m a lifetime theatre actor at this point. So if you got any doubts thene to me. I''ll see if I can help." he cheerfully introduced himself while pointing at himself.


    Joon-won looked at him, confused, and asked, "Lifetime theatre actor? You don''t want to act in movies?" he felt that was the ultimate goal for everyone who wanted to act. The theatre in this world seemed like a simple stepping stone and this guy imed to be a lifetime actor.


    Kar Jungughed and replied, "You heard me right. I am a lifetime theatre actor, not a movie actor. Do not get me wrong, not to boast I have some offers to act in a few present movies but that suffocated movie set is not for me. I like it here in a theatre, where it is more easy-going and I know most of the people. I have worked in this drama house since its first drama. So it''s like a 2nd home for me. So I am morefortable here instead of those movie sets. It''s ok if I don''t get more money or be more famous. At least I can continue to act without problems here."


    Joon-won understood this man when he said that. The old man was very used to the theatre style and pace that the movie set style and pace was disturbing for him. He couldn''t adapt and decided to only act here. He actually thought of himself facing this problem. After all, he was also simr and never entered a movie set and did not know what to expect. But he wanted to be on a better stage and for that, he had to move forward despite the problems. He knew the solution to all the problems he might face. Be famous and let people know his value. Then most of the problems will be washed away automatically.


    Joon-won nodded and looked at the man before asking, "Are you free tonight? I have something to ask you." he knew immediately after listening to this guy that he was the one who could solve most of his problems. He didn''t get to watch the video yesterday and decided to ask this guy if he could watch it with him and ask what mistakes he was doing.


    Kar Jung looked at the young man before him and was taken back. He felt this guy was special and talked to him, now he was getting asked if he had free time. He thought for a second and answered, "Now that is a difficult question, but it looks like you have a lot in your mind and want answers. Sure, I will ask my wife if it''s ok and tell you by 6."


    Joon-won nodded and stood up to go back. He looked at Kar Jung and said, "Have a good day, then. I''ll be waiting for your reply." Kar Jung nodded and Joon-won walked out of the room.


    Kar Jung continued to look at the door and thought, ''This young man is moreplicated than what San Min and Do Hwan told me. I thought to do this for old times'' sake but now I want to do it for myself.''


    Kar Jung, Do Hwan, and San Min knew each other for almost 2 decades and were very close. It was also Do Hwan and San Min who told him about a young talented actor he might need to help. He agreed to both their requests and was curious, but now after interacting with Joon-won he was curious about what was that made his two friends curious.


    Joon-won without knowing what the three friends were doing behind his back was already in the costume room with the room as full as ever. He walked up to Pak Shin who was checking an actor''s costumes and said, "I''m done with Kar Jung''s costume check. There were a few adjustments and made corrections. Who should I take next?"


    Pak Shin looked at him before turning towards the crowd and shouting, "Guys, we have another guy who can help you adjust your costumes. He is pretty good so you guys don''t need to worry." Making many look at him before crowding him with their costumes. The rest members of the costume group sighed in relief as their lines got shorter.


    Joon-won wiggled his way into his seat and kept all his stuff on the table before turning towards the person in his line. Time fasted quicker than yesterday as they went over one actor after another and took 3 hours before every actor was satisfied. Gim Tae was on the floor, looking dead, Do Ryung was lying face-first on his desk while Seok Yun was taking her arm to support herself. Joon-won leaned against the wall exhaling in exhaustion. Those were rough 3 hours. People seemed endless at one point.


    "Ugh, finally we are done. So many people this time." Gim Tae groaned out hisints.


    "Alright, you guys can go back home early today as our work is done. We need toe back tomorrow just in case but only for a little while so it''s ok." Pak shin pped his hands and announced.


    Everyone thanked him in a low voice but no one got up. Pak shin nodded at all of them before walking out of the room. Joon-won looked around and asked Do Ryung, who was beside him, "Do Ryung, do you know who this Kar Jung is? He seems to be the oldest among all the actors."


    "Are you asking about Kar Jung? That guy is the best. He is like the father of this drama house. He is a kind guy." Gim Tae sprang up from exhaustion and answered. As soon as he said that both Seok Yun and Do Ryung nodded.


    "Yeah, he is super kind. He helps everyone in the drama house and is like a father. Almost everyone respects him a lot. He even helped us threest year when the workload was heavy and he didn''t audition for any role because he didn''t feel like it. He stayed in this room and helped us a lot. We all like him. Why did you suddenly ask?" Do Ryung answered.


    Joon-won was surprised at both of their bursts. It seemed like those two really did respect Kar Jung.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I was helping him fix his costume today, and we both talked a little. He seemed too kind and I just wanted to ask who he was."


    Gim Tae nodded and said, "Yeah, Kar Jung is too kind for his own good. I mean he helped even a guy who was the biggest douchebag in the theatre history even when that idiot not only didn''t appreciate the help but also mocked him a lot. Well, he got kicked out by the bosster on so everything went well."


    "Yeah, his acting is also very refined and experienced. Many of the new actors learn from him a lot. So he is also like a mentor. I heard he had many opportunities in some pretty big movies but rejected them because he didn''t feel like going deep into the movies. He just wanted to test out the waters." Seol Yun, who was always quiet, joined the conversation.


    Joon-won nodded and took out his phone. Gim Tae got up from the ground and asked, "Are you guys free tonight too?"


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No I got some work to do tonight." He hoped Kar Jung would agree even more after hearing what the people had to say about him. But even if he gets denied, he decided to go home early and watch his audition clip to analyze it.


    "Yeah, I also have some work to do. So you are on your own today." Do Ryung patted his shoulder before walking out of the room with his bag.


    Time passed by and Gim Tae and Seok Yun also left the room. Now Joon-won was alone in the room, waiting for Kar Jung. He said he would inform at 6 and it was almost 6.


    The door opened, and he heard Kar Jung''s voice. "What? The room is empty? Did the guy leave?"


    Joon-won stood up and said, "I''m still here Kar Jung."


    Kar Jung took a peek inside and looked at him before replying, "Oh, you are here. Let''s go to my house. My wife told me to bring you home for dinner instead of us eating food outside. So,e on." He waved his hand.

 Chapter 77 - House Visit

    Joon-won stood up and made his way out of the room. Walking up to Kar Jung he asked, "We are going to your house?"


    Kar Jung looked at him by the corner of his eye and replied, "Yes we are. My wife didn''t want me to eat outside and told me to bring you home for dinner. So just follow me ande."


    Joon-won just nodded and followed him down the hallway. After reaching the main entrance, Kar Jung asked him to wait at the front while he brought his car out and walked away. Joon-won shrugged and walked to the front and waited for a few meters away from the road. After waiting for a few more minutes, he heard a car horn and looked up.


    It was Kar Jung in a car wearing sunssesing towards him. The car wasn''t a super-luxury model or basic model. It was in the middle. He got in the car and asked, "Why are you wearing sunsses? I mean it''s already getting dark."


    As soon as he heard that, Kar Jung rebutted immediately, "Hey don''t say that. It''s for the style. Let this old man feel a bit more youthful." And continued to drive.


    Joon-won didn''t bother even thinking about that statement as he leaned back on the seat and looked out the window. The more he saw the inner city, the more he felt amazed by how different the two worlds were. So many tall buildings and even at night the area was bright.


    The car eventually entered into a housing society. Every house had one extra floor. The car came to a stop before one of the houses with a small garden in the front. There were a few well-kept flowers making the environment peaceful.


    "Alright, get out." He heard Kar Jung and got out.


    Both of them walked up to the front of the house and before Kar Jung even knocked, the door opened and a middle-ageddy smiled at both of them. She took the bag Kar Jung had on him and said, "Wee home. You guys came earlier than I expected. Wee, I''m Kar Mani, Kar Jung''s wife. Please feel free."


    Joon-won smiled back and nodded while Kar Jung said, "You don''t need to be so nice to this young man. I just met him today, and he is already in my house."


    As he walked in Kat Mani pped his back and scolded her husband, "Don''t talk like that. He wanted to ask for your help and you should be polite. You are making such a poor impression. Be nice."


    "Alright alright. I''ll be nice. You go and continue with your cooking. We both will be in the living room." He waved his hands and walked inside.


    Kar Mani shook her head helplessly at how free-spirited he was and said to Joon-won, "Please don''t mind him. He must be tired."


    Joon-won shook his hands and replied, "Oh no. It''s ok."


    Kar Mani nodded and said, "Alright, please go to the living room. It''s down the hallway. You both can talk about something while I continue to cook dinner." And walked into the kitchen.


    Joon-won looked around and removed his footwear before walking. The stairs to the first floor were to the right adjacent to the wall, and the hallway leads straight to the living room. He walked to the living room and saw Kar Jung with a bottle of wine in his hands.


    "Ah, how long were you going to take to just walk a few feet? Come in and take a seat quickly so we can talk." He waved his hand and patted the seat next to him on the sofa. The living room was very simple, with pictures on the wall, a huge TV, an enormous sofa to sit on. It looked luxurious, yet simple. Joon-won made his way and sat beside Kar Jung.


    "Now tell me. What is your problem? It better be something good."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "I need help with my acting." Looking at the man as he took a sip.


    "Alright, since I already promised you that I''ll try my best to give you advice don''t hold back. Quick shoot your problem." He waved the bottle and urged Joon-won.


    Joon-won took a deep breath and began to tell the story, "It started with an audition I gave for a movie the day before yesterday. After my audition, every person who was judging my acting told me I acted really well and even better than a few actors in the industry. But they denied me the role and said I was not ''ready'' to act in movies yet. This is where I need your help. What are themon mistakes people who are used to acting in dramas make when ites to movies? To be honest I do not even have a clue why I am rejected to work on the problem." And waited for an answer.


    Kar Jung took another sip of his wine and said, "There are many things that drama actors make when they try to make that transfer to movies. Even I had a few problems. But I don''t know which problem you are facing to give you a hint on how to solve it."


    Joon-won went into deep thought and asked after a few seconds, "Do you want to see my audition clip?"


    Kar Jung looked at Joon-won and said, "What?"


    "I asked if you want to see my audition clip. I have it on my phone. You can watch it and see what my problem is." He took out his phone and tapped on his folder before opening it.


    ''This was what I was waiting for, young man. Those two idiots didn''t give me this recording when I asked. Even though I am their friend I am also their senior but they said to ask you myself.'' Kar Jung thought back to his conversation with Do Hwan and San Min. He asked for the audition clip but Do Hwan said he should talk with Joon-won and solve it together. He nned to just go straight to Joon-won after watching the clip and telling him what his problem was but because of Do Hwan, he had to change his n.


    "Don''t open the video on the phone. It''s such a small screen that I can''t even see properly, much less judge your acting. Just screen share it on the TV." Kar Jung pushed the phone aside and took out the remote before turning the TV on.


    Joon-won followed his orders and screen shared the video onto the TV. He looked at Kar Jung and started the video after getting a nod. The video started out normally with him standing before the judges and Hea-Jung on the mini-stage.


    Not before long, he started acting out the first scene. It was a very deep and depressing scene where he had to sit on the chair and act out all the feelings of a person who lost everything in his life.


    Both of them continued to watch the entire video until the end. None of them talked and just watched the audition tape. After both acts ended and it was time for the judging part, Kar Jung said, "Alright, let''s stop it here. I don''t need to see what they said about the audition."


    Joon-won nodded and paused the video before looking at Kar Jung. The man seemed to be thinking about something and it looked like he figured out the problem and the reason for rejection.


    After a few more minutes of silence, Kar Jung said, "No wonder you got rejected for that acting. It is obvious for any director or actor with some experience to notice the ws your acting has. As they probably said, your acting was made for the theatre. You would be the biggest hit ever, even in the history of this world, to act in a theatre with how you are doing right now. But if you want to go a bit ahead and change your style, it''s almost like you need to destroy everything you had previously before and start again but this time intending to get into movies."


    Joon-won was stunned to hear what he had to say. He waited patiently for this man to watch his whole audition and to hear what he had to say and give an outlook on how to solve it quickly so he could get going. But this man just simply told him he had to start all over again?


    Did this guy think he did not think of this ''solution''? This was thest thing he even wanted to consider. There was no way even in hell that he would just simply abandon all the hard work he kept into perfecting his acting skills. This acting he had was not the result of one or two years, it was decades worth of hard grind. He would rather not go into movies and just start going for theatre rather than throw all he had away to start again.


    "Of course that is the most generic way to answer this question. But that is hard and no one would be willing to put in years of effort again. That''s why we should try different ways." Kar Jung interrupted his thoughts.

 Chapter 78 - Finding Out Problems

    "What do you have in mind?" Joon-won whipped his head towards the man and asked. He really wanted to know. This was his second chance at life and he wanted to do something different, which was acting in movies.


    "Alright, I can not tell you the solutions. The judges sitting there might have also said something simr. If I tell you the solutions here and now, you might solve your problems quickly and get an audition or even maybe a role quicker. But you won''t be able to evaluate and fix yourself properly from here on out. There will be many changes you might have to make on the fly if you get into the industry and for that self-assessment is important."


    Joon-won nodded after a second and asked, "Alright then tell me my problems. Where do I need to make changes?" Knowing the problems was enough for now. He had 2 months'' time to fix these problems which he was confident in.


    "Alright then let''s start with the 2 most obvious one. Your facial expressions and bodynguage. These are the most famous problems theatre actorse across. When students and new actors are taught we say them to exaggerate a lot."


    "And that is true. But only for Stage actors. This applies to stage actors because of the audience they perform for. It''s a live audience and not each member in the audience is at equal distance from you. So you are taught to exaggerate your expressions and bodynguage a lot so that every member in the audience canfortably catch you."


    "But this isn''t the same case for movies. In movies, there is no live audience to exaggerate your expressions or bodynguage for. The camera catches your acting at a very close range that it can catch even the very subtle ones people generally can''t see."


    "So now imagine an actor who was taught to exaggerate every action and emotion, to act in front of a camera which catches each and every movement including the sweat that drips from your face. It would look like aplete joke. You would look like aedian, awkward and silly at close up."


    "No director would want an actor who looks awkward and silly even in serious scenes. Don''t believe me? Watch the second act. This is a scene that needs you to show hate and frustration at their fullest. Now don''t watch it normally. Watch it with the perspective that it''s a movie. That means the camera is closer and clearer. There will only be you in theplete screen."


    Kar Jung exined the very first w which was noticeable in Joon-won''s acting. It was something verymon among theatre actors. He took the remote and yed it back to the start of the second act. Joon-won looked at the TV as if he was a hunter searching for any movements from his prey.


    The video yed, and it was Joon-won''s angry and frustrated face that appeared on the screen. It looked normal and the old Joon-won before the conversation would have thought everything was alright and that he did it perfectly. But after getting reminded by Kar Jung. His way of observing changedpletely.


    He kept the normal way movies are taken in his mind and watched the tape. He imagines the camera to be right near his face, recording every movement he made. As soon as he thought and viewed the tape like that, he found the problem. His expressions look so exaggerated and borderline fake. There were too many unnecessary movements from him, which made it look worse and notpelling.


    He finally understood the reason for rejection. It was as they said. He wasn''t ready for the movies yet. His acting was so cemented on the stage that he has not yet peeled himself out of it. He should start controlling himself better and act ordingly. If he lets himself free and runs wild, he won''t make it. He needed to practice self-control.


    "So, do you also notice it? That''s how it looks if it''s shot in a movie with a camera, probably worse." Kar Jung''s words woke him up from his own internal realization.


    He nodded and replied, "Yes, I see it now. It would look so bad if it''s recorded in a movie set making me lookpletely idiotic. Too much exaggeration to the point but lookspletely fake. Now I understand why they denied me." He kept nodding while agreeing to the judge''s conclusion.


    "That''s great because this is one of the main reasons you got rejected. Now there is probably another reason too." Kar Jung nodded, seeing Joon-wone to a realization and a conclusion. That was important for an actor. Now with him opening Joon-won''s eyes, Joon-won would be able to observe better to look for more mistakes.


    "Another reason?"


    Kar Jung nodded and replied, "Yes, there is another reason for rejection. It''s your subtle hesitation and caution. It is at first nce not noticeable. Everything looks normal and your acting is great. But there is a subtle hesitation that is visible to experienced people and once on camera to everyone."


    With this statement Joon-won was confused. He understood the exaggeration part before, but now Kar Jung told he is hesitant? He didn''t see any hesitation when he was acting in the clip. But he didn''t want to rebuke Kae Jung. After all, he didn''t notice the exaggeration part, either.


    "Now you probably don''t see it as it''s all normal in this clip. But once again remember you are acting in a movie and the shot is up close. Let''s look at the same act again."


    "Now, from what I see in this tape, it looks like you are trying to imagine the other roles of the story when you act. This is very good and important but also very detrimental to you as a theatre artist."


    "As a theatre artist who acts before a live audience, your body adapts to the situation. Your body and brain is on high alert because of the audience and the need for the drama to be as seamless as possible. So the actors are generally looking out for any sudden mistakes or errors. You are looking out for these mistakes or errors because they are always sudden and you won''t have another chance with the same audience once it''s messed up."


    "So you try to adapt to any possible mistakes even if the possibility is really low. Like a missing prop needed in the scene or your fellow actor standing on stage missing a line. These things are verymon on a theatre stage. These things happen very often."


    "But that''s not the same for movie acting. After all, this is no one chance scenario with the audience. In movies there are takes and if time is sufficient, a movie crew can take as many retakes as possible until it''s perfect. So no one is hesitant or cautious at acting. They perform naturally and then even if there are problems there is something called post-production which involves editing or dubbing the few lines you got wrong in an actual take. You get second chances a lot."


    "Now with thisid down let''s see your acting. Look at your eyes in the act. They are always on alert as if waiting for something to happen and that you are ready to react if it does. I mean you should never be like that. Do you know what it shows in movie auditions? It shows that you aren''t focusingpletely on the act. You should tone that downpletely if you want to go further."


    Joon-won looked at the video, especially his eyes, and noticed the same thing. His eyes were most of the time not focused and looking around. It was as Kar Jung said. He imagined the other actors for better acting, but thispletely backfired on him because of his past experiences.


    This extreme sense of alertness in acting came when he was acting back at the kingdom in his earlier days. At that time he did not have a solid group to act with and was always recruiting people on the fly if they at least knew a few basics to fill in the roles that were open to perform.


    But this had a huge disadvantage. The people they recruited never had any solid experience. They were always scared on stage and often forgot their lines in the middle, making the whole dramae crashing down. This made him be onplete alert to jump in whenever he noticed the person was losing it and adopt on spot, to improvise and ultimately keep the y running.


    It seemed like even though he was not surrounded by amateur actors or an actor like in the audition, he still retained that alertness making it seem idiotic. He needed to start rxing more when he acts to not be on alert and learn to just go with the flow.


    His thoughts got interrupted when Kar Mani walked in and called out to both of them, "Alright, both of you cane and have dinner. The food will get cold."

 Chapter 79 - Boring Day

    Joon-won was now standing outside the house talking with Kar Jung and Kar Min at their doorstep. He was done with dinner and was ready to go back.


    "Thank you for the dinner, Ms. Kar. It was really tasty." He didn''t forget to thank thedy for the delicious meal she provided for him. Thedy was kind, unlike her husband who had a grumpy look on his face. He always had that face whenever his wife was friendly to him.


    "Oh, it''s alright. You should have stayed for the night Joon-won. We have an extra room if you want to. It''s alreadyte at night and you need to go back to your university at this time." Kar Jung smiled and asked to stay at their house for the night as she had been during the whole dinner.


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, " No, I''m alright Ms.Kar. I''d rather go back to my apartment. I have work to do early in the morning. Thanks for the food once again." He already sent a text to the Store Manager Gim Da that he was free Saturday and if they needed an extra hand. Gim Da immediately agreed and told him toe in.


    "Yeah, let him go. Don''t hold him back." Kar Jung butted in and supported the idea of sending him away. He alreadypleted his part of the job and gave the guy some insight on his acting. Now he wanted some alone time with his wife like they usually have.


    "Don''t speak like that. Why are you so rude today? You aren''t even going to drive the young man to a nearby bus stop." Kar Min scolded her husband again. She asked Kar Jung to drop the young man off but he denied and told her he was too tired and didn''t want to even step out of the house anymore.


    "It''s alright, Ms. Kar. l can go back alone. Both of you should take care of yourself. Bye." He walked out of the frontwn and was now on the road.


    Ms. Kar waved her hand and reminded him, "Alright then take care of yourself. Send a text to Kar Jung after you go back home." Joon-won nodded and started walking down the street. He already got Kar Jung''s phone number during dinner from his wife and as promised will send a text.


    Not before long he was out of themunity and was back on the main roads. The time was already 10 and there were still many vehicles on the road. The streets still looked bright and the night looked young with many people roaming around.


    He looked around and noticed a bus stop not far away from him. He walked up to the stop and saw a few sleeping office workers on the bench. Joon-won checked the board and noticed he had just missed the bus and another one would take 30 minutes to arrive. Lamenting his bad luck he just shrugged it off and took a seat before taking out his phone.


    He learned a lot that evening. He finally found what his problems are and knew the biggest thing he had to change about him was the way he sees his own acting. If he continued as he was, he would have to depend on others to show his problems for him every time. That wasn''t the prettiest idea.


    The only way he could think of to change the way he observed was to consume more movies. He had to watch more movies and see how the actors were beforeparing himself to it. He would then have a rough estimate of his level and problem.


    Time went by and before he knew it another bus to the university arrived. He quickly got onto the empty bus and took a seat by a window. He looked out to see the bright city and remained silent. The bus ride was peaceful and he quickly got home. He took a shower and jumped to bed.


    The next day he was standing in the theatre watching the practice. By the time he came from his shift at the supermarket they already started practicing and so he quietly stood at the end and observed it. This was a full-on final practice with all the costumes and props. Even San Min was there to observe and correct and mistakes noticeable.


    He noticed Kar Jung in his costume and as he suspected his role was that of a minister. A very important one too. He had many lines in the story and his acting was very versed. The whole drama was smooth from start to finish with very few mistakes. San Min sat in one of the seats and after everything was done she stood up and went on stage.


    As she got on stage every actor was on alert and ready to get some goodshing from her. San Min was a very strict director and if she found even a small mistake the actor should be ready to get a good earful. Joon-won actually liked that about San Min. It was this intensity that she brought into this club was that made the club so sessful.


    "Alright, that was a good run. Most of you are good as always. There were a few mistakes I noticed. Some of you fumbled on lines making some parts more awkward. Do not forget your lines. That is the first thing they teach you. How can you forget your damn lines? You had 3 days to remember and practice. The script does not change to excuse you like in the movies where there would be constant script changes." And she started educating the actors. This continued for another ten minutes before she gave them a 10 minutes break before the next start.


    Joon-won was now sitting in a seat at the back to watch the practice. At the break, he took out and called Min-Seok to ask how things were back at home. It didn''t take long for Min-Seok to respond, and both talked for a few minutes.


    ording to Min-Seok it looked like his n really worked. Yun-hee continued to go home and use all the time to study so that she could cover up the time she lost when working. Her exams were now less than 2 weeks away. They were from the 20th and spanned the entire week with one exam after another without preparation time in the middle. So all the preparations should be done before they start. The results woulde by the end of June and they had to choose a University by the middle of July. July was the most hectic time for the students.


    As he talked he noticed someone sit beside him and looked to see it was San Min. San Min looked at him and gestured to him to continue the call but he quickly said goodbye to his dad and looked at her, puzzled. She didn''t understand why she was there.


    "You should have talked to your father some more. By the looks of it you and your family are close." San Minmented while she looked at the empty stage.


    Joon-won, who didn''t even see his father and sister in this world after changing bodies, shrugged and replied, "I guess you could say that. I think the least a child can do to a parent is to call them once in a while and just ask them how they are doing. Those words of concern are enough for most parents out there."


    It was his genuine thoughts. As a retired king, most of his time was free. He didn''t have his wife to spend time with and couldn''t disturb his children who had to look after the kingdom. But he always did feel a bit happy when all his children woulde to meet him at least once every two weeks. It''s difficult for them to make time for an old man like him but the fact that they do was a warm feeling. He knew that was how Min-Seok also felt and would regrly call him to check on him.


    "Parents ha. Well, it almost looks like you have experience being a father with grown-up kids by the way you speak." San Min sighed at first before looking at him with a chuckle.


    ''I was not only a father but my eldest child was even older than you.'' Joon-won ridiculed her back in his mind.


    Joon-won shrugged and asked, "So what are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be up in the front for another practice? After all the break you gave is almost done."


    "Oh, nothing really. I just saw you sitting in the back all alone and observing our practice very keenly. What do you think?" She asked him back. She was very proud when ites to the drama house and the kid next to her was a genius in Theatre from what she saw in the clip Do Hwan gave her. So she wanted to know his opinion.

 Chapter 80 - Theatre Practice

    "I mean, what''s there to say? This much is expected when the drama house is one of the best in the world." He shrugged and replied to San Min. It was what he genuinely thought. When a drama house has a reputation like theirs, the practice was supposed to be better than the ones below them. It reached his expectations, and that was it. Nothing else.


    San Min looked at him for a second before nodding. She liked that answer. Even she agreed that with the reputation they had a performance like that was expected out of them and if they didn''t deliver, it was a ck mark on their reputation.


    "Are you confident in getting a role next week?" She asked another question.


    Joon-won didn''t even bother to think a second about the question and replied immediately, "If it''s a drama and not a movie audition, I''m sure there is no one capable of taking a role from me." Unlike his previous confidence, this one was more believable. If he loses even in a theatre audition, then he would rather quit acting. It only meant that the decades of hard work he kept in was for nothing and anything was better than that.


    "That''s good. You should have confidence. I saw that audition clip and I should say, you''ll be pretty good on a theatre stage."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Thanks for thepliment but I don''t want the theatre to be myst stop in this journey."


    "Well if that''s how you feel about it. Alright, then I''ll go back to the front. The practice is going to start again." She stood up and walked to the front before pping her hands and calling for everyone to start again. Joon-won also stood up and walked out. He didn''t want to see the practice anymore.


    He got to know his problem yesterday and wanted to start looking for answers. But before he started looking for answers, he decided to watch a movie to get an overview of the differences from apletely changed view. He walked into the costume room and saw there were only two people in the room. Pak Shin and Seon Yun. Both were on their phone and looked up when he walked in.


    "Oh, Joon-won. I thought you''ll take the day off like the other two." Pak Shin asked.


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No, I came to check on how the practice goes in this ce and after that, I came here. What are you guys doing? And where are the other two?"


    "The other two asked for a leave and I agreed because we did all the costume adjustments yesterday and we both are here in case of any unforeseen problems with the costumes. Have a seat and do whatever you want for today." He waved his hands and got back to his phone. Seok Yun gave a nod to him before going back to her phone.


    Joon-won shrugged and sat in his ce. This was exactly what he wanted and so he wasn''t going toin. He took out his earphones before connecting them and going through the inte for any good movies. It didn''t take him long before finding an interesting synopsis and started watching it. The movie''s name was Last Of Me.


    The movie was about the second world war. It was a historic event that decided how the world was now seen. It was between the two sides of the world, east and west. But mainly between two countries which carried immense power on both sides and dragged the rest countries from their side into it because of their power.


    Even Ulyss was involved in the war ording to what he read in the university library but wasn''t affected as much as some other countries. The hero was from the west and forced into the war. It was mainly focused on the events leading up to the war and how he had to unwillingly sacrifice himself for the sake of war. It had a lot of emotions in it and could make people cry by the end of it.


    Joon-won had to give some serious credit to the main lead. The role was not simple, and he did it perfectly. He looked up the movie and saw the name of the main lead was Guk Seong and he was actually an A-listed actor. He became very famous after this movie which was released 3 years ago and since then his fame has been rising pretty quickly.


    After checking on the actor, he thought about his acting. Now he was able to find the difference between a movie actor and a theatre actor. Guk Seong did not make mistakes as he did and was more natural. His expressions were much more natural and in tune with the environment. His eyes were also very clear and free from any natural restrictions or hesitation.


    Joon-won understood that there was a significant gap between him and a bonafide A-listed actor. The gap wasn''t that easy to fill yet, but he knew, given some time, he would be there after getting some experience. He was now on par with a B-listed actor if he could make the changes and that was a good start.


    He noticed 3 hours passed by and looked around the room to see only Pak Shin in the room. The time was already 6 in the evening. Pak shin was on his desk sleeping and Joon-won decided to just go out. He walked out of the room and made his way towards the theatre. The group was still practicing and he could hear noise from the inside.


    He slowly got in and took a seat at the back, as another practice was about to start. He could see Dan Min pping her hands and saying, "Alright guys, this would be thest one so let''s get it right and go home. If I find even one mistake, then we will do it from the top once again. So be careful."


    The group started their practice and this time it went almost wlessly. There were small mistakes he could find, but those weren''t worth mentioning at all. The theatre has 2 shows every Sunday, one in the morning and one afternoon. The first show was at 10 and the second show was at 3. Each show was 2 hours long.


    The practice went seamlessly and San Min pped her hands before saying, "Alright guys that will be it for the practice. Let''s perform this way tomorrow too and please our audience." And dismissed everyone.


    Joon-won stood up and was ready to go back home before he heard San Min call for him. He turned back and saw her walking towards him.


    "Let''s go to my office. You spent three days here already and I want to know how your progress is. Also, I''ll transfer you the money when we are there." Joon-won nodded and followed her to her office. Everyone was making their way out and would stop to greet the boss San Min before throwing a confusing stare at him.


    After a few minutes they were in her office and she said, "I heard from Pak Shin. It looks like you were a huge help with that group thest two days. They say you should join the costume group instead of acting." Joon-won had a deadpan face when he heard her.


    ''Why does everyone here want me to be a seamster? I''m only good at it because I had no choice but to make my own clothes back in the day.''


    "It''s ok, I''m alright. I would rather be an actor."


    San Minughed at his expression and continued, "Well, alright then. Let''s talk about something more important, your progress. How is it? Did you find anything useful about yourself?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yeah, I found the reasons why I got rejected. Now all I need to do is start fixing my problems."


    "You make it sound so simple. Knowing your problems is the most basic part of it. But you have to start figuring out how you make those changes in your acting. It''s harder than you think."


    "I know, that''s why I''ll start from next week''s drama. I''ll get roles and practice making changes. It should be easier."


    San Min raised an eyebrow after hearing him and said, "You want to use my dramas to change your acting? If your half-assed acting gets my drama a bad rating, you''ll not even get a chance to audition, much less a role."


    "It''s alright. I''ll be serious when ites to the practice. I won''t do half-assed ones on stage."


    "Well, that''s good then. Alright let me transfer you the money and you can go. Right, give me your ount number. Right here." She took out a book and opened a page before giving him a pen.


    After giving her his ount, she quickly transferred the money, and he got out of the drama house. This time he made it in time for the bus and reached home before 9.

 Chapter 81 - Job

    The next day Joon-won was at work alone, it was the first time he was working alone and that was also on a Sunday. Gah Soo took a break, as he was willing toe in. She had assignments toplete and exams to prepare for. As he was taking some rest after a horrible rush hour, he noticed the door open and internally groaned a little. He looked over the counter and noticed it was the boss, Gim Da, who came in.


    He stood up and wished Gim Da, "Boss, good morning."


    Gim Da nodded and replied, "Joon-won,e into my office before you take your leave today. I''ll transfer your weekend bonus and I also have something to talk about." Joon-won nodded and Gim Da continued into the store.


    Joon-won didn''t what the boss wanted to talk about and honestly, he didn''t think it was something bad. He always came to work on time, do his shift, and also never received any Karens, as they called them, toin about him. If the boss wanted to fire him, he would feel a little confused, but not sad. After all, it''s all business and now he had some moneypared to before.


    The shift continued on and the next worker, who he had never met, got on. He excused himself and went to change his clothes. It was already 1:30, and he had to go to the drama house quickly to catch at least the 2nd time they perform.


    After changing his clothes he didn''t forget to meet Gim Da. Joon-won knocked on his door and entered after hearing Gim Da''s permission from the other side. He got in and closed the door behind before walking up to the table and standing quietly after seeing Gim Da was going through a few files.


    "Oh, take a sit Joon-won. I''ll just finish checking these files quickly and get to you."


    Joon-won nodded and took a seat. After a few minutes, Gim Da ced the file down and took out his phone. He checked his phone and as he ced it down, Joon-won heard his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a notification.


    "I just sent you the bonus. Thanks foring in today, Joon-won. Gah Soo has some semester examsing up, and she took the Sunday off after knowing you were going to be here. That''s a great help." Joon-won nodded and waited for Gim Da to continue.


    "I wanted to talk about how long you think you are going to work here. When you joined you said you were short on money and would work till you get an acting role. Now you are going to a drama house and I can see that will take a lot of time for you. So I wanted to ask if you had any ns of quitting the job? If you do, then I might need a heads up in advance."


    "Now do not take this in a bad way. I''m asking only you because you have a short-term goal. Now, look at Eum Kyung. He writes novels and would probably work here until he sells enough copies of his book to keep his life afloat. Which isn''t anywhere near as of now. Or even Gah Soo, she is still in her 2nd year of university and would probably work here until she graduates."


    Joon-won nodded when he heard Gim Da. The shop was in short of workers and if Joon-won would suddenly quit, the shop owner might not suddenly find another worker instantly. And what he said was also true. Both Eum Kyung and Gah Soo would work here for a long time because of their circumstances, while he would only work until hended a role.


    "Boss, what you said is true. Right now I''m learning from the drama house after working here every day so that I cannd a role quicker. But if y byou need an approximate time of when I mightnd a role, then it would probably be the end of the summer vacation, which is at the end of June."


    Joon-won had confidence in himself that he may fix all the problems he has by the end of summer. If summer goes by then it would take more time because of his next semester''s sses and the job. So the end of Jube was his present target.


    Gim Da nodded and said, "By the end of June you say. Alright then, I''ll be sure to have a lookout for any new employees. You should tell any of your friends if they want a part-time job that the store is open for applications. Also, tell me at least 2-3 days before you might end the job. Don''t be abrupt about it."


    Joon-won nodded and assured the man before Gim Da excused him. After the talk, he went right to university and took a cab to the drama house. The drama house this time was very different. There were banners and stalls. They crowded the whole entryway as the next show was about to begin.


    Joon-won didn''t enter the line and simply walked up to the front. Many people saw him and started makingints.


    "Look at that kid. He is walking to the front as if he owns the ce. The security guard at the front will kick his ass to the back of the line."


    "Yeah, he is probably new here and doesn''t know that the Roses drama house doesn''t give special privileges to anyone. Poor guy."


    Joon-won ignored all of them and walked to the security guard. Before the guard could shout at him, he took out a card San Min gave him before leaving her office yesterday and showed it to him. It was a pass for the actors who work in the drama house. The guard verified it and let him in.


    "What? He sent him in? Hey, is the famous Roses drama house going back on its words to be fair to everyone?"


    The crowd started making a scene after seeing Joon-won go in. The security guard looked at all the people with a calm expression and said, "He is an actor working for the drama house. Is anyone of you also working for the drama house? Step right here and show me your pass."


    The crowd instantly went silent after hearing him and remained calm. Joon-won heard theints from the inside and could only shrug his shoulders. Many people would doubt him if he said he was a person working here because most of the workers woulde early in the morning at 8 to set everything up for the first show at 10.


    He looked around and saw a few workers cleaning up the ce after thest show. He walked towards the costume room and saw everyone was there, unlike yesterday. They were all eating their lunch and saw Joon-won walked in.


    Gim Tae greeted him while still having food in his mouth, "Oh, you finally came. I thought you''lle early in the morning like us. You missed one show already."


    "Yeah, I had work today too, so I had to miss it. Also, finish your food before you speak."


    Pak shin pointed at Joon-won''s table and said, "If you didn''t eat yet then that''s your portion. We were given 5, and that''s yours."


    "If you don''t want it, I''ll take it." Gim Tae, who swallowed his good, eximed while eyeing the container on his table.


    Joon-won just grabbed the container and opened it before he started to eat. He did not have anything after breakfast and was hungry. He didn''t have time like the other days to have lunch beforeing, so was lucky there was some here.


    Joon-won quickly went through the food and asked while throwing the stic container in the dustbin, "How was the first show?"


    "Oh, it went well. There weren''t any problems at all and it looked like everyone liked the performance once again. It was a full house." Do Ryung replied.


    Joon-won nodded and said, "That''s great. By the look of people outside it might be another full house." And everyone nodded but was not surprised. It was expected that for a drama house like theirs, anything but a full house was disastrous.


    Time passed by and it was almost time for the next performance. Everyone made their way to the backstage to be ready in case of any costume emergencies. The backstage was full of people running around and San Min was giving out orders from the side. All the actors were silent and waiting for the performance to start.


    Joon-won and the group were sitting to the side watching all this, and he noticed Kar Jung sitting alone with his eyes closed. When it was time San Min pped her hands, gaining everyone''s attention, and said, "Alright guys, let''s end this performance like the one before and have a wrap-up party." Everyone made sounds in agreement and the actors walked out.

 Chapter 82 - Drama

    Joon-won and the rest were watching the performance from backstage. The story was simple. It was about a prince who was betrayed by his own father as a sacrifice for the greater ''good''. But he survived because of a minister yed by Kar Jung and was sent away to live by him. Kar Jung was one of the few who opposed the ritual and as a minister, he couldn''t let anyone know he went against the king''s desire by saving the prince.


    After that ident, it''s a typical story of revenge through gaining strength in the dark. The prince who grows hatred for the kingdom gets trained by one of Kar Jung''s men and bes an assassin. He builds his own assassin n under a different name and looks.


    After the organization became famous and caught the eyes of many people and even the king, he took action against the people who supported the king first. As the number of ministers and other noble families who got assassinated increased the panic among the people in the royal court also increased.


    Kar Jung, who knew about everything, was the insider the prince trusted and got most of the information from. The king hatched a n as he doubted there was a traitor among the people near him and found out it was Kar Jung. He kept Kar Jung on death row to lure out the one behind him.


    The prince who learned of this hatched his own n to kill everyone and also save Kar Jung. He killed every royal family member, including his own mom, who supported him from the front to have him killed. He didn''t bother to leave his siblings or anyone else, and this was unknown to the king who was overseeing the execution.


    By the time he felt something was wrong, he noticed the prince walking up to the execution tform and was shocked. The prince killed everyone in his path before saving Kar Jung and even killing his own father. After that, he didn''t bother to take over the throne and continued to expand his organization, which he built with his own efforts.


    That was the entire story. The story seemed pretty generic and normal, but it was also interesting at the same time. Joon-won who saw this drama remembered something simr from his old world. Before their kingdom ruled over the others, due to his wife''s power, there was another kingdom nearby that was facing a huge revolt from a bastard child of the king.


    That kingdom was the first to go down in his wife''s conquest, and she eventually went on to take out every person who dared to go against them. She left the people who surrendered and killed the fake people. As she was doing that, he was still her fiance and was learning under the king about administration. The husband and wife split the duties of the kingdom. He was in charge of the kingdom ruling from within while she took care of everything rted to outside the kingdom. That was how the kingdom was peaceful.


    He looked out towards the audience and saw how excited most of them were while watching the drama. Most of the audience were either middle-aged men or senior citizens. He could barely find any young people who looked around his age. It was understandable why it was like that. Most of the modern generation were more interested in movies than watch a drama. Movies were much more convenient to watchpared to a drama where they had to be present on a particr day to catch it.


    He looked at the backstage and saw most of the people were moving around with props n their hands or the actors running to get to their ces so that they could enter the stage when needed. He thought about the days of him being a drama artist and how short-handed they were. Each person in their group had to at least take up 2 tasks so that the drama could go smoothly.


    The drama ended by 5 and the audience slowly left the theatre. Now it was only the workers left and they closed the theatre fr any outsiders before starting to clean up the whole ce. Joon-won helped them by carrying a few props to the huge container they had behind the building. The container was huge, and they neatly ced many of the props on shelves inside.


    After another one hour, everyone was in the theatre with San Min on stage. She looked at all the people working under her sitting in their seats and nodded before saying.


    "Alright, guys. Today was a hectic day, like every Sunday. But we managed to pull it off once again. Both of our shows sold outpletely and we made a huge profit once again. I''ll transfer some bonus to you guys by the end of today." As soon as she finished her words, the crowd went berserk and everyone pped with happiness. Who wouldn''t be happy with more money?


    "Alright Alright. The audience seemed to be quite satisfied with our performance and the rating for this drama was an 8 out of 10." The crowd cheered once again after knowing the result. Every drama house would get assessed by evaluators like how movies getting ratings and are published online. A rating of 8 was pretty good and was stable for a big theatre like theirs.


    "Now, with that out of the way, I booked a whole restaurant at our usual ce to celebrate. So those who have the rest of the day free can join." The cheering continued as San Min got off stage. Joon-won looked at Gim Tae beside him, as he didn''t know what the party was about.Most of the people got up from their seats and were already exiting the ce.


    Gim Tae noticed his confusion and said, "Oh. right. You don''t know the theatre routine. If your drama house performs well and the feedback is good enough, the boss will host a wrap-up party for the week in a nearby restaurant. It''s a 3-star restaurant and is pretty famous, so the food is amazing. You shouldn''t miss it."


    Joon-won nodded and asked, "How do we get there?"


    "Well, some people take the cab, while some just walk there. We all mostly walk there."


    Joon-won nodded and their group also exited the ce. The entire front area of the theatre was filled with the workers making their way towards the restaurant. Most of them were using their own vehicles while some were walking towards the restaurant.


    Joon-won and their group were about to start walking towards the restaurant before a car stopped beside them. It was Kar Jung''s car. Inside it was San min and Kar Jung.


    Kar Jung waved his hand through the hand and said, "Get in Joon-won. Let''s talk while we get there." San Min also nodded and invited him into the car.


    Joon-won looked around him before Gim Tae pushed him towards the car and said, "Youe with the boss and we will meet there. We all are going towards the same destination, anyway." Joon-won nodded and got in the car before Kar Jung drives away.


    Joon-won looked at Kar Jung and San Min, who were sitting at the front, and asked, "Was it really needed for both of you toe up and invite me? We could have talked about whatever you wanted to say in the restaurant."


    Kar Jung started tough and San Min said, "It was his idea, not mine." putting all the me on Kar Jung. Joon-won turned towards the old man driving the car and asked, "Why did you call me, Old man." raising his voice a little in thest two words.


    Kar Jung immediately snapped back at him when he heard that, "Boy, are you trying to provoke me? I''m still very much in my youth and you are calling me an old man? You''ll get a beating from me." raising one hand from the wheel to show his clenched fist.


    San Min immediately snapped at him when she saw him doing that, "Kar Jung, hands on the wheel. And what are you shouting for? I can even see those grey hairs you desperately trying to hide. So, Shut up."


    Joon-won looked at San Min and was surprised a little at how close the two were. It almost seemed like both were friends. Kar Jung was only a few years older than her. He didn''t tell anything about his thoughts and simply looked at both of them again.


    Kar Jung noticed his stare and said, "So, what did you think of today? We were good, right? My acting was probably the best."


    Joon-won shrugged and said, "I mean, it was like how I expected it to be. Your drama house is one of the top in the entire world and if you guys couldn''t even draw that much audience and perform like that, I would think it''s a scam."

 Chapter 83 - Talk In The Car

    San Min nodded and said, "What he said is true. Why are you trying to act so smug in front of the junior? You tried to do the same thing to even me and Do Hwan when we first met you and almost fell for it." exposing his liespletely wide open.


    Kar Jung looked at her with a shocked expression and stuttered out, "How can you do this to your senior? You arepletely shaming me in front of him. Now where will I get the respect I deserve from him?" acting all heartbroken.


    San Min ignored him and looked back at Joon-won who had an expressionless face and said, "Right, if you hadn''t figured it out, Me, Do Hwan and this old Man are friends from a long time. I and Do Hwan were ssmates and close and we both met this scammer when I was still setting up my drama house. Ignore Kar Jung''s kind smile and all that he puts up in front of everyone, he is a scammer and will take advantage of you."


    Kar Jung looked like he lost his soul as San Min continued to rat him out and could only slowly mutter, ''How can you do this to me, San Min? You just told him we were friends and now you arepletely ratting me out. How can I be a scammer? Making friends with me and believing me is the single best investment to your drama house since you started it. Now you are calling the same investment a scammer. I am the best actor you got."


    "I got an actor who didn''t want to pursue a career in movies and ended uping back to the ce he made a name for himself."


    "Now, don''t bring that up. You know I hated those movie sets and the only reason I even acted after my first movie experience in other movies was because of you and Do Hwan. both of you used our friendship to threaten me into acting in those movies. How could you threaten a friend?" Kar Jung continued to mumble.


    Joon-won, who was in the backseat wished he had a tub of popcorn in his hand to watch the live drama happening before his eyes. Both of them were like little kids in his eyes, bickering over small things. It almost made himugh, but he didn''t want to be too disrespectful.


    "We had no choice but to threaten you as friends. That route was the best for your career. With your acting skills, you could have made it big, at least as big as an A-listed actor. If we weren''t your friends, we would have not even tried to get you into movies." She sneered back at him. It really upset her at that time. Both she and Do Hwan knew Kar Jung could have made it big after seeing him. Kar Jung received a ton of offers in big roles in big movies, but he didn''t want to act in them.


    "Alright, that''s all in the past now. Aren''t I still here to help you out in the drama and even epted helping this poor kid out. So don''t hold everything against me." he pointed at Joon-won in the backseat and tried topromise.


    "Yeah, you better help out after all the trouble me and Do Hwan went through." She huffed and turned back to apologize.


    "I''m sorry to make you see both of us like this, Joon-won."


    Joon-won waved his hands and said, "No, No. It''s alright. It was fun to watch. Almost like a live drama." not holding back at the two of them. Hearing his words made her face go a little pink, and Kar Jung coughed.


    He looked at Joon-won through the reflection of the mirror and said, "You really don''t hold back your punches, kid." making Joon-won shrug. San Min turned back and coughed before starting a new conversation.


    "Well as you just heard him, the three of us, including Do Hwan, me, and Kar Jung, decided to make a huge investment in your future after seeing your potential. Of course, this investment is only for these two months where it''s your chance to prove to us that you are still capable of oveing those problems Kar Jung helped you discover and be aplete actor."


    Joon-won nodded hearing her. He felt a little relieved hearing that the three of them decided to invest in him a little. Even with all his skills, he still needs some support from well-known people to get a good start to his career in the new world, especially given the problems he was facing. He was confident, but not foolish, to think he could do everything in the new world where he had no power.


    He grinned a little and answered both of them. "Don''t worry. Just wait 2 months and you will know that this is the best decision you made in all three of your entire life. I''ll make it big."


    Kar Jung nodded and said, "Well, let''s hope you do so, kid. I don''t want to see you like many other theatre actors out there, stuck in one ce and not able to move ahead even after trying their very best for many years. That''s the most depressing thing that could happen to an actor. Not able to make the next big leap. Mine was out of choice and something I don''t regret."


    San Min smacked the back of Kar Jung and replied, "Yeah, you are thest person to talk about leaps and choices. Do not get me started with your stupid choice. Remember Joon-won never stop trying to progress, such a choice shouldn''t exist in your dictionary. As an actor, you should be greedy and go after everything in your sight. If you don''t this loser is the best example." pointing at Kar Jung.


    "Hey, do not diss me like that again." Kar Jung could only retort but that was ignored by both of them.


    "Well anyway, just use these two months to ovee those small problems so you can make a huge debut." San Min said to him.


    Joon-won nodded and kept her words in mind. He knew those words are real because he was a very greedy person. In the past, to achieve the small goal of acting in front of the royal family and all the nobles, he went after every chance for his drama group and was finally able to reach his goal. Actors should be greedy to seed. That was true.


    The car came to a stop in front of a luxurious restaurant. Joon-won could see a few people from the drama house stop when they saw the car and San Min. Kar Jung asked both of them to get out and handed the car keys to a worker for parking. Joon-won looked around and noticed there were only 3 blocks away from the drama house but the amount of traffic during a Sunday night made it almost impossible for them to arrive quicker.


    The car took so much time that he even noticed his group was only a block away from him, and so he decided to wait. Both San Min and Kar Jung made their way inside the restaurant and then the rest of the people continued inside.


    It didn''t take long for Gim Tae and the other 3 to notice him. Gim Tae came close to him and asked, "So? What was the car ride like? Is it true that both of them are a thing?" as soon as hepleted the second sentence he grimaced in pain and looked at Pak Shin who was ring at him.


    "Gim Tae, you should shut your mouth. Do not talk nonsense like that about our boss and the senior Kar Jung."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Yeah, both of them are just friends. Kar Jung has been acting at the drama house almost since its beginning and is an important piece in how it managed to be sessful. Both of them will probably rip your skin off if they heard you."


    Gim Tae shuddered when he heard those words and said before looking around, "Alright, I was at wrong here. Just do not tell anyone that I asked you about this. I like my current job and life very much."


    The restughed at Do Ryung slung his arm around Joon-won and asked, "So? What did you talk about with those two bigshots?"


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "Nothing much, really. They asked about how time in the drama house was and if I liked today''s performance. They just wanted to tell me they believe I will solve my acting problems soon. Nothing else."


    Seok Yun gasped and said, "Your acting skills must be really good for both of them to get involved." Joon-won just smiled a little in response.


    Pak Shin pped his hands and said, "Alright guys, let''s get going inside. If we continue like this, we will have no seats." Everyone nodded and hurried to the end of the line.

 Chapter 84 - Hangover

    Joon-won tumbled into his apartment and slowly closed the door. He was very tired and noticed the time was already past midnight and almost 1. He slowly took out his phone and sent a text to Gim Da that he might note to work the next morning and also told him to call if they needed someone. He drank a lot of alcohol earlier that night and mostly due to others forcing it down his throat.


    ''Gim Tae, you bastard, I told you to stop with the alcohol. The next time I get a chance when we drink, you ain''t even leaving the bar that night.'' He cursed Gim Tae, who shoved bottles of alcohol into his mouth and made his drink. He wasn''t an avid drinker and was not good at it.


    He made his way into the kitchen and drank a lot of water to cool before sshing some on his face. He took out his phone and noticed there were messages from Jung-hwa. He remembered something very important. Jung-hwa told him she wasing back on Sunday because of her own drama house training.


    He opened the chatbox and saw it was what he expected. She wanted to meet because she was bored in her dorm room with all her roommates out for holidays and wanted to have dinner together. He sent her a quick apology and told him he was at a drama house party. He suggested they have dinner when they are free in theing week.


    Joon-won threw the phone on his bed after that and changed out of his stinky clothes and wore fresh ones before jumping onto the bed.


    The next morning Joon-won didn''t wake up until 10 in the morning. He woke up with a splitting headache and also a hungry stomach before he dragged himself into the kitchen before pouring himself a bowl full of milk and cereal. He felt a bit better after eating something and decided to take a cold bath to get over his hangover.


    As he came out of the washroom in fresh clothes, he noticed there was a pile of clothes that needed to be washed and threw them all inside the washing machine. He flopped onto the couch and took out his phone. He saw he got replies from both Gim Da and Jung-hwa.


    Gim Da was fine with him noting in as Gah Soo agreed to cover for him, as he did the same for her the day before. He sent a quick thanks to Gah Soo and received a reply immediately. She told him it was ok and was just repaying the favor he did for her.


    He then opened Jung-hwa''s chat box and saw she was already at the drama house as she sent him a picture of it from the outside. The drama house was called Violet Fantasies. He found the name odd but sent her a good luck message and plopped on the bed. He noticed the date was 8; it was 2 weeks since he died.


    A lot happened to him in two weeks and he knew many more things will continue to happen. His train of thoughts was cut when he heard his stomach rumble and decided to order food from the widely known fast-food chain WacDonalds.


    It didn''t take long for the delivery guy to arrive in front of his apartment, as the fast-food chain literally had a store on each street. He tipped the delivery guy who looked around the same age as him and kept the bag on the coffee table.


    Taking a seat, he took out his two big burgers and drink before feasting on them like a beast. He was very hungry and now his stomach was finally calming down. He couldn''t help but swear Gim Tae more as he ate. Gim Tae, on the other hand, was suffering an even worse hangover while continuously sneezing and wondering if there were ghosts in his t because of it.


    After finishing his food, he took the trash downstairs and dropped it in the dumpster before flopping on his bed for another small sleep. He was still tired and wanted to sleep a little more. He kept an rm on his phone for 3 as he had to go to the drama house to get the script for the week''s drama performance.


    Monday was a holiday for them and only the actors and each team''s leader like Pak Shin had toe in and learn about the next drama''s plot and what kinds of props, costumes, and other stuff were needed. Even though he probably wouldn''t sleep till 3, it was not bad to be more cautious.


    Joon-won woke up again at 1 and this time with a much more clear mind and turned the television on. He wasn''t hungry and didn''t n to eat any lunch. He went through the news before stopping at a channel that was reporting about the entertainment industry. It was trying to expose a scandal between a singer and herpany''s owner.


    ording to the reporter, the singer gave sexual favors to everyone before ckmailing them with a video recording of their act to get all the roles and songs she wanted. This was big news and many fans didn''t want to believe it as a field reporter went around asking about the incident. Instead, they were ming thepany''s president for lying.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but shake his head at mindless fans. It was thepany president himself who came out and told everything while also naming out a few other producers and directors in the industry who were involved in this scandal orchestrated by the singer. He showed them proofs he kept of the chats between him and the singer that contained her threatening him.


    But people would just not choose to believe the raw truth right in front of their eyes but instead follow the mere words of the singer. Every word spoken should be backed by evidence and nothing should be believed because of a few words spoken because they can be lies.


    Joon-won signed at how the society perceived that it was always the man''s fault at scandals like these. But he couldn''t me society for it too because there were many instances in the past and present proving their belief to be true.


    After that, he simply hung up his washed clothes and went out. The time was still 2 and as he had time; he decided to take the bus instead of a cab. He reached the nearest bus station and sat among different homeless people around it who were treating the bus stop as their home.


    He checked his pockets and found a few coins he could give out and distributed among the people there. By the time he gave out, the bus arrived, and he made his way to the drama house.


    He saw the deserted drama house front and only a few people packing up the various stalls set up the other day or removing the posters. He walked into the drama house and went towards the resting area instead of the costumes room. There were already a few actors in the resting area and as he entered a few people sent a nce towards him. He ignored the curious nces and took a seat


    He looked around and noticed most of the people were not the same actors who yed in the drama yesterday. San min told him during the party toe in early and she will distribute at 3 sharp. She also told that most of the actors would be different because the drama house had a rotation when it came to actors.


    Of course, the rotation mainly depended on the actors themselves. Most of the people who do not get a chance in the drama in a week can try again next week and the people who do generally take a break the following week as they do their best the whole week.


    The door opened, another guy walked in, when he did everyone either looked away or looked at him with vignce. He had an arrogant expression on his face as he swept over everyone in the room like they were beneath him. His eyes stopped when he saw Joon-won looking at him normally, unlike others.


    "Hey kid, you new here? Don''t you know you should greet your seniors when theye in?"


    Joon-won was startled a bit as he didn''t know who this guy was and why he was acting all arrogant and rude to people, he didn''t know. He looked around to see if it was someone else but understood it was him when everyone''s eyes were on him.


    "Do I know you?" he raised an eyebrow and asked back.


    "Oh! Am I hearing a question instead of a reply? We got a feisty one here, eh? Looks like I need to teach you some manners." and He started walking towards him.

 Chapter 85 - Another Idiot Encounter

    Joon-won was w even more confused at the kid who was walking towards him. The guy seemed to only be a few years older than him, probably 24 or 25, and wanted people to respect him. He wondered if this guy would be another Hae Yongsun, and honestly, he didn''t want to deal with another arrogant young master.


    Joon-won looked at him and said, "Why should respect you? I mean, I do not even know you and when I came into this drama house a few days ago, the boss San Min did not tell me to be respectful towards anyone specific. She even told me there was no need for me to be respectful to one if I didn''t want to. So what''s your deal?" He decided to use San Min''s name to make the guy back off a little.


    But instead of backing off, that guy almost blew off and said, "Why you little piece of-" and before he could finish that sentence, the doors opened and another voice interrupted him.


    "What are you going to do, Dokgo Ki? Are you going around throwing your shitty attitude around everywhere once again. I already told you that if you do it once again, you''ll get thrown out of this cest time. And why are you trying to pick on him? I told him that he doesn''t need to be respectful towards anyone, including me. You got a problem with how I run things now?" It was San Min who came in along with Kar Jung and her assistant behind her. She looked serious as she looked at the guy, Dokgo Ki, in the eye.


    Before the guy could even try to exin himself, she cut him off and continued, "Remember, if it wasn''t for your father asking me to get you in, you won''t even be here. So do not go around throwing your empty weight here. If I see this shit again, I will throw you out and make sure you won''t go to any other drama house in this country."


    The guy hung his head low and replied, "I am sorry, boss. I stepped over the line. I won''t do it again."


    "Just go take a seat, we need to get over this quickly." She waved her hand and excused him. Dokgo Ki nodded and nced at Joon-won as if he was ming everything that transpired, was his fault before going to the opposite side of the room. Joon-won ignored him and looked at San Min, waiting for the script.


    San Min looked at everyone and nodded before looking at her watch. She pped her hands and said, "Alright it''s 3, close the doors and don''t allow anyone else to get in. People should be on time if they want roles in the drama. We don''t need actors without time sense." she ordered her assistant. The assistant nodded and went outside, closing the door behind her. Kar Jung walked towards Joon-won and took a seat beside him.


    "How are you, kiddo? I saw you drinking bottles and bottles of alcohol yesterday. It''s fantastic that you even made it here on time."


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "Do not mention anything about the party. Even thinking ofst night makes my head hurt. I never wanted to drink that much in the first ce." making Kar Jungugh.


    "It''s alright kiddo. Once in a while drinking like that isn''t that bad. So take it easy."


    Before Joon-won could respond to thatment, heard San Min p again and turned towards her. San Min looked at everyone and said, "Alright, this is the number of people who will be participating in Wednesday''s audition. This time the drama house decided to go modern setting for the story as you will see in the scripts in a while, unlike the previous historic ones. So we will also evaluate the audition stricter than usual. So be ready and do your best. Nowe to the front one by one and write your name on the nk sheet of paper before taking a script from here." She pointed at a nk paper on the table and the stack of papers on the chair next to the table.


    Everyone nodded and one by one people went up to the desk to write their name and take the script. Joon-won also walked up to the desk and as he was writing his name, he could feel a stare on his back, which didn''t move. He knew it was the dumb guy from before and ignored it. He took the script and flipped through it.


    He could instantly tell this was a good story from the few lines he read. The story was a love tragedy this time with the viin sessfully killing both the hero and heroine in the drama. It was a very interesting and different turn from all the normal dramas out there which make the hero invincible like even theirst drama with the prince almost invincible.


    Kar Jung who got back in his seat after him also nodded and said, "She did a good job writing this script. It will be interesting to act in it. I already know which role I am going for. You kiddo?" turning towards Joon-won was still going through the script.


    "Even me. I know which role I am going for. And who is she?" He asked back.


    "Oh, I was talking about the drama house''s secret writer. That girl doesn''t enjoy being around people much and only meets San Min when San Min goes to her house to talk and get the script. Even I met her only a handful of times. That girl is really talented. She also watches the group practices and advises, San Min, from her point of view. San Min also told me shees in person to watch the dramas Sunday. But I never caught her outside her house."


    Joon-won nodded hearing him. He turned towards Kar Jung and asked, "Are all the scripts written by this one woman?"


    Kar Jung shook his head and said, "Of course not. We have 3 or 4 writers and this girl gives the least amount of scripts than everyone else. But every time she gives a script it would be the best one among the group"


    Joon-won nodded and understood how the ce works better. It was obvious for the drama house, which performances every week to have a team of writers working for them. He was more curious about the writer of the scribe had in hand and wondered if it was the same writer who wrote the drama he saw in Gah Soo''s phone, the one about the poor girl pursuing her dreams.


    After everyone took their scripts, San Min nodded and said, "Alright guys, that''s all for today. You guys can use the facility here or go home to practice on your own." before giving an eye towards Dokgo Ki and moving out of the room.


    As soon as she exited, most of the people exhaled in relief. It was like they were under microscope observation whenever she was in the room and everyone would tense up. Dokgo Ki stood up and as he went towards the door, he looked at Joon-won.


    He said, "Boy, let''s see how you get the role you want." and went out. Joon-won was confused as to why he said that but didn''t put much thought into an idiot whose mouth was loose and brain had lost a few screws.


    Kar Jung looked at Joon-won and said, "You shouldpletely ignore that brainless idiot. He acts like that because he has a few acting skills and got a few roles in movies. That''s why he thinks he is above the people here who are still trying to get roles in movies."


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "Do you think I''m a brainless teenager who would blow his top off because of a child''s provocation? I''ll just crush that guy''s confidence in his skillspletely so that he won''t even talk like that with anyone again. It will be fun to see his expression at that time."


    Kar Jung looked at him and said, "Woah kid, looks like you are a scheming one. I should be more careful around you. Who knows when you will eat me up too." making Joon-won roll his eyes at the exaggerating old man.


    Joon-won changed the entire conversation and asked, "So, what role are going for?"


    "Well, I am mainly going for the viin''s butler. That role looks interesting and suits my age too. If not him, I''ll go for the hero''s father role, but that role is too minor for my liking."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Well If you are going for that role, then get ready to be my butler, old man." he grinned.


    "Oh, we are confident, aren''t we? Let''s see if you get that role. Many people will aim for it. Also, choose another role as backup, you can audition for two." Kar Jungughed.

 Chapter 86 - Jung-hwa Is Back

    "Yeah, I''ll audition for the hero role, too. But I feel the role isn''t matching how I am and am not interested in it. But as I told you guys before, no one will get the role Ind my eyes on in an audition. So are you going to go back home now?" Joon-won replied. He was confident.


    "Alright, I know your skills are very good in theatre but do not forget the main reason you came here in the first ce. You came to take those skills to the next level. So practice with that in mind. Solve your problems so you can go out there and audition for roles in movies, not in a theatre. And yes, I am going home now. I want to take some rest."


    Joon-won nodded and decided to also go back home. He did not want to practice in a crowded ce like this. He liked peace when he goes through the script and understands the role for the first time.


    Joon-won took the bus back home again and decided to get some workout done before he started going through a script. He changed clothes and went out for a jog. His body felt better after he started getting reps done. Compared to two weeks back, his body was obviously fitter, and he started to wonder if he should go to a gym.


    He got back home from the jog, did a few more exercises, and went into the bath. He scrolled through his phone to see any gyms nearby he could afford. He found one in no time near the park he jobs up to. He decided to go there the next day when he goes for his early morning jog.


    He got out of the bath and wore some fresh clothes before sitting on the couch with the script and pencil in his hand. As he was about to start going through the script, he received the text message from Jung-hwa. She was asking if he was free and wanted to hang out because her day at the drama house finished.


    After thinking for a few seconds, he agreed. He wanted to know what she was up to and if the drama house was good. She immediately replied and asked if they could meet in front of the university after 30 minutes. He sent a quick alright and kept the script down with a sigh. He could check the script aftering back for a few hours before going to sleep.


    He checked the time and noticed it 5:30. He had to go to the university gate at 6. He was feeling a little hungry and decided to take out a bag of chips from the closet, a little snack to get him going at least till dinner.


    After 15 minutes passed by he got up, wore his shoes, and got out. He reached the gate on time and looked around before noticing she didn''t arrive yet. He waited another 2 minutes before hearing his name from behind and turned around. Sure enough, it was the girl he helped out when he first arrived.


    "Joon-won you look better only after a week. You don''t look so skinny and malnourished anymore. Good to see you are eating well." She patted his back with a smile.


    "Yes, Jung-hwa, it''s good to see you are still cheerful, like always. How were your holidays?" as he moved away a bit from all her excessive patting.


    Jung-hwa shrugged and replied, "They were fun, I guess. It was rxing after a whole week of grinding for the final exam. How was your week?"


    "We can talk about thatter. A lot happened. So where do you want to?" he found it awkward standing in front of the university gate where there are people constantly going in and out.


    "Let''s go to the university park, then. There aren''t many people around at this time there. So it should be fine."


    Joon-won nodded and both of them made their way towards the park. As Joon-won said, it was mostly empty with only a few couples and students ying games. Both of them sat on a bench to the side and Jung-hwa said.


    "Your sister is really a nice person, unlike you. Both of us talked a lot over the weekend after that incident and we both even exchanged phone numbers."


    Joon-won ignored her first sentence and asked, "You both exchanged phone numbers? When did both of you be that close to talk a lot?"


    "Of course we became close. We also met once after that incident on Saturday because I wasing back here. She is a nice and hardworking girl. She is studying a lot and is very smart. I was shocked to see how different both of you are."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Yes, she is very smart. It''s good to hear that she is not wasting more time than she already had. Well anyway, how was your day at the drama house? Was everything fine?"


    Jung-hwa nodded and replied, "Of course everything was fine. The owner of that drama was an olddy and ording to her, Mr. Hwan seemed to help them out big time when they were in need. That''s why she agreed to take me in. There were also many awards on her shelf and it looked like she was pretty well known in the theatre industry."


    "That''s good. It looks like she has quite some experience then. Don''t waste the opportunity. Who knows, if you improve, you can try out a few auditions with confidence. What did she tell you to do? Like, did she assign any tasks?"


    "Yeah, she is an awesome woman. She also told me her husband was an actor in a few movies and both of them started the drama house together. He passed away a few years ago and now she is running it. Both her kids are also actors and y side character roles in movies."


    Joon-won nodded, and she continued, "She did tell me to try out auditioning for a performance next week. The drama house has performances every 2 weeks and yesterday was thetest one. So she told me to get the script tomorrow and audition on Friday with the other people there."


    "That''s good. With your current skills, you can give an audition for a drama performance. She also is giving a lot of time to the actors there. Use these 4 days and get to know the character you are aiming forpletely. Just remember the advice I gave you and you should be fine. Also, something important, learn how to act in movies more because there is a lot of difference between what they teach here and what the outside world really needs."


    He understood that not every drama house has the manpower and capacity to put up performances every week like Roses. This was also better for Jung-hwa who took her time in understanding the characters to have performances every other week."


    "Yeah, yeah. I didn''t ask us to meet so that you could lecture me like this. The boss of my drama house and you are so simr. Anyway, now tell me about your week. By the message you sent me yesterday past midnight, it looks like you are having a st." Joon-won understood she was talking about the partyst night.


    "The week was a rocky ride for me. First with the audition rejection, due to a few problems, I didn''t know about my acting, and then I joined the drama house after all the roles for the performance on Sunday were given out. So, I had to help out by making costumes for the actors."


    "The party yesterday was because it was some kind of tradition in the drama house that they party after every sessful Sunday. So as a newbie, I didn''t want to reject it. That''s why I missed your calls and messages." He sighed at the end to make it more dramatic and sad.


    Just like he thought, Jung-hwa fell for it and patted his back before consoling him, "It''s ok Joon-won. As your friend, I won''t hold it against you anymore. Just start focusing on the problems they told you have in the audition. I am sure you will fix them in no time and get a movie role. How was your day today?"


    Joon-won felt bad a little seeing how she really fell for it. He was an old man tricking a little girl. If anyone knew that the king was doing such a thing in his old world, he wouldn''t even dare to show his face out in public. But oh well, he was only a university student here and nothing more.


    "Today was fine. I woke up hungover after the party and then went to the drama house to get the script for this week''s performance. I got the script and as I was about to start going through it, you called."

 Chapter 87 - Taking Her Home?

    "Oh! Did you get the script for your performance? How is the script? How often does your drama house perform if you guys did one yesterday itself? What''s the name of the drama house?" Jung-hwa instantly became excited about the script.


    "The drama house is called Roses Drama house. It''s pretty popr in the city and worldwide. Yes, I got the script today so that I can audition on Wednesday for the role and we perform every Sunday, two times. One in the morning and one in the evening. It''s pretty cool." He shrugged and replied to all her questions.


    "Wait a minute. Did you just say you joined Roses dama house? The Roses Drama House? The one which is said to be the toughest for any aspiring actor to get into because the boss is really demanding. I heard she is a beast-like person who treats her people as ves. Are you ok there? We can talk to Mr. Hwan and get you to another ce. I''m sure." she used her own imagination once again to make baseless deductions.


    He quickly closed her mouth and made her sit once again. He looked around and noticed no one noticed her outburst before sighing. He wondered how he made a loudmouth like her as a friend.


    Keeping her mouth closed, he whispered, "Do not shout like that Jung-hwa. People will think you are either crazy or some victim of my harassment and will call the police. Now can you be quiet or do you need me to continue holding like this?" He released his hands when she nodded and continued.


    "Yes, I did join THE Roses drama house. I think there is only one of its kind in the inner city. And where did you hear all these rumors about the owner of that ce? I keep telling you to never believe those rumors blindly, but you do not listen at all. Do not go around talking shit like that. If anyone hears you, you will have a terrible impression on people. The boss is pretty kind, too. She values talent a lot and is helping me out. So now be quiet and do not believe baseless rumors again." He clenched his forehead and tried to exin.


    She nodded and said, "Well it''s good to see you are alright there. Now tell me about the script you got. How is the story? All the performances in that theatre are awesome."


    He shrugged and said, "I don''t know much about it either. It seems like a modern setting and a tragic love story of sorts. Before I could even read it, you sent me a message wanting to meet. So I had to keep the script aside ande here."


    Jung-hwa slouched a bit when she heard even he didn''t read it. She was very curious about how the scripts and stories were in the top drama houses, and this was a good opportunity. She won''t be able to sleep if she doesn''t know now.


    After a few seconds of silence and just as Joon-won thought to console her, she sprang and suggested, "Alright then, let''s go to your apartment. Aren''t you living alone anyway? Let''s go there now and go through your script together. I wouldn''t be able to sleep tonight if I don''t know how the scripts are in top drama houses."


    Her suggestion stunned him. He was living alone, but it was not a good suggestion to invite a girl over at all. Especially when both of them were only friends. As he was about to reject it, she continued begging, "Come on, don''t be so fast to reject it. We both are responsible adults who know how to take care of ourselves. So it''s ok and I don''t think you will do anything to me, anyway." Hearing her reasons, he didn''t know if he had to be offended. What did she mean by him not being able to do anything? He was also a man, but a man who chose not to do anything.


    He knew what she said was true and hence no reason to reject. He shrugged and said, "Alright then, let''s go. Let me tell you now. You do not tell anyone where I live. Alright?"


    "Sure. Now let''s get going. We have a whole script to read." And grabbed his arm before dragging him towards the university gate. Joon-won reacted quickly and broke free before anyone could see him getting dragged away. He didn''t want to lose dignity because of the airhead before him.


    Joon-won led her towards his apartment but stopped before a supermarket first. He turned towards Jung-hwa and said, "Alright, I need to get a few groceries. So wait a few minutes." Jung-hwa quickly agreed and asked him to bring her some ice cream while he was at it, making him roll his eyes.


    He went in and brought a few vegetables and other groceries like flour, meat, and condiments. He didn''t forget to grab some ice cream for both of them and also a bottle of juice. He paid the money and walked out with the bag in his hand.


    Jung-hwa took a small peek into the bag and eximed, "Do you know how to cook?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, I do know how to cook. Now don''t act too surprised."


    "Well, how can you me me for being surprised? I never knew some boys could cook, especially a person like you who is a freak. Is the food you make edible? I don''t want to take leave from the drama house for the first week because of food poisoning."


    Joon-won''s face became ck as she dissed him and retorted, "If you don''t want to eat, then don''t. No one is asking you to eat, anyway. Later I won''t give you any food even if you beg me for it." And carried the bag, on the other hand, away from her.


    "Alright, alright. Don''t get too angry about it. I''m sure it''s good enough."


    Joon-won ignored her and continued to lead her towards his apartment. After a while, they were in front of the building and Jung-hwa looked around before saying, "You really do live in a bad neighborhood. I mean see those people over there, they are giving out drugs in broad daylight. You should move away from here." Even when it was actually night.


    Joon-won ignored herments and walked inside the building. Both of them walked up the stairs and eventually reached his floor. The whole way, Jung-hwa was constantly looking around like she was in a zoo. He took out the key and opened his apartment door.


    "Stop looking around like that. It''s rude if someone sees you."


    Jung-hwa shrugged her shoulders and walked inside before saying, "You can''t me me for this. I mean even if I am not rich, I never lived in a shady ce like this. So I just wanted to see how it''s like and it''s exactly like I thought."


    Joon-won didn''t even bother asking what she thought and pointed at the couch before telling her to take a seat as he had some small things to do before he could join her. He went into the kitchen and opened his bag of groceries and set them all in their respective ces.


    He didn''t forget to take the dried clothes away from the hanger after that. He threw the clothes onto his bed and finally turned towards his guest to only see her taking pictures of his house.


    He raised an eyebrow seeing her and said, "What do you think you are doing? I will throw you out of the building if you do something idiotic like this." pointing at his balcony.


