In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

"Hehe......."

Someone stabbed a fork down with a foolish grin.

He popped a piece of tteokbokki into his mouth and chewed, and a one hundred percent pure smile of happiness spread across his lips.

"Hehehe......."

Sniff.

The maknae, whose nose was red, was eating tteokbokki bravely as if he had never cried.

"Is it good?"

"Yeah. It’s seriously insanely good."

"I brought it all the way here on purpose for you."

"Thank you...."

While the maknae munched bravely on his tteokbokki, I could see happy faces all around us.

"NewBlack, we’ll enjoy the food!"

"Thank you for the meal!"

We bowed slightly and smiled at the staff who were offering thanks.

Three food trucks were parked at a distance.

Banners fluttered in the Gangwon wind.

[When your mood is low pressure, go toward the meat!]

The main menu was steak lunch boxes.

[Carbs: You’re just going to eat protein and leave?]

For dessert, spicy tteokbokki.

[A coffee truck for Jiho has arrived, Jiho~]

And finally, coffee to finish things off.

It was the perfect trinity of support.

As expected from companies that specialized in drama filming sites, the quality of the lunch boxes and tteokbokki was excellent.

Slurp.

"Ah, it’s good......."

Slurp.

I smiled quietly as I watched the maknae, who had been crying just moments ago, now grinning brightly as if it had all been a lie.

Passing staff teased him.

"I heard Wang Jiho cried~"

"I didn’t cry!"

"Jiho, do you know what happens if you cry and then laugh? Hair grows somewhere! Hahaha!"

"Director, I’m eating tteokbokki right now...."

From young staff members to middle aged ones.

Unlike Jiho, who felt pressure on set, it was clear that the staff adored him.

Well, our kid might be immature and a bit hopeless, but wasn’t he the kind of face that would be loved anywhere?

"The atmosphere on set is nice."

"It’s not bad."

I nodded with the others.

I had been worried about what if someone treated him badly.

Though, realistically, who would dare treat the lead actor badly on set.......

Still, I had heard plenty of stories from Jihun, who used to be with TNT and was now active as an actor, about what idols go through.

Because of stories like that, even if we couldn’t always visit in person, we sent coffee trucks often.

Looks like the worry was unnecessary.

"But......."

Biju spoke to the maknae, who had returned to his usual self.

"Jiho. Why were you crying earlier?"

"Me? I don’t remember crying."

At the narrowed eyes of his older brothers, the maknae raised a finger. A bandage was wrapped around it.

"I pricked my finger, so a little tear came out."

"Just because of that...?"

"What do you mean just? If all ten fingers get bitten by a snake, they all hurt."

"If you get bitten by a snake, it just hurts."

At my comment, Junhyun nodded.

"When I was little, I got bitten by a viper once. If you get bitten, it leaves fang marks like you were stabbed by nails."

"......."

"Hyung, you’ve never been bitten while playing in the countryside?"

"Junhyun. Please try to have normal, universal life experiences."

As we talked, we looked at each other.

"Where were we?"

"One second."

Ri Hyuk organized the mental transcript in his head.

"Up to the part where he lied that he cried because his finger hurt."

"It wasn’t a lie."

He widened his eyes and held up his injured finger again, making us burst into laughter.

Maybe because we kept teasing him.

The maknae, chewing on tteokbokki, pouted.

"Fine. I cried."

This time we didn’t tease him and asked gently.

"Why did you cry?"

"I don’t really know either... you know how there are days like that. Even if you’re just sitting still, you feel sad and lonely......."

"Yeah."

There are days like that. A lot of them.

Jiho sniffed.

"Today my head hurt and my body felt heavy... I was riding in the car at dawn and tears just slipped out. Then I tripped on set, and suddenly I saw you guys......."

"Ah."

"You know what I mean. You do, right?"

"Yeah."

We nodded calmly and exchanged glances.

"Jiho."

"Yes?"

Then we all burst out laughing.

"Even if we fall over, we don’t cry~!"

"Hahahaha!"

"He cried~! Such a baby, a baby!"

He sighed with the most fed up expression in the world as we crowded around him and chattered.

"Our maknae was lonely?"

"You were sad?"

"Hey, you’d be in big trouble without us. Seriously."

We circled him making exaggerated babying faces, and a passing assistant director spat out his coffee.

We greeted him with a grin.

"It’s the babying sightseeing train for our maknae."

"Do you know why it’s called a sightseeing train? Because of this."

The four of us spun in a circle, grinning, and the assistant director laughed until he choked.

Jiho put a hand on his forehead.

"When are you going home?"

"We’re not. We’re going to stay and watch you."

"No, I really......."

Jiho let out a breath.

"I bragged so much about you guys to the staff here... I said you might look goofy, but in person you’re amazing."

"They probably didn’t believe you anyway."

"Yeah, that’s true... but still! If you’re going to come, at least act like top stars!"

Jiho complained that this wasn’t the image of his older brothers he had hoped for.

He finished his tteokbokki and even slurped up the broth, like he was downing a shot of soju.

"Seriously!"

Still, he looked happy.

Unlike the lifeless fish eyes I had seen earlier, his eyes now sparkled like a pollack swimming through the sea.

