Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 290

Yeoul Arts Middle School audition number, 275

Mirinae Arts High School audition number, 541.

And,

Mirinae Arts High School, first year, class 2, Kim Haun.

Kim Haun, who had entered his dream school, looked around with excitement.

He walked along the long road, with Mirinae Hall on his right and Mir Hall on his left. 

He saw students and parents saying goodbye to each other.

“Kim Haun! Mom and dad will go check it out too!”

“I hope you’re in the same class as Seo-jun!”

Kim Haun waved to his parents who entered Mirinae Hall. 

He followed the long road and saw some kids who looked like freshmen. 

As he walked, he saw a wide playground and a big school at the end of the road.

“This is Mirinae Arts High School…!”

Kim Haun tried to calm his pounding heart and headed towards the crowd of kids in front of the school gate.

“Go! I hope I’m in the same class as Seo-jun!”

“Hey. You’re in class 2.”

“Seo-jun is in class 1.”

“Ji Ho and Ju Kyung are also in class 1.”

He could tell who was from Yeoul Arts Middle School and who was from another middle school just by listening to their conversations.

Kim Haun also looked at the temporary bulletin board.

‘Acting department, class 1…’

The names were written in alphabetical order, but Kim Haun’s name was not there.

“…Ah, I’m in class 2.”

He was disappointed that he couldn’t be in the same class as Seo-jun, but Kim Haun soon headed to class 2 with a cheerful heart.

He greeted his classmates and followed the teacher’s instructions to go to Mirinae Hall. 

He saw some kids who looked like they were in class 1 and looked for Seo-jun among them, but he couldn’t find him.

“I guess Seo-jun is the freshman representative again.”

“Yeah.”

He heard Yang Ju Hee, who played the detective Jeon Seong Min and the female lead in The Mirror of Drama, and Kang Jae Han, who appeared in Escape, talking.

Freshman representative.

He remembered reading a review about it on the internet. 

As Kim Haun was recalling his memory, an announcement came on to signal the start of the entrance ceremony.

[We will now begin the 14th entrance ceremony of Mirinae Arts High School.]

The freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and parents applauded.

The ceremony started with the opening speech by the principal of Mirinae Arts High School, followed by the introduction of guests such as the director of ATR Foundation, the pledge of allegiance, and the declaration of admission.

[Next, we will have the oath of the freshman representative.]

[Freshman representative. Acting department Lee Seo-jun.]

Just by hearing his name, the atmosphere in the large Mirinae Hall changed. 

It was quiet before, but now it was a silent filled with anticipation and excitement.

A student with a shining aura walked out from the side of the stage.

The door of the advanced library opened and a layer of aura wrapped around Seo-jun’s body, creating a sparkling aura.

The hall erupted with applause at Seo-jun’s appearance.

Seo-jun bowed to the principal and turned around to face the audience. 

He opened the oath paper he was holding in his hand.

“Oath.”

Kim Haun stared blankly at Seo-jun on stage.

It was different from the two brief encounters he had before.

“We, 120 freshmen, solemnly swear to abide by the school rules, study hard, and do our best to achieve our dreams.”

Seo-jun’s voice echoed throughout Mirinae Hall.

The stage was bright without a trace of darkness, but it seemed like only Seo-jun’s figure facing the audience was highlighted.

He couldn’t help but look at him and listen to him.

“Freshman representative, Lee Seo-jun.”

As Seo-jun finished his short oath and greeted them, a sigh of regret and applause erupted.

He lifted his head and smiled brightly. He looked different from what he saw on TV or screen.

‘…That kid is superstar Lee Seo-jun.’

Really,

he was a sight that suited the spotlight.

***

In mid-March, when he was getting used to his new school life,

Song Yu Jung, who barely passed the entrance exam for his desired university and department after watching Seo-jun’s audition video a few days before the college entrance exam and becoming a fan, and Lim Ye Na, who saw Song Yu Jung’s situation and sealed off her audition video until the day of the college entrance exam, met at a cafe.

“I still sweat when I think about it.”

Song Yu Na, who had a hard time taking the college entrance exam, started to fanboy over actor Lee Seo-jun very quickly. 

He had experience as an idol fan, so he was confident.

Someone said that.

High school seniors who finished the college entrance exam are invincible.

He started to fanboy over actor Lee Seo-jun with his arms raised. But Song Yu Jung soon had a sad face.

“What do actor fans buy with their money?”

Lim Ye Na, who came to the cafe with Song Yu Jung, laughed and said.

