"Hey, isn't that actor Sim Cheong-seok?"

At a bar in Daehangno, Seoul, where Sim Cheong-seok was leisurely having a drink with fellow actors, a voice called out.

"I heard you're trying to put out a fire in the play that's burning up right now? What's it called again, 'Eyes Closed,' right?"

Turning his head, Sim Cheong-seok saw a man with a decent appearance.

'Ah, this guy.'

Sim Cheong-seok shook his head. A fellow who graduated from a well-known university drama department in Seoul and was currently working as an actor. He had been gaining some recognition recently, with rumors about him possibly appearing in a drama.

'I think his name was Kang Se-hyun.'

Incidentally, Sim Cheong-seok had only worked with him in a play once. That was the extent of their connection.

"A~mazing Sim Cheong-seok, you'll do well. It's a reenactment of 'Eyes Closed,' right? The script is pretty good too..."

"If you have something to say, just get to the point."

Sim Cheong-seok's curt words made Kang Se-hyun frown.

"That arrogant attitude of yours hasn't changed."

"Huh, I’d like to ask who started with the sarcasm first."

Sim Cheong-seok’s chuckle made Kang Se-hyun's lips twitch.

"Since you insist, I’ll get to the point."

"Go ahead."

"When 'Eyes Closed' is performed, our play's performance dates coincide perfectly."

Sim Cheong-seok looked at him, wondering what he was getting at.

"What? Didn't you know? Haven't you heard of 'Under Snitch'?"

"Yeah."

He had heard of it. 'Under Snitch.' A play popular overseas being remade and performed in a large theater with over 800 seats. It definitely qualified as a 'promoted play.'

"The actors involved are well-known too. Actor Hong Tae-baek is leading, and actress Seong Si-ha is also starring."

Both were highly recognized in the theater world. Seong Si-ha, in particular, had transitioned from being an idol and found success in theater, frequently participating in recent performances. She was likely considering appearing in musicals in the future.

Both actors had remarkable audience-drawing power.

"But."

"Yeah."

"Why are you telling me this? Coming all the way to my drinking spot."

At Sim Cheong-seok's question, Kang Se-hyun leaned on his shoulder.

"Well, just to give you some consolation. You’ve come out of your way to help, and it looks like it's going to flop."

Despite his words, Kang Se-hyun looked very pleased. Since their previous play together, Kang Se-hyun had always been antagonistic towards Sim Cheong-seok. Despite having more experience, he resented being outshone in acting skills.

"Good luck. Let me know if you need any help."

As Kang Se-hyun walked away, patting him on the shoulder, Sim Cheong-seok let out a derisive laugh. Help? He wouldn't even answer the phone if called.

"What a guy."

"Don’t let it bother you, Cheong-seok. A play’s success isn't just about the actors."

Though his fellow actors tried to comfort him, Sim Cheong-seok honestly didn’t care.

‘Audience-drawing power, huh.’

A certain girl came to his mind.

‘Speaking of which, there was supposed to be some filming at the school.’

As he thought about it, Sim Cheong-seok poured himself another drink.

"Cheong-seok, are you okay?"

"Ah, yes. I’m fine. It's just that…"

He had a feeling he was about to witness the true power of audience attraction.

"Park Jeong-woo!!"

"Please look over here!"

"Look at that face! It's the size of my fist, my fist!!!"

Screams of excitement echoed through Yeonhwa High School. Park Jeong-woo waved to the students with a smile, but inwardly he was already exhausted.

‘I’m already tired.’

Though he disliked the hassle, Park Jeong-woo was known for his excellent fan service. Thanks to his father's teachings from a young age, he knew that without fans, there would be no actor.

‘Always be grateful for the crowd’s cheers.’

That was his father's teaching, and Park Jeong-woo followed it faithfully.

Just like that, if fan service brought even one more audience member to the theater, it was worth it.

"Where are the staff?"

"They're preparing over there. Hey, over here!"

At the manager’s shout, staff members ran to assist Park Jeong-woo as he got out of the van. Teachers, including the student affairs officer, were controlling the line to ensure that the students didn’t rush in.

Although there were security guards, they were clearly struggling with the number of students. As Park Jeong-woo entered the filming location,

"The drama club advisor is supposed to be here... Ah! This way!"

PD Jeong Min-jae smiled widely as he saw Song Dayeon, the drama club advisor, rushing over.

"Are you Ms. Song Dayeon from the drama club? Are all the students prepared for the broadcast?"