"You finally look alive."

"Did I look that bad?"

"You looked exhausted."

"I don’t think you’re one to talk. When I see you working in your studio, you’re five thousand times worse."

I was about to call that nonsense, but the others nodded in agreement.

Is that really true?

I used my phone as a mirror, but I couldn’t tell much difference.

Well. Like the maknae said, maybe the time to take a short break was getting closer... but it wasn’t yet.

"Anyway."

I smiled at Jiho.

"If something’s hard, say it normally too. I didn’t realize you were working this hard on set."

"But you guys don’t show when you’re struggling either. It feels weird if I’m the only one who does."

We shook our heads.

"The maknae can."

"That’s the maknae’s privilege."

Jiho smiled brightly.

"Thank you."

"Yeah."

"Honestly, this is something I wanted to do. It’s not even my main job... I worry a lot about whether my personal activities might cause problems."

Then he suddenly asked if there had ever been any trouble because of him. We told him no.

There really hadn’t been.

"When I dye my hair for acting and can’t change my hairstyle. Every time that happens, I feel so sorry toward you guys that I can’t even lift my head."

"Why would you be sorry for that?"

"So I couldn’t show it. I didn’t even have the nerve to."

Jiho spoke calmly, looking more mature than usual.

And usually at times like this.......

"But...."

Jiho, who had been gazing into the air with wistful eyes, looked at us with a mischievous glint.

"You said it’s okay if I whine, so what can I do? I’ll whine."

"......."

"Hahaha! Then can I just say right away whenever something’s hard? Wow, I was seriously so frustrated...!"

"......."

At the sight of the maknae laughing loudly, we all put our hands to our foreheads.

When will this brat ever grow up.

He hasn’t grown at all....

Still, it was nice to see him laughing brightly and making a fuss.

I can’t really explain why....

But I hope our maknae stays our maknae forever.

That’s all.

"Alright."

Jiho looked at us with bright eyes as we stared off with damp ones.

"We’re done eating, so I’ll show you around the set!"

After lunch ended.

We greeted the staff of who had filled their stomachs well.

"Hello!"

"Wooow—!"

We shook hands with the director, who greeted us with a beaming smile.

We took group photos with staff and supporting actors.

And then.

"Uh... hello......."

A gaunt writer in her thirties waved at us.

"Writer?"

"Hello...."

A slightly hoarse voice.

She was Bae Yejin, the writer of and the head writer of this project, . A drama writer under exclusive contract with LM, the studio affiliated with our company.

After greeting her and watching her return to her trailer, I asked Jiho.

"Jiho. The writer’s condition...?"

"Ah, she stays on set and writes the script. She’s probably under about ten times more pressure than I am."

"Why not write in a studio?"

"She says she feels at ease only if she sees it with her own eyes. It’s a project worth over ten billion won."

"Ah......."

We nodded.

It was a drama heavily invested in by Netplus, with over one billion won per episode in production costs.

In domestic dramas, people say it’s all about the writer.

If it succeeds, it’s because the writer wrote well. If it fails, it’s because the writer wrote badly.

If someone handed me ten billion and said, Go write a script! I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep or eat either.

"This is the biggest drama our studio LM has done."

Jiho explained.

"Everyone’s really putting their souls into it. Since they spent this much money, it has to succeed."

Maybe that was why so many people welcomed us.

"They say whenever NewBlack visits a set, it becomes a hit!"

"We’re all trusting NewBlack. They say any script you pick turns out well."

"Junhyun, don’t you have a magic book? A magic book?"

Maybe because of extreme tension, people who wanted to believe in superstition crowded around Junhyun.

Junhyun smiled benevolently like a Buddha and opened the Jelly Bible.

"Jelly jelly?"

"Magic jelly!"

It was a rare sight to see grown adults chanting strange words like magic jelly.

Junhyun flipped the pages and pressed a finger down.

[Plucking a star from the sky]

"Ahhhh!"

"If it’s plucking a star, doesn’t that mean it’s impossible?"

Then someone shouted.

"No! You’re supposed to read it in reverse, like tarot cards!"

"In reverse...!"

It felt absurd to take this so seriously... but if ten billion were sitting on my shoulders, I might be like that too.

At their urging, Junhyun showed the reverse meaning.

Under Plucking a star from the sky, it read:

[Tada. But you plucked the star.]

"Aaaaaah!"

"It’ll work!"

"It’s going to work!"

Suddenly, people surrounded us chanting and spinning around in a circle, and we ended up dancing along.

Behind them, the director watched with a quiet smile. It seemed like he had created this atmosphere on purpose.

"Alright!"

The director clapped his hands.

"Let’s gain strength from the jackpot message given by our lucky fairies and work hard today with fighting spirit!"

"Yes! Fighting!"

"The Spirit! It’s going to be a hit!"

I glanced to the side and saw production staff filming making-of footage with smiles on their faces.

They seemed to have gotten good material.

After boosting the staff’s morale, the director approached us.

"Since you’re here, want to clap the slate once?"

"The slate?"

"Yes, you might be bored while waiting. And we can get some behind-the-scenes footage too."

