Chapter 185: To Busan
The festival was even more crowded than in previous years. Perhaps it was because of the rumor that you could see Ha Muyoung and Yoo Yuna there. The auditorium was filled with people standing in lines at the back, as there weren’t enough prepared seats.
All of them holding flower bouquets for their precious children.
Among them, the one who stood out the most was undoubtedly Muyoung. Not only was he wearing a large camera around his neck, but he was also constantly filming in all directions with a camcorder.
“Hello. I would like to thank everyone who came to the festival today. I am the student council president, Bae So-hee.”
With the clear guidance of the student council president, the festival began. The children’s talent show followed the congratulatory stage, and Muyoung enjoyed the performance with a refreshing round of applause.
“Oh my. Isn’t that Ha Muyoung over there?”
“It is. He really came?”
“I thought my kid was just playing around again.”
“Should we go get an autograph?”
“Not right now…”
The parents whispered and glanced at Muyoung.
Even with his face completely covered by a hat and mask, he couldn’t hide his celebrity aura.
Regardless, Muyoung adjusted the camera angle as if he were possessed by a cameraman.
“Ah, it’s starting now.”
The auditorium gradually darkened, as if a movie was about to begin.
Yellow lights shone down on the stage. As the curtain rose, a palace backdrop drawn and glued by the children appeared.
And sitting proudly in front of it was today’s protagonist, today’s Snowhite-rella.
“Snowhite-rella, what are you thinking about?”
“I was just thinking about the ball that will be held today.”
Yuna’s voice was so clear it was pristine. Although she was using a lavalier mic, the difference in volume between her and the palace servant was noticeable. Yuna’s mother, standing next to Muyoung, smiled with satisfaction.
“Yuna is really impressive.”
“She is. The dress suits her well.”
Her mother whispered quietly.
Their eyes fixed on Yuna as they chatted privately. Despite the big fight with Lee Saeim yesterday, the atmosphere leading the play felt natural.
It was probably Yuna’s ability as an actress who had become aware of her role.
In the back, Saeim and her friends were still poking at Yuna’s temper, but Yuna ignored them much more cleanly than before.
Because, for the child, going in front of the audience was more important right now.
“Prince! I want to wear glass slippers. Slippers filled with sunshine, sparkling with every step I take!”
Muyoung continued to film the performance with the camcorder, then suddenly looked at Yuna’s male partner.
He was in the same class, so he must have seen him coming and going, but he was so handsome that Muyoung wondered why he didn’t remember him.
“Mother, do you know that boy?”
“Who? Minjae? Ahh.”
Kim Minjae! He was the boy Yuna had cried about, saying she wouldn’t take him even if he was given to her. Yuna’s mother smiled softly and whispered,
“He’s the boy who’s been flirting with Yuna lately.”
“What-!?”
The person standing in front of her turned around and glanced at her at the sudden scream.
Muyoung unconsciously covered his mouth and asked again,
“Is it really true?”
“Minjae is also preparing to become an actor. We met at the production first, and now we’re in the same class. Minjae likes Yuna so much that he keeps following her around. Hehe. Yuna doesn’t hate him, but she doesn’t push him away either.”
Yuna… You said you hated Minjae because he was silly… Was that a lie…
Muyoung stumbled and struggled to keep his balance, wondering if this was how it felt when a daughter got a boyfriend. Ko Gyeongmin took the camcorder and started filming.
“What are you doing while filming?”
Tsk tsk. Gyeongmin clicked his tongue and poked Muyoung’s side, but Muyoung couldn’t come to his senses.
He just looked up at the stage, shedding inner tears.
“Prince-!”
“Princess!”
It was a children’s play, but Yuna’s non-verbal acting was excellent.
The elegance of the royalty emanated from her fluttering fingertips, and the pride of a young girl from her slightly raised eyebrows.
“Actors are definitely different.”
“She’s already a veteran with several films under her belt, so it’s only natural.”
“Ahaha. That’s true. You’re right.”
“How can she be so clear and articulate? It’s like she’s living her second life.”
The audience praised Yuna’s acting to their companions without end.
The play was approaching its climax.
Minjae approached Yuna, who had fallen asleep after eating the poisoned apple.
“Oh my God.”
Muyoung covered his eyes as if he couldn’t bear to watch, and Gyeongmin and Yuna’s mother squealed with excitement.
“Princess! Please wake up!”
Confetti exploded over the heads of the two children as they hugged each other like kissing.
Students dressed as rabbits, deer, tigers, and bears came out and danced lively, and the song signaling the play’s happy ending rang out.
“Wow!”
“Yuna, you did great!”
Yuna smiled so widely that dimples formed on her cheeks.
She spotted her mother and Muyoung’s group and waved. Gyeongmin smiled and pressed the video stop button with satisfaction.
“Aww, they’re so cute.”
Muyoung also slowly opened his eyes and applauded.
He approached the stage and handed over a bouquet of flowers.
“Yoo Yuna! You!”
“Oppa. Did I do well?”
“Yeah. You did…”
Yuna hugged the large bouquet of flowers and gave her final bow with the other actors. The curtain fell, and the festival’s biggest event also came to an end.
“Phew. I can finally take a breather.”
Yuna’s mother straightened her clothes and asked,
“Haven’t you eaten yet? Join us.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I have a schedule.”
“Oh, what a shame.”
“Me too.”
He had been on a break for the past few days due to school visits, and now he had a mountain of work to do.
As the surroundings became chaotic and it seemed like the festival was coming to an end, people began to flock around.
“Excuse me, are you Ha Muyoung?”
