Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 216

#216.

***

After the meeting, writer Kim Su-jin and director Cha Tae-hoon had dinner together at a Japanese restaurant near the office.

“What do you think?”

Kim Su-jin asked as soon as they had barely started eating, and director Cha Tae-hoon chuckled briefly.

“You should at least ask properly what I think about what.”

“You know what I mean.”

“You’re talking about Kang Do-jae, right?”

“Yes.”

“Writer Kim, you thought Kang Do-jae was perfect from the start, didn’t you?”

“Of course. When I ask around, everyone suggests Kang Do-jae for the Lee Yu-hoon role. My daughter is a big fan of MOST. She even calls him Prince Do-jae. After seeing him today, I understand why….”

“…….”

“But the director’s opinion is more important.”

Kim Su-jin said, watching director Cha Tae-hoon’s expression, holding back further praise for Do-jae.

In any case, the most important thing was casting the male lead.

For the best casting, it was important that everyone was on board.

“You value your daughter’s opinion more? How thoughtful of you.”

Kim Su-jin pouted at director Cha Tae-hoon’s words.

It was impossible to know what director Cha Tae-hoon was thinking.

He seemed to be in a bad mood, then he’d be fine, and vice versa.

Even now, he seemed sarcastic, but he might have just been joking.

And his mood didn’t seem as bad as she initially thought.

“His acting. It’s unbelievably good.”

Eventually, words of praise for Do-jae came from director Cha Tae-hoon’s mouth.

Honestly, there was no room for disagreement when it came to acting.

“I know, right? Honestly…. With his looks and popularity…. I was just hoping he wouldn’t be a terrible actor, considering we’re lucky to have him in our drama….”

Kim Su-jin said, recalling Do-jae’s acting.

“For a young guy to perfectly capture that historical drama tone. And that subtly modern historical drama tone too…. It seems like he’s done a lot of research.”

“But Baek Woo-seok is also good at acting.”

It was a buzzkill comment that dampened Kim Su-jin’s admiration.

Kim Su-jin smacked her lips and nodded, saying, “Well…. That’s true….”

Baek Woo-seok’s acting, whom she had met with yesterday, was also excellent, of course.

She felt that there was a reason why director Ong Jin-ho had ‘picked’ him.

He didn’t have the striking visuals that made you gasp like Do-jae, but he had a fresh and increasingly attractive face.

He was tall and slender, and at first glance, he looked like a model.

He didn’t perfectly perform the historical drama tone like Do-jae, but he acted by bringing out his own personality.

Perhaps because he was a trained actor who had studied the craft, he seemed to have a solid foundation.

When he goes to the set and acts in front of dozens of cameras and staff….

She also thought that he would act more stably than Do-jae, who had no acting experience.

‘Someday, they might become proper rivals.’

Kim Su-jin suddenly thought that and replayed Baek Woo-seok and Do-jae’s acting in her mind.

Meanwhile, director Cha Tae-hoon silently ate his sushi.

Kim Su-jin’s heart seemed to be leaning too much towards Do-jae, so he didn’t say it out loud, but director Cha Tae-hoon was surprised not only by Do-jae’s acting but also by his overall presence.

From the moment Do-jae opened the door and entered, to when he was sitting down, when he was acting and returning, when he was receiving and drinking his drink, and when he was greeting and leaving.

He maintained perfect posture at all times.

His back was straight, and his shoulders were broad.

He didn’t seem to suffer from turtle neck [forward head posture], which is common these days.

And his gait?

It was so steady, it seemed like a book wouldn’t fall off even if you placed it on his shoulder.

He embodied ‘Lee Yu-hoon’ and the ‘Crown Prince’ himself.

‘To think he would have prepared even those details so meticulously.’

Director Cha Tae-hoon, who didn’t know Do-jae’s usual demeanor, even came to have an incredible misunderstanding.

Because he thought that there was no one like that in today’s world….

In fact, that’s why director Cha Tae-hoon’s heart was leaning towards Do-jae, not Baek Woo-seok, as soon as he saw Do-jae.

Kang Do-jae *was* ‘Lee Yu-hoon,’ not just playing a role.

It was hard to imagine anyone else.

“The fact that he said he can’t do kiss scenes…. You don’t like that, do you?”

Kim Su-jin asked director Cha Tae-hoon directly as she pondered.

Because Do-jae’s answer to director Cha Tae-hoon’s question was, “I’m sorry.”

Director Cha Tae-hoon smiled at Kim Su-jin with an inscrutable expression.

“What is it? You didn’t like it, did you?!”

Kim Su-jin, frustrated by not knowing what director Cha Tae-hoon was thinking, asked again, and director Cha Tae-hoon finally gave her the answer she wanted.

***

A few days later.

The internet was buzzing again due to a press release issued by Kingdom Entertainment.

It was a week after the article about Jung Joon of Big Boyz leaving the team was released.