    Jung-hwa immediately put her phone down and tried to defend herself, "Hey it was your sister who asked me to take a few photos and send her. She wanted to know how you live. Don''t me me."


    "I don''t care, just don''t tale photos. It''s just weird. Yun-hee doesn''t need to know how the ce looks. Now give me that phone so that I can delete those pictures." extending his hand towards her. Jung-hwa didn''t try to argue and just handed him the phone. He quickly deleted all the pictures she took and didn''t forget to delete them even from ''recently deleted'' so that she doesn''t restore them.


    Jung-hwa took her phone and checked her recently deleted before clicking her tongue and muttering, "Tch, he isn''t as dumb as I thought he would be." Joon-won ignored thatment.


    She looked around the house once more and said, "This house is really small and neat. I didn''t expect a boy''s house to be this organized and neat. You are giving me more and more surprises as I get to know you better. I want to dig everything out and expose you."


    Joon-won sat on the couch beside her and said, "Now you are being more and more of a sexist than I thought. So shall we start reading the script?" taking the script from the coffee table.

 Chapter 88 - Reading The Script

    As soon as he mentioned the script, everything was out the window for Jung-hwa as she looked at him, ready to read the script. Jung-hwa moved closer to him and both looked at the script.


    "Read inside your head. I don''t want noises while reading."Joon-won instructed her, and she immediately agreed to his conditions. The next hour, the house waspletely quiet, with only the sound of pages turning, resonating in the entire house.


    As both of them turned thest page, the house becamepletely silent. The first to break the silence was Jung-hwa, who eximed, "Damn, that script is on another level. No wonder Roses drama house is one of the most famous theatres in the entire world. It deserves that praise."


    Joon-won nodded and agreed with her evaluation. The story was fantastic and he could feel the writer''s intention as he read it. It was kinda sad when he understood what the writer was trying to say. The writer wanted to tell everyone that not every person would have a good ending despite all the hard work they put in.


    The story started with the hero meeting the heroine during their job. The heroine was already engaged with thepany''s CEO, aka the viin, at that time. After both the leads met and started working together and getting closer, both slowly developed feelings for each other. Despite slowly developing feelings for each other, the heroine did not tell the hero that she was already engaged, or even the CEO and her family that she didn''t want to marry.


    The CEO stumbled upon both of them having a great time on a day off in a park. That was the same day when he invited his fiancee to go out shopping for their uing wedding. The CEO who saw this was obviously devastated and started making life tough for the heroine and her family. He would have taken a no, but she didn''t tell him that and had a rtionship with another man, which made him very angry.


    He first made it tough for the heroine''s father who worked under him too, in a high position in thepany. He demoted the dad, ignore his pleas for a reason, and eventually fired him. With the head of the family down, made that family heavily dependent on the heroine. After leaving them alone for some time, he pressured the heroine next and eventually made her also quit the job.


    After that, there is a scene between the hero, the heroine, and her family with the CEO where he revealed everything about what she has been up to with the hero. The Hero was the typical character who stood by the side of his love and used the viin of ruining a family. The Hero too leaves thepany and marries the heroine. He tries to find a new job but the viin blocks every way for the family making them eventuallymit suicide themselves. Thest scene is with the viin talking to himself about how everything transpired and how thighs could have ended a different way.


    The story was well structured. And it also showed that being on the good side doesn''t always mean that everything they do is good. Here, even if finding the loved one was good and lovely, the way they tried to get away with it was bad. The viin would have just epted that he wasn''t the one for her and moved on. The viin was also a human who had his own emotions.


    Thinking about the whole story once again, Joon-won knew he had to get that role. The viin was the main character and also the perfect role for him in the drama. This made his desire for the role grow more and decided to go all out on Wednesday during the audition.


    Joon-won turned towards Jung-hwa who was still staring at the script on the table and said, "Alright, don''t stare at it for too long, it might burn from the intensity. Now, here watch some TV, while I cook up dinner for you. Sounds good?" he shook her awake while standing up.


    Jung-hwa took the remote he was handing out and nodded before turning on the TV. Joon-won took out the groceries he got and started cooking up some curry with rice. He took out the meat and went hard on the meal. As he cooked, his thoughts were still on the viin character and how he could embarrass that role better. He knew he had to further analyze itter at night and get a good grip on the character''s thought process if he wanted to perform well.


    After finishing up everything, he looked towards Jung-hwa and saw she was watching some news and took two tes of food towards the couch. Keeping the te in front of her, he shook her, and she turned her head towards him before the te.


    She looked at the te from all sides before slowly taking it into her hand and sniffing it. Joon-won rolled his eyes when he saw her antics and started eating the food.


    "Seems legit. The smell is good, the color is good. Looks like the texture is also good. Seems like I won''t die if I eat it." She mumbled. Joon-won sighed and reached out to grab her te.


    "Alright, give it to me now. If you do not want to eat it, then don''t. Stop acting so weird, it''s getting irritating now. So,e on. Give it to me, I''ll throw it in the trash and you can eat somewhere else outside on your way back to the dorms." he reached out and almost grabbed it.


    Jung-hwa backed up and saw his annoyed expression and said, "Alright, I know you won''t kill me so discretely if you wanted to. You are the type of guy to kill a person head-on without any tricks."


    "This is the second time you made the same joke. It has gotten old and irritating. Also, why do you presume I will even kill, much less my methods? Just shut up and eat. It''s gettingte and your dorms will close. If they do, I''m not allowing you to crash here." and continued to eat. He was getting slightly irritated at her. He didn''t like people making noise while eating food. The silence was a must for someone like him who slowly eats and enjoys every bite of it.


    Jung-hwa nodded and took a spoonful of rice and curry before closing her eyes and shoving it into her mouth. After a while, she eximed, "Oh my god. You really do know how to cook. It''s better than some of the restaurants I ate at. You know what, quit acting and do this. Set up your own restaurant. I am sure you will make it big."


    "Just close your mouth and eat. Don''t speak while you have food in your mouth, it''s gross. Ad I am fine with acting. I have no ns to do anything else."


    Jung-hwa nodded and continued to eat. Both looked at the TV and Joon-won recognized it was the same news he saw earlier that day. It was about the scandal rting to the singer who ckmailed her agency president.


    "Joon-won, do you think it''s true? Or all of it is a huge n to bury the poor singer because he did not get what he wanted from her?" Jung-hwa pointed at the singer''s picture on the news and asked.


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "Who knows whether it is true or not. Humans are very fickle creatures. It could be true that the singer is really doing it too? I mean, I wouldn''t be surprised if she really did it. But what you said can also be true. Or there is a more dangerous third way to all this. Maybe it''s an enormous story by both parties and all this was just for more promotion and fame. In the end, only the two parties who are involved know what is real and what is bogus." he simply shrugged it off.


    Jung-hwa who continued to look at the news, slowly nodded and continued to eat. After both of thempleted the dinner, Jung-hwa insisted to clean the dishes to help out to which Joon-won agreed without hesitation, only to hear a few curses from her about how ungentlemanly he was to make her do the work.


    "Well, alright then. I am going to go now. I''ll tell you tomorrow, how my script is. So keep a lookout for my messages." Jung-hwa said as she stood outside the apartment.


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Alright then. Make sure to get back safely."


    Jung-hwa rolled her eyes and said, "You know, this is the part where you say, you will walk me back cause you are concerned about my safety."


    "First you think too highly of yourself and 2nd I would say that to the girl who I like so that I can spend more time with her. Not you. Get a cab if you feel unsafe till the university and send me a text when you reach your room. Anyway, bye." and he closed the door.

 Chapter 89 - Character Analysis And Gym

    Joon-won didn''t care what the girl thought. He could hear a few stomps from outside and knew Jung-hwa was the cause. But he wanted to have some peace in his house and quickly start reading through the script once again while analyzing the character he liked.


    He noticed the time was already 9, and he had only one more hour left before he goes to sleep, he still needed to go to the supermarket for his shift. He couldn''t miss 2 days in a row. So he got on the couch with the script and pencil in his hand as he slowly went through the CEO''s character deeper than before.


    He rounded dialogues everywhere he felt there were hidden or emotions that should be expressed in a specific manner and wrote his thoughts beside it. This was his first role and first drama on a big stage and wanted to do it right. He didn''t even consider the minor role he got in the worst story he saw in a long time for the exam.


    As he read through the script one more time in a detailed manner, he really got to know more about the character. Things like his background were visible in between his lines with the butler. The CEO was an orphan born with a golden spoon. Brought up very luxurious he didn''t face many problems until the death of his parents.


    Thepany his parents started fell into his hands and he had to fend off the greedy hands of everyone else. The only person he treated as someone close to was his butler, who was taken in by his parents and raised him after their death. So apart from being a cruel and meticulous person, Joon-won thought the CEO was before, he was also someone who cared about rtions a lot.


    This also became the primary reason he started to hate the heroine after finding out what she did. The CEO really cared about this marriage and was treating the heroine perfectly. He never pressured her into marrying him and wanted her to love him for who he was and not for the money. He really liked the girl and would have been ok with the fact she didn''t have the same feelings for him if she told him that without cheating on him.


    So after getting ruthlessly backstabbed by the person he thought would be with him for the rest of his life, did he turn ''evil'' and wanted to destroy their lives. Now his job as an actor was to portray all this he learned through reading the script to the audience. It is easier to understand through the script because he could re-read it, but with a live audience, he doesn''t have the time to re-act every scene until the audience understood the deeper meaning in it.


    By the time he closed the script, it was 10:10. He kept both of them on the table and made his way towards his room. He still had to go to the drama house after his work at the supermarket to give his name on which role he will be auditioning for. His obvious choice was still the viin, but now he was hesitating to try even the narcissist and idiotic hero. But apart from the hero the rest of the characters were too small or irrelevant.


    The next morning, he went for his morning jog, but this time looked around for the gym he found while he was taking a bath. After asking around for a few minutes, he came across the gym. It was a few meters away from the park he normally jogs up to and was a medium-sized establishment with two floors.


    The gym was open and Joon-won could hear a few grunts from the inside with the sound of machines running. He stepped in and saw the front desk was empty. After waiting for a few minutes and seeing no one, he knocked on the front desk and shouted.


    "Is anyone there? I am here to check the gym out."


    As soon as he said that, a bulky, tanned man came out from the door next to the front desk with a smile on his face.


    With a smile on his face, he apologized, "I am really sorry. I am the owner of this ce and the girl who is supposed to be here took the day off. Now that I am here, tell me what can I do for you." Joon-won felt a bit better after seeing him apologize.


    Joon-won nodded and said, "It''s alright. I am here to see the gym once and see what ns you guys have. I want to see if I can join."


    The guy became enthusiastic and reached out his hand before replying, "Yes, for sure. By the way, my name is Choe Kwan. As I said, I am the owner of this ce. Shall I show you the ce first before we talk about the ns and prices we offer?" showing the door on the other side of the desk. Joon-won agreed, and Choe Kwan started walking ahead of him to the door.


    "This is the door to the gym. The door I just came out of is my office. So if you have any problems you cane and meet me."


    Both of them entered the gym and Joon-won could smell the sweat in the air, along with a lot of noise. But he didn''t think much of the smell as it ismon in ces like that and looked around to see a lot of machines he never saw before. Even the original Joon-won didn''t know many ording to the memories.


    "Hey, Dong Kun, go and man the front desk until I show this man the ce." Choe Kwan shouted out towards one of the trainers who was looking over a customer. The man Dong Kun nodded and told his customer a few words before walking past them with a smile.


    "Alright, this is the men''s area of our facility. The floor above is for women and they have women trainers. All the trainers we have here are knowledgeable when ites to the body and how to properly build it, so you do not have to have to be skeptical about their suggestions on how to do things." Cheo Kwan started it out by telling about the trainers.


    "Now if you follow me, you can see that most of our workout machines are top-notch and thetest in the market. We have monthly check-ups and so they are in top shape. Many people are also skeptical about them, but here I promise you do not have to be."


    Joon-won kept nodding and continued to observe the entire ce as they toured it. The ce was huge and filled with various machines. There was also an enormous mirror spanning across the whole wall for people to see themselves. He observed the people, both trainers, and the customers.


    He could see that the trainers are really enthusiastic and fit. Some of them are screaming at their customers, trying to encourage them to push harder while others were exining about the workout calmly. Joon-won also noticed that a few customers were doing nothing. They didn''t have sweat on them and were simply taking pictures of themselves in the mirror.


    "As you can see, it''s not air-conditioned and instead we open the windows for more venttion. The locker rooms are air-conditioned, to give the customers some rxation when they change their clothes." He pointed at the door at the front of the room, near the door they entered.


    The tour continued and Chor Kwan continued to exin about the area. The tour ended in 10 minutes and both of them came back to the front desk. He sent the other trainer back and looked at Joon-won.


    "So, what do you think about the ce?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "It is very good. I want to know more about the cost and the ns you guys provide."


    Choe Kwan nodded enthusiastically and said, "Yes, for sure. We first provide a week trial period for any neers who are looking to join. So that they could see the service for themselves and figure out if it''s worth paying the money."


    Joon-won nodded and Choe Kwan continued, "After that, there are two ns the people who want to continue can go for. One is with a trainer and another is without a trainer. A few people know how to handle themselves ande only for the machines and not any guidance. So they do not have to pay more. But if you want a trainer to help you out, then you are going to need to pay extra."


    Joon-won didn''t hesitate and said, "I am going to need a trainer." he did not want to be ignorant and break a few bones by doing things wrong. So it''s better to have someone knowledgeable guide him instead.

 Chapter 90 - Gym, Job And Hea-Jung

    Choe Kwan nodded and said while patting Joon-won, "That''s good. From what I see, your body is fit but still very weak. If you continue whatever you are doing, you''ll end up being a skeleton. With a trainer, he can give you advice on what to eat so that you can gain some weight and what exercises to follow to turn that weight into muscle. I promise you won''t regret that decision."


    "I also hope I won''t regret it." Joon-won nodded.


    "Alright, we can talk about the rest of the money, after aplete week, when you are satisfied with the facility and are willing to pay the money. Right, before I forget, we also have a student discount here. Are you a student?" to which Joon-won immediately nodded. He was happy if he could save money.


    "Right, then, that is great. When you are going to pay the money, then bring your student ID along with you. We provide a 15 percent discount to students. So do you want to start your week trail from today? Or tomorrow?"


    Joon-won thought for a second before looking at his phone for the time. Noticing that there wasn''t much time left, he shook his head and said, "No, I''ll join from tomorrow. I need to go right now."


    "Alright then, when youe tomorrow,e directly into my office. I''ll introduce you to a trainer for this one week and then you can get started. Sounds good?" Choe Kwan nodded and asked Joon-won. Joon-won nodded and got out of the gym.


    He kept his headphones back on and started jogging back to his apartment. He was honestly every satisfied with the gym. Even though he didn''t know most of the machines there, he still felt it was enough for his current budget. He eventually did a few exercises in his living room before getting ready for work.


    Joon-won got to work and stood behind the counter after changing into his uniform. He looked at Eum Kyung in front of him, who asked him, "What were you up to yesterday? You didn''t miss a single day for 2 weeks and suddenly broke your streak."


    Joon-won shrugged and replied, "I was at a party on Sunday and got hungover pretty badly. So before I went to sleep, I sent a message to the boss to give me a leave if possible and if not to call me. Lucky for me, Gah Soo was there to cover me."


    Eum Kyung nodded and said while patting his shoulder, "Well it''s good to party at your age but don''t party on a Sunday. Party on a Friday, you won''te in on Saturdays, anyway." Joon-won nodded, and Eum Kyung left. He continued to serve the customers and took a rest when Gah Soo came in.


    After the morning rush was done, both of them sat on their chairs and Joon-won said, "Thanks for covering me yesterday. I was pretty hungover and couldn''te."


    Gah Soo shook her hand and replied, "Nah, it''s ok. I already told you yesterday through text. You covered for me and then I covered for you. So it''s even. No need for thanks and everything. How is your drama house thing going on? Will you act this weekend?"


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "I don''t know yet. I will audition for the main role in for this Sunday''s drama this Wednesday and if the boss picks me, I''ll act in the drama."


    "Tell, me if you will act. If you do, then I''ll try to book a few tickets so that I cane and watch the show. It''ll be exciting."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Sure, I''ll tell you on Wednesday if I get the role or not. So don''t worry. Right, how are your studies going on? I heard from the boss that you had assignments and examsing up."


    As soon as he asked that question he could see her be tired and she replied, "Yeah man, exams are so tiring. There are still a couple of days to go and I should be fine but it''s huge pressure for us. I feel jealous of you art students in general. I mean, I understand even your exams might be tough for you, but for us, from the outside, they seem easier. I mean see your exam, most of you will pass because the drama is a collective effort from everyone. I just wish everything ends quickly. Ist year would be more fun because of the practical elements in it."


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "Well, exams are meant to be tough and challenging for the students. So if they aren''t hard then it means they don''t serve their purpose. Even our exams are pretty tough because the judges observe pretty much everyone on the stage and can spot the mistakes people make. Just grind through them and before you see it, they will be done."


    "Yes, I also hope they will be done quickly. But unlike you guys, we also have shorter holidays. It''s only a month for us. Our exams end by the end of this month and the holidays are for one month before they open for a new semester in July." she slumped her shoulders again.


    Joon-won couldn''t say anything to that and simply patted the girl''s shoulder before wishing her good luck and continuing on with work. He got out of the store by 1 and had to go to the auditorium by 3 to report which roles they are going to audition for.


    Joon-won wanted to eat something more fulfilling instead of the supermarket food he eats every day and decided to go to the ramen shop Jung-hwa took him before. He walked towards the university and quickly found the ramen shop. He went in and ordered arge bowl of beef noodles.


    He sat there on the table alone and enjoyed his food in silence. It has been a long time since he was able to enjoy food outside, in a restaurant, in silence. Every time he eats outside there is either Jung-hwa or Hea-Jung who were the two biggest chatterboxes he knew in the world.


    Remembering Hea-Jung, he sent her a text asking how she was doing in the movie set. He remembered her telling him that the film shooting will start back on Saturday or Sunday and thought whether she would be able to reply. But as soon as he sent it, he received a reply.


    [Little brother, I am hugely disappointed in you. You didn''t even send me a text on the day of my shooting to know if I am doing well or not. I thought you will send me a text yesterday itself. I am deeply disappointed in you.] and sent a few angry emojis along with it.


    Joon-won then understood her shooting started yesterday itself. He thought for a second on how to reply and simply told her that he was busy with the drama house, as there was a performance.


    [Do not try to lie to me. I am more knowledgeable than you when ites to how the Roses Drama house functions. You were only in charge of the costumesst week. So you do not have much work at all during the actual event. Now apart from forgetting to wish me, you are even lying.] and sent a few crying emojis this time.


    Joon-won sighed and kinda regretted sending her a message. He quickly apologized and promised her lunch when shees back. Before she could reply to that message he sent another asking how her shooting went on Sunday.


    [Alright then, I will hold on to this lunch you are promising me. My first day is not bad, but it was very boring. I only had one small shot, but I had to stay almost the whole day, waiting for that stupid director to call me up for the scene. I mean, he could have sent me back and called me half an hour before he was going to shoot it. But that idiot made me stay the whole day. I was so pissed.]


    [Right there was also another irritating guy on set. He also ys some minor role in the movie and he was trying so hard to flirt with me. I wanted to p his face]


    Before he could reply to the first message, she sent another message, which made him almost spill the noodles he had in his mouth. He couldn''t believe that someone wanted to flirt with the devil. He immediately sent a text back, hoping she didn''t really go for it.


    [Of course, I didn''t go for it. I am not that dumb. That guy is more experienced than me. I asked around and people told me he acted in 2 other movies. Sopared to him, I''m still a little less aplished. Just let him wait till I have a few sessful movies under my belt, I''ll squash him like a bug he is.]

 Chapter 91 - Hae-Jung Insanity And Choosing Roles

    Joon-won sighed at how tough Hea-Jung was. The girl was already nning to make trouble for some poor guy way in the future after she became famous and she was the type to hold her grudges. He quickly changed the subject and asked when her shooting will be finished.


    [I don''t know yet. But the current speed of things and the length of the script, I can tell that it would be at least 3 months long, so by the end of July or it might even go to August if the director remains dumb like his. Anyway, enough about me. Tell me what you are up to.]


    Before Joon-won could reply to the text, he noticed the time and quickly finished the remaining noodles and walked out after paying the bill. He took a cab and replied on his way there about things were going. He first told her he found out what the problem was and also about his audition tomorrow for a role.


    [Oh, you found out about the problem already? That''s great. I knew it wouldn''t take you too long to figure it out. You need to solve those problems before the end of summer. Let me give you some insider information. There are a lot of movies that are going to give out auditions for roles. You might snatch one if you get things right.]


    He didn''t even know where she found this information from but sent a simple ok before receiving another message.


    [Also do your best in the audition in those dramas there. Don''t act as you did in the exam. San Min will chew you out if she finds out you are holding back at her drama house. She is a beast. Just call me if you have any problems. I know how to tackle that beast.]


    Joon-won couldn''t help but shake his head at how disrespectful Hea-Jung could be sometimes. What did she mean by a beast? He felt Hea-Jung herself was like a wild animal, out of control sometimes. He simply texted he was ok and she should focus on her own movie instead.


    [Right, I''ll be off then. It seems like the director wants me there. Let''s hope it''s for a shoot and not a dumb reason. Right then, just do your best and make sure to fix those problems before anything. A stroke of good luck from your big sister.] along with a few goodbye stickers.


    He sent a simple goodbye to the women and finally kept the phone down. He hadn''t been on his one for this long and it was tiring, especially when the person on the other side was someone like Hea-Jung or Jung-Hwa who could simply take out a lot from a person by just talking.


    After a few seconds, he reached the drama house and noticed there were only 15 minutes left until 3. He remembered how San Min closed doors the day before and didn''t allow people who were only a few secondste inside and started running inside.


    Luckily, as soon as entered the hallway with all the rooms, he noticed her assistant standing near the door. She pointed at the same room as he went before and asked him to get in. He quickly got in and saw most of the people were already ready. He even noticed the arrogant man from the day before, Dokgo Ki staring at him. But this time he waspletely silent.


    Joon-won cared little about the guy and found Kar Jung before walking towards him. He took a seat next to him and heard Kar Jung immediately. "So, how was the script?"


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Yes, it was great. There are a lot of things hidden in the script that can''t be found with one or two reads. The story itself is a lot moreplex than how it looks. But is such a story enjoyable to the audience?"


    Kar Jung shrugged and said, "I don''t know. It is always a double-edged sword when ites to her scripts. Most of the time the audience does not understand but there will be experienced journalists and media personnel who will get it and write an article or two about it. That way people understand what it is about and sees the drama again in the drama house app. This way we get ie from both sides. A genius n isn''t it." he grinned.


    Joon-won shook his head and thought it was indeed a genius n. People who do not understand could simply read the articles whiche out on the same day and if they want to see the drama once again, they can by paying a subscription to the app. But this was more of a series of coincidences than a genius n.


    "What did you think about the script? Are you still going for the butler?"


    Kar Jung nodded and replied, "Of course I am. The butler character is pretty good and is closely rted to the story. After all, he is the one who does most of the dirt work assigned by the viin. It will be interesting to y that role. And I presume you are still going for the CEO role."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, I am going to aim for the CEO role. His role is so deep andplex than it seems. That character seems like it was tailor made specifically for me. Get ready to be my butler."


    Kar Jung shook his head and said, "Don''t be too cocky. I already told you yesterday, do your best and remember the main reason you are here. It''s not to act in dramas like the rest of the people here. It is to improve your skill so that you can get out of here. And who knows, there might be someone who can snatch that role away from you, while you are ignorant about it."


    Joon-won shook his head and remained silent. When time changed to 3, the assistant who was at the door came in and closed it. She looked at everyone before nodding and said, "Alright now that everyone is here, you guys can start giving your names for which roles you want to audition for. Now let''s do it like we always do. I will call out the role and raise your hands if you want tuition. Understood?" making everyone nod.


    "Alright then, let''s go from the top, the hero role. Everyone who wants to try out the hero role, raise your hand." Joon-won looked around and saw most of the people raised their hands. Even the arrogant idiot Dokgo Ki raised his hand. That guy was actually looking at Joon-won with a provocative gaze as if he was challenging him.


    Joon-won didn''t want to raise his hand but felt Kar Jung nudging him a little and raised it reluctantly. He didn''t want that role, but Kar Jung told him to use it as a backup. As soon as he raised his hand Dokgo Ki noticed, and a trace of ridicule went across his face. It was obvious he was looking down on him.


    The assistant nodded and wrote everyone''s names on a piece of paper before setting it aside. She took another paper and asked all the people auditioning for the viin role to raise their hands. This time the number of hands wasn''t as many as before. Joon-won quickly raised his hands and saw Dokgo Ki who didn''t raise his hand raise it immediately after seeing him with an idiotic smirk on his face.


    The meeting continued as the assistant read out different roles, and people raised their hands. The least number of hands was for the butler role because there was an age or rather a look requirement for it and only a few people who were old like Kar Jung could pull it off. Kar Jung also raised for the heroine''s father role, the man who got kicked out during the revenge n.


    The day ended and the assistant once again told them they could use the space in the theatre for practice and also told them they had to be at the theatre by 2 as the boss will start taking the auditions from then. If anyone misses the timing, then they could only drown in their own tears.


    Joon-won wanted to go back quickly and start his own practice. Kar Jung looked at him as both of them exited the room and asked, "Do you want to practice together? I can help you with your problems and stuff."


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "No, let''s practice together on Thursday after we both get our roles tomorrow. Today I need to understand the role better and get his mentality right to secure the role tomorrow."


    Kar Jung nodded and replied, "That sounds perfect. You should understand the role better so that you can prepare better and get it. I''ll help you out on Thursday then. Do your best." And walked away towards his car. Joon-won just took the bus back home.

 Chapter 92 - Acting Out The CEO

    Joon-won was now in the middle of his living room with the script in his hand and his phone leaning against the TV, recording him. He came back home and read through the script once again, went through the points he made earlier about the character, and was ready to try acting the character out.


    The most troublesome part of the character was how unstable he bes after finding out the truth about the person he loved. His emotions go from kind and understanding to dark and revenge. Joon-won was never betrayed by anyone. During the initial years, he had nothing for people to betray him for, and inter years; it was his wife who killed many people trying to cheat him. But he had the power of imagination and could imagine the pain a person would go through after an incident like that.


    The entire drama started with a conversation between him and the heroine. Joon-won sat on his couch with one leg on top of the other, with a small smile on his face. He imagined the heroine standing in front of him and said, "You do not need to work. I have enough wealth for us to live happily after our marriage. You should instead take this time to go around shopping for the wedding."


    He paused a second because it was a dialogue from the heroine and said, "Alright, I will not stop you if you really want to work. I''ll ce you in a rtively easy team and you can work there. Is that ok?"


    He then turned to the side and said, "Old Man Jian, assign her a suitable position." Old Man Jian was the butler in the story and his number one aid. After that Joon-won stood up and walked towards his phone. The scene wasplete and his character didn''t have many scenes until the second half of the story which started with him finding out the truth.


    He took the phone and stopped it from recording. He sat back on the couch and yed his video again. The scene yed again and Joon-won closely watched the film to see if he finds any errors. He could notice a few ces where he was exaggerating, like at the beginning. His smile and love were too much for a movie. He needed to dial it down a little to make it look more normal.


    He nodded to himself and then went to the next scene. He could make the changes once he gets the role. For now, he needed to prepare for the next day. This was a scene with him once again in his office talking to the heroine. This time he was asking her out for a date.


    "How are doing these past few days? I am sorry I couldn''t spend much time with you. There are various things I need to settle before our marriage."


    After a moment of silence he said his next dialogue, "No, no, it shouldn''t be like this. You know what, let''s go on a date. This Sunday I am free and we can go on a date."


    He then frowned and said, "Oh! You are not free? Well, it''s alright then. You must have a lot of things on hand. We can n a dateter on then."


    That was the end of another scene. He once again checked the recording on his phone, and this time a little more satisfied with his own performance. The expression wasn''t that exaggerating as before and it was a bit more calmpared to before.


    The next scene was him finding out about the dark truth the heroine was hiding from him. He stood up, had both his hands in his pockets, and started to walk a bit. Joon-won looked up and said, "Taking a day off is nice. The weather is a bit cool and fresh. Being stuffed into that office the whole time is taking its toll on me. I should exercise more."


    As he finished that dialogue, he looked to the side and stopped. He took a step back and stared at the imaginary bench with his eyes wide open. He imagined two figures on the bench, cuddling each other.


    "Wait, that''s not who I think it is. No, no. She told me she was going out with a few friends before our marriage to have a girl''s day alone. There is no way she is in the park cuddling with another man like that." and just as he mumbled those lines, his body shook and took a step back as he saw the girl''s face. It was his fiance giving a quick kiss to a guy. Joon-won expression was filled with disbelief. It''s like he was shocked and didn''t want to believe what he saw.


    "This is a lie. We both are about to get married. I am sure this is just my imagination. That''s right, I should just take some rest. Let''s get back home." and walks away.


    This time, he didn''t stop and check the footage. Instead, he went into the very next scene, which was at his house. He stepped into an imaginary house and looked to the side before saying, "Old Man Jian, you won''t believe what I saw just now. I saw her with another man in a park, kissing and cuddling. I must be really tired these days that I''m hallucinating too much. That''s right, I am just tired." and walks away.


    The scene stops there as he walks out of the stage and Old Man Jian has an entire scene to himself, where he ns to find out what his young master saw and what was really going on. He orders a few people to find out what was really happening and finds out the truth.


    The next morning during their breakfast he reveals it to the CEO. Joon-won was now sitting on the couch acting as if he was eating and his spoon suddenly drops.


    "What do you mean, Old Man? Are you implying that she has been doing such a hideous thing behind my back when we are about to be married only in a few days?"


    He paused as it was Old Man Jian''s dialogue, but his emotions changed from expressionless to anger as time passed. He swept his hand across and roared, "So what I saw was true. I was not hallucinating when I saw her in a park with another man. The only person I was willing to trust after everything that happened turned out this way. Old Man Jian, find out. Find out who that guy is and how this whole non-sense has been going on for. I want to know everything."


    The scene ended with that. The next scene was on the same day at the end of office working hours.


    "So, you are saying this has been going on for quite a few days and I had no idea about it? How could I be so foolish to believe her? To think that I assumed she was the one to fill in the hole. I was such a foolish man. I am going to destroy her. I will destroy everything she has in her life." and Joon-won had a crazy smile on his face as he spits out dialogues. He looked like a cold blood murderer.


    As soon as that dialogue was done, he fell on the couch exhausted. From then on, most of the story was told in the form of narration. His next scene was a confrontation with the whole heroine family and the hero, where he reveals everything.


    "This is so hard. The emotions are crazy. He turns from a kind and calm guy to a maniac so quickly that I need to get a hang of it. It''s one scene after another with these changes so I should ride this wave to get it right."


    He stood up and went to the phone. It was ying for a long time and he wanted to check the most emotional scene in the dining room. He fast-forwarded the video a little and yed it when he had a spoon in his hand.


    His spoon dropped, and he saw his expression, dialogue, and how he was. Everything was fine. He was able to hold back a little, but not enough. He could still feel a bit of hesitation in his dialogues and eyes.


    After taking some rest for a few minutes he continued and by the time he finished, it was already 7. He fell on the couch and opened his chatbox to see a message from Jung-hwa. It was about her script. She sent a scanned copy of her script and asked him to check it out.


    He sent a simply ok before keeping the phone aside. He decided to check it afterward, he didn''t have enough energy to look at another script. After rxing, he went into the kitchen and cooked up a big meal for himself. He needed to gain some weight and so he was trying to stuff more food after that was time for bed. The next day, he had to wake up earlier than usual for his first gym session.

 Chapter 93 - Pain

    Early in the morning, Joon-won was already in front of the gym. He looked around the quiet street with the sun slowly showing itself and the regrly busy streets, empty. The gym was very active despite the time. He could hear grunts and shouts from inside, like before. He came in a better outfit and walked in. This time the front desk wasn''t empty and a young boy was sitting in the chair, ying games on his mobile.


    Joon-won walked up to the guy and knocked on the table. The guy looked up and quickly kept the phone down before asking him, "What can I do for you?"


    "The boss asked me to meet him today so I can start my week''s free trial. Is he in?" He pointed at the door on the right.


    The guy nodded and said while standing up, "Yeah, he is in. Let me check if he is busy or not." And went to the door before giving it a knock.


    He went in and came out after a second before giving him a wave.


    "Go in, the boss was expecting you." Joon-won nodded and went into Choe Kwan''s office. The office was pretty small with certificates and a few trophies on the shelves and walls. There were also a few pictures with some people he didn''t recognize.


    Choe Kwan pointed at the seat opposite to him and asked Joon-won to have a seat. He smiled and poured Joon-won a ss of water before he said, "Are you ready to start your free trial?" Joon-won nodded and Choe Kwan called in the guy from the front desk.


    When the guy came in, Choe Kwan said, "Go and call Dong Kun over. Tell him the boss is calling him." The guy nodded and went out of the room.


    "I''ll ask one of my trainers to help you out with your training this week so you can understand how the services are because you want to take this package even after the trial. Dong Kun is a certified trainer and also won a few bodybuilding championships in the region. So don''t worry, he is good for a beginner like you."


    Joon-won nodded and the same man he saw yesterday came in with a wide grin on his face and hands on his hips.


    "What''s up, boss. The little guy at the desk told me you called. What can I do for you?" Joon-won thought the guy couldn''t be any more cheerful. He looked like a walking ball of energy.


    Choe Kwan nodded and said, "Yes, Dong Kun, I called you in because there is a customer. This is Joon-won and he is going to start his free trial today and wants a trainer. I rmend you in hopes that you can show the way. Treat him well." Pointing at Joon-won across from him.


    Dong Kun finally noticed Joon-won and said, "Sure, boss. I''ll turn this skinny frame into pure muscles in no time." Flexing his muscles a bit.


    Choe Kwan nodded and looked at Joon-won with a smile before saying, "You can follow him this week and he''ll be responsible. If you are fine with it and want to continue, you cane to me after the week. Alright?"


    Joon-won nodded before standing up and turning towards Dong Kun, who still had a smile on his face. Joon-won wondered if he had face cramps for a second.


    "I''ll be in your care, Mr. Dong." He said respectfully. He didn''t want to get pped with those big muscles for being disrespectful.


    Dong Kun nodded and said, "Yes, I''ll also be in your care. Just call me Dong Kun instead of using Mr in my name. It doesn''t suit me at all. Come let''s get going. We need to start your training." And walked out of the room. Joon-won thanked Choe Kwan once again before following Dong Kun to the gym.


    The gym had quite a lot of people working out, even at the time he came in. He noticed a fewdies walking upstairs on the side. Dong Kun took Joon-won to the side and said, "Well, the first thing I suggest you do is to gain weight. I mean, if you don''t have at least a bit of fat to turn into muscle, it''s useless to do all this. So I suggest you eat something which gives you protein, like eggs or fish. Eat more of these kinds of food, exercise regrly and before you know it, you''ll have a few muscles to show off."


    Joon-won nodded and continued to listen to what Dong Kun had to say as both of them went through various exercises in a one-hour span. Dong Kun was a wonderful hype man. He taught everything about the exercise and what the main purpose was before they did it. The first day was more about Dong Kun understanding how Joon-won''s body really was and how to improve it further.


    After an hour, Joon-won was standing outside of the gym with Dong Kun in front of him, covered in sweat and muscles screaming in pain.


    Dong Kun still had a smile on his face and said, "That session was good. Now I have a general understanding of where we can start with your fitness. But the main important thing is for you to eat more and gain some weight. If you take in some protein and carbohydrate foods which give you energy, it''s good. Take an ice bath if possible after reaching home. It will help with the muscle pain."


    Joon-won gave him a thin smile despite fighting through the pain and said, "Yes, the session was good. Thanks for the help, Dong Kun." And walked away slowly. He felt his body might break off if he went any faster.


    Reaching home, he directly went into the bathroom and turned on the cold water. He went to the fridge and brought some ice he had and dumped it all in. After taking off his clothes and taking in a few breaths, he went all into the water. He couldn''t help but groan at how ufortable he felt.


    He could feel it working, but it was still very ufortable. The day went on as Joon-won ate a heavy meal with eggs like he was asked to and dragged his weak body to the store. He wanted to sleep, but that wasn''t particrly good for him.


    During a break, he took out his phone and opened the script Jung-hwa sent him. He read through the whole script and felt it was ok. It wasn''t as good as the script he had but was way better than the one Roh Jo wrote. It was on the right level of difficulty for someone like Jung-hwa who needed more practice with expressing the right emotions.


    He sent a quick text to her telling it was good and that she should do her best. By the time his shift ended, his body felt a little better as he got some rest in the store and quickly took a cab to the drama house after having a few snacks. He didn''t want to bete for the audition at any cost.


    Luckily the driver was experienced with the city and took Joon-won through a lot of shady roads to get to the drama house in 30 minutes. He paid extra to the guy and walked in. The audition was going to be on stage and they needed to be in the backstage waiting to be called up.


    Joon-won took a seat to the side and saw most of the people were already there. Everyone was looking at their scripts, some were trying their dialogues. He also took out his script and went through the lines once again before closing his eyes. Closing his eyes helped him to calm down as he canceled everything around him.


    He woke up when someone shook him and saw it was Kar Jung. Kar Jung pointed at his script and said, "What did you do to that script? Once give it to me." And he just passed it over. Those were his notes and weren''t much of a big deal.


    Kar Jung was shocked when he saw the script. Most of the script was underlined or circled with notes written beside them about the character. Reading the notes made him understand what Joon-won was thinking and how he perceived every character. He also saw a few notes on the butler and knew Joon-won understood even that role to some extent.


    He handed the script back and said, "No wonder you are so good. That script tells so much about you and how you do things."


    Joon-won shrugged, "It is what it is."


    Kar Jung nodded and remained silent until the assistant came over. She looked at all of them and told them to be ready to be called upon the stage. They were first starting with the viin role and that the boss was already in the seat to evaluate everyone.

 Chapter 94 - Audition And Humiliation

    As soon as she said that, the room became tense. Joon-won could hear a few people gulping in the tension. He, on the other hand, remained calm. If the person gets nervous or tense right before a big moment like this, it will go bad. He might either forget or fumble on his lines, which is the worst impression he could leave on the evaluator. So being calm was very important for an actor to perform well.


    The assistant walked onto the stage and looked at San Min, who had a book in one hand with all the roles written on one side and a pen on the other hand to write the names of the actors. San Min gave her assistant a nod, and the assistant started calling out names.


    He called out the first name and almost everyone in the silent backstage exhaled in relief except the person who got called. He stood up and walked up to the stage. Joon-won sat and paid attention to how thepetition was and could immediately tell the guy on stage would not be selected. He got the lines wrong in a few ces and stammered a bit. The Viin was a very confident man, and this guy wasn''t cut out for it.


    The audition was only for 2 minutes each and after the two minutes even if the guy was in the middle of his line; he had to get down off the stage. The assistant continued to call people up, but only some were able to deliver the lines perfectly. But even they had a few issues with their bodynguage and emotions.


    Joon-won finally found an interesting person, who did the best out of everyone who stepped on the stage and it turned out to be Dokgo Ki. He was naturally arrogant and excluded with confidence, but his delivery and emotions weren''t hitting the right heights. They were either too low or too high. When he came back, he looked at everyone with confidence as if he already got the role and sat down.


    Thest person to get called was Joon-won. He heard Kar Jung wishing him good luck and gave him a nod before walking onto the stage. He looked at San Min as he stood at the center of the stage and waited for her to tell him a scene number.


    San Min gave him a nod before giving out a scene number, and it turned out to be the hardest one. It was the one where the CEO finds out about the whole thing behind his back in the park. Joon-won just took a deep breath, kept a hand in his pocket, turned sideways, and started acting.


    He performed the same way he acted back at his home, controlled his emotions as much as he could, and delivered the lines perfectly. His expression changed from happy to shock and nothing as he told his lines. San Min, who sat in the seats, had a smile on her face when she saw his acting. She knew what she was going to get from him and could also notice him controlling the boiling emotions inside him to not seem over the top.


    The scene ended perfectly in two minutes and San Min gave him a nod before writing his name down next to the viin role. Joon-won got down and sat back in his seat. He could feel a few people looking at him, but he just closed his eyes and got out of the role. He still felt a few emotions and needed a minute to calm himself down.


    After opening his eyes he heard Kar Jung, "Boy you improved a lot from that clip we saw the other day. You are on the route to fixing the problems quicker than I thought. If you control the emotions better and continue to do that, it will be more natural by the end of your holidays. So good luck." While patting his back. Joon-won gave a nod and remained silent. He knew he got the role after seeing San Min''s expression and so there wasn''t anything to worry about.


    The next role was for the hero and this time there were even more people and so everyone was given less time to perform. Joon-won had to go up again and perform. He only practiced a very few scenes of the hero and luckily San Min called out a scene he prepared. This time his acting wasn''t as intense as before, but it was still good enough.


    The audition continued for the next 2 hours, and everyone auditioned. The assistant called up everyone onto the stage because San Min was going to announce the results. Many people were gripping their hands tightly as they stood on stage in front of San Min.


    "Alright now all the roles are done. I will start telling who got the roles. First, let''s start with the heroine, Ju Iseul. Your acting still needs improvement, and you still didn''t get a few things right. You better work on those by Sunday." A woman who had slight makeup and a pretty face stepped to the front with surprise on her face, which died when she got criticized by San Min.


    San Min continued to call out names and Kar Jung, like expected, was selected for the butler role. He didn''t even put any effort into the other role he was auditioning for. Many people who didn''t get selected for both the roles they auditioned for left the stage but still quite several people were on it because the two most important roles weren''t yet announced.


    "Alright now Kim Joon-won,e to the front. You auditioned for both the hero and viin roles today. Even though one was better than the other, the bad one was still better than the people here. So tell me which roles you want and the remaining role will go to Dokgo Ki, who was second in both the roles." San Min was direct with her words, which shocked everyone, including the assistant. Only Kar Jung, who knew how good Joon-won was, remained calm.


    The one who took the biggest hit was Dokgo Ki. He was the one most arrogant and had the most confidence in himself. He didn''t like Joon-won after how Joon-won didn''t respect him a few days back and so he purposefully took the viin role to audition too. But now ording to San Min not only was Joon-won better than him at the viin role but he was also better at the hero role which he wanted since the start. His fists were closed tight and wanted to protest, but San Min cut him off before he even started.


    "Dokgo Ki, whatever you want to say, save it. I don''t want to listen to your nonsense right now. You are no way near Kim Joon-won when ites to acting, and that''s the truth. So shut it right now. I don''t want to get irritated. Now Kim Joon-won. Give me an answer, quick. Which role do you want?"


    As soon as he heard that Dokgo Ki''s face went green. He didn''t even have the right to ask how this no-name guy who came to the drama house only a few days ago was able to take a role from him. ording to San Min, he was only the second choice, and Dokgo Ki hated that. He couldn''t take out the anger on the boss and so he turned towards Joon-won, who was still standing in the front. He wanted to rip the guy apart for humiliating him in front of everyone. Dokgo Ki could hear a few snickers towards him among the people present on the stage.


    Joon-won on the other hand, couldn''t care less about the hate he was getting from behind. He looked at San Min and said, "I''ll take the viin role boss."


    San Min nodded and turned towards Dokgo Ki, who was fuming. She couldn''t care less about the arrogant guy and said, "Dokgo Ki, you will take the hero role then. Alright, guys, that''s the end of the audition for this week''s drama. You all should get your measurements checked by the costumes department so that they can start finding costumes for the roles. So do that before you leave for the day. Guys prepare well and we will meet again on Friday evening for the costume and props check." And walked away, followed by her assistant.


    As soon as she disappeared, everyone started to speak. A few people came up to Joon-won and congratted him. A few people asked if he was free for a few drinkster that day. Joon-won denied the drinks and walked away from the group. He wanted to get his measurements checked and go back home.


    There was already a small line by the time he reached the ce and started waiting. It took him a few minutes to get into the room and he walked to Pak Shin as his role was a main character.

 Chapter 95 - Normal Day

    "So you got the viin role. Do your best out there." Pak Shinmented as he took Joon-won''s measurements.


    Joon-won nodded and looked around the room. He helped around here for 3 days and everything was still the same. He looked at Pak Shin and asked, "Are you guys not short-handed like before?"


    Pak Shin shook his head and said, "No we are actually ok for this week. This week''s script is modern, unlike the previous one which was Rome. So we will be able to get the costumes from outside stores, ready-made ones and we would only have to make a few adjustments to those dresses if needed. That''s all. Last week, we had to make the costumes ourselves, that''s why we were underhanded."


    Joon-won nodded and didn''t talk after that. He let the man continue to do his work. After 2 minutes, Pak Shin stood up after taking thest measurement and said, "Alright, that''s it for your measurements. Come back on Friday for the costumes and you can try it on." Joon-won nodded and got out of the room. He didn''t disturb the others when they already had their hands full.


    As he walked out of the building, he heard someone call for him. He turned around and saw Dokgo Ki''s angry faceing at him. It didn''t look like the kid was about to stop and so Joon-won sidestepped and, as he expected, Dokgo Ki didn''t stop and tripped. He fell face-first on the floor.


    He looked up with a red face and was pointing his finger towards Joon-won with no wordsing out of his mouth. He didn''t expect Joon-won to be bold enough to trip him. His face was suffering, and he was so angry he couldn''t even speak properly.


    Joon-won took a nce at him before stepping over him and continuing towards the road. He wanted to quickly find a cab and go away from the idiot behind him.


    "Bastard, wait right there. I don''t know what scam you pulled off to get that role. No way a newbie like you is better than a movie star like me. Just you wait, my acting skills will outshine yours and you''ll be humiliated in front of everyone." Shouting like a madman in front of the drama house. Joon-won just found it strange that the guy thought he cheated in the audition. How could he have cheated?


    He ignored the guy and waved a cab down before getting away from the idiot. Now all that Joon-won had to do was to prepare for the role. He didn''t need to go to the drama house even on Thursday, too. So the one day he has, removing his shift at the store was important for him and he decided to not waste it. This was, after all, the first step towards his acting career.


    He reached home and took a deep breath, ate some snacks before starting to prepare for the role. The rest of the day went away with him, practicing his scenes and lines over and over again. He went to bed quickly once again and started Friday early once again.


    This time, as he made his way towards the gym, he readied his mind for the possible muscle pain he might get. As soon as he entered the store, the same guy he saw yesterday was behind the front desk. He stood up when he saw him and pulled out a card from the drawer before handing it over to him.


    "This is a trial passcard you''ll get for a week. Please have it with you when youe in so that we know who you are. You''ll get a membership card after the free trial and based on if you want to continue or not."


    Joon-won nodded and took the card from him before keeping it in his pocket and moving into the gym. As he entered he saw the same scene, he saw thest 2 days and so he looked around for Dong Kun. He noticed Dong Kun doing a few exercises and walked towards him.


    Dong Kun noticed Joon-won and stopped before standing up and said with a smile, "Alright then, let''s start if you''re ready." The smile looked like a devil''s grin for Joon-won, but he still nodded and an hour of exercise started.


    After an hourter he wobbled out of the gym once again with his body aching and slowly started to walk back home. As soon as he reached home, he got into another ice bath and felt lucky that he stored some water the whole night in the refrigerator before going to sleep.


    After another painful ice bath, he dressed up, ate a full breakfast, and rushed for work. The shift went smoothly, without any problems. He listened to Gah Soo, who whined about her exams again, and gave her some words of encouragement before walking back home.


    As soon as he got home, he received a text and thought it was from either Jung-hwa or Hea-Jung, but it turned out to be from Kar Jung. Kar Jung sent him a text asking if he was free. He felt skeptical when he saw the text and after a few minutes of trying to figure out what the old man might want buting up with nothing he sent a yes.


    He kept his phone in his pocket after that and walked into the kitchen to cook some nice lunch for himself and, as he was cooking, he received a reply from Kar Jung.


    [If you are free, thene to my house so that we can practice and I want to see how far you can go with your problems. What I saw yesterday wasn''t enough and let''s make some progress.]


    Before he could react to the message, he received another one.


    [Right, eat lunch before youe. I don''t want you crashing my peaceful lunch too.] This made Joon-won think when he crashed the old man''s anything. But he remembered his obsession to be alone with his wife and just didn''t care about it.


    He thought for a second and decided to agree. His progress was ok, but it was difficult for him to do it alone and Kar Jung might help him by giving a technique to do it better than just forcing the excess emotions down. So he simply sent a text back that he would be there in an hour and kept the phone aside before taking his time to cook the food.


    After finishing the food, he took his headphones, wore a hoodie, and walked out of the house. As soon as he exited the building, he saw a cab and waved it down. The ride was long, and he enjoyed the music in his ears. After listening to the music for a while, he found a few bands he liked to listen to, and those songs were always on a loop. The music was way better than what he had, that music was too in and boring.


    Eventually, he arrived in front of a gatedmunity and the driver told him he couldn''t go in. He got out, paid the money, and walked in after getting Kar Jung to tell the security guard he was there for a friend. After crossing a few enormous houses, he arrived in front of Kar Jung''s house. He still can''t believe how Kar Kung brought such a house from a few movies and dramas.


    He went up to the door and rang the doorbell. The door opened, and he saw it was Kar Jung''s wife, Kar Min. Kar Min smiled and invited him. She asked how he was and led him into the backyard. He couldn''t see thest time he came because it was during nighttime and was closed by the curtains.


    He replied to her questions, and they eventually reached a small room on the other side of the big yard. Joon-won also noticed a small swimming pool on the side of the yard and just thought he should own a house like that after he makes it big.


    The small room was simple from the outside, and Kar Min led him inside. The small room was actually a miniature house with a room, a kitchen, and even a living room.


    Kar Min looked at him and said, "Let''s wait here for a few minutes. Kar Jung went out for a few groceries and told me to make you wait here until hees."


    Joon-won nodded and continued to look around the house. Kar Min noticed this and told, "This is actually for Kar Jung when he wants some alone time. He likes to be alone and have a peaceful surrounding whenever he gets a script and needs to practice a role. So he locks himself here for a few days to prepare for the drama or movie. He was here even yesterday and today."


    Joon-won nodded as he understood where Kar Jung wasing from. Even he needed to be alone and not only them, but most of the actors also prefer to be alone when they try to understand a role and read the script. It just helps them concentrate better.

 Chapter 96 - Practice With Kar Jung

    As both of them continued to talk, the door opened and Kar Jung walked in with a bag full of groceries. He had chocte in his mouth and pointed at the bag before walking into the kitchen to set it aside. Kar Min stood up and went inside to help keep the things where they belong. Joon-won just sat there in the living room, looked around, and saw a few pictures of Kar Jung and Kar Min. There were also a few pictures of their kids, one boy, and one girl. Both looked older than him and he didn''t notice them in the house, both the times he came.


    After a few minutes, both of them walked out and Kar Min said, "Alright then, I''ll go back into the house while. both of you discuss your acting stuff. Call me if you need anything." And walked away, leaving the two alone.


    Kar Jung sat on the couch with a ss of juice in his hand and said, "Do you want some?" Joon-won had a deadpan face as he looked at him, thinking about how much of a prick the old man could get. He didn''t even offer it and even if he was now, he clearly wasn''t interested in giving some, even if he asked. So Joon-won simply shook his head and said he was ok.


    Kar Jung nodded with a smile on his face and said while keeping the ss down, "Well, shall we start? Do you want to go right into it?"


    Joon-won thought for a second and nodded. He got all his lines down and now it was only controlling his emotions that he needed to work on it a little. Kar Jung stood up and went into the bedroom beforeing out with a script in his hands. Joon-won took out even his script, and both got to work.


    The first scene they acted out was the scene where Joon-won goes back home, delusional about the scene in the park. Joon-won stood outside of the house and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. He had a calm expression on his face, almost spooky in a sense.


    Kar Jung opened the door with a small smile on his face and said, "Wee, young master. Come inside, it''s probably going to rain." And hurried Joon-won in. He looked at Joon-won, who stood silently aftering in, not moving an inch, and noticed something was wrong.


    "Young master, is something wrong? Are you feeling sick? We can call the family doctor and he will be here in a minute. Shall I call him once?" And took out a phone from his pockets with a slightly worried expression.


    Joon-won turned around with a smile on his face but a nk look in his eyes and said, "Old Man Jian, you won''t believe what I saw just now. I saw her with another man in a park, kissing and cuddling. I must be really tired these days because I''m hallucinating too much. That''s right, I am just tired." andughed a little as he walked away towards the room.


    Kar Jung stood there seeing Joon-won''s back and said, "Alright young master, you must be really tired. Go have some rest."


    After Joon-won''s back disappeared, Kar Jung''s expression changed, and it turned 180. He looked serious as he turned around, put his phone near his ears, and said, "Find out what that girl is doing these past few days. I want everything about her whereabouts, who she is meeting, what she is doing. Everything by tonight. It is very important."


    He looked back at the door Joon-won went through and murmured with the same serious expression, "Young Master, do not worry. I will find out what this nuisance is all about. I won''t let you go through anything like that once again. Don''t forget this old man is here for you." That''s the end of the scene and Joon-won walked out.


    Kar Jung nodded and said, "You did well. Obviously, this time your emotions were too suppressed. and were too conscious about it and it showed. You are either super emotional or super suppressed. You need to find that right bnce and make it seem natural."


    Joon-won nodded, as he knew Kar Jung was right. He was suppressing the sense of loss and sadness that the scene needed too much because he was too conscious of not overdoing it. But he was more surprised by Kar Jung''s acting. Kar Jung''s lines and emotions were very spot on and helped him ease up a bit. He could feel his hesitation decrease when Kar Jung''s acting was on such a high level.


    "Old man, you aren''t bad at all. Looks like you have skills." He praised him.


    Kar Jung snorted and said, "You don''t need to tell me that. If I hear that I am bad at acting even from a 20-year-old boy who can''t control his emotions, I would doubt the past 30 years of my life." Even though he said that Joon-won could see a small proud smile on Kar Jung''s face.


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "Alright then, shall we go on with the next scene? The one where you tell me about your findings." Kar Jung nodded. And both of them took their ces. Joon-won sat on the couch with a spoon in his hand, and Kar Jung stood next to him with his hands on his back.


    Joon-won started to act as if he was eating some food and as he did, Kar Jung started his dialogue, "Young Master, I found out about something you might want to hear about." His face was grim as he said that. His eyes were fierce, something people don''t see in an old man''s face.


    Joon-won nodded and Kar Jung continued, "It''s about your fiance, what you saw in that park might be true. She has been seen being very close with this guy from the same group in thepany. It seems like he was a new hire this year and joined the team at the same time you assigned her to the team. Both of them got very close the following months and were seen going to movies and parks while holding their hands together. The entire team both were working on also told that both were more than friends and more like lovers. It seems like that girl has been cheating on you the whole time behind your back." In one whole breath. The room was silent after that, and Joon-won gripped the spoon in his hand tightly with a fierce expression.


    He roared as he swiped his hand, "So what I saw was true. I was not hallucinating when I saw her in a park with another man. The only person I was willing to trust after everything that happened turned out this way. Old Man Jian, find out. Find out who that guy is and how long this whole nonsense has been going on. I want to know everything."


    Kar Jung nodded and said, "Don''t worry, young master. I''ll find out everything about both of them at the end of the day. Rest assured young master, we will get to the end of this." And the scene ended.


    Joon-won rxed a little after the scene, and Kar Jung did the same. Both of them felt good about that one. Joon-won felt his emotions were better than before and that there was more hope that the problem would be solved by the time he set for himself.


    Both of them continued to go through the scenes repeatedly until Kar Jung was satisfied with the performance. Joon-won checked the time and noticed it was already 6 as they walked back into the main house.


    Kar Min saw both of theme in from the backyard and said, "Both of you are finally outside. Joon-won, stay for dinner. You can have dinner here, I''ll get it done quickly." As she turned the Television off and stood up to go into the kitchen.


    Joon-won could feel a stare from the back and said, "No it''s ok, Ms. Kar. I need to go back home quickly now. I have some work to do. So it''s alright." And denied her kind thoughts. He didn''t want to get the overly jealous old man worked up for no reason.


    Kar Min nodded and didn''t push the young man further. Joon-won told his goodbyes and walked out of the neighborhood. He looked at the houses and the cars parked outside and felt the people living in themunity knew how to spend money.


    Joon-won felt the enormous house was a good purchase, but the cars he saw, most of them, seemed like they were both only for their looks. He thought about the costs that the owners would have to incur for minor damages or scratches, and couldn''t help but shudder a little. He felt the people were probably swimming in money.


    Joon-won exhaled a little when he got out of the society and hailed down a cab before going straight back home.

 Chapter 97 - Costumes And Photo Shoot?

    Joon-won was now standing in front of the drama house the next day. He had toe in for the costumes and see if they were fitting perfectly for him or not. After the practice session with Kar Jung, he went back home and took some rest. After three days of practice, he wanted some rest and so heid back on the couch and watched some movies on TV. He talked with Jung-hwa a little and asked how her progress was and she seemed to be happy with how things were going on her side.


    After a much-needed rxing evening, he went to bed early and woke up early. The gym session went great. His body didn''t pain as much as it did thest 2 days and he felt happy that it''s finally getting adjusted to the training sessions.


    He went to work and Gah Soo talked about the drama. She told him she bought the tickets and was nning toe to watch it with a few friends. He told her that he could have brought a few free tickets which were generally given for family members but in his case; he didn''t have any in the city, so they would go to waste. He then remembered that Jung-hwa looked interested in the drama and decided to ask her if she wanted any, to which he got an immediate response, saying she was down for it.


    So he decided to take the tickets tomorrow when they distribute them. Joon-won checked the time, noticed it was already 2, and walked in. They called them at 1 but he couldn''t make it that quickly because of the shift at the supermarket. Entering the drama house, he went straight towards the costume room. As he entered the hallway, he could see people with clothes in their hands going through doors. Some were already in their costumes, checking them out.


    Most of them had suits as their costume as most of the setting was in an office. Joon-won walked into the costume room to see the people there as busy as ever fixing people''s dresses. Pak Shin notices Joon-won by the door and says while pointing at the rack in the room, "Joon-won, your clothes are there. All of them are in that bag. Go try them out and see if they fit." Joon-won nodded and took the huge stic bag from the rack before making his way out of the room.


    He went into the men''s changing room and saw most of the people were talking to each other while changing their clothes. He noticed Kar Jung also talking to a few youngsters with a smile on his face and just walked to a corner to change.


    He took out all the clothes from inside the bag and saw there were two suits and one casual wear. He knew the casual wear was only needed in the park scene, whereas the rest of his scenes were in a suit.


    He took off the shirt and slowly wore the casual wear first. It was a simple in white T-shirt and a pair of pants. Both of them fit him perfectly as he tried to move around and sit. After feeling no difort, he took them off and got to the suit. He didn''t know how to wear one, so he took out the best device created by man-kind, his phone, and looked it up.


    The video that came up was so helpful he left a like and stood up. cing both the suits on the bench and started wearing them. As soon as he wore the jacket, he could feel it was too big for his skinny body and knew he had to ask Pak Shin to make a few changes to it. Even the trouser was a bit too big for him as his footnded on the cloth a few times. The suit was a simple one with a white inner shirt, a ck jacket, and trousers, while the other one was blue instead of ck.


    He checked the other suit, and this one was perfect for him. So he folded it and kept it back in the bag with the other costume. He took the trousers and jacket with him before walking out. He could only ask Pak Shin for help on this one, as he did not know how to change the size of a jacket.


    There was a small line, and after a while, he was in front of Pak Shin. He handed both of them over and said, "The Jacket is a bit too big for my size and the trouser is a few centimeters longer." Pak Shin nodded and got to fixing them based on the measurements they had of him.


    After a few minutes, he handed both of them back to Joon-won and said, "Well, here you go. Once check them again and see if they are alright. If they aren''t,e back wearing them so I can see where it is." Joon-won nodded and went back to the changing room.


    When he came to his spot, he noticed Kar Jung sitting beside his stic bag. Kar Jung gave him a nod and asked, "How are the costumes? I see you went for a fix. Are they alright now?" Joon-won nodded and changed into the ck suit.


    Kar Jung looked at him andmented, "Boy, you really look better in a suit than all those wacky clothes you have. You should go out sometime and buy better clothes in the future. Give me your phone once, I''ll take a picture."


    Joon-won thought for a second before handing the old man his phone. It was the first time he wore a suit and taking a picture could serve as a memory. He decided to send the picture to Min-Seokter. Kar Jung gave him the phone back, and Joon-won checked it out. He noticed it would be better if he were a bit bulkier instead of the skinny body he had.


    He took off the clothes and Kar Jung said, "Right. Now we have to go out for a photoshoot. So do not go running home." Joon-won nodded and knew this was also a part of the process in Roses Drama house. Most of the drama houses do not have these photoshoots for the banners, but Roses being a huge establishment and San Min being very proper with even small things like that were needed for the main characters to have pictures taken.


    Joon-won nodded and sat down beside the old man, as he had nothing to do. He looked at Kar Jung and asked, "Are the extra stuff like photo shoots and advertisements needed for an establishment like Roses? I mean the fame it has is enough right."


    Kar Jung nodded and said, "Well, San Min is very particr about things. She even set up a smallpany for photoshoots every week. It would take a lot of money normally but with this, she saves some money and thatpany also makes money from outside deals. Also, things like advertisements were what made our drama house unique and well known. When San Min started the drama house, no other drama houses did these kinds of stuff and so she started it. Because of these minor details itself that made our drama house famous and attractive. And this photoshoot doesn''t take much time, hardly 30 minutes, that''s all. We aren''t making a movie for it to be a few days."


    Joon-won shrugged and remained silent. After a while, the assistant came in and called out for him, Kar Jung, and Dokgo Ki. When they went out, the girl who yed the female lead was already out, waiting for them with a bag in her hand.


    "Alright then, do you guys have your costumes with you? Let''s go then." After everyone nodded for her first question. The photoshootpany was only down the road and so it didn''t take them long before they reached a huge building.


    Joon-won looked at the building and saw that there were manypanies inside the one building. He saw that the Roses Photography on one of the floors and followed the assistant inside.


    The five went right into the elevator. After a while, the group was in front of thepany. Thepany was only 2 floors in the huge building. As soon as they entered, the manager of the ce came towards them.


    "Oh, Miss assistant. You guys are here. I was waiting. Oh! It looks like there is a new face in the group this time." He noticed Joon-won andmented.


    The assistant nodded and said, "Yes, you know the drill. Let''s get this done quickly so all of us can go back to work."


    The manager nodded and replied, "Of course I do. I have been doing this for too many years to not know. Alright, let''s go guys, change into your costumes in those rooms." While leading them to the other side of the floor and asked the four of them while pointing at two doors.

 Chapter 98 - Photo Shoot And Phenomenon

    Joon-won, Dokgo Ki, and Kar Jung entered the changing room. All three of them quickly changed into their costumes. Joon-won picked the blue suit like he was told to by the manager of thepany when he entered. After he got into the suit, he looked back and saw Dokgo ki was already gone out of the room while Kar Jung was still changing into his. His dress seemed moreplex than his at was a butler uniform. The dress suited Kar Jung''s thin figure and old face.


    "Your dress suits you, old man," hemented with a smirk. Kar Jung nodded and replied while he continued to wear it, "Of course it suits me. Any dress will look good on me, and even though I am old, I still look better than you. So let''s get going now." making Joon-won snort at his narcissism once again.


    Both of them got out, and a guy was waiting for both of them outside, showed him the way to the set they prepared for the photoshoot. The set was a few rooms ahead and when they entered the assistant nodded while looking at them and pointed to the corner where there were a few make-up artists waiting for them. Joon-won noticed both Dokgo Ki and the girl were already done with their makeup and their photoshoot started.


    Joon-won and Kar Jung quickly went towards the make-up artists and sat in the chairs they pointed at in front of the mirror. Joon-won noticed the entire shelf next to the mirrors was full of cosmetics, and the two artists looked at them before taking out a few of them.


    The artist took a brush and started dabbing his face. Joon-won felt ufortable by it, it felt like there were too manyyers on his face with the make-up. In his old world, there were no makeup artists, but there were spells people used to look good and so their group had a small magician to use the spell on the actors.


    After that artist, another woman came behind him with a smile on her face as she touched his hair. She used wax and styled his hair. Joon-won couldn''t help but wryly smile at how different he looked after the stylist was done. He looked a lot more mature and handsome. He never styled his hair, and now the stylist did some heavy work on it. It looked proper, and he lifted his hand to touch, but it got smacked away by the stylist as she waved her finger and walked away.


    Joon-won just shrugged, looked at himself in the mirror once again before shing a smile. He didn''t feel too bad about all the make-up stuff in the end. It made him look better, after all. His looks were on the weaker side after he transmigrated, and so a bit of makeup was good.


    As he was checking his looks, he heard his name from behind. He turned around and saw it was the assistant calling for him. He walked over to her side and she said, "Alright Joon-won, this will be your first photoshoot. In a sense, this is a way it will introduce you to the people for the first time on a stage. So the boss wants you to have some pleasant pictures taken."


    Joon-won nodded and both of them looked at the present shoot. It was almost done as both Dokgo Ki and the female lead were sitting on a bench looking at each other in the eyes with a smile on their faces.


    After their shoot was done, they called him and Kar Jung, who looked like a bonafide butler after the makeup. They slicked his hair to the back, and there were wrinkles on his face after the magic they did. The manager asked them to stand in front of a white backdrop while the members brought in a nice-looking chair to the middle. Joon-won had to block his eyes a little after standing there because of the lights focused on them.


    "Alright, Joon-won take a seat and Kar Jung, stand behind him." the manager gave out the orders. Both of them followed as Joon-won sat in thefy looking chair while Kar Jung stood behind him.


    The manager nodded and said, "Alright, Joon-won sit with one leg over another, as if you are a king. Like you have everything under your control. I need that expression which tells how powerful you are. Look straight into the camera here. Be as dominant as you can be."


    "Kar Jung, I need you to stand a bit to my right, like behind his left shoulder. Have both of your hands on your back and don''t have any expression on your face. Stand like a shoulder." He continued to instruct both of them.


    Both of them nodded and Joon-won adjusted his seating a little to face directly at the camera. Kar Jung moved to the side a little and kept both his hands at his back with no expression as the manager asked him to. Joon-won closed his eyes with a smile on his face as he thought how easy the Manager''s request was. He asked him to act like a king. He didn''t need to act. He was a king for decades and just had to pull that person out.


    He closely crossed his legs as asked and looked straight into the camera with the same smile on his face as his whole body gave out a feeling of oppression. The people in the room could feel the atmosphere be heavy and the manager, who was looking at Joon-won, stopped breathing for a second. He felt as if he needed to bow to the new kid who sat there and looked at them like they were ants. This was what he asked for but did not know he would get it with the intensity Joon-won gave out.


    It caught Kar Jung a little off guard with how everything changed in a split second. He felt his hair stand up and looked at Joon-won from the corner of his eyes. He saw the same easy going smile on the kid''s face but he lookedpletely different. It was as if Joon-won was on the top of the world and was looking down on everyone from above with amusement.


    Seeing everyone freeze, Joon-won turned to the manager with the same smile and said, "Manager, time is running out, shall we get our pictures done?" and the Manager finally snapped out. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead before nodding.


    He looked to the side and saw the photographer was standing like a statue with the camera in his hand and shook him a little. He pointed at Joon-won and Kar Jung before asking him to take pictures.


    The camera man quickly got to work as he took photos from different angles and gave a thumbs up after he found the photos were good. The manager nodded at Joon-won, who closed his eyes and stood up. He opened the eyes and the oppression everyone was feeling vanished. Joon-won tanked the manager for the photos.


    The manager asked Joon-won to change his clothes into the casual one for the next photo shoot and so Joon-won walked back into the changing room. Kar Jung, who had nothing else to do, just stood to the side. He thought about how Joon-won looked and felt the kid was very interesting. He gave off apletely distinct feeling than when both of them practiced.


    As he was in his own thoughts, the manager came next to him and asked, "Kar Jung, who was that kid. Hepletely changed when I asked him to act. It was as if he was apletely different person. Is he some experienced child actor who is famous that I don''t know about?"


    Kar Jung shook his head and replied, "No, he ispletely new. He didn''t act even in a movie and came to the drama house after he was rejected in an audition. This weekend drama will be his first time the outside world will know of him."


    It visibly shook the manager when he heard that. He gulped a mouthful of saliva and said, "He is a newbie? How does it seem like he isn''t one? If his acting is on the same level as we just saw now, the entertainment industry should be ready to wee another superstar."


    Kar Jung nodded and said, "He has immense talent and will go very far in the industry."


    Joon-won came out in casual wear and saw Dokgo Ki and the heroine also changed their clothes. The manager called them and it was a photo of all three of them. It was a simple photo with the two leads on one side of the frame, holding their hands with a smile while Joon-won on the opposite side looking at them with an expressionless face.


    This time it went smoothly and all of them changed back to their normal clothes. Joon-won washed his face and removed all the makeup he had. He didn''t touch the hair and let it be, as it looked better.

 Chapter 99 - Video Call

    The five of them got back to the drama house and Joon-won went back home after that. But before he went he did ask the assistant for a ticket and she told him to get it tomorrow morning when hees in for practice. Reaching home he sent fell on the couch a bit exhausted. He closed his eyes and took a small nap and by the time he woke up he noticed it was already dinner time.


    Joon-won stood up and went into the kitchen. He was very hungry as he didn''t have any snacks in the afternoon. He cooked up some cheesy pasta after watching several videos he found on the inte and ate it with happiness. Falling on the couch again, he exhaled in relief. He wouldn''t go to work on the weekend this time and theplete practice session only started at 10. He could afford to go to the gym an hourte, so he can catch some extra sleep too.


    Before he started practicing his role once again, he took out the phone once again and dialed Min-Seok''s number. It''s been a while since he talked and noticed there were only 8 days until the National exams for Yun-hee. The phone rang a few times until he heard Min-Seok''s voice from the other side and noticed his breathing was heavy.


    "Joon-won. What are you doing? How are the holidays?"


    "Before I answer that, where are you? Why are you breathing so heavily? Are you not at home?"


    He heard augh as a response to his series of concerning questions, and Min-Seok responded before he asked again, "It''s nothing. I was just washing some dishes until now. The phone wasn''t with me, so I had to run to the living room to get it. Now tell me how you are."


    "I''m fine. This Sunday I''ll be acting in a theatre drama. So everything is good. How is Yun-hee? The exams are only 8 days away. Is she studying well?"


    "What? You are acting in a theatre drama? When did this happen? You should have told me earlier about this. Wait, I might make it there if I ask the boss for an emergency leave tomorrow." Min-Seok shouted in surprise.


    "What are you talking about, dad? He is in a drama? Why didn''t he tell us that? Wait, give me the phone once. When did this happen?" He heard Yun-hee shouting from the distance, and her footsteps getting closer.


    But before he could answer, he heard Yun-hee again, "Wait, let''s do a video call." And he heard his phone vibrate. He took it away from the ear and saw the video call option pop up. He clicked on ept and saw a girl''s face on the phone.


    Joon-won could instantly recognize who that is from the memories he had. It was Yun-hee and for him; it was the first time he was seeing her, not through some memories he had from the original body owner. She had the same ck hair as he did, but she was much more beautiful than he was. Seeing her, he thought if the guy got most of the bad genes out of the two. The girl could be an actor with the looks.


    "Now tell us, what do you mean by acting in a drama? We thought you joined the theatre a few days ago. How did you get a role this quick?" As she continued to question him.


    "I auditioned for it. The drama house holds auditions every week for that week''s drama and this time I even participated in it. After seeing my skills, they gave me the role. That''s all."


    Before Yun-hee could continue, the phone got grabbed by Min-Seok and he looked at him before saying, "Joon-won, why did you be so thin? Are you not eating well there? You should eat more." Completely disregarding the topic of the drama.


    Joon-won finally got a look at the person he has been talking to quite a few times after he came to the world. The first parent figure he had in both his lives and even though they weren''t rted, he could feel a strong connection due to the original Joon-won and he didn''t mind the connection at all. It gave him a sense of belonging and security, something he longed for a long time.


    Joon-won could see a lot more simrities between how he looked, at how Min-Seok looked. Min-Seok looked normal, not handsome, but just an average person you wouldn''t put much focus on when he is in a crowd. He had gray hair and wore sses to help with his eyesight. There were distinct differences between how Yun-hee looked from Min-Seok. If both were told to stand side by side, no one would guess they were father and daughter. This led him to think about who the mother was.


    "Joon-won, can you hear me? Why is he stuck? Is our inte slow, Yun-hee?" Min-Seok tapped on the phone while looking to the side as he thought there was a problem with their inte connection.


    "No, nothing is wrong, dad. I just thought it''s been a long time since I saw your face. Don''t worry about me, I am eating fine. So don''t worry too much about it." And Min-Seok nodded with a slight relief after he heard him.


