#7

At the End of the Road (Part 1)

After the meeting with Baek Seung-gyeol, the crew of “The Youngest Daughter of Royal Family” gathered together.

The assistant writer who had first contacted Baek Seung-gyeol handed a bottle of water to the writer Seo Eun-young and asked.

Upon hearing this, writer Seo Eun-young put down the bottle she had been bringing to her lips, as if she couldn’t wait to speak.

“Good job, good job. I wanted that somewhat poignant feeling I saw on Mewtube, but he showed an acting beyond that. I haven’t even analyzed the script yet! It’s something that suits you. There’s a reason why I’m into it.”

“I’m relieved…”

“Huh? What do you mean, why are you relieved?”

“Just because I felt like I wanted to support him for some reason. That person.”

In response to her words, writer Seo Eun-young snapped her fingers.

“You felt it too, didn’t you? That’s why I chose him. A character that viewers will support!”

The team members became increasingly interested in the more dramatic reaction than they had expected. But it also raised more questions.

Then, what’s wrong with the producer?

Jo Yeon-chul spoke on behalf of everyone’s curiosity.

“How about you, PD?”

Naturally, everyone’s attention was focused.

PD Yoo Jong-won raised his head while rubbing his lips.

He had a strange look on his face since the meeting and finally opened his mouth.

“Me? Me too.”

Slowly opening the preface, he utters words that are completely different from his expression.

“It exceeded my expectations. I didn’t really have high expectations. Maybe even if I had high expectations, I would still be equally surprised.”

“Well, isn’t that a good thing? Why are you so serious?”

“Haha, did I seem a bit off? My mind is a bit complicated right now.”

“…”

Facing the team members who seemed to be sinking deeper into confusion, PD Yoo Jong-won added.

“At first, I was surprised, but now…”

His expression becomes meaningful.

“How to make the viewers as surprised as I am, I’m thinking about it.”

#

—How was it?

“They said they’ll contact me.”

—Of course they will. How about you? Do you think you did well? Everyone is curious and excited right now.

“Everyone?”

When I raised my tongue, Hyun-tae across the cell phone smiled and said.

—Our staff members. They can’t focus on their work at all. They said ‘PD, when will the meeting end? Has it ended?’ They hope you pass the test. Well, what’s there to hope for? What kind of test is it?

He grumbled, and I joined in.

—Everyone seems to like you.

“I appreciate that.”

—I’ll pass that along. So, now tell me. How was it?

How was it?

I sit in the back of the rattling bus and slowly reflect on what happened at the broadcasting station.

Compared to Yeouido, it was definitely bigger and cleaner, and the employees’ gazes were somewhat intimidating, PD Yoo Jong-won was a pleasant and carefree person, and writer Seo Eun-young seemed to have liked me all the time. And then I got the script….

I began to share these thoughts with my older brother, Hyun-tae. The conversation started with reading the script and moved on to the reactions of the two of them, and then to my own thoughts about the work.

After talking for a long time, I stopped talking when I heard Hyun-tae’s low laughter flowing in from the other side.

“Why?”

—I’ve never seen you this excited about something before.

Is that so?

Well, even I don’t know when was the last time I was this passionately talking to someone about something.

And I still feel like I have a long way to go.

—By the way, do you have a good feeling about it?”

“Yeah, I do. The characters aren’t superficial, and the way they describe the situations really comes to life…”

—Hey, hey, I’m not talking about the drama. I mean you. Do you think you’ll get cast? You’re still immersed in the script, huh, buddy.”

Oh, it wasn’t about the script?

“Getting cast… It would be nice.”

—Are you talking like it’s okay if it doesn’t work?

Hyun-tae hit the nail on the head when he inadvertently said something.

My heart throbbed loudly. Like a heavy truck loaded with goods went rough over a big bump.

Without realizing it, I spoke in a stiff tone.

“No, it definitely doesn’t seem okay at all.”

—Pfft. You say that as if you have no ambitions.

“I don’t lack ambition. It’s just overflowing like this.”

—That’s not what I meant. It seems like you’re finally entering the realm of normalcy. I used to wonder if there was someone with so little ambition as you. You’re so innocent. I always worry about what would happen if someone deceived you.

“I am not naive. You’ve been tricked by me, brother.”

—Deceive? Who could deceive me?

I smacked my lips at Hyun-tae’s reaction, who confidently asserted it was impossible.

You’ve been fooled, man.

‘Choice? What choice does a young kid have? Besides, child actors can have their ups and downs.’

Whenever the topic of my child acting days comes up, I feel guilty because my older brother used to get upset as if it were his own business. He’d probably be quite surprised if he knew the truth.

I don’t know if that day will ever come.

Now, it’s funny to think about saying, ‘I actually pretended I couldn’t act.’

I hung up the phone with Hyun-tae and turned my head to look out the car window.

The call had a sweet aftertaste, probably because of the support from him and the staff.

