Ch.21You guys aren’t swinging at all.

“Hello, seniors!”

Bow, bow.

From a distance, a tall boy makes his presence known with a loud greeting.

Like a star atop a Christmas tree adorned with all kinds of jewels.

An appearance that makes you wonder if this is what the brilliance of the Milky Way would look like if made human.

The High Dream filming set stirred at Kim Donghu’s arrival.

“Donghu’s here?”

“Yes, brother. Have you been well?”

“Well, I…”

Jin Suhyeok, who plays the male lead Song Cheolsu in High Dream, was the first to exchange greetings with Kim Donghu and smiled awkwardly.

“…I’ve been good.”

To tell the truth, he hadn’t been doing well.

After what Kim Donghu showed at the first filming session,

expectations for acting performances had risen to an excessive level.

As a result, rookie actors were having a miserable time.

Of course, no one explicitly said,

-Why can’t you act like Kim Donghu?

But you could tell from their eyes.

Eyes that seemed to subtly expect something more.

A hope that they could create an atmosphere even remotely similar to Kim Donghu’s.

With such a vague atmosphere spreading across the set,

Kim Donghu, who had appeared again, was someone impossible to feel comfortable around.

Moreover, today was also the day for filming the making film.

Which meant that poor acting could lead to disaster.

‘But today should be fine.’

Jin Suhyeok felt relieved as he recalled the filming content.

Because today there were no scenes where they would clash at all.

‘We’ll be acting separately in practice rooms, that’s right.’

Mirinae, the competition that High Dream must win at all costs.

Today’s filming was about capturing the scenes of grueling practice for that competition,

and in Kim Donghu’s case, solo practice and scheming scenes with Principal Wang Ho were scheduled.

“Is vocal practice really tough?”

“Yes, but I’ll do my best not to cause any trouble for my seniors!”

Since High Dream is set in an arts high school,

playing an instrument or vocals was essential.

During the past few months of filming, the High Dream members had significantly improved their skills through blood and sweat.

By now, they had reached a level where their performances were pleasant and easy on the ears.

So for some reason, Jin Suhyeok suddenly felt his shoulders tensing up.

Confidence was supporting his entire body like armor.

“Yeah, hang in there.”

Honestly, Jin Suhyeok was confident he would win in this aspect.

As an idol from ST Entertainment,

it made no sense that he would lose to a rookie actor when it came to music.

‘And honestly, it doesn’t make sense for someone to be good at everything.’

Although Lee J had the setting of being a genius,

such settings could be fabricated anytime.

If there are thousands of devices to create the small, square TV screen,

even a tone-deaf person could become a genius who sings beautifully.

‘He must have been cast for his acting.’

Jin Suhyeok encouraged Kim Donghu with the mindset of ‘you must have weaknesses too.’

“Hang in there, our Donghu!”

Pat, pat.

“Thank you!”

“Sure, sure.”

As if thinking, ‘Surely you can’t be good at music too?’

+++++

Lee Minha.

The writer of High Dream,

and a symbol of punctuality who had never missed a deadline since her debut.

Right now, she was…

“Hmmmm…”

Agonizing intensely.

Something that should never be done normally.

But something that could create tremendous synergy if done.

‘I want to do it.’

Should I? No, shouldn’t I? I don’t want to.

The dilemma of a lifetime.

Something that would never have crossed her mind before meeting Kim Donghu.

‘Same-day script revision.’

It was taboo.

This wasn’t some early 2000s sitcom with improvised scripts,

how could one revise a drama script on the day of filming?

“PD-nim, is the broadcasting schedule flexible?”

But her head and body were acting separately.

Reason said absolutely not, but instinct was gradually moving toward script revision.

“Yes, since the making film got good responses, we’ve received a lot of PPL and advertisements, so the scale has grown considerably.”

PD Kim Youngmo responded to writer Lee Minha’s question with a hint of pride.

An appeal saying – we’ve earned money through excellent directing and editing.

‘But why is she asking about that?’

She’s not someone who speaks without purpose?

That thought brought a wave of anxiety.

“…Then I can revise the script, right?”

“What? Don’t you always revise scripts anyway?”

When writing scenarios, revisions naturally occur during the editing process.

“As long as you notify us in advance, we can certainly adjust the schedule accordingly…”

PD Kim Youngmo’s words stopped abruptly.

He had caught Lee Minha’s eyes.

At that moment, Kim Youngmo, who had been in the broadcasting industry for a long time, realized what Lee Minha was trying to say.

“…You don’t mean what I think you mean, do you?”

“Yes.”

Same-day script revision.

An action that could potentially send home all the staff and actors who had gathered according to schedule.

