Seol Soo Yeon was a beloved actress.
Her beauty was so overwhelming that it was difficult to find a man who disliked her, but what truly set her apart were her ability to immerse herself completely in a role and her distinctive presence.
However, she rose to fame relatively late as an actress. As far as Yoomyeong remembered, she was already in her late twenties. Though her breakthrough came late, she had actually begun acting at twenty, suggesting that she had overcome some kind of obstacle along the way.
"Would you like to practice with me for a while whenever you have the time?"
Yoomyeong wanted to help her.
He felt sorry for the talented actress he admired, struggling alone without a mentor or colleagues while trapped by her own limitations.
After all, hadn't Miho helped him break through his own wall of presence? He wasn't entirely sure how much he could help her, but he was willing to try.
"Really? Uh... but you seem very busy, Mr. Yoomyeong."
"It's okay. The boss said we won't have much work for a few months."
"You're at the peak of your career, and your acting is great, so why?"
"I guess I'm just lucky."
Yoomyeong smiled as he thought of Yu-seok.
After Yoomyeong finished the Crude advertisement, Yu-seok had declared a script ban. He seemed worried about Yoomyeong, who had been working nonstop from one project to the next.
While it wasn't exactly what Yoomyeong had wanted, he appreciated the break. How many agencies relentlessly pushed their artists to the brink just to increase revenue?
"The company's practice room might be uncomfortable, so I'll look for a studio and let you know. Is your phone number still the same?"
"Yes! Yes!"
"Okay. It was nice seeing you today. Take care on your way home."
Soo Yeon pressed down on her rapidly beating heart and turned away from Yoomyeong, who was waving goodbye with a smile.
Whenever she felt suffocated, she thought of him.
In a world where effort didn't guarantee success, she often wondered whether she was being overly ambitious without the talent to support it. She wanted to ask him, but she hesitated, afraid of becoming a burden. She also constantly questioned whether she had truly done her best.
Many times, she had stared down at her phone with his number displayed before eventually putting it away.
But while she felt embarrassed to reveal such a timid side of herself compared to his flourishing career—
To practice acting together...
She felt a tingling sensation spread through her body at the unbelievable fortune of being able to practice with one of the most talented young actors anyone could hope to meet.
Could they actually become colleagues, just like the members of Oedipus?
She swallowed the wish she couldn't bring herself to say aloud.
"We met for the first time in two years."
"No way. I've been with Yoomyeong for months, and there wasn't the slightest sign he was seeing anyone."
"Man, you should date too. You'd be surprised how many celebrities date in secret. It's best to date a lot while you're young."
"Ah, I see. So that's why you dated so much when you were in school."
Seon-ha and Hansung were bickering as usual, but something felt different.
"Huh?"
Yoomyeong tilted his head slightly.
"How are you, Hye-Seon? Are you enjoying things these days?"
"Yes! Being part of a big theater troupe really feels different! And the seniors' acting is just wow."
Hye-Seon had just made her debut on Comet's stage in this regular performance as Nerissa, Portia's maid. It was a meaningful role despite being a supporting one, especially since most of her scenes were with Seon-ha, giving her plenty to learn from.
"Seniors, how was Yoomyeong on set? I'm really curious. I think it'll be interesting to watch the movie since the main cast is full of familiar faces."
The question came from Suho.
At that, Seon-ha and Hansung's expressions immediately turned serious.
"You won't believe this guy..."
"Yoomyeong is the best. Join Comet. Let's perform together."
"Senior, that's a bit much. Do you know how many movies and dramas are eyeing this guy? And you want to keep him locked up in Comet?"
"The theater deserves its share of Shin Yoomyeong! But it must be divided precisely into thirds. If the scales tip even by the weight of a single hair, you will face execution."
Seon-ha cleverly countered Hansung's jab with one of Portia's lines, drawing laughter from everyone at the table.
"Can't Senior Ryu Shin make it today? Is he still filming?"
