Episode 13

“Why did you do that? Why did you not abandon me even after knowing the truth?”

“What are you talking about?”

In response to Cha Woo-joo’s quiet question, Chairman Cha looked up and stared at Woo-joo.

“Why didn’t you abandon me even after knowing I’m not your biological son, and that I’m the child of your wife’s affair? I don’t have your blood running through my veins!”

“………”

Hearing Woo-joo’s words, Chairman Cha silently looked out of the window.

“Is it because my older brother Jaeil left the house that you kept me close? Why don’t you hate me?”

“Why would I hate you? Just because my blood doesn’t run through your veins.”

Hearing his father’s words, Woo-joo was stunned.

“Just because my blood doesn’t run through your veins, doesn’t mean the memory of you riding the bike I pushed, laughing brightly, will disappear. When your mother passed away and you cried so much, my heart was torn. Regardless of whose blood you have, you are still my son.”

Cha Woo-joo’s heart was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Love for his mother.

Longing and anger towards his mother.

Resentment and sympathy for his father.

Each of Woo-joo’s emotions clearly showed on his face, and soon tears streamed down.

And then the ensuing scream.

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth even once when I was rebelling and going astray? I feel so….! I’m So, SORRY!!”

Screaming and pouring out all his emotions, Woo-joo’s intense acting even made his co-star Lee Sang-jung emotional to the point of tears.

He suddenly stood up, knocking the table in front of him, and hugged Woo-joo.

“…… No father wishes to hurt his child.”

In his father’s embrace, Woo-joo cried.

“Before the truth could be revealed and you could be threatened for inheritance by relatives, I wanted to leave everything to you. That’s why I opposed. I always enjoyed hearing about your modeling and laughing and chatting with friends through Jaeil.”

Ah!

Though Woo-joo has grown bigger than his father, he cried in his father’s arms like a child who had fallen from a bike, and his father just comforted him.

“Okay! Cut!”

Wow!

Everyone on set cheered and applauded for Yeon-woo’s intense performance.

“Did you see how Yeon-woo’s facial expressions changed every second? I could feel all those complex emotions.”

The camera director who was filming commented.

“Ah, I suddenly miss my son.”

“But you’re not even married.”

“That’s why I said I miss him.”

Yeon-woo ‘s acting made even a non-existent son missed.

“He’s truly a monster. He’s smart, with that face, and that acting skill.”

Han So-hyeon, still emotional, shook her head looking at Yeon-woo.

“He seems to have grown taller since he first joined the drama. Maybe by 3 centimeters.”

Son Jin-yuk compared Woo-joo’s height with his own, which is 184 centimeters.

“I want to learn acting from him.”

Ahn Jun-ho wondered if he could express emotions as clearly as Yeon-woo and then shook his head.

“Alright, that’s it for the morning shoot. Done in one take. Well done, everyone.”

“Thank you.”

And so, the morning shoot was wrapped up. Yeon-woo, having calmed his emotions, headed to the accommodation provided by LN Entertainment during the shoot.

Upon arriving at the accommodation, Yeon-woo searched for the recently released production announcement and teasers on YouTube. The fact that he appeared on internet searches felt both strange and as if he was living a new life.

“I hope there aren’t already hate comments.”

Yeon-woo anxiously checked the comments. He is able to express his emotion easily compared to his previous life, his personality had become brighter. For some reason, he seemed more sensitive.

 

[In my opinion, it seems like he’s a freak. If not, never mind.]

[Is that so? It’s all-natural, isn’t it?]

[What’s with ‘Ryunim’? It’s not even Yunim.]¹

[Yeon-woo is not a freak, right? The video is short, but the face looks natural.]

[Check out the press conference. Our Yeon-woo was on screen way longer than I was. <Link>]

[The first speech bubble. You’re the kind of person that sickens society.]

There hasn’t been much public footage, so there isn’t much widespread attention. But the few who slandered were quickly silenced.

It’s said that when one becomes a celebrity, they search their name dozens of times a day. Yeon-woo never thought he’d do that and resolved to refrain from it for the sake of a longer career.

