Chapter 169
Seo-jun, who had a conversation with Ju-kyung, looked around to find his seat.
The kids shrank their shoulders whenever Seo-jun’s eyes met theirs.
It seemed that his image as an actor was stronger than the recognition of being in the same class.
Especially, the first-year students of the acting department at Yeoul Arts High School had a stronger admiration for Seo-jun because they were learning to act.
Who would have thought that a Korean actor who was not even twenty years old would star in a Hollywood movie, make his name known to the world, win a Golden Globe Award, and even receive an Academy Award?
It was something that no one could have imagined before the actor ‘Lee Seo-jun’ appeared.
Seo-jun sat down awkwardly with a smile as the classroom became quieter and quieter.
‘Well, I’ll just say hello first.’
Seo-jun spoke to the kid sitting next to him.
“Hi. I’m Lee Seo-jun.”
The kid, who didn’t expect Seo-jun to greet him, looked at Seo-jun with a surprised face for a moment and quickly answered.
“Ah, hello. I’m Kang Jae-han. Nice to meet you!”
“Me too. I saw your audition video. You’re good at acting.”
“Huh? You saw it?”
“Yeah. It was your own creation, right? It was very impressive.”
Seo-jun recalled Kang Jae-han’s audition video uploaded on YouTube.
He was a little nervous, but when he started acting, he looked completely immersed in his role.
Of course, there were some flaws, but considering his age, he did well.
‘That’s why he passed.’
Seo-jun’s words made Kang Jae-han’s eyes widen.
‘How did he know that?’
He uploaded it on YouTube, but compared to the views of Seo-jun’s audition video, it was like the difference between the sun and a firefly.
‘One of those views was Lee Seo-jun?’
Kang Jae-han took a deep breath and stopped.
Wow. Wow.
The kids who were listening to their conversation exclaimed.
Ju-kyung, who was joking around with Yang Ju-hee, quickly approached Seo-jun.
“Seo-jun-ah. Did you see mine too?”
“Yeah. I saw it first.”
At Seo-jun’s words, Yang Ju-hee, who was behind Ju-kyung, said.
“Hello. I’m Yang Ju-hee.”
“Hello. I’m Lee Seo-jun.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve seen all the works you’ve been in. You’re really good.”
Ju-hee’s words made Ju-kyung and Jae-han nod their heads.
Seo-jun smiled brightly and answered.
“Thank you.”
“But… Kang Jae-han? Was that what you said?”
‘Hello.’ Ju-hee waved her hand lightly, and Jae-han also waved his hand slightly.
“I guess you saw it because you know Ju-kyung, but did you have a reason to watch Jae-han’s video? Did you watch it because he was better than the others?”
It was a statement that would have made headlines like [The child actor chosen by Hollywood star Lee Seo-jun!] if reporters had heard it.
Ju-hee’s words drew the kids’ attention to Seo-jun and Jae-han. Jae-han forgot to breathe again.
“Ah.”
“Ah?”
At the sight of Ju-hee and the kids who wouldn’t miss a word, Seo-jun scratched his cheek awkwardly and smiled.
“Well, I watched them all…”
“What do you mean by all…”
Ju-hee opened her eyes wide.
“You watched all the audition videos?”
Ju-hee’s words made the kids look surprised.
Seo-jun rolled his eyes at their intense reaction and answered.
“Yeah. All of them. Thirty-six.”
The kid who had his phone in his hand quickly entered the YouTube [Yeoul Arts] channel.
Out of 40 admitted students, 37 had posted their audition videos. One of them was Lee Seo-jun, himself, so he had seen all 36 of them.
“…36.”
A silent exclamation came out. Ju-kyung sparkled his eyes.
Ju-kyung had seen a few of them, but he never thought of seeing them all.
The kids were the same.
Ju-hee asked the question that the other kids wanted to ask.
“Did you see mine too?”
“Yeah. It was ‘Here We Meet Again’, right? You played Yuna.”
“…Oh my god.”
Ju-hee looked at Seo-jun with a surprised expression.
She didn’t expect him to remember the content as well.
He didn’t just glance at it.
He watched it carefully.
The other kids who heard their conversation lit up their eyes.
