NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44
김동후는 항상 완벽하게 연기했다.
“이게 무슨 마법이야?”
지은비는 믿기지 않는 광경을 지켜보며 흠칫 놀랐다.
“동후 오빠는 요정인가 뭔가? NG라는 게 뭔지 모르는 거야?”
그 사이, 방송은 계속 진행되었고, 김동후의 매력 발산은 끝이 없었다.
“젊고 잘생긴 애가 연기도 잘하니까, 대체 어떻게 이걸 견딘다는 거지?”
지은비는 헛웃음을 지으며 멍한 표정으로 화면을 응시했다.
“이거 완전 역대급 불공평 시합인데?”
속으로 이런 생각을 하면서도, 어쩌면 이게 사랑의 비극일지도 모른다고 한참을 고민했다.
“난 그냥 팬인데, 이건 거의 범죄잖아!”
그렇게 혼자 삭히는 동안, 지은비는 메시지를 남기기로 결심했다.
“이게 정말 잘못됐어요! 김동후의 분량을 더 주세요!!!”
It’s always the other person’s mistake when I mess up.
I’ve never had a single NG thanks to Kim Donghu.
Can you believe this?
All the boiling emotions instantly turned cold,
and Ji Eun-bi checked the viewer board.
“Nah, did Kim Donghu actually not have a single NG?”
“Yeah, it seems official though?”
“Wait, but seriously, besides his acting skills, doesn’t he just get better-looking every time?”
“He’s still in his growth period, so his face makes no sense.”
Half of them couldn’t believe such an unbelievable sight.
The other half was the usual talk about how good-looking Kim Donghu is.
Ji Eun-bi also wrote a post.
“Nah, I won the special concert tickets.”
She just couldn’t help but brag.
+++++
The morning before the Hydro Dream special performance.
To cut to the chase, I had become the class president.
“Huh?”
Why am I the class president?
Before I could even ponder that question, I was already the class president.
By the way, the vice president was Shin Ye-rim.
Even though I had switched classes in the second year of middle school.
Is there such a thing as fate?
Kang Sik, Min-hyuk, and Ye-rim ended up in my class.
“Donghu, did you grow taller again?”
“Hmm? Yeah, I think so.”
“Go measure your height in the nurse’s office later; I really have to look up at you now.”
I laughed lightly at Ye-rim’s words.
I have no idea how much taller I could get, but I’ve definitely been eating more lately.
It felt like my food was going into height and muscle rather than turning to fat,
what a second life I’m living.
“Donghu, are you going for a two-night, three-day kind of thing, or a foolish challenge?”
“What?”
“No, Kang Sik says he thinks two nights and three days is more fun. I don’t get it.”
Isn’t a foolish challenge way more fun?
Min-hyuk’s sudden comment made me realize it was 2011 all over again.
You could say it was the golden era of TV.
Back in those days when I wrapped up every week listening to the comedy festival band stages on weekends.
I truly hadn’t felt this flow while focusing solely on acting for a while.
‘Am I finally finding some leisure?’
It was around the time I started thinking that.
> “Donghu, are you doing well?”
> “I’m so lonely without you day by day.”
> “Do you remember… the memories we shared?”
If someone unfamiliar saw it, they’d freak out as a flood of KakaoTalk messages arrived.
<“Hey, manager, I’ve been doing well. How about you?” > “No, I’m not doing well. I can’t find any talent like yours.”
> “Donghu, I understand that your acting career is busy, but can’t you come over for some sparring?”
> “I just hope to maintain at least some sense of realism…”
> “I’m sorry for bothering you even though you’re busy.”
Our manager is quite well-known in the fighting scene.
Why does he turn into an ex-girlfriend every time we chat on KakaoTalk?
Is it just me, or does he become like my ex as soon as we start chatting on KakaoTalk?
[Next time, I’ll swing by the gym, thanks for always looking out for me. ]Our Donghu is the best! Oh! And guess what? I won tickets to the special concert too!
Wait, you bought those?!
‘Does that mean we’ll see each other at the concert then?’
I’m kinda nervous thinking I’ll bump into someone I know there.
