| Episode 177. Quick-Witted Improvisation
Most of the reviews of the fan meeting were positive.
≫ What do you mean our ridiculously cute youngest black panther cried?
What on earth happened at the fan meeting?
└ Ah, seriously, between Iwol’s entire contact list getting leaked and Giyeon crying because of the fan eventㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I regret not going a million times over. Jealous noir heart……
≫ The youngest ones were seriously sobbing their eyes out, and it was so cute but heartbreaking
The funny part amid all that -> the middle line, who weren’t even that many years older, holding back their tears because they were “hyungs”ㅋㅋㅠㅠㅠㅠ Ah, you’re babies too, so cry if you want to (actually, I want to see you cry)
└ We need to love them X-freaking much…… We need to shower them with affection……
└ It’s true that the older they are, the less they cry. The eldest hyungs are seriously iron fortressesㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Ha, I want to see the eldest hyungs sobbing. Watching the youngest ones cry felt like my heart was being torn apart, but if the hyungs cried, I think the corners of my mouth would split from smiling
≫ I was reading through all the fan meeting reviews
and I absolutely burst out laughingㅠㅠ at the part where Cheonghyeon apparently cried, then suddenly said, “Ha, I need to stop crying…… I’m Iwol hyung’s cutie-pretty visual, after all……”
└ I seriously have no idea what Kim Iwol was thinking when he saved the members’ names like that
└ Kim Iwol, more sincere about Spark than anyone
└ It’s genuinely hilarious that Choe Jeho and Kim Iwol became physically separated by 100 meters after this came out
≫ Preview of the crying youngest line is up
X-fucking hell, what a world
└ When are those eyes, which look like they can only produce icicles, going to stop crying?
└ No, seriously, they cried so much;;;; Are the kids having a hard time these daysㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ It could be because Spark has been working so hard lately…… Ha, kids, may you walk only down a path of happiness
≫ So when’s the next fan meeting?
We did Seoul, so now we have to hit Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, Jeju, and Dokdo too, right?
└ Adding Seosan, Cheorwon, Gangneung, Cheonan, Asan, Jeonju, Yeosu, and Pohang
└ Let’s just launch the kids with drones
≫ Idols who said the fan meeting would be two hours, then casually hit us with four
Thanks to that, the Sparklers kept exchanging glances with the staff, wondering when they were supposed to do the on-site eventㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
@@: Shall we ask them to play it now?
@: N…… now?
Now?! × They did this 300 times, but it was great
└ Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Just imagining it is adorable
≫ Watching some guy skip the fan meeting to go on a date, then seeing Spark, made my chest feel wide open
They danced like crazy, sang a million songs, and even sang without accompaniment when there was no MR
They each sent us home carrying a shopping bag, which was a little like something my mom would do, but anyway
└ Whoa, this is the first I’m hearing about shopping bags. What was in them?
└ There were photocards and things like mini humidifiers because it’s autumn now and our throats get dryㅠㅠ They were printed rather than handwritten, but they included handwritten letters from all six members……ㅠㅠㅠㅠ If those had been random, I might really have cried
└ Oh, and there was puddingㅋㅋ Jeho’s older sister got really into pudding and bought a ton of it, but because of the expiration dates, they apparently ate nothing but pudding for three daysㅋㅋㅋㅋ So Jeho proudly said that he was good at picking out delicious pudding for himself
└ Ah, Choe Jeho, you giant baby adult snake
└ Not a single part of that sentence is right
There were many other reactions expressing satisfaction as well. It was a relief.
The atmosphere at the venue could change drastically depending on who the MC was, so it seemed like choosing not to have an MC had been a good decision.
If someone kept getting certain members’ names wrong or made jokes that crossed the line, the fans who had taken the time to come would no longer be able to fully enjoy the event.
Fortunately, we had Jeong Seongbin, whose ability to keep things moving had improved considerably. The kid looked a little haggard the next day, but that was how everyone grew.
People also liked the fan song that had been uploaded separately to MeTube. Thanks to that, my steps felt light as I headed to the filming location.
While I was making a few rounds through the community, the car quickly arrived at the set.
“Iwol, we’re here!”
“Yes, I’ll get out first!”
Leaving the manager to go park, I headed first toward the office…… no, the set.
‘What kind of ad-lib will be waiting for me today?’
During my Hanpyeong Industries days, Manager Nam’s unexpected antics had descended upon me, but in *In My Office*, the ad-libs were trying to put me to the test. Thanks to that, I was constantly repeating nothing but defensive and counter-defensive maneuvers.
“Iwol, you’re early again today!”
“Hello, Assistant Director.”
The actors’ arrival times were much later than the staff’s. That was probably because each person worked in a different area, but it wasn’t as though I were some great star, so I felt awkward arriving exactly on time. Unless my schedule made it impossible, I had been coming early whenever I could.
