Ch.60Is that guy some kind of overpowered character?

Despite having a moment of recognizing his attraction, Kim Donghu woke up the next day acting completely normal.

In a way, this was more natural. While his body was certainly going through puberty, his mind was that of an adult, not easily overwhelmed by momentary emotions.

Besides.

‘I still don’t really understand it.’

His unfortunate past life once again held him back in this area.

That time when he lost everything before even experiencing parental love.

The memory of when he could only smile faintly at the saying “if you’re not good-looking, at least have a good personality” couldn’t be resolved just by switching on “romance mode” once.

Making his brief hesitation seem ridiculous, Kim Donghu decisively turned on romance mode.

Not to pursue a deeper relationship with Kim Sujin, but purely because “it might help with acting.”

There was another secret behind this. First, Kim Donghu didn’t really have an ideal type.

He had no preference for specific appearances; what mattered most to him was emotional connection.

It couldn’t be otherwise.

Having been treated a certain way because of his looks in his past life, how could he suddenly start categorizing people by appearance just because he became handsome?

‘That would be ridiculous.’

Kim Donghu didn’t want such an unprincipled life.

Even if he didn’t impose it on others, he was determined not to hold prejudices or preconceptions about people based on their looks.

‘It’s good that I became handsome, that’s true.’

But he had no intention of wielding it as a weapon. Because doing so would be disrespecting his “past self.”

He didn’t want to erase the person who had tried his best to overcome his appearance.

That’s why that moment of excitement had ultimately become just a brief incident. Of course, it hadn’t completely disappeared.

Someday.

When Kim Donghu was fully prepared to receive love.

It was waiting for the moment to deliver that heart-gripping thrill.

So unlike Kim Sujin, whose heart raced just seeing Kim Donghu.

“Sujin, are you sick? Your cheeks are really red.”

Kim Donghu treated Kim Sujin just like always.

Since he had an adult mind that had weathered life’s storms, after a brief surprise, he quickly calmed down, thinking ‘it’s just a script anyway.’

The story of naturally falling in love while filming romance scenes was still a long, difficult road for Kim Donghu.

Of course.

“…I-I’m fine. It’s just a bit chilly.”

Even his normalcy was poison to Kim Sujin.

“The set is ready!”

By the time they were both feeling their hearts race, all the filming preparations were complete.

“Shouldn’t you go first?”

“Yeah, see you later, Sujin.”

“O-okay, see you later…”

The filming began with their hearts beating at completely opposite rhythms.

+++++

‘He really is different.’

Eclipse’s writer, Yeo Sujeong, was amazed watching Kim Donghu’s acting. When everyone praised him, she couldn’t quite grasp it, but seeing him once, she understood why they had been so complimentary.

‘We’ll be filming for quite a while, and if he’s already this good, everyone else must be feeling pressured.’

The story that tension fills the set when filming with Kim Donghu—she thought it was a complete joke, but now she immediately understood.

Like animals struggling to survive beneath a rampaging tiger.

It meant that actors felt threatened by Kim Donghu’s acting and prepared more diligently.

‘Ah, so sweet.’

The first meeting between Kim Donghu trying to climb over a wall to skip class and Kim Sujin who accidentally witnesses it.

Like their intense first impression, the two keep getting entangled. The reason they keep seeing each other despite not knowing exactly who the other is stems from one extreme cause.

‘It’s definitely looks.’

Being handsome and pretty is the best, thrilling, never gets old.

Writer Yeo Sujeong muttered this to herself while seriously evaluating Kim Donghu and Kim Sujin’s visual compatibility.

‘First, Donghu is…’

There was nothing to say.

An absolute genius of a face.

If there were awards for faces, he’d win them all.

Having seen many celebrities, Yeo Sujeong had never seen anyone more handsome than Kim Donghu.

‘Then Sujin is…’

Kim Sujin, daughter of Kim Yuryeon, the queen of television.

She clearly inherited those genes, possessing an undeniable elegance.

What you might call the traditional Korean beauty standard.

She had a glimpse of dignity, with an actor’s solemnity and strong presence.

When she wore hanbok, her beauty was amplified to an unbelievable degree.

It made you wonder if there was any child actor prettier than Kim Sujin. When wearing hanbok, Kim Sujin was beyond comparison with other child actors.

