“Brother...”
“Yes?”
“Can you get me Baek Seunghyo’s autograph?”
His mother, sitting on the floor with her back against the couch, playfully smacked Jiyeon on the back.
“You’re such a kid...”
“Just kidding. But wow, brother. You’re seriously amazing. Did you know I got goosebumps? For the first time, I actually felt proud to call you my brother.”
The atmosphere instantly grew warm, and Yoomyeong pressed his lips together as he met Jiyeon’s eyes.
“Oh, I meant Bohyung, of course. I want to call you ‘Brother Bohyung’...”
The warm atmosphere continued.
“Yoomyeong really is the best at this.”
His father tried to hide his slightly choked-up expression behind a hearty laugh, while his mother, blushing like a young girl, kept praising him.
RRR—
Then his mother’s phone rang loudly.
“Who could be calling at this hour? Oh, it’s Minsu’s mom! Yes, did you watch it? Yes... he’s doing really well.”
His mother’s voice grew louder, and Jiyeon nudged Yoomyeong in the side and whispered,
“That’s Mom’s frenemy. She always brags about her son whenever they meet. Now it’s finally Mom’s turn to get revenge.”
“Haha...”
“But brother...”
The fact that Jiyeon was voluntarily calling him brother made Yoomyeong nervous.
“What?”
“So what happens in episode 3? Does Hana get the role and become a star?”
“I don’t know.”
“How do you not know? I heard you already filmed up to episode 5!”
“My lips are sealed!”
“Ah, I’m so curious. How am I supposed to wait a whole week?!”
Watching Jiyeon squirm with curiosity, it seemed the drama really was interesting.
Yoomyeong found himself looking forward to the ratings for episode 2.
On the online community [GodNamed].
The site admin smiled proudly at the number of new members who had joined in just one day.
‘I really do have an eye for hidden gems.’
She wasn’t old, but she was a seasoned veteran with ten years of experience as a celebrity fan.
She had started watching the drama because of Baek Seunghyo, but the moment ‘he’ appeared, all her attention shifted.
His movements were smooth and elegant, like those of a well-bred cat. Even dressed in rags picked from a donation bin, his voice drifted through the air like music.
Entranced, she clicked [Create Cafe] on the community site.
If she hadn’t created it while the episode was airing, she would have lost the title of first fan club founder.
She searched for ‘Shin Yoomyeong’ and ‘Yoon Bohyung’ and smirked at the sight of a few other fan cafes beginning to appear.
Member count: 351 members.
For a fan club dedicated to a relatively unknown actor, and one created less than a day ago, it was an incredible number. The member count was climbing rapidly.
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Post 03 [Bohyung, my heart hurts...]
Did you see Bohyung’s bright smile yesterday?
Did you see how adorable he was with Hana’s grandmother?
Did you see him making eye contact with the cat?
Please save me...
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└ I think I got hurt yesterday too. Should we do a group order for first-aid cream...?
└ So it wasn’t just me. He’s seriously charming. Was he a trainee idol or something?
└ I want to raise Bohyung. I’d spend my whole paycheck feeding him delicious food...
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Post 16 [Analyzing Bohyung’s outfit from Episode 1]
Hello, I’m a fashion major.
While watching the drama yesterday, I couldn’t stop wondering who this guy really is.
He first appeared in shabby clothes, but the shoes he was wearing were the latest model from G brand, worth around 600,000 won! The casually tied knot around his hand was a mini scarf from C brand worth about 300,000 won. And the suitcase he dragged around? A 700,000 won piece from R brand!
Is this simply sponsorship, or is there more to the story?
Of course, the important thing is that he looked ridiculously good wearing all of it.
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└ Are you a fashion major or a shopping addict?
└ Could those shabby clothes actually be...?
└ No, those really looked like thrift-store clothes.
└ Wow, now I’m curious. Did you see his expression in the preview? There’s definitely more to him...
After browsing through the cafe, the site admin turned on the TV.
9:45 PM.
It was time for the live broadcast.
Episode 2 did not disappoint her.
‘Wow... this actor is seriously...’
The moment the drama ended, the site admin rushed back to the fan cafe.
The atmosphere in the cafe, which had previously been filled with comments describing Bohyung as a ‘fluffy boy,’ completely changed after Episode 2 aired. New members flooded in as well.
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Post 74 [I take back what I said about raising him...]
I want Bohyung to raise me...
I want to be his pet...
I’d happily eat anything he gave me...
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└ Are you my long-lost soulmate?
└ Bohyung’s charm today... Ah, I want to forget my age and call him oppa.
└ How was this actor never discovered until now?
└ You’re asking him to feed you? That’s way too demanding. I’ll even bring my own pet food.
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Post 92 [Hana, get a grip]
There’s a perfect man right next to you, so why are you obsessed with that walking disaster Do-jun?
Wake up. I used to fall for bad boys when I was younger too... Sigh.
Take the easy road in life.
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└ But honestly, isn’t Do-jun kind of cool? Baek Seunghyo’s shoulders... and the way he gets immersed in his acting.
└ Be honest. Is it the acting or the shoulders?
└ But Bohyung feels too ethereal to get involved with ordinary humans... Though maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
└ Why is a chaebol heir acting like that? There has to be some kind of backstory.
└ “Those dogs.” That’s definitely going to become a catchphrase. From now on I’m calling him ‘sly fox!’
The site admin smiled at the flood of posts and began writing an announcement.
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Post 107 [[Announcement] Recruiting fan club staff]
Our [GodNamed] cafe won’t remain just an online community. We plan to work hard to become actor Shin Yoomyeong’s official fan club. To build a foundation for that, we’re recruiting staff members...
