“Do you know how much I love Black Moon?”

“How could you film this and not say a word?”

“Right. You should have told us if you were filming something like this!”

Han Yooil listened to his friends’ chatter and pulled out his laptop, just as the professor entered the classroom.

“…Han Yooil.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re filming a drama with Byul, right?”

Kim Jinwoo whispered softly.

“Maybe if you get close… could you get an autograph?”

“…”

“Come on, just once…”

His persistent voice faded as the professor began taking attendance.

After the major class, Brion’s voice echoed in his mind.

【Yooil, the views for <Daydream> music video have exceeded 40,000.】

‘…What?’

Already?

It had only been two hours.

【I’ll show you related articles.】

Before he could respond, a semi-transparent window appeared in front of him.

【- Black Moon’s splendid return… Who is the protagonist of <Daydream> music video?

– [Music TALK!] The universally acknowledged best band Black Moon releases new song <Daydream>

– Black Moon’s <Daydream> music video, JJ Entertainment’s new face Han Yooil ‘intense performance’…】

Han Yooil nodded as he skimmed through the numerous article titles.

‘The reaction is better than I thought.’

【Yes. The quality of the music video is higher than expected, so the response is mostly positive.】

And Brion started showing the comments on OTube.

All were positive reactions. Especially a long comment analyzing the music video was impressive.

‘…Interesting.’

After browsing the comments for a while, Han Yooil barely managed to get off the subway at Brion’s reminder.

* * *

The next morning, Han Yooil was in a car. He had stopped by the shop since dawn and was now on his way to the filming location.

Min Woojin glanced at Han Yooil in the rearview mirror. His actor was sitting upright, neatly made up.

“Yooil, are you sure it’s okay to film while attending school?”

“Of course.”

<Sing in High School> was an ott series web drama, consisting of 8 episodes, each 40 minutes long, with a total of 95 shooting schedules.

Considering that a 2-hour feature film usually has between 80 to 100 shooting schedules, the drama had to produce over 5 hours of content within the same number of schedules.

‘And to juggle that with school…’

About 5 months of shooting period. Not only was there almost daily shooting, but long hours on set were required. In fact, this was one of the reasons actors preferred filming movies over dramas. Min Woojin had also come to learn this after joining JJ Entertainment.

Han Yooil responded lightly.

“It’s fine. I deliberately made my class schedule lenient.”

Min Woojin recalled Han Yooil’s timetable, stacked like a tower with only two days a week, and nodded.

“Ah! Right! You did great with your course registration.”

It was a timetable created according to the shooting schedule, as informed by Brion in advance. Han Yooil smiled proudly and turned his eyes back to the script, which had become tattered after the reading.

The black limousine, steered by Min Woojin, slowly decelerated.

“Good luck today, Han Yooil!”

“Thanks, hyung.”

Han Yooil got out of the car with a pleasant smile, thinking he could never match Min Woojin’s energy no matter how hard he tried.

The filming location for <Sing in High School> was an indoor set. The outdoor scenes were to be shot at an abandoned school, while the indoor ones were planned for the set.

“Oh, Han Yooil, you’re here?”

“Hello, Assistant Director. Thanks for your hard work this morning.”

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

The Assistant Director, trying to maintain a cheerful tone despite the evident fatigue, and the Director of Photography passed by as Han Yooil entered the waiting room.

The veteran staff seemed more tired, but the younger staff with less experience on set were nervously glancing around, visibly tense.

The bit-part actors who arrived at the set earlier than their call time also stood nervously. They were all playing students of Star High and were waiting in their school uniforms on the classroom set designated for filming.

“…Huh?”

Han Yooil’s eyes caught someone entering. Before he could jog his memory, Brion took the initiative.

【It’s the person from the waiting room on the day of the <Sing in High School> audition. They were in the waiting room for supporting/minor roles.】

Then Han Yooil too could clearly remember. It was the very person to whom he had given a hand warmer.

“Hello.”

The man seemed surprised by Han Yooil’s greeting.

“Hello!”

“That… the hand warmer. Right?”

“Wow, you actually remember!”

The actor beamed, his eyes wide open. He introduced himself as Yoon Shinwoo.

“I tried to find you right after the audition that day. I was really thankful for the hand warmer.”

“Not at all. It’s nice to see you on set.”

“Me too.”

And Han Yooil began to greet the other bit-part actors around him.

After parking the car and arriving at the set, Min Woojin hurried over to Han Yooil.

“…Do you know them?”

“Oh, I met them in the waiting room before.”

Just then, the Assistant Director’s voice echoed through the set.

“Supporting actors and bit-part actors, we’ll start the rehearsal.”

Han Yooil followed Min Woojin to the waiting room. On the door, an A4 paper read [Han Yooil’s Waiting Room]. Yooil entered with a peculiar feeling. The waiting room was snug and cozy. Woojin handed Yooil a bottle of water.

“How does it feel?”

“Um…”

Han Yooil took a big gulp of water and squinted his eyes, then smiled after swallowing.

“It feels good.”

He was in top condition.

‘It seems I’m really cut out for the set.’

Brion chimed in as if waiting for the moment.