‘They’ve known each other since they were young, right?’

They’d known each other since kindergarten, and their parents were close too, so they were practically childhood friends.

And now these two are filming a romance, shooting together for at least 60 days?

Could they really not develop any feelings?

‘Am I becoming a matchmaker?’

Writer Yeo Sujeong wasn’t the only one thinking this.

Most people on set had the same thought.

Because they’d seen celebrities fall for each other in situations like this more than once.

If it really happened.

‘Would they be the first child actor star couple?’

But it didn’t take long to realize how unrealistic these expectations were.

“How dare you wander freely inside the palace.”

“And who might you be to speak to me in such a manner?”

A scene where Kim Donghu and Kim Sujin stared intensely at each other while acting.

It was still too early for love to begin, too early for affection to show in their eyes.

But.

‘Hmm?’

Kim Sujin’s eyes were visibly trembling slightly.

The look of a girl who finds it difficult to make eye contact but forces herself to, overcoming her embarrassment.

It would make sense if she was perfectly portraying love at first sight. But if that wasn’t the case.

‘…Enough, it’s silly to play with this, I’m an adult after all.’

Writer Yeo Sujeong quickly dismissed her various thoughts. When jokes go too far, they become harmful.

But in reality, her guess was completely accurate.

“Cut! That’s good, but Sujin, let’s tone down the emotion in your eyes a bit.”

“Yes, director.”

Kim Sujin, who had been pointed out for this detailed direction, was doing her best to calm her heart.

If she hadn’t been trained in acting from a young age.

‘I might have just hugged him and kissed him.’

Having to act out a character destined to fall in love with her first crush.

Could there be a more cruel fate?

Kim Sujin prayed that her heart would endure.

++++++

Time flew by quickly to October.

As Swordsman Baek Dong-soo was approaching its end.

-Hahaha! You think exceeding 30% ratings is easy? Just because you did it once doesn’t mean you can do it again!

“…No need for such bravado. You sound like a frightened dog barking.”

Jeong Doseon frowned at the laughter of the cherry pie blob next door.

Since Swordsman Baek Dong-soo had never exceeded 30% ratings, sadly, it couldn’t be considered to have claimed the Monday-Tuesday drama slot.

-I understand, Monday-Tuesday dramas aren’t easy! It’s hard to get 30% on weekdays!

“That’s loser talk. I’m hanging up.”

Click.

SKS Drama Director Jeong Doseon rubbed his face wearily.

‘I can’t call Kim Donghu back now.’

How could he bring back a child actor from the past?

And even if he did, there would be problems.

‘Where would I put him?’

He knew there was no answer.

He knew how hard the current actors were working.

But they couldn’t compete with the real thing.

At the same time that Jeong Doseon was feeling frustrated, at KBC.

Drama Director Kim Cheoldo was laughing heartily.

“We really are the kings of Monday-Tuesday dramas! Hahaha!”

“Yes, sir.”

PD Kim Yeongmo lightly acknowledged the statement.

‘He’s really happy.’

It was understandable.

Since he constantly sang about wanting to work with Kim Donghu again, how precious must Kim Donghu look after breaking the 30% rating barrier for Monday-Tuesday dramas?

While smiling at this thought, Kim Yeongmo checked his KakaoTalk and was shocked.

“W-what?! R-really?!”

He was so surprised that he blurted out his thoughts.

Kim Cheoldo stopped laughing at the commotion.

“What! What happened?”

“Challenge Golden Bell.”

“Huh? Why that?”

Challenge! Golden Bell.

A quiz program for high schools that was popular because it accepted applications regardless of grade or region.

“When we had that brief meeting together, they mentioned doing a special on middle school prodigies or something?”

“Yes, and what about it? What are you trying to say?”

“They say Kim Donghu is appearing.”

“What? What are you talking about? Why would Kim Donghu suddenly appear there?”

Kim Cheoldo didn’t understand, and Kim Yeongmo continued with a puzzled expression.

“So… it’s like a Golden Bell for middle school valedictorians, and Kim Donghu is included among them.”

“…Kim Donghu is good at studying too?”

“Apparently so.”

Is that kid some kind of cheat character?

Director Kim Cheoldo held back those words that were about to come out.