Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 656

With the meeting with the Marines over, all his schedules in the US were done.

It was time to go back to Korea.

Seo-jun and his two managers checked one last time if they had left anything behind before heading to the airport.

“You don’t have to look so hard, Mr. Tae Woo. Even if we leave something behind, we can just ask them to send it by courier.”

Ahn Da Ho said with a smile, seeing Choi Tae Woo searching under the desk. He liked his diligent attitude, but it was too much. He thought he would relax more once he got used to it, since it was normal for a newbie to act like that.

At Ahn Da Ho’s words, Choi Tae Woo, who had been rummaging through the room as if he wouldn’t miss a speck of dust, scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. 

It was his first overseas business trip, so he was tense until the last day. He felt like he would only be able to relax after he arrived in Korea and went home.

“Seo-jun, did you pack everything?”

“Yes.”

Seo-jun, who had experienced many overseas schedules, had already packed everything and placed his carry-on at the entrance of the accommodation.

“Then wait in the living room for a while. The car will be here soon.”

“Do you need any help, hyung?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Seo-jun nodded and scratched his cheek at Ahn Da Ho and Choi Tae Woo’s offer, then sat on the sofa. Just then, his phone rang.

=Rachel: You’re leaving already?!

It was Rachel Hill.

<Yes. I’m going to leave for the airport from the accommodation soon.

=Rachel: Why did I have to have an overseas shoot right now//

Seo-jun smiled, seeing Rachel Hill express her emotions naturally in Korean.

He had met most of his acquaintances in the US, as he had traveled from New York to LA for the shoot, but unfortunately, he couldn’t meet Rachel Hill, who was currently on an overseas shoot.

-Rachel: Evan went twice, you know. To listen to your performance!

-Rachel: He even watched the concert!

-Rachel: I wanted to hear it in person too!!

He felt like he could hear Rachel Hill’s vivid voice, even though it was just a message.

<Do you want me to send you the unedited footage?

-Rachel: Yes!

She replied quickly.

Seo-jun chuckled.

He got permission from Sara Roth, the director, and sent the footage to Rachel Hill. 

She filled the chat window with all kinds of flashy emoticons, expressing her joy. 

As he looked at her messages, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

If he were to shoot the [Jin Natra Series (tentative title)]…

‘Would Rachel and Evan be in it?’

Maybe even Swallen.

It would depend on the script and the scenario team, but it seemed possible.

Shadowman (Mac/Mul Natra), Bel Natra, Tul Natra.

He thought of the characters who would no longer appear, and imagined various directions for the plot, when he heard Choi Tae Woo’s voice in his ear.

“Seo-jun, the car is here!”

“Ah, okay!”

***

Fourteen hours by plane.

He arrived in Korea after a long flight.

“It feels… relaxing.”

Choi Tae Woo let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

He knew he was tense in a foreign land, but he felt how tense he was when he set foot on Korean soil.

But his relief was short-lived. Choi Tae Woo soon tightened his nerves again.

‘I always see fans flocking to the airport on the news!’

Of course, he expected the Korean security team to handle it well, as they had learned from the incident in Kansas City, and he also knew that Seo-jun’s fans were exceptionally orderly, but he was still ready to block anything with his body if anything happened.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Choi Tae Woo followed Ahn Da Ho and Seo-jun, dragging his carry-on, toward the exit.

Beyond the gate, there was a noisy sound.

He had announced his arrival time in advance, to show his face to the public after his discharge and to promote [Over the Rainbow 2]. Accordingly, he had increased the security personnel and asked the airport for cooperation.

“How do you feel?”

He didn’t know what they were talking about, but he felt a happy atmosphere. 

Seo-jun, who was fiddling with his wrist where [(Good) Calming Apple Blossom Scent] was activated, smiled like a flower blooming in spring at Ahn Da Ho’s question.

“I feel great.”

He had met his fans when he was discharged, but it felt different to meet them after shooting a work. 

He felt like he had really returned to his place.

The security team leader, who was in charge of security in Korea, confirmed his safety, and Ahn Da Ho pushed Seo-jun forward.

