Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 252

The car doors clicked open, and Woo-jin stepped out into the crisp autumn air outside the Icheon studio. He took a deep breath, a wide smile lighting up his face.

*Thump! Thump!* His heart beat a little faster with anticipation.

“I’m really excited,” he said, his voice a little louder than usual.

So-jeong raised an eyebrow, a smile already playing on her lips. “Excited? About what?”

“Seeing a real film shoot! It’s my first time, you know.”

So-jeong chuckled, shaking her head gently. It was rare to see Woo-jin this openly enthusiastic. Working with him every day, she often forgot he was still so young. This bright, almost childlike excitement was a refreshing change from his usual calm and thoughtful demeanor.

“Well… it’s not really that special when you see it in person. You might be disappointed if you expect too much…”

Woo-jin nodded.

“Well, I’m not expecting anything grand. Let’s just say it’s curiosity about a new field I don’t know much about.”

“That’s a relief then.”

Woo-jin entered the studio with So-jeong, admiring the space he had designed. He walked slowly, taking it all in.

The studio wasn’t small, but space was limited. They soon found the filming site.

Special equipment created a soft, white mist that drifted across the floor, like clouds had come down to earth.

The floor was made of bluish-white marble, cool and smooth like ice, reflecting the lights above. It felt like walking in a dream, a palace floating among the clouds.

‘I didn’t design it with this effect in mind… but it suits it better than I thought,’ he mused.

Careful not to disturb the filming, they cautiously approached and sat next to the staff.

“Ah, hello, CEO!”

“Shhh. You can say hello later. Focus on the filming first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

A long scene had just started, and Woo-jin watched with interest, like watching a play.

Clear tears streamed down Seong Ha-yeong’s face. She was playing ‘In-seo,’ the female lead.

“Why… Why did you do that?”

In-seo and Seo-hoo stood facing each other in front of a beautiful tower rising above the clouds.

The Cheonsin Tower was the highest tower in the Cheonsin Palace and the only passage to the human world. In front of it, Seo-hoo and In-seo were at a crossroads again.

Seo-hoo’s expression was pale, even with makeup. He was filled with complex emotions as he spoke to In-seo.

“What is there to say?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“……”

“The same mistake… Why did you have to repeat it twice!”

If Seo-hoo had been intimate with a human, he would have lost his divinity and lived as a human until he died. But In-seo, whom Seo-hoo had been intimate with a thousand years ago, was a demigod. So, Seo-hoo was punished by losing all his memories for a thousand years, instead of losing his divinity.

Fatefully, after a thousand years, Seo-hoo regained his memories and met In-seo’s reincarnation again.

And Seo-hoo, who met In-seo again, had no choice but to make the same choice again.

“Since the day I first met you a thousand years ago, you have become my everything.”

“……”

“There was no other option but you.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Even if I return to Cheonsin Palace and protect my divine position, if you are not by my side, all of it is meaningless.”

In-seo only remembered her past life today, when Seo-hoo was to ascend to Cheonsin Palace to be judged.

But from the first moment Seo-hoo met In-seo again 100 days ago, he had already foreseen today.

In-seo had spent a completely happy time with Seo-hoo for the past 100 days, while Seo-hoo had been living with happiness and great pain in his heart.

So, even if he was sad, he didn’t cry. Even if his heart was torn, he didn’t deny it. If Seo-hoo cried, In-seo, who would be left behind, would be even more distressed.

Tears streamed down In-seo’s face, but Seo-hoo did not cry.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t have made the same choice.”

Seo-hoo remained calm despite In-seo’s words.

“Even so, it doesn’t matter. This is not related to you, it’s just ‘my’ choice.”

The white mist swirling around them grew thicker.

When the entire Cheonsin Tower was covered in fog, Seo-hoo would disappear from the human world, and In-seo would lose her memory.

In-seo bit her lip and looked into Seo-hoo’s eyes.

Then, she ran toward Seo-hoo.

It would be the same millennium repetition again, but In-seo didn’t care. If she turned away, she wouldn’t be able to hug Seo-hoo, and another thousand years would pass. But if she was embraced in his arms now, she could fill the immediate sadness with his body temperature.

Crossing the boundary of Cheonsin Tower and hugging Seo-hoo would violate the ‘Law of Dimensions’ (a rule about mixing the human and god worlds).

But even if she was punished, she didn’t want to repeat the millennium as it was. In-seo decided to be faithful to her immediate emotions.

“……!”

Seo-hoo’s eyes widened at In-seo’s unexpected action.

Then, they hugged and kissed without hesitation.

The fog surrounding Cheonsin Tower became even thicker.

Soon, the thick mist enveloped them in white.

“Cut!”