Someone raised his hand and said.
“Did you see mine too?”
“Yeah. You played Su-hyuk in ‘Let’s Meet Here Tomorrow’, right?”
The kid didn’t answer, but from the expression on his face, which was wide open, he could tell that Seo-jun’s words were correct.
Another kid raised his hand.
“What about mine?”
“I really liked it. I never imagined that Spring would show up.”
“And mine?”
“It was ‘Treasure Hunt in the Theater’, right? I couldn’t find the video anywhere, so I looked for the script. Do you know where the video is?”
Oh my god.
Seo-jun remembered all the kids’ audition videos.
He answered diligently to the kids’ questions.
Ju-hee, who was watching Seo-jun answer all the kids’ audition videos, poked Ju-kyung in the ribs.
“Do you have to do that much to become a Hollywood star?”
“No. I don’t think even Hollywood stars do that much.”
“He’s really amazing. Lee Seo-jun.”
He had a dazzling celebrity aura, a handsome face, and this unbelievable greatness beyond imagination.
He felt that he was really different from ordinary people.
Finally, Seo-jun confirmed all the kids’ audition videos and laughed weakly.
The three who didn’t post their videos seemed to be in class 2.
“It sounds weird to say this… but why did you watch them all?”
At Kang Jae-han’s words, Seo-jun shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I might end up working with them in the same work someday. I was curious how they acted.”
“Then, when you act with other actors, do you also look for their previous works?”
At Ju-hee’s question, Seo-jun nodded his head.
“I try to find them if I can. It’s hard to find all the works of actors who have a lot of works, so sometimes I only watch a few of their recent works. But the audition videos were short, less than two minutes, and it was during the vacation, so I could watch them all.”
“I see.”
“Do you watch Hollywood actors’ works too?”
The kids perked up their ears at the mention of Hollywood.
It might be a pipe dream, but there were some kids who wanted to break into Hollywood.
And here, there was an actor who had achieved that pipe dream early on.
“Yeah. I watched Paul and Catherine’s works too.”
“Wow…”
“How is filming in Hollywood? Is it very different from Korea?”
“Well, there is a difference in production costs, so the scale seems to be bigger in Hollywood. The sets are also huge.”
“I see.”
The kids were absorbed in Seo-jun’s stories.
Seo-jun looked at the kids with sparkling eyes and told them some interesting stories as if he was telling an old tale.
“I want to see the Natra spaceship too.”
“A party with Hollywood stars…”
The children still had their dreams, but they seemed more comfortable around Seo-jun.
He smiled softly at them.
Then, the classroom door opened.
A student in a school uniform appeared.
He looked like a second or third grader.
He opened his mouth nervously.
“Is… is there a student named Seo-jun Lee here?”
“Yes.”
Seo-jun raised his hand, and the student was startled.
He continued.
“You have to go now. You are the representative of the new students for the entrance ceremony.”
“Okay. I understand.”
“Seo-jun, good luck!”
Ju-kyung cheered him on, and the other kids also said some words of encouragement.
Seo-jun waved his hand and followed his senior to the auditorium.
***
“I brought Seo-jun Lee, the new student.”
The second grader who had brought Seo-jun alone with his overwhelming aura said in a tired voice.
It was not easy to handle the pressure.
The broadcasting club students who were busy with adjusting the equipment, the lights, and the scripts all turned their heads to the door.
Then, they were mesmerized by Seo-jun’s dazzling appearance.
Seo-jun chuckled.
It was the second time he saw this reaction today.
“Hello. I’m Seo-jun Lee.”
As if blinded by Seo-jun’s halo, the students who had barely opened their eyes came to their senses at his greeting.
The broadcasting club president got up from his seat and welcomed Seo-jun.
“Oh, oh. Hi.”
The president, who was a third grader in acting department, could not help but tremble in his voice.
Oh my god.
It’s really Seo-jun Lee! Seo-jun Lee!
They never thought they would be in the same school with him until last year!
The students who had lost their minds at his greeting regained their composure and…
“I’m a violin major! How was playing Stradivarius?”
No, they didn’t.
The music department students who knew his amazing playing skills were also staring at Seo-jun blankly.