That’s what Lee Minha wanted right now.

“Wait, wait, can I first hear how it’s going to change?”

A reasonable question.

In response, writer Lee Minha fully revealed the desire she had been suppressing.

“As you saw at the public audition, actor Kim Donghu is extremely good at acting and vocals.”

“That’s right.”

“So Lee J’s role was originally just a vocalist, in a situation where bands face off against each other like High Dream? It was bands competing against each other.”

“Yes, yes, I know that.”

Glance.

Answering like that, Kim Youngmo looked at the band warming up behind the filming set.

While the High Dream members had to play their own instruments,

Lee J’s band didn’t need to, so they had invited an external band.

A clash of bands!

Wasn’t that the picture they had in mind from the beginning?

Lee Minha immediately resolved Kim Youngmo’s questioning gaze.

“…But that seems too strange.”

“Strange how?”

“Lee J is a genius, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Lee J is a flower that bloomed amid hatred, and he thinks everyone except himself is inferior.”

How could such a Lee J play music in harmony with others?

How could a wolf eat the same food as sheep?

Even as she continued speaking, Lee Minha knew how absurd her words sounded.

This was forcing it.

But.

‘I’ve seen it.’

She had seen Lee J come alive before her eyes.

There existed a more perfect Lee J than the one she had written.

And I can’t live up to that? Can I still call myself a writer?

That was Lee Minha’s lifelong pride as a writer.

“So… what do you want to do?”

Understanding Lee Minha’s feelings,

Kim Youngmo, who still had the soul of an artist, asked directly.

Why is this explanation so long just to say what needs to be changed?

To that question, Lee Minha bowed her head deeply and answered.

“Piano.”

“…Piano?”

“Yes. I’d prefer a grand piano if possible.”

High Dream building friendship through their band,

and Lee J singing alone at a grand piano.

It would create a perfect contrasting image.

“We do have a grand piano…”

Since they had rented the entire arts high school, equipment wasn’t an issue.

However.

“It will take actor Kim Donghu a long time to master the piano.”

Even just hand syncing would require at least a month.

Therefore, this would normally require a lot of discussion.

But Lee Minha was skipping all those processes and saying she wanted to make changes now.

“…Let’s first ask the actor’s opinion, which is most important.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Where is actor Kim Donghu now?”

“Ah, there he is.”

Kim Donghu enters the sight of Kim Youngmo and Lee Minha.

Being young, he seemed awkward fitting into the set,

yet with his presence alone capturing everyone’s attention,

Lee Minha walked straight up to the actor whose future success was beyond imagination.

“Actor Kim Donghu.”

“Yes, writer! Oh, and please feel free to speak comfortably with me.”

“O-okay, Donghu. By any chance, do you know how to play the piano? A grand piano…”

A question that made her squint her eyes even as she asked it.

‘How could that be possible!’

If it were a regular piano, he might have learned it as a child.

But a grand piano was in the professional realm.

How could a mere fourteen-year-old, a first-year middle school student, have learned that?

If he had, he should have been attending an arts middle school already.

But.

“Yes, I know how to play.”

“Right, I thought so… But you see, we need to revise the script so I was wondering if you could practice… Wait, what? Huh? What?”

Did I hear wrong? No?

I’m perfectly healthy, right?

“C-could you say that again?”

“I know how to play the grand piano.”

Would you like me to show you?

At Kim Donghu’s straightforward answer, writer Lee Minha’s jaw just.

“H-hey, writer! P-PD! Anyone! The writer’s jaw!”

Clack.

It had dropped.

+++++

Going back in time to the day I received the second script.

During the immersion process, I felt something awkward.

‘Is it right for Lee J to form a band and play together with other kids?’

That was a question only I could feel, being able to experience the character by directly entering the work.

It was impossible for Lee J, who trusts no one and despises grouping with inferiors,

to mingle with children he considers beneath him.

‘If he needs to stand out alone, wouldn’t piano or violin be better?’

Presentation through an instrument that builds a sophisticated image.

That seemed more fitting for Lee J.

And then.

As if to encourage me, a message from [Sims – Real Life] arrived.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

-[Judging that the work’s immersion and script cannot keep up with your understanding]

-[Adding additional settings to give life to the Lee J character]

-[Downloading application ‘You’re Not Swinging At All Right Now’]

-[From now on, when immersing into instrument-related characters, you will also acquire talent for the instrument.]

The message was explicitly saying:

To become not just a genius of acting, but a perfect genius.

To recreate Lee J 100%.

‘Ha.’

My answer was already decided.

“Immerse.”

Yes, I’ll show you.

The perfect Lee J.