Yu Myeong stared at Yu Seok in disbelief.
Yu Seok simply grinned.
"I clearly said I'd be choosing your next project."
"No, I mean... choosing the project is one thing, but the timing—"
"My choice too. There were no conditions about when that next project had to be, were there?"
The mischievous smile on Yu Seok's face practically screamed I won.
Yu Myeong let out a laugh.
It was true.
They had never specified when the next project would be.
More than that, though, he understood the concern behind Yu Seok's actions.
He knew Yu Seok was worried about how relentlessly he had been pushing himself.
And so he laughed.
"All right."
"...You're accepting that way too easily, which makes me nervous. What's your angle?"
"I was thinking of taking a break anyway. Peter Pan felt less like work and more like a hobby I wanted to do myself. I was planning to do one more project and then rest."
"For something that started as a hobby, it's become pretty massive. Your market value has skyrocketed because of it. Still, I'm surprised. You actually planned to take a break on your own. Was there something you wanted to do while resting?"
Yu Seok assumed it would be something related to acting.
Graduate school.
Acting studies.
That acting maniac undoubtedly spent every spare moment thinking about how to improve.
But Yu Myeong's answer was unexpected.
"A backpacking trip through Europe."
"Backpacking? Will that be okay?"
"Koreans might recognize me if I run into them, but fortunately my face still isn't well known overseas. It'll probably be easier now than later. The longer I wait, the more people there'll be who recognize me."
"Hmm..."
Across both lives, Yu Myeong had never once gone abroad for pleasure.
The China location shoot for Late Goryeo, Early Joseon had been the first time he'd ever set foot in another country.
Even then, the filming schedule had been so tight that he hadn't done any sightseeing worth mentioning.
Still, simple curiosity about overseas travel—or the desire to backpack while he was still relatively unknown—was only a small part of why he wanted to go.
The bigger reason was something else.
He wanted to see foreign performance culture with his own eyes.
He had studied it through books and recordings for years.
But some things could only be understood by seeing them firsthand and experiencing them in person.
Europe.
A place where culture had flourished in concentrated brilliance for centuries.
A land filled with the traces of countless artists and literary giants.
He expected the cultural experiences and inspiration he would gain there to broaden his horizons.
And...
There was an even greater reason.
Yu Myeong kept that one buried safely inside his heart for now.
"I think it's a great idea. Honestly, I'm proud of you for wanting to enjoy yourself for once. We still need time for interviews and Crude's second shoot, though, so you should leave yourself some room in the schedule."
"I was thinking August. There's somewhere I really want to visit before September ends."
"Okay. That's still more than a month away. You don't mind if I buy the plane ticket as a gift?"
Yu Myeong accepted the kindness without refusing.
And so, his first real vacation was decided.
"Oh! Yu Myeong's here!"
The moment Yu Myeong opened the private room door, Jun Ho greeted him most enthusiastically.
Jun Ho.
Han Seong.
Seon Ha.
Hye Seon.
Yu Ri.
Su Ho.
Ryu Shin.
And Yu Myeong.
A simple gathering consisting only of the eight core members.
"Ryu Shin isn't here yet?"
"Nope. He's swamped preparing for departure. I just called him, and he said even if he rushes it'll be another thirty minutes. But you, Yu Myeong!"
Seon Ha put on a stern expression.
"How dare you go have all that fun and choose July instead of Hyesung? Our director's practically crying these days because of you people."
"Haha. I didn't join because of you, actually."
"Huh? Me?"
"I was worried I'd keep making things busy while you were busy dating."
"Hey! You little—"
Seon Ha's face turned bright red.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Not long ago, Han Seong and Seon Ha had carefully revealed their relationship to a few close friends.
Everyone here was part of that group.
"I'm kidding, haha. The real reason I went to July is because Hyesung was already doing fine."
"July's doing fine too. It's the second-largest theater company around."
"The atmosphere there wasn't great at the time. I was just repaying a debt."
"Ahhh."
They were still exchanging updates when—
Slide.
The guest of honor arrived.
"Ryu Shin!"
"Hyung!"
"Senior!"
Raising a hand in greeting, Ryu Shin sat down beside Yu Myeong and immediately opened a bottle of beer.
He seemed terribly thirsty, draining it in one long pull.
"Sorry I'm late."
"A lot to take care of?"
"Not that. It's just... whew. That Hugo guy..."