That’s why I’m even more overwhelmed now.

I’m still used to the arrows of criticism, and I’m enjoying these things.

Is it okay to laugh freely?

Those cheers….

Baek Seung-gyeol! What’s wrong with you! Do it properly! I trusted you and made a big business, and if you do this, how can I pay all the debts?’

It might turn into resentment and blame again.

..Time flows like the scenery outside the car window, passing by quickly.

In the midst of it, a message I had secretly been waiting for came through.

The news was that my joining “The Youngest Daughter of Royal Family” had been decided.

#

Shortly after I became an adult, I quit the delivery company that I had been working for nearly three years.

I kept my future plans a secret. I was told by the production team not to tell anyone about the casting.

A few days later, I made another visit to the KNS broadcasting station.

The meeting this time was slightly longer than the last one. Finally, I got the script for the third episode.

I don’t think I was this excited when I was a kid, receiving my new textbooks for the new school year.

“Go home and read it carefully. If you have any questions, contact me through an assistant writer.”

PD Yoo Jong-won was still cheerful and kind.

However, I feel a distinctly different atmosphere from when I first came here.

The way he looks at me, I guess.

By the way, I was curious about one thing…..Oh, right.

“When will the script reading be?”

In response to my question, PD Yoo Jong-won looked at the writer Seo Eun-young instead. She, too, glanced at PD Yoo Jong-won in surprise. What’s going on?

Soon, PD Yoo Jong-won, who looked at me again, slowly opened his mouth.

“Oh, that… It’s probably around mid-May. I’ll contact you when we have a detailed schedule.”

“Alright.”

There seemed to be something, but I didn’t think it was the right time to bring it up, so I let it slide.

After bidding farewell to both of them as well as the production team, I quickly left the broadcasting station.

I felt a bit impatient. I wanted to open this thing in my hands and start reading it.

After returned home, I changed my clothes and immediately sat on the bed.

I dragged over the sofa table, serving as a makeshift desk, and placed the script on it. I opened the first page.

Srak—.

It was the part I read at the first meeting. My role, Ahn Joo-yeon, doesn’t even appear.

But without skipping a word, I began to read aloud, just as I did when I first received the script for “Haebyeol” and came home.

Just like back then.

“Oh my. I was wondering what you were doing in your room. My Seung-gyeol was reading the script?”

A young me nodded as I saw my mother who came in through the door.

“We can read it together when Mom finishes the dishes.”

“But it’s hard to wait, so—.”

My mom smiles broadly at my words. She walks over, sits down on one knee, and strokes my hair.

“Are you having fun reading the script?”

“A lot!”

“Did you understand what it’s about while you were reading it?”

“Yes!”

Confidently answering, I left my mom puzzled, thinking, ‘You don’t even read books regularly, but this?’

“Anyway, I’m glad. Shall we take a look together sometime? You know you have to memorize it, right?”

“Yes. The director told me to memorize it. I’ll have a test the next time we meet.”

“Then let’s work hard together and get a perfect score on the test, okay? I’ll use a highlighter to underline the parts you need to memorize, Seung-gyeol.”

“Oh, but Mom.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve already memorized it all.”

My mom looked at me with narrowed eyes, but then she gave me a small smile and turned the script toward me.

“Okay, I understand. Would you like to tell me the part you memorized? Mom will listen.”

I glanced at the script for a moment. Instead of accepting it, I looked up and made eye contact with my mother.

“Haebyeol walks home through the forsythia-filled path. The ramshackle gate is half open. As he pushes the door open, he hears an unfamiliar voice.”

“······?”

“Grandma, my father didn’t give this land to you. The adjacent land belongs to our great-grandfather. Instead of managing that, he let you to eat and sleep here and work the fields. But my father passed away. I need money. So, grandma, do you think you should leave the house or not?”

“What…”

My mom, with her mouth agape, took the script from me and turned the pages back to the first one.

Meanwhile, I moved on to the first chapter.

I kept reciting. The next page and the one after that.

My mom’s eyes, which had been moving left and right, suddenly turned toward me.

“Seung, Seung-gyeol.”

“Yes?”

“How much of it… I mean, how much did you memorize?”

“How much did I memorize?”

It was only then that I felt something was strange.

“I just said I memorized it all…”Top of Form

• ····· I pushed aside the memory that suddenly intervened.

It was nice to see a familiar face in it, but on the other hand, I felt guilty about her.

Guilt about returning to acting, which had torn my family apart.

Phew.

I pulled myself together and went back to reading the script.

I meticulously stored all the contents in my mind and turned the pages.

Within a few hours, there were no more pages to turn.

It was over. I had gone through the entire script I received.

With a sense of regret, I went back a few chapters and read the whole thing again. Maybe four or five times…

Then, I closed the cover and lay on the bed.

In that position, I stared at the ceiling for a while, then slowly closed my eyes.

As my vision faded, the people trapped within the script in my mind began to come alive, running wild.

~~~