...
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That day, the cafe’s membership surpassed 1,000.
“Brother, you should wear a mask.”
“Oh, it’s not that serious yet. I’m just going to grab a coffee really quickly.”
“Oh, but... huh?”
It was supposed to be a quick stop for coffee while riding in Ho-chul’s van.
The trouble started when one of the cafe employees shouted, “Bohyung?”
“Bohyung? The rookie actor?”
“Oh, I really enjoyed your drama. Could I get your autograph?”
“Are you filming around here?”
Most of the people in the cafe immediately turned to look at them, and some boldly approached to ask for autographs and pictures.
Unaccustomed to situations like this, Yoomyeong began signing autographs in a daze. The problem was that the line just kept getting longer.
In the end, Ho-chul stepped in.
“Thank you, everyone. We’re short on time for filming, so we’ll only be signing for the people already in line. Please continue supporting ‘Showbiz Studies.’”
Ho-chul skillfully managed the crowd, and after signing around a dozen autographs, Yoomyeong was finally able to return to the van.
“...Wow. This feels strange...”
“Brother, it’s going to get dozens, maybe hundreds of times crazier from here. You need to let go of the mindset of an ordinary person. A mask is essential! Sunglasses are optional!”
Yoomyeong stared blankly.
{Isn’t this obvious? Didn’t you expect it?}
‘No, I understood it in theory, but...’
{But what?}
‘I managed to avoid being recognized by Daoists on the streets every single time, but now complete strangers recognize my face?’
{So? Does it bother you?}
‘No! I’m thrilled!!’
Miho chuckled and flicked his ear playfully.
{Well, I guess you would be. Let’s see how long that excitement lasts...}
“Episode 2 hit 21.7%! We beat ‘Defense of Dignity’!!”
Cheers erupted across the set early in the morning.
The PD couldn’t stop smiling.
Perhaps because of the strong start, filming went smoothly all day.
News about supporting actor Bohyung’s explosive popularity, articles about lead actor Kwon Do-jun rapidly going from hated to beloved, and discussions about lead actress Hana’s down-to-earth charm becoming a hit were the hot topics during every break.
There were so few NGs {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} that the schedule jokingly referred to as ‘starts at 9 PM and ends at 1 AM’ actually wrapped up at 8 PM.
“Since we finished early, why don’t we all grab dinner? Today’s on me.”
Baek Seunghyo’s announcement was met with cheers, and the entire staff headed to a nearby barbecue restaurant.
Naturally, the TV was tuned to . Considering how much buzz ‘Showbiz Studies’ had been generating lately, it was guaranteed to appear on the program.
But there was another piece of news that completely captured everyone’s attention.
“Our ‘Entertainment Weekly’ has landed an exclusive interview with Joel Schumacher, the mastermind behind countless Hollywood hits and the director of ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ Reporter Kim Soo-hwa!”
“Yes. I flew all the way to the U.S. for this precious interview! Standing beside me is Director Joel Schumacher himself. Could you say hello to your Korean fans?”
“Annyeonghaseyo.”
December 8th.
The Hollywood film ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ released on the same day as ‘Showbiz Studies,’ had received excellent reviews. It seemed that Joel Schumacher, famous for creating the pinnacle of low-budget cinema with , had agreed to a promotional interview.
Yoomyeong watched the TV with interest.
After a brief Korean greeting as fan service, the interview continued through a translator.
They discussed simple anecdotes from filming, the movie’s main themes, and Schumacher’s impressions of Korea. Then he mentioned something that immediately caught the reporter’s attention.
“There was a Korean film I recently found very impressive.”
“A Korean film? How did you come across it?”
“A French friend of mine watched it at PIFF and was so impressed that they contacted the director for permission and sent me a tape.”
“My goodness. What was the film?”
“It was called ‘Ballerina High.’ It’s an homage to ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ I found its integration of ballet into the story and its reinterpretation of Christine’s perspective very interesting. And the actor playing the Phantom...”
“The Phantom actor?”
“That young actor gave an incredibly deep performance. I wish I had seen the film before shooting mine. It would have been an excellent reference. It may be difficult to watch in the U.S., but I hope it’s available in Korea. Reporter, I think it would be interesting for you to compare it with my film after watching it. It’s definitely worth seeing.”
“Thank you for the recommendation. I’ll definitely watch it!”
Then the studio anchor continued.
“After this interview, we tracked down the film Director Schumacher mentioned. ‘Ballerina High’ is scheduled for release in seven theaters nationwide on December 18th.”
“Only seven theaters?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for independent films to secure screens in Korea. Even getting this many theaters was possible because the film was a hit at the Busan International Film Festival and was recognized for its quality.”
“That’s good to hear. I hope the film performs well and expands to more theaters.”
“And here’s another surprising fact. Do you know the drama ‘Showbiz Studies?’”
“Yes, of course. The next segment is about ‘Showbiz Studies,’ right? Why bring it up all of a sudden?”
“The actor Shin Yoomyeong, who plays Yoon Bohyung in the drama and became a hot topic after only two episodes for being both a ‘fluffy boy’ and ‘two-faced,’ is actually the Phantom actor from the film Director Joel Schumacher mentioned earlier.”
“What? Oh my goodness, I just got goosebumps.”
Silence fell over the restaurant.
Dozens of eyes turned toward Yoomyeong, and he spoke with an awkward smile.
“I wasn’t the lead, just a supporting actor... There must have been some misunderstanding.”
A person’s life could change overnight.
Not like a gentle breeze,
But like sails caught in a storm.
