Legendary Superstar-Chapter 81 : Finally, His Appearance
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Name: Nam Minjae
Age: 22
Acting: Intermediate (3/3) [39,000 EXP /50,000 EXP]
Screenwriting: Beginner (1/3)
Directing: Beginner (1/3)
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Minjae was alone in his room when he decided to check on his status. It has been so long since he checked on this one that he almost forgot about it.
"I have that much EXP already? I didn't even realize." Minjae muttered to himself as he stared at the floating words in front of him.
His gaze lingered on the numbers. He was only 11,000 EXP away from leveling up.
'How did I even gain this much?'
As if responding to his thoughts, the system pulled up a breakdown of his experience gains.
[Here is the breakdown of the EXP you gained so far, Host.]
[EXP Breakdown:]
+42 EXP from training from continuous training sessions.
+8,000 EXP from successfully accomplishing the quest [Find a Trusted Friend]
Minjae exhaled as he read through the list. It made sense now.
"I see… Just a little more and I'll level up."
Minjae leaned back on his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He had been so busy that he hadn't even noticed how close he was to achieving the Expert level.
The thought excited him. The last he levelled up, his acting naturally improved. If he could reach [Expert], how much better would he be?
"And I only have 1 pending quest, right?"
[Yes, Host. That's right.]
"Alright," Minjae hastily closed the floating screen in front of him.
Afterward, he exhaled deeply.
Minjae stood up from his chair and stretched his arms over his head. His body felt sore from the intense filming they're having right now.
"Well," he muttered to himself, cracking his knuckles, "time to get to work."
- - -
The time Friday arrived, the entire production team was still busy with the shoot in Jeju. However, despite their packed schedules, there was an air of excitement lingering around the set.
Tonight, a new episode of The Only Way was set to air.
However, things were different this time.
Though the first four episodes had seen steady growth in viewership, Episodes 5 and 6 recorded a lower rating than expected.
The slow pacing had frustrated many viewers, and the biggest complaint flooding online forums was the fact that Minjae didn't appear in those two episodes.
Ever since his teaser clip had been shown at the end of Episode 4, people had been eagerly waiting. But as weeks passed without his appearance, even the most patient fans started to lose interest.
The drama still had strong performances from its leads, but the momentum had slowed. And now that they're heading into Episode 7, the expectations were lower than ever.
However, that was not the case with the cast and the crew of The Star's Secret.
On set, Minjae and the cast had just wrapped up another long day of shooting. They were physically drained, but there was one thing kept them awake—their excitement for tonight's episode.
After a quick dinner and freshening up, the cast and crew gathered in the common living of their guesthouse. A large TV had been set up, along with snacks and sodas.
Everyone was tired, but they still found the time to gather. For a moment, there was no formality that lingered in the air.
Right now, they were just a bunch of people relaxing and watching a drama after a long day.
"Finally, we'll get to see the drama. " Jihoon grinned, nudging Minjae's arm. "Are you excited, Hyung?"
"A little," Minjae admitted, though he didn't look excited at all. It looks as if he was more curious than anything.
Truthfully, he wasn't sure how to feel. He didn't even know if his scene will be played tonight.
"Just a little? How can you be only a little excited when all of us are dying here." Yura, who was sitting nearby, teasingly smiled
Minjae chuckled but didn't argue.
"Alright everone. It's time!"
As the episode started, everyone focused on the screen.
The opening scene was intense.
The protagonist, Officer Lee Jinhyuk that was played by Sooyun was investigating a new case regarding a corrupt official. Because of it, the atmosphere was heavy and the cinematography was dark and moody.
The episode progressed steadily, featuring intense interrogations and interactions between the actors.
The staffs cheered as familiar faces appeared, laughing at funny scenes and reacting to the emotional moments.
Then, close at the end of the episode, the mood in the room shifted.
A scene of Sooyun patrolling in the streets showed up. Seeing the familiar set, Minjae's eyes slightly widened.
'Don't tell me...'
"Officer Lee, there was a robbery happening at the end of the street where you're patrolling. Reinforcement is coming, but I want you to check the perimeters first."
It was really the start of Minjae's scene.
The moment Minjae's character appeared on screen, the chatter of the people died down.
The entire room fell silent, but they were cheering on their hearts.
"I don't know your story," The camera focused on Sooyun's face as he took a step closer.
"But I know you're better than this. Hurting her isn't the answer. Let's figure this out together."
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The familiar scenes and lines continued.
Minjae also became silent as he watched his scene.
"You asked me why I'm doing this?"
The intensity of the scene was well portrayed.
Minjae's desperate eyes, the way his hands shook, the raw emotion in his voice. All of it was captivating.
No one spoke as they watched Minjae's performance unfold. Every movement, every flicker of emotion was delivered with perfection.
"You don't understand! None of you do! I don't have a choice!"
Even the usually chatty staff members sat in stunned silence.
"You think you can understand? I had no choice! I have a family! That's all I could do!"
"Junjae… you don't have to do this. There's another way. Let me help you."
"Help me? Where were you when everything fell apart? When I lost everything? You don't get to swoop in now and pretend to care!"
Everyone was so immersed on the screen that for a moment, they forgot they were watching together.
Then came the next scene where Minjae's character was caught and handcuffed.
"Junjae, why are you doing this? What happened? Why are you in this position?"
Multiple gasps echoed as the screen showed how Minjae's tears effortlessly fell on his eyes. The look on his face was heartbreaking that some even got teary eyed.
"Fine. If you don't want to talk for now, I'll let you rest first. But know this. You're not alone, Junjae. Even now, you're not alone."
All of them watched how Minjae was dragged to a cell. He hadn't opened his mouth yet, but they could see well the emotions he wanted to portray.
They fell into deeper silence when the next scenes played out.
It was a minute of Minjae's deep crying.
"No…"
"No…"
"I'm so sorry"
Minjae's silent sobs, the brokenness in his eyes, the overwhelming despair. It was all too much.
"Maybe in the end, I was just like them. Maybe in the end, I also turned like them."
As the camera shifted to another scene, no one dared to react.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence.
No one moved. No one even breathed.
They were all speechless.
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A/N: I had to update the system's stats because I just realized that it has been 30 chapters since I last updated it.