"We’d love to!"

We stood in front of the camera, clapped the slate, and quickly stepped aside.

Filming resumed.

A battle began in a birch forest.

"Aaagh!"

"Ah!"

Soldiers in yellowed Japanese military uniforms and independence fighters dressed like guerrillas aimed bolt action rifles at each other.

Maybe because there was no background music or CG yet.

At first glance it looked awkward, but from filming sitcoms, we knew how such scenes transformed later.

"Hyungs! I’ll go film now!"

"Go!"

The maknae waved brightly and entered the set.

Staff looked at him fondly.

I heard someone say Jiho seemed in a good mood today.

"I’m over here!"

"I know!"

He kept waving at us, but the moment filming began, his expression changed completely.

Jiho moved across the battlefield like a veteran who had fought for decades.

"Wow......."

He even handled a heavy close up shot without trouble.

The camera was right in front of his face, but he delivered his lines as if someone were really there.

"How does he even do that?"

Even Ri Hyuk, who was stingy with praise, clicked his tongue.

"......I don’t think you can do that without serious imagination."

"There’s a reason actors get paid a lot."

The scene we admired most was when he fought an unidentified monster.

It seemed they planned to add CG later. A staff member in a special suit had a pole attached to his head.

About a meter above that, a strange monster head.

So he had to fix his gaze at the top of a pole sticking out of someone’s head and act.

If it were me, I would burst out laughing every time the other actor shrieked.

But our maknae dodged and weaved as if a real monster were in front of him, not a single flicker in his eyes.

"He’s good. Really good."

As soon as the director shouted "Cut!", the maknae ran over and we praised him.

"Not tired?"

"Not at all. It’s really so fun."

It looked like it.

He smiled happily and then ran off again for the next scene.

"Excuse me."

The assistant director approached.

"Would you like chairs? You’ve been standing for a while."

"It’s okay."

"I heard you’re staying until the end of filming today."

"We’ll sit somewhere in between."

It felt awkward to set up camp as guests.

We quietly watched from a place where we wouldn’t be in the way.

Staff worked fiercely.

Actors rolled again and again.

The maknae wiped sweat and took deep breaths.

Standing still in this breathless environment made me think.

"......Is there anything we can help with?"

We had sent food and coffee trucks, but still.

I thought of things like cheering them on or buying dinner, and then something occurred to me.

I said to Jiho, who was approaching while drying his sweat.

"If you need promotion later, tell me. We could promote it on NewBlack TV, or maybe do a quick cameo."

I meant it lightly.

But the maknae’s eyes changed.

"Hyung, a cameo?"

"Hm?"

"You said cameo just now?"

"Uh... yeah. Why?"

I only meant they could call me later if needed.

Before I could finish, Jiho ran to the director and whispered something.

"Mr. Wooju?"

"Yes?"

"You want to appear in a cameo."

"Ah, yes. I just meant if it helps. Later, when there’s time... if you need it......."

"Let’s shoot it today."

The director grabbed my hand.

"......Pardon?"

I looked at the others, but they just smirked.

"No, Director. I’m not prepared today......."

"We’ll prepare it!"

"Well......."

"If you’re okay with it, we should do it today! Who knows when you’ll be free!"

Jiho nodded beside him.

As everything moved rapidly, I said,

"I should talk to our manager first."

"Then go talk and come back!"

After discussing it through Wonseok, it was confirmed.

Is it really okay for things to move this fast?

Well, it’s just a cameo.

Maybe something like Lumberjack Number One witnessing a fierce battle.

...That was what I thought.

"What?"

Writer Bae Yejin came out of her trailer with a tired face when she heard about the impromptu cameo.

She turned sharply toward the director.

"Mr. Wooju?"

"Yes."

"In our drama?"

"Yes!"

"......."

Her hunched back slowly straightened.

Focus returned to her dull eyes.

She pulled a hair tie from her wrist and tied up her greasy hair.

"Wait thirty minutes! I’ll add new content to the script! And Jiho and Director!"

"Yes!"

"Come inside to discuss!"

"Yes!"

Faces that clearly didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

"......?"

I tilted my head, watching the trio rush into the trailer, as the others laughed.

What.

What is happening right now?

Exactly thirty minutes later.

The maknae came back with a freshly written script.

"A role was created just for you."

"I... see."

"It’s not an extremely important role, so you don’t have to worry. A cameo with zero pressure!"

Jiho explained.

"I told the writer. If it’s suddenly a cameo but with a lot of screen time, my hyung will feel burdened. Viewers will feel burdened seeing that face. It would overshadow the lead actor’s visuals if he appears too long."

"Ohhh!"

"So we made a short and impactful cameo. You really don’t need to feel pressured."

But....

Why is there so much buildup?

"So what’s the role...?"

"Tada."

He held the script out.

"It’s an independence fighter with lines!"

"What?!"

An independence martyr.

If I act badly, I’ll be cursed forever.

As I glared at him, he smiled brightly.

"Hyung."

"Yeah?"

"Then do you want to be a Japanese soldier?"

"......I’ll be the independence fighter."

And just like that, my impromptu cameo role was decided.