    "Dad, that''s not the main point. Now tell us about this drama you told you got into. Tell us more about it." Yun-hee pushed herself into the frame and asked him once again.


    Joon-won nodded and repeated the same thing. "I auditioned for a role today and got it. I''ll perform this Sunday on stage in the drama house. We even got to do a little photoshoot for it."


    "You did a photoshoot? Like the ones celebrities do? Send us the pictures. We also want to see them." Min-Seok asked him, a bit amazed.


    Joon-won thought for a second and said, "I don''t have the pictures we took in that photo shoot, but I have a picture I took after I changed into my costume when I was trying it out. Let me send it to you." And sent them the picture Kar Jung took.


    "Woah! Your costume is a suit? What role do you y for a suit?" Yun-hee gasped as she looked at the picture.


    "I y the viin role. I''m a big shot who wears suits in it. So my costume is a suit." He shrugged and replied.


    "You are the viin of the drama? You do know that people do not like the viin, right? You should have tried for the hero role." She asked him again. Min-Seok also nodded while looking at him.


    "It doesn''t matter. It''s just a role and the people don''t care if I y it or someone else ys it and the viin role is better than the hero role in the drama. So it''s good that I''m getting the best role in the drama. Many people will take notice of me then."


    Both of them nodded after hearing him and Min-Seok asked, "Do you want us toe there? We want to see you act on a stage for the first time. Should wee tomorrow?"


    Joon-won felt good when he heard how much Min-Seok wanted to support him. He knew it would be tough for him to take a day off ande, especially when Yun-hee''s hold days were only a week away and he didn''t want any distraction for her.


    So, he shook his head and said, "No, it''s alright. You both don''t need toe here at all. Yun-hee''s exams areing up in a few days and thesest few days are crucial for her, so be there to give support. I don''t want her wasting 2 days just for my drama and the drama will be avable online too. I''ll tell you guys when it will be avable online and you can watch it at home. So no need."


    Min-Seok nodded, and they continued to talk for another 10 minutes before they cut the call. Joon-won ced the phone to the side and closed his eyes. His thoughts were upied with the fact that he wasn''t an orphan. Seeing both of them, even though it was through a screen, was really emotional. He could see how concerned Min-Seok got, and that was something he never thought he would have.


    After a few minutes of silence, he quickly organized his thoughts and got to work. He took out the script and went through all the scenes and acted them out once again to see if he needed to make any changes. He wanted it to be perfect after knowing they were going to watch it. It was important for him.


    After a few hours of practice, he went to bed at nearly midnight. Before jumping on the bed he didn''t forget to keep an rm for his gym session, he didn''t want to miss that and went to sleep.

 Chapter 100 - First Practice On Stage

    Joon-won looked around the room and saw all the actors with their scripts in their hands. Everyone was in the backstage, waiting for San Min to call them up and start the practice. It was 10 and Joon-won got there by 9:45 after his gym session was done. He thought he came early, but to his surprise, there were many people already waiting for the practice to start.


    He also brought his costume with him as, after lunch, which was at 2, they would have to wear their costumes too. For morning practices they would use the props, and in the evening it was both. Joon-won was now taking a few deep breaths to get his mind to calm down a little. After a long time, he will be going on a proper stage, unlike the exam one that was more of an obligation.


    After a few more minutes, as the clock in the room struck 10:30, they heard the assistant call them up to the stage to start the performance. Joon-won stood up with both Kar Jung and the female lead as they walked onto the stage. As soon as they did, they saw a wooden desk with lots of things on it, like a penholder, a few files, and other rted stuff. He also saw a very fancy andfy-looking chair behind the desk. The desk was to the right side of the stage, facing to the side. There were also two chairs on the opposite side of the desk.


    "Nowe on, take your ces quickly, so that we don''t dy this much more. Let me tell you now, I don''t want much fumbling or other stuff when ites to the dialogues. I want everything to be clean. Alright,e on now, get going." San Min ordered them while pping her hands.


    Joon-won didn''t need to be told twice as he walked up to the desk and sat on the chair. The chair was indeed veryfortable, and he rxed a little. Kar Jung went behind him and stood at his side with both his hands behind his back. The female lead was sitting in one of the chairs opposite to him.


    San Min pped once again and shouted, "Alright then let''s start."


    All three of them nodded, and Joon-won took a deep breath before closing his eyes. His expression changed as a small smile appeared on his face. He opened his eyes and looked at the hero as if she was his everything and said, "You do not need to work. I have enough wealth for us to live happily after our marriage. You should instead take this time to go around shopping for the wedding." His voice was low but very caring.


    As soon as hepleted his dialogue, the stage went silent. It was time for the female lead to tell her dialogue and he was waiting for it, but it never came. He looked at the girl who sat there, stunned, with her mouth wide open. Now he was confused by the reaction and looked to the side towards Kar Jung, who had a frown on his face. Kar Jung coughed, and it finally woke her up, but she stumbled her lines and her face became red.


    "What are you doing? Why did you freeze like that on stage? It''s not your first time being on a stage. Be better than the young man in front of you, it''s his first time on a stage." they heard a shout from the audience and knew San Min didn''t like what just transpired.


    The girl nodded and murmured, "But you never told me he was this good." and closed her eyes. She could feel everyone''s stare was on her and it was building pressure on her. Seeing the guy''s eyes before her and the tone of his voice as he told his dialogue, was a little too much for her and made her feel as if he was really her boyfriend. It was very embarrassing for her.


    She coughed a little before she was ready and gave everyone a nod. San Min nodded and said, "Alright, don''t make that same silly mistake again. Joon-won, start from the beginning again."


    Joon-won nodded and with the same expression and tone he spoke out his dialogue. This time the girl was able to respond, "No, it''s ok. I want to work and not be dependent on you. I want to have my own individuality and be known through you. So let me work, I even have enough credentials for it." as she pushed a few documents towards him.


    Joon-won didn''t even look at the documents she pushed and just continued to look at her with the same loving eyes and said with the same tone, "Alright, I will not stop you if you really want to work. I''ll ce you in a rtively easy team and you can work there. Is that ok?"


    The female lead''s expression eased and said, "Thank you."


    Joon-won nodded and turned to his side before saying, "Old Man Jian, assign her a suitable position."


    Kar Jung nodded and said, "I''ll get it done young master." and that was the end of the first scene in the drama. Everyone stood up and looked at San Min, waiting for her remarks.


    San Min looked at the three and said, "Kar Jung, you were good as usual. Joon-won you were on the spot, just continue like this for the rest too. Hana, you weren''t up to the standards. You are fading away in the background and as the female lead that isn''t eptable. You need to push your presence harder and ascertain yourself. Just do better in the next scenes."


    All three nodded and Joon-won and Kar Jung just went back as Hana, the female lead stayed on the stage for the next scene. She had to most scenes in the drama so her time on the stage was also the most.


    Joon-won sat back in his seat and noticed a few people making their way up. It was their turn. Kar Jung looked at Joon-won and said, "You were quite good up there. I thought you will stutter and pause a lot. Great going kid, just continue like this and you''ll be ready for the movies in no time."


    Joon-won nodded, and the practice continues, Joon-won and Kar Jung were both mostly in the backstage until their scene with the female lead once again at the end of the first half of the drama.


    Then came the important part and as he practiced a lot of times, he went on stage and performed. The stage for the part where he finds out was simple. Only a bench on one end of the stage and a few cardboard cutouts of bushes and trees on the other.


    His expression and dialogues came out perfectly and then from there he transitioned smoothly into the scene with Kar Jung at his home. Everything was perfect and on point. Seeing him act made many people in the backstage doubt their entire acting career. Everyone was older than him, but he was visibly better than everyone.


    After a while it was for another important scene, the confrontation. Joon-won had one leg on another while his head rested in his hand on the armrest, looking at the people who were standing before him with a smile on his face, as if he was looking down on them.


    A middle-aged actor who yed the role of the heroine''s father walked up to the table and banged it while telling dialogue, "Sir, I need a reason. Why did you fire me? What is going on? Why are you making it tough on my daughter? I thought we were supposed to be family members and everything was alright. The marriage is only a few days away and you are pulling these kinds of actions out now?"


    Joon-won looked at him and said with the same smile on his face, "Who do you think you are? Tell me, who do you think you are?" as his eyes went cold, and the temperature dropped a few degrees. Tension built up in the room, making a few people sweat.


    The middle-aged man stood there with his eyes wide open, along with his mouth. He had a dialogue, but he was stammering. He looked really scared at the moment. San Min, who sat in the audience from morning frowned at the scene.


    "Hey, start talking properly. What''s with that? Why are you so scared? You don''t need to act that much, that you can''t even speak out your lines. Do it properly, if you don''t want to be thrown out." She was getting sick of it. She had to correct many things since morning and now people refused to speak.


    Her voice seemed to do the job as the man jolted awake and bowed to San Min while apologizing. He swiped some sweat off his forehead and cursed under his breath

 Chapter 101 - Practice Continues

    ''Damn, does this guy have a vendetta against me or something? He looked really scary just now, as if I killed his entire family or something. Shouldn''t this be just acting, his actions were too close to being real?'' the guy cursed and got ready.


    Dokgo Ki in the back also felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw the look on Joon-won''s eyes. He felt he was being watched by a predator and felt pressure when he heard Joon-won''s cold voice. He couldn''t help but gulp in fear a little and only snapped out of it when San Min shouted at the middle-aged man. He could even see the female lead clenching her fists tight and standing like a robot. Turning to Joon-won, who had an expressionless face, he gritted his teeth a little and stayed alert.


    The middle-aged man and Joon-won started again as the middle-aged man banged the table and told the dialogue, to which Joon-won responded in the same way. This time it didn''t catch him off guard and he said in the same tone, "Just because you have money doesn''t mean you can do anything you want CEO. Using your power to push us down and making things worse. We''ll go to the police if you do this?"


    Joon-won looked at all of them with the same smile. There were only three people on the opposite side, the heroine, her father, and the hero who stood at the end with a fierce expression.


    "The police? What will youin to the police about? Now, what will happen if thepany files a report against you, even before you go to the police? Let''s say that you have smuggled money from thepany and that was the reason I fired you after finding it out. Do you know what''s the punishment for this? Old man, what is the punishment again?" he turned towards Kar Jung.


    "It depends on the money involved, young master. It can go up to life imprisonment and alsond the family involved in enormous debt they can never recover from." Kar Jung responded with respect as he looked at the people in front of them.


    "See, here that? Lifetime imprisonment. That''s a lot. Are you sure you want to go up against me now? You are probably getting too old to even think now." he chuckled after hearing Kar Jung and looked at them. The smile on his face never left the whole time.


    The middle-aged man gulped and was sweating. Suddenly, as the room went into silence, the hero rushed forward and banged both his hands on the table, and said, "Let''s go to the police. Come on, If a thug like you can think anything is possible just because of money our country would have copsed long ago. I''ll fight you to death."


    Joon-wonughed at hearing him and stood up. He walked to the front of the stage, facing all the audience, and said, "Now, the reason you are here is that you love that girl now, don''t you. Wait, both of you are lovers." and looked back at them. The middle-aged man was stunned as he turned to look at his daughter, and the heroine stood there staring at them nkly.


    "Yes, we are lovers. We both love each other." the hero proimed only to get pulled back by the heroine.


    "No, no. This guy is just joking. How can we be lovers, when we both are going to get married? Nothing of that sort is happening, Mr. CEO." the heroine hurriedly tried to exin. Her face was full of panic, and she was scared out of her wits.


    Joon-won ignored her and walked back to his chair before taking a seat. He looked at the middle-aged man, who was shocked as he looked at his daughter.


    "Don''t look at her with that expression. Look at me." he knocked on the chair and ordered the man. The middle-aged man turned towards Joon-won with an expression that couldn''t even be described properly.


    Joon-won leaned back in the chair and said, "Now, imagine how shocked I was. On a rare day off, I walk to the park thinking about the uing marriage and my life after that. I hear something very familiar and turn to see your daughter, my fiancee, sitting on a bench with an unknown man ying and flirting around. Imagine how shocked I was when I see her go up close and kiss him. Tell me what should I do?" he stood up as he shouted thest sentence with a fierce expression before banging the table.


    "Young Master, you don''t need to get angry over people like this. Please have a seat and drink some water." Kar Jung spoke up as he gave him a ss of water. Joon-won nodded and sat back in the chair.


    He looked at the three, who all stood still in shock. The father was shocked to find out what truly happened and to find out how her daughter became. The hero who found out the truth of his lover and the heroine who found out that her fiancee knew that she had a lover.


    "Now, why are all of you silent? Come on, speak. Tell me what you have in your minds." Joon-won spoke out with a smile once again. But he got no response from all three of them.


    "Now, if you three don''t have anything to say, see yourself out. I have another business meeting to get to." he waved his hands and dismissed all three of them. All three of them did as they were told and walked out like three zombies.


    Watching their back disappear, Joon-won looked at Kar Jung and said, "Begin phase 2 of the n and make their lives more miserable." To which Kar Jung nodded, and the scene ended.


    Joon-won walked off stage as the next scene involved the two leads and their family regarding what happened just now. Even though he was a viin, unlike in movies where a viin would have a lot of screen time, he didn''t. Kar Jung had more stage time than him because he would n everything about how to take down the family instead of him.


    Joon-won went to the table by the side of the backstage and took a ss of water from it before downing itpletely. He felt good about the practice and was slowly getting the feel of it once again after so long. Kar Jung also stood beside him and drank some water.


    Both of them took a seat and Kar Jung looked at him and said, "You were going out of control out there. Were you trying to scare those people for real? This is the thing you should try and control a bit to make it into the movies." Before sighing.


    Joon-won nodded and kept silent. He knew he probably went over the top a little at the beginning, making the middle-aged actor fall out of rhythm a little. Jung-hwa wouldugh if she could hear his thoughts. He was facing simr problems as she was. He simply closed his eyes and thought about the practice just now. It wasn''t enough, and he had to do a better job going in the same tempo. The whole drama should be in one tempo and that was important for theatre. Now he was the one causing a few disruptions.


    The practice continued for the rest of the morning. He only had a few more scenes before the final scene of the drama in which he was alone on the stage thinking about how things unfolded. That scene turned out to be good because it was only him and was also the finale, so not restraining was a good thing because it gives a bigger impact.


    After the practice ended, all the actors were in the backstage waiting for San Min toe through the door and dismiss them for lunch. As they expected, she did and looked at everyone in the room. Her eyes were as scary as ever as most of the people didn''t dare look back at her in the eye.


    "Alright, that was a good practice just now. There were mistakes made by a few people on the stage, but that could be fixed. I want them fixed by tomorrow morning and no one is going home till they are. Alright take a lunch break for an hour ande back here so we can start again." and walked out with her assistant. Everyone in the room eased up and people slowly made their way out in groups.


    Most of the people brought their own lunch box but Joon-won, who woke upte and didn''t get the idea, didn''t cook, so he had to eat outside. Kar Jung told him to eat healthily and walked out of the backstage. Joon-won felt a hated stare towards him and turned to see it was actually Dokgo Ki. This made Joon-won confused. He didn''t understand why the idiot was angry this time, so he just shrugged it off and walked out of the room.

 Chapter 102 - End Of Rehearsals

    "Why was I scared of that newbie? I am the hero. I should have a brave character. But I got scared of the new actor just by hearing his voice? I will steal this show. I''ll be the best on the stage out there. Just you wait, I''ll put you in your ce with my skills." Dokgo Ki clenched his fists after noticing Joon-won walk out of the room.


    Unknown to him, he already ced the opponent above him and is trying to catch up to him. His words were just for encouraging himself and deep down he knew he already lost the moment he flinched and felt scared on stage.


    Joon-won was now outside the theatre and noticed 10 minutes had already passed by and he is yet to decide where to eat some lunch. He opened the phone and looked up the nearby restaurants but had to close the tab after noticing the insane prices next to the dish. So after having a rude wake-up call of how poor he really was, he looked up the nearest fast-food restaurants and noticed there was a Wacdonalds down the street.


    ''So fast food today. The prices are insane in the restaurants around here. I can eat a whole meal near the house for 2 or 3 small dishes here. The dishes themselves don''t look that appetizing in the pictures. A rude awakening that I''m poor.'' he could only grumble and walk down the street.


    It didn''t take him long to reach the shop and saw a small line at the counter. It was a normal lunch hour rush and he had no problem waiting a couple of minutes if he could get something good to eat. After getting his food, he looked around the store and saw all the seats were full. So he got out and walked back to the theatre. The theatre had a few benches ced to the side at the space in the front and as the weather wasn''t that bad; he found a good bench right under a tree and had his burger and fries.


    "Even though this is bad for health, I understand why people crave for it so much here. It''s got a unique taste, is cheap andfortable to eat. Once in a while, it''s not that bad, I guess." Looking at the wrapper to his side. He quickly drank the juice he brought and kept it aside.


    Joon-won noticed there were still 15 minutes left till their break was over and he just sat out for a while. As he sat there in silence, he thought about how important the drama was going to be once again. He had the same thought so many times, and it made him feel like the first time he ever stepped on a stage, both thrilled and scared. He was scared because of the chances something might go wrong and his first step into the industry won''t be as impactful as he hoped.


    Due to that scared feeling, he started keeping more effort into his acting, letting out his emotions run a bit wild. Being on the stage, he wasn''t able to hold it back in the morning and he knew it resulted in scaring everyone, not only the middle-aged man that was in front of him. He noticed Dokgo Ki at the back, flinching and the female lead clutching her hand.


    Those were signs of how things might go wrong, and that made him more conscious. These were all beginner problems and after being out of drama for decades, he was feeling them again.


    "Let''s take a deep breath and get everything together. I know once this one goes well, the rest will follow through. It''s just this one drama, that needs to pave the way for the rest of the dramas and movies which will follow through." Closing his eyes, he talked to himself. Once he performs one drama well, he will get the hang of it back and there wouldn''t be problems like the ones before anymore.


    He checked the time again and noticed it was already time and got inside the building. This time they would do it with costumes. So he went right into the changing room with his bag and wore one of the suits. This time he didn''t have much of a problem wearing it and walked into the backstage when he was done.


    The rest of the actors were also all dressed up and ready for practice. Everyone looked at him for a second as he stood out the most due to the suit he was wearing. The rest had normal clothes or formal wear but not a suit, so it caught people''s eyes. Joon-won didn''t mind the stares and just sat beside Kar Jung, who was wearing his butler uniform.


    "How many more reversals would we have today?" Joon-won turned and asked the old man beside him.


    Kar Jung leaned back in his chair and said with a shrug, "Until San Min isfortable with the performance. We generally have two more if everything goes well, but she can make us stay for another if it was like this morning. So, try to control your emotions and not scare the other actors. Your scenes are generally the ones which are stopped the most and you know it''s because the other acts can''t react to those sudden emotions whiche out." Making Joon-won nod.


    The day went on as San Min corrected lesser mistakes than before in the rehearsals, making some people exhale in relief. Joon-won tried to control his emotions better, making the flow of his scenes better and not throw off the other actors from their flow. As the day continued the group got better and by the end of the 2nd practice, it was already 7 and everyone was tired, hoping San Min would let them go for the night.


    San Min walked into the backstage with the same expressionless look she showed the entire day and looked at everyone''s nervous expressions before saying, "Alright, that''s it for the day. Make sure you guys are ready for tomorrow and be here in time. I don''t want anye. Alright, let''s perform well tomorrow." She pped her hands while nodding, and everyone followed her.


    "Now, anyone who wants tickets for their family members go to my assistant now and you can get them from her." Pointing at her assistant behind her, who was holding a roll of tickets. These were the tickets they sold on the spot tomorrow, unlike the one which can be booked online. The desperate customers can get these tomorrow early morning.


    After San Min exited the room, a few people walked out of the room, while a few people surrounded the assistant for tickets. Joon-won waited for a little so that the crowd around the poor assistant to go down a little and noticed Kar Jung didn''t leave yet.


    "Are you not going home early today?" Joon-won turned to ask the old man. He would be the first person out to be with his wife as early as possible, but now he didn''t get up from his seat yet and was kinda concerned.


    Kar Jung frowned a little, and he replied, "No, I need a ticket for tomorrow. My wife called me earlier and wants toe tomorrow to watch how you act. If you don''t make her feel satisfied tomorrow, I''ll crush you." He raised his fist to show how serious he was, to which Joon-won just shrugged.


    After the crowd died down a little, both of them walked to the assistant, who had the same expressionless face as her boss. Joon-won asked for two, one for him and one for Kar Jung. After getting the tickets both of them went their separate ways and Joon-won standing in front of the theatre, took out his phone and sent Jung-hwa a picture of the ticket, and asked to meet at the front of the university to give it to her.


    She sent a quick reply saying she will be there and just call her when he is near the university gates. After giving her a confirmation, he walked to the bus stop and hopped on the one he took regrly and sat on the same seat as it was empty as always, with only a few srymen who were either drunk or sleepy.


    He sent Jung-hwa a message when he was 10 minutes away from the university and got down to see she was there, panting. He didn''t get why the girl ran. Instead of walking, he could have waited a few minutes. Taking out the ticket from his pocket, he handed it to her.


    She grabbed the ticket from his hand and said while taking a few deep breaths, "One of my aims whileing to the city was to watch dramas in all the big drama houses here before my time in the city ends. Now my first big drama house ticket is from you, for free. I once again feel d to have you as a friend." With a wide grin on her face.

 Chapter 103 - A Lot Of Talk

    Joon-won couldn''t help but shake his head at the girl, who was too open. She indirectly implied that she was leeching off him. He sighed and just shrugged, as he didn''t mind that much when he didn''t have that much power for people to actively leech off at that moment.


    "Don''t be that shameless, at least to the outside world carry yourself with dignity. You are an aspiring actor, if you continue to be like this, people won''t even look at you." And Joon-won switched to his usual lecturing mode. Jung-hwa, who was happy that she finally got a ticket to one of the most prestigious drama houses in the world, felt like cold water was poured on her, instantly removing the happiness she felt.


    She turned towards Joon-won and grumbled, "Don''tint like an amazing old man again, if you continue you like this, you won''t find a proper friend in your entire life, much less a girlfriend." Jabbing back at him. Joon-won, who couldn''t care less about girlfriends and stuff, just shrugged.


    "How was your audition yesterday? I didn''t have time to call you because I wasn''t at home most of the time and was busy with my own role. Did you get a role in the drama was it a bust? He remembered that Jung-hwa''s drama house also had auditions for the drama they will perform next week and she told him about it thest time they met.


    Jung-hwa flipped her hair and said with her hands on her waist, "Of course I got a role. I auditioned for 3 roles and managed tond one of them. It''s the chatty neighbor character thates in as aedic touch in the drama."


    Joon-won nodded as he remembered which role she was talking about. He read her script and knew the role had a few appearances to add someedic element to the story. It was a type of character that had a lot of dialogues and a chatty personality. He felt like it was perfect for someone like her who liked to talk a lot.


    So he nodded and said, "That''s not a bad role for your first drama. It also fits your personality well enough to give you some advantage. How much did you analyze the role? This is your first drama, so try to make an impact, even if it''s a small one, it''s ok."


    Jung-hwa nodded and said while shaking her head, "Yeah, yeah, don''t treat me like I''m a child. I analyzed the character the whole week and got a good grasp of it. I should be ok with this role. I have enough time to prepare too as the drama is next week. Don''t worry too much about it." dismissing him.


    Joon-won just nodded and Jung-hwa asked, "So, how was your practice today?" She was more curious about how Roses drama houses worked than anything.


    Joon-won shrugged and said, "What do you want me to say? It was ok, not that bad. The boss is very strict when ites to performances and will shout at you if you don''t get it right. So it''s a pretty intense ce."


    Jung-hwa lost her enthusiasm when she heard the practice routines weremon even in a ce like Roses. She thought they had special practice methods or something cool befitting how great the drama house was.


    "Alright, I need to go home now. Don''t bete tomorrow morning. There will be a huge line forte tickets and people who want to get in. If you arete, you might miss the start of the drama." he said while checking the time. Jung-hwa nodded, and both of them went their separate ways.


    As Joon-won was walking back to the apartment, he felt his phone ring and took it out to see it was from Hea-Jung. He began to contemte whether he should pick up the call or not, he could just y it off as if he was busy practicing for the drama. Finding a good excuse, he was about to keep the vibrating phone back inside his pocket but stopped when he saw a message from her.


    [Joon-won, I know you are going back home or probably already at home. I have eyes and ears everywhere. So don''t you dare try to ignore the call.] Making him feel chills run down his spine.


    He stopped and looked around to notice if anyone was observing his actions. But he didn''t find anyone looking at him, as it was the same empty street with only a few people. He always used to go back home.


    Joon-won shook his head and just answered the call. Both of them didn''t speak, both waiting for the other to talk first. It was Joon-won who relented and asked first, "How did you do it?" It really creeped him out, the thought of someone knowing what he is doing all the time.


    "Hahaha, you should hear yourself. I never thought I''d get the chance to hear this side of you. Looked like the message really freaked you out. Where are you? At home?" He heard a boastful voice from the other side.


    "No, I''m not there yet, but very near. Now tell me how you know? Don''t tell me you hired someone to keep an eye on me at all times? That''s crossing a very dangerous line." He answered back and threatened her.


    "Are you watching a lot of films or something? There is no way I''m spending cash just to have someone follow my junior, that''s just dumb. This was a very simple trick. I know someone at the drama house and asked them if the practice was over. After I got a reply that it was over and most of the actors were already gone, So I called you. Depending on the time it generally takes a bus or cab to get to our university, I knew you were probably still near the university and were still going home."

 Chapter 104 - Start Of Drama

    Hearing her reasoning, Joon-won felt a little stupid at that moment. What she said was true. She could have just asked someone if the practice was over and guess the time it takes to get back to the university. He was also surprised she went through all that to know where it was and if he was free. The Hea-Jung he knew the past 2 weeks was someone who never really cared about what others thought and did whatever she wanted to.


    "Alright, alright. This time it was me who was overthinking stuff. What did you call me for? I don''t think it''s just about telling me you can figure out where I am."


    "I just called you to wish you luck, you know. It''s your first time acting on a huge stage with a quality script, some good actors, and also a huge audience. So, I just wanted to know how you are and if you were ready. Maybe even give you some helpful advice as a senior." He heard her prideful tone once again.


    "Well, thanks for calling me then. It''s all good. I practiced enough to get a good hang of the role and today we did all the necessary adjustments for tomorrow. Tell me, how are you? Are you still at the set or back resting?"


    "It''s good that you practiced a lot. Many things can go wrong, so you never know, just be a little alert, not too much though, like how you were at the audition. I came back from the set an hour ago. Today it''s raining here, so we had to close up quicker than the crew originally nned and now they are thinking about tomorrow''s schedule and stuff. So, I''m in my room, bored."


    Both of them continued to talk for a few more minutes and Joon-won told her bye as he reached his apartment. He got into his apartment and locked the door before making his way towards the kitchen. He took out a bottle of juice from the refrigerator and drank some. He loved mango juice and even though he liked a few others; he tried in the store while working. This was the one he loved and so had two bottles with him.


    After a few more mouthfuls of juice, he kept it back and started to cook some food. He made a light meal and sat on the couch to have dinner. As he was having dinner, he heard his phone ring and saw it was from his father, that too a video call. He couldn''t help but sigh, thinking about the number of people he talked to in the past 30 minutes, even though he knew why they were calling him.


    He answered the phone while still eating and saw both the faces of the family he had. Min-Seok was the first to speak. "Ah! Joon-won. It looked like you were eating. Shall we both call after a while?"


    Feeling that there was no such need, Joon-won just shook his head, swallowed the food in his mouth, and said, "No need, just talk."


    "Wait, what are you having there? Did you order food from outside? Show us." Yun-hee shouted while pointing at him. Joon-won rolled his eyes and simply switched to the back camera. They saw his simple dinner, rice, and curry.


    "Woah, where did you buy this from? It looks so good. You should get us this if wee there." Yun-hee once again eximed loudly while salivating. Joon-won just changed the camera again and heard Min-Seok.


    "Joon-won, don''t eat outside food so much. Try to cook for yourself more. We don''t know how this food is prepared in those restaurants, it''s better to be safe than sorry. You''ll also save money by cooking food yourself."


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "This isn''t from some restaurant. I made this just a few minutes back. I don''t eat outsiders food much these days. Most of the time when I''m at home, I cook for myself." Making the call go silent. He looked at the screen and thought it froze. So he tapped on the phone and waved his phone around for any signals while calling out for them.


    Just as he was about to cut the call thinking there were connection issues on their side, he heard Yun-hee scream again, "What?! Wait, you said you cooked it yourself? Don''t joke around, brother. It''s ok to ept ws as human beings. You won''t be able to cook even if we gave you detailed instructions and did all the food preparation for you." And Min-Seok beside her also gave a nod.


    Joon-won looked at both of them with a nk expression, not knowing what to say at how untrusting they were towards him. So he stood up and walked towards the kitchen before showing around the ce he didn''t clean up yet. He showed them the utensils he used to cook in the sink and also the trash to show them the vegetable peels.


    He didn''t hear a single sound until he sat back on the sofa and saw both of them with their mouths wide open. Joon-won just kept the phone on the table and continued to eat, not minding them at all. As he was about toplete, he heard Yun-hee whisper, "Dad, I think this is an imposter. There is no way my brother would be able to cook like that. Should we call the police?"


    Joon-won looked at her and didn''t know what to say again. They were getting ridiculous as it went on. Min-Seok also ignored her and said, "The city changed you a lot Joon-won. You even learned to cook. I''m so proud of you." Wiping a fake tear off.


    "Alright enough of the jokes. So what did you guys call me for?" He finally thought it was enough and got straight to the point. He felt if he allowed both of them to continue, they might not stop, and this call would go on forever. He also had to sleep early for the drama the next day.

 Chapter 105 - Start Of Drama (II)

    As soon as they heard that, both of their expressions changed and they yed poker face as Min-Seok asked, "How are you feeling Joon-won? Tomorrow is the biggest day of your life. Don''t worry and just pour out all of the nervousness you are feeling, to us. We are your family. Don''t panic on stage even if you forget a line or two, you''ll get another chance in the future."


    "I''m alright. Everything is fine here. Both of you don''t need to worry about anything unnecessary. I got this one in the bag. You guys are just thinking too much these days." Dismissed their concerns. He didn''t believe there was a cause for concern.


    "It''s good that you at least have the confidence. When will we get to see the drama video you promised?" Yun-hee nodded while folding her hands.


    "Probably by Wednesday, it should be online on Wednesday and I''ll send you guys the login details for an ount so both of you can watch my dramas." Joon-won already asked the assistant about this and she gave him a shared ount the drama house gave its employees ess to.


    The call continued for another few minutes before he cut the call and got up to clean the kitchen before jumping onto the bed. He didn''t forget to set an rm, as he had to be there early in the morning, at least an hour or two before the show began. He also didn''t n to go to the gym and stress his body too much and get tired out.


    The next day he woke up even before his rm rang, noticed there were only 5 minutes till his rm, he got up and walked into the living room. He noticed he still had 90 minutes and so he went into the washroom and brushed his teeth before making his breakfast.


    After another light breakfast, he took a bath and walked out of the house with his headphones on and bag on his back. He took a direct cab to the drama house and noticed people working everywhere at the front. He saw banners with the photos they took earlier that week. There were two banners, one with a pic of the two main leads on a bench, looking at each other with love. While the other was him sitting on a chair with Kar Jung behind him. He couldn''t help but take a pic and send it to his family.


    As soon as he sent it, he received a call from them, once again asking about it. After another round of words of ''advice'' from both of them, he headed inside. There was already a small line for the tickets at the side. He showed his ID to the security and walked in. He went directly towards the rest room and noticed there were already actors sitting and working on their scripts once again.


    Joon-won took a seat in the corner and read through his script once before keeping it back in the bag and started to listen to some music instead. He felt his preparation was on point and any more would only cause more anxiety for him. Time passed by and it was almost time for the performance. He turned on his phone to see messages from both Gah Soo and Jung-hwa telling them they were in their seats, waiting for the performance. It looked like both of them followed his advice to arrive early. He sent both of them a quick response telling the show would start soon and as he was about to close the phone; he received messages from both Min-Seok and Hea-Jung.


    Joon-won didn''t know how to feel about the amount of concern he was receiving from people. He didn''t have anyone around him feel this way towards him in the past life, and now he didn''t need anyone to feel it because he was good enough. He just sent a simple reply to both of them as well before turning the silent mode on.


    He looked around the room and saw many people arrived and were getting ready. He also stood up and started to wear his dress. He also noticed Kar Jung already in his costume sitting to the side with his eyes closed, probably trying to concentrate and so he didn''t disturb him.


    After he go ready and a few minutes passed by, the door opened and San Min walked in. Everyone went quiet as she looked at everyone and said, "Alright, looks like all of you are ready. Now depending on your scene, one by onee into the backstage, we don''t want to get it crowded there. Nowe on, people in the first 5 scenes walk into the backstage so you can get ready." pping her hands.


    Joon-won and Kar Jung heard her and stood up before walking out the door along with a couple of other actors in first few scenes. They walked into the backstage and the staff walked up to them with the mics. Joon-won just stood there and let them do their thing as it wasn''t the first time as they had them on even during the final practice the day before.


    After everything was set, Joon-won, Kar Jung, and the female lead walked to the front as the drama started with them. The huge curtains were still closed, and they alreadyy the props for the first scene out behind the curtains. The narration started and all three of them slowly walked up to the stage and took their positions, making no noise.


    The narration part was about toe to an end, and their scene was about to start. Joon-won looked at the two people on the stage with him. Kar Jung remained indifferent and just gave him a nod while the female lead was also calm, but he could see her feet continuously tap, showing her nervousness.


    He just showed her a smile and said, "Don''t be too nervous, just look at both of us and tell your dialogues." making Kar Jung nod once again. She shed a slight smile at hearing him and nodded. San Min waved her hand from the end of the stage and asked if everything was ok, to which he nodded and the curtains opened to the first scene of the drama.

 Chapter 106 - Reactions

    Jung-hwa woke up to 3 rms in her empty dorm room. She only managed to open her eyes on the third rm and stopped the rms from repeating once again. She hated rms, but she had no choice but to use them, as she wasn''t able to sleep properly the night before. Almost the whole night, she was thinking about how she would finally go to the Roses drama house and watch their world-renowned dramas.


    Jung-hwa knew how hard it was to get tickets for the dramas there because she tried to get tickets in her first year and not once was she able to get them. She tried to even buy them in the ck market, but the sellers quoted absurd prices she couldn''t afford.


    She woke up and noticed there were still 90 minutes before the start of the drama. Getting up, she rushed into the washroom, finished getting ready, and then went down to the canteen. The canteen was dead. No students at all because most of them either skipped breakfast or were already done. She didn''t take a bus like she always does to go to her drama house and took a cab to get there faster.


    After getting out of the car, she saw the crowd in front of the drama house. She looked to the side and saw the banner with Joon-won on it. Thinking for a second, she took out her phone and took a picture of the poster before posting it on her social media story. She didn''t forget to tag the drama house ount and Joon-won''s ount.


    As soon as she uploaded it, she went right to the front as Joon-won gave her VIP tickets, which didn''t need her to wait like the rest. She continuously looked around the area and noticed how big the hallways were. Looking at everything, she couldn''t help butpare it to her own drama house and knew it was seriouslycking. Even though the drama house she was working in wasn''t bad, it was nowhere near the level she is seeing.


    She walked into the theatre and noticed there were a group of volunteers helping out the customers to their seats and so she showed her tickets and they took her to the seat. It was at the front, rather a few rows from the front, perfect position to watch the drama. Sitting on thefortable seats, she couldn''t help but pat her own back at how she made good friends.


    Getting inside, she once again took out her phone and noticed her social media chat was flooded with messages from all her ssmates. She even saw a few messages from the most egoistic person in the ss, Roh Ji. She opened her close friends'' chat first and noticed they were all asking if the story she uploaded was true.


    Going through all the chats, she noticed all of them were asking about Joon-won''s poster and if he really was acting in a big drama house like Roses. She also saw Roh Ji''s message, demanding her attention about the situation and telling that she photoshopped the image while cursing at her and Joon-won like a mental patient. Jung-hwa didn''t understand what happened to her to act like that at all.


    But in the end, she noticed all the chaos in her social media and knew she blew things up in a bad way and that when Joon-won finds out about it, he would be very mad about it. He was always the type of person to remain in the dark, and now everyone knew he was acting on a big stage ahead of all of them. She prayed he wouldn''t take it out too hard on her for it. She didn''t reply to any messages and as she was about to close the phone; she noticed a message from the vice-dean of the university pop up.


    Thest thing she wanted was for the university to get involved and knew she couldn''t just ignore the vice dean''s message at any cost. After all, he did help her out a lot by getting her a better role in the exam drama. She opened his chat and saw him asking if Joon-won really managed to get a main role so quickly. He was there when Do Hwan offered both of them these offers after the exam and he didn''t think much of Joon-won at all. He was shocked that Do Hwan even offered the student a chance to audition for a new movie.


    After he heard that Joon-won failed the audition, he threw the kid at the back of his head and thought Do Hwan made a rare mistake in finding talent. But earlier the day when he woke up, he noticed the acting course forum was active with a picture of the student he didn''t think much of. So he immediately sent a text message to Jung-hwa who he knew and was also the person who posted the picture, making the student and teacher forum crazy.


    He waited for a reply while sitting in his office, and soon the three dots disappeared and the text came. Jung-hwa confirmed that it was really true that Joon-won managed to get the viin role in the drama by auditioning earlier that week. As soon as he read that text, he quickly made a few calls and obtained the tickets for the evening show after paying almost thrice the original price that was also on discount as he was a vice-dean.


    He wanted to see with his own eyes what the student Joon-won had to offer to get a role in a big drama house like Roses. He knew how San Min was, as she was also a student in the university and she was a very stubborn kid who spoke what she thought. The kid impressed her and get a lead role.


    Jung-hwa noticed she would not get a reply from the vice dean, and so she turned her phone off and looked at the stage. The seats were almost full and she could see the narrator at the corner of the stage getting ready to start.


    The entire theatre went silent as the lights dimmed and the spotlight was on the narrator. Jung-hwa''s face was full of excitement as she waited for what the drama had to offer.

 Chapter 107 - Last Scene

    Just like Jung-hwa, who was sitting at the front, Gah Soo was sitting a few rows back, with her friends beside her. She was holding her phone, waiting for Joon-won toe on stage, as he told her he was going to be on the first scene. She was very excited about Joon-won. After working with him for the past 2 weeks, she got to know him better and even saw him act a minor role in their exam drama she went to with the boss.


    Now he was on a huge stage and was also ying a viin role in her favorite drama house. So she wanted to see how well he really acts to get that role. She looked to the side and saw her friends were also excited to watch the drama, as it was not every day they could get tickets.


    The tickets were all her hard work. The day they released the tickets, which was always at Thursday midnight, she was awake in her dorm refreshing the website continuously, and managed to snag a few tickets for themselves.


    The curtain opened, and she finally saw Joon-won on the stage wearing a suit facing another actor. He had a small smile on his face and she heard his voice throughout the theatre. She continued to look at his acting and even forgot to record the first scene like she thought.


    The drama continued as the entire theatre remained silent until halftime when the curtains closed for a break on a serious note of the viin finding out what was going on behind him. Jung-hwa remained in her seat as people passed by her to go out. She continued to look at the closed curtains with her eyes wide open, thinking about the amazing first half she just saw. She couldn''t believe the guy ying the viin was the same person she joked around the night before. His acting was out of the world. She knew he was good, but on the bigger stage and with a bigger role, he waspletely on another levelpared to the exam where he had a puny role.


    She didn''t get up from her seat the entire 5 minutes break and the curtains opened once again with Joon-won on stage. She continued to watch the entire drama with her eyes wide open, like a zombie. The drama ended and people started to slowly get up and walk away. A few people were still in their seats looking at the closing curtains and Jung-hwa was one of them.


    The drama ended, but her thoughts were filled with the ending scene. The drama ended with a monologue from Joon-won alone on stage expressing his thoughts about the whole ordeal he, aka the viin, went through.


    *A Few Minutes Prior*


    Joon-won was sitting in the backstage, ready to do thest scene of the drama. He was a little hungry because of the light breakfast and couldn''t wait to get some lunch inside him. The theatre would be providing them food and he knew it was going to be something good just by what he atest time.


    He looked at the stage and saw the current scene. It was the scene of both the leads dying and Kar Jung overlooking the entire process from the side of the stage. The next scene was in the office with Kar Jung reporting him about it and him expressing his thoughts.


    The scene ended and it was time for him to get on stage. He walked up to the stage behind the curtains and sat on the chair facing the audience. The curtains opened up again as Kar Jung knocked on the fake door on the stage, a few feet from the chair he was sitting on.


    Joon-won didn''t turn around and said in an emotionless voice, "Come in."


    Kar Jung walked in and closed the door before walking towards the desk. Standing in front of the desk, he said, "It''s done, young master. Just like we nned."


    "Were there any problems or mistakes done? I want nothing attaching it to me directly."


    Kar Jung nodded and replied, "Yes, young master. Everything was clean, and there was no one around at the time. The cover-up went fantastically and tomorrow''s headlines would be about a tragic couple passing away because the car fell off a cliff. You can close this chapter in your life now young master."


    Joon-won nodded and remained silent for a few seconds as he continued to look at the huge audience in front of him. He could see various emotions on each face of the audience. Some were looking at him with hate, while some looked with pity.


    "Alright then, take your leave for the rest of the day. I need some time alone." he waved his hand and Kar Jung simply nodded before walking off the stage. Joon-won stood up and walked to the front of the stage, looking at the audience with an expressionless face.


    He exhaled a little and said, "It didn''t have to be like this at all. You could have simplye to me and told me that you didn''t like the marriage at the beginning. You could have at leaste to me when you found a new love and told me to break off the marriage if you feared your father. But you did none of this and broke the trust I kept in you by going behind my back and keeping it a secret."


    "The person I hoped would be for the rest of my life, filling up the hole I had in my entire life just ended up making me a murder instead." He shook his head with a mncholy look before walking off the stage. There was onest narration left and after that everyone got on stage before bowing as the audience drowned the theatre in a round of apuse.


    *End Of shback*


    Walking off stage, everyone went to the rest room as the food was served there. Joon-won took a box from the bench and walked to the corner his bag was at before he started downing the box. If anyone from the audience saw him then, they would never think he was the same elegant, cold viin they saw on stage a few minutes prior.


    He felt someone pat on his back and looked up to see it was Kar Jung with his own box of homemade food. Kar Jung sat beside him and said while opening the box, "That was a good run. You did great for your first drama. Almost like a vetaran in the industry. Oh, looks like my wife also liked it and is inviting you to dinner? What, no way. I''m telling you are going to be busy." he started with a light tone before grumbling as he checked the message he received on his phone.


    Joon-won ignored the old man and finished his food before opening his own phone. As soon as he did, he saw his notifications flooded. There were over 50 messages and he didn''t know who they were from. He opened the app and noticed all of them were from his university ssmates and felt something went wrong.


    He opened the first chat and saw it was someone reacting to a story. He immediately knew what was blowing up. It was a picture of the poster outside and felt unhappy about the person who posted it. Opening the story, he noticed the user was Jung-hwa and immediately gave her a call.


    Jung-hwa, who was outside among the crowd, making her way towards the bus station while still thinking about the drama, noticed her phone ring. She checked and noticed it was the one person she hoped it wasn''t and also knew she was going to get an earful from the person. Taking a deep breath, she said before Joon-won could say anything, "That was an awesome drama Joon-won. I didn''t even move at the halftime break because of how good it was. Your acting is so much better."


    As soon as she stopped, she nervously waited for a reply, but she didn''t hear one. She looked at the phone and saw the call was still connected. Before she asked if he was still there, she heard his emotionless voice. "Don''t you dare try cover what you did, with sweet words Jung-hwa. Do you think I am a kid? Why did you post a picture of the poster on social media? Were you out of your mind? Now, because of you, I have my entire chat box filled with people asking about this. This was thest thing I wanted to happen."


    Jung-hwa didn''t reply immediately. She knew she fu*ked up this time and her trying topliment him won''t cut it for someone like him. Her brain couldn''t think of an excuse for the stupid mistake she did, even after he told her he didn''t want others to know about the whole drama house thing. She stuttered for an answer but couldn''t get anything out.

 Chapter 108 - End Of Drama

    Joon-won on the other side sighed as he heard her stutter and knew the stupid girl made another stupid mistake. Shaking his head, he continued, "Just don''t do this kind of stuff again. It''s too much to deal with. If you do something I asked you to not do again, the friendship is over. Got it?"


    Jung-hwa nodded even though she knew he couldn''t see and said, "Yes, yes. I''m sorry. I forgot in the heat of the moment when I saw the huge banner. It was so cool to see you on a huge banner like that and I just whipped out my phone unconsciously and before I knew it, I already posted it."


    Joon-won sighed once again and said, "Alright then, go back to the dorms and prepare for your own drama. I need to take some rest now before the next run starts again." Before cutting the call.


    He looked at the chatbox and noticed there were messages from people he didn''t even know in the memories he received from the old Joon-won. He saw messages from people like Roh Ji, the ss teacher, and also the vice dean. He didn''t bother opening Roh Ji''s chat box and opened the vice dean''s instead. The vice-dean was congratting him for the aplishment and also told him he was going to watch the afternoon run of the drama.


    He sent a simple reply thanking him and opened Gah Soo''s chatbox. Gah Soo was congratting him and appreciating his acting. She also sent a few pictures of him during the drama she took after she woke up from the initial shock. He thanked her before forwarding the pictures to his father, who was asking him if the drama was done.


    He received another wave of shock emojis from his father and knew it was probably Yun-hee. The next message was also in all caps, telling her she didn''t recognize him in the pictures and that the make-up applied to him made him look handsome. Min-Seok probably snatched the phone back as the next message was in small letters and asking if he had lunch.


    Joon-won talked for a while with both of them before he deleted all the other chat boxes except his father''s, Yun-hee, Jung-hwa, and a few others he knew, like the supermarket Co-workers. He deleted even Mo Yang''s after noticing his chat was him asking how he nailed an acting role in a huge drama house and if he could get him a job there too.


    He rxed for the rest of the break before the time for the next run. San Min came into the room to tell about how the audience felt and congratted them. She also encouraged them with another party if even the next run went well. When the time came, Joon-won got up and made his way to the backstage once again with a smile on his face.


    The Vice-Dean arrived on time and as he parked his car and walked to the front of the drama house, he noticed the poster which made hime there. He looked at the Joon-won poster by the side and continued to walk towards the line. He had to wait in the line as he could only grab a normal ticket and not a VIP one because he asked for them at thest minute.


    He got inside and got to his seat, which was a bit far from the stage to his liking, but he could only adjust. The curtains opened, and he saw the student once again only after 2 weeks again. He looked the same as before, but when he opened his mouth, the vice dean understood why the guy got the role.


    As the show went on, the vice dean got excited watching a student of the school. If any other student from the same major would see his face, they would be stunned. The vice-dean had a reputation for being strict and fair. He rarely showed a smile and would often criticize when the actors make even the tiniest mistakes.


    When the show ended, the vice dean stood up and walked away. He got in his car and looked at the orange sky as the sun was slowly going down and murmured, "We had such a talent in the ss and didn''t identify it. We are such a failure. He is going to flourish a lot after learning from this ce." He sighed and drove away as his thoughts were still on Joon-won''s acting.


    On the other hand, Joon-won changed his clothes and was back in hisfortable wear as everyone were in the restroom, waiting for San Min to walk through the doors and tell them the drama was a sess. Joon-won felt it was as he could see the expressions of many people during the ending scene and most of them had satisfied expressions on their faces.


    Joon-won looked around the room and saw everyone was in groups talking to each other about the drama and what drinks they wanted to try at the partyter. San Min walked in with her assistant, shutting down any talks in the room as all of them looked at her, hoping for a good result.


    San Min nodded and said, "Alright guys, the reviews for the drama came in and I have to say, we outdid ourselves this time. We got an average of 4.7 rating this time, which is above our usual results, so this time instead of a pub, like always, we are rather going to an all-you-can-eat 3-star buffet. It took me a lot of connections to get us the entire ce, so enjoy it to the fullest."


    Hearing her, everyone gasped in surprise. There were only a few 3-Star restaurants in the city. In the city, the highest was the 5-Star restaurant and there was only one. Joon-won didn''t continue to listen and took out his phone instead. He searched up the Royal Blue restaurant he went to with Hea-Jung and Do Hwan a week earlier. He noticed even the Blue Star was a 3-Star restaurant and was impressed with the ce once again.


    San Min pped her hands and said everyone to make their way outside, as the drama house had a bus for the people who had no transportation to use because the restaurant was a bit far away.


    Joon-won picked up his bag and walked towards the door of the room with everyone. As he walked out of the room, he heard someone call him from behind and turned around. He noticed it was actually Dokgo Ki who called out to him. Dokgo Ki pointed to the side of the room, asking him toe back inside.


    Thinking for a second, he thought, why not and walked back inside before making his way towards Dokgo Ki. Dokgo Ki looked at Joon-won with his fists clenched tightly. He hated the guy in front of him very much, but he couldn''t do anything. First time in his life he felt inferior to somebody who was younger and below him. He wanted to show he was better than him and redeem himself a little, but after getting on the stage earlier today, he realized he was nowhere near his level at all.


    "I''m sorry for acting rude to you earlier." He apologized. Even though he was arrogant, he knew his ce and after seeing his acting, he knew Joon-won earned his respect.


    Joon-won looked at the kid in front of him, who was suddenly apologizing for being rude. He didn''t understand what got into the kid suddenly to change so much. But seeing him apologize for something which was that small, he couldn''t ignore it.


    So Joon-won nodded and replied, "It''s alright. You don''t need to apologize for something small like this too. Just show a bit of respect to people, they aren''t toys after all. You show respect and people will respect you too, instead of fearing you. If that''s it, I''m going to get going."


    Dokgo Ki looked at the guy''s back for a second before shaking his head. He felt a little relieved after admitting defeat and after hearing him; he wanted to practice harder.


    Joon-won walked out and just as he was about to get on the bus, he heard Kar Jung call out for him from his car at the side. Even San Min was inside. They were asking him to ride with them again.


    Getting inside the car, San Min said, "You did pretty well today. You were able to keep those emotions in check and not get too involved in it like before. If you continue on this path, you''ll get over your problems soon."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "I feel the same way. This practice is helping me more than I thought." His emotions were stable earlier today during the drama, but he was also keeping a constant check on it and that was his next goal, to act such a way he didn''t need to think about it during acting.

 Chapter 109 - Time Skip

    San Min nodded and said, "Right, on to the next one. You have be pretty famous after the drama today. Many of the reviews tell about your acting and it won''t surprise you if scouts ofpanies or movies approach you for audition opportunities. I mean, even today, I git a few calls from some small and medium-sized agencies which were interested in you a little but I told them, I''ll ask you before I give an answer."


    She continued after pausing for a second, "But most of those movies will only give out small roles, which won''t give you much exposure. So, I hope you would not consider those opportunities yet. You can directly get some solid rolester when you are ready, so hang in there for now."


    Joon-won nodded and understood her thought process. Even if he epted the small rolesing his way and eventually get an audition offer in a big movie, he might not be selected like before. He would still have to fix his problems to make the leap into the big leagues.


    San Min noticed him epting her advice and so they changed the conversation. They eventually reached the restaurant and Joon-won got down. He noticed the bus was yet to arrive, but a few people who had cars and bikes were already there waiting for them. San Min and Kar Jung walked into the restaurant as Joon-won stood outside with the others.


    After going in Joon-won mainly ate food, rather than drink. This time, he denied alcohol and only drank a few sips when he was eating. He really loved the food and stuffed himself full. Joon-won didn''t want to stayte likest time and miss his shift at the supermarket, so he made his way out. Standing in front of the restaurant, he felt a little sleepy and so decided to just take a cab instead of the bus.


    In the cab, he received a message from Hea-Jung and he ignored it. He didn''t forget to mute her chat box so that he wouldn''t even see any notification. Joon-won was too tired to talk with a person like Hea-Jung and thought to handle her extra banter the next day.


    Reaching home, he went into the washroom, washed his face a little, and didn''t forget to brush. He ate too much stuff and didn''t want to risk getting any cavities. Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought about the drama once again and couldn''t help but grin a little. It felt very good to act again and be on the stage; he felt a wave of excitement and adrenaline rush after so many decades.


    Taking a deep breath, he decided to get better and go experience what the next step felt like. It was a type of adventure for him, and he couldn''t wait to go into the unknown. Getting out of the bathroom, he changed his clothes and jumped on the bed.


    Just Like that, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a month as there were only a couple of days left until the summer vacation ended for the university students. The past month was a rollercoaster ride for Joon-won, especially after the first drama.


    After the first drama, his name really started to reach the ears of people in the industry. Because of how famous the drama house was, there were many directors, producers, and even actors who watched the shows. A few people called the drama house a few times to inquire about him, ording to San Min, but nothing more than that. ording to Kar Jung, one show wasn''t enough for people to give out precious audition opportunities yet.


    So as time went on, after a couple more dramas, an agent of a talentpany personally asked him to join them and that they would give him quite some money, provide training and even go out to look for roles for him. But he declined it because of two reasons. One he already told Do Hwan that he would join his agency after the summer ends and the other was he himself felt he wasn''t ready yet and felt it would be a waste of time to build connections in a new ce again.


    By his 4th drama, the drama house got calls from film sets for auditions for him. San Min didn''t forget to tell him about those as she couldn''t keep it a secret and it wasn''t her ce to decline them for him. Joon-won also didn''t just decline them outright. After an entire month of drama and honing his skills, he felt he could try a few of them out and so he took a look at the auditions they were offering.


    After going through them, he felt they weren''t worth the time. All of them were minor roles worth ignoring and so he just decided to continue honing his skills andpletely removing his problems.


    San Min and Kar Jung advised him to get an agent for himself so that he could manage all these offers he is getting and also go out to get him offerster on. Joon-won considered their proposal but quickly shot it down after he realized that he didn''t have the money to even hire one. He decided to get one after he became a listed actor and told this Do Hwan. Do Hwan agreed and told him that he would manage these for him until Joon-won hired someone.


    Things around him remained the same throughout the summer. He still went to the gym after his free trial and got into a healthier diet to get into better shape. He also watched a couple of movies over the summer whenever he had some time to spare and took note of some of them. After the apology, he noticed Dokgo Ki trying harder when it came to the auditions and roles. It also seemed like he took his advice, as he wasn''t as nasty as before.


    After his first drama, he didn''t forget to remind Min-Seok and Yun-hee to watch the drama when he got the information that it was released on the app. Only after 5 minutes, he said that he felt his phone vibrate and noticed it was a message from Yun-hee talking about how cool it was on the stage, and messages like this continued the whole way throughout the entire time they watched the drama.


    There were messages asking him how he could be so cruel to the main leads as if she forgot she was only watching a drama. The messages were like livements bymentators during a game. After he replied to a few at the beginning, he muted her chatpletely.


    He then got a call from Min-Seok after the drama was done and he could hear him crying from the other side about how proud he was. Joon-won, who was new to the whole situation, was quiet the entire time and let the guy on the other side let everything out before he spoke. After Min-Seok finished crying, he encouraged him to do better and go farther, promising him they would see every film or drama he is in whether he was good or bad. They were his No.1 supporters and fans in the world. This made Joon-won a little touched at how much support he was getting and this type of unyielding support was specialpared to the other support he received in his previous life.


    After him was Yun-hee, who threw questions at him like a gun. She didn''t calm down until she got all her answers and was satisfied with them. ording to her, she was so proud that she showed the drama to all her friends and many praised him. Probably because of that his phone rang once again and this time it was old ''friends'' who were asking about the drama. A few asked for autographs of their favorite actors as if he was famous enough to get them. After this he wondered if he needed to get another phone number, he didn''t want to deal with these kinds of calls and messages every time in the future, so he decided to get a new one after the summer ended, right before the new semester started.


    Speaking of Yun-hee, her exams were finally over, and was resting at home after them. She didn''t seem too bothered about the results, which woulde in a few days, and already submitted applications to various universities she nned to go to. ording to her, the exams were so easy; she slept thest 10 minutes of the exam. When they asked what universities she applied to, she didn''t answer and instead told both of them that they''ll get to know when she was epted into them. She will know the results of the applications a day after her resultse out.


    Min-Seok, on the other hand, didn''t seem as tired and concerned when he first talked to him. He was more rxed after watching Joon-won''s first drama and Yun-hee''s exam. Even though he was still a bit anxious about the results for her, it wasn''t that concerning. Joon-won felt good after seeing this.


    Aside from this, he also watched a few of Jung-hwa''s dramas when they were uploaded online. He could see her improve a lot during summer vacation. She seemed more confident on the stage and was able to put herself out there more. But she was never the most dominant person on stage. Her presence was still not enough to catch the attention of agencies and this was not going to get solved easily, it could only get solved through more exposure.

 Chapter 110 - End Of Drama House

    Joon-won was now in front of San Min in her office, with Kar Jung leisurely sitting on a couch by the side. He just performed in hisst drama in the drama house, he performed in all the dramas, every week taking up different roles each time to get more practice. San Min called him into her office before they left for the party. He knew what she wanted to talk about and was waiting for her to start.


    San Min looked at the kid in front of her. Even though she thought of him as a kid, she knew he never carried himself like that at all. He seemed more like a mature man with a lot of experience under him and a guy who went through a lot of trials and tribtions. She wasfortable talking around him and felt like she was talking to someone above her age and was receiving advice.


    Shaking the thoughts away, she said, "Well, another good performance tonight from you, Joon-won. This time, all the reviews were basically about your performance and how good you are. Looks like these two months my drama house and its dramas became a showcase for only you and no one else. Some of the other actors were grumbling the other day at how good you were." Joon-won only shrugged hearing her.


    "Yeah, true. Compared to how the reviews in the first drama he performed were, this is way too much. At first, he was only mentioned a little and now the entire thing is about him." Kar Jung chipped in.


    "Well, alright. Now, with this over, let''s talk about you. It looks like you are almost free from your problems. People wouldn''t be able to find them unless they are only looking at you and have a high level of experience to catch them, and there aren''t many people like that in the industry. So tell me, what are you going to do thising week? Your semester starts on Saturday and you would have to report to the ss that day. So would you be performing on Sunday again, or was this thest time?" She said, folding her hands.


    The summer break was over and it was the 25th, the Sunday before thest week, so she needed to know what his next step was. Was he going toe in for anotherst drama or try something out in the free week for any auditions?


    Joon-won shrugged and said, "No, this might be myst drama this summer. Do Hwan asked me to call him tomorrow so that we can meet and talk about the audition requests we received until now and if possible pick one of them as my debut." He got a text from Do Hwan the day before asking him to call so that they could discuss the future. The so-called training period is now over and he needs the experience to improve further.


    San Min nodded and replied, "Well alright, then. Looks like Do Hwan made ns for you. It was nice to have you act here this summer. Our ratings went up quite a lot when you were on stage, so it''s a win for both of us then. Now, let''s get going. Our members won''t be able to enter the restaurant without me." She stood up, signaling the end of their little meeting.


    All of them walked out of the room and Joon-won was thinking about the past 2 months he spent in the theatre, learning. Even though he had ample experience in dramas, that was still not enoughpared to many actors in movies. But the practice he had throughout the break was priceless for the present self. It helped him adapt and now he felt he was ready to go into the movies unlike before.


    He gained more confidence in himself and the hard work he was putting in every week after he started to receive offers from a few production crews. He also heard from San Min that a few reputable directors wereing to the drama house every Sunday just to watch him. It made him feel good for the first time aftering into the world.


    As he stepped out, he heard the system. The system was often silent since it gave out its first advice. Throughout the summer, the system gave a few small pieces of advice whenever he was contemting if he was ready and they helped him to continue further as all of its advice was often spot on.


    [Joon-won, you should be ready now. Take any role you get in the next offers to get some experience in the movie set. Those roles would give you a good feel for how the movie production is. After a few small roles, then we can aim higher.] in its same emotionless voice.


    Joon-won, who stepped out of the room with San Min and Kar Jung, nodded to himself, agreeing with what the system had to say. The minor roles which many people don''t pay much attention to would be perfect for his current situation. Even if he did a few mistakes, there wouldn''t be many problems and he could learn from them instead.


    As the three were walking in the hallway, Kar Jung looked at Joon-won and said, "Well Joon-won, you are finally ready, ready for the next step?" Joon-won just nodded.


    "Well, you also helped around the drama house a bit. That Dokgo Ki, was such an egotistical idiot before he came, but it looks like he came down a few notches after seeing you act and actually started to try to learn how to get better. The others are also following the same trend, seeing a guy still in his first year of university, who only acted for the first time on a big stage here, be better than them. That''s a pleasant sight to see." said San Min. She would be the harshest critic during the practices and noticed everyone improving. That was good for business and the actors themselves, too. So, she felt good about it.


    Hearing her, Joon-won nodded as he also noticed it. After Dokgo Ki apologized to him earlier, he stopped acting like the almighty and remained silent. It also seemed like he was keeping much more effort into his acting skills as they were getting better slowly. Compared to the first time he saw him on stage as the hero, Dokgo Ki now couldpose himself better and not get the emotions better of him.


    It was always good to see people improving more and more because ofpetition. The three continued to walk out and Kar Jung asked, "So, are you going to try the for those lead roles you got offeredst week? You even got an audition chance for a medium-budget movie. That could be a good first movie for you."


    Joon-won shook his head and told his thoughts about going for the smaller roles he got offered rather than the bigger roles so that he could get a feel for it. San Min agreed with him and said that was rather a wise decision, as he wasn''t being too hasty about it.


    All three of them walked out of the building and saw that most of the people already started to make their way towards the venue for a nice party. Joon-won also decided to join the group, as it might be hisst time. Kar Jung asked both of them to wait for a second as he made his way to the parking lot, leaving them both alone.


    San Min looked at Joon-won and said, "Joon-won tomorrow when you go to meet Do Hwan tell him you would rather take smaller roles or else he would go into his own fantasies. After you tell him your idea, leave it there and he will select the perfect role for your own choice. He has a good eye when ites to these things."


    Joon-won nodded and before he could respond by saying anything, his phone rang. He took it out and noticed it was actually from the devil herself, Hea-Jung. Both of them didn''t talk for a while as she was busy with the shoot and told him that the shoot was going into the main parts of the film.


    He picked up the call and before he could even say hi, Hea-Jung''s voice sted from the other side, "Joon-won,e to Jade Mountains tomorrow morning asap. I have already booked you a train for tomorrow morning at 6 and I will send you the ticket in a few minutes. Don''t ask why right now. I''ll tell you on the phone tomorrow morning. All you need to know is that I managed to get you a role in the film right now and I bet some of my sry that you will be the right fit for the role. You might need to stay here for a week too, so pack your clothes ordingly. Alright, I''m still on the set right now and can''t talk. Trust your lovely Senior and Come." and hang up the phone.


    Joon-won nkly looked at the phone before turning towards San Min and said, "I think I might have to go to Jade Mountains tomorrow for a role."

 Chapter 111 - Hea-Jungs Recklessness

    *MEANWHILE AT JADE MOUNTAINS*


    Hea-Jung looked at her phone for a second before keeping it back in her bag next to her. She nced to the side and saw a young woman a few years older than her looking at her with a book in her hands and said.


    "Sister Han, I told him and he will be here on the first train tomorrow morning. Please pick him up at the train station tomorrow and bring him here. Tomorrow I might have to act and won''t be able to meet him as soon as he arrives, so I should depend on you to tell him about everything."


    Sister Han, who continued to look at her with a worried face, said, "Hea-Jung, will it really be ok? This is your first film, and you made a wager against the director himself that your rmendation is on point and that your junior would be better than who he chose. It might lead to problems in the future for you. People might talk bad about you. You should consider this once again and, if possible, apologize to the director once." Sister Han or Han Ju was Hea-Jung''s assistant and took care of her. She was really worried about the present situation.


    Hea-Jung looked at her assistant with a slight smile and said, "Don''t worry too much about it Sister Han. Have I ever made a wrong judgment? You have been with me for a long time. Well, let''s forget about me requesting it. Do you think he doesn''t have a chance for the role? I mean, you saw his acting the past month. He is good enough for the small role right now. If it wasn''t for the sudden vacancy because the actor got sick or something and coincidentally we are also low in time, I wouldn''t have thought about it."


    "And also, do you really think that director would allow me to bring him up if he doesn''t believe Joon-won would be able to fill in the role? I mean, you also heard him praise Joon-won a few times when I showed him Joon-won''s acting. He is just ying hard to get. You know how the director is. Anyway, I think the shoot is going to begin again. I need to go."


    As Hea-Jung stood up and was about to make her way towards the shooting area, Han Ju once again asked, "Will this all really be ok?" Hea-Jung just waved her hand and walked towards the set. Han Ju sighed looking at her and thought about how this all started during lunchtime.


    The director asked everyone to leave for lunch after a sessful shoot and as Hea-Jung was about to have lunch with her, both of them heard the director shout. They turned around to see and hear him shouting at the assistant director, saying, "What? He isn''t well? What happened to him suddenly? I thought he was fine and ready to act only a few days ago."


    Both of them looked at each other and Han Ju asked a worker next to them, "What is going on again? Why is the director going off again?"


    The worker, startled, looked at her and then at Hea-Jung before saying, "Ah, yes assistant Han. It seems like the actor which has to y the role tomorrow is sick and can not continue. So the director must be stressed about that."


    Hea-Jung then asked, "What was the role again? It was an important role which appears two or three times right?"


    The worker nodded and said, "It''s the role of the shopkeeper who witnessed the kidnapping scene. Tomorrow would be his first appearance in the film." making Hea-Jung nod.


    The film they were making was a crime/thriller. Her role was also a fellow detective along with the hero, and the heroine was a forensic scientist. The scene they had to shoot tomorrow was almost in the middle of the film and she would be the one interrogating the shopkeeper if he knew anything. So, the role itself was minor, as the actor would only have 2 or 3 appearances at max.


    Hea-Jung just shrugged it off and walked off. Han Ju thanked the worker and quickly followed behind her. As both of them were eating, Hea-Jung looked dazed as if she was thinking about something and wasn''t eating much of her food. Han Ju noticed this and nudged her a little as the shoot would continue soon after the small break.


    Hea-Jung didn''t mind Han Ju and murmured, "If that actor is not going toe then that means the role is open and the crew needs to fill it. What If Joon-won yed that role? He would be perfect for the minor role now? What do you think, sister Han? Joon-won would be perfect for it." She turned towards Han Ju and asked.


    Han Ju dropped the chopsticks she had in her hand and looked at Hea-Jung. She didn''t understand what the girl was getting on about.


    "Hea-Jung, what are you saying? Joon-won? That junior of yours who acts at Roses? Why are you suddenly bringing him into this? It has nothing to do with us. The production crew would just have someone y that role. Don''t worry about it."


    "No no, listen to me, Sister Han. That guy is now ready to act in movies. I mean, you saw him acting right. He is ready now. He has so much talent and a small role like this is perfect for him to start in movies and get used to the set and other stuff. Plus, I will be here to answer any problems he might have as his senior. So,e let''s go and show the director thetest drama in which he acted." And started to make her way towards the director''s tent at mid-lunch.


    Han Ju''s mouth was wide open as she saw her walk towards the director''s tent. She looked at her food for a second before suppressing her hunger and making her way towards the director''s tent to control Hea-Jung.


    When she reached the tent she could already hear Hea-Jung trying to convince the director.


    "Director, this guy is perfect for a minor role like this. This will solve the problem we are facing. I mean see watch this drama, here he is the actor I am talking about. He is very talented, as you can see. He is my junior and as you can see he acts well. Give that role to him, Director." Han Ju entered the tent and saw the director, his assistants, and producers sitting while Hea-Jung had her phone in her hand while pointing at it. The director had a calm face as he watched the drama ying on the phone and after a few minutes of watching it, he pushed aside the phone and said.


    "Miss.Choi, you know how important the role is right. This guy seems like has no experience in movies until now. How can you expect me to trust a newbie like him? Also, we don''t have much time at all and we need to get this shot done by tomorrow night. How are you sure that he will be here and be ready to act in the role within one day. If he doesn''t act well, it will only result in time loss for us."


    Even after hearing the director''s concerns, Hea-Jung wasn''t the type to back down and directly said, "Director, how about we make a small bet then. I am confident in this junior of mine. If you agree he will be here tomorrow first thing in the morning and is ready to act immediately. He won''t even take much time to get the lines and roles. If you do not seem to like his acting and we waste time, you can cut half of my remaining remuneration. How about that? I heard the crew is running low on a budget right now. So, think about it, half of my budget."


    The director looked at the excited Hea-Jung for a second and said, "alright, give me some time. I will tell you by tonight after seeing some more of his acting. Now go get ready for the next shoot." Hea-Jung thanked the director and walked out with Han Ju.


    As soon as they got back, Han Ju asked, "What did you just say there, Hea-Jung? You will ept a pay cut for a junior if he does any mistake? This is abnormal. Think about it for a second at least. Hiaz, you are so rash." she sighed. She couldn''t believe how rash the girl could get any more. Hea-Jung was the type to get what she wants by any means.


    Hea-Jung, on the other hand, didn''t hear herints and just continued to eat her food. Later that night, one of the assistant directors came to them and said that the director said it was ok to call Joon-won and that the bet was on.


    Han Ju just hoped that Joon-won would not disappoint them both and make Hea-Jung lose face at her first movie.

 Chapter 112 - Reaction

    "What was the call about? It seemed like she didn''t even give you a chance to greet her. What was she shouting on the other side for you to make that face? Did she do something abrupt again? I swear that child is getting out of hand once again." San Min asked him as he stared at her nkly.


    Joon-won didn''t know how to feel at all. The mad little girl was at it again and this time she was demanding too much. She asked him to pack his things and get on the first train to somewhere he didn''t even know and on top of that, she also said something about getting a role. ??


    He turned towards San Min and said, "She called to tell me to pack my bag for a week and get on a train early in the morning for Jade Mountains." And then looked at the phone as he heard a notification. It was from Hea-Jung. She sent him the train ticket, and he noticed it was at 5:30.


    "There is the train ticket she booked for me. She didn''t give me a chance to even deny it. She switched off her phone." Joon-won was a bit frustrated with the girl. Just when he thought she wasn''t that unruly she did something again.


    "That girl is beingpletely unreasonable again. She has been like this since childhood and I thought she would change after she started her career as an actor. Seems like she is still the same. So what is the reason she wants you at Jade Mountains? Isn''t that where their current shoot is at?" San Min rubbed her forehead while sighing at how unreasonable Hea-Jung has always been.


    Joon-won took a deep breath to rx his nerves a little and said, "She said something about a role in the movie she is doing. She said she will tell me the rest of the details after I arrive there. She also said something about getting her sry on me."


    San Min hummed and replied, "She got you a role in the movie? And what is this about betting sries now? That girl went against the director in the first movie? Oh god! Well since she was able to go that far for a role you should at least consider it. Once call Do Hwan and tell him the situation, he will know what to do."


    Joon-won sighed at how troublesome Hea-Jung was and called Do Hwan. Do Hwan picked up the phone and briefly exined to him the situation.


    "She did what now? She called you and told you she has a role? Why didn''t she call me for this before you? This little brat is really going out of control. I need to tell her mother about this. And she also had a bet? Against the director of all people? Why is she being so dumb about stuff all of a sudden? This girl would be the death of me. Alright, you go home and wait for my call. I''ll call her assistant and ask about the details." Joon-won thanked him before he said to San Min, who was looking at him.


    "He said he will call her assistant and ask about the details. For now, he asked me to go back home and wait for his call."


    "Alright then go back home now. Oh Kar Jung also came, I''ll go with him to the party then, the others would be waiting for us there." She patted his back and walked towards the car waiting for them.


    Kar Jung looked out the window and shouted, "Why isn''t heing?"


    San Min got inside and replied, "That brat Hea-Jung created problems again. She called and told him to get on the train for Jade Mountains tomorrow morning because she got him a role in the movie she is acting in."


    Kar Jung raised an eyebrow and said, "She did what now? Well that girl has always been like that. Kid, you should discipline her too." He shouted out of the car towards Joon-won. Joon-won just waved his hands and walked off towards the bus stand.


    Seeing Joon-won walk off, San Min turned towards Kar Jung and asked, "You think that giy can discipline that rowdy girl?"


    Kar Jung just smiled and replied, "If anyone it''s him." And drove off.


    It didn''t take long for Joon-won to reach home as he went right into the washroom to get fresh. Wiping his face with the tovel hees out and hears his phone ring. He picks up the phone as it was Do Hwan.


    "Joon-won, you should go to the Jade Mountains tomorrow. That girl would get into trouble if you don''t. I got all the details from her assistant just now and it seems like one of the actors suddenly called in sick when he was supposed to be there tomorrow and the crew can''t dy the shoot anymore. So she suggested you to that role."