Hair and wardrobe were basically adjusted on-site according to the story or mood of the day.
Since Do Yeonghwan was an ordinary Employee 1, the most they did with his hair was a parted style or a light comma hairstyle. I usually arrived the earliest, and since I was a supporting actor whose style was unlikely to change much, I was generally finished getting ready in a flash.
Once I was ready, my routine began. Namely……
“Mm, it’s neat no matter how many times I see it.”
……wiping down Do Yeonghwan’s desk.
On the first day of filming, the director had set the actors’ arrival time an hour before filming began.
The point was to decorate the desks in the office according to each character’s personality.
The director seemed to place great importance on analyzing an actor’s character, just as he had during the auditions.
Some people brought a whole collection of miniatures they liked from their cars and put them on display, while others stuck several Post-it notes beside their monitors to look more professional.
The actor playing Ji Seong-in, one of the protagonists, had even brought a separate desk calendar already crammed with writing. I wondered if that was the level of a leading actor.
So what did I do?
I simply cleared everything off the top. Except for the books, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad.
‘What? Is Do Yeonghwan a minimalist?’
As I peeled off the index tabs that had been attached beside the monitor, the staff each made a comment.
The director added his own remark.
‘Iwol, if you’re trying to stand out by doing this…….’
‘Oh, no. It’s not like that.’
I opened part of the script for Episode 1 and pointed to a short stage direction. It was the portion I had underlined in red.
『I don’t know what Yeonghwan is thinking, but that’s what makes him charming.』
It was one of Ha Seomyeong’s lines.
‘I thought about how this part could come across. Do Yeonghwan isn’t a character who lacks social skills, and he’s someone who handles his own work perfectly, so I wondered where that peculiar charm might come from.’
‘Mm, right.’
‘So I used this photo as a reference.’
The director examined the photo I had printed in advance: *The Desk of Someone Who Is Ready to Quit at Any Moment.*
As a precaution, I had brought along some favorable comments as well. It would be difficult to view it negatively.
‘But Iwol, did you know I was going to tell you to decorate the desk? When did you prepare all this?’
It was an indirect approval. I took the paper back and answered.
‘I was going to suggest it myself if you didn’t ask me to.’
‘You’re quite something.’
And so Do Yeonghwan’s desk became an all-white office worker’s desk devoid of any sign of human warmth. I had been sweeping and wiping it every time I came to work here. It was a habit from my days at Hanpyeong Industries.
“A person this neat has to be hiding a resignation letter in the drawer, right?”
Ha Seomyeong approached and asked.
He occasionally did unexpected things, but he treated everyone in the cast kindly and was the sort of person who created a good atmosphere. So these days, I had been doing my best to match his energy.
“It’s a major corporation, though. Wouldn’t resignation applications be handled through electronic approval?”
“Ahaha! That’s true. I thought he’d have a resignation letter laminated and ready to go.”
Then Ha Seomyeong clapped his hands.
“This conversation is really good. How about we tweak it a little and put it in as an ad-lib later?”
“‘I didn’t print one because I’m going to submit it for electronic approval.’ ……Would that be enough?”
“That’s it, that’s it. Iwol, you really have a sense for this.”
Ha Seomyeong gave me a thumbs-up. I, too, bowed my head and thanked him. I wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing that Ha Seomyeong liked me.
* * *
To an office worker, lunchtime was as precious as gold.
The Seonguan group, minus those who had long since gone to the in-house gym, walked along the stream with coffee in hand.
“Ugh, doesn’t it feel like it’s getting colder and colder these days?”
One of the coworkers rubbed his forearm.
“It’s dreadful thinking about winter coming……”
Someone else chimed in.
The warmth provided by a suit was the worst. Even wearing thermal underwear top and bottom couldn’t block the cutting wind. Everyone at Mai Asset Management knew that all too well.
“But winter means there’s a big event coming up. Everyone’s got two thousand won in cash tucked away, right?”
Seonguan called out energetically as he looked around at his coworkers.
The bungeoppang stands lined up directly in front of the subway station nearest Mai Asset Management, as well as the takoyaki stand that came near the riverside every Wednesday evening, were hotspots for the suited workers of Yeouido—popular enough to be registered on the secretly shared “seasonal seafood” map.
The coworkers who had thoroughly benefited from having cash on them the previous winter nodded.
“Of course.”
“Obviously.”
An unexpected person was included, too. Do Yeonghwan, Seonguan’s junior, who looked like the sort of person who would refuse bungeoppang with, “Oh, I’m fine without sweets.”
He was the person who never frowned except when putting in artificial tears, always stared at his monitor with an impassive expression, typed away so quietly he seemed barely there, and then went home.
And that Do Yeonghwan carried the price of bungeoppang around in his breast pocket?
“Yeonghwan, did you prepare some too? So you can buy bungeoppang?”
Seonguan asked.
