Chapter 400: Hwaranjeon Crank In (2)

About 20 meters away, chairs were arranged in rows under the tent set up as the actors' waiting area.

Each chair had a nameplate on the backrest with the actors' roles and names, allowing everyone to find their designated spot.

However, the lead actor's chair stood out even without checking the backrest. It was placed in the coolest spot in the tent, and next to it was a large ice box filled with bottled water and drinks.

This privilege was standard across sets to acknowledge the importance of the lead actor, who bore the heaviest burden with the most scenes and led the story.

However, when Min Gyu-Ri arrived, she casually chose the most appealing seat and sat down.

As earlier chaos over the filming order had already shaken the set, Oh Bok-Hee was now glaring daggers at Min Gyu-Ri.

Another conflict was brewing over seating this time.

"How dare she... Where does she get off...?" Oh Bok-Hee growled.

With her nerves on edge, Oh Bok-Hee grabbed a red megaphone.

Just then, Yoo-Jin finished speaking with Geum Eun-Dong and approached Oh Bok-Hee. "Mrs. Oh, it's fine. I don't mind."

Oh Bok-Hee shook her head firmly. "No, Miss Yoo-Jin. If you don't sit there, it's going to cause even bigger problems."

I nodded in agreement. "Yoo-Jin, if you don't take that seat, the other actors will fight to claim the lead chair next time. Just look at the way Lee Tae-Yeon sunbae and Yoon Joo-Yeon sunbae are staring now."

Noticing Lee Tae-Yeon and Yoon Joo-Yeon's pointed gazes, Yoo-Jin finally nodded. "Alright. But let's go over and explain calmly. She's a rookie, after all. We'll think of something else if she refuses."

Thankfully, Yoo-Jin was kind. A slap might have come first if it had been an ill-tempered actress.

After finishing up with Oh Bok-Hee, we quickly headed toward the actors' waiting area with Miso.

***

Under the shade of three long tents combined at the waiting area, chairs with name plates were scattered about.

Yoo-Jin walked directly toward the chair meant for her.

At that moment, Jang Sam-Duk came rushing over. Noticing the frosty stares from the surrounding actors, he was alarmed and shouted at Min Gyu-Ri. "Hey, Min Gyu-Ri! Get up right now! Why are you sitting there?"

"Huh? Do chairs have owners? There's no nameplate or anything."

Jang Sam-Duk pointed at the nameplate on the back of the chair ."There is! Right here!"

Realizing her mistake, Min Gyu-Ri exclaimed in surprise, "Oh~ so seats have assigned owners?"

"Exactly! Don't just do whatever you want if you don't know! I told you to check with me first!"

Grumbling, Min Gyu-Ri got up from the chair. "How was I supposed to know? And why are you yelling at me?"

"Because it's frustrating! That's why!"

Min Gyu-Ri pouted and glanced at the lead chair with envy. "But the lead actor's chair is in the best spot."

"Of course it is. It's for the lead."

"Ugh, it must be nice to be the lead~."

"Then do your best this time and aim for a lead role in your next project."

"Fine, I will."

What could have escalated into a major argument was resolved thanks to Jang Sam-Duk's intervention.

At that moment, Min Gyu-Ri noticed us and bowed her head. "Hello, sunbae-nim~"

"Hi, Miss Gyu-Ri. Have you been doing well?" Yoo-Jin replied kindly.

Min Gyu-Ri responded with a slight smirk. "I didn't know it was your seat, sunbae-nim. Sorry about that."

Her tone was subtly sarcastic as if questioning the need for assigned seats.

Unfazed by such petty power plays, Yoo-Jin simply smiled it off. "There's nothing to apologize for. Mistakes happen."

"Thank you for understanding."

Just then, Miso looked up at Min Gyu-Ri and tilted her head curiously. "But why are you upset, Auntie?"

The smile froze on Min Gyu-Ri's face and her expression betrayed a hint of unease. "W-what do you mean by that, Miso?"

"Are you sick? Or did someone scold you?"

Miso's keen observation skills allowed her to sense Min Gyu-Ri's current emotions immediately. However, she couldn't comprehend why Min Gyu-Ri was upset.

'

She must be displeased about giving up the seat to Yoo-Jin

,' I thought.

Caught off guard by Miso's innocent comment, Min Gyu-Ri's face flushed bright red. "N-no, why would I be upset? Not at all!"

Min Gyu-Ri's awkward and defensive response made the surrounding actors burst out laughing.

To divert Miso's attention, Jang Sam-Duk hurriedly stepped in. "M-Miso! Hello!"

Miso turned to Jang Sam-Duk and greeted him with a polite bow. "Hello!"

"Well, you see... Gyu-Ri is just nervous because of the shoot. So since you're an experienced sunbae-nim, could you look after her? You're her sunbae-nim, after all..."

