Chapter 465: Dancer's Dream (2)

Sixty-years-old Yeon Hwa-Seon was a second-generation master of Korean traditional dance.

Her mother, Jo Yong-Soon, was also a Human Cultural Asset. The two had devoted their lives to restoring dances from the Three Kingdoms period to the Joseon Dynasty.

When Jo Yong-Soon passed away, Yeon Hwa-Seon focused on training students and finding a successor to pass on the restored Korean dances. Despite this, her sense of duty to spread Korean traditional dance widely drove her to tirelessly perform and give lectures. In her remaining time, she even served as a consultant for dramas and films.

Because Yeon Hwa-Seon was particularly fond of coffee, I became the coffee provider whenever she came to the site. While she drank coffee, I would chat with her and gradually grew closer to her.

One day, Yeon Hwa-Seon confided in me about her only daughter. She spoke of her late-born daughter, Seo Hee-Joo, whom she had at over forty, and how the girl possessed greater talent than herself.

But the daughter she hoped would continue the family legacy as a third-generation dancer had declared her disdain for traditional dance and ran away at the age of nineteen to pursue a career as a celebrity.

After their estrangement, Yeon Hwa-Seon began seeking a new successor.

-It's been almost two years since I last saw her. How could she not contact me even once? That wretched child...

Despite her harsh words, Yeon Haw-Seon smiled bitterly and said that if her daughter ever returned, she would bow to her in apology if that was what it took.

But I never imagined her regretful words were the lamentations of someone nearing the end of their life. Four months later, I received the shocking news of her sudden passing, which remained marked in my planner.

[Everyday V12]

[Date: December 12, 2022]

- 11:00 p.m. (Obituary) Human Cultural Asset Yeon Hwa-Seon. Gyeongju Hwa-Jin Hospital, Funeral Hall 1.

Two years from now, Yeon Haw-Seon will pass away due to a brain tumor. At the time before the regression, I rushed to the funeral hall after receiving a call from talent agent Seo Yoon-Ji.

There, I witnessed mourners grabbing Seo Yoon-Ji by the collar and accusing her of failing to persuade Yeon Hwa-Seon to undergo surgery.

-Do you know how great a sin you've committed against the world of Korean traditional dance?

But Seo Yoon-Ji clutched her chest in anguish and explained that Yeon Hwa-Seon had adamantly refused surgery, fearing it might impair her hands and feet. She had insisted she wouldn't undergo the procedure until she found a successor to carry on the essence of traditional dance passed down from her ancestors.

When Seo Hee-Joo arrived at the funeral after hearing the news, she collapsed in tears upon learning from Seo Yoon-Ji that her mother's hesitation to find another successor stemmed from lingering hopes for her daughter.

Seo Hee-Joo barely managed to hold her mother's funeral and began retracing the footsteps of her grandmother and mother with Seo Yoon-Ji's help.

The tragic story of the mother and the daughter was eventually adapted into the film The

Dancer's Dream

, which drew 8 million viewers. Yoo-Jin was the one who played the lead role in the film.

As someone who witnessed the entire tragedy firsthand, I was determined to prevent such a calamity from repeating itself.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to Geum Eun-Dong. "Where is Ms. Yeon Hwa-Seon right now?"

"Oh, she's on stage right now to check the choreography arranged by MBS' previous choreography team lead."

Yeon Hwa-Seon was checking Lee Hye-Yeon's previous work. It seemed like I would need to watch the situation before engaging in a conversation with Yeon Hwa-Seon. Since the brain tumor will be discovered about two months after, this was a time when no one knew about her condition.

Because I wasn't acquainted with Yeon Hwa-Seon yet, I planned to approach her cautiously.

'

Let's do this properly

.'

With that firm resolve, I followed Geum Eun-Dong to the stage set built in front of Daejeon.

***

The dance Yeon Hwa-Seon was going to teach today was the Jinhonmu, performed in a scene where the brother and son of King Uija of Baekje persuade Silla to surrender. As a dance meant to convey a desire for peace, it not only honored the spirits of soldiers who had died in battle but also carried an underlying determination to seek revenge on behalf of Baekje.

Thus, today's Jinhonmu had to blend a poignant elegance with the fierce intensity of a call to arms.

But the rehearsal seemed to have already ended when we arrived at the set, as the actors were catching their breath.

Geum Eun-Dong tilted his head in confusion. "Why did the rehearsal end so early?"

