༺ Sails in the Storm ༻
“Brother…”
“Yes?”
“Can you get me Baek Seunghyo’s autograph?”
His mother, seated on the floor and leaning against the couch, playfully slapped Jiyeon’s back.
“You’re such a child…”
“Just kidding. But wow, brother. You’re no joke. Did you know I got goosebumps? For the first time, I really felt proud to call you ‘brother.'”
The atmosphere suddenly warmed up and Yoomyeong firmly closed his mouth, meeting Jiyeon’s gaze.
“Oh, I meant Bohyung, of course. I want to call you ‘Brother Bohyung’…”
The warm atmosphere continued.
“Yoomyeong is the best at this.”
His father tried to hide his slightly choked-up face with a hearty laugh, and his mother blushed like a young girl, praising him continuously.
RRR—
And then, his mother’s phone rang loudly.
“Who could it be at this hour? Oh, Minsu’s mom! Yes, did you see it? Yes… he’s doing really well.”
His mother’s voice grew louder, and Jiyeon nudged Yoomyeon’s side, whispering.
“That’s Mom’s frenemy. She always brags about her son whenever she sees her. Now, it’s Mom’s time for revenge.”
“Haha…”
“But brother…”
Jiyeon 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 come you don’t know? I heard you’ve already filmed up to episode 5!”
“My lips are sealed!”
“Ah, I’m so curious. How can I wait a whole week?!”
Seeing how Jiyeon struggled with her curiosity, it seemed that the show was indeed interesting.
Yoomyeong started to look forward to the ratings for episode 2.
*
8:45 PM, one hour before the airing of Episode 2.
On the internet community [GodNamed].
The site admin smiled proudly at the number of new members who had joined in just one day.
‘I really have an eye for gems.’
Though not old, she was a seasoned pro, with ten years of experience as a celebrity fan.
She started watching the drama because of Baek Seunghyo, but her attention was fixed the moment ‘he’ appeared.
His movements were smooth and elegant, like those of a high-bred cat. His voice spread through the air like a song, even when dressed in rags picked from a clothing donation box.
She clicked on [Create Cafe] on the community site, mesmerized.
If she hadn’t created it during the airing, she would’ve lost the title of the first fan club.
She searched for ‘Shin Yoomyeong’ and ‘Yoon Bohyung’ and smirked at a few other emerging fan cafes.
Member count: 351 members.
It was a remarkable number for a fan club of a relatively unknown celebrity, especially when it was created less than a day ago. The number was rapidly increasing.
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Post 03 [Bohyung, my heart is hurting…]
Did you see Bohyung’s bright smile yesterday?
Did you see how cute he was being to Hana’s grandmother?
Did you see him locking eyes with her cat?
Save me…
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└ I feel like I got hurt yesterday, too. Can we do a group purchase of first-aid cream…?
└ It wasn’t just me then. He’s so charming. Could he be a former idol trainee?
└ I want to raise Bohyung. I’ll spend my entire salary to feed him delicious food…
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Post 16 [Bohyung’s outfit analysis from Episode 1]
Hello, I’m a fashion major.
While watching the drama yesterday, I couldn’t help but wonder about his identity.
He first appeared in tattered clothes, but the shoes he was wearing were G brand’s latest, worth around 600,000 won! The casually tied knot on his hand was a C brand mini scarf, about 300,000 won. And the suitcase he dragged along? It’s a 700,000 won piece from R brand!
Is this just sponsorship, or is there a deeper plot?
But of course, what’s important is that he wore those expensive items incredibly well.
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└ Are you a fashion major or a shopaholic?
└ Could those tattered clothes be…?
└ No, those really seemed like thrifted clothes.
└ Wow, I’m curious. Did you see his expression in the preview? Seems like there’s more to him…
After skimming through the cafe, the site admin turned on the TV.
9:45 PM. It was time to watch the live broadcast.
In Episode 2, Bohyung didn’t disappoint her.
‘Wow… this actor is really…’
Immediately after the drama ended, the site admin returned to the fan cafe.
The atmosphere in the cafe, which was already buzzing with the notion of Bohyung’s character as a ‘fluffy boy,’ completely flipped after the airing of Episode 2. There was also an influx of new members.
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Post 74 [I’m canceling my wish to raise him…]
I want to be raised by Bohyung…
I want to be his pet…
I’d be happy to eat anything he gives me…
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└ Are you my lost soulmate?
└ Bohyung’s charm today… Ah, I want to ignore my age and call him ‘oppa.’
└ Why wasn’t this actor discovered until now?
└ You’re going to ask him for food? How demanding. I’ll even bring my own pet food.
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Post 92 [Hana, come to your senses]
There’s such a perfect man right beside her, so why is she into the messed-up Do-jun?
Wake up. I fell for bad boys too when I was younger… Sigh.
Let’s take the easy path in life.
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└ But honestly, isn’t Do-jun kind of cool? Baek Seunghyo’s shoulders… and his immersion in acting.
└ Be honest. Is it because of his acting or his shoulders?
└ But Bohyung seems too ethereal to get involved with humans… Of course, that’s just wishful thinking.
└ Why is a chaebol heir acting like that? There must be a story.
└ Those dogs. This is going to become a catchphrase. From now on, I’ll call him ‘sly fox!’
The site admin smiled at the flurry of posts and began writing an announcement.
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Post 107 [[Announcement] Recruiting fan club staff]
Our [GodNamed] cafe won’t be content with just being an online community. We aim to work hard to become the official fan club of actor Shin Yoomyeong. To lay the foundation, we’re recruiting staff…
…
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That day, the cafe’s membership surpassed 1,000.