“Then go ahead. Seo-jun.”

The spotlight was for the star.

“Yes!”

The star stepped forward.

Then the gate opened.

The sound that had been blocked by the gate began to sound clearly.

Wow!!

Seo-jun! Lee Seo-jun!

Gray! Congratulations on your successful performance!!

Flashes sparkled from all directions, and a huge cheer and applause poured down on Seo-jun, hotter than the summer sun.

He responded with a smile, emitting an aura that was several times more dazzling than usual.

The super star who had returned smiled brightly.

***

[(Good) Calming Apple Blossom Scent is activated.]

The cheers that filled the airport subsided for a moment.

The sprouts that had made Choi Tae Woo tense calmed down as always. 

The entertainment reporters who were tapping their keyboards also looked unfazed, as if they were used to it.

“…I saw it on video, but it’s more amazing in person…”

“Well, we’re always like that.”

The security team member next to Choi Tae Woo said with a smile, responding to his remark. Of course, he was still on guard around him. 

He was sharper than usual, having heard about the incident in Kansas City.

“Is the shooting for Over the Rainbow 2 all done?”

“What are your plans for school from now on?”

“I heard you composed the song for the movie yourself…!”

The short interview ended, and Seo-jun left his seat. 

The fans who were sorry also cleaned up their seats and left, and so did the reporters.

“Wow…”

Someone who had gone to the airport for something and happened to see that scene left a review on the internet.

[Title: It was there and then it was gone. (feat. Lee Seo-jun after seeing review)]

I went to the airport for something, and coincidentally, Lee Seo-jun was arriving. So I went to see him, and there were a lot of fans. I thought there would be an accident, but then I remembered that Lee Seo-jun’s fans are a bit special. I wondered if that was true, so I watched…

Lee Seo-jun was really handsome. I just kept looking at him with this 0 expression.

I’ve seen a few celebrities, but I can see why Lee Seo-jun is called the celebrity of celebrities. He seems like a creature living in a different dimension from me… (skipping)X5

Oh, that’s not it.

When Lee Seo-jun first appeared, I heard the cheers and thought, are they the same as the other fans? But they soon quieted down. And then I realized what they meant by a silent roar. The sound was really small, but the atmosphere was burning. It felt like a muted concert. There were even light sticks.

Then Lee Seo-jun did a brief interview and left. And the fans and reporters left too.

But they dispersed in an instant and it was like ‘they were there and then they were gone’. There was no trash or trace. The airport staff were cleaning up as if they were used to it. Why are they used to it?

Anyway, Lee Seo-jun’s fans are really unique.

-I saw it too. They disappeared so cleanly.

=22 Lee Seo-jun’s fans are so orderly. They only cheer when he appears.

=33 And it’s not like they’re not happy. Their eyes are burning.

-But is it just me who finds it funny that the review of seeing Lee Seo-jun is five paragraphs long?

=LOL How shocking was his appearance in real life? There’s no enter and it’s packed.

=Shouldn’t you change the title to ‘Review of Seeing Lee Seo-jun’?

=) Oh. Should I?

=LOL What do you mean ‘Oh. Should I?’

[Hollywood actor Lee Seo-jun returns home!]

[First work after discharge! Hollywood movie, Over the Rainbow 2!!]

[Over the Rainbow 2, to be uploaded with OTT platform Universe at the end of November?!]

[Actor Lee Seo-jun, still beautiful after discharge!!]

[Lee Seo-jun, “Please look forward to my future works!”]

-His first work after discharge is a Hollywood movie. Wow.

=But if it’s on OTT, is it really a Hollywood movie?

=There are a lot of OTT originals these days, so it’s hard to distinguish.

=But it’s still amazing that it’s a foreign work.

=22 He really went to shoot two weeks after discharge.

-So when is Universe coming out?

=It seems like it will come out on November 30th.

=!!!

-The article photos are really good. How can he have that face after discharge? Is he the same species as me?

=The photos don’t capture his real beauty.

=22 It looks like they were taken with their feet.

=…Yes?

