Superstar From Age 0

“Ready, action!”

In front of the bus stop.

The door of the direct bus opened and people got off. Among them, a boy with a suitcase caught the eye.

Jung Ga-ram, who got off the direct bus, pulled his suitcase away from the crowded bus stop.

He then fixed his phone on the selfie stick he was holding and fiddled with it to start filming.

“Done!”

He checked carefully not to make any mistakes like the first time he filmed.

He held his phone facing him and started filming, being careful not to capture other people at the bus stop.

“Hello, this is Ga-ram. I finally arrived in Suwon! It's nice that there is a direct bus from Seoul to Suwon. It took about an hour and a half. I think it's easy to come here for a day trip.”

The camera director glanced at Ga-ram, who was holding a selfie stick, from time to time.

The other people at the bus stop looked at him curiously.

Ga-ram seemed awkward in his first outdoor filming, as he rolled his eyes nervously while looking at his phone.

“I'm going to the hotel I booked first. I’ll rest there for a bit and then go to Hwaseong Haenggung. They say it's open at night today. I'm going to see that tonight and explore Suwon Hwaseong tomorrow during the day.”

Ga-ram pulled out the handle of his suitcase that he had placed next to him.

“Shall we go to the hotel then?”

Ga-ram walked a few steps with his selfie stick and stopped to press his phone hard. He watched the recorded footage and nodded with satisfaction.

“Cut, okay!”

At the shout of Director Min Hee-kyung, the staff started preparing for the bust shot filming. Seo-jun got back on the bus.

‘Action!’ As soon as he heard the sound, the camera director walked backwards in front of Seo-jun, filming him.

Seo-jun's upper body was shown on Director Min Hee-kyung's monitor. His expression as ‘Ga-ram’ was more visible than in the full shot.

The marketing team leader who came to watch the filming looked at the scene with wonder. He was amazed by how Seo-jun repeated the same scene without making any mistakes.

After finishing the ‘YouTube video scene’ filming where the camera director had to move in the same direction as the selfie stick, they finished filming at the bus stop.

Director Min Hee-kyung introduced Seo-jun to the team leader.

“This is Suwon City's marketing team leader who will help us in Suwon. And this is, as you know, our movie's protagonist, actor Lee Seo-jun.”

“Hello, I'm Lee Seo-jun.”

“Nice to meet you, actor Lee Seo-jun.”

The team leader asked Seo-jun for an autograph timidly, saying that his daughter was a fan. Seo-jun nodded willingly.

The team leader took the autograph paper with his daughter's name written on it and sighed with relief.

“Team leader! Just a moment.”

The assistant director who was watching the staff packing up their equipment approached the team leader.

“Will it be okay to control the places we’re filming today?”

“We’re planning to make the admission free for two days from tomorrow because of the control. We also extended the visiting hours. We announced it on our website and everywhere else, so it should be fine.”

The assistant director exclaimed in admiration at the team leader's words.

It seemed that there wouldn't be many people who would complain even if they controlled them today and tomorrow.

“We’ll do our best to control even the places that don't have admission fees. Don't worry and film beautifully.”

While the assistant director and the team leader were talking, Director Min Hee-kyung smiled and said to Seo-jun, who got on the bus to go to the hotel.

“Seo-jun. Let's go eat wang galbi. The marketing team here told me about a good place.”

Seo-jun was looking forward to it too, since it was a local recommendation.

***

After eating delicious wang galbi and unpacking their luggage at the hotel, they rested for a while and soon it got dark.

It seemed that because winter was approaching, the sun set faster.

The filming crew decided to start filming before it got completely dark.

They arrived at Hwaseong Haenggung and quickly set up their equipment.

Among them, there was a busy-looking lighting team.

“It must be hard for you guys since it's night filming.”

They had to light up Seo-jun's face well without interfering with the lights of Hwaseong Haenggung.

The lighting director looked at the crumpled paper that marked where to install the lights several times, showing how much he had thought about it.