Looking somewhere in the air, Do Yeonghwan answered.
“No, I’m planning to buy a lottery ticket on my way home.”
“…….”
Seonguan followed Do Yeonghwan’s gaze and turned his head.
A banner reading *Three First-Prize Wins* fluttered across the boulevard.
Do Yeonghwan said,
“If you don’t see me next Monday, please don’t come looking.”
Seonguan and his coworkers were speechless for a moment. But the look in Do Yeonghwan’s eyes made it clear how serious he was.
“Y…… Yeonghwan, if you win, you can quit, but don’t disappear on us, okay? Hmm?”
“How dare you seniors try to take the baby-faced youngest’s snot-covered lottery winnings!”
Seonguan stopped his coworkers from going any further. Do Yeonghwan silently followed behind his seniors.
“Cut!”
The director gave us a brief signal that it was good.
At the same time, I ran a hand over my heart.
‘How can they add this many ad-libs?’
Originally, my line ended with “Obviously.” That meant everything from the part about Yeonghwan carrying two thousand won in his breast pocket to buy a lottery ticket had been ad-libbed.
Since I had decorated my desk like an office worker dreaming of quitting, I couldn’t help matching the tone of my answer.
I expected the director to cut it himself if he thought it was too much, but that never happened. Apparently, Do Yeonghwan would be appearing on television as an ordinary office worker who bought lottery tickets.
On top of that, Ha Seomyeong and I were gradually being paired up as a comedy duo. My lines had doubled compared to the original script.
I’m grateful and embarrassed. Please, don’t do this to me. I’ll read the script more diligently for now, but……
While the scenes I wasn’t in were being filmed, I sat in a corner and read the script until it was worn thin. Then someone sat down in the empty chair beside me. It was Ha Seomyeong.
“Your first acting role must be really difficult, huh?”
“Not at all. Everyone’s been helping me so much, so I’m enjoying it.”
“Really?”
Ha Seomyeong smiled.
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“I mean it.”
“Really? That’s amazing. I had such a hard time.”
I responded to Ha Seomyeong’s easygoing comment with a highly sociable smile. Besides, there were only so many expressions I could make in a situation like this.
“I’m sorry about the ad-libs. I looked at the original script, and there weren’t many points where the dialogue really came alive.”
“I see.”
“These days, how many people watch a drama from beginning to end? Everyone watches clips or binge-watches compilations. But parts like this tend to show up in the fun scenes. The back-and-forth, the fun combinations, the tasty dialogue.”
“…….”
“From what I can see, Do Yeonghwan is the perfect character for it. Let’s make some fun points together!”
“Yes, yes!”
I found myself cheering along with him. This man gave off the energy of a straightforward and enterprising superior.
Perhaps because I wanted to avoid him for some reason, I glanced around, looking for somewhere that might need help.
Ha Seomyeong smiled as he watched me.
“It’s exactly like what Eun said.”
I couldn’t immediately think of who he meant by “Eun.”
Then someone came to mind. Teacher Oh Eun, UA’s vocal trainer.
“You know Teacher Oh Eun?”
“Of course I do. We were on the same team.”
I had learned by chance during my trainee days that Teacher Oh Eun had once belonged to an unsuccessful girl group. I had heard that the group had disbanded, but I had had no idea that Ha Seomyeong had been in the same group.
That meant he, too, had gone through the arduous journey from idol to actor. Even more so than me, who merely made brief appearances as a supporting actor.
But Ha Seomyeong showed none of that. His eyes were filled with nothing but positive energy.
“She doesn’t usually talk about other people, but she said there was one really polite and hardworking kid who was going to join us. She asked me to take good care of you if I liked you.”
“‘If you like him’ is definitely something our teacher would say.”
“She’s such a calculating person by nature. Anyway, I listened to her and kept an eye on you, and what do you know? You were exactly like Eun described.”
Ha Seomyeong held out a drink. It was fruit juice that cost over four thousand won per bottle despite not containing all that much.
“I once told Eun this. That she should become a solo singer. I said, ‘You’re good enough to make it on your own, so what’s so fun about teaching kids?’”
Teacher Oh Eun was truly an excellent singer. Given that she still had things to teach Jeong Seongbin and Park Ju-u, who were practically at the level of professional idols, there was no area of singing she couldn’t teach.
“But these days, I think I’m starting to understand that feeling. Eun’s a trainer at a small company, and I’m still an awkward actor trying to find my footing, but still.”
“Let’s do our best.”
As he said that, Ha Seomyeong held out his hand.
I bowed and clasped his hand as I said that I looked forward to working with him as well.
Even on a set where I had thought I was alone, someone was looking out for me. That fact comforted me greatly.
“Oh, right. And a proposal will be coming to UA soon. I don’t know if it’ll be a designated offer, though.”
“What kind of proposal?”
Ha Seomyeong winked.
“An OST request.”
(To be continued)