Ryu Shin took another drink.
The irritation behind the words that guy was impossible to miss.
"Something happen?"
"There are things his side is supposed to handle for the study-abroad arrangements, and they haven't managed to do a single one properly."
"Oh? Really? He's supposed to be this incredible figure."
"Remember what Mr. Ballon said back then? That I'd learn a lot from him, but my temper would get worse."
"Ah... right."
"I already understand exactly what he meant. Haa..."
Once Ryu Shin recovered a little of his energy, the conversation became lively again.
Stories about Late Goryeo, Early Joseon and Peter Pan.
The new Hyesung production featuring Hye Seon and Jun Ho.
Su Ho's short film project.
The discussion flowed endlessly.
"Have a good trip!"
"Keep in touch once in a while."
And they offered words of encouragement to the fellow actor setting out on a new journey.
Before the farewell party ended that night, Yu Myeong spoke to Ryu Shin.
"Have a safe trip. I'll be working hard too."
"I'm sure you will. You're Yu Myeong."
"So the next time we meet on a project, I'll be facing you with acting that's far better than it is now."
"...Terrifying."
Ryu Shin chuckled and extended his hand.
"That's terrifying, but thanks. I'll make sure I'm worthy of answering that challenge when I come back."
"Have a safe trip."
For eight long months, Ryu Shin had deliberately maintained a certain distance from Yu Myeong.
He did it so he wouldn't grow complacent.
But he understood something now.
It only looked as though they were standing opposite one another.
In reality, they were running toward the same summit.
The two men clasped hands firmly and shook.
"I think I just heard a pig squeal somewhere."
"Shin Yu Myeong. Are you challenging me right now?"
Late July.
Summer vacation had begun for elementary schools.
Ji Yeon had been sprawled across the floor praising vacation and making pig noises.
Then she bent her neck backward to stare at Yu Myeong.
Good grief.
For a second he thought he was looking at Regan from The Exorcist.
"Could you separate yourself from the floor and help me with this already?"
"Hmm... For free?"
"Maybe I should cancel the outlet trip..."
"Oh! My beloved older brother!"
Ji Yeon immediately flipped herself upright.
With a solemn expression, she pulled the cap off a twelve-color marker like a knight drawing Excalibur.
Pop.
"First, we need a route."
"A route?"
"Europe isn't organized by countries. It's organized by cities. You need to separate the cities you absolutely can't miss from the ones you'd like to visit if possible and the ones you can skip. Then you assign anywhere from a day to a week to each city and build the route. Which cities are non-negotiable?"
Back in college, Ji Yeon had traveled alone through Europe for quite a long time.
She had always been bold.
Yu Myeong had wanted to travel too, but after finishing his first year of university he'd gone into the military, and afterward he'd immediately become consumed by theater.
Once he'd left home after clashing with his parents, he hadn't had the money for overseas travel anyway.
The expert spread a printed map across the table.
As Yu Myeong listed cities, she marked them one by one.
"London. Paris. Vienna. Cannes. Verona."
"London and Paris, absolutely. Vienna's fine. Cannes makes sense if you're an actor. But Verona? You mean that little Italian city?"
"Yeah. One of the most important places."
"Why? Ah... because Verona is the city of Romeo and Juliet?"
Verona, Italy.
A small city roughly an hour from Venice by train.
Known worldwide as the setting of Romeo and Juliet.
Juliet's Balcony, where Romeo whispered his love, had become a place where countless couples pledged eternal devotion.
Yu Myeong wanted to visit someday.
But that wasn't why Verona mattered.
"From August through early September, it hosts the world's largest opera festival. They build a stage into one side of an ancient Roman amphitheater, and the rest becomes seating for over twenty thousand spectators. It's the largest outdoor opera stage in the world."
"Ohhh. You're interested in opera too?"
"I'm interested in every kind of stage."
It wasn't just great acting he wanted to see.
The overwhelming energy of a massive stage and audience.
The astonishingly creative mime performances of street actors earning spare change in public squares.
Court orchestras dressed in traditional crimson uniforms and powdered white wigs, radiating aristocratic elegance.
Van Gogh's paintings.
Michelangelo's sculptures.
Children tossing coins into fountains.
All the artistic inspiration they could offer.
Things he could never have seen in his previous life.
One more production would certainly help him grow.
But these experiences and inspirations would broaden and deepen his world as well.