“Great job, everyone!”

“Uwaaaah! It’s over!!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Waaaaah!”

Cheers erupted from all directions. Making a drama takes a lot of hard work from many people. So, the actors and staff were moved.

The emotion was even stronger because the result was beautiful and wonderful.

“Everyone worked so hard. Because of that, the drama will definitely be a hit!”

But even in the excitement, Woo-jin remained with a blank expression, in the same pose as before. A shiver ran down Woo-jin’s spine. He felt a sudden rush of excitement and surprise.

‘Is this… the same that I knew?’

CEO Kang So-jeong, who had watched the scene, felt admiration and satisfaction. But Woo-jin had goosebumps all over his body.

“Woo-jin? The filming is over?”

“Ah, CEO. Just a moment.”

So-jeong had never seen this drama and only knew the script’s outline. But Woo-jin could compare this scene to the drama he had seen in his past life.

Woo-jin, a fan of the drama, had watched it several times. From the beginning of the filming, he was completely immersed in the scene.

Even though the filming was over, the feeling lingered in his head.

‘What was this scene like in my past life? It wasn’t this powerful. Not at all.’

The scene he had seen in his past life had been erased from his mind. He was so intensely immersed that only the Cheonsin Palace and the actors’ passionate performances filled his head.

Woo-jin was amazed.

‘Of course, this set is on a completely different level from the set of in my past life…’

Just by changing the filming location, the same scene, filmed by the same actors and director, could be so different.

‘This is amazing.’

The actors were more immersed in their characters because of the changed filming location. The filming crew came up with more beautiful directing ideas because of the beautiful space. All of this worked together to create something amazing.

“The director is waiting.”

Woo-jin finally got up when CEO Kang So-jeong pulled his hand. He scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.

“The filming was so impressive that I can’t come to my senses.”

So-jeong laughed.

“Pfft. Is it that much?”

“Weren’t you impressed too, CEO?”

“Of course, I was surprised too. It was much better than I thought.”

“See, right?”

So-jeong was happy to see a new side of Woo-jin.

“Still, I didn’t know CEO Seo would be so immersed in it.”

“I didn’t either.”

“If you were so impressed, please tell our director.”

“Excuse me?”

“Tell him the drama is going to be really good. That you were moved today.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Our director really likes compliments.”

Woo-jin did as So-jeong told him.

‘They say compliments make whales dance…’

He praised the director generously.

“Euhahaha! CEO Seo says so, so I think the drama is already a hit.”

“I, is that so?”

“There are rumors that CEO Seo has the Midas touch.”

“T, that’s not really…”

The director’s expression brightened.

‘Well, it’s okay since I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.’

After the filming site was cleaned up, the filming crew and Woo-jin went to a barbecue restaurant in Icheon for a company dinner. They had a pleasant time drinking until dawn.

“Then, CEO. If we get over 30 percent in the ratings, you’ll let us film a side story at WJ Tower, right?”

Woo-jin nodded to the director, whose face was red from the alcohol.

“Of course. That’s not even difficult.”

Seong Ha-yeong, sitting across from him, spoke.

“Oh! Then how about this?”

“Huh? Ha-yeong, do you have a good idea?”

“Our CEO Seo will even make a cameo appearance.”

“Ooh!”

Woo-jin waved his hands.

“N, no way!”

But the director and staff cheered.

“Oh, that’s a really good idea, Director?”

“Kuh…! Our Ha-yeong always has good ideas?”

So-jeong, sitting next to Woo-jin, said with an excited expression.

“Why not, Woo-jin?”

“Why? What kind of acting am I going to do? Do you want me to ruin the drama?”

Min-woo grinned.

“Hyung. I’ll help you.”

“Help me with what?”

“I may look like this, but I’m an actor with over 10 years of experience.”

“……?”

“Let’s have some acting training together.”

“Ah, no!”

So-jeong said again.

“Good. Learn some acting with Min-woo and let’s go film CEO Seo.”

“Ha…….”

“Why? It’s a meaningful memory for CEO Seo too. Appearing in the drama you invested in, on the set you designed yourself.”

“There’s no need to appear…”

The director spoke to Woo-jin, who had a troubled expression.

“Then how about this, CEO Seo.”

“Yes?”

“35 percent in the ratings!”

“……?”

“If we hit 35 percent, you’ll make a cameo appearance without complaint.”

After that, many noisy stories poured out, but Woo-jin couldn’t remember much. He drank a lot of alcohol, and his memory became faint. Maybe he even wanted to forget it, because it was all a bit overwhelming.

‘I don’t know. It’ll work out somehow.’

Time passed, and autumn turned to winter. The first snow fell.

And so, the first broadcast day of arrived.