He knows Professor Benjamin Morton and violinist Jason Moore!
And he plays violin so well!
The eyes of the acting and music department students sparkled.
They seemed ready to bombard him with questions any moment.
The art department vice president, who was not affected by Seo-jun’s influence, signaled to the art department students.
They covered the mouths of the other department students next to them.
With a somewhat calmer atmosphere, the vice president smiled gently and greeted him.
“Hi. I’m Ji-hyun Lee, the vice president of the broadcasting club. I’m a third grader in art department. The kids were dying to see you. They almost fought over who would go get you. But I understand why when I see you in person. You have a different vibe from ordinary people. Would you like to be a model for my drawings? I’m the best at sketching in our school.”
Ji-hyun Lee, the art department vice president, casually revealed her intention.
“Vice president!”
“Hey! Ji-hyun! I’m first! Seo-jun, please play Over The Rainbow with me!”
“W-would you like to do a play with us?”
Seo-jun laughed at the chaotic atmosphere.
He was flustered by their enthusiasm, but playing music and being a model for drawings sounded fun.
And acting was not something he had to think about.
As long as the work was good, he was ready to accept it whether it was a play or a movie.
“Come on. Enough of that. We have to prepare for the entrance ceremony.”
A low voice was heard.
They turned around and saw a man who looked like a teacher standing there.
“Oh, sir. You came too early.”
“It’s already time. President, start broadcasting.”
“Yes.”
At the teacher’s words, the students with regretful faces started to move.
The president handed Seo-jun an oath paper.
“Here’s the oath paper. When it’s your turn, greet the principal and read it while looking at the audience seat. There’s also a microphone, so it’ll be easy to find your spot.”
“Okay. I got it.”
Seo-jun nodded his head, and the president looked at him with a longing face and started his work.
[In a moment, we will begin Yeoul Art Middle School’s 11th entrance ceremony. All students from each class should gather at Yeoul Hall with their homeroom teachers. We repeat.]
The voice of the president who had been nervous before was clear and crisp on the microphone.
He was perfect in his pronunciation, tone, and speed of reading the script.
‘He’s really a third grader. I have to do well too.’
Seo-jun, who had taken a seat guided by the second grader, read the oath paper.
***
[We will now begin Yeoul Art Middle School’s 11th entrance ceremony.]
The new students, the second and third graders, the parents, and the teachers clapped their hands.
The multipurpose hall of Yeoul Art Middle School, which consisted of a stage and an audience seat, was called ‘Yeoul Hall’, but the students and staff called it simply ‘auditorium’.
This was where the students’ plays were performed and concerts were held.
The entrance ceremony began with the opening speech of the principal of Yeoul Art Middle School, followed by the introduction of the guests, the national anthem, and the admission declaration.
[Next, we have the oath of the new student representative.]
The teachers and the first graders of acting department who knew who the new student representative was stirred.
The others were curious, but they soon closed their mouths when they saw the new student who appeared from the side of the stage.
There were exclamations and applause everywhere.
“It’s Seo-jun Lee!”
“Seo-jun Lee was the new student representative!”
Two people were especially busy among those who were trying to get a better look at him.
They were Seo-eun Hye and Lee Min-joon, who had been looking for Seo-jun among the first graders.
“No wonder, I couldn’t find him anywhere!”
“Honey. Camera. Camera!”
“Here it is. I have to take a good picture.”
Seo-eun Hye sparkled her eyes and took a picture of Seo-jun with her camera lens.
He had been taking pictures of Seo-jun for more than ten years. Leave it to me!
Seo-jun bowed to the principal and turned around to face the audience.
He opened the oath paper in his hand.
A light flowed from his body, creating a glittering aura.
Every movement of his was like a painting, and the art department students’ eyes sparkled.
Their hands were itching.
“Oath.”
Seo-jun’s calm voice echoed in the auditorium.
The people who had been talking to each other – students, parents, teachers – all shut their mouths.
They were captivated by his voice alone. It was like hearing a famous line from a movie.
They wished it was longer, but the oath was short.
“New student representative, Seo-jun Lee.”
As soon as Seo-jun finished his brief oath and bowed his head, applause erupted.