“It’ll look cool if it blends well with the lights of Hwaseong Haenggung. The lighting team and I have checked it several times, so don't worry.”

Director Min Hee-kyung said with a proud expression at Seo-jun's words.

Indeed, as Director Min Hee-kyung said, the screen they filmed after finishing all the preparations and testing was thumbs-up worthy.

“Ready, action!”

“Hello, this is Ga-ram.”

Ga-ram looked at his phone at the end of the selfie stick and scratched his cheek. He greeted automatically every time he started filming.

He planned to upload the footage he filmed during his trip to Suwon as one video with the title [First Destination, suwon], but he wondered if his greeting would come out every time the screen changed.

He chuckled for a moment.

“I can edit it later.”

It was a good thing that it wasn't live. He could afford to be distracted like this.

He cleared his throat and looked at his phone again.

He stayed still for a few seconds to make it easier to edit and then opened his mouth.

“I'm here to see the night opening of Hwaseong Haenggung. There are other tourists here too. I'm only filming myself because of the portrait rights.”

Ga-ram chatted as he moved his feet.

The selfie stick moved with him, making the camera screen shake slightly.

“They say you can walk on Suwon Hwaseong if you come for the night opening, but I'm only going to see Hwaseong Haenggung, honghwamun, and Yongyeon today.”

Ga-ram stopped by the information center of Hwaseong Haenggung and paid the admission fee.

He picked up one of the pamphlets that were placed in front of him.

“I need to get a pamphlet too.”

Jung Ga-ram unfolded the pamphlet and took a picture of it with his phone. He walked while reading it.

“Hwaseong Haenggung is a place that King Jeongjo of Joseon built in 1796. He made it when he moved his father's tomb, who was Crown Prince Sado, to that location. It also served as a temporary palace for the king when he visited Suwon. They call such palaces haenggung.”

Jung Ga-ram turned his body and captured the illuminated Hwaseong Haenggung and himself in the camera.

He smiled brightly and waved his hand as he looked at the screen.

Then he reached out his hand to the phone.

“Wait a minute. I’ll show you better.”

Jung Ga-ram pressed the phone button. The inner camera switched to the outer camera.

The screen showed only Hwaseong Haenggung.

In the evening, when the sun was setting, hwaseong Haenggung was smaller than Gwanghwamun or Gyeongbokgung, but it had its own charm.

Jung Ga-ram looked at Hwaseong Haenggung quietly and opened his mouth.

“…It looks more beautiful with the lights.”

Jung Ga-ram turned the camera again. He grinned as he saw himself on the screen.

“Also, hwaseong Haenggung has its original appearance drawn in [Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe] and [Jeongri Uigwe].”

Seo-jun's soft voice caught his ear.

‘This could be used as a promotional video as it is…’

The marketing team leader, who was peeking out from behind Director Min Hee-kyung, thought.

The assistant director said that they could use the video that Seo-jun was filming himself for promotion.

He really wanted to get it.

“But most of Hwaseong Haenggung was destroyed when it was used as a hospital and a police station during the Japanese colonial period. And it was restored in 2002.”

Jung Ga-ram explained various things as he walked around Hwaseong Haenggung.

He headed to the photo zone that he had noticed since he came in.

There was a huge moon balloon that was twice as tall as a person.

“There is also a photo zone like this at Hwaseong Haenggung's night opening! It would be nice to take pictures with your family or friends. Of course, you can also come alone like me.”

Like other tourists who took pictures in various poses, Jung Ga-ram also took pictures with a happy expression in front of the moon balloon.

After finishing all the filming at Hwaseong Haenggung, seo-jun said to Ahn Da Ho.

“Da Ho hyung. Can you take some pictures of me?”

“Are you going to send them to your parents?”

“Yes.”

Seo-jun smiled shyly.

Ahn Da Ho laughed and took out a camera that looked professional from somewhere. His skills had improved to almost professional level by taking pictures of various daily life of a top star.

