After changing clothes and finishing his makeup, Seojun appeared. Evan Block, who had already finished his preparations and was sitting in a chair reading a book, greeted Seojun.
"Joon, you seem a bit taller than before?"
In response to Evan Block's question, Seojun sat down and showed his shoes, which were slightly heeled compared to regular sneakers.
"Both my arms and legs are long and my proportions are good, so they suggested I grow a bit taller. It’s 4 cm. They’re soft and comfortable to wear."
"Your height has increased, and with your bangs parted, you look much less like a child."
Unlike the adorable and lovable William in his light blue outfit and with a touch of blush, Seojun now wore all black and had a slightly pale makeup, making him look different.
"Your father?"
"He’s working."
Lee Minjun, sitting next to Evan Block's manager, was on a call. He didn’t forget to wave at Seojun whenever their eyes met.
Seojun laughed, hearing the voice of his uncle Hysang, who was shouting not to forget the time difference between Korea and the United States.
"Evan! Joon!"
Jonathan, now a high school student, who was still helping with the filming of 'Ryan Will,' found the two.
Does Jonathan not study at all? Seojun wondered as he saw Jonathan running over.
"They’re about to start the rehearsal."
"Really?"
"Let’s go."
Evan Block and Seojun stood up. Cheers erupted from the onlookers, who could now see the two actors standing up, unlike when they were seated.
Particularly, attention was focused on Seojun.
- At Central Park, Shadow Man and William Bloom. Looking forward to Shadow Man 2!
- How much time has passed since William grew up?
- William has grown so much? What did he eat to grow like that?
News from the United States reached Korea, even making headlines.
[Shadow Man 2 starts filming at Central Park!]
[How tall is actor Seojun now?]
[Is my child average? Or below average? How to grow taller!]
- Wow, they’re starting to film!
- He looks like a hero in the angel photo.
- He’s really grown a lot! I guess he must have eaten well and grown well.
The main filming began.
Seojun searched the library. The library of evil had many lives.
There were abilities that attracted misfortune when one found them appealing, and abilities that made one feel constantly watched, perfect for developing a mental illness.
Each of these abilities was terrifying. Among them, Seojun searched for an ability that was moderately bad but not cursed.
'At least I’m glad I found a suitable one.'
However, for this filming, he would not use [The Sad Scent of a Solitary Flower (Evil)].
[The Elegant Steps of the Cat Baron (Good) - Low Tier]
Elegant steps and a dignified posture become ingrained in your body.
You naturally maintain good posture without thinking.
Similar animals find you attractive.
The Cat Baron was the first cat to receive a baron title.
He was a pet of a noblewoman who was teaching etiquette. When she taught him as a joke, he became more elegant than anyone else, even earning applause from the queen.
As a result, the cat was granted the title of baron by the queen's discretion.
"Let’s start the filming!"
Seojun took a deep breath and exhaled.
The life of William, as seen in the script, flashed through his mind. A very good child.
Now was the time to exude the good scent that Director Ryan Will had mentioned.
[The basic breathing of the elf has been activated.]
The positive energy in Seojun's core moved energetically, as if it had found its own world. The negative energy was suppressed by this movement.
- Ready,
Director Ryan Will's voice was heard. Seojun, hearing the voice that seemed both distant and close, stomped his feet twice.
[The Elegant Steps of the Cat Baron (Good) have been activated.]
And in sync with the director's signal,
- Action!
He immersed himself.
The child was lost. The child, who had never been to this place before, looked around Onassis Reservoir and its surroundings with a bewildered face.
There was a gaze watching the child. It was Mack, who was working as a guide at Central Park.
Mack, wearing a guide vest, looked around and then approached the child.
"Kid."
The child looked up at the voice nearby.
Recalling his team leader's words to bring any lost children to the protection center, Mack bent down to meet the child's eyes and smiled.
"Don’t cry!"
"Where are your parents?"
"They’re at home."
"Do you have a home in Manhattan?"
"No."
Mack scratched his cheek at the child's short answer. Seeing that Mack showed no signs of leaving, the child spoke, a small smile appearing on his pale face.
"My family is coming. You can go if you want."
"When are they coming?"
The child tried to remember. They’ll come to pick me up when the sun sets. The light voice of the only woman he relied on echoed in his mind.
From the child's actions, Mack understood what 'noble' meant. Every action of the child had dignity.
"When the sun sets..."
"Okay."
Mack turned on his phone and went to the weather site. In September, the sun would set at 7 PM, and it was now 1 PM.
"You have to wait for another 6 hours?"
A look of difficulty appeared on the child's face. Six hours. That’s too long. Mack smiled and turned on the radio to call his team leader, speaking quietly so the child couldn't hear.
"There’s a lost child here."
-Lost child? Bring them to the center.
"Rather than the center... Can I play with them? I won’t leave Central Park."
-You? Why?
"The family is coming at 7 PM. It would be boring to stay at the center for 6 hours. I’m about to finish my shift anyway."
-7 PM? Okay, I understand. Return the vest and radio after you bring the child back.
"Thank you!"
Mack happily ran up to the child.
"Want to play with me until 7 PM?"
The child, who had been lost in thought, nodded slightly.
-Cut! OK!
