Chapter 142:
Chapter 142
The Preview.
A video that spliced together the teaser clips and the mashup tracks by Kim Joo-young was uploaded on Awi’s official YouTube channel.
-Awi’s mashup is crazy
-Joo-young-ah????????
-Is Kim Joo-young a main dancer of Awi? What is this? He’s so good?
└He’s been composing songs since the last album??
└Isn’t Kim Hyun the main dancer?
└Kim Joo-young is also a main dancer??
└But their positions are not official, right?
The tracks that Kim Joo-young worked on were not only praised by the Awi members, but also by the company, who eagerly waited for the release date. As soon as the video was released, it received a better response than expected.
And two hours after the mashup video was uploaded, a comeback showcase notice was posted on the fan cafe.
-They’re taking an audience?
-Finally idols are taking an audience too. I wish my idols did too.
-The ticketing will be insane????
-Ah, please???? let me succeed in ticketing??
Although they had fewer seats due to social distancing, Awi was the first among idols to do so. The fans naturally enjoyed the festive atmosphere before the comeback.
-But is it okay to take an audience in this situation?
-What are they going to do if there’s a confirmed case??????
-Is their agency sane?
Of course, since it was their first time, not everyone said good things. There were also groups that moved in an organized way to manipulate negative opinions, as if they were cursing them to fail.
Even on anonymous communities, there were comments that said they hoped there would be a confirmed case at Awi’s showcase.
“Cut! Good job!”
“Take a break and change your outfits. We’ll shoot one more scene!”
Awi, who liked web surfing, couldn’t miss that reaction, but they didn’t have time to look at their phone screens. They had too much to prepare before the comeback.
“Ugh!”
“Ouch…”
As soon as the director’s cut sign rang, the members collapsed on the spot. They breathed heavily and looked at the ceiling of the studio.
“You know we have to film our individual cams after this, right?”
“I’m going to die.”
They filmed a dance video for the YouTube channel ‘Ringo Original’ in the morning and then continued to dance at the ‘Studio Dance’ shooting site.
While practice had some breaks in between for a long time, studio recording required them to pay attention to hair, makeup, and outfits, as well as camera angles.
“This is what it feels like to dance until you vomit.”
Ian lifted his upper body and sighed deeply. The choreography was especially hard because it had no breaks and split beats.
“I’ve actually vomited once.”
“Really?”
The members raised their heads and looked at him.
“When?”
“When I was a trainee, I went out for a survival show once. The whole place was spinning.”
“Wow.”
“I worked so hard but it didn’t air.”
That’s why he dances so well. Ian lay down on the floor again.
“Guys, get up. We have to change our outfits quickly.”
Kim Myung-jin walked around them and lifted them up. The members got up and headed to the dressing room. If the previous outfits were bright-toned ones, this time they wore dark-toned ones that contrasted with them.
“Huh? Ian got a drama role?”
“Really?”
Jo Tae-woong, who was looking at his phone, sat next to Ian. In an instant, the other members gathered behind him.
What Jo Tae-woong played was the teaser video of ‘Lady Hee-bin’.
[The directing is good, as expected from Director Park.]
It showed Lady Hee-bin and Queen In-hyun’s rivalry and palace intrigue, King Sukjong’s anger, and Queen In-hyun’s dethronement scene.
(If you’re sad, you’re easy to hurt.)
At the last part of the teaser video, the screen turned black and Ian’s narration flowed.
(If you’re happy, you’re easy to be lewd. What about you?)
It showed Ian holding a fan leaving the palace and Kim Chun-taek and Kim So-a in a close-up shot with a tense atmosphere. The teaser video ended.
“Wow.”
As soon as the video ended, the members made a drunken voice and pushed Ian’s shoulder. Park Jin-hyuk nodded silently and clapped.
“Ian is a chemistry master.”
“He looks good in hanbok too. He’s amazing.”
“Let’s watch it one more time.”
“Tell me honestly, hyung. You had more than ten ex-girlfriends, right? Why is the atmosphere so erotic?”
Ian waved his hand, denying it. While the members were watching the video again, Ian fixed his hair and makeup that he hadn’t received earlier.
“How about you?”
“Me too!”
“You look handsome!”
“Please take me!”
Ian sighed and rolled his eyes as he looked at the members’ flattery through the mirror. Jo Tae-woong, who was enthusiastically joining in, slipped out of their circle and stood behind Ian.
“When is the preview?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“It’s the day before our showcase, right? Drama previews are really rare.”
“They do it a lot these days. Maybe because it’s a pre-produced drama?”
‘Hee-bin Jang’s Wife’ had skipped the production presentation because of the corona situation. But as the situation improved, the preview was decided belatedly.
“Let’s show this to the director.”
“Where is the director? Director!”
The members who were flattering him rushed out of the powder room.
“Me too!”
Jo Tae-woong followed them and the powder room was silent. The hair designer who was touching his head chuckled.
“You guys are close.”
“Yeah? They’re too clingy, it’s a problem.”
Ian joked and shivered, and the hair designer laughed.
Thanks to the coffee support prepared by the agency, Ian quickly became friends with the director of ‘Studio Dance’ with his unique affinity.