At that moment, the voice of Oh Bok-Hee rang out from beneath the stage. "Ms. Yeon, what do you mean there's no need to see more? What are you saying?"

Wrapped in a thick fur coat, Yeon Hwa-Seon clicked her tongue with a dissatisfied expression. "I've seen enough. From start to finish, it's all wrong."

"From the start?"

"That's right. This isn't Jinhonmu. It's just people dressed in white pretending to do traditional dance! The hand movements, the footwork, the gaze—all of it is a mess."

Despite her warm and compassionate nature, Yeon Hwa-Seon appeared stern and blunt, especially when it came to dance. She was uncompromising.

As Yeon Hwa-Seon's harsh critiques continued, Oh Bok-Hee shrank back. "Well... you know I'm not an expert in dance. I trusted it because a supposed professional choreographed it. But something felt off, so I called you at the last minute."

Yeon Hwa-Seon let out a sigh. "PD Oh. With the tight schedule, it might only make things worse if I intervene now. You'd be better off bringing back the choreographer who originally handled this and letting them finish it."

It was evident Yeon Hwa-Seon felt regret that the choreography didn't reflect historical accuracy. But she drew a firm line, fully convinced that the actors wouldn't be able to master the Jinhonmu even if she started teaching it now.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin standing on the stage called out urgently, "Ms. Yeon, wait!"

Startled by the urgency in Yoo-Jin's voice, Yeon Hwa-Seon turned her head.

Yoo-Jin clasped her hands together and pleaded. "We'll do whatever it takes! Just teach us, please."

Not to be outdone by Yoo-Jin, Han Sang-Hee and Min Gyu-Ri also stepped forward to add their voices.

"I majored in Korean traditional dance at an arts high school. If you teach me, I can follow."

"I didn't major in it, but I practiced dance and ballet until I was fifteen. I'll work really hard, Ms. Yeon."

Han Sang-Hee had experience in Korean traditional dance, and Min Gyu-Ri, having grown up in a wealthy family, had dabbled in numerous disciplines from piano to ballet, taekwondo, and horseback riding.

In contrast, Yoo-Jin was at a disadvantage among the three as she was an ordinary student until high school graduation. But having seen her perform as the lead in

Dancer's Dream

before the regression, I knew that Yoo-Jin could dance better than the others, even if she didn't realize it herself yet.

Yeon Hwa-Seon stared at the three intently. "You think you can follow my dance?"

Yoo-Jin straightened her shoulders confidently and shouted, "Yes! I'll practice day and night if that's what it takes to get it right."

Moved by their earnest attitudes, Choi Ji-Yung stepped forward as their representative. "Ms. Yeon, please just give them a chance. These young ones are determined to create something great..."

Yeon Hwa-Seon hesitated for a moment, impressed by the actresses' passion. Then Oh Bok-Hee also joined in to persuade her further.

While

Hwaranjeon

was a fictional story, it was set in Gyeongju and aimed to authentically recreate the Silla era from costumes to historical details. Oh Bok-Hee pleaded for the same level of authenticity in the choreography.

Eventually, Yeon Hwa-Seon raised her hands in concession. "Fine. I promised to take a look, so I'll teach the Jinhonmu. But only once. If I don't see potential during rehearsal, that's it. Understand?"

It might have seemed harsh, but it was an act of consideration. Yeon Hwa-Seon understood the demanding nature of the drama's production schedule. On set, knowing when to abandon something that didn't work was sometimes necessary.

"Understood, Ms. Yeon."

Oh Bok-Hee called out to Geum Eun-Dong. "Eun-Dong!"

Geum Eun-Dong, standing beside me, quickly ran off. "Yes, Mrs. Oh."

"Prepare a separate tent for Ms. Yeon to rest in and bring her something to drink."

"Yes, ma'am."

At that moment, Yeon Hwa-Seon interjected. "There's no need for that. I never eat before dancing anyway. Just make me some coffee sweet like from a coffee shop. You know my style, right?"

Even before the regression, Yeon Hwa-Seon had been the same. She called instant coffee "coffee shop coffee" and insisted on adding lots of sugar to make it sweet. Of course, she never asked for that again after trying my coffee for the first time.

At that moment, Oh Bok-Hee and I made eye contact. "Mr. Jung, is there any chance...?"

"Of course. I'll prepare it right away."

As Yeon Hwa-Seon headed to the rest tent, I exchanged a glance with Yoo-Jin on the stage.