    Joon-won sighed hearing this and asked, "How is the role?"


    "The role is fine. It''s a small role where you might appear only 2-3 times in the movie, that''s all. It''s perfect for what you are hoping for. Since she already arranged it, just go there and show your talents to make everyone feel good about you filling in."


    Joon-won nodded and continued to ask, "What is the role then? She didn''t even tell me that."


    "You can ask her assistant about the role when shees to pick you up tomorrow morning. Just know that they might ask you to act tomorrow night itself, so you won''t have much time. You''ll have all the details tomorrow morning, so everything will be ok. Her assistant told me that the scene tomorrow is a small one which doesn''t need much preparation. Pack clothes for a week and you will be fine. Do you want me to send someone to drive you to the station tomorrow morning?"


    Joon-won thanked him but said he would be ok and cut the call. He walked into his room and started to pack his clothes and essentials.

 Chapter 113 - Train And Calls

    Joon-won came out of the washroom early in the morning. He looked out of the balcony window and saw that the sun had yet to rise and everything was still dark. It was only 4:30, he barely got any sleep, but the train was at 5:30 and it would take him at least 45 minutes to get to the station by cab. So he woke up early.


    Wearing some clothes, he grabbed the bag he packed all his clothes and necessities in before taking his phone and wallet. He turned off all the lights and walked out of the room. ??


    Walking out of the building, he could feel the cold air and sighed. He took a note in his mind to get some sense into Hea-Jung''s mind after he met with her. She was just too reckless, not only for her own good but also for others. He looked around and found a cab parked around the corner of the street.


    He walked up and knocked on the driver''s window as he was sleeping. Jolted awake, the driver noticed him and rolled down the window.


    "Where?"


    "To the train station, please."


    "Alright then, get in. I''ll take extra money on the meter." Pointing at the meter beside him. Joon-won nodded and got in with his bag.


    He slept as the music sted in his ears and only woke up when the cab came to a stop. He got out, paid an extra 20 percent on the cost, and checked the time. He still had 15 minutes for the train. Walking inside, he asked the guy at the front desk for the tform and made his way.


    He sat on the bench and sighed once again. The journey was going to be 3 hours. It was pretty long. At times like this, he missed his old world a bit. As the king, he never had to wait because of the magic there. He had a space magic specialist at service at all times, even in the middle of the night.


    As he thought about his old world, the train came by and he got in. He showed his ticket to the collector and took his seat. Hea-Jung booked him a first-ss ticket with his own room. Keeping the bag under the bed, he got on the bed. He was still sleepy.


    He woke up again by a call. Rubbing his eyes, he checked the time and noticed there was still an hour left. He then noticed the caller. It was Jung-hwa. Joon-won actually contemted for a minute if he really needed to hear Jung-hwa''s voice early in the morning. So he ignored the call.


    As he was about to go back to sleep, the phone rang once again. He cursed a little and picked up the call. It would be rude of him to ignore the girl twice. But before she could say anything, he made things very clear.


    "Cheo Jung-hwa, I swear if this isn''t something important, I will rip you apart the next time I see you. So think carefully before you speak."


    Jung-hwa was silent after she heard him and said, "I just wanted to know if you really got a role and if you did congratte you, too. That''s all."


    Joon-won sighed hearing her. It was kinda frustrating, but the girl had nice intentions. Taking a deep breath and calming his nerves, he asked, "I still didn''t get the role. I''m going there to try out and if the director likes it, then yes, I have a role. But how do you know about this? No one actually knows about it."


    Jung-hwaughed hearing his question and replied, "You underestimate the powers of Jung-hwa. I got to know it from Mr. Hwan. He told me just now. He called me to ask about how my acting has been and told me you got a role to encourage me. I immediately called you right after." Like Joon-won, even her acting was elevated due to the practical experience she got from the dramas throughout the summer. She never managed to get a lead role, but she got really close on multiple asions and even Do Hwan was happy with her progress too.


    This time, it was Do Hwan''s turn to get cursed. ''That damn idiot couldn''t keep his mouth shut. Now I have to deal with an over-excited teenager.'' As a guy who lived for hundred years and more, both of them were like kids to him.


    "Alright then, is that all? I''ll cut the call then." As he tried to finish the call there itself.


    "Wait, one more thing." Just as he was about to do it, he heard her again. He didn''t answer, but he waited for her to continue.


    "Can you send me a few pictures? You know of the set, like how it looks and how behind the camera work is and everything. Please don''t say no."


    "Alright, I''ll see what I can do." And he didn''t give her a chance to continue. He set the phone aside and didn''t go back to sleep anymore. He looked out the window and saw fields. The time was 7:30 and he could see a few workers on the fields. He continued to enjoy the peaceful ride until his phone rang once again, and this time it was from his father.


    Joon-won sighed and immediately knew why they were calling. But unlike Jung-hwa''s call, he couldn''t ignore this one, so he answered it.


    "Are you really acting in a movie?" he heard Yun-hee''s high pitch voice from the other side this time.


    He sighed and exined things clearly to both of them before telling them he will again after he reaches the hotel. He didn''t want any more calls and just turned the phone to silent.


    After another hour, the train finally came to a stop, and he walked outside the station with his bag. He took out his phone and was about to call Hea-Jung before he heard someone call for him.

 Chapter 114 - Han Ju Talk

    "Kim Joon-won?" Han Ju called out to him as soon as he walked out of the railway station. She instantly recognized his face from all the dramas he has seen because of Hea-Jung acting as a hype man for him.


    Joon-won noticed her and walked towards her. Han Ju went for a handshake when he came near and introduced herself. "Hello, Joon-won. I am Hea-Jung''s assistant. I take care of everything for her like managing stuff and other things. She asked me to pick you up." Joon-won responded while thanking her. ??


    "Thank you, Miss. Han."


    "Alright then, throw your bag on the backseat and get in. I''ll give you a basic rundown on the movie, your script, and the role you will be ying while we drive towards the hotel so you could get ready." while pointing at the car in the back. They both made their way and Joon-won did as Han Ju said by throwing the bag and taking the passenger seat.


    "Well, first of all, wee to Jade town. The shooting is mostly taking ce in this town entirely as the movie is medium budget and most of the scenes in the movie are inside a police station. We had to make aplete police station from scratch here, after finding an appropriate ce."


    "But whye this far? I mean, there are many movie sets of the police stations on the outskirts of Arios City itself, right? That would be cheaper for the production crew too." He thought it was dumb to waste all the money when there were manypanies in Arios which have prepared movie sets like hospitals or police stations. Renting was a cheaper option.


    Han Ju simply shrugged and said, "I don''t know. I heard the producers tried to exin to the directors about this option but he was adamant about making one here as most of the scenes in the movie also happen to need mountains. You know this movie is a crime/thriller right?" making him nod. He heard about it from Do Hwan as Hea-Jung wanted to keep it as a ''surprise'' for him.


    "Great, that girl didn''t want to keep the movie itself a surprise, at least. If you want your role script, it''s in the glove box. As your role is small, you won''t get the full script of the movie, so I will tell you the main overview of the story so you can do better," while pointing at the glove box. Joon-won took out a 2-page script as she continued.


    "Alright the movie is simple, it''s about a murder case and the hero is a detective on the case while the heroine is a forensic scientist. Right, Hea-Jung is also a detective. So the whole story is about solving this one murder which has many other problems attached to it and your role is the solution to the murder."


    "I''m the witness?" He asked out loud as he looked at the script.


    "Yes, you are the witness. You saw the abduction which led to the murder happening but was too scared toe forward and during the 2nd half of the film is when the detectives find you."


    "A simple scene. So, is Hea-Jung at the hotel?"


    "You can''t meet her now. She woke up early for the shoot and is still there. She asked me to get you there and will be there to have lunch with you, too. That girl has been very busy thest few days as her scenes got jam-packed." She said while sighing.


    "It''s alright for her to get busy. She wasining at the start that the director was dumb to not making her work and that she was very bored on sets. This will set her up properly." He ruthlessly shot at Hea-Jung. He was still a bit pissed at her for everything that happened in thest 12 hours and what he said was also true as she was very bored to death on the phone calls and text messages.


    Han Ju nodded hearing him but at the same time, she was also taken back at how straightforward the guy was. She heard a few stories about him from Hea-Jung about how ruthless he was with her but it was the first time seeing it. She thought the guy would be a little different because Hea-Jung brought him a golden egg to kick start his career. At that moment, she instantly took a note to talk with Hea-Jung a little and if possible, have a talk with Joon-won himself about showing respect.


    If he knew her thoughts, Joon-won would ask her to stop the car and go right back to the train station and wait for the next train back to Arios.


    The car eventually came to a stop in front of a small hotel. Both of them got down after parking the car and got in. Joon-won noticed it was a 2- star hotel, a pretty small one at that, and seeing this he only hoped for a nice bed to sleep on.


    "Do the other actors also live in this hotel?"


    Han Ju nced at him and replied, "Of Course not. The main leads and other important characters of the movie live in the only 4-star hotel of the film while other actors live in various 3 and 2-star hotels. Anyway, this is your room. You can call me if you need anything and I''ll call you for lunch." She opened the door of his room and went in. She didn''t forget to give her card while walking out of the room, too.


    Joon-won looked at his small room and knew he couldn''t expect any better from a 2-star hotel. There was a small, probably a decade-old television, a phone to call, and a bed. He also noticed a nightmp on the table side of the bed. Keeping the bag on the bed, he checked if it was good enough and sighed in relief after he felt a little satisfied. He checked the bathroom and took out his essential pouch.


    After washing his face and everything, he finally got to the script. He was told he only had till night to get the first scene down so that they could start the shoot. So he slowly went through the script once again.


    He had a total of 3 scenes in the movie. The first scene which he was supposed to shoot tonight was going to be between him and Hea-Jung. He, the shopkeeper, was at his job, sitting behind the desk on his phone. Then Hea-Jung, aka Detective Lan, her character, woulde up to him and ask him if she could have some of his time after showing her batch.


    Then both of them go to the side, somewhere private, and have a talk. Detective Lan starts to question him about the night of the abduction. But this was where the tricky part came in. His character shows signs of anxiousness, which Detective Lan fails to notice and goes away after he lies.


    That was the first scene in his first-ever movie. It was pretty simple, and it was easy for him to be anxious, but to be right, Joon-won took out his phone and searched for bodynguage that depicts anxiousness. His character needed to be subtly anxious, such that the detective doesn''t find it. His anxiety is found when the hero hears the recording of the questioning and finds out that he sounded anxious. Then he asks Hea-Jung if he saw any signs and she remembers she did before they call him into the station for questioning.


    Joon-won closed his eyes and imagined the scene with the props and everything. It started with him behind the counter, so he positioned himself at the edge of the bed with his phone in his hands. He continued to y games until he heard a knock and looked up.


    The scene continued as he continued to practice a couple of times until he felt he got the anxiety signs down. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and felt they were a little heavy. After washing his face, he felt fine and finally noticed the time on his phone.


    It was already 12. He spent 2 hours practicing so hard that he didn''t even know the time. He then finally got the call he was waiting for. It was from Han Ju.


    "Joon-won, we will be there in 10 minutes, be ready." He gave a simple ok and cut the call.


    He changed his clothes and walked down the hotel into the lobby to wait for them. After a few minutes, a car rolled by and he looked outside to see Han Ju waving at him from behind the wheel.


    As he went outside and was about to get into the passenger seat, he heard Hea-Jun''s tired voice, "Joon-wone to the back seat. I have so much to talk to you and give advice as your senior." he looked inside and saw her stupid grin.

 Chapter 115 - Car Journey

    Joon-won was on the backseat, looking outside the window whilepletely ignoring the rambling machine at his side. Since he got in the car, he ignored Hea-Jung''s constant boasting and chatter. She hasn''t stopped since he got on and was constantly talking about how good she was as a senior.


    He sighed and finally looked to the side and said, cutting her off, "Alright, Hea-Jung. Stop talking for a second. Now talk a deep breath and control yourself. It looks like you are getting cocky once again aftering here." Narrowing his eyes a little. Han Ju looked in the mirror at him after hearing his words.??


    Hea-Jung was startled a little when she heard him and said, "Of course I''m not getting cocky, my smartass junior. I am just telling about my experiences in the set so that they can be helpful for you. Come on, don''t be that angry with me now." while averting her eyes a little. She was trying to show off towards him as she felt she had a little upper hand, but he found out.


    Joon-won took a deep breath and looked at the lying girl. He looked outside the window and said, "Do you know what you did wrong? I hope you do. Because you didn''t even tell Do Hwan of all people." mentioning her abrupt decisions yesterday. Even though he was a little grateful for the role, he didn''t like her doing things on a whim.


    This time Hea-Jung hung her head down and apologized for her mistake, "I''m really sorry little brother. I just got too excited, and you also had the drama back there, so you wouldn''t be able to pick my calls, anyway. That''s why I decided on my own. Don''t be too angry at me, I am sure you won''t regret my decision." And her voice got lower and lower as she continued.


    Han Ju was about to speak up and try to refute Joon-won but stopped when she saw Hea-Jung sending her a re through the mirror. She swallowed it and decided to just remain silent for the time being and talk with her in private.


    Joon-won didn''t notice it and just remained silent. He had one leg over the other and his chin on his hand. He hummed for a second and replied, "It''s alright if you understand. But you should at least think twice or even thrice before you do things from now on. If this goes on, you could make rash decisions that are nowhere good for you. So try to understand what I am saying and learn instead."


    "Next time you have anything like this for anyone, you should either give them a call before giving out promises. If I fail in this role tonight, that will not only look bad on you but also give me a very bad start in the industry. Both of us would have problems in the future. You would be seen as non-cooperative, which is important in this field and I would be seen as a dumb idiot who didn''t use his chance well. So think properly next time."


    He felt a bit helpless at the girl. She only did what she thought was right, but she didn''t think of theplications that would bring, and that was always a bad thing. But he could just startshing out at her as if she was a young girl. She was an adult who had to be a little more responsible, that''s all. So he hoped she would slowly learn from his numerous lectures.


    "Oh, I am not at all afraid of you failing at all. I am very confident as your senior sister that you would uphold my face in front of everyone tonight. So you don''t need to worry. But all aside, tonight is going to be interesting, don''t you think? I mean, I am the detective hahahahaha, I get to interrogate you." With her hands on her hips, acting like a boss.


    Joon-won looked at her before shaking his head and looking out again. He had no more energy to exin. The journey continued until they finally reached the restaurant. As they got down, Hea-Jung introduced the ce.


    "Ie here almost every day or get orders. The food here is great. Come, let''s go in." And she was about to walk in, she was stopped by Han Ju who held the helm of her shirt asking if they could speak a little.


    Seeing her expression, Hea-Jung turned towards Joon-won, asked to go inside and start ordering food as they had to speak about the shooting schedule in private a bit. Joon-won just shrugged them both off and walked into the restaurant. Hea-Jung looked at Han Ju after he entered the restaurant and asked.


    "What happened, Sister Han? You are acting very strange and I don''t like it much. So make this very serious or I''ll get angry." She was serious as she didn''t like what Han Ju was doing. She noticed Han Ju was getting riled up about something and that it also had something to do with Joon-won.


    Han Ju looked at Hea-Jung for a second and said, "It''s not me who is acting strange. It''s you. Why are you so... I don''t know, docile? when you are talking to him. I mean, you even talk back to the director and everyone. But when ites to him you are even apologizing even when you did no mistake." She just found it strange and was unable to ept the weird thoughts she had in her brain about the situation.


    "Please don''t tell me you are in love with him. That is very bad for you, Hea-Jung. You are just starting on your acting journey and things like this can be huge burdens in the process of things. So tell me now if you are. I don''t want to be in the dark about things like this. Your mother trusted me to deal with all these kinds of things, and I can''t let her down."


    Hea-Jung kept quiet, hearing all Han Ju said. She folded her hands and had an eyebrow lifted as if she was angry. But suddenly she started tough out loud. So loud that some people on the streets turned their heads towards them. Han Ju felt embarrassed seeing all the stares and said while pulling both of them to the side.


    "Hea-Jung, do you think this is funny? Do notugh like an idiot. Everyone is staring at us. This conversation isn''t a joke at all." Acting very stern. She didn''t like the stares they were getting, she didn''t like Hea-Jung herself taking her as a joke, she also didn''t like Joon-won.


    Hearing her, Hea-Jung went silent as her head was facing down. She whipped her hair up and looked at Han Ju with a very deadpan expression. She took a deep breath and said, "Then what? What should I think if this isn''t a joke? Should I think you are crazy or something? Should we go to a hospital? Tell me?" Demanding an answer. Hea-Jung was feeling extremely unpleasant right now. She hated being stopped and questioned like this, especially when the questions are extremely dumb and idiotic like Han Ju''s.


    Han Ju, on the other hand, was taken back at the questions she heard and couldn''t respond. This was the first time since both of them started working did she see Hea-Jung angry and deadly serious about something. She saw her angry, but never to the extent, she was seeing now. So she just kept looking at Hea-Jung to continue.


    So Hea-Jung did continue, "I don''t know if you lost a part of your brain. Since yesterday you were very apprehensive about Joon-won and my decision. I know you are just caring about me and things, but do you think I''m dumb? Tell me. I might be a bit reckless, but I''m not dumb. I know what I am doing and I don''t need to exin anything to you. But since you are like a sister to me, I exined to you what I thought, but you are still being like an ass."


    Han Ju stammered a retort, "But, that guy isn''t grateful at all. I mean, you got him a good role, but he is instead of scolding you. I haven''t heard a single thank you from his mouth since he came here. Who does he think he is?"


    "You think there is any need for him to thank me? You are being dumb if you think that. Do you want to know what he thinks of himself? He thinks of himself as the best actor in the world and I think he should. He would be the best actor and even if I didn''t give this chance to him, he could still get a good role elsewhere to start off with his talents. This is just me doing things as someone who has high hopes for him and also as a friend." She didn''t give Han Ju any chance to talk and just continued to walk back.


    "And you think I like him? Please, just after speaking and watching him for a few days, I knew he would never be interested in me, just like I won''t be. So just shut your mind off and follow my orders till this ends."

 Chapter 116 - Schooling Han Ju

    As Hea-Jung came inside, she already spotted Joon-won sitting by a window having a local delicacy. It seemed like he didn''t even bother waiting, but she had no problem as she just went and sat opposite to him while calling for a waiter to order for herself and Han Ju.


    She said as she sat opposite Joon-won, who was silently enjoying the food, "Little brother, you didn''t even bother to show me some face by waiting. It feels so bad brother." With an eyebrow raised. ??


    Joon-won didn''t bother to immediately reply either. He slowly chewed the food in his mouth while enjoying the vor and only said after drinking some water.


    "Did you forget I haven''t eaten anything until now? I had no breakfast and you want me to wait while you and your assistant talk something about me behind my back? I''m not that gentlemanly." He knew both of them spoke about him just now when Hea-Jung said they needed to speak about shooting. It was easy to see through her lie and not only that, but he saw the stares he got from Han Ju herself during the morning ride and when they got down before. So it was pretty obvious to him.


    Hea-Jung, a grandmaster at the art of being thick-skinned, simply smiled and replied, "What are you talking about, little brother? We obviously spoke about the shooting schedules, as they had to change a little. Now, do you like the local dishes? I enjoyed them a lot." Trying to also skillfully change the subject.


    As Joon-won responded, even Han Ju got closer to them and heard the conversation, "Don''t think you can fool me like others, Hea-Jung. I obviously know that both of you talked something bad about me just now and honestly, I don''t care. And the dishes? There is a pretty good variety of meat here. So all is well." And continued to eat some more.


    Han Ju stepped forward and said, "Don''t think too much, Joon-won. We only talked about the shooting and schedule she has. After all, her role is important." Even after Hea-Jung telling her to calm down and not talk, she didn''t like Joon-won at all. He was arrogant and didn''t even bother to hide it. She felt Hea-Jung was losing her mind a little and so didn''t think about her warning earlier.


    Joon-won didn''t respond or even look at her, he simply continued to chew the food and after he did, he looked at Hea-Jung who was a.but worried about the situation. She didn''t know what Han Ju was up to and knew her words won''t get through anymore.


    "Hea-Jung, it looks like you don''t even know how to manage your people at all. They really have no basic manners at all. Even if you feel like they are family and respect them, you should still correct them and if needed, punish them a little too. Since you aren''t teaching this delusional assistant of yours, I''ll do it for you, as a little brother." With a small smile on his face.


    He lookedpletely different as he said that, it was the king inside him who just spoke, the king whoid dormant until then. He looked over an entire kingdom and knew a thing or two about managing people, so he didn''t like the attitude Han Ju just showed. Before this when others looked down on him in the past months, this didn''te out as he didn''t care, but he started to realize that people were taking his easy-going self a little too leniently, especially people like Han Ju who had a good look of the outside world unlike the kids back at University.


    Joon-won stood up and slowly walked towards Han Ju, who was a few feet away from them. He stopped right before her and looked down at her, as she was a few inches smaller than him. His eyes glowed a little as the small smile widened, too. He slowly spoke as his voice carried immense power and pressure unlike ever before after he came into the world.


    "Little girl, who do you think you are to lie in front of me like that, even after I said let it go. Do you want to continue your dilly dally actions that much? Do you want me to tell you what you guys might have said about me out there? I tried to be lenient and easygoing as this one week is pretty important to me but it looks like bugs like you are everywhere in society. So do you want me to tell you what you said?" He looked like a beast ready to pounce on Han Ju.


    Han Ju, at that point, was scared. She didn''t know what got into the kid in front of her but he seemed like apletely different person. As a person from a fairly good background and had her fair share of meeting with powerful people when following Hea-Jung and her mother before that, she felt scared and dread when facing Joon-won. It was like she was a puny ant before him and just wanted to kowtow for forgiveness.


    She tried to reply but her mouth just went dry and she stood standing like that, petrified. Joon-won noticed her state, so he continued, "I have been noticing your actions since morning. Earlier today when you picked me up, you already had some kind of resentment towards me as if I stole your favorite doll. And it got worse on the ride here. So you must have spoken about me being ''disrespectful'' towards Hea-Jung and wanted her to put me in ce. Am I right? Now Hea-Jung, do you think I am disrespectful towards you" he asked Hea-Jung at the end while turning towards her. Hea-Jung just nkly shook her head in response. Her mind still didn''t fully register his sudden change.


    "See that girl right there has no problem with it. So who the f*ck are you to squeeze between and try to reprimand me? Seeing how idiotic you are, you must have also thought, I like her or she likes me. Do you think I would go around liking girls on random? Do you think I''m like other men? So you better throw those ideas in a trash bin before things get out of hand. The only reason I''m still talking to you is that you are Hea-Jung''s assistant, if not your nothing. So keep that in mind when you are around me." And slowly walked back to his seat before he continued to eat in silence.


    He took the time to calm down a little and get his mind back to normal. He hated this side of him. It was not Joon-won or his old self, Zhen Su, who spoke. It was the King of Zen. As the King, he had a different aura and persona to show in front of his people and it was more domineering than the artist Zhen Su or the dead Joon-won.


    The waiter came out with the food after a minute and noticed the awkward atmosphere around the table. He noticed Han Ju, who stood with a pale face, and Hea-Jung, who also had a nk look. He contemted a little if it was the right time to serve the food, but did so after noticing the calm Joon-won enjoying his food.


    Hea-Jung woke up from the nk state when she heard the te being kept and the food aroma. She looked at Joon-won, who was still calmly eating his own food, and then at Han Ju, who stood there like a ghost. She knew Han Ju got struck very hard. Han Ju was a nice woman who cared a lot about her, but there were also times she took things too far because she cared about her and she got schooled this time when she did.


    So she simply stood up and shook Han Ju a little, waking her up before taking her to another table a bit far away. She asked the waiter to bring her food there instead of the other table and also told Han Ju to take her time to calm down as they were eating. After making sure Han Ju was doing better she sat back in her seat and took a deep breath to once again calm herself a little before she started eating her own food.


    In the middle of the dead silent dinner, she decided to break the ice and said to Joon-won, "I think we should open up a restaurant back at Arios for exclusively this food. What do you think, little brother?" She was testing the waters after that huge tsunami.


    Joon-won took the final bite of his food and said after drinking some water, "We can try to open one. The food in this town looks good and there might be quite a lot of people who would want to try it too." With a small smile like he always had. Hea-Jung felt relieved when he responded normally like he always did.

 Chapter 117 - Film Set

    SMALL NOTICE- Alright guys, this is it. But one small request for me. Do not be too decisive about this part. I have never been to a set and learnt some stuff for the book through youtube videos. That''s all. So my knowledge is small and it''s mainly my imagination. Please be patient with me.


    *********************************************??


    After they finished the dinner, Joon-won let the richdy on the table handle the payment. Hea-Jung looked at him with a disgruntled expression and said while handing over her card to the waiter, "How can you let ady pay, little brother? I am worried if any woman at all would like you after a single dinner."


    Joon-won looked at her and replied, "I would have considered paying if one I had any interest in the opposite woman if not, I pay my half and get done. Two, if the other woman was poor and could not afford to pay for a meal. Knowing you, you have enough money to live happily for the rest of your life, even if you don''t work. So take care of it for now." Hea-Jung just clicked her tongue and changed the topic.


    "So, what are going to do for the rest of the day? Even if I would like to spend some time with you here as it''s very bored around here, I should go back to the shoot because my shoot will begin in an hour or so."


    Joon-won just shrugged and replied, "I don''t know. I''ll probably go back to the room and practice today''s scene a little more and rest. There isn''t much to do when the role is as small and direct as this one. You can just call me when I have to get there for the shoot and I''ll be there."


    Hea-Jung hummed a little and said while pping her hand, "I know what you can do. Come with me to the set. You can see the set before it''s your time to shoot and you will be able to understand the situation better around there. Also, the set we will be using for the scene tonight is ready yesterday itself, so you can even check that out. What do you say? Wannae?"


    Joon-won thought for a second and nodded. He already got the scene down for the shoot and so he would at most only just go and catch some sleep. Instead of that, he could go a few hours earlier to the shooting area and see how things are. After all, it was still his first time, and he was also curious about things.


    Hea-Jung happily nodded and stood up as the server brought back her card. She waved her hand towards Han Ju, who was still sitting far from them, and said, "Alright then, let''s go, Sister Han. Joon-won would being with us to the set too." Joon-won also stood up. He also noticed Han Ju startle a little when Hea-Jung said his name, but he didn''t care much about it.


    Han Ju nodded lightly and walked out of the restaurant as quickly as she could as if she was running away from something. At that moment, she didn''t want toe across Joon-won as her mind was still slowly settling down and it seemed like it would break if shees across him again.


    All three of them got in the car and the silent ride started towards the film set. Joon-won just started listening to some music to calm his mind a little while Hea-Jung was busy scrolling through her social media ount. After a few minutes, the car stopped, and they were already at the film set for the evening shoot. The town was pretty small and wouldn''t take them much time to go around itpletely in a car.


    Joon-won took off his earphones and got down with Han Ju and Hea-Jung. He looked around and noticed they were in front of a small building. He also noticed security personnel around the area. It looked like they were in front of the film set.


    He looked at Joon-won asking where they were and she replied, "They made this building into a police station. So this is our main set where most of the filming happens. I heard it used to be a reception hall, used to hold weddings and parties here. It''s pretty big but our production only remodeled some part of the ce into a police station." And they walked towards the entrance of the set. Joon-won was looking around, as there were so many RVs in the parking lot.


    "Does everyone park here?"


    "Of course not. This is only for the main cast and the higher-ups in the production crew. That''s why you see so many RVs and fancy cars here. All of those are also rented. The main parking space for the rest is outside the main gates we passed through." Joon-won looked at the so-called reception hall, which waspletely revamped and nothing looked like one. It looked like a legit police station from the outside. There were also a few police motorbikes parked near the entrance to the ce, making it seem more believable.


    As they walked up to the front, Han Ju, who was walking quicker than them, showed her ID and seemed to exin why he was there, as no one stopped from walking inside. As they walked inside, the scene became more chaotic as he saw people walking around. Some were shouting while giving out orders, some were in their own group. He noticed huge cameras and also other equipment. Everyone had tags indicating their role and Joon-won noticed Hea-Jung wearing one too.


    "Looks like they are getting ready for the next scene. So how is it? The environment? It''s a lotto taken for the first time. Even I had to pause a little and get used to it. So many things are happening in one type for one small scene. This is the amount of work that goes behind every scene and sometimes more if the scene and director ask for it. We had to shoot outside yesterday and imagine how that would look like." said Hea-Jung with a small smile when she saw Joon-won pause near the entrance itself.


    As Joon-won was about to speak, they heard someone from behind asking them to move a little and he noticed they were blocking the entrance, making itpletely inconvenient for others. They both moved to the side, and the people who asked them to move were part of the crew. They seemed very busy as they greeted Hea-Jung before walking off. Everyone was busy.


    "It sure is a lot to take in. Seems like people are doing something or the other every second," he replied.


    Hea-Jung nodded and said, "Alright let''s stand to the side a little so that we don''te in the way to anyone." dragged him a bit more to the side, Han Ju was nowhere to be seen as she went to take care of some work. She was also a busy person, as she had to stay connected for Hea-Jung, who was more of an air-head with the crew.


    "It looks like the actors themselves have the least work in production. We only act after all." he continued. Hea-Jung whipped her head towards him, feeling offended.


    "You said something so offensive, you know? We also do some work. If some actors hear what you said, they would think you are rather disrespectful. Acting isn''t as easy for everyone as it is for you. Some people find it hard. But what you said is also true, I guess. I mean, the audience only sees the actors on the big screen and not this all. That''s why we have to do our absolute best to doplete justice for this." She acted offended at first but epted what he said, too. She understood where Joon-won wasing from and couldn''t wait for him to freeze like all the others at their first scene.


    Joon-won nodded and continued to look at the set. He was captivated by everything. So many machines and stuff made it very interesting for him. After all, he was only a stage actor for so long that this was like some fresh air for him. A small smile came on his face as he anticipated his time in front of the camera.


    Hea-Jung continued with a serious face, "Alright little brother, there are some rules andmon things you need to know before you act. First, never bete for a shoot. Even if you are the main lead of the film, never bete. The directors would chew you out if you are. Next is your phone, it should be switched off. It affects something through radio waves, I forgot what. And then do not move when the assistant director shouts ''Action'' if you are not acting. Even a slight noise after the action is very irritating for them. And the mostmon thing is, do not take pictures and stuff. That''s all. There are more, but you''ll learn as time goes on."


    Joon-won nodded hearing her basic rules and so she continued, "Alright then, shall we go meet the director? I think he is in his room with the producers and his assistants. Sister Han just sent me a message saying it''s ok to meet them." while checking her phone.

 Chapter 118 - The Director

    As both of them made their way towards the rooms at the end of the same building, Joon-won asked Hea-Jung, "What kind of person is this director?" It was best to know more about the man who is the captain of the movie better so that he knows what to expect.


    Hea-Jung paused for a second and thought about how she should answer the question. After all, he was the boss in the film. All the thinking messed with her as she just whipped her hair and said, "He is aplete Jerk. Aplete jerk. I''m so unlucky to have him as my first director, well now the same goes for you too, so it''s good I guess. That guy never admits his mistake. Now see if you act well, it means I won the bet, but he won''t agree and just tries to change the topic. Just try to pull through his bullshit boasting and keep a smile when he does it. You are lucky that you have a small role and don''t need to keep up with him for long. By the current pace of shooting, it looks like I need to keep up with him for at least 2 more months." And sighed like an olddy continuously while massaging her forehead. ??


    Joon-won nodded and didn''t reply to her long monologue. He just decided to remain silent on set and nod like a robot for this one week. He didn''t want his first film experience to go wrong just because of a bad director. He''ll do his work and go away quietly. After walking for a while they finally made it to the rest rooms of the crew and actors.


    They stopped before the room which had the director tapped on the door. Hea-Jung looked at Joon-won and said, "You ready? We must attain victory over him. Do your best."


    Joon-won''s face changed a little when he heard her and replied, "Why are you making this seem like some war? We are only meeting one person. Let''s just go and get done with it." Hea-Jung just nodded with a determined face and knocked on the door. After a while, they heard a rough voice asking them toe in.


    Hea-Jung was the first to enter and as soon as she did the middle-aged guy in the middle who looked more like a caveman than a normal civilian said with the same rough voice they heard earlier, "Ah! Hea-Jung, I heard your little friend is here. Did you bring him? I can''t wait to cut your pay. Don''t go back on your words, alright?" Andughed after that.


    Joon-won soon entered and got a clear view of the man. He really looked like a caveman with his huge beard and mustache. It seemed like he hadn''t trimmed or even paid any attention to it for years. Joon-won almost frowned upon seeing the state of the person in charge of the ce. He preferred people who paid at least some minimal attention to themselves and looked a bit presentable. He also saw a few people sitting along with the director.


    "Ah! Director, I should be saying that to you. You will be so stunned that you would regret not auditioning my junior for the hero role." And Hea-Jung wasn''t someone who held back at all. Joon-won, who was right behind her, wanted to smack her right on the head. He just told her to not be reckless and think before she spoke, but that girl is indirectly taking shots at the main lead behind his back. So many misunderstandings could sprout from that one sentence.


    But he can''t just hit her in front of all these people and so he just tugged her dress at the back, giving her a signal to hold back a little. Sensing his action, Hea-Jung quickly changed the subject, too. She didn''t want to face the angry Joon-won as Han Ju did too.


    "Anyway, director. This is my junior. The same guy I showed you in those dramas yesterday. His name is Kim Joon-won. I came to introduce him." Moving aside and presenting Joon-won like he was a product.


    Joon-won smiled and introduced himself once again with a small bow. The director looked at him from top to bottom and nodded.


    "His looks are alright. Well, let''s see if this junior of yours can make a debut in this film like you are tonight. I''ll ask one of the staff members to show him the location of tonight''s shoot so he has a feel for it since it''s his first time." Joon-won''s lips twitched a little when he heard the first sentence. Since the day he came into the body, he knew his looks were rather on the downside but he can''t do much about that.


    Hea-Jung nodded and said, "Alright then Director. Seems like you guys are a little busy right now. We both will get going. You can ask the staff member toe to my rest room, he will be staying with me till then. Alright then, I''ll take my leave, I also need to prepare for my next shoot." She bowed a little and went out of the room. Joon-won did the same and followed her out.


    As soon as they got out and walked a few steps, Joon-won knocked her head from the back. Hea-Jung immediately turned around while holding her head like a wronged puppy.


    "Why are you so impulsive? I just asked you to tone it down a little and there you go again, being reckless in front of the man who is the leader of this entire film." He shook his head while sighing.


    Hea-Jung just popped her tongue out and said, "It''s alright. That guy is too much if I remain silent and there is no way he can do anything to me, either. I mean, we are already halfway done with the film and so he can''t fire me. And he is too small of a director in the circle for anyone to listen to him speak badly about me. So don''t worry, I know who to be careful with and this guy isn''t one of them."


    Joon-won just shook his head and followed her to her rest room. All the main actors had their own rooms and Hea-Jung''s character was right behind the two main leads when it came to importance. The room was simple. There was one bed, a couch, a TV, and a coffee table. There was also a bathroom if the actor wanted to take a bath before or after the shoot. It was a small andfortable ce to rest, with even an AC for them in the hot summer. Overall, it was a standard room the reception hall gives the families.


    "So, how is the room? This is what you get if you are ying an important character in the film. Impressive right?" once again feeling proud for the role she managed to snag. Joon-won just nodded and took a seat on the couch. He noticed the script scattered on the coffee table and turned towards Hea-Jung, who fell t on the bed with a smile.


    "So, when is your shoot now? Don''t you have to prepare or revise your dialogues? You are just wasting your time right now. Prepare a bit. I never saw you act before." He looked like a devil to Hea-Jung as she slowly stood up and grumbled a little.


    "Can I deny? I mean, I already know all the dialogues and practiced a little too. I''m sure I am fine. I wanted to get some sleep before I needed to get ready for the shoot. My shoot is not going to start for another 2 hours or maybe even more. There is another shoot before mine between the two leads. They''lle and inform me."


    Joon-won shook his head and said she had to do it. He would not have forced her if he knew how she would act, but he didn''t. He only knew the idiotic side of her, the side which was reckless and free. He wanted to know if she was able to keep up with her words through her acting. If she only knew how to talk, then he would slowly distance himself without a question. He didn''t want brainless people who only knew how to talk around him at all.


    Hea-Jung cursed under her breath a little before she went to the coffee table and flipped her script a little before handing it to him while pointing at one of the scenes. It was the scene she had to perform in a little while. Joon-won looked at the detailed script and was impressed once again. A film script lookedpletely different from a drama one, it was more detailed and easier to understand. He looked at Hea-Jung and asked her to start.


    Hea-Jung took a deep breath and started to act out her character. Joon-won kept silent the entire time and as she was done, he had an eyebrow raised.


    "You are actually quite good. No wonder you can talk big." Thispliment made her get horns once again as sheughed with pride.

 Chapter 119 - Seeing The Set

    Joon-won was honestly very surprised by her acting. He could notice a few very tiny ws in her tone while she spoke dialogues, but overall, she was very good. He only then understood a little more about the girl in front of him who spoke big and had a lot of pride. She could do all that because she had her talent to back it up.


    Hea-Jung, on the other hand, froze when she heard him. She slowly turned towards him like a robot and stared at him right in the eye like a statue. Joon-won raised an eyebrow seeing her stare like that and asked, "Is there a problem?" ??


    She snapped out of the trance she was in and quickly shook her head to deny it before slowly saying, "I never knew you could evenpliment others, little brother. If you told me I am good, I must be pretty good. Nice." Pump fisting in the air. Joon-won shook his head, seeing her happy like that.


    "There isn''t any harm whiches to me if Ipliment people. Anyway, I only said that you''re quite good, not perfect. There are still a few mistakes you make. Don''t ignore that."


    Hea-Jung paused and asked, "What mistakes? Come on, tell me now."


    Joon-won nodded and exined a few of the ws he could find while she was saying her dialogues. Hea-Jung waspletely silent as she listened to him and asionally nodded, too. She is very serious when ites to her own acting and takes every criticism and pointer from someone reliable in her heart. She always tries to perfect her own craft.


    After hepleted telling out a few ws he found, the door got knocked. Both of them looked towards the door and Hea-Jung asked the person toe in. It was a crew member. She looked at both of them before turning towards Hea-Jung and said.


    "Miss. Seo, the director, sent me to show the set of tonight''s shoot to your friend. Also, here is an ID card for your friend too. It would beplicated if he doesn''t have one." Taking out an ID from her pocket. Hea-Jung nodded and turned towards Joon-won, who already stood up to go.


    Joon-won spoke before she could and said, "You don''t need toe with me. It''s super awkward with people always looking at you, greeting you, and then throwing weird looks at me for following you. Getting here from the front of the building itself was exhausting. So you stay here and continue to practice for the shoot. I pointed out a few ws, right? Just work on them as you have time now. I can go with her and look at the set a little. Alright?" And he gave her a look which clearly said he didn''t want a no for an answer.


    Seeing his stare, Hea-Jung slowly nodded and said, "Alright then. Make it quick. You need to be here before my shoot begins if you want to watch. Once it starts, they won''t allow people to move around easily." Joon-won just nodded and walked out with the staff member.


    He turned towards the staff member and held his hand out, asking for the ID. He thanked her before wearing the tag and gestured to her to lead the way towards the set, to which she nodded and started walking.


    "How far is the set from here?"


    She turned around and replied, "It''s not that far at all. A five minutes walk from the entrance of this ce. The director wanted the set to be close so that they don''t need to move the shooting equipment around too much."


    Joon-won nodded and both of them continued to walk in silence. As both of them got out of the building and itspound, Joon-won took a deep breath once again. Inside the main gates to the ce, there were people everywhere and it was tough to move around. There were more peoplepared to when they came in. He also felt that the air in the town was way cleaner and felt nicepared to back in Arios due to the mountains the town had a few kilometers away from them.


    Joon-won looked at her and asked, "What kind of work do you do in the film? Sorry if it sounds a bit rude, I''m just curious as it''s my first time on a film set." With a small smile. He apologized too as he didn''t want to sound too rude to the person.


    She shook her head and replied, "It''s alright. I work in the film construction department. We built all the sets you saw inside and many more outside ones. I am what you could say an assistant of the construction director. He assigned me to maintain the set of tonight''s shoot. So, just a small role in this big film."


    Joon-won shook his head and said with a straight face, "Don''t be pessimistic. I only saw what the final product looks like on the big screen or on television like many others until now. Now that I got a glimpse of much work that really goes on, I am surprised and thankful for all the people. Even people like you who make the sets which are important for the shooting to happen. My name is Kim Joon-won, and I''m a new actor. Please take care of me." With a small bow.


    He was nowhere near being sarcastic about what he just said as he really meant it. After seeing all that and knowing she was actually part of the department that turned a mere reception hall into looking like a legit police station, that took some actual skill. So he was really thankful for their support.


    The woman smiled and replied, "It''s alright. Come, let''s continue towards the set. It''s only down the street." And continued on. Joon-won just continued to follow her down the street. The reception hall was actually on top of a small slope and so they had to walk down. As they got down, Joon-won finally noticed the set. He also noticed that the roads leading to the set were actually closed off by the securitypany hired by the production.


    She looked at him and said, "This was actually not made by us and was instead it was already an existing small shop here. We paid a few thousand for him to lend us this shop for the week. So we need toplete filming the scenes which involve this ce this week so that we can even open up the roads a bit. We only got permission to close them for one week too. That''s why we are in a hurry."


    Joon-won nodded after hearing her and they got closer. The security allowed them to get closer only after they noticed his ID card and the woman who led them there. It was a small shop, simr to the one he worked in but way smaller. Remembering the script, he went behind the counter and sat on the chair. He looked out the door and could see the opposite of the street clear enough.


    He then got up and walked to the backside of the store where Hea-Jung''s character would interrogate him. The entire time he looked around, the person who brought him there just stood outside and gave him space to explore a bit more freely.


    After he filled his curiosity, he came out with a small smile on his face. He was excited, very excited about the shoot after seeing everything. He realized how different things were from the theatre. It was better.


    He thanked the woman, and she asked, "How is it? We had to make a few changes ording to the director, but we keep most of it like it originally was."


    "It''s good. Thanks for taking some time off and showing me the ce."


    She just waved her hand and replied, "It''s alright. Do you want me to take you back?"


    He shook his head and politely declined her help as he knew the way back and it also looked like she was pretty busy as her phone kept ringing. He slowly walked back up, satisfied with everything and excited about the shoot at night.


    As he got inside thepounds of the ce, he took out his phone and sent a message to Hea-Jung asking where she was, as it didn''t look like any shooting started. He got an immediate reply telling him she was still in her rest room and so he made his way there. He didn''t forget to knock on the door before going inside.


    "Oh, how was the set, little brother?" Hea-Jung shouted while she was on the bed, rolling around.


    "It was nice." and he took a seat on the couch. As he did, he noticed a paper on the table and noticed his name on it. So he took it and read through it before asking Hea-Jung what it was.


    "Oh, it''s a contract. Your first contract for a film. You need to sign it to receive your payment. I negotiated for you and was able to bring up the initial pay of 50k Kros to 70k. If you sign it, they would wire the money to your ount by night. And do not worry too much about it, it''s a simple contract with the basics as your role is small. Even Uncle Do Hwan checked it for you. So it''s safe. Give it a careful read before you sign it. Sister Han would take it to the crew and you''ll get the money."

 Chapter 120 - Signing Contract And Watching The Shoot

    Joon-won nodded and looked at the contract once again. He carefully went through the contract line by line and nodded after feeling it was good and there weren''t any terms or conditions which were not beneficial to him. He was also satisfied with the fee Hea-Jung managed to bargain for him. 70K Kros was a lot of money for him at the moment. Especially when he promised Yun-hee to not think much about the money for her education. Thus was more than what he got by acting in the theatre for an entire month. With this money, he wouldn''t have to worry much about her tuition fees, including everything whiches along with it like food and other things.


    He took the pen from the table and quickly signed the contract. He turned back towards Hea-Jung and said, "Alright, I signed it." ??


    Hea-Jung nodded and took out her phone before calling Han Ju and asking her toe and take the contract. Joon-won just sat on the couch and took out his earphones to listen to some music. Plugging in his earphones, he went into his own world and didn''t even notice Han Ju, who came inside to take the contract from the table. Han Ju was very vignt when she came inside. She didn''t move her eyes from Joon-won''s face as she kept her guard up and slowly took the contract before sprinting out of the room.


    Time slowly passed, and the room was peaceful the entire time. Joon-won listened to music while Hea-Jung rolled on the bed looking at her phone. The peace was disturbed when someone knocked on the door. Joon-won didn''t even move and Hea-Jung just shouted from the bed toe in.


    As she did, a staff member walked in and said to Hea-Jung, "Miss. Seo, please start getting ready. The shoot is about to end and the director would like you to be there on time so that they could continue shooting without stopping much." Hea-Jung nodded and Joon-won stood up while keeping his headphones away.


    "Alright then. I''ll go to the shooting area then Hea-Jung. You start preparing for the shoot." Before walking out of the room as Hea-Jung also started to get ready.


    Joon-won took out his phone and switched it off. He didn''t want to break the basic rules the first time he was on a shoot. He''ll just stand on the side, not gather much attention and observe the entire process. As he got to the shooting area, he noticed so many people walking around while talking in their walkie-talkies.


    He continued to look around and saw the two main leads in one secluded corner using their phone. He was confused as to how they could use it but didn''t bother to ask. The ce they sat in was sealed off and that ce was also much quieter, with security personnel guarding them. Both of them were also in their costumes as the hero had a police uniform on himself and the heroine seemed to have ab coat hanging beside her.


    The two seemed to be on their own, as no one ever disturbed them. He then heard the director shout, "Alright, let''s do it once again from another angle now. Come on, let''s go." And turned to see him shout from the video vige. The video vige was an area around the monitor on set which enabled the director and key crew to watch what the camera was seeing and how the shot turned out.


    As soon as he shouted, people started walking a lot faster and Joon-won also noticed the two main leads kept their phones aside and let the make-up artist do their work. Joon-won also moved to a quieter ce where he could get aplete view of the ce and the shoot. He looked around and saw the rough director talking with the cinematographer who was sitting behind the camera, exining how he wanted the next shot.


    Joon-won just continued to look around the ce until he heard the assistant director shout, "Alright, let''s start. Everyone, quiet." And everyone stopped talking and walking as the set became deadly silent. Joon-won also looked at the set and saw the actors ready on the set.


    "Take ###. Camera rolling, Ready, Action." The assistant director shouted, and the actors began to act. Joon-won continued to look at the two on set, as they slowly acted and noticed they were both quite nd at it. It was not that they were bad, but they weren''t food either. He felt Hea-Jung was better at it than both of them.


    There was no sound on set except the two actors who spoke their dialogue. It was quite an experience and Joon-won waspletely focused until he heard ''Cut, that was nice.'' from the director. Everyone started to move when the director said that and Joon-won also took a deep breath. He was fascinated. Not by the acting, but by everything else.


    Joon-won looked around to notice Hew-Jung walked into the set in her police costume. She waved at him a little and walked towards the make-up station to get ready. She seemed to be liked by manypared to the two main leads, as people greeted her with a smile and were able to talk with her a little. He didn''t find that weird at all, knowing how outgoing the girl really was.


    Joon-won decided to watch her shoot and then go back to the hotel to practice once again and also get ready for his own shoot. Hea-Jung got ready quickly and then went with the other two leads to the director to have a talk . This time, it seemed like there was another person who seemed quite old in the huddle with them, also in a police uniform, as the director exined the scene to them.


    After a while, they all nodded, and the shooting began. The scene was simple, the two main leads and Hea-Jung''s characters were being scolded by their superior, who was yed by the older man earlier in the huddle.

 Chapter 121 - Back To Hotel

    Hea-Jung''s acting was really good. Joon-won only had a glimpse of it earlier in her rest room but now on the set as the cameras were rolling, she was even better. As she acted, it looked like she even fixed some of the issues he told her earlier, making it clearer. She had some real talent and wasn''t a simple idiot like she seems to be.


    After the scene finished, the director seemed to call her to have a talk, and even though he couldn''t exactly hear what they were talking about, it didn''t seem to be something bad as Hea-Jung had a victorious smile on her face. ??


    The director just nodded at the end and then said to everyone, "Alright, this scene is done and so let''s go on to the next one on schedule. Come on, let''s get done with this quickly." And Hea-Jung walked towards him. Joon-won could feel a few stares already as she reached him.


    "Little brother, it looks like your advice was really helpful after all. The director praised me as he found my acting got better. And don''t worry little brother, I didn''t tell him that it was you who pointed out those problems. I just said I wanted to experiment a little. If I did tell him it was you, that guy''s ego would take a hit as it''s the director''s job to correct and give some advice to the new actors on any set. I can imagine how ashen his face would look like." Giggling to herself.


    Joon-won raised an eyebrow at how unexpectedly thoughtful she was finally. Even though their reasons to tell the director werepletely different, it didn''t matter. He didn''t care about the director''s feelings. Joon-won just didn''t want to get unwanted attention because of a small piece of advice he gave to her.


    "Alright anyway, it looks like you still have a few scenes to shoot. I''ll go back to my hotel and rest a bit. Can you find out when is the approximate time for our scene tonight? I''ll be ready ande here by then." He wanted some sleep. The time was still 3 and so he had time to catch a quick nap, practice some more, and also get ready for the shoot.


    Hea-Jung nodded and asked him to wait for a second as she walked up to one of the assistant directors and asked him when they were nning to shoot the scene. The assistant director checked his notes and gave her an answer. Then he looked over towards him as Hea-Jung pointed at him.


    Hea-Jung said as she came back, "The assistant director told me that it would be good to be at the set at around 8:30 or 9. They want to shoot at 9:30. Also, you have a small costume the crew picked out, so wait a few minutes here for someone to get it for you. Do you want Sister Han to drop you back at the hotel?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Alright then, I''ll wait here for a few minutes for my costume and no. I don''t want her to drop me, I remember the name of the hotel and can take a quick cab there. I don''t want to be alone with her and scare her into getting into an ident during the drive. So it''s ok. Anyway, you should go now, I''m already getting enough stares for a whole month. I''ll be at the set by 9 and will meet you there."


    Hea-Jung giggled when she heard about Han Ju and just nodded at the end before walking back to the ce with both the main leads. Before she went, she didn''t forget to tell him that he should ask for a receipt from the cab driver so that the film crew can reimburse him, to which he happily nodded. Hea-Jung had the most screen time after those two, even more than the viin.


    As she just took her seat beside the female lead, she heard the female lead ask something, "Is that your boyfriend Hea-Jung? Looks like you are alreadymitted." With a giggle.


    Hea-Jung turned her head and replied, "Of course not. He is my junior brother I spoke about with the director yesterday for the small role in tonight''s shooting. I was just telling him what time he needed to be there and stuff. Why? Are you interested?" With an amused smile. The female lead was a woman in her early 30s and so she took care of Hea-Jung a little, as it was her first film. Both of them were on friendly terms because of that.


    The female lead just shook her head and replied, "Not at all. I was just curious." Hea-Jung just nodded and looked towards Joon-won, who seemed to receive his costume from one of the crew members.


    Joon-won nodded and thanked the crew member as he looked into the cover to find only a standard dress. A simple shirt and torn jeans. He then walked out of the building and as soon as he did, he turned on his phone only to find messages from Do Hwan, Jung-hwa, and his sister.


    Do Hwan asked how everything was and if he met up with Hea-Jung yet, to which he sent a quick reply. Jung-hwa and Yun-hee messages, on the other hand, were paras and paras about how everything was asking for a detailed exnation. He decided to reply after he got on a cab so he just closed the app and walked out of the premises. He looked around and remembered that no unauthorized vehicles were allowed on the street because of their shoot, so he started walking down the small slope once again.


    After walking for a while, he finally crossed the restrictions and hailed down a cab towards the hotel. He spent the entire time texting both of them about how everything went down and closed the app after they felt satisfied. He also told Jung-hwa that he couldn''t take pictures because he wasn''t allowed to.

 Chapter 122 - Min-Seoks Worries

    Joon-won got back into the room and closed the door before he jumped onto the bed. He wanted to take a quick, peaceful nap before anything, so he did exactly that. He didn''t forget to silence his phone too for that. The wonderful sleep went on for 2 hours as he woke up due to hunger. So he used the hotelndline and asked the people to send him some food.


    After that, he took out the script once again and practiced. He already was good after the morning practice, but some more wouldn''t hurt him. As he went through the script a couple of times, the food he asked for came and he went right into it. He wasted no time as the guy who brought it told it was actually local snacks and Joon-won was always up for trying new food.??


    Only after finishing the snacks did he check the phone for any messages and, as he expected, there were a few from Yun-hee and Jung-hwa regarding the replies he sent earlier. He didn''t have the energy to talk with both of them so he just kept the phone aside.


    As soon as he did, his phone rang, and it was actually from Min-Seok. Joon-won contemted for a second if he should ept the call or not as it might be Yun-hee who was actually calling him. But ultimately he just answered the phone and unlike what he expected, it was actually Min-Seok on the other side.


    "Joon-won, what are you doing? How is the weather there? I couldn''t call you after we talked in the morning because I got busy. Are you ok?"


    "Yes, I ampletely fine. It''s ok if you don''t have time to call. You still have a job to go to. Did you just reach home?" As he sat on the bed.


    "Yes, I just reached home and Yun-hee was going on about how you didn''t answer her messages or calls thest 2 hours. So I called to see what happened and there is also something important."


    "Oh, nothing really happened. I came back to the hotel after checking out the set for the shoot and everything. I was tired so I slept while my phone was on silent mode. That''s all. I noticed her messages and thought to replyter. Anyway, what is important?" He briefly exined and asked Min-Seok what was so important.


    "Oh, you slept? That''s good, take some rest often. The important thing is actually about Yun-hee''s exam results. We expect them toe tomorrow afternoon during lunchtime. I think she lost all hope. She is always going out with her friends these past few days. Students are generally very nervous during this time. I mean, my friends talk about how their children are so nervous they don''t evene out of their rooms, even you were nervous during the entire week. This girl is actually like she gave up all hope on the exam. I''m worried a bit. Do you want to talk to her a bit and encourage her? She won''t take mine that seriously, so she might take yours."


    Hearing him Joon-won didn''t know whether to cry orugh out loud. He already observed this trait in Min-Seok quite a few times after talking to him and found it hrious. Min-Seok always had a tendency to keep his expectations low and think about the worse in situations like this. He already told him multiple times about this so that Min-Seok won''t think like that, but it didn''t change anything.


    Joon-won just responded with a small smile on his face, "Dad, you are thinking too deeply once again. Don''t think about the worse in situations like this and if Yun-hee actually knows that you are thinking like this, she would really feel sad. She probably is just very confident in her exam that she is taking it lightly and having some fun in what''s left of her holidays. Who knows, she might get a top score in the school. Only those who are scared about the result and knew they didn''t write that well would be nervous. Yun-hee isn''t like that and you know that better than me."


    Min-Seok, on the other hand, went silent beforeughing a bit and replying, "Yeah, what you said is probably true. Yun-hee is a very confident and intelligent girl, so she must have written her exam pretty well to be like that. I''m just overthinking stuff, like always. If it weren''t for you, I probably would have flipped everything to find her something to gain her confidence."


    Joon-won just hummed in response. He knew Min-Seok would do exactly do that. If they both didn''t talk just then, he would have probably had a talk with Yun-hee and told her to be more confident about her result while telling her that there was always next time.


    "Alright then Joon-won, you continue to take some more rest. I heard from Yun-hee that your shoot is at night? Don''t feel nervous about it and just do what you can. If anyone says something bad about your acting, just ignore it." And as the Yun-hee''s topic was over, Min-Seok turned to him and started to worry about him again. Joon-won just hummed in response and after another minute of Min-Seok''s worries, he said goodbye and just the call.


    Joon-won didn''t have the heart to tell Min-Seok not to worry too much about him as a guy who didn''t have parents this type of sudden love was a bit too much for him. In the memories he received from the old Joon-won, he also noticed that Min-Seok was actually always like this since their childhood. As a single parent, he also took on the role of the mother for both him and Yun-her and gave them all the love and care they would have received if they had a mother.


    After the long call, Joon-won just continued to practice a little longer before he took a long bath and got ready. He just wore his costume, as it was a pretty simple and in one. By the time he got ready, he noticed it was already 7:30 and so he just decided to go out and have dinner before he made his way towards the shoot.


    He didn''t n to take a cab and instead asked at asked the receptionist in the hotel''s lobby for any local restaurant rmendations for dinner. The receptionist seemed to be asked regrly as she started to give out a long list of ces and how long it would take him to reach.


    After hearing all the ces, Joon-won decided to take the one which was actually on route to the shoot and was also pretty near. So he took a walk towards the restaurant to only see it was almost packed full. Luckily, Joon-won was able to find a free spot on a table with people who were willing to share the space. The people on the table seemed to be locals and also pretty chatty as they introduced themselves and asked where he was from after he told them he wasn''t a local. Joon-won just replied that he was a tourist who wanted to look at the Jade mountains.


    The dinner continued as Joon-won paid for his food and got out of the restaurant. He waved down a cab and made his way towards the set. He checked his phone at noticed it was 8:15 and as he did; he received a call from Hea-Jung asking if he started and ate dinner. He replied yes to both and cut the call.


    As soon as he reached the restricted area, he got down and made his way inside after showing his ID to the security staff. As he went closer to the set, he noticed unlike earlier in the morning, the small set was jam-packed with people. There were various vehicles, lights, and people around the small shop.


    As he got closer, he also noticed that the director and other people actually didn''t arrive and it was mostly the assistant directors who were taking care of everything. He noticed the assistant director Hea-Jung talked to earlier in the morning and asked what he had to do.


    The assistant director looked at him for a second before asking him to sit aside for a while before they called him for make-up and other stuff. Joon-won just went and sat under a tent meant for the actors before he took out his headphones and listened to music.


    After a while, he felt a tap on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see it was Hea-Jung.


    "Are you ready? The shoot will begin soon, so the assistant director asked us toplete our make-up. The director also arrived, soe let''s go to the make-up station."


    Joon-won just nodded and both of them made their way to the make-up station. Joon-won just sat in front of arge mirror and rows of products as the specialist got to work. After a while, the slightly handsome face he had becamepletely normal and in to the extent that no one would actually notice him in a crowded area.


    After both their makeup was done, a guy came to them with miniature wireless microphones and attached them to their dress. After he was done, the director called both of them to talk before the shoot began. The rough director sat on his chair, looked at Joon-won and Hea-Jung who were ready, and asked.


    "Alright then, shall we go over the scene onest time?"

 Chapter 123 - Ready... Action!!!!

    Joon-won and Hea-Jung both gave a nod as the director continued, "Alright then, the scene starts off with the store owner behind the counter minding his own business as he watches some videos on his phone with earphones plugged in. He doesn''t notice the police officering into the shop, calling out for him as he just says to get the goods she wants ande when she is ready. The police officer, who is young and fiery, ms the counter in anger. You guys with me?" He asks them again as they respond with a small nod.


    "Following that she shows her badge and asks to take with him somewhere private. Then after they move behind the store into the owner''s office. She then questions about the incident and if he caught a glimpse of what happened that night. Now the store owner who had really witnessed the kidnapping gets shaken up but tells him he didn''t. Now, this is the base of the shoot today. Let''s try to get this down in only a couple of takes? Got it?" ??


    This time it was Joon-won who had a small doubt and asked, "Director, I have a small doubt in this part of the script. I couldn''t understand the writer''s intention even after reading it a few times." Hea-Jung was a bit surprised by Joon-won actually opened his mouth and asking something while the director simply raised an eyebrow and motioned him to continue.


    After seeing that the director was actually cool with him asking a question, Joon-won continued, "Director, I want to understand why the store owner kept his mouth shut. Because in my script there weren''t any scenes with the bad guys threatening or bribing him into not speaking? He is also clearly not working for the viin in the movie. So why does he just remain silent even after seeing the kidnapping happen from the store and even go as far as even lying to a police officer?" Joon-won wanted to have a better understanding of his first role even though it was rtively small and so he wanted to know everything instead of just being a robot and acting out the role.


    The director didn''t answer immediately and Hea-Jung turned towards the director, waiting for an answer. Her role was pretty crystal clear, so she didn''t have any doubts. After a few seconds, the director finally opened his mouth.


    "Joon-won now imagine you are a small-time software employee living from paycheck to paycheck, just scraping by every month. Now you see thepany CEO harassing a girl. Will you call him out?" And Joon-won shook his head. That was dumb stuff, that would only get him into more trouble and he instantly realized that it''s the same with the shop owner who didn''t want any troubles in his already tough life.


    The director noticed Joon-won''s realization and so continued, "Looks like you realized it. The shopkeeper would also not want any trouble. So he had to just ignore what happened and continue on with his life. Got it?"


    Joon-won only nodded while Hea-Jung had a huge smile as she patted him and said to the director, "You don''t need to worry director, me and my junior got this scene in the bag. Don''t be surprised if it doesn''t take over 3 tries tond it."


    The director raised an eyebrow at hearing her boast but just ignored it. He didn''t want to get into a battle of words with her at the moment, and from thest few months, he already noticed whatever she said would always happen. Just like now, she would make a im that would seem unlikely, but strangely, it always ended up happening. At first, he thought it was luck, but as it continued to happen; he didn''t know what to even think of the phenomenon. So the best course of action was just to remain silent. He instead turned towards Joon-won, who even asked him a surprising question. The director was honestly taken back a little at how much detail the guy went into for the small role.


    "Hey kid, ignore her antics. Do you think you can do it? I''m not trying to keep any pressure on you, but this is your only chance for the role. We only got an hour or so toplete this scene and it''s an hour because you''re new to the business and it''s your first time. We take only 30 minutes for the entire thing. If you aren''t satisfactory and not up to the mark, even the contract you signed this morning would be nullified, it''s written in the contract too and you would receive the money as soon as I make a call from here that you would continue. Hea-Jung demanded an absurd amount of money for a small role, it''s generally quite less than that, so show your worth. I would like you to keep that in mind while you act."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, director. I''ll keep that in mind and don''t worry, in an hour you''ll be d that you only paid that amount for my skill." He was confident in himself more than ever and since this chance fell into his hands without much effort due to Hea-Jung he had to prove that it was not all for nothing.


    The director raised an eyebrow once again, but just nodded and continued.


    "Now, with all of that said, moving on, did you practice enough for the scene? I hope you used the entire day properly and got it down. I want the nervousness shown in the character at the moment to look at least a bit of genuine and not fake. That''s an important part of thetter part of the film and so I hope you do it well. The entire scene rides on your body''s actions more than your dialogues. Also, since it''s your first time acting in a film, my advice to you is to ignore the cameras. It might be hard with all the lights, sound, and other stuff, but ignore it. How you are captured depends on me and the guy behind the camera. So just do your part and the result would be satisfactory." Making Joon-won nod once again.


    Seeing him nod with confidence once again, the director nodded and shouted towards the rest of the crew, "Alright guys, get ready. Let''s start in 5 minutes." Making a lot of people move faster. He continued to talk with the cinematographer as Joon-won and Hea-Jung went to the side.


    Hea-Jung patted Joon-won on the back and said, "I never expected the director to give you any advice at all. Color me surprised. I guess he is doing his job as a director, even with the bet. You know what, I actually think he can only give that one advice because he gave the same advice when it was time for my first scene to shoot. Yes, this makes more sense." Joon-won just looked at her and thought about how the girl never gives up undermining the people she didn''t like.


    So he just shrugged and closed his eyes once again. He was too excited at the moment and felt like the 5 minutes were much more than his century life span. He simply took deep breaths while remembering all the hard work he put in during both his lives. In a way, he felt it was all up to this moment. Joon-won never thought he would feel first-time jitters after his first time acting, but this new episode of his life is bringing it back.


    "Alright let''s go now Joon-won. The director asked up to get into the set and be ready for the signal." Hea-Jung suddenly said, making him snap back and open his eyes in surprise. It was the first time she actually used his name to call him. He looked at her and also noticed her serious expression as all theziness vanished around her. She was also deadly serious. Joon-won nodded and walked towards the store. He went through the people and finally got in front of the store. There was no one around him, as the crew had to stay behind a certain line a few meters away from the door. Hea-Jung was also behind the line as she had to walk towards the door after a while. He went in and calmly took his seat behind the counter, waiting for it all to start.


    Joon-won had no expression on his face as he slowly looked around the store once again before looking outside. Everyone was still walking around, but it wasparatively less, as it seemed like everyone was ready to shoot. He could feel many eyes constantly on him, watching him every moment. Even though he is used to it, the live audience felt a bit of difort. After another deep breath, he looked at the director, who also had his eyes on him, and gave the final nod, signaling he was ready. The director nodded back before shouting.


    "Alright let''s get ready, it''s time to shoot."


    The assistant director walked in front of the camera with a pperboard and said the magical words, " Cameras rolling, scene ###, Take-1." And everything went silent as now literally all eyes were on Joon-won.

 Chapter 124 - First Shoot (1)

    It waspletely silent as the clock struck 10 inside the small store. The owner of the store who sat behind the counter wasughing like an idiot as he continued to watch a show on his phone while ignoring everything around him. It almost seemed like he didn''t care for his own store.


    As he continued to giggle alone like a madman, the store door opened and a woman came in. The owner didn''t notice her or even hear the door open because of the earphones he was wearing. Noticing no one was around, the woman walked up to the counter and tapped on it while saying.??


    "Hey, are you the store owner here?" But the store owner didn''t mind her and just said, as he didn''t even lift his head up while waving his hands.


    "Yeah, yeah. Just go in and look around for what you want. Come here when you are done and I''ll tell you the amount to pay. Also, don''t even think of stealing the stuff here. There are cameras everywhere, so you''ll be found easily." He seemed very nonchnt about stuff and didn''t think that the person would even steal stuff.


    The woman was dumbstruck when she heard him and snapped out after the guy was done. Her breathing became a bit quicker as she was fuming because of the guy. She took out something from her pocket before mming it on the counter and shouted.


    "You little bastard, how dare you to speak like that to a police officer. Show some respect." And she even continued on to snatch the earphones out to make him hear.


    The shop owner, who was enjoying his favorite shows only a second ago, was now shocked after he heard what she said. He didn''t look at her but instead looked at the police badge she mmed on the table and became nervous after seeing it was actually the real deal. He slowly looked up with a ttering smile and replied while slowly standing up.


    "Oh, officers of justice, please excuse my rudeness. I didn''t want to be rude to you at all. Please, if you need anything, take it and I''ll give you 50 percent off because of the hard work you all do for us."


    The police officer, on the other hand, just huffed and said, "Don''t try those tactics on me, you little bastard. I didn''te here to buy anything. Where is the store owner? I would like to speak with him for a minute, call him out."


    The store owner immediately became stiff as he replied, "Dear police officer, might I ask why you are looking for the owner?" In a low and careful voice.


    The police officer raised an eyebrow after hearing him and continued, "Do I need to tell you what I came here for? Just call the owner now."


    The store owner became a bit nervous as he gulped a mouth full of saliva and stuttered out a response, "Miss Officer, I am the store owner you are looking for. What do you want from me? I don''t remember doing anything wrong. I even stopped selling drugs a few months back. I''m clean now. That''s why even the store is empty." He got scared and spilled a few beans too.


    The police officer tilted her head a little as she looked at him from top to bottom before confirming what she just heard. "Did I hear that right? You are the owner of the store?" As she ignored the useless part of him selling drugs. Even though that is important, she had a bigger matter at hand she was quickly wanted to get to.


    In response, the guy quickly nodded before taking out his ID card from the wallet and showing it to her while saying, "I am sure you checked my details beforeing here, police officer. Please check my ID if you have any doubts." The police officer looked at the ID and as he said she did, check his details.


    After noticing it was the same name, she nodded and said, "Alright I need to speak to you for a while. In secret. Close your shop for a while, let''s go into your office and talk." looking right into the guy''s eyes.


    The shop owner became a little more scared when she asked if they needed to speak in private and just said, "Officer, can we not talk here? I mean there is no one at the shop and if I close the shop and go inside, I might lose a customer."


    The Officer simply looked around the entire shop and said, "It doesn''t look like there would be many peopleing to your shop, anyway. I''ll alsopensate you a little if you miss any customer. So don''t worry. Just close the door, so that we can talk inside your office." With a bit more force, leaving no room for debate.


    Seeing the woman in front of him giving no more room for negotiation, he just slowly walked to the other side of the counter and went to the door. He took out the keys from his pocket and locked the ce before flipping the sign to close. The officer didn''t take her eyes off him as she observed his every move like a hawk. She also leaned into the counter and looked out of the transparent door as if searching for something outside.


    The guy turned around and said, "Alright the officer, let''s go into my office now. I closed the shop as you asked me to." And showed her the way after she gave him a slight nod. His office was right behind the counter.


    "Pleasee in, officer. Don''t mind the papers and mess around. Here, take this chair to sit. Would like some water, officer?"


    The office looked nothing like an office. It was filled with waste like papers and empty noodle cups. The guy quickly cleaned one of the chairs and gave it to her as he sat behind his desk.


    She sat down on the chair and said while shaking her head, "No need, I just want to ask you a few questions and after you answer them, I''ll be on my way."


    The guy nodded and asked her to continue. The officer didn''t continue and instead took out her gun before cing it on the table between them. She looked at him with a smile and said, "Now, don''t lie to any of the questions. Alright?" Making the guy nod like a duck. He was scared shitless at seeing the gun on the table.


    "So, now question 1. Who was working here on the 6th ofst month? Now, remember carefully before you answer." She warned him once again.


    The guy nodded before he quickly replied, "I was the one working officer."


    "Oh! A very quick reply."


    "The guy who worked for me during the night left the job at the beginning ofst month, officer. So the entirest month it was me behind the counter." It was also the reason he was behind the counter today. He didn''t find a recement for the guy who left.


    The officer nodded and continued, "Now question 2. Do you have any CCTV outside the shop while facing the park right opposite to the shop?"


    This time the guy shook his head and said, "Of Course not, officer. This is only a small shop. Even the cameras inside the store are fake ones to scare the people who might try to steal. A small shop like this one can not afford things like CCTVs."


    Hearing him, the police officer''s face twitched, and she wanted to curse at the guy. He was nothing but a show-off. She gained some hope when she noticed the CCTV inside the shop and thought her work would get done quicker than she thought, but now the guy was saying those were all dummy products to scare people.


    She took a deep breath to calm her nerves down and said, "Alright then. Now for the most important question until now. Remember, very carefully, before you answer this one. Extra careful, you got it?" In a more serious tone and expression than before as even her hand went closer to the gun than before.


    The guy once again nodded and sat up straight like he was in an interview with his arms on hisp. He quickly wanted to get done with this interview of sorts and continue on with his show, so he yed close attention to the next wordsing out of her mouth.


    The officer looked at him and asked, "Alright then, question 3. Do you remember a ck van on the 6th ofst month? It should have been parked or stopped for a few quick seconds on the opposite side of the road. Now think very carefully. I want you to think and answer. Don''t spill out bullshit." This question made the guy stunned as he looked at her with slightly wide eyes.

 Chapter 125 - First Shoot (End)

    The guy was stunned as he heard her question about a van. But he knew what she was asking about. He forgot the date it happened, but he didn''t forget what happened that lonely night. His hands under the desk gripped his thighs tighter as he controlled his emotions better. He didn''t want the police officer in front of him to find out he was nervous, so his expression turned as if he was thinking very quickly.


    He didn''t forget the events which took ce that night. It was a normal and ordinary night. The street was dead silent as like always he was watching his daily show, alone in the shop. But something strange happened as he heard a noise from the outside and looked up. He saw a ck van on the other side of the road stopped abruptly as a few men rushed out of the vehicle towards a woman walking along the pavement.??


    They covered her mouth and rushed her back into the van as it took off immediately. The store owner who witnessed it became very scared seeing that. It was the first time he saw something like that and didn''t know what to do. As he was contemting whether to call the police about it or not, someone walked into the store.


    He looked up and noticed it was actually one of the kidnappers he just saw. This time he froze as the guy took out a gun and yed around with it as he went through the shop, took a few things, and walked out. The shop owner could still sometimes hear the words from the man as he walked out.


    "You didn''t see anything today. If we get to know that you magically did, you know what will happen. So be a good ignorant man and continue your job."


    That day, as soon as the guy went away, the store owner abruptly closed his store and didn''t open it for an entire week, scared of those people. After that warning and seeing the gun he was ying around with, he also immediately crossed off the idea to call the police about it and just continued on with his life.


    Now, after an entire month, this female police officer just came into his shop and started asking random questions about the incident while showing him a gun. Even though he saw her gun he didn''t feel as scared as he did when he saw the gun in that guy''s hands that day. The woman before him can not use the gun without giving the world a proper exnation and this wasn''t one. But that guy didn''t have anyone to give an exnation for. He could use it as he liked.