"Of course. By the way, do you know Lee Ji-yeon? She’s currently appearing in a cable drama..."

Lee Ji-yeon.

Jeong Min-jae was slightly surprised. Wasn't she the girl playing 'Lee Min-chae' in a popular cable drama? Her acting was decent, and she was memorable for her looks.

A talent likely to be seen in public broadcasting or movies in the future.

"Oh, then is she going to play Princess Yeonhwa?"

"Yes, she's getting ready now. What about the script?"

"Here it is. Although the reenactment drama will be in four hours, we’ll start filming right away. Is that okay?"

"What? They haven't memorized the script yet?"

"Four hours is plenty of time."

Moreover, they hadn’t memorized the script. This was not a 'drama shoot' but a variety show.

Seeing the students struggle to memorize and practice was part of the content.

‘This is real.’

As Song Dayeon and PD Jeong Min-jae conversed, a male student was filming the scene with his smartphone. He wasn’t just taking pictures or videos for memories.

• Oh, they’re really filming.
• Can’t you hold the camera higher?
• If you hold it higher, won’t they notice and take it away?

An internet stream, so to speak. The male student, Song Yong-ho, was a game streamer earning pocket money on the side, but today was different.

He couldn't just sit still while they filmed a variety show at his school.

• Just stick to games.

Some comments came in like this, but there were twice as many viewers as usual. That number was a whopping 200!

It might seem modest, but for a high school streamer, it was an encouraging figure.

"They said it's okay to film, so it should be fine even if we get caught. Also, Park Jeong-woo is participating as a guest today, and Lee Ji-yeon... will play Princess Yeonhwa."

• Who’s Lee Ji-yeon?
• Watch some TV occasionally...
• Typical nerd: gets excited when something they know comes up.
• There’s a minor actress from a cable drama. She’s pretty.
• As long as she’s pretty.

With such comments coming in, the variety show’s filming officially began.

Song Yong-ho wasn’t the only one streaming live on the internet. Others were also busy trying to capture the situation.

"I will assist with the acting guidance for the next four hours."

As several cameras were placed around the drama club's room, Park Jeong-woo spoke. The boys gaped, and the girls almost trembled as if having a seizure.

Someone once said. Being handsome is the best.

"Um, actor Park Jeong-woo, aren't you going to practice separately?"

"I’ve already memorized it."

"Ah! As expected!"

A female student exclaimed, blushing as she marveled, and Park Jeong-woo smiled quietly. Of course, it was all acting. They were three years younger than him. He just accepted their fuss with a tolerant attitude.

‘Their acting level isn’t bad, but...’

After all, they were high school drama club members. They couldn’t compare to real actors.

"By the way, teacher. Where is the actress playing Princess Yeonhwa?"

"Oh, Ji-yeon?"

The actress who was supposed to play Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Ji-yeon, was not just a member of the drama club but also a proper actress currently appearing in a cable drama.

‘I briefly checked her video, and she seemed quite good.’

But aside from that.

"Why isn't she here?"

"Ah, well... Ji-yeon said she wanted to prepare separately."

Incidentally, this conversation was being filmed, so Song Dayeon spoke carefully. She didn’t want her student to be criticized.

"I see. Some actors prefer to have alone time to gather their emotions."

"Right? Ah, Ji-yeon must want to prepare thoroughly since you’re here, actor Park Jeong-woo."

"Indeed."

He smiled, but honestly, Park Jeong-woo didn’t like this Lee Ji-yeon.

‘This isn’t just a drama shoot but a variety show. Can’t she tell the difference?’

And what could she be preparing by herself? It wasn’t an audition. It would’ve been better to practice with him here to get more footage for the show.

Or did she not want to act with these drama club kids?

‘Either way, I don’t like it.’

Park Jeong-woo clicked his tongue and guided the other students' acting. Lee Ji-yeon had taken the lead role, Princess Yeonhwa, but the other students also had their own roles.

"Ms. Song Dayeon, this isn’t good. You should bring Lee Ji-yeon here quickly."

PD Jeong Min-jae whispered to Song Dayeon. The scene of Park Jeong-woo teaching the students was interesting.

Seeing a real actor guide students was much more engaging than the students practicing alone.

"The important thing is the chemistry between Lee Ji-yeon and Park Jeong-woo."

Reenacting episode 8 of The Moon That Hid the Sun. The most crucial scene was the reunion of Yun Seo-il and Lee Hye-wol. If they started without practicing together and it went wrong...?