'

Don't worry. I'll help you, so rest assured.

'

Seeing me there seemed to put Yoo-Jin at ease as she nodded slightly. Then I headed off to make the signature coffee for Yeon Hwa-Seon.

If I wanted to prevent the tragedy that befell Yeon Hwa-Seon, I needed to establish a rapport and become close to her. This was a great opportunity to do so.

Additionally, I made the coffee exactly how she liked it and took it to her rest tent to dispel the prejudice that actors couldn't dance.

***

When I entered the rest tent, I saw Yeon Hwa-Seon sitting in a chair with her eyes closed. Her pure white hair contrasted sharply with her youthful and well-maintained skin, which showed hardly any wrinkles.

Beside her stood her talent agent, Seo Yoon-Ji, dressed impeccably in a suit. In contrast, Oh Bok-Hee anxiously paced back and forth.

I said, "Here's the coffee."

Yeon Hwa-Seon opened her eyes. "Huh? I've never seen this guy before. Who are you? An AD?"

As I poured the coffee into a plastic cup, I introduced myself. "Oh, I'm Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho. I manage actress Jung Yoo-Jin."

"Is that so? But you're not staff. Why are you... doing something like this?"

"Please feel free to speak casually. Whatever's comfortable for you, Ms. Yeon."

"

Hmm

... alright, I'll drop the formalities. But why is a team lead bringing coffee? Did the production team boss you around? Should I scold them for you?"

Yeon Hwa-Seon wasn't one to overlook unfairness. She turned to glare at Oh Bok-Hee, suspecting that I might have been ordered around.

Flustered, Oh Bok-Hee explained, "Ms. Yeon, do you know how accomplished Team Lead Jung is? There's no way I could order him around! He's practically at the level of a director even if his title is team lead!"

"Young as he is, you expect me to believe that? PD Oh, don't lie!"

"I'm serious! He's the very person who fought with my company president to make sure I became a drama producer. How could I ever boss him around?"

Hearing this, Yeon Hwa-Seon gave me a long and appraising look. "So you're quite capable, huh?"

I smiled awkwardly and handed her the coffee. "That's too generous, Ms. Yeon. I came because I wanted to make you coffee."

At that moment, Yeon Hwa-Seon sniffed the aroma of the coffee and tilted her head. "Oh? This isn't coffee shop coffee."

"No, I made it myself."

"Ah, but I have simple tastes. I like coffee shop coffee with that roasted barley-like flavor and lots of sugar..."

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Please just try it first."

"Well, you put effort into making it, so it'd be rude not to. Alright, I'll give it a try."

Yeon Hwa-Seon accepted the cup from me and took a sip. In that instant, her eyes widened.

"What is this? Why is it so good?"

When the startled Yeon Hwa-Seon looked at me, I answered, "I made it to match your taste. How is it?"

Yeon Hwa-Seon raised her thumb in approval. "How is it? It's perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

The coffee tailored to Yeon Hwa-Seon's preferences hit the mark. She quickly finished the cup with a loud slurp and asked for another right away. "Wow, this is amazing! If I could drink coffee like this every day, I'd have no more wishes left!"

I seized the opportunity and said, "If you teach Yoo-Jin and the other actresses well on set from now on, I'll make sure to handle all the coffee for you."

Yeon Hwa-Seon chuckled. "It's a tempting offer, but I can't guarantee anything. Watching them dance earlier was enough to make my blood boil..."

As expected, her bias stemmed from the choreography created by the previous choreographer, which had led her to assume that Yoo-Jin couldn't dance.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and held it out to her without hesitation. "Ms. Yeon, please take a look at this."

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, I played a video. The footage showed the Jinhonmu performed by "Manshin Wol-Ah" in

In the Name of God

.

Yeon Hwa-Seon's eyes widened as she watched. The movements of "Manshin Wol-Ah," portrayed by a disguised Yoo-Jin, were anything but ordinary.

After about two minutes, Yeon Hwa-Seon was engrossed in the video and slowly raised her head. With a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes, she asked, "This... was danced by the same Yoo-Jin just now?"

"Yes. Even though she was in restrictive special effects makeup, this was her performance."

Yeon Hwa-Seon's lips curled into a faint smile. The prejudices she had held were visibly beginning to fade.

She asked, "But who taught Yoo-Jin how to dance like this?"

I swiped to the next video and showed it to her. "This person here."

At that moment, Yeon Hwa-Seon's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the person in the video.