Rising Actor Song Hyunsoo Cast in Director Jung Joonheeโs New Film <Dissolve> Starring Yoon Jooho
Song Hyunsoo Lands Role in <Dissolve> as Yoon Joohoโs Younger Sibling, Beating 2,000-to-1 Odds
Will Newcomer Song Hyunsoo Be the Next Star Discovered by Director Jung Joonhee?
Rookie Song Hyunsoo Joins <Dissolve> Alongside Yoon Jooho and Shin Hyojin.
โคท Did they blow the entire budget casting Yoon Jooho? Even among nobodies, thereโs a hierarchy.
โคท Wait, isnโt this supposed to be a casting article about a rookie actor? The headlineโs all about Yoon Jooho or Director Jung Joon-hee, lol.
โคท I clicked thinking this was a Yoon Jooho article. Got baited. Dropping a comment while Iโm here.
โคท What state were the other 1,999 people inโฆ seriouslyโฆ
Waiting for the night bus at the stop, Song Hyunsoo checked the news article for what must have been the twentieth time today.
Not much had changed since the last time heโd searched it.
The casting article he had waited so long for had finally dropped last Friday.
But his life? It remained exactly the same.
Over the weekendโFriday, Saturday, and Sundayโhe had worked at โJessica,โ buzzing with hope that someone might recognize him.
In the end, the excitement only made the silence more awkward.
Sure, heโd gained more followers than usualโmaybe around a hundredโbut it was far from what he had imagined.
The only ones who responded with any real enthusiasm were his grandparents, Jeongho, Chaeyoung, and Jung Jin.
Well, to be fair, even Yoon Jooho had reactedโthough not exactly with enthusiasm.
ใRetake your profile photo.
No wonder you havenโt been getting roles with a photo like that.ใ
Typical aggravating feedback but still, it meant something.
The fact that Yoon Jooho had even taken the time to read the article was something in itself.
That man had never exactly been known for sugarcoating.
โAnd stop wasting your energy on the comments.
All that noise from losers in the threadsโnobody gives a damn.โ
A few minutes later, that follow-up message had come in too.
Maybe Hyunsoo was just used to the way Yoon Jooho talked, but now even his bluntness was starting to feelโฆ warm.
It was the first time in his life his name had appeared in an article.
And the first time heโd ever received hate comments.
If not for Yoon Joohoโs unwavering advice, he mightโve spent the whole weekend arguing in the comment section.
But thanks to Jeongho and Chaeyoung, heโd gotten all his cursing out in group chats instead and the anger hadnโt really lingered.
After all, it wasnโt just anyoneโthis was Yoon Jooho, his childhood idol, telling him not to care.
And that made the whole thing feel like it truly wasnโt worth caring about.
It felt like Yoon Jooho was shielding him from all the noiseโcovering his eyes and ears from behind, telling him to just keep walking his own path.
โโฆHaa.โ
Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Hyunsoo let out a long breath.
He shouldโve been more understanding toward Choi Hongseo.
If he didnโt want to see the hate, he couldโve just not looked but instead, heโd searched for it, let it eat away at him.
Instead of nagging him about it, maybe if heโd said something firm and supportiveโsomething like what Yoon Jooho had told himโฆ
Of course, back then, Hyunsoo didn’t have any weight behind his words.
But still, if he had said somethingโwould that guy have felt a little less lonely?
Would it have been just a bit easier for him?
No point thinking about it now.
No matter how much he regretted it, that guy wasnโt coming back.
The night bus came once every forty minutes.
Hyunsoo shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, aimlessly pacing the stop, until he suddenly froze.
His reflection had appeared on the digital billboard.
His face was little more than a blur, but the bright orange puffer jacket stood out vividly.
Heโd worn it to work on Friday, and both Jeong-ho and Chaeyoung had gone wild recognizing the brand.
Theyโd even taken turns trying it on.
โDidnโt you say you were done with designer stuff? Whereโd the money come from? Donโt tell me you bought this on an installment plan???โ
Jeong-ho, snapping selfies in the mirror with the coat, had turned to him with wide eyes, as if ready to strangle him if he said yes.
โAm I crazy? Yoon Jooho sunbaeโโ
โHe bought it for you???โ
โN-no, it was just something he didnโt wear anymore, and he gave it to me.โ
If he told them heโd gotten it in exchange for bartending at Joohoโs birthday party, it wouldโve sounded weird.
And saying he got it in return for a book and pen set as a Christmas gift?
Even weirder.
So heโd just left it at that.
โDamnโฆ Even if itโs used, this has to be close to four hundred. Guess thatโs pocket change to someone like him.โ
โHe didnโt give it to me because itโs pocket change. He gave it to me because he cares about his juniors! Now take it off, youโll get it dirty!โ
With 90% goose down and 10% feather, this jacket was on a whole other level compared to those fake-wool paddings.
It wasnโt just any gooseโit felt like the kind of goose bred to survive an arctic apocalypse.
