Originally, Shall We Get Married? did not reveal the marriage partners before the show aired.
However, this ti, they made an exception and announced it through an article in advance.
The reason was simple.
"Since it’s the last one, we have to give it our all."
This was because Kim Donghu and Ryu Jaerin would be the final cast of Shall We Get Married?
Due to past issues with scripts and manipulation scandals, the show had lost its peak popularity.
Restoring its forr glory seed impossible, and thus, it was decided that this season would be its last.
As a result, they had actively accommodated Kim Donghu and Ryu Jaerin's conditions for participating in the show.
Choi Eunjung, the PD of Shall We Get Married?, looked over the schedule written on the whiteboard.
"It’s the last, so let’s really do our best this ti."
"Yes!"
While such resolutions echoed in the MNC variety show eting room...
"...Two weddings in one year?"
Kim Sujin, with a complicated expression, was reading the articles one by one.
She had been delighted to co-star with Kim Donghu in Our Fake Wedding, but that joy didn’t last long.
The following headlines soon began to sour her mood.
“Joint Wedding! Two Brides?! Kim Donghu to Hold Two Weddings in 2017!”
“Irresistible Casanova, Already Living a Polygamous Life?!”
Even though she knew these clickbait articles were written solely to rake in views,
she couldn’t help but feel annoyed at her compulsion to click on them.
‘I wish we could just start the script reading already!’
After all, it was just a virtual marriage show, wasn’t it?
‘I feel like asking him why he even agreed to do it, telling him not to go on the show.’
But the reality that they weren’t in that kind of relationship only made her feel sadder.
Still, they’d kissed before, hadn’t they? Couldn’t that justify saying sothing?
But if she said anything, wouldn’t he think she was being overly intrusive?
‘Donghu must have his reasons for doing this.’
With such conflicting emotions, ti flew by, and it was already early December.
The script reading day for Our Fake Wedding had arrived.
*****
The storyline of Our Fake Wedding was extrely simple.
“Two broke individuals who register their marriage to maximize their eligibility for national scholarships.”
It was a sweet romantic cody about a man majoring in fine arts and a woman majoring in accounting.
The story revolved around the coexistence of art and numbers, ideals and reality.
Given its predictability, the actors’ ability to bring the story to life was crucial.
‘In that sense, I can say I’m guaranteed the best.’
Iminha, the writer of Hi Dream!, smiled proudly as she observed the script reading session.
Looking at the na cards arranged on the table, she couldn’t help but grin.
‘Kim Donghu, Kim Sujin, Lee Minhyeok, Jung Dahye.’
From the main cast to the supporting roles, it was a lineup boasting absolute perfection.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them a team of top-tier actors, all guaranteed to deliver stellar performances.
What’s more...
‘Donghu and Sujin have already worked together in the past.’
Considering their previous collaboration was also in the romance genre,
the chemistry this ti was bound to be even more explosive.
"Hello."
While lost in such thoughts, as always, Kim Donghu was the first to arrive at the script reading venue.
"Donghu! I missed you so much!"
" too. Have you been well, writer-nim?"
"I’ve been great as always. But wow, Donghu, you’ve gotten even more handso! You were already good-looking before, but now... wow!"
"You’ve beco even prettier, writer-nim."
"Oh, co on, I’ve just been taking care of myself these days."
Iminha chatted with Kim Donghu about various things while internally marveling.
‘Wow, even with all his success, he still shows up early.’
She was genuinely impressed.
Winning an Olympic gold dal would give anyone a reason to be conceited,
yet here he was, arriving two hours early, just like always.
Iminha knew how difficult and remarkable that was.
Successful people often lost their humble beginnings,
but here he was, still holding on to them. She couldn’t help but admire him.
"Last ti, I wasn’t able to prepare the script properly, but how about this ti? Does it suit your taste?"
Recalling the criticisms Hi Dream 2 had faced in the past,
Iminha gazed at Kim Donghu with sparkling eyes, hoping for a complint.
Receiving praise for her script from a guaranteed hit actor—there was nothing sweeter than that.
"It’s great. I think it’s going to be a huge success this ti too."
"Really? Another hit? Haha, the director will be thrilled."
Iminha’s grin stretched ear to ear, envisioning the head director’s reaction.
Kim Chuldo, the head director—a quirky man who always chewed on cherry pie.