Flustered, Jang Sam-Duk inadvertently asked the child actor to take care of the rookie.

In response, Miso puffed out her chest confidently. "Okay! Since I'm the sunbae-nim, I'll take good care of Auntie!"

Miso's pure-hearted reply sent the actors into fits of laughter.

"Well, technically, Miso is a sunbae-nim.

Haha

."

Lee Tae-Yeon playing the role of Queen 2 laughed so hard she clutched her stomach.

Yoon Joo-Yeon cast as Queen 3 teased Min Gyu-Ri. "Hey, hoobae over there! You better learn from Miso sunbae-nim, okay?"

As the S-class actresses chimed in, Min Gyu-Ri's face turned even redder. She looked as though she wanted to flee the scene but seemed determined to hold her ground, likely recalling a previous incident.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin gently patted Miso on the head with a smile. "Miso, you shouldn't talk that way to adults regardless of whether you are a sunbae-nim or not."

"Why?"

"Because it's rude. You mustn't speak to your elders like that, okay?"

Miso's eyes widened. "Really? Mom, is that true?"

"Yes, so go ahead and apologize."

Looking apologetic, Miso turned to Min Gyu-Ri and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle. "I'm sorry! I didn't know better! Please forgive me, Auntie."

With her hands on her stomach, Miso demonstrated a textbook-perfect apology. Though Miso's sincerity was evident, Min Gyu-Ri said nothing and simply turned her body away.

Concern filled Miso's gaze as she looked back at Yoo-Jin. "Mom, what should I do? I think Auntie is angry! Maybe she hates me."

"No, she's just flustered. For now, let's go greet the other sunbae-nims."

After a brief moment of thought, Miso nodded. "Okay. I'll apologize again later."

Thanks to Miso's innocent actions, the tense atmosphere on set naturally dissipated.

Yoo-Jin then looked at me and silently asked where to begin her greetings.

'

Start over here,

' I gestured with my eyes and led Yoo-Jin and Miso to Lee Tae-Yeon, the most sunbae-nim actor present.

"Hello, sunbae-nim."

Dressed to impress for the first day of filming, Lee Tae-Yeon greeted us with a confident expression.

"Ah, hello. So PD Oh is starting with episode five today. Have you practiced a lot?"

"I did my best, but I'm not sure how it'll turn out. I'm planning to follow the directions closely."

Since the set's construction wasn't fully complete, today's crank-in would only cover scenes from episode five which featured the adult cast.

At that moment, Lee Tae-Yeon gestured to Han Sang-Hee seated beside her, who played Princess Jeong-Hwa.

"Sang-Hee over here has been practicing like crazy too. It should be fun when you two work together."

Han Sang-Hee looked at Yoo-Jin and replied, "Yoo-Jin. Let's give it our all later, okay?"

"Yes, sunbae-nim!"

Han Sang-Hee exuded confidence, claiming she was entirely different from their script reading sessions.

Lee Tae-Yeon then turned to Miso with some advice. "Miso, make sure to do your best. My daughter's been practicing a lot too, so you can't make any mistakes, okay?"

Lee Tae-Yeon's daughter, Yang Yi-Ji, exchanged a challenging glare with Miso.

Nonetheless, Miso was unfazed. "Okay! I'll work hard!"

Just as we were about to finish our greetings and move to Yoon Joo-Yeon, Lee Tae-Yeon added another comment. "Yoo-Jin, be careful. A lot of people here are hoping to use this drama as their stepping stone to rise, just like you."

It was a veiled warning about the many supporting actors aiming to outshine the lead.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin paused in her tracks and smiled. "Well, I doubt it'll be that easy."

Yoo-Jin's face radiated confidence as she gave a bold response to the subtle provocation.

As a result, it was Lee Tae-Yeon whose expression hardened.

'

Good job, Jung Yoo-Jin.

'

With her composed demeanor, Yoo-Jin subtly reminded everyone of her role as the lead and refused to be drawn into petty power plays.

***

Oh Bok-Hee grabbed her red megaphone and shouted, "Everyone, gather up for a photo! The reporters will be arriving shortly, so let's meet in front of the palace in five minutes."

The actors' talent agents began moving quickly.

"Mrs. Tae-Yeon, your hair! We need to fix it!"

"Joo-Yeon unnie, your costume's wrinkled. Stand up so I can iron it out!"

"Hey, Gyu-Ri! Wipe your mouth and touch up your makeup, quickly!"

The waiting area turned into a flurry of activity.

Meanwhile, Lee Mi-Ri and Yang So-Ri also began adjusting Yoo-Jin and Miso's makeup and styling.

Jung Sang-Bong tore open two warm packs and handed them to Yoo-Jin and Miso. "Keep these in your pockets and warm your hands whenever you can."