“They buy what they see and see again. But Seo-jun has a short hiatus and he uploads some videos on YouTube, so he has more fan service than other actors.”

“He doesn’t do L app or SNS. Idols appear on music shows several times a week, but actors don’t have such programs and they don’t have any spoilers.”

Song Yu Jung, who had seen his idol on the screen as an idol fan, was frustrated by the lack of spoilers other than his works.

“Actor fans. Amazing.”

“You’re an actor fan too. Hehe.”

“I guess so. I’ve watched it so many times that I can memorize the lines.”

“Hmm. Hmm. Very good.”

Lim Ye Na smiled satisfiedly at the sight of a proper actor fan.

“But in two weeks, Spring Has Returned will air, right? Just wait a little longer.”

“Yeah, that. Why don’t they promote it?”

“They’ll start soon.”

As Lim Ye Na, a pro actor fan, said, the next day, the promotion for MBS special drama ‘Spring Has Returned’ and ‘Tomorrow’ began.

[MBS special drama teaser, tomorrow at 9:55 p.m.!]

[Spring Has Returned teaser, airing tomorrow!]

[Spring Has Returned & Tomorrow. Finally, the teasers are airing!]

-…Do they usually write articles about teasers?

=Not really.

=This is the power of Lee Seo-jun.

-Is this worth waiting for?

=?? I’m going to watch it.

=222 Me too.

-But when he was in The Doctor, he didn’t appear in the teaser at all.

=…I’m nervous…

-Tomorrow looks interesting too.

=It’s a thriller and it’s only four episodes, so it won’t drag on.

=My heart will be thumping

-They’re going to get a lot of ads for this.

=It seems so. They should have thought of this two months ago

-Ads for the teaser… That’s novel

=But well, the teaser is over in a flash anyway. You have to wait a few minutes before.

=22 Then you’ll naturally watch the ads before too.

=It’ll be effective.

And on Thursday night, at 9:55 p.m.

Song Yu Jung and Lim Ye Na watched TV at their own homes. They had to look at the TV, so they were talking on the phone.

-I didn’t expect you to come home so soon after living alone for less than two weeks.

“I can’t help it. The TV here is bigger.”

-That’s true! It’s better to watch on a big screen!

Song Yu Jung nodded in agreement.

He was able to take control of the remote control because it wasn’t time for the drama yet. 

His mother looked at him with a subtle expression. 

He wondered why he was acting like that in front of the TV just to watch an ad… His mother shook her head at his daughter who didn’t change even after going to college.

‘Well, he used to watch ads with idols in them all the time.’

His mother, who had been looking at Song Yu Jung with a sour eye, also sat on the sofa to watch the 10 p.m. drama.

“Turn it to channel 7 as soon as it’s 10 o’clock.”

“I know. Mine will be over soon anyway.”

The conversation between the mother and daughter reached across the phone.

-Mom! Hello! I’m Ye Na!

“Hi. Long time no see. Are you watching TV too?”

-Watch it, mom! It’s going to be really fun!

“…The ad?”

Song Yu Jung was amazed by his friend who was talking naturally with his mother. Lim Ye Na, a pro salesman, tried to pull his mother in too.

KBC 10 p.m. drama for his mother, Song Yu Jung who became a fan of an actor for the first time. Lim Ye Na, a pro salesman. The eyes of three pairs turned to the TV.

-Is it starting?

=No, not yet!

=I can’t believe I’m waiting for a teaser.

-What if Seo-jun doesn’t show up again?

=…If he doesn’t show up, I’ll spam MBS website

=222 There must be something since they wrote an article about it.

-Oh, it’s starting.

=The start is Tomorrow.

The teaser for the thriller drama ‘Tomorrow’ played.

-Wow. Is it a time loop story?

“What’s a time loop story?”

-A day repeats itself. And until it’s resolved, tomorrow doesn’t come. That’s why the title is Tomorrow.”

“That sounds interesting.”

-Yeah. PD Kim Jin Myung is good at this kind of thing. It’s fast-paced. It could be boring since it’s the same day as the background, but if it’s directed by PD Kim Jin Myung, it’ll be fine.

…Huh? Talking about drama and suddenly PD?

Song Yu Jung and his mother tilted their heads at Lim Ye Na’s words from the phone.

-Um. The writer is not completely unknown. He has some works. But he doesn’t seem to end with a cliffhanger. The synopsis is good and there are some rookies, but the actors are well-matched too? 

It would have been nice if Seo-jun filmed this too!