    So the store owner swallowed once again before he said with some effort to not stutter, "I don''t know what ck van you are talking about, officer. You saw today, there is barely anyone on the street and it''s like this every day of the entire year. So if there was a vehicle on the road I would remember, but there wasn''t one on that day you said." While giving the officer a stiff shrug.


    The police officer narrowed her eyes as she watched him like a hawk while listening to his answer. It wasn''t the answer she was hoping for once again, and she was getting a little frustrated by it. She wasn''t experienced enough to notice the slight shock he showed for a quick second and only noticed that the guy was genuinely confused. She also couldn''t see his sweaty palms that gripped his thigh tightly.


    She frowned a little after looking at him for a few more seconds and reminded him, "Think once again. I am sure that there should have been a car that night on this very road. My intelligence is not wrong. If I get to know that there was really a van across the shop that night. I can keep you in jail for aiding criminals for at least 3 years and you''ll also have to pay 500000 Kros as a fee. The penalty is high. So think carefully."


    The shopkeeper wavered a little when he heard the punishment. He didn''t know if it was real or not, but he also didn''t have any time to check if it was. So he made a quick decision and shook his head before replying.


    "No, police officer. I don''t remember seeing any sort of vehicle on this road that night. I''m sure of it." Insisting that he didn''t was the only way he had now. He didn''t want to get involved in any of this mess and just wanted to live his normal life again.


    The police officer just started to nod, hearing him insisting that he didn''t see any sort of van. She was feeling stressed about the case and was finally able to get a small lead and hoped that it might be true, but the guy shut down her hopepletely.


    She then remembered something else about the guy before her and asked with a small smile on her face, "Right, let''s leave that for now. When I was digging up on you, I heard you suddenly shut down the shop for an entire week following the 6th ofst month? Why is that?"


    The guy got startled a little when he heard her and didn''t know how she knew he even closed the shop for a week. He wondered which idiot gave out this information about him and wanted to give a nice beating to him. His brain thought for reasons as quickly as it could and he answered after a second while acting as he remembered it.


    "Ah yes, I was actually not feeling well even in the first week of that month. I had a slight fever the first week, but on the 6th night it rose up quickly and I couldn''t even move properly for that entire week. So I had no choice but to close it up."


    She raised an eyebrow hearing his reason and asked, "You had health problems? Do you have anyone who can testify that you had a problem? Or do you at least have hospital receipts? I need some proof that you didn''t do anything else that week." She felt he caught the guy now. She was still suspicious and wanted the guy to cough out the truth.


    The guy justughed a bit and replied, "What is this all about, police officer? It''s almost like you have a lifelong grudge against me. But for your answer, no, I don''t have any proof. You must have figured out that I live alone in a small apartment in the neighborhood and so there is no one who can vouch for me. Also, I don''t have enough money or the energy at that time to go to a hospital and get a check-up. I just wanted to wait it out. If you want proof, then you can check my online food delivery app history. I ordered food that entire week, so that should tell you I was really home."


    He really did stay at home because he was scared. He was so scared that he didn''t want to move out of the house and only ordered food that week. His purse had bled a lot that week, but he couldn''t do anything else. He was scared that he might run into that guy and die because that guy suddenly changed his mind and wanted to cover all the tracks of the incident.


    The police officer really wanted to check that app, but she withheld herself as she already knew the thing was going too far and that she had to stop questioning the guy without a warrant. If the media found out that she threatened the guy with the gun, then losing her job was not thest thing she would get.


    She took back the gun and said, "Alright then, give me your paymone number. I''ll transfer you a thousand Kros for your time. Also, here is my card. Call me immediately if you remember anything about a ck van that night. If the information is useful, then you''ll get a bonus prize from the police too." And took out her card from her purse and handed it out.


    The guy nodded as he quickly told her his number and the police officer sent the money right there before him. He smiled when he saw the notification on his phone and said, "Thanks for the money, officer. I thought you were bluffing when you told me you''d give money. I''ll think really hard about that night and the ck van you asked me once again after work and call you if I remember anything." The police officer nodded before she stood up and walked out of the room. The guy followed her out and sat back behind the counter as she exited the store.


    "And Cut. Nice shot. We got everything." A loud shout disrupted the silent set.

 Chapter 126 - Thoughts And Director Remarks

    IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE-


    Hello Guys, it''s me, your author. Now I had to write this note here and not in the designated author''s note section because it''s that important and I hope everyone can read it. We finally stepped into the acting part of the book like you all have been waiting for and cursing at me for. So how was it? ??


    Like I told you before, I know nothing about the entertainment business, and everything I write is what I could find online. So tell me how the acting scene is written? After thinking for a very long time, I decided to write it like that. I have another way and that is to write from the perspective of Joon-won. But I decided to go this way instead. So help me by giving me feedback. Ament is enough. Just give me a rating from 1 to 10 and a small reason if it''s below 5. I''ll try to change things up if I get a lot below 5. Thanks for your cooperation and now you can start the chapter


    **************


    "And Cut. Nice shot. We got everything."


    The loud sentence broke the absolute silence, which clouded the entire set. Joon-won, who was behind the counter, finally rxed and fell into the chair. It would be aplete lie if he told he wasn''t tense the entire time and was also constantly thinking if his acting was going with the flow or if he should go harder. He had a lot of things the entire time and it was very stressful. He looked at his thigh and could see marks of his nails on them and he also felt a slight sting when he tried to shake his legs a little.


    He looked to the outside and saw everyone was moving around, packing things up. They were only scheduled to shoot this one scene and it was finally done. At the moment Joon-won felt he had enough energy to run a whole marathon as his adrenaline was still pumping hard. His first shoot was sessful. He looked out once again and this time it was towards the director who was looking at the shoot once again to confirm it. The director, unlike before, had a serious expression on his face.


    Joon-won closed his eyes for a second and reyed the entire scene once again. There was a bit of improvisation they did without even knowing but everything went fine in the end and they did not gopletely off from the script. He felt the improvisation was probably good because the director didn''t call them out by stopping the shoot. Overall, he felt the entire shoot went a bit better than he originally expected.


    If he had to absolutely find a w and nitpick on the shoot then it would be at the start when he didn''t start acting even after hearing action from the assistant director. Joon-won stayed still like a statue on the chair for almost aplete minute and he also noticed the assistant director was about to stop the shoot. But he needed that one minute topose himself and get used to the pressure he was feeling from the camera.


    The camera and everyone on the set were looking at him and that created some pressure, even for him. He almost went too cautious with his acting and dialogue but remembered everything he learned the past 2 months and stopped himself. If he did do that, the 2 months would have been down the drain as he couldn''t apply it when needed the most. So that one minute helped him get into his own mind space a little while, canceling out everything around him.


    And he also felt a little lucky too. His role was very easy for him to act because he has a lot of experience in working in a store. Remembering about working he finally remembered something very important. He didn''t inform the boss about noting to work. The boss also didn''t call him. He decided to give the boss a call and apologize to him before exining the situation to him.


    So he finally stood up and walked out of the store. He took out his phone and switched it on as the shoot already ended before directly giving the boss a call. He also went to the side a bit, away from the crowd. After a few rings, Gim Da picked up the call.


    "Oh Joon-won, you finally remembered to call me. You missed a day without even informing me." He heard Gim Da''s amused voice from the other side and knew the guy was a bit upset. Joon-won was generally the type of kid to tell him before he missed work, but he was surprised when he got a call early in the morning from Eum Kyung telling the kid didn''te to take over on time. Gim Da wanted to give him a call but didn''t as he thought Joon-won might have been really busy to not even have time to give him a call about the absence.


    "I''m really sorry about the sudden leave, boss."


    "Alright, Alright. If you didn''t call today, I would have called you first thing in the morning tomorrow to find out what''s the deal. Anyway, are you going toe tomorrow morning?"


    "I might note for the entire week, boss. Last night when I was done with the drama I got a sudden call from Senior Hea-Jung about an acting role and had toe to the Jade mountains on the first train today. I just finished shooting a scene and remembered that I didn''t inform you, so I had to give you a call."


    "Oh! Young miss Hea-Jung got you a role and asked you toe to Jade mountains? Then I guess you can''t do anything. You said you''ll be away for the entire week? It looks like the time you said you might leave ising soon and I should start looking for another worker this week."


    "Yes, boss. Even though this role was aplete miracle, I might still have to leave the job as I''ll go looking for roles even after this. But If you want some help I can ask around in the university if anyone wants a part-time job."


    "Joon-won, the director is calling for you." He heard someone shout and turned to see it was an assistant director. Hea-Jung was standing beside the director, looking towards him.


    "Well, but it looks like you are busy. Alright then, Congrats on getting your first role and give your absolute best. I''ll deal with this stuff on my own." And the call ended. Joon-won pocketed the phone before jogging towards the video vige.


    "Right, it looks like your call finally ended. Now let''s talk about the scene and your acting." The director said towards Joon-won, who simply nodded and whispered an apology. Hea-Jung just nced at him with a questioning gaze as she already reminded him to not use the phone on set and Joon-won also wasn''t the type to break rules.


    "Now I just reviewed the footage and the shot came out wonderful. There isn''t any need for any other takes. It looks like you were able to pull yourself together after your initial freeze. The assistant director almost wanted to call off the take." He said while gazing towards Joon-won.


    "Director, it''s just initial jitters. Everyone has them." Hea-Jung chipped in.


    "Well, anyway, it''s good that you got yourself together for it. We can remove that at post-production, anyway. Now the main topic is the improvisation you both did. Who came up with it?" Gazing at the two.


    Hea-Jung had a smile on her face as she stepped in front and said proudly, "Of course it was me. I was just going with the flow and it came out like that. Luckily little brother was able to keep going. The improvisation was perfect in that scene too." Joon-won nodded. He was a little surprised at her suddenly bringing up the cameras. It wasn''t there in the script, as the police officer directly asked the guy for some time to talk.


    The director took a deep breath and said, "Yes, you should thank the heavens that it all went perfectly in the end. If not, I would have blown your head off. Don''t ever do that again, improvisation is always risky business, and luckily this time it fits perfectly." The reason he didn''t stop the take was that he wanted to see if it was worth it. If it didn''t he would have blown her top off for wasting time.


    Joon-won nodded while Hea-Jung looked to the side. At that time, she just felt it fitted perfectly. It would be rather awkward for a police officer to just directly ask a citizen for private time.


    The Director continued, "Alright, with that out of the way, let''s continue with your acting. I have to say, except that initial one minute of silence, you did better than I thought."

 Chapter 127 - Director Talk

    The Director continued, "Alright, with that out of the way, let''s continue with your acting. I have to say, except for that initial one minute of silence, you did better than I thought."


    He really was impressed. The director felt like the newbie would take at least 2 or 3 takes to get used to it and get rolling, but the young man in front of him proved himpletely wrong after a mere minute of silence. As he looked through the screen in the video vige, he also felt like he was a real shopkeeper and, during the scene inside the room, he nailed the anxious bodynguage as he asked. Overall, it was wonderful acting for a first-timer.


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Thanks for the praise. I just did my job to the best of my abilities so that I don''t drag everyone down. Also, thanks for giving me this opportunity I''ll continue to do my best for the next 2 scenes too." He already knew he passed the little test the director gave him and was good enough to continue.


    "Hahahaha Director. Didn''t I tell you before that you won''t regret giving the money to my junior? You lost the bet." Hea-Jungughed out like ady boss in movies. Joon-won couldn''t help but shake his head a little after hearing her. Why couldn''t she just let that stupid bet go? She just had to go ahead and remind the man that he lost to her.


    The director just gave a small nod to her and continued to talk with Joon-won, "Anyway, did they tell you when the next shoot was?"


    Joon-won just shook his head as he had no clue about the rest of the scenes. He just thought they would tell tomorrow morning.


    The director hummed as he nodded while thinking about something. After a while, he said, "Alright then, that''s good. You might have to stay here longer than intended. Is that ok for you? I need to talk with the producer about a few scenes and might make changes after seeing your acting earlier. It might take a day or two for the talks and changes to the script." Joon-won was a little taken back at what he heard. He didn''t have any problems staying back for another week if it meant he could have a few more scenes. Hea-Jung, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at his statement andmented.


    "Coach, you know that''s risky business, right? If you change the script now, you''ll be the most hated man on set." No actor or crew member liked a sudden change to the script because it might just mean that some of the scenes they shot already should bepletely useless.


    The director nced at Hea-Jung and replied, "I know what I am doing. The changes I am talking about were actually supposed to be in the original script before they were taken out because of the original actor''s poor performance. Now we can just add them back to make the movie better and those are also very simple scenes. Also, with this, the remuneration this guy is getting would be more justified. So it''s all well." But it was actually not that simple and there were actually a few changes that would affect an important scene in the movie.


    Joon-won just nodded and said, "I have no problem staying another week. Please try to get me more scenes to act in. I''ll do my best." He just wanted to act more and now that is the only thing in his mind.


    The director nodded and said while patting Joon-won''s shoulder with a smile, "That''s good to hear. Leave your mobile number with the assistant director and we''ll give you a call directly about it. Take these next two days for rest before you act continuously for a while again. Alright, both of you go and change your clothes, let''s go have somete-night dinner."


    Joon-won nodded and just as he was about to reject the dinner proposal by the director as he already ate and wasn''t that hungry, Hea-Jung spoke while pulling his shirt tightly, "Wow, director. You are actually giving us a party? Yes, we need to eat our full then, alright, let''s go and remove all this makeup little brother." She turned towards him with a strange smile while pulling his shirt at the back as hard as she could. So he just nodded, and they went back to the changing rooms.


    As they reached Hea-Jung turned towards Joon-won and looked at him in the eye with a serious expression. Joon-won stared back with an eyebrow raised, he was also wondering what she was doing by pulling his shirt and epting the proposal for him.


    After a few seconds of silence, Hea-Jung sighed and said, "Little brother, you can not be like this even after officiallying into the industry. Things like dinners and lunches aremon here. You can not reject when the director himself is giving you a party after seeing your acting. This is an opportunity for you and use it to get to know him and form a few connections for your own. Dinner meetings are perfect for that. So try to change a little. Connections are always a useful thing. Got it?" She knew the guy would definitely reject the director''s proposal from personal experience. The guy wanted to be alone all the time, and that wasn''t going to work. Especially after she saw that the director was actually the one trying to form connections after seeing Joon-won act once. So this was a good opportunity for the guy.


    Joon-won thought for a second before he felt what the dumb girl said was actually true. He also knew connections were very important no matter what kind of work a man does, but that was especially true in the entertainment industry, where everyone wants to get an advantage over the other.


    So he nodded and said, "Alright then, thanks for stopping me from rejecting. My skills can only take me so far. With connections, I would be able to take an extra step. Now, where can I clean my face? I want to get this make-up off quickly." And looked around.


    "It''s ok, don''t need to thank me. I''m just doing my job as your senior by correcting your mistakes. Just think a second before you reject someone like that. Also, there was a makeshift sink in the make-up station earlier. Just use that to wash your face and I''ll change out of this costume in the meanwhile." And walked away. Joon-won, on the other hand, just went towards the makeup station to get refreshed.


    The director, on the other hand, was on a call with the producer of the film. Since it was a small shoot andte at night, the producer only sent his assistant and wasn''t there in person to watch the shoot.


    "Yeah, it''s me. Sorry for the sudden call thiste at night. But I need to speak with you and I''m busy tomorrow with shooting again."


    [Sure go ahead director, I''m sure you have a valid reason to call. I think there was shooting now. Did itplete already?]


    "Yes, we are done, and the crew is wrapping up. We were able toplete the shoot in one take. The newbie is better than we actually expected. It seems what Miss. Cheo said is true, this kid has some serious talent. Also, this is the reason I''m calling you."


    [Oh! Is that the case? It looks like it''s worth the money then. I''ll ask my people to wire in the money to his ount then. But I''m sure that''s not the reason you called me.]


    "Yes, if it was the money, I could have just told your assistant. It''s actually about some of the scenes we decided to take away because we thought the original actor who was supposed to y the role wouldn''t be good enough. I think we can now add them too. They would fit nicely into the movie and give some better rity about the movie scenes too. What do you think?"


    [Yes, I remember we deleted 2 scenes regarding this role in the original script. So you want to add them back now? But wouldn''t it increase the burden on the crew a little and also take some extra time? Is it worth it?]


    "I think it is. Also, the two scenes are pretty small and simple. So it won''t take us that much time either. This actor is also good enough to get it done in one or two rakes at max. I think we should go for it."


    The other side was silent for a minute before he replied.


    [Alright then director, since you think that''s the case. Let''s go with it. But we need some time to talk with the actors about it. After all, one scene makes a vast change in thest scene of the entire movie.]


    "That''s alright producer. I already told the actor that we might take 2 days regarding this. Alright then, continue sleeping producer, you have to get to this tomorrow morning." And cut the call.

 Chapter 128 - Dinner

    Joon-won looked at the food in front of him and slowly started to eat. He always had an extra room for new foods. He was in one of the 3-star restaurants in the city with Hea-Jung, the director and a few other people. He sat in a corner with Hea-Jung and the director, as all three of them started to eat their food.


    After he washed his face and Hea-Jung changed back into normal clothes, the assistant director walked up to them and told them that the director was waiting for them in the car. The assistant director also didn''t forget to take Joon-won''s number as he needed to tell him about the change in script and scheduleter on.


    After he gave his number to the assistant director and walked towards the car, Hea-Jung reminded him of something important. It was to get another phone with a new sim card for personal purposes. He can''t have the same number for both and since he already gave his number to a few people in the industry, it would be better for him to change his personal number. Joon-won epted the suggestion and decided to get a new sim card instead of an entire phone.


    Now all of them were in the restaurant as they continued to eat. The director looked up from his te towards Joon-won, who was calmly eating with etiquette, and said, "You really know how to eat kid. I have never seen anyone eat as elegantly as you are right now. Where did you learn it from?"


    Joon-won, on the other hand, didn''t respond to his question and continued to eat calmly. He doesn''t like to talk when he is eating, especially when he is eating new kinds of food. He likes to take in the new vors and experience thempletely.


    Hea-Jung, who was at the same table, looked at the director and said, "Don''t bother talking right now, director. This guy has a few hard rules which he follows. One of those rules is to never speak while eating food. So don''t bother speaking now. Let himplete that food on the te before you start. He likes topletely enjoy the food." Even she looked like an idiot when they first had food together. She was the only one speaking continuously, like a mental patient, and was easily frustrated.


    The director looked at Hea-Jung before looking at Joon-won strangely and nodding. He didn''t mind giving the guy some silence while he enjoyed his food. The dinner continued and after Joon-won was done, he drank a ss of water and looked at the director before answering the earlier question.


    "I learned it by myself. No one taught me." And that was aplete lie. But he can''t actually tell him that his father-inw, the king, actually assigned an entire group of 6 to 7 butlers and maids to teach him after he saw him eating for the first time. Those people grilled this etiquette into him such that his body automatically does it. And so as he can''t say all this without people looking at him as if he is an idiot, saying he learned it by himself was the best option left.


    The director nodded and said, "For learning by yourself, you really are great." Making Joon-won nod.


    "Well, then. I talked with the producer earlier and he said it might take 2 days as I said earlier for a new script and schedule for you. So you have these two days for yourself to enjoy. I suggest you visit the Jade Mountains. It would only take an hour by bus."


    Hearing his suggestion, Hea-Jung chimed in and said, "Yes, you should go to the mountains. It''s a huge waste to not visit them aftering this far. I also want to go there but I have to shoot again tomorrow. So I originally nned to go there after all my scenes are done. Since you have two days off, you can go there for a trip of sorts. I heard there are cabins for people to stay too."


    Joon-won thought for a second before he nodded. He also had no ns for the next two days, and just staying inside a hotel room for 48 hours was thest thing he wanted to do. So he decided to take a trip there tomorrow morning and after seeing the condition there, he can also stay there for the night as Hea-Jung told him about the cabins.


    "Well, I''ll do just that then. I''ll go there tomorrow morning."


    The director nodded and said, "I heard there is almost one bus for every hour which takes people to the mountain or at least is on the way there. So you can pick your ownfortable time to go."


    Joon-won nodded once again, and the dinner continued. After the dinner, Hea-Jung and Joon-won got separated from the director as Han Ju came with a car to pick them up. After they got in the car, Hea-Jung said to him.


    "Don''t forget to call Do Hwan tomorrow morning, little brother. Tell him about the situation and the possible extension of scenes. He might be asleep now, so just call tomorrow after you get up. He''ll probably have to make changes to the ns he has for you and will also call the university regarding your absence."


    Joon-won nodded and remained silent. After reaching his hotel, he just told both of them goodnight before walking towards his room. The time was already 11:30, and he was exhausted. As soon as his back touched the bed, he closed his eyes for a good sleep.


    Joon-won didn''t wake up until 8 in the morning. I surprised him how long he slept without the disturbance of an rm clock, which woke him up every day for the gym. Just like every day, he decided to get some simple workout done within the hotel room and after that, he brushed his teeth and sat on the couch with his phone in his hands as he dialed Do Hwan''s number.


    [Yes, Joon-won? You must have a pretty good reason to call me this early in the morning. I''m not even at thepany yet.] Joon-won could hear vehicles in the background too.


    "Should I call you after a few minutes? It looks like you are driving right now."


    [Nah, it''s ok. I''m wearing my Bluetooth buds, anyway. So tell me, what''s the matter? Oh, right before I forget, how was your shoot yesterday? Did it go well?]


    "Yes, the shoot went absolutely well. The director also praised me after it and took me and Hea-Jung out for dinner. Also, he is nning to add more scenes to my role after watching me act so he said I might have to stay here for another week to shoot them too. So, I called you to inform you about it.]


    [Oh! He actually praised you? That''s a really good start for your career then. It also looks like he is very sincere with his praise too, to give you a few extra scenes. It''s alright if you need to stay an extra week if you get more scenes for your first role. You''ll have more experience with it. Did you agree with the guy?]


    "Yes, I did. There won''t be any change in the payment. He said with these extra scenes the amount he is paying me would be a bit more reasonable."


    [Well, if you think from a producer''s perspective, then what he said is really true. Even I would think paying 70k for a newbie actor is outrageous given how small the role is. You just need to act better to make them feel a little better about the amount of money your bank ount is getting.]


    "Yeah, I guess it is a lot of money. Well, aside from that, can you give my university a quick call too? If I give them a call, there would be endless questions along with the possibility of my leave getting rejected. So can you call the vice-dean since you know him?"


    [Oh, yeah sure. I''ll give the vice-dean a call right away. I''m sure he won''t have a problem if I said you managed to get a role in the movie.]


    "Alright then, Do Hwan, thanks for the help. I''ll cut the call then since you are driving."


    "Alright then, just take care of yourself and your acting. Do your best and I''m sure it will impress them."


    And the call ended as Joon-won checked a few messages he received. He noticed a message from the bank stating his wealth increased by 35k, which made him smile. He knew the rest half of the promised money would be given on thest day of his shooting.


    He also noticed a few messages from Jung-hwa, Yun-hee, and also surprisingly Mo Yang, which hepletely ignored. He didn''t want anything to do with that good-for-nothing guy.


    After giving a few replies he stood up and quickly got ready before making his way down with his bag filled with a few clothes and other essentials.

 Chapter 129 - Bus Trip

    Joon-won was sitting on a bench in the bus station, waiting for the bus to arrive. He asked the guy behind the counter when the next bus to the Jade mountains was and he told it was going to take another 20 to 30 mins for it to arrive. So he sat on a bench looking at all the busesing and going out of the station on different tforms.


    Feeling a little hungry, he looked around and walked up to a small shop. He bought 2 bottles of water, a couple of energy bars, chips, and also 3 curry buns that were freshly made inside the store. Sitting on the bench, he kept everything inside his bag except a curry bun and a water bottle. So, he sat there alone, eating a decent-tasting curry bun while waiting for a bus to arrive.


    As he was waiting, he decided to give Min-Seok a call. If he knew him enough from the memories and his talks with him during thest 2 months, he knew the guy must be shaking with nervousness since morning and probably did not even sleep because of the results which were about toe in a few hours. The time was 9 now and the results would be out at 1 in the afternoon.


    The phone rang a few times before he heard Min-Seok on the other side.


    [What are you doing Joon-won? Did you have breakfast? How was your shooting yesterday? Was the director pleased with it?] And he heard the usual barrage of questions, but this time with a voice that was a bit more tired. He could tell Min-Seok was doing his best to cover it up and not show it too.


    "I''m fine, dad. The shooting went really well, too. The director praised me and told me he will give more scenes than expected so I''ll be staying here for another week to shoot even those scenes. But all this aside, it looks like you aren''t doing that well."


    He heard a nervousugh on the other side before Min-Seok tried to push it away.


    [The director praised you and you''ll be getting more scenes to act too? That is great Joon-won. I''m proud of you. And what are you talking about? I''m not tired at all. I''m perfectly fine. I took a day off today as Yun-hee''s results areing out and so I''m resting at home. Everything is fine.]


    "I''m not a kid anymore, dad. You can''t hide it from me anymore. It looks like you are tired and I can tell even if you are trying to hide it. Were you awake the entire night thinking about the results?"


    He heard an audible sigh before Min-Seok said.


    [Looks like you really grew up to be a fine adult. I am just feeling a bit nervous about the results, that''s all. Everything is fine. I''ll sleep after seeing the results. So don''t worry.] As he tried to reassure Joon-won. Min-Seok felt a bit proud too to see Joon-won grow up. Joon-won for him was always a bit unruly in nature and was worried about him when he sent him to the city. But it looked like the city had changed him for the better recently.


    "Alright then be sure to sleep after seeing the results no matter what they are. You can''t lose sleep for something like this. I''m sure the results are going to be perfectly fine too. Alright?"


    [Yes, Yes. I will. Now tell me, what are you doing? Do you have a shooting today too?]


    "No, the director gave me 2 days off because they need to make changes to the script if they are going to add a few scenes for me. I''m now at a bus station waiting for a bus. I nned to take a hike up the Jade mountains since I don''t have much to do here. I heard it''s only a 1-hour ride on the bus."


    [Oh, the Jade mountains? A few of my colleagues actually went there during a few holidays too. They showed me all kinds of pictures. The scenery is very good up there. Be safe when you do it. Don''t get hurt when hiking, it''s your first time too.]


    "Yes, Yes. I will be safe. Don''t worry much. I''ll send you guys a few pictures for now and the three of us can go there when you have a few holidays. What is Yun-hee doing?"


    [Yes, let''s go when I get a few holidays. It can be a small mini-vacation for us. And that girl is still asleep. It looks like shepletely forgot about the results and is happily enjoying her sleep.]


    "It''s ok, let her sleep. She won''t be able to sleep after she gets into a university with all her studies. Did she say anything about which University and group she is taking?"


    [No, that girl still didn''t tell me anything about it. I tried to ask her yesterday, but she said to wait till the resultse out and that she will give a hint about the university. She said she will tell the name and group she will be taking only when she gets epted there. She seemed pretty confident that she''ll get epted too.]


    "Well, we can''t do anything about that. Just let her be then." And both continued to talk.


    And as the guy behind the counter said, the bus arrived after 25 minutes. So, he quickly cut the call with Min-Seok and after showing his ticket he got in. As soon as he got in, the first thing he saw were people dressed in hiking attire. It looked like everyone was on their way to enjoy a good hike. It only took people 2 to 3 hours to hike up the mountain and was a very easy course too. So he saw a few old people too on the bus.


    Joon-won then took his seat and looked outside the window as the bus moved after 10 minutes. He noticed the bus was almost full, too. He just continued to look outside the window, enjoying the scenery. It didn''t take long for the bus to get outside the city and what was left was in fields once again. He could see a few farmers already working on their fields and felt a bit of appreciation for their hard work.


    After 30 minutes, he heard a few whispers and noticed people looking out the window, pointing outside. So he also looked out and noticed that the mountains were getting clearer. Joon-won noticed it was also getting misty as they got closer and it was also getting colder. Luckily, he wore a jacket and still felt warm.


    After another 30 minutes, they reached the base of the mountain and everyone got off the bus. Joon-won looked around and noticed many cars were parked and a few people were going back after their time there. He continued to look around and noticed a map of the mountain and also the paths to the top.


    He walked closer and took a clean look at the map. The map was simple, it told which paths beginners could take and if people wanted to be adventurous, there were tougher paths too. He also saw the symbol representing where the cabins which Hea-Jung told him were. They were quite near and so he just decided to go there first and book himself a room before they are all taken. He walked towards the cabin and reached there after a few minutes.


    Joon-won walked up to the reception and asked thedy, "Are there any cabins left for a single person?" He asked for a single person because he noticed there were actually a variety of cabins and the biggest one actually was two floors and had 4 bedrooms. He didn''t need that. So, he asked for the single bedroom ones which came with a small living room, bedroom, and a bath.


    Thedy nodded and checked herputer before giving him a nod.


    "Yes, there are a few avable. Which price range do you want? There is supreme which would be 4000 Kros a night, The Business ss version which would be 2500 Kros a night and a normal version would be 1000 Kros a night."


    He smiled and took out his card before saying he would take the business ss one. He didn''t want to spend an absurd amount of 4000 for a night, but could also not gamble on how bad the normal ones would be. So the middle option looked optimal. It only took thedy a few minutes as she took out a key card and showed him the way.


    After a few minutes, he was in his room with a satisfied look. The room wasn''t bad and he was happy with what he got for 2500 Kros.


    "Should I go now? Or take a quick nap before going there." He murmured to himself and got an answer from the system.


    [I suggest you go to the top of the mountains now. Just get up and start moving. You will regret your entire life if you don''t move now.]

 Chapter 130 - The Top Of The Mountain

    The system''s sudden outburst caught himpletely off guard. The system was usuallypletely quiet and only talked a very few times over thest 2 months. But every time it did, it was something helpful. So he wondered what made the system outburst on a decision regarding a simple hike. Regardless of the reason, he just nodded before walking out. The reason for his trust? The system was simply never wrong about its decision until now.


    He didn''t forget to take his bag of food and water with him, too. He walked up to the receptionist once again and asked.


    "How long does it take to hike to the top of the mountains on the normal route and are there any ces to eat at the top?" He wanted some basic information before he started going up. He also wanted to know if there were ces to eat at the top as it was almost time for lunch and if there weren''t any ces at the top, he might as well just eat his lunch before starting up.


    Thedy gave him a small smile before replying, "It would take 2 to 2 and a half hours for people to walk up the mountain. There are a few ces on the way to the top if you are interested, like the caves and gardens. There will be signs along the way to those ces too. And yes, there are ces at the top for you to eat. There is a restaurant at the halfway point and there is one at the top. The one at the halfway point is maintained by us and the one at the top is a famous noodle ce owned by a family."


    Joon-won thanked her before he walked out of the lodge and walked towards the normal path, which was where his bus stopped before. He noticed a few people going up while some were alsoing down. Most of the people were couples or groups of friends, and he rarely found a single person walking up. Joon-won just shrugged and started walking up the path with his headphones on.


    As he walked up he just continued to look around, enjoying the scenery. It felt refreshing to try something new. Even in his past life he never needed to walk up mountains when there were magical beasts that could fly. So before he became the king and was still pretty poor, they would just hire the cheapest beast for their group to travel long distances and after he became the king, he had a specific mage who specialized in space magic to teleport him anywhere he wanted. So this was his first time actually climbing a mountain.


    The path to the top of the mountain was made of both stairs and a walking path. Some ces had stairs while the others had a path to walk on. He also heard a few people talking about the hard path which was only made up of stairs. Walking would generally give them a bit of rxationpared to continuously climbing stairs.


    Joon-won also thought it was a good choice that he decided toe to the mountains. He was able to get his fitness done while having the pleasure to rx and enjoy the scenery. After walking for 45 minutes, he decided to take a little break and just sat on one of the benches at the side. He just continued to look at the various people walking up and drank some water. If he had done this without his daily fitness training, then he might have beenpletely washed.


    After 5 minutes, he stood up and continued to walk up the path. It didn''t take him long to reach the halfway point and noticed the restaurant the receptionist below told him about. After a minute, he decided to have a little early lunch before continuing to walk but stopped once again when he heard the system.


    [Don''t go and eat now. Just continue forward. You can''t waste any more time. Just continue up and you can eat at that noodle shop that girl told you about earlier. Just trust me and continue forward. As I said, you would regret it if you don''t.]


    Joon-won had an awkward face after hearing that. He couldn''t get what the system was going on about. The system was never this persistent until then. It always gave him the right to choose whether he would follow its suggestions or not. But this time it ispletely insisting that he should continue walking without giving him much of a choice with the words ''It would be the BIGGEST Regret of your life.'' no man would want to take that gamble.


    "At least tell me what''s going on here. You aren''t this persistent at all. Give me a clue at least about what''s going on." But the system always just refused to respond to his words. He could just look at the restaurant before turning back and walking up the path once again. He checked the time and saw it was almost 12, too.


    Taking a deep breath, he just continued to walk up the path. From the halfway point, he could feel the path had be a bit harder to walk on to as it became a bit more inclined. He just simply continued to walk up hoping whatever was up there waspletely worth it. He swore if it wasn''t the number of curses that woulde out of his mouth could make people''s ears bleed.


    After another 1 hour of heavy climbing, Joon-won could finally see the top of the mountain. The trees also weren''t that many anymore, and he had a nice view from the ce he was to. Seeing the view, a small smile formed on his face, and felt the climb was worth it.


    [You think I made you walk all that for this tiny view? Don''t kid yourself. Just continue to the top.] This made him feel a bit frustrated, but he just continued to the top in hopes that whatever it was, it would be better than the view he was getting.


    As he got to the top and was only a few stairs away from it, his phone rang. It was Min-Seok and after noticing the time was almost 1; he knew they were calling because the results were about toe out.


    He answered the call and saw Yun-hee''s face.


    [Woah, where are you? Dad told me you were going on a hike. It looks like you really are. Oh my god, you are so high up, I can see the clouds in the background too.]


    "Yes, I came to the Jade mountains after a few people rmended it to me. It''s honestly fantastic too. It''s worth the 2-hour hike up the mountain. Wait a minute, I''m almost at the top." And continued to climb a little faster until he reached the ce. The top was a huge t surface and he could see the noodle shop the receptionist said to him earlier at the other side.


    "Ah, I''m finally here. Look at the view." He switched to the back camera and showed the view he was seeing to her." It was breathtaking for him. He took a deep breath and felt it was the cleanest air he took in aftering to the modern world.


    [Woah, that looks so good. Dades here. Joon-won made ut to the top of the mountains. Here look at the view.] She turned to the side and shouted towards Min-Seok.


    After a while, Min-Seok came onto the screen. He looked at the view and also eximed.


    [The view is really good Joon-won.]


    He switched back the camera and nodded before he asked Yun-hee.


    "Yes, it is. Anyway, Yun-hee, how are you now?"


    Yun-hee just leaned back and replied, "I''mpletely fine. You should be more worried about the old man. He wasn''t this tense even for your results a year back."


    Joon-won nodded and before he could say anything, the system interrupted.


    [Alright, now stop with the chit chat. Continue toward the noodle shop. Weren''t you crying that you were hungry? Now go to the shop.]


    Joon-won just turned around and continued to walk towards the shop while he was talking with them both too. As he walked in, he heard a female voice wee him into the store, which made him stop right in his tracks with a horrified face.


    He looked up and what he saw made him drop the phone in his hand as he continued to stare at thedy behind the counter with his eyes wide open. All the color on his face waspletely drained and his body shook. The dropped phone made quite a bit of sound, which caught a few people''s attention, and he also heard Yun-hee and Min-Seok''s worried voices on the phone.


    Tears rolled down his face as he spoke with a broken voice, "Zen Quin? Is that you?"

 Chapter 131 - Joon-won Being An Idiot

    "Zen Quin? Is that you?"


    These words carried a lot of hope and meaning for Joon-won, who regretted not having a happy life with his wife. Even though Zen Quin married him without consulting him, even though he never really loved her, even though he hated her for destroying his love for acting. She was still his wife. Joon-won saw how she battled armies and conquerednds for her kingdom. He saw the brutal injuries she would oftene back with. Only after she had passed away did he understand how important she was and regretted not loving her with all his heart and staying by her side when she went to long battles.


    Ever since he heard from the system about how Zen Quin had sacrificed her chance to reincarnate and live a normal happy life, but she gave up all that only to give him a system that could help him continue striving towards his goal. He has been keeping hold of a thin strand of hope that she would reincarnate in this world. Finally, he saw her; he saw a woman who looked exactly like his wife.


    [Hey, Idiot. Don''t stand there at the entrance of the shop. Everyone is looking at you and you are creating a scene here. Quickly pick up your phone, order something and take a seat. You can continue looking at her like a creep after you do that.] The system''s rude remarks woke him up from the trance he went into. He quickly took the phone and heard two worried voices.


    [Joon-won. Joon-won. What''s happening? Why is your face so pale? Did something happen? Tell¡­]


    He cut Min-Seok''s worried question and said, "Dad, I''ll talk to both of you in a while. I''m hungry and am going to have some lunch. I''ll call youter. Ok bye." And just cut the call before he kept the phone back inside. Throughout the entire thing, he didn''t take his eyes off thedy in front of him. He was worried she would disappear the moment he took his eyes off her.


    He gulped a mouthful of saliva and stepped forward towards the counter.


    "I would like to have today''s specialty, thanks. I''ll be sitting there." He quickly ordered his food and just walked away like a robot. He waspletely panicking and didn''t even know what he ordered. Joon-won just ordered the first thing he saw on the menu. He wasn''t ready to talk to her at all.


    Joon-won ignored all the stares from the customers and the people working there as he took a seat at a corner which still gave him a view of the counter.


    [Congrattions, you looked like apletely creepy bastard. What a way to get a first impression. You broke down the moment you saw her. Clean those tears stains you got on your face first. You look like aplete idiot in front of everyone here.] The system came back with sarcasm and rude remarks once again.


    Joon-won cursed the system under his breath and said to it, "It''s all your fault. You should have at least given me a heads-up or even a small clue on why you were rushing me toe to the top. You have no idea how dumbfounded I was when I saw her. Is she Zen Quin? Or someone who just coincidentally looks like her? Come on, tell me."


    [She is Zen Quin, but at the same time not. Like I said before, she gave up her chance to reincarnate normally and live a happy life and even get a few extra wishes to live that happy life because of all the deeds in her previous life. She was one of god''s favorite people to watch too. But she gave up that golden opportunity and instead she asked for him to give you a chance so that you can continue acting. Do you think it''s aplete coincidence that a guy who loved acting just managed to get into a body of a kid who also seemed to have died at the same time and who also went to acting school? It was all because of her wish.]


    Joon-won eyes teared up as he heard the system. He saw all her struggles in his previous life and had gained a chance to live a peaceful and happy life, but she gave everything up for him. He just wanted to jump off the mountain at that very moment. He hated himself for hating her. She might have not been a perfect wife but she was someone who loved him and he wasn''t either for her. He wasn''t a good husband or gave her love when she was alive.


    [So when I say she is the same person but is also not, I mean she has no memories of her previous life. None of them. But her behavior and her likes and dislikes might be the same. But I don''t know if that''s true. After all, I don''t know what that madman is doing from above. But he must surely be enjoying all this.]


    Joon-won just continued to listen to the system in silence. His mind was inplete chaos. But all that vanished away when he heard a bowl being kept on his table. He looked up and saw it was her. She was the one who is serving his food. He just continued to stare at the same face he was dying to see like an idiot once again.


    "Hey! Are you deaf? Your order is here. God damn it. Why is there an idiot of a customer on myst day here? Hey! Complete your food and get out. Don''t make me beat your ass up." And walked away.


    Joon-won looked at her back and murmured, "Even her voice is the same as I remember. Even her manner of speaking is the same as ever. Very straightforward and dominant. It has to be Zen Quin." Hepletely ignored thedy''s warning and just went into a trance after hearing her recognizable voice once again.


    But even though he was in a trance, he caught one small thing about how it was thest day here. He wanted to stand up and go ask her what she meant by that and as he was about to do that; the system interrupted him.


    [Are you aplete idiot? Do you want to go ask her about her things? She doesn''t even know you and that girl just simply looks and sounds like your wife. Don''t make a bigger fool of yourself. I am deeply regretting my decision to even tell you about this. I should have just let you be there at the hotel andpletely missed meeting her. Now quickly eat your food and walk out quietly. Don''t make things any more awkward than what they already are.] It sounded very regretful seeing how he was acting.


    Joon-won ignored the system, but he did start to slowly eat the noodles. The noodles very extremely tasty and he loved the feeling of the hot broth slowly entering his stomach. The outside cold atmosphere was the perfect ce to eat the hot noodles. But even with how much of a maniac he is with food, his eyes never left the woman as she returned to the counter. He continued to look at her as hepleted the noodles and just continued to stare at her.


    After a few more minutes another guy came up to his table, took the bowl, and said, "It''s 300 Kros." Joon-won just took out his purse and absent-mindedly handed him a 500 note. The guy came back with the remaining amount and said.


    "Mister, it''s better if you leave now. That young miss would beat you up if you continue to look at her like that. It won''t look good if you get beaten up in front of everybody here."


    Joon-won nodded, and heplied with the guy''s suggestion. So he slowly stood up and just walked towards the door, but his eyes never left her. When he got near, he noticed her slowly turning and so he just looked down and continued.


    After he went outside the shop and walked a few steps, he continued to look at her through the door. The counter was exactly opposite the door and he could see her. Through the mirror on the door.


    Time passed by and after over 10 minutes of staring at her, he finally noticed her move. She stood up and walked away from the counter. He tried to look at where she went but didn''t see anything. After a few seconds, she walked out of the door and, by the looks of it and was walking right towards him with an angry expression.


    Joon-won once again panicked and turned around to look at the scenery, hoping she wouldn''te towards him. But she did, and he heard her footsteps stop right behind him, along with her voice.


    "Hey, creepy bastard. What are you up to? Did you think I didn''t notice you staring at me from here for the past ten minutes? The reason better be good or you''ll get beaten up here in front of all these people." She soundedpletely pissed off.

 Chapter 132 - Hye-Su

    "Hey, creepy bastard. What are you up to? Did you think I didn''t notice you staring at me from here for the past ten minutes? The reason better be good or you''ll get beaten up here in front of all these people." She soundedpletely pissed off.


    Hearing her, Joon-won''s body went stiff. He knew she was angry this time and him being already scared to even look into her eyes did not help at all. He slowly turned around like a robot and stood in front of her like a soldier. She was clearly pissed off as she stood there with an eyebrow raised and hands folded, waiting for an answer.


    Joon-won just looked at her withplete nostalgia. Looking at her from that close made him realize how they both looked. The girl in front of him had the exact same long brown hair as his wife. The exact same facial features. Unknowingly, his hand slowly stretched towards her face as she started to scold him again.


    "Hey, why are you acting deaf? Do you want me to beat you up and call the police too?" And stopped when she noticed his handing towards her face. Joon-won was still looking at her before he felt the world turn upside down in a shift moment and he closed his eyes.


    He slowly opened his eyes when he felt a sharp pain in his back and right arm. He could see the cloudy sky and didn''t know what happened for a second. Everything came together when he saw her face once again as she stood over him with his arm in her hand, twisted. The girl just threw him to the ground after seeing his hand.


    "Ah!" He let out a grunt from the pain as everything which happened finally registered. Hisplete concentration was on her face that he didn''t notice her throwing him.


    She held the hand he tried to touch her with a d said, "You are a really daring bastard aren''t you? I already told you that I''ll beat your ass up but youpletely ignored it and even tried to touch me. How ignorant." As she tried to twist his hand a bit more. Joon-won grimaced a bit more from the twist as he tried to get up. But the girl was quick as she pushed him down on his back once again.


    "Come on, leave me. It kinda pains a bit. And see, everyone is also looking at me. I''ll talk, so leave me for now." Joon-won noticed everyone on the mountain top looking at them and even saw a few people taking out their phones to record his ass getting beaten. So he just wanted to simply get out of the awkward position he was in.


    She instead huffed and said, "What if you try something like that once again? You are a scum, so I can never be too sure. Just be like that and talk. So tell¡­." But before she could continue, they heard an old voice shout.


    "Hye-Su. What are you doing? Did you just throw that poor man down like that? Come on, stop it now. I already told you to not use your power like this except in the ring. Help that man up and both of youe inside. We need to have a talk about this." Both of them looks to the source of the sound and noticed it was an old man standing in front of the restaurant with his stick pointed at them.


    The hold on Joon-won''s hand loosened as the girl called Bye-Su, who looked exactly like his wife, said, "But grandfather, this guy is a Barbarian, he tried to.."


    The old man didn''t want to have any of her reasons as he just cut her off and said, "I know what kind of person you are Hye-Su. Leave the hold on that man. Look at how everyone is looking at both of you. It also looks like that man is in pain. So bring him in, you injured him, so you got to treat him too. Did you forget our family motto? I told it to you before I taught you."


    Hye-Su, gritted her teeth as she listened to her grandfather and left Joon-won''s hand. Joon-won exhaled in relief as he slowly stood up. Her throw was quite strong as he could feel that his back was actually bruised. If it wasn''t for his 2-month gym sessions he was sure there might have been bones broken with his beforenky built.


    "You are so dead after we are out of grandfather''s sight," Hye-Su murmured into his ears as she supported Joon-won towards the restaurant under her grandfather''s keen gaze. Joon-won sighed hearing her. This Hye-Su had the same exact hot-temper and revenge mind as his wide Zen Quin, seeing all this he felt his eyes be watery.


    Hye-Su didn''t hear any response from the guy as she lifted him and turned towards him to only see him almost cry while looking at her. This made her think if she used too much power to throw the guy but shook her head and thought all of this was just some meaningless tactics before dragging him inside the restaurant.


    As they entered the old man was right behind him and gave another instruction towards Hye-Su, "Take the kid towards the living room. Help him apply some of the pain relief ointment we have." Hye-Su simply nodded before she continued to help Joon-won. They went behind the restaurant and entered a small room.


    Joon-won looked around and noticed this ce was actually a small house. He noticed a kitchen, a bedroom too. Hye-Su looked around before she threw him down once again. Joon-won grimaced once again as fell on the hard floor again. She looked at him as he tried to get up and just went inside the bedroom. Joon-won slowly sat and just continued to look around the house.


    As he was looking around he heard footsteps get closer and just looked down as Hye-Su entered the living room once again with an ointment tube in her hand this time. Joon-won just looked down as he didn''t want to piss that girl off more again. Every time he saw her, he couldn''t help but recall memories of his wife and act like an idiot. He already also made the worst first impression on her and didn''t know how to talk with her now.


    Hye-Su stared at him for a second and threw the ointment before him before saying, "Put it on yourself." And walked away again. Joon-won picked up the ointment and took off his shirt. His back and arms were paining a bit and he can''t walk down the mountain for another 2 hours with the pain. So he just decided to use the ointment she gave.


    Taking off his shirt, he first looked at his shoulder, which was slightly purple in color because that was the ce she grabbed him tightly to throw him down. Squeezing out a bit of the ointment, he applied it on the shoulder, which not trying to make a single sound.


    As he was applying, he heard a door open and looked to see the old mane inside. The old man looked at him before he went inside the kitchen and came out with two sses of water.


    He sat down and kept a ss of water in front of Joon-won before he said, "What did you do young man? I know my granddaughter is short-tempered and loves to fight. But she isn''t so unreasonable to start a fight with a random man."


    Joon-won looked at the old man''s kind face and said, "I just wanted to look at her. I don''t know why but I just wanted to look at her. Unknowingly, I tried to touch her face, and she threw me down. It was I who started the entire mess. I''m sorry." He can''t say that she looked like his wife, that would just make him look mental. So he just decided to act like an idiot.


    The old man just looked at him before heughed out loud and said, "Hahahaha you are weird, young man. You just wanted to keep looking at her? Well, look where it got you now. Bye-Su,e out now. Don''t stay in the room. I still need you to apologize to this young man now." As he looked into the room and shouted.


    There was no reply from the room and so the old man continued, "If you don''te out now, I won''t allow you to participate in the uing tournament." And then both heard a series of footsteps as Hye-Su came in andined.


    "That''s totally unfair, grandfather."


    ********


    Right guys, sorry for not uploading yesterday. I just needed to take a break, and I had no mood or drive to write a chapter yesterday. To tell the truth, I want to take a week-long break but I will try to upload every day until the end of October because I might not upload in November and December as I have exams. Just a little update. That''s all.

 Chapter 133 - Be Hye-Su And Rah Jum

    Yo guys. I made a small.mistake with the names in thest chapter. The name of the girl who looks like his wife is not Bye-Su. It is Hye-Su. A total mistake on my part. I corrected it in thest chapter. So I''m just giving you guys a heads-up so that you won''t get confused. Hope you enjoy the chapter.


    ********************


    As soon as the old man said those words Hye-Su came running out of the room and tried to retort, "But that is totally unfair, grandfather. It was him who made a mistake this time and I only did what I did after I tried to ask him what his problem was and he just tried to touch me. It was all his mistake." Shooting a stinky eye towards Joon-won who stopped applying the cream after she rushed in.


    The old man looked at his granddaughter and said, "Even if it was his mistake, I told you before. You will noty a hand on anyone until it''s either in the ring or a very threatening situation. You could have just backed off a little to avoid his hand and just call the cops for harassment earlier. But you took action instead. So apologize." Joon-won grimaced when he heard the sentence about the cops.


    Hye-Su just stared at her grandfather for a minute before turning towards Joon-won and saying, "Sorry."


    Joon-won just gave her a small nod, and she turned towards the old man before saying, "Are you happy now? Now don''t bring up the topic of the tournament. I''m going back into the room. Also, it''s going to be time to close up soon, you should send this guy away and go back to work." Before she walked back inside the room.


    The old man turned towards Joon-won and said, "Alrighte here young man, you can''t reach the backside to apply that ointment. Let me help you." Joon-won wanted to refuse, but before he could, the old man already squeezed out a little of the ointment into his finger.


    Looking at how dead set the old man was on helping him, Joon-won just scooped a bit to his side and turned his back on him. The Old man looked at Joon-won''s back and said, "Well it looks like my granddaughter used quite a bit of strength and also chose a bad ce to throw you on." Joon-won just gave him a small nod.


    The old man seemed like an expert in it as he skillfully applied ointment onto his back. After helping him with it Joon-won slowly wore his shirt again and wanted to quickly leave. But the old man didn''t seem like he wanted to let him leave as he started a conversation he couldn''t really get away from.


    "So you like my granddaughter? Is this what the youngsters these days call love at first sight? I mean, you did just see her today, right? Or are you some stalker?"


    Joon-won noticed the old man''s voice turn a little too serious at the end and quickly shook his head before replying, "Not at all. This is the first time I ever came to the town and these mountains. This is also the first time I saw her. I had no idea there was even a noodle shop until the receptionist at the cottage I stayed at told me. Trust me, I am not that weird."


    The old man continued to look at him for a minute before signing on with relief and said, "Oh, that''s a bit of relief. I''ll take your word, young man, as it looks like you didn''t lie. But if I know you lied, I''ll break all the bones you got in your body." With a small smile on his face, making Joon-won nods again.


    "So, what do you do, young man? Did youe to the town for a trip?"


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No, I came here for work. I work in the film industry and so I came here for the shooting which is happening in the town."


    The old man nodded and eximed a little, "Ah! So you work in films? Both I and my granddaughter don''t watch many films, only once in a while. I think it''s been over a year since I watched one. What do you do in the film industry? Are you an actor?"


    Joon-won thought for a second and replied, "I can''t say I''m a bonafide actor yet. This movie is going to be my first role in the industry and it''s also a pretty small role. So I''m only just starting on my dream. The dream is to be a big actor and have peoplee to watch a film only for me."


    Joon-won had no idea why he was having this conversation with the old man. The old man seemed kind and very caring too and was also very easy to talk to. So the conversation was just going on as he replied to the old man''s questions. But he also hoped that he could get to know a little more about Hye-Su. But he can''t just ask the man about his granddaughter. That would just make him more suspicious.


    The old manughed and replied, "That''s a really big goal you have there, young man. I hope you achieve it." Making Joon-won nod. Joon-won turned and looked at the room a little before he turned back after hearing the old man again.


    "Anyway, my name is Roh Jum. Her name is Be Hye-Su, and she is a martial artist. What don''t you want to know about my granddaughter''s name?" He said his and her full name before asking him when he noticed Joon-won''s shocked face. Joon-won sas shocked at how the old man told about his granddaughter to a random stranger.


    "I mean, I want to know. But I''m a random stranger. Isn''t that kinda bad?" Joon-won asked, confused. He would have thought the first old man was pranking if it wasn''t for the serious face.


    The old manughed hearing Joon-won and replied, "That fact that you said that makes me feel like my judgment isn''t wrong. And I''m not giving you much information either. I just told my granddaughter''s name and what she does. That''s all. You won''t be getting much more information from me either." And as soon as he said that, Hye-Su walked in and said to the old man.


    "Why aren''t you going back to work yet and why isn''t this guy gone yet? What are you both talking about?"


    Roh Jumughed and just said, "We aren''t talking about anything and I was just about to go back to work, too. Also, help this young man go down. I mean, he is injured and can''t walk down with all the back pain he has. You can go back home directly. I''lle back with the other workers." Hearing him, Hye-Su whipped her head towards Joon-won as if ming him, but the old man sent him a wink as if telling him this was the chance.


    Joon-won had a small smile seeing the old man''s wink as Hye-Su turned towards the old man and said, "But why should I go down with him? Can''t you just let one of the guys go back home early instead so that they can take this guy down? I want to spend more time with you before I go back tomorrow morning."


    Roh Jum shook his head as he walked towards the door connecting to the shop and said, "No, I want you to take him down as you are responsible. Also, I can''t just let one guy go home early and keep the others to work, I''ll lose my image in front of the workers. Plus, don''t you need to pack your things? Just go back to the vige early and start packing. I''ll be there in an hour or two. Help the young man by carrying his back. Ok?" And walked out.


    Hye-Su just looked at the door before turning around and grabbing Joon-won''s bag from the floor. She turned to him and said, "What are you looking at? Let''s go. I don''t want to get scolded again because of you." Joon-won stood up and followed her out of the store.


    Both of them slowly walked down the mountain as Joon-won looked at Hye-Su beside him and asked slowly, "How about we introduce ourselves? We got off on the wrong foot. It was my mistake to stare at you like that. So let''s just talk normally. Alright? I''m really sorry?" He was very careful with his words and didn''t forget to admit that it was his mistake, hoping that it would help the cause a little.


    Hye-Su stopped and looked at him, but just as she was about to speak, Joon-won''s phone rang and it was Min-Seok. He really wanted to cut the call, but Hye-Su noticed it and said, "Just answer the phone. It''s your dad after all." Before she continued to walk.

 Chapter 134 - Calming Down Min-Seok And Yun-hees Result

    Joon-won looked at Hye-Su as she continued to walk and then at the phone before sighing at his bad luck. She was just about to talk as he tried to make things right, but the phone call just had to interrupt the scene and make her walk away. He didn''t know if he would get another moment to talk with her. Letting out another sigh, he answered the phone to see two anxious faces, which made his frustration lessen a little.


    Min-Seok was the first to burst out the questions out of the two. "Joon-won, what happened? Are you fine? Why did you drop your phone suddenly like that? Why was your face so pale when earlier? Is everything alright over there? We''ll get on the first train in the evening toe there. So tell us."


    Joon-won looked at both of them and replied, "I''m fine. Do not worry. You do not need toe here at all. I was just a bit tired, and the phone slipped from my fingers earlier. Nothing important. You are just thinking too much. Anyway, are the results out? I think they are, aren''t they? So how did it go?" And slowly continued to walk. He didn''t want to be behind Hye-Su.


    Yun-hee was the first to speak this time, as she grabbed the phone from Min-Seok and walked away. She said, "Brother it''s ok to tell us. Tell us what happened? Your face was so white as if you got the scare of your life. Did you see a ghost or something? We can handle it so tell us." Joon-won was almost beside Hye-Su as Yun-hee said that and he heard a snicker from Hye-Su. His face became a bit red, and he replied. He could also hear Min-Seok shout in the background that everything is going to be ok.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. Things like ghosts don''t exist. I was just a little tired and out of breath. That''s all. I should not have even answered the call. Now tell me about the results of the exam. Which university are you nning to take?" He just wanted to get over this topic as quickly as he could. He didn''t want to lose face when he was trying his best to make a good impression on Hye-Su.


    Noticing he was serious, Yun-hee told in a solemn tone, "Your sister has probably topped the entire town. I did it. But we couldn''t even enjoy the result because of you. Even dad was even more nervous after seeing your face that he probably did not even register my results properly."


    Joon-won looked at her and congratted her with a smile, "That''s great. You really did it. And don''t worry about dad. He''ll realize it after he cools down a little. He is just being overly anxious again. But damn, you really did great. I only thought you''ll get a good score, not a great score. So tell me now, which University did you apply to?"


    Yun-hee dropped the solemn expression on her face and said in a cheeky tone, "Now you gotta wait a week or two for the university. I''m 100 percent sure that I''ll get epted to the university I applied to, but still, nothing beats seeing the eptance letter in our mailbox. So wait till that day. But I''ll tell you I''m going to take business management as my course. Imagine me as a bossdy." She acted as if she had sses on and pushed them up with a smirk.


    Joon-won thought for a second when he heard her take business management and remembered his colleague, Gah Soo. She was even studying the same course in a pretty reputable University in the city. He decided to ask her a bit about the course to get to know more about it.


    So he nodded and replied, "Well, that''s great. I have a friend who studies the course at a university here. So I''ll ask how the course is. I''m sure you put much thought into it before choosing the course, but me getting to know more is not something bad. Anyway, open the door now. I can still hear dad''s anxious voice and I''m sure he wants to talk a little." He thought the mischief was enough for the old man behind the door.


    Yun-hee just nodded with a strange expression, but he couldn''t see it properly as she turned the phone towards the door as it opened. As soon as the door opened, Joon-won saw an anxious Min-Seok walking up and down the hallway.


    Min-Seok noticed the door open and immediately grabbed the phone from Yun-hee''s hand before telling her, "How can you grab the phone away like that? I was talking to him." But his stern face didn''tst long as he ignored her and looked at Joon-won.


    "Joob-won, are you really ok? Tell me if you aren''t. I cane there at night. It''s only a few hours'' journey to the Jade mountains from here." The man was still concerned for him.


    Joon-won sighed and said, "Dad, I''m really fine. See, I am even going back now. You know what, wait. Hye-Su, can you hold the camera for me?" As he tried to show himself but just decided to ask Hye-Su to hold the phone so that Min-Seok could see him and feel alright.


    Hye-Su looked at the phone for a second before sighing and taking it in her hand. She didn''t know what happened to her, but she felt a bit close to the guy. He was a crude mannerless bastard in her eyes, but she wanted to get to know him a bit better and that was also the reason she was about to reply to his request to have a new start earlier. She originally just wanted to silently get down the mountain without even seeing his face once, but it seemed like that wasn''t going to happen due to reasons she can''t understand.


    So taking the phone into her hand, she just turned the screen towards him as it was still on the front camera and she had no interest in looking at his father either.


    "See dad, I''mpletely alright. Everything ispletely fine. I''m even going down the mountain now. Are you happy now? Don''t get stressed because of small things. I was just tired from not eating anything and the long hike up the mountain. Now I had a nice lunch and am ok." As he took back the phone from Hye-Su and he didn''t forget to whisper her a thank you too.


    Hye-Su gave him a small nod before she continued down the mountain. After showing himself, Min-Seok seemed relieved as he said, "That''s good. Seeing you pale like that earlier was very scary for both of us. I''m happy to see you are alright."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "That''s good. Now congratte Yun-hee too. The results were fantastic like I told you. I''ll order both of you some dinner tonight as a gift for her, so don''t cook anything today. Don''t be quick to deny it. U have money to give her a small gift for the good work she did. So you also congratte her a bit. Alright then, I''ll be going now. I still have a long way to go. I''ll call at night once again." Min-Seok nodded and did not cut the call before telling him to be careful once again.


    Joon-won finally became relieved as the call ended before he pocketed the phone and this time kept it silent. He didn''t want another call to disturb his time with her. He didn''t try to start a conversation immediately and instead just continued to look around while he sneaked a few nces at her trying to find the perfect time to start one.


    As he tried to find the perfect time, he noticed the mid-way rest point came up. He smiled a little and turned towards her before saying, " Do you want some juice? I''ll go buy some juice, I also want some." Pointing at one of the shops. Hye-Su looked at him for a few seconds before giving him a small nod.


    Joon-won''s face instantly became brighter as he asked her to wait for a second before he sprinted towards the shop. But as soon as he stood in front of the juice section, he faced a problem. He didn''t know what juice she liked. He definitely didn''t want to go back and ask, as she might just tell him to forget about it and continue walking down. So he did the next best stupid thing. He brought one of each juice there was. In the end, he bought a total of 15 juices he found in the shop.


    He walked out with a huge bag in his hand, making Hye-Su, who was waiting, bewildered. He came closer and took out his juice before sticking the bag out towards her and said in the best straight face he could manage at that time, "Here, I didn''t know what juice you liked. So I bought one of each kind. You can have the entire bag too. I drink little juice."

 Chapter 135 - Happy Conversation

    Notice- Alright Guys an announcement. I made a Ko-fi ount. If you guys want to support me and want to make donations, please feel free to. It''s notpulsory, just something I wanted to try and see. It''s only for donations and you guys won''t get any extra content. I''ll be really happy if you guys do donate cause it shows the support and gives motivation. The link is-


    https://ko-fi/cruchymonster36912


    **********************************


    "Here, I didn''t know what juice you liked. So I bought one of each kind. You can have the entire bag too. I don''t drink much juice."


    Hye-Su looked at Joon-won''s sincere face and then at the bag in front of her with a surprised expression. She didn''t know if he was dumb or if he was cocky and was trying to show off in front of her. She saw many cocky men too, who tried to impress her with things and thought Joon-won was the same.


    Joon-won looked at her and noticed she didn''t respond but instead her expression was changing little. She was staring at the bag and so he looked at the bag he was holding too, wondering if there was any problem.


    [You really have grown dumber since you have seen her, haven''t you? You are now just acting like a rich young master that you hated by giving her all those juices. You should have thought a bit before even handing the bag or even before telling her to keep it for herself. She probably thinks you are a cheap bastard now.] The system''s words seemed to make him finally understand as he quickly pulled the bag away from her and said.


    "This is not what you think. I just didn''t know and didn''t want to make you drink something you don''t like. I''ll keep these juices myself too. So now please tell me what juice you would like." While looking at her with a worried gaze. Thest thing he wanted in the present situation was for his already bad impression to be worse.


    Hye-Su looked at him for a second and just sneered out the answer, "Apple juice." She really didn''t like the earlier action and seeing his sincere gaze, she knew he didn''t really mean it the way she thought.


    Joon-won quickly nodded like a little chicken before taking out the apple juice and handing it over go her. Hye-Su simply took it from his hands and drank it.


    Joon-won looked at her and slowly asked, "Do you want to sit down here. There are many benches to sit down and rx a little at this area. We can have a small talk." While crossing his fingers for the answer he was really hoping for.


    Hye-Su stopped drinking before giving him a small nod. Joon-won''s face instantly lit up as he looked around and walked towards one of the benches. He cleaned the leaves on the bench with his hands before waving towards her. She nodded and made her way. She looked at the bench and noticed the man even spread his handkerchief for her, making herpletely bbergasted.


    She simply picked up the handkerchief heid out and threw it towards him before taking a seat. She didn''t need that kind of service and made her feel that guy is really going over the top to just talk to her. That made her feel a little strange. She has seen all types of men, through out her life but this guy was definitely the one she felt was doing the most amount of extra work, whuch she was also not that much of a fan of.


    Joon-won smiled wryly as he simply kept the handkerchief back into his pockets befofe taking a sip of his drinks. After a few seconds of silence Joon-won cleared his throat and said, "Let me start. I''ll introduce mysef properly this time. My name is Kim Joon-won. I am a student in Arios Drama University. I came to the nearby town because I got a role in the movie they are filming."


    Hye-Su didn''t have any reaction to his lengthy introduction as she simply took another sip of her juice before turning her head to him and looked at him, up and down. As if she was assessing if he told her the truth or not.


    She then just looked at the front, drank her drinkpletely before letting out an audible sigh. Hye-Su looked at Joon-won once again and said, "Well, I''m sure my grandfather already told you my name but let me introduce myself now. My name is Be Hye-Su. I am a fighter. To be more precise I''m National champion in Mixed Martial Arts."


    This time it was Joon-won''s turn to check her out. He looked up and down but couldn''t exactly believe thay she was actually a national champion. He didn''t know what the level of technique or power people had in this world, but she should be really good at it to be a champion.


    Hye-Su noticed his stare and said as she bumped her two fists, "What? You don''t believe me? Shall we fight now and I''ll make you eat dust once again. You won''t be able tond a single punch on me."


    Hearing her Joon-won wanted to strongly retort. Even though the woman in front of him was a national champion, he didn''t believe that he doesn''t have a shot tond a single punch on her. It hurt his pride as a man. But he could only swallow it at that moment. He didn''t want to get into another fight in the public to only get beaten. He knew he would get beaten, especially with his body build. After training for the past 2 months he managed to not look malnourished and was no where near fighting a champion.


    So he simply shook his head while waving his hand in denial and said, "No, ofcourse not. I believe youpletely. You even said something about a tournament earlier too. So what you said must be true. You also don''t need to lie to me at all."


    Hye-Su nodded with satisfaction after hearing him. She was always the recipient of thise judgemental stares since she decided to get into martial arts. Since a young age, she was always very strong and could beat up multiple men at a time and she enjoyed the thrill of it. But after she decided to take the route of MMA, she started recievingments which said that the sport wasn''t for females and that she should shift to another sport like boxing. But she just shut all her senses to thosements until she beat the living crap out of every top fighter in the country. At the moment she could be in the top 3 in both the genders in the nation.


    "I admire you to take this route. Fighting is hard but it looks like you really like to beat people up to take it as a career." Joon-won said with a wry smile. It reminded him of Zen Quin a little too. She was the strongest person in the entire world and loved to fight in wars. She was also a big battle maniac like Hye-Su in front of him.


    Hye-Su nodded with pride before standing up. She waved her hand and both of them continued down the mountain. This time unlike before, the atmosphere wasn''t that tense. They spoke normal topics as Hye-Su asked Joon-won about the movie he is acting in while he asked about the uing tournament she said earlier. Obviously Joon-won could not tell much about the movie because of the contract and was able to keep his mouth shut when needed. This was surprising to the system that he was able to keep it shut that it evenmented on it. Joon-wln obviously didn''t respond as he simply thought.


    ''I wouldn''t keep my entire acting career in jeopardy due to a simple mistake in my first movie.''


    He also got to know more about the tournament. It was actually another national tournament and this time it was both genders together. But only the top two in each genders could fight with the opposite gender. She was confident in winning in the female category that she was looking forward to fight the currentlymonly epted strongest man in the country. She wanted to prove that it was her. The tournament was not any time soon though. It started next year which meant there was another half year until then. But it didn''t matter to Joon-won as he decided to attend the tournament and show his support.


    Just like that both of them continued to talk until they finally reached the base of the mountain. Joon-won checked the time and noticed it was already 5 in the evening. They took longer time to walk down, but he felt it waspletely worth it.


    Now the only thing in Joon-won''s mind was how to ask her contact information. He wanted to know her phone number or even her social media ount so that he could keep in touch but asking them wasn''t an easy task for him.


    He looked at her as she was looking around. She seemed to have found what she was looking for as she asked him to wait and walked over to the two wheeler parking lot.. It didn''t take him long before she came out riding a motorcycle with a helmet on.

 Chapter 136 - Euphoria

    Notice- Alright Guys an announcement. I made a Ko-fi ount. If you guys want to support me and want to make donations, please feel free to. It''s notpulsory, just something I wanted to try and see. It''s only for donations and you guys won''t get any extra content. I''ll be really happy if you guys do donate cause it shows the support and gives motivation. The link is-


    https://ko-fi/cruchymonster36912


    **********************************


    Hye-Su came out of the two-wheeler parking lot while riding a very sick bike. She stopped right in front of him and took off the helmet. Joon-won also noticed her wearing leather gloves, and she really looked badass at that moment.


    Now Joon-won''s brain was working at ultra-speed to find out a way to get her contact information. Be it her phone number or her messenger ID or even her email address, he felt anything that would give him a chance to talk with her daily would be good enough. So now, before he asked, he took a deep breath and tried to push away all the negative thoughts out before saying.


    "What''s your messenger ID? We can talk sometime." trying to act as normal as he could. He just hoped she wouldn''t ask a reason for it cause there was none. Hye-Su looked at him for a second. She looked up and down before she said.


    "No need. Let''s just treat this meeting as a coincidence. Cause it is. I don''t see any specific reason for me to give you my contact information. If by any chance we do meet the next time. Then, I will give you my contact information. How''s that? What do you say?"


    Joon-won could only nod at her words. He couldn''t just demand her contact information. So he just hoped that they could meet another time. Both of them told their goodbyes, and she sped off on her bike as if she was a racer. Joon-won looked until he couldn''t see her anymore and just walked back to the cottage.


    Reaching the cottage, Joon-won looked at the bag of drinks in his hands and didn''t know what to do with them. He looked at the receptionist and wondered if he could just give them to her instead of throwing them away. After thinking for a few minutes and forming the right approach in his mind instead of the stupid one he did a while back, he walked towards her with the bag behind him.


    He noticed she was doing some work on herputer and knocked on the desk a little. The receptionist looked up and stood up immediately before saying, "I''m sorry I didn''t notice you there. Please tell me, what can I do for you?"


    Joon-won took out the bag from behind before cing it on the table, and said with a small apologetic smile on his face, "I''m sorry, I don''t mean to be rude, but can you take all these drinks for me. I brought too many and now I can''t drink. So, I was hoping that you and your colleagues might want them so that they won''t go to waste. It''s ok if you don''t want them."


    The receptionist looked at the bag on the desk for a second before looking at Joon-won, who had a small, apologetic smile. She thought the man was hitting on her when he heard him and saw the number of drinks in the bag but just shook that thought off as he didn''t really seem to mean anything then what he said.


    So she nodded and took the bag from the desk before thanking him. "Thank you for the drinks. I''ll be sure to share it with my co-workers too." Joon-won nodded and walked away as he sighed in relief a bit after seeing that she didn''t think of any other things like Hye-Su earlier.


    Entering his room. Joon-won immediately fell on the bed as he buried his head in the pillow. He rolled around the entire bed with his head hugging the pillow. He felt euphoria as he thought about everything that happened the past few hours.


    Joon-won felt he could do some free solo on the tallest and dangerous mountains in the world. He just wanted to shout out all the happiness inside him and run around like a crazy man. If Hea-Jung could see him now, she would be shocked and would immediately call the hospital for a brain scan. His face had a silly smile.


    After rolling around for a little longer, Joon-won looked at the ceiling with a small smile on his face. He finally cooled down a little and thought back about the day. The day started out normal, like always, and he loved the weather and was also very excited to spend his two free days on a mountain, near nature. He wanted to rx a little, but that was impossible with the system constantly telling him to move faster or else he would regret it.


    But now he understood the system''s advice was real and that he would have really regretted not listening to it. He got to see someone he was dying to see and talk to once again.


    "Everything is going very well. I got my first role and am pursuing my dream once again. I have a rtively peaceful life like I always wanted. Now I finally saw Zen Quin again. This couldn''t go any better from here on out. Now, let''s hope it continues like this." and he sincerely hoped this to be the case.


    After a few more minutes, he took out his phone and dialed Gim Da. He needed to inform the man that he probably would leave the jobpletely. His time in the city got extended and he realized that in the film industry, things would probably continue to be like this as he goes on. So, he just decided to give the boss a solid answer.


    Gim Da picked up the phone in no time and Joon-won just told him his intentions. Gim Da was ok with all this as he already knew the youngster was only a temporary worker and he also found another guy to fill in the ce. So he just wished Joon-won the best of luck and cut the call.


    After thinking for a while, Joon-won dialed Gah Soo once to ask about the business management major for Yun-hee.


    *******************


    Alright guys, sorry for the week break. Just had to take it. The chapters for the remainder of the month will only be 1k, unlike the regr 1.5k ones. I''ll drop 1.5k again in October.


    Now I have a question for you guys. It''s about the system. Do you want more system involvement like it giving out missions and stuff or just this minimal presence is good? If there are more interactions, the possibility of some real nonsense is there. I originally had no ns to involve the system much, after all, it is only a guidance system, but after seeing a fewments, I wondered and decided to ask.. So Leave ament on what you think.