“Could I please have your autograph if you don’t mind…”
“Did you come to see Yoo Yuna? How nice. You two seem to get along so well, like real siblings.”
Muyoung warmly greeted the people, giving out autographs and taking photos. Then he came face-to-face with a familiar face.
It was a girl named Lee Saeim. The assistant director and class president who had been bullying Yoo Yuna.
“Hello~ Ohoho! We’d like your autograph too!”
“Ah. Mom, I don’t want to.”
“Why are you acting like this? I’m going to get it.”
Saeim seemed to dislike Muyoung because he was close to Yuna, and she was backing away.
But her mother, unaware of the situation, just smiled elegantly and held out a piece of paper.
“My daughter directed the play you just saw.”
“Ahh. You’re from Class 2. Are you in the same class as Yuna?”
Muyoung replied, feigning ignorance.
The girl’s eyes opened slightly. She had a look on her face that said she didn’t know what he was up to. Surely, she must have seen him several times when she came to get snacks.
“Don’t you know me?”
“……How would I know you?”
Muyoung asked, smiling calmly.
His tone was quite gentle, but there were thorns embedded in it that only the girl could understand.
“Ah. Since you’re in the same class as Yuna, can I ask you a favor?”
Muyoung whispered as he signed the autograph.
Quietly, so no one else could hear.
“There’s a kid who’s been bullying Yuna. I don’t know who it is, but could you tell them something for me? If Yuna continues to have a hard time, that kid will have a hard time too. So, tell them to stay away from Yuna from now on.”
“……”
“Got it? Please do this for me.”
Muyoung smiled brightly and shook Saeim’s hand.
The girl’s mother was curious about what Muyoung had said, but she couldn’t know. The girl’s face hardened, and she ran off, while Muyoung had to give autographs to the next person.
“I’m sorry. I have to go to my schedule, so I’ll stop here. I’m really sorry.”
“Oh, Muyoung! What’s your next project?”
“Well. I’ll decide soon. Please look forward to it.”
“Then I will! I’m looking forward to it!”
“Photo, please, I’ve been waiting. Please.”
Muyoung finished the fan meeting and found Yuna.
She was in a similar situation to Muyoung, moving around and giving autographs and taking photos. When Yuna saw Muyoung, she ran over.
“Oppa! You said you weren’t going to eat with us?”
“Sorry. My schedule is packed.”
“Aww. Too bad. Let’s eat something delicious next time.”
“Okay.”
He briefly considered asking about Minjae, but Muyoung just swallowed his tears again. Someday, there will be a day when he tells her. Instead, he added,
“Whenever you want to eat parfait again, just let me know.”
It meant that if she had any troubles, she should tell him. Then, he would come running to help her.
Yuna, understanding his meaning, patted her chest with her small hand. It meant she was fine.
“I’m okay. I’m not going to hold back anymore.”
“Good. Yuna can do it.”
“Muyoung, let’s go now!”
“Yes! Hyung! I’m going!”
“Okay! Bye!”
Muyoung and Yuna waved goodbye and parted ways. Yuna’s mother also gave a light nod and thanked Muyoung.
Thud!
Muyoung, who got into the car, leaned his head back as if he were exhausted.
“Ugh. Now the work begins.”
“It can’t be helped. You put it off because you came to school.”
Gyeongmin replied and looked at Muyoung through the rearview mirror.
“You know about the Asian Film Festival this weekend, right?”
“Yes. It’s my first time going to Busan, so I’m looking forward to it. Let’s go to the beach! The beach!”
“I’m not sure if we’ll have time in between.”
“Why? Don’t we just have to attend the GV?”
Since it had already been released, he thought there wouldn’t be any grand events. Besides, it was in the non-competition section. He planned to enjoy it like a festival.
“There will be a lot of directors there.”
“……? So what?”
“So what?”
Ha Muyoung’s stock was at an all-time high, breaking through the ceiling. With no next project lined up, everyone in the industry was paying attention to him. The drama world was also in an uproar.
“Carry a box with you. You’ll be getting a lot of scripts.”
“Huh? Really?”
“……Just kidding, Muyoung.”
He was just joking.
The company was already piled high with scripts. Every contact he met would probably ask about or suggest his next project.
“Is there anything you want to do? J Company mentioned they want to work with you on your next drama. They haven’t decided on the project yet, but they said they’ll plan it around you if you’re in.”
“That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It hasn’t been long since Blade’s Path ended. The company has already turned them down, but J Company really likes you. They pulled you out of a ditch.”
“I’ll choose based on the project. The production company or broadcaster doesn’t matter much.”
Muyoung replied and looked out the window for a moment.
They had already left the school and were driving down the road. The afternoon sun shone warmly between the buildings.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t seen pollen in a while.’
It was when Blade’s Path started, and when Cha Eun-seong flipped the table over moon cakes. He hadn’t seen anything in particular since then.
“As long as it’s not too much, the company said they’ll support you actively. You have a good eye for projects.”
Muyoung had never chosen a project that failed.
Even projects that everyone was unsure about became box office hits when he was involved. It was hard to tell if Muyoung had a good eye for projects or if the projects succeeded because of him.
“Hmm. I see. I’ll look for something good.”
Muyoung replied and closed his eyes. Definitely, dramas were a bit tough, both physically and mentally. He had to pour so much energy into them, especially with last-minute script changes.
“Movies……”
Muyoung looked up at the blue sky.
The white clouds seemed to ripple like the Busan sea. Since it was a film festival, there would be a lot of talent and projects gathered. Right?
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
Waiting for the flower rain to pour down in the summer.
Muyoung rested his head against the window.