The Third-Gen Chaebol Becomes a Genius Actor

Chapter 56: My First Time Doing Promotions

(Brother, how did it go?)

After Yoo Yeon Seo left, the representative Han finally secured his seat and received an urgent call from someone.

“It looks like it’s going to work.”

(Really? Wow! How did you persuade him?)

“Persuade? What do you mean? His eyes changed as soon as I mentioned the resort.”

(Really? Does Yoo Yeon Seo like resorts?)

“He must. So it has to be an island, the sea. Got it? I’ll try to convince him for sure.”

(Okay, we booked all the locations as resorts. Do you know who the other guests are? Brother, you have to keep this a secret.)

The PD was excited and blabbered on. Representative Han listened with one ear and thought to himself.

‘He pretends not to care, but he’s been busy with work…’

Even after he made a name for himself, there were actors who worked like cows, like Jin Sooho, but usually they took a long break between choosing their next project.

In the meantime, they did some commercials and took care of themselves, but Yoo Yeon Seo looked for another project as soon as one ended. And he used his background to start filming right away. 

That’s why Yoo Yeon Seo had a lot of filmography, even if not as much as Jin Sooho.

He made a name for himself with bad acting, though…

“He should go on a vacation and enjoy himself.”

(Uh… this is not that kind of show.)

“What?”

Representative Han lifted his upper body, which was leaning back on the chair.

(It’s not a relaxing and healing show. It’s a real guest house management show.)

“Really?”

(Yes, we’re going to limit the money they can spend per day and make it stingy.)

“Wouldn’t that be frustrating?”

(I’ll have to edit it well.)

“Right, that’s up to you, PD.”

Popular actors and idols, and a chaebol third-generation actor with a huge influence just by existing, all gathered to live frugally? Representative Han smiled.

“But are the other guests okay with doing a show with Yoo Yeon Seo?”

He was notorious for having a bad personality, and if you crossed a few bridges, you’d find someone who knew him.

(They haven’t met Yoo Yeon Seo before, so it should be fine, right?)

“Really? Just in case, ask for their consent first.”

(Okay, brother. So you’re confirming Yoo Yeon Seo?)

“Yeah, yeah.”

Seeing his eyes change when he heard about the sea, it wouldn’t be hard to confirm.

Representative Han hung up the phone and rolled his chair, lost in thought.

The PD he was talking to was not the main PD of JSTV. 

The guest house show he was discussing was a slightly modified version of a program that another PD had done, so it was closer to a seasonal show.

He wondered if it would do well, since it overlapped with a lot of other shows, but Yoo Yeon Seo alone would guarantee enough buzz.

Anyway, the point was that Yoo Yeon Seo would suffer a lot. That was…

“Nice, right?”

Representative Han had a lot of grudges against Yoo Yeon Seo.

***

When Yoo Yeon Seo was facing his midterm exams, ‘White Tiger’ finally surfaced.

Movie [White Tiger] First Trailer

The logos of the production company and the distributor appear briefly, followed by a solemn music.

A ship on the rough sea, and a mysterious monster trying to sink the ship. 

The scene changes quickly, showing Park Minwoo holding a gun tightly and sweating coldly, and Lee Hangeul shooting calmly.

The strange monster roars loudly, and Yoo Yeon Seo grabs Park Minwoo’s collar and pushes him against the wall.

(Kill them all. That’s the only way we survive.)

The video ends with Yoo Yeon Seo’s stern voice.

└Park Minwoo Yoo Yeon Seo Lee Hangeul? What a crazy combination. The visuals are amazing.

└It looks fun already.

└Is that the Chunbaek I know?

└Yoo Yeon Seo and Park Minwoo? This is a good stockㅋㅋ

└I don’t care about the story, I’m going to see their faces ㅅㄱ

Since his previous work was ‘Dreaming’, the fans of Yoo Yeon Seo were stimulated by the gap between the mechanical and faint image of the silver-haired Chunbaek and the intense special forces. The love letters were already posting certification photos of their nth reservation.

‘White Tiger’ started its full-scale promotion.

[White Tiger] Press Screening Review

I can’t write much because of the embargo, but it’s quite a work.