 Chapter 137 - Gah Soo Talk

    Notice- Alright Guys an announcement. I made a Ko-fi ount. If you guys want to support me and want to make donations, please feel free to. It''s notpulsory, just something I wanted to try and see. It''s only for donations and you guys won''t get any extra content. I''ll be really happy if you guys do donate cause it shows the support and gives motivation. The link is-


    https://ko-fi/cruchymonster36912


    *************************


    Gah Soo was walking out of her University when her phone rang and she picked it up to notice it was Joon-won who was away to act in his first-ever movie. She was honestly very happy for the kid as both of them became good friends over the past 2 months. She went to his shows a few times whenever she had the time and knew he was immensely talented. So after knowing he finallynded a role, she was happy for him and wished for his greatness.


    So she picked up the call and said, "So, Joon-won, how is it to act in a movie? How are the other actors? Are there any famous ones in the film?" She was very curious about everything.


    [Everything is good. There aren''t any famous people, at least I don''t know them from any big movies. Anyway, what are you doing? Are your sses done for the day?]


    Hearing him Gah Soo felt good about how everything was going for him. She still remembered the almost malnourished guy who came to the store to work one morning and also saw how he changed over the past 2 months. She would not have believed this change if she didn''t see it for herself. He told her he wanted to act in a movie as soon as he could and now he even got the director to add a few more scenes for him after seeing how good he was. This was a brilliant start for him and she felt happy for him as a senior at work.


    With a small smile on her face, she continued, "Everything is fine here too, Joon-won. Yes, today''s sses ended and I am out of the campus, searching for ces to eat. What are you doing? Are you on set now?" she was also very curious as to how movies are made and wanted to find out like everyone else.


    [I am not on set right now. After I shot a scene yesterday, the boss gave me two days to just roam around and chill a bit, while they have to change the script a little to add a few more scenes. I am now at a hotel at the base of Jade mountain. I walked up the mountain today and it is worthwhile. You should try it sometime too.]


    "It looks like you are having quite a bit of fun over there. Sure, I''ll go there when I get the time in the future. So, what are you doing? You must have a reason to call me, instead of texting." Joon-won would always text her instead of calling and now that he did, he must have something important to talk about, since he did not send her a text.


    [Yes, I do have something to talk to you about. Gah Soo, you major in Business Management, right? How is the course? I want to know more about it.]


    Hearing his question, it took Gah Soo back, as she did not expect him to ask her that, of all things. But she still answered, "Yes, I major in a bit moreplex course than that called Finance and Management, but it includes stuff rting to that course too. So what do you want to know about it?"


    [I want to know everything about that course. From how the studies are to what are the job opportunities. I also want to know how a job from this major is and if it has any future. So everything about it.] he had to be careful about it as it''s Yun-hee''s future and wanted to know everything about it. He trusted Yun-hee''s judgment, but you could never be too cautious.


    It shocked Gah Soo to hear him. She looked at the phone number and asked after checking the caller was indeed Joon-won, "Are you nning on giving up on acting or something suddenly and switching to another major? What''s happening Joon-won. Is anyone bullying you at the set? Tell me, share your sadness. It''s ok." she thought something was seriously wrong for him to suddenly ask about a whole another major like that.


    Joon-won was taken aback as he didn''t talk for a few seconds and this made Gah Soo a bit more anxious. As she was about to talk once again but Joon-won answered her earlier statement.


    [What are you talking about, Gah Soo? Who said anything about me changing majors or even me getting bullied at the set? Nothing of that sort is going on at all. Don''t think too much about it. I just wanted to know more about the Major because my sister decided to pursue it and so it''s better for me as a brother to know more about the prospects in the job. That''s all. There is nothing else attached to that question. Again, don''t overthink stuff.] she could even hear a loud sigh from the other side of the phone.


    Hearing the sigh, Gah Soo realized that she was overthinking about all of it and that Joon-won was telling the truth about knowing it for his sister, as she knew he had one and that she alsopleted writing her exams recently too.


    She coughed a little and said, "Alright, I''m at wrong here for making those bad assumptions. Ok? So your sister decided to take Business Management? Seems like a pretty smart girl. Did she tell you guys which university she was applying to? How were her scores?"


    [Her scores were very good and got great marks. She didn''t tell us which university she is applying for but told us she will tell after she gets the eptance letter. She seemed confident in getting into the university too.]


    Gah Soo nodded and replied, "Well, that is great. So, you want to know more about the course? Sure. You better start taking a few notes cause it might take a while for the call to end then.. It''s a good course after all."

 Chapter 138 - Satisfaction And A Relaxing Climb

    "Alright then Gah Soo, thanks for the information. Yes, I noted down everything I need to know about the course. Alright then, have a great day. Yes, I''ll give you a party aftering back. When? I don''t know, but it will take me another week by what the director told me. Ok then, bye." and finally cut the call. He checked the time on the phone and noticed they were talking for over an entire hour.


    He also noticed how low the battery was and quickly whipped out the charger from his bag before connecting it. He finally fell back on the bed and exhaled in relief. It was a long talk and his neck was paining a bit from all the writing he was doing. Gah Soo was very detailed, as she told him about so many things.


    He looked to the side and took the notepad into his hands once again. He wrote 3 entire papers in an hour and it was very messy. There were arrows everywhere, and he circled a few important things. He took another look at his notes, went from line to line, and kept the book aside once again.


    He once again thought about it and murmured, "This course is very good. Seems like Yun-hee did some research of her own to choose this. It''s a very versatile course and in the present world, everypany is looking for people like this too. They help a lot in managing apany. This is great. She will be able tond a job pretty easily if shepletes the course."


    Now he felt very satisfied with everything. He felt it was the best day ever once again. The day went perfectly well with so many surprises for him. He would be happy to die at the moment. He finally met the love of his life. His sister took a good course which will help her in the future. Everything was going great.


    [You could die again? Don''t have any hopes of reincarnating once again.] the system abruptly butted into his thoughts making the mood tten once again.


    Joon-won could feel his lips twitch as he said, "For a system with attitude and thoughts, you do not get the meaning of jokes at all. Just go back to being quiet again for now. I don''t need useless suggestions now." and the system just remained silent.


    Joon-won checked the time and noticed it was dinnertime. He didn''t feel that hungry at all to eat a proper dinner, so he just opened the bag and took out a few snacks he still had left, and gone to sleep after finishing a few of them.


    The next day, Joon-won wanted to climb up once again, but this time at his own pace with no one rushing him. So, he got up early as the sun was still about to raise. He wanted to see the sunrise on the mountaintop, it would be a wonderful view for him.


    Exiting the room, Joon-won checked the time and noticed it was about to be 5 in the morning. The sunrise generally happens at 6:30 in the area, so it would be enough for him to walk a bit slower this time.


    As he walked to the lobby, he only saw one receptionist who seemed to be on the verge of sleeping by the way she looked. He slowly got out like a thief since he didn''t want to disturb her and got out quickly.


    He took a deep breath as he made it outside. It was very cold and so he just tightened the coat he wore and felt a bit better. He started his journey to the top and noticed there were quite some people walking up the mountains. It looked like he wasn''t the only one who had the idea of seeing the sunrise at the top.


    Joon-won slowly walked up the mountain as he enjoyed the scenery around him. He noticed more things than the day before as he slowly took his own time. He saw that there were two other sightseeing ces in the mountains. One was a botanical garden he could go to just before the rest stop in the middle. Apart from the garden, there were also caves he could go to.


    He decided to visit them on the way back down and just continued up. By the time he got to the top, it was almost 6:15, and he looked around to see there were quite some people. Most of them were couples who were cuddling with each other and he also saw a few photographers with some big cameras getting ready to take pictures of the sunrise.


    After looking around for a while, Joon-won finally found a good spot from where he could have a good view and took out his phone to take a picture of the scene, too. He looked at the noodle shop and saw it was closed. There was a message saying it would be closed for the entire day. Knowing the reason, Joon-won just looked away. He was already lucky enough to meet her once, and he couldn''t hope for the same luck twice.


    So he just waited for the sunrise and after a while it sure did arrive, beautifully, covering the ce with an orange color. People got excited as they eximed and he could also hear the camera shutters of the photographers didn''t seem to want to miss a single moment.


    Joon-won also took a single photo of his own and, after feeling satisfied with the pic, he kept the phone aside and continued to look at the scenery. After 15 minutes, people slowly started to make their way down once again as the sun was almostpletely up and there wasn''t much to see anymore.


    Joon-won also walked away after a while and made his way to the rest stop first to have some breakfast before he goes to check out the other two spots on the mountain.

 Chapter 139 - Coming Back To Town

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    Joon-won got some quick breakfast sandwich in one of the restaurants and the rest stop in the middle before he made his way towards the caves first. It didn''t take him long before he looked at the caves. There were a few people already sightseeing. Joon-won slowly walked into the caves and didn''t forget to take pictures whenever he could. After he slowly explored the small caves, he walked out and made his way to the garden this time.


    Unlike the damp and dark caves, the garden was truly pretty, with many trees and nts. The garden seemed well kept as Joon-won had to pay an entrance fee, too. He slowly walked around the entire garden before making his way down the mountain. He was feeling very refreshed by the slow climb he had and felt very energetic.


    Going back to his room, he checked the time and noticed it was only still 9. After thinking for a second, he walked out of the room and went towards the receptionist before asking her what time a bus to the town was. The receptionist told him it would take at least 2 more hours for a bus to arrive and so he went back to the room.


    He justid on the bed, feeling a little bored as he looked at the ceiling of the room. After a few more minutes of staring, he took out his phone and sent a message to Hea-Jung, asking her if there were any updates about the extra scenes the director promised. After waiting a minute and receiving no response, he knew she was probably busy filming, as she responded quickly every time. It was also probably the first time he ever took the initiative to text her.


    almost instantly.


    So, instead of justying around on the bed, he jumped up and made his way for a bath. After a nice bath, he came out and saw Hea-Jung replied and told him he would get a call by the evening about it and he would have to sign another contract for the extra scenes and pay. He sent a quick ok before he packed his stuff up.


    Joon-won noticed there was still some time left until 11 and just sat in the room while listening to some nice music. He kept an rm and when it rang; he walked out of the room and went towards the receptionist to hand over the keys to check out.


    He made his way to the same bus stop he got down the day before and waited after taking a ticket. The next bus back to the town was at 11:30, so he just continued to listen to more music while looking at the surrounding people at the bus stop.


    The bus arrived on time, and he reached the town after an hour. Feeling hungry, he just directly hailed down a cab and ordered the driver to get him back to his hotel first. He just decided to order some food in the lobby and tell them to get it to his room.


    Walking into the lobby, he went directly to the receptionist and ordered his food before going back to his room. Getting inside, he just threw the bag on the chair before sleeping on the bed again. It didn''t take long for the food to arrive as he sat on the chair and started to eat it.


    As he ate his food, he got a text message from Hea-Jung asking when he would be back, and he just told her he was already in his room. This time there was a quick response, and she told him she wasing to spend some time as she was bored. Joon-won looked at his food and decided to finish it before she arrives. If she came, he won''t be able to enjoy the food anymore.


    He quickly finished eating and threw the covers into the trash and just sat back in the chair. It didn''t take long, however, for the door to bust open and Hea-Jung to walk inside with a few bags in her hand. Joon-won could easily tell there was food in them.


    "Close the door. Also, why bring food? I already ate my lunch just now." as he pointed at the trash. Hea-Jung looked at him before looking at the trash and then the bags of food in her hand. She thought about treating her junior brother a little, but he already ate.


    "You should have hinted. Now, what am I going to do with all this food? I can''t eat alone." as she ced all the bags and slumped into the chair. She was tired from carrying the bags and now she was also vexed, as it was a bit pointless.


    Joon-won looked at her and said, "You should call your sister Han to help you finish them up then. Also, why did you not eat until now? You should have eaten with the other actors on the set. You should have better connections with the other actors. You are wasting your chances."


    Hea-Jung nced at him before looking at the ceiling and said, "Sister Han is a bit busy with coordinating as there are a few scenes added for me too, cause of you and so she said she will eat out while doing that stuff. Also, I ate with all those actors every single day until you came. So, I know them pretty well. It''s not like they are some top actors in their ss, too. No need to show too much respect even if I am a beginner." As she shrugged. Hea-Jung was very prideful and knew it would be only a matter of a couple of movies for her to get to their spot, given her talent. So she naturally felt there wasn''t any need to be overly respectful to them.


    "Anyway, just help me eat a little. I''ll try to eat more to finish this up. There are also some new varieties from this local area that you might not have tried yet. So,e on, let''s get to it." she leaned towards the table and started taking out the food. Joon-won as a lover of food could not entirely say no to some new food.


    So, he just nodded and slowly started to eat. Hea-Jung was chowing downpletely and he maintained a slow pace as he was already half full from the before lunch he had. Both of them managed to finish the food as Joon-won was throwing away the bags. Hea-Jung just fell on the bed with her stomach full.


    Joon-won sat on a chair and asked her, "Don''t fall on the bed immediately after eating so much food. It''s not good. Anyway, back to you getting more scenes. Are we getting more scenes together now? How many?"


    Hea-Jung slowly pulled herself up and sat on the bed as she said while looking at him, "Not many. Only 2 more scenes. You might get 3 or 4 more scenes. Let''s see. The director didn''t tell much about them and just told me to bring you along during my afternoon shoot. It starts at 5 and now the time is 2." checking her phone.


    Joon-won nodded hearing her. 3 or 4 new scenes weren''t that bad considering how little his role is. With these scenes, he might have a total of 6 to 7 scenes and that was great for his debut. This much amount was enough to show his experience when he applies for auditions after this.


    So, nothing to talk about anymore, Joon-won just closed his eyes and leaned back into the chair while falling his thoughts and Hea-Jung just checked her phone a little before she sprung up and shouted.


    "Joon-won! They just released the name of the movie the heavenly king Dongbang Jea is acting in. It seems to be an action film. He is the king of action films in our country. The name is ''The Way To The Top''. It sounds so in but also ssy. The inte is blowing up with only the name." as she showed him an article regarding the issue.


    Joon-won, who knew a bit about Dongbang Jea through the movies he saw over the 2 months, also was interested and took the phone from her to read the article. Joon-won almost saw all the guy''s films in the past 2 months and was impressed by how this guy became such a big star. Dongbang wasn''t sessful immediately after he entered the industry and got better at each movie. Joon-won saw that through his acting in the movies.


    "I''m surprised news about this film''s name came sote. I thought it would be released or at least leaked quite early, given the amount of attention it gets." Joon-won murmured as he just read through the article.


    Hea-Jung jumped off her bed and came beside him before replying to his statement, "Everyone thought the same, but after the initial leaks, the production went airtight and no information came out."

 Chapter 140 - Meeting The Director Again

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    "Is there any news about the release date of the movie?" Joon-won finally looked away from the screen and towards her. He knew Hea-Jung might know some more news about this topic as she had more connections and so would hear more things, too.


    Hea-Jung continued to read the article as she replied to his question, "Well, there are a few spections that it might still take them a few more months. It is said that this project was been in the working for almost a year now and Heavenly king only started working recently because they didn''t want much attention towards the movie. So they shot his scenesst. For some definite news, we might have to wait another week. See, the production crew is going to host a press conference and so we might get a few more answers." She pointed at thest paragraph in the article. Joon-won noticed it and nodded.


    "Well, let''s go to the movie when it''s released. Let''s go on the first day. I''ll tell a few theatre managers to save a few tickets. We can not miss it, " she eximed while taking the phone back. Joon-won just gave her a nod and remained silent. He also wanted to watch the movie, and he also knew that the easiest way to watch it without any hassle was through her.


    Both of them continued to do their own thing in silence as Joon-won just listened to music and Hea-Jung was looking at her social media again. It wasn''t long before the time was up and Hea-Jung got a call from Han Ju asking them toe down. Both of them just went down and entered the car. The journey was quiet as Joon-won just listened to his music.


    They reached the set, and this time it was a park. The next scene they were shooting was in a park with all the main characters discussing the case, so Hea-Jung was in it. Joon-won just walked behind her as they made their way towards the director, who was giving orders to his assistant.


    "Director, Joon-won is here." Hea-Jung just shouted out when they got near. The director turned towards them, looked at Joon-won, and replied, "Alright wait a minute, I''ll be with you. Take a seat." Pointing at a few chairs and continued to give more orders to the assistant.


    "It looks like it''s going to be a big scene. How long is it?" Joon-won asked as he continued to look around. He noticed how there were so many people doing something or the other continuously. The ce was way more hectic than when he was acting the day before.


    Hea-Jung, who was skimming through her script, just shrugged and replied, "Well, it''s a pretty important scene in the second half of the movie. So the director wants it to be perfect." Joon-won nodded and left her alone. He just continued to look as, after a few minutes, the director came towards them with a few papers in his hand.


    The director sat in one chair and said as he handed the papers to Joon-won, "Alright, let''s quickly get done with this. We need to start the shooting quickly. Here this is a contract of extension. We can only give you 25K this time. Your first payment itself was big for the role. Now with these 3 extra scenes we added and this money, it''s going to bnce out. Now don''t try to ask for more. We can''t stretch the budget for a minor role. The producers won''t allow it. I sent it to Do Hwan too, and he said he is ok with it. You just need to sign and you''ll get your script right now."


    Hea-Jung, who was listening in, was about to jump when she heard it was only going to be 25K and wanted to bargain a little but quickly got shot down by the director with a serious expression on his face. She could only just sit back and continue reading her script. She knew the amount Joon-won was getting was already pushing it quite a bit for his role.


    Joon-won, on the other hand, didn''t mind the pay much at all. Now he was happy with more money, but in his present situation, the extra scenes were more appealing than the money. He also knew what the director said was true about talking with Do Hwan, as he got a call from Do Hwan when he was in the room about the contract. Do Hwan said the terms were alright and that he could go ahead. But just cause Do Hwan said it was ok, didn''t mean he was going to blindly sign it. He slowly went through the contract before signing it.


    After signing on the dotted line, he handed back the papers and said while he bowed a little, "I hope you can continue taking care of me for a little more time, director. Please guide me and I''ll do my best to learn more." He had to stay humble as he quickly wanted to learn the ways around the industry. He was still a nobody and so had no right to act big given he also didn''t have a good background like Hea-Jung.


    The director took the contract papers and looked at Joon-won with a smile as he simply patted Joon-won and said, "I''m happy to be filming more of you. You have a lot of potential and can be big with the right opportunities. If you be big, it''s good to tell others I was your first director and guided you too. Bragging rights are reserved. Well anyway, here is the script for the three extra scenes. Now you have a total of 6 scenes and I n to finish them by Saturday night. We''ll shoot one of the scenes you already prepared tomorrow. My assistant will tell you which scene and when. So don''t worry." As he stood up from the chair. Joon-won also stood up and gave him a nod as the director walked away.


    Joon-won sat back on his chair as he slowly went through the new script. The new script had his previous scenes and so everything was together. The first three scenes were the same as he prepared a bit but the rest 3 weren''t. The original three scenes he had were the one he shot and two in the police station, being interrogated by the police. Now the new 3 scenes including his view of the kidnap, a court scene of him as evidence, and then a scene of him living inside his house, scared after seeing the kidnap.


    Joon-won was satisfied with the scenes. He had quite some screen time and knew all these scenes would make it into the final cut, depending on his acting. Hea-Jung, who finished going through her script, stood up and was going to vet ready. But before she went, she didn''t forget to take a quick look at the new script he got andment on it.


    "Well, it looks like it''s pretty good for the role. The director seems to be really squeezing it by adding the house scene but it''s good as you are probably going to be the only one in that scene. Well, alright, I need to get ready. I''ll be going. Will you stay or leave?"


    Joon-won shrugged and replied, "I''ll stay for a while. I''ll leave after an hour or so. I want to see you guys act and I also need to get the information about my schedule from the director''s assistant."


    Hea-Jung walked away while nodding, finally leaving him alone. Joon-won just continued to do his own business as he continued to read the script while ignoring all the surrounding buzz. He still had to properly prepare the two scenes he had before because he didn''t have much time. He could have prepared during the two days off and he had that same thought as he even took the script with him. But all that went down the drain after seeing Be Hye-su as all his thoughts were about her. He decided to prepare them at the night and be ready for the shoot tomorrow.


    The first scene in the police station was actually with the hero and Hea-Jung, interrogating him about it. He would still try to deny him knowing anything, but would finally crack under the immense pressure from the hero while being held at gunpoint and being threatened. It was also here where he has a clear shback of the entire thing, which was a new scene, they added.


    The other scene was him trying to point out who were the kidnappers when the police go around showing them the suspects. It was a small scene.


    As he was reading through it, he heard the director''s shout and looked up to see everything was set up, theactors were there and they were ready to shoot the scene.

 Chapter 141 - Schedule

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    Joon-won just continued to look at the actors as the camera started rolling and the set went intoplete silence. Hea-Jung already changed her dress and sat on the bench with a cup of coffee in her hand. In the scene there were 5 actors, all of them were ying important roles in the movie.


    Everyone was slowly sipping their coffee before the hero who was standing threw the coffee to the ground and grunted, "Damn it. We can''t find one proper clue which shows us the way to the culprit. They framed it so well as a suicide and covered their trackspletely that even the chief told us to close the case as a suicide. We need to quickly find a clue or else it will be harder for us to investigate."


    Everyone remained silent hearing him as the heroine was the next person to speak, "You should calm down first. Why are you throwing a fit? It does nothing now. We searched everywhere and didn''t find a proper clue, which means we only missed something in the process."


    Next, one of the two other actors Joon-won never met spoke with a hint of realization as he pped his hands, "Ah! Should we retrace all our steps and look closer?"


    The other actor Joon-won never met immediately spoke. "We can''t do that, idiot. We have no time. The chief only gave us the end of the week to get new leads or a solid clue. If not, he is closing the case and assigning another one for us. So we only have 3 days left."


    This made everyone go silent as the hero spoke again while looking at Hea-Jung. " Why are you so silent? You went to talk with that shop owner, right? Did anything seem off? The kidnapping had to be done there, that''s for sure. Did he seem to hide something?"


    Hea-Jung, who was sipping her coffee, looked up to him and said, "I went to get something out of that guy, but he was so adamant about not seeing anything and that he fell sick. I even pointed my gun at him, but he stuck to his story. But it seemed like he was a bit nervous, but I thought it was because I was a police officer. Do you want to interrogate him? I can bring him in tomorrow."


    The hero nodded and replied, "Yeah, sure. He must have something we need. If he doesn''t we might have to give up. Let''s see what he says tomorrow when he is inside the interrogation room. I also want all the information on him. Check if he has any criminal records that we can use tomorrow. I want to see if he has something to hide or not with my own eyes."


    Everyone nodded and walked away, leaving the two main leads alone as both of them slowly walked out of the park. The cameras were still rolling and the other actors slowly got behind the camera. Hea-Jung made her way towards him as she took a seat to watch the shoot, too.


    Hea-Jung leaned towards him and said, "How was it? Wasn''t I the best in that scene just now?"


    Joon-won moved a little further away from her as he replied, "Try to maintain your image at least a little when you are outside. If anyone sees you acting like that, it would be bad. Also, you only had one dialogue. What''s there to be proud of? If you are good, the people will tell you, no need to ask."


    Hea-Jung just turned around and continued to see the shoot, as she decided to ignore his wordspletely. It didn''t take long for the scene to end as he heard the director shout cut. After hearing him, everyone moved around once again as they started to wrap up the entire set. Joon-won, on the other hand, was still waiting for the assistant toe and give him the schedule.


    Just as he was thinking that a man came towards him and asked, "Are you actor Joon-won?"


    Joon-won stood up and nodded as the assistant gave him a paper before saying, "This is your schedule for the week. Please be prepared ande on time to finish your shooting. The director is very adamant about that. Tomorrow we will shoot your interrogation scene in the police set back in the hall. Please be there at 10 in the morning. The shooting starts at 10:30." After he said that, he just turned around and walked away. He had too many things to do and gave that paper to him because the director asked him to.


    Joon-won looked at the schedule and noticed how all of his remaining 5 scenes were cleanly timed. It was Wednesday and hisst shoot was next Friday. After that, he could go back home on Saturday. Nodding to himself, he turned towards Hea-Jung and said, "Alright, I''m going back to prepare for tomorrow. You have more scenes to shoot?"


    Hea-Jung nodded and said, "Yes, I got another scene to shoot for today. Go on ahead, do you want me to ask Sister Han to drop you off at the hotel?"


    Joon-won shook his head and just walked away. He just gged down a cab and got in before giving a phone call to Min-Seok.


    "Hello, dad. Are you back home? What is Yun-hee doing?"


    [Yes, Joon-won. I just came back home. Yun-hee is in her room. She went to the library today and got a few books. I think they are about the course she is going to take. I tried to take a look, but she was quick to cover. I don''t understand why that girl is being so secretive to both of us.. Anyway, enough about us. How are you? Are you fine?]

 Chapter 142 - Preparation

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    Joon-wonughed at hearing Min-Seok and replied, "Leave her alone for now, dad. She knows what she is doing, so let her have her fun. Also, tell her to not study even during the holidays. After she joins a university, she would have absolutely no time to do anything else except study. So tell her to take a break, she can learn afterward. I am fine, too. I came back to the town this morning and am going back to my hotel after meeting with the director a bit.. I''m going to stay here until next Saturday to shoot some more scenes I got. I''ll go back to Arios on Saturday morning."


    [You are staying until next Saturday? It''s ok if you have more scenes to shoot. I''m happy for you Joon-won, you are able to finally make some money on your own.]


    "Dad, this is only one small role in my first movie. I still didn''t get some good roles to earn enough money to feelfortable. Once, ask Yun-hee when she would get a reply from the University she is applying to. We need to make preparations to join her there."


    [Alright one second.] And Joon-won could hear the old man moving before hearing him knock.


    [Yun-hee, Joon-won is asking how long it will take you to get a reply from the University. We still have to prepare. Do you have any idea when?]


    [Probably next Wednesday. It''s a big university and they will get many applications. So it''ll take some time. We can expect it by Wednesday.]


    [Alright then, also he told me to tell you to not study even during holidays. Go out and enjoy a bit.]


    Joon-won could hear both of them and it didn''t take long for Min-Seok toe back to the living room as he said to him.


    [Well, Joon-won, you heard her. She says next Wednesday. If she gets epted and because she says it''s a big university, it''s also likely to be outside the town. I''ll apply for leave and take her there on the weekend.]


    "Alright then, dad. Take some rest. Also, I''ll send you some money now. Take that girl to a good restaurant and have a good dinner. She deserves it." And immediately cut the call before Min-Seok could even reply.


    He didn''t want to hear Min-Seok denying the money. Min-Seok''s sry was ok, but it was the end of the month and as a family who could manage ends meet by a close margin every month, he wouldn''t have much left. So Joon-won decided to transfer 20K to him. That was more than enough for a goodvish dinner, even in Arios. The rest would be just for Min-Seok to have. Joon-won wanted to give more, but he needed the money to pay for Yun-hee''s tuition, as studying amerce course such as Business Management was pretty costly. So he needed to save a bit more. He quickly transferred the money before sending a message to Min-Seok to spend the money to give Yun-hee a nice party instead of saving it.


    As he was in his thoughts, the car stopped, and they arrived at the hotel. Joon-won paid the man and just went inside. He quickly made his way to the room and got a bit freshened up. After feeling ready, he took out the new script and started preparing for it. He wanted to get it done by night, no matter how long into the night he had to go.


    The time passed as he continued to practice the interrogation scene again and again. There weren''t many dialogues, but he had to control his emotions a little. He had to show nervousness and be scared at the same time during the entire scene. He would also break down in the scene after the hero presses him with a few criminal charges he had in the past, threatening him that he would go to jail. So overall it was a good scene, and he liked it.


    It was almost 10 by the time he felt satisfied with his performance and decided to stop for a while before revising it again after dinner, as his stomach was already screaming for some food.


    Joon-won walked to the entrance of the hotel and decided to go to a nearby restaurant for a light dinner. He reached the same small restaurant he ate at on Monday night. Just likest time, it was full and so he had to ask a group of old middle-aged men if he could share it with them. Luckily, they agreed and so he took a seat.


    After having some small talk with the men at the table, he just ate his food and left after paying for it. Joon-won practiced for another hour before going to sleep.


    The next day, he woke up quickly at 7 and practiced another time before he decided to get ready. This time he will get a costume when he goes there.


    Hea-Jung sent him a message to be ready by 9 and that it''s better for them to be there early. He agreed and went down to eat at 8:30. He ate the hotel''s breakfast and waited at the front for the car to arrive.


    He got in the car. Once he did, they drove towards the reception hall turned police station set in silence. Hea-Jung was just looking at her phone while Joon-won was listening to some music.


    After reaching the ce they entered, Hea-Jung said, "Let''s get ready quickly before the other actors get here. Thest thing two new actors need to do is dy the shooting. That''s why I asked you to get ready quicker." Joon-won nodded and both of them made their way to the dressing room to receive their costumes and get changed.

 Chapter 143 - Second Shoot

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    Both of them quietly went into the dressing room and made their way towards the worker there. They showed their ID cards, and the worker retrieved 2 bags from the inside before handing them over to her. She asked them to ce their present clothes inside the bag if they wanted to store them. After changing their clothes, they handed the cover with their clothes inside to her and walked towards the make-up station.


    Both their characters did not need heavy make-up and so it was quickly done and so by 10, both of them were ready to shoot. As they took their seats in a corner, waiting to be called up, both noticed the other actors walking into the set and were also getting ready..


    After a while, just as everyone on the set was getting ready to shoot, the 2 main leads made their way towards them and took seats. Joon-won didn''t know what to say and so he slightly looked at Hea-Jung to start a conversation before it goespletely awkward.


    Hea-Jung seemed to catch his sight and immediately started a conversation. "This is my junior brother, Kim Joon-won. He ys the shopkeeper/crucial evidence role in the scene. Joon-won say hi to the two seniors, Chea Young and U Hyun." not sounding too sincere or too disrespectful.


    Joon-won knew both of them, and both were B-Grade actors. Chea Young was quite handsome, at least more than the current him and he acted in quite a few movies with a sizable fan base. He was acting in the industry for almost 6 to 7 years. U Hyun was also pretty, butpared to Hea-Jung, she would be outshined. She had a simr amount of experience as Chea Young. Both looked like they were in theirte 20s.


    Joon-won bowed a little and introduced himself with a bit more respect, "My name is Kim Joon-won. Nice to meet you, seniors. Please guide me." he did not need any kind of bad blood with anyone in his first film.


    The first to respond was Chea Young with a smile on his face as he stretched his hand, "Joon-won-ssi, it''s nice to meet you too. I was wondering who was the man who made the director ask the producers for more scenes. It seems like you are very talented."


    Joon-won shook his hand and humbly replied, "I try to do my best, Young Sunbae. I am still new so please excuse some mistakes I might do." making Chea Young smile.


    Next was U Hyun, who covered her mouth with her hand and said while giggling a little, "It is nice to meet you too, Joon-won-ssi. As he said, I also wanted to meet someone who made the director a bit happier. He wanted a good actor for that role and after many auditions, he found one, but that guy called in sick before his shooting even began. You act well, at least from the dramas I saw. Even Hea-Jung was excited to give a chance to her wonderful junior." ncing at Hea-Jung at the end.


    Joon-won nodded and both of them just turned to their scripts. Joon-won, who also wasn''t interested in talking with both of them, started to read his script once again before the shooting starts. It didn''t take long for the director to call them up and there were quite a few actors. It was Joon-won, the 5 key actors, and two others who yed as their bosses in the movie.


    The director looked at them and said, "Well, it''s quite an important scene. Let''s try to end this in one take and not dy this too much. We don''t want to dy our lunch now, do we? Are you ready, Joon-won?" he turned and asked him at the end, making everyone''s eyes fall on him.


    Joon-won nodded, and the director asked them to get in ce. People came and attached the mics as all of them went to their spots. Joon-won, Chea Young, and Hea-Jung were the only 3 people who were going to be in the interrogation room, while the rest were going to observe from behind a mirror. It was amon scene in many crime movies. The crew will shoot both the groups at the same time and so Joon-won just had to act normal.


    The three went into the interrogation room. Joon-won looked around and noticed the ce was very detailed. The room had a simple table, three chairs, and a few papers on the table. The people working did quite a good job with it and so he was impressed. He then looked at the ss and knew the other actors were behind it, also getting ready for the shoot.


    Chea Young already took a seat and said to Joon-won, "Don''t get nervous. Just try to ignore everything and look at both of us. The shoot will go on and we can get this done quicker than expected." Trying to encourage the newbie after he noticed Joon-won just looking around. Joon-won looked at him and nodded with a small smile.


    Hea-Jung just remained silent as she took the seat next to Chea Young with her eyes closed. She seemed to be getting ready. Not looking around anymore, Joon-won also took a seat and calmed his mind.


    Joon-won ignored all the sounds from the set as everyone was getting ready and just thought about his practice the night before. He was confident enough to finish the thing in one go and hoped there won''t be any mishaps.


    After a few more minutes, they heard the director shout, asking them if they were ready, and he opened his eyes to give a nod. He noticed the two in front of him were also ready.


    The director shouted through his megaphone, "Alright, silence. Ready, Set, and Action."

 Chapter 144 - Shoot (1)

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    ********************************


    "Do you know why you are here?"


    The shop owner looked at the two police officers in front of him on the other side of the table. He was simply in his deserted shop looking at his favorite TV show and was disturbed by two officers, one of whom he saw a few days before, and was asked toe to the police station with no exnation. He didn''t even get the time to ask what''s happening as he was shoved into the police car and taken into the interrogation room. Now he was asked if he knew why he was there, but noticing the familiar female officer who asked about a kidnapping a few days ago, he knew it might be about that.


    Just like before, he shook his head, ced both his hands on the table, and said, "I do not know why you brought me here, officer.. I was just doing my work calmly in my shop before you busted in and dragged me here as if I''m a criminal." He wanted nothing to do with the kidnapping he witnessed and just nned to deny knowing anything about it. He didn''t want his life threatened and knew it would be if he said anything about that day.


    The male officer on the right looked at the female officer before looking back at him and asking, "Well let me tell you then. It''s about the same reason my colleague here came to your shop a few days ago. I don''t think you''re so forgetful to not remember what she asked, right? So now I''m asking you again, do you remember anything about the night when the kidnapping happened right across the road."


    Hearing the officer, the shop owner looked at him for a while and then at his female colleague before he took a deep breath and said, "I already told your friend here, that I do not know anything about the kidnapping you guys are talking about, officer. That ce of town is dead all the time, with almost no people walking around, much less a ck van. If there was a ck van, I would have remembered the miracle. So, just leave me alone. I''m innocently detained and questioned."


    The guy ignores the shop owner as he opens the file in front of him and reads out, "Han Hi, previously charged for drug dealing 3 times and stayed 2 years in prison for it. Got out of jail 3 years ago and is still highly suspected of drug dealing. So, tell us. How is life in prison? Want to experience it once again?"


    Hearing them stunned the shop owner. He didn''t know how it got from them asking about the kidnapping and ck van to his criminal history and time in prison. He knew what the officer said was true as he was indeed a former drug dealer, but he stopped it aftering out of jail and managed to pool up enough money to open the shop.


    "Officer, that''s all in the past. I stopped drug dealing after I spent my time in prison. You can''t threaten me with my past like this. I changed and am now living clean. So stop with this bullshit. I already told you, I know nothing about the kidnapping you guys are talking about. So just leave me alone." As his voice quivered a little. He took his hands off the table before slowly cing them on hisp. He was very nervous about the idea of going to jail. The jail was not a fun ce to be in and everyone in there were vicious people he could not live with.


    The female officer looked at him and spoke for the first time with a sneer, "You are clean? Don''t lie in this room. We searched your shop and found quite a bit of cocaine, enough to send you back to prison for a couple more years. They would also use this lie against you and add a few more months."


    Itpletely stunned the shop owner when he heard them and didn''t know what to do. He knew that was aplete lie, but by the looks of it, even if it''s a lie, the officers will make it a reality and book him for it. He didn''t know what to do. One side was the police threatening him with another jail time while the other side was the kidnappers who gave him a deeply remembered warning. Either side was not good for him.


    Clutching his hand tightly, he just begged, "Officers, please leave me alone. I said I know nothing. Just let me live properly. Why do you want to drag me into this mess? Please, just let me leave and I willpletely erase this meeting from my memory." With sweat dripping down his forehead.


    Just as he said that he could see the two officers fuming with anger, but before they could st the anger off, he heard someone speak from the speaker, "Leave him alone now. If this gets out, it guarantees you a suspension."


    The shop owner rxed a little, but the male officer seemed to have other ns as he took out a gun, shoved it against his head from the other side of the table, and said, "I swear to god. I know you know something important. Tell what you know or I''ll st your damn head like a watermelon. Now tell me, what did you see that night?" Pressing it harder and removing the safety lock on the gun.


    Seeing the crazed look on the officer, the shop owner knew he would do anything and just cried out, "Please, leave me. I''ll tell you guys everything I know. Just don''t kill me, please. I don''t want to die." Seeing the gun on his forehead, he just wanted to live and nothing seemed important to him.

 Chapter 145 - Shoot (END)

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    ********************************


    The shop owner was so terrified with the gun which was against his forehead so hard that it might even leave an imprint coupled with the fierce and crazed look on the officer''s face. He knew this craze officer would not give a damn about the consequences of using his gun.


    Seeing her colleague use the gun and threaten the guy, the female officer was about to stand up and hold him back but stopped after hearing the shop owner''s words. The shop owner knew something, and he agreed to tell them. So she quickly pulled the guy off and asked the shop owner, "Thene on, spit it out. What do you know about that night?".


    The male officer slowly sat down after she pulled him a bit, but he did not store the gun at all. It was still in his hand, with the safety lock open, pointing at the guy whileying on the table. The shop owner looked at both of them before swallowing a mouthful of saliva. It looked like death either way and he just decided to tell them as this one seemed quicker. He could at least live and try to escape from the criminal gang after going out of the police station.


    The female noticed him still being quiet and so banged the table before shouting, "Do you think we have all day for a guy like you? Spit it out quickly and get over it. Don''t waste more of our time anymore."


    The shop owner jumped hearing her and just slowly nodded before slowly opening his mouth, "I actually didn''t remember that day when you came to the store the other day but when you said about the kidnapping and ck van, the memory jolted back immediately that moment."


    The female officer, who was a bit impatient, immediately cut him off and asked, "Then why did you not tell me about it at that time? Are you cooperating with them?"


    The shop owner looked at her and didn''t know what to say. The officer was too fiery and jumped to conclusions too quickly. But lucky for him, he heard a person speak from the speaker once again, "Don''t jump to conclusions. Let the man speak. Don''t open your mouth until he ends. If not, get out of there and someone will take your ce."


    After that, the female officer just folded her hands and remained silent as the voice continued, "Han Hi continue. What happened that day?"


    The shop owner nodded as he looked down and continued, "It was a quiet night like any other in that area. I was in the shop like always just doing my own thing until I heard a loud screeching sound from outside. I was naturally surprised to hear it and looked up to see a ck van parked on the opposite side of the road."


    "The ck van probably stopped very quickly as I noticed a few ck tire marks on the road too. Anyway, after the van came to an abrupt stop, a few people jumped out from it, carrying guns before walking into the park. After they moved, the street became silent for a few seconds as I just stared at the van while hiding behind my counter. I got scared after seeing the guns and didn''t want them to notice me."


    "I just stared at the van and after a few minutes the same guys who walked out came back, but this time, two of them were carrying a person with them. They shoved the person into the van. After that, I immediately just decided to hide under the counter until I heard the vehicle go away."


    "But I never heard that sound and instead I heard the door of the shop open and looked up to see it was one of the masked men walking in. I didn''t know what to do, but I noticed the gun in his hand as he slowly walked around the store and came towards the counter."


    "He pointed the gun at me and gave me two choices. To shut up or die. I naturallyplied with what they had to say and begged him to leave me alone. He said they would observe me and if I ever try to call the police or do anything stupid, the next day my body would be found in a car ident. After that, he walked away, and the van drove away."


    The shop owner finally looked up as he finished narrating the entire story of what happened that night. It was a very scary night. He looked at the two officers and saw they both just had no expression on their faces.


    The silencested for a minute as the male police officer asked him, "Did you see the face of the kidnapped person?"


    The shop owner immediately shook his head and replied slowly, "No, I didn''t see the face. There are not many properly working lights on that road. I just saw her dress, and it was a woman. That''s all I know."


    Then it was his colleague who asked the next question, "If we show you a picture of the dress, will you be able to point it out?"


    The shop owner just slowly shook his head and replied, "No, It''s been too long and I didn''t get a good look at the dress. I just know it''s a woman''s dress. I can''t point out what color or what dress too?"


    The female officer seemed to want to say something but stopped as the sound from the speaker came. "Both of youe out at once. I want to speak with both of you."


    The two officers stood up and left. The shop owner was feeling very nervous. Every second that passed felt like an eternity, just made him feel much more nervous as he slowly looked around the ce.


    After a few minutes, the two officers walked in once again and the female asked, "What about the van number? Did you get a look at the numbers? You could have from the van''s rear lights."


    The shop owner shook his head and said, "It was dark and I can''t see that far. My eyes aren''t that good."


    The male officer then leaned onto the table and asked, "What about the guy who came to your store to threaten you? You should have seen how he looked, right? At least his physical features."


    The shop owner once again shook his face and slowly said, "The guy was wearing a ck mask. I couldn''t see his face. For his physical features, he was thin, just like you, sir."


    The male officer pped the table and said, "What are you trying to say? You don''t remember anything? Then what use are you?"


    The shop owner shrunk as he heard him and just remained silent. He just told them everything he knew and had nothing else to say. No matter how much he gets threatened, he could only say he knew nothing.


    The room went into silence after that. Both the officers were in deep thoughts as the shop owner just looked down, hoping to go back home. He was already nning which city he had to go to next, to escape from all this.


    But as he was thinking about the city, he remembered something and said, "Sir, even though I don''t know the guy''s face, there is one distinct thing I noticed."


    The female officer immediately asked, "What is it?"


    "It was his hand. When he was pointing his gun at me, I noticed something strange. That guy only had 4 fingers. He didn''t have his little finger. He caught the gun with only 4 fingers."


    The male officer seemed to as he remembered something as he stood up, looked at him, and asked seriously, "Are you sure? Did that guy really have only 4 fingers?"


    The shop owner nodded and replied, "Yes, I am sure. He only had 4 fingers."


    The male officer seemed to be excited as he stormed off the room as the female officer nced at the shop owner and also ran off. Once again, the guy was left alone in the room. He looked around and didn''t know what to do.


    He looked at the speaker and asked with some hesitation, "Officer, Can I please leave now? I already told everything I know."


    After he said that, another police officer came in and said, "You are free to leave for now. But do not leave the town for now. We will call you back once again afterward. If you leave the town, you''ll be a suspect for this case too. Also, there will be an officer to follow you, so don''t think of doing stupid stuff. Just continue to live normally."


    The shop owner just nodded and walked out of the room slowly.


    "ALRIGHT! CUT! WE GOT IT."

 Chapter 146 - Small Talk

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    ********************************


    Joon-won sighed in relief as he heard the director''s loud voice through the mic. That scene was really tense. His mind was constantly thinking about how he was acting and if it was in line with the other actors on the set. But it turned out well in the end, as the director didn''t stop them at all. It was way tougher than the previous scene he did a few days back with only Hea-Jung..


    As he was thinking, he rubbed his forehead a little, as it was pink from how tightly Chea Young held the fake gun against it. So he just rubbed it a bit to ease the little pain he had and heard Hea-Jung calling him. He turned around to see she was next to the director, waving at him with the other actors. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn''t even go to the director. So he just quickly ran towards there before apologizing a little.


    The director and the others didn''t seem to mind it as the directorughed and said while patting his shoulder, "It''s alright. You were just standing there dazed. It happens to most people after they shoot a wonderful scene as they just think about the scene repeatedly."


    The others nodded and Hea-Jung was quick to realize the pink mark on Joon-won''s forehead as she said, "It seems like Chea Young Sunbae didn''t hold back his strength. It even left a mark at the center of your forehead." Pointing it out to everyone. Chea Young also noticed it and said with a little blush on his face.


    "I''m sorry Joon-won-ssi, I just got caught in the moment and it seems like I didn''t control my strength properly."


    Joon-won was, of course, quick to shake his hand and tell he was ok. It was only a small mark and it would be gone by tomorrow morning. So it wasn''t much to think about.


    "Alright, I just reviewed the scene, and it looks like we don''t need to reshoot it. It came out perfectly without any problems. You guys did well, especially Joon-won. For your first movie, you are doing very well. Continue like this and the shooting will continue to finish quicker." He looked at Joon-won at the end and praised him a little. The others also nodded and gave him a look of appreciation. Especially Chea Young, as he was the closest to him other than Hea-Jung and saw how good Joon-won acted.


    "Alright then, let''s disperse for now and go to eat lunch. If you guys want to eat here, then it looks like you guys have to wait a few more minutes for the crew to set it up. I heard it''s something good." And walked away.


    All the actors made their way towards the changing room, but Joon-won stopped a little and held back Hea-Jung, too. Hea-Jung looked at Joon-won and he exined, "There are only 3 changing rooms. Do you want to fight with the seniors for changing first? Let''s wait for them to finish first and then change."


    Joon-won nodded and so they just sat in the chairs at the side. Hea-Jung looked at Joon-won and said, "You did very well back there, even better than Monday. The director seemed to be genuinely impressed too, just now. Even the seniors also were giving a nod of approval."


    Joon-won shrugged and said, "I just did what I can do. You guys doing well also helped me find the flow and ride along with the others. If not, I couldn''t have made it look that smooth and easy." It was the fact. It was pretty hard if the other actors weren''t up to the mark as he would be the reason for the scene failing. But that wasn''t the case this time, and so everything went well.


    Hea-Jung nodded and said, "Well, if they aren''t even that good, then the time they spent in the industry is pretty useless. Anyway, with all that aside, where do you want to eat? Anything in your mind? I''m really hungry. The crew asked me to watch my diet a little yesterday, so I didn''t push it too much this morning."


    Joon-won just simply replied, "It''s always good to be conscious of how much you are eating. Especially when you are an actor. Your body is an important part of your service, so you need to maintain it well. As for lunch, I thought about eating here. Didn''t the director just tell us that they will serve food in a few minutes? Let''s try it."


    Hea-Jung seemed to not like the idea that much, as she sulked a little and said, "Eat here? I ate here at the beginning, but the food is so nd andmon. They wouldn''t serve anything that good."


    Joon-won nced at her and said, "The movie isn''t so big that they would provide extraordinary 5-star food every dinner time. I don''t have any problem eating if the food is edible for one lunch. If you want to eat something good, then just ask your sister Han to drive you. Don''t you also have to shoot another scene here immediately after lunch?"


    "Yeah, I need to shoot another scene after lunch. Looks like I''ll be eating the food here for today. I don''t want to eat in a restaurant while leaving you here." And just opened her phone to do her own thing. Joon-won also did the same as he just started to listen to some music.


    It didn''t take long for the actors toe out and they entered the changing rooms. They took the clothes from thedy and quickly changed their clothes back. Joon-won handed the costume back and just walked outside to see the actors were sitting in the same ce he and Hea-Jung were sitting before. Chea Young noticed him and waved his hand, calling him.


    As he got closer, he heard Chea Young talk about him. "This guy is a beast. I mean, we all looked at his acting back at Roses when Hea-Jung showed us clips, but when you are right in front of him and in the same room, it''spletely different."


    Joon-won looked at the three people there, as it seemed like one of them left before even changing his costume. U-Hyun was still there, and there was another person along with them. It was one of the main actors. It was a middle-aged man who yed the role of Chae Young''s and Hea-Jung''s leader. He was the leader of the group, which was particrly formed to solve the case. Joon-won didn''t know the man''s name as he simply nodded to everyone and said.


    "I just followed your guy''s lead in the scene. It helped me a lot to stabilize and follow your rhythm."


    U-Hyun smiled and said, "You act well. As Chea Young said just now, it''s so different to see you act with our own eyes. I mean, even we both from behind the mirror can see that you act well. Hea-Jung showed us many clips after she nominated you for the rolest week. Come sit down." As she pointed at the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man nodded with a small smile and said, "I''ve been in this industry for quite a while, at least longer than these two, and I can say in all the movies I''ve done, you are up there when ites to young talent. Oh, by the way, my name is Ham Mun-hee. Nice to meet you." And stretched out his hand at the end.


    Joon-won shook his hand and introduced himself too. After that, U-Hyun looked at Joon-won and asked in a low voice, "Hey, Joon-won. Tell me the truth. Is there nothing between you and Hea-Jung? It''s hard to believe if you say no."


    Joon-won looked at her and thought how she could ask him a stranger that question. It would be ok if she asked Hea-Jung cause both of them seemed close and have been around each other for a bit. But since she asked, he shook his head, and before he could respond; they heard Hea-Jung''s voice from behind.


    "What nonsense are you talking about again, Sunbae? I already told you there isn''t anything like that. Joon-won is my precious junior. Anyway, didn''t you guys stay behind to eat? Come, let''s go, it looks like they are ready to serve."


    U-Hyun simply stuck her tongue out, and all 4 of them walked up to the serving area before taking their food. Joon-won noticed there quite some varieties such as sandwiches, rice, and curry along with a few local dishes he ate in the past week. After taking some of each, he just sat with the group and ate his lunch while having a small talk with the others.

 Chapter 147 - Giving People Shock And Practice

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    ********************************


    As they were eating, Chea Young looked at Joon-won and asked, "So, this should be your debut film, right? Since when did you start acting? Did you act on any other stages except for Roses back at Arios? Cause if you did, I feel you could have made your debut long ago, given how good you are."


    Joon-won, who was eating, looked up and quickly chewed his food before replying, "I started learning how to act in university. I decided to act in high school and just pursued it. The first I got on a stage was at the final exam in university and then Roses. That''s all.. Thest year was the only experience I had with acting."


    Hearing him, everyone at the table stopped and looked at him with food in their mouth. Even Hea-Jung paused a little, nced at him before she continued to eat. The other 3 took a second to snap out lf the amazement they had in their faces. As soon as they did, all three of them quickly drank some water to down the food before looking at him again.


    U-Hyun looked at him and asked with a trembling voice, "So you started learning how to act only for a year now? How is this possible? I thought you had some experience in some theatre from your childhood. I feel like all the time I spent learning about acting ispletely wasted. Tell me this is a dream." As she looked at her food before she continued to mumble.


    Joon-won heard her and almost said about how stupid she was, but stopped before remembering he just can''t say he actually worked for decades to get to the level he was at. They would probably call the hospital to check him in for a brain scan. So he just remained silent about it. He didn''t know what to say and so saying nothing was better than saying something stupid.


    Ham Mun-hee also nodded to her words and said, "You know what? I take back what I just said. You are probably the best young actor I have seen if you only learned how to act for a year. After this, I''m sure you''ll have more opportunities to audition and will continue to grow. I feel pity for the young actors in this generation."


    Chae Young nodded and continued, "When you start getting better and bigger roles, you are bound to steamroll all these younger guys in the industry. I see so many of them get cocky about the fame they are getting, but you will straight out tten them. I''m d to not be in the same generation as you." Even though he was only a few years older than him.


    Joon-won just remained calm as Hea-Jung said, "See, didn''t I already tell you guys that he is one of the best I''ve seen." Acting as if she already knew. Joon-won also didn''t bother to correct her and just so decided to go on with it.


    The lunch continued at a much calmer pace after that huge shock and everyone went their separate ways. Only Hea-Jung and Chea Young remained on the set, as they still needed to shoot after lunch. Joon-won just hailed down the cab and was on his way back to the hotel. His next shooting was actually the day after tomorrow that was Saturday and so he had some time to prepare and decided to use this a bit wiser to not prepare in a rush like thest two scenes.


    He quickly got into his room and fell on his bed. He looked at the time and wanted to take a quick nap. After setting an rm, he just went to sleep.


    Time went by a sh as he woke up after the rm went off and washed the drowsiness off his face before taking a seat with the script in his hand. He checked the next scene and noticed it was actually in the same shop once again. This time they were actually shooting the kidnapping scene. ording to what he heard, they already shot this scene, but without him. So the director scrapped that take and was doing it again, but this time with him in it.


    The scene was pretty simple as he doesn''t have many dialogues in it and most of his expression was of the first surprise, turning into fear. That was it, so the scene itself was pretty simple. Joon-won quickly got to work as he slowly acted. This scene was a bit tougher for him to practice as there was more imagination involved.


    He practiced for an hour before he heard his phone ring and picked it up to see it was actually Jung-hwa. He didn''t talk to her after the first day he arrived and it seemed like she was getting busy preparing for sses once again as they begin in two days. As soon as he picked it up, he heard her excited voice over the phone.


    [Joon-won are you actually getting more scenes to act? So you aren''ting this week? I heard the director was so impressed that he fought with the producers to get you more roles? Is it true?]


    Joon-won held the phone away from his ear and said, "If you continue to shout like that, then I''m cutting the call now and blocking your number. Don''t shout as soon as I answer the phone."


    Jung-hwa seemed to get it as she once again asked, but in a much lower tone with the same excitement.


    "Yes, I am getting more scenes to act in, 3 to be exact. I am going toe back next week Saturday, instead of this Sunday. Anyway, who the hell said anything about the director fighting with the producer for me? Do you think I''m some superstar or something? Did you get all this information from Yun-hee? Looks like I need to give her a call about all the nonsense she is spouting." He knew she must have heard about the entire thing from Yun-hee. Both of them actually became close friends, especially since they were only a year apart from each other and so now they talk often and share a lot of stuff together.


    [Yeah, I heard it from her. Anyway, so you did get more scenes to act in. That''s great. When you get back, I am expecting a huge treat, at least a 3-Star restaurant. What are you doing now? Are you on set?]


    "No, I''m in my hotel room. I got back from the set a while ago. My next shoot is the day after tomorrow so I''m preparing. What are you doing?"


    [I''m not doing anything. I stopped going to the drama house this week as the semester starts the day after tomorrow and I am just getting everything ready. People areing back, my roommate is alsoing back today, so I''m going to start cleaning up the room.]


    "Did you have a talk with Do Hwan about what''s next? Did you guys talk about any auditions or did he ask you to learn more?"


    [Yeah, he called me the day before yesterday to talk about this. He said I''m learning well and that if he notices any minor roles for me to y in, he''ll look into it. He said to not expect big roles for at least a year or two and said I should just do minor roles and learn more for now. That''s all.]


    "That''s true. Your skills are still not enough to get minor roles in even medium-sized movies. You can only try for minor roles in small movies for now and just learn more. Well, if that''s it then I''m going to go. I need to continue practicing now."


    [Sure then, bye]


    After the call, Joon-won just got back to practicing the scene, and time passed by. Joon-won didn''t even go out of his room the next day and just ordered his food upstairs as he just practiced more to get a good grip on the character. In the past two scenes, he had an ok understanding of the character but now he knew it cleanly and knew he can y better.


    By the time he realized it was already Saturday morning. The shoot was at night and so he woke up prettyte. Instead of practicing, he decided to go outside and walk a bit. He stayed in the room for too long that he needed some fresh air.


    He ate his breakfast during the walk and came back to the room to do some final preparations again. By the time he knew it, the sun went down and it was already 8 and the shoot started at 9:30.

 Chapter 148 - Improvisation

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    ********************************


    Joon-won looked around and saw everyone in the set getting ready. He was already prepared with his make-up and costume, just waiting for the director''s cue at this point. So, he just read the script once again before closing his eyes to imagine the entire scene. But as he did that, he heard someone call from him and opened his eyes.


    Opening his eyes, he saw a rough-looking middle-aged man smiling at him.. Joon-won stood up and asked, "Yes, I''m sorry. But were you calling for me?"


    The middle-aged man nodded and said with the same smile still on his face, "Yes, that is if you are Kim Joon-won. Nice to meet you. I''m the actor who is going to y one of the kidnapper roles today." Extending his hand.


    Joon-won went in for the handshake, and as he did, he immediately knew who the guy in front of him was. It was the guy who was going to threaten him during the scene. He was not only ''one of the kidnappers'' but rather the right hand of the viin.


    "Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."


    The middle-aged manughed hearing him and said, "I just wanted to see the guy who made the director ask for aplete reshoot and even made me get a few lines in the scene. You got to be special. I look forward to acting with you."


    Joon-won also nodded and said with a smile, "The feeling is mutual." With that small interaction, the middle-aged guy walked away without even telling his name once. But, of course, Joon-won didn''t mind it and just continued with his work until the director called him. When he went there, he also saw the middle-aged man with the director.


    "Ah, Joon-won. Now that you are here let''s talk about the scene. I want to finish this small scene in one shoot. But, unfortunately, I had to squeeze this shoot inte at night, and we don''t know if we can get the shop owner to give us the ce even with money. So we don''t have time for many tries. So let''s get over this quickly and go back to sleep." Both of them nodded and went to their own spots. Joon-won sat behind the counter and waited for the director to start.


    Soon he heard the director shout and closed his eyes to get ready.


    "ALRIGHT, LET''S GET OVER THIS AND GO BACK. READY! SET! AND ACTION!"


    **********************************


    The shop owner pretty much did nothing like always. Sitting behind the counter, he looked out and sighed before telling himself, "It''s empty like always. The government just promised us to develop this ce, but it looks like we became fools once again." But this thought onlysted a single second as he quickly watched his favorite show on his phone. This was his daily work, open the shop and watch shows on his phone.


    As he watched his show, he heard something he didn''t hear for a very long time in the streets, it was a car. He looked up to see a ck van abruptly stopping before people got out and ran out of it. The shop owner was obviously perplexed. The streets were always empty and so seeing this car was a genuine surprise for him.


    So he simply continued to look at the car, and as he did, he couldn''t help but notice the ck tire marks on the road before mumbling to himself, "It must be some young punks, don''t even know how to drive properly."


    But as he finished mumbling, he saw something which opened his eyes wide. The people who just ran out were back, but with them was a woman. They were holding the woman who seemed to be unconscious and pushed her inside. The shop owner who witnessed this was scared out of his wits as he hid behind the counter. He looked up and saw the van wasn''t moving, so he just went back to hiding, only hoping for it to drive away.


    But to his horror, he heard his shop''s doorbell and couldn''t resist the urge to look up. As he did, he noticed one of the masked men was going through the aisles as if he was looking for something. For the shop owner, the time was going at an extremely slow pace, and he could even hear the clock sound as the hands moved.


    As he continued to look at the man fr behind the counter, he noticed him stop before the candy aisle. The man picked up a handful of candy and started walking towards him. Even though he couldn''t see the man''s face because of the ck mask, his eyes were enough to make sweat drip for the owner.


    The man was soon before the counter and stared at the owner, who was still crouching behind the counter, nowpletely frozen. Then, slowly opening one of the candy packs, he popped it into his mouth before taking out a gun from behind. Then, with the gun in his left hand, the man slowly motioned the owner to stand up.


    Having no options, the owner slowly stood up with his legs trembling inplete fear. He looked at the man in silence as the guy just continued to chew on the candy while looking him up and down. The shop owner did his very best to remain silent and steady. However, he felt like he would faint at any moment.


    The man slowly leaned in and then hooked his arm around the owner with the gun on his forehead. The shop owner could naturally do nothing but freeze silence, praying his final thoughts.


    The guy looked at the owner''s face and then slowly said into his ears, "You have a pretty good shop here. You even got my favorite candy. It looks like you have aid-back like. Now wouldn''t it be too bad to end it too quickly?" To his statement, the shop owner didn''t react as he was still frozen in silence.


    The guy didn''t seem to care as he continued to mumble, "This street is always deste, with no oneing around. Now, even today, it was deste with no oneing around. You were sleeping on your shift and knew nothing. You did not see a van or any people in ck masks. Am I right?" As he pressed the gun harder against his forehead.


    Feeling the gun press harder on his forehead, the shop owner slowly nodded. The guy leaned back as he nodded and said with what seemed like a smile, "I like people like you. Always willing to help out others. Alright then, be sure to remember what I said. If you forget about this and slip out about what happened today, then the bullet won''t remain in the gun but inside your head. Well, hope you have a few customers in your shop." And walked out of the shop.


    The shop owner was still standing as he looked into his now empty shop as the van outside drove away with the same speed it stopped. The shop owner slowly looked down and noticed the open candy wrapper as he realized everything that happened before just falling down on his knees. That was just the most terrifying moment of his life, and he never wanted to experience it ever again.


    ************************


    "AND CUT. THAT''S IT FOR THIS ONE. NICE JOB, EVERYONE, PACK UP AND GO HAVE A NICE SLEEP." The director shouted, waking up Joon-won, who was on his knees from the role. He slowly stood up and just walked out of the shop.


    "Joon-won,e here." He heard the director and just walked towards him.


    "That was some really nice acting there, Joon-won. Nice improvisation too. The assistant director almost stopped the scene. Why did you do that?"


    In this scene, he had no dialogues, except the one about rash kids. The first dialogue he spoke was entirely from himself.


    Joon-won shrugged as he heard the director and replied, "When I was practicing, that part just felt empty and a bit too quiet. So, I added the line. Was it not good?" He thought it was good, but that would not mean the director thought so. So he had to ask.


    The director shook his head and said, "No, it was good enough. But next time, just tell me beforehand a bit. At least I would like to know about it. Well, apart from that, you acted very well. Alright, no, go back. Your next shoot is on Monday, right?"


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Yes, it''s on Monday."


    "Alright, just continue acting well then. I''ll see youter." And he walked away. Joon-won also walked away and went directly to his hotel as he felt a bit sleepy and wanted to sleep.

 Chapter 149 - DO NOT UNLOCK YET

    IGNORE THIS CHAPTER FOR NOW. THERE WILL BE FILLER/SHORT STORY IN THIS CHAPTER IN AN HOUR OR SO. UNLOCK IT THEN.THIS WAS ORIGINALLY A DUPLICATED CHAPTER.


    SUPPORT ME!!


    If you want to support this poor author, you can donate to me. Help me by providing some energy to churn some chapters out. Of course, it''s notpulsory, but if you do, it makes my day. Thanks if you did.


    https://ko-fi/cruchymonster36912


    ********************************


    Joon-won looked around and saw everyone in the set getting ready.. He was already ready with his make-up and costume, just waiting for the director''s cue at this point. So, he just read the script once again before closing his eyes to imagine the entire scene. But as he did that, he heard someone call from him and opened his eyes.


    Opening his eyes, he saw a rough looking middle-aged man smiling at him. Joon-won stood up and asked, "Yes, I''m sorry. But were you calling for me?"


    The middle-aged man nodded and said with the same smile still on his face, "Yes, that is if you are Kim Joon-won. Nice to meet you. I''m the actor who is going to y one of the kidnapper roles today." Extending his hand.


    Joon-won went in for the hand shake and as he did, he immediately knew who the guy in front of him was. It was the guy who was going to threaten him during the scene. He was not only ''one of the kidnappers'' but rather the right hand of the viin.


    "Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."


    The middle-aged manughed hearing him and said, "I just wanted to see the guy who made the director ask for aplete reshoot and even made me get a few lines in the scene. You got to be special. I look forward to acting with you."


    Joon-won also nodded and said with a smile, "The feeling is likewise." With that small interaction the middle-aged guy walked away without even telling his name once. Of course Joon-won didn''t mind it and just continued with his work until the director called him. When he went there he also saw the middle-aged man with the director.


    "Ah, Joon-won. Now that you are here, let''s talk about the scene. I want to finish this small scene in one shoot. I had to squeeze this shoot at this timete at night and we don''t know if we can get the shop owner to give us the ce even with money. So we don''t have time for many tries. Let''s get over this quickly and go back to sleep." Both of them nodded and went to their own spots. Joon-won sat behind the counter and waited for the director to start.


    Soon he heard the director shout and closed his eyes to get ready.


    "ALRIGHT, LET''S GET OVER THIS AND GO BACK. READY! SET! AND ACTION!"


    **********************************


    The shop owner pretty much did nothing like always. Sitting behind the counter, he looked out and sighed before telling himself, "It''s empty like always. The government just promised us to develop this ce but it looks like we became fools once again." But this thought onlyst a single second as he quickly watched his favourite show on his phone. This was his daily work, open the shop and watch shows on his phone.


    As he watched his show, he heard something he didn''t hear for a very long time in the streets, it was a car. He looked up to see a ck van abruptly stopping before people got out and ran out of it. The shop owner was obviously very confused. The streets were always empty and so seeing this car was a genuine surprise for him.


    So he simply continued to look at the car and as he did, he couldn''t help but notice the ck tire marks on the road before mumbling to himself, "It must be some young punks, don''t even know how to drive properly."


    But as he finished mumbling, he saw something which opened his eyes wide. The people who just ran out were back but with them was a woman. They were holding the woman who seemed to be unconscious and pushed her inside. The shop owner who witnessed this was scared out of his wits as he hid behind the counter. He looked up and saw the van wasn''t moving so he just went back to hiding, only hoping for it to drive away.


    But to his horror he heard his shop''s doorbell and couldn''t resist the urge to look up. As he did he noticed one of the masked man was going through the aisles as if he was looking for something. For the ahop owner the time wwas going at an extremely slow pace and he could even hear the clock sound as the hands moved.


    As he continued to look at the man fr behind the counter, he noticed him stop before the candy aisle. The man picked up a handful of candy and started walking towards him. Even though he couldn''t see the man''s face because of the ck mask, his eyes were enough to make sweat drip for the owner.


    The man was soon before the counter and stared at the owner who was still crouching behind the counter, nowpletely frozen. Slowly opening one of the candy packs, he popped it into his moith before taking out a gun from behind. With the gun in his left hand the man slowly motioned the owner to stand up.


    Having no options, the owner slowly stood up with his legs trembling inplete fear. He looked at the man in silence as the guy just continued to chew on the candy while looking him up and down. The shop owner did his very best to remain silent and steady. He felt like he would faint at any moment.


    The man slowly leaned in and then hooked his arm around the owner with the gun on his forehead. The shop owner could naturally do nothing but freeze silence praying his final thoughts.


    The guy looked at the owner''s face and then slowly said into his ears, "You have a pretty good shop here. You even got my favourite candy. It looks like you have aid back like. Now wouldn''t it be too bad to end it too quickly?" To his statement the shop o didn''t react as he was still frozen in silence.


    The guy didn''t seem to care as he continued to mumble, "This street is always deste, with no oneing around. Now, even today it was deste with no one cing around. You were sleeping on your shift and know nothing. You did not see a van or any people in ck masks. Am I right?" As he pressed the gun harder against his forehead.


    Feeling the gun press harder on his forehead, the shop owner slowly nodded. The guy leaned back as he nodded and said with what seemed like a smile, "I like people like you. Always willing to help out others. Alright then, be sure to remember what I said. If you forget about this and slip out about what happened today, then the bullet won''t remain in the gun but inside your head. Well, hope you have a few customers in your shop." And walked out of the shop.


    The shop owner was still standing as he looked into his now empty shop as the van outside drove away with the same speed it stopped. The shop owner slowly looked down and noticed the open candy wrapper as he realised everything that happened before just falling down on his knees. That was just the most terrifying moment of his life and he never wanted to experience it ever again.


    ************************


    "AND CUT. THAT''S IT FOR THIS ONE. NICE JOB EVERYONE, PACK UP AND GO HAVE A NICE SLEEP." The director shouted, waking up Joon-won who was in his knees from the role. He slowly stood up and just walked out of the shop.


    "Joon-wone here." He heard the director and just walked towards him.


    "That was some really nice acting there Joon-won. Nice improvisation too. The assistant director almost stopped the scene. Why did you do that?"


    In this scene he had no dialogues, except the one about rash kids. The first dialogue he spoke waspletely from himself.


    Joon-won shrugged as he heard the director and replied, "When I was practicing that part just felt empty and a bit too quite. So, I added the line. Was it not good?" He thought it was good but that would not mean the director thought so. So he had to ask.


    The director shook his head and said, "No, it was good enough. But next time, just tell me beforehand a bit. At least I would like to know about it. Well, apart from that, you acted very well. Alright, no go back. Your next shoot is on Monday right?"


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Yes, it''s on Monday."


    "Alright just continue acting well then. I''ll see youter." And he walked away. Joon-won also walked away wnd went directly to his hotel as he felt a bit sleepy and wanted to sleep.

 Chapter 150 - Scene-4

    Note- I''m sorry about the previous chapter, guys. I just checked it now and can''t do anything about it. The app doesn''t allow us to delete locked chapters. So, I am also hopeless about it.


    ************************


    Time passed by as the shooting continued. The next shoot for Joon-won was on Monday, and he was ready for it. He continued to prepare the entire day, locked up inside his hotel room. Hea-Jung dropped by but could only walk away after seeing how serious he was, and it was time for another shoot.


    The ce of the shoot was actually at the police station set in the reception hall. The scene was pretty simple. After his confession about everything, the police bring back the shop owner to ask if he could figure out which guy threatened him back at his shop during the kidnap..


    Joon-won was once again pretty early, and so he quickly changed into his costume, got his makeup done before taking a seat. There were still another 45 minutes for the shooting to begin, so he just started reading his script. But as he was doing that, he heard a very familiar voice behind him.


    "Joon-won, why did you not call me abouting here? I called you, but you didn''t even lift it. I went to your hotel, and they said you had already left. Ie here, and you are already in your costume with your makeup done, happily reading your script. I''m very sad, very sad." Emphasizing on herst two words. He looked up and saw she was also already ready with her costume and makeup done.


    He took out his phone and noticed a few missed calls, but it wasn''t on purpose that he didn''t pick them up. His phone is on silent from the moment he arrives on the set, so he didn''t know she was calling.


    "I''m sorry, I forgot to call you." Hea-Jung just snorted at hisments and sat on a chair before going through her script. Joon-won knew she was probably pissed off and so just continued to do his own thing instead of poking the bear.


    It didn''t take long for the other actors to arrive and the director to call them. The director did his job as he went over the scene before telling them to take their ces.


    Joon-won walked into the same interrogation room he acted in a while back. He took his seat and was ready to act. But, instead, he just went over the scene in his mind, waiting for the director''s words to act.


    "READY! SET! AND ACTION!"


    ********************************


    The shop owner was back at a very familiar ce. He was there only a few days ago and once again was brought in for another ''friendly'' chat, at least ording to the people who brought him. But he knew the conversation in the room was anything but friendly and was terrified about it.


    He tried to escape the town as soon as he got out of the room, but the police gave him a quick warning about making him a wanted criminal if he runs, which just made him remain silent, hoping the bad party in the equation didn''te after him.


    "Hello, is anyone there? It''s been over an hour already. Can I at least get some water. I''m very thirsty." Hoping to grab someone''s attention. It was hard to be alone in a ce like that, so he just wanted to see someone.


    As soon as he said that, the door burst open, and a very familiar female officer came inside with a very annoyed expression. She looked at him and said, "Can''t you wait? Why are you so noisy? Now get up, let''s go." As she walked by his side before grabbing him by the arm and yanking him towards the door.


    Getting pushed out by her, he could only catch the door frame and ask with a stutter, "Where are you taking me? Ease don''t tell me you guys are still nning to lock me up for that kidnap? What I said is true. Please believe me."


    The woman just caught his arm and pulled him out, and took him to another room across the room before throwing him in and locking the door. The shop owner, who fell down, looked up and saw that everyone in the room were police officers. He also noticed the guy who interrogated him and threatened to kill him a few days earlier in the group.


    Now his mind waspletely filled with fear as he thought everyone in the room would finish him off, especially after seeing the violent police officer. He simply closed his eyes, waiting for what he thought was inevitable.


    "What did you do to him? Look how scared he is." He heard an old voice, but he listened to the female officer from behind before he could see whom.


    "I didn''t do anything, sir. I asked him to move, but he was shouting nonsense about us killing him and stuff. I think this guy has lost it." And even after that, she kicked him on his ass. So he tumbled further and heard the old voice again.


    "All right, now stop. This looks very bad on the police if you continue to be like this. Nowe on, stand up. How long will you be on the ground?" The shop owner slowly stood up after hearing that and looked to see an older man in front of him.


    The old man smiled and said, "Well, nice to meet you. Thanks foring forward to be the witness. With your help, the case finally moved forward. I''m the chief of this station."


    "Tch, he never came forward. So we had to drag him out for the information we had." The shop owner could hear the fiery woman''s sneer behind him. He simply bowed to the chief in front.


    "Alright, now let''s begin. First, help us catch the guy you saw that day. Now point out at the person who threatened you." The chief also seemed to ignore the officer as he looked at the ss. The shop owner turned and saw six people standing on the other side of the ss. All six of them had one thing inmon, a missing finger.


    The shop owner looked at the six people than at the chief before saying, "But I don''t know what that person looks like. He was wearing a ck mask, I only know he doesn''t have a finger because he reached out to me."


    The police chief hummed and then said, "Then can you remember the voice?"


    With everyone staring at him, the shop owner hesitantly nodded and said, "I can try, but no guarantee."


    The police chief patted the shop owner and said, "It''s ok, try your best. No one is putting any pressure on you. Just try your best to remember." The shop owner could only nod at his words. He wanted to shout when he heard there being no pressure when there were 5-6 police officers in the room, looking at him with expectation.