Even just slipping his hands into the pockets brought instant warmth.
Hyunsoo stared at his reflection on the billboard.
The old him wouldโve liked this jacket for the logo on the sleeve.
But nowโฆ he kept looking at it because it was from Yoon Jooho.
He glanced up at the digital display: 28 minutes left until the bus arrived.
It was just past 2 a.m., after โJessicaโ had closed.
Which meant it was around 6 p.m. in Paris.
A good time to call Jung Jin.
After a few rings, Jinโs reassuring voice came through.
โHey, Hyunsoo.โ
โHyung, is now a good time?โ
โJust chilling at home.โ
โDid you have dinner yet?โ
โProbably around 8.โ
โPeople over there really eat late, huh.โ
They chatted briefly, then Hyunsoo got to the point.
โActuallyโฆ I have a favor to ask.โ
โA favor?โ
โIโฆ got invited to Yoon Jooho sunbaeโs birthday party.โ
[Huh? What did you say?]
โYoon Jooho sunbaeโs birthday party.โ
[Ohโฆ really? You two mustโve gotten close.]
Something about hearing that out loud made Hyunsoo feel shy.
He had no problem saying all sorts of things to Jooho when they were together.
But now that he wasnโt standing right in front of him, the fact that he had become close with actor Yoon Jooho suddenly hit him with full force.
Iโm friends with Yoon Jooho.
It used to be Jin hyung who was close to himโnot me.
I was always the one secretly envying from the sidelines.
Pulling his chin deeper into his puffer jacket, Song Hyunsoo smirked to himself.
โEh, I guess he just invited me out of courtesy since weโre working on a movie together.โ
[Heโs not the type to invite someone to his birthday just because theyโre cast in the same project.]
Thatโฆ was true.
Even Shin Hyojin sunbae had said it was her first time being invited.
โAnyway, I figured I should bring a giftโฆ and Iโd really like it to be appropriate. You know how Iโm not great at this kind of thing.โ
[…]
โYouโre really the only person I can ask about this.โ
Even back when they were crammed together in that run-down shared house, Jung Jin had always seemed like someone from a completely different world.
He owned several luxury watches and all his clothesโsimple in design but made of fine materialsโwere clearly expensive designer items.
Choi Hong-seo and Hyunsoo had even speculated together:
He probably comes from a rich family that went bankrupt. Thatโs why heโs slumming it with us.
They were half right.
Yes, Jin came from wealthโbut no, his family business was doing just fine.
That kind of privileged upbringing had clearly sharpened his sense of taste.
He wasnโt one to chase trendsโhis preferences were refined, his eye discerning.
Ever since he got the invitation, Hyunsoo had racked his brain, but figuring out what to buy a billionaire like Yoon Jooho for his birthday felt impossible.
No matter what he thought of, it felt cheap in comparison.
โI was thinking maybe a fancy candleโheโs really into those. But I bet he already has everything I could affordโฆโ
[Candle?]
โYeah, Yoon Jooho sunbae. He apparently has a crazy collection.โ
[Really? I didnโt know that.]
โOhโฆ yeah. Thatโs what I heard. Just recently.โ
Heโd assumed Jin, being one of Joohoโs closest friends, would obviously know.
So he quickly changed his wordingโjust something I heard.
It wasnโt exactly a secret that Hyunsoo was practicing lines with Yoon Jooho.
But Baek, the manager, had advised him not to mention that he was technically being paid for it.
Even if it was Jin he was talking to, he didnโt want to get into the whole story of how heโd been in and out of Joohoโs house.
โMy budgetโs around a million won. Do you think thatโs enough?โ
[A million? Isnโt that a bit much? Do you really have to get him a gift?]
Jin, who knew exactly how tight Hyunsooโs finances were, sounded hesitant.
โItโs justโฆ Iโve received a lot from him. I feel like I should at least do this much.โ
[A lot? Like what?]
โLittle things. Heโs given me tons of acting guidance and stuff.โ
Hyunsoo couldnโt bring himself to say that Jooho had given him a designer coat worth several million won.
[Yeahโฆ heโs definitely a hard person to shop for. If it doesnโt suit his taste, he wonโt even look at it.]
โRight?! Heโs picky about everything. Sensitive taste, sensitive nose, high standardsโif he doesnโt like something, thereโs just no budging him. Honestly, Iโm even worried he might be like that in bed.โ
[…]
โAnyway, Iโm just afraid that whatever I choose, it wonโt meet his standards.
Isnโt there somethingโwithin that price rangeโthatโs stylish, practical, something he could use all year round, carry with him all the time, and actually need?โ
From the other end of the call, Jin let out a light laugh.
[You sound like youโre shopping for a girlfriend.]
Hyunsoo pressed his lips together.
He didnโt answerโbecause the truth was, after agonizing over it for days, heโd already searched โbirthday gift for 30-year-old boyfriendโ on Naver.