"Yeah. I invited him, but he's not done yet. They started filming a bit later than you guys, so he should be wrapping up soon. How did he end up in a historical drama anyway? I guess the Oedipus members are competing for the audience now, huh?"
"Right?"
Suho and Hye-Seon exchanged meaningful glances at their seniors' clueless conversation.
Their seniors had no idea about Ryu Shin's competitive feelings toward Yoomyeong.
"Alright, let's call it a night here."
"Hyung, are you heading back to Suwon? Want a ride?"
"Uh? Oh, I have somewhere to stop by first, so go ahead."
"Okay. Great performance, Senior Seon-ha! Hye-Seon, keep up the good work!"
"Ah. Take care, Yoomyeong."
As they said their goodbyes and turned to leave, Miho asked,
{Are those two dating?}
"Huh? No, this is the first I've heard of it."
{People hold hands when they're dating, right? Or do they do it just for fun, kyung?}
"What? They were holding hands?!"
Yoomyeong was so shocked by the revelation that he didn't even have the presence of mind to refute Miho's teasing.
{They were holding hands under the table, kyung.}
"Wow..."
Only then did Yoomyeong understand the different atmosphere surrounding them that day.
When had it started?
During the movie shoot?
Why hadn't he noticed?
Either way—
It worked out well.
Really well.
Yoomyeong glanced back.
As expected, Hansung and Seon-ha were walking off in the same direction.
The hyung he admired and the bright, warm noona.
The two of them had gone through so much time and pain before finally finding each other.
Yoomyeong thought they were perfectly suited for one another, and he silently wished them happiness.
The atmosphere was sharp and charged with tension, all because of two people.
Jang Nok-su was played by Cheon Seong-yeon, while King Yeonsan was played by Seo Ryu Shin.
The period depicted was one week before the Jungjong coup d'état on August 23, 1506.
Inside the palace banquet hall.
King Yeonsan, his eyes hollow and his dragon robe hanging loosely from a body that looked as though it had suddenly lost a great deal of weight, gave off a harsh impression.
Taking a cup from one of the court courtesans, Yeonsan examined it before splashing its contents away.
Splat
"How could I drink from a cup that might be poisoned? Everyone here either hates me or fears me."
At those words, the courtesans drenched in wine trembled and lowered their heads, aware of the king's increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior. One wrong move could cost them their lives.
Among those soaked in wine was one person close to Yeonsan—Nok-su, who seductively licked the wine running down her face.
"Is it because it has been blessed by Your Majesty that it tastes so sweet? Please pour me another cup."
"Hahaha! Nok-su, you're the only one who can make me laugh."
"Your Majesty, what troubles you so?"
"Nok-su, play a melancholy tune for me."
At the king's command, Nok-su picked up a long bow.
Positioning a large geomungo before her, she played a sorrowful melody with her entire body.
Zing—Twang
To that melody, Yeonsan recited a poem.
"Life is like dew upon the grass, seldom lasting long."
The poem carried a sense of desperation, as though he longed for someone or anticipated something.
While the other courtesans simply lowered their heads before the king's poetry, Nok-su alone shed tears. They fell onto the strings of the geomungo and slid downward.
Eventually, she dropped the bow and burst into tears.
Yeonsan embraced her.
"It has been peaceful for a long time, so perhaps nothing will happen. But if trouble comes, none of you will be safe..."
A tear traced a path down his dry yet beautiful face.
"Nothing will happen, Your Majesty."
"Nok-su, Nok-su..."
His hollow voice echoed emptily, like that of a man standing at the edge of a cliff.
"Why, Yung?"
She answered firmly.
The people around them froze in shock.
For a courtesan to address the king informally and call him by his childhood name was grounds for execution.
Yet Yeonsan's stern expression softened at her words.
"You're the only one who understands me. No matter what happens, I will save you. You alone shine for me."
"Please remember that you were my greatest audience, Your Majesty. I have never regretted serving you."
