I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

* * *

Shim Juhwan clutched the storyboard in his trembling hands.

“Finally!”

Today was the day of the music video shoot for his new song.

The title track he had been preparing for years—just looking at the name was enough for the melody to start playing in his ears.

‘Recording is completely finished.’

He had practically lived inside the booth for countless hours to complete the recording of the title track. To the point where he felt certain he couldn’t possibly sing it any better.

As he closed his eyes and sang, Shim Juhwan found himself thinking of someone’s face.

INTUBE

[They dragged his daughter away like a dog... Han Yeoreum’s sincerity that couldn’t reach Myeong Jeha ⎢The Great Garland] 04:21

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Even just thinking about it again made his eyes grow moist. For reference, Shim Juhwan had watched that scene on repeat so many times that he had memorized every single line.

“You like it that much, hyung?”

“Of course. This time, I’m really hitting another career high.”

Shim Juhwan was one of the people who had suffered under the infamous psychopath.

After riding the rollercoaster called 〈The Great Garland〉—slamming to the bottom and clawing his way back up over and over again for a full 24 episodes—he had finally managed to finish a new album that had been stalled for years.

The boy and girl who talked across a wall, Huijae and Taeseok, had become incredible sources of inspiration for him.

Shim Juhwan unfolded the storyboard for this music video, which he had already gone over countless times.

#1. INTRO

SHOT 1-1

Inside a dark room, everything is pitch black except for a single lit spot that stands out. Naturally, the eye is drawn to a camcorder placed on a small wooden side table. A man slowly walks toward it.

He hesitates for a moment, then, as if making up his mind, picks up the camcorder and turns it on.

SHOT 1-2

He rewinds it to the very beginning and watches the first frame. His gaze is somehow bittersweet.

This new song, set to be released in spring, tells the story of first love—from its beginning to its breakup—filled with lyrics that reminisce about those days.

“Ha... if only Myeong Jeha’s filmography had a bit more variety....”

Shim Juhwan muttered, having already devoured every possible edit and “what-if” video out there.

Thanks to 〈Magyo-dong〉, there were at least clips of a happy high school couple version of Taeseok and Huijae in an alternate universe. But for a campus couple, there simply wasn’t enough material of Myeong Jeha.

Even the account @EveryDayIsSummer—basically a master in this field—had never uploaded a campus-couple Taeseok-Huijae video.

“There aren’t even fake edits....”

There was footage of college-age Han Yeoreum from 〈Youth Disqualified!〉, but Myeong Jeha, whose filmography ranged from a crown prince to a detective to a seaside boy, had no college-age material at all.

He didn’t even appear on variety shows, so there was barely anything to work with.

“But this time, I’ll make it.”

Shim Juhwan was an active shipper.

After thinking about Taeseok and Huijae every single day, he had managed to pour everything he wanted to see into this music video. The scene transitions were insane, but he didn’t care.

#2. VERSE 1 (0:18–0:45)

SHOT 2-1

The two meet on campus. While looking for each other’s names for a group project, their eyes meet.

SHOT 2-2

A group of people is talking, but their gazes keep meeting from across the group. Both of them unconsciously lower their eyes, then sneak glances again.

SHOT 2-3

After it ends, neither of them gets up right away. Hesitating, the man stands and walks toward the door, keeping a slight distance.

He grips the door handle, opens it, and naturally holds it open, waiting until the woman approaches.

Their shoulders brush as she passes through. Both of them feel the tension.

As Shim Juhwan read the storyboard, a bright smile slowly spread across his face.

#3. PRE-CHORUS (0:45–1:05)

SHOT 3-1

The man’s side profile as he looks at the camcorder. He smiles faintly, as if recalling those moments. The woman’s face fills the camcorder in his hand.

SHOT 3-2

A red carpet spreads beneath the man’s feet. Before he knows it, the space has transformed into a movie theater. Posters line the walls.

“This is where it gets important.”

Shim Juhwan had stuffed every cliché imaginable into this music video.

At the movie theater, Myeong Jeha wanting to hold Han Yeoreum’s hand as she eats popcorn. On a rainy day, silently tilting the umbrella so one shoulder gets completely soaked. On the first day they start dating, Han Yeoreum running straight into his arms out of pure excitement. Sharing ice cream, Myeong Jeha wiping what got on her lips with his own. Falling asleep together, then waking up and quietly staring at each other, overwhelmed by the sight of the other’s face.