Chapter 169
Seo-jun, who had a conversation with Ju-kyung, looked around to find his seat.
The kids shrank their shoulders whenever Seo-jun’s eyes met theirs.
It seemed that his image as an actor was stronger than the recognition of being in the same class.
Especially, the first-year students of the acting department at Yeoul Arts High School had a stronger admiration for Seo-jun because they were learning to act.
Who would have thought that a Korean actor who was not even twenty years old would star in a Hollywood movie, make his name known to the world, win a Golden Globe Award, and even receive an Academy Award?
It was something that no one could have imagined before the actor ‘Lee Seo-jun’ appeared.
Seo-jun sat down awkwardly with a smile as the classroom became quieter and quieter.
‘Well, I’ll just say hello first.’
Seo-jun spoke to the kid sitting next to him.
“Hi. I’m Lee Seo-jun.”
The kid, who didn’t expect Seo-jun to greet him, looked at Seo-jun with a surprised face for a moment and quickly answered.
“Ah, hello. I’m Kang Jae-han. Nice to meet you!”
“Me too. I saw your audition video. You’re good at acting.”
“Huh? You saw it?”
“Yeah. It was your own creation, right? It was very impressive.”
Seo-jun recalled Kang Jae-han’s audition video uploaded on YouTube.
He was a little nervous, but when he started acting, he looked completely immersed in his role.
Of course, there were some flaws, but considering his age, he did well.
‘That’s why he passed.’
Seo-jun’s words made Kang Jae-han’s eyes widen.
‘How did he know that?’
He uploaded it on YouTube, but compared to the views of Seo-jun’s audition video, it was like the difference between the sun and a firefly.
‘One of those views was Lee Seo-jun?’
Kang Jae-han took a deep breath and stopped.
Wow. Wow.
The kids who were listening to their conversation exclaimed.
Ju-kyung, who was joking around with Yang Ju-hee, quickly approached Seo-jun.
“Seo-jun-ah. Did you see mine too?”
“Yeah. I saw it first.”
At Seo-jun’s words, Yang Ju-hee, who was behind Ju-kyung, said.
“Hello. I’m Yang Ju-hee.”
“Hello. I’m Lee Seo-jun.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve seen all the works you’ve been in. You’re really good.”
Ju-hee’s words made Ju-kyung and Jae-han nod their heads.
Seo-jun smiled brightly and answered.
“Thank you.”
“But… Kang Jae-han? Was that what you said?”
‘Hello.’ Ju-hee waved her hand lightly, and Jae-han also waved his hand slightly.
“I guess you saw it because you know Ju-kyung, but did you have a reason to watch Jae-han’s video? Did you watch it because he was better than the others?”
It was a statement that would have made headlines like [The child actor chosen by Hollywood star Lee Seo-jun!] if reporters had heard it.
Ju-hee’s words drew the kids’ attention to Seo-jun and Jae-han. Jae-han forgot to breathe again.
“Ah.”
“Ah?”
At the sight of Ju-hee and the kids who wouldn’t miss a word, Seo-jun scratched his cheek awkwardly and smiled.
“Well, I watched them all…”
“What do you mean by all…”
Ju-hee opened her eyes wide.
“You watched all the audition videos?”
Ju-hee’s words made the kids look surprised.
Seo-jun rolled his eyes at their intense reaction and answered.
“Yeah. All of them. Thirty-six.”
The kid who had his phone in his hand quickly entered the YouTube [Yeoul Arts] channel.
Out of 40 admitted students, 37 had posted their audition videos. One of them was Lee Seo-jun, himself, so he had seen all 36 of them.
“…36.”
A silent exclamation came out. Ju-kyung sparkled his eyes.
Ju-kyung had seen a few of them, but he never thought of seeing them all.
The kids were the same.
Ju-hee asked the question that the other kids wanted to ask.
“Did you see mine too?”
“Yeah. It was ‘Here We Meet Again’, right? You played Yuna.”
“…Oh my god.”
Ju-hee looked at Seo-jun with a surprised expression.
She didn’t expect him to remember the content as well.
He didn’t just glance at it.
He watched it carefully.
The other kids who heard their conversation lit up their eyes.