He spouted out explanations as if he had researched them beforehand.

“…You’re scary.”

-Hehehe. Actor fans usually pay attention to these things. And besides, it’s a different time slot, but it’s the same project, so they might be compared. You have to research what kind of work it is.

Lim Ye Na said with a smile.

-Aren’t idol fans like that too? You wish someone composed for them or something. Producing? You wish they worked with someone who suits them well. That kind of thing. And you also check out other groups that are making a comeback together.

“Okay. I get it.”

Song Yu Jung nodded his head.

Lim Ye Na laughed and his mother looked at him with thin eyes. She had no idea what he was talking about.

-Oh. It’s over. It’s starting now.

Lim Ye Na’s words made Song Yu Jung and his mother look at the TV. The title ‘Tomorrow’ appeared below the air date, day, and time.

[MBS special drama]

[Tomorrow]

[Airing on Monday at 10 p.m.!]

-Spring Has Returned airs on Tuesday, I guess.

“That’s right.”

Soon, the word ‘Tomorrow’ disappeared and the screen turned black and then brightened up.

A familiar window appeared in black and white. 

He saw buildings and signs passing by through the window. 

Raindrops fell on the window as if it was raining.

-Is this inside a bus?

“It looks like it. The screen is the main character’s point of view, I guess.”

-Black and white is unusual.

“But is there no sound?”

His mother’s words made Song Yu Jung turn up the volume with the remote control.

He heard a noise that sounded like a bus. It wasn’t that there was no sound, but it was very low.

Was it a broadcast accident? Before I could even ask, the bus screeched to a halt.

I saw two people standing at the bus stop. A female student with a folded umbrella got on the bus and a male student followed her, walking towards the camera outside the bus. The male student, who had a bright face, lowered his umbrella to the side, as if the wind was blowing.

The screen was filled with the umbrella.

And then,

A sweet melody sounded. I had turned up the volume, so I heard it clearly. At the same time, color started to appear from the tip of the umbrella that filled the screen.

I didn’t know why, but it seemed like the atmosphere in the video changed at that moment.

From the center of the black-and-white screen, yellow began to spread like paint. 

Song Yoo-jung, her mother, and Lim Ye-na on the other side of the phone all stared blankly at the screen.

The yellow umbrella slowly lifted up.

The hand holding the umbrella was visible.

The neat uniform was visible.

The smooth jawline was visible.

The soft lips that curved up were visible.

And then,

And then, a title written in elegant cursive appeared.

[MBS Special Drama]

[Spring Has Returned.]

[Airing on Tuesday at 10 p.m.!]

Song Yoo-jung, who had been watching without blinking or breathing, screamed at the words on the screen.

“No! Why did it stop here!?”

-Why does it end here!?

Lim Ye-na’s voice came across the phone like a shriek.

***

-Are they crazy? Why did they stop there!? Why did they end there!?

=22 If they’re going to show something, show it all!!

=333 I couldn’t breathe while watching!

=4444 I was really focused on watching!

-They didn’t even show him at all in the previous teaser, and now they only show half of him…

=Thank goodness. He’ll probably show up more in the next teaser!

=…You’re really optimistic. You are.

=It’s better than not showing him at all.

=222 I agree. Where’s the other half?

-But it went by too fast.

=22 It really passed by in a blink of an eye.

=When will they upload the next teaser?

=Upload it to YouTube quickly. MBS! Work harder MBS!

=Upload it quickly. So I can watch it over and over until the broadcast!

=22 I’m so happy to have new videos to watch!

=I’ll watch it 294207 times!

-Is this what teasers are supposed to be like!?

=They’re probably trying to create some buzz by showing off Lee Seo-joon.

=22 This will all come back as more viewers for the broadcast.

=MBS is smart lol

-I think tomorrow’s episode will be fun and Spring Has Returned will be fun too.

=MBS drama department finally did some work this spring.

-Wow… Lee Seo-joon’s presence is… lol

=His handsomeness is oozing out even from his profile lol

=I felt like I could tell who was behind the umbrella even though it was hidden lol

-I really liked how the color appeared on the screen when Lee Seo-joon showed up.

=222 I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

=The music too. At first, I thought it was a broadcast accident because the sound was so low. But it wasn’t. The sound became normal when the color appeared.

-Is this romance…? Does my world only move when you’re here?

=Ooh, that’s good!

=Memo) My world only moves when you’re here.

=Can I use this phrase in my novel?

=Yup yup yup lol

=Thank you!

=Lol. You changed your profile pic lol