    The police chief bent down and said to the mic, "From the right, each one of you talks for a few seconds." The people on the other side seemed to be confused as they looked at each other before the one on the right started to speak.


    After he was done, everyone in the room looked at the shop owner, but he could only slowly shake his head, and so the people continued as the shop owner only shook his head. That was until he heard a voice strangely simr. He looked up and saw that it was the 5th guy who was speaking. The shop owner leaned in and saw his eyes before feeling terrified.


    He stumbled back and stuttered, "That''s him. Those eyes and that voice. It''s him. That day he was the one who came into my store and threatened me while eating candies."


    The police chief looked at the shop owner and asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure?"


    The shop owner could only nod as even though he thought he forgot, it seemed like those eyes and voices never left his mind.


    The police chief once again patted him and said with a smile, "Alright then, you can go back. Give this man some money for his help before dropping him off at his house. Also, don''t mishandle him if you do." And he didn''t end the sentence there as he gave the order to the female officer. The female officer nodded before taking him outside the room.


    ************************


    Joon-won slowly walked out with Hea-Jung by his side. The shooting was still happening, and so they had to remain quiet. Their appearance was done in the scene.


    Joon-won looked at Hea-Jung, who was looking at the shooting and said, "You did that on purpose, didn''t you. I''ll remember that." He was talking about the beautiful improvisation Hea-Jung did.


    ****************************


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 Chapter 151 - Last Scene

    Note-


    Guys, the chapters would bete and so probably be a little unedited because I am not at home and am back at residential school only with my phone until December. So bear with the quality a little. Thank you for your cooperation


    **********************


    The improvisation Joon-won was speaking of was her using excessive strength and kicking him down during the shoot. When she dragged him out of the interrogation room, she clutched his arm as if her aim was topletely crush it. Luckily he was able to not make an expression throughout the scene and continue to act. He was shocked and knew she was taking a slight revenge.


    But even after that in the other room, there was no part in the script about him getting kicked by her and he knew that came as a surprise to everyone in that room as luckily the actor who yed the police chief was able to improvise along by changing his own dialogue a bit to continue. Joon-won knew why she was doing this. He didn''t think the girl would be so revengeful for a simple car ride.


    Hearing his words and seeing his dark expression, Hea-Jung had no intention of epting as she just tilted her head and murmured, "I have no clue what you are talking about.. I just thought it would be good at that moment and went along with it. Those actions fit my role very well too. You know, a fiery cop." Shrugging her shoulder as if it was nothing. Joon-won knew he couldn''t do anything about it and just decided to remember the moment to take his own revenge on ater day.


    The shooting continued for another few minutes before the director shouted the blissful words for everyone. Joon-won and Hea-Jung made their way towards the director and after a simple talk he sent them away. After changing his clothes, Joon-won went straight to the hotel to rest a bit before preparing for the next scene.


    Time passed by and it was already Friday, the day of hisst shooting. During the week, Joon-won shot another very insignificant scene on Wednesday. But other than shooting a scene, something else happened on Wednesday. It was the day Yun-hee got her eptance letter and she finally revealed her University of choice to him and Min-Seok.


    It was a pleasant surprise for both of them as it was actually in Arios City and even more of a surprise was that she was joining the same University Gah Soo goes to, the Arios University Of Commerce. So, it was decided that both of them were going toe on Sunday to Arios city and they were going to stay at the t.


    Finally it was Friday and was his final day on the set. The film crew already booked him a ticket back to Arios city, early in the morning as he asked them to. He couldn''t wait to go back to his home and rest a bit before he had to receive both of them. He woke up early as he had to be at the set very early. The shoot was going to be very long and special. The scene was actually one of thest scenes in the movie, the court scene and he had to stand as a witness.


    He quickly got ready before going down to wait for Hea-Jung''s car. It didn''t take long for the car to arrive as they made their way towards the set. The crew built a small court set inside an empty warehouse and so the shooting was going to happen there.


    Hea-Jung looked at Joon-won and asked, "So, do you want to eat something? It''s still early."


    Joon-won nced at her and replied, "Didn''t the crew members tell us that they will provide even breakfast because of the early shooting schedule? Why do you still want to eat outside? Let''s just eat there." When he had the option of free food, why would he choose to spend extra money? He already tasted the food there once and knew it was ok, so he had no problem with it.


    Hea-Jung just remained silent after hearing him. They soon reached the set and walked inside the warehouse. Joon-won looked around and noticed it really looked like a court. He once again felt the film set designer did a wonderful job before he walked towards the food area. He wanted to quickly get the breakfast done and out of the way.


    After having a quick breakfast with Hea-Jung, they quickly changed into their costumes and got ready with the makeup done. Joon-won noticed his costume was actually a bit more formal than the regr costume he had before.


    Joon-won sat down and went through his script as there was still over an hour till the given time for the shooting to start. Eventually the rest of the actors came and got ready for the shoot. Joon-won looked around and saw how there were many people hired to act in the background. As the scene could be considered the finale he even noticed how meticulous everyone was, especially the director as he was constantly giving out directions to various people at once.


    The other 4 main actors came and sat near him and Hea-Jung as U-Hyun asked him, "Joon-won, this is going to be yourst day on set right?" Everyone was also looking at him for an answer. Over the week, they became a bit closer as the seniors even called him on a first-name basis.


    Joon-won looked at all of them and said while nodding his head, "Yes, Hyun-Sunbae. This is myst scene in this film so, I''m going back to Arios tomorrow early morning. It was nice meeting all of you. Thank you for guiding me during this time." While bowing a little. He was happy that the people involved in his first film were all kind and that the shooting went without any problem for him. They actually took care of him quite well and so everything was fine and they were at acquaintance level from stranger level.


    Chea-Young, "You are leaving tomorrow early morning? Why that early? You should at least stay until monday. We can go out for lunch or dinner. Treat it as a gift from us." And the rest also nodded agreeing to his idea.


    But Joon-won could only shake his head and say, "I can''t do that Sunbae. My father and sister areing to the city on Sunday and they can only stay at my t. So, I need to go tomorrow. But I''m very thankful for the thought." Hearing him everyone sighed as Chea-Young patted his shoulder.


    Ham Mun-hee also sighed and said, "Well then, it was a pleasure to work with you, Joon-won. I wish you much more sess in your journey in this industry. Let''s hope we get another chance to act again in the future."


    "Yes, Let''s act again in the future."


    "When Ie to Arios city, you should treat me, Joon-won."


    "Best of luck for you, Joon-won."


    The rest also gave theirments before everyone in the group returned to their script. It was a long scene and so the director hoped for less takes to get it done before lunch.


    The scene was simple. It was the government trying to prove the viin was the main culprit. Together with evidence and witnesses like him. Joon-won only had a handful of dialogues and he had to act mostly scared during the scene. So it was pretty simple for him.


    Soon the director called for them and as Joon-won went he noticed there were actually a few other actors and by looking at their costumes it seemed like they were thewyers in the film.


    "Alright everyone, let''s get this done. Let''s not take too many takes and be done with it quickly. This is the major scene in the movie and so do it carefully. Got it guys?" And everyone just nodded as he also nodded back before saying, "Alright then, go to your ces we''ll start in a minute."


    Joon-won took his seat in the audience. It was not his turn until the middle of the scene and so he had to act as the audience looking at the trail until then. The main actors in the scene such as thewyers, viins and others would also not appear immediately and would rathere in one by one in the scene. So he went and took a seat next to one of the middle-aged background actors.


    He greeted the middle-aged actor before just looking around the set once again. As he was doing that he heard the director''s loud shout, alerting everyone on the set.


    "ALRIGHT GUYS, LET''S GET OVER THIS AND GO TO AN EARLY LUNCH. NOW, READY! SET! AND ACTION." As the entire set went into silence after that.


    ****************************"


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 Chapter 152 - Final Scene

    Looking around the courtroom, the shop owner was overwhelmed and nervous. Then, yesterday as he wasying around in his house, his door got knocked, and when he opened it, he noticed it was a police officer. After going to the police station so many times, he was now pretty proficient in telling who was an officer and who wasn''t.


    The guy looked at him and simply said toe to this courtroom at 10 sharp and that if he didn''t, he would regret it. After a restless night, he slowly got up, wore better clothes, and came to the courtroom. The police then asked him to take a seat in the audience and that after a while, when his name is called, he needs to go to the witness stand before answering all the questions asked. He was terrified as he heard him. Speaking in front of everyone was naturally frightening, and he knew the culprit would also be there, making it even more terrifying.


    Swallowing hard, he sat and continued to look around until he saw a fewwyers walk in and the police behind them bringing an old man in a prisoner''s uniform with them. He looked at the guy going towards the defendant''s seating area with awyer and police beside him. Seeing him, the shop owner knew the police must have arrested the guy for the kidnapping case they were so eagerly trying to solve.


    After a while, the judge walked in, and everyone stood up before sitting down.. The judge announced the start of the trial as he sat down. Then thewyers started going against each other as the shop owner tried to keep track of what they were saying but just gave up as he couldn''t understand them.


    The debate continued for a while as several people were called up for witness on each side, and each time he heard either of thewyers say, ''Your honor, we would like to call up a witness.'' made his heart tremble a little thinking they were going to ask him to step up.


    But the inevitable is bound to happen as he heard thewyer from the police side stand up and say, "Your Honor, I would like to call up two people in the stands. One as evidence of the very crime happening and the other who followed the others to do it." The judge gave him a simple nod as he called up the shop owner and the kidnapper he identified the other day to the opposite stands.


    Wiping the sweat on his forehead, the shop owner slowly stood up and walked up to the stand on the left as the kidnapper went to the right. As he was walking, he could feel the cold gaze of the kidnapper on him, which made him flinch a little. But, on the other hand, he was a crazy dude who wouldn''t think twice while doing hideous things, so getting on his radar was a bad thing.


    He slowly stood on the stand, right opposite the kidnapper. He coincidentally looked him in the eye and instinctively swallowed his saliva. It was like he knew what the guy was thinking about, ''When I get out of here, you are DEAD.'' He knew it had to be that, and so he immediately looked down.


    Just as he looked down, he heard thewyer who called him up to talk, "Mr.Han Hi, there is no need to be terrified of anyone in this room. No one is going to do anything to you. You just need to answer the questions I ask, and you can go back to your seat. Is that alright with you?"


    The shop owner, who was still staring down, slowly nodded, and the guy continued, "So tell us what happened that day, Mr.Han Hi. Tell everything the same way you told the police. Do not leave a single remark."


    Slowly nodding once again, "I saw the kidnapping happening that night. They came in a ck van, and a few people wearing ck masks rushed out of the van beforeing back a few minutester while carrying a woman."


    He said that he could feel two deathly stares intensify towards him, making him take a step back. However, he didn''t dare look up and just continued to look down.


    Thewyer once again tried tofort him, "Don''t feel scared. So what happened after that? Did they drive away?"


    The shop owner shook his head and continued, "No. After they got in, one of the guys came towards my shop and threatened me with a gun. He said if I didn''t stay silent, they would kill me. He said they will have someone watch him every day and so that I better be careful and quiet."


    Thewyer nodded as he said, "So you are saying the man threatened you with a gun. Now look at the man across you and tell.me if this is the man you saw that night."


    The shop owner slowly looked up for a second before immediately looking down and nodded.


    "Objection, your honor. Things don''t match up. The witness said the people were wearing a mask. But how does this man tell it was him when he couldn''t see the face." The otherwyer stood up to disagree with the shop owner''s entire statement.


    Thewyer in front of himughed and said, "Please, don''t be in a hurry. I knew you would say that, so we have something to solidify this assumption. Now let the man continue. Now tell us, Mr.Han Hi. How did you identify this man?"


    The shop owner stuttered under the threatening gaze of the kidnapper as he replied, "The guy put his hand around me when he was threatening me with the guy. I then noticed he only had 4 fingers on a hand. So by that and his familiar voice, I pointed him out when the police showed me a few people."


    "Now, before there and objections about this man''s statement once again, along with this strange coincidence with this man. We also found a key piece of evidence that tells that this man was indeed the kidnapper. These are the masks and gloves he wore during that day. The police found them in his basement. After running a few tests, we found the victim''s hair on the gloves." Thewyer immediately started speaking without giving the otherwyer a chance to present another crucial piece of evidence. He took out a stic bag along with a few papers and passed them onto the judge.


    He then turned towards Han Hi and said with a smile, "You may go back now, Mr.Han Hi." The shop owner quickly nodded and ran off the stand. He only took a deep breath after sitting back with the audience once again. He looked at the kidnapper and noticed his stare before looking down once again.


    The session continued as the shop owner looked down most of the time, only looking up when he heard a few decisive statements on each side. He truly wished that the kidnapper and the culprit would go to jail. Not only for the victim but also for his own sake. If any of the two gets out, he is dead. Joining his hands, he silently prayed to all the gods he could remember to make his wishe true.


    "Please, I know I''m really unlucky. But this one time. Just grant my wish. I''ll go to all the nearby temples for an entire week if it''s granted. So please." As he murmured to himself. He had no one except god that could save him.


    After another hour of debating from both sides, the judge tapped his hammer and said, "Silence, Silence. After carefully considering the arguments on both sides and looking at the witnesses and evidence brought up. The court has believed that both were indeed the cause of the events that happened to the victim. Both of them are sentenced to life imprisonment. The court is now adjourned." Banging his hammer as he gave out his final statement.


    The shop owner almost cried out loud when he heard the judge. His eyes were tearing up as he realized both the people would nevere out of jail again and that he didn''t need to worry about them again.


    "Good job up there, Han Hi. You managed to prevail until the end. If you weren''t there, those bastards would have gotten away." He heard the female officer behind him.


    He turned towards her and replied, "No, no. If it wasn''t for you. I would have nevere forward. All the credit should go to you. Alright then, officer, it seems like you guys are busy. I would take my leave." before quickly running away.


    ******************************


    "ALRIGHT, THAT''S IT! GOOD JOB ONCE AGAIN."


    ****************************"


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 Chapter 153 - Lunch Party

    "ALRIGHT, THAT''S IT! GOOD JOB ONCE AGAIN." the director shouted, announcing the end of the shoot. Joon-won sighed in relief as he once again realized that it was thest scene he had just acted in his first movie. This was a very significantndmark in his road ahead.


    "Joon-won,e here." He heard the director shout and turned to see he was spacing out again like always, and everyone was around the director.


    As he walked there, he heard the director say, "Joon-won, you can''t keep spacing out like that. It''s ok now because I''m the director here and I know it''s your first movie and everything. But out there, no one really cares what number the film is. You should pay more attention to your surroundings. People will grill you alive if it continues like this. Get it?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Don''t worry, director.. I''ll keep it in my mind." The director nodded and then went on to talk about the scene and that it came out perfect.


    He then turned towards Joon-won and said, "Alright, now that this is out of the way, Joon-won. You are leaving early in the morning, right? I remember the crew booked your tickets this time."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Yes, Director. It''s 6 in the morning. I''ll be leaving then."


    The director nodded and said to everyone in that group, "Alright then, let''s have a small dinner party tonight¡ªmy treat to celebrate your first film experience. Everyone shoulde. It''s an order." Making everyone nod.


    U-Hyun, on the other hand, covered her hand and simply said, "Wow, the director is giving a party from his pocket instead of using the production money. This is great."


    The director clearly heard that as he immediately retorted, "When did I do that? Now all of you change your clothes and take some rest. Do not forget toe tonight." Before walking away with his assistant.


    Chea Young looked at everyone as soon as the director walked away and said, "Alright, before tonight''s dinner, let''s have our lunch together. It''s mine and U-Hyun''s party."


    It seemed like it was the first time she was hearing about it as she jumped back and said to him, "Hey, it''s the first time I''m hearing about this."


    Chea Young nced at her and said, "What, you aren''t even willing to give a hard-working, good junior a party as a farewell to make memories about his first shoot? Don''t be like that."


    U-Hyun nodded and replied, "Now that you put it like that, sure. Let''s have some local delicacies. I know a good restaurant too. Change your dress and be ready, let''s go there quickly. I''m hungry just thinking about the food there." As she quickly walked towards the changing room.


    Hea-Jung and Joon-won held back like always as they gave the seniors to change first. Then, both of them sat down, and Hea-Jung asked him, "Joon-won, what are you going to do next? Also, did they pay all the money yet? They only paid you apart at the beginning, if I remember."


    Joon-won nodded and simply replied, "Yes, I got the full amount yesterday night, and I don''t know what''s next. It''s not like directors andpanies are lining up for me to act in their films. So I have to go back and ask Do Hwan what''s next. He might have a solution."


    The money came in, and it made Joon-won sigh in relief after seeing his final bank bnce. It was enough to cover Yun-hee''s University expenses. He checked the university''s website, and given Yun-hee''s schrship, everything was good.


    Hea-Jung nodded as she remained silent for a second before continuing, "You did great in this film. Compared to what you showed back at the stage in university, you are different. But you are still far away from being on that level. On the stage, you were the king and controlled everything, even with the small role. You can''t do that on a set yet. I can see you following others'' pace but not leading."


    Even though Hea-Jung was very light-hearted and always acted spoiled and stupid, when it came to acting, she was up there with the best at assessing people. She had a sharp eye for talent.


    Joon-won nodded as he heard her remarks and simply said, "I know. It will take me. At least a few years to be on that level. If I want to have that level of presence, a few films are nowhere enough." He knew it would be impossible to have him have a simr presence on a movie set. Things were different on the movie set, and he had far less experience on a set. So a few years would still be a bargain.


    "Well, I think you''ll eventually get there if you continue at this pace. You''ll probably get an audition for a lead role soon after this film releases. So continue your grind."


    Joon-won looked at her and asked, "Forget about me. What about you? How long is your schedule here? Any movies to act next?"


    "I''m probably going to stay another two weeks on this set, and even after that, I have to travel around the country to do interviews and promotions as someone who ys a main role in the movie. But I did submit a few audition tapes, and I will get a word from the films soon. It would be good if I at least got a good response from half of them. Then, I would get to choose my role."


    ncing at her, he asked, "Just how many films did you send a tape to?"


    "I think it was about 10. I have been sending tapes for thest month or so. A few of them asked me to send multiple after seeing my first tape. So that should be a good sign, at least." Hearing her, Joon-won just hummed and remained silent. He knew this girl would get at least a few good responses, given her acting skills. She could be considered a prodigy.


    Their conversation died down there as both of them were in their thoughts. After the seniors came out of the set, they also quickly changed into casual clothes. Joon-won got into Hea-Jung''s car as they followed U-Hyun''s vehicle to a 3-star restaurant in town. There were only a few 3-star restaurants in the small town, and this one, they were going to specialize in local specialties.


    The car eventually came to a stop, and they walked in. Chea Young was at the front with Ham Mun-hee as they went to talk with the receptionist while Hea-Jung was talking with U-hyun about something. The other two remaining actors were also having their conversation, leaving Joon-won alone to look around the ce.


    "Luckily, they have arge dining room that just got cleared. Come, let''s go." Chea Young came back with good news and asked the waiter to lead them. The restaurant was simple and peaceful. Unlike the restaurant he went to with Hea-Jung and the director when he first arrived, those two were fancy, while this one was elegant.


    "Joon-won, don''t hold back. Order anything you want." Chea Young said loudly as they took their seats. Of Course, Joon-won also didn''t hold back as he ordered a series of local dishes.


    The group started to dig in, and everyone once again started asking Joon-won questions about his future and what film we wanted to act in next. Joon-won naturally answered everyone''s question. He didn''t have any specific movie type he wanted to act in, and he also didn''t have the privilege of choosing anyway.


    Eventually, a few questions became about his personal details but Joon-won, who was a very private person, just briefly answered them before quickly changing to another question.


    After an entire hourall of them walked out with their stomachs full. U-Hyun looked at all of them and said, "You guys need to get some space in those stomachs before dinner. If the director gets to know we ate too much now and won''t eat then, he would go mad."


    Chea Young nodded and said, "Alright then, everyone. Let''s meet tonight. It looks like the director is also taking us to a 3-star restaurant tonight." Showing the message on his phone. Everyone nodded and went into their cars. The rest of the vehicles went in one direction as theirs went to another, with his hotel being in the opposite direction.


    Dropping him off, Hea-Jung also went away, and Joon-won went to his room. Heyed on the bed as he took out his phone before dialing Min-Seok''s number. He wanted to know how their preparation was going on. Both of them were going to stay at his t until Min-Seok went back. Joon-won was also nning on going to a store to buy a few mattresses to sleep on. His bed was too small for all three of them.


    ****************************


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 Chapter 154 - Dinner Party (I)

    [Ah! Joon-won. Your shooting is already done? I thought you said this one is going to take longer than your normal ones?] Min-Seok answered his call and immediately asked a few questions like he always did.


    Joon-won rolled along the bed as he replied, "Yes, even I thought it would take longer. But it turned out fine at the end and it got done quickly. Anyway, what are you guys doing? Did you take a leave today too?"


    [Yes, I took leave today. I need to help the little girl in packing up things. She can''t handle everything alone. So, I''m helping her out. We went to the store earlier and bought the things she might need there. Everything is going well. What are you doing? Did you have your lunch yet?]


    "I''m back in my room now. I had lunch with the other actors in the film. They took me out for lunch as today is myst day here. Everything went fine. Did you guys have lunch too yet? How is the packing going on? Everything ready?"


    [You went to lunch with the other actors? That''s good. You can build more rtions like that. Rtions are very important in the world right now and that seems to be especially true in the entertainment industry from what I hear. We still didn''t eat lunch here. Yun-hee told me to wait in the living room and said she is going to cook something for me.]


    "Yes, yes dad. Now tell me about the packing.l and she is cooking? How is Yun-hee doing right now? It''s her first time going away from home. Even though I''m in the same city and she cane meet me anytime, it''s different. I heard there are some strict rules and they are allowed out only on weekends or something. So how is she?"


    [The packing is goingpletely well and Yun-hee? That girl is more active now than ever before. She seems to be very excited about leaving home and going away. It is making me sad seeing all this. I''m going to be all alone after Ie back.]


    "Don''t feel too bad. You cane meet us anytime you want. It''s only a few hours on the bus. We will alsoe home. So don''t worry about anything."


    As he said that, he heard Yun-hee shout his name on the other side as it looked like she snatched the phone away from Min-Seok and she even turned on the video call, showing her bright face.


    [Brother, what are you doing? How was yourst day on the set? You are leaving tomorrow morning right?]


    "I am doing fine, Yun-hee. I heard from dad just now that you are cooking? Don''t try to make some poisonous concoction now. You both need to travel the day after tomorrow, we can''t have upset stomachs and yes, I''m leaving tomorrow morning. Thest day was nice, it''s not like I''m an important actor for the entire crew to gather and give a round of apuse or something. The director spoke a few words and invited me to dinner tonight." As he sat on the bed.


    [What did you just say about my cooking? Let me tell you. I''m really good and when Ie there, I''ll cook for you too. Add, can you go turn off the stove? It should be done.] As she asked Min-Seok. Min-Seok just nodded and said he would be right back before walking into the kitchen.


    Joon-won looked at Yun-hee and asked with a slight smile, "So, are you prepared? How are you feeling now? After all, it''s still your first time moving out of the town." He noticed from the memories he got of the original owner that he never went out of that small town and the first time was when he came to Arios to check out the university, that''s all. The family condition wasn''t optimal for them to have vacations like others.


    [Everything is alright. I''m fine. I''m excited to live in the big city. Also, you are going to be there, so I''ll bepletely fine.] Hearing her words only made him worry a little more. It was the same with the original Joon-won too. He had too much excitement about the big city life that things didn''t go as nned. But he just kept his thoughts with himself as he knew he would be here to keep checking on her and also that Yun-hee is much more responsible than the old Joon-won could ever hope to be.


    So, he just nodded and said, "Well that''s good. The bus is at 7 in the morning and you guys will be here by lunch. I''ll pick you guys up from the station. So just get everything ready. It''s ok if you forget things too, we can buy them here."


    Yun-hee nodded and after they talked for a few more minutes, Joon-won just said his goodbye before falling asleep on the bed. He was tired and wanted some sleep before going for dinner.


    After a few hours he woke up from sleep and noticed it was already 7:30. The director asked them to be at the restaurant by 9 and so he wasn''t worried about it much. He took a slow and long shower before wearing the best clothes he had. He sat down on the chair as he took out his phone and sent a text to Hea-Jung. She was quick to reply as she asked him to be down stairs in 10 minutes.


    After 5 minutes, he walked down and stood before the hotel, waiting for Hea-Jung to roll by. After a few minutes the car stopped in front of him and he got in. He noticed Hea-Jung was wearing a better dress too.


    Hea-Jung looked at him and said, "Little brother, you need to buy a car very soon. It''s going to be hard for you to use cabs and stuff."


    Joon-won nced at her and simply said, "I don''t even know how to drive a car, so why do I need to buy one now. I''ll buy one when I have a surplus of cash in my bank and learn how to drive." Hea-Jung seemed to expect an answer like that as she just shrugged and looked out of the window.


    The car came to a stop and both of them got out. Joon-won just followed Hea-Jung behind as she went upto the reception, showed her the invitation the director sent earlier before she led them to a huge dining space. It was enough to fit 10 people.


    As they walked in, they already noticed a few people inside. It was Chea Young and Ham Mun-hee with the assistant director. Both of them walked towards them and it looked like the three also noticed as they stood up.


    "Miss.Seo and Mr.Kim, both of you are here. Pleasee and have a seat." The assistant director greeted both of them and they took their seats before the assistant took his leave.


    "Hea-Jung, Joon-won, you don''t know how awkward it was to be the first one to arrive. We both came together and thought everyone was going to be here already. But it was empty and only the assistant director was there. It seems like the afternoon shoot took a bit more time than expected. The others will be here soon." Chea Young sighed as he took a sip of the alcohol he had in his ss.


    Only these 4 guys didn''t have a shoot in the afternoon. The others who were alsoing to the party had one. So during the afternoon shoot, it took a few more takes than what they originally anticipated which led to more time being consumed for it.


    Hea-Jung shrugged as she poured some alcohol for himself and said, "Well there is nothing we can do about it. They will be here in a few minutes and until then let''s drink some and talk about other matters. Mun-hee Sunbae, how is your son? He should be in elementary school now right?" She turned towards Ham Mun-hee and changed the topic.


    Ham Mun-hee, who was having his own drink looked up and said with a small smile on his face, "Yes, he is going into elementary school this year. How is your mom? I heard she is making ns to make a special album this year or the next? Is it true?"


    Hea-Jung shrugged and replied, "I don''t know. I never talk about this stuff with her. My mother is very different, if she wants to do it, then she probably will. Are you a fan, Sunbae?"


    Ham Mun-hee nodded and said, "Yes, me and my wife listen to her music. She was ruling the industry when we were growing up."


    As they continued their talks the door opened and the director walked in with the other actors behind him.


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 Chapter 155 - Dinner Party (II)

    The doors opened once again, and the director walked in with the others. The director had a drink in his hands as he shouted, "I''m sorry, guys. The shoot took a little longer than we thought. Now that we are let''s start this party. Please bring in the food. I''m starving." As he gave orders to the waiter standing at the side. He, along with U-Hyun, made his way toward the table.


    The waiters began to bring in the dinner, and the party kicked off as they started talking about various stuff. The people tried to get Joon-won drunk, but he cleverly dodged it every time they gave him a toast and managed to keep his drinking to a minimum.


    The director''s face became a bit red from the drinking as he gulped the food in his mouth and asked Joon-won, "Joon-won, what''s next? Did your agency n something for your next movie? Did you submit any audition tapes? You should try your luck more often."


    Joon-won shook his head and simply said, "Not really.. But, unfortunately, I do have to go back and attend sses again. However, I''m sure Do Hwan is looking out for any good opportunities which fit me now. So I''ll just wait for now."


    The director simply hummed and nodded before he changed the topic. Only after another hour of partying did the group walk out of the restaurant. Most of the people''s faces were pink. On the other hand, Joon-won was supporting Hea-Jung, who didn''t hold back at all, especially because she had no shoot tomorrow. Noticing her slipping, he immediately grabbed her up and looked around to find Han Ju. After a few seconds, he noticed her car and waved his hand. It seemed like Han Ju noticed him as she sprinted out of her car towards him and almost snatched Hea-Jung away as if she was protecting her from a beast.


    Joon-won''s face twitched a little when he saw her antics but ignored it as she said to him, "The car would be right there pleasee quickly." And she didn''t wait for a response as she scurried away with Hea-Jung. He only sighed, seeing it, and looked around to see everyone was already getting in their cars.


    "Joon-won,e here. Let me give you a hug. After that, who knows how long it might be before we get to meet or get a chance to work together once again." He heard a shout behind him and turned to see the director walk towards him with his hands spread out. The man was stinking alcohol a little, and by the looks, it might seem like tomorrow''s shooting would be dyed a little.


    Joon-won gave him a small hug before getting separated. The directorughed and said while patting his shoulder, "You will be a big superstar in the future. I am sure of it. So don''t forget your first director and do me a favor by acting in one of my films when Ie then." Joon-won nodded, and before he could respond, he heard car honks. Then, turning around, he saw it was Han Ju.


    The director also noticed it and said, "It seems like you got to go. Alright then, I wish you a good future. Now go on; that girl might run you over if you don''t." Joon-won nodded, thanked him before running towards the car.


    The director looked at Joon-won''s back and hummed to himself as he took out his phone. The car drove away as the director dialed a number. On a silent night, the director stood there in front of the restaurant as his car rolled before him with his phone in his hand, waiting for the call to be picked up.


    As he got into the car, the call seemed to be picked up, and he heard an old voice from the other side, [You better have a good reason to be calling thiste. If not, I''ll break your bones the next time we meet.] Sounding very grumpy and serious. The directorughed hearing that and replied.


    "Yun Sunbae, don''t be so grumpy all the time. The wrinkles on your face will be clearer if you do."


    [It seems like you are drunk, you bastard. If this is a drunken call, you better hope to never be in front of me anytime soon.] The old voice shouted on the other side.


    The director once againughed and replied, "Alright, Yun Sunbae, I called you for an important matter. It''s something which could solve your current headache."


    [Now be quick to spit it out. I have a lot of headaches, and new onese up every single day. So be specific about which one.]


    "Yun Sunbae, did your audition for the serial killer roleplete? Or are you still looking for actors for it? Of Course, knowing you, you must still be demanding better actors."


    [Oh! It''s about that. If you know so much about it, then why keep the suspense? Do you have a solution for it then? I tried many actors until now. Even today, some A-listed actors came in, but damn, the standards keep decreasing a lot these days. Every donkey is bing an A-listed actor.]


    "Sunbae, I am sure the actor must have been fine. It''s just your standards are too huge for normal people. Cut people some ck, and the roles would be filled faster."


    [Hmph! If I cut some ck, then what''s the difference between your film and mine? Every role has a designated actor written on it. It''s my job to find that actor. Now anyway, enough of this nonsense why are you mentioning this now? Out with it.]


    "What if I say I have the perfect actor for it?" Hearing him, the other side went utterly silent. The director seemed to have expected this as he just continued to wait for a response.


    [Is this some favor you owe Don Chang? Don''t involve me in your favors. I told you this thest time too.] Don Chang was the director''s name, and he was just smiling hearing the old voice he called Yun Sunbae.


    "Yun Sunbae, did I ever joke around with you? I really found a fantastic actor. He was an emergency actor who filled in for the original actor, and hiring this guy might have been the best decision of my life. This guy''s talent is on another level. He might satisfy that thirst you have."


    The other side went silent once again, and Don Chang just kept waiting again. He knew the guy he was talking to was not simple. He worked as his assistant for almost an entire decade, so he knew him pretty well, especially his view on hiring actors.


    But this time, it was different. After hearing how Joon-won didn''t have any gig lined up next, he remembered this senior struggling to fill in a role. After working with Joon-won in the small-time he did, Don Chang noticed a few strengths Joon-won had, and one of them was hiding his emotions and showing them at the right time with the right amount. But he also has an apparent weakness, and that was hisck of experience.


    [So you are telling me that some kid you didn''t even hire in the first ce is perfect for ying the role of the serial killer in my movie? You should know how specific I am about this role, and after looking at so many actors, you think I''m going to give the role to a filler actor?]


    "Sunbae, would I ever joke around with you? Trust me when I say this. This guy can pull it off. Give him a chance."


    [How much experience does this guy have? What other films did he act?]


    Don Chang coughed and whispered, "One."


    [Did my ears go numb? Did I just hear you say one? So this guy you are speaking about only acted in one film, and this includes yours, right? So the first time he would appear in front of the people is only after a few months? It looks like you are very drunk and talkingplete nonsense now.] The old man didn''t hold back and berated him.


    Don Chang coughed once again and replied, "But that is the only thing this guycks right now. It''s an experience. Just have a big heart and give him an opportunity. Come on, do it for me."


    [Alright, can I see this young guy act anywhere? I should at least see if this guy deserves an audition trial. Don''t tell me there is no footage of him even acting?]


    "Of Course not. Check the Roses Drama house shows of the past 2 months. He is in every single one of them. I''ll send you the guy''s picture afterward so that you can identify him. His name is Kim Joon-won."


    [Alright, I''ll call you in a few days. If I don''t, then forget about it.] And the call got cut. Don Chang sighed and just leaned back on the seat as he looked out the window.


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 Chapter 156 - Back Home

    "You don''t really have to be here, you know? You were so drunkst night that your assistant had to carry you to the car. I''m sure she carried you to your bed too. So go back, I ain''t a small kid who needs people to drop him off." Joon-wonmented as he looked at Hea-Jung, who sat beside him while clutching her forehead and groaning in pain.


    "Argh! Do not talk much. Just sit silently. It''s my wish if I want toe or not. Your train should being soon too, so just stay quiet." As Hea-Jung clutched her head once again from the hangover headache. She went all out the day before and now is suffering for it. It''s no one''s fault except her''s.


    When Joon-won woke up early and got ready, he got a message and noticed it was from Hea-Jung asking him toe down. As he did, he noticed her in her car, driving.. There was no Han Ju with her like always. ording to her, she didn''t want to wake up Han Ju and so just used another vehicle the crew gave them.


    He just sighed and continued to wait for the train. He was feeling very sleepy and wanted to just get on the train and sleep all the way there. It was a long journey, and so he would get enough sleep by the end of it.


    Eventually, the train came by, and taking his luggage, he walked inside the train before looking out. Then, he looked at Hea-Jung, who kept yawning and said, "Alright, drive back safely now. Text me when you reach your room. If you can''t drive back, just call that assistant of yours to pick you up. Don''t take risks."


    Hea-Jung, in response, just snapped at him while clutching her head, "Ah! Alright, just go now, bastard. I''ll be back in the city after a few weeks and have an off for 2 weeks before we go on a promotion tour to a few cities. Alright then, bye." And just walked away. Joon-won also got inside and searched for his seat. Finding it, he arranged his bags before falling asleep.


    The train journey continued as it came to a stop after a few hours, effectively waking Joon-won from his deep sleep. He looked out of his window and noticed his stop hade. Quickly getting out of the train, he opened his phone and noticed it was already 10. He also noticed Hea-Jung''s message and gave her a quick reply before walking out of the station. He was hungry and couldn''t wait to get back home to get fresh before having something to eat.


    With so many cabs right outside the station, it didn''t take him long to find one and get back home. Paying the man, he just got inside his house and ordered some breakfast as he went into the washroom. Getting freshened up, he took a good look at his home and smiled.


    "Nothing better than home."


    After that, he took the bags inside the room, got to unpacking, and as he finished, he heard the doorbell ring. It was his breakfast. Thanking the delivery guy, he just started chowing down his food, and as he was doing that, his phone rang. It was Min-Seok, probably about whether he was back home safely or not.


    Picking up the phone, he didn''t give a chance for Min-Seok to rapid-fire with questions and just said, "I''m back home safely. I''m also having my breakfast right now. So now that it''s out of the way, what are you guys doing? Done with breakfast?


    [Good to hear you reached safely. Take some rest today. Yes, we have already finished our breakfast. Yun-hee went out to spend some time with her friends here, and I''m alone at home.]


    "Yes, yes, I''ll take some rest today. I have no ns today anyway. Let her enjoy today. She probably won''t meet her friends until winter break in December. You should also take some rest then. I''ll go now."


    [Alright then, bye.] And the call got cut.


    After he finished eating his dinner, he got to work. The first thing he did was throw the few unwashed clothes into the washing machine, especially yesterday night''s clothes that were reeking of alcohol. The hotel he stayed in washed his clothes every day and so there weren''t many.


    After throwing them in and turning the machine on, he went to the kitchen and checked if he needed any groceries, he was going to have other people for a week, so it was better to get them stocked up.


    Taking note of all the things he needed, he wore his headphones before walking out of the apartment. He slowly made his way towards the supermarket he was very familiar with, and as he entered, he saw his partner or now ex-partner at work on the desk looking at her phone. She looked up and jumped when she noticed it was him.


    "Ah! Joon-won, or should I say future film star Joon-won. Come take a picture with me, when I go to the film, I''ll show my friends when youe on the screen that I know you. You know what, give your signature on this paper too. If you be famous, I might even get quite some money from the signature." As she pulled out her phone and then a paper from underneath the desk.


    Joon-won looked at her with a deadpan expression, not moving from the ce. He knew she was doing it for the jokes, but it still ticked him off a little. So he just sighed and said with some irritation in his voice, "Stop the nonsense and keep them away." And Gah Soo did so as she just sat back on her chair.


    "So, how was the journey? Did youe here to help your poor partner you left hanging? It''s so tough for me right now."


    Hearing her, he looked around the shop and asked, "Where is your current partner? I thought the boss already hired someone to take my ce and help you out." But, unfortunately, he could find no one in the entire shop except her.


    "Oh, the new girl went out on boss''s orders. She is such a dimwit. She is a very slow learner. I thought everyone would be like you, quick to learn and handle my stuff. But I am very wrong. This girl got into trouble twice already this week."


    Joon-won walked around the store with a basket in his hand as he asked her back, "How young is this girl?"


    "If I remember correctly, she said she was in herst year of high school now."


    Joon-won looked at her from behind a shelf and said with his eyebrows raised, "Then cut that poor girl some ck. It''smon for people to make small mistakes, especially young people, and it''s also not like people are lining up for jobs here, so if you don''t want to have theplete burden, just bear with it." Before shrugging his shoulders and walking away to do his things. He only got a loud groan from her in response.


    As he finished his grocery shopping, he got back to the counter and kept it on the table as Gah Soo got to her work. As she was scanning the things, she asked him, "So, when is your sistering? I see new freshmen alreadying to the university to get in. I heard they will start the semester in 2 weeks or something."


    "They''ll be here by this time tomorrow. So I think we will go to the university on Monday instead of tomorrow, and show my dad and her around the city a bit. Do you know any good ces to look at in Arios?"


    She shrugged and replied, "Well, you can always take her to the boring stuff like the museum and shit, I guess. There aren''t really many things to sightsee in Arios. It''s a boring city if you take away the entertainment industry, which is more prominent in the inner core zone, and you don''t have a car to drive around the inner zone. So it''s a waste. If you had a car, you could go out of the city, there is a huge waterfall and bridge nearby. It takes you 30 minutes on the highway."


    Joon-won hummed as he heard her and simply said, "I guess the only thing they get is the museum and some good food tomorrow. So it''s not that bad."


    Gah Soo was also done with his grocery as she handed him his bag and said, "Well, remember to call me when youe to register your sister on Monday. I''ll help you out with those troublesome things. I have a few friends helping out the teachers this year, so it''ll get done quickly. Ah! You are back. I was wondering how long you''ll be gone." She eximed at the end while looking at the door.


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 Chapter 157 - Rest

    Joon-won turned around to see a young girl nervously staring at both of them. She was very short and probably would onlye to his shoulder if they stood beside each other, and he knew she must be the new employee by the store''s uniform she was wearing. The girl was also drenched in sweat because of the hot weather outside. The summer was around, and this time around, the sun was almost right above them.


    The girl looked at Gah Soo, then at him, then once again at Gah Soo before she quickly bowed and said while stuttering, "I forgot something, I''ll be right back." And she tried to go right back outside. But before she could, Gah Soo shouted at her.


    "Stop right there. What is inside that stupid brain of yours? Come here. This was the guy who worked here in your ce thest two months, that''s all. Joon-won, this is the new kid I was talking about. Her name is Wu Yeng.".


    Joon-won shook his head with a smile and said to Wu Yeng, who looked at him nervously, "Come inside. Don''t let Gah Soo scare you. She is a nice person if you get to know her more. My name is Kim Joon-won, nice to meet you." As he put his hand forth for a handshake.


    The young girl seemed very anxious as she also stretched out her shaky hand and said, "Nice to meet you too, Joon-won Sunbae. My name is Wh Yeng." Bowing a little at the end.


    Joon-wonughed seeing the frightened girl and just said to her, "It''s ok, don''t be so nervous. No one here is going to bite you. Just rx; it''s a good ce to work." And as he said that, he also noticed how the girl looked at Gah Soo for a brief second, especially at the biting part.


    Joon-won looked over his shoulder and said to Gah Soo, "Don''t be too strict with the girl Gah Soo. Cut loose a little, and I''m sure she will get the hang of the entire thing. Alright?" Gah Soo waved her hand when she heard him, and so he just walked out with his bag.


    He quickly got home and packed everything in their ces before falling on his couch. He took out the TV remote and went through the movies that the app he subscribed to had before settling on one with a Heavenly King as the main lead. This Heavenly King was famously known as the lover boy due to the massive number of Romantic films he acted in. He was also the youngest of all the Heavenly Kings, only being in histe 30s while Dongbang Jea was in histe 40s. His name was Hwa Hajoon.


    The movie started, and Joon-won justid on the sofa as he watched the movie. As he watched the movie, he understood why this guy became very famous and was known as the Loverboy in public. The main reason had to be his looks. Unlike Dongbang Jae, who looked rough, this guy looked as if he had taken a milk bath every day. The word beautiful was more appropriate than Handsome to this man. He had a pure appearance to himself. This was not to say his acting was terrible, but his looks overpowered it, and his actions couldn''t keep up.


    The movie itself was good, it had amon storyline with its inside twist, so it served as a good time pass for Joon-won, who was bored. As the movie ended, he stood up and headed towards the kitchen to cook up some good food. He came back with the food and changed the film to a news program. It was a news channel which talked about the entertainment industry. He continued to eat as he saw the news about Dongbang''s new movie. It''s easy to tell that these people were trying to squeeze every drop out of this one news topic. There wasn''t much news in the industry anyway, so that they couldn''t do anything about it either.


    After a while, Joon-won stood up with his empty te, ced it in the sink, and went to take a rare afternoon nap. He was still tired and felt like a good sleep wasing.


    Waking up at 4, Joon-won took out the clothes he hung up for drying and then made his way out. He needed to go to the mall to buy a few things. The first thing he wanted to buy was a mattress. There would be three people sleeping in the house tomorrow, and so a mattress was needed. Thankfully the mall was quite near to the university, so he quickly made his way.


    Reaching the mall, he went to the shop and bought one which looked durable andfy. As he bought it and came back to the house, his phone rang, and he noticed it was Jung-Hwa. Picking up the phone, he heard herin from the other side.


    [Joon-won, you came back? You didn''t even tell me that you''lle back today. Come, let''s go and have dinner, your party. You need to tell me about the entire experience. I even held back a crowd of people who wanted to know how you got into Roses Drama House. Imagine if they get to know you even started to act in movies. I can''t imagine the look on both Roh Ji and Hyeong Myung''s faces. But, right because we both denied going to the Stat Batch, I heard the teacher allows those both. Do you still want to leave that chance?]


    Joon-won sighed as he heard her ramble until she lost her breath and just said, "Let''s meet at the ramen shop tonight at 7. Let''s talk then." And cut the call without giving her a chance to reply.


    He set the mattress into an empty cupboard before dialing Do Hwan. He hasn''t talked to Do Hwan about his following ns, so he wanted to have a small chat about it.


    [How was your journey, Joon-won? I wanted to call you but held back, thinking you might need some rest today. So, now that you are back tell me about your first acting experience? Was it like how you imagined all this time?]


    "Yes, everything was fine. It was moreplicated than I imagined. So many people were doing something or the other every second. It was fun. So, are you busy? How is that movie you are producing going on? Did the shooting start?"


    [No, I am free right now. As for the movie, they started shootingst week, I think. The crew went to another ce to shoot a few scenes before they came back here to shoot again in the indoor sets around town. So did you call to ask me what''s next?]


    "Yes, I called for that exact reason."


    [Well, there are a few movie crews who were willing to give you a chance in an audition. Most of them are small roles. The best role you got is of the hero''s friend in a low budget movie. That''s it for now.]


    "Well, I''m not in a ce to demand roles or anything too. So what do you say?"


    [Hmm, if you ask me I would say you have two options. One is to take some of these small roles and do them for some exposure and experience. The other option is for you to wait. Wait till the movie you just acted in to release. Because you have an ok role in that, people might recognize you. Now which option you want to take is up to you.]


    "I''ll tell you my decision in a week or so. I have some work to do this week and will be a bit busy. So let''s talk in a week."


    [Sure, just call me when you decide.] And the call got cut. Joon-won could not make a decision yet. Doing small roles is good, but he could also wait now that he had acted.


    But there was a problem with that because his role was not too significant to get noticed quickly. So he had to think a bit. Now that the first step in his journey in the entertainment industry is sessfully made, he had to carefully n out the next. Sighing he just leaned back on the couch while his thoughts were swirling around.


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 Chapter 158 - Jung-hwas Nonsense

    Joon-won sighed as he sat down inside the noodles shop. He looked around and couldn''t find Jung-Hwa anywhere. So he texted her about it and only got the response that she was runningte and that she was on her way. She even told him to order for himself. Seeing that message, Joon-won started calling for himself. He was hungry and got her permission.


    As he was digging into his ramen, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see an out-of-breath Jung-Hwa next to him. Slurping his noodles, he passed her a ss of water. Gulping down the noodles, he looked at her and said, "So why were youte? Order your food too.."


    Jung-Hwa ordered her food and then replied to his question, "Why was Ite? It''s because of you. Now everyone in the entire school thinks I know what you are doing and where you are every second. I don''t even know why these idiots think like that. It''s so frustrating. The teacher called me and asked me when I woulde back to the sses. That snotty bastard is too scared to ask the vice-dean, and so he called me up. Ugh, he is so irritating." She groaned while clutching her head.


    Joon-won hummed and didn''t know what to tell after hearing that. He can''t just say that he would be back on Monday because he had no ns to do so. He wanted to go to Yun-hee''s University and check her enrollment.


    "So, leave all of this mess. Talk about the shooting. Do you have any pics you managed to sneak in behind the scenes? How was the director? Was he like those directors in the movies, all mean and stubborn."


    Joon-won sighed at the machine gun which was going off and said, "It was good. And pics? I didn''t take any pics behind the scenes. I''m a small actor so they had a use in my contract about any pictures. If I''m famous, there might be no such uses but not now. The director was good. He gave me more scenes after all." And continued to eat the food in front of him.


    "How were the actors? You never told me who the actors involved in this film were. I only know senior Hea-Jung is involved in this film. So, who were the main leads. They should be at least B-grade because you told that it''s a medium-sized budget movie."


    "Yes, both the main leads were B-grade actors. Their names are Chea Young and U-Hyun. I don''t know if you know them. Both of them are good people, they gave me a party yesterday too." As he said their names, he could hear Jung-Hwa mumble at the end and turned his head to see her searching their names on the inte.


    "AH! This must be Chea Young''s first movie as a main lead. Until now he only acted as a side character in big movies. But this U-Hyun seemed to have some experience as a female lead." Showing her phone to him. Joon-won also looked at the information as he had no idea about both of them except what he saw in the set. He tried to identify the movies both of them acted in but couldn''t remember seeing any of them and so he just shrugged it off.


    "Eat your noodles. Do not let them go cold." He pointed at therge bowl the waiter just put in front of her. Jung-Hwa seemed to be very hungry as she just dug into the bowl.


    Slurping the noodles she looked at him and asked, "So, is Yun-hee and your fathering tomorrow? Do you want me toe with you? There are no sses tomorrow after all."


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No, I''ll go and pick them up tomorrow morning at the station. If you want to meet Yun-hee and spend some time then I''m nning to take them to the museum in the city, you cane along." He knew she and Yun-hee were now good friends and so there was no problem in inviting her to join them.


    Jung-Hwa nodded and continued, "So, is she going to stay with you at home or in the dorms?"


    "Don''t ask dumb questions. Of course she is staying at the dorms. There''s no way I''m going to live with her and it''s good to have the dorm experience too."


    Jung-Hwa nced at him and replied, "You sound like such a hypocrite at the moment. You speak like you have the dormitory experience. You live in your t instead of the dorms." Joon-won turned a deaf ear to herment and just continued to eat.


    "Did you n out your next movie? I''m sure there must be some audition opportunities you have."


    "There are a few opportunities for some small roles. I''m thinking of whether to wait till this movie that I just acted to release or take on these small roles. This movie might take another 2 or even 3 months to release until then I can''t waste my time. I told Do Hwan that I''ll tell him my decision by the end of the week. What about you? Are you going back to your drama house to act this year?"


    Jung-Hwa nodded and said, "Yes, I''ll go back and act a bit more. I also feel like I''m not at the level tond roles right now. I need more time to tune my acting further too. So by the middle of this semester I''ll look at myself and decide if I want to try auditioning. Until then, I''ll just continue to act in the drama house." Jung-Hwa originally nned to stop the drama house when the semester started but after seeing Joon-won get a role she decided to continue.


    "Right with this out of the way, what about those two idiots Roh Ji and Hyeong Myung?" Jung-Hwa really hated those two idiots and wanted to ept the Star Batch offer after knowing the teacher was going to give it to them if they didn''t take it.


    "Why are you being so petty? Just leave it be. It''s not like their skills will actually improve from only changing the batch they study in. Concentrate on your acting for now and leave all this aside." Jung-Hwa just took a deep breath and nodded. Both of them continued to eat and just like Joon-won said he ended up paying for it.


    Standing outside the shop Joon-won looked at Jung-Hwa and said, "Alright then, go back to your room now. I''ll send you the text about when we will go to the museum." Jung-Hwa nodded and walked away.


    Joon-won quickly made his way back home and started organising everything in the house. The house wasn''t messy but he was just making sure where everything was onest time before sitting on the couch.


    He took out the phone and video called Min-Seok. He wanted to know how they were and if they were ready. Their bus was at 6 in the morning and they will be at Arios by 10. So it was a medium sized journey. The call got answered and he could see and hear Yun-hee shout.


    [Dad, leave all the bags alone. It''s already the 5th time you are checking them now. We packed everything. Look, even Joon-won called.]


    Joon-won sighed hearing her. It was within Min-Seok''s habits to act like that. Even when the original Joon-won was moving to Arios, the night before was aplete hell hole.


    "Is he going through all the bags worried again?" He asked Yun-hee who looked very tired and as expected she nodded and replied.


    [Yes, this is the 5th time already. He is in a way worse condition than he was when you were going away. He might just go crazy being alone in the house if it continues like this.]


    "So, is everything packed and ready then? Are you guys going to pack breakfast to eat or eat somewhere the bus would stop?"


    [Yes, everything is ready for tomorrow. I told dad that we could eat on the way but he insisted that he would cook onest time for me. So I guess we would pack our breakfast for tomorrow.]


    "Hmm, alright. Once call dad."


    She nodded and screamed on top of her lungs for Min-Seok. Min-Seok seemed to hear her as he came running with a few things in his hand.


    [Do you need more clothes to pack? Keep these two for casual wear.]


    Yun-hee just snatched the clothes in his hand before handing him the phone and running away.


    "Dad, rx a little. We can buy things here. If you continue to do that, she might not want toe home on Holidays too. You don''t want that to happen right?"


    That seemed to do the trick as Min-Seok calmed down. Both talked for awhile and Joon-won went to sleep.


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 Chapter 159 - Meeting Them In The Flesh

    Waking up at 6 in the morning, the first thing Joon-won did was send Yun-hee a message asking if they got onto the bus yet or not. It seemed like they were still getting on as it took her a while to reply and even sent a picture from her seat. Only after seeing her message did Joon-won start the day.


    He got into his exercise clothes and started jogging towards the gym. He still had the gym membership card and the gym was even nice enough to give him another 2 weeks since he missed the previous 2. The past 2 weeks, he didn''t jog and only did some light exercise in the small hotel room he was given so it felt good for him to jog once again.


    It didn''t take him long to reach the gym. As he went into the gym he noticed it was his train Dong Kun at the receptionist table instead of the usual person he saw. Dong Kun stood up as he saw him and gave him a huge hug.


    "Joon-won you are back. I was missing you. With you here I don''t need to train those dumb middle-aged men much.. So how was your shooting? Tell me about it."


    "Dong Kun let''s go inside and get started. I''ll answer your questions while we are at it." Dong Kun nodded and went to call another person to take over the front desk as they both went inside to get the usual work done.


    Joon-won patiently answered all of Dong Kun''s questions while he got his workout done and as he was going out the muscr Dong Kun patted his shoulder and said, "You lookpletely different from the first time you walked in."


    "It''s all thanks to your help. Alright then, I''ll be on my way." And jogged back home. He got into the shower before having his breakfast and washing the clothes. He checked the time and noticed it was 8:30, so he sent another text to Yun-hee asking how far they were and if there were any dys.


    [No, we are on track. We will be there on time.] Seeing the reply he sent a quick ok before resting on the couch. As heid on the couch he realised how bored he was. In the past 2 months he always had something or the other to do whether it was the final exam drama, the Roses drama house or the movie. He never had a day off and now he felt bored because he didn''t have any new hobbies aftering into the world.


    Leaning back onto the couch, he opened the social media app he downloaded a few weeks ago and scrolled down his feed. As he did, he noticed a promotional video and clicked on it. He noticed it was a game he was very familiar with but at the same time he wasn''t. It was chess. He yed chess in his old world, but of course it waspletely different as it was tweaked with magic. Some of the pieces were different and so he got intrigued as he watched it.


    The promotional video was shot and was about the up anding world tournament happening in a few weeks. So he went to youtube and looked up the game''s basics. As he did, he went into a rabbit hole as he watched one video after another until the rm he kept the day before rang. He checked the time and saw it was actually 9:30, he spent an entire hour watching videos on chess basics.


    Standing up, he changed his clothes and got out of the house. Walking down the road towards the group of cabs stationed, he took one of them and went towards the bus station. Compared to the railway station, the bus station was much closer and only took 20 minutes.


    Paying the money he got down and went inside towards the tform the bus would arrive at. As he waited he bought a cold water bottle for them and sat down on the bench, waiting. It didn''t take the bus long toe as it arrived on time. Joon-won stood up and made his way towards the door, waiting for the people toe down.


    As he waited by the door and watched peoplee down, his heart started racing. It was racing at an incredible speed and he slowly started sweating too. He was about to have a panic attack. He never had a family and now he was very near to them, and could see them any second. So this was a bit too much for him.


    Wiping the sweat on his forehead he gulped and heard a familiar sound. He heard this voice many times over the past 2 months but it was through a phone. It was Min-Seok''s voice as he was getting down the bus with a bag in his hand.


    Min-Seok looked the exact same as he did in the video callst night. Rough brown hair with a tinge of white here and there. Clean shaved and proper. Joon-won could see a few of his own features in the man''s face. Looking at him for the first time made him froze and only woke up when he heard Min-Seok call out for him again.


    "Joon-won, you came. Wow, you look so different." And the man got off the bus. Joon-won woke up from his frozen state and walked towards Min-Seok like a robot. He squeezed out a smile and said, "Dad, it''s good to see you. Come give me that. You bring the other bags. Where is Yun-hee?"


    "She ising down too. Alright I''ll go to the back and ask the driver to take our bags out from the trunk. You stay here and receive your sister, she might panic." Min-Seok patted him before going to the back.


    Joon-won, gulped as he saw Min-Seok walk away before pping himself. He acted like aplete idiot. This was way worse than the first time he saw Be Hye-Su a few days ago. Looking back into the bus he saw Yun-heeing down with a bag and went forward to help her with it.


    Yun-hee didn''t have brown hair and instead he had long ck hair just like him. She was quite tall for her age and gave off the vibe of a next door girl.


    "Come give me that." And took it from her. Yun-hee looked up with a surprised face.


    "Joon-won it''s you. Wow, I didn''t recognise you for a second. Looking at you in the flesh ispletely different from a video call." Joon-won smiled and just brought the two bags to one ce before he said to Yun-hee.


    "Alright, stay here, I''ll go and help.dad with the rest of the luggage." And walked to the back of the bus. He noticed Min-Seol among the group of people trying to find their bags in therge bus trunk. He walked front and helped him get out the remaining 3 bags before going back to Yun-hee with him.


    cing both the bags on the ground, Joon-won sighed and asked both of them, "Alright are these all the bags? Any remaining?" Both of them shook their heads and Joon-won took out the cold water bottle he bought for them.


    "Alright, drink some water and we can be on our way."


    Both of them drank some water and Min-Seok said, "Joon-won you look so different from thest time I saw you. It seems like you even grew a few inches. You look fitter and better."


    Yun-hee also nodded and said, "Right, I didn''t even want to believe that this was real. He looks so different."


    Joon-won just shook his head and said, "Alright let''s go back now. It''s been an entire year since you guysst saw me, so of course I look a bit different. Let''s talk when he get back home." And picked up 3 bags. Both of them nodded while taking a bag each as Joon-won led them out of the bus station.


    It wasn''t hard to find a cab and all three of them got in with Joon-won at the front. He told the address to the driver and the cab took off. He looked through the mirror and saw how Yun-hee''s face was stuck to the window even Min-Seok was looking out of the window.


    It was the first time Yun-hee ever came to a big city and so everything was new to her. It was the same for Min-Seok too. Even though he came to drop the old Joon-won off the previous year, he stayed only for one day as they left Yun-hee alone back home making him worry, so technically it was even his first time having a clear look of the city.


    The car soon came to a stop, and all three of them quickly got down.


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    Note- Guys I am uploading a small filler/short story in the previous duplicated chapter (149) it will go up in a few minutes. So if you are interested check it out.


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 Chapter 160 - Family Time (I)

    As they got down, Joon-won took out his phone to pay, but Min-Seok seemed like an eagle who was searching for his prey as he grabbed his hand before saying, "You don''t need to pay, let me do it." As he took out his wallet to pay the driver. Joon-won just shook his head before pushing Min-Seok''s wallet away and saying.


    "There is no need. I''ll pay for this. You go inside, and I''ll be there. Don''t say anything bad. Just go." As he pushed him a bit before turning towards the driver once again. Min-Seok wanted to say something, but he held himself back and walked towards the apartment with the luggage.


    Paying the driver, Joon-won walked up the stairs with them and opened the t door. Yun-hee squeezed herself in first as she gasped in surprise a bit. She went inside and looked around the house before eximing, "Brother, the house is so normal.. I expected something else."


    Joon-won, who ced all the luggage inside, stared at her with a deadpan expression before saying, "Did you expect me to grow a zoo in here or something? But, of course, it''s going to be normal. Now let me get you both some water first." And walked towards the kitchen.


    As he was filling two sses with water, he heard Min-Seok also exim simrly, "Joon-won, I really have to say, this is a big surprise indeed. You are maintaining this ce well. By the looks of it, it doesn''t look like you cleaned this entire ce yesterday night or today morning. So you must be maintaining this ce like this over time. I''m proud of you." As Min-Seok continued to inspect the house.


    Joon-won sighed hearing him. The old Joon-won might have lived up to those expectations because this ce was very bad when he took over the body. He needed to do a lot of cleaning, especially in the kitchen. The entire ce reeked of bleach smell for an entire day because of that.


    Coming out of the kitchen with two sses of water, he handed both of them a ss and said, "Alright, stopmenting about the ce. It''s natural I take good care of it. If I don''t, I''ll be kicked out of the ce. Now, are you both hungry? Do you want to have an early lunch?"


    Yun-hee shook his head, and Min-Seok replied, "It''s ok, we ate a good breakfast on the bus, and am not hungry. Wait, let me see what you have in your fridge so that I can decide what to cook for lunch." As he tried to make his way towards the kitchen.


    Joon-won once again sighed and stopped him before saying, "Dad, don''t worry about cooking while you are here. Ok? Just rest for this week. You rarely rest."


    Min-Seok was the type of person who would go crazy if he didn''t do things to help the family. From their childhood he was the one running the family and raising them at the same time too. So the man was constantly doing things, and this was the same this entire time. So it was very hard to make him stop and tell him to have some rest. The man would only disagree.


    Min-Seok turned towards his son and simply asked, "Then what is for lunch? Don''t tell me you are nning to order food. I won''t allow it with me here to cook."


    As soon as he said that, Yun-hee butted into the conversation as she asked, "If you are nning to order food, I would like some pizza, please. It''s been a long time since I''ve eaten one."


    Min-Seok looked at her and said, "Yun-hee you had pizza a few days ago when you told me your university decision. So don''t lie now."


    Yun-hee ignored him and looked at Joon-won instead. Joon-won, on the other hand coughed before saying, "Who said anything about ordering food? I am going to cook lunch for both of you today."


    Hearing him the first to react was Yun-hee as she fell on the couch and eximed loudly while clutching her stomach, "Oh god, my brother is nning to postpone my university admission by at least an entire week by getting me food poisoning the first day I came to the city." Sounding extremely pitiful.


    Min-Seok also looked at him with a tinge of worry and said, "Joon-won you don''t need to cook. Leave it to me. I''ll cook something good for us, especially because of the journey we had. Ok?"


    Hearing both their concerned voices, Joon-won''s face went a bit dark as he replied, "Don''t overreact now. I already showed you both my cooking over many video calls till now, so it''spletely fine, and it''s time you get a taste of it. Also, Yun-hee if this business management thing doesn''t work out, you should try to convert to an acting course, the industry needs your kind of talent."


    Seeing his expression, both remained silent as Yun-hee just sat on the couch before turning on the TV. Min-Seok, on the other hand, grabbed Joon-won to have a face-to-face talk with him.


    "Joon-won I''m happy to see you growing up. You are maintaining your body well, you are maintaining the ce you live well. It looks like the gods are smiling on you."


    Joon-won just smiled as Min-Seok, who already had a few tears, just rubbed his eyes a bit before continuing, "Now tell me. How was this year in Arios? Tell me everything. You don''t need to hide anything from me at all. Ok?"


    Joon-won just shook his head and told him some make-up stories. He couldn''t tell him how the original owner of the body was. That guy was aplete moron and a sheep who followed the herd. So he just made up a few stories of his sses and other stuff.


    Min-Seok looked at Joon-won for a few seconds before sighing and saying, "Joon-won, even though I am happy that you are working very hard with all of your studies and doing multiple things now. I also want you to take a seat back for a few hours sometimes to just rx and enjoy your youth a bit more. If this part of your life is gone, you won''t have it again."


    Joon-won just shook his head and replied to Min-Seok by holding the man''s hand before saying, "Dad, I would rather work hard now thenter. If I get a stable footing now as a youngster, I can at least do more. With that I can live the rest of my life with fewer worries. So don''t worry about me at all. I am carefully thinking about each step before taking it."


    Min-Seok sighed and said while cing his hand on top of Joon-won''s, "It looks like you have everything nned out. It seems like this father of yours doesn''t need to. point things out anymore. You have really grown a lot, and I''m proud." As he started to shed a few tears again.


    Looking at Min-Seok, who was having tears, Joon-won felt a little odd. He felt many emotions inside, and looking at his ''father'' talk like that, feeling emotional made him feel happy and proud too. Even though it''s not even been 3 months since he came into the world and this body. Not knowing what to do, he just patted Min-Seok a little. Yun-hee noticed them both and the scene but remained silent, giving them their own space while watching some dramas on the TV.


    After that they continued to talk, and eventually, even Yun-hee joined in their talks. All three of them talked about many things, and time passed by. Finally, Joon-eon noticed it was already 12:30 and stood up to cook their lunch.


    He looked at them and said, "Alright, wait here. I''ll go and cook some lunch for us three." As he said that he walked towards the kitchen, thinking of making somesagna. But as he was going, he didn''t notice the two tense up a bit.


    It didn''t take Joon-won long to cook, but as he was doing it he could see the two try to spy what he was doing. They woulde into the kitchen telling they needed water or spy from the living room itself.


    Joon-won just ignored them and served a good-lookingsagna. Both of them looked at thesagna on the tes with amazement.


    Yun-hee smelled it, poked it with her fork before mumbling, "It smells and looks likesagna. Is this a decentsagna?" And Min-Seom, who was also looking at it, felt the same.


    Joon-won just rolled his eyes before taking a bite and saying, "Just start eating. It is a legitsagna. If you guys want more, there are seconds back in the kitchen." And just ate while ignoring both of thempletely.


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 Chapter 161 - Family Time (II)

    Looking at Joon-won who was happily eating the food, both of them looked at thesagna on their own tes. It seems like Min-Seok was risking it as he slowly took a bite of thesagna and seeing her dad do it, Yun-hee who didn''t want to fall behind followed him. Both were in silence as they slowly ate thesagna before looking at Joon-won at the same time.


    Yun-hee was the first to speak as she said, "This is good. What is happening here? He really made some good food. Oh my god. What happened to my brother?" As she took another bite of thesagna seemingly confirming her earlierment with a nod.


    Min-Seok also nodded and said to Joon-won, "Joon-won, when did you learn to cook like this? You never cooked back at home and said you were eating most of the time during the beginning of your stay here? So when did you have the time to learn and get good at it?"


    Joon-won wasn''t at a rush to answer his question as he just gulped thesagna before drinking some water too. He turned towards both of them and simply said, "It wasn''t that hard at all. I didn''t want to eat outside food after a while and so decided to just learn some simple dishes for myself. There are many recipe videos out there, so it just takes some patience." And continued to eat..


    Min-Seok and Yun-hee looked at each other for a second before Yun-hee asked, "How many dishes do you know? Is it only this and curry that you should us a few times?"


    Joon-won shook his head and said, "No, I know quite a few dishes. I can cook another tonight for you guys if you want."


    As soon as he said that Min-Seok was the first to react as he quickly said, "No way. I am cooking food tonight. It''s been a while since you ate some home food." It seemed like Min-Seok himself has some pride in his own cooking and wanted to establish himself as the best cook in the house. Joon-won just shook his head and asked both of them to eat before ut goes cold.


    After a few minutes lunch was over and the entire tray ofsagna he cooked waspletely empty. It seemed like for someone who were doubting his cooking a few minutes earlier, both of them liked it very much.


    After washing the dishes with Min-Seok he came out and asked both of them, "Alright since today is a free day for us, do you guys want to go to the Museum?"


    Yun-hee nodded and quickly said, "Let''s also go to the biggest mall in the city."


    "Sure, we can check it out too. Alright then, let''s move in 30 minutes. Also, Jung-hwa wille too. She said she wants to meet you yesterday."


    Yun-hee nodded and got up to change her clothes and get ready. Min-Seok on the other hand just looked at him and asked slowly, "This Jung-hwa is a nice girl. She came to the house a few rimes over the summer too. Are both of you close?" Clearly expressing something else.


    Joon-won looked at him with a neutral expression and said, "No. We are just friends and you also don''t talk any nonsense when she is there to make things awkard. There is nothing between us at all and there will never be."


    Min-Seok seemed to be deted a little as he again slowly asked, "Then is there another girl you like? Someone in your ss or University or even in that drama house you worked at? These are the best years of your life, so don''t waste them."


    Joon-won looked at him for a second as he heard that and the only thing that shed in hus mind when he heard his words was the image of the girl who hit him and walked down the mluntain road with him a week ago. He remembered Be Hye-Su.


    But eventually he just shook his head and said, "I don''t really have anyone I like right now. I already told you, my main focus is on the career now. Ok? Let''s not talk about this anymore." Even himself didn''t have a clear picture of his feelings for Be Hye-Su and so it wasn''t fair for himself to tell others that he liked her. So remaining silent about it is the best thing that he could do now.


    Min-Seok observed his son for a few seconds before just looking away. He knew his son changed drastically in the past year and also by the looks of it for the better too. He became more decisive and goal oriented and so he just remained silent and let the guy do his things. Joon-won on the other hand jusr took out his ohine before texting Jung-hwa to be at the University''s front gate.


    After a while Yun-hee came out with different clothes and Min-Seok went into the room to change his clothes. Yun-hee sat beside him and asked with a curious face.


    "Brother, is it true that there are many super stars that you can just see on the roads in Arios? I heard many stories of people meeting singers, heros and other stars on the road here. Did you meet anyone like that?"


    Joon-won looked at her and simply said, "I don''t know. You might notice a few stars in the inner and core areas of the city because that''s where many major industries and other entertainmentpanies are. This is the outer part of the city so you can''t see people like that here. I have never seen stars on roads too. So I don''t know."


    Yun-hee just nodded and remained silent until Min-Seok came out ready. All three of the got out of the house and walked down the street to look for cabs. Soon they found one and made their way towards the museum. Luckily the route to the museum was through the front gates of the university and so they made a quick stop for Jung-hwa to get in.


    As soon as she got in the cab got noisy instantly. She first greeted Min-Seok and then began to talk with Yun-hee. Joon-won sighed when he saw that and just remained silent about it. Luckily the Museum was in the middle area of the city instead of the inner area and so it didn''t take them long to get there.


    This time when they got out, Min-Seok seemed to have already taken out the money from his wallet as he didn''t give time for Joon-won to take out his phone to pay. Joon-won so just let the old man have his small enjoyment and went towards the ticket counter.


    Paying the ticket fee all three of them got in. The museum was big and there were many things to look at so they slowly took their time in enjoying the ce. Joon-won and Min-Seok walked at the back as both the girls who kept on talking like machines were at the front pointing at different things, taking pictures from time to time and doing other stuff too.


    They spent 2 hours roaming around and seeing each and everything the ce had to offer as they stood in front of museum. Joon-won handed his phone to Jung-hwa before asking her to take a family picture of the three of them.


    As they stood Min-Seok said, "I don''t even remember thest time we all three took a picture together. It''s been so long."


    Yun-hee on the other hand looked at her farher before simply saying, "Don''t be dramatic dad. All three of us took a picture together when Joon-won wasing here. At that time also you said the same thing. You even have that photo framed and I''m sure you''ll have this also framed in the house." Before looking back at the camera with a smile.


    Hearing herments Joon-won looked through the memories he got and saw what she said was actually true. At that time Min-Seok insisted them getting a picture together and called out their neighbours to take one for them. A smile formed on his face as Jun-hwa shouted cheese and took a picture.


    Taking the phone from her Joon-won then turned towards her and asked, "Do you have anything to do now? We were nning to go to the mallter now. You want toe?" He asked because he knew if he didn''t either Min-Seok or Yun-hee would in the next minute or so.


    Jung-hwa thought for a second before shaking her head and said she was actually free. The university didn''t give her any work as it was still the first few days of the semester. Nodding all three of them got into a cab and made their way towards a mall in the middle area of the city.


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    Author Note- You guys got no idea how close I was to making a typical cliche young master or arrogant human scene in the museum but I know the onught ofments that would bring. So I''m asking do you guys want such a scene in the mall? Just for the lols. Hehehe. Let me know quick so I can write up the chapter by tomorrow.


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 Chapter 162 - Family Time (III)

    "Woah! This mall is way bigger than the one back at home. Both of them do notpare at all. So many people, back at our town I never saw these many people. This isn''t the biggest one yet, right Sister Jung-hwa?" Yun-hee spoke with amazement in her voice as she looked at the huge mall in front of her. They just got of the cab and Yun-hee waspletely taken back by seeing the sea of people and therge mall in front of them.


    Jung-hwa nodded and replied, "Yee, this isn''t thergest mall in the town. Thergest one should be in the inner area of the city but it''s a waste to go there. Everything is very costly and you need an exclusive membership card to even enter the shops there. I heard they give that card only to the people who spend at least 500k Kros in that shop. The shops here have more affordable clothes and things. Also the people? This is amon sight. I came here a few times the past year and even then I''m amazed every time I see it. So let''s go." As she also looked around..


    Joon-won who was at the back decided to speak at that moment and said to Yun-hee, "Alright, there are way too many people than I expected. Catch Jung-hwa''s hand so that you don''t get lost in the crowd. Let''s take our time and not rush things. If you see anything you want, then juste to me first. Got it?" Making Yun-hee nod like a rabbit. She was very excited to go in. It was the first time even Joon-won came to the mall. He only went to a smaller mall back at the outer area of the city.


    He turned back to see Min-Seol checking his wallet while deeply thinking about something. Joon-won instantly knew that look and just went beside him before saying, "Dad, don''t think much about the price and everything. I brought you guys here to rx and I''ll pay for everything. I have enough money for this. Ok? So just rx for now and apany Yun-hee and me."


    Min-Seok looked at him and said, "But.."


    Joon-won quickly shook him and interrupted the man, "No buts. Just listen to me this once. I have enough money from the drama house and the movieI just acted in. So do not worry. Ok?" And atst Min-Seok just nodded.


