Superstar From Age 0

“So, are you going back to Korea now?”

Seo-jun answered Maria Park’s question, who was Jack Smith’s mother, as he moved the steaming dishes to the table.

“No. I still have some post-recording to do, so I think I’ll go back in a couple of days. I was going to use the original recording, but I asked to do it again.”

No director would object to an actor who wanted to shoot for a more perfect movie.

Sarah Roth, the director, smiled brightly and agreed right away, and then arranged the schedule.

“Really? I’m looking forward to seeing how amazing the movie will be.”

Eric Smith, who was cooking, smiled at his son’s friend.

This was the house of Seo-jun’s childhood friend, Jack Smith.

Jack Smith was currently away in another state for a game, and Seo-jun’s parents were also in Korea, so it was just Seo-jun and his friend’s parents.

It would normally be a bit awkward, but they had known each other since they were young, so there was none of that.

They were like a second son and a second set of parents.

When they lived next door to each other as kids, it was normal to sleep, eat, and play at each other’s houses.

They also trusted each other to take care of their kids when their parents were busy.

“Eat a lot, Jun.”

“Yes, I will.”

Maria and Eric looked at Seo-jun as he moved the braised ribs to his plate with a smile.

It seemed like yesterday when Jack and Seo-jun laughed and ate together (although they spilled half of it on the floor), but both their son Jack and Seo-jun had grown up so fast.

“Did you contact Eun-hye and Min-jun?”

“Yes. They told me to shoot as much as I want.”

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-jun knew how much Seo-jun, who had been in the military, wanted to shoot, so they didn’t mind him being late.

They just hoped that he would have a satisfying shooting that would erase the frustration he had accumulated.

Of course, they also trusted his manager, Ahn Da Ho, Choi Tae-woo, and his friends in LA.

“How’s school life?”

“It’s fun. I meet a lot of people and learn a lot of things. Oh, I also filmed with my seniors from school. Have you seen it?”

“We watched it together with Jack. It was touching.”

“Maria cried a lot.”

“I told you then, it’s a movie that no Korean can watch without crying.”

“That’s right. I was the one who filmed it, but I also cried a little.”

“See? Jun cried too.”

“Hahaha.”

It was a warm dinner with laughter.

***

The next day.

The team of [Over the Rainbow 2] gathered at the recording studio of Whale Studio.

Director Sarah Roth and assistant director Emily Ees.

Music consultant Professor Benjamin Morton and Jason Moore.

Performer Seo-jun Lee.

And Catherine Miller and Paul Oden, who came to watch.

“Is it okay to watch?”

“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.”

Seo-jun smiled and spoke to Catherine and Paul, who giggled.

The post-recording preparation began in earnest.

Whale Studio was a subsidiary of Marina Studio, which specialized in musical movies, so the recording studio was spacious and the recording equipment was the latest.

While the engineers and Sarah Roth, the director, talked, Seo-jun also checked his violin.

“Are you going to play with that violin?”

Seo-jun nodded at Jason Moore’s question, who was tuning and loosening the strings of his violin.

“Yes. I think it’s better to play with the violin I used for the shooting.”

“Hmm.”

Jason Moore gave up on convincing him to borrow a Stradivarius for the post-recording.

Even if he said that the Stradivarius had a better sound, he couldn’t argue with Seo-jun’s opinion as an actor that it suited the scene better.

“Shall we start recording then?”

“Yes.”

Seo-jun took his violin and headed to the recording booth.

On the other side of the transparent glass wall, there were people preparing for the recording, friends looking at him with expectant eyes, Professor Benjamin, Jason Moore, and the two managers.

-Jun. Do you want to practice a little before you start?

“Yes.”

Seo-jun nodded at Sarah Roth’s words and rested his chin on the violin. And he played lightly to warm up his hands.

“Is this a new song?”

Ahn Da Ho answered Jason Moore’s muttering.

“It’s a song that Jun composed. He played it spontaneously before he recorded Good Morning, which I sent you last time, to warm up his hands.”

‘An improvisation?!’

Unlike the surprised engineers, the others nodded and said, ‘Oh, I see.’

They already knew that Seo-jun had improvised [Lullaby] and composed [Good Night] at the cemetery shooting.

Besides, if they had to compare, [Good Night] was more brilliant than the improvisation he was playing now.

Seo-jun finished warming up his hands with a short performance and opened his mouth.

“I think I’m ready to start recording.”

“Okay. What do you want to start with?”

Seo-jun thought for a moment and answered Sarah Roth’s question.

“I’ll start with Good Afternoon.”

He thought it would be better to record along with the emotions in the movie.

“Alright. You can start whenever you’re ready, Jun.”

“Yes.”

Seo-jun exhaled lightly and became ‘Gray Vainy’.

And he slowly erased his memories.

The charity concert at the Brad Hall, the fake documentary that Rebecca and George prepared, the heartwarming meeting at Downlock, the sad but loving performance at the cemetery, the sunset that dyed the wheat fields of Kansas City.

All he had left after erasing all that was the depression and frustration that ate away at his body.

And the happy expression of the old musician in Cleveland, Rebecca’s running footsteps, and the cheerful faces of the three musketeers.

♬

Seo-jun started playing as ‘Gray Vainy’ then.

[(Light) Tiaf’s Light Powder is activated.]

[(Light) The Hymn of the Nameless Cleric is activated.]

He didn’t forget to use his abilities.