He took one shot in front of Hwaseong Haenggung and one shot in front of the shining big moon balloon.

The pictures were transferred from the camera to Ahn Da Ho's phone, and from Ahn Da Ho's phone to Seo-jun's phone.

[(Picture 1)

[(Picture 2)

[I took these at Hwaseong Haenggung!

Mom: The moon is so pretty! So are you!

[Hehehe

Dad: Should we all go there next time?

[Yes!

Seo-jun also took pictures of Ahn Da Ho, and the staff who finished packing up their equipment, and the extras also took pictures here and there.

“We’re leaving in 10 minutes!”

The people's hands who were pressing the shutter became faster at the assistant director's words.

***

The filming team moved to another location.

The second filming location was Hwahongmun, which had seven arched water gates.

It was connected to Suwoncheon and water still flowed through the gates.

It looked cool even without lights, but it was more impressive with lights.

“This place is nice too.”

As Seo-jun and the others admired the Hwahongmun, the assistant director shouted.

“Let's start shooting right away!”

The filming team moved quickly without time to enjoy the darkening sky.

“Ready, action!”

Jung Ga-ram came down near the Suwoncheon and shone a light on the Hwahongmun.

It was evening, but thanks to the lighting that illuminated the Hwahongmun, the water flowing from the Suwoncheon created white foam that was clearly visible.

The sound was refreshing too.

“The original name of Hwahongmun is Buksu-mun, which means a water gate connected to Suwoncheon. It was originally a military facility to monitor the enemy's movements, but it was also used as a pavilion to enjoy the surrounding scenery in normal times.”

Jung Ga-ram looked at the Hwahongmun with curious eyes.

“Cut, okay!”

With Min Hee-kyung's okay sign, seo-jun and the filming team immediately proceeded to shoot the bust shot.

***

“Oh. They’re filming a movie today.”

A couple who came out for a walk looked at one place.

The bright lights and large cameras that they had only seen when they took their wedding photos.

And the people standing a little apart as if controlling them.

It was obvious that they were filming.

“They don't have many people for making such a fuss.”

“Right. Is it a historical drama since they're filming Hwahongmun?”

“…I don't think so?”

A little further away, an actor holding a selfie stick showed only his back.

The couple tilted their heads because they couldn't tell the genre at all.

“Maybe it's a very small movie. Will it be released?”

“Will you go see it if it's released?”

“We should go see it. Our neighborhood is in it. And we can have a date too.”

The husband smiled brightly and the wife smiled back.

“Oh. Is it Seo-jun's next work?”

The wife's eyes sparkled at the husband's words.

There was a newbie from Suwon here.

“Yes. But they only revealed the title, so I don't know the genre or the plot. And the title is temporary, so it might change anytime.”

“What's the title?”

“It's Travel. I guess they're going somewhere on a trip, since they auditioned child actors.”

The couple moved their steps away from the movie set where they had stopped.

Not too long in the future.

A newbie with the nickname ‘Suwon Newbie’ left a comment.

-I can't ascend…!

Fans can't ascend to higher levels.

It was a short but sad comment.

***

“This place is called Yongyeon.”

Jung Ga-ram opened his mouth with a bright voice.

On the phone screen, there was Banghwasuryujeong on the castle wall, its reflection on the pond below, and Jung Ga-ram on the side.

“The character Yong in Yongyeon means dragon, and it comes from Yongdubawi, which is a rock shaped like a dragon's head. Yeon means pond, of course. I did my research beforehand!”

Jung Ga-ram giggled and sat down on the grass, switching the camera.

The phone screen was filled with the sparkling scenery of Yongyeon under the lights.

“There's a small island in the middle of the pond, and can you see Suwon Fortress on the upper side? The building there is Banghwasuryujeong. It's also a military facility. It's so beautiful how Banghwasuryujeong on the castle wall reflects on the pond. Is it because of the lights? I wonder what it looks like during the day.”