Ch.95Time, flow quickly

Answer the third series 1988.

Although success is somewhat guaranteed through previous works,

“Hmm.”

There was one thing that Producer Ju was unsatisfied with.

“I want to hit 20% average viewership just once.”

If a drama on cable TV reached 20% average viewership.

He couldn’t even imagine how much impact it would create.

“If that happens, really.”

Just thinking about it brought a smile to his face.

For that dream, he felt Kim Donghu was absolutely essential.

“We must, we must! Get Kim Donghu!”

He emphasized the casting once more.

But reality approached differently.

“…He needs to audition, right? That’s what we agreed on from the beginning.”

At PD Shin Seonho’s words, CP Ju Hanmyeong immediately abandoned his dream world.

“You’re right.”

Because he desperately wanted success more than anyone.

He also wanted the actor to be passionate about our project.

And auditions were precisely for confirming that.

Actors who refused auditions were out of consideration from the start.

Guaranteed casting didn’t exist in the “Answer Me” series.

That was proof of how much they wanted the project to succeed.

“But every drama he’s in hits 30%, and his recent Eclipse even hit 40%.”

“Still, Writer Jung wants auditions more strongly than anyone else!”

“Arrrgh! Right! That’s how it was! How sad!”

“We don’t even have a script yet. Planning casting this early is going too far on our part.”

“Hmm, you’re not wrong, but.”

Still, if, just if Kim Donghu failed the audition due to acting or character issues.

‘No, what if he refuses to audition altogether?’

Surely that wouldn’t happen, right?

A small anxiety began creeping into CP Ju Hanmyeong’s heart.

Honestly, Kim Donghu was the one with nothing to lose.

‘Isn’t he doing too well?’

Currently, Kim Donghu was beyond measure.

Listing all his achievements would be exhausting.

It was hard to believe he was only seventeen.

“I understand how you feel, but honestly, filming isn’t until the year after next.”

At PD Shin Seonho’s words, CP Ju Hanmyeong clicked his tongue.

That was true.

In fact, that’s why they could even consider Kim Donghu as a casting candidate.

By then he’d be nineteen, closest to adulthood.

It would be when restrictions on his activities would gradually loosen.

‘Time, please flow quickly.’

CP Ju Hanmyeong suppressed his desires for that moment.

++++++

Contrary to CP Ju Hanmyeong’s wish for time to flow quickly.

There was one person for whom time was currently flowing very slowly.

“Ueeieeu.”

It was Kim Donghu’s younger sister, Kim Seohyun, who was uttering words no one could interpret.

Seohyun’s world was truly, extremely simple.

“Seohyun, did you have a good day today?”

“Heehee.”

1. When someone whose face makes her smile appears, it’s good.

2. After seeing that person’s face and smiling a few times, she naturally falls asleep.

3. Then after sleeping deeply and waking up, she waits for the person whose face makes her smile.

These were the somewhat detailed patterns of Kim Seohyun’s 24 hours.

Seeing this, her parents Kim Jeongyeol and Lee Yuhyeon developed a concern.

“…Hmm.”

“It feels strange to worry about this already, but I think our daughter’s standards might become too high.”

Nod.

Kim Jeongyeol nodded with quite a serious face.

Having grown up seeing her brother with an unbelievable face since childhood.

‘Plus with their big age gap, he’s almost like an uncle or second father to her.’

They wouldn’t have reasons to fight,

And with Donghu’s personality, he’d definitely treat his little sister extremely well.

Whether she wanted it or not, her standards would inevitably become very high.

Moreover.

“I’m not saying this just because she’s our daughter, but isn’t she really beautiful?”

“I guess we’re blessed with good children.”

Kim Seohyun’s appearance was visibly beautiful despite being just a baby.

Big eyes, a straight nose, not a single part of her wasn’t pretty.

If one had to compare, she was like a female version of Kim Donghu.

One could already guess how beautiful she would become in the future.

“Once her condition improves, we should take her out to see other people’s faces.”

Nod.

Again, Kim Jeongyeol strongly nodded in agreement with Lee Yuhyeon’s words.

After only seeing her son’s face since infancy, when she finally becomes able to see the world.

How surprised would she be to learn that appearances other than Kim Donghu’s exist?

Of course, this was somewhat of an excessive parental fantasy.

But because their son’s appearance was so outstanding, it naturally became a concern.

Others might criticize them for having such a privileged worry.