He only used [(Light) Tiaf’s Light Powder] at first, but since the audience at the concert were impressed, he also used [(Light) The Hymn of the Nameless Cleric]. Of course, it didn’t affect his acting.

Sarah Roth, the director, overlapped the scenes she had shot and the performance she was recording and smiled.

‘It suits well.’

As expected of Jun.

It was a perfect performance, not too much or too little.

♬

After the recording of [Good Afternoon] was over, a round of applause poured out.

It was a performance that deserved applause. ‘Gray’, who was in the recording booth, bowed playfully. They all smiled lightly.

“Next is Good Evening, right?”

“Yes. I’ll start.”

♪

Gray played [Good Evening], which reminded him of the cozy dinner, the golden wheat field, and the warm sunset, followed by [Lullaby] and [Good Night], which were full of love, longing, and hope for a good dream.

“It never gets old.”

“Right.”

Catherine and Paul were immersed in the performance.

Of course, so were the others.

It was time to play [Good Morning], which he recalled with the lively people of Downlock.

♬♪

The melody that opened the morning sounded.

[(Light) The Hymn of the Nameless Cleric is activated.]

[(Light) Ditemas’ Cry-Medium Low Level is activated.]

[(Light) Ditemas’ Cry-Medium Low Level]

A bird that makes a beautiful cry, Ditemas.

It gives a lively energy to the listener.

If you hear it in the morning, you will have a small fortune.

Just like there is a saying in Korea that ‘if a magpie cries, a welcome guest will come’, there was a story in the previous world that ‘if you hear Ditemas’ cry, your day will be happy’.

It was just a superstition, but it gained power as it was passed down for a long time.

It was not a big happiness that changed your life, but the beautiful bird sound and the violin melody of ‘Gray’ filled the recording studio with enough happiness for a day.

***

Marina Studio, the parent company of Whale Studio.

A high office with a wide open view. But the owner of the office had no leisure to enjoy the scenery.

“Not bad.”

“Yes. It is.”

“It’s not bad.”

“The production cost was recovered and the profit was not bad either.”

“…It’s not enough to be not bad!”

Phelan Park shrugged his shoulders at the sudden outburst of the boss.

Richard Bowen, who had risen to the position of president of Marina Studio, looked over the documents.

They were the results of the superhero movies of season 2, which started after the end of season 1 of the superhero series.

There were also some anticipated works that were released in the first half of this year.

[Redbone], [Shadowman], [Assemble] and other movies that the audience who enjoyed season 1 watched with anticipation of the next generation of superheroes did not do badly.

The reaction was also decent.

But they were not successful.

Every time they were released, they broke records and became the hottest topic in the world, creating countless fans and earning huge profits.

They were the superhero movies of Marina Studio, but the hero movies of season 2 did not reach that level.

“It’s always hard to change generations, and season 1 was so great.”

Richard Bowen knew what Phelan Park meant.

To make a good character, you had to tell a story about that character, and to build up the narrative, it could get a bit boring.

Of course, it was the professional’s job to make it entertaining while containing all that.

“But we can’t just leave it like this.”

“That’s true.”

The last movie of season 1, [Assemble 4], was a movie from four years ago.

It was only four years of stagnation, but looking at the situation now, it could easily become five years or ten years.

“Besides, we already have plans to make a movie like Assemble.”

A movie where the heroes with unique personalities gathered and created a story.

It was the most successful and popular series of Marina Studio’s movies, and if this movie did well, the solo movies of the heroes who appeared would also benefit, so it was a good plan.

‘But looking at the situation now, I don’t know what the result of season 2 will be.’

Richard Bowen, who had closed his mouth for a moment, opened it.

“Isn’t that the best way?”

There was a way to make season 2 a hit.

They just had to bring in a character who knew all the past and was still immensely popular, and who had a similar age group with the other characters of season 2.

There was a character who fit the condition perfectly in Marina Studio.

Phelan Park nodded and answered Richard Bowen’s words.

“There’s no better character than Jin Natra.”

Jin Natra.

Six years ago, he disappeared after [Shadowman 3],

“Although he was a villain.”

He was a villain.

“Yeah. He was a villain. In the past.”

Jin Natra, or William Lee, who became a normal person after the cookie video at the end of [Shadowman 3].

“A character who became a hero from a villain is attractive. There are many stories that can be made from his past on Natra planet, and the situation of the character who lost his memory is also an interesting material.”

He was a very useful and really good character.

That’s why it was hard to touch him. If they made him wrong, the backlash would be severe as he was so popular.

Fortunately, there was someone who could solve that, but

“What about Ryan Will, the director?”

“He said he wouldn’t do it. He said he made everything he wanted to make with Shadowman 3.”

He only got a negative answer.

“Hmm.”

Richard Bowen groaned.

“Jin Natra would solve everything…”

“The actor is also a problem.”

‘…That’s right.’

Richard Bowen sighed and said.

“…I guess there’s no one but Jun?”

Phelan Park nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

was an immutable truth.

“That’s right. He’s actively working as an actor, and the work he’s appearing in is also our subsidiary’s work. If we cast another actor, then…”

-What the hell is this???

-??Jin Natra is not Seo-jun Lee??

-Are you crazy, Marina Studio??

Richard Bowen and Phelan Park seemed to see a horrible future without imagining it.

“Jun is in post-recording now?”

“Yes. He’s in the recording studio of Whale Studio.”

It seemed like a good idea to meet him and talk since he was in the US.