“Ian.”
“Yes, director.”
The director who was watching the teaser video of ‘Hee-bin Jang’s Wife’ with the members gestured to Ian.
“What’s symbolic in this drama?”
“Um… I don’t know.”
It was Yoon Mi-sook’s drama, so it would be a hot topic from the start. The director thought that the video he was filming now would also get a lot of views because of the drama’s influence.
Ian hesitated. He couldn’t say anything easily because he hadn’t consulted with the drama production team yet.
“I’m not that shameless either. What about something similar? Something that reminds you of it.”
The director patted Ian’s shoulder as he hesitated.
[It won’t hurt you either.]
‘That… might be true? The only thing I can think of is a tassel…’
[How about a red string?]
‘That might work…’
The red tassel was like a symbol of Kim Chun-taek and Kim So-ah.
“A red string? That should be fine.”
“We have that in our props.”
There was a scene where they used something like red yarn to make it look like blood. It was a prop for another member, not Ian, but the director decided to switch them.
“Good. Let’s start filming again.”
***
The day before Awi’s comeback showcase, there was a preview of ‘Hee-bin Jang’s Wife’. The actors wore hanbok as they did in the drama, so Ian wore hanbok again after filming.
The preview was held in one of the theaters. The drama was edited into 1 hour and 30 minutes for episodes 1 and 2.
“Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a theater.”
“We need more people to sit down so we can get energized, right?”
The actors who were waiting peeked into the theater through the gap in the door. Since they couldn’t relax yet, only journalists from invited media outlets were sitting sparsely in the audience seats.
“Yes, we will start the preview of ‘Hee-bin Jang’s Wife’ now.”
As soon as MC started, the actors and writers and directors entered the theater. Only flashes and shutter sounds rang out and cheers were not heard much.
There was a short photo time, where you could see the difference between idols and actors.
“Show us a different pose, how about a heart?”
Unlike the actors who shyly threw finger hearts at MC’s words, Ian naturally raised his arms above his head and made a big heart pose. Of course, he didn’t just do one pose, but gradually changed into a more dynamic one, making other actors smile at him.
“Idols are different, right? Yes, now let’s introduce our actors first.”
“Yes, I’m Park Ji-yeon, an actor who plays Sook-bin Choi’s role.”
The actor introductions started with supporting actors and ended with lead actors. Ian opened his mouth after receiving Park Ji-yeon’s microphone.
“Hello. I’m Ian from idol group Awi, who plays Kim Chun-taek in ‘Hee-bin Jang’s Wife’.”
[Wow, what an introduction. Just say ‘I’m actor Choi Ian.’ and that would be enough.]
Some idols used stage names for idol activities and didn’t use stage names for acting activities, saying ‘I’m actor so-and-so.’ with their real names, but Ian didn’t do that.
‘I’m in an idol group, that’s true. But there’s no need to separate me into an actor or an idol… It would be nice if our group name was more known.’
[How much more do you want to be known?]
Ian handed the microphone to Go Hye-min and looked at the camera that was following Jin’s cue.
The actors’ introduction was over, and it was time for the real Q&A session. Ian received as many questions as An Dong-jae, the Hallyu star.
“Question for Ian, you prioritized your group activities so your acting career wasn’t very active, right? And this is your first historical drama challenge, how do you feel?”
“Everyone here is a great actor, and the writer and the director are very famous people, so I was very nervous. But they were all kind and helpful, so I could film comfortably.”
“Question for Yun writer and Park director, this is the first time you cast an idol actor, how was the filming?”
“It was perfect. Ian and the other actors did a great job with their acting, so the filming was done quickly.”
“You can look forward to Ian’s acting. He showed me a character that was more than what I imagined when I wrote the script.”
‘Hee-bin Jang’s’ press conference scene… Yun Mi-suk writer praises AWY Ian, “You can expect a lot”
AWY Ian bows his head at Yun Mi-suk writer’s compliment
The reporters’ fingers were busy typing on their keyboards. It was time for the drama to start after about 20 minutes of interview.
The actors were going to watch the drama with the reporters in the front row of the audience seats.
‘I wanted to see it too.’
Ian was curious about the final product, but he couldn’t watch it there. He didn’t sit in the audience seats, but bowed to Yun writer and Park director.
“Ian, are you leaving first?”
“Yes, sister. I wanted to stay and watch too… But tomorrow is our showcase. I have to go practice.”
“You’re busy. I hope this activity is a hit too. You know I want a signed album, right?”
“Yes, I’ll give it to you at the wrap-up party.”
Ian turned his back regretfully, and the reporters didn’t miss the actors’ warm farewell scene.
“Ian.”
“Yes! Are you leaving too, director?”
It was time for the drama to start, but Park Pyo-hyun director followed Ian out.
“No, I have something to propose to you.”
Usually, the OST work of each drama varied a lot.
Sometimes they planned and recorded a few songs from the beginning, but sometimes they proceeded flexibly according to the atmosphere of each scene while editing.
Sometimes they even recorded hastily when there wasn’t much time left until the end.
“Our sound director wanted Ian to sing one song for the drama OST… What do you think?”
“OST?”
Of course I’ll do it.
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