‘But he always had an impeccable eye for dramas.’
She could already imagine his hearty laugh. Zuhahahaha!—his laughter played automatically in her head.
"Oh, by the way... Is the PD still Kim Youngmo?"
"Yes! He still wears that bucket hat everywhere."
"Wow..."
Kim Donghu was genuinely surprised.
‘So this is practically the sa Hi Dream team.’
With the sa writer, PD, and director,
could they replicate the legendary success from back then?
‘Maybe that’s why it got an A rating.’
When people who’ve worked together before reunite, they tend to create even greater synergy.
Perhaps that was the reason for the A-grade rating, he thought as...
"Hello, pleased to et you."
"Oh my, Sujin, you’re early too!"
Kim Sujin walked into the script reading room.
"Got a party to attend after this?"
"Huh? A party? No, nothing like that."
"Really? You look so dressed up, I was surprised."
"They said they’d be using this for a YouTube video, so I ca prepared."
"Aww! So diligent! So adorable!"
Kim Sujin said this while stealing a glance at Kim Donghu, her gaze expectant.
A look that silently asked him to notice why she’d dressed up.
Donghu, not being entirely clueless, caught on and lowered his head slightly.
‘Why am I embarrassed by this?’
Feeling a strange sense of bashfulness creeping up,
Donghu opened the script in his hand.
He knew from experience that focusing on work was the best way to handle monts like these.
"The script is clean this ti, too."
"Haha, is it?"
"But actually! I did, uh, tweak it just a little... a tiny bit."
Swoosh.
Iminha handed over a revised script, looking genuinely apologetic.
"Am I the only one who got revisions?"
"Yeah... well... It’s just that you’re so handso. I figured showing off your face properly would keep the audience from complaining..."
What on earth did she an by that?
Donghu shrugged, unable to comprehend.
‘Well, I’ll figure it out once I imrse myself.’
Curious about how much had changed, Donghu took the revised script.
‘Ti to dive in.’
And just like that, he imrsed himself in the script.
*****
The surroundings shifted.
‘It’s the sa as always.’
I woke up staring at the dormitory ceiling, as usual.
A dorm I barely managed to get into with my grades.
But sothing was different.
‘Why is there such a large mirror in this dorm room?’
A full-length mirror stood in the corner of the room.
Naturally, I—or rather, the protagonist, Han Doyoon—approached it.
"Today... hmm, my face looks good."
He complinted his own face.
Then, as if that weren’t enough, he stripped off his pajamas and proudly flexed his muscles.
‘So this is the part they changed.’
Originally, there hadn’t been a scene like this.
Adding a mont to show off his looks—it made sense for a romantic cody.
Since I’d already imrsed myself in the rest of the story once before,
I didn’t bother reviewing further.
‘The script ends right before he ets Sujin’s character.’
In the story, her character’s na was Jung Subin.
The two et through a coincidental blind date.
Both of them had gone as substitutes,
partly to cover for soone else and partly to save on dinner costs.
‘But I didn’t expect him to major in fine arts.’
Woosh!
I ca out of imrsion as I finished the script.
Just then, I noticed a ssage from Sims that had arrived when I first read the script.
-[The protagonist Han Doyoon’s artistic skills don’t match his current ability level.]
-[Downloading the application How Easy Is This, Really?]
It was clear who the writer was referencing with that iconic line.
I’d noticed before that writers often gave their protagonists unrealistically high skill levels.
‘Well, not that I’m complaining since it ans I gain more abilities.’
Anyway...
"Ten minutes until the script reading begins!"
After confirming the changes to the script, I took my seat.
It had been a while since I’d last attended a script reading.
*****
anwhile, as the script reading for Our Fake Wedding was underway...
Click-clack-clack.
Director Lee Sungdeok, who had made a dazzling debut with the indie film Hero,
was staring intently at his monitor with sunken eyes.
Click-clack-clack-clack.
The only sounds in the room were the hum of his computer and the clatter of his keyboard.
In this isolation, he was dismantling and reconstructing the script he’d already completed.
"I need to create... the ultimate script."
The next evolution of Hero was True Hero.
While the storyline was similar, the scale and depth of aning were worlds apart.
From the start, Lee Sungdeok had never envisioned anyone other than Kim Donghu as the lead.
The reason was simple.
"...I’ll win that grand prize."
He wanted to secure Donghu an award with this project.
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