*
From the next day, Yoomyeong began to experience fame.
“Brother, you should wear a mask.”
“Oh, it’s not that serious yet. I’ll just quickly grab some coffee.”
“Oh, but… uh?”
It was supposed to be a quick stop to grab a coffee while traveling in Ho-chul’s van.
The trouble started when an employee at the coffee shop shouted, “Bohyung?”
“Bohyung? The new actor?”
“Oh, I enjoyed your drama. Could I get your autograph?”
“Are you shooting around here?”
The majority of people in the coffee shop turned their attention towards them, and some even boldly approached, asking for autographs and photos.
Yoomyeong, inexperienced with such situations, began signing autographs bewilderedly. The problem was that the line kept growing.
Finally, Ho-chul intervened.
“Thank you, everyone. We’re running out of time for our shoot, so we’ll only sign for those who are already in line. Please continue to support ‘Showbiz Studies.'”
Ho-chul skillfully managed the crowd, and Yoomyeong could finally get back to the van after signing about a dozen autographs.
“…Wow. This feels strange…”
“Brother, it’s going to get tens or hundreds of times more intense. You’ve got to let go of the mindset of an ordinary person. A mask is essential! Sunglasses are optional!”
Yoomyeong’s expression turned blank.
{Isn’t this obvious? Didn’t you expect this?}
‘No, I knew it in my head, but…’
{But what?}
‘I’ve never been caught even once by those Daoists in the streets, and now strangers recognize my face?’
{So? Are you annoyed?}
‘No! I’m thrilled!!’
Miho chuckled and flicked her ear playfully.
{Well, I guess you would be thrilled. Let’s see how long that joy lasts…}
*
They say that good things come in droves.
“Episode 2 hit 21.7%! We beat ‘Defense of Dignity’!!”
Cheers filled the set from early in the morning.
The PD couldn’t stop smiling.
Perhaps due to the great start, the day’s shooting flowed smoothly.
News about the supporting actor Bohyung’s soaring popularity, news articles about the lead actor Kwon Do-jun quickly shifting from disliked to liked, and the lead actress Hana’s down-to-earth charm winning hearts were hot topics during every break.
The lack of NGs was so unusual that the day’s schedule, jokingly referred to as ‘ends at 9 PM but actually at 1 AM’, wrapped up at 8 PM.
“Why don’t we grab dinner since we finished early? I’ll treat everyone today.”
Baek Seunghyo’s announcement was met with cheers, and everyone headed to a nearby barbecue restaurant.
Naturally, the TV was tuned to <Entertainment Weekly>. Considering the buzz around ‘Showbiz Studies’ recently, it was bound to be featured on the show.
However, there was another piece of news that captivated everyone.
“Our ‘Entertainment Weekly’ has exclusively interviewed Joel Schumacher, the mastermind of Hollywood cinema and the director of ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ Kim Soo-hwa, our reporter!”
“Yes. I’ve flown all the way to the U.S. for this precious interview! Here with me is Director Joel Schumacher. Could you say hello to your Korean fans?”
“Annyeonghaseyo.”
December 8th.
The Hollywood movie ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, released on the same date as ‘Showbiz Studies,’ received favorable reviews. It seemed that Joel Schumacher, the director known for creating the pinnacle of low-budget films with <Phone Booth>, agreed to do a promotional interview. Yoomyeong watched the TV with interest.
After a brief Korean greeting as fan service, the interview proceeded with a translator.
The conversation covered simple anecdotes about the movie production, the main focus of the movie, and Schumacher’s impression of Korea. Then, he mentioned something that piqued the reporter’s interest.
“There was a recent Korean movie that impressed me.”
“A Korean movie? How did you come across it?”
“My French friend saw it at PIFF and was so impressed that they got permission from the director and sent me a tape.”
“My goodness. What was the movie?”
“It was titled ‘Ballerina High’. It’s an homage to ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. I found the integration of ballet into the story and the different interpretation of Christine’s perspective interesting. And the acting of the Phantom…”
“The Phantom’s acting?”
“The young actor delivered a very deep performance. I wish I had seen this movie before filming mine since it would have been a great reference. It might be hard to watch it in the U.S., but I hope it’s available in Korea. Reporter, it would be interesting if you could compare it with my movie after you watch 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 movie mentioned by Director Schumacher. ‘Ballerina High’ is set to release in seven theaters nationwide on December 18th.”
“Only seven theaters?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, it’s tough for independent films to find screens in Korea. Even securing this many theaters was possible because the film was a hit at the Busan International Film Festival and recognized for its quality.”
“That’s good to hear. I hope the movie does well and expands to more theaters.”
“And here’s another surprising thing. Do you know the drama ‘Showbiz Studies?’”
“Yes, of course. The next news is about ‘Showbiz Studies’, isn’t it? Why are you bringing it up all of a sudden?”
“The actor Shin Yoomyeong, who plays Yoon Bohyung in the drama and has become a topic of discussion as a ‘fluffy boy’’ and ‘two-faced’ after just two episodes, turns out to be the lead Phantom in the movie mentioned earlier by Director Joel Schumacher.”
“What? Oh my, I just got goosebumps.”
Silence fell over the restaurant.
Dozens of eyes became fixed on Yoomyeong, and he spoke with an awkward smile.
“I wasn’t the lead, just a supporting actor… There must’ve been a misunderstanding.”
A person’s life could change overnight.
Not with a gentle breeze,
But like sails in a storm.
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