They’d get some NG takes, but the scene wouldn’t be alive. If Park Jeong-woo was appearing, there needed to be a scene that made people go 'Wow!'.

Song Dayeon quickly called Ji-yeon. She felt something bad might happen if they didn’t bring her soon.

"Yes, Ji-yeon. Huh?"

And, while talking on the phone, Song Dayeon showed a strange reaction.

"What’s wrong?"

"Ah, no. Well, PD Jeong Min-jae."

"Yes?"

"Ji-yeon wants to know if she can meet you privately for a moment."

Privately? That wasn’t a difficult request, but should a PD handle this?

Was this one of those MG or MZ things he had heard about?

"She said it might not be good if she gets caught while moving separately."

"Goodness."

What was she up to?

"Alright. Let’s go."

PD Jeong Min-jae nodded. He resolved to give a stern warning if it turned out to be nothing serious.

Wearing the costume after so long felt strange. Park Jeong-woo looked down at the hanbok he was wearing and sighed. A historical drama. The last historical drama he appeared in was The Moon That Hid the Sun. He hadn't felt compelled to appear in another since then.

‘Grown-up Yun Seo-il, huh.’

Looking in the mirror, he saw glimpses of the young Yun Seo-il. After reciting the lines in his head, he slowly stepped outside.

"Wow, you look just like the grown-up Yun Seo-il we imagined."

A staff member gave him a thumbs-up as soon as he came out, and Park Jeong-woo chuckled.

"It’s been ten years. Do you still remember?"

"Of course. It’s my favorite drama."

Favorite drama, huh. Maybe it was similar for Park Jeong-woo too. Despite having worked on many projects, none had left such a lasting impression.

"What about PD Jeong?"

"Oh, he’s with the actress playing Princess Yeonhwa. He told us to start without him."

It seemed PD Jeong had disappeared, leaving the proceedings to the junior PD. He could somewhat guess why this variety show was struggling.

"Wow! You look amazing in hanbok too."

A makeshift set in the auditorium, with paper boards hastily set up. As Park Jeong-woo arrived, the students chattered excitedly.

There was a buzz of conversation. The auditorium was filled with students.

The voices of the staff.

‘I’m tired.’

Muttering words he’d said countless times today, the shoot began.

"Come this way, my lord!"

"Are you going to the palace again today?"

The students' acting was decent but still couldn't compare to professional actors. It was watchable at best. Still, it was the best among all the episodes of Looking at the Past, Memories so far.

The staff thought so too.

"It’s almost time for Princess Yeonhwa to appear..."

"She’s still not here? What’s PD Jeong doing?"

The students portraying the market scene crowded around, creating a bustling atmosphere. They weren’t really acting, just mimicking a market scene.

Yun Seo-il walked through the scene, reminiscing about the past.

‘The market I walked through with Princess Yeonhwa ten years ago.’

Princess Yeonhwa, surprised by even small snacks. Young Joo Seoyeon. That image briefly surfaced in Park Jeong-woo’s mind and then disappeared.

‘Now, Princess Yeonhwa should be here.’

If not, it would be an NG take.

Thinking about retakes made him even more tired. His negative impression of Lee Ji-yeon was about to solidify.

Amidst the market crowd, a graceful figure appeared. Although her appearance was concealed by a long traditional Korean coat, anyone could tell she was Princess Yeonhwa.

‘There she is...’

Relieved, Park Jeong-woo followed 'Princess Yeonhwa.' The students chattered noisily in their roles.

And there stood Princess Yeonhwa.

Despite wearing the traditional coat, something was different. Her posture and aura were unlike the other students.

The moment Park Jeong-woo realized this, his pace quickened.

Maybe.

He thought it wasn’t acting.

Park Jeong-woo, and Yun Seo-il, moved instinctively. Pushing through the crowd. Knowing she wouldn’t run, he reached out hastily.

When he grasped the small shoulder, a faint laugh was heard. Familiar. Clear.

"Seo-il."

A woman's hand moved, slowly pulling down the traditional coat’s hood.

The sight entered his view slowly, like in slow motion.

First, he saw the long, neatly tied black hair. White skin.

"I’m a bit late."

The cute face from childhood had grown beautifully. Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.

"...But."

Her star-like presence was etched into Park Jeong-woo's, no, Yun Seo-il's eyes.

"I’m back."

The red-tinted eyes. The playful smile on her lips.

Park Jeong-woo’s mind went blank.