“It seems like a question that could turn into a minus regardless of the answer.”
Ji-hoon, who seemed to be quite tense, showed no signs of confusion. Jun calmly received Ji-hoon’s reaction to his rather provocative question.
“Whether I say I’m better looking or not, it would earn me minus points from the director. If the director says he’s better looking, it might be better for the more handsome Director Kim to pursue acting instead. So, I would automatically lose points either way.”
“No. Either way, there won’t be any minus points. At least not for me as the director.”
Director Kim Jun might not experience such a thing, but it could be different for the man Kim Jun.
“Ah… So, it’s a question where points are at stake. By any chance, Director, may I ask if you have a specific answer in mind?”
A faint smile passed over Ji-hoon’s puzzled face.
I was also curious. What was Jun’s intention in asking such a question? Was he expecting a specific answer, or was it just a toss to probe some lingering emotion with a jab?
“Well, I have something in mind. Of course, apart from that, Ji-hoon can just say the answer he thinks of or comes to mind. After all, who is more handsome? I don’t think I’m the only judge here.”
When Jun turned his gaze around, the low laughter of the judges soon filled the conference room.
“Even more burdensome, it seems.”
The subdued laughter resumed with rhythmic patterns in the judges’ seats. Behind Ji-hoon’s answer, which was offered before the question, his eye smile looked pure. Following that innocent eye smile, a quick response followed.
“Personally, although it’s a very tempting question in terms of points… Sorry, but it seems like a question that’s hard for me to contemplate.”
Jun didn’t urgently ask for reasons or interrupt Ji-hoon’s words. He just listened intently. After Ji-hoon’s hesitant voice lingered for a moment, Jun’s response followed.
“It feels like the comparison is a bit off. As someone who came with a fervent desire to portray the twenty-year-old Jun in front of the camera, I don’t have the intention to compare him visually with the twenty-nine-year-old Jun standing in front of me now. It’s not about who looks better or worse. I still want to see Director-nim as the future of the twenty-year-old Jun. I see you as resembling him now and continuing to resemble him in the future.”
Was the pounding in my chest just my own?
I looked at Jun’s profile. His calm eyes indicated that Ji-hoon’s answer wasn’t necessarily an outright wrong answer. Furthermore, when I lowered my gaze, Jun’s slightly curved upper lip, or perhaps the faintly raised expectation, suggested that it might be much closer to the correct answer.
“To Ji-hoon, I am, resembling him now and continuing to resemble him in the future…”
His head, leaning slightly downward, swayed gently up and down.
“I have something I want to use for the movie opening. It’s as if I wish the twenty-year-old Jun were actually standing in front of me, saying what Ji-hoon just said. Because he is my future.”
Jun spoke after exhaling with a smile.
“That made me imagine for a moment. The imagined meeting of the twenty-year-old Jun and the twenty-nine-year-old Jun.”
Ji-hoon perked up his ears, listening intently to Jun’s words.
“Perhaps the Jun of that time would have wanted to ask me such a meaningful question first. A question like, ‘Are you still preserving this love, your entire world, the love you are experiencing now, just as precious as before?'”
Jun’s gaze was directed at Ji-hoon, but his words floated into the air and slowly accumulated in my chest.
“In fact, I wanted to see how prepared Ji-hoon is as an actor in approaching this audition, looking at the basics. To Ji-hoon, who might have found it annoying if he didn’t know the context, I should start by apologizing.”
Jun’s apologetic words might have surprised him a lot, but Ji-hoon’s eyes, resembling a baby cat, settled calmly.
“Even though we haven’t entered the actual shooting yet, Ji-hoon seems to be immersed in the situation and emotions that the twenty-year-old Jun, whom he wants to portray, is facing. The preparation as an actor to play this role is already complete. So, even to the mischievous question I threw, Ji-hoon might have subconsciously recalled what the twenty-year-old Jun would have answered.”
Jun was a professional. The seemingly mischievous question about who looks better had a much larger and deeper intent. The hidden intent gradually revealing itself created a subtle thrill.
“I’m looking forward to Ji-hoon portraying the twenty-year-old Jun.”
The rising anticipation that Jun had just begun to embrace was vividly apparent even to me.
As I worked with Jun on various tasks for the movie shoot, I encountered the side of Jun as a director that I had not known before.
The twenty-year-old, who simply loved movies, had now become a professional director leading the process of making a movie with a substantial budget. What used to be just a vague fact to me had now become a clear reality.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