[MOST to Participate in Justin Junior’s Album! Featuring a Track]

[MOST to Participate in Justin Junior’s Track… Connection with Composer]

[How Far Will MOST’s Overseas Expansion Go? Aiming for the US!]

[US BESTs [MOST’s fandom name], Wait! MOST is Coming!-News of Participation in Justin Junior’s Album]

[Will MOST Hit Billboard? Collaborating with Justin Junior!]

-OMG

-Is this real?????

-Justin Junior? Is that *the* Justin Junior I know?

-Yeah, Justin Junior who sang Bye Bye

-Crazy, congrats congrats

-MOST is amazing..

-lololol Collaborating? What an old expression lol

-It’s surprising but.. Billboard??? What’s with the Billboard hype?? lol

-Everyone’s talking about Billboard these days lol

-It’s just a track so Billboard is an exaggeration lol Anyway, congrats!

-Wow, does MOST really have good luck? They’re doing well

-Bad luck gone, good luck came

-MOST seems to have a different vibe, they’re really amazing

-Kingdom seems to be doing a good job, they seem to be the most likable among the agencies lol They didn’t even keep the problematic member lol And they’re collaborating with such a global singer lol

-Periott likes Kang Do-jae’s music so that’s how they got connected, right? It’s not that Kingdom did a good job

-Anyway, I think Kingdom is handling things cleanly

-Yeah.. They’re quick with responses, especially after seeing the drug addict case this time

-Kingdom is getting so much praise

-I honestly thought they handled the Kang Do-jae bullying case well too

-ikr [I know, right?]

-Isn’t it a bit much to put the victim’s name in when Kang Do-jae is the victim?

-But seriously, agencies like New always pay to collaborate with pop singers and it’s not effective.. Justin Juniorㄷㄷ [Korean internet slang expressing surprise]

-K-pop has grown in value too

-Trying to downplay MOST no matter what

-You guys are hyping them up too much

-Justin Junior.. Isn’t he past his prime?

-Wow, you’re writing Justin Junior off lololol

-Don’t be like this even if you’re jealous, it’s pathetic

-Congrats congrats

-Justin Junior is amazing, I’m looking forward to the song~~~~

-Didn’t Junior have a scandal with Jelina recently? The paparazzi photos of them kissing were so gross I can’t forget them

-ㅗㅜㅑ [Korean internet slang expressing surprise/disgust] That’s a bit much

-Let’s just listen to the song, just the song

-lololololol I looked it up and was shocked

-ㅠㅠ [Korean emoticon for crying] Please shave his beard

-He has so much money, why doesn’t he shave? Does he not own a razor?

-He’s so gross, it’s annoying because it feels like he’s mocking the name Junior

-Junior lololol He’s not a junior anymore..

It was a collaboration with global pop star Justin Junior.

Although the MOST members only greeted Justin Junior in passing (and only via video call) and communicated with Periott, never even meeting him properly, the fact that they worked with Justin Junior remained unchanged.

An artist who sang the pop songs they usually liked.

Just participating in his song was a big deal for the members, but the promotional effect was even greater.

Because it would be promoted not only domestically but also worldwide.

“Hmm…. I’m looking forward to the song…. It’s a shame we won’t be able to perform it live.”

Woo-cheol said, checking the reactions to the article and telling the members.

At that moment, the MOST members were at a studio in Gangnam for a video shoot.

“The reaction is good, right?”

“Of course. Everyone’s surprised. I mean. I still can’t believe it…. I think it’ll feel real when the song is released.”

Gyu-sung smiled pleasantly at Woo-cheol’s words.

Water droplets dripped from Gyu-sung’s smiling face.

The stylist next to him quickly came and handed Gyu-sung another dry towel.

Gyu-sung wiped away the moisture with the towel and quickly changed out of his wet clothes to prevent his body temperature from dropping.

Today’s video shoot was incomparably more difficult than usual.

Underwater shooting.

Just diving was hard enough, but they had to open their eyes, make expressions, and act underwater.

The members, who had become accustomed to various shoots, were having a hard time.

However, the members were happily engaged in the shoot.

This was because news of their participation in Justin Junior’s album had been released, and they were shooting a video for their fan meeting, of all things.

Woo-cheol was the first to finish shooting, followed by Gyu-sung.

The two sat side by side, watching the other members shoot and continuing their conversation.

The release date of the song from Justin Junior’s album, in which the members participated, was next week.

And the fan meeting to commemorate their debut would be held after that.

“The timing was perfect.”

“Yeah. Hehe. The fans probably won’t even expect to see us perform the song we did with Junior at the fan meeting!”

The members were preparing various stages at the fan meeting that they hadn’t shown at concerts.

One of them was the song they collaborated with Justin Junior on.

The pop song cover stage was a stage, but it would be a more meaningful stage because it was a pop song that MOST participated in.

“Ah, I wish the fan meeting would hurry up and happen!”

“I thought you wanted to rest…….”

“But you know that when I rest, I just start wanting to be on stage again…. You know that too, hyung [older brother/male friend].”