Just as I muttered that under my breath, suddenly, a flood of KakaoTalk messages came rolling in.
>Kim Donghu, have you lost your mind?! What the heck is this?
>(A picture of Kim Donghu and Ryu Jaerin posing together in school uniforms)
>Who is this?! Seriously, how does this even make sense?!
>You spent Christmas with me and then took couple photos with her first? What kind of madness is this!
Even with the name hidden, I knew exactly who it was.
Sweat trickled down as Su-Jin’s relentless messages came pouring in.
>Donghu, look at this! Everyone’s saying we look like a couple.
>(A screenshot of community reactions attached)
>What if we actually get married or something someday? Isn’t that wild?
>Who knows, maybe we’ll actually end up calling each other honey, haha.
Reactions flowed from Jaerin’s texts like she was declaring war, every word dripping with emotions.
After giving a nonchalant reply, I checked my schedule.
‘Oh right, the special concert is tomorrow.’
They mentioned a fan meeting too, what if I mess up my responses then?
Panic set in.
‘Should I practice or something?’
The people who bought the CD came all the way just for the concert. If I flub it, it’d leave a bad taste over a good memory.
I needed to create the best experience possible for everyone.
It was crucial to know how to make people feel good during a fan meeting.
And at that moment.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
As if trying to help, the notifications from [Sims – The Real Life] popped up one after the other.
‘Are they sending tips on how to handle fan meetings or something?’
But what I received had nothing to do with the fan meeting at all.
-[<The Swordsman Baek Dong-su> Jawan’s child actor injured?]
-[Urgent search for child actor capable of swordsmanship for <The Swordsman Baek Dong-su>]
-[Auditions taking place quietly? Finding a suitable actor across the country]
Out of nowhere, these future texts dropped in.
It was clear what this meant.
‘Does this mean I’m going to be in a historical drama?’
+++++
On the day of the HydeDream special concert, around 5,000 fans gathered at the venue, proving just how popular HydeDream really was.
Cameras flashed non-stop as reporters captured every moment, while fans cheered enthusiastically at the upcoming concert.
With photo ops, idol performances, songs from the HydeDream band, and Kim Donghu’s solo piano performance,
Fans were blissfully lost in the endless stream of dopamine.
The fans were in a frenzy amidst the feast.
Naturally, the star of the show was Kim Donghu’s piano performance.
One of the countless rumors spreading like wildfire was,
“Kim Donghu used a piano damnation,” which was hilariously obliterated by the overwhelming power of the transcendental etude, La Campanella, leaving everyone gaping.
“Donghu, you’re just… too talented, it’s a problem. Not just martial arts… but piano too…”
There was a moment of distraction when a middle-aged man resembling a great white shark shed a tear and clapped, but it was only for a fleeting second.
And just like that, the concert came to an end.
Next up was the long-awaited fan meeting that everyone had been eagerly anticipating.
Ideally, it would be great to have one-on-one conversations with each fan, but due to time constraints, that was absolutely impossible. Instead, they received questions ahead of time, and some were chosen by the actors to respond to.
As a result,
“Please read my question!”
Fans desperately hoped their questions would be selected.
With the emcee’s selection deciding everything, Ji Eun-bi, who had boasted about winning concert tickets a few days ago, clasped her hands tightly.
“It’s not even a heavy question, so it should be fine, right? Please, oh please!”
Honestly, it wasn’t a complicated question. Just something to lighten the mood.
And did that prayer work?
“Ah, the first question is really light and witty! This one’s for you, Kim Donghu. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
With the introduction of a lighthearted question, Donghu was seen grabbing the microphone.
“When did you start being so handsome, Donghu oppa?”
As the emcee brilliantly parodied a famous line from Secret Garden, everyone burst into laughter.
“Yes! My question!”
Eun-bi wanted to scream in joy but held it in because that would be rude, and besides, she was just eager to hear Donghu’s answer.
Heart racing.
In that moment when all eyes were on him, casually brushing his hair back with a playful smile, he responded,
“But why are you talking informally to oppa?”
At Donghu’s answer,
“AAAAAAAH!!!”
The hearts of girl fans, including Eun-bi, skipped a beat.