Director Ryan Will's voice was heard. As the camera stopped, Seojun quickly stomped his feet twice to prevent the waste of positive energy. The active positive energy calmed down.
The good atmosphere instantly became ordinary.
Evan Block, who was watching from the front, opened his eyes wide. Evan Block believed that small actions and habits create a person's aura. Therefore, he often analyzed people and added details to his acting.
But Seojun was different. Even though they were just standing in the same way, the atmosphere changed instantly as if a switch had been flipped.
Is this what talent is? Another note to be added to the analysis of Seojun. Evan Block smiled.
One of the tourists watching the two actors whispered to a friend without disturbing the filming.
"…That child looks familiar."
"Really…"
Emma, frowning in an attempt to recall, saw the face of a child smiling brightly flash through her mind.
"The photo you sent me!"
"What?"
Emma's friend tried to remember. The photo was floating around the internet, but they didn’t know who the child in the photo was. The friend, who had been looking at Seojun, soon realized the resemblance. The same gentle and kind feeling.
"Seems like it, doesn’t it?"
"Wow."
Emma clasped her hands tightly. She wanted to thank the child if they ever met.
Now it was time to film the scenes where the child and Mack would explore Central Park and get to know each other.
"Want to try hitting this?"
"Sure."
At the baseball field in Central Park, Mack threw the ball, and the child hit a light single with the baseball bat.
Mack, or rather, Evan Block, was genuinely impressed. The baseball enthusiasts among the staff applauded after the filming, saying it was a perfect single and would have been a home run with a bit more power.
"What’s this?"
"It’s a snow leopard."
The child, with a face that seemed to have never seen it before, learned about the world and common knowledge.
It seemed to be the child's first time eating a hot dog, and he shivered at the carbonated drink.
Mack, thinking, "Do all kids these days react like this? I don’t remember reacting this way," still explained enthusiastically.
The snow leopard, yawning while lying on a rock, made eye contact with Seojun, who had just finished filming at the zoo.
Sniff, sniff. The snow leopard, tilting its head, slowly walked up to Seojun. Although a large glass wall separated them, the snow leopard didn’t take its eyes off Seojun.
"The snow leopard really likes Joon, doesn’t it?"
At Evan Block's words, Seojun moved to the right. The snow leopard also moved to the right. When Seojun moved to the left, the snow leopard followed. Everyone was amazed by this strange sight.
'Hmm. Is it because of the Cat Baron?'
Seojun nodded and deactivated [The Elegant Steps of the Cat Baron (Good)]. The snow leopard sniffed a few times, tilted its head, and then returned to its spot to yawn.
Throughout the filming at Central Park, the two actors really enjoyed exploring, conversing, and sightseeing.
The joy seemed to spread to others, making it feel like they were making a promotional video for Central Park. The Central Park staff, who were guiding the filming, even asked if they could use the footage for promotion after the film’s release.
During the filming, posts started appearing on the internet suggesting that Seojun's character might be a hero. Photos of the two actors surrounded by staff also appeared.
Seojun and Evan Block, while filming and taking breaks, were occasionally updated by Jonathan, who summarized the posts floating around the internet for Director Ryan Will.
"Many posts say Joon looks like a hero. There are also many posts asking why the missing William from the strange wormhole is in Central Park. Some even say his height has changed too much compared to Shadow Man 1."
"Right."
Director Ryan Will nodded.
The filming at Central Park was also part of the promotion for Shadow Man 2. Important scenes of Shadow Man 2 were planned to be filmed in a secure set. The filming at Central Park ended on a warm and friendly note.
"Joon, this."
Jonathan showed a letter to Seojun, who was removing his makeup.
"Someone who claims to be your fan gave it to me. It doesn’t seem dangerous. I’ve checked it thoroughly. We can open it and give it to you, right?"
Seojun replied that it was fine. Jonathan and the staff quickly headed to another tent.
Lee Minjun smiled. As a parent, he was happy to see everyone treating Seojun with care.
The inspection was quickly completed. Jonathan handed the neatly opened envelope to Seojun. His eyes were a bit red.
"Here’s the letter. It seems to be from a real fan."
Seojun opened the letter. The writing was neat, though hastily written.
The writer, Emma, had been suffering from depression but managed to pull through after seeing Seojun's photo.
Although it didn’t cure her immediately, the clear mind she experienced once gave her hope, leading to successful treatment and the ability to travel abroad. The letter ended with a request for Seojun to make more movies.
"Great!"
Seojun carefully put the fan letter in his bag. Despite the effort, it was worth it if the photo had helped many people.
Seojun and Lee Minjun, with their bags, headed out to return to their accommodation.
"But people really recognized me. Dad, wasn’t my image very different?"
Lee Minjun thought about it. Seojun in a white angel outfit, smiling brightly, and Seojun in all black, looking slightly pale. Even during the filming, when they were exploring Central Park, snippets of their conversations could be heard.
"It was different, but some people recognized you right away. They were asking each other if this was the same child from the photos."
"Ah, I see."
Despite the height difference and different hairstyle, they recognized him. Maybe the photo taken on Christmas Eve was that memorable, as Director Ryan had said.
"Still."
Seojun smiled. The reliable positive energy in his core made him smile. The effort was worth it.
"Once they see the whole movie, they’ll forget all about it!"
He was determined to film hard to make that happen.