    Finally Joon-won turned towards Yun-hee who was almost jumping and looking at him with her puppy eyes, asking permission to go in. He finally nodded and she immediately turned around as if she was about to sprint only to be stopped by Jung-hwa who was catching her hand. The grouo slowly made their way through the crowd and got inside the ce. The inside of the mall was a bit more spacious and didn''t have that many people.


    Yun-hee looked around at the shops in the front and Joon-won said, "Alright, let''s first go and see that area map over there. It shows which shop is on which floor. Alright?" Pointing at a huge board at the side. Yun-hee nodded and made her way to the side as she analysed the board.


    She came back after a few minutes and said to Joon-won, "Brother I got a n."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Alright then let''s go." And the group started their journey through the sea of people in the mall as they went from shop to shop. Yun-hee didn''t do anything in most of the shops except check out the clothes for a while before saying she didn''t like them. This continued on for a while before Joon-won stopped her and said.


    "Why are you hesitating to buy? I brought you here, so it''s ok to buy a few clothes. I can afford a few clothes now. Ok?" Yun-hee just looked at him for a few seconds before slowly nodding.


    After that they continued on to the next store and Yun-hee finally bought a few clothes for herself. Joon-won nodded, seeing her buy some things for herself. With how their family situation was since their childhood both of them were very conscious when it came to money and especially Yun-hee who had a much more mature mindpared to the previous Joon-won.


    "Brother,e here. Try these both. I think they would suit you." Yun-hee shouted while clutching a pair of jeans and shirt in her hand.


    He looked at her and said, "You should first buy your clothes. I cane here anytime but you can''t. Your University doesn''t allow students, especially females, toe out before their second year. So just continue with your shopping." That was true in many universities. Because of many crimes which women fell victims to, many schools and Universities take this policy for their safety, of course if students actually follow it or not is an entirely different topic to discuss. They would only allow them a pass to go out if a guardian arrives and picks them up.


    Jung-hwa shook her head and simply said, "No, I took a peek into your cupboard before when I was changing my clothes. You have no new and good clothes. Don''t tell me you go to meetings and meet directors in those casual wear you have? Soe try some formal wear, it makes you look better."


    Min-Seok also nodded and said, "Joon-won I also noticed the clothes. You should buy new ones. Appearance is something that random people judge you with before anything else. So looking neat and good will give you an edge over others. Now go try some clothes."


    Joon-won just looked at them and said, "Why were you both going through my cupboard in the room? Alright just give me that and I''ll go change." He was also nning to buy new clothestely but just didn''t have the time to do so and so took the clothes from them before going in.


    After changing his clothes, he came out and noticed no one was outside before hearing an argument at the side. He turned to see Yun-hee fighting with someone else while clutching a shirt.


    "Who are they fighting with? Wait, isn''t that person Hea-Jung''s dog?" As he noticed one of the men who was fighting with Yun-hee. It was Hae Yongsun, the dog of Hea-Jung as he followed her everywhere. He slowly walked up towards the group and pulled Yun-hee back before asking her what was happening.


    Yun-hee was far from scared even after seeing a few older boys. She worked in an underground for a while and saw many things at that time. So she was far from feeling scared of a few people like them.


    Yun-hee looked at her brother and said, "Brother, I was taking this shirt and this guy came over to snatch it from me. When I asked him politely he just said to piss off." Pointing at one of Hae Yongsun''s friends who seemed to have an argument with her.


    Joon-won knew this was just a misunderstanding and both parties wanted the same shirt. He just smiled and asked her, "Why don''t you ask the store clerk if there was another shirt? Why get into an argument with them?"


    "I did but this shirt had limited stock and so there aren''t many anymore."


    "Hey, stop muttering to yourself. You seem like her brother. Why are you not teaching your sister any manners. She isn''t even respectful towards her husbands. I guess all poor people are like that. Tch." As the guy Yun-hee pointed out shouted at him before even cursing them a little at the end. Joon-won just shook his head before turning toward them.


    "You want this shirt? Please you can have it? We will look for other ones. Come Yun-hee, let''s check the other shops too." As he handed the shirt over and turned to leave. He didn''t want any nonsense on a good day like that and so he just gave them what they wanted.


    The man seemed to have been caught off guard as he only watched them walk away from the store. He looked at his friends before Hae Yongsun, who was silent, walked up to him and murmured something in his ears. The guy seemed to have learnt something as he nodded in silence before walking away.


    Hae Yongsun looked at the exit before saying under his breath, "You damn junior. I never thought I would meet you here and it looks like your sister got in a fight with the worst man possible. Hmph! Take my Hea-Jung, just see how worse I make your life." This guy seemed to have fed some poison to the guy earlier and was very confident. The thing he didn''t know was that even if Joon-won heard this he would only shrug it off and not think much about his little threats.


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 Chapter 163 - Family Time (IV)

    They walked out of the shop and Yun-hee immediately turned around towards Joon-won with her hands on hips as she demanded, "Brother why did you give that shirt away like that? You should have also demanded it, especially when they were so foul-mouthed and rude to us. Hmph! I didn''t like that at all."


    Joon-won shook his head as he had to calm the fiery Yun-hee down. He patted her head and just said, "Yun-hee you don''t understand. It is not always about fighting. In that situation we could just ignore them, thinking they are some brainless monkeys and get on with our day. See our day went absolutely fine until now and one stupid situation would destroy that. So, let''s just forget that and continue on shopping. Also where is dad? I didn''t see him anywhere, plus do not tell him about this. Ok?"


    He knew Yun-hee was at the age where people are generally fearless and do not think about the consequences of their actions. So it was natural for Yun-hee who hasn''t experienced much of the world and how it works in the favour of the powerful and rich to just get into trouble easily. These few years in University should be able to teach her at least a little bit of how the world works and how she could survive in it..


    Yun-hee just nodded her head and replied, "When you went inside, Dad wanted to go.to the washroom. Even Jung-hwa wanted some water so she went out with him."


    Just as she said that they heard Min-Seok''s voice in the distance calling out for them, "Joon-won, Yun-hee why are you guys out already? I thought Yun-hee found a nice shirt for you? Did you even try that? You should have bought a few clothes inside the store." As he fired questions when he got closer.


    Joon-won looked as him and Jung-hwa who was walking right behind him with a water bottle in her hand came closer and replied, "No, I didn''t like them much dad. Let''s go to another store for now and check out other clothes." Min-Seok just nodded and Jung-hwa passed the water bottle in her hand around. After drinking some water all four of them continued their mini shopping spree as they next went for Joon-won''s clothes.


    The day continued as after a while Joon-won and Min-Seom had a few bags in their hand, even Jung-hwa had one on each hand while Yun-hee was only holding a small bag, walking in the front like a princess. As she walked she suddenly turned around, clutching her stomach before saying with a sad expression, "Brother, all this walking around made me very hungry. Let''s go eat something now."


    Joon-won just nodded as they made their way to the top floor where the food court was at with the movie theatre. cing their bags to the side and leaving Min-Seok with them, they walked around the food court as Yun-hee pointed out any food she never tasted before. It was not long before they walked back with a tray in each hand.


    Min-Seok nced at all the food and turned towards Yun-hee with a frown on his face, "Yun-hee why did you get so much food? There is no way all four of us are going to finish this much food. It''s not good to waste food."


    Yun-hee just hid behind Joon-won a little and replied, "But I didn''t have this food until now. I want to try new food. I won''t do it again. I promise to finish all of them." Min-Seok just shook his head and they got to eating. Yun-hee of course couldn''t finish them off as she slumped on her chair only after some time. Min-Seok saw that and was about to go off but Joon-won just stopped him telling them they were outside and wouldn''t be nice to tell her off here, that seemed to do the trick as he just gave her re and remained silent.


    Joon-won, who was a beast, wasn''t going to let the food go to waste anyway either. So he just entered into his beast mode and just chowed down all the food at the end, not leaving even a single fry out. For him one of the biggest sins in the world is to waste food as there are many people out there who would do anything for that exact same good they wasted.


    After finishing their shot break, Joon-won checked the time and saw it was only 5 and so they still had some more time left to waste before going back. As he was thinking what to do next, Yun-hee pulled his shirt and pointed at the arcade area in the mall. He just nodded and so they went to the arcade next.


    They ced their bags in a locker outside the arcade before going in. Joon-won just got a card with some points in them to y as Yun-hee wnrt crazy with the card. She seemed to be adamant in trying out every game there was, even the boring ones. Joon-won also got into the action as he yed a few games too. Jung-hwa was also having a good time as she got her own card to go ballistic with.


    Min-Seok and Joon-won stood to the side as they watched Yun-hee y a game with a smile. Yun-hee turned towards Joon-won and said, "This is the first time in a long time I''ve seen that girl smile like this. She always acts so mature and hides things from us." Joon-won nodded and just remained silent.


    After that Joon-won checked the time and saw it was already 7. They spent 2 hours in the arcade already and were also gettingte.


    "Yun-heee let''s go now. Enough for today. You cane backter when you have a holiday. So let''s go, it''ste already." He shouted towards Yun-hee who was seriously ying a game.


    She didn''t even turn around as she replied, "Alright, I''ll be there in a second." And went on to y the game. Jung-hwa who heard him stopped ying her game and just walked towards them.


    Yun-hee held on to her words as she only yed that one game before walking towards them reluctantly. She seemed to be enjoying the ce very much, back in their town they also had an arcade and she was a regr customer there too, but that ce didn''t have as many games as this ce did, so she naturally loved the ce.


    Joon-won just rubbed her head a little before saying, "As I said, now you know the ce. When you have a holiday, you cane hereter. See, dad is tired and wants to rest. Now let''s go."


    Yun-hee nodded and as they walked out with their bags, she turned towards Joon-won and asked, "So, are we eating outside for dinner? After all that I''m a bit hungry."


    But before Joon-won could answer, Min-Seok butted in as he reminded her a bit, "Yun-hee, you just ate a whole meal a few hours back and now you want to eat again? Don''t mention food until we get back home. I''m cooking some light dinner today after all that junk food you had." Yun-hee just nodded as Joon-won shook his head.


    Min-Seok then turned towards Jung-hwa and said, "Jung-hwa you should alsoe for dinner. It''s already a littlete and you spent so much time with us even on your rest day. Soe home with us for dinner."


    Jung-hwa was shocked a little when she heard him and sneaked a nce at Joon-won who just gave her a short nod. He couldn''t say anything after the offer was from Min-Seok. Seeing him nid she also nodded at Min-Seok before thanking him for the food in advance.


    They quickly got out of the mall as people were still swarming in and it looked like it was even more than before. They were able to easily find a cab and were on their way back home.


    Reaching home, Yun-hee jumped on the couch, as her excitement finally cooled down and her body got tired from everything. Joon-won and Min-Seok just ced all the bags inside the room to sort outter and Joon-won walked out to leave Min-Seok to change his clothes.


    Min-Seok came out and said to Jung-hwa, "Please feel free Jung-hwa. Go wash your face and get freshened up a little. Yun-hee stop rolling around on the couch like that. Go change your clothes now." And gave Yun-hee orders. Theyplied as Joon-won just sat on the couch going through his phone.


    He noticed a text from Gah Sol asking if his parents came back and if he was going toe to their University to join Yun-hee as he said before. He gave her a quick reply telling they would and set the phone aside


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 Chapter 164 - Family Time (V)

    Joon-won turned on the TV as he just sat on the couch waiting for Jung-hwa toe out of the washroom so that he could go and freshen up a little. As he was going through the channels on the TV, he heard Min-Seok shout out from the kitchen. As soon as he entered, Min-Seok entered the kitchen and started to check each and every cupboard and drawer to find things he needed to cook dinner.


    "Joon-won, where is the mas powder? I can''t find it? Are you out of the mixture? Should I make some now?"


    Joon-won just looked at the kitchen and shouted back, "No, it''s there in the drawer to the far left. I have some left." And went back. It was not the only time he heard the man shout. Min-Seok kept shouting about various things and Joon-won just kept answering until he felt tired and just stood up before making his way towards the kitchen.


    As he did, Min-Seok ced the beef he had inside the fridge on the counter before looking at him and asking, "Joon-won, I told you to note. Now go back and watch some TV while I cook. Don''te until I tell you to. Now go." waving his hand at him.


    Joon-won looked at all the ingredients on the table before looking at Min-Seok and said, "I came to help you find everything you need. You will strain your voice if you continue to shout like that. Now tell me what else you need so that I can take them out for you." As he tried to enter the kitchen, only to be pushed back outside by Min-Seok.


    Min-Seok shook his head and replied, "No need. I found everything I need and will start cooking now. So just sit and take some rest." Joon-won shrugged before walking out. The man wanted to do something so he couldn''t get in his way and annoy him. It was just better to let him do what he wanted to do.


    As he came out, he noticed Jung-hwa walk out of the bathroom while cleaning her face with a towel. Looking at her smiled and said, "Go sit on the couch. Dad is making dinner right now. Just watch some TV until then." Before he walked into the bathroom.


    After a few minutes, he got out and could smell the food being cooked. It seemed like Min-Seok was cooking something really good. Earlier when he went near the kitchen and observed the ingredients Min-Seok took out, Joon-won couldn''t figure out what dish it was and knew it was some local speciality he hadn''t tried yet.


    He walked into the bedroom as he already saw Yun-hee in her pajamas, sitting on the couch talking with Jung-hwa while watching some TV show. He changed his clothes and got out. Aftering out again, he joined both of them on the couch and just watched the movie. As he did, he heard Yun-hee ask him something.


    "Joon-won. Tell me more about the shooting experience. I want to know more."


    Joon-won sighed as he turned and saw both of them looking at him. He was honestly getting a little annoyed by the question at that point. The big reason he was getting annoyed was the fact that he already told both of them about his experience. He shared his experience with Jung-hwa the day before when they were having dinner, and he told Min-Seok and Yun-hee about what he did every other day over the phone. So he didn''t know what they wanted to know more about.


    "What do you guys want to know? I told you guys everything that happened already. There isn''t anything left. So don''t ask me the same questions once again. Got it?" Sounding very firm. Both of them slowly nodded after hearing him as Yun-hee once again asked another question.


    "Then what about your next film? Did anyone give you any roles yet?"


    Joon-won just shook his head and said, "Nothing yet. I''ll think about this after this week. Now don''t ask any more questions about my acting career." And just watched the TV, ignoring both of them. It seemed like his intention went across as both of them changed the topic and talked about other things.


    "Alright, the food is done. Come and take your own tes. There are seconds if you want some." Min-Seok walked out with two tes in his hand. Yun-hee jumped to take a ate but Min-Seok just stepped aside and told her to go into the kitchen for hers as he gave the extra te to Jung-hwa who was the guest in the house.


    "Here, take it Jung-hwa. Hope you like the food. Joon-won, you also go into the kitchen for yours." And he sat down to eat. Joon-won just went into the kitchen and got the only remaining te of delicious curry and rice. It was a very different type of curry he had ever seen, and the te was simply overflowing with gravy.


    Noticing there was no ce on the couch, he just sat down on the ground to eat. Jung-hwa on the other hand, was givingpliments as she devoured the food. Min-Seok thanked her, encouraged her to eat more before turning towards Joon-won to know what he thought.


    Sitting down, Joon-won, who had some decent hopes for the dish before him, slowly had his first bite and managed to get everything in one spoonful. Slowly chewing, he felt pleasantly surprised because of the burst of vours in that one small bite. The curry seemed quite spicy but also addictive because of the unique spiciness.


    He looked at Min-Seok who still didn''t eat much and said, "It''s good dad. Now have your food before it goes cold."


    Min-Seok nodded before telling, "Alright then. Everyone there is enough for seconds, so go inside and have more. Jung-hwa, especially you, don''t be too shy." And they continued the dinner.


    As they finished, Jung-hwa stood up and said to Min-Seok who was washing the dishes, "Uncle, I have to go now. The dorms will close soon, as it''s a Sunday night and I have sses tomorrow. Thank you for the food and everything today."


    Min-Seok turned around and said, "It''s ok Jung-hwa. I am also very happy that you managed to fit some time into your busy schedule with all your sses and other things. Joon-won, go and make sure she gets into a cab." He instructed Joon-won, who was helping him wash the dishes.


    Joon-won just nodded as he dried his hands before Min-Seok said to Jung-hwa, "Jung-hwa remember to send a text once you reach your room." Jung-hwa nodded and both of them made their way down.


    As they got out of the apartment, Joon-won thanked Jung-hwa, "Thanks foring today."


    Jung-hwa just shook her head before saying, "No, I had a lot of fun too. I should be thanking you for inviting me to your family''s time too. So thanks a lot." Joon-won just nodded before he gged down a cab which was at the side.


    Jung-hwa got in and Joon-won also reminded her, "Remember to at least send a text when you reach your room. Be careful." Jung-hwa just nodded before the cab drove off.


    Joon-won made his way back up, and it seemed like Yun-hee and his dad were also getting ready to sleep. He went in and said to Min-Seok, "You go inside and have the bed tonight. Yun-hee will sleep on the couch and I''ll sleep on the mattress I have."


    Min-Seok seemed to have some different opinions about it but Joon-won quickly cut him off and said, "Dad, this has no ce for discussion. You are sleeping on the bed inside." And Min-Seok just nodded.


    He looked at Joon-won and said, "But when did you buy a mattress?"


    Joon-won replied as he pulled out the mattress from the closet he kept in, "I bought it yesterday as you guys areing."


    "But why did you have to buy here? I am sure it''s much more costly. If you had just told me even yesterday night, I would have brought a mattress from our home. We have many back at our house."


    Joon-won just shrugged as he spread the mattress and replied, "Its ok dad. What''s done is done. Now go and sleep. Tomorrow we need to go to the university. Yun-hee, turn the TV off and go to sleep." as he handed her a nket to use.


    Yun-hee just nodded as he took her nket before turning the TV off. Min-Seok quietly went inside and went to sleep. Joon-won sighed as he turned off the TV and alsoid down. It was a very busy day, and he was dead tired too. Just as he was going to sleep, he heard Min-Seok.


    "Joon-won, can Ie here on weekends?"


    "Sure, whenever you want toe, just call me and I''ll pick you up. Now go to sleep."


    ****************************


    Now I am back and am going to continue releasing a chapter every two days. I can''t promise daily when I know I might break it. I have another novel as much might know and I have to start posting on that one too, it''s been long overdue. I am also nning to release fanfic with One piece as the base world and characters from other animes involved, so keep an eye out for it.


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 Chapter 165 - Serious Talk

    Joon-won woke up early the next day like always and decided to go for a jog and leave the gym for the day. As he changed into his exercise attire in his room, he noticed Min-Seok also wake up. Min-Seok looked at Joon-won and whispered.


    "Where are you going Joon-won?"


    "No where. I''m going for a jog to the nearby park, get some exercise done before you guys wake up."


    Hearing him, Min-Seok got out of bed and Joon-won hurriedly said, "Why are you getting up? Go back to bed, I''lle back quickly."


    Min-Seok shook his head and said, "No, I also want toe with you. It''s been a while since we spent some alone time. Now, let''s go before we wake up, Yun-hee. That girl needs some sleep before she goes to her dorms soon."


    Joon-won just nodded and both of them were outside in a few minutes as they slowly walked towards the park. He didn''t jog as Min-Seok who doesn''t exercise regrly wouldn''t be able to keep up with him if he did and so he just didn''t want to stress the man''s old body.


    Min-Seok looked around and asked him, "Do youe out for jogs everyday even now? I remember you saying about the jogs at the start of your holidays."


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "I do still go for the jogs. I didn''t go for thest 2 weeks because of the shooting. I would generally jog to the gym I have a subscription in and do some workout with the trainers there. You should also do some walking when you have time. You know for at least 30 mins a day. It''s good for your body and health."


    Min-Seok had a desk job and so he wouldn''t get much exercise to keep himself healthy. The man should be more conscious of what he eats and should do more exercise as he gets older to be healthy.


    Min-Seok nodded as he looked at Joon-won before replying, "Well that is true. I should do.more exercises. I can feel a few pains on my back and knees the past few days. But it looks like you really are maintaining your body well. You really were too skinny when you got here. Now your body has a proper shape to get a few girls at least."


    Joon-wonughed as he heard Min-Seok talk about him getting girls. He felt a little weird when he heard him too. It was the first time he had someone to talk about small things such as his love life like this. He didn''t have much time for love in his previous life and by the time he realised, he already had a fiance.


    Shaking his head he replied, "Maintaining my body has nothing to do with getting girls. Every person has another person for them in this world. It''s just a matter of finding that person and hanging onto them no matter what happens. Anyway you should check those knees and that back of yours if it''s painful. Dad, are you listening?"


    He stocked in the middle as he noticed Min-Seok was not even walking next to him anymore. He turned around to see Min-Seok just staring into the distance with a nk face as if he was deep in his thoughts and so he just had to ask.


    But it seemed like his words didn''t reach the man as he just continued to stare into the distance in his own thoughts. Joon-won looked in the direction he was looking but there was no one there and so he walked towards Min-Seok. It was the first time he saw Min-Seok so upied in his thoughts. The man generally only had his children in his mind and so this was new.


    Walking up to him, he shook Min-Seok and asked again, "Dad, what are you thinking about? Are you fine? Do you want some rest?"


    Min-Seok finally snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at Joon-won and said, "Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Joon-won. I''m not tired. Let''s continue." As he walked further. Joon-won looked at the man''s back for a second before catching up to him.


    "Is anything wrong dad? You never go that deep into your thoughts?"


    Min-Seok just shook his head and said, "It''s nothing. I was just thinking about your mom. Nothing really important."


    His words shook Joon-won a little. Since entering into the new body and starting to learn more about the original Joon-won, he never found anything rted to his mother. Even in the memories he had, it was only Min-Seok raising him since young and there was no one else in the house except the 3 of them. So he just assumed she died and never thought about her again.


    "Mom? Why are you thinking about her now? I''m sure she is happy wherever she is right now." He said cautiously without thinking much. He only wanted to ease Min-Seok a little.


    Min-Seok looked at Joon-won with a small smile and said, "Yes, what you said is probably true. She must be happy wherever she is right now. I am sure she is." And just continued to walk. He didn''t seem to want to continue talking about that matter and Joon-won also threw that topic out of the window.


    After a while they reached the park and both of them went inside. Min-Seok seemed to be a little tired as he took a seat on one of the benches. Joon-won handed him a water bottle before he started doing a few exercises.


    Min-Seok ced the water bottle aside after drinking a few sips and said while looking around, "Joon-won, promise one thing."


    Joon-won stopped his exercises and looked at Min-Seok who was just looking at the park before asking, "What is it, dad?"


    "I am happy that your career is starting off after all the hard work you did. I noticed your passion for this and had no problems with supporting you. I want you to promise that you will stay true to yourself. Do not let this journey change you. Stay true to your beliefs and morals. If anything happens I''ll be behind you to support you. Ok?" And looked at Joon-won at the end.


    Joon-won looked him in the eye and could see this is the most serious he has ever seen the man and that involved even the memories of the old Joon-won. Min-Seok was never the serious type and also just supported his children without any strings attached. It seemed like he had a much deeper reason to ask a promise and a reason he seemed to not want to tell him.


    Joon-won didn''t force out the secret and just nodded before replying, "Sure, I won''t go astray. You have my word." And for him his word was above everything.


    Min-Seok seemed to be really satisfied with that answer as he happily nodded before standing up and saying, "Alright then, shall we go back now? I''m sure Yun-hee would also get up now. She''ll freak out if both of us aren''t there. Soe let''s go."


    Joon-won just nodded as both of them slowly made their way back once again. As they got closer Min-Seok once again said something strange.


    "I originally didn''t want to send our baby angel to this big town. I hoped she would get less marks even though I know that was impossible with how she is the smartest in our family. I hoped she would get less marks so she could stay at home, safely. The only reason I agreed is because of two things. One her eagerness. She was so eager to get out into the world, leave home and live freely. I couldn''t stop that. But more than that it''s because her University is in this city where you are also there and after seeing how responsible you are slowly bing the past few months, my heart eased a lot into the situation. Joon-won please carefully look after the Kim family''s only princess."


    Hearing his words Joon-won was once again taken back. The number of times he became surprised in this short walk was very surprising to him. Min-Seok waspletely out of the general character he seemed like for most of the time. But he knew why he spoke those words. It was almost an undeniable fact that fathers love their daughters way more than their sons. He was the same too. So he could see how worried the man was about sending Yun-hee to the big city filled with all kinds of people for the first time.


    So he slowly nodded with a very serious face, "Don''t worry dad. I would make sure nothing would happen to her. I''ll do everything in my strength to make sure she is happy here and that your trust in me isn''t misced." Min-Seok nodded with a small smile as he seemed to like the answer before continuing towards the apartment


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 Chapter 166 - University (I)

    "Where were you guys? I woke up to see the housepletely empty and you both were nowhere to be found. If you guys went for a simple walk, why were both your phones on silent? Did both of you do something behind my back? Tell me." Yun-hee shouted as soon as both of them entered. It seemed like she seemed to be really worried about them.


    Joon-won sighed as he expected something like this to happen. Min-Seok on the other hand tried his best to calm his daughter down as he pointed at his clothes before saying, "It''s true, Yun-hee. We really went for a small walk to the local park nearby. That''s all. As for the phones we forgot. It was just pure coincidence. Look at our sweaty shirts for proof." Pointing at their shirts which were sweaty a bit.


    Joon-won slowly made his way towards the kitchen and before Yun-hee could reply to Min-Seok''s words he said, "Alright Yun-hee. Both of us are back now. So go and get ready. Let''s go to the university around 9:30 to check you in." Yun-hee heard him and just nodded before going into the washroom to brush her teeth. Joon-won just drank some water before he went into the living room.


    He took out his phone and sent a message to Gah Soo about the meeting time. Gah Soo was very sincere to him, even taking a day off at the convenient store for him. He asked if she was free at 9:30 to assist him with the process. He got an immediate reply and said she would be at the front office lounge at that time. Sending her a quick thanks, he stood up after seeing Yun-heee out of the washroom. Min-Seok was preparing breakfast and so he made his way inside.


    By the time he came out after finishing his morning routine, the breakfast was already done and Min-Seok was telling Yun-hee to take a bath after finishing her breakfast. Min-Seok went inside to brush after telling Joon-won to have breakfast. So he did just that. He sat on the couch with his breakfast and watched some news with Yun-hee in silence.


    After that all three of them took a bath, got ready and got out of the house. Joon-won quickly found a cab and they were on the way to the university. He didn''t know the university and it was also his first time getting there. The university was not that far butpared to his it was probably double the distance. The car eventually came to a stop and they got down. This time Min-Seok was quick to pay and Joon-won turned around to see Yun-hee staring at the big wee banner and the university sign by the entrance. There were a lot of peopleing and going out. Some were students with books in their hands while mostly seemed like freshmen joining in along with their parents just like them.


    He could hear Yun-hee mutter the University name, "Arios University Of Commerce." Slowly, seemingly taking everything in. Joon-won just patted her shoulder before all three of them walked in.


    As they did, Joon-won turned towards Yun-hee and asked her, "Do you know where the front office is?"


    Yun-hee just shook her head before replying, "I thought you knew."


    "Just go ask the students there. It seems like they are helping the people out with these kinds of stuff." Min-Seok pointed out a couple of students who were around with the batch ''Volunteer'' on their chest. Joon-won just nodded before walking up to a guy and asking him. After getting his answer he thanked him and walked back towards the two as they continued towards the head office.


    Yun-hee kept looking around the entire time as they walked towards the big campus. The campus was smaller than Joon-won''s but for Yun-hee who came from a mediocre town, the ce was huge. She felt like she was living in all of those student dramas and movies she watches about school life and how colourful they always seemed to be.


    Joon-won noticed the fascination in her eyes and could see how she was dreaming things. She shook her hand before slowly murmuring to her, "Don''t imagine all those movies depict the life in universities as real. It''s all fake and not real at all. If you aren''t careful with what you do and what kinds of people you are surrounded with, you can go down a very long and bad spiral, wasting your life away."


    In a way what he said could be from his own personal experience, that is, the real Joon-won''s experiences. He was exactly like Yun-hee, fascinated by the city and eventually slowly getting engulfed by the so many things the city had offered him which he didn''t get back in their town. He got surrounded by people who weren''t serious about life and so he slowly got influenced by them before getting led astray by them. Thest thing he wanted was for an intelligent youngdy like Yun-hee who was his sister now led astray.


    Yun-hee turned to look at him for a few seconds before slowly nodding. The look in her eyes changed a little as there wasn''t as much brightness as before and was much more calm. Joon-won naturally sighed in relief when he saw her.


    They eventually reached the front office and noticed there were long lines with many stalls and many more students helping around all the new students and parents. As they were looking at the crowd, confused, one of the students walked towards them and asked.


    "Are you both iing freshmen?"


    Joon-won shook his head and replied, "No, I''m not. My sister is."


    The young man nced at Yun-hee before looking back at him before asking, "Which course is your sister joining?"


    "The Financial Management course."


    The young man nodded before pointing at one of the stalls to the far right and said, "If it''s the financial Management department course, then please go to that stall right there and show your eptance letter. That stall deals with that course."


    Joon-won thanked him but didn''t move from the ce as the young man continued on. He instead took out his phone and called Gah Soo.


    "Gah Soo is the lobby you are talking about the huge number of stalls at the front of the office?" He asked right as Gah Soo picked up.


    "Of Course not. I forgot that they actually kept the stalls starting this week as it''s the final stretch for joining and all the students start pouring in. Untilst Friday, thest time I noticed it was still in the lobby. Alright enough of all that. Come to the stall at fourth from the far right. I am right behind the stall helping out. Come here and I''ll notice you." Joon-won just sighed before cutting the call.


    He turned towards the two who were looking at him before saying, "Alright let''s go. My friend is at the stall helping out too." And so all three of them made their way to the right.


    They got to the line Gah Soo and the young man before pointed at to see a huge crowd. He sighed seeing that. He looked around and saw Gah Soo walking towards them already with a smile on her face. He waved his hand and she in return also waved her own while nodding her head.


    She reached them and Joon-won introduced them to each other, "Dad, Yun-hee, this is Gah Soo. The friend I have at this University. She also studies the Financial Management course and is in her 3rd year now. She is here to help us out. Gah Soo, this is my sister Kim Yun-hee and here it''s my dad."


    Min-Seok was the first to respond after that lengthy introduction as he said to Gah Soo wtih a smile, "Nice to meet you Gah Soo. Thank you for helping us out today, you must have sses and other stuff to do instead of just helping us out." Yun-hee also looked at her while nodding her head clearly feeling the same.


    Gah Soo quickly shook her head and waved her hands as she replied, "Oh, no need to thank me at all. I''m very happy to help you guys. Joon-won rarely asks about things and so it was aplete surprise when he asked for my help. Nowe with me. I''ll take you guys to the front to finish up the process." As she turned around to go ahead before getting stopped by Joon-won.


    "Gah Soo, wait. Are you crazy? You want us to go theplete front, cutting the line? These people standing would eat us alive if you do that." For Joon-won it was a crazy idea. All the people in front of them were covered with sweat from the heat, clearly looking like they stood in the line for hours. So they would barate her and them if they cut in front, never angry a mob of parents.


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 Chapter 167 - University (II)

    "Gah Soo, wait. Are you crazy? You want us to go theplete front, cutting the line? These people standing would eat us alive if you do that." For Joon-won it was a crazy idea. All the people around them were covered in sweat from head to toe because of the heat, clearly looking like they stood in line for hours. They would go crazy and beat them and Gah Soo to death if they see them skipping the line.


    "Then what do you want to do? If you want to stand in the line, it might take you at least a couple more hours."


    Joon-won sighed as he heard her. He didn''t want Min-Seok to stand for that long in the heat and so started contemting on how to solve the problem. After thinking for a few seconds he could onlye up with a dumb idea and said to her.


    "Alright then, can you take one of those forms and other things so that we can meet somewhere secluded and finish this thing? Is that possible?"


    "Alright sure, I''lle to the back of the line in a few minutes, wait for me." And the phone cut.


    Min-Seok looked at him and asked, "What happened? Should we wait here?" Yun-hee on the other hand was just looking around like it was the first time she came into contact with human civilization.


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, we can''t directly go to the front in this situation. Gah Soo is going toe to us with the rted papers and then we''ll go somewhere quiet to fill them in." Min-Seok just nodded as the three of them continued to stand there waiting for Gah Soo.


    A few minutester a sweaty Gah Soo came running towards them with a backpack and a smile. She stopped in front of him and said, "Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I got the papers you guys need to fill."


    Joon-won nodded and said, "Alright. Here this is my sister Kim Yun-hee, and this is my dad Kim Min-Seok. This is Gah Soo a senior here." He introduced all of them to each other.


    Min-Seok immediately thanked Gah Soo for her help, making Gah Soo flustered as she waved her hand hurriedly and stopped him from doing so. She then turned towards Yun-hee who was looking at her and said with a smile.


    "Nice to meet Yun-hee, I have heard about you from your brother a lot. It''s a pleasure to the school to have you studying here."


    Yun-hee immediately nodded and said while bowing a little, "Please take care of him, senior." Gah Soo nodded before looking at Joon-won, "Let''s go somewhere quieter to quickly get this registration done. It''s very hot here, let''s go into one of the sses on the ground floor."


    The three nodded as the sun was getting to them too and followed Gah Soo away from the huge crowd and into the building. As soon as they entered they were hit by cool air making it so refreshing for them. Gah Soo guided them into one of the small lecture halls on the ground floor and closed the door as they entered in.


    Yun-hee''s mouth was open the entire time they were in the building. She looked around continuously, tried to peek into the rooms, and once they entered the lecture hall her mouth was wide open enough for an egg to fit into it.


    Looking at the room she muttered, "This is a small lecture hall? It''s bigger than my high school ssroom." But due to the silence in the room, everyone could hear her murmurs too.


    Gah Soo giggled as she set the backpack on the front seat and said, "Well, this is a renowned University so there will be more students. This is one of the smaller sses in this ce, There are much bigger ones for the more popr sses. Alrighte and sit, you guys don''t need to stand."


    All three of them sat as Gah Soo started taking out the papers and exined what they had to do. She was very slow and patient as she exined everything to Min-Seok and Gah Soo in filling out the papers. Joon-won just took out his phone and was reading some news. After 30 minutes they were finally done and Gah Soo kept all the papers in the bag before saying.


    "Alright, all the papers you guys need to fill up are done. Now let''s go to the payment area and get that done too. After that everything would be over and she can join right in." Everyone stood up and followed her out of the ssroom. They went through the hallways before entering another huge room filled with people.


    Gah Soo sighed and turned to them before saying, "We need to wait in the lines here."


    Joon-won nodded and said to Min-Seok, "Dad you and Yun-hee sit outside somewhere. I''ll call you guys when it''s our turn." The room was a bit chaotic and tight, so he naturally didn''t want both of them getting squashed in the crowd.


    Min-Seok nodded and said, "Alright we''ll be right outside, so call us when our turnes." He knew Joon-won would only deny if he insisted on staying and so he just went with it too. Both of them went out leaving Gah Soo and Joon-won in the room full of people.


    "Alright, let''s quickly join a line and hope it gets done quickly." He nudged Gah Soo and made his way to one of the shorter lines.


    Gah Soo looked at Joon-won and said as they stood in the line, "You are nothing like your father at all. You guys are so different. If I didn''t know you, I would have thought they were your acting buddies."


    Joon-won looked down at her and didn''t know what to say. He honestly didn''t know how to answer that question. He wasn''t Min-Seok''s son, but he was. It would sound too crazy for him to even try to exin. So he just put on an irritated face and said, "Shut up. If he isn''t my dad, why would I even ask a favor?"


    Gah Soo just shrugged and both of them waited as the line slowly moved and after an entire hour, it was finally their turn. Gah Soo looked at him and said, "Go call your dad."


    Joon-won just shook his head and took out his bank card from the wallet before saying, "It''s ok, I''m the one who is paying. Alright give them the documents and tell me how much to pay with the dorms and everything." Gah Soo just nodded before she talked with the person on the other side.


    Joon-won paid the bill and came out of the room with the receipt in his hands. It actually took him a bit less than he expected because of Yun-hee''s good grades in the national exam. So she managed to get a schrship.


    As soon as they got out of the hot stuffy room, both of them took deep breaths and Joon-won took out his phone before giving Min-Seok a call.


    [Is it our turn? Wait, we areing.]


    "No, no. Tell me where you guys are right now. It''s done, I''ll tell you guys when I get there."


    Min-Seok just gave him the directions and both of them made their way out of the building once again into the sun as they noticed Min-Seok and Yun-hee were sitting on a bench under a tree.


    "It looks like you guys found the perfect spot," Joon-wonmented as he got near to them.


    Min-Seok nodded and replied, "Yes, we were lucky. Now tell me why are you out. I thought you said you''ll call me when it''s our turn. So why are you here?"


    "Everything is over dad. I paid for the tuition and everything. It''s over and let''s talk about it when we get back home. Alright?" Joon-won knew Min-Seok was probably a bit angry about his actions and understood why too. So he didn''t want to get into a debate or a potential argument on the university grounds when it was an important day in Yun-hee''s life.


    *********************************


    Author Note- Finally My exams are done and I am free. I am still trying to get into the groove and write chapters again. So, if the quality is a bit not up to the usual standard, sorry I guess. Well anyway, It''s good to be back and to write again.. Hope you guys are still interested in the story after a 2 month long break.

 Chapter 168 - University (III)

    Min-Seok just nodded but still gave Joon-won a hard stare while he did it. He then turned towards Gah Soo and asked, "Is there anything else we need to fill up?" with a small smile. Joon-won was relieved when he saw this and turned towards Gah Soo too.


    Gah Soo shook her head and replied to Min-Seok''s question, "There aren''t any more left to fill here Mr. Kim. But if you guys are free right now, it might be good for us to go and pick a room in the dorms. It is on a firste first-pick basis here. So, we can at least pick one right now ande inter."


    Min-Seok nodded and replied, "That ispletely alright with us. We have nothing left to do today, so we can go to the dorm rooms now and pick a room for her. Also, just call me Uncle, I don''t like the Mr." he genuinely felt a bit weird when someone called him Mr.


    Gah Soo nodded led them towards dorm rooms. The dorm rooms were on the other side of the campus from the administrative building they were at. The group slowly made their way in silence as Yun-hee continuously looked around, very excited about her next chapter in life. Joon-won was also looking around but quickly lost interest as he felt his own university was actually better than this one.


    They eventually reached the Female dorm rooms and she led them towards the office to sign them up. It seemed like many people had the same idea as them because there were many students with their bags standing outside the office for their chance to go in. Joon-won also noticed many of the seniors who stayed in the dorms were helping out like Gah Soo by showing the people around the dorms and helping them pick rooms.


    Gah Soo turned to them and asked them to wait as she walked into the office to bring in a form for them to fill. She came back quickly with the form and said, "Alright let''s fill this and go around to pick a room for you guys. The freshmen stay at Block B and after we choose the room, the manager will have a talk about the rules and other stuff. Shall we get going uncle?" as she handed the form to Joon-won.


    Joon-won just bought out the pen he had and looked at the form while Min-Seok nodded to her question. Gah Soo led them out of the block before making their way to the next block behind the one they were just in.


    The group continued as Gah Soo kept giving her views on which room would be the best and which one she was in at the beginning. Min-Seok and Yun-hee paid a lot of attention while Joon-won just acted like a bodyguard. They finally chose one after 30 minutes of discussion and contemtion between the three.


    After they finished choosing and filling the form they got back to the hallway, waiting for their turn to talk to the warden. Joon-won stood beside Yun-hee and asked in a low voice.


    "How is it? You like the room and everything here?" He didn''t talk to her during the entire dorm tour as she was just too excited and felt like she would explode if he did.


    Yun-hee immediately whipped her head towards his direction and replied with more energy then he initially thought, "Yes, It is so good. Everything is so good. The campus is so big and the dorms are also not as bad as I thought they would be. I heard people say that some universities fir in 5 students into one dorm which is meant for only 3 people. I feel so lucky to get in."


    Joon-won nodded as he heard her. She was really lucky as what she was told was true. From the memories he had he knew the boys dorms were generally arranged in that manner and was one of the reasons the original Joon-won decided to live outside. The dorms they saw had only arranged for 3 people to stay in a room which could easily fit another. So it was pretty spacious.


    "Well, I am happy to see you are satisfied with everything but do not get easily fooled by it. People are not kind and can be very misleading if you let your guard down. Think very carefully before you make any friends too, some people are just not worth it and would lead you down the wrong path. Just be careful, alright? If you want to, you cane to the house when you have a holiday or two. Got it?"


    Yun-hee rolled her eyes as she heard his speech and slowly said, "Alright, alright. Stop now. I will be careful." Joon-won could only sigh seeing her. He just hoped nothing would go wrong during her study. If possible he would like her to stay with him in his house but it would be inappropriate and a girl of her age would also love her own space, so he never even bought it up.


    The group continued to wait for another few minutes before Gah Soo asked them to follow her inside the office to meet the dorm manager. They walked in and noticed the dorm manager was a typical middle aged women. She smiled and motioned for Min-Seok and Yun-hee to sit across her as Gah Soo went beside her, handing her the form they filled with all their payment details. Joon-won just stood behind Yun-hee, assessing the manager.


    "Well, looks like you guyspleted the entire payment with no dues. Alright, I am sure you guys are happy with the room you guys chose. Do you guys have any questions for me to answer? Please fire away." looking at Min-Seok.


    Min-Seok sent a quick nce towards Joon-won when he heard the payment was done in full before looking at the manager and asking a few questions he had in mind the entire time. The manager and Min-Seok talked for an entire 5 minutes before she took out a slip and asked them.


    "Do you guys live in the city or from outside?"


    "We are not natives of this city but my son lives here nearby for his own university. He lives outside in a t on his own."


    "Alright then, should I give the parent pass on his name? If you ever want to meet her or take her home, you would need this pass. Just show it at the main building and they would call for her. The university is strict when ites to first year girls who are staying in dorms. They would not be allowed outside unless a parent calls me with their consent."


    Min-Seok nodded in relief as he was very scared for Yun-hee''s life in the big city. So he replied, "Yes, you can give the slip in his name as he lives here." Joon-won told his name and his contact details as the manager wrote it down and slipped the paper into a stic sheet before sealing it.


    "Alright then Mr.Kim, if you do not have anymore questions, then that owould be all. When will you guys be joining her in. I assume you guys didn''t bring her luggage today." as she handed them the card.


    "We will bring her in on Wednesday."


    "Alright then, Mr.Kim. Pleasee into the office on the day you guys decide to drop her off. Have a good day, Mr.Kim." she stretched her hand out as everyone stood up. Min-Seok shook her hand and everyone walked out of the office.


    Yun-hee exhaled in relief as they walked out of the building as she said, "Finally it is over. That woman looked a bit scary."


    Gah Soo shook her heard and replied, "She looks like that but she is a nice manager. If you follow the rules, she wouldn''t cause you any problems and would even be lenient when you make any mistakes."


    "She looked like a woman who loves the rules. Well, that is for the best too. Now let''s go have some good lunch, it''s already a bitte. Gah Soo, join us for lunch, you have nothing to do, right?" Min-Seok also exhaled while stretching his back a little before asking Gah Soo as he noticed it was already 2.


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 Chapter 169 - University (IV)

    Gah Soo had no reason to deny and could also feel her stomach rumble as soon as he heard Min-Seok invite her. So she nodded with a small smile on her face while having a tinge of pink on her cheeks. Min-Seok also nodded as he turned to Joon-won before asking, "Do you have any ce in your mind, Joon-won? Let''s go to a good ce. We need to celebrate Yun-hee getting into the university."


    Joon-won looked at him before replying, "Give me a minute dad, I will call a friend to ask which restaurant is good." He didn''t know any good restaurants. The only time he went to any was when Hea-Jung forced him to. So, he was naturally going to call his annoying senior for some suggestions.


    The call connected almost immediately as he heard her voice for the first time since he came back, and felt his lips twitch as soon as he heard her first sentence.


    [Aww! Did you miss me, Junior Brother?]


    He could only cough lightly before replying with a straight face, "I am good Hea-Jung. How is your shooting continuing there? How are the others?" Hea-Jung sighed as she returned to her normal voice.


    [I am good, same with everyone. Now tell me, Junior brother, why did you suddenly call?]


    "I need suggestions for a good restaurant. It can be a bit costly, but not too overly priced."


    He heard her hum for a while before hearing.


    [Why don''t you just go to our restaurant? I can call them up to give you a discount.]


    Joon-won knew she was talking about the Royal Blue hotels and restaurants with their family runs. It could probably be the biggest restaurant in the town. But he shook his head and rejected her good intentions, "No, it''s ok. I am not in a mood to go to such a top-tier restaurant right now. Just give something on my level."


    [Well, then I suggest you go to Ganrack Oven. The food there is very good and cost-effective too. Check it out on your mobile, I think a few notable people reviewed it.]


    "Alright then, I''ll check it out. How is the shooting going? When is your schedule finishing?"


    [Aww, do you miss me? Everything is going well and a bit faster than before, too. It will probably take another month to finish my scenes, at least that is what I was told.]


    Joon-won sighed hearing her first sentence before cutting the call and opening up the browser to search the restaurant up. He looked at the reviews and noticed there were a few verified reviews, so he nodded before walking back to the group.


    Min-Seok noticed himing and asked, "Did you decide on which restaurant? Make sure it is a good one, alright?"


    Joon-won nodded and replied, "Yes, I have decided and it is a very good restaurant, dad. I checked the reviews too and they are all pretty good. So, don''t worry. It''s a bit far from here, so we need to take a cab there. Alright then, let''s get going." Min-Seok nodded, and the group walked towards the front gate before getting on a cab.


    Joon-won showed the driver the restaurant, and the car drove off. He looked out silently as he heard Yun-hee and Gah Soo talk about how life was on the campus. It looked like Gah Soo was giving some advice, while Min-Seok chipped in a few times, too.


    As he looked out, he couldn''t help but think about what was next for him. He promised to give Do Hwan an answer in a week, but he feels bad to hold that man for an entire week because it wasn''t like Do Hwan is his assistant; he was just helping him out until he could have the capacity to hire a good one.


    ''Doing minor roles might not bepletely detrimental to me. After all, even if I go to some big auditions and try out, they might hold me back because of myck of experience. Let''s atleast at least these minor roles are. Do Hwan did say about being a hero''s friend or something, I could do it if the script is good to show people something when they ask experience.'' and so he took out his phone and sent Do Hwan a message, asking about the roles and what kind of movies they were.


    As he looked out of the window, he couldn''t help but go into his thoughts once again, and this time it was about Be Hye-Su. It''s been only a week since he saw her and thought about her too many times to even keep count. He was feeling a bit frustrated, as he couldn''t even contact her. At that moment, he only hoped that God would give him another chance to meet her. Thinking back to that one wonderful day, he couldn''t help but cringe about the way he acted and talked. There was far too much dumb stuff, he asked and replied.


    He once again sighed and just closed his eyes to take some rest and not think about this stuff. The car eventually came to an end, and he looked out to see the same restaurant entrance he saw in the browser a while back. Everyone got out and Min-Seok quickly paid the fare before they got into the restaurant.


    Joon-won walked up to the front desk as the rest waited behind him before asking the receptionist sitting there, "Is there a table for 4 free?"


    The receptionist nodded before replying, "There would be a table free in about 10 minutes if it is ok for you guys."


    "Yes, we have no problem."


    "Alright then, please sit down for a few minutes and I''ll show you guys the table when it is ready." Pointing at the chairs to the side. Joon-won nodded before walking back to the group and exining the situation as all of them sat in the chairs waiting to eat.


    Min-Seok sat beside Joon-won as the two girls sat together still talking about the campus life leaving them alone. Min-Seok looked at Joon-won and asked, "Did you ask anyone for money to pay today?" in a low voice.


    Joon-won nced at him for a second before slowly replying, "Can''t we wait till we get back home to speak about this dad?" but as soon as he said that Min-Seok sent me a sharp re about to blow his top off and Joon-won realized his words came out a bit wrong.


    "And No. I didn''t ask any friends for money. Alright? Now please, let''s talk about this when we get back home." Min-Seok just continued to nce at his face for a few seconds before nodding to himself and closing his eyes.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but feel a bit tired and exhale, as he knew they were probably going to have a long talk when they get back home. ording to the memories he had, Min-Seok loved them and would do anything for them, but he hated when they do something to undermine him.


    He even found out the one-moment Joon-won got scolded by Min-Seok was when Joon-won tried to get a job in middle school to help around the house. As he was a middle schooler, the ce didn''t allow him to work and even called his father to tell him about the situation. That night when Joon-won got home, they saw an entirely new side of Min-Seok. It seemed like Min-Seok hated the idea of his children walking on their own feet, without his support. Joon-won felt like their talk after they go back home needs to be impactful so that Min-Seok understands the mistake.


    After a while, the receptionist walked up to them and showed them towards their table. The restaurant looked great and Yun-hee was visibly excited as she looked at the food other people were having. As they sat down, Min-Seok handed them the menu to order and Yun-hee didn''t wait for a single second and she ordered food. Joon-won ordered a steak and sd for him.


    The group enjoyed their lunch as Min-Seok paid for it without Joon-won interfering with him. They walked out as Yun-hee held her bloated stomach with a satisfied expression on her face. They got back in the cab as they dropped Gah Soo off at her university before making their way back home.


    The three walked back up and into the house. As they walked in, Yun-Hee jumped on the couch, feeling exhausted from the hectic day. Min-Seok was quick to correct her, asking her to wash her feet and go inside the bedroom to sleep if she was sleepy. Yun-Heeplied as she walked away from the living room, leaving the father and son alone.


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 Chapter 170 - Realisation

    Alright guys, before you start the criticism please remember this is my first time writing a sad/serious scene. Only had movies as a reference and this is the best I could do.


    ********************************


    Min-Seok sat on the couch as Joon-won bought out two sses of water as he passed one over to Min-Seok before sitting down right beside him. He noticed Yun-Hee was already on the bed, sleeping. He noticed Min-Seok already taking a sip from the ss before cing it at the side, ready to get the conversation going. Joon-won also ced it beside without taking a sip as he also wanted to get over with the conversation soon.


    "Now tell me, Joon-won. Where did you get the money? Why did you pay for it with your money? I told you before you went into the building to call me when it is our time to pay." Min-Seok didn''t even turn his head as he just continued to stare at the TV when he asked.


    Joon-won couldn''t help but take a deep breath before replying in a straight way manner, the same way Min-Seok likes it, "Dad, did you forget the acting job I took the past week? They paid mepletely, and that was enough for the first-year fees when I checked. That''s why I didn''t call you."


    "What? Did you use that money? Why did you use that money in the first ce? You should save money. You are only starting right now. Your job isn''t like mine, where your ount automatically gets credited with money in the first week of the month. Why are you so dumb even after bing an adult, Joon-won?" he practically shouted and slowly stood up after hearing Joon-won''s response.


    "Dad, please Yun-hee is sleeping. Let''s not wake her up. Please sit down and let me talk. Please." he grabbed Min-Seok''s hand and begged him to sit down instead of making a scene.


    Min-Seok looked towards the bedroom door, then turned towards Joon-won before sitting down once again. Joon-won exhaled before continuing, "Dad, I understand that what I do isn''t anywhere near yours in terms of consistency, and your fears of me never getting a job mighte true. But as of now, it is ok. I have enough money in the bank to continue living herefortably until I get another acting job. If I ever need money, I can always go back to the drama house to act there. So, don''t worry about it." He even took out his phone to show his bank bnce, but inside he hadpletely different thoughts and hoped that the man wouldn''t check the bnce cause he had almost no money in it after paying the fees.


    Min-Seok didn''t know what to say when he heard his son''s words. He pushed Joon-won''s phone away and didn''t want to even reply. The living room descended into silence as Joon-won gave him time to think.


    "So now that you earn money, you think I can not provide for both of you and that you need to do this? At any point in your upbringing, did you guys feel I wasn''t good enough?"


    Joon-won was shocked when he heard those words and knew Min-Seok wasn''t thinking right again and felt like he was being looked down upon. So he immediately held Min-Seok''s hand before telling him, "Dad, it is not like that. Why are you taking it like that, dad? I am now a grown man, too. I am going to enter my 20s in a couple of months. It is about time I take some responsibility off that shoulders of yours. It is nothing more than that."


    "But did I ask you to do that? I didn''t, so why are you doing it? I do not need your help now. I can still support you guys. I hate it when you both try to keep secrets from me. At what point in my upbringing did you think that there was a need to keep secrets from me? I always supported you guys with everything I can." as he clutched his hair, tears slowly falling.


    Being a single father, Min-Seok''s greatest achievement for him was raising both his children without any major problems for him. Even during the tough times and when the money was not there, he took up two jobs to give proper education to both his children and even be able to support their dreams. So seeing them grow up and chase their dreams was huge for him but this all gets thrown out the window for him when he feels like his children think he wasn''t good enough and need to go out of their way to support him, it hurt his pride.


    Joon-won took a deep breath as he held Min-Seok''s shoulders before turning him towards him, both of them looking at each other in the eyes as he said, "Dad, trust me when I say this with all my heart and passion, the most prideful thing for me is being your son. You raised us for almost 20 years. You carried the burden of raising us for 20 years without ever making us feel sad about not having a mother. You are everything for both of us. Now, after 20 years, you aren''t as young as you are anymore. It is time for us to support you, too."


    Joon-won paused ass Min-Seok just had a nk look on his face as he stared at him. He gave the guy a minute to process everything he just said, as it was a lot for the old man to take in. Thest thing he wanted was for Min-Seok to continue thinking he had to support his children his entire life. As a parent himself, he knew how tough it was to let go of his children when it was time. He had a lot of battles with himself when he had to hand over the throne to his eldest son when it was time and the only way he could do it was when his wife straightforwardly told him like she always did that his lovely kids were not young anymore.


    "But I can still do it. I can still take care of guys. You aren''t still adults. I mean, it has only been a year since you walked out of the house. You still don''t even have your driver''s license. You both still need my support as children. How can you say you don''t?"


    Joon-won sighed and replied, "Dad, wake up and look around you. We aren''t back home. You guys came to Arios to drop Yun-hee off at University. She isn''t a young girl anymore. The time hase to let us make our own decisions and support you along the way. What about this dad, even if we aren''t ready and are prone to make mistakes? Won''t you be there back at home ready to wee us back and support us once again? Won''t you be there for us when we are going through our hard times? See, your roles in our lives in no way diminished. You are still our dad who takes care of us, who pats our back when we face problems. Nothing is going to change. You are the one person who is going to live in our hearts forever, no matter where we go or what we do. You are the most important person to both of us."


    Min-Seok nodded as he began to realize what Joon-won said was also true. He would always open the door to his two babies, ready to wee them and provide support to them like he always did during the time of their needs. As he looked around, he finally realized that time has passed by and that he was truly in another city to join his daughter in a university. He leaned back on the couch and slowly murmured, "Time has really passed by."


    Joon-won slowly smiled before saying, "Even if time has passed by, we both are still going to be your little children. So do not worry dad. Take some rest, it''s been a long day. I''ll wake you up when it''s time for dinner." as he stood up and ced Min-Seok''s legs on the couch before going inside and bringing him a nket. Min-Seok looked at Joon-won before closing his eyes to sleep.


    Sighing, Joon-won walked to the balcony before looking outside.


    ****************************


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 Chapter 171 - Changes And Reasons

    Sighing to himself, Joon-won took a deep breath as he looked inside once again before closing the balcony door. He wanted some peace to reflect on what has been happening the past few days. It has been a rollercoaster ride for him. First, he gets a role to make his debut, then meets a woman who looks way too familiar to his wife, then meets his father and sister for the first time, and now his talk with Min-Seok. Too many things happened, and it seemed like he just went along with it. As he looked back, he could see the changes in himself, the way he talks, the way he thinks, so many things are different and feels like his emotions were going haywire.


    Looking at his feet, he said, "Hey, system. What is happening to me? I never had a parent and only after spending a few days in this body, I feel too many emotions that I shouldn''t. So, what''s happening? What happened just now in that room was too new but familiar at the same time for me."


    As he finished, he didn''t get an immediate reply from the system and there was only silence. He continued to wait for a few minutes and slowly got a bit irritated at the system forpletely ignoring him, so just as he was about to ask once again, the system responded.


    [Sorry for the dy. I was not expecting the sudden question and was busy with some other things. Now, what was your question again? Something about the new emotions you are feeling, right?]


    Joon-won felt his nerves pop out when he heard itszy and nonchnt voice. The system has always been like this and went at its own pace. But before he could even respond to it, the system continued.


    [Oh! So, you want to know about the strange emotions you are feeling, ha. Well, it is pretty simple. You see, even though the previous owner of the body, the real Joong-won, died and his soul has already entered the cycle of reincarnation, the body still stores the memories and emotions it went through at that time. So as you go through all these memories, it naturally affects your emotions too. That''s why you let out so many emotions and dialogues, even though it is the first time you are facing this situation. Get it?]


    What he heard kind of shocked Joon-won a bit. After hearing what the system had just said, he felt everything made sense. The past few days were the very proof of that. Before he met Min-Seok and Yun-hee, he was very nervous. Even at the bus stop, before he picked them up, he was very nervous. But the moment he met them, everything vanished, and it seemed too natural to even be true. Everything in the past 2 days seemed very natural. His conversations with Min-Seok and Yun-hee just flowed naturally, without any nervousness.


    "So, that''s what happened. That is why some of my actions and decisions are a bit immature. But how do I stop this? I do not want this to affect my judgment in my career. If I have this type of mentality, I can make some irrational choices like how the original Joon-won has made in the past. You got anyway?"


    [Well, it is easier said than done. Looking through memories of a person can affect you in multiple ways, and trying to separate yourself is very hard. The most you can do right now is to keep constant peace of mind. You need to stay focused and try not to look too deep into the memories you have. Try meditating or reading a book, something which would slow down your mind and help you mentally. It''s going to be a slow process, but a helpful one. Got it?]


    Joon-won nodded as he just a deep breath before looking out once again as the sun was slowly setting. He took out his phone and noticed Do Hwan sent him a message with several files attached to it. So he went back inside and sat on a chair before opening one of the files and going through it.


    After 2 hours, he kept his phone down and took a deep breath. He went through all the 5 or 6 scripts Do Hwan sent him and once again felt how useless people could be at writing stories. They were very generic stories. There was nothing new about the scripts and as soon as he read them, he knew the movies won''t do any good in the theatres.


    ''Damn, these movies are going to do so bad. I guess it makes sense that none of the directors of these scripts are well known or have any notable movies to their name. Will doing any of these films even help me? Ugh, what should I do now? I won''t get any good auditions for movies if I don''t have some experience to show in my portfolio. So should I now act in these bad films just to have something to show for? Too many things to think about. I''ll decide after I finish the current situation and have some time.''


    He sighed as he kept the phone aside. He didn''t like the situation he was in even a tiny bit. Even though he could consider going back to the drama house until he had any better offers, it was not an ideal thing to do. He can''t just go back and wait, he also needs to throw himself out there now that there are some audition opportunities for him before he had none.


    Checking the time, he noticed it was almost time for dinner as he got up and went towards the kitchen to cook some food. Joon-won wanted to cook something lite as they had ate yet heavy lunch in the restaurant. As he cooked food, he heard his dad wake up from the couch and slowly made his way into the kitchen before he started to help him.


    Joon-won didn''t talk as he allowed the man to help him. It didn''t take long for Yun-Hee to wake up from the smell in the house. She yawned as peeped into the kitchen before jumping on the couch and opening her phone.


    After a few minutes, the food came out as all three people had a light and hearty meal before Yun-Hee wanted to have a movie night. As it was a suggestion from her, Min-Seok agreed and they immediately watched a family film from one of the rising stars of the movie industry.


    The next day rolled around, and it passed quickly too as the group was busy finalizing everything Yun-hee needs. They went out on another small shopping spree to buy everything they still need before packing them into bags. At night, all three of them sat in the living room with Joon-won on the ground as he listened to Min-Seok talk with Yun-Hee and tell her about all kinds of things regarding the outside world.


    They ended the night early and everyone went to sleep once again. Yun-hee was on the couch and Joon-won was sleeping on the mattress as he heard rustling for a very long time, making him unable to sleep properly. He turned around to see Yun-hee just moving around on the couch, not sleeping.


    He sighed as he could feel her excitement and anxiety from her bodynguage. Tomorrow she was going to start living in an unknown ce, sleep with unknown people in the same room. These things might even cause her to have second doubts about living in the dorms.


    "What happened Yun-hee? Having second doubts about going to University?" as heid on the side, facing the couch with his head on his hand, supported by his elbow. Yun-hee slowly turned around as she peeked her head out from the nket before slowly nodding and muttered.


    "Did you also feel like this?"


    Joon-won nodded, and he slowly replied, "Of course I did. That is why I am living here. But I know you aren''t like me. You are more powerful than me, and I know you can do it. So don''t worry, you will be fine. Even if you have a problem, I always have the couch in the house for you to crash. Just call me and I will pick you up from there."


    Yun-hee nodded as she closed her eyes and slept peacefully.


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 Chapter 172 - Dropping Yun-hee Off

    The next day, everyone got up as they slowly prepared themselves for the day. Joon-won woke up first for his jog as he took some time to meditate in the park before returning and getting freshened up. Min-Seok was next to wake up as he got started on the breakfast while Joon-won just looked through the news on his phone.


    Yun-hee slowly woke up as she smelled the food from the kitchen. They ate Yun-hee''s favorite breakfast, pancakes, before one by one went into the bathroom to get ready. At 10, all three of them were ready as Min-Seok turned towards Yun-hee before asking, "Shall we go now? If you don''t want to, we can go after lunch. It''s your call."


    Yun-hee looked at Min-Seok for a second before looking at Joon-won and said while shaking her head, "It''s ok dad. Let''s go now. If we keep dying, I will probably never go. I can get used to my room, settle everything before I sleep. So it''s fine. Now let''s go." as she stepped towards the door and made her way out.


    Min-Seok looked at his daughter''s back for a second before he turned towards his son. Joon-won just shrugged as he picked up the bags and walked out of the house as Min-Seok followed right behind after locking up the doors. They quickly found a cab by the building entrance and made their way towards University.


    Reaching the university, Joon-won noticed there were a lot of students likest time, but this time most of them were with their bags as they were making their way back from the holidays or neers joining the dorms like Yun-hee. The three of them made their way towards the dorm building and as they got there, they noticed Gah Soo waiting for them by the entrance.


    Min-Seok also noticed her as he turned towards Joon-won and asked, "Did you invite her today? You shouldn''t have done that Joon-won. She might have some work to do and there isn''t much for us to do today, either. It''s no good on our part to call her today, too." Joon-won, on the other hand, waspletely confused by everything, as he was certainly not the person who called her.


    "Dad, it was me who told her that we wereing at this time. Big sis Gah Soo asked me yesterday about what time we will being and so I told her." Min-Seok looked at her before sighing and shaking his head.


    "You shouldn''t have done that, Min-Seok. Gah Soo might have some work to do. Don''t try to disturb her too much in the future, alright?" Yun-hee nodded as she turned around towards Gah Soo before waving her hand. Gah Soo recognized her and started to walk towards them.


    As she got closer, Min-Seok immediately apologized, "I am really sorry, Gah Soo. You must have some studying or other works to do other than just follow us around."


    Gah Soo shook her head as she replied, "No, it''s alright Uncle. I texted Yun-hee because I was free, anyway. Come, let''s get going now." and everyone just walked towards the manager''s room.


    They made their way into the manager''s room after some time and after hearing Yun-hee''s name; the manager pulled up her portfolio on herputer before turning towards them once again.


    "Are you guys ready to drop her off today, Mr. Kim? If you have any problems, please ask and if you want my number, please it is over there so that you can call anytime regarding your daughter." As she pointed at a piece of paper ced on the wall behind them near the door with her number on it. Joon-won quickly saved the number as Min-Seok asked a couple of questions he had just to reconfirm everything.


    "Alright then, if that''s everything, please continue towards the room you guys picked. You guys can take her out for today, but I expect her to be back by 10. That is when I will be taking attendance."


    Min-Seok stood along with Yun-hee as he nodded and replied, "Of course, she will be here at night. Please take care." the manager nodded as everyone exited the room. As they did, Gah Soo turned towards Joon-won and said.


    "Joon-won, you can''te inside with us today. The dorms are closed for malespletely. Min-Seok cane as he is the father but you can''t likest time. This time there are many more girls who already settled in and so the no males rule is back in action."


    The rule took Joon-won back. He was also a family member of a student and not a random stranger. But before he could even respond to Gah Soo''s words, Min-Seok said to him, "Well then, it is nothing we can do if those are the rules. Joon-won, go and stay outside. If you want to go outside cause, it will take us an hour or so to settle things. We will call you when we are almost done and after that, we all can go for lunch." Joon-won could only nod after he heard his dad''s words as he handed the bags in his hand to Gah Soo and Yun-hee before walking outside the building. He didn''t forget to remind them to call him when they were done.


    As he walked out, he noticed many people walking in and so just went out of the way as he just started to walk around the campus before finding a nice ce under a huge tree to sit. As he did, he took out his phone and decided to call Do Hwan to have a talk. Even though he thought he would leave this stuff after everyone went back and he was alone, he couldn''t and thought about it a couple of times yesterday, too.


    So he sent Do Hwan a text first to know if the man is free and not in any meetings or shooting. He just kept the phone aside as he rxed under a tree, waiting for a reply. After a few minutes, he heard his phone ring and knew it was Do Hwan.


    [Hey, Joon-won. I thought you were going to take a couple more days more toe to a decision. Is everything well? With your sister''s admission and everything?]


    "Yes, everything is well. Thanks for asking. I also thought of calling you after a few days, but I can''t just get it out of my head at all. I read those scripts you sent me and since then I have kept having thoughts and going over stuff. That''s why I called."


    [Alrighte on, shoot. What happened?]


    And Joon-won proceeded to exin his problems about the scripts he got sent and everything else he had on his mind. He didn''t know much about the entertainment industry like Do Hwan and needed to know what decision would make what impact. After he finished exining his problems, Do Hwan didn''t immediately respond and Joon-won waited on the other end for one.


    [Alright, Joon-won. I actually wanted to have this discussion with you for a while now and couldn''t cause of your sudden shooting and now your current situation. After spending some time with you, I noticed one major w in your thinking. ording to what I noticed, is that you have a very superior personality when ites to acting. You are a very humble guy, but when ites to acting, you arepletely different and I think it is time we do something about it. I need you to understand that you are a no-named rookie actor. You do not have any fame at all and the only reason you are even getting audition opportunities is because of connections or cause of your time in the drama house.]


    [Do you think the heavenly kings had a row of movies lined up for themselves as their debut? No? Heavenly King Dongbang Jae literally started as a background character. His first time on screen was of a guy who walked in the background in the final minutes of a movie. He yed multiple roles like that before he even had a role like the one you got through Hea-Jung. Acting is a long process and depends on luck, but you need to keep grinding. You have to act in these low-ss movies with bad scripts just so that you have something to show for because no good scripts wille your way until you have kept the work in for it.]


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 Chapter 173 - Sudden Realizations

    Hearing the long response from Do Hwan, Joon-won once again felt his brain go nk for a second. He didn''t respond for another 5 minutes as his brain just cked out. Seeing that Joon-won went silent, Do Hwan said.


    [Alright, then Joon-won. I''ll have to go now. Think carefully about what I just said right now. Sit on it for some time before getting back to me. But also remember Joon-won. Even the present offers might get retracted because of your dys. The movie crews just can''t wait for long for a rookie. Ok, I have things to do, bye.] and the phone call finally ended as the phone dropped out of his hand while Joon-won slept on the grass, looking at the blue sky.


    Time passed by and after another 10 minutes of nkly staring at the sky, his eyes regained some focus as he took a deep breath before exhaling itpletely. He slowly got up and leaned on the tree while plucking the grass a bit as his thoughts slowly formed once again.


    The more he thought, the more he understood the underlying meaning of Do Hwan''s long message over the phone. The bottom line was that he was a no-named small-time actor with very little to no fame in his name. He was a nobody with no connections. His family wasn''t as big as Hea-Jung to get a very nice role for a debut. He was at the literal end. He slowly once again came to the realization that he was Kim Joon-won, not Zhen Su, the world-famous actor. So, he no longer had any power to choose his next character or script.


    ''I am a nobody and even with all the support I am getting Do Hwan with these small roles, I am still acting almighty trying to be the chooser. I have no right to be the chooser. If I didn''t even have Do Hwan or Hea-Jung''s support, I probably wouldn''t even have a role under my belt. I need to get my shit together and start acting smarter than I am now. As Do Hwan said at the end, these film crews won''t wait for me to go to an audition. There are many people out there who would be d to take even a small role like that. Let''s keep our head down and get to work. I am right where I started. It is going to be long but hopefully a fulfilling ride.'' as he pped his cheeks hard enough to make both his hands and cheeks red with a smile on his face.


    [Wow, what a realization. Looks like the week started as rough as it could ever have . I thought you would slowly realize these things, given that you faced many things in your old life, after the number of things you saw as a young man and as a king. But it looks like the sudden freedom to chase your dream has clouded your judgment and could only wake you up by two rude awakenings, one a conversation with Min-Seok and another right now. I guess you are just like everyone.]


    The ever silent system suddenly came out with a sarcastic remark. But even after hearing its very sarcastic remarks, Joon-won couldn''t say anything about it. He would normally retort, but his mind was just stuck as he looked back into the week. It''s only been 3 days and these 3 days were the toughest he had faced.


    His mouth slowly opened as he muttered, "Then why did you not at least point me in a direction? I thought you would help me make useful suggestions on my journey. That has what you said when you initially introduced yourself."


    [I am a Guidance system. I am here to help you make the right choice when you are stuck, and I have done that a handful of times already. But I am not your nanny to point out your problems. Especially not to you, a person who has quite some experience with the stuff. So just shut up. I will do my part when you need it. Thest thing I need is a delusional person to tell me about how I should run my thing. I am only a side character, nothing more. I will pop up when needed. It is you who has to do and realize the majority of the stuff. Now don''t disturb me again. Now before I go, I highly suggest you take the role in script no.3. It will do you good. Again, it depends on you.]


    Then it wentpletely silent as the system went silent. Joon-won now could only take another deep breath as he realized how much deep delusion he was in. Even though he acted normal and waspletely fine, it was still very different. The old Zhen Su would have never done the mistakes he had. He would have probably worked even harder to get roles and try to at least attempt stuff. But as the system said, this new freedom in thispletely different world changed him. He was far more rxed when this was supposed to be thest moment in his life to be rxed. He was yet to enter the prime age of his life and so he had to start grinding now to utilize his prime much more efficiently.


    As he continued to be in his thoughts, he felt his phone ring and noticed it was Min-Seok calling him. He slowly stood up and closed his eyes while facing towards the sky before murmuring to himself.


    "Let these past few months be the past. I need to now change and get things going so that I have the future I hoped I would. It said Script 3, right? Let''s see what this script is actually about tonight." he opened his eyes and made his way towards the dorm building. He reached there and noticed the three.


    Min-Seok noticed him and called out, "Joon-won,e here. Let''s go and have lunch now. Gah Soo, you should join us too." as he turned towards Gah Soo.


    But this time Gah Soo shook her head as she declined his kind offer before telling her she already had ns to attend with a friend soon and she had to be going. Min-Seok nodded as he and Yun-hee thanked her before they separated.


    Min-Seok turned towards Joon-won before asking, "So what did you do until now? It looks like you were nearby, too." Joon-won just replied he slept under a tree as the three of them walked out of the campus. He decided to take them to ramen near his university, which was a couple of minutes away in the cab. They reached the shop and all three of them ordered their food.


    As they waited for their food, Min-Seok looked at Joon-won, who closed his eyes before asking, "Is there any problem Joon-won? You seem a bit off."


    Joon-won could only shake his head, reassuring him everything was fine, and before Min-Seok could say anything, their ramen arrived and everyone dug in. Min-Seok paid for the ramen and they went back to Yun-hee''s university to drop her off.


    As they arrived back at her campus and in front of her dorm building, she immediately hugged Min-Seok tightly before she slowly cried a bit. Min-Seok could onlyugh at how his tough daughter was acting at thest moment. He slowly hugged her back before saying.


    "It''s going to be alright. I mean, you can always call me or your brother to pick you up and if you feel this is not for you and you can''t stay here, you can alwayse back home. So do not worry now. Everything is going to be alright. Do you want to take a couple more days to join? We can do that."


    She quickly shook her head as she wiped off a few tears that were built before turning towards Joon-won. Joon-won just patted her head with a smile before saying, "You can call me anytime ande crash at my house. I told you, I always have my couch empty for you. Ok?" She just pped his hand away before she looked at both of them for one more time as she turned around and walked into the building.


    Joon-won looked at Min-Seok before saying with a smile, "Now why are you crying? Do you want to call her back?"


    Min-Seok pped his back before saying, "Stop the nonsense. Let''s go back now. I need to still get in time to my bus. We only have 3 hours till my bus time." as he turned around.


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