Someone raised his hand and said.
“Did you see mine too?”
“Yeah. You played Su-hyuk in ‘Let’s Meet Here Tomorrow’, right?”
The kid didn’t answer, but from the expression on his face, which was wide open, he could tell that Seo-jun’s words were correct.
Another kid raised his hand.
“What about mine?”
“I really liked it. I never imagined that Spring would show up.”
“And mine?”
“It was ‘Treasure Hunt in the Theater’, right? I couldn’t find the video anywhere, so I looked for the script. Do you know where the video is?”
Oh my god.
Seo-jun remembered all the kids’ audition videos.
He answered diligently to the kids’ questions.
Ju-hee, who was watching Seo-jun answer all the kids’ audition videos, poked Ju-kyung in the ribs.
“Do you have to do that much to become a Hollywood star?”
“No. I don’t think even Hollywood stars do that much.”
“He’s really amazing. Lee Seo-jun.”
He had a dazzling celebrity aura, a handsome face, and this unbelievable greatness beyond imagination.
He felt that he was really different from ordinary people.
Finally, Seo-jun confirmed all the kids’ audition videos and laughed weakly.
The three who didn’t post their videos seemed to be in class 2.
“It sounds weird to say this… but why did you watch them all?”
At Kang Jae-han’s words, Seo-jun shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I might end up working with them in the same work someday. I was curious how they acted.”
“Then, when you act with other actors, do you also look for their previous works?”
At Ju-hee’s question, Seo-jun nodded his head.
“I try to find them if I can. It’s hard to find all the works of actors who have a lot of works, so sometimes I only watch a few of their recent works. But the audition videos were short, less than two minutes, and it was during the vacation, so I could watch them all.”
“I see.”
“Do you watch Hollywood actors’ works too?”
The kids perked up their ears at the mention of Hollywood.
It might be a pipe dream, but there were some kids who wanted to break into Hollywood.
And here, there was an actor who had achieved that pipe dream early on.
“Yeah. I watched Paul and Catherine’s works too.”
“Wow…”
“How is filming in Hollywood? Is it very different from Korea?”
“Well, there is a difference in production costs, so the scale seems to be bigger in Hollywood. The sets are also huge.”
“I see.”
The kids were absorbed in Seo-jun’s stories.
Seo-jun looked at the kids with sparkling eyes and told them some interesting stories as if he was telling an old tale.
“I want to see the Natra spaceship too.”
“A party with Hollywood stars…”
The children still had their dreams, but they seemed more comfortable around Seo-jun.
He smiled softly at them.
Then, the classroom door opened.
A student in a school uniform appeared.
He looked like a second or third grader.
He opened his mouth nervously.
“Is… is there a student named Seo-jun Lee here?”
“Yes.”
Seo-jun raised his hand, and the student was startled.
He continued.
“You have to go now. You are the representative of the new students for the entrance ceremony.”
“Okay. I understand.”
“Seo-jun, good luck!”
Ju-kyung cheered him on, and the other kids also said some words of encouragement.
Seo-jun waved his hand and followed his senior to the auditorium.
***
“I brought Seo-jun Lee, the new student.”
The second grader who had brought Seo-jun alone with his overwhelming aura said in a tired voice.
It was not easy to handle the pressure.
The broadcasting club students who were busy with adjusting the equipment, the lights, and the scripts all turned their heads to the door.
Then, they were mesmerized by Seo-jun’s dazzling appearance.
Seo-jun chuckled.
It was the second time he saw this reaction today.
“Hello. I’m Seo-jun Lee.”
As if blinded by Seo-jun’s halo, the students who had barely opened their eyes came to their senses at his greeting.
The broadcasting club president got up from his seat and welcomed Seo-jun.
“Oh, oh. Hi.”
The president, who was a third grader in acting department, could not help but tremble in his voice.
Oh my god.
It’s really Seo-jun Lee! Seo-jun Lee!
They never thought they would be in the same school with him until last year!
The students who had lost their minds at his greeting regained their composure and…
“I’m a violin major! How was playing Stradivarius?”
No, they didn’t.
The music department students who knew his amazing playing skills were also staring at Seo-jun blankly.