So, after resting a while at the dorm, Yeon-woo decided to visit the afternoon filming site, wanting to return the favour to the seniors who came to support him in the morning.

“Hmm, there’s no filming schedule. Maybe it’s better to just go alone.”

He didn’t want to inconvenience LN Entertainment, especially since he hadn’t signed a formal contract with them, so he decided to take the subway.

While he lives in Daejeon now, Yeon-woo, who had been a Seoul native for over 40 years since his past life, stepped out with excitement.

The journey from the dorm to Sangam, where the set was located, wasn’t that long. But Yeon-woo felt troubled from the subway platform.

“Isn’t that the person from the drama teaser that was mentioned to be interesting?”

“Seems so, the face fits.”

He didn’t expect people to recognize him just from the teaser. He regretted not wearing a hat or mask.

A group of schoolgirls in uniforms approached, asking for an autograph.

“Are you Ryu Yeon-woo?”

“Yes, hello.”

Surprised that the young fan even knew his name, Yeon-woo gratefully signed her phone.

“This is how they do digital autograph these days.”

Seeing one person get an autograph encouraged others to approach. He ended up missing two subways while taking photos and signing.

Thankfully, following the advice of Teacher Jung Cheol-min, he had prepared his signature in advance, or he would’ve had to use his old rough signature from his previous life.

After all the commotion, Yeon-woo boarded the subway and arrived at Sangam station. He received a call from Jung Cheol-min.

“Yes, Teacher. Yes, I filmed that scene. Haha, no, it’s not a big deal.”

Yeon-woo had practiced the morning’s scene since he received the latter part of the script. While he couldn’t always practice the emotions, he did well in conveying the varying emotions during the shoot. The main contributor to its success was Director Jung Cheol-min.

“Yes, I’m on my way to the set now. Seniors came to support me even though they didn’t have any scenes. I’ll call you later.”

After hanging up, Yeon-woo entered the set and was greeted by staff who recognized him.

 

“Oh! Yeon-woo, you’re back?”

“Yes, Director Jeong. I was too bored at the dorm.”

The now-friendly sound director, Director Jeong, announced Yeon-woo’s arrival, and the entire staff applauded. They praised his performance and how unexpectedly well he did, given his young age.

Yeon-woo humbly bowed, saying, “Thank you!”

Thinking he couldn’t just stand around, Yeon-woo said, “I’ll be back in a bit!” and went to buy coffee for the crew. With the money his father had deposited into his account, he didn’t have to worry about the cost.

He recalled his parents’ words about saving half of what he earns until he becomes an adult. Yeon-woo insisted on giving half of what he earns to them. His grateful parents were moved, realizing how much their once-troubled son had grown

 

He also gave allowance to So-hyeon, who had been upset at him for not giving her pocket money and grabbing his arms in frustration. His younger sister was thrilled as she intended to buy the backpack that’s currently in trend.

Yeon-woo was happy with his gradual growth as an actor, but he was even more grateful to experience joy from these little daily moments with his family. Yeon-woo bowed his head to shake off the deep thoughts.

After distributing the coffee to the other staff members, he waited at the set. Once he saw the “okay” sign, he approached the director and the other actors.

“Oh, what’s this? Why did you come back, Yeon-wo? Came to see your sister, right?”

“Of course. Haha.”

“Thank you for the coffee, Yeon-woo.”

“You’re welcome, hyung.”

Son Jin- yuk laughed as he took a sip of the coffee Yeong-woo gave him.

“I’ll also enjoy it. How do you feel about acting, Yeon-woo? Is it fun?”

Director Kim Han-soo always spoke politely to the young Yeon-woo.

“Yes, Director. It’s so much fun. Our shooting environment is quite friendly, right? I feel fortunate to have debuted in such a positive atmosphere.”

“Hmm, you all have such good chemistry together, making our set a bit warmer and friendlier than usual. Hahaha.”

Director Kim Han-soo replied, nodding his head, and then looked at the lead actors.

“Now that everyone’s gathered, I have an announcement to make.”