And then—

“Hyung. You’re smiling like a total pervert right now.”

“I shouldn’t have held back.”

“You didn’t hold back at all. What’s with all the kiss scenes?”

“What would you know? What do you know about Taeseok and Huijae?”

“What are you even saying? You play it every day—I’ve memorized all the lines too. I can recognize Huijae’s intro in one second now.”

The obsession of a shipper determined to create the kiss scenes Taeseok and Huijae never had in 〈The Great Garland〉 was beyond imagination.

Shim Juhwan, already overwhelmed by the thought of the acting—or rather, the reality—that would soon unfold beautifully, punched his own chest in excitement.

* * *

“Hello, actress. I’m personally a huge fan.”

“Oh, thank you! Then should we take a selfie together before filming? It’s my first time shooting a music video, I’m really excited.”

“Of course. Alright, look here.”

Click!

As the shutter sound echoed from the director’s phone, someone’s shoulder appeared in the frame.

“Hey, Yeoreum.”

It was Myeong Jeha, who had arrived earlier. The director smiled warmly as he looked at the two of them.

“Ah! Should I just capture this right now? Wait, what is this already? What is this chemistry? No, this won’t do—I need to finish setting up ASAP!”

Overwhelmed mid-sentence, the director ran off somewhere.

“First time shooting a music video, right?”

“Yeah. Huijae was just made from 〈The Great Garland〉 compilation footage. As for you...”

“Haha. Do we really need to count?”

Of course. A veteran among veterans.

I took in the filming set.

This studio would serve as Myeong Jeha’s house in the video. The opening scene was set to show relaxed moments on the sofa and bed.

“Let’s check the lighting one more time—...”

The setup was nearly complete. I couldn’t contain my trembling excitement.

It was my first music video—and my first set of the year.

It had only been a few months since I hadn’t stood in front of a camera, but I had missed it so much.

I wanted to stand in the frame again.

‘Maybe I’ve been anxious because I haven’t had my camera therapy.’

My heart was melting...

‘And the demo song Shim Juhwan sent me was seriously so good!’

It was a song I had never heard before my regression. But I knew immediately.

This was going to be a hit.

‘If I exaggerate a little...’

It might crush all those spring “cherry blossom carols” that dominated the charts for years. It might even «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» become the new one.

“Today, we’ll follow the storyboard—finish the indoor scenes first, then move outside.”

The director approached, having finally finished the setup, and began giving directions again.

“You’re sitting on the sofa eating ice cream, then you go, ‘My hands are cold,’ acting cute—basically asking him to feed you. Then he naturally takes your hand, blows on it, and scoops a spoonful of ice cream...”

I listened seriously.

The passionate director raised his voice more and more as he spoke.

“Right? And then—her lips just stand out so much.”

He stared straight at me as he explained.

“You know that feeling, right? Right? You get it?”

“Excuse me? Why are you asking me that?”

“I mean, you can’t just look at him innocently like, ‘Aren’t you going to feed me more?’ No. Before a home date, you’d expect a kiss, right? And your boyfriend looks like this—this face! Then can you really hold back from kissing him?”

The director pointed at Myeong Jeha passionately. The staff chimed in.

“Yeahhh. No way you could hold back.”

“You’d expect it from day one of dating.”

“Lips! You’d only see his lips!”

Maybe the saying “a guilty conscience pricks the heart” was real. The more the directing went on, the more something about it hit a nerve.

“So you know where your boyfriend’s gaze is going after feeding you. ‘Is he going to kiss me? Now? Right now?’ That’s the kind of look you need.”

“Y-yes... understood.”

I’d cried trapped in a pit while hunting a wild boar in the rain. I’d acted in ritual scenes.

I’d carried five-minute monologues alone.

A home date should be nothing.

“Your face is red.”

Ignoring Myeong Jeha’s comment, I sat down on the sofa first.

“We’ll go with a long take for the first scene!”

Myeong Jeha, handed ice cream by a staff member, sat down beside me.

“Ready—”

That sound that always made my heart race echoed.

It was finally starting.

“Action!”