Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 295
[Title: Lee Yeon-jae Currently Filming a Music Video]
A photo just went up on In-joon’s story.
Looks like In-joon sent a coffee truck to the filming site, hahaha.
Lee Yeon-jae took a picture to thank him and sent it back, which In-joon captured and uploaded, haha.
(Coffee truck proof shot)
(A screenshot of a chat with Lee Yeon-jae)
The hand holding the drink in the photo is Lee Yeon-jae’s hand.
Just to clarify, don’t post rude comments about the photo being insincere ㅡㅡ
Details about the appearance could be a spoiler, so he deliberately only took a picture of his hand.
I’m saying it again, don’t post rude comments, you’ll regret it.
―I wasn’t even planning to, why are you overreacting?
└(ㄱㅆ) If Lee Yeon-jae gets criticized because of my post, In-joon will be upset….
―You mean Space’s Choi In-joon? Is he appearing in Lee Yeon-jae’s music video?
└(ㄱㅆ) I don’t think so. In-joon is currently on tour, so his schedule wouldn’t allow it.
└? Then how did he send the coffee truck?
└(ㄱㅆ) The power of love…?
[Title: Choi In-joon is Seriously Crazy, LOL]
Space’s Choi In-joon is one of the most famous non-romantic fans (비연) celebrities.
(Except for Lee Jung-hyun. He’s not a non-romantic fan; he’s just Lee Yeon-jae’s dad.)
I’m a fan of another member, but every time they go live, it’s always Bambi this, Bambi that, so I’ve had Bambi neurosis for a while;;;
Why do all Lee Yeon-jae’s fans seem so crazy?
I just saw what Choi In-joon posted on his story, and it’s real dedication.
I heard idol tour schedules are insanely tough, but he still managed to send a coffee truck to Lee Yeon-jae.
He’s really something.
―What’s the relationship between Choi In-joon and Lee Yeon-jae?
└Fan and celebrity.
└LOL, crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
―Choi In-joon isn’t just any ordinary non-romantic fan. There are levels of craziness even among non-romantic fans, and he’s on another level.
└;; How crazy is he?
└The fact that there are levels of craziness among non-romantic fans is my laughing pointㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
―Choi In-joon carries a transparent phone case with a photo of Lee Yeon-jae inside.
└……I have no words.
└That’s real craziness; do you have to give up your dignity to become a non-romantic fan?
[Title: But Seriously, I Recommend Getting a Non-romantic Fan Certificate]
It might look like a cult from the outside, but it’s more fun than you’d think.
Every day, there’s someone crazy that pops up.
I started visiting the fan cafe just to watch the crazies, and before I knew it, I became a non-romantic fan too, haha.
―You’re crazy too.
└(ㄱㅆ) The first condition to getting a non-romantic fan certificate is to go crazy :)
└Seriously crazy….
―It’s intense, really intense. The world is coming to an end.
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ All the non-romantic fans I know are intense.
―Just curious, is Lee Yeon-jae that charming? No offense, just genuinely curious. He’s still a middle schooler, right?
└(ㄱㅆ) He is a middle schooler, but he’s so mature that you don’t really notice it usually.
└I’m also a non-romantic fan, and he’s really worth liking. He remembers every fan he’s met once, and you can see him getting anxious, trying to do something for themㅠㅠ That’s what makes him more endearing.
―Remembering every fan he’s met once; that sounds a bit exaggerated.
└(ㄱㅆ) Exaggeration or not, why don’t you check for yourself? Become a non-romantic fan and see for yourself :)
└I’m sorry.
* * *
Who was Han Ji-woon?
He was a ‘crazy’ fan of Lee Yeon-jae.
How crazy?
Han Ji-woon first saw Lee Yeon-jae’s acting in high school, and it changed his career path to theater and film.
He proved his dedication by enrolling as a freshman in the theater and film department this year.
‘Our Bambi….’
Han Ji-woon remembered the first moment he met Lee Yeon-jae as if it were yesterday.
It was at Lee Yeon-jae’s first fan signing event a few years ago.
‘Hey, look at Bambi. Oh my god. So pretty.’
‘My heart is racing, crazy. If I make eye contact with Bambi, I think I’ll die.’
‘Then hold his hand before you die. Don’t waste your life.’
‘Okay. Got it.’
Han Ji-woon had been waiting for his turn, using the crazy chatter of other non-romantic fans as background noise.
He was also nervously shaking his legs.
‘I feel like my heart is going to explode.’
Strictly speaking, Han Ji-woon had fallen for Lee Yeon-jae’s ‘acting.’
But the fact that the person who performed that acting was ‘Lee Yeon-jae’ didn’t change.
The thought of meeting the person who had changed his life made his head spin.
After what felt like an eternity.
Finally, it was Han Ji-woon’s turn.
‘Ah, hello. I’m Han Ji-woon…’
Han Ji-woon spoke while trembling like a goat.
At that time, Lee Yeon-jae was wearing a bunny headband given to him by a fan, with ears so long they reached his shoulders.
Maybe he couldn’t hear because of the ears, so he lifted one ear with his hand and asked.
‘I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?’
And that’s when Han Ji-woon died.
No, his rationality died.
Hit by a fatal blow right in front of him, his mental state shattered without a chance to dodge.
But because of that, he managed to continue the conversation while pretending to be an ordinary fan.
‘I decided on my dream after watching your acting. I even changed my desired major to theater and film.’
‘I hope we can act together someday. I’ll try my best to remember and greet you first when that day comes.’
‘Oh my, thank you. You don’t have to remember! I’ll tell you myself!’
He even received a compliment from Lee Yeon-jae about his good vocal projection, but he was too dazed to notice.
It felt like he was dreaming.
