There were only seven members, yet the reaction was overwhelming. Everyone's eyes sparkled, and they breathed heavily.
Lee Ji-seok and Seo-jun hesitated whether to take a step back from the intense reaction. Yoon Seong-oh also tensed up his whole body.
Kim Seok-gon slapped the back of the closest member, Kim Sung-woo. Fortunately, the sharp sound brought everyone back to their senses. They calmed down and caught their breath.
"A, ah, hello. I'm Actor Lee Seo-jun. I'm a huge fan."
Seo-jun smiled and shook hands with the actors, who were trembling with excitement.
Ignoring the burning gaze, Kim Sung-woo had already brought out a clean piece of paper and asked for autographs from Lee Ji-seok and Seo-jun.
"Photos! Let's take photos too!"
"Give it to me. I'll take them for you. I don't really like being in photos."
"Ah, thank you!"
When Yoon Seong-oh spoke, Kim Seok-gon, who had been wondering whether to be in the photo, expressed his gratitude.
The photo of the seven theater actors, Seo-jun, and Lee Ji-seok was taken on Kim Seok-gon's phone. Another photo was taken on Lee Ji-seok's phone as well.
"Senior, send it to me too."
"Me too!"
Kim Seok-gon uploaded the photo to the group chat on Banana Talk.
Everyone happily downloaded it. Lee Ji-seok, who received the phone from Yoon Seong-oh, sent the photo to Seo-jun.
"Um..."
Kim Seok-gon asked,
"Is it okay to post this on the internet? For promotional purposes."
"I'm fine with it."
Unlike Seo-jun, who answered without much thought, Lee Ji-seok, who had experienced the pressure of fame, scratched his cheek.
"It's fine for us, but if we promote it as celebrities, it will become more challenging. Especially for Seo-jun, who is currently receiving a lot of attention, even more focus will be directed at him."
One misstep could be irreparable. Yu Seok-gon smiled and said,
"We've been performing without an audience for three days now. Today, you were the only ones who watched our play. If there had been no audience today, we might have canceled this production. Some of us might have quit theater. But we love theater and want to continue. So, we can overcome this."
All the members of the Wind Theater Company nodded. Han Ji-a said firmly,
"We'll work hard to make sure the people who came to see you two don't leave disappointed."
Seo-jun, who had been listening to the conversation, tilted his head. Why were they so worried about just posting a photo? Seo-jun was still not used to the life of a star or the daily life of a celebrity.
'I'll ask Ji-seok later!'
The conversation about the photo ended, and Kim Sung-woo, who had sold the tickets, spoke up cautiously but with the boldness of a newly adult youngest member.
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"If there are any shortcomings in our play, please let us know!"
It was something everyone wanted to say but couldn't. Lee Ji-seok, who had transitioned from theater to drama, was known to everyone except Seo-jun. Lee Ji-seok glanced at his watch.
'I need to take Seo-jun back...'
Seo-jun, who caught his thought, raised both hands.
"I'm curious too!"
"Shall we talk a bit and then leave?"
At Lee Ji-seok's response, the members cheered.
* * *
Two days ago, the internet was abuzz with a photo posted on social media.
[#LeeSeoJun #LeeJiSeok #OurNeighborhood #Theater]
[Title: Visited Our Neighborhood]
I'm a Lee Seo-jun fan who searches for his name every day. I saw the photo within 10 minutes of it being posted. I rushed out as soon as I saw it! I managed to buy a ticket for the last show, and the tickets were almost sold out!
Sold out behind me! Hahaha
With plenty of time to spare, I explored the shops near the theater and had a meal. There were a lot of people everywhere, and the shop owner where I ate said that suddenly there were many people and hoped it would continue.
Anyway, when I entered the theater, the audience seats were few, and the stage was very close. When buying tickets, the numbers on the tickets (1, 2, etc.) were great. You could sit in the seats where Lee Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok sat. There were even marks on the chairs. People who sat there were taking photos like crazy.
But, quite a few people are coming behind me, so it might move to a larger theater soon. Better to go and sit quickly! ð
The play was fun. Laughter throughout! Everyone was laughing a lot! ð
After the play, we talked to the actors, and everyone asked about Lee Ji-seok and Lee Seo-jun. The actors seemed prepared and gave detailed answers.
>> Lee Seo-jun, Lee Ji-seok, and their manager all enjoyed it. At first, we didn't know it was them. We found out when taking photos. They had lunch at the cold noodle shop in front. Lee Ji-seok gave advice on the play. Since Seo-jun hasn't done theater, he learned with us. ð
+That cold noodle shop is where I had my meal. The owner didn't seem to know they had been there.
-Oh, learning with us! ð Cute ð
-It sells out in 30 minutes. I failed today. I wish it would move to a larger venue soon...
=They're looking for one now. There's a contract period, so it's not easy to move.
-The cold noodle shop must be crazy. The neighborhood has been struggling with business, so they're relieved thanks to these two.
-I had mixed feelings. They were forcing smiles and the acting wasn't great. I don't understand why it was recommended.
=It wasn't a recommendation. They just saw a play and took photos together.
=Me too. I wouldn't have seen it if it weren't for them.
-Isn't this paid promotion? Their skills weren't great.
-I found it fun! ð It was a great stress reliever. ð
=Agreed. But everyone was only asking about Lee Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok. I wanted to ask more about the play.
=Everyone only talked about that. The actors were great. Looking forward to their next work.
-Pros and cons. But it's a good opportunity to gain recognition. They need to create fans for this production to carry over to the next one.