=(Photo taken by Daepo Saessak.) This is almost the same as his real appearance.

=…Yes?

=The one above is broken.

-His beauty is still the same. Our Seo-jun.

=22 I can see his halo.

=With that beauty and celebrity aura, why are there no sightings of him? He’s the top mystery of the entertainment industry.

=But when you see him act, you can see why. He has the same face, but he gives a completely different vibe for each character.

=22 Each character has a different charm. Usually, the acting is overshadowed by the appearance, but Seo-jun’s appearance and acting create a synergy.

=A genius of face and acting.

-Someone congratulated Gray on his successful concert.

=LOL They’re so immersed. (Actually, that was me.)

=LOL Good job. Seo-jun heard that and laughed.

=(Photo of Seo-jun smiling)

=(Heavy breathing)

=LOL LOL LOL

***

“As expected of Lee Seo-jun senior! All we talk about is him!”

The second-year students of Han Arts University exchanged excited stories as they headed to the classroom where they had class today.

“Lee Seo-jun senior, who filled the entertainment section, is our school senior! I’m so glad I came to Han Arts!! Oh, is Lee Seo-jun senior going to return to school?”

“Don’t they usually match the semester?”

If he finished the second semester of his first year and enlisted, it was normal to start from the first semester of his second year.

“Oh, then he’ll take second-year classes next year. We’ll be taking third-year classes. That’s too bad. I wanted to take classes with him!”

“I don’t think I can do anything if I take classes with him.”

“But your skills will improve! Han-seok and Yeon-ji said that. They said they improved a lot when they acted with Lee Seo-jun senior.”

Kim Han-seok and Park Yeon-ji, who were one year junior to him at Mirinae High School and appeared in [One Step] and [Flowing] respectively, were also admitted to Han Arts University.

The two wondered what it would be like to take classes with Lee Seo-jun senior as they opened the classroom door. The classroom was unusually noisy.

“Hi! What are you guys doing?!”

Wondering if there was something fun, they opened the door with a bang and saw the eyes that were drawn to them. 

In the center of them was a man who was so familiar that they had seen him on their phones just a while ago. 

The second-year students were startled when they met his eyes. 

The man smiled.

“Hello.”

“…Yes! Hello!”

Oh my god!

It was Lee Seo-jun senior!

The second-year students kept making noises and their classmates laughed. Seo-jun also smiled slightly. 

The second-year students noticed that and coughed.

“Nice to meet you, senior!”

“Yes. Nice to meet you too.”

“Please speak comfortably!”

“Hmm. Okay then?”

Yay!

The second-year students clenched their fists inside as Seo-jun nodded and smiled.

“Did you have a good shoot?”

“I really love Over the Rainbow!”

“Yeah. I finished it well. Thank you for liking it.”

He was a returning student and famous, so it could have been difficult, but Seo-jun approached them first and the juniors were able to talk comfortably.

The actors (aspiring) had a basic liking for Seo-jun, so Seo-jun also enjoyed talking to them.

“Huh? Seo-jun oppa!”

Then they heard a familiar voice. Seo-jun looked at the entrance and smiled brightly. It was a face he was glad to see.

“Yeon-ji.”

“Wow! Are you taking this class?”

It was second-year Park Yeon-ji.

“Yeah.”

“Wow! It feels weird to take the same class as you, oppa! Oh, did you hear that Han-seok enlisted?”

“I heard. He enlisted earlier this year, right?”

“Yes! Oh, I’m going to visit him later. Do you want to come with me?”

More students came in after Park Yeon-ji. Among them were Seo-jun’s classmates and seniors.

“I thought there would be no classmates in the second-year class…”

“Our department tends to take a lot of leaves of absence. Because of shooting or plays. Well, we have to mix up somehow.”

Seo-jun nodded at the words of Jeong Bo-ram, who had taken a leave of absence because of a drama shoot.

He would try his best not to overlap his schedule, but Seo-jun didn’t know if he would have to take a leave of absence again because of shooting.

Soon it was time for class and the professor entered the classroom.

The professor greeted the students with a smile and started the class.