Outwardly, Lee Yeon-jae appeared so calm that he didn’t realize the person in front of him was out of their mind.
“See you next time, Ji-woon hyung.”
“…!”
It was a short and intense first meeting, and it was also their last.
Since then, Lee Yeon-jae had soared to success like he had wings, while Han Ji-woon pursued his dreams by supporting him.
He passed the notoriously tough XX University’s theater and film department entrance exam on his first try and had been interning at a studio since summer.
Although he was called an intern, he was practically just a gopher doing odd jobs.
Nevertheless, he was happy.
Occasionally, he could see actors in person and glimpse their excellent performances.
But Han Ji-woon was certain.
No moment had been happier than now.
“Our studio got the job to shoot Lee Yeon-jae’s music video.”
The studio where Han Ji-woon worked was assigned to shoot Lee Yeon-jae’s music video.
“Are you kidding?!”
The moment he heard the team leader’s words, Han Ji-woon immediately knelt down and begged.
“Team leader, please, can’t I be part of it? I’m begging you.”
“You’re still―”
“Please. I’ll do anything. If there’s nothing to do, you can use me as a footrest. Okay?”
“……”
Seeing Han Ji-woon’s crazed expression for the first time, the team leader reluctantly agreed.
Han Ji-woon even signed a non-disclosure agreement to finally see Lee Yeon-jae again.
It was the second meeting he had secured with his own hands.
* * *
‘…How can he act like that?’
Han Ji-woon stared at the stage with a blank expression.
He had seen Lee Yeon-jae’s acting hundreds of times on TV and in cinemas, but seeing it live for the first time was different.
Lee Yeon-jae’s acting was incredibly beautiful.
It was unbelievable that he could witness it with his own eyes.
‘He’s truly amazing.’
Although he was much younger than Han Ji-woon, he had long since realized that age didn’t matter at all.
‘How can he do that?’
The studio, which usually felt empty even with dozens of employees running around, now felt cramped with just Lee Yeon-jae standing on the stage.
The large space felt filled with his presence.
‘This is insane, really.’
Every second of Lee Yeon-jae’s breathtaking performance drew spontaneous admiration.
After the first take, Han Ji-woon thought he couldn’t be more surprised, but he was wrong.
Director Lee Yeon-jae, who immediately came down to check the footage, seemed like a completely different person from Actor Lee Yeon-jae.
As if he hadn’t just been deeply immersed in acting, his cool-headed demeanor while looking at the camera made him seem like a different person.
‘He’s like an onion.’
Peeling off layer after layer revealed different sides of him, much like an onion.
Han Ji-woon paused.
‘…Is onion too crude?’
But it’s Bambi.
Comparing Bambi to an onion seemed inappropriate.
‘Then how about a Russian doll?’
Matryoshka dolls (*Russian nesting dolls where a slightly smaller doll is nested inside each doll) might be a fitting analogy for Bambi.
Han Ji-woon pondered this seriously for a long time.
It showed just how crazed a non-romantic fan he was.
‘Today, I’m truly happy.’
Watching Bambi act in person.
‘I’m truly lucky.’
Even while moving heavy equipment, he couldn’t suppress his laughter.
He had taken the job out of a desire to see Lee Yeon-jae’s acting in person, and he had fully achieved that.
He hadn’t even dreamed of the possibility of talking to Lee Yeon-jae.
There were so many staff members working on set, and even other celebrities were around.
Han Ji-woon’s job was simply to run errands quietly amidst the bustling crowd.
So.
“It’s been a while, Ji-woon hyung.”
“…!”
This situation was completely unexpected.
* * *
“How do you remember me?!”
Still, good vocal projection.
I smiled as I looked at Ji-woon hyung, who had his eyes wide open.
“I told you I’d remember. Sorry I greeted you so late. It’s been a few hours since filming started.”
“No, no.”
“Are you working here as a staff member? I think you mentioned you were preparing for the theater and film department back then.”
“Yes, yes. Well, I’m a college student now, but I’m interning for a while….”
“That’s really cool.”
“No, no.”
Ji-woon hyung shook his head vigorously.
It was a desperate gesture.
“You’re the cool one, actor. I’m not cool at all.”
“Can’t we both be cool?”
“Uh, that’s….”
“Isn’t it possible?”
I stared intently into his eyes.
After a long pause, a dazed answer came back.
“Yes….”
“That’s right. You’re cool.”
“Yes, I’m cool….”
Ji-woon hyung muttered blankly.
He seemed a bit flustered, but it was still a familiar and welcoming face.
‘I can’t believe we’re meeting again.’
Most of the non-romantic fans I met at fan signings or fan meetings were women, so he was especially memorable.
He looked like a high school student back then, but now he was a college student.
‘Time really flies.’
It felt strange.
“Actor.”
At that moment, Jin-bae hyung approached.
Perhaps he thought I was holding hands with a stranger, as his expression was full of caution.
“Is he someone you know?”
“Yes. I met him at the Luke event fan sign, and he’s working here at the studio now.”
“Ah, I see. Nice to meet you.”
Jin-bae hyung extended his hand for a handshake with Ji-woon hyung.
Reluctantly, I had to let go of the hand I was holding.
I felt slightly regretful.
“Yes. It’s nice to meet you too.”
Ji-woon hyung shook Jin-bae hyung’s hand, creaking like an unlubricated robot.
As I watched this scene with a satisfied smile, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I grabbed Ji-woon hyung’s hand again.
“Are you still preparing for acting?”
“Yes, I am.”
Great.
I smiled broadly and spoke.
“Then, can you join the shoot today?”
“…What?”
“I think it would be great if you could be in the music video with us!”
“…”
He looked at me as if he had seen a ghost.
‘Why is he acting like that?’
I couldn’t understand why.