They said they spent a lot of money on production, and the CG quality was better than expected.

And what surprised me was the acting of the actors. 

Park Minwoo, who is rising as a new star in Chungmuro, is needless to say, and Lee Hangeul was also decent, but Yoo Yeon Seo, he was amazing. I heard rumors that his acting had improved, but I wondered if he was the same person as in <Emergency>. You can look forward to it.

Especially in the latter half, ‘that scene’ was a heartbreaking action scene that he pulled off without a stunt double. I couldn’t believe how well he did.

I feel like I’m going to spoil it, so I’ll write a detailed review when the embargo is lifted.

<White Tiger> A Brief Screening Review

A variety of human characters and flashy action in a limited space of a ship.

I would rate it as ‘a pretty good entertainment movie’.

-White Tiger press reviews and blog reviews are all good

└Isn’t there too much praise?

└└No, there are negative reviews too

└You have to filter out the blind screenings. They might use them for promotion and cheat.

-Who’s watching White Tiger tomorrow?

└Me

└I booked it for the morning show

‘White Tiger’ D-2 Opening No. 1 in Total Reservation Rate… What are the points of interest?

‘White Tiger’ Director Park Hojin, “Yoo Yeon Seo, action acting without a stunt double… Please look forward to it”

The day before the opening of ‘White Tiger’, director Park Hojin and the leads Park Minwoo, Yoo Yeon Seo, and Lee Hangeul were preparing to appear on an entertainment program to promote the movie.

“Hyung, this is your first time doing this kind of promotion, right?”

“Yeah.”

Park Minwoo looked at Yoo Yeon Seo with anxious eyes.

“They said they’re going to stream it live, can you do it well?”

“Yeonseo, just stay still if the question is weird. I’ll cover for you.”

What am I. He’s treating me like a kid. Yoo Yeon Seo looked at Park Minwoo and Lee Hangeul with displeased eyes.

“You caused a big accident when you went out for a comeback promotion when you were in One Seven.”

“Did I?”

“You told the MC he was cheesy. You said, how can you film this as a show? And you said something to the writer… Don’t you remember? We had to clean up after you…”

“Oh…”

Did Lee Hangeul’s eyes get moist, or was it just me? Yoo Yeon Seo pretended to remember vaguely and moved on. 

A rookie idol talking back to his seniors and the production staff in the entertainment industry… It made him feel cold.

And every time he heard this, he felt a huge gap between himself and the original.

‘Is he just crazy…’

Or a crazy person with a story.

Anyway, Park Minwoo and Lee Hangeul were the same as before.

‘Ever since the ‘Virtual Reality’ incident was revealed, the excessive media play and the hype around Yoo Yeon Seo had intensified. ‘Dreaming’ had achieved good results, and the industry people who had not yet experienced him were brainwashed to the point of wondering if he was really that good.’

Representative Han and Manager Park wouldn’t do this for me, so there was only one person who could be behind it.

‘Did Mother do something?’

Choi Yujin was also out of commission.

‘I should tell her to stop the next time I see her.’

But Mother didn’t seem to be the type to do it so blatantly. He had a doubt, but it didn’t last long.

“But you guys are close, huh?”

“We had a misunderstanding with our kids.”

Lee Hangeul quickly answered. Why did he have to say that much? Yoo Yeon Seo rolled his eyes.

“Your group? Misunderstanding? What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing.”

Park Minwoo was curious and his eyes sparkled, but Yoo Yeon Seo answered instead and blocked any further questions. Park Minwoo was itching to ask, but he held back when he saw Yoo Yeon Seo’s expression.

“Hello.”

“Director.”

Director Park Hojin also took his seat, and the broadcast started after a brief introduction by the MC.

The MC lifted the mood with a lively voice, and the director and the actors smiled and looked at the camera.

“Director! Please introduce the movie!”

“Hello. ‘White Tiger’ is a well-made action movie…”

Yoo Yeon Seo maintained the same posture and expression whether the camera was on or off.

It was a somewhat arrogant attitude, but it was possible because he was Yoo Yeon Seo.

“And… Yoo Yeon Seo!”

“Yes.”