【I’ve mentioned it several times, but of course, acting is your true calling, Yooil…】

‘Do Not Disturb mode.’

【…】

Sounds of activity started to fill the waiting room corridor. Other lead actors were arriving at the set one after the other.

And not long after, the shooting began.

*

Byul, the visual and lead vocalist of LoveA but currently Hyobin of Star High, flings open the classroom door with her refreshing bob haircut swaying from her chin. With a clear and firm voice, she calls her friend’s name.

“Heena!”

“Ah, you startled me!”

The camera follows Hyobin as she strides forward.

“Good, cut!”

Immediately following, Hyobin’s hand presenting a contest flyer to Heena is close-upped.

Breathless, Hyobin speaks.

“Let’s enter this.”

“Eh?”

Heena’s black eyes narrow. With her long fingers on Hyobin’s forehead, concerned, she asks if she’s unwell, while Harang leans in closely to inspect the flyer.

“What’s this?”

“Move it. Go away!”

“Superstar… High School?”

Despite Heena’s chiding, Harang starts reading the flyer meticulously.

“Does this pay well?”

“Hey, you have enough money. Why are you always talking about money?”

Just then, a heavy voice resounded in the classroom.

“…Guys.”

Seon Gihyeon stands up abruptly.

“We are supposed to be self-studying.”

The classroom instantly falls silent.

In that quiet, Seon Gihyeon’s tired eyes behind his glasses scan over Hyobin, Heena, and Harang. The kids, feeling awkward under his gaze, return to their seats.

Peaceful self-study time returns to the classroom.

Seon Gihyeon lets out a small sigh and sits back down.

“Ah!”

At that moment, Lee Taewoo springs up, having been talking in his sleep.

“Ah… it was just a dream.”

Ruffling his hair, Taewoo sits back down. Seon Gihyeon’s eyes rest on Lee Taewoo.

With many emotions contained in his gaze.

Kim Kyuoh smiles slightly.

‘Much better than the reading.’

He had expected to take several takes, but it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary.

‘It’s better than expected.’

The biggest reason seemed to be Seon Gihyeon, who anchored the scene from the center.

“Cut.”

He took only the necessary additional cuts before moving on to the next scene.

For the next few scenes, the focus was on Lee Taewoo and Hyobin.

Yooil sat in a corner of the set, observing the filming.

During a short break, Yooil turned his head at the sound of a cheerful voice calling him.

“Hyung.”

Kim Harang’s face, with his hair bleached almost platinum blonde, was beaming with freshness.

“How have you been?”

“Ah, yeah. How about you, Harang?”

“Of course.”

Harang, giggling as he approached, sat down and asked.

“When did you start acting?”

…When was it?

【It’s been about a year now.】

“I think it’s been about a year.”

“Wow.”

Kim Harang’s mouth dropped open.

Through years of being a trainee and an idol, Harang had realized something. Dance and singing can be improved with a certain level of effort. But charisma can’t be created from nothing. It was a matter of talent.

Acting was the same.

Confident in his diligence, Kim Harang also felt a clear limit in acting.

Despite that, it seemed Harang’s curiosity was piqued more by Han Yooil’s personality than by envy.

‘…Uncomplicated.’

Yet, he didn’t seem like a dull person either.

After briefly pondering, Kim Harang continued with a grin.

“Once this airs, you’re going to have a lot of fans.”

“…You think so? I don’t see my character as particularly likable.”

Seon Gihyeon was the biggest rival and obstacle to Ji Eunho’s character Lee Taewoo, who could be considered the most protagonist-like in the drama.

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that. You’re really going to be popular!”

With that, Kim Harang caught a production staff member with an idol’s eye-smile.

“Sehee noona, when is our first broadcast date?”

“Is this for the first broadcast?”

“Yes!”

“The first broadcast is scheduled for mid-July.”

“Wow, that’s a long wait!”

“You’re in a hurry even though it’s only the first shoot, Harang!”

Yooil watched their friendly interaction curiously, prompting Harang, aware of the gaze, to explain with a smile.

“Oh, we met at another set before. I’m good at remembering people…”

“That’s a useful skill.”

“Really?”

【Don’t worry, Yooil. With me around, you don’t have to worry about such things.】

‘…’

Han Yooil picked up the water bottle with a face like he had tasted something bitter.

* * *

Thankfully, the shooting proceeded without delay and ended around 8 PM.

Despite the long day, enough breaks kept everyone in fairly good condition.

“Great work, everyone!”

“See you at the next shoot~”

Just as Yooil and everyone were about to leave, an unfamiliar staff member approached.

“Mr. Yooil!”

Introducing himself as part of the production team of <How We Ended Up>, the staff member looked up at Yooil with pleading eyes. It was a gaze hard to ignore.

“Do you have any schedules after this?”

“Schedules?”

Min Woojin slowly shook his head, not forgetting to cast a wary glance at the staff member.

“Not particularly.”

Hearing Yooil’s response, the unfamiliar staff member bowed deeply and exclaimed.

“Then… could you please help us out just this once!”

“What?”

Min Woojin, who had been yawning, started coughing in surprise at the staff member’s grasp.

“Please! I beg you!”

…This was an unexpected turn of events.