Superstar From Age 0

Saturday.

A dark dawn before the sun rises.

Splash.

Splash.

A group of people appeared on a beach in Busan, where blue waves created white foam as they rolled in.

Since it was almost the end of autumn, there were hardly any people around, so the people carrying heavy boxes ran around the wide sandy beach as they pleased.

“Over here! Put it over here!”

“Be careful not to get sand in it!”

Various equipment came out of the heavy boxes.

A few people quickly set up tents to block the wind, and heaters were placed here and there to withstand the cold breeze.

“Isn't this too much?”

One of the staff members tilted his head inside the tent that had one side open.

It would have been a bit chilly even without half of these heaters on a normal day.

“It's better to be warm.”

“That's true, but… well, whatever.”

The staff member, who was just curious, nodded and started moving again.

Min Hee-kyung, the director, and the assistant director also appeared and prepared for filming.

It was the first filming of [Working Title: Travel], so the planning team leader also showed up.

A little away from the sandy beach.

Two people were watching the filming site from a distance, so as not to interfere.

“It's not as cold as I thought.”

Seo-jun laughed at Ahn Da Ho's sharp eyes as he examined the weather and the filming site.

Seo-jun remembered Ahn Da Ho wrapping him up from head to toe since he left the hotel, saying it was cold in the early morning.

It was too much to wear a scarf and gloves when it wasn't even winter yet.

“Where's Han-seok?”

“He said he had some time left, so he went back to sleep.”

“Good for him.”

Seo-jun smiled faintly as he imagined Kim Han-seok eating breakfast with half-opened eyes and then falling asleep in the car with a blanket over him.

Ahn Da Ho looked up at the sky.

“The weather forecast said it wouldn't rain.”

“And the wind is calm too.”

They would have to cancel filming if there was a storm warning.

They were relieved by the moderate weather and Ahn Da Ho asked Seo-jun.

“Do you want some hot tea?”

“Yes, please. What do you have?”

“I have citron tea and cocoa.”

“Citron tea, please.”

Ahn Da Ho and Seo-jun smiled and headed for the car parked on one side of the road.

****

It seemed like filming preparations were almost done, so Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok headed for the tent set up next to the filming site.

There were two tents, one with one side open for Director Min Hee-kyung to monitor, and the other with all sides closed for the actors to wait.

Both tents were warm with several heaters.

“There are a lot of clothes.”

“They brought several sets in case there are a lot of NGs. It takes time to dry them too. Here, sit down.”

The stylist said as Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok sat down on chairs and got their makeup done.

The roles they played did not require special makeup, so it was light makeup.

Kim Han-seok felt a little ticklish from the passing brush and opened his mouth.

“It's cold outside… It must be colder when we go into the water.”

“The water should be fine. They say the water temperature changes one or two months later than outside.”

Kim Han-seok tilted his head, not understanding Seo-jun's words.

“That means the water temperature is warmest in September and October.”

“Really? But why is it cold then?”

Kim Han-seok asked with wide eyes and Seo-jun answered with a smile.

“The water is warm but outside is cold. You feel colder when you’re wet.”

“Oh.”

“It’ll be fine if we finish filming in one go and come back right away.”

“That's right! We trained hard too!”

Seo-jun smiled brightly at Kim Han-seok's words.

Then, the entrance of the tent opened and Director Min Hee-kyung came in.

The chilly outside wind came in with her.

“It's cold outside, so I’ll try to film with as few cuts as possible. Unless there's a big mistake, I’ll give you an OK, so both of you relax. Don't worry about time either.”

They were supposed to finish filming before sunrise, but they didn't plan to film while keeping track of time. That's why they set up filming dates in a hurry. They thought it was better to film before it got colder, even if one cut was a bit lacking.

That was what Dahong Production and Director Min Hee-kyung thought.

‘Seo-jun must have analyzed his character well since he got the script beforehand, but Han-seok might not have done it yet.’

It was okay for Kim Han-seok to be a bit lacking, since they were filming with Seo-jun, the main character, as the center.

Director Min Hee-kyung looked at the faces of the two actors and asked if they were in good condition, then opened her mouth.

“Just go into the water as much as you can. You don't have to push yourself too hard.”

There was an ambulance ready and lifeguards too.

It was an excessive measure, but it was better than having an accident.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

“Yes!”

The two actors answered cheerfully and Director Min Hee-kyung smiled and asked.

“But what's this about training?”

It must have been heard outside.

Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok looked at each other and smiled.

“It's our first time acting in water, so we practiced to get used to it. It's cold too, so we wanted to be comfortable with acting in water.”

Director Min Hee-kyung blinked.

“Where did you practice?”

“At a swimming pool.”

Kim Han-seok nodded repeatedly at Seo-jun's words.

Director Min Hee-kyung and the planning team leader who just came in widened their eyes.

“We rented a swimming pool and practiced! The water was warm too, so we practiced very comfortably!”

They also played a little during the break time. But the break time was not long, so it was a pity. Kim Han-seok laughed as if he had given up.

You rented a swimming pool?

The director and the planning team leader were shocked by the scale of the superstar.

They seemed to have a lot to tell their friends when the movie was released.

Seo-jun scratched his cheek awkwardly at the two people's expressions that seemed to know what he was thinking.

“It wasn't that big of a place.”

He wanted to rent a wave pool that had a similar environment to the sea where they were filming, but they said they couldn't rent it, so he rented a swimming pool near his house for a few hours.

“We practiced hard, so I think we can finish filming quickly if there are no big problems.”

At Seo-jun's words, Director Min Hee-kyung and the planning team leader could only nod with surprised expressions.