Yoo Yeon Seo picked up the microphone. The MC, who met his eyes, felt embarrassed and lowered his head for a moment, then looked up again, repeating the process. Finally, he hid his gaze behind the question sheet and said.

“Yoo Yeon Seo, you’ve been making a lot of noise lately with your acting transformation. Do you have any secret to how your acting changed? Your mindset, or something…”

“There’s nothing like that.”

Yoo Yeon Seo answered with his unique ticking voice, and boos came from both sides.

“Hey, hyung. You’re so boring!”

“Right.”

“Yoo Yeon Seo is doing this kind of promotion for the first time…”

Only Director Park Hojin tried to salvage the situation. The MC was a bit flustered after meeting Yoo Yeon Seo’s eyes. He had seen many celebrities, but Yoo Yeon Seo’s appearance was so outstanding… He looked even more striking in person.

“That’s right. Don’t be like that and tell us more. The chat room is full of comments like, did you get a girlfriend, what kind of drugs did you take, etc.!”

So the MC blurted out a question that should have been filtered out. The PD moved his hand frantically and made a gesture of cutting his throat. It meant not to mess with Yoo Yeon Seo.

But Yoo Yeon Seo didn’t care and said.

“Well… I guess I see the world differently after dying and coming back to life.”

“Oh, you filmed ‘White Tiger’ after the accident last year, right? How was the accident, are you feeling better now?”

“They said it was a miracle. Before, they said I would either die or be a vegetable at best… But it turned out well, I guess.”

The atmosphere around him turned cold in an instant. Yoo Yeon Seo put down the microphone and looked around.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“You were that serious?”

Lee Hangeul said more seriously and Yoo Yeon Seo tilted his head.

“Didn’t it come out in the news?”

“It didn’t, hyung.”

It didn’t. There were a few articles that said he lost consciousness and went to the ICU after the accident, but they were deleted soon after, and Jusung blocked all the detailed articles. 

It wasn’t good news.

‘I wonder if the fans will feel sorry if they see this.’

Yoo Yeon Seo opened his mouth again.

“Yes, that’s what happened. I’m fine now.”

The MC regained his senses and turned the mood around.

“Then you must have had less time to build your body. Right? In the movie, Sergeant Kim Woojin is a special forces soldier.”

“Yes, I tried to bulk up, but I didn’t reach my goal.”

He was fine as he was, but to be faithful to the setting of a special forces soldier, he had to build his body excessively. Yoo Yeon Seo couldn’t do that no matter what, and he was still dissatisfied.

“So if you look closely, you’ll see some scenes where I used CG to enlarge my body…”

“Oh, director, you’re hurting my pride.”

“What’s wrong with that? You’re great as you are.”

Yoo Yeon Seo reluctantly lowered his head a little.

“Then… ‘White Tiger’ viewing point! Find Yoo Yeon Seo’s body enlarged by CG!”

“Ah…”

This was embarrassing. Yoo Yeon Seo frowned and Lee Hangeul tapped him, and he returned to normal.

“And you did 100% action acting without a stunt double, is that true?”

“I asked him to do it without a stunt double, and I was surprised myself.”

“Director?”

“Yes, that’s right. Thanks to Yoo Yeon Seo hyung, we also put a lot of effort into action acting. It was hard, though.”

The director and Park Minwoo answered, and then Lee Hangeul also picked up the microphone.

“He did it all by himself, so we couldn’t not do it.”

“Oh, you felt pressured?”

“Right. I felt like I had to do better…”

“Lee Hangeul hyung is right!”

Really? Yoo Yeon Seo was clueless, so he looked back and forth between Lee Hangeul and Park Minwoo. They nodded seriously when their eyes met.

In fact, it would be best to use a stunt double and save your body. He had other schedules besides ‘White Tiger’. But Yoo Yeon Seo, who seemed the least likely to do it, stepped up and did it all, and they were naturally stimulated.

“I’m curious about the opening now that you’re all saying this! Yoo Yeon Seo, the public enemy, say something!”

“Um… You’ll know when you watch the movie.”

He had been a soldier since before he was born, so he wouldn’t disappoint his ancestors in 2019. 

Yoo Yeon Seo smiled confidently.