"Good. Play another song. Let us revel to our hearts' content tonight."
Seong-yeon, who was portraying Jang Nok-su, was startled by her co-star's gaze.
Seo Ryu Shin's portrayal of Yeonsan balanced precariously between sanity and madness, filling the space with the king's loneliness, anxiety, obsession, and relief.
<The Artist, Jang Nok-su> was a screenplay depicting the life of Jang Nok-su as an artist.
Cheon Seong-yeon was one of the leading actresses in her thirties. She readily accepted the screenplay because of its starring role, though she had been somewhat concerned about the actor cast as Yeonsan.
In a film centered on Jang Nok-su, the role of King Yeonsan was naturally crucial.
Yeonsan ascended the throne at eighteen and became one of the most infamous rulers in Korean history before being deposed at thirty during the Jungjong coup d'état.
She had wondered whether any actor in his twenties could properly portray both the authority of a king and the complexity of the man himself.
Yet the young actor returning after a long hiatus had become a source of anxiety for her, making her fear she might be overshadowed.
He grew sharper every day.
That sharpness intensified with each passing month of filming, to the point where she felt that one wrong move might leave her deeply cut.
Now, with filming set to conclude after one final scene depicting the day of the Jungjong coup d'état, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Cut! Great work, everyone."
It had been a busy day.
RRR
Just then, his phone rang.
A name he could never forget appeared on the screen.
[Seo Ryu Shin]
"Hello?"
{How have you been?}
His voice sounded tired yet firm, gentle yet resolute—a little more mature than before.
"Hi, hyung. It really has been a long time."
{It has. Somehow we've kept missing each other. I guess we've both been living busy lives.}
Although there were occasional Oedipus gatherings that both of them attended from time to time, they had never actually met there. Yoomyeong's relentless schedule had kept him especially busy.
"You're filming a movie, right?"
{It wrapped up today. Are you busy right now?}
"No. I just got back."
{How about a beer?}
After Yoomyeong shared his address, Ryu Shin arrived in less than thirty minutes.
Yoomyeong changed into comfortable track pants and pulled on a low cap before heading out, greeting him with a convenience store bag in hand.
They sat together in a quiet nearby park and cracked open cans of beer.
The beer fizzed over slightly as they opened them, probably from being shaken during the trip.
The crisp taste immediately refreshed their tired bodies.
The person sitting beside him did the same.
"Aren't you tired after finishing the shoot today?"
"I am."
Ryu Shin smiled faintly.
Yoomyeong hadn't seen him in nearly two years, and he looked thinner than he remembered.
It made sense. He had just spent months portraying King Yeonsan, whose final years were bleak and tragic.
However, his gaze, which had always been straightforward and clear, hadn't changed at all.
"You've changed."
"I have?"
"Yes. Before, you had the aura of someone who seemed out of place until the moment you started acting. Now you simply feel like an actor."
"Haha..."
Ryu Shin's observation about the change in Yoomyeong's presence drew an awkward laugh from him.
"It's been a while, but it doesn't feel like it's been that long. Maybe it's because I've thought about you often."
"Me?"
"Whenever I hit a wall in acting, I found myself wondering what Shin Yoomyeong would do in that situation. Is what I'm doing really the best I can do? It's annoying that I think that way, but it helped."
Thinking back, the days of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde had been fun.
They were difficult, but having a rival right beside me that I wanted to beat made me push myself even harder every day.
It doesn't feel that long ago, but I miss it.
Though he never stated it directly, his words were an admission that he had always been conscious of Yoomyeong.
Yoomyeong felt the same way.
Many of his projects—including the widely discussed and the demanding <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>—had been enjoyable.
But the moments that thrilled him most were when he practiced and performed alongside fellow actors.
When he had a formidable rival.
And when he could feel the audience's reactions directly, just as he had during his first leading role in a stage production.
As Ryu Shin chuckled nostalgically, Yoomyeong suddenly spoke.
"Hyung, would you like to act with me again?"