“Hmm, our son’s face shouldn’t become the standard for world beauty.”

“To think we have to worry about her seeing only too good things….”

From a parent’s perspective, it was quite serious.

The one fortunate thing was that their son currently lived on his own.

Thanks to that, the time for Seohyun to become accustomed to Donghu’s face was being delayed.

‘It would be terrible if our daughter gets used to our son’s face.’

‘That’s something I really want to prevent.’

Getting used to their son’s face? That must never happen.

Someone with such a face was unique in the world,

An appearance praised as possibly never to be seen again.

To “adapt” to such a face.

In the worst case, her standards might become so impossibly high that everyone else would look like squids!

While his parents had such concerns, Kim Donghu was currently.

“…Why are you here?”

“Huh? I live here.”

“You live here? Next door to me?”

“We’re in the same year, same department.”

What does that have to do with where you live? he wondered.

As he stared blankly at Ryu Jaerin who had moved in next door.

+++++

How was Ryu Jaerin able to move in next door to Kim Donghu?

It was actually quite simple.

<Donghu, where do you live?

>Me? That officetel near Daejong High

<ㅁㅁㅁㅁ here?

>Yeah, that’s right

<Got it

You just ask.

Then as soon as you find out the next unit is vacant, you sign the contract.

This worked because Ryu Jaerin happened to be looking for a place and because she was a student.

Even though as a girl group member she had to live in a dorm.

She couldn’t commute from the dorm to school every day, so she needed her own place.

It was also for her grandmother’s convenience who lived in a poor neighborhood.

Additionally, Ryu Jaerin’s incredible rising popularity made all this reasonable.

With her dominant popularity in music shows and fan meetings.

Plus her recent string of hit variety show appearances.

Her agency was willing to make this bold investment.

“…So that’s why I moved next door, do you mind?”

Ryu Jaerin explained her situation while carefully looking up at Kim Donghu.

The perfect angle of her face that she had discovered after countless studies.

Kim Donghu looked down at Ryu Jaerin’s face and answered plainly.

“Huh? No, I was just surprised. I don’t mind you moving in.”

“That’s true, but wouldn’t it be better to talk inside rather than at the doorway?”

“Oh? Um, I guess so?”

“Then would you like to have dinner with my grandmother and me?”

Introducing family means becoming that kind of relationship, right?

While Ryu Jaerin made this happy assumption and gathered her courage.

“What?! Is that okay?”

Kim Donghu focused on the fact that he could eat Ryu Jaerin’s grandmother’s home cooking after a long time.

Back when Kim Donghu was 6 years old, attending kindergarten with Ryu Jaerin.

He still couldn’t forget the taste of the kimbap she made for their picnic.

Plus.

‘I was wondering how she’s doing, this is perfect.’

Since he couldn’t just ask about someone else’s family situation.

Kim Donghu wanted to resolve several things at once.

As soon as he entered Ryu Jaerin’s home.

“So Donghu, when are you going to marry our Jaerin?”

“Ah, Grandmother!”

He was immediately hit with a direct attack.

++++++

It’s not something to brag about, but I’m very familiar with this situation.

Since childhood, whenever I met female friends’ parents, I got this reaction.

But now it was very different.

“I must see Jaerin get married before I die….”

“Ah… um… well.”

“I’m just joking, you fool. Look at you freezing up over one little comment, hohoho!”

Black comedy that only elders can pull off.

And right now, I couldn’t gather my thoughts.

‘Grandmother, who makes jokes with such sincerity?’

Though it had been a while since I’d seen her, she felt as familiar as if I’d seen her yesterday.

I suppose Jaerin’s grandmother just has that kind of personality.

“Come on, Grandmother, don’t be like that. Anyway, we’ll even…”

“We’ll?”

“…Well, who knows what might happen?”

The way Jaerin slightly added words and then withdrew them was truly artistic.

She must have gained skills from her many broadcast appearances, delivering lines with a straight face was masterful.

‘But for casual comments, she seems oddly confident.’

While I was wondering what she was aiming for.

“So, you came to eat? Are you very hungry?”

“Huh? Oh… yes, I had theater class today so I’m quite hungry.”

“Oh? You’re very hungry, you say?”

“Huh? Yes.”

I felt an ominous sense of having taken the bait.

“Wait, Grandmother! I don’t eat that much…!”

“Looks like I need to empty the refrigerator today.”

That ominous feeling became reality.