"Oh, Sang-Bong oppa, you're so thoughtful."

Blushing, Jung Sang-Bong scratched his head upon hearing Yoo-Jin's compliment. "It was Mr. Jung's idea to prepare these in advance."

It was already November, and the chilly winds were sweeping through the set. Preparation was crucial as the temperature and humidity could easily ruin the actors' condition.

As long as I was here, I wouldn't let anything outside of acting affect their performances.

Once ready, we moved to the palace steps.

Geum Eun-Dong stood at the bottom of the stairs and directed the actors' positions.

"Miso will stand at the center in the front row. Everyone else, please arrange yourselves symmetrically on either side."

Dressed in historically accurate Silla-era hanboks, the actors lined up on the stairs leading to the palace with Miso and Yoo-Jin as the focal points.

Miso took the central spot in the first row, while Yoo-Jin stood directly behind her in the middle of the group.

Behind them stood Choi Ji-Yung playing Queen 2 and Song Ji-Hwan portraying King Eumgalmun.

Oh Bok-Hee glanced toward the parking lot. "Let the reporters in."

The staff nodded and removed the barricades, allowing the reporters to rush forward like a pack of hyenas descending on their prey.

***

Cameras flashed as the reporters snapped photos and created a dazzling light show.

The actors lined up in neat rows began instinctively crowding toward the center and disrupted the formation.

"Wait a moment! Why is everyone crowding in the middle? Please spread out!"

Geum Eun-Dong intervened to reorganize the line and widen the spacing, but the gaps closed again as soon as his attention shifted. This happened because most of the actors were used to being leads, each vying for the spotlight at the center.

After the photos were taken, the reporters clamored for interviews.

However, Oh Bok-Hee firmly declined their request. "We'll give you time for interviews after filming is done. For now, please leave."

"What? You're just sending us off? How are we supposed to know when filming will end?"

"Please keep your distance and use telephoto lenses to shoot so you don't disrupt the actors."

Despite the reporters' pleas to get closer for their photos, Oh Bok-Hee remained firm.

After all, allowing them to take pictures at all was already a concession following higher-ups' instructions as they feared the competition from rival productions.

"Alright, move along now~"

Following Oh Bok-Hee's orders, the staff ushered the reporters out and preparations for

Hwaranjeon

's shoot resumed.

***

The first scene to be filmed took place in the grand hall where the three princesses announced their plans to compete in a weaving contest.

King Eumgalmun promised a grand reward to the princess who produced the most woven cloth by the autumn harvest. This scene would depict the beginning of the princesses' rivalry over the prize.

Meanwhile, the banished reporters set up telephoto lenses on their camera bodies like fervent idol fans outside in the parking lot.

The atmosphere was tense with hundreds of people including staff watching.

Aware of the reporters' presence, Yoo-Jin appeared slightly nervous.

I handed her a liquid herbal supplement and some water to rinse her mouth. "Focus only on your acting. Soon, the entire nation will be watching your performance. A hundred reporters are nothing compared to that, right?"

Yoo-Jin's face lit up. "The entire nation? That's a great way to put it."

When Yoo-Jin smiled warmly, Miso chimed in with excitement. "Then is Mom a national actress now, Uncle Yoon-Ho?"

"Do you know what a national actress is, Miso?" I asked.

"It's an actress whom everyone knows!" Miso exclaimed.

Although Yoo-Jin had become quite popular, she wasn't quite at that level yet. Nevertheless, I believed she could earn that title by the end of this drama.

I smiled and nodded. "Exactly. She'll be one by the end of this drama."

Miso cheered as her crescent-shaped eyes sparkled with joy. "Wow~ That's amazing!"

Thanks to Miso's cheerful energy, Yoo-Jin stood from her waiting chair with confidence. "Alright then. I'll head in."

"Go get them."

With a brief deep breath, Yoo-Jin walked toward the set. It seemed she didn't need the herbal supplement after all as it remained on her chair.

"Jung Yoo-Jin, you got this!"

Yoo-Jin raised a clenched fist in determination without looking back.

***

The grand hall set was spacious enough to hold at least 100 people.

After the actors had finished preparing, the reflectors, boom microphones, and Jimmy Jib camera were set up.

Once the staff filled the set, Oh Bok-Hee held her megaphone and looked visibly tense. "Alright, let's hoist the sails for

Hwaranjeon

! Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, Mrs. Oh!"

From all around, confirmations for

Hwaranjeon

's crank-in standby echoed.

Oh Bok-Hee took a deep breath and shouted, "Got it. Let's begin

Hwaranjeon

! Episode 5, Scene 1. Ready~~ Action!"

The new version of

Hwaranjeon

, which had reached over 25% viewership ratings in my past life, was now beginning with a completely different cast.

However, the shoot suddenly took an unexpected turn.