Even while planning a vacation, every one of Yu Myeong's interests eventually led back to acting.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Ji Yeon marked five red dots on the map.
"Is there a city that absolutely has to be first or last?"
"London first. Verona after that. Paris last."
"Ugh! What kind of chaotic route is that?"
"I want the first city I visit abroad to be Shakespeare's home. Verona has to come before early September because the opera festival ends. And Paris..."
"And Paris?"
"There's someone I want to meet around then."
"No. This route is terrible. It's completely inefficient. Do you know how much travel time you'll waste?"
"I'll fly."
"Huh?"
"Your brother has money."
Yu Myeong grinned.
Only then did Ji Yeon realize her mistake.
She'd automatically assumed backpacking meant being frugal, economical, and maximizing value.
She'd forgotten that this man was rich.
Ji Yeon tossed the marker aside.
"Then you don't need a plan."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because money solves everything. Have a good trip. And make sure you bring me a present with all that overflowing wealth."
Ji Yeon suddenly felt cheated for having traveled so carefully on a budget herself.
On the way to Incheon Airport.
Yu Myeong sat alone on an airport limousine bus.
He hadn't allowed his family, his Team Leader, Manager Ho Cheol, or even Su Yeon to come see him off.
If his departure became a spectacle and attracted media attention, his entire trip might become media fodder.
Thank goodness this was an era before smartphones.
It wasn't realistic to expect nobody would recognize him.
But at least it wasn't yet an age where every stop would be photographed, uploaded, and tracked through GPS.
{I'm excited to go play! Make sure they give me beer as soon as we get on the plane!}
He was alone.
Yet not alone.
Miho sat beside him on the bus, purring happily.
A trip with complete freedom and a traveling companion besides.
Yu Myeong rested a hand where her translucent fur would have been.
Screeeech—
Hiss—
The bus arrived at the airport.
He retrieved his suitcase and gripped it firmly in one hand.
Pulling his cap low, he drew his presence inward as much as possible.
Fortunately, when he wasn't deliberately attracting attention, Yu Myeong looked fairly ordinary.
He successfully avoided drawing stares from passersby.
The airline employee, however, nearly jumped after seeing his passport.
Yu Myeong smiled with his eyes and pressed a finger to his lips.
Shh.
After checking his luggage, he moved through the terminal unencumbered.
Airport security was startled.
Immigration was startled.
Each time, Yu Myeong simply bowed slightly and silently asked for discretion.
Celebrities used airports every day, so it shouldn't have been surprising.
But because he was one of the hottest names in the country at the moment—and because he was casually traveling among ordinary passengers—the staff kept getting caught off guard.
As he wheeled his carry-on through the terminal, a giant display screen caught his attention.
His own face stared back at him.
He lowered his head immediately.
[Crude you, with Crude]
The second version of the commercial, filmed about a month earlier.
Its concept had been Assistant Manager Park Ju Won's Romance.
Cold and aloof on the outside.
Warm and affectionate with the woman he loved.
The two sides occupied opposite halves of the screen, representing the exterior and interior of Crude vehicles.
A sleek exterior paired with a driver-friendly interior.
A concept created by Team Leader Park Jin Hui, comparing the car's dual nature to Park Ju Won himself.
The commercial, featuring a cold-faced Park Ju Won melting whenever he was with his girlfriend, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} had exploded in popularity within a week of its release.
{Oh, there you are too. Hyunseong Motors really went all in.}
Ugh. Let's get past this quickly.
Seeing himself on a screen never bothered him.
Seeing his face plastered across a giant advertisement still embarrassed him.
He hurried his pace.
Then—
"Now boarding."
Standing before the gate, Yu Myeong turned toward the dedicated entrance.
The ticket Yu Seok had bought for him...
Was First Class.
Comments
Comment Rules
Please read and follow these rules before posting a comment. By submitting a comment, you agree to comply with all applicable rules below.
Site administrators and editors reserve the right to moderate, edit, or remove comments.
The following activities are strictly prohibited in comments and reviews:
Such comments will not make updates arrive faster. If a new chapter is available to us, we will publish it. If it has not been published, it means that we do not have it yet.
Do not flood the comment section by posting multiple consecutive comments. You may edit your previous comment to add more information, or include everything you want to say in a single comment.
Users who violate these rules may receive a warning. Repeated or serious violations may result in a temporary or permanent suspension of commenting privileges.
Commenting Suspended