He knows Professor Benjamin Morton and violinist Jason Moore!
And he plays violin so well!
The eyes of the acting and music department students sparkled.
They seemed ready to bombard him with questions any moment.
The art department vice president, who was not affected by Seo-jun’s influence, signaled to the art department students.
They covered the mouths of the other department students next to them.
With a somewhat calmer atmosphere, the vice president smiled gently and greeted him.
“Hi. I’m Ji-hyun Lee, the vice president of the broadcasting club. I’m a third grader in art department. The kids were dying to see you. They almost fought over who would go get you. But I understand why when I see you in person. You have a different vibe from ordinary people. Would you like to be a model for my drawings? I’m the best at sketching in our school.”
Ji-hyun Lee, the art department vice president, casually revealed her intention.
“Vice president!”
“Hey! Ji-hyun! I’m first! Seo-jun, please play Over The Rainbow with me!”
“W-would you like to do a play with us?”
Seo-jun laughed at the chaotic atmosphere.
He was flustered by their enthusiasm, but playing music and being a model for drawings sounded fun.
And acting was not something he had to think about.
As long as the work was good, he was ready to accept it whether it was a play or a movie.
“Come on. Enough of that. We have to prepare for the entrance ceremony.”
A low voice was heard.
They turned around and saw a man who looked like a teacher standing there.
“Oh, sir. You came too early.”
“It’s already time. President, start broadcasting.”
“Yes.”
At the teacher’s words, the students with regretful faces started to move.
The president handed Seo-jun an oath paper.
“Here’s the oath paper. When it’s your turn, greet the principal and read it while looking at the audience seat. There’s also a microphone, so it’ll be easy to find your spot.”
“Okay. I got it.”
Seo-jun nodded his head, and the president looked at him with a longing face and started his work.
[In a moment, we will begin Yeoul Art Middle School’s 11th entrance ceremony. All students from each class should gather at Yeoul Hall with their homeroom teachers. We repeat.]
The voice of the president who had been nervous before was clear and crisp on the microphone.
He was perfect in his pronunciation, tone, and speed of reading the script.
‘He’s really a third grader. I have to do well too.’
Seo-jun, who had taken a seat guided by the second grader, read the oath paper.
***
[We will now begin Yeoul Art Middle School’s 11th entrance ceremony.]
The new students, the second and third graders, the parents, and the teachers clapped their hands.
The multipurpose hall of Yeoul Art Middle School, which consisted of a stage and an audience seat, was called ‘Yeoul Hall’, but the students and staff called it simply ‘auditorium’.
This was where the students’ plays were performed and concerts were held.
The entrance ceremony began with the opening speech of the principal of Yeoul Art Middle School, followed by the introduction of the guests, the national anthem, and the admission declaration.
[Next, we have the oath of the new student representative.]
The teachers and the first graders of acting department who knew who the new student representative was stirred.
The others were curious, but they soon closed their mouths when they saw the new student who appeared from the side of the stage.
There were exclamations and applause everywhere.
“It’s Seo-jun Lee!”
“Seo-jun Lee was the new student representative!”
Two people were especially busy among those who were trying to get a better look at him.
They were Seo-eun Hye and Lee Min-joon, who had been looking for Seo-jun among the first graders.
“No wonder, I couldn’t find him anywhere!”
“Honey. Camera. Camera!”
“Here it is. I have to take a good picture.”
Seo-eun Hye sparkled her eyes and took a picture of Seo-jun with her camera lens.
He had been taking pictures of Seo-jun for more than ten years. Leave it to me!
Seo-jun bowed to the principal and turned around to face the audience.
He opened the oath paper in his hand.
A light flowed from his body, creating a glittering aura.
Every movement of his was like a painting, and the art department students’ eyes sparkled.
Their hands were itching.
“Oath.”
Seo-jun’s calm voice echoed in the auditorium.
The people who had been talking to each other – students, parents, teachers – all shut their mouths.
They were captivated by his voice alone. It was like hearing a famous line from a movie.
They wished it was longer, but the oath was short.
“New student representative, Seo-jun Lee.”
As soon as Seo-jun finished his brief oath and bowed his head, applause erupted.