***

Filming preparations were all done.

The paramedics and lifeguards who were stationed on one side of the filming site looked at the filming site with interest.

They never thought they would see Seo-jun here.

And that too, on the filming scene.

They thought they would have a lot to tell their friends when it was released.

“Filming starts!”

At the assistant director's shout, the staff moved away from the screen and Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok changed their clothes and took their props and stood in their positions.

The director of photography checked the camera screen for any obstructions.

He had to be careful not to make the lighting too bright, as the sun had not risen yet.

Director Min Hee-kyung, who was looking at the screen inside the tent, shouted loudly for the first time in six years.

“Ready.”

Everyone went silent.

“Action!”

A sandy beach with hardly any people.

A boy holding a selfie stick and looking at the dark sky appeared.

He seemed to be waiting for the sunrise, as he did not take his eyes off the sea on the other side.

“Ugh. It's cold!”

He wrapped his body in a padded jacket, but his bare face was red from the cold wind.

Despite the situation, the boy, Jung Ga-ram, had sparkling eyes.

He could not remember when he had seen the sunrise last.

“When will it rise?”

He was excited.

The sea did not get closer just because he walked faster, but Jung Ga-ram quickened his pace anyway.

Clank, clank.

The waves that created white foam got closer.

‘Is it filming well?’

Jung Ga-ram turned his head to look at the phone screen attached to the end of the selfie stick.

He saw his own face with a red nose on the screen.

He laughed at his funny appearance.

He was about to look at the sea again when something caught his eye.

Jung Ga-ram quickly turned his head and looked at his phone again.

He saw a person at the edge of the phone screen.

He noticed it and hurriedly looked behind him.

Not far away, there was a person walking towards the sea, against the incoming waves.

The person swayed as he was pushed by the waves, but he kept walking forward.

His shoulders were slumped and he did not hesitate in his steps.

The atmosphere was ominous.

The seawater that reached his calves rose to his thighs and slowly headed towards his waist.

“Uh… Hey!?”

Jung Ga-ram was startled and ran without looking around. He did not have time to take off his padded jacket.

“Hey!”

He ran across the sand and stepped into the sea.

Splash!

The sound of water soaking his sneakers was heard.

He went against the rough waves and approached the person.

He saw that he was not an adult, but someone his age.

“Hey! Stop!”

The boy paused for a moment at his shout, but soon ignored him and walked forward. Jung Ga-ram reached him in no time and grabbed him.

“Let go of me!”

The boy struggled. Jung Ga-ram hugged him tighter.

The water surged.

They faced each other without backing down.

The rescue team members who were on set unconsciously tensed up and got up from their seats.

They were both high school students?

If it were not for the director of photography who was filming them with a camera, they would have rushed out right away.

The result of the tug-of-war came out soon.

The winner was Jung Ga-ram.

Maybe it was because he heard some noises around him, he did not know. Jung Ga-ram gave up on moving any further and let go of his strength. He dragged the boy out of the sea with him.

He must have used too much force, because as soon as he got out of the sand, he collapsed on the ground.

He breathed heavily.

The boy also breathed hard next to Jung Ga-ram.

The two boys who were soaked in seawater spat out their breaths without saying anything.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Jung Ga-ram calmed down his breathing and turned his eyes to look at the boy sitting next to him.

He looked like a drowned rat with his wet clothes.

‘Ah, I must look like that too.’

From his padded jacket to his clothes and underwear, everything was soaked.

He had clothes to change into at the hostel, but he came here to see the sunrise, not to swim, so he did not have a towel.

What should he do?

He sighed and saw the boy getting up in his sight.

He tensed up reflexively, thinking he was walking towards the sea again. But the boy who got up from his seat walked in the opposite direction of the sea.

Jung Ga-ram turned his head and looked at the back of the boy who was dripping seawater as he walked.

There was an old-looking bag where the boy had walked.

The boy put his hand in the bag as if it was his own and rummaged around for a while.

A faded towel popped out.

A towel.

It was a towel.

“…Huh?”

The boy was wiping himself with the faded towel.

Huh?

Jung Ga-ram stared at him with a dumbfounded face, soaked to the bone.

“Cut!”

As soon as Director Min Hee-kyung's cut sound was heard, the staff members who were waiting ran out.

Large towels poured over Seo-jun and Kim Han-seok, who were drenched.

Then they quickly moved to the tent.

The tent with several heaters was warm. Ahn Da-ho handed lukewarm water to the two actors.

They drank the water and warmed up their bodies a bit, then peeled off the towels that covered them.

“Hyung. Do you know? I felt like my feet didn't touch the ground for a moment. You know, like I was lifted up and moved.”

Seo-jun laughed at Kim Han-seok's words. Drops of water fell from his wet hair at his laughter.

He looked so refreshing that it was no different from a pictorial.

Kim Han-seok and Ahn Da-ho admired him inwardly.

Seo-jun, who had roughly dried himself, opened his mouth.

“I think we need to take a proper shower when we go back to the hostel. There's salt and sand all over.”

“Yeah. But Seo-jun hyung. Are we okay? Is it NG?”

If it was NG, they had to go back into the sea.

The seawater was not as cold as he thought, and the staff's response was fast, so he was not that cold either.

He just did not like having to wear clothes in this sticky state.

“Huh? Didn't you hear?”

“I didn't have time to hear.”

The towels poured down, and they were lifted up and moved to the tent.

He did not have time to think.

Seo-jun smiled brightly at Kim Han-seok's words, shaking his wet hair with a white towel.

“It's okay. You did well.”

Kim Han-seok smiled brightly at Seo-jun's words.