The scene transitioned to a two-shot of Jeong Mong-ju and Lee Bang-won after class.
Jeong Mong-ju tried to leave the lecture hall, seemingly eager to avoid the encounter. However, Lee Bang-won blocked his path and bowed deeply. Despite having grown up in a remote northeastern region, his greeting was noble and refined.
Jeong Mong-ju was forced to stop in his tracks.
"Greetings, Master."
It was an uncomfortable title for Mong-ju. However, he could hardly dismiss Lee Bang-won and tell him not to call him that after the latter had just attended his lecture.
Mong-ju responded with an elegant smile and a polite greeting.
"It has been a long time, Yudeok."
(Lee Bang-won's courtesy name.)
Mong-ju's formal tone, a change from the informal speech he had used when Bang-won was younger, could have been out of respect for Lee Bang-won, who had now passed the civil service exam and married, or perhaps an attempt to maintain distance.
Lee Bang-won pondered Mong-ju's intentions.
"You've grown so much. Your scholarly achievements are impressive."
"I look forward to learning more from you, Master."
"I am only here to give a special lecture at Sungkyunkwan."
It was a subtle rejection and a roundabout way of saying that he was no longer his teacher.
One corner of Lee Bang-won's lips twitched slightly beneath his outwardly serene expression.
His father was not someone suited to duplicity. Seong-Gye probably still had not realized that this politician, whom he regarded as a friend, had already marked the Lee family as a threat.
Lee Bang-won suppressed his twisted smile.
Just as he had learned, and just as the good example before him demonstrated now, he must not reveal his turbulent emotions.
Bang-won spoke again with polite composure.
"I have been well."
"That is good to hear. I heard about your marriage. Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"How is your father?"
"He is even more energetic than I am."
"Haha. Song-heon is indeed a strong man. Send him my regards. I will see you next time."
As Mong-ju quickly wrapped up the conversation and moved away, Bang-won's facade shattered.
His true expression spread across his face, beginning with the twist of his lips.
"Master!"
Mong-ju's steps halted as he passed by Bang-won, held back by the emotions attached to that title.
They now stood with their backs to one another, facing opposite directions. The scene was framed in a two-shot.
"Why?"
"Why?! Why won't you even look me in the eye?"
Lee Bang-won's resentment burst forth.
Despite being a prodigy and having been mentored by the best, he was still only sixteen.
His seemingly sturdy facade unraveled uncontrollably.
He knew why Mong-ju had distanced himself.
It was not out of dislike or because he was busy.
It was simply because Mong-ju had sensed his father's ambitions and had marked him, the son, as a threat as well.
However, the man who had been Bang-won's hero for ten years and his teacher for two had turned his back on him once again.
It must be because our positions are different, Bang-won thought, trying to accept it calmly.
However, this person occupied too great a place in the sixteen-year-old Bang-won's life for him to let go so easily.
Bang-won's face eventually twisted, and he shouted aloud.
"Even when I tried to visit you or send letters, you never responded even once! Do you truly not want to see me at all?!"
His outburst, carrying the last traces of youthful innocence and impassioned fervor, seemed to tear through the air.
The person responsible for Bang-won's outburst responded:
"Use flattering words and a pleasing face to win others' favor, kiss the hand you wish to cut off, display outward obedience while harboring defiance within, and present what seems right but is in truth wrong!"
It was a soft yet unmistakable rebuke.
"I taught you that revealing your feelings without gaining anything is something a politician cannot afford!"
It was his master's final lesson.
Realizing he had exposed his hand, Bang-won shut his mouth tightly.
Jeong Mong-ju walked away and exited the frame, leaving only a furious Bang-won behind.
Jeong Mong-ju versus Lee Bang-won.
Round 1 ended in complete defeat for Bang-won.
It was not until the camera light turned green again that Hansung finally relaxed, and some of the tension eased from the silhouette of Yoomyeong, who still stood with his back to him.
Hansung turned and looked at Yoomyeong's back.
What kind of person is he?
He had been watching him for two years.
He had first seen him in a video Jae Pil showed off.
Back then, Yoomyeong possessed an overwhelming talent that left viewers breathless and even made Hansung want to tell him to relax a little.
After watching his acting at the Oedipus Workshop, Hansung had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Although he was a rookie actor, Yoomyeong was more serious about acting than anyone else. He was not merely a junior actor, but an equal colleague with whom Hansung could exchange thoughts about acting.
And recently, he had become like a close younger brother to Hansung. At times, he even felt like a friend or an older brother. Yoomyeong was a good person who made him feel fulfilled.
And now—
For the first time, Hansung felt a sense of crisis.
No matter how intense the character of Lee Bang-won was, the center of this film was Jeong Mong-ju.
The film, which centered on Jeong Mong-ju's life from Lee Bang-won's birth in 1367 to Mong-ju's death in 1392, required balance. Moreover, Yoomyeong did not appear until forty minutes into the movie.
Their confrontation had to be tense, but Jeong Mong-ju could not be overshadowed. Although he was ultimately killed by Lee Bang-won's hand, he won by remaining true to his principles.
If the real Jeong Mong-ju was overshadowed, then it meant his own acting was lacking.
That could not happen.
The hardships he had endured in the past had made Hansung somewhat numb to the world. But now, urgency returned to his face.
Although he had always been desperate when it came to acting,
Starting today, he would become even more desperate.
"So that's what facade means..."
Lee Bang-won and Jeong Mong-ju.
These two characters never revealed their true selves, always presenting socially acceptable faces that made them inscrutable and cunning.
However, each of them had a moment when their true selves were exposed.
For Lee Bang-won, it was at the age of sixteen, when he met Jeong Mong-ju again after two years.
The sight of the most influential figure in his life turning away from him caused the shell surrounding the still-maturing young man to crack open and reveal his true self.
From that point onward, his facade became increasingly solidified.
Jeong Mong-ju, on the other hand, first appeared at the age of twenty-nine and was already a fully formed politician. Throughout the film, he maintained a perfectly elegant facade except at the very end, when he revealed his true self just before his death.
It signaled a generational shift.
Shin Yoomyeong had crafted two expressions: the vivid expression of an ambitious and passionate Lee Bang-won, and a more muted, carefully concealed version of the same character.
And glimpses of Bang-won's true self emerged in those moments when the facade briefly peeled away, revealing a deep longing for things he could never have.
Recalling the vivid expression of those emotions, the director commented,
"This is really good. It's a shame this expression only appears once."
"I plan to blend it in subtly."
"Blend it in? How?"
Yoomyeong explained.
"When he interacts with loyal retainers like Jo Yeong-gyu or faces other political rivals, the thickness of his facade will vary. Of course, it will also change depending on the situation. I'm going to adjust the thickness of his facade in each scene."
Was this what genius looked like?
The director had sensed it when Yoomyeong requested additional acting takes, but his approach to acting was truly unique. Even for someone who had worked in the film industry for over thirty years, this method of acting was entirely new.
It was one thing to describe such a nuanced portrayal, but something else entirely to implement it convincingly.
The director decided not to interfere too much with Yoomyeong's acting. After all, he was someone who prepared and reflected on his character and scenes more thoroughly than anyone else.
The director.
That was the person who held the rudder and issued commands aboard the ship called a movie.
However, Director Son realized that, when it came to Yoomyeong, directing was less about command and more about compromise.
Yoomyeong's approach to acting was the result of years of self-taught methods and imagination, developed without a proper mentor.
Now, it was finally beginning to shine.
He's definitely one of a kind.
Miho thought this as she enjoyed the lively atmosphere on set and the fascinating performance of the contractor.
"Wow~ what's on the menu?"
"Who sent it?"
A food truck arrived at the filming location with a large advertising balloon floating above it.
[Please give your love to actor Shin Yoomyeong]
It had apparently driven all the way down the highway like that.
Yoomyeong blushed in embarrassment.
Two days earlier, Ho-chul had brought him the news.
Since Yoomyeong had to stay in Mungyeong for filming, Ho-chul unexpectedly ended up with free time. Every two or three days, he would casually visit Yoomyeong's house and the filming site to deliver laundry, and during one of those visits, he excitedly shared the news.
"Hyung, your fan club is sending a food truck!"
"Uh?"
Yoomyeong had heard that his first online fan community, , had received approval from the agency to become his official fan club.
There had been a meeting with the fan club managers in Seoul, attended by Yu-seok and Ho-chul. Yoomyeong had been very disappointed that he could not attend because of filming.
Since he had never met fans face-to-face before, their existence still felt unreal to him.
That was especially true when it came to a food truck sent by fans.
"Thank you, but I'm worried this might create a precedent and pressure other actors' fan clubs. No one else has received one yet."
"Hyung, what are you talking about? This is just a cute way for fans to support the youngest cast member!"
"Really? Well, everyone's tired of eating kimbap during shoots, so a proper meal would be nice."
"Okay then, I'll confirm it!"
However, Yoomyeong had not expected the bright yellow advertising balloon with the flashy purple text reading Please give your love ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) to actor Shin Yoomyeong.
As the food truck preparations continued, passing actors and staff called out:
"Love you!"
"We love actor Shin Yoomyeong~"
"Thanks for the food! Love, love~"
"Haa..."
Yoomyeong nearly wanted to bury his head in the ground from embarrassment.
"Hyung, the fan club president came in person."
"Really?"
"Yeah, she took a day off work to come. Maybe you should greet her?"
"Of course. Where is she?"
Near the food truck, a woman with her hair tied in a ponytail was checking the preparations. After Ho-chul confirmed she was the president, Yoomyeong tapped her on the shoulder from behind.
"Um..."
"Oh— Oh my God!!!"
The president turned around to see who it was and stumbled back with a scream when she saw Yoomyeong.
Yoomyeong awkwardly lowered the hand he had placed on her shoulder and bowed.
"Hello. You must be the president, right? I'm actor Shin Yoomyeong. Thank you."
It was a polite but somewhat awkward greeting. After all, he still was not used to having fans.
The president, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, suddenly looked teary-eyed and stamped her feet.
"Oh my God, what do I do? This is real. Just a moment, please. Hoo, hoo—"
After taking several deep breaths, she bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Hello! I'm Jung So-jin, president of GodNamed, actor Shin Yoomyeong's official fan club. I started my fandom life at sixteen as a fan of Do Soo's fan club, later moved on to manage GOT7's fan club, served as vice president of the WARM fan club, and was president of actor Ji Seong-Bin's fan club.
"Now, at twenty-six years old, I have decided to devote myself fully to actor Shin Yoomyeong. I promise to support you with reliable experience and firepower that won't lose to any other celebrity fandom!"
She nervously rattled off her experience.
A professional fangirl?
"Uh, thank you."
"I'm not saying this because I'm fickle! I've decided to settle down with supporting actor Shin Yoomyeong, so please don't worry!"
It sounded like she had once intended to "settle down" with other celebrities too.
Yoomyeong found her somewhat eccentric, though she also seemed like a kind older sister.
"It's okay to like several people, haha. Thank you, noona."
"Agh—"
She clutched her chest.
"Wait. Noona...? Oh, my heart. I should've recorded that."
"Should I say it again?"
"W-Wait. That's dangerous for my heart."
Blushing, she held out her hand.
"Anyway, I have a request!"
"What is it?"
"You haven't done any dramas, variety shows, or even commercials since your drama ended! Everyone's starving for updates..."
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
"So, I got permission from the agency and the director, but I need your approval too. Can I film part of the shoot?"
So-jin pulled a large telephoto camera out of her bag.
Courtesy name: A name bestowed upon someone in adulthood in addition to their given name.