Seo-jun, in Lee Ji-seok's car, read the comments on his phone.
Two days ago, after giving advice to the theater company and leaving the small theater, Seo-jun asked Lee Ji-seok why they had to worry about posting a photo on the internet. After thinking for a moment, Lee Ji-seok said he would understand soon.
And now.
Seo-jun, in Lee Ji-seok's car to observe a drama shoot, listened to Lee Ji-seok's explanation.
For two days, Yoon Seong-oh had collected comments that Seo-jun could see and showed them to him. Despite editing them carefully, he was still unsure if it was appropriate to show them. He felt that words alone were insufficient. Lee Ji-seok couldn't take his eyes off Seo-jun's face.
Seo-jun nodded without much reaction. When children use the internet or watch YouTube, even with parental supervision, they inevitably see malicious comments.
'This is nothing compared to that.'
Lee Ji-seok sighed in relief and continued.
"People are curious about what celebrities and famous people eat, see, and do. Fans are even more interested. Especially for Seo-jun, who has few sightings and is a Hollywood actor, people will be very interested in even small things. Look, articles are already being published."
As Lee Ji-seok said, the internet was filled with articles about his and Seo-jun's meeting, the play they saw, an introduction to the play, and even an interview with the cold noodle shop owner.
Some journalists even used titles like "Hollywood Actor Praises the Play!" to attract clicks.
Seo-jun tilted his head at the title. It wasn't wrong, but it felt exaggerated.
"Theater is live, so actors can see the audience's reactions in real-time. Articles like these can create high expectations. If the play doesn't meet those expectations, it's not good for the theater company. Also, the theater is small, and if people suddenly flood in because of our names, the actors might struggle to perform properly due to the crowd."
"I see."
Seo-jun nodded and looked at his phone again.
[Hollywood Actor Lee Seo-jun Praises the Play!]
[Lee Ji-seok and Lee Seo-jun See Different Play!]
[A Play That Captures Both Fun and Lessons, Chosen by Renowned Actors!]
The titles really made people expect a lot. Seo-jun thought about the Wind Theater Company members he had seen two days ago.
People who loved theater. Could they handle the overwhelming public attention?
"Brother, can the sisters handle it?"
"They need to overcome that pressure. They said they can. If they overcome this challenge, they'll become a great theater company."
Lee Ji-seok, patting Seo-jun's worried head, said,
"Seo-jun, we celebrities need to be more careful than ordinary people. We never know what a casual photo or a casual comment might lead to."
Seo-jun nodded at Lee Ji-seok's words. Yoon Seong-oh, out of habit, said,
"Seo-jun, you don't use SNS, right?"
"No, I don't!"
"Don't use it in the future. It's the root of all evil."
* * *
The director of the KBC Monday-Tuesday drama "Reinvestigation," Choi Min-sung, and the writer, So Eun-jin, tilted their heads.
"What?"
"Seo-jun will do a cameo."
Director Choi Min-sung and Writer So Eun-jin looked at the confident Lee Ji-seok with blank faces.
They knew what a cameo was. There was a role that could be played by any child actor, and a famous child actor would also be fine.
During the script reading, they had discussed who would be good for the role during a break. Lee Ji-seok, sitting next to them, had overheard and said he knew a good actor and would bring him. They agreed.
Anyone would be fine. It was just a one-time appearance. They trusted Lee Ji-seok's acting skills.
"Really?"
Director Choi Min-sung and Writer So Eun-jin asked again. Was this famous actor joking? Was it April Fool's Day? They counted the days and shook their heads. April Fool's Day had already passed.
Lee Ji-seok smiled and stepped aside.
"Ta-da!"
"Ta-da!"
A child appeared behind Lee Ji-seok. Director Choi and Writer So's eyes widened.
They were in one of the most trend-sensitive professions in Korea. How could they not recognize this face?
It was Lee Seo-jun.
The real Lee Seo-jun, the one they had seen in theaters and on the big screen!
Director Choi, who had seen "Shadow Man 2" four times, and Writer So, who was a member of Seo-jun's fan club, clutched their hearts.
But they couldn't take their eyes off the smiling Seo-jun.
"Wow!"
Seeing the two people with their mouths agape, Lee Ji-seok laughed.
"I'm here to observe the drama shoot for the first time. Is that okay?"
"Um? Ah, yes, yes, yes!"
"Of course! Absolutely fine!"
The two, who had been nodding in response to Lee Ji-seok's question, suddenly came to their senses.
"Wait. Juice. There should be juice here!"
"Isn't juice too sweet? Maybe he has something special for his health?"
"Ah, right. Then what should we...?"
They were flustered. Seeing their panic, Lee Ji-seok said, "I didn't have to deal with this when I started. Seo-jun is really something."
"Let's sit down first."
"Yes, yes. That's right. Actor Lee Seo-jun might have sore legs."
"Isn't the chair too hard? Cushion! Cushion!"
Writer So Eun-jin left the set to find a cushion. Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok blinked. Director Choi Min-sung had also disappeared to get snacks. The two were left alone in the empty set.
"We don't need a cushion."
"Everyone seems to like you a lot..."
The two returned shortly.
Writer So Eun-jin brought three cushions wrapped in plastic, and Director Choi Min-sung returned with a variety of snacks and drinks, as if he had raided a convenience store. They finally calmed down and sat down.
Seo-jun sat on the cushion and drank orange juice, and both of